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(Spoilers for Room and The Revenant) If the only thing you know about Room was the premise, it would be very easy to imagine a different film, perhaps a version that would play in the much coveted 2am slot on the Horror Channel between a…

The eight Best Picture nominees at this year's Oscars are all superb examples of film at its peak. The most striking element of the category is the range of styles and the variation of genres. We have cold war thrillers, emigration…

Why indeed? When Spotlight boasts gravitas in the importance of its story and Room illustrates a mesmerising strength of voice, even Mad Max claims bombastic, frenetic spectacle. Why then should a film about an inconsequential man, in a…

‘You know hope is a mistake’ Max grumbles. His words not only convey the confusion and pain of a man living in a world that is dead, but are also good counsel for any of us delusional enough to believe Mad Max: Fury Road could nab the best…

Alec Baldwin recently revealed that he threw his can of Coca Cola at his television screen the night Sean Penn won the Best Actor for his eponymous performance as Harvey Milk, when Mickey Rourke so desperately deserved the award over him.…

What’s so bad about mechanics?  I think I said this sentence so many times that it became an aesthetic mantra.  I fell into deep zen trances as the kinetic energy of the question brought me closer and closer to cinematic moksha.  Descending…