O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend The brightest heaven of invention… I can't read or listen to the prologue of William Shakespeare's Henry V without thinking that he was wishing he were writing a screenplay. He may have wondered if the stage could hold "The vasty fields of France?" Or if the … Continue reading Henry V times 2
Category: Drama
Drama
The alleged Mick Travis trilogy…but mostly about O Lucky Man
When is a trilogy a trilogy, and when is it just three different movies? The Lord of the Rings is clearly a trilogy. John Ford's cavalry is just three westerns set amongst horse soldiers. The Criterion Channel is currently offering what they're calling Lindsay Anderson's Mick Travis Trilogy. The films: If…. (1968) O Lucky Man! … Continue reading The alleged Mick Travis trilogy…but mostly about O Lucky Man
This very bad marriage makes the protagonist want to Swallow
A- Drama/Thriller Written and directed by Carlo Mirabella-Davis What makes a pregnant woman hurt herself so badly? Bit by bit - or perhaps I should say bite by bite - Hunter (Haley Bennett) physically tortures herself. She swallows things: a marble, a pin, a battery. It gets worse. Carlo Mirabella-Davis' fine drama shows at least … Continue reading This very bad marriage makes the protagonist want to Swallow
Depressing but necessary: Sorry We Missed You
A- Drama Written by Paul Laverty Directed by Ken Loach With a title like Sorry We Missed You, you'd expect a light, romantic comedy. Instead, you get something entirely different. Imagine a food that you absolutely hate, but you eat it anyway because it's good for you. That's like the experience of seeing Ken Loach's … Continue reading Depressing but necessary: Sorry We Missed You
Capital punishment hurts everybody in Clemency
A Drama Written & directed by Chinonye Chukwu How do you comfort the mother of a man about to be executed - especially when your job is to oversee the execution? The answer, inevitably, is "not well." The experience gets worse when the execution, by lethal injection, gets thoroughly botched and the condemned man suffers … Continue reading Capital punishment hurts everybody in Clemency
We need Just Mercy for the innocent
A- Courtroom drama Written by Destin Daniel Cretton & Andrew Lanham, from the book by Bryan Stevenson Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton Can true justice prevail in a racist society? According to the people who made Just Mercy, it can, but it takes an angel - or at least a gifted, well-trained, intelligent, and altruistic … Continue reading We need Just Mercy for the innocent
The Song of Names
C+ DramaWritten by Jeffrey CaineDirected by François Girard Jeffrey Caine and François Girard's new film starts with the runup to a big concert. The crowd have come to see the first major performance of a young violin virtuoso. But the new star doesn't show up. What happened to him? After that mysterious opening, almost everything … Continue reading The Song of Names
