Directed by Stephen Frears A social-minded independent film centered around a small business which escalates into some level of violence, My Beautiful Laundrette feels like the precursor to Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing. It's theatrical with its plotting, but every dramatic turn seems to say something about society at large. In that way the scope … Continue reading My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)
stephen frears
The Grifters (1990)
Directed by Stephen Frears What a strange little ride. I think I love The Grifters purely because of how odd, twisted and inspired it is. The 1990 film feels like a colorized version of something from the 1940s, complete with the film noir tropes, femme fatales, Elmer Bernstein music, misdirection, corrupted souls and mistaken identities. The … Continue reading The Grifters (1990)
High Fidelity (2000)
Directed by Stephen Frears High Fidelity has a similar energy to another John Cusack classic, 1989's Say Anything... except that this time Cusack plays an absolute jerk, self-loathing, self-centered and, for some reason, self-assured. Rob Gordon (Cusack) owns his own record shop somewhere in a hip area of Chicago, and while to me that smells like … Continue reading High Fidelity (2000)
Philomena (2013)
Directed by Stephen Fears Philomena is a gut-wrenching story of forgiveness. It's one of those tales that gives you a clear villain, and while that may come off as reductive, it certainly demands the right emotional reaction from the audience. That villain here is Sister Hildegarde, and because this is based on a true story … Continue reading Philomena (2013)
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