Jonathan Romney

All articles by Jonathan Romney

Festivals

The History of Sound: Desire is more studied than felt in this timid romantic drama

Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor’s tale of gay love and folk music set in early 20th-century America is handsomely made but lacks emotional intensity.

By Jonathan Romney

The History of Sound: Desire is more studied than felt in this timid romantic drama

Reviews

When the Light Breaks: sadness simmers beneath the surface in this quietly affecting Icelandic drama

By Jonathan Romney

When the Light Breaks: sadness simmers beneath the surface in this quietly affecting Icelandic drama

Reviews

The End: bunker-bound billionaires make a song and dance of the apocalypse

By Jonathan Romney

The End: bunker-bound billionaires make a song and dance of the apocalypse

Interviews

“We use virgin olive oil, and oil the eye”: the Quay brothers on the method behind their uncanny worlds

By Jonathan Romney

“We use virgin olive oil, and oil the eye”: the Quay brothers on the method behind their uncanny worlds

Features

2024: the year in late style

By Jonathan Romney

2024: the year in late style

Reviews

Sky Peals: Faraz Ayub is alienation embodied in this ghostly British service station sci-fi

By Jonathan Romney

Sky Peals: Faraz Ayub is alienation embodied in this ghostly British service station sci-fi

Obituaries

Anouk Aimée obituary: French New Wave embodiment of sophisticated romance

By Jonathan Romney

Anouk Aimée obituary: French New Wave embodiment of sophisticated romance

From the Sight and Sound archive

Inside Out: tales of ordinary sadness

By Jonathan Romney

Inside Out: tales of ordinary sadness

Interviews

“Neorealism is part of our DNA as Italians”: Paola Cortellesi on There's Still Tomorrow

By Jonathan Romney

“Neorealism is part of our DNA as Italians”: Paola Cortellesi on There's Still Tomorrow

Reviews

The Fall Guy: a witty, action-packed tribute to stunt performers

By Jonathan Romney

The Fall Guy: a witty, action-packed tribute to stunt performers

Features

Conflict zone: on Jonathan Glazer’s Oscars speech

By Jonathan Romney

Conflict zone: on Jonathan Glazer’s Oscars speech

Reviews

The New Boy: realism is undercut by magic in Warwick Thornton’s Outback fable

By Jonathan Romney

The New Boy: realism is undercut by magic in Warwick Thornton’s Outback fable

Reviews

Four Daughters: the facts and fictions of a Tunisian family’s history blur in this fascinating hybrid documentary

By Jonathan Romney

Four Daughters: the facts and fictions of a Tunisian family’s history blur in this fascinating hybrid documentary

Festivals

Pepe: Pablo Escobar’s philosophical hippo takes viewers on a radically inventive journey

By Jonathan Romney

Pepe: Pablo Escobar’s philosophical hippo takes viewers on a radically inventive journey

Reviews

Napoleon: Ridley Scott’s confident biopic confirms his own status as a cinematic general

By Jonathan Romney

Napoleon: Ridley Scott’s confident biopic confirms his own status as a cinematic general

3 to see

3 to see at LFF: French films

By Jonathan Romney

3 to see at LFF: French films

Reviews

Paris Memories: an ambitious but flawed drama

By Jonathan Romney

Paris Memories: an ambitious but flawed drama

Reviews

Oppenheimer: Nolan’s dazzling expressionistic flourishes bring this sombre chamber drama to life

By Jonathan Romney

Oppenheimer: Nolan’s dazzling expressionistic flourishes bring this sombre chamber drama to life

Reviews

Pamfir: an otherworldly Ukrainian gangster movie

By Jonathan Romney

Pamfir: an otherworldly Ukrainian gangster movie

From the Sight and Sound archive

The first slacker film noir: The Big Lebowski reviewed in 1998

By Jonathan Romney

The first slacker film noir: The Big Lebowski reviewed in 1998

Festivals

Le formiche di Mida: an eccentric essay in Marxist animism

By Jonathan Romney

Le formiche di Mida: an eccentric essay in Marxist animism

Festivals

Thiiird: this portrait of an elderly Beirut mechanic is rich, strange and profound

By Jonathan Romney

Thiiird: this portrait of an elderly Beirut mechanic is rich, strange and profound

Festivals

Luka: an airless, hermetic slice of black-and-white Europudding

By Jonathan Romney

Luka: an airless, hermetic slice of black-and-white Europudding

Reviews

January: a Beckettian Bulgarian chamber piece

By Jonathan Romney

January: a Beckettian Bulgarian chamber piece

Reviews

The Fabelmans: Spielberg’s candid autofiction is disappointingly schematic

By Jonathan Romney

The Fabelmans: Spielberg’s candid autofiction is disappointingly schematic

Festivals

The Kiev Trial: another chilling war-crimes documentary from Sergei Loznitsa

By Jonathan Romney

The Kiev Trial: another chilling war-crimes documentary from Sergei Loznitsa

What to watch at LFF

Nezouh: a dreamy picture of life under siege

By Jonathan Romney

Nezouh: a dreamy picture of life under siege

Features

Ukrainian cinema in focus

By Jonathan Romney

Ukrainian cinema in focus

What to watch at LFF

What to watch at LFF: French cinema’s new generation

By Jonathan Romney

What to watch at LFF: French cinema’s new generation

Reviews

Flux Gourmet: Peter Strickland’s latest slice of fanciful formalism

By Jonathan Romney

Flux Gourmet: Peter Strickland’s latest slice of fanciful formalism