DVD & Digital · GFF24

Film review: The Dead Don’t Hurt

 Almost as old as cinema itself, the classic Western has evolved over the years into its own subgenres and many styles. The latest take on the Wild West comes from actor-turned-filmmaker Viggo Mortensen who not only directs but has written the screenplay, composed the score, and starred in his latest work. The Dead Don’t Hurt is set in the 1860s and follows Vivienne Le Coudy (Vicky Krieps) who falls in love with Holger Olsen (Mortensen), a Danish immigrant plying his trade as a carpenter. Much to her dismay, her husband leaves their Nevada home to fight in the American Civil War while she gets a job behind the bar of a saloon.

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DVD & Digital

DVD review: Phantom Thread

phantomthread

With three Academy Awards to his name, Daniel Day-Lewis is one of the most decorated and respected actors of his generation. Since he announced his surprise retirement last year, his final film has been rife with anticipation. His cinema curtain call sees him reunite with writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson for 1950s romance drama Phantom Thread. The plot follows couturier Reynolds Woodcock (Day-Lewis) who, with his sister Cyril (Lesley Manville) runs a high-end dressmaking company in London. Whilst dining out for breakfast, Reynolds meets impressionable German waitress Alma (Vicky Krieps) who succumbs to his elegance and charm. They embark on a relationship, but she struggles to accustom to his peculiar routines.

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