Tom Jolliffe looks back at 20 great performances from the past decade… There have been plenty of legendary performances through the years. Some gain the greatest of acclaim from the off, culminating in Oscar glory. Others hit below the radar, or don’t get the marketing push required for an Oscar run. Award season is in […]
Ranking the Films of Paul Verhoeven
George Nash assesses the cinematic output of the subversive Dutch provocateur Paul Verhoeven… On the Rotten Tomatoes page of Showgirls, the critical consensus reads as follows: “Vile, contemptible, garish, and misogynistic — and that might just be exactly Showgirls‘ point”. It’s about as perfect as any summation could hope to be in capturing the journey taken […]
A Beginner’s Guide To Paul Verhoeven
Tom Jolliffe continues our series of beginner’s guides to iconic directors with controversial Dutch director, Paul Verhoeven… A man who never does anything by halves, Paul Verhoeven is a director who has courted controversy throughout his career. With a long and varied resume, spanning beginnings in Dutch TV and film, then in and out of […]
60th BFI London Film Festival Review – Elle (2016)
Elle, 2016. Directed by Paul Verhoeven. Starring Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Laffite, Anne Consigny, Charles Berling, Christian Berkel and Jonas Bloquet. SYNOPSIS: Michèle seems indestructible. Head of a successful video game company, she brings the same ruthless attitude to her love life as to business. However her life takes a dramatic turn when she is raped in […]