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  • How Defense Attorneys Fight Criminal Enterprise Allegations — Every Movie Has a Lesson

    How Defense Attorneys Fight Criminal Enterprise Allegations — Every Movie Has a Lesson



    The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) reports that 229 inmates are currently housed for offenses related to Continuing Criminal Enterprise (CCE). CCE is a grave federal charge against individuals who are involved in a long-term, structured, and large-scale criminal organization. The criminal organization is usually responsible for a series of serious, related felony violations. The number of people incarcerated for CCE is quite small compared to how large the scale of the organization is.

    Since these organizations operate intricately, it’s not impossible for innocent bystanders to face accusations of involvement in organized crime. According to https://www.segurakiattacriminaldefense.com/, the accused are often willing to take a plea deal in an attempt to put the event behind them. This should not be the case since there are other ways to fight for your freedom.

    Being charged with criminal enterprise allegations requires having some understanding of the law. Defense lawyers adopt a strategic approach, which calls for deep evaluation of evidence. They question the manner in which investigators went about their work and try to find holes in the prosecution’s case. Reviewing the tactics employed by investigators can show that even a small piece of evidence can significantly affect the outcome of a case.

    This article will demonstrate how defense lawyers operate to help their clients contest criminal enterprise allegations.

    Understanding Criminal Enterprise Allegations

    When you hear about allegations of criminal enterprise, it is necessary to realize what these charges really involve. These cases typically involve more or less organized groups that engage in illegal activity for profit, such as drug trafficking, extortion, or racketeering.

    A Morgantown criminal enterprise lawyer stated that business owners and individuals face criminal charges known as racketeering if the state or federal government believes the owner extorted money or obtained money through illegal means. 

    Understanding the setup of these criminal organizations helps shed light on the complexities involved in criminal enterprise allegations. Often multiple members comprise the group, each having different roles that may complicate legal proceedings. Many times, the prosecution must resort to the patterns of behavior and the connections between individuals to build a strong case.

    Criminal enterprise accusations do not automatically mean that an individual is guilty. Case outcomes can be affected by several elements. Knowing the consequences of criminal enterprise allegations can help you understand the difficulties that defense attorneys deal with when attempting to safeguard the rights of their clients.

    The Importance of Evidence Evaluation

    In a criminal enterprise case, evidence evaluation is one of the most critical steps your lawyer will undertake on your behalf. The opposition will review every piece of evidence. Witness statements, financial records, and surveillance videos will help prove or disprove your innocence.

    An effective attorney will look for flaws or gaps in the prosecution’s case. They can use those weaknesses in drawing defenses for you. They will also examine the credibility of the witnesses to determine their reliability. The assessment of the reliability of the evidence collected may largely shift the direction of the case before the judge.

    Evidence analysis will aid the lawyer in anticipating the arguments from the prosecution and help prepare strong counterarguments. An attorney’s careful analysis of evidence affects the result of your particular case. Their legal support will provide you with a better chance at defending your rights and obtaining an outcome that is favorable to you.

    Challenging Investigative Techniques

    An important part of your defense will challenge the manner in which the investigation took place, especially in cases involving serious criminal enterprise charges. A skilled criminal attorney will look into how the evidence was actually gathered and whether your rights were violated in any way.

    For instance, if the police employed illegal surveillance methods, questionable informants, or pressured confessions from the accused, your lawyers will argue that this evidence cannot be relied upon or even admitted in court.

    Your lawyer will also analyze if there were violations of search requirements, interrogation, and so forth. Any mistakes made during these processes could be grounds to suppress evidence.

    The legal team would strengthen your defense by hiring experts who would investigate the methods utilized in your case. This approach keeps you and your rights protected while holding the legal system to its standards.

    Building a Strong Defense Strategy

    Once your lawyer scrutinizes how the investigation was conducted, the final key is to build a strong defense tailored to your situation. Your legal team will look for flaws in the case of the prosecution by gathering evidence. 

    Inconsistencies in the statements of witnesses can cast doubt on the prosecution’s narrative. Together with your attorney, you will develop a defense story to describe your version of the events and address the allegations being investigated against you.

    It is important that your attorney understand very well the legal basis of criminal enterprise charges, which can be rather technical. A skilled lawyer will bring in expert witnesses to support your case with the backing of professional opinion.

