Author Jack Blackwell

Following up his lauded, game-changing Gravity, Alfonso Cuaron has chosen something a lot more grounded with Roma. A passion project for the filmmaker, he directs, writes, produces, edits, and acts as DOP for...

From the moment Lady Gaga was cast in this fourth big-screen iteration of A Star Is Born, everyone involved must have been thrilled to have its title take on such an obvious double meaning. She is, of course,...

Imagine if someone told you there was a film in Venice competition that could be described as ‘like Twin Peaks but starring Jeff Goldblum’. Now, imagine the disappointment when that sentence is followed up...

Damien Chazelle trades in the arts for the sciences with First Man, focusing in on Neil Armstrong’s moon landing in this handsome, technically astonishing awards contender. It’s a surprising choice for the...

When the 2018 Venice Film Festival slate was first announced, people were quick to proclaim it one of the greatest on-paper festival line-ups. We here at ORWAV can’t help but agree, and with our team off the...

Given the propensity of most spy movie heroes to do very little actual intelligence gathering and far more murdering, it’s always refreshing to see a protagonist concerned with solving problems with as...

In the 14 years since the original Incredibles, the superhero genre has changed almost immeasurably. While, for the most part, the sequel avoids the new traditions and tropes that have sprung up, the...

Best known for launching the career of Jennifer Lawrence with Winter’s Bone, Debra Granik’s first film since that 2010 entry is another excellent story of hidden, isolated Americans with a breakout central...

War films generally have a hero. They pay lip service to the received wisdom that war is hell and people shouldn’t have to get caught up in it, but for the most part there are still clear ethical boundaries...

Best known for launching the career of Jennifer Lawrence with Winter’s Bone, Debra Granik’s first film since that 2010 entry is another excellent story of hidden, isolated Americans with a breakout central...

This film was previously reviewed on 07/10/2017 as part of London Film Festival. For its first two thirds, François Ozon’s Amant Double feels like the most stereotypically French film ever made. Starring...

This film was previously reviewed 30/08/17 on as part of Venice Film Festival. "White guys go crazy in the South American jungle" is a well-worn genre at this point. From Werner Herzog’s one-two of...

This film was previously reviewed on 01/09/17 as part of Venice Film Festival. Full of wide, near-barren vistas and trying to fit three different films into one, Andrew Haigh’s Lean on Pete has all the...

As the official Most Hyped Film Of All Time, Avengers: Infinity War is a source of non-stop speculation about its story. As the culmination of 10 years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it should be an...

This film was previously reviewed on 03/09/17 as part of Venice Film Festival. Paolo Virzi’s The Leisure Seeker wastes no time getting started. No sooner are we introduced to its world than we are...