This is a striking stylised dramatisation of the young Beat Generation icon Allen Ginsberg, focusing particularly on the infamous 1957 obscenity trial of his seminal work ‘Howl’ during the tail end of McCarthyism. While the performances from all involved are excellent and the story an intriguing one it is the visual cool of this film that lingers longest.
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KUNDUN (1998)
Certification12 Our Rating
Forget that this is a Scorsese movie, 'cos there's not a gangster or a grifter in sight. Stunningly shot, this is the visually breathtaking account of the early life of the 14th Dalai Lama, starting with his discovery by Buddhist monks in the northern Tibet of 1935. Meticulously detailed but well-paced, it's a rich, riveting movie with a powerfully haunting soundtrack from Philip Glass.
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LET'S GET LOST (1988)
Certification15 Our Rating
Winner of an Oscar for "Best Documentary", this film (beautifully shot in black and white) recaptures the life and music of the late, great jazz trumpeter Chet Baker. The founder of the Californian school of "Cool Jazz" this film is in itself remarkably cool and stylish.
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MY LEFT FOOT (1988)
Certification15 Our Rating
Christy Brown was an Irish cerebal palsy victim who overcame his severe handicap to become a talented painter and author with just the use of his left foot. Daniel Day Lewis is totally and utterly convincing as Brown - using method acting he became Brown and his thoroughness makes the film a great one.
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TESTIMONY (1988)
CertificationE Our Rating
An award-winning and arty biopic, adapted from his memoirs, of the great composer Dmitri Shostakovich, focusing on the period between the 30s and 60s and his deeply ambivalent relationship with Stalin. Worthy and with a resonant cinematic understanding of Shostakovich's opuses.
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