Year: 2020Runtime: 1 hour 24 minutesDirector / Writer: Rose GlassStars: Morfydd Clark, Jennifer Ehle By James Cain When ITOL editor-in-chief and leader Bee Garner asked us to send in a piece on “one film which helped you get through 2020”, there was no doubt for me: Rose Glass’ incredibly dark, disturbing film “Saint Maud” wasn’t just my favourite film of 2020: it also offered a … Continue reading “Saint Maud” and That 2020 Vibe
Year: 2020Runtime: 1 hour, 31 minutesDirector: Curtis VowellWritten by: Sophie HendersonStars: Rose Matafeo, Matthew Lewis, Emily Barclay, Rachel House, Nic Sampson By James Cain Why would anybody want to have a baby? You’re basically paying an exorbitant amount of money for an intermittently-howling faeces factory who will rob you of your independence and most likely grow up to spend several years being a bit of … Continue reading Review: Baby Done
By James Cain [Content warning: The following article discusses themes of sexual assault] There’s a scene in Emerald Fennell’s jet-black comedy “Promising Young Woman” that mines terror from the idea of an underage girl hanging out with a group of boys she doesn’t know in a university dorm room. We’re given no particular to doubt these young men, but we do know that boys will … Continue reading Why every growing boy needs a “Promising Young Woman”
By James Cain The “Black Axe” series. “A Sun”. “Babyteeth”. Despite 2020 having a decent amount of time where you had nothing to do but stay inside and watch films, as with every year, there are still heaps of movies from the last 12 months that I’m yet to see. Thankfully, despite all of this, 2020 still featured a veritable smorgasbord of absolute bangers. So, … Continue reading JC’S TOP 20 MOVIES OF 2020
It’s an ice-cold Christmas Eve in an idyllic American town. While the denizens busy themselves with festive celebrations at the church, CIA bastards aim to kill a local housewife and are kidnapping her young daughter to do so. Thing is, said housewife is Geena Davis, and she’s skating across a lake full-pelt while firing a very big gun. And she’s written by the ultimate Yuletide filmmaker: Shane Black; a winning combination that led to one of the all-time great female action heroes for “The Long Kiss Goodnight” (1996). Continue reading A Love Letter to The Long Kiss Goodnight’s Acerbic Heroine on Ice
You know Chuck Berry. Even if you haven’t consciously sought out and listened to his records, you’ve heard him in films (eg Johnny B. Goode in “Back To The Future” and You Never Can Tell in “Pulp Fiction”), and heard the musicians he’s influenced (basically any guitarist post-1960). To be blunt, Chuck Berry is not only a legend: he may be the most influential musician to ever live, and new documentary “Chuck Berry” goes forth with that 100% in mind, to both its benefit and detriment. Continue reading Greenpoint Film Festival Review: Chuck Berry
Between 1910 and 1945, Korea was under the rule of Japan. The decades of ‘Japanisation’ saw Korea become the second-most industrialised country in the region, the creation of possibly-fake Japanese-Korean regions (notably Mimana), the destruction of the Korean royal palace Gyeongbokgung and, during the final years of Japanese rule, tens of thousands of young Korean women being enslaved as ‘comfort women’ for Japanese soldiers (please note: this piece is written by a British man with an at best pedestrian knowledge of Japanese-rule Korea. Read up on it if you want a fascinating deep-dive!). It is in this world that Park Chan-wook and regular co-writer Jeong Seo-kyeong brings us the story of handmaiden Sook-Hee (Kim Tae-ri) and her lady, Hideko (Kim Min-hee). Continue reading The Handmaiden: A Lesbian Con-artist Masterpiece
As of writing, there are people of all ages and walks of life protesting systemic racism on the streets of the United Kingdom. There’s also a pandemic on, with many accusing the Tory government of exacerbating the UK’s horrifying death toll. So to say that “Pride” (2014) might have something to offer the average Brit right now is a bit of an understatement. Continue reading Pride: A queer, socialist call-to-arms for 2020
When it comes to countries blighted by war, it’s easy to become used to thinking of that nation as simply a warzone. You read about towns being taken, bases being mortared, bridges being destroyed, thinking of the poor civilians losing their lives in a fashion to which you probably can’t relate. You might forget that in between all of this, the people of this warzone nation are going about their daily lives, however strange or bleak this normalcy might be in comparison to your own.
BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated British documentary short “Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)” reminds you of this routine (or strive for routine) in quick fashion. Continue reading Short Film Review: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)
To celebrate the last decade 2010-2019, we are counting down the best actresses and discussing some of their most notable and memorable performances of the decade. With the help of Film Twitter, the ITOL team has selected 30 actresses. Writer James Cain looks at Rosamund Pike’s performance in “Gone Girl” and why it’s the best of her career. Continue reading Best Actress of the Decade, Entry No. 7: Rosamund Pike
In Their Own League 