Riz Ahmed
Hamlet; Riz Ahmed dominates unrelenting modern-day telling of Shakespeare’s classic: Toronto International Film Festival Review
From the opening sequence of Aneil Karia‘s Hamlet it’s evident that the Shakespeare tale we know won’t be simply rehashed on screen. This isn’t your school production or even Broadway, with Karia maintaining the classic tongue of the prose, but bringing its setting to modern day London within the South Asian community. Following the moment…
Spotlight on TIFF: Russell Crowe, Rose Byrne and Rami Malek headline premieres at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is fast approaching, and, as seems to be tradition with TIFF, the titles making their appearances on the schedule continue to be a spoil of riches. The AU Review will be on the ground this year covering the festival for another year, and today we’re continuing our look at spotlight…
Encounter is an intentionally ambiguous sci-fi drama that furthers Riz Ahmed’s star quality: TIFF 2021 Review
There’s a consistent thrill to Encounter, Michael Pearce‘s ambitious science fiction-leaning effort that delights in its ambiguous nature. At least, for the most part. Seen through the eyes of an unreliable narrator (an as expected stellar Riz Ahmed), Pearce’s film is better when it’s holding on to its secrets. There’s something deeper and darker at…
Film Review: Sound of Metal is an already astonishing film elevated by Riz Ahmed’s uninhibited performance
After his standout turn opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in 2014’s disturbing neo-noir thriller Nightcrawler, Riz Ahmed seemed destined for greatness on the big screen. And thankfully, after years of slumming it in supporting roles in Hollywood blockbusters that have all wavered in their quality (Jason Bourne, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Venom), he’s finally been…
Alliance Française French Film Festival Review: The Sisters Brothers (USA/France, 2018) is at once frustrating and fascinating
With a title like The Sisters Brothers, one would be forgiven for assuming that Jacques Audiard‘s off-centred western would be something of a comedy. Whilst there’s moments of black humour peppered throughout Audiard’s English-language debut – which makes its inclusion in this year’s Alliance Francaise French Film Festival all the more curious – this is…
Sydney Film Festival Review: Una (UK/USA, 2016) is a gripping abuse drama that thrives through unhesitating commitment
It would have been too easy for a film like Una to result in something unreservedly perfunctory. The fable of the abuse victim confronting her perpetrator has been depicted more than one would wish to count, and the argument can be made that a fair share wishes to portray the subject matter no more than…
