The show must go on for the Oscars
Also this week: The Wild Robot’s ode to mums and the triumph of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter.
ByFilm industry
The monumental achievement of The Brutalist
Brady Corbet’s uncompromisingly long, high-concept epic about a Hungarian architect might seem pretentious – but it demands to be seen.
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Journalism films give me the ick
Victims are sidelined, while hacks make unworthy heroes.
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The triumph of Paddington Inc
How Paddington Bear became one of Britain’s most distinctive international brands.
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Against child stardom
As another former teen idol’s story ends in tragedy, we must ask: should we let children become famous?
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Film in the family
Plus: my paean to female friendship and Ian McKellen on marvellous form.
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Ali Abbasi’s gift to Donald Trump at Cannes
A star-studded film festival will never effectively oppose an anti-elite, populist candidate.
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Our obsession with “spoilers” reveals everything wrong with pop culture
The anti-spoiler fixation shows the sad reality of contemporary media: most of it relies on cheap bids for attention.
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Why Barbenheimer won’t save cinema
July’s blockbusters made box office records – but the industry’s crisis is only deepening.
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In defence of selling out
A slew of indie directors have taken on blockbusters, from Greta Gerwig to Ben Wheatley. Have they traded their credentials…
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America’s real-life crime thriller
Also this week: why journalists should back Hollywood’s strikes.
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In praise of the DVD
The infinite choice of TV streaming has led to banality and fatigue – it’s time to embrace physical media once…
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Stop with the movie remakes
A Harry Potter series, Star Wars TV, and live-action versions of Disney films: will it ever end?
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There’s nothing funny about Hugh Grant punching down on the industry that made him famous
His career sits atop a pyramid of others, even lowly showbiz journalists, who could not do the same without risking…
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The best new films to watch this Christmas
This year’s festive offerings, from The Silent Twins to Avatar.
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The best films of 2022
The New Statesman’s critic picks his top ten movies of the year.
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The many layers of Robbie Coltrane
The actor, who has died this week aged 72, had an on-screen earthiness that was both whimsical and confrontational.
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How Dr No made James Bond a global brand
Sixty years ago today, the first Bond film transformed Ian Fleming’s hero from a humourless brute to an icon of…
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In an age of streaming and endless choice, I cling to my DVD collection
Who needs Netflix when you have the holy trinity of This Life, Bodies and Prime Suspect in literal boxset form?
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China’s censorship machine sanitises Fight Club
The anarchic original runs counter to the Chinese government’s priorities of order and strong central control.
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