Category Archives: Thoughts

I recently discovered that in 1986, Andrei Tarkovsky wrote this:   I think that what a person normally goes to the cinema for is time: for time lost or spent or not yet had. He goes there for living experience; … Continue reading →

Last week a trailer appreared on the internet for a new adaptation of John Le Carré’s novel, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. It’s out in September and apparently features every single British actor you can think of. After you watch it, … Continue reading →

Recently I went to see Pina, Wim Wenders’ 3D documentary about the choreographer Pina Bausch. It was full of very skilful dancing, but was essentially a long drawn-out version of its (comparatively striking) trailer, without any discernible structure or narrative arc. I … Continue reading →

Last night the Brixton Ritzy was offering the perfect antidote to all the royal wedding palaver – a screening of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 horror classic, Nosferatu, with live accompaniment courtesy of a collective called Minima. I believe it was the … Continue reading →

Recently I went to a cinema screening of Danny Boyle’s theatre production of Frankenstein, beamed live from the National Theatre. It was a decent enough reworking of Shelley’s novel, the highlight being Benedict ‘Sherlock Holmes’ Cumberbatch’s incredibly physical portrayal of … Continue reading →

Yesterday I paid a visit to the British Art Show at the Hayward Gallery on the South Bank. Exhibited were a range of contemporary artworks, from drawing to sculpture to photography, variously entertaining and confusing – including Roger Hiorns’ plain ridiculous performance … Continue reading →

  Documentary, as a genre distinct from fiction, does not exist. This is a conclusion I’ve come to via two recent interviews which appeared on the excellent Guardian Film Weekly podcast. The first was with Nev Schulman, co-creator and star … Continue reading →

1. The Road – visually stunning, utterly believable evocation of a post-apocalyptic future and a haunting meditation on loss. Viggo Mortensen, I take my hat off to you. 2. Of Gods And Men – serious, relevant and moving, this left me … Continue reading →