Film criticism thrives on discovery, and sometimes the best films are the ones readers bring to me.
For $5 AUD, you can request a critical review of any film of your choice, published on Scene by Green. Each review will be at least 500 words, and written in my usual analytical style.
I’ll do my best to source and watch the film myself, though if you have a suggestion on how to access it, that’s always helpful. If I’m unable to find a way to watch it, you’ll have the option to choose another film or receive a full refund.
Once confirmed, I’ll watch and review the commissioned film, and publish my review within one month.
You’re also welcome to include up to 100 words about why you chose the film or your own thoughts on it. I’ll feature your note alongside my review if you wish. Please also let me know whether or not you’d like to be credited by name as the commissioner.
Note: Commissioning a review does not guarantee any particular rating or verdict — every review will reflect my honest critical opinion.
Commissioned reviews
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Cobra Verde (1987)
Cobra Verde may not be as tightly focused as Werner Herzog’s grander masterpieces, yet in this grotesque nightmare of one bandit’s mission to revive Western Africa’s slave trade, it brutally exposes the barbaric machinery of empires built on the systemic commodification of suffering.
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Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)
For all the flaws that plague the Star Wars prequels, very few can detract from the operatic descent into darkness that Revenge of the Sith ushers in, seeing George Lucas embrace the melodrama, myth, and political allegory of his epic saga to craft its most tragic chapter.
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Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)
As a grown-up Anakin Skywalker begins to break beneath the weight of duty and desire in Attack of the Clones, George Lucas thoughtfully recaptures the mythic tension of the original Star War trilogy, exposing the corrosive, insidious decay that eats away at the heart of democracy’s heroes, institutions, and ideals.
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Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
George Lucas’ myth-making ambitions are undoubtedly bold in The Phantom Menace, serving as a visually and narratively uneven foundation to the darker chapters ahead, yet resolutely daring to ignite the slow-burning fuse of the Star Wars saga’s most tragic, fateful transformation.
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Penguin Bloom (2020)
Penguin Bloom’s bland adaptation of one paralysed athlete’s companionship with an injured magpie is far more a sentimental tribute than a cinematic portrait, edging towards inspiration through its overworked animal metaphor, yet never quite taking flight.