Rating: ★★★★★ Due to its ensemble cast, gorgeous aesthetics and whodunit storyline, it’s safe to say that I had high expectations for Knives Out. I’m pleased to report that it surpassed each and every one of them. Rian Johnson’s tale of mystery follows the death of renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), which took place after his 85th birthday. Presumed to be a murder, … Continue reading London Film Festival 2019: Knives Out
It’s Spooky Season, so it was only appropriate that I wax lyrical on at least one horror film! Thankfully the good folks at For Your Reconsideration were happy to have me on to discuss Saw II, and I was honoured to be their first ever guest. Sure, it’s never going to be as good as the original Saw, but I attempt to argue that it’s … Continue reading Collabs: For Your Reconsideration Episode 22: Saw II
I’m so happy to be kicking off Mental Health Mondays with a personal essay from someone I really admire. Jaime is a filmmaker and founder of the brilliant Share A Scare campaign, which gives back to some charities. Thank you to Jaime for feeling able to open up and share his relationship with his self-described ‘cinema warrior’. None of this has been edited by me, … Continue reading Mental Health Mondays: Jaime Burchardt
Rating: ★★ Directorial debuts are tough, and it gives people a chance to establish their personal style. Sadly for me, Billie Piper’s first film had a style that didn’t sit well with me at all. She was heavily involved in the project; directing, writing and starring in it, but her unique first film is perhaps a bit too quirky. Rare Beasts follows Mandy, a career-driven … Continue reading London Film Festival 2019: Rare Beasts
Rating: ★★★★ The titular characters in Lynn + Lucy are lifelong best friends, and even live opposite each other on the same street. But the film explores tragic circumstances where a bond this strong can swiftly be broken. Lynn (Roxanne Scrimshaw) is a married stay-at-home mum turned hairdressing assistant, who is delighted when her best friend Lucy (Nichola Burley) gives birth to her first child. … Continue reading London Film Festival 2019: Lynn + Lucy
Rating: ★★★★★ The premise of Jojo Rabbit is a bold one, and something that could have very easily been executed terribly on-screen. Whilst you might feel some apprehension about the concept of a 10-year-old boy who has Hitler as an imaginary friend, Taika Waititi has turned it into something brilliant and poignant. As mentioned above, the film follows Johannes ‘Jojo’ Betzler, who lives in Nazi … Continue reading London Film Festival 2019: Jojo Rabbit
Earlier today I wrote a tweet introducing you to my new column, but I thought it was right to do a full blog post so you can understand exactly where I’m going with this. There’s only so much you can say on Twitter! What is Mental Health Mondays? For a while, I’ve been thinking of a way to open up a conversation and allow other … Continue reading Introducing: Mental Health Mondays
The podcast is back! Thanks again so much for your patience, I know it was a fairly long break but I’m excited to be clogging the airwaves with my northern accent once again. Hooray! This time, it was a pleasure to speak to Mal about Mental Health and Films. Beyond this, we discussed his days working at Blockbuster, why he hates Titanic, and the fresh … Continue reading LGTH Podcast Episode 7: Mental Health and Films (w/ Mal Jutley)
