<h1>Darrel Manson</h1>

Darrel Manson

Posts by Darrel Manson:

Freud’s Last Session: Reason and Faith

Freud’s Last Session: Reason and Faith

Dec 21, 2023

“Things are only simple when you choose not to examine them.” September 3, 1939. Britain has declared war on Germany. The world is filled with fear and uncertainty. That is the setting for Matthew Brown’s Freud’s Final Session, in which we watch an imagined meeting...

The Boys in the Boat: Pulling together

The Boys in the Boat: Pulling together

Dec 19, 2023

“It’s not about you; it’s about the boat.” The most prevalent trope for sports film is overcoming adversity. The Boys in the Boat, directed by George Clooney, certainly fits that pattern. Based on the book by Daniel James Brown (adapted into a screenplay by Mark L....

The Missing: Recovering what was lost

The Missing: Recovering what was lost

Dec 19, 2023

As I watched Carl Joseph E. Papa’s animated film The Missing, I spent most of the first half writing down questions. That could be the sign of a sloppiness, but here it is the way we get pulled into the story so that in the second half of the film the story can slowly...

Rojek: Meet ISIS

Rojek: Meet ISIS

Dec 18, 2023

ISIS (or Daesh or the Islamic State) often seems like a monstrous evil. I’m not saying it isn’t, but it is made up of people. Rojek, from filmmaker Zaynê Akyol, gives us a chance to meet some of these people. They provide an interesting insight into the mindset that...

Shayda – Celebrating strong women

Shayda – Celebrating strong women

Dec 1, 2023

An Iranian woman and her daughter hope for a new life while in an Australian women’s shelter. Noora Niasari’s Shayda is a story about escaping fear and finding new beginnings. It is also a story about finding strength and confidence to buld that new life. Shayda is...

AFIFest: Perfect Days – Finding bliss

AFIFest: Perfect Days – Finding bliss

Nov 30, 2023

“Next time is next time. Now is now.” Those who have read many of my reviews will know that I have a special affinity for Ecclesiastes, a wisdom book in the Hebrew Scriptures. That book tells of the Teacher’s (aka Qoheleth) search for meaning in life. Films are never...