Inside Llewyn Davis opens on a closeup of Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) singing and strumming “Hang Me, Oh Hang Me”, surrounded by darkness. It’s a mesmerizing and evocative shot, which immediately renders Llewyn iconic, performing this haunting, bare bones ballad. Slowly, the camera pulls back to reveal Llewyn on stage, and then the stage in the […]
Review: Philomena — On the road with Steve Coogan and Judi Dench
When Philomena (Judi Dench) returns to the Irish convent in Roscrea, she almost winces at the sight of it, as she pulls into the driveway with the reporter Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan). It was here that her parents abandoned her, where she gave birth to her son as a teenager, and then spent several unhappy […]
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Review: The Girl on Fire burns on, but not as brightly
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is the rare intelligent mainstream film that’s full of compelling characters and emotional weight.
NTLive rebroadcasts Frankenstein and Hamlet to cinemas around the world
Two landmark National Theatre productions were recently rebroadcast to cinemas around the world via NTLive: Frankenstein starring Benedict Cumberbatc and Jonny Lee Miller, and Hamlet starring Rory Kinnear.
The emotional roller-coaster that is adolescence and first love: Review of "Blue is the Warmest Color"
We’re so used to seeing Millennials jumping in and out of each other’s beds – from “Gossip Girl” to “Friends with Benefits” – that it’s easy to start to think these experiences leave no mark. Abdellatif Kechiche’s greatest achievement in his new film “Blue is the Warmest Color” is to remind us of just how […]
Review: In Kill Your Darlings, toxic friendships brought the Beatniks together
As a young Allen Ginsberg in John Krokidas’ directorial debut, Kill Your Darlings, Daniel Radcliffe breaks free of his Harry Potter origins.