She Spoiled It

Review: Industry

15/3/2021

As someone whose day job is working at a FTSE 100 investment firm, and who has interviewed, hosted and mentored a number of grads over the years, I was particularly interested in “Industry”. This is the latest HBO/BBC TV show from Director and co-producer Lena Dunham and it’s coming to the small screen soon.

Episodes 1, 2 and 4 were available as part of the London Film Festival 2020 and these episodes discussed here.

Review: Nomadland

11/3/2021

“Nomadland” is making huge waves on the 2020 festival circuit and is the first film ever to win the top prizes at both Toronto and Venice film festivals. Writer/Director Chloé Zhao’s latest feature is based on the book “Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century” by Jessica Bruder. It’s a visual poem that rests our minds on a particular marginalised section of US society.

Review: After Love

8/3/2021

“After Love” is an intriguing study of how loss can unite people, even those otherwise divided by culture and geography. Long takes reminiscent of the studious eye of Joanna Hogg or Dominga Sotomayor Castillo bring complicated emotions to the fore without spoon feeding in this exquisite and intriguing film.

Review: Soul

5/3/2021

The latest offering from Disney Pixar was released on Disney+ on Christmas day 2020. As to be expected from Pixar, it’s an imaginative adventure which pulls on the heart strings and leaves us teary eyed with joy. An international cast of recognisable voices led by Jamie Foxx includes Tina Fey, Richard Ayoade, Daveed Diggs, Graham Norton and Angela Bassett.

Review: Stray

1/3/2021

As an animal lover I was nervous about watching this film. It documents life in Istanbul through the eyes of stray dogs, so had the potential to be distressing. But I needn’t have worried. This film has a lot of heart, love and compassion for both our furry friends and the people they encounter.

Review: Herself

8/2/2021

Compared to director Phyllida Lloyd’s previous box office hits “Mamma Mia!” and “The Iron Lady”, “Herself” is a tiny budget home grown indie gem. But heartbreakingly amazing things come in small packages and this is definitely one of them. Claire Dunne co-wrote the script and stars as Sandra, a woman trying to leave an abusive relationship. One final violent assault has her finally able to escape, along with her two daughters Molly and Emma.

Review: Relic

27/1/2021

“Relic”, the debut feature from Japanese-Australian director Natalie Erika James is a deeply unsettling horror with something very particular to say. A 90-minute metaphor for the devastating changes that dementia inflicts on sufferers and their families, the film is about intergenerational support, familial inheritance, and the rotten thief that is dementia.

Review: Mogul Mowgli

21/12/2020

Riz Ahmed is a powerhouse of pain and passion in “Mogul Mowgli”, the first narrative feature from documentary director Bassam Tariq. Co-written by Ahmed and Tariq, this British indie film is full of difficult realisations about lives that have been suddenly and painfully changed. Ahmed’s committment to the role incuded losing 10kg (22lbs) in just 3.5 weeks as it had such a short filming schedule.