Nicecore-palooza

by Cláudio Alves

Upon the US release of Paddington 2 in 2018, film critic David Ehrlich wrote about a new age of optimistic movies. He called this phenomenon, nice core. They were films that emerged in the era of Trump and Brexit, little rays of celluloid sunshine that celebrated the power of kindness and the wonder of humanity from filmmakers living in an increasingly cruel world. If you're looking for formalistic vanguard or challenging experiences, you won't find it in this type of cinema, though that doesn't have to be necessarily bad. Art of modest ambition whose main purpose is comfort shouldn't be undervalued.

One could almost say that, when ironic detachment becomes standard, the exaltation of sincere cinema can be a radical gesture…

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Lunchtime Poll: Which Beatles song could you never forget?

This week's new titles on DVD or Blu-Ray are the remake of Child's Play (reviewed), the critically lambasted three generations of Shaft, Luc Besson's latest action flick Anna, and one of the year's true sleeper hits, Danny Boyle's Yesterday. In a freak occurence a failed songwriter (Himesh Patel) wakes up to discover that The Beatles have never existed. He's the only one who remembers their music so he starts passing off their songs as his own and skyrockets to fame. Did you see it? Did you love it, loathe it, or fall somewhere inbetween (*raises own hand*)? Either way there's surely a Beatles song you couldn't ever live without, even if you had to make do with a cover version.

Today's Lunchtime Poll: Which Beatles song is most burned into your memory and which is your favourite?