The Party film review by UK film critic Rob Jones. Starring Jennifer Bulcock directed by Imran Mohammed Noor, Haley Muraleedharan. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Party Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Rob Jones | Posted on: Mar 13, 2023 Directed by: Imran Mohammed Noor, Haley Muraleedharan Written by: Joe Willis Starring: Jennifer Bulcock The struggles of early parenthood are well-documented, and to a degree, sympathised with. The sleepless nights, held to ransom by what amounts to an emotional alarm clock at that point, are an aspect of it all that seems difficult no matter how it’s presented. But if people have had to deal with that for thousands of years, then maybe there’s something in all of us that means we could probably have a go at it too, right? The Party is more interested in the stage of parenting that comes after all of that, something that’s a bit less well covered. The dreaded forced social life that comes with it all. Something that’s only made harder when your child is neurodivergent. We start with our protagonist loading the car up in an idealistic urban neighbourhood to a simple, cheerful score. Everything seems like it’s going great until she receives a phone call from another mum. The party has been cancelled because of your usual toddler stuff, nothing too dramatic. In most circumstances, the thought of having a day back that was previously written off might be nice, but this mother needs a space to vent, and that’s exactly what the film provides her as she looks straight at us. We learn about why this isn’t a cause for celebration, how difficult the conversation with her child is going to be, and the general hardships of what it’s like to be a parent to an autistic child. Being that the story is told to us in quite a literal sense, it might be open to the criticism that it’s a bit on the nose, or that it lacks nuance, but there’s more to it than that. The frustration at the lack of understanding that this mother feels from her peers is such that we’re not allowed anything other than the cold, hard front of it. The nuances in her story have been completely ignored up until this point, so by the time we join it, it’s already too late to trust us with them. This is a thoughtful, intelligent piece of film that, under the right circumstances, should be capable of forcing a lot of meaningful reflection from those who are open to it. Even just the subversion in the contrast between the bright, chirpy aesthetics and the tender words that we hear to accompany them gives an impression of just how overwhelming this experience must be. By focusing on something that’s so routine for other parents as a catalyst for so much, The Party achieves a lot with very little. It’s hard to believe just how short this short film is given how rich it is, but perhaps the luxury of anything longer is something else that we just can’t be trusted with. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Rob Jones Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Never Leave the Basement film review by UK film critic Isabelle Ryan. Starring Nadia Vaeh directed by Evan Blum. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Never Leave the Basement Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Isabelle Ryan | Posted on: Dec 7, 2021 Directed by: Evan Blum Written by: Nadia Vaeh, Dion Shaw Starring: Nadia Vaeh The music video for Nadia Vaeh’s pop-rock breakdown of social media dependency Never Leave the Basement follows an influencer as she connects with her audience and, in general, tries to get through the day. The upbeat hook and instrumentation jars with the reality of the message and slower bridge section, while the contemporary visuals go hand-in-hand with scenes of Vaeh dressed up like a 1950s pin-up, a 1970s free spirit, a 1990s alt-rocker, and so on. Essentially, the music video makes a case for our current obsession with online stars – their worshipful fans and derisive detractors – having much more in common with previous generations’ icons than many would care admit. To make the connection even more obvious, in one scene, Vaeh’s ’80s teenager sprawls on a bed overlooked by a poster of Marilyn Monroe (who, of course, is still misunderstood and misrepresented to this day). Makeup and hair by Laura Bueno and Rachel Anderson, respectively, bring each era to life in a vivid, if deliberately stereotypical way: the 1950s beauty with her hair in curlers and bright red lipstick, the culturally appropriative hippie in the 1970s (she wears a white woman’s approximation of Native American dress), and so on. Additionally, Evan Blum’s editing (he also directed the video) combined with Marlo Madlangbayanz’s lighting and Lani Rose Ault’s work on the set design come together to create an almost overwhelming experience. One assumes this is the point: to hammer home just how much work social media influencers put in (even if people assume the job is easy), and how many parallels can be drawn between this new breed of star and the previous generations’. A great touch is the visual distinction between periods, from the black and white TV flickering to colour for the 1950s, grainy film stock in the ’70s, the 1990s video camera, etc. These effects appear to have been added in post – rather than filming the respective eras with different stock or cameras – but the visuals work, and one could argue that deliberately duplicating these aesthetics strengthens the overall message; these are more filters on the influencer’s phone. Speaking of the protagonist, a short, memorable scene stops the song dead: Vaeh attempts to set up her phone and ring light to stream to her followers. She is