DVD & Digital · EIFF23

Film review: Afire

 A subtly satirical take on the tortured artist trope, Afire is the latest effort from German writer and director Christian Petzold. The plot follows struggling author Leon (Thomas Schubert) and his photographer friend Felix (Langston Uibel) on a trip to a seaside holiday home to get some inspiration. On their arrival they find that they’re not the only guests, and their fellow lodger Nadja (Paula Beer) keeps them up through the nights as she entertains her lifeguard lover Devid (Enno Trebs). What begins as a work retreat soon turns into something quite different as procrastination leads to unexpected passion.

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EIFF23 · Interviews

Passages Interview: Ira Sachs – ‘Have you met anyone in person who believes that sex should not be in cinema?’

Revisiting themes of complicated love, the latest film from Ira Sachs is romantic drama Passages. The plot sees narcissistic filmmaker Tomas (Franz Rogowski) begin an intense sexual relationship with schoolteacher Agathe (Adèle Exarchopoulos), much to the dismay of his husband Martin (Ben Whishaw). I was fortunate enough to sit down with the writer and director to discuss his work…

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DVD & Digital · EIFF23

Film review: Femme

Developing their own 2021 short into a taut feature, the writer-director duo of Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping study very different facets of masculinity in their neo-noir thriller Femme. The story follows Jules (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) who performs in drag under his ferociously flamboyant alias Aphrodite Banks. On the way home after a show, he falls victim to a brutal hate crime at the hands of Preston (George Mackay), a small-time drug dealer egged on by his jeering gang of friends. Several months later, their paths cross again in the most unlikely of places.

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EIFF23 · Interviews

Scrapper Interview: Charlotte Regan – ‘The child-like perspective gave us licence to go a bit mad with it’.

After crafting a string of shorts and music videos, writer and director Charlotte Regan presents her debut feature Scrapper, bringing colour, humour, and vibrancy to a street-smart working class tale. Georgie (Lola Campbell) is a 12 year old girl grieving the tragic loss of her mum to an illness. Fending for herself, she and her partner in crime Ali (Alin Uzun) steal and sell bikes to make ends meet in their East London council estate. Before long, her estranged father Jason (Harris Dickinson) turns up on the scene and the pair slowly begin to form a connection. I was fortunate enough to sit down with Charlotte Regan to discuss the film…

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DVD & Digital · EIFF23

DVD review: Passages

 Complicated romance has been at the core of writer and director Ira Sach’s work across his career and is revisited once again in indie drama Passages. Set in modern day Paris, the plot follows German filmmaker Tomas (Franz Rogowski) as he is finishing up on his latest feature. Feeling neglected by his husband Martin (Ben Whishaw) at the wrap party, he meets schoolteacher Agathe (Adèle Exarchopoulos) on the dancefloor and they share a night of passion. This tryst leads to a love triangle where the three wrestle with their evolving emotions.

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EIFF23 · Features

Top 5 Must-See Movies of Edinburgh International Film Festival 2023

Shortly after last years’ edition, the future of EIFF was thrown into jeopardy when their funding company CMI went into administration. Thankfully the show will go on under the umbrella of the Edinburgh International Festival, with an eclectic stripped back schedule showcasing UK and world premieres, rare retrospectives, outdoor screenings, and more. Having perused the programme, I’ve picked out five films to keep an eye on…

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DVD & Digital

Film review: You Hurt My Feelings

Amidst the writers and actors strikes in Hollywood comes the latest film from Nicole Holofcener, one of America’s most acclaimed contemporary screenwriters. Set in modern-day Manhattan, romantic comedy drama You Hurt My Feelings follows author Beth (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) as she in the process of writing a novel. Worried that it won’t live up to the success of her well received memoir, she is shocked and upset to learn that her husband Don (Tobias Menzies) isn’t too fond of her fiction, and this revelation causes a complicated conflict in their happy marriage.

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DVD & Digital

DVD review: Elemental

After working with Disney Pixar since the turn of the century, animator Peter Sohn made his directorial debut in 2015 with The Good Dinosaur. His follow up in the director’s chair is Elemental, inspired by his own immigrant experience of moving from Korea to New York in the 1970s. The plot follows fire element Ember (Leah Lewis), daughter of Bernie (Ronnie del Carmen) and Cinder (Shila Ommi), who is soon to take over their family business in Element City. On her first day left in charge alone, her fiery temper outburst causes a leak in the basement which leads her to meet water-boy city inspector Wade (Mamadou Athie), and the pair form an unlikely connection.

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