Contributions from Justine Smith | Little White Lies

Contributor Justine Smith

Silhouetted figure in rainy landscape, distant structures, grey tones.
Festivals

Can a movie exist without images?

by Justine Smith

A new ​‘sound movie’ called Le Brasi­er Shel­ley rep­re­sents a curi­ous devel­op­ment in post-image cinema.
Woman wearing blue top and sunglasses, sitting on colourful blanket.
In Praise Of

Why I love Patricia Arquette’s performance in True Romance

by Justine Smith

Her role as lovestruck sex work­er Alaba­ma is among the most com­pelling char­ac­ters of the 1990s.
A group of people making exaggerated facial expressions and hand gestures, with intense, almost alarming, expressions on their faces.

Dawn of the Dead had an alternate ending that’s even bleaker than the original

by Justine Smith

George A Romero orig­i­nal­ly had a dif­fer­ent fate in store for the pro­tag­o­nists of his zom­bie classic.
A person sitting in a chair before a red curtain, with a computer screen and studio lights visible in the background. The image has a vibrant colour palette of reds, blues, and pinks.
Festivals

The best new genre films from Fantasia Film Festival 2018

by Justine Smith

Our com­plex rela­tion­ship with tech­nol­o­gy came under the spot­light at this year’s festival.
Two young children, a girl with long hair and a boy in a white shirt, standing in a wooded outdoor setting.

Did the Olsen twins ever make a great film?

by Justine Smith

Four­teen years after Mary-Kate and Ash­ley stepped away from act­ing, we reflect on the sib­lings’ on-screen legacy.
A woman in a grey dress with arms outstretched dancing in a field of yellow flowers, with snow-capped mountains in the background.

Joan Didion vs Pauline Kael vs The Sound of Music

by Justine Smith

Did their scathing reviews of the hit musi­cal costs these revered female film crit­ics their jobs?
Two people sitting at a bar, engaged in conversation, with warm, colourful lighting.
In Praise Of

Re-examining the challenging eroticism of In the Cut

by Justine Smith

Jane Campion’s much maligned 2003 thriller offers a vital sub­ver­sion of the male gaze.
Three men in suits, one with glasses, seated at a table.

The year revolution brought the Cannes Film Festival to a halt

by Justine Smith

The events of May ​’68 had a pro­found impact on the film world.
Close-up hands of person covering their face, monochrome image.

The Columbine massacre still echoes through cinema

by Justine Smith

As a school shoot­ing sur­vivor, films like Ele­phant and Poly­tech­nique have a spe­cial res­o­nance for me.
Dark, menacing rabbit-like figure with large ears and a sinister expression, against a dimly lit background.

A cinema is paying tribute to sinister screen bunnies this Easter

by Justine Smith

Don­nie Darko, Inland Empire and more are screen­ing at Ciné­math­èque Québé­coise this weekend.