DVD & VOD

Review by Leslie Byron Pitt Louder than Bombs deals with an ex-actor (Gabriel Byrne) and his two sons (Devin Druid and Jesse Eisenberg) try their best to confront their fractured feelings of their lives and each other on the eve of an exhibition of their deceased wife and mother (Isabelle Huppert). This somber tale is the first English-language feature from Norwegian director Joachim Trier (Oslo, August 31st) And for the most part, this fragile piece does well to hold together....

Review by Leslie Byron Pitt In Poor Cow; Joy (Carol White) may be the name of the woman we watch in this slice of life tale, yet as we observe this young woman’s life, we sense that joy is merely a title for her. She gains little pleasure from the choices she makes. As Joy narrates her story in doleful narration, it often speaks of love and aspirations. The reality always seems far from the talk. Ken Loach’s first cinema...

Review by Leslie Byron Pitt I can’t remember the time I saw a film so incredibly inoffensive. Usually, as a film writer, one is often attracted to a film with an intense, diverse reaction. Dexter Fletcher’s Eddie the Eagle; the colourful true story of Eddie Edwards, the tenacious underdog whose passion and charm, managed to win enough people over and gain a chance to complete in the 1988 Winter Olympics, is only interested in warming the hearts of those who...

Review by Leslie Byron Pitt "Tarkovsky for me is the greatest (director), the one who invented a new language, true to the nature of film, as it captures life as a reflection, life as a dream." – Ingmar Bergman The films of Andrei Tarkovsky demand attention in a way that other films could never come close to asking for.  Mirror a 1975 semi-autobiographical drama, is no exception. Non-linear by design, this evocative mixture of lyrical cinematography, poetic narration and flashback,...

Review By Leslie Byron Pitt As the United Kingdom almost begrudgingly trudges towards Brexit and certain political parties seem hell bent on eating each other alive, my second viewing of High-Rise has firmly confirmed that it's one of the best films of the year. Ben Wheatley's adaptation of 70’s civilisation falling afoul to modernisation and rampant capitalism is not as cutting as J.G Ballard’s original novel, but it’s a wry cynical take of Ballard’s work. Managing to be a darkly...

Review by Leslie Byron Pitt The movie River involves a young American doctor (Rossif Sutherland) who doesn't know when to stop, intervening a sexual assault while on sabbatical in Lao. His violent intrusion leads to the assailant's body being found in the Mekong river the next day. This leaves the guilt-ridden doctor open to charges of murder, causing him to make the decision to flee Thailand and look towards making it back to the U.S. What transpires is a beautifully...

Review by Leslie Byron Pitt The often main theme that is heard at the beginning and end of The Trust, is a welcoming and funky track but it does little to perk up the bland existence of this laborious heist film. The Trust opens with one of its main characters; David Waters (Elijah Wood) in the middle of an act toneless, vapid intercourse with a faceless prostitute. It’s a moment that is meant to suggest the disengagement the character feels...

Review by Leslie Byron Pitt Highlander is another one of those films that a generation of people swear don’t get made anymore, despite the fact the distribution of such quirky films has been altered and that brand awareness and fandom have helped smooth out the rougher edges of more fantastical, commercial filmmaking. Through the jaded eyes of a younger viewer, it’s easy to pick the flaws of a feature such as Highlander. It’s an inherently silly film with a clear...

Review by Leslie Byron Pitt Deniz Gamze Ergüven's expressive tale of female empowerment is as emotive as it is relevant. It communicates its simple tale with an understated eloquence, never feeling sentimental or forced. The film location and religious culture may feel miles away, but it's sensibilities are universal. From a narrative point of view, comparisons to Sophia Coppola's hazy The Virgin Suicide are apparent. However, from a thematic point of view, Mustang holds similarities to Rama Burshtein's detailed but...