Tag: elle fanning

DVD & Digital

Film review: A Complete Unknown

Garry Arnot1 Comment

 Twenty years on from his critically acclaimed Johnny Cash picture, writer and director James Mangold returns to the musical biopic sub-genre with 1960s drama A Complete Unknown. Based on the 2015 book Dylan Goes Electric! by Elijah Wald, the plot follows a young Bob Dylan (Timothée Chalamet) on his sudden rise to fame. Arriving in New York with nothing but his guitar, he begins a relationship with Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning) then after meeting fellow singers Pete Seeger (Edward Norton) and Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy), he is welcomed into the city’s bohemian folk scene.

Continue reading “Film review: A Complete Unknown” →
DVD & Digital

DVD review: A Rainy Day in New York

Garry ArnotLeave a comment

untitled-woody-allen-project-5d8820c432c79-scaled

After a film career that has spanned around half a century so far, veteran writer and director Woody Allen gets nostalgic about reckless youth in his latest comedy A Rainy Day in New York. The plot follows a student couple whose impromptu getaway to Manhattan inadvertently splits into two separate adventures. Rich kid Gatsby Welles (Timothée Chalamet) runs into old friend Chan (Selena Gomez) as he dodges a reunion with his family, whilst his aspiring journalist girlfriend Ashleigh (Elle Fanning) gets more than she bargained for when interviewing a hotshot filmmaker for the school paper.

Continue reading “DVD review: A Rainy Day in New York” →

DVD & Digital

DVD review: Galveston

Garry ArnotLeave a comment

galveston-126154_-_h_2018

Author turned screenwriter Nic Pizzolatto made his name when he created crime drama True Detective, and he returns to the Texan landscape for his latest feature with French filmmaker Mélanie Laurent on directorial duty. Based upon Pizzolatto’s novel of the same name but adapted for the screen under his pseudonym Jim Hammett, road thriller Galveston follows ailing hitman Roy (Ben Foster) and young escort Rocky (Elle Fanning) as they go on the run from a dangerous mob, and of course, the law. They seek solace in Roy’s hometown, but it’s only a matter of time until their chequered pasts catch up with them.

Continue reading “DVD review: Galveston” →

DVD & Digital

DVD review: The Neon Demon

Garry Arnot2 Comments
neon-demon

Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn came to the attention of most cinema-goers when he directed the ultraviolent getaway thriller Drive, which has since developed a huge cult following. This relatively mainstream effort provided the modern-day auteur the opportunity to delve into art-house territory and reach a wide audience simultaneously. His controversial, yet vibrant visions are taken to the extreme in latest work The Neon Demon, an entrancing horror film set around the LA fashion industry. The plot follows young and aspiring model Jesse (Elle Fanning) who, with no family to support her, moves to the big city to follow her dream. At an amateur photo shoot, she befriends make-up artist Ruby (Jenna Malone) who in turn introduces her to professional models Gigi (Bella Heathcote) and Sarah (Abbey Lee). The old-hands fear that they’ll soon be overlooked by Jesse’s natural beauty and vitality, but begrudgingly welcome her to their obsessive cut-throat world.

Continue reading “DVD review: The Neon Demon” →