Back in 2008, a couple of days after Clint Eastwood’s Changeling had premiered in Cannes, I interviewed him about the film. During the small talk before we discussed the movie, I mentioned in passing that I’d been sitting just in front of him the day before at the Festival’s tribute to the great Portuguese director … Continue reading Another Fine New Eastwood Movie – See It While (If?) You Can
No longer a programme advisor to the BFI London Film Festival, I haven’t yet seen many movies in this year’s edition (now underway and continuing until Sunday 20th October), but there are a few films I've already caught which I feel I should recommend. I’m sure there are others well worth investigating (I myself am … Continue reading Four Recommendations for the London Film Festival
In early 2021, writing about Godfrey Cheshire’s book of interviews, Conversations with Kiarostami, I bemoaned the fact that there were so few decent books (in English, at least) about the late and very great Iranian filmmaker, photographer, poet and artist Abbas Kiarostami (1940-2016). Several years on, the situation has hardly changed, which is why I’m … Continue reading Cinematic Genius Surveyed: ‘In the Time of Kiarostami’
Now in UK cinemas and by far the finest fiction film I’ve seen this year, About Dry Grasses is utterly characteristic of the longer, more recent works by the great Turkish writer-director Nuri Bilge Ceylan; at the same time it’s so engrossing throughout that it feels remarkably fresh from beginning – a brazenly Ceylanesque long … Continue reading ‘About Dry Grasses’: the superb new film by Nuri Bilge Ceylan
When, in early 2020, I wrote a piece about a rather marvellous installation by the great Spanish-Basque filmmaker Víctor Erice, I wasn’t, I confess, very optimistic that we’d ever see any more movies by him. Imagine my pleasure, then, when I learned a couple of years later that he was about to embark on the … Continue reading ‘Close Your Eyes’ – the latest film from the great Víctor Erice (this one you can certainly see!)
Anyone who caught my best-films-of-2023 list - either here, or in the annual Sight and Sound poll – was probably a little mystified by the title in the top spot: That They May Face the Rising Sun, by the Irish filmmaker Pat Collins. Understandably so, given that the film hadn’t been released; indeed, it had … Continue reading A Real, Rare Gem of a Film (see it while you can)
As anyone who has seen Decasia (2002) or Dawson City: Frozen Time (2016), by the New York-based artist and filmmaker Bill Morrison, may be aware, there can be something strangely beautiful about film –film, the physical entity – decomposed by the passing of time. Even before I saw the former title, I’d already been intrigued … Continue reading Deciphering film’s decadent beauty: Bill Morrison’s Village Detective
Somewhat belated happy New Year! At the end of 2023, as usual, I posted about my best movies, music, etc, of that year. I mentioned there my uncertainty about whether Nitai Herszhkovits’ Call on the old wise should have made my top five jazz/folk/other CDs. For what it's worth, I’m still undecided about that (should … Continue reading Holdovers: Belated January additions to my best of 2023.
As you may be aware, I’ve posted my personal ‘best of the year’ lists ever since I started writing here in 2016, and each time I’ve felt moved to mention the parlous state both of the UK and of the world in general. This last year saw no improvement on either front, which means that … Continue reading My best movies, music, books, etc, of 2023
It's already December again. For some years I've posted recommendations for recent BluRay/DVD releases and CDs that might prove useful for anyone wondering what to buy as gifts for Christmas. Since they seem to have been fairly popular posts, I'm doing so again – and I’ve added a couple of books, too. (Please note that … Continue reading Movies and Music for Christmas… and Beyond
notes and observations by Geoff Andrew 