Tag: WW2

Blitz (2024) | REVIEW

Elliott Heffernan in “Blitz,” now streaming on Apple TV+.

Directed by Steve McQueen — Screenplay by Steve McQueen.

Despite sharing a name with the celebrated American Bullitt-actor known as the so-called ‘King of Cool,’ this film’s director, the British Steve McQueen, has done a lot to cement himself as one of British filmmaking’s most clear artistic voices, while at the same time becoming not only a critical darling but also someone who has been celebrated at award shows and, in general, for his contribution to culture. After he burst onto the scene as a feature filmmaker with the capital-g great films Hunger, Shame, 12 Years a Slave, and the underseen Widows, McQueen went on to make Small Axe, a phenomenal anthology series about racism, activism, and the joy and spirit of specific communities in mid-to-late 20th century Britain. Since then he has been knighted, and then gone on to make a couple of attempts at documentary filmmaking with his Uprising and Occupied City. Now, with Blitz, he has made his return to narrative feature filmmaking, and while it is not quite as good as his best output, it is absolutely consistent with the artistic interests for which we have come to know him.

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REVIEW: De Forbandede År 2 (2022)

Jesper Christensen and Bodil Jørgensen in DE FORBANDEDE ÅR 2 — PHOTO: Scanbox Entertainment Danmark.

Directed by Anders Refn — Screenplay by Anders Refn and Flemming Quist Møller.

When I wrote up and released my brief thoughts on part one of Anders Refn’s De Forbandede År (int. title: Into the Darkness), a film about a family of Danes during the German occupation of Denmark, I was rather underwhelmed. World War II films tend to find an audience over here, and, as a bit of a history buff, I wanted this hugely ambitious project to land with more than just a thud. “Hopefully, its sequel will be better,” I wrote, though I must admit that I wasn’t optimistic. 

The first film was powerful in moments because of how it highlighted a family in conflict because of the occupation. Some decided to become resistance fighters and rebel, while others decided to cooperate with the occupiers in an attempt to keep food on the table and keep some sense of normalcy, I suppose. I noted that the historical drama about the first half of the German occupation of Denmark held my interest and was interesting and ambitious, but, ultimately, it was a disappointment, and it felt both incomplete and rushed. Anders Refn is still at the helm for the second part of the Skov story, and, frankly, the end result is mostly the same. Jesper Christensen is the highlight, but the film is messy and overlong. 

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REVIEW: Greyhound (2020)

Release Poster – Apple TV+

The following is a review of Greyhound — Directed by Aaron Schneider.

Though not the first Apple TV+ film (it was preceded by two documentaries, Minhal Baig’s Hala, and George Nolfi’s The Banker), Aaron Schneider’s Greyhound is almost definitely the biggest, most expensive, and most widely seen Apple TV+ film released thus far. Originally scheduled to be released by Sony Pictures in theaters around the world, Greyhound was, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, delayed and later sold to Apple TV+ for a reported sum of $70 million. With the acquisition, Apple TV+ was granted not just a marketable war flick with a household name in the lead role, Apple also received a genuinely good and entertaining film. Continue reading “REVIEW: Greyhound (2020)” →