Contributions from Laura Venning | Little White Lies

Contributor Laura Venning

Two people playing sitting at a table, bottle of drink on the table, warm lighting from window.
Review

From Hilde, With Love review – too staid to make an impact

by Laura Venning

Andreas Dresen’s Nazi Ger­many-set biopic on resis­tance fight­ers Hilde and Hans Cop­pi fails to do their sto­ry justice.

3
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Group of young people dancing in a nightclub, under colourful purple lighting.
Review

The Wedding Banquet review – an unexpected delight

by Laura Venning

Anchored by a tal­ent­ed cast clear­ly hav­ing the time of their lives, Andrew Ahn’s new ban­quet is a bit of a treat.

2
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Two people sitting in a forest, one reading a book, the other playing a game on the ground, surrounded by lush green foliage.
Review

Here – A gorgeous study of fragile human bonds

by Laura Venning

A del­i­cate study of human inter­ac­tion in a space where the urban and the nat­ur­al col­lide from direc­tor Bas Devos.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Two people, a man and a woman, embrace by a lake with mountains in the background.
Review

More Than Ever

by Laura Venning

Vicky Krieps and Gas­pard Ulliel play a cou­ple grap­pling with a life-alter­ing ill­ness in Emi­ly Ate­f’s sen­si­tive but slight drama.

3
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Three individuals seated on a sofa, two children and one adult, in a darkened domestic setting with foliage visible through a window.
Review

She Said

by Laura Venning

Maria Schrad­er tack­les the New York Times inves­ti­ga­tion that brought down Har­vey Wein­stein in this well-pitched drama.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Man in cold weather gear, holding a mannequin, surrounded by rocky terrain and hills.
Review

Brian and Charles

by Laura Venning

Jim Archer expands on his 2017 short film about an eccen­tric Welsh inven­tor and his robot com­pan­ion with a fea­ture-length adaptation.

3
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
A young woman with dark braids wearing a white tank top stands in a snowy environment, looking thoughtful.
Review

Murina

by Laura Venning

The return of an old friend caus­es ten­sion between mem­bers of a fish­ing fam­i­ly in Antone­ta Ala­mat Kusijanović’s assured debut.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Close-up of a man's face with text tattoos on his forehead and cheek.
Review

The Story of Looking

by Laura Venning

Doc­u­men­tary mak­er Mark Cousins gets per­son­al with this eye-open­ing essay film about the his­to­ry of human vision.

3
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Three young women at an outdoor event, smiling and embracing one another.
Review

Ahead of the Curve

by Laura Venning

This engag­ing doc­u­men­tary cel­e­brates the work of an icon­ic les­bian pub­li­ca­tion and its fear­some creator.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Two women seated on a white bench, one wearing a floral dress and the other a blue jacket and purple dress.
Review

Frankie

by Laura Venning

Writer/​director Ira Sachs miss­es a trick with this ambling fam­i­ly dra­ma set in a pic­turesque Por­tuguese town.

4
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Two people in close embrace wearing formal wedding attire in a natural setting with foliage.
In Praise Of

How Gillian Armstrong feminised Australian Cinema

by Laura Venning

In 1979, the first Aus­tralian film direct­ed by a woman since the silent era sig­nalled a new dawn for female authorship.