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Adore (2013) Review – Tides of Desire
In one sentence: Adore follows two lifelong friends who find their bond tested when each begins a secret affair with the other’s son, setting in motion a tangled web of love, loyalty and taboo desire. Cinema frequently explores forbidden love, but rarely with the ambiguous morality and emotional nuance found in Adore. The film challenges…
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Wuthering Heights (2026) Review – Style, Shock and Stormy Passion
In one sentence: In Emerald Fennell’s bold reimagining of Wuthering Heights, the fierce bond between Cathy and the brooding Heathcliff is tested by ambition, betrayal and the pull of social status on the Yorkshire moors. Emerald Fennell offers her own provocative take on Emily Brontë’s gothic classic, delivering a version that is visually bold, narratively…
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Master Cheng (2019) Review – A Slow Burn Served with Heart
In one sentence: When a widowed Chinese chef and his young son arrive in a quiet Finnish town searching for a mysterious contact, an unexpected kitchen partnership sparks healing, friendship and a gently unfolding love story. Not every film needs high stakes or dramatic twists to leave an impact. Master Cheng proves that a story…
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Titanic (1997) Review – The Gold Standard of Epic Cinema
In one sentence: Titanic follows a forbidden love between Jack and Rose, two young passengers from opposite worlds aboard the ill-fated ship. With Titanic’s long-standing Oscar nomination record recently surpassed by Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, I felt compelled to revisit James Cameron’s epic, particularly in the run-up to Valentine’s Day. Few films feel as synonymous with…
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Pillion (2025) Review – When Intimacy Defies Expectation
In one sentence: Pillion shows a shy, sheltered man who enters into a consensual dom/sub relationship with an aloof biker, forcing both characters and audience to confront uncomfortable questions about power, intimacy and choice. Queer romance has increasingly found space in mainstream cinema, which is both welcome and necessary. Pillion, adapted from Adam Mars-Jones’ novel…
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Permission (2017) Review – Testing the Boundaries of Commitment
In one sentence: Permission follows a long term couple who, on the brink of engagement, agree to explore other relationships, only to discover that freedom comes with unexpected consequences. How can you be sure your partner is the one? Permission confronts this question head on. Anna (Rebecca Hall) and Will (Dan Stevens) are a couple…
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Summer in February (2013) Review – When Art and Love Collide
In one sentence: Summer in February follows two close friends in pre WWI Cornwall whose bond is tested when a young woman enters their creative circle, igniting desire, rivalry and tragedy. Period British dramas were as popular as ever at the time Summer in February was released. Downton Abbey dominated television and Dan Stevens had…
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Maggie’s Plan (2015) Review – A Rom-Com That Knows Life Is Complicated
In one sentence: Maggie’s Plan follows a single woman determined to become a mother on her own, whose carefully laid plans unravel when she falls for a married academic. Romantic comedies often follow a familiar formula and can feel overly predictable. Too frequently, women are portrayed as waiting for a man to arrive before their…
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On Swift Horses (2025) Review – When Longing Outpaces Action
In one sentence: On Swift Horses is a post-war American drama following Muriel and Julius as they navigate repression, risk, and emotional longing in the aftermath of the Korean War. Based on the book by Shannon Pufahl, On Swift Horses brings together some of the most talked-about actors of the moment in a quiet, beautifully…
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A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (2025) Review – A Magical Detour into Self-Reflection
In one sentence: A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is a magical realism film that follows a couple on an unexpected road of reflection and self-discovery. What would you say if your GPS asked whether you wanted to go on a big, bold, beautiful journey? Sarah (Margot Robbie) and David (Colin Farrell) say yes, catapulting both…
Rhiann’s Reels 