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cynicalfilm.bsky.social
Philip Bagnall
@cynicalfilm.bsky.social
240 followers 78 following 310 posts
Film critic. Contributor to Scannain, Loud and Clear Reviews, HeadStuff, Next Best Picture, FILMHOUNDS, The 250 Podcast. So very tired. Contact: [email protected] Portfolio: https://www.cynicalfilm.com/
www.cynicalfilm.com
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cynicalfilm.bsky.social
Philip Bagnall @cynicalfilm.bsky.social · May 26
I saw 38 films at this year's #Cannes Film Festival, and wrote about quite a number of them. Here is a thread of my reviews:
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Reposted by Philip Bagnall
loudandclearrvs.bsky.social
Loud and Clear Reviews @loudandclearrvs.bsky.social · 2d
"The directors are always playful, but they’ve never been this *fun*."

Read @cynicalfilm.bsky.social's review of Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani's REFLECTION IN A DEAD DIAMOND and don't miss it at the BFI London Film Festival next week! 😍

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#LFF

loudandclearreviews.com/reflection-d...
Reflection in a Dead Diamond Review: A Fun Gem
Reflection in a Dead Diamond is Cattet and Forzani’s most dynamic and fun film yet, spoofing and honouring the many genres the writers-directors love.
loudandclearreviews.com
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cynicalfilm.bsky.social
Philip Bagnall @cynicalfilm.bsky.social · 2d
It's SENTIMENTAL VALUE day at #LFF2025! The best film of the year deserves all the praise, and as wide an audience as possible.

My review for @loudandclearrvs.bsky.social: loudandclearreviews.com/sentimental-...
Sentimental Value Review: Dad’s Girls on Film
Joachim Trier delivers another portrait of modern familial angst with honesty and self-awareness in Cannes highlight Sentimental Value.
loudandclearreviews.com
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cynicalfilm.bsky.social
Philip Bagnall @cynicalfilm.bsky.social · 3d
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cynicalfilm.bsky.social
Philip Bagnall @cynicalfilm.bsky.social · 5d
Especially when last year’s booking system worked quite smoothly. It doesn’t help that screenings and booking times are overlapping, and all in a venue which isn’t designed for these crowds
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cynicalfilm.bsky.social
Philip Bagnall @cynicalfilm.bsky.social · 5d
9 months? Shall we try to make it a year this time? 😂
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cynicalfilm.bsky.social
Philip Bagnall @cynicalfilm.bsky.social · 6d
I have ONE spare ticket for each of these #LFF screenings, available at cost price:
- MIROIRS NO. 3, 10th October, Curzon Mayfair, 20:50
- HAMNET, 13th October, Royal Festival Hall, 11:15

@lffstubs.bsky.social
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Reposted by Philip Bagnall
loudandclearrvs.bsky.social
Loud and Clear Reviews @loudandclearrvs.bsky.social · 7d
"Magellan may be one of the most visually striking films of the year, but it looks more urgent than it actually is."

Gael García Bernal plays the titular character in Lav Diaz's MAGELLAN (Magalhães)!

Read @cynicalfilm.bsky.social's review from the BFI London Film Festival!

#LavDiaz #LFF #LFF2025
Magellan Film Review: Beautiful But Slow Voyage
Lav Diaz’s Magellan showcases beautiful landscapes, but the colonial critique drags under its director’s artistic temperament.
loudandclearreviews.com
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cynicalfilm.bsky.social
Philip Bagnall @cynicalfilm.bsky.social · 12d
Nice! Been meaning to catch up with this one for years
Reposted by Philip Bagnall
loudandclearrvs.bsky.social
Loud and Clear Reviews @loudandclearrvs.bsky.social · 18d
Who's excited about the BFI London Film Festival? 😍

We made a list of 35 movies to watch at #LFF this year!

