In Praise Of | Little White Lies

In Praise Of

Performers in vibrant, colourful costumes on a stage with bright lights and glittering background.
In Praise Of

In defence of Death to Smoochy – the most absurd kids’ TV satire ever made

by Sophie Yapp

There’s never been a better time to revisit Danny DeVito’s cult comedy.
A woman with blonde hair wearing a blue dress stands in a colourful, vibrant setting with pink and blue hues.
In Praise Of

Is La La Land an homage to The Umbrellas of Cherbourg?

by Stephen Puddicombe

Director Damien Chazelle has admitted this ​’60s classic is a key influence on his forthcoming musical.
Bride and groom at a wedding ceremony, the bride wearing a lace wedding dress with a crown.
In Praise Of

Revisiting Ellen DeGeneres’ forgotten hetero rom-com

by Adam White

In 1996’s Mr Wrong the Finding Dory star played it straight for Hollywood with surprising results.
A person with curly hair sits in a dark room, illuminated by the glow of three lit candles.
In Praise Of

Is Barry Lyndon the greatest film Stanley Kubrick ever made?

by David Hayles

Forty years after it left critics cold this majestic tragi-comedy stands as a testament to a true master of his craft.
A person holding a handgun, looking intensely at the camera.
In Praise Of

In praise of the original Bourne trilogy

by Matthew Anderson

Spy movie cliches are suppressed in favour of sensitivity and realism in the first three films of this unlikely mega franchise.
A man in a blue jacket adjusting electronic equipment, with a serious expression on his face.
In Praise Of

Blow Out and the politics of despair

by Taylor Burns

Brian De Palma’s taut Watergate-era thriller highlights the difference between what a country believes itself to be, and what it actually is.
A group of men in military uniforms, some wielding rifles, stand in a crowd of people in an outdoor setting. The scene appears to depict a historical or political event.
In Praise Of

How Ken Loach captured the emotional fallout of the Spanish Civil War

by James Clarke

Land and Freedom shows the personal and political sides of this 80-year-old conflict.
Black and white image showing a man in prison bars, with two other men seated in front of him.
In Praise Of

The film noir villain who became a role model for real-life gangsters

by David Hayles

In 1947’s Kiss of Death, Richard Widmark plays a murderous Joker-styled sociopath.
Vintage image showing a man and woman riding on a wheeled cart with a thatched canopy, surrounded by wagon wheels.
In Praise Of

In praise of Kin-dza-dza! – the best sci-fi film you’ve never heard of

by Joel Blackledge

Mad Max meets Monty Python is the best way of describing this strange, little-seen Soviet gem.
Close-up of a person wearing protective gear and holding a tool in a smoky, fiery environment.
In Praise Of

Aliens at 30 – in praise of James Cameron’s feminist masterpiece

by Lara C Cory

Thirty years on, Sigourney Weaver’s iconic hero stands as a defiant symbol of gender equality.