After another turbulent and disruptive year in 2023 for a film industry in constant flux, cinema returned with a vengeance in 2024, once again taking over an autumnal “Big Smoke” and UK cinemas beyond, courtesy of the the British Film Institute (BFI), as the 68th edition of one of the world’s most accessible major film […]

Review 90min Genre:       Comedy, Drama Director:     Jesse Eisenberg Cast:         Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Jennifer Grey…and more Writers:     Jesse Eisenberg -Synopsis- Two estranged and very different American cousins come together on a trip to Poland to honour their grandmother’s origins and re-connect with their Jewish roots, only to get on each other’s last nerve and […]

In the midst of yet another turbulent and disruptive year for the film industry, cinema once again took over “The Big Smoke” and UK cinemas beyond, courtesy of the the British Film Institute (BFI), as the 67th edition of the London Film Festival (LFF)—one of the world’s most accessible major film festivals—gathered global cinema players […]

After two of the most disruptive years in the history of a film industry still in flux and the success of a streamlined hybrid event last year, cinema once again returned en force to “The Big Smoke” and beyond, courtesy of the the British Film Institute (BFI) in the form of the 66th London Film […]

After eighteen of the most disruptive months in the history of the film industry and a year after a hybrid, mostly virtual and streamlined 64th version of the festival, cinema returns to “The Big Smoke” in force courtesy of the the British Film Institute (BFI) in the form of the 65th London Film Festival (LFF)—one […]

Towards the bitter end of one of the most disruptive years in recent human history, in the middle of a global pandemic and during some of the most uncertain times in the century-old history of the global film industry, cinema returns to “The Big Smoke” and appreciative London cinephiles courtesy of the the British Film […]

Review 90min Genre:       Drama, Music Director:     Bassam Tariq Cast:         Riz Ahmed, Alyy Khan, Anjana Vasan…and more Writers:     Riz Ahmed and Bassam Tariq -Synopsis- On the brink of music superstardom and his first world tour, a British-Pakistani rapper is thwarted by an illness which threatens to derail his dreams and define his future, as his body […]

After recovering from a difficult 2017 at the box office with a bumper 2018, the global film industry witnessed its biggest player go into overdrive in 2019, as Disney completed a colossal takeover of 20th Century Fox and launched their streaming platform Disney+, while dominating ticket sales and exceeding $10 billion at the global box […]

Heading into the meatier season for releases, and rounding off the year’s major film festival circuit before we head towards the award season railway, October as always brought international film to the ‘Big Smoke’ and treated Londoners to the best global cinema has to offer, as the British public were joined by the world’s media, […]

After a difficult 2017 at the box office, 2018 saw the industry rally with a bumper year, topped by blockbusters like ‘Ready Player One‘, ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom‘ and ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout‘, while smaller fare like ‘I, Tonya‘, ‘Isle of Dogs‘ and ‘Hereditary‘ made it another eclectic year for film. On the supposedly more discerning […]

As we head towards year’s end into the meatier season for film releases, and the frenzy of awards season which follows, October as always  signalled the return of the world’s most accessible major film festival (and one of the year’s final global film events), as filmmakers and media from across the globe gathered in the […]

Review 115min Genre:        Crime, Drama Director:     Martin McDonagh Cast:          Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell…more Writer:       Martin McDonagh -Synopsis- An implacable and irrepressible small town mother takes on local law enforcement (and much of the community) when they fail to solve the case of her teenage daughter’s brutal murder, in a darkly comedic and […]

Despite a difficult time at the box-office, particularly during the blockbuster summer season, 2017 has been a another solid and eventful year for film, featuring an eclectic mix of independent cinema and major tent-pole releases which as usual defined the landscape, and with industry new boys Netflix and Amazon making their presence felt come film […]

The 4th of October this year saw the start of the world’s most accessible major international film festival, as filmmakers and media from across the globe joined the great British public in the West End and beyond for 12 days of film promotion and appreciation at the 61st London Film Festival (LFF), brought to us […]

