Connor

I found myself dazzled, in the nerdiest way possible, over the truly magnificent beauty of this. Gorgeously shot sequences with some of the greatest camera movements and most glorious blocking I have ever seen, all of which are only transcended by the absolutely stunning costume design. That alone is enough for me, but on top of that, a riveting screenplay that kept me astonished throughout. Probably the best adaptation of a classic I have ever seen. The cast are all excellent, but Brenda Blethyn was a standout. I absolutely adore her (as an actor, of course; her character can piss off). **Tremendous film.**

In 70 minutes, Alan Clarke manages to say more about the roots of violence in men than any other film to tackle football hooliganism ever has. Rather than sensationalising the camaraderie like other films, this brilliantly dissects how these men are products of insecurity and the performance of toxic masculinity, using hooliganism as a tool to create an identity in their otherwise quite mundane lives. Gary Oldman and Lesley Manville are fucking superb.

Wow, one of the most beautiful films I’ve ever seen. Crafted to create the most tender vibe; the way it moves like poetry, the intimate framing, the naturalistic blocking, some of the most fluid camera movements I have ever seen. The hauntingly evocative juxtaposing tones, from the black-and-white to the colour scenes. Truly an absolutely gorgeous motion picture. Even beyond its stylistic choices, such a touching film. A rather simple story, but a fascinating exploration of how our memories shape our current relationships, and the way we carry previous devastation into those relationships. Anouk Aimée is seriously fucking good here, as well as Jean-Louis Trintignant. The French just do it better, don’t they? I definitely need to dig deeper into my FNW bag.

> ***“For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is.”***Casually opens with one of the greatest sequences in the history of cinema, then continues to exceed that standard all the way through to its conclusion, with potentially the greatest duel ever put to screen. If you bottled up everything we love about this art form, an immaculate plot, iconic characters, a soaring score, atmospheric cinematography, and meticulously crafted production design, the label would say ‘Empire Strikes Back’. On top of that, likely the most iconic plot twist ever. An absolutely stupendous blockbuster; damn, I missed out not growing up on this.