alone in an otherwise dark room, quietly struggling with and cursing at her technology. Then, she fixes her hair, puts a smile on her face, and begins to sing and play guitar for an invisible audience. This moment hammers the point home strongest, and one could make a connection here between Never Leave the Basement and Bo Burnham’s Inside (Vaeh’s music video released just 25 days before Burnham’s special). Both explore this idea of art as performance – of self as performance – and the frustration faced by creatives who kill themselves to please their audiences, even when that audience is invisible. Such is the case with Burnham’s film and Vaeh’s fictional influencer. She is not glamorous like Marilyn Monroe or free-spirited like her 1970s proxy, but of course, Monroe was much more than her image, and hippies were more than their aesthetic. The influencer at the heart of Vaeh’s music video cultivates an image of cosy intimacy: wearing soft clothes, perched on a soft bed, lit by soft lighting, and strumming her acoustic guitar. Everything is a performance; every move is calculated for her online audience. And, as Vaeh sings, “I love myself online.” Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Isabelle Ryan Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

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Istina film review by UK film critic Patrick Foley. Starring Nika Rozman, Milica Vuksanovic, Elizabeta Djorevska directed by Tamara Denic. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Istina Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Patrick Foley | Posted on: Oct 16, 2023 Directed by: Tamara Denic Written by: David M. Lorenz Starring: Nika Rozman, Milica Vuksanovic, Elizabeta Djorevska In case you only focused on strange blonde wannabe strongmen who briefly controlled the Anglosphere and now devote their time to their own egos and stoking the flames of division, you may be horrified to know that the battle for truth is still ongoing, and is a worldwide one. Troubling governments and movements have sprung up all over Europe, with the far-right on the rise in the West the brink of turmoil worryingly close in the Balkans. Istina is the story of a journalist with ties to both, and how populism poses a serious threat to those who shine a light on injustice. Jelena (Nika Rozman) is a Serbian photojournalist who has fled Belgrade for her daughter Lara (Millica Vuksanovic) after reporting on the rise of far-right movements. Residing in Germany, she continues to report on her old home from afar. But when a similar movement arises in her new one, she faces a difficult decision to return to covering dangerous and hostile forces in-person, and what this could mean for both her own safety – and her daughters’. Istina is a brilliantly contemporary short drama film about the fight for truth in dangerous circumstances. Concerns around the rise of the far-right are sadly Europe-wide at present, and the film’s focus on the most aggressive and intimidating brands of neo-Nazi-like organisations makes for uncomfortable-yet-important viewing with a disturbingly relevant context. The fears that Jelena experiences and her inability to live a normal life are at the film’s heart, and the relationship between her and her daughter is brilliantly portrayed to make clear to viewers her real focus in life. Torn between her instinctive love and need to protect, and sense of duty to make the world a better place for her child gives Jelena a central dilemma – and the filmmakers explore the various tenets of this impressively. The story does feel too light on detail however which impacts on the audience’s investment and the rationality of Jelena’s actions. Whilst it is evident the movement Jelena is reporting on is an extreme right-wing group, viewers are only given hints at what they actually stand for and what specific views they hold. Similarly, Jelena is shown to be a determined and fearless photographer with contacts at news groups – but the consequences of her reports and the impact she has had in diminishing the groups she opposes is left vague. Given that she is willing to risk her life for her cause, a little more specificity would have been welcome – although this choice does allow the story to be applicable to differing organisations. Nika Rozman gives an effective performance as Jelena – hardened and authoritative with enough vulnerability to convince viewers of the danger she faces. Millica Vuksanovic is brilliant as her daughter Lara and outperforms her younger years with surprising depth, presenting a childlike fear for her mother. The parental chemistry they share gives the movie unexpected heart. Istina is not without its flaws, but its impressive representation of the importance, the validity and the dangers of journalism in the face of intimidation makes this an accomplished piece of filmmaking. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Patrick Foley Digital / DVD Release, Short Film, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Grandma's Heritage film review by UK film critic Oliver Weir. Starring Anna Vasylioglo directed by Anna Vasylioglo. