Larry Oliver Film Reviews

  Inspired by a real-life case of serial abuse, the film Women Talking , adapted from the novel by Canadian author Miriam Toews by actress turned writer-director Sarah Polley, imagines a group of women living in a rural colony contemplating their response to being injected with cow tranquiliser at night and raped by their menfolk. The adult men in the unnamed community are entirely amorphous, unified by the violence towards women, which we deduce is borne out of entitlement – violence is never shown, only its aftermath. The community is deeply religious, though there is no church, no religious leader signing off on such action. We might perceive this community as a metaphor for the Middle East, where in many countries, misogyny to a lesser or greater degree is institutionalised. The lack of specificity here is an impediment to drama. Put crudely, there is not enough going on to hold our attention for the full 104 minutes, in spite of the cast and the premise. The one male character...

  With movie theatres currently closed in both New York and California, it is a surprise, nay, a welcome token of faith, that any new Hollywood studio film is unveiled in cinemas. Credit to Sony Pictures for releasing the romantic comedy The Broken Hearts Gallery in many American states – and overseas territories – where cinemas have re-opened with protocols that require social distancing, unlike Republican Party rallies which do not - I guess Trump supporters think his saliva is holy water. This thoroughly mainstream film also boasts that rare credit ‘written and directed by’. Writers new to cinema – especially women – are not normally trusted by Hollywood to direct their own work. Journalist turned screenwriter Nora Ephron had to wait until after the success of When Harry Met Sally (director: Rob Reiner) before making her debut as director in 1992 with This Is My Life , which in turn led to the far more well-known Sleepless in Seattle . Like Ephron, Canadian-born, Los Angeles-...