Pecking Order documentary review: ruffled feathers and fowl play
An absolutely hilarious and very pointed exploration of politics and culture on the smallest possible scale. And a lot of good-lookin’ chickens.
reviews
#Raindance2017: Black Hollow Cage, Stuck, Mukoku
Quick takes from the 25th Raindance Film Festival, with public screenings in London through October 1st, 2017.
Home Again movie review: imitation of life
Precious, fatuous, Nancy Meyers–lite rom-com about a privileged rich white lady with no real problems who can’t help but mom her much-younger new boyfriend. Barf.
American Made movie review: they’re quite bad fellas, in fact
Style and humor galore, and a hugely entertaining performance from Tom Cruise. But should a true story of immense governmental corruption be quite this fun?
Kingsman: The Golden Circle movie review: deliver us from “edgy”
Save us from male artists who think they are dangerously, uniquely innovative. This stew of toxic masculinity and CGI-cartoon violence is nothing but tediously mundane.
Battle of the Sexes movie review: totally ace
An essential history lesson with a smart smack of relevance for today (because feminism always has to be relitigated). It’s also warm, funny, and hugely entertaining.
Friend Request movie review: Facebook, a horror story (again)
We’ve literally just seen this, in 2015’s Unfriended. Tedious wannabe scarefest misses the true horrors of Facebook and cultivates a personality-free blandness.
American Assassin movie review: we’ve CIAn it all before
It’s tormented hotheads all around with a hero and villain who are almost indistinguishable and same-old spy stuff racing to a seen-it, been-there ticking-clock finale.
Victoria & Abdul movie review: one of her best friends was brown
Charming based-on-fact British costume dramedy gently snarks about power and propriety but cuts a lot deeper when it comes to bigotry and bootlicking.
My Pure Land movie review: meet a real-life heroine in a land that really doesn’t want her
Behold a modern-day feminist western set in deeply patriarchal Pakistan. Stark and spare, with a heroine full of mean grace, it’s even a true story.
