cinema

Film review: Fjord

As Europe becomes an increasingly divided political landscape, it provides fertile ground for writer and director Cristian Mungiu, a figure of Romanian New Wave whose films usually explore his home nation’s contemporary society. Loosely inspired by a true story, his latest piece is legal drama Fjord which, as the title would suggest, is set in a remote village in left-leaning Norway. When Mihai (Sebastian Stan) and his wife Lisbet (Renate Reinsve) relocate there from Bucharest with their five children, their evangelical Christian views go against the grain of the progressive community and conflict occurs when a teacher from the local school makes an allegation of child abuse against the couple.

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cinema

Film review: Animol

After acting in the likes of Top Boy and Adolescence as well as writing, producing and starring in his own series, Bulletproof, it felt like just a matter of time before filmmaking all-rounder Ashley Walters would direct for the big screen. His debut feature is Animol which takes place within the unforgiving walls of a juvenile detention centre. The plot follows taciturn teen Troy (Tut Nyuot) who is being held on remand following a botched robbery. On day one he befriends the equally vulnerable Krystian (Vladyslav Baliuk) but his safety is threatened by volatile cellmate Mason (Ryan Dean) and menacing ‘top dog’ Dion (Sekou Diaby) who strong-arms him into participating in his illicit schemes.

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cinema

Film review: Ink

The incisive works of playwright James Graham tend to skewer Britain’s rich cultural history with his pieces often presented on stage or on television. For only the second time in his illustrious career, his words have been adapted for the cinema as he, quite fittingly, teams up with director Danny Boyle who shares similar political passions within his own oeuvre.

Based on the theatrical production of the same name, biographical drama Ink begins in 1969 when northern newspaper editor Larry Lamb (Jack O’Connell) is approached by Australian media magnate Rupert Murdoch (Guy Pearce) to start a new venture. Together, they launch The Sun which stirs controversy and transforms the landscape of the UK tabloid industry.

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cinema

Film review: Sense and Sensibility

There have been countless adaptations of Jane Austen’s iconic works across stage and screen and we’ve enjoyed a 21st century trend of period pieces that bring a contemporary edge to historical texts, whether it be vibrant pastel colouring or pop music soundtracks. Going against this wave of anachronism is director Georgia Oakley’s refreshingly stripped-back take on classic, Sense and Sensibility. The romantic drama follows sisters Elinor (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Marianne (Esmé Creed-Miles) as they and their family are forced to leave their comfortable estate following the death of their estranged father. They move to a small cottage in Devon and the girls experience the highs and lows of first love as they encounter societal expectations and adjust to a new way of life.

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cinema

Film review: Idiots

Since his on-screen breakthrough as the hapless protagonist in Jeremy Saulnier’s 2013 thriller Blue Ruin, filmmaker Macon Blair has proven himself as something of an all-rounder of indie cinema. Across acting, producing, writing, and directing, his low-budget oeuvre is often laced with a dark streak of humour and he has leaned further into comedy for his latest effort. Previously titled Shitheads until some reluctance from their distributors to promote the film, Idiots follows Davis (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) and Mark (Dave Franco) as two recently unemployed down-and-outs who pair up for a job at a transport agency. Assigned the seemingly simple task of escorting privileged teen tearaway Sheridan (Mason Thames) to a rehab clinic, a series of encounters lead to crime and chaos along the way.

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cinema · EIFF26

Film review: Her Private Hell

 His neon-soaked pictures are often critiqued as ‘style over substance’ and after a decade away from the big screen, Danish auteur Nicolas Winding Refn is back to polarize audiences again with his latest effort, Her Private Hell. The sci-fi psychological thriller follows actress Elle (Sophie Thatcher) who meets influencer Hunter (Kristine Froseth) ahead of their shoot on a new film by her problematic filmmaker father, Johnny Thunders (Dougray Scott). As he skips town, encouraging Elle to bury the hatchet with her stepmother Dominique (Havana Rose Liu), she crosses paths with a brooding G.I. known as Private K (Charles Melton) who is searching for his own daughter.

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cinema · EIFF26

Film review: The Last Resort

 An idyllic family holiday takes a sinister turn in The Last Resort, the latest drama from Norwegian director and co-writer Maria Sødahl. It follows Danish married couple Louise (Danica Ćurčić) and Mikkel (Esben Smed) who are enjoying a well-earned break in Gran Canaria with their young daughters Sille (Sif Lucca Gersby) and Ella (Chili Olivia Jensen). One evening while driving back to their digs, they hear a thud as they hit Afghan refugee Ahmad (Aziz Çapkurt) in the road. They give him some cash and drive him to the nearest hospital but as their victim turns up at their luxury hotel the following day to ask for more money, their dream getaway soon becomes a living nightmare.

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