Favorite films

Recent reviews

• 

  Anomalisa 2015

  Watched 08 Jan 2025

  Finding it near impossible to form an opinion on this. Was so repulsed by Micheal Stone’s character in every way that any attempt to create sympathy and understanding fell completely flat. Any attempt at romance felt patronising, predatory and borderline misogynistic (down to the writing of Lisa as beautiful due to her insecurity and naïveté).

  But was that ‘the point’? Does the film want me to look down to Michael as a pathetic, self obsessed chauvinist? Does it want to…

• 

  Joint Security Area 2000

  ★★★★½ Watched 07 Jan 2025

  The flashback scene was so engrossing that I fully forgot what immediately preceded it. Being pulled back to the present was a tragic whiplash. That final shot was absolutely genius too.

  A beautiful and heartbreaking meditation on friendship and the arbitrary lines that stifle it.

Popular reviews

• 

  Sex and the City 2 2010

  ★ Watched 31 Jan 2021

  Manages to be homophobic, racist, classist and sexist all at once while thinking it’s progressive. Literally suggests that women in the Middle East should be ‘liberated’ by American fashion trends and designer brands. Astounding.

• 

  The Fly 1986

  ★★★★ Watched 08 Dec 2020

  Was worried I wouldn’t enjoy this, after being really unimpressed with the last few Cronenburg films I watched, but was really pleasantly surprised. Great atmosphere, great writing, and (obviously) amazing practical effects. I feel like Cronenburg’s films are much more engaging when the narrative is character driven, it allowing the themes and ideas to be much better explored than in the convoluted conspiracy narratives that some of his other films have.