In “Spinster” (2020), Chelsea Peretti takes the leading role in a not-so-romantic comedy for the first time. Known for her role as Gina Linetti on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and her stand-up special “One of the Greats”, Peretti’s comedic delivery and deadpan tone are her trademarks. She shows an emotional depth paired with her classic comedic performance in “Spinster,” carrying the charming film from start to finish. Continue reading Review: Spinster
As, you can see from the movie, communication between us is a big issue. There’s so many things I wanted to say to my father but I couldn’t, so I wrote a movie about it. He watched the movie, understood where I was coming from and he accepted that. He needed time to process it all, but he sent those emojis and said he thought I had done a good job and he was proud of me. And, that’s all I needed to hear. Continue reading Exclusive Interview with Emily Ting, Director of “Go Back to China”
I remember watching “Christine” (2016) the first time. I went into the film knowing nothing about Christine Chubbuck or her life. I knew minimal about broadcast journalism in the 1970s. But watching the film was an eye-opening and haunting experience.
The real life Christine Chubbuck is not a household name. She was a television reporter in the Sarasota, Florida area, and worked on human stories; finding interest in the seemingly mundane about people. But in the 1970s, the world was shifting from feel-good news pieces to the mentality of “If it bleeds, it leads.” The 1970s is when we saw the rise of the Vietnam War, and serial killers dominated headlines. There was a paradigm shift and Chubbuck was not ready. Sure, she was interested in politics and asking tough questions, but she was intrigued with others, how they operated and what made them tick. Continue reading Mental Health Awareness Month Review: “Christine”
I remember the first time I saw an episode of “I Love Lucy”. As a 90’s baby, I watched Nick at Nite religiously. For anyone who was not born in the glory of the nineties, Nick at Nite was a cable program on Nickelodeon. Long after my bed time, Nick at Nite would play re-runs of old television shows like “I Love Lucy”, “Bewitched”, and “I Dream of Jeannie”. Instead of being annoyed by the lack of color I remember being fascinated watching the black and white shows.
My absolute favorite show on Nick at Nite was I Love Lucy. The first episode I vividly remember watching was one of the most classic episodes, “Lucy Does a TV Commercial”. Lucy advertises a medicine called “Vitameatavegamin” that unbeknownst to her contains 23% alcohol. My tiny ten-year-old self roared with laughter as Lucy got drunk off of the medicine and fudged all of her lines. “Do you pop out at parties? Are you unpoopular? The answer to all your problems is in this little ottle.” If you haven’t seen this episode, run and watch it immediately. It perfectly illustrates the genius of “I Love Lucy”. Continue reading Why I (Still) Love Lucy
Fernando Meirelles’ 2008 film “Blindness” is a thriller which shows us exactly how not to deal with an outbreak.
When people across a major American city start to suddenly lose their sight it quickly becomes apparent that whatever is causing this is contagious. With no other symptoms the sufferers are rounded up and put into quarantine. They have no contact with the outside world and are simply locked up in isolation with no doctors, no support and only meagre rations.
The eye doctor who saw some of the earlier patients (Mark Ruffalo) is taken in and his wife (Julianne Moore) wants to stay with him so claims to be blind too. Continue reading Review: “Blindness” or how not to deal with an outbreak
One of the best thrillers we’ve seen this year has been “Sea Fever”, which took us by surprise in terms of how timely the film’s subject matter is and a superb performance by the film’s leading actress Hermione Corfield. You may recognise the name, Corfield has been popping up in all sorts of films from the likes of “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” (2015) to “Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi” (2017). She is an actor who knows her stuff, studying English literature at UCL and a method acting course at Lee Strasberg in New York. Continue reading Exclusive Interview With Hermione Corfield, Actress From “Sea Fever”
“The Other Lamb” is the English language debut from filmmaker Malgorzata Szumowska. You may not be familiar with Szymowska’s work, but she is an auteur with a distinct voice and style, her previous films have been divisive “Elles” (2011) a sexually explicit drama which followed Anne (Juliette Binoche), a journalist in Paris for French Elle who is writing an article about female student prostitution, the 2013 film “In the Name Of” which told the story of a closeted gay Catholic priest living in rural Poland and the 2018 film “Mug”, a strange comedy that told the story of fun-loving Jacek (Mateusz Kościukiewicz) who is disfigured in an accident at work, and becomes the first person in Poland to receive a face transplant, which leads to his status as a national hero and martyr. As a filmmaker, Szumowska isn’t afraid to take on unusual and challenging narratives which push boundaries and are designed to make the viewer think. Continue reading Review: The Other Lamb
The prospect of forging one’s path at the cost of leaving others behind is certainly far from an original narrative for the coming-of-age drama. For first-time writer & director Annabelle Attanasio however, what she achieves with ‘Mickey & The Bear’ is a heart-wrenching, visceral piece on the pursuit of personal gratification, while attempting to balance perceived family obligation, as fiercely headstrong Michaela (Mickey) is the sole provider and carer for her addict, veteran father Hank.
A gifted young woman, Mickey is wholly a likeable, well-rounded character, without stripping an ounce of her humanity. She has flaws, she has emotions and her limits. Almost as if this coming-of-age narrative was written by a woman, for a woman. Camila Morrone’s method of characterisation is subdued, though sharing her on-screen father’s temper on occasion. Continue reading Review: Mickey and the Bear
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
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 Caz Armstrong examines Saoirse Ronan career over the last decade, and discusses some of her most memorable roles. Continue reading Best Actress of the Decade, Entry No. 8: Saoirse Ronan
In Their Own League 