    Maintaining constant communication with your legal team throughout the proceedings is important. Regular discussions with your legal counsel prevent you from overlooking important legal aspects of your case. Your defense will highlight the facts of your circumstances and will not just focus on refuting victimization.

    Dealing with Plea Bargains and Sentencing Options

    Plea bargains and sentencing carry many complexities that must be fully understood if you want to have a clear grasp of their potential impact on the circumstances of your case and your future. Plea bargains reduce or amend the charges brought against somebody or lessen the possible sentence imposed. It means the party who accepts a plea bargain confesses to some extent of guilt.

    Your lawyer may have a discussion with you outlining the pros and cons and the strengths of the evidence set against you. They will inform you whether accepting a plea offer is better than bringing the case to court.

    Should you decide to go to trial, be aware that if convicted, severe penalizations may be imposed against you. Discuss what your legal goals are, whether it is reducing jail time, name clearing, or record protection, with your attorney.

    Your future will be determined by the court’s decisions. You can ask your lawyer to help you think about your goals and situation before you decide on a future course of action.



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  • Protein review – nasty, funny, soulful

    Protein review – nasty, funny, soulful


    A close-up of a shirtless man with a bloodied and bruised face, his expression stern and intense.

    A gang of small-town drug dealing gym rats are set upon by a murderous stranger in this satisfying Welsh genre piece.

    There are worse films to be obsessed with than Shane Meadows‘ Dead Man’s Shoes, and that film’s blood-flecked paw prints are all over writer/director Tony Burke’s witty, Welsh revenge yarn, Protein. The film cheekily adopts its title from the supposed nutritional qualities of human flesh among the more desperate echelons of the body building community, as our hooded, monosyllabic protagonist, Sion (Craig Russell), is in town to take out some tinpot trash and then feast on their freshly carved entrails.

    On the sidelines is kindly gym worker Katrina (Kezia Burrows) who attempts to befriend the shell-shocked Sion, and while he very much remains a closed book emotionally, he does offer her a secret assist by butchering a chauvinist local lout who’s giving her grief. In fact, the horror/slasher element of the film is perhaps the least interesting thing about it, as Burke builds up an ensemble of characters who are all more than mere functional bit-players serving a hackneyed plot.

    For example, two drug-dealing goons who work for a smarmy local kingpin are secret lovers who have been forced to conceal their relationship due to the air of unreconstructed machismo that pervades their grubby little community. Similarly, the two cops investigating this rash of disappearances come freighted with their own traumas, and an initially frosty relationship eventually thaws into something that’s rather toughing for a film that, in the main, focuses on violence, bigotry, exploitation, humiliation and which household tools are best for administering pain to your fellow man.

    The link to Dead Man’s Shoes doesn’t begin and end with its angular loner with zero moral scruples when it comes to offing his targets. Burke injects a much-needed hit of parochial humour into proceedings, exemplified by Steve Meo’s hilarious, hapless Kevin, a wannabe wideboy who loves nothing more than to play dress-up Travis Bickle in his bedroom and have yelled arguments with his (always off-camera) mother.

    There’re no wheels being reinvented here in terms of tone or narrative, but it is a very solid genre runaround that is elevated by its occasional and welcome lapses into soulful introversion. It’s highly satisfying to see a filmmaker transition from a career making music videos and shorts to a work which expends time and effort to flesh-out all of its characters – even if that flesh might be eventually eaten by its cannibalistically-inclined antihero.



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  • The Dreamworld Aesthetic of 8½

    The Dreamworld Aesthetic of 8½


    Illustrated surreal scene with central figure in red suit, glasses, and hat against yellow sky with small figures in background.

    Through its visionary cinematography and costume design, Federico Fellini’s 1963 film masterfully blurs the lines between memory, reality and fantasy.

    This feature is the first in our summer series, La Dolce Vita: A Celebration of Italian Screen Style, in partnership with Disaronno.

    Asked to describe the anarchic ‘plot’ of what would turn out to be one of his greatest cinematic achievements – a towering, madcap, melancholy exploration of artistic endeavour, male ego and personal failing – writer/director Federico Fellini settled on a rather ambitious statement. He sought to depict, he said, the three different planes “on which our minds live: the past, the present, and the conditional – the realm of fantasy.”

