Emily Maskell

Rivalry and romance bloom in Swedish-Georgian director Levan Akin’s captivating coming-of-age drama.

Spinning in dizzying circles of desire, Merab (Levan Gelbakhiani) repeatedly stumbles as he tries to land on his feet. The physically demanding steps of Georgian dance consume his every thought; it is only when the mesmerising Irakli (Bachi Valishvili) steps onto the dance floor that Merab snaps out of his daze. The two are opposites who slot together effortlessly; Merab’s sharp features compl...

From page to screen, André Aciman’s ‘Call Me by Your Name’ has captured the hearts of readers and filmgoers alike with its authentic characters and alluring narrative. Later this year, the Call Me by Your Name universe is set to expand with the release of Aciman’s sequel, ‘Find Me’...

Two brilliant new movies are giving the quiet teenage girl a long-awaited strength. Emily Maskell looks back on The Edge of Seventeen and Eighth Grade, celebrating the voices of the ones who usually hide.
There’s nothing like falling into bed after school and recounting all the nightmare-inducing interactions that have just been lived through. From mortifying conversations to cringe-worthy silences, all that remains is to contemplate: when will the memorable moments start happening in this mo...

With his tremendous new film And Then We Danced, director Levan Akin is responding to Tbilisi's yearning for progress – a dancing rebellion is marching forward, finds Emily Maskell
“I am weak for folk dance, all folk dance, but there is something so cinematic about Georgian dance.” Levan Akin means this wholeheartedly. The filmmaker’s coming-of-age film is set under the watchful eyes of the conservative values of Tbilisi, Georgia, as Merab (Levan Gelbakhiani) dances his heart out for a place ...

In the end credits of Proxima the names and images of mothers and their children are shown, family portraits where each of these women are kitted out in full astronaut gear. These brave women are the real-life individuals that Proxima honours. Through exploring Sarah Loreau’s (Eva Green) aspiration of leaving earth, while battling her role and responsibility as a mother to her young daughter, Proxima unites titles of mother and astronaut. Both roles are synonymous with venturing into the unkn...

Across just three features, Eliza Hittman has cemented herself as an incomparable presence in American independent cinema. Her young characters wrestle with intense feelings, and such heat manifests physically, too. Across It Felt Like Love, Beach Rats and Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Emily Maskell writes on Hittman’s tactile fascination and exploration of the human body, closing in on the details of our skin.

Sat opposite each other at a shared desk, Jane (Jeanette Maus) and Fiona (Sara Amini) hum along to the same tune. The camera fully circles them before Fiona looks down at her phone and her face drops. Minutes later, a body jumps from the top of the building.

Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) punches hard. Fists of pent up frustration fly with no regret as she takes on Black Mask (Ewan McGregor) and his Gotham goons. Harley narrates her story; having just split up with The Joker “for good”, she backtracks and introduces characters as and when she feels like it. Between tattooing her thigh, cutting her hair and looking after her pet hyena, Harley’s time is dedicated to reasserting her place in Gotham city.

The romcom is an oversaturated genre. New versions of the same story are released every week, and studios are constantly trying to modernise classic tropes: the meet-cute, a down-on-their-luck protagonist searching for salvation, the sweet male BFF. Hooking Up, streaming online now, aims to cut through this crowded marketplace, but fails to stand out from the competition.
Director Nico Raineau’s lightweight comedy follows Darla, a recovering sex addict, and Bailey, who goes to cancer support ...

The Quietus contributors were asked one simple question: which one film changed your life? In alphabetical order, from American Beauty to A Woman Under the Influence, behold the answers...

Boasting a stunning cast who adorne meticulously crafted garments, The Staggering Girl is director Luca Guadagnino’s venture into fashion collaboration. The pairing of the two Italians – Guadagnino and Valentino’s creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli – is a stylistic daydream. Guadagnino’s intimate camera and Piccioli’s elegant textiles fuse in this indulgently composed narrative of interiority.

★ ★ ★ ★
“An aching appreciation for this young man.”
Sauvage is a searing raw portrait of 22-year-old Leo (Félix Maritaud). Set in the streets of Strasbourg, his story of longing unravels itself explicitly in director Camille Vidal-Naquet’s debut feature. Sauvage frames this narrative of Leo as a male sex worker respectfully, as the character navigates money, drugs and love.
Leo is introduced naked as his body undergoes examination. He is poked and prodded until it becomes clear that this is ...

Late last year, Céline Sciamma’s BAFTA Screenwriting Lecture took place and with the incomparable beauty that is Portrait Of A Lady On Fire being released in the UK on February 28th, there’s no better time to revisit Sciamma’s wisdom.

“With all due respect, you don’t get to decide who is homophobic or not,” states Ferhan Kahn, a queer Muslim activist, who very calmly provides a counter to an anti-LGBTQ protest outside a Birmingham primary school. Though with a megaphone loudly pronouncing their homophobia, the group are persistent.

“Dolan’s vision of love and loss comes to life in the most earnestly heartfelt of ways.”
Returning with another majestic demonstration of youthfulness, romantic pining and a journey of self-awakening, Matthias & Maxime is a charming and witty display of affection from Xavier Dolan.
Childhood friends Matthias (Gabriel D’Almeida Freitas) and Maxime (Xavier Dolan) are life-long companions and truly inseparable. When they are asked to kiss for an expressionist/impressionist/abstract short film, n...