Described as a vivid piece of social observation cinema, John Byrne’s film adaptation of his stage play The Slab Boys returned to the big screen at the Glasgow Film Theatre for the 20th anniversary of its release in 1997. Attended by John Byrne himself and cast members Robin Laing and Julie Wilson Nimmo, the packed screening was filled with fierce fans of the Britpop-era cult … [Read more...] about Glasgow Film Festival Review: The Slab Boys
Glasgow Film Festival Review: Benny
Benny is an education in the art of boxing, an unflinching look at the unimaginable depravity of Glasgow’s slums during the Great Depression, and an insight into the triumphant rise and tragic fall of the people’s champion, Benny Lynch. The documentary follows the story of the pint-sized 5ft 4in boxer – born in the Gorbals on August 2, 1913 – his astonishing success, and his … [Read more...] about Glasgow Film Festival Review: Benny
Glasgow Film Festival: Patriots Day Review
Patriots Day, directed and co-written by Peter Berg, is electrifying, violent, unnerving, and thoughtful – emerging as an unprecedented highlight of the Glasgow Film Festival. The film documents the Boston Marathon bombings and the city-wide manhunt that ensued when two bombs were detonated 12 seconds apart on April 15, 2013. Considering how recent this tragedy was – in … [Read more...] about Glasgow Film Festival: Patriots Day Review
Glasgow Film Festival Review: Personal Shopper
Olivier Assayas’s Personal Shopper, starring Kristen Stewart, gives audiences an alternative look at the paranormal. This film is one that is hard to distinguish in terms of genre as we flit between moments of suspense building, uncomfortable silence, and that tense, eerie feeling that someone is watching you (characteristic of Hitchcock). Yet, there are many traditional horror … [Read more...] about Glasgow Film Festival Review: Personal Shopper
A Review: T2: Trainspotting
Trainspotting is the film of the 1990s, the film of a generation. A phenomenon that perfectly captured a decade in time, making the world laugh, cry, cringe, and recoil in horror, disgust, and delight. Mark Renton, Simon ‘Sick Boy’ Williamson, Danny ‘Spud’ Murphy, and Francis ‘Franco’ Begbie are characters almost every Scot can name and describe in what is undoubtedly the … [Read more...] about A Review: T2: Trainspotting