OBJECTS OF DESIRE

Emily

Dir. Frances O’Connor

A part-fictionalised version of the life of English writer Emily Brontë tells of her yearning for artistic and personal freedom.

AT BEST: “A film brimming with warmth, heart and intelligence.’ — Brian Viner, Daily Mail

AT WORST: “I just don’t think the story does the writer justice, or goes in any particularly interesting places.” — James Luxford, BBC

Full Time

Dir. Eric Gravel

A panic-fuelled portrait of a woman struggling to juggle motherhood and a job that isn’t paying enough to free her from debt.

AT BEST: “A breathless masterclass in execution, this is cinema at its finest.” — Dallas King, Flick Feast

AT WORST: “It’s a propulsively intense piece of filmmaking, at times a bit like watching a highwire chainsaw juggling act.” — Wendy Ide, Screen International

The Blue Caftan

Dir. Maryam Touzani

A talented apprentice breathes new life into a traditional caftan store in one of Morocco’s oldest medinas.

AT BEST: “The auteur crafts a surprisingly warm story that subverts expectations at almost every turn.” — Christian Zilko, indieWire

AT WORST: “Has nothing but the best of intentions, though, that’s about all it really has going for it.” — Paul Attard, In Review

A Radiant Girl

Dir. Sandrine Kiberlain

Coming-of-age drama set in Paris in 1942 in which the carefree nature of an aspiring actress is checked by the Nazi occupation of her city.

AT BEST: “A masterfully assembled coming-of-age that falls in love, enchants, unsettles, and breaks your heart.” — Ricardo Gallegos, La Estatuilla

AT WORST: “The film gets bogged down in backstage discussion of a sort that can too easily feel alienating to audiences.” — Jonathan Romney, Screen International

Deepti Kapoor’s Age of Vice is an action-packed story of seductive wealth, startling corruption, and bloodthirsty violence. “Deeply addictive; this spellbinder would be easy to devour in one big gulp, but it’s worth savouring… The author possesses a talent great enough to match the massive scope of her subject,” writes Publishers Weekly. Says Booklist: “Kapoor spins a dizzying ride. Weaving the backstories of Ajay, Neha, and Sunny together, Kapoor’s frenetic and colourful novel highlights the new global pecking order… But as this gripping tale shows, even the weakest deserve one last gasp of dignity.” Good Housekeeping calls it, “A complex, gaspinducing drama that accelerates to an explosive ending,” while Kirkus hails it as, “A whole lot of fun. It doesn’t take long for the reader to become invested in the Mario Puzo–esque drama of the Wadia family and their associates.”

A woman who struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others finds herself caught in a web of deception when she finds a dead body in the hotel where she works. That’s the premise of Nita Prose’s The Maid, a cosy mystery that The New York Times calls “Charming, eccentric.” Booklist is equally smitten: “Captivating, charming, and heart-warming, with deft writing and a clever, original plot, this unusual crime novel will leave readers with a warm glow.” The master of horror, Stephen King writes that The Maid is both, “Excellent and totally entertaining,” with what is “The most interesting (and endearing) main character in a long time.” Another author, Ashley Audrain, hails it as, “A masterful, charming mystery that will touch your heart in ways you could never expect. The endearing, unforgettable Molly reminds us to challenge our assumptions about one another, and shows us how meaningful it is to feel truly seen in the world.” In Decolinization, a trio of authors hail unsung heroes of Africa and Asia who refused to accept subjugation from Europeans. “An eye-opening collection of stories, portraits, and images that powerfully capture the resilience and courage of the women and men who resisted colonialism over two hundred years. A timely intervention and a page-turning read,” says fellow author Robert Gildea.

“The authors of Decolonization unpack and reimagine what is often written about the end of European empires. The book mirrors the very creativity, dynamism, and unpredictability of its subjects — the men and women who endured colonialism and fought for independence. Global in scope, but deeply personal in content, Decolonization is guaranteed to provoke and inspire its readers to think anew about the making of the postcolonial world,” says writer J. P. Daughton, while Afrique Magazine sums it up succinctly: “Striking. This panorama inverts the focus to recount from the point of view of the colonized 150 years of struggle against the subjugation of Africa and Asia.”