Category Archives: Film

Currently streaming on Mubi Elizabeth Sankey’s documentary casts a wry eye over her adolescent obsession for romcoms. Guilty pleasures that lead to unfulfilled aspirations, or providers of role models for teenage girls? I suspect Ms Sankey hasn’t really shaken off her love of these movies, and if forced to decide, she would come down inContinue reading “Romantic Comedy”

Currently streaming on MUBI The debut feature from Belarus film maker Alexander Zolotukhin is an impressive, absorbing piece of work. Zolotukhin is a pupil of Alexander Sokurov, and his influences are easily discerned here. (It was financed by Sokorov’s Foundation, too). It’s the eastern front during WW1 and young village lad Alexey (Vladimir Korolev) isContinue reading “A Russian Youth”

The latest Cinefile release to Vimeo is available now. Switzerland, 1971. Women don’t have the vote. They actually don’t have much in the way of rights at all, unable even to take a job without permission from their husbands. This is the state of affairs portrayed in Pietra Biondina Volpe’s film, and set as itContinue reading “The Divine Order”

The latest Cinefile release to Vimeo is available now. There’s a lot to admire and enjoy in this slightly odd, (very) low-budget Hungarian-UK co-production, even if there’s nothing particularly original about it. Brian Cox plays Sir Michael Gifford, a grumpy old Shakespearian actor suffering the onset of Parkinson’s, who has seen off a number ofContinue reading “The Carer”

As part of a programme to provide an art fix for experts and dilletantes alike during lockdown, the Royal Academy of Arts (RA) in London has released another film from their Exhibition on Screen series. This time, it is a behind the scenes look at the curating of their joint 2013 exhibition with the ToledoContinue reading “Exhibition on Screen: Manet – Portraying Life”

Studiocanal release a brand new restoration of this vintage classic from 1956 on DVD, Blu-Ray and Digital. Classic black comedy The Green Man has been given the best possible 4k restoration treatment, and emerges looking better than ever. And provokes as many laughs today as it did on its original release. Directed by Robert Day,Continue reading “The Green Man Restored”

The latest Cinefile release to Vimeo is available now. Taking the form of the deathbed confession of Father Fabijan (Kresimir Mikic), we follow his tale from his arrival on a small island off the Dalmatian coast up to his final moments. Finding himself at something of a loss, as his supposed predecessor Father Jakov isContinue reading “The Priest’s Children”

Just released in the UK before lockdown, this film is currently streaming on MUBI. Celine Sciamma’s beautiful, tender love story has to be one of the films of the year – in fact, of this or any other year. Lovingly shot, it progresses at a pace that matches the painstaking efforts of an artist commissionedContinue reading “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”

With no cinemas for us to visit just now, Cinefile have released selected films on their Cinefile Vimeo on Demand Platform. Justine Triet’s Victoria (aka In Bed With Victoria) defies easy categorisation – too much drama to be a rom-com – “You’re the Queen of Drama Queens” Sam (Vincent Lacoste) tells Victoria (Virginie Efira) atContinue reading “Victoria”