On this page: APOLLO 11 | HALSTON | XY CHELSEA

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The astronauts carried movie cameras, so blurry images could be broadcast back live. The film footage is of course much more vivid, especially when intercut with the 70mm scenes shot by the ground crew. These sequences look almost jarringly brand new, giving the event an immediacy that erases the half-century since it took place. That said, the technical and mechanical side of the mission is jaw-droppingly primitive from today's perspective.

There are no new revelations, and not many details about, for example, life inside a tiny capsule for nine days. But this is the first time the archival material has been compiled in this way, and director Miller is careful to maintain a purity in the way it's edited together. There are minimal captions and a few helpful animated diagrams. And a very clever use of Walter Cronkite's comforting, challenging oratory before and after the event, plus glimpses of Johnny Carson at the launch and a couple of moments featuring President Nixon.

It's a film that silences the viewer, conveying a sense of awe as we watch the mission unfold step by step. It could have gone horribly wrong at any point along the way, and there's a clear sense that the team both in space and on the ground are holding their breaths at each pivotal transition. So are we, even though we know what happens. In other words, the film allows us to experience this event as it happened, as if we have time-travelled right into one of mankind's most audacious achievements.

some themes

13.May.19

This is just one way Tcheng shrugs off Halston's personal life. While he never hid his sexuality, this doc only mentions it in passing, referring to just one boyfriend (Venezuelan artist Victor Hugo, interviewed by phone), and their relationship seems to have been very rocky. Archival interviews with his colourful friend Elsa Peretti are terrific, and Minnelli offers superb personal angles, especially when she cheerfully refuses to contribute any gossip.

But skipping around his private life leaves the film feeling incomplete. It's a superbly assembled narrative about his career, beautifully capturing Halston's sense of beauty and style. And it's an important reminder of how fleeting fame can be, as he rose to the pinnacle of stardom, making a massive, lasting impact on the fashion industry, and then simply vanished without a trace, moving to California to spend his final years with his siblings. Yet while the film captures the heritage of his world-changing designs, it only offers a glimpse of his soul.

themes, language

30.Apr.19

Hawkins assembles the film with a riveting narrative, recounting events with interviews, photos and archival footage to create a powerfully personal angle. This approach allows Hawkins to skip over some of Manning's more troubled experiences, focussing instead on her tenacious personality: a woman who has survived a lifetime of cruel bullying, which only made her more determined to make her voice heard.

Importantly, the film doesn't shy away from the hideous abuse Manning receives from bigots who either see her has a traitor or don't understand her gender identity. Reports that her whistle-blowing caused people to be harmed are unsubstantiated, but it's obvious that revealing this data has also saved thousands of lives simply by calling the military to account for its actions. She admits that she was very young and didn't understand the fallout at the time, but simply wanted to make the world safer. And she continues to do that, defiantly and sometimes awkwardly, even from behind bars.

themes, language, violence

8.May.19