Two actresses share a minimalist stage as they perform the written correspondences from the late American poet-writer Sylvia Plath to her mother in this wholly intimate endeavour from Akerman.
Possibly the finest and most fully-realised of his early works, Wes Anderson tells a quirky story about a family full of eccentric, estranged members looking for some measure of redemption and reconciliation.
As per tradition after the Oscars, I will give out imaginary awards to the films that I love most or hold in high regard from the preceding year.
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Petzold’s unique treatment of the doppelganger story as a Hitchcockian exercise in exorcising the Jewish-German trauma of WWII boasts an extraordinary denouement of unparalleled execution.
Watching and listening to farm animals can be surprisingly cinematic in this immersive dialogue-free new documentary by Kossakovsky that seems to exist outside of time, even as it startlingly reminds us that these animals have fates they can’t control.
This entertaining Kenyan documentary about a political activist-cum-family man running for election is tightly-constructed and highly-illuminating as it explores how politics is synonymous with corruption and violence, but also the desire for change.
Spielberg’s strong morality tale against greed is as spectacular as it is funny – my favourite of the Indiana Jones films.
The sum is lesser than its parts in this interesting but ultimately unconvincing Venice offering that deals with a group of anti-fascist youths who become increasingly violent in their moral fight against the rise of ultra-right ideologies in Germany.
Petzold’s strong command of his craft is evident here in this measured and nuanced Stasi anti-thriller featuring a wary female doctor in ‘80s East Germany who desires to defect.
