Category Archives: Comment

‘The Go-Between’ and ‘The Criminal’ restored for Blu-ray

Posted on September 12, 2019 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Blacklisted American film director Joseph Losey was a major force in British cinema in the 1960s and ’70s and two of his best pictures – ‘The Go-Between’ and ‘The Criminal’ – will be released on … Continue reading →

Posted in Comment, Film, News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on ‘The Go-Between’ and ‘The Criminal’ restored for Blu-ray

Film Review Brief: Trevor Nunn’s ‘Red Joan’

Posted on April 19, 2019 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Trevor Nunn’s slightly old-fashioned espionage drama ‘Red Joan’, which opens in the United Kingdom today, won’t set any box-office records but it is an absorbing drama. Sophie Cookson (pictured above with Stephen Campbell Moore) is … Continue reading →

Posted in Comment, Film | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Film Review Brief: Trevor Nunn’s ‘Red Joan’

On Stanley Kubrick’s ‘A Clockwork Orange’

Posted on April 5, 2019 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Stanley Kubrick’s controversial ‘A Clockwork Orange’ starring Malcolm McDowell is re-released in the United Kingdom today. As always with Kubrick, it is a striking combination of visual power, evocative music and powerful drama. Now controversial … Continue reading →

Posted in Comment, Film | Tagged , , | Comments Off on On Stanley Kubrick’s ‘A Clockwork Orange’

‘The Favourite’ set to clean up at the Bafta film awards

Posted on January 9, 2019 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – This year’s Bafta Film Awards nominations are predictably conventional but it hardly matters as the immensely popular ‘The Favourite’ (pictured) is a shoo-in for many of its 12 nominations including the actress prizes, Brits Christian … Continue reading →

Posted in Comment, Film, News | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on ‘The Favourite’ set to clean up at the Bafta film awards

A critic’s lament: Do you see what I see?

Posted on January 2, 2019 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Do you see what I see? Do you hear what I hear? Those imponderables challenge a critic with every review. For me, Alfonso Cuaron’s ‘Roma’ is the best film of 2018 but a friend has a … Continue reading →

Posted in Comment, Film | Tagged , | Comments Off on A critic’s lament: Do you see what I see?

‘Roma’, ‘Cold War’ lead my Top 10 film picks of 2018

Posted on January 1, 2019 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – One of the great advantages of being a member of the Critics’ Circle and BAFTA is that distributors send out dozens of screeners of films for which they seek consideration in the annual awards. It means … Continue reading →

Posted in Comment, Film, TIFF Toronto International Film Festival | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on ‘Roma’, ‘Cold War’ lead my Top 10 film picks of 2018

Make stars accept awards for action-film crafts winners

Posted on August 11, 2018 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – The American Motion Picture Academy has made a foolish error by introducing a condescending award for popular films. The thinking appears to be that fans of blockbuster action, super-hero and animated films will flock to … Continue reading →

Posted in Comment, Film | Tagged , | Comments Off on Make stars accept awards for action-film crafts winners

Diversity in the top Academy Awards: a look at the numbers

Posted on March 4, 2018 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – In the discussion about diversity in the top prizes of the Academy Awards, it’s worth noting that the Oscar for best director has gone to a white American male only five times in the 16 … Continue reading →

Posted in Comment, News | Tagged , | Comments Off on Diversity in the top Academy Awards: a look at the numbers

BAFTA Film Awards: my predictions and favourites

Posted on February 18, 2018 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – My hopes are with Guillermo del Toro’s dazzling “The Shape of Water” (pictured) at tonight’s 71st British Academy Film Awards although such is the high calibre of most of the nominees that it would be … Continue reading →

Posted in Comment, Film | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on BAFTA Film Awards: my predictions and favourites

Do film critics matter any more?

Posted on July 13, 2017 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – When everyone is a critic, who needs critics? It’s a question asked more and more in the movie industry as the ranks of mainstream critics dwindle and the tide of those with something to say online … Continue reading →

Posted in Comment, Film, Media, News | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Do film critics matter any more?