Philippa's blog

  As a HUGE Xavier Dolan fan, with Mommy being one of my favourite films of all time, I was super excited when Mubi added his latest release, Matthias and Maxime, to their feed. Dolan stars, writes and directs Matthias and Maxime (2019), a film   about two childhood best friends, Matthias (Gabriel D’Almeida Freitas) and Maxime (Dolan), who are asked to kiss for a student short film which rekindles suppressed feelings. The film starts slow, not a quick acting romance story, but a slow burn which is at sometimes painful and frustrating, but it is more realistic and tender than the typical romantic flick. While slow, the payoff is worth it in the final act which provides an invigorating finish after a film that was previously filled with pent up emotions from both Matthias and Maxime. The film is clique at points and features some eye roll worthy tropes that are over done in some films, but Dolan translated them uniquely in his own style, making the tropes feel less tiresom...

Rocks is an original coming of age film that reeks of authenticity. The film, released in 2019 and directed by Sarah Gavron (director of Suffragette, 2015) surrounds the story of Olushola Omotoso (Bukky Bakray), known as Rocks. Rocks is a black British teenage girl whose mother abandons her and her younger brother, Emmanuel (D’angelou Osei Kissiedu), leaving Rocks to take care of herself and her brother alone, all while juggling schoolwork and friendships. One of the most endearing part of the film is the cast. With a majority teenaged ensemble cast, the performances are all impressive with not one poor performance. Bukky Bakray as Rocks stands out with her raw, authentic performance and the dynamics that she portrays between Rocks and her brother, Emmanuel (D’angelou Osei Kissiedu) and best friend, Sumaya (Kosar Ali). A film with such a real, raw, and heartbreaking storyline that is the reality for many people, runs the risk of seeming exploitive, but the film is completely authenti...