    You might say that when it comes to the costuming of these impish, dreamlike figures, fantasy is as much a factor as is any impetus toward realism. They are symbolic as much as they are corporeal, with protagonist Guido Anselmi (played by the dashing Marcello Mastroianni) an autobiographical stand-in for Fellini himself. Piero Gherardi was the man for the job: the costumer and set designer would become a second-time Academy Award winner for 8½ off the back of his 1960 win for La Dolce Vita.

    For the insouciant elegance of Guido, a trim black suit is the uniform of choice. Guido dons Neapolitan-style tailoring in the form of this silk suit – some say it’s Brioni – along with a white cotton shirt, black tie and black-frame glasses. His suit is less angular and more rounded around the shoulders than traditional 1960s tailoring – not to mention paired with penny loafers to suggest a rather more bohemian, unconventional side to his character’s supposed professionalism. You can also see it in the character’s unusual choice of headwear – a rather incongruous, old-fashioned hat – which is remarked upon by other characters in the film.

    Meanwhile, in contrast to the rather tidy black-clad Mastrioanni, the women of the film are peacocks, dressed in various degrees of surrealist adornment. Guido remains both tormented by and in thrall to the women of the film – Anouk Aimee is chic and miserable as Luisa, his long-suffering wife, disguising her malaise behind black wraparound sunglasses.

    Guido’s mistress, Carla (Sandra Milo), wears only negligee, ostentatious white furs and heavy makeup – vulgarity writ large. But Claudia Cardinale plays an actress (who shares her first name) whom Guido casts as his ‘Ideal Woman’. She’s enigmatic and carefree, a beguiling and unknowable figure who can only exist in fantasy. “You’ll be dressed in white with your hair long, just the way you wear it,” Guido tells her, notably mentioning clothing.

    But we never actually see this vision materialise; instead, Claudia is black-clad in their nocturnal foray through Rome, far from the innocent pastoral figure he seems to be idealising her as for his screen role. Her LBD drips with matching black feathers – not the only bird-like echo in the film, and reflecting the more stark reality: less dove, more raven. Indeed, the hatwear worn by women throughout the film is strikingly avian – no doubt a reflection of the symbolic importance of flying and birds to traditional Jungian dream interpretation.

    It is ultimately Cardinale’s style which has the greatest import for 8½ because she is a figure of such projection and fantasy, the muse to an artist desperate for inspiration and a man who is spiritually and sexually conflicted. Failing to fall into the Madonna-mistress dichotomy, the playfulness of her clothing seeming to be either entirely in black or white feels ironic. There’s no objectivity in the way she is seen by Guido. And it’s that subjectivity which is the guiding principle of Fellini’s world of dreams.

    To find out more about Disaronno’s 500-year anniversary* celebrations, visit disaronno.com

    *1525: The legend of Disaronno begins.



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  • How Tooth Loss Can Damage Memory — Every Movie Has a Lesson

    How Tooth Loss Can Damage Memory — Every Movie Has a Lesson







    How Tooth Loss Can Damage Memory — Every Movie Has a Lesson























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  • Daisy-May Hudson: ‘I want to make films that…

    Daisy-May Hudson: ‘I want to make films that…



    In 2013 Daisy-May Hud­son was study­ing for a degree in Eng­lish and Dra­ma in Man­ches­ter. At the same time, her fam­i­ly back in Essex were being evict­ed from their home, out­priced on the rental mar­ket and forced to go through the social hous­ing sys­tem. Hud­son rushed home, picked up a cam­era and decid­ed to film their expe­ri­ence which result­ed in her acclaimed doc­u­men­tary Half Way. For her first fic­tion­al fea­ture film, Lol­lipop, Hud­son draws from her real-life expe­ri­ence and the women who have inspired her along the way.

    LWLies: Your film has many the­mat­ic lay­ers to it and one of those is a beau­ti­ful trib­ute to the com­plex­i­ties of moth­er­hood. Can you talk me through the many moth­er char­ac­ters we meet and how you decid­ed to por­tray them in the film? 

