Memories of a Burning Body — The People's Movies | April 2025
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Barbie | August 2023
I have just returned from my third viewing of 'Barbie', and again grinned the whole way through. It is a total joy to be immersed in the bright pink utopia of Barbieland: an escapist girl power fantasy to which I already can't wait to return. Barbieland is a female paradise, where all women are happy, successful and independent, and every night is "girls' night". Barbies are astronauts, Nobel prize winners and Presidents, and every day is perfect . As far as the Barbies are concerned, this is also the case in the real world, where, a s Helen Mirren's voice-over narrates: “thanks to Barbie, all problems of feminism and equal rights have been solved .” Margot Robbie is perfect as "stereotypical Barbie", who must save Barbieland from the patriarchy, after discovering that the real world is not quite the same feminist idyll she imagined. Her pink bubble bursts when she confidently roller-skates up to a construction site, as "where better ...
Cannes 2023
My thoughts on the films I saw at Cannes 2023, during the 3 Days in Cannes program. Club Zero Dir. Jessica Hausner Mia Wasikowska stars as a health teacher who indoctrinates a group of teenagers into joining a bizarre conscious eating cult. An uncomfortable satire on mindful eating, and the dangers and prevalence of eating disorders. The tone of the film was a little unclear, but darkly humorous in its depiction of diet culture. I wasn't convinced by the teenage acting, but I was definitely intrigued throughout and didn't know how it was going to end. Unsure of the overall message, but an interesting watch. About Dry Grasses Dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan Turkish drama about a teacher who takes an inappropriate interest in his female pupil. This was an uneasy watch, as the protagonist is very unlikable and cruel towards the young girl and others around him. It wasn't obvious where the film was going, and whether the teacher/pupil storyline was going to develop. But it suddenly took...
'She Said' (2022) Review
My review of 'She Said can be found at The Film Magazine: https://www.thefilmagazine.com/she-said-movie-review-2022/