SOPHISTICULTURE
Umnia El-Neil
Umnia El-Neil is a British-Sudanese culture opinion writer and Shonda Rhimes TGIT Graduate.
Watchlists
Flying Fare: TO to DUB to LDN
Anyone but You A modern Shakespeare adaptation? Yes. A modern rom-com alluding to Zillenial malaise in late-stage capitalism? Yes. One of my least favorite characters that either lead has played? Yes. Too corny for my current taste? Yes. A good try, but nothing to write about beyond being a little
Reviews
Pedro Páramo
Famed Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto has made his feature debut, adapting ‘Pedro Páramo’, a story that influenced Gabriel García Márquez and Magical Realism. I have a hard time keeping track of characters in Magical Realist stories, and the film was no exception — in its fidelity to the source material, it left
Reviews
‘The Substance’: Misogyny Metastasises
Do not see this film if you cannot watch Body Horror or Gore. This is not a mild movie - there is more gore, guts, blood and mess than there is dialogue. Please, please, please, don’t see it if you can’t handle that. This is a film about
‘The Life of Chuck’ - time is the essence.
Time to start watching shows with my hands covering my eyes, I guess. Many a friend has opined their love for Mike Flanagan, and I couldn’t wait to watch ‘The Life of Chuck’ to get even just a sippy cup of a taste of his genius, and reader — he
Reviews
The Wild Robot
Fink. Fink, I hated you Fink. For a good chunk, my guy. ‘The Wild Robot’ has a stacked but ultimately successfully completed mandate - adapt a book, and in turn, marry together the twin causes of Climate Change and Technology being able to save the world, provide the message in
Reviews
The Luckiest Man in America: Comfort Cinema
The entire film revolves around a TV studio — which you would expect to get very tiring very quickly, were it not for the fantastic talents of Director Samir Oliveros and Cinematographer Pablo Lozano, who keep movement and pace going with the most ecstatic effect. The performances from all figures were
Reviews
Pimpinero: A Bloody Twist
I must admit, I did not think there was a darker story hiding beneath the opening act of Pimpinero — I thought, uncharitably, that I was witnessing the crowning of a new, gritty Amazon franchise to rival ‘The Fast and the Furious’, or ‘Narcos’. Soon, it became evident that was not
Reviews
Babygirl.
The premise is rather simple - an older CEO, played by Nicole Kidman, soon finds out that one of the new Interns (Harris Dickinson) can tame dogs with a stern hand — which is code for ‘He’s a Dom’. They start an affair - Miss CEO, real name Romy, wants
Reviews
Saturday Night: The most ‘film’ of the year
As I entered the Press Screening, a TIFF Volunteer struck up a conversation with me - she lobbied to work this shift, to work this very screening, and would stand through the entire thing, just to see the film. There were murmurs on the street that it would be People’
SOPHISTICULTURE
The Inclusionary Politics of Taylor Swift (ft. Celeste) | SOPHISTICULTURE S02E02
Reviews
Sudan, Remember Us: Loving and Leaving
In one of the best films at the festival, ‘Sudan, Remember Us’ brings to the western consciousness the question of Sudanese sovereignty in a world intent on keeping the land’s people dispossessed and removed. Through poetry, painting, remembering and a lot of song, people can learn of the strength