Is it possible to be both light and frothy and say something about the human condition? Especially if you’re a romantic comedy, a genre known for its romantic froth-and-bubble but not great existential musings on life, the universe and everything? Someone Great, part of the ever-increasing cascade of films from Continue Reading
Movies
#Eurovision cultural festival film review: Maktub
Comedies with heart are not exactly a new thing under the cinematic sun, but Maktub, a film about two lower level mobster enforcers who have a distinct change of heart about their careers and life in general after a traumatic event, does it far better than most. It accomplishes this Continue Reading
What’s to eat? Lucas the Spider and his friend the fly find out in “I’m Starving”
SNAPSHOT After becoming friends with the skittish fly who got caught in his lovingly homemade web, a very happy Lucas the Spider decided that he was hungry. Lucas turned to his new friend to find out what spiders eat. Without betraying personal safety, the fly took the sweet arachnid on Continue Reading
The Farewell: When saying goodbye isn’t said at all
SNAPSHOTDirected and written by Lulu Wang, The Farewell follows the story of a Chinese-American woman named Billi, who goes to China after her grandmother, Nai Nai has been diagnosed with a terminal lung cancer. Billi’s family chose to kept the illness from Nai Nai due to a Chinese saying. In Continue Reading
Movie review: Pokémon Detective Pikachu
Is it possible to be adorable, wisecrackingly funny and heartfelt all at once? It is if you’re Pikachu and you are the titular star of your own film in which a great mystery is solved, tables are turned, and estranged connections re-established, all against some fairly-impressive worldbuilding. Pokémon Detective Pikachu, Continue Reading
Weekend movie poster art: The old and new characters from Toy Story 4
SNAPSHOT Woody (voice of Tom Hanks) has always been confident about his place in the world, and that his priority is taking care of his kid, whether that’s Andy or Bonnie. So when Bonnie’s beloved new craft-project-turned-toy, Forky (voice of Tony Hale), declares himself as “trash” and not a toy, Continue Reading
Movie review: Crime Wave (Ola de crímenes)
Justice, court-mandated means of redress aside, is a fairly rare commodity. Everyone wants it, not that many people get it, and if they do, it’s far less satisfying or comprehensive than they expect. Which is why Crime Wave (Ola de crímenes), directed with gleeful vivacity by Gracia Querejeta, is such Continue Reading
Did you start the MCU fire? Cast of Avengers: Endgame are adamant it wasn’t them!
Which came first – the Avengers or the mess they help clean up? Or, rather controversally, did they create the mess in the first place? It’s a classic chicken or the egg conundrum, and as Avengers: Endgame continues to rake in cash around the world – at last count, it Continue Reading
The short and the short of it: The animated love of Mobile attraction
If you think back to when you really felt the first stirrings of attraction to someone, probably the first thing that springs to mind how desperately you wanted to be with them every single chance you got. It didn’t matter which obstacles stood in your path; you were going to Continue Reading
Faux doco goes Behind the Music with the Star Wars Cantina Band #Maythe4thbewithyou
SNAPSHOT During his final night at San Diego Comic-Con, CONAN presented a hilarious faux-documentary in the classic “Behind the Music” style faux documentary about Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes, most famously known as the Star Wars Cantina Band. Music business luminaries as Michael McDonald, Kurt Loder, Don Was Shep Continue Reading