Tag Archives: Roger Deakins

Empire of Light review — A flawed but gorgeous film

December 28, 2022 flawintheiris

Empire Of Light | Written and Directed by Sam Mendes | 119 min | ▲▲▲▲△ | Crave A version of this review appeared on FITI in September from the Toronto International Film Festival Here's another semi-autobiographical drama from a garlanded filmmaker, following Belfast and The Fabelmans, both of which were lovely and intimate, if not… Read More

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Empire Of Light reviews #TIFF22

September 14, 2022 flawintheiris

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery | Written and Directed by Rian Johnson | 139 min One of 2019's unalloyed treasures, Knives Out brought ensemble mysteries in an Agatha Christie vein very much back into the mainstream, with a delightful dollop of eating the rich. No shade on Kenneth Branagh's efforts to do the same… Read More

The Secret Garden reviews — Five adaptations of the Hodgson Burnett book

March 22, 2021 flawintheiris

Having binged the various versions of Little Women, I discovered the many adaptations of another beloved book: Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden. Not all the versions are available — apparently the first feature version was released in 1919 but it's been lost in time. Here are reviews of the films I was able to… Read More

1917 review — A technically impressive, immersive war picture

January 13, 2020 flawintheiris

Directed by Sam Mendes | Written by Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns | 119 min It's April, 1917, and two British soldiers on the European front, Lance Corporal Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Lance Corporal Schofield (George MacKay), are assigned to take a vital message to another battalion elsewhere along the line, orders to cancel a dawn… Read More

Blade Runner 2049 review — Epic sci-fi sequel is beautiful, cold, and essential

October 6, 2017 flawintheiris

Directed by Denis Villeneuve | Written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, with characters from the Philip K. Dick novel, Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep | 163 min In its DNA, in its circuitry, any sequel looks back at the original. A good sequel moves forward more than it looks back, while that rare beast,… Read More

Sicario review — At Hell’s Border

October 1, 2015 flawintheiris

Directed by Denis Villeneuve | Written by Taylor Sheridan | 121 min Kate (Emily Blunt, convincingly tough and vulnerable) is a straight arrow FBI agent on the anti-kidnap squad working in Arizona with partner Reggie (Daniel Kaluuya, another talented Brit import), mopping up at the margins of the Mexican drug cartel business, which usually means… Read More