Sly of the Tiger: Sylvester Stallone as Auteur
In the new documentary Sly, its subject Sylvester Stallone declares “Filmmaking, it comes at a great price. There’s no time for anything else”. The quote pointedly positions Stallone not just as an ac…
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Justine Triet's Anatomy of a Fall Scrutinises the Impossibility of a Single Truth
Beginning his final statement to the court in the trial of his mother Sandra Voyter (Sandra Hüller) for the murder of her husband and his father, twelve-year-old Daniel Maleski (Milo Machado Graner) s…
The Great Escaper is a Welcome Send Off for Glenda Jackson and Michael Caine
Director Oliver Parker and screenwriter William Ivory’s true-life incident story The Great Escaper is not at all the film one goes in expecting. The preconceived notion is that it will be a fairly sli…
The Marvels is a Delightfully Scrappy and Silly Minor Entry in the MCU
Before considering Nia DaCosta’s film it is wise to investigate a little where the MCU currently is. It is impossible to ignore the interconnectedness of the films and television series which was once…
The Taste of Things is Delicious Filmmaking About the Act of Sharing a Cultivated and Embodied Life
In a conversation with Eugénie (Juliette Binoche) gourmet Dodin Bouffant (Benoît Magimel) quotes Saint Augustin. “Happiness is desiring what you already have.” Trần Anh Hùng’s exquisite adaptation of…
This Hath Oscar Buzz: Shakespeare and the Academy Awards Part I
Two of my cinematic catnips are Shakespeare adaptations and the Academy Awards. I’ve written about both subjects, including here on The Curb—the former in this piece on Shakespeare adaptations of the…
Cailee Spaeny Gives a Performance of Profound Maturity in Sofia Coppola's Priscilla
Arguably, Sofia Coppola’s films are at their best when dealing with the weighted expectations of growing up for young women. Coppola is a genius at creating what appears to be dappled and dreamlike we…
Alice Troughton's The Lesson Manages a Passing Mark But Not Full Honours
J. M. Sinclair (Richard E. Grant) is long term British literary establishment. A feted writer who appears on talk shows and tours spinning out the adage “Average writers attempt originality. They fail…
David Yates’ Pain Hustlers is Tonally Muddled and Annoyingly Bereft of Any Complexity
“We agreed at the outset we didn’t want to make an earnest drama,” says director David Yates of his latest film Pain Hustlers. It’s a line that leads one to wonder who is “We?” Is “We” just a bunch of…
Carmen Jaquier’s Debut Film Thunder is a Transcendent Piece of Cinema
In Christianity women are relegated mostly to three positions: virgin, servant, or penitent whore. Anything regarding sexuality or sensuality is transgressive. Saints become martyrs to the desires of…
The Killer Sees David Fincher at His Funniest as He Delivers a Violent Satire
David Fincher’s darkly comic hitman film The Killer can almost be read as an apologia for everyone who had to suffer through other people not understanding Fight Club was a satire and not a guidebook…
Ian White's Mutiny in Heaven: The Birthday Party Looks into the Formation of One of Australia's Rawest Musical Exports
Self-mythologisation is not unusual in the arts, especially in the world of pop and rock music. David Bowie was a man of many personas who was interested in Andy Warhol, and artist who spoke about him…