Category: General

Joker

Beyond the criticism surrounding the movie Joker there is a story that sets out to challenge the status quo. While there may be some unappetising moments, the difficulty lies in a comic book character lost in genre translation rather than Joaquin Phoenix’s performance. Acknowledging the criticism, I believe the movie successfully portrays a dark and foreboding character.
Director Todd Phillips’ intention is a fresh take on the Joker character and to interpret it in a social realist way so as to delve into the layered depth of the personality. This in itself is challenging because the context is made unfamiliar. But ultimately Todd Phillips is successful in doing so. Continue reading Joker

Apollo 11

The fifty year anniversary of the moon landing has finally arrived (and you can almost hear the sceptics and conspiracy theorists kicking and screaming).
But haven’t we seen all the existing footage numerous times? Todd Douglas Miller’s Apollo 11 is special because much of it consists of rediscovered 70 mm film left in canisters from the National Archives. The angles are new, the faces, the rooms and people all seem from now and not then but for their ’60’s clothing. The effect is disconcerting because the colour and the fresh intensity of the Florida light is beguiling and you are immediately thrust into the magnitude of the event. Continue reading Apollo 11