Film Reviews

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 Steven Spielberg's first Disney branded film (it's weird that it's taken so long), is a rather wistful adaptation of the beloved Roald Dahl book The BFG. The novel, which is over 30 years old, tells a light-hearted tale of an orphaned little girls relationship with a benevolent giant, as they work together to stop a group of man-eating giants who look to invade the human world. This is not the first time that the Big...

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...

Star Trek was in dire need of a reboot as book office returns dwindled with each new outing and in 2009 JJ Abrams did an admirable job bringing the series back to the forefront for a new generation. Sure, die hard Trekkies were frustrated at the lack of the philosophical edge the series was known for but the balance of action and comedy made the series relevant once more. After the middling Into Darkness, Abrams left to direct a small...

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...

Review by Leslie Byron Pitt This film broke me. Perhaps it was the all too real nods to customer services. The seminars, the platitudes and the like. It might have been the brilliant chemistry between the cast. The voices of David Thewlis and Jenifer Jason Leigh provide a spark so strong that it made me realise just how much that's missing from romances and dramas. Maybe those things helped. However, upon thinking about it, I feel it may have been...