Monday, April 30, 2018

Apr 29th  
Only Lovers Left Alive*   

(Ger/US 2013)                                                 

16th century vampires in modern day Detroit find time gradually running out even for them.
Offbeat slacker drama taking the vampire legend into quirky areas (similar in that sense to What We Do In the Shadows), at a typically laid-back pace for this director, content to meander along without even any particularly major drama.

Written and Directed by: Jim Jarmusch.
Producers: Jeremy Thomas, Reinhard Brundig.
Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt (as Christopher Marlowe), Mia Wasikowska, Anton Yelchin, Jeffrey Wright.
Photography: Yorick Le Saux.
Music: Jozef Van Wissem, SQURL.

Sunday, April 22, 2018

Apr 21st  
Isle of Dogs* (PG)
Odeon Colchester 

(US/GB/Ger 2018)       

In futuristic Japan, epidemics have lead the tyrannical leader to exile all infected dogs to Megasaki's "Trash Island", where his nephew crash lands in search of his beloved dog servant.
Quirky animation endemic of its director's other semi-live action work (see also The Grand Budapest Hotel), slightly too self-conscious in style with its meticulous but over-literal tribute to Japanese animation (but stop motion in this case), slightly distracting from audience involvement or character development.

Written and Directed by: Wes Anderson, from a story by himself and Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, Kunichi Nomura.
Producers: Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson.
Voices of: Bryan Cranston, Liev Schreiber, Courtney B. Vance (narrator), Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray, Ed Norton, Jeff Goldblum, Greta Gerwig, F. Murray Abraham, Tilda Swinton, Harvey Keitel, Yoko Ono, and others.
Photography: Tristan Oliver.
Music: Alexandre Desplat.


Friday, April 13, 2018

Apr 9th  
We Have a Pope*   
(Habeus Papa)                   

(Ita/Fra 2011)                 

The newly elected pontiff has a nervous breakdown and the Vatican sends in a psychiatrist.
Muddled comedy with some nice moments of gentle Father Ted-style farce with the college of Cardinals in the first hour. but it lags when trying to be meaningful, and the ending could be lighter in tone too.

Written by: Nanni Moretti, Framcesco Piccolo, Federica Pontremoli.
Producers: Nanni Moretti, Domenico Procacci.
Director: Nanni Moretti.
Starring: Michel Piccoli, Nanni Moretti, Jerzy Stuhl, Renato Scarpa, Margherita Buy.
Photography: Alessandro Pesci.
Music: Franco Persanti.


Monday, April 02, 2018

Mar 30th (Good Friday)     
Mary Magdalene** (12A) 
(Empire Ipswich)

(GB/Australia 2018)

Independent minded Mary of Magdala defies her family's wishes after being introduced to a mysterious healer to whom she becomes one of his strongest followers.
Beautifully watered-down Holy Land drama, carefully scripted to depict a believable setting for its time, although ironically becoming rather sluggish during what should be the most dramatic moments from Biblical history.

Written by: Helen Edmundson, Philippa Goslett.
Producers: Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Liz Watts.
Director: Garth Davis.
Starring: Rooney Mara, Joaquin Phoenix, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tahar Rahim, Tcheky Karyo.
Photography: Greig Fraser.
Music: Hildor Guonadottir, Johann Johannsson.