Contributor Michael Leader

Two people embracing on stage, a woman with long dark hair holding a man with curly hair and a guitar.
Review

One to One: John & Yoko review – another day, another Beatle doc

by Michael Leader

Macdonald and Rice-Edwards immerse in the famous power couple’s lives in NY, but this estate-approved doc struggles to deliver intriguing insight.

3
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
A man with long brown hair lying on the rocky ground, looking pensive. Muted tones of grey, brown, and black dominate the image.
Review

Starve Acre review – all texture and no teeth

by Michael Leader

Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark play a couple who move to an isolated Yorkshire Dales estate in Daniel Kokotajlo’s folk horror.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Three young men in dark leather jackets and sunglasses, sitting on a vintage car, each holding a guitar.
Interviews

Iain Softley: ‘I had this idea in my mind, “What would the story be if these weren’t The Beatles?”’

by Michael Leader

As Sam Mendes gears up to make his behemoth Beatles biopic, the director of 1994 early-Beatles drama Backbeat reflects on the story of Stuart Sutcliffe – the Beatle who wasn't.
Cartoon interior of a cluttered room with a smiling ghost-like character reading a newspaper, surrounded by household items and furniture.
Review

Robot Dreams review – a wordless wonder

by Michael Leader

A dog creates a robot friend for himself in Pablo Berger's intricate, amazing silent animation.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Animated characters: a plumber in red overalls, a princess in a red dress, and a mushroom-shaped creature.
Review

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

by Michael Leader

Nintendo and Illumination team up to give everyone's favourite fictional plumber an animated makeover, with soulless results.

3
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Cluttered domestic scene with miscellaneous objects and storage boxes on a wooden surface.
Review

Marcel the Shell with Shoes on

by Michael Leader

A sentient shell sets out to find his family with help from a documentary filmmaker in Dean Fleischer-Camp's effortlessly charming feature debut.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Four young musicians performing on stage, two playing electric guitars and one playing a bass guitar, in a black and white image.
Review

The Velvet Underground

by Michael Leader

Todd Haynes directs this definitive chronicle of the fabled avant-garde rock group, taking in everything from doo wop to pop art.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Four young musicians performing on stage, two playing electric guitars and one playing a bass guitar, in a black and white image.
Festivals

The Velvet Underground – first-look review

by Michael Leader

Todd Haynes’ first documentary takes a thrilling, cautiously ambivalent look at the NY art-rock demigods.
Two men in suits engaged in physical altercation on city street.
Review

The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil

by Michael Leader

Fists and bullets fly in this amped-up, consistently entertaining action thriller from Korea’s Lee Won-tae.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Two men in suits engaged in physical altercation on city street.
Festivals

The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil – first look review

by Michael Leader

A welcome dose of crooked cops and violent crims spices up the dying days of the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.
Monochrome image of a person drinking from a bottle
Festivals

The Lighthouse – first look review

by Michael Leader

Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe are on top form in Robert Eggers’ stark maritime nightmare.
A human face with eyes closed and mouth open, shrouded in darkness and shadows.
Review

Lords of Chaos

by Michael Leader

Jonas Åkerlund attempts to debunk the various myths surrounding the Norwegian Black Metal scene.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect

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