Crisp Criticism - "The Post", "Darkest Hour", "Breathe", "Kedi"

by

Julien Faddoul

The Post ***

The Pentagon Papers: A cover-up that spanned four U.S. Presidents pushed the country's first female newspaper publisher and a hard-driving editor to join an unprecedented battle between journalist and government.

Obvious allegory to the modern malpractice by the US government on the First Amendment and their relationship with the free press. It’s that kind of flagrance that shows its director at his least dauntless. However, everything else – compositions, pacing, dramaturgy, performance – is superb.

d – Steven Spielberg

w – Liz Hannah, Josh SInger

ph – Janusz Kaminski

pd – Rick Carter

m – John Williams

ed – Michael Kahn, Sarah Broshar

cos – Ann Roth

p – Steven Spielberg, Amy Pascal, Kristie Macosko Krieger

Cast: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk, Tracy Letts, Matthew Rhys, Alison Brie, Carrie Coon, David Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Jesse Plemons, Michael Stuhlbarg, Bradley Whitford, Zach Woods

Darkest Hour *

During the early days of World War II, the fate of Western Europe hangs on the newly-appointed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who must decide whether to negotiate with Hitler, or fight.

Unconvincing on every thematic level: This is, more or less, an excuse for a histrionic actor and a conspicuous director to out-perform each other. Moments of sagacious observation are intermittent, but it is more frequently a gasbag of showing off.

d – Joe Wright

w – Anthony McCarten

ph – Bruno Delbonnel

pd – Sarah Greenwood

m – Dario Marianelli

ed – Valerio Bonelli

cos – Jacqueline Durran

p – Tim Beaven, Eric Fellner, Anthony McCarten, Douglas Urbanski, Lisa Bruce

Cast: Gary Oldman, Ben Mendelsohn, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, Stephen Dillane, Richard Lumsden, Samuel West, Ronald Pickup

Breathe *

The true story of Robin and Diana Cavendish, a couple who refuse to give up once he is diagnosed with polio.

Another stodgy British biopic; heavy on sentiment and physically contortioned performances.

d – Andy Serkis

w – William Nicholson

ph – Robert Richardson

pd – James Merifield

m – Nitin Sawhney

ed – Masahiro Hirakubo

cos – Charlotte Walter

p – Jonathan Cavendish

Cast: Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy, Hugh Bonneville, Tom Hollander, Miranda Raison, Dean-Charles Chapman, Diana Rigg, Ed Speleers, Emily Bevan, Ben Lloyd-Hughes

Kedi **

A profile of an ancient city and its unique people, seen through the eyes of the most mysterious animal humans have ever known, the Cat.
Catnip for cat lovers: A documentary on the comings and goings of felines across the city of Istanbul. The film paints a portrait of two parallel societies co-existing and assisting one another, somewhat blindly.

d – Ceyda Torun

ph – Charlie Wuppermann

m – Kira Fontana

ed – Mo Stoebe

p – Ceyda Torun, Charlie Wuppermann

Cast: N/A