An unwanted man and woman brought together in an arranged marriage must support each other as they toil as farmers in rural China in this beautifully-shot drama bogged down somewhat by its simplistic, drawn-out storytelling.
Guadagnino’s latest is a mild disappointment, a coming-of-age road movie featuring two cannibal lovers that rarely comes close to breaking out of its conceptual conceit.
Misunderstood when first released, this is one of Assayas’ most prophetic works, a cyber spy-thriller dealing with corporate espionage in the disturbing milieu of the burgeoning dark web and manga porn.
There is a kind of wide-eyed charm in seeing Haroun’s accessible early effort unfold as two boys try to find their missing father who inexplicably leaves the family one day.
There is nothing very cinematic about this standard-fare investigative journalism piece, but it tackles the exposé of Harvey Weinstein and the topic of sexual assault effectively and without fuss.
A revelatory feature debut by Ghobadi, whose work with child actors and eye for natural landscapes is remarkable, telling a story of perseverance amid desperation set near the porous if dangerous Iran-Iraq border.
‘Exploring’ features the filmographies of filmmakers that I’ve completed and celebrates them on the week of their birthdays.
Extramarital affairs don’t get any more enigmatic and impenetrable than Resnais’ hypnotic Venice Golden Lion-winning anti-romance that boldly discards structure and narrative, leaving only unreliable memories and narrators.
Surya’s debut is a charming and unexpectedly gleeful take on the freedom and limits of telling stories, built around a rich if lonely young woman who has a way with violence and deceit.
Rather unfocused and indulgent in its depiction of vices, this 24th instalment (featuring Shintaro Katsu in a rare outing as director) is also one of the franchise’s grittiest entries.
