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The Pass – LFF 2016 Review

The Pass is a dramatic tour de force. Its simple conceit – a triptych of pairs of people talking in hotel rooms at five-year intervals – is masterfully executed thanks to clever ellipsis, cast chemistry,...
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Divines – LFF 2016 Review

In many ways Divines feels like an amalgamation of all the socially conscious European films of the last decade. There is the French estate setting of Dheepan, the sexual exploitation and feminist rebellion of...
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Nocturama – LFF 2016 Review

Nocturama kicks off with a gripping start, weaving through Parisian streets and cutting back and forth in time as a group of teenagers carry out a series of attacks that shake the city. Director Betrand...
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Women Who Kill – LFF 2016 Review

Women Who Kill entrenches itself into Park Slope hipsterdom - if obscure podcasts and locally sourced food co-ops aren’t your thing, you may not enjoy your time in Women Who Kill’s particular niche....
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’76 – LFF 2016 Review

Despite an intriguing historical setup, ‘76 struggles to tell a cohesive political story, and loses its thread as the personal subplots overshadow the events of the coup. Ramsey Nouah does a fine job as...
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Don’t Think Twice – LFF 2016 Review

Don’t come into Don’t Think Twice expecting a barrel of laughs - this isn’t that kinda rodeo. Nor is this really a conversation about comedy, as beyond a documentary-style opening and a slew of Del Close...
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Goldstone – LFF 2016 Review

Ivan Sen’s directorial talent is certainly noticeable in Goldstone. Sen revels in the Western genre, milking the dusty Australian landscape for all he can, and cinematography buffs will get a kick out of a...
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Layla M. – LFF 2016 Review

Any film named after the protagonist just isn’t gonna work without a home-run performance, and Nora El Koussour certainly lives up to the challenge in her big-screen debut. As Layla, she handles outrage,...
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Chameleon – LFF 2016 Review

After a disorienting burst of intensity to kick things off, Chameleon slows down and takes its time to set up some dominoes. Jorge Riquelme Serrano’s direction doesn’t waste time on the serenity of the...
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Mascots – LFF 2016 Review

Seeing the Netflix logo up on the silver screen is a little jarring, but have no fear, Christopher Guest fans - Mascots is a typical slice of surreal mockumentary fun from the legendary satirist. Netflix have...
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Manchester by the Sea – LFF 2016 Review

Casey Affleck is Lee, the quiet, unassuming face of Manchester by the Sea. Working as a janitor in snow-crusted Boston he busies himself in the background of other people’s lives. He does his work, he goes...
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Wùlu – LFF 2016 Review

Wùlu smartly explains its title at the outset - Wùlu is the final stage of tribal development, where a man is enlightened to a place in society. So what happens if you realise your role is to traffic...
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Dancer – LFF 2016 Review

Dancer is Sergei Polunin, the tattooed 'bad boy of ballet'. Aged just 23 and at the height of his powers, he sensationally quit his role as Principal with the Royal Ballet - the pinnacle of a usual career....
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A United Kingdom – LFF 2016 Review

As the United Kingdom currently finds itself mid-Brexit, waking each morning to a new swathe of regressive policies targeted against Johnny Foreigner, it feels an apt time to be reminded that this country...