Silver Screen Cities: Celebrating city cinema-going

Celebrating City Cinema-Going

‘One Summer of Happiness’, Cinemathek, Brussels

By

Surrealism is characterised by unnatural or irrational juxtapositions that have a jarring or unsettling effect. Whoever programmes cultural events in Brussels seems to have taken this to heart by scheduling two major exhibitions on surrealism to run at the same time, an irrational and unsettling juxtaposition which meant that I had to choose between visiting […]

‘Joan Baez: I Am a Noise’, Cinéma Aventure, Brussels

By

It’s good to be back in Brussels. Such a great city for cinema, art, and beer. Skipping breakfast, I headed out this Saturday morning to see the James Ensor – Inspired by Brussels exhibition at the 18th century Palace of Charles of Lorraine. The palace is a fabulous opulent setting which would have been worth […]

‘Evil Does Not Exist’, The Garden Cinema London

By

Just spent a couple of days in Brighton on a rare foray to the south coast of England. It was unusually cold for mid-April and a thick haar hung in the air when I arrived. There was a whiff of faded grandeur about the seafront buildings though the streets were vibrant when the sun finally […]

‘Limbo’, DCA, Dundee

By

Great to be back in a cinema watching a film on the big screen for the first time since lockdown 18 months ago. And tonight’s film, ‘Limbo’, directed by Ben Sharrock, was hugely enjoyable. The showing was in Screen 1 at DCA. Social distancing was still in place so the auditorium wasn’t full but that […]

‘Parasite’, Filmhouse, Edinburgh

By

The snow started falling as we walked along Lothian Road towards Princes Street. Within minutes the snow stopped and there was a bright blue sky. Then it got grey and wet and windy again; a fickle February day. The wind was beginning to bite as we headed up Cockburn Street in Edinburgh’s imposing Old Town […]

‘Uncut Gems’, DCA, Dundee

By

After the first fifteen minutes or so of ‘Uncut Gems’ I was thinking this is great but there’s no way that directors Benny and Josh Safdie can keep up the film’s manic intensity and tempo. But they do. The invasive music is set at a higher than normal level in relation to the spoken dialogue, […]