Little White Lies was established in 2005 as a bi-monthly print magazine committed to championing great movies and the talented people who make them. Combining cutting-edge design, illustration and journalism, we’ve been described as being “at the vanguard of the independent publishing movement.” Our reviews feature a unique tripartite ranking system that captures the different aspects of the movie-going experience. We believe in Truth & Movies.
The Ice Tower (La tour de glace) is the fourth feature by Lucile Hadžihalilović. The film premiered in the 2025 Berlinale competition, making it the first time that any of the director’s films was presented in a major European competition. The previous films all opened at TIFF. Set in the 1970s, the film follows Jeanne (Clara Pacini), a 15-year-old orphan who flees her foster home in a snowy mountain village, seeking freedom in the city. After stealing the ID of a girl named Bianca and looking for a place to sleep, she breaks into a building, unaware it’s a film studio where The Snow Queen is being filmed, starring the renowned actress Cristina van den Berg (Marion Cotillard).
Jeanne is discovered by Cristina, but instead of giving her up, the latter ends up getting a bit part in the production, and the two end up spending a significant amount of time together even though Jeanne, sorry Bianca, seems to have an obsession with Cristina. Or is it due to the part she plays? As the oldest in the foster home, she was the bedtime storyteller, and the story she told was, lo and behold, the Snow Queen’s. What a coincidence! It is almost like someone made the story up. I use the word story loosely. Anyone who has seen Hadžihalilović’s previous films knows that it is not her main objective; instead, she focuses on… That is the question.
What is the focus of The Ice Tower? What lies in or behind the supposedly beautiful images with their carefully chosen props? An image early on is a litmus test for how the spectator will react to the film. While fleeing, Bianca encounters a bridge crossing a river. The way the bridge is lit and framed looks either intense and captivating or like a knockoff by someone who watched arthouse films without ever getting their essence. It is not the artificiality that is the issue. Other directors like Guy Maddin or Wojciech Has have repeatedly utilised artifice with full control of the medium. Something that Hadžihalilović is never close to achieving. Instead, we are treated to kitschy ennui.
My mind drifted to the Quay Brothers’ tedious version of Sanatorium Under the Hourglass more than once. That film’s runtime was 75 minutes, but it felt longer. The Ice Tower clocks in at 118 minutes, which feels like an eternity. The pacing is glacial, which could inspire the spectator to make word puns considering the main character. Whatever the outcome, it is bound to be way more subtle than Jeanne calling herself Bianca, referring to the fake white stuff floating in the air during the shooting of the film within the film.
Fans of Hadžihalilović’s work should feel at home. The production designer Julia Irribarria and the cinematographer Jonathan Ricquebourg from Earwig (2021) are still on board. The director’s style, or lack thereof, is instantly recognisable. In Arthur Penn’s masterful Night Moves (1975), Harry Moseby’s wife invites him to see My Night With Maude with her. He rejects the suggestion, saying that “he saw a Rohmer film once, and It was kind of like watching paint dry.” I was considering making a similar pun with dry ice, but as everyone who had it presented along with a dessert in a restaurant knows, it actually creates an effect.
I have never been a fan of Hadžihalilović’s films, thinking that they rely too much on a vague mood with purportedly deep connotations. However, the Stockholm Film Festival awarded her the MaIn Prize, The Bronze Horse, for her debut feature, Innocence (2004), which incidentally also featured Marion Cottilard. In The Ice Tower, all the thespians seem deserted and lost, including August Diehl and Gaspar Noé as the director. The shining exception is newcomer Clara Pacini, as Jeanne, whose character is the only one who doesn’t appear to be frozen by boredom. It is not the first time that the director seems most confident working with children.
I was surprised to come across some positive reviews, even if many of them contained serious reservations. An even bigger surprise was the Silver Bear the film received for Outstanding Artistic Contribution. The award was given to “the creative ensemble.” If any film should have been awarded for its look, it is Reflection in a Dead Diamond (Reflet dans un diamant mort).
