👶 A fun and heart-warming Christmas tale about homeless “misfits” that sheds light on many of Japan’s social problems, including alcoholism, poverty and discrimination.
Author: Spotlight on Film
Providing in-depth reviews of films since 2011.
“Little Women” (1994) Review
A heart-warming and faithful adaptation of the classic novel, elevated by a parade of talented stars.
5 Forthcoming Book-to-Film Adaptations that Can Go Very Wrong
1. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch is the number one international best-seller which won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2014. The story of a boy who lost his mother in a tragic event and who then clings to the only object that reminds him of her – the picture…
Ralph Fiennes: 5 Best Performances
Ralph Fiennes is 55 years old today, and “to celebrate” the birthday of my favourite actor, I am doing this subjective list of his 5 best performances. Ralph is not only a great actor, he is super versatile. Whether it is a romantic hero in a sweeping drama; a disturbed individual in a psychological thriller; a true villain in a historic or adventure film; or simply a caricature of a man in a comedy; Ralph can nail any role with ease and grace. In no particular order:
“Still Alice” Review
Still Alice [2014] – ★★★★1/2 Still Alice is a film based on Lisa Genova’s 2007 best-selling novel of the same name and starring Julianne Moore in the role which landed her an Academy Award for the best performance of the year. However, Still Alice is so much more than simply a demonstration of an interesting…
“Marjorie Prime” Review
Marjorie Prime [2017] – ★★★ Based on an acclaimed play by Jordan Harrison Marjorie Prime, this film of the same name is a science-fiction/drama film directed by Michael Almereyda (Experimenter (2015)) and starring Lois Smith, Jon Hamm, Geena Davis and Tim Robbins. It tells of a woman in her 80s, Marjorie, who spends her time…
5 Novels that Deserved Better Film Adaptations
1. The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe This 1987 book is a modern classic, full of wit, satire and gripping narrative twirls. The book epitomises the 1980s, and was a giant critical success, becoming a bestseller. The hero here is one Sherman McCoy, a highly-paid Wall Street bond trader and a self-proclaimed “Master…
“The Killing of a Sacred Deer” Review
The Killing of a Sacred Deer [2017] – ★★★★ This film proved to be the most divisive at the Cannes Film Festival 2017, and there was a good reason for the audience and critics to feel so confused and uncertain. The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a product of Yorgos Lanthimos, the director who is…
St. Valentine’s Day: 20 Unmissable Erotically-Charged Films
1.) In The Mood for Love (2000) 2.) Betty Blue (1986) 3.) Call Me by Your Name (2017) 4.) The English Patient (1996) 5.) The Handmaiden (2016)
The Food in Film Blogathon: Facing Windows (2003)
Speakeasy and Silver Screenings are presenting The Food in Film Blogathon, and I thought I must participate since food in films has always fascinated me. Food can be used for sensual purposes in a film, as in Como Agua Para Chocolate (1992), I Am Love (2009) or even in The Lunchbox (2013), or can have morbid…
The Horrorathon: Les Diaboliques (1955)
🛀 A true classic in the suspenseful thriller/horror genre, with a twist “to die for”.
“Blade Runner 2049” Review
Blade Runner 2049 [2017] – ★★★★ **SPOILER ALERT** Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 gained a reputation of being the film which broke new grounds in terms of creating visual splendour on screen, and its plot is a mix of cerebral reflections, unexpected turns of events and low-key, but effective action. Faithful to the world of…
“Blade Runner” Review
Blade Runner [1982] – ★★★★1/2 “A humanoid robot is like any other machine; it can fluctuate between being a benefit and a hazard very rapidly. As a benefit, it’s not our problem” (Rick Deckard in Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?) Since its release in 1982, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner has achieved a…
The Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn Blogathon: The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Crystal at In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood is hosting the Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn Blogathon, honouring the classic duo from the Hollywood’s brightest times, and my contribution is a short review of one of Hepburn’s most distinguished films: The Philadelphia Story [1940] – ★★★★★ George Cukor’s The Philadelphia Story is based on…
BFI London Film Festival 2017
Yesterday was the last day of the BFI London Film Festival 2017, which ran between 4-15 October 2017, and I thought I would comment on the Best Film Award winner, on some other nominees, as well as on some of the films that took part in various special galas. The films of the Festival reflected…
“Dreams of a Life” Review
Dreams of a Life (2011) Directed by Carol Morley, Dreams of a Life is a documentary film telling the real case of Joyce Vincent, a 38 year-old woman who died alone at her bedsit flat in London in December 2003, but her body was not discovered until late January 2006. When the body of Joyce…
10 Popular Films That Are Actually Remakes
A number of film remakes are coming soon or has already hit the screens, including Murder on the Orient Express (2017), Suspiria (2018), It (2017) and Flatliners (2017). Thus, it is also the time to revisit/draw attention to some others in existence. While such remakes as The Departed (2006), The Fly (1986) or The Italian…
The Duo Double Feature Blogathon: Julia Roberts and Richard Gere
Phyllis Loves Classic Movies and The Flapper Dame are hosting the Duo Double Feature blogathon, and this is my contribution to this amazing and fun cinematic race. The blogathon showcases pairs of stars who made only two films together, and my choice is Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, who were in both Pretty Woman (1990) and Runaway…
“Mother!” Review
Mother! [2017] – ★★★ Aronofsky “recycles” others and, ironically, his own previous film ideas, resulting in Mother! appearing an unoriginal horror concoction, an uncomfortable reminder of other, much better films. <<<I took care not to reveal any specific spoilers, but some discretion when reading is still advised>>> The story centres around Him (Javier Bardem) and…
“The Discovery” Review
The Discovery [2017] – ★★★ The Discovery is a film which had its first premiere at the Sundance Film Festival 2017, but, arguably, it deserves more attention than it eventually got. Here, Will (Jason Segel) and Isla (Rooney Mara) meet in the strangest of times. It has been scientifically proven that the afterlife does exist,…
Spotlight on Film 