The Wider Screen
115 articles
Surviving ‘Surviving Life’
At the screening I attended of Jan Švankmajer’s Surviving Life (Theory and Practice) (2010), there were two walk-outs. I was tempted to follow, but my love of the great Czech animator’s previous work...
Jan 9, 2012 / Alison FrankThe 10 best films of 2011
Ryan Gosling in Nicolas Winding Refn's "Drive" It’s that time of year again when we intrepid critics whittle down the hundreds of titles we’ve seen over the last 365 days to the top 10 that made us...
Jan 8, 2012 / Eric M. Armstrong‘The Other’ at The 2nd London Iranian Film Festival
The London Iranian Film Festival is only in its second year, but already it boasts an enchanting and highly professional-looking trailer, as well as a varied line-up of films that blast open the old...
Dec 6, 2011 / Alison Frank‘Leaving’: Made in Prague
This year London’s Czech Film Festival, ‘Made in Prague’ celebrated its 15 th edition (10-27 November). The theme for 2011 was ‘Film and Literature’, and included hard-to-find retro delights such as...
Nov 29, 2011 / Alison Frank‘Chicken with Plums’: Better on Paper
It’s a well-worn observation that the book is better than the movie. But what about the graphic novel? It seems reasonable to expect the transition from one predominantly visual medium to another to...
Oct 27, 2011 / Alison Frank‘Alois Nebel’: Surrounded by Fog
The feature debut of director Tomáš Lunák, Alois Nebel (2011) is an animated film based on a trilogy of graphic novels by Jaromír99 and Jaroslav Rudiš. The film’s black-and-white images sometimes...
Oct 26, 2011 / Alison FrankThe Descendants: The Kids Will Be All Right
The Kids Are All Right (Lisa Cholodenko, 2010) was a highlight of last year’s BFI London Film Festival. This year’s highlight looks set to be The Descendants (Alexander Payne, 2011), a film similar...
Oct 25, 2011 / Alison FrankWhere Do We Go Now? Onwards and upwards
After making her feature debut as an actress in Bosta (2005), a film about a travelling dance troupe and their eponymous bus, Nadine Labaki went on to direct her own films, in which she also stars,...
Oct 19, 2011 / Alison FrankThe Exchange: Sociability for Self-Absorption
The Exchange ( Hahithalfut , 2011) is the latest feature from Eran Kolirin, who made a crowd-pleasing debut with his 2007 comedy The Band’s Visit . His new film is also intended as a comedy, but...
Oct 18, 2011 / Alison FrankA Disappointing Start to the 55th London Film Festival
Jude Law and Rachel Weisz star in Fernando Meirelles's "360" This year’s London Film Festival launched with a damp squib in the form of 360 , Fernando Meirelles’ latest feature. How far Merielles...
Oct 12, 2011 / Alison FrankArsenals Day 2: Honouring Herz Frank
This year the Riga International Film Festival ‘Arsenals’ has chosen to honour Latvian documentarist Herz Frank on the occasion of his 85 th birthday. Sporting his signature knitted beret and Leica...
Sep 13, 2011 / Alison FrankThe Pleasures of ‘Potiche’
In Potiche , Catherine Deneuve plays Suzanne Pujol, the titular ‘trophy wife’ who thinks that jogging, housekeeping and writing light verse are enough to keep her happy. But deep down, she feels...
Sep 2, 2011 / Alison Frank‘The Light Thief’ Shines and Short-Circuits
Director Aktan Arym Kubat casts himself in the title role of The Light Thief (2010), an electrician nicknamed Svet-Ake (‘Mr Light’). Svet-Ake feels it his duty to ensure that all of his neighbours in...
Aug 9, 2011 / Alison FrankRushes Soho Shorts Festival 2011
The 13 th edition of the Rushes Soho Shorts Festival took place in London at the end of last month (20 th -29 th July, 2011). The festival gives awards to short films in 8 competitive categories:...
Aug 1, 2011 / Alison FrankNot Just Another Berlusconi: Gianni Di Gregorio and ‘Salt of Life’
Gianni Di Gregorio’s newest film, Salt of Life ( Gianni e le donne , 2011) was screened at a special preview at London’s Curzon Mayfair cinema last Thursday (21 July). Following the screening, the...
Jul 26, 2011 / Alison FrankRecent Articles
- Review: ‘A War’ explores war’s quiet, forgotten horrors
- TMA FilmCast #33 — Vera Chytilova and the Czech New Wave
- The fantasist: The comic art of Woody Allen
- Tribeca picks up North American rights to ‘Misery Loves Comedy’ at Sundance
- TMA FilmCast #32 — Alison Frank interviews Ana Geislerova
- ‘Grand Budapest Hotel’ tops Online Film Critics Awards
- TMA FilmCast #31 — Alison Frank reports from 67th Locarno Film Fest
- 5 ½ hour film dominates awards at Locarno
- Shorts at #Locarno67: meditation vs testing the audience’s patience
- ‘The Fool’: A modern propaganda film
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