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Grandma's Heritage Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Oliver Weir | Posted on: Mar 3, 2022 Directed by: Anna Vasylioglo Written by: Anna Vasylioglo Starring: Anna Vasylioglo Grandma’s Heritage is a deeply personal account of director Anna Vasylioglo’s relationship with her late grandmother. This short was made under the supervision of Johanna Bernhardson and Karin Ekberg as an exercise clip for a workshop entitled ‘Documentary Storytelling with a Personal Voice’. The film is certainly loyal to this rubric. It is composed of various still photographs of Anna with her grandmother, shots of Anna more recently, and home video footage of the mementos her grandmother left behind (such as an ermine fur hat). These shots are paired with an emotional narration that gives some insight into each person’s personality, the attributes they share (chiefly their long black curly hair), and the warmth of their relationships. The film is a very brief but touching dedication to her grandmother, though its broader appeal suffers by its inherent specificity. Its audience is mostly limited to immediate family and friends, although it could easily be opened up to viewers; for instance, if the commentary were removed, then a certain ambiguity would be introduced into the photographs and montage sequences, creating some room for the viewer to draw their own conclusions about the characters’ relationships and therefore begin to see themselves in the picture. An extended version of this three-minute piece could make for an interesting project, perhaps with more time spent on some of the key moments of her grandmother’s life, intercut with more home video or interviews. With some experimental flair the film could go in the direction of Guy Maddin’s My Winnipeg ; or, with a more delicate treatment, could take on the melancholic style of Chantel Akerman’s News From Home . As it is though, Grandma’s Heritage is a simple sketch of the ways in which Anna has dealt with the grief of losing her grandmother, and how she continues to be influenced by that loss in her filmmaking. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Oliver Weir Short Film, Documentary < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery film review by UK film critic George Wolf. Starring Danie Craig, Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close directed by Rian Johnson. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: George Wolf | Posted on: Nov 25, 2025 Directed by: Rian Johnson Written by: Rian Johnson Starring: Danie Craig, Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close We may be early in awards season, but the slam dunk winner for Best Use of a Church Organ in an Ensemble Whodunnit has arrived. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery brings that LOL moment and many other deadly delights, as writer/director Rian Johnson again shows a wonderful grasp on giving the Agatha Christie blueprint his own wickedly fun stamp. There’s been a murder at a small Catholic church in upstate New York. Just as young priest Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) is learning his way around Monsignor Jefferson Wick’s (Josh Brolin) iron-fisted control of his flock at Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude, Wicks turns up with a literal knife in his back. Jud has some violence in his checkered past – and he found the body – but the pews are filled with suspects. There’s lawyer Vera (Kerry Washington), her adopted son Cy (Daryl McCormack), writer Lee (Andrew Scott), Dr. Nat (Jeremy Renner), newcomer Simone (Cailee Spaeny), groundskeeper Samson (Thomas Haden Church) or maybe even devoted church secretary Martha (Glenn Close). That much sleuthing is a bit overwhelming for Chief Scott (Mila Kunis) and her officers, so WGD (World’s Great Detective) Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is on the case, albeit reluctantly. In fact, Blanc is loath to even set foot inside a church, a feeling detailed in his breathtaking introductory speech, the opening salvo in Johnson’s assault on demagoguery and the quest for power via radicalization. That assault is far from subtle, but man it’s a treat to get caught up in. Brolin continues his stellar year with a masterclass of egotistic bullying, and O’Connor is the perfect counterpoint. Fresh-faced and mop-haired, Father Jud is committed to being a force for good in the world, and to honoring Christ’s mission to heal the world. That mission seems lost amid Wick and his parishioners, and each member of this sublime ensemble understands Johnson’s assignment to skewer such commonplace self-righteous hypocrisy. Craig is letter-perfect once again, dialing back the giddy flamboyance that drove 2022’s Glass Onion with darker shades in line with the film’s tone. Blanc is troubled and stumped about more than just the facts of the case, and Craig continues to craft him as an endlessly fascinating figure. Wake Up Dead Man is less of an outright comedy than the last mystery, though some solid laughs do land (like the church organ gag). And just like last time, it will not be hard to guess who Johnson has his knives out for. What you won’t guess is who done it, or how they done it. But it sure is a kick to try. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic George Wolf Theatrical Release, Netflix < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Encanto film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Stephanie Beatriz, Maria Cecilia Botero, John Leguizamo directed by Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Charise Castro Smith. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Encanto Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Nov 22, 2021 Directed by: Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Charise Castro Smith Written by: Charise Castro Smith, Jared Bush, ByronHoward Starring: Stephanie Beatriz, Maria Cecilia Botero, John Leguizamo No one wants to believe themselves ordinary. Not even calm, supportive Mirabel Madrigal (Stephanie Beatriz). But ordinariness happens to be her defining quality because she is the first Madrigal in three generations who has no magical gifts. Her mother can heal with food. Her sister has super strength. Her cousin can shapeshift. But when the day came for Mirabel to receive her magical gift, nothing happened. When the magic of the Madrigal family — magic that has kept the entire town of Encanto in peaceful enchantment for decades — starts to crack, is it all because of Mirabel? One of many reasons that Disney’s 60th feature Encanto charms is that this unsure adolescent does not find out she’s secretly a princess. She has no makeover. It isn’t romance that helps her see her own specialness. Thank God. