“Rebecca”: the return of a Gothic favourite

80 years after the release of Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece which won an Academy Award for Best Picture, Director Ben Wheatley (“High-Rise”) returns to Manderley to film another take of one of the most beloved gothic romances of 20th century. Based on a novel by Daphne Du Maurier, “Rebecca” is the story of a young nameless…

“Bombshell” or A History of Three Women

The Presidential Campaign of 2016, where the aggressive communication of candidate Donald Trump drew a line with the past, is followed from the point of view of Fox News newsroom, a right-wing headquarter headed by the unapologetic and paranoid Roger Ailes (John Lithgow). However, Trump critic Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron) has to face a fierce…

“1917” or an elegy

6 April, 1917. Two soldiers, Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Schofield (George MacKay) have to deliver a message to the troops on the front line before they fall in a trap long planned by the German army. If they fail, it will be a bloodshed. And Blake‘s brother is among the soldiers unaware of the risk.…

“The Two Popes”, a duet in perfect state of grace

The cardinal of Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, writes to Pope Benedict XVI asking for the possibility to resign after years of ministry and a deep personal crisis. Bergoglio, who previously in the past clashed with the strongly conservative Joseph Ratzinger, is invited to join him in the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo. The…

“Watchmen”: when comics go political

There was a certain amount of curiosity when this new Tv-series based on the popular graphic novel by Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore (who never wants to take credit every time his works are adapted for the big or small screen). “Watchmen” has been, since its release in 1986, the epitome of the polarizing contrasts…

“A Hidden Life”or Deliver Us From Evil

Franz Jagerstatter is a devoted Christian who lives in a small village in Austrian Alps with his family. When Austria is annexed to Hitler’s Germany and his representatives begin to appear in the village, poisoning its atmosphere and pushing towards the Naxist doctrine, Franz decides to take a stand against it. His behaviour will cost…

“Knives Out” or a family feud in time for festivities

A gothic manor, a wealthy family meeting and suddenly a death. When the old patriarch and successful crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) commits suicide, the variegated (and spoiled) court of relatives had to deal with a surprising will and the arrival of detective Benoit Blanc (a funny Daniel Craig, successfully dusting James Bond shade…

“Judy & Punch” or A History of Violence

From Australia, a country which always reserved peculiar surprises and watersheds to the history of cinema, comes an unusual black comedy which is also the directorial debut of actress Mirrah Foulkes. Set in an imaginary English town called Seaside (which is surrounded by a huge and deep forest with no sight of sea at all)…

“The King” or A clash of icons

In 2008, British actor Robert Pattinson, after a small but pivotal role in the “Harry Potter” movies,  became the new romantic sensation thanks to Edward Cullen, the vampire of the “Twilight” saga. Ten years later, teenage-faced Timothee Chalamet, moved and enchanted the audiences and awards committees (including the Academy) with his unforgettable turn as Elio…