Shame exemplifies a recent trend in cinema to portray an emotion – or a moment in time – rather than a narrative or a story. Dialogue and plot development may be minimum but the audience is shown a realistic and intense exposé about the effects of addiction on individuals and relationships. There really is no moral, other than the message: “this is out there, it is what it is and we need to be aware of it and deal with it.” Michael Fassbender stars Brandon, initially a seemingly successful executive whose life gradually comes apart after his sister Sissy, played …
Drive
Ryan Gosling’s unnamed protagonist is as enigmatic as Drive itself. Mixing genres between film noir, tragic hero and 1980s crime thriller, Drive certainly showcases a fair amount of style as it could have been directed by Miami Vice’s Michael Mann. When it endeavours to tell a story, it falls short because the film relies solely on the viewer taking it all in from afar rather than scrutinizing the brush strokes. Undoubtedly, the film is unique as Gosling’s character, who works as a getaway driver, auto mechanic and stock car racer. He is elusive at first when he is introduced as …
An Education
Jenny is a bright schoolgirl who is capable of excellent with pen and paper or with her cello. Her parents want her to study at Oxford – as if the university admission would provide symbolic approval of their parenting skills – but she wants more in life. She seeks to broaden her horizons and is frustrated by the strict boundaries at school and at home. An Education is set in 1961 London and based on the autobiography of journalist Lynn Barber; it seems Jenny may follow her intellectual spirit and become a member of the feminist movement in the 1960s. A chance encounter …