    Hud­son: Mol­ly was inspired by these women I met out­side the Hous­es of Par­lia­ment who were protest­ing to have their chil­dren back after they had been removed by social ser­vices. Also anoth­er moth­er who became an advi­sor to the film who also had her chil­dren removed. They were these Lioness women who were so deter­mined by that unbreak­able bond between a moth­er and child. I’m also real­ly inter­est­ed in gen­er­a­tional trau­ma and the mir­ror­ing of moth­er and daugh­ter rela­tion­ships. Mol­ly is so deter­mined to be a cycle break­er but she ends up falling into some of the same cycles that her mum went through. She par­ents her moth­er just like her daugh­ter par­ents her. And of course, Ami­na, they just have this mag­i­cal con­nec­tion that hap­pens on screen but also off screen when Idil and Posy get togeth­er. They have this abil­i­ty to see each oth­er beyond their roles as mothers.

    I loved Ami­na and Molly’s ride or die friend­ship. In your writ­ing of female friend­ship what were the most impor­tant things for you to depict? 

    I think there’s a mag­i­cal thing that hap­pens when we allow our­selves to be seen and it takes coura­geous vul­ner­a­bil­i­ty. When we do it there’s this depth of con­nec­tion where we can meet with some­one that is trans­for­ma­tion­al. That’s what hap­pens with Mol­ly and Ami­na. They start by hid­ing and fear of show­ing the dark­est parts of our­selves. Ulti­mate­ly, they show those parts, and they fall in deep­er love, a deep­er sis­ter­hood. The thing I’ve always felt about Mol­ly is that she had always been in sur­vival mode and Ami­na pro­vides a safe space where she can put down her guard. She can lean back into love. That soft­ens her and enables her to start lov­ing her­self and mak­ing new choic­es and then show­ing up to life in a dif­fer­ent way. Ami­na real­ly feels this deep grat­i­tude for Mol­ly because she actu­al­ly feels seen as a woman beyond all expec­ta­tions. That was so heal­ing for Ami­na, but also for Idil in real life.

    You’ve been very care­ful not to paint any of the peo­ple we meet in your film as vil­lains. The social hous­ing sys­tem was some­thing you and your fam­i­ly expe­ri­enced first-hand so can you talk to me about the things you drew from real life? 

    The thing we came up against as a fam­i­ly was the lim­i­ta­tions of the rules. You may be speak­ing to a human being but they are work­ing with­in this frame­work. When I was research­ing for the script, I was meet­ing real­ly gen­uine peo­ple who went into the job because they cared and want­ed to make a dif­fer­ence. Then they get lim­it­ed by this red tape… par­tic­u­lar­ly this dehu­man­is­ing lan­guage that they are trained to say. I remem­ber when we were home­less, we kept being told, in due course.’ It’s this pur­ga­to­ry basi­cal­ly. It was real­ly impor­tant to me that there was no bad­die or good­ie because I don’t think peo­ple go into a job to become bad guys. Also I think we’re just one choice away from being on the oth­er side of the table. When we were cast­ing I want­ed to find peo­ple that looked like Mol­ly, or could be Molly’s friend or aun­tie… that’s the thing about work­ing class com­mu­ni­ties you can be on any side of the table just try­ing to do your best and do right by your family.

    What are the guid­ing fac­tors for the type of cin­e­ma you want to make? 

    I want to make films that crack people’s hearts open in the most beau­ti­ful way. For me human­i­ty is about expe­ri­enc­ing this full spec­trum of emo­tion. That can be the deep­est grief but the high­est heights of joy. I think that’s what you expe­ri­ence in Lol­lipop.



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  • When and Why You May Need a Probate Lawyer After Losing a Loved One — Every Movie Has a Lesson

    When and Why You May Need a Probate Lawyer After Losing a Loved One — Every Movie Has a Lesson



    In 2024, Trust & Will’s statistics revealed that 62% of millennials lack a will or trust, and only 33% of US adults have any estate planning documents. The average probate timeline is 20 months. 

    Long Beach probate lawyer Bill Preston says that probate is the legal process of settling a deceased person’s estate. As a personal representative or beneficiary, it is important to understand your rights and responsibilities and the steps involved. 

    This article will review the reasons why you may probably need a probate lawyer after the death of your loved one. 

    Understanding Probate and Its Importance

    Probate is a court process that verifies the legitimacy of a will and facilitates how assets are distributed upon the death of the individual who created it.