Review 134min Genre:       Drama Director:    Milos Forman Cast:         Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Will Sampson…and more Writers:     Lawrence Hauben, Bo Goldman and Ken Kesey -Synopsis- When mischievous and free-spirited troublemaker ‘R.P. McMurphy’ is transferred from the big house to the ‘nut house’ for evaluation, he forms an unlikely bond with the troubled residents and riles up […]

2016 has been a another solid and eclectic year for film, without a single title dominating at the box-office or in critical acclaim; from comic-book titans like ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ and ‘Captain America: Civil War’ to outrageous comedies like ‘The Nice Guys’ and ‘David Brent: Life on the Road’, from powerful dramas like […]

148min Genre:       Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Western Director:    Martin Koolhoven Cast:         Dakota Fanning, Guy Pearce, Carice van Houten…and more Writer:      Martin Koolhoven -Synopsis- Dakota Fanning stars in the 19th century American frontier tale of a young mute mother, whose life is thrown into turmoil by the appearance of a commanding and sinister reverend in her small […]

110min Genre:      Comedy, Drama, Romance, War Director:   Lone Scherfig Cast:        Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin, Bill Nighy…and more Writers:    Gaby Chiappe and Lissa Evans -Synopsis- British World War II dramedy starring Gemma Arterton as a London-based young Welsh writer in 1940, whose life is transformed when she’s hired by the UK government and the British film […]

129min Genre:      Fact-based, Drama Director:   Garth Davis Cast:        Dev Patel, Sunny Pawar, Nicole Kidman…and more Writers:    Saroo Brierley, Larry Buttrose, Luke Davies -Synopsis- Biographical drama based on the true story of Saroo Brierley; a poor 5-year-old Indian boy who was separated from his family and became one of India’s many street children a thousand miles […]

100min Genre:      Drama, Mystery Director:   Amat Escalante Cast:        Simone Bucio, Ruth Ramos, Jesus Meza…and more Writers:    Amat Escalante and Gibrán Portela -Synopsis- The lives of different people in modern day Mexico are irrevocably changed by chance meetings and a mysterious supernatural force, which unleashes their raw sexuality and unlocks their innermost desires, but there’s a […]

The 5th of October signalled the start of 12 days of appreciation for the art of filmmaking with the 60th edition of the London Film Festival (LFF), brought to us by the British Film Institute (BFI). As usual the LFF was a more egalitarian affair than its prestigious European counterparts (Cannes, Venice), with members of […]

97min Genre:       Drama Director:    Nicolette Krebitz Cast:         Lilith Stangenberg, Georg Friedrich, Pit Bukowski…and more Writer:      Nicolette Krebitz -Synopsis- Tired of a lonely and mundane existence as an office assistant in German suburbia;  a young lady’s life takes a drastic turn when a chance encounter with a wild Wolf becomes an unhealthy obsession, mushrooming into a […]

115min Genre:       Fact-based, Drama Director:    Antonio Campos Cast:         Rebecca Hall, Tracy Letts, Michael C. Hall…and more Writer:      Craig Shilowich -Synopsis- Rebecca Hall stars in a biographical drama about the final days of Christine Chubbuck; a Florida local news reporter whose psychological issues and personality traits conspired with a deep-seated resentment about her work, driving her […]

111min Genre:     Fact-based, Drama, Romance Director:  Amma Asante Cast:       David Oyelowo, Rosamund Pike, Jack Davenport…and more Writer:    Guy Hibbert -Synopsis- Amma Asante directs a biographical drama based on the true story of Prince and future first president Seretse Khama of Botswana and his controversial interracial relationship with his white British wife Ruth Williams, an early […]

2015 has been a another strong and varied year for film, from comic-book titans and quirky comedies to powerful dramas and captivating indies. It’s also been a big year for the Action/Adventure blockbuster, from disappointments like ‘Jupiter Ascending’ and ‘Terminator Genisys’ to triumphant box-office goliaths like ‘Jurassic World’ and ‘Spectre’, not to mention the most […]

The 7th of October saw the beginning of this year’s London Film Festival (LFF) brought to us by the British Film Institute (BFI). A smaller counterpart to the larger and more established European film festivals like Cannes and Venice, but with a slightly stronger focus on showcasing movies of all description and promoting their filmmakers […]