COVID-19 Special: 'Rose Island' (15)

Director: Sydney Sibilia

Cast: Elio Germano, Matilda De Angelis, Tom Wlaschiha

Where can I watch?: Rose Island is streaming on Netflix.

Rating: 5/5

Review: Everything is a bit rubbish at the moment; every time you turn on the news, something dire is happening, and these long, dark, cold evenings aren't exactly food for the soul. I was feeling a bit glum when bae suggested Rose Island (or L'incredibile storia dell'Isola delle Rose, to give the film it's Italian title) as the evening's viewing, and I was initially unenthusiastic at the prospect of watching a light-hearted movie about an Italian idealist who decided to build his very own island in international waters in a bid to create a place that was truly free (and maybe to win over a girl as well). However, what we discovered was an absolute gem of a film that's heart-warming and cheering in equal measure. Characterised by quirky yet wholly believable characters, some genuine laugh-out-loud lines (I challenge you to find a funnier ministerial meeting!) and even a couple of moments of beautiful humanity, Sydney Sibilia's movie is gently warming, sort of like slipping into a warm bath. Uncynical in its humour and unashamedly optimistic, Rose Island takes you away from the reality of another night sitting on your sofa to a sun-baked, really quite ludicrous platform positioned about six miles from the Italian shore. Just don't call it a 'disco island'.

A COVID-19 Must-Watch?: Quite simply, yes. It's quirky, it's charming, it's funny and thought-provoking, and it's so bizarre a story that it could only be true. Incredibly good-natured and peppered with likeable characters, Rose Island is an enchanting little oddity that's simply a must for days like these.

Comments

'Mary Queen of Scots' (15)

**** Arriving on the shores of Scotland, Mary Stuart moves to reclaim her title and her position as Queen. A Catholic and with a claim to the throne of England, she immediately poses a threat to Queen Elizabeth, a Protestant and the last of the House of Tudor. The relationship between Mary Stuart and Elizabeth Tudor is one that has fascinated historians and artists alike for centuries. In a history that's dominated by male sovereigns, Mary and Elizabeth ruled alongside each other until Elizabeth had her cousin executed - surely that means that the two hated each other? In his play which premiered in 1800, Friedrich Schiller portrays Mary's last days, and the fraught relationship between the two women - one that is far from the 'black and white' dynamic that you might expect. Since then, numerous historians have revisited this momentous moment and dissected the connection between the two. One such biography is John Guy's Queen of Scots: The True Life

'Riders of Justice' (15)

Director: Anders Thomas Jensen Cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Andrea Heick Gadeberg, Lars Brygmann, Nicholas Bro Where can I watch?: Riders of Justice is in cinemas now Rating: 4/5 Review: There are some films that defy categorisation. For example, from watching the trailer for Riders of Justice, you might assume it to be some form of action comedy with a healthy dose of violence thrown in for good measure. However, Riders of Justice is actually far more complex than that, tackling themes of masculinity, mental health and even the existential alongside the occasional shoot out and grisly murder. At first, it appears to be about revenge - Mads Mikkelsen (looking particularly brutish) returns from a tour following the death of his wife in rail accident that could well be connected with a violent gang. Or was it all merely coincidence? Uncommunicative and unrelenting in his refusal to undertake therapy, Mikkelsen's Markus represents the archetypal army man - silent,

'Jojo Rabbit' (12A)

***** Stuck at home after injuring himself at a Hitler Youth weekend, Jojo discovers that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their house. The words 'comedy' and 'Nazis' are hardly bedfellows, and yet director/screenwriter Taika Waititi has somehow created a film that features both. Without doubt, it's a highly controversial movie, with Joker levels of division already popping up across the internet - even I have to admit that laughing at the opening montage in which a young boy practises his 'Heil, Hitler' felt quite uncomfortable - but I'd argue that this charming little oddity is probably the film we all need right now. Cards on the table - the film never laughs at the atrocities the Nazis committed. In fact, we see the world through Jojo's (delightful newcomer Roman Griffin Davis) eyes - a crazy, confusing place that's made all the more bizarre by the presence of his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi). Dubbed

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