Blue Rose Film Review

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) One of the first films that I have a memory of seeing as a young kid. Even though so many of the performances are wooden, the dialogue can be rickety as hell, and some of the effects have aged like milk, it still oozes with character, warmth and magic.  All These Women (1964) This is the first film in the Ingmar Bergman's Cinema box set from Criterion that I haven't connected with. I think it largely comes down to the fact that I don't think Bergman had the chops for comedy at this stage in his career. To watch a feature length comedy film and not laugh once is like staring at a bright light to bring on a sneeze that you are on the brink of and never quite succeeding.  Women Talking (2023) Caught up on some big films from last year that I didn't get to at the time, and Women Talking was at the top of that list. It is just stacked with stellar performances, and to be honest I think the film speaks for itself louder than

Saltburn (2023) Watching this a second time I think I enjoyed it more. Being able to see Barry Keoghan's Oliver Quick behaviour with the added vision of retrospect turns the film into an entirely different experience. At what point does he decide to commit to his plan? Did he have everything planned from the start? Did he fall into it before he realised what he was doing? It was just as funny on a rewatch, and Richard E. Grant really stood out for me again. The aspect ratio also really worked for me watching it at home in a way that it didn't quite do so in a theatre, creating a really claustrophobic and breathless atmosphere. "Murder on the Dancefloor" is still stuck in my head.  Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) The first of a few films I put on in my new house after moving to settle in. Dr. Strangelove is such a comfort film for me, I never get tired of watching Peter Sellers' performances. I have always felt like Kubri

Jonathan Cornford, Sat 24th February 2024 * This article contains spoilers for The Zone of Interest  and openly addresses the topic of the Holocaust * Jonathan Glazer’s new film, The Zone of Interest, opens with a seemingly intentional confrontation to the audience, especially to those not familiar with the once commonplace pre-film overture. In asking the audience to spend almost five minutes looking at a black screen before the film actually starts, it seems to be actively and willingly testing the viewers’ patience. But what this bold choice in opening does is actually something more than simply asking the audience to appreciate the haunting musical score by Mica Levi.   It is telling the audience to do two things, both of which are vital to both the experience of watching the film itself, and the central idea that Glazer is hoping to leave an audience chewing over as the lights come up.   The first: listen. The film’s great power largely arrives with each individual audience member