The Unwilling Draught Dog (1898)
Directed by William K. L. Dickson this is an early short film. Dogs pull trailers for humans.
I enjoyed the pastoral background to this one and the trailer falling over at the end. Could almost be a painting the way it is framed. Very nice scene.
3/5
In the Friedrichstrasse (1899)
Directed by William K. L. Dickson this is an early short film. A simple street scene from Berlin.
Similar to many films of the period. A nice little jaunt down a busy street, provides a decent amount of viewing variety. Survives in good quality.
3/5
London Fire Brigade, Alarm (1899)
Directed by William K. L. Dickson this is an early short film. Horse drawn fire engines go off to a call.
Similar to a number of other films of the period. I would not exactly say this one is full to the brim with action. Fairly decent.
3/5
The Menu (2022)
Directed by Mark Mylod this film stars Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult. An aspiring foodie takes a disinterested date to an exclusive restaurant on a private island.
You can see what this is going for in an Inspector Calls meets fine dining on acid type of thing but I am not sure the script can sustain the concept through to the final act. A lot of style in the direction covers up most of the flaws of the film. In the end falls a bit short in my opinion.
3/5
Venice, harbour scene with gondolas (1898)
Directed by William K. L. Dickson this is an early short film. Some gondolas pass by the camera.
A short shot of Europe's most romantic open sewer. Pretty decent for what it is, the ship in the background is a nice backdrop for the film. Decent image quality.
3/5
Maidenhead Junction (1898)
Directed by William K. L. Dickson this is an early short film. A train passes through the station.
While I must have been through Maidenhead I do not think I have ever seen the station. A decent little short with some action from the train and people scurrying out the way. Decent image quality.
3/5
Mirror (2022)
Directed by Siddhant Sarin this documentary focuses on Ritu Saini and Faraha Khan. We follow two women in India who have survived acid attacks.
A gentle, thoughtful documentary on a terrible subject, acid attacks on women. I really like the way the film captures the protagonists as complete people. A thought provoking watch.
4/5
In a German Bath (1899)
Directed by William K. L. Dickson this is an early short film. Women enjoy the baths in Germany.
Times may change but human behaviour does not, you can see a lot of familiar pieces of human behaviour in the actions of the women at the baths. Pretty fun short. Image quality is mostly good.
3/5
Boxing Match (1894)
Directed by William K. L. Dickson and William Heise this is an early short film. Two men box.
Supposedly the first boxing match ever caught on film. Obviously the camera work is not Raging Bull given when it was made, unfortunately surviving footage is pretty degraded. A little hard to make out what is going on.
2/5
Away Aloft (1899)
Directed by William K. L. Dickson this is an early short film. Sailors climb the rigging.
A simple shot with plenty of action. Pretty decent for what it is. Survives in decent quality.
3/5
Code 3 (2025)
Directed by Christopher Leone this film stars Rainn Wilson, Lil Rel Howery and Aimee Carrero. A burned out paramedic takes on his final 24 hour shift.
Nothing really new about this film, it does have a little charm in places at least. The twist at the end does not really work when you think back through the script which is a mark against the film. All just a bit too obvious in my opinion.
2/5
In Flames (2023)
Written & directed by Zarrar Kahn this film stars Ramesha Nawal, Bakhtawar Mazhar and Omar Javaid. In Karachi a young woman falls in love and after an accident is haunted by the supernatural.
A great look at women in a patriarchal society through the use of the super natural. We see how the same traumas exist over generations. Really good performance from Ramesha Nawal as the haunted young woman.
4/5
Panoramic View of Windsor Castle (1899)
Directed by William K. L. Dickson this is an early short film. A shot from a train as it comes into the town of Windsor.
The title of the film over eggs the involvement of the castle a bit in my opinion. More a shot of Windsor that includes the castle at the end rather than a panorama of the castle itself. Fine if you can take it on its own merits.
3/5
Saba (2024)
Directed by Maksud Hossain this film stars Mehazabien Chowdhury, Rokeya Prachy and Mostafa Monwar. A young woman in Bangladesh cares for her disabled mother after being abandoned by her father.
A great look at the life of a carer and her relationship with her mother. Never melodramatic the film gets to the heart of carer burn out and the loneliness of the situation for both. Well made and well acted.
4/5
Berlin (2023)
Directed by Atul Sabharwal this film stars Aparshakti Khurana and Ishwak Singh. In 1993 a sign language teacher is called in to help interview a deaf man and gets caught in the intrigue between two spy agencies.
As spy thrillers go this one is fine if nothing special. We are definitely not getting the le Carre depth here. Could have done with another draft or two of the script to really make it sing.
3/5
From War to Peace: First Departure of “St. Louis” from Southampton (1898)
Directed by William K. L. Dickson this is an early short film. A ship is launched.
Pretty decent shot of a ship passing the camera. Decent quality on the image, you can see all the people on the ship waving as it passes by. Could benefit from some context and as shorter title.
3/5
Man Overboard! (1899)
Directed by William K. L. Dickson this is an early short film. Sailors rescue a man who falls over the side of the boat.
Pretty impressive really, a lot of action in such a short film. Far more going on than in most films of the period. Really clear image too.
3/5
I for India (2005)
Directed by Sandhya Suri this documentary relies heavily on family films. A doctor moves from India to England and we follow the life of his family.
I have to say I have never seen a film do such a good job of exploring the immigrant experience from all angles. Normally you roll your eyes when someone brings out the old family films but this one is fascinating, so well put together. As relevant as ever, it shows how the issue of immigration has always been present.
4/5
The Field (2018)
Directed by Sandhya Suri this film stars Mia Maelzer, Rabi Choudhuri and Vitthal Nagnath Kale. A married woman living in a rural village in India carries on an affair in a cornfield.
Pretty simple in terms of plot, not a surprise given the twenty minute run time. What is really good is the direction, subtle looks and long shots capture a mood like nothing else. I really want to see a full length film from this director.
4/5
Procession of Capuchin Monks (1898)
Directed by William K. L. Dickson this is an early short film. A procession of monks walk past the camera.
Nice little clip of the lads out for a walk. Good image quality, has survived surprisingly well. Decent for what it is.
3/5
Coronation of Queen Wilhelmina of Holland (No. 1) (1898)
Directed by William K. L. Dickson this is an early short film. Carriages arrive at a coronation.
A simple procession passing by. The camera has a good elevated vantage point to really capture the grandeur of the occasion. Pretty decent short.
3/5
Joyland (2022)
Directed by Saim Sadiq this film stars Ali Junejo, Alina Khan and Rasti Farooq. In Lahore a married second son gets a job at dance theatre and falls in love with a transwoman.
I really enjoy the way this film lets you sit with the characters rather than get preachy or push an agenda. Every character is trapped by the constraints of society's expectations and it works so well. It is impossible to look away as the film heads towards its tragic end.
4/5
