It may be ambitious and sprawling to a fault, but Chazelle’s bravura direction and the top performances all-round keep this largely fictional tale of ‘20s and ‘30s Hollywood brimming with infectious energy.
It doesn’t reach the gleeful heights of the first ‘Knives Out’ mystery, and somewhat suffers from a regressive narrative structure that privileges explanations more than sleuthing, but it is still fun to see Daniel Craig being amused by it all.
Soderbergh’s take on the strip show dazzles with sights and sounds, but his film lacks dramatic substance.
With typical dark vibes set against the spectre of war and fascism, this stop-motion animated take on ‘Pinocchio’ from Del Toro impresses most with its strong writing and characterisations.
An interesting if somewhat inconsistent experiment with visual language and sound design as Van Sant collaborates with DP Christopher Doyle to capture an intimate psychical portrait of a teenage boy faced with an insurmountable psychological burden.
No doubt ahead of its predecessor both visually and technically, with compelling stretches of action and world immersion, but its storytelling depth and character development are unexpectedly shallow.
Aronofsky puts his lead character (this time Brendan Fraser in an extraordinary performance) through the wringer again in this superb chamber piece about a severely obese man hoping to reconnect with his estranged daughter.
This exceptional documentary deals with the threat of ugly eco-politics in the most personal and risk-taking way—by following a group of brave Filipinos who volunteer to be ‘land defenders’ trying to protect the environment despite facing death threats from corrupt authorities.
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.
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.
Eternality Tan 