Film review: ‘Asteroid City’ by Nick Gardener from ‘Built For Speed’

A screen drenched in pastel colours, oddly symmetrical compositions that recall childhood dioramas, zany off-kilter characters and obtuse dialogue, yes, it’s time for another Wes Anderson film. Some adore the droll humour, the oblique storylines, the monotone voices and the blank faces staring at the camera that typify his movies. Others, like myself, admire his visual artistry and maverick spirit

Read more

Film review: ‘THE FRENCH DISPATCH’ by Nick Gardener from ‘Built For Speed’

The name Wes Anderson has almost replaced the word ‘idiosyncratic’ in the dictionary, so distinctive is his filmmaking style.  With their meticulous framing, candy-coloured story book images and oddball, ‘fractured fairy-tale’ humour, Anderson’s films have carved out an indelible niche in modern cinema but also divided audiences.  Few could object to his films’ exquisite cinematography and art direction but for

Read more

Film review: THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, from Built For Speed

There are a few swinging voters like myself but It seems most people either love or hate Wes Anderson’s supremely quirky picture-postcard fantasies.  His latest film, The Grand Budapest Hotel, is such a fun ride, however, that it may even seduce the detractors. Like the antique dioramas Anderson often displays in his movies, this film reveals its story through several

Read more