Read @bethanylola.bsky.social, @danielallen.bsky.social, @cynicalfilm.bsky.social, @serenaseghedoni.bsky.social and @willstot94.bsky.social's recommendations! 🔥
BFI London Film Festival 2025: 35 Movies to Watch
In our list of movies to watch at the 2025 BFI London Film Festival, we recommend 35 films to see at LFF, from world premieres to hidden gems!
loudandclearreviews.com
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cynicalfilm.bsky.social
Philip Bagnall @cynicalfilm.bsky.social · 20d
Once upon a time, rawly political and energized films were a dime a dozen in American cinema. Paul Thomas Anderson chooses a none-more-apt time to tap that vein in the brazen, batshit, brilliant ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER.

In cinemas Friday. SEE IT.
My review: headstuff.org/entertainmen...
One Battle After Another movie review | Paul Thomas Anderson masterfully reckons with This American Moment - HeadStuff
Philip Bagnall says its been a while since he's seen something as angry as PTA's One Battle After Another in the mainstream.
headstuff.org
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cynicalfilm.bsky.social
Philip Bagnall @cynicalfilm.bsky.social · 20d
R.I.P. Claudia Cardinale. Jill in Once Upon A Time In The West remains one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen in a film.
cynicalfilm.bsky.social
Philip Bagnall @cynicalfilm.bsky.social · 23d
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Reposted by Philip Bagnall
raijimmaru.bsky.social
Neil Young @raijimmaru.bsky.social · 25d
RIP Sergio Salvati (1934-2025) who shot this:
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cynicalfilm.bsky.social
Philip Bagnall @cynicalfilm.bsky.social · 27d
Ahead of the release of ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER, I joined The 250 podcast to discuss one of PTA’s masterpieces.

Listen to our chat about THERE WILL BE BLOOD:
them0vieblog.com/2025/09/13/4...
436. There Will Be Blood (#142)
Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood, with Darcie Faccio and Phil Bagnall. At time of recording, the film was ranked 142nd on the list of best movies of all time on the Internet Movie D…
them0vieblog.com
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cynicalfilm.bsky.social
Philip Bagnall @cynicalfilm.bsky.social · 27d
Any writer using ChatGPT in any aspect of their writing is a fraud and should be ashamed of themselves. You write or you don't; there is no middle ground for machines to fill.

Any Business Insider subscribers/customers would do well to take their business outside.
oliverdarcy.bsky.social
Oliver Darcy @oliverdarcy.bsky.social · 28d
Scoop: Business Insider informed its staff this week that they are allowed to use ChatGPT to generate first drafts of their stories, while also indicating the newsroom will not disclose such A.I. use to readers.

Details in @status.news: www.status.news/p/business-i...
Business Insider and the Bots
The Axel Springer-owned newsroom is buzzing over new ChatGPT writing guidelines—part of an aggressive A.I. strategy pushed by its German parentco and detailed in a memo obtained by Status.
www.status.news
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cynicalfilm.bsky.social
Philip Bagnall @cynicalfilm.bsky.social · 28d
Another big loss to criticism. Support Alan and other recently canned writers however you can.
sepinwall.bsky.social
Alan Sepinwall @sepinwall.bsky.social · 28d
Some news: yesterday was my last at Rolling Stone. For now, I'm going solo, doing all my TV reviewing, recapping, etc., at my newsletter. I hope you'll consider subscribing. Many more details here:
Don't stop believing
Some news, as they say
alansepinwall.ghost.io
cynicalfilm.bsky.social
Philip Bagnall @cynicalfilm.bsky.social · 28d
Few names in the film industry were as titanic as Robert Redford. As an actor, director, producer, and founder of the Sundance festival, he did more for American cinema than most any of his contemporaries. A legacy to be cherished. R.I.P.
a man with a mustache is wearing a hat and a suit .
ALT: a man with a mustache is wearing a hat and a suit .
media.tenor.com
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Reposted by Philip Bagnall
loudandclearrvs.bsky.social
Loud and Clear Reviews @loudandclearrvs.bsky.social · 29d
Billy Zane gives a transformative turn in WALTZING WITH BRANDO, but the film can’t find much new to say about the legendary Hollywood firebrand.

