Demob Happy

Smoke and mirrors 9/10 Todd Haynes’ 2002 film ‘Far From Heaven‘ was a masterpiece of subtle subversion that paid homage to the richly coloured 1950s film style (and specifically the ‘women’s pictures’ of Douglas Sirk and his contemporaries). What could have been hollow pastiche is in fact a thoughtful and moving examination of US social [...]

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The best of the baddest 9/10 I am no Nick Cave afficianado but it seems the man is making a real come-back into the critical consciousness with his most recent album, ‘Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!‘. Of course, critical trends mean almost nothing, and if this excellent compliation tells us anything, it’s that Cave has been writing [...]

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History, narrative, truth and fiction 9/10 Atonement is a stunning period melodrama adapted from Ian McEwan’s novel of the same name. Directed by Joe Wright (Pride and Prejudice) from a script by Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liaisons, The Quiet American), it slips comfortably into a canon of great historical dramas from those of Merchant-Ivory to Anthony [...]

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All About My Mother Too 4/10 I’ve always thought that Pedro Almodovar was deeply overrated – bestowed with unjustified and unquestioning acclaim for one tedious film after another. Volver does not buck the trend – a simply moronic family melodrama populated by unlikeable and unbelievable characters, and filmed in the Spanish director’s famously lurid hues. [...]

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