    One’s lack of knowledge on probate may cause delays, disputes, or even financial losses. You will need to collect all probate documents, such as the will and death certificate. Later on, beneficiaries and creditors will be notified. 

    According to a Torrance probate lawyer, the probate process may be unavoidable at times. A court may get involved if you or your loved one did not create an estate plan prior to your death. Court proceedings can arise when a family member disagrees with a trustee’s administration of the estate.

    Having a probate will help you set your expectations so you can feel relieved while dealing with your family’s estate matters.

    Signs That You May Need a Probate Lawyer

    You need the intervention of a probate lawyer when you begin to doubt the legitimacy of the will and face family disputes over inheritance. A skilled probate lawyer can easily address the challenges of handling complicated assets such as businesses or real estate.

    A lawyer will help you comply with intestacy laws if your loved one died without leaving a will. If you’re worried about tax impacts or claims from creditors, you can ask your lawyer to clarify your obligations and how to meet them.

    The lawyer can even remind you when there are filings to do before the deadline approaches so you can make it on time. 

    The Role of a Probate Lawyer in the Process

    Probate matters can be complicated. A lawyer will explain the legal process to you so that the implementation of the estate can be carried out based on the wishes of your deceased relative and state law. 

    An attorney will assist with the filing of documents, locating assets, notifying beneficiaries, handling creditor claims, and settling disputes among heirs. 

    They will not let you go through the legal process all by yourself. With their help, you will be able to meet deadlines and meet legal requirements. Their legal support can help you focus on grieving while they strategically deal with the probate process.

    Common Challenges Faced During Probate

    The probate process can sometimes lead to potential conflicts among heirs, resulting in losses and stress. Identifying estate assets accurately may pose another concern if you make a mistake since it can lead to taxes or disputes. 

    You will have a hard time locating wills or property titles if you are unfamiliar with probate documents. Dealing with unsettled debts left by the deceased can cause you unwarranted stress.

    You can ask your lawyer to prepare you for answering questions that involve local state laws and regulations. Familiarizing yourself with them can give you the confidence to respond to any queries about your case.

    How to Choose the Right Probate Lawyer

    Verify probate lawyers’ credentials and review the public opinion about them. Once you have finalized your list, set appointments with a few of them to share your situation and judge how comfortable you feel while interacting with them. 

    Inquire about their communication style. They must keep you updated at all stages. Discuss their fees upfront to avoid any surprises in the future. 

    Trust your instinct and select the lawyer who can empathize with your situation. Your relationship with your lawyer will affect your case throughout the process. The right lawyer can help you focus on your healing and grieving process while honoring the memory of your loved one.



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  • Is Hiring a Criminal Defense Lawyer Worth the Cost? — Every Movie Has a Lesson

    Is Hiring a Criminal Defense Lawyer Worth the Cost? — Every Movie Has a Lesson



    Violent crime rates actually took a dive in 2024. Homicides, in particular, saw a significant decrease of 16% compared to the previous year. 

    It is understandable to feel scared when you face criminal charges, no matter the crime. It is normal to feel mixed emotions – confusion, stress, and uncertainty about the future. One big worry that you may consider is whether involving a lawyer is worth the investment.

    The truth is, a criminal charge can affect your future in a big way — your job, your freedom, and even your family. Fortress Law Group says any charge you face, big or small, causes stress to you, your friends and your family, but it’s important to know that you don’t have to go through this alone.

    That’s why you deserve to work with someone you can trust to represent you well. 

    Understanding the Role of a Criminal Defense Lawyer

    If you face charges in a criminal matter, comprehending the role of a criminal defense lawyer becomes crucial. Your lawyer represents you in the complex legal system. 

    They will scrutinize the evidence presented against you, identify weaknesses in the prosecution’s case, and craft a defense theory in your favor. They may also work out plea bargains, represent you at hearings, argue your case, and ensure that your rights remain protected. 

    Legal experts can present you with all the diverse possibilities available so that you can make an informed decision about what step to take, especially with the most serious or grave offenses, such as crimes of sexual assault, sexual abuse, and rape, says sexual offenses lawyer Lee A. Koch.

    You aim for the best possible outcome, which could include a lighter sentence, dropped charges, or being acquitted; this is the goal that a defense lawyer will strive to achieve.

