Directed by Jafar Panahi On UK DVD & Blu-Ray February 22nd, 2016 by Bernie C Byrnes Winning a Golden Bear and Fipresci Prize, Taxi Tehran‘s cinema release enjoyed notable critical acclaim garnering 4 and 5 star reviews all over the shop. Berlin Jury president Darren Aronofsky described the film as “a love letter to cinema…filled with […]

February 5th – 15th, 2015 Berlin, Germany by Joanna Orland The Berlin International Film Festival is a staple in the film industry’s diary.  Every year, the Berlinale showcases roughly 400 films, mostly international and European premieres.  More importantly for the film industry, the European Film Market (EFM) holds around 400 companies and over 8000 film […]

Director Mark Christopher on making the studio cut vs. the original director’s cut of 54. by Joanna Orland The director’s cut of 1998 film 54 has long been an urban legend. Plagued by studio reshoots and edits, the studio cut of the film failed to be the box office and critical success it should have […]

Alex Ross Perry on his collaboration with Joe Swanberg, his cinematic reunion with Elisabeth Moss, the role of women in film, and the appeal of the indie. by Joanna Orland American independent filmmaker Alex Ross Perry has brought his latest film Queen of Earth to the 65th Berlinale Film Festival.  As a follow up to […]

Directed by Ava DuVernay Starring David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson, Carmen Ejogo, André Holland, Giovanni Ribisi, Common, Alessandro Nuvola, Cuba Gooding Jr., Tim Roth, Colman Domingo and Oprah Winfrey by Joanna Orland The hype behind Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. film Selma almost eclipses the success story that it truly is.  Being declared the biggest of […]

Directed by Matthew Weiner Starring Owen Wilson, Zach Galifianakis, Amy Poehler and Laura Ramsey by Joanna Orland To go from creating highly acclaimed TV series Mad Men to producing such big screen trite as Are You Here, Matthew Weiner reinforces the power of television as a more relevant medium for drama. For his first attempt […]

Directed by Bill Condon Starring Ian McKellen, Laura Linney, Milo Parker and Hiroyuki Sanada by Joanna Orland Ian McKellen is the go-to actor for taking on iconic literary characters and making them his own.  In Mr. Holmes, McKellen steps into the shoes of Sherlock Holmes – but not as we know him.  In this adaptation, […]

Directed by Bill Pohlad Starring Paul Dano, John Cusack, Elizabeth Banks and Paul Giamatti by Joanna Orland Love & Mercy is a portrait, not a biopic, of The Beach Boys auteur Brian Wilson. Choosing to cast his film anthologically rather than logically, director Bill Pohlad has decided on very different actors to play Brian, representing […]

Directed by Terrence Malick Starring Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman, Brian Dennehy, Antonio Banderas, Freida Pinto, Wes Bentley, Isabel Lucas, Teresa Palmer, Imogen Poots, Joe Lo Truglio and Nick Offerman by Joanna Orland Terrence Malick films tend to evoke the feeling of intruding in on someone’s memories. In Knight of Cups, these memories belong […]

Directed by Colin Bucksey, Adam Bernstein and Vince Gilligan Starring Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Patrick Fabian, Rhea Seehorn, Michael Mando and Michael McKean by Joanna Orland The fact that AMC television show Better Call Saul was included in the Berlinale film festival lineup speaks volumes about the credibility of television drama, especially when programmed alongside […]