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s music is another reason. Infectious, upbeat and surprisingly insightful, the songs in Encanto speak to individual insecurities in a way that hardly suggests the magical nature of the film. Lyrics illustrate sincere worries about letting people down, living up to expectations and other universal and yet intimate worries. If you worry the film sounds a bit drab and reasonable, fear not because the vibrant color, lush landscapes, intricate interiors and clever, high-energy animation keep the magic popping. Set in Colombia, Encanto reflects the magical realism favored in the literature of the land and that, too, makes for a unique cartoon experience. John Leguizamo and Maria Cecilia Botero join Beatriz in a voice cast that brims with pathos, love and energy, just like the family they depict. Much about the complex interactions within the family feels like honest if uncharted territory for a Disney outing — flawed heroes, loving villains, and the notion that selfishness and selflessness as equally problematic. The flip side of that coin is that the world of Encanto doesn’t feel very big and the stakes don’t feel very high. If that were the only drawback to co-directors Jared Bush, Byron Howard and Charise Castro Smith’s approach it would hardly be worth mentioning. Unfortunately, they undermine the complexity they find in familial love with a too-tidy ending that robs Encanto and its inhabitants of some hard-won lessons. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release, Animation < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Croak film review by UK film critic Swati Verma . Starring Elizabeth Hill, Alec Hopkins directed by Dom Lee. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Croak Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Swati Verma | Posted on: Sep 13, 2023 Directed by: Dom Lee Written by: Dom Lee, Heather Ross Starring: Elizabeth Hill, Alec Hopkins The writer-director Dom Lee along with Heather Ross beautifully showcases the emotional co-dependence between two strangers Jos (Alec Hopkins) and Maz (Elizabeth Hill) to achieve a bigger goal in the future. The plot of Croak revolves around a disgraced Television presenter who forms a pact with a desperate stranger hoping to get some relief from the situation they are in. The film opens with a close-up shot of the female protagonist and a voice-over playing in the background while she is waiting at the train station helps the audience understand her on a deeper level as well as establishes the subject matter it wants to discuss. The creative team has smartly used snow/ice to convey the coldness, and absence of love in the lives of Jos and Maz and how hard both of them are trying to dissolve all their fears as well as problems. A well-written small conversation between various characters is a smart way to portray the dynamics giving the viewers freedom to interpret the film. The black, white, and grey colours utilised for the colour palette, set design, camera angles, lighting, sound, dialogues, costume, hair, makeup, and props add a sense of realism and relatability thus increasing the degree of audience engagement with the content of Croak. In terms of performance, Elizabeth Hill plays Maz who is traumatised by bad past experiences both professionally and personally. She loves to find peace by remembering her family but there are a lot of people who don’t let her forget the horrifying incidents. The senior actress showcases her versatile acting skills as Hill balances effectively between being emotional and strong as per the demand of the script. Alec Hopkins plays Jos who is a desperate troubled young man who is a part lament and part mysterious to the audience because of estranged family ties. Maz becomes the source of hope and thus he agrees to the deal she offers. Hopkins displays the range of emotions brilliantly utilising body language, voice modulation, facial expressions, and eyes to communicate the roller coaster journey Jos has in the film which is inspirational for the viewers. Croak talks about the impact that past event tends to leave on one’s life but we should often try to make our present more beautiful so that one can heal and the happiness transcends to their loved ones too. The short film reiterates the importance of valuing life at every juncture and not opting for suicide no matter how difficult it gets. The dramatic piece highlights the importance of the role of destiny, communication, trust, memories, and emotions in pushing and pulling people through all their hard times. The cinematic piece also restates that sharing grief/pain with someone can be beneficial for everyone. To conclude, I would like to appreciate Dom Lee and his team for experimenting with various genres and providing the variety in their work that viewers want and also handling everything so subtly that the movies tend to stay with the audience even after they have finished watching them. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Swati Verma Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Black Boy's Don't Cry film review by UK film critic Joe Beck. Starring Madison Ledyard King, Angel Joy directed by Madison Ledyard King. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Black Boy's Don't Cry Film Review average rating is 5 out of 5 Critic: Joe Beck | Posted on: Oct 27, 2024 Directed by: Madison Ledyard King Written by: William Hunter-Raey, Kamodjia, Glenn A. Robinson IV Starring: Madison Ledyard King, Angel Joy It’s a common mantra and sad fact of life that boys don’t cry. It’s something deeply ingrained in society and the historic pressures of masculinity. To this day it is still shocking when you see a man cry either in real life or on screen, such is the extent to which cultural values have been so slow to change. This heightened masculinity is even more present traditionally in the black community, and ‘Black Boys Don’t Cry’, demonstrates the overwhelming pressures of that effectively and rather beautifully. The film follows Evan (played by Madison Ledyard King), a young black college student for whom the pressures of life have suddenly built up. He struggles to concentrate on his studies, and is told that his grades are slipping. His parents message him and call to check in on him, but they encourage strength rather than vulnerability. Nothing seems to appeal to him, and it feels as though he is floundering, uncertain of his next steps for both his present and his future. He’s caught in the abyss and can’t seem to find a way out from it. He is referred to counselling to try and resurrect his falling academical attainment. When he tries to protest and justify his rough patch he is bluntly told that everybody is going through things. It’s the sort of language used so frequently to avoid men truly opening up about their feelings. Evan can’t cry because that would be a sign of weakness. The only way is through, and the only way he can get through is by thinking that everyone else is struggling just the same. It’s a way of telling him to ‘man up’, a phrase that itself is deeply linked to the overbearing pressures of masculinity. Madison Ledyard King’s film does this effectively throughout, giving a relatable and endearing portrait of a man’s life when it is riddled with doubt. As well as portraying the film’s lead character with a weariness that will be familiar to many, he imbues the film with a sense of claustrophobia with his directing, as it constantly feels as though the walls are closing in around him. The sound of the film too, is incredible, with a wonderful score and beautiful songs on the soundtrack, that perfectly epitomise the issue of a crisis of masculinity. ‘Black Boys Don’t Cry’ is a painfully beautiful film, tenderly portraying the overwhelming burden that traditional masculinity places on a man. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Joe Beck Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

On Our Doorstep film review by UK film critic Alasdair MacRae. Starring N/A directed by Thomas Laurance. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS On Our Doorstep Film Review average rating is 5 out of 5 Critic: Alasdair MacRae | Posted on: Jul 1, 2022 Directed by: Thomas Laurance Written by: N/A Starring: N/A An on-the-ground documentary filmed in 2015 and 2016 covering the lives of refugees and the work of volunteers inside the ‘Calais Jungle’, a refugee camp whose populous aimed to claim asylum in the UK. It is disheartening to write that this is an essential documentary recording the conditions people fleeing conflict and danger have to live in because of the total lack of empathy and frankly racist actions of the powers that be in the UK and France. The injustice is multiplied when one takes into consideration that the displacement of many of the refugees is a consequence of conflicts the UK has either been directly involved in or taken part in as a proxy war over the past few decades. On Our Doorstep provides first-hand footage of the very real conditions in which the refugees lived in Calais. It shows in detail the abject poverty, the unaccompanied children, and the dangers of the camp. It also documents in frightening detail the extreme dangers of traveling to the UK, particularly the method of hiding in the back of a refrigerated lorry, which is known to have claimed many lives. But at the same time, it shows the resilience of the human spirit. How they have tried to form a community and make the best of a living situation. How different peoples from radically different backgrounds can come together. The resourcefulness, crafting restaurants and religious buildings from what little materials they have. Not to mention the captivating and unifying power of music. One man credited as Ammar from Syria talks of the camp being “90 percent bad, but if you looked for the 10 percent you could really enjoy the 10 percent”. However, once the refugees actually start to progress towards some semblance of human dignity the French government becomes determined to strip them of it, with the film covering just a fraction of the police brutality. One thing the film makes apparent is that the volunteers are not officially recognised NGO responders, they are everyday people who could not look on and do nothing. Normally a documentary would credit a speaker with their profession or relevant expertise, in this case almost everyone involved is simply credited with their forename and their nationality, for example, ‘Liz, UK’. These volunteers radically jump between roles as carpenters, care workers, and even firefighters as needs necessitate, and we see the struggles they face and overcome. One of the more interesting aspects of the film is that as time goes on and they begin to reflect on their work, they begin to question the value of their compassionate acts, as they become more futile against the power of the state and the desperation of the refugees grows. On Our Doorstep is a moving and compassionate inside look into the lives of refugees and the daily struggles they face. It highlights the essential work done by volunteers to provide the help that the British and French governments refuse to. If the representation of refugees in the mainstream media were closer to this documentary then the UK population would have a harder time ignoring the ongoing monstrous state violence against them. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Alasdair MacRae Documentary < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Still: A MichaelJ. Fox Movie film review by UK film critic George Wolf. Starring Michael J. Fox, Tracy Pollan directed by Davis Guggenheim. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Still: A MichaelJ. Fox Movie Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: George Wolf | Posted on: May 9, 2023 Directed by: Davis Guggenheim Written by: David Guggenheim Starring: Michael J. Fox, Tracy Pollan For seven years after his initial diagnosis at the age of 29, Michael J. Fox was committed to hiding the signs of Parkinson’s disease. He’s not at all interested in hiding anymore, and the inviting nature of his candor is a major reason why Apple TV’s Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie connects on such a warmly human level. That really shouldn’t be a surprise. Since he rocketed to sitcom fame with Family Ties in the 1980s, Fox has remained a relentlessly likable guy. Short of stature but long on charm and comic timing, Fox hit superstardom with 85’s Back to the Future , then navigated the hits and misses to remain a staple of the big and small screen for decades. Director Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth, Waiting for Superman ) anchors the film via his Q&A session with Fox, bringing life to the life story with a mix of subtle recreations and nimble editing. As Fox reflects on his path to the Big Time, editor Michael Harte weaves in carefully selected scenes from Fox’s TV, movie and talk show work that illustrate the anecdotes with entertaining precision. It’s all a slick counterpoint to the reality of Fox’s health, which is acknowledged from the film’s opening minutes, when Fox tells of waking up with a trembling pinky and a “message from the future.” His present now includes frequent physical therapy sessions, as well as numerous falls and injuries, but he accepts it with grace and self-effacing humor (which includes a priceless bit from an appearance on Curb Your Enthusiasm ). Fox also recounts his love story with wife Tracy Pollan, and the slices of his current home life with Tracy and their children make it easier to understand Fox’s eternally grateful attitude about how his life has turned out. Fox has no use for pity. And he makes sure that time your spent with A Michael J. Fox Movie will only be inspiring and uplifting. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic George Wolf Theatrical Release, Digital / DVD Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Denise & Raymonde film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Lauriane Gillieron, Marie Fontannaz, Raphael Tschudi directed by Nicolas Wendl. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Denise & Raymonde Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Aug 8, 2021 Directed by: Nicolas Wendl Written by: Tiziana Giammarino Starring: Lauriane Gillieron, Marie Fontannaz, Raphael Tschudi Two friends meet at a bar and discuss their personal problems regarding marriage and dating. Denise (Gillieron) and Raymonde (Fontannaz) meet frequently at the same bar, where they have a drink and have a chat, talk about their lives, while trying to give each other helpful advice. Denise is married, but she believes that the magic has disappeared between her and her husband. Raymonde is single and is currently dating, hoping to find the right guy. They discuss the problems of marriage, the challenges of dating, the principles of kissing and their erotic lives, leading to awkward and embarrassing situations. This French/Swiss comedy is rather amusing and contains interesting characters, cheeky dialogue and adult humour. It is a series and this short is basically three episodes put together, along with opening and closing credits for each episode. These three episodes last a few minutes each and together they make up a ten-minute narrative. Every episode begins with the two women meeting at the bar and then proceeding to share their experiences. Filming took place on location in Switzerland and it was directed remotely from Los Angeles. Both Fontannaz and Gillieron deliver entertaining performances as two simple women who have known each other a long time and have a strong connection of understanding and trust between them. They both mean well and want to find solutions to their problems. Credit also goes to Tschudi who is rather amusing himself as the barman. There is light-hearted music and the cinematography looks great. There is one particular section that stands out that involves Denise's fantasy and is quite funny. It stands out due to its content, creative use of lighting, slow motion and jazz music. All these elements and Gillieron, Fontannaz and Tschudi's acting make this sequence rather interesting and fun. This accomplishment offers ten minutes of (mostly adult) entertainment and will most likely appeal to fans of romantic comedies. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Short Film, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >