Animus

23/11/2022

UK and London fans, don't miss out on this rare 10th anniversary screening of John Hyams' modern classic, Universal Soldier: Day Of Reckoning! It's taking place tomorrow, 24 November at The Prince Charles Cinema presented by Animus!

Book now: https://princecharlescinema.com/PrinceCharlesCinema.dll/Seasons?e=623

02/11/2022

10 years ago, John Hyams' brutal masterpiece UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: DAY OF RECKONING received only a limited release. It has become a cult classic since. Join Animus on THURSDAY 24th NOVEMBER at The Prince Charles Cinema for a rare chance to see the film on the big screen. https://princecharlescinema.com/PrinceCharlesCinema.dll/WhatsOn?f=24917864

14/09/2022

"Perhaps cinema, having attained a measure of power over nature with the digital, finds the myth of Total Cinema not so mythical. And so, it desires a new impossible," writes Alexander Farmer in his essay about the (false) opposition between film and digital.

On digital vs. film Why return to the discourse surrounding digital and film now? Walter Benjamin wrote, “In every era the attempt must be made anew to wrest tradition away from a conformism that i…

14/09/2022

"More than mere fellow feeling, the humanity in Fregonese’s films is found precisely in the tug of war between the self and the world," writes Elena Lazic about the American films of Hugo Fregonese seen at Il Cinema Ritrovato (Cineteca di Bologna).

Promotional picture for My Six Convicts (1952) One of the most striking sections of this year’s edition of Il Cinema Ritrovato, the repertory film festival that takes place annually in Bologna, Ita…

14/09/2022

Satyajit Ray's DEVI is a more complex film than it may appear, writes Anand Sudha: "the portrayal of Doya, the unwitting ingénue, as she processes this burden suggests a more complex reality than a mere opposition between religion and rationality."

On Satyajit Ray’s Devi (1960) “I’ll convince him! I have all the latest arguments at my fingertips,” boasts the cocky Umaprasad (Soumitra Chatterjee), when his friend confesses that he wishes…

14/09/2022

In Babak Anvari's I CAME BY, "people are essentially powerless, but they also cannot afford to wait around for someone with power to change things for them." A good recipe for a thriller that constantly plays with our hopes for its justice-seeking characters. By Elena Lazic:

On Babak Anvari’s I Came By (2022) The hypocrisies of modern life, where all of us are complicit in the suffering and exploitation of others whether we choose to be or not, are not a new fiel…

14/09/2022

Christian Craig writes about Nathan Fielder's show THE REHEARSAL, power imbalance, decision intelligence, and "the morally ambiguous space between good intentions and ethical behaviour" in the latest issue of Animus.

On Nathan Fielder’s show The Rehearsal (photo Allyson Riggs/HBO) There’s a telling moment about halfway through the pilot of The Rehearsal, Nathan Fielder’s series for HBO Max, in which Kor, …

14/09/2022

"A boundary, then, is a separation as much as it is a point of contact, and a contour." Editorial by Elena Lazic.

Artwork by Neven Udovičić Few films that purport to “blur the boundaries between fiction and reality” ever go beyond stating the fact that much of reality is fake or performative, and that, convers…

14/09/2022

The new issue of Animus is online ☁️ https://animusmagazine.com

12/04/2022

Focused on a young woman at odds with her domineering father, MURINA is among several recent films from countries of the former Yugoslavia to centre a younger generation struggling under the weight of older generations' expectations, Elena Lazic writes.

Three recent films set in Croatia and Bosnia look at the peculiar, frustrating situation of their younger generation  One could be forgiven for imagining that the behaviour of the father chara…

12/04/2022

Glamourising depictions of Naples’ life of crime in film and TV in recent years have not been without effect on its actual inhabitants. They influence the young subject of Victoria Fiore’s NASCONDINO, but also conceal a more complex reality.

The director tells us about her unique, visceral portrait of a young boy growing up in Naples’ Spanish quarters One of the most striking offerings at last year’s London Film Festival, Nascond…

12/04/2022

From Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger to MAGIC MIKE XXL and Channing Tatum’s DOG, from JACKASS FOREVER to Sean Baker’s RED ROCKET, Mark Asch examines the Himbo Ascendency and its most recent developments.

Channing Tatum and His Magic Mikes, Keanu Reeves, Johnny Knoxville, Simon Rex, and the Himbo Ascendent  Dog, starring Channing Tatum as an ex–Army Ranger with PTSD who bonds with his unit’s Mu…

12/04/2022

More than just elicit audience empathy, Vincent Price’s subversive horror performances as pitiable villains also highlight the meaningless of their endeavours and the pointlessness of violence, writes Sam Moore.

Vincent Price’s horror persona often brought to life chillingly pathetic characters seeking hollow victories Throughout the history of horror on screen, the relationship between characters an…

12/04/2022

Claire Davidson interviews Isaac Butler about his new book on Method acting, common misconceptions about the performance style, its legacy and more.

Isaac Butler tells us about his new book on Method acting and its history In a current film landscape where the gap between commercial blockbusters and more challenging work has only grown wider, i…

12/04/2022

The new issue of Animus features a series of essays touching on acting and performance. Read Elena Lazic's preview:

Artwork by Neven Udovičić “Acting is really hard to talk about,” Isaac Butler tells Claire Davidson in his interview about his new book on Method acting, and he is right. Which is why it is a …

12/02/2022

The romanticism in Chloé Mazlo's SKIES OF LEBANON "is genuine and deep, a kind of wisdom more than it is a way to escape or gloss over pain," writes Manuela Lazic.

In this French film, the pragmatic choice to leave one’s home when it is under attack feels anything but rational  Tearjerkers, as the crude word suggests, tend to be movies that tug at your h…

11/02/2022

"We expect things to go smoothly for Selma, and the film to be yet another tale of uninhibited, fearless self-discovery, a coming-of-age without resistance. It is interesting to see how and why this does not happen." Elena Lazic on Kamir Aïnouz's HONEY CIGAR, playing until 14 February as part of MyFrenchFilmFestival.com: https://patreon.com/posts/62439513

11/02/2022

What does a French filmmaker, respected for his refined gangster and police films, have in common with an Australian B-movie director specialised in schlocky actioners? More than you think. Digby Houghton on Jean-Pierre Melville and Brian Trenchard-Smith:

Two directors from different parts of the world, with very different outputs and reputations, absorbed and re-interpreted the culture of their respective countries in contrasting but not entirely d…

10/02/2022

Premiering at and soon playing at the Berlinale, the doc BRAINWASHED: SEX-CAMERA-POWER purports to expose the way certain filmmaking techniques supposedly indoctrinate viewers into sexism. It is in fact yet another attack on an already fragile media literacy. Elena Lazic writes:

A new documentary purporting to expose the sexism inherent in certain filmmaking techniques turns out to be an enemy to media literacy ‘The trap of representation’ in cinema at large and in Hollywo…

09/02/2022

Released in 2021, the documentaries WOJNAROWICZ, THE VELVET UNDERGROUND, and NO ORDINARY MAN all centre on q***r artists and suggest different ways of telling the stories of people who worked and lived outside the mainstream. By Robert Stinner:

The ways in which the stories of three q***r artists and groups are brought to light offer a fuller understanding of what it means to be q***r Three documentaries released in 2021 — Wojnarowicz: F*…

08/02/2022

The best films at resisted the tendency towards a pragmatic, straightforward, "useful" cinema which otherwise dominated the selection.
Elena Lazic writes about highlights SHARP STICK, MY OLD SCHOOL, RESURRECTION, NANNY, and EMILY THE CRIMINAL:

A few films at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival ran against the dominant idea of a utilitarian, simplistic cinema  Making films anywhere is difficult and expensive, and in any given year — thou…

08/02/2022

"All work of criticism is to its core concerned with this process of drawing borders or links, justifying them, undermining them, making a point. But all the essays in this issue are also overtly about this process, and how it affects the way films are made and watched."
Elena Lazic's editorial from the latest issue:

Artwork by Neven Udovičić When writing criticism, finding the right words is part of the fun: investigating one’s feelings about a film to try and figure out what is really happening, what it is re…

08/02/2022

The first issue of 2022 is now online: https://animusmagazine.com

• On Film Criticism #7, by Elena Lazic
• Elena Lazic reports from the virtual 2022 Sundance Film Festival
• Robert Stinner on three q***r documentaries from last year: WOJNAROWICZ: F**K YOU F*GGOT F**KER, THE VELVET UNDERGROUND, and NO ORDINARY MAN
• Elena Lazic on Nina Menkes’ documentary BRAINWASHED: SEX-CAMERA-POWER from Sundance 2022 ⁣
• Digby Houghton on Jean-Pierre Melville and Brian Trenchard-Smith
• Manuela Lazic on Chloé Mazlo’s SKIES OF LEBANON (MyFrenchFilmFestival.com) ⁣

Artwork by Neven Udovičić

03/02/2022

Right now in Paris, hundreds of film lovers are occupying the premises of iconic cinema La Clef to try and save the building from being sold to the highest bidder. Read more about and support La clef revival: https://t.co/JAML9R925y

02/01/2022

The December 2021 issue is live!

· What of 2021 to keep and what to throw away, in Elena Lazic's 6th On Film Criticism essay
· Claire Davidson on Martin Scorsese's ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE
· Daniel Bird returns with a history of the reception of Andrzej Żuławski’s POSSESSION
· Manuela Lazic on 2021's Frames of Representation
· Elena Lazic on Dalibor Baric's invigorating ACCIDENTAL LUXURIANCE OF THE TRANSLUCENT WATERY REBUS (MUBI UK & Ireland)
· A short note on the year to come for Animus

28/12/2021

"WHEEL OF FORTUNE AND FANTASY ends with a fanciful bit of role-play that becomes gradually more real, with backstory filled in, memories recalled and feelings finally, movingly embodied. [...] Hamaguchi’s films reconcile wanting less and needing more, drives which compete with each other in many of the year’s other key films."
A wonderful piece from Animus contributor Mark Asch for Filmmaker Magazine about the year in film, concluding with a kind shout-out to Elena Lazic's essay on Ryusuke Hamaguchi's film from our first issue.

Publication with a focus on independent film, offering articles, links, and resources.

28/12/2021

Revolving around the theme of the ego, the 5th issue of Animus includes essays on the JCVD film LEGIONNAIRE, Ridley Scott's author status and his film THE LAST DUEL, the possibilities of the 'vacation film,' the empathy at the heart of Mia Hansen-Løve work, and the relationship between French writer Marguerite Duras and her fan/lover Yann Andréa as portrayed in Claire Simon's I WANT TO TALK ABOUT DURAS. https://animusmagazine.com/

20/07/2021

French director Emmanuel Finkiel talks to Elena Lazic about adapting Marguerite Duras for the big screen in MEMOIR OF WAR, a film which creatively uses voiceover to show the duality of its troubled character. From our July 2021 issue:

“She doesn’t just tell us a story, she tells us about a feeling”  A conversation with French director Emmanuel Finkiel about his film Memoir of War, adapted from a Marguerite Duras novel, wher…

20/07/2021

Straight from the Cannes Film Festival, Elena Lazic compares the patronising perspective of Chloé Zhao’s NOMADLAND with Emmanuel Carrère’s blistering attack on poverty p**n in BETWEEN TWO WORLDS. From our July issue:

Emmanuel Carrère’s Between Two Worlds offers a welcome corrective to the patronising poverty p**n of Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland  Chloé Zhao’s The Rider, which premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight…

20/07/2021

Caspar Salmon follows Nanni Moretti on his journey through Italy’s past in the footsteps of Pier Paolo Pasolini in DEAR DIARY. From our July 2021 issue:

The Italian director retraces Pier Paolo Pasolini’s final journey during a spellbinding long take in his breakthrough film Dear Diary  Extended sequences perform differently in different films…