    The Costs of Legal Representation

    Knowing how much legal representation would cost is important; criminal cases are hard enough as they are. When you employ a criminal defense lawyer, the charges you pay him may include consultation fees, hourly fees, and possible retainer fees.

    With the complexities of the case, these fees can sometimes get quite high. Some lawyers might work on a flat-rate basis for certain services, whereas others operate under hourly rates for services provided regarding a case.

    Court charges, expert witness fees, and even investigation costs typically require your payment. So discuss the topic of payment upfront with your lawyer to avoid unpleasant surprises.

    Weighing the costs against the potential risks of self-representation will assist you in making a decision about getting a lawyer.

    Potential Consequences of Self-Representation

    You may feel competent preparing your defense, but being your criminal lawyer might backfire. Complex laws and courtroom procedures may be difficult to understand without legal training. You may botch your case due to ignorance. 

    You may also miss deadlines or fail to acquire vital proof for your pleading, and the court may cling to that negative position. Self-represented defendants are often denigrated by jurors and judges, likely because they are unworthy candidates.

    Emotionally charged situations can make objectivity difficult, which hurts the defense. Weighing the risks against the modest cost savings usually makes one reconsider self-defense.

    Benefits of Hiring an Experienced Attorney

    Criminal cases require an expert attorney for success. An attorney’s familiarity with the intricacies of the legal system proves beneficial when handling complex laws and processes.

    They will evaluate the case, identify its strengths and flaws, and develop a defense strategy for you. If an attorney is experienced enough, negotiators and prosecutors create working connections with said attorneys that may benefit the client during negotiations.

    They can also emotionally support you and help you understand your rights and legal issues. In the end, paying an expert will provide you peace of mind and increase your chances of success.

    Making an Informed Decision: Cost vs. Outcome

    The cost of hiring a criminal defense lawyer is another topic of consideration when discussing the potential costs. Allegations could be severe enough to disrupt your life for years, making them worthy of your immediate investment.

    Consult the attorney’s experience, past wins, and ability to manage your situation’s specificity. An experienced lawyer might get you out of fines, jail time, and any criminal records.

    Compare the price to the cost of representation, including the lawyer’s fees, and you may also consider the financial liabilities precipitated by a conviction. A criminal defense lawyer would protect you more than just your money—practically, your future.

    Be sure to take the route that best suits your aims and situations.



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  • Lollipop review – a gut-punching debut

    Lollipop review – a gut-punching debut



    The past cou­ple of years have seen an influx of women film­mak­ers bring­ing time­ly, work­ing-class sto­ries to the big screen with lived rev­er­ence and fresh tal­ent, from Rocks to Scrap­per to Bird. The lat­est addi­tion to this new social real­ist niche is Lol­lipop, a gut-punch­ing debut from writer-direc­tor Daisy-May Hud­son. The film fol­lows Mol­ly (Posy Ster­ling), a young moth­er released from jail but placed in a dif­fer­ent prison when she tries to reunite with her chil­dren, who are being held in fos­ter care. She finds her­self in a hell­ish Catch-22: she can’t gain cus­tody of her chil­dren with­out a roof over her head, but she can’t get a house via state assis­tance because her kids don’t live with her.

    Hudson’s sharp film, inspired by her own expe­ri­ences, pas­sion­ate­ly takes aim at the pit­falls and para­dox­es of the social care sys­tem. After painful­ly short super­vised vis­its with her chil­dren and miss­ing out on key moments of their growth, Mol­ly reach­es a break­ing point. Hud­son iso­lates Mol­ly when her con­sci­en­tious smile cracks as, off-screen, the voic­es of social work­ers dic­tate that her chil­dren will remain in fos­ter care until she has sort­ed her­self out. Cin­e­matog­ra­ph­er Jaime Ack­royd frames Mol­ly through the worker’s legs, like the bars of a cell. Sterling’s restrained per­for­mance trans­forms into some­thing explo­sive; anger crum­bles into dev­as­ta­tion as the sys­tem repeat­ed­ly and harsh­ly fails her. You need to do more for me,” she begs, only to be met with: There’s noth­ing more I can do.”

