Contributor Sophie Monks Kaufman

Turquoise and white vintage convertible car at night, with two people sitting inside.
Reviews

Along Came Love review – an intimately epic love story

Katell Quillévéré’s poetic French period drama is powered by an understated chemistry between Anaïs Demoustier and Vincent Lacoste.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Woman in brown coat stands in front of wall of wooden drawers.
Festivals

Vie Priveé – first-look review

Jodie Foster stars as a psychiatrist trying to solve a potential murder in Rebecca Zlotowski's underwhelming drama.
Exterior of a cafe, two men sitting at a table in the foreground, one wearing a suit and the other a checkered shirt, text 'A bout de Souffle' on the storefront awning.
Festivals

New Wave – first-look review

Richard Linklater's homage to the filming of Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless brings precious little new to the story of the New Wave.
Smiling young women in casual clothing, embracing each other affectionately.
Festivals

La Petite Dernière – first-look review

A young Muslim woman struggles to reconcile her blossoming sexuality with her identity and family expectations in Hafsia Herzi's adaptation of Fatima Daas' novel.
Illustration depicting two male faces, one in cool blue tones and the other in warm red tones, with expressive features and dramatic shading.
In Heaven Everything Is Fine

Dreaming of Lost Highway

Sophie Monks Kaufman recalls a strange vision in the nighttime and the haunting nature of David Lynch's 1997 neo-noir.
Starry night sky with a lone figure silhouetted against a dark landscape of bare trees
Not Movies

Deciphering Don Hertzfeldt’s ME

The latest short film from the independent animation legend is an elusive oddity even by Don Hertzfeldt's standards.
A group of people wearing orange and green uniforms walking on a road with hills in the background.
Reviews

Kneecap review – energised Irish pride

A couple of Belfast likely lads set out on a journey of rap-based resistance in Rich Peppiatt's cheeky pseudo-bio of the band Kneecap.

4
Anticipation
5
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
A woman with dark hair dancing enthusiastically in a nightclub, bathed in vibrant purple and pink lighting.
Festivals

Anora – first-look review

A young exotic dancer shacks up with the son of a Russian billionaire, much to the despair of his parents, in Sean Baker's latest down-and-dirty dramedy.
Person floating face up in water, eyes closed, arms spread out.
Festivals

Bird – first-look review

Andrea Arnold returns with a flighty kitchen sink reverie that sadly falls from grace in a muddled second half.
Cluttered suburban garden with children's toys, old car, and small wooden shed.
Reviews

Occupied City review – a staggeringly ambitious feat of emotional stamina

Steven McQueen provides a haunting examination of Amsterdam under Nazi occupation in contrast to its present in his documentary adapted from Bianca Stigter's book of the same name.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Illustration of four pink camping tents by a campfire under a starry night sky, with a large plume of smoke rising from the fire.
Long Read

The Safe Emotional Spaces of Wes Anderson’s Cinema – Part Two

Sophie Monks Kaufman continues her deep dive into the neurodivergent coding of Wes Anderson's cinema in this far-reaching long read.
Colourful tents and camping equipment on a sandy beach, with sailboats in the distance.
Long Read

The Safe Emotional Spaces of Wes Anderson’s Cinema – Part One

Through conversations with psychologists, neurodivergent friends, Jason Schwartzman and the man himself, Sophie Monks Kaufman investigates the meticulous worlds of Wes Anderson and their potent emotional frequencies.

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