Director:
Lucile Hadzihalilovic
Date Created:
2025-04-25 05:30
Little White Lies was established in 2005 as a bi-monthly print magazine committed to championing great movies and the talented people who make them. Combining cutting-edge design, illustration and journalism, we’ve been described as being “at the vanguard of the independent publishing movement.” Our reviews feature a unique tripartite ranking system that captures the different aspects of the movie-going experience. We believe in Truth & Movies.
For many of us, spring isn’t just a season of warmer weather, but a great time of year for selling a property. The extended daylight hours and higher temperatures increase buyer optimism and activity, and help you showcase your home and its immediate surroundings.
Research the ‘ceiling price’ for your area – i.e. the highest price at which you’re likely to sell it. Would-be purchasers respond well to space and light, so try not to overcrowd your property. And you could enhance both with an open-plan layout. Where could use a fresh lick of paint? When it comes to wall colours, you’re better off going for neutral shades, making it easier for potential new owners to imagine themselves in place.
Get the basics right – from windows, brickwork, front door and lighting to tidying your garden and garage. You could also overhaul the kitchen or bathroom; viewers always take a keen interest in these spaces.
Here are some other things you could do to enhance your home’s value and make it stand out:
** 1.) Convert the loft
**
Whether you fit a loft conversion Abingdon or elsewhere, these adaptations potentially add up to 20% to a property’s value. (Equally, the extra living space could make the difference between the upheaval and expense of moving and being able to stay in a home you love.)
Cost-effective, versatile and energy efficient, smart-looking loft conversions are quicker to complete and less disruptive than you may have thought. Additionally, you can typically look forward to better views from the higher vantage point. Converting this space also allows you to choose a design that’s all your own, e.g. with features including dormer windows, skylights or en suite bathrooms you have chosen yourself.
Use your conversion as a bedroom, playroom, creative space, gym or study, among other ideas.
** 2.) Add a teak tree bench
**
A tree bench heightens your garden’s natural appeal. This unique seating model is usually circular or semi-circular and goes around a tree trunk, with or without backrests, to create a comfortable, shaded spot where you can sit and enjoy your garden. In some cases, a space-efficient bench like this can help protect a special tree from damage.
Your tree bench, already a distinctive outdoor piece, will make a superb focal point if you use elegant teak. Teak tree benches offer the added advantages of incredible durability and longevity in all weathers. And because of this tropical hardwood’s ability to regulate its own temperature, your bench will always be comfortable to sit on.
What’s more, it’ll stay looking its glorious best for years, if not decades, thanks to teak’s naturally high oil content, allowing it to shrug off all the elements and making this wood water-resistant.
Finally, you can enjoy your teak tree bench with little-to-no maintenance needed.
** 3.) Fit an open-air gym
**
You may not have previously considered this, but if you install a few pieces of outdoor gym equipment, you create another distinctive focus and unique selling point which prospective purchasers should love. Build your own open-air gym and enjoy the ideal blend of convenience and privacy, alongside numerous benefits for your mental and physical health. (And increase the value of your property at the same time.)
Avoid the crowds, fees and limited opening hours of regular gyms. And where could be nearer to exercise than your front garden? You can use this equipment for a full cardio and strength workout whatever your age and ability, while looking forward to all the advantages of al fresco exercise, from improved sleep and vitamin D intake to reduced stress, enhanced mood and fitness for your whole household.
Little White Lies was established in 2005 as a bi-monthly print magazine committed to championing great movies and the talented people who make them. Combining cutting-edge design, illustration and journalism, we’ve been described as being “at the vanguard of the independent publishing movement.” Our reviews feature a unique tripartite ranking system that captures the different aspects of the movie-going experience. We believe in Truth & Movies.
Today, sixteen titles became the additions to the Cannes selection 2025, two of which will be in the Competition. The eagerly awaited Lynne Ramsay film Die, My Love was finally confirmed after some time of speculation. All four of the director’s films have been presented at Cannes. The latest was the masterful You Were Never Really Here in 2017, which won the Best Screenplay award and the Best Actor award to Joaquin Phoenix. The new work stars Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson. The other addition to the competition is Saeed Roustay’s Mother & Child. The director’s latest film in Cannes was the overrated Leila’s Brothers in 2022.
