Andrew Dominik’s The assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford (2007) is a majestic Western drama documenting the last months of legendary Wild West outlaw Jesse James. Based on the Ron Hansen novel by the same name and starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck in the roles of Jesse James and Robert Ford respectively, ... [Continue Reading]
cinema
Jo Yeong-Wook: The last waltz
South Korean film director Park Chan-Wook’s revenge drama Oldboy stunned audiences worldwide on its release in 2003 and went on to win several awards at various festivals including the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes film festival. Main character Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) is abducted, held captive for 15 years before being suddenly ... [Continue Reading]
David Wingo: Take shelter
Superbly shot and released in 2011 to great critical acclaim, psychological thriller Take Shelter is independent American director Jeff Nichols’ second feature film. Prone to hallucinations and persisting nightmares, working class father Curtis LaForche’s (Michael Shannon) mental state deteriorates gradually to the detriment of ... [Continue Reading]
Steindór Andersen & Sigur Rós: Á ferð til breiðafjarðar vorið 1922
In 2007, Icelandic band Sigur Rós released Heima, a full length feature capturing a series of free and impromptu concerts filmed across “the furthest flung corners of their homeland” in 2006. Superbly shot in several breath-taking locations by Canadian film director, animator and long-time fan of the band Dean DeBlois, the ... [Continue Reading]
Marideth Sisco: High on a mountain
Marideth Sisco (b. 1943) is neither a professional singer nor an actress, but when independent film director Debra Granik started researching and gathering material for her upcoming feature Winter’s Bone (2010), she hired the veteran teacher, part-time musician and journalist as a music consultant. Set in the desolate backdrop ... [Continue Reading]
Benh Zeitlin & Dan Romer: Beasts of the southern wild
Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) is a first independent film by Benh Zeitlin which has garnered unprecedented accolades at film festivals around the world. The film is set in Louisiana, or more precisely in “the bathtub”, an imaginary bayou cut off from the main land by a levee. Seen through the eyes of Hushpuppy, a ... [Continue Reading]
