In Italian cinema, the figure of the homosexual has always been presented as a stereotype and in a deliberately offensive way, as if the only way to treat a subject that was to all intents and purposes a taboo was through parody or mockery. But it was in the cinema of the 70s, in all its various film types, from sexy comedies to detective stories, that we find gay characters constantly present in films, almost obsessively. Unfortunately, they were the butt of coarse, trivialising humour, which reflected the backward social attitudes and homophobia of the time. To understand the causes of this phenomenon, Andrea Meroni, a young director from Milan, met the leading actors and directors of that time (e.g. Lino Banfi, Enrico Vanzina and Leo Gullotta), as well as experts, critics and activists of the LGBTQI movement. The result? A surprisingly ironic documentary that talks about the way we were when we were 'froci' (fags).
If you've watched 'Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles', you are either someone who believes “nothing happens” in this three and half-hour film or you’re like me who believes everything happens.
Taika Waititi writes, directs and co-stars in 'Boy', set in 1984 New Zealand. The film does just what Waititi dreamed of — it gave a great coming-of-age story to Māori people without making a story of the Māori people as an exotic other.
Slytherin is painted negatively for the traits the members of this house embody. Although Slytherin students are ambitious, cunning, and determined, they are more.
Happy Halloween! If you were debating capping off Spooky Season with a viewing of Hocus Pocus 2, it is just very clear that this is more for the younger audience as opposed to people who grew up with the original.
The height of subversive horror cinema is Jennifer’s Body. No, I will never budge on that. Yes, Cabin in The Woods is funny, Scream is very well made, and the Scary Movie franchise is …. there. But nothing is quite as satisfying as watching the teenage succubus that is Jennifer Check rip apart boys. In the post #metoo era where the industry is far from changed, watching revenge flicks like these is probably one of the most cathartic experiences due to the slow-moving progress being made.
With The Father, writer-director Florian Zeller- who wrote and developed the play upon which the film is based- pulls no punches as he confidently makes every effort to put the audience in the mind of someone whose grip on reality has all but vanished. It’s a dazzling testament to Zeller’s abilities as a director as he makes his first transition from stage to film appear as if he’s been working behind a camera his entire career. The dialogue he fashions with co-writer Christopher Hampton, along with the work of production designers Peter Francis and Cathy Featherstone, collectively makes the downward spiral of dementia startlingly tangible, doing so in a way that can be comprehended by everyone except the person it directly affects.
