Contributor Vadim Rizov

Three silhouetted figures standing before a stark red and black background, with the text "Obama Cinema Era" displayed on a podium.
Obama Era Cinema

Shock Doctrine – Patriotic dissent in the unsavoury cinema of Dinesh D’Souza

by Vadim Rizov

Vadim Rizov considers the mainstream appeal of a trilogy of proudly racist films by one of conservative America’s most potent voices.
Illustration of a bespectacled man with curly hair and a serious expression.
Long Read

The art of defending Woody Allen

by Vadim Rizov

Woody Allen has made his fair share of bad movies. But who are the critical gatekeepers who will stop at nothing to defend his honour?
A dimly lit interior with a red and blue lighting scheme, containing a bed, furniture, and personal belongings.
Review

Cemetery of Splendour

by Vadim Rizov

Thai master Apichatpong Weerasethakul returns with a stunning meditation on a national and political crisis.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Two men in suits, one pointing a finger at the other, in an intense discussion.
Review

Black Mass

by Vadim Rizov

Despite Johnny Depp’s best efforts, this by the numbers gangster biopic doesn’t do its story justice.

3
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Three armed military personnel in combat gear standing in the dark.
Review

Sicario

by Vadim Rizov

Emily Blunt gets a tough lesson in Mexican-US politics in this visceral drugs war drama from Denis Villeneuve.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
A child crouched on the ground alongside a wooden fence, playing with toys.
Review

Boyhood

by Vadim Rizov

Ellar Coltrane grows up in public as the central, glorious spectacle in Richard Linklater's masterpiece.

4
Anticipation
5
Enjoyment
5
In Retrospect
Two people in an affectionate embrace, set against a blurred urban background.
Review

Nobody’s Daughter Hae-Won

by Vadim Rizov

One of South Korea’s great directors finally has a film released in UK cinemas.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
A man in a top hat riding a horse, with US flag in the background and soldiers beside him.
Review

Lincoln

by Vadim Rizov

Steven Spielberg’s solemn latest is less a biopic and more a complex drama on the subject of political ends versus means.

5
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Two people riding in a swan-shaped paddle boat on a calm lake, surrounded by tall reeds.
Review

Swandown

by Vadim Rizov

Andrew Kötting and Iain Sinclair navigate a swan-shaped pedalo down the Thames in this madcap odyssey.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect

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