Jasmine Valentine

On the evening of my 28th birthday, I received a paper mask of Cate Blanchett’s face. It worked like a charm for taking the sting out of missing her at the London Critics Awards the next day—something I mercilessly relayed to my friends who managed to see her. Soon after I received it, I started to feel like this was a part of something larger. It wasn’t until everyone and their dog had told me they were going to see Cate’s latest Oscar-nominated feature Tár, and afterward their thoughts, tha...

Jasmine Valentine
Jasmine Valentine
3 February 2023·3-min read

Watch: Antonio Banderas on the importance of fighting typecasting

Puss In Boots: The Last Wish star Antonio Banderas says it’s “very important” for kids to see diverse heroes on screen, after warnings of being typecast when his career launched in the US.

Known for his roles in The Mask of Zorro, Desperado, and Spy Kids, Banderas says Puss In Boots could be the Spanish hero that many generations didn’t get to see.

“When I arrived in America in 1990, I did a movie called The Mambo Kings,” Banderas tells Yahoo as the Shrek spin-of

Words by Jasmine Valentine
13 years ago, director James Cameron changed the face of cinema for good. Taking audiences to the fictional biosphere of Pandora, Avatar’s never-before-seen CGI and performance capture technology paved the way for it to become the highest-grossing film of all time.
Following the story of paraplegic marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), viewers fell in love with his permanent transition into avatar form — largely thanks to the many creatures, flora, and breathtaking v...

Watch: Lily James and Shazad Latif talk to Yahoo about What’s Love Got To Do With It?

Lily James and Shazad Latif, the stars of new British rom-com What’s Love Got To Do With It?, have nothing but love for each other, saying their romantic scenes together were the best they've ever been in.

Strange World star Jake Gyllenhaal said he was instantly taken with the film’s story when Disney pitched it to him.

“I wanted to know what it was about [first]. That was important for me. It always is, no matter how extraordinary the company, or the group of talent.

"Sometimes with these stories, you just don’t connect with them. And then when I was pitched this story I was like, I was so moved.

The Wachowskis’ 1996 neo-noir starring Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly is an enduring, subversive romance.

This month we're joined by guest film critics Jasmine Valentine and Paul Klein to talk about new releases, Tori and Lokita, Corsage and the re-release of Fanny and Alexander. The pair also talk about some of their favourite Christmas movies! If you'd like to send us a voice memo for use in a future episode, please email podcast@picturehouses.co.uk.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Follow us on Spotify.

Anne Hathaway stars in an uneven take on Ottessa Moshfegh’s novel that swaps soft-centred lust for a clumsy criminal affair
Before director William Oldroyd’s new take on ostracised women, Eileen, there was Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara in Carol, a film that seemingly paved the way for a new sub-genre of sapphic cinema. At first glance, Eileen should neatly fall into place behind its predecessor – an eponymous title, an older woman with a selectively hidden past, a young ingénue who’s only to...

As Gen Z might say, Infinity Pool leaves no crumbs in its wake, charging ahead with a vision all its own to confidently sell its heady wares. It’s sure to be one to divide opinion, but if viewers can stomach it, they’re in for the mother of all cinematic experiences.

She’s almost ready to be a part of our world all over again, with the release of the live-action version of The Little Mermaid swimming onto the horizon.

Fans have been speculating what the latest Disney live-action remake will look like since its initial announcement back in 2016, with production officially beginning in early 2021. After being delayed due to the pandemic, the main body of filming took place at London’s famous Pinewood Studios.

Set to define our favourite fictional mermaid in a completely new way, fan opinions have already been divisive through the high-profile production pr

Fresh off the back of a spate of unique, original programming including Severance, Pachinko and Roar, Apple TV+ makes its debut outing in the realm of historical period drama with The Essex Serpent.
Adapted from Sarah Perry's 2016 novel of the same name, the narrative charts the story of recent widow Cora Seaborne (Claire Danes), who uproots her London life and heads to the Essex coastline upon hearing rumours of a mythical serpent preying on a local community.
Its creative team, spearheaded ...

The Silent Twins star Letitia Wright said she always knew the real life story of June and Jennifer Gibbons would resonate with audiences on-screen.

“I always thought to myself, if this was ever made into a movie, it would be really impactful because it can reach the masses, and then also their side of the story can be told,” the Black Panther star, who plays June, tells Yahoo.

“You can see the clear injustice that happens to them, but also you can see the ways in which they are so beautiful and creative.”

Emilia Jones and Nicholas Braun headline an adaptation of the acclaimed short story that can't help but feel dated in its message
It’s often the case that when a solo woman faces a man as she walks down the street, she’ll cross the road to avoid contact, just in case. However, the same woman will usually be able to recognise that, as the world reminds her, not all men are capable of harm. Cat Person, based on the acclaimed New York Times short story of the same name by Kristen Roupenian, is a...

Words by Jasmine Valentine
What makes the surreal, surreal? According to director Park Chan-wook’s distinctive body of work, the surrealist touch can mean many things.
Often tinged with an overwhelming sense of sexiness, international hits including Lady Vengeance, The Handmaiden, and Oldboy continue to honour his wild sense of imagination, sitting him atop the mountain of daring Korean cinema.
Yet his latest release, Decision To Leave, presents a different kind of surrealism altogether.
It’s so...

With LGBT+ characters appearing in hits like Life Is Strange and The Last Of Us, gaming’s toxic side can still hold back representation.
Whoever we are and whatever we do, we all deserve to see ourselves represented in the things we love. For LGBTQIA+ gamers, a healthy amount of genuine representation can be hard to come by. While groups such as queer men and trans people have an equal amount of depiction issues, queer women’s inclusion in the gaming world presents an extra challenge. As gami...