Read @cynicalfilm.bsky.social's review and watch it in theaters this Friday!

#WaltzingWithBrando #BillyZane

loudandclearreviews.com/waltzing-wit...
Waltzing With Brando Review: On The Beachfront
Despite Billy Zane’s transformative turn, Waltzing With Brando can’t find much new to say about the legendary Hollywood firebrand.
loudandclearreviews.com
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cynicalfilm.bsky.social
Philip Bagnall @cynicalfilm.bsky.social · Sep 11
Never used Spotify, and I ain’t starting now. The image below is from their latest terms and conditions.

#FuckAI #DeleteSpotify #BuyPhysicalMedia
Reposted by Philip Bagnall
serenaseghedoni.bsky.social
Serena Seghedoni @serenaseghedoni.bsky.social · Sep 7
I love to see this quote from @cynicalfilm.bsky.social's review in the trailer for LEFT-HANDED GIRL 🥰

Review 👉 t.ly/_mYNk

@loudandclearrvs.bsky.social
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cynicalfilm.bsky.social
Philip Bagnall @cynicalfilm.bsky.social · Sep 5
MEGALOPOLIS has confounded most every critic out there (me included), and following its box-office catastrophe, it's now streaming on Mubi. Cult classic status (probably) awaits.

My @loudandclearrvs.bsky.social review from Cannes last year: loudandclearreviews.com/megalopolis-...
Megalopolis Film Review: Coppola’s Grand Folly
Francis Ford Coppola’s self-made epic Megalopolis is big, brassy and dreadfully indulgent. Years of cult fandom and overanalysis await.
loudandclearreviews.com
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cynicalfilm.bsky.social
Philip Bagnall @cynicalfilm.bsky.social · Sep 5
Spike Lee's HIGHEST 2 LOWEST hits U.K. cinemas today. Instead of aping Kurosawa, Lee examines his own career. There's still life in the old dog, even as young pretenders stake a claim on their slice of the pie.

My @loudandclearrvs.bsky.social review: loudandclearreviews.com/highest-2-lo...
Highest 2 Lowest Review: Spike Does Kurosawa
In adapting one of Kurosawa’s finest films, Highest 2 Lowest sees Spike Lee at his most introspective and fun. A$AP Rocky steals the show.
loudandclearreviews.com
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cynicalfilm.bsky.social
Philip Bagnall @cynicalfilm.bsky.social · Sep 5
That’s my review quoted at the 1:32 mark!

Read it here: loudandclearreviews.com/left-handed-...
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cynicalfilm.bsky.social
Philip Bagnall @cynicalfilm.bsky.social · Sep 4
CAPOTE is now available in a handsome hardback Dual Format edition (DVD/Blu-Ray), from @altitudefilms.bsky.social amzn.eu/d/8q4V3J3
Capote [DVD & Blu-Ray Mediabook] Limited Edition: Amazon.co.uk: Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Clifton Collins Jnr, Chris Cooper, Bennett Miller, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener:...
Buy Capote [DVD & Blu-Ray Mediabook] Limited Edition from Amazon's Movies Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
amzn.eu
cynicalfilm.bsky.social
Philip Bagnall @cynicalfilm.bsky.social · Sep 4
CAPOTE premiered 20 years ago this week. On a rewatch, it retains a bite that its biopic contemporaries lacked, helped in no small part by Philip Seymour Hoffman’s magnificence.

I wrote about Bennett Miller’s film for @headstuff.bsky.social: headstuff.org/entertainmen...
A Writer’s Pride Leads To Hoffman’s Height | Capote at 20 - HeadStuff
Celebrating Capote at 20, Philip Bagnall argues that the drama starring Philip Seymour Hoffman's still stands out among comparable biopics.
headstuff.org
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