    Get more Lit­tle White Lies

    Though some of the film’s most dev­as­tat­ing moments occur inside the coun­cil office, it’s also where Mol­ly reunites with her great­est sup­port­er, col­lege friend Ami­na (Idil Ahmed), who is liv­ing in a hos­tel for home­less fam­i­lies. Both women are sol­diers fight­ing with a fierce love for their chil­dren. Their sis­ter­hood inter­rupts the solemn tone as they find pock­ets of joy amid the dev­as­ta­tion, gos­sip­ing in bed and danc­ing to UK garage music.

    These moments high­light the dis­tinct absence of men in Lol­lipop, bar Molly’s 5‑year-old son Leo (Luke Howitt). The com­pan­ion­ship of oth­er women is the foun­da­tion of Molly’s life, under­scored by the chal­leng­ing rela­tion­ships with the all-women care work­ers or her over­bear­ing but inat­ten­tive moth­er, Sylvie (Ter­ri­Ann Cousins).

    The impres­sive nature of the per­form­ers is thanks to cast­ing direc­tor Lucy Pardee, who recog­nised Sterling’s pow­er­house lead­ing poten­tial but also dis­cov­ered the bril­liance of Tegan-Mia Stan­ley Rhoads. The lat­ter, who plays Molly’s 11-year-old daugh­ter Ava, takes cen­tre stage when she tear­ful­ly pleads with her moth­er to obey the rules to avoid get­ting in more trou­ble. But Mol­ly is des­per­ate. The moth­er-daugh­ter back-and-forths are sen­si­tive­ly penned and down­right heart-wrench­ing to wit­ness. It’s a stark reminder of the pain caused by a sys­tem that slash­es wel­fare spend­ing and demands a per­son to jump through hoops with their legs tied. Hudson’s film makes room to acknowl­edge that this is a fam­i­ly affair. Mol­ly is at the epi­cen­tre, but the rever­ber­a­tions impact every­one around her.

    To keep cel­e­brat­ing the craft of film, we have to rely on the sup­port of our mem­bers. Join Club LWLies today and receive access to a host of benefits.



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  • How to Train Your Dragon — Every Movie Has a Lesson

    How to Train Your Dragon — Every Movie Has a Lesson







    MOVIE REVIEW: How to Train Your Dragon — Every Movie Has a Lesson























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  • How To Train Your Dragon review – never quite…

    How To Train Your Dragon review – never quite…



    Live-action remakes have come to dominate the kickoff of the summer movie season. Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders, the creative duo behind early 2000s animated hits Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon, have gone their separate ways, each now attempting to win the hearts of longtime fans and a new generation of moviegoers through live-action adaptations of their beloved animated classics. While Sanders has stepped back into the recording booth to reprise the voice of his mischievous alien creation, Stitch, DeBlois takes the reins as director of DreamWorks’ first ever live-action remake, steering the project in its entirety.

    A live-action remake carries far more to answer for than an original film or even a sequel. In the case of How to Train Your Dragon, the adaptation largely follows its source material beat for beat, raising the question: what does the use of real actors and CGI bring to the table that animation does not and can that added tangibility truly offer an experience that surpasses the magic the original still holds to this day?

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    Like everyone else in the Viking community on the Isle of Berk, Hiccup (Mason Thames) longs to prove himself by slaying the dragons that terrorize his village, setting rogue fires and making off with their livestock. But when he finally comes face-to-face with a Night Fury, one of the most feared and elusive breeds of dragon, the moment that should define his bravery once and for all reveals something deeper. Blade in hand, he falters, not out of fear, but out of empathy, and makes a choice that sets him on a path no one in his tribe could understand.

    Unlike his peers, such as Astrid (Nico Parker) – one of the tribe’s most promising young members – Hiccup struggles to meet the expectations of his father, Stoick, the tribe’s formidable chief. Time and again, Stoick is frustrated and embarrassed by his son’s perceived lack of toughness. But what Stoick doesn’t realize is that Hiccup’s empathy and inventive mind may be exactly what their community needs to survive.

    Slowly but surely, Hiccup begins to train and heal the Night Fury he names Toothless, inspired by the dragon’s retractable teeth and endearing, gummy expression. As fans of the original will remember, Toothless’s behavior was famously modeled after a cat, and this adaptation preserves that playful, curious energy, emphasizing the timeless dynamic of a boy and his pet. The bond that forms between Hiccup and Toothless remains the film’s undeniable heart, just as it was in the animated classic.



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