Tagged LFF 2016

Zoology is torn between grotesque body horror and the aesthetics of naturalism and handheld camerawork. The latter helps produce an atmosphere which emphasises the extremely lonely life led by Natasha (Natalya...

In the wrong hands, Kills on Wheels could wind up feeling like a Tarantino knock-off; it follows a near-invulnerable paraplegic hitman, aided by two surly teenagers, out for revenge against a slew of...

The best aspect of Una is its scrambled chronology. Flashbacks break up what could otherwise be a rather repetitive two-hander, albeit one made up of fine performances from both Rooney Mara and Ben Mendelsohn....

Director Jim Sheridan attracts an enviable cast in this intense period drama, set in 1940s Ireland, and he doesn’t waste a drop of their talent. The marquee name is Dame Vanessa Redgrave, offering proof, if...

At first glance, a hospital seems like an odd place to set an emotional drama. The clinical atmosphere lies in stark contrast to what might be expected of a multi-part drama about family and romantic...

Park Chan-wook’s newest film, The Handmaiden, adapted from Sarah Waters’ crime novel Fingersmith, follows the story quite closely, though setting the film in 1930s Korea and Japan instead of Victorian...

A Dark Song makes its first impression as a slow-building drama, opening atmospherically with a mournful score and moody timelapse photography of stormy skies. Leads Catherine Walker and Steve Oram walk a fine...

If Alice Munro made films, you’d pray they’d look like this. Kelly Reichardt’s adaptation of short stories by Montana native Maile Meloy has a staggeringly subtle touch, and is an experience more...

Moonlight is a strange mixture of the old and the new, offering plenty that we’ve seen before while pushing boundaries that too often remain rigid in mainstream films. Director Barry Jenkins begins in the...

Tower stands as a proud example of how documenting humanity's worst moments will always show humanity at its best. This moving film sidesteps typical breakdowns of killer Charles Whitman's identity and...

When a synopsis promises: “A man who loves playing practical jokes visits his workaholic daughter in disguise as an eccentric life coach”, you could be forgiven for thinking you’re watching an episode of...

It’s a surprise with this subject matter, but Antonio Campos’ Christine is deliciously witty. The Florida TV station where Christine works is expertly decked out in period ephemera showed off with dynamic...

Lion, at first glance, has a cracking set of credentials. A blockbuster cast of newcomers and screen veterans? An unbelievable true story that spans decades and continents? A nifty use of the internet and...

Punchy, profound and deeply enchanting, A Monster Calls is a home run for all involved - particularly a stacked cast who all give moving performances tied to a tricky subject, and a director who balances...

The Eagle Huntress is a documentary that is full to the brim with girl power. Narrated by Star Wars’ Daisy Ridley, the film follows Aisholpan, a 13 year old girl who is the first female to become an Eagle...