Contributions from David Jenkins | Little White Lies

Contributor David Jenkins

A man in a dark cloak stands alone on a rocky shoreline, his face obscured in shadow.
Review

My Name is Alfred Hitchcock review – deep film analysis with a twist

by David Jenkins

Mark Cousins’ analytical survey of the Hitchcock filmography draws on a strange and not entirely helpful special guest for its narration.

4
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
A black and white image showing three young men sitting together in a cluttered room, examining documents or papers on a table in front of them. They appear to be engaged in some kind of discussion or activity.
Review

Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis)

by David Jenkins

Fun, insidery profile doc of the creative team behind some of the most memorable album covers ever made – including Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon.

3
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Young man in white Nike T-shirt smiling in a field.
Review

Name Me Lawand

by David Jenkins

A deaf Kurdish boy belatedly discovers the simple joys of communication in Edward Lovelace’s moving and politically prescient documentary portrait.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Cartoon characters, smiling fairy with golden wings and a purple creature with long purple hair.
Review

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken

by David Jenkins

Charming, if slight Dreamworks animated feature in which a kraken hides in plain sight as a gawky teen high-schooler in the run-up to prom.

3
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Weathered face of an elderly man wearing a cowboy hat, looking thoughtful.
Review

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

by David Jenkins

It’s an improvement on the execrable Crystal Skull, but James Mangold’s exhumation of the Spielberg adventure serial is both tame and unnecessary.

3
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Three men in desert attire conversing near a vintage car in a desert setting.
Interviews

A conversation with Milena Canonero, Wes Anderson’s costume designer

by David Jenkins

The four time Oscar-winner talks her formative connections with Stanley Kubrick and how she’s able to fulfil Wes Anderson’s unique aesthetic visions.
Arid desert landscape with red rock formations, wooden signage, and a person standing near a telephone booth.
Review

Asteroid City

by David Jenkins

The maestro returns, the patented formula tweaked to blissful perfection in this witty and deeply moving exploration of the tools that we produce to help us see beyond our everyday vision.

5
Anticipation
5
Enjoyment
5
In Retrospect
A close-up of a Black man with dreadlocks, wearing a red sequinned top, posing with his arms raised.
Review

Pretty Red Dress

by David Jenkins

Dionne Edwards’ debut feature reconstructs the stereotypes of Black masculinity in a way that’s honest and unsentimental.

3
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Giant mechanical warrior in forest with glowing green eyes and metallic components.
Review

Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts

by David Jenkins

The extinction of the human race is on the table with this join-the-dots seventh entry to the apparently beloved fighting robot-based mega franchise.

2
Anticipation
1
Enjoyment
1
In Retrospect
Two people lying in the snow, one standing and one prone on the ground.
Festivals

Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall wins the 2023 Palme d’Or

by David Jenkins

The psychological courtroom thriller with the great Sandra Hüller wins the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival.