Review – Phantom Thread (2017)

by Kevin Muller

“…When I was a boy, I used to hide things in the linings of the garments.  Things I only knew that were there…..secrets.”

Reynolds Woodcock utters that line to his lover Alma. It is a simple one that both describes his secretive way of life and the tone of this film. Many people have dismissed this thing for its appeared smugness and esoteric nature. Oh, it is also a story about a dressmaker in the 1950’s too! Who wants to watch that? Those qualities are just what is on the surface of Paul Thomas Anderson’s incredible new film that reunites him with his There Will Be Blood actor, Daniel Day-Lewis, who has said this will be his curtain call from the cinematic world. For film lovers, that is enough reason to both get our asses in the seats, and sit through a movie about a dressmaker.

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Review – Pilgrimage (2017) Edinburgh Film Festival

by Old King Clancy

The nature of films, and indeed all media, means that comparisons are almost inevitable and it’s important to remember that just because a film isn’t as good as a similar films, that doesn’t mean it itself is a bad film. Case in point, Pilgrimage comes across as a mix between Valhalla Rising and Silence,  without the visual trip of the former or the heaviness of the latter, but still within it’s own rights is an enjoyable and interesting examination of faith.

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Review – Sweet Virginia (2017) Edinburgh Film Festival

by Old King Clancy

With TV currently in it’s Golden Age, a lot of genres have proven to work better with a long-form series rather than a one-off entry; case in point, crime thriller with the likes of Fargo and Twin Peaks making the most of their extended run-time. I bring this up because while it’s very easy to tell when a movie needs to be cut shorter, new Alaskan thriller Sweet Virginia is one of those rare films that could benefit from being longer.

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Review – God’s Own Country (2017) Edinburgh Film Festival

by Old King Clancy

God’s Own Country has been described as Yorkshire’s answer to Brokeback Mountain which I think is doing both films a disservice. Brokeback was more of a period piece, dealing with the love of two men in a society that hated them, whereas God’s Own Country tackled a much more personal story about the love between two men when one of them hates themselves. It tackles self-destruction with a deft hand that evokes Mike Leigh’s work, but with a modern sensibility towards homosexual sex and romance.

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