There are four additions in Un Certain Regard. The most interesting is I Only Rest in the Storm by Pedro Pinho. It is co-produced by the reliable Still Moving, which brought us the brilliant Tiger Stripes two years ago. The three other additions are Love Me Tender by Anna Cazenave Cambet, Kristen Stewart’s The Chronology of Water, and Un poeta by Mesa Soto. The Cannes Premiere section, which started in 2021 and has since then mostly functioned as a thinly veiled ruse to stop other festivals from screening films, added three more works. Hylmur Palmason’s The Love That Remains, Magalhaes by Lav Diaz, and Renai saiban by Kōji Fukada.
Ethan Cohen’s Honey Don’t and Le roi soleil by Vincent Maël Cardona complete the Midnight Screenings strand. Lastly, four first features were added as Special Screenings for some reason. They are called Mama, Arco, Qui brille au combat, and Amélie et la métaphysique des tubes.
If this is the finalised edition (there are still rumours about Bi Gan’s Resurrection being added next week), it is a selection that is even weaker than the last two years. Something that I wouldn’t have thought possible. Of all the great names that have been mentioned, only Ramsay made it to this year’s Cannes. The programme is filled to the brim with all the boring usual suspects. The only thankful omission is Jim Jarmusch’s Father, Mother, Sister, and Brother, but that is a slight relief when the competition contains names like Wes Anderson, the Dardennes, Martone, Moll, Trier, Ducournau, and Cannes debutant Ari Aster.
It remains to be seen what kind of surprises this year’s edition has to offer. At the moment, it does not look promising at all. On the other hand, Venice might have an extraordinary edition if the films rejected by Frémaux and his crew end up there.
Little White Lies was established in 2005 as a bi-monthly print magazine committed to championing great movies and the talented people who make them. Combining cutting-edge design, illustration and journalism, we’ve been described as being “at the vanguard of the independent publishing movement.” Our reviews feature a unique tripartite ranking system that captures the different aspects of the movie-going experience. We believe in Truth & Movies.
if you think classic black and white movies are dull, we hope this list will change your mind.
The next time a CGI movie makes you sigh with its lack of style and verve, you’ll feel especially awed by The General, a silent black and white movie masterpiece that pretty much epitomes the concept of pulling out all the stops.
Buster Keaton’s character helping the Confederate Army hasn’t aged well. Everything else has. A bit of a bomb in its time, The General is stunning now thanks to its clockwork inventiveness and derring-do. It’s hard to believe anyone made anything this ambitious, so early in the life of cinema.
Keaton, known as the great stone face, throws his body into violent-yet-comic hazards without changing his expression — a skill he developed while being kicked around vaudeville stages by his father, hence the nickname “Buster.” Okay, maybe that didn’t age so well, either.
Fritz Lang’s silent, expressionistic Metropolis somehow still feels futuristic and avant-garde nearly 100 years after its release.
Operatic and vast in scope, it’s a visual feast that moves much slower than modern films — which is a sheer joy if you can allow yourself the time.
Also, it’s moral, literally spelled out in the final inter-title – feels especially relevant in the age of A.I. It is simply: “The Mediator Between the Head and the Hands Must Be the Heart.”
Originally 153 minutes long, Metropolis has been frequently recut, and while we aren’t big fans of chopping down a great director’s work, we think you can grasp the gist of the film with one of the shorter versions.
One of two Frank Capra films on this list. It Happened One Night is a screwball comedy that inspired countless road movies and rom-coms, almost none of them as good.
Clarke Gable and Claudette Colbert have electrifying chemistry as, respectively, a newspaper reporter on the make and a socialite on the run, trying to reunite with her husband. Yes, husband: This movie is fairly gleeful endorsement of extramarital love, and It Happened One Night could get away with that sort of thing because it came out just before the restrictive Hays Code took effect.
It also endorses showing a little leg (shame!) while hitchhiking (shame! shame!). It may leave you with the impression that life was a little more fun about a hundred years ago.
When people say they love old movies, this is likely the old movie they’re picturing. It’s perfect from beginning to end.
Ingrid Bergman, who also appears later on this list, is captivating as Ilsa Lund, a woman torn between love and her duty to fight fascism. Humphrey Bogart, as her ex-lover Rick, is as good a male lead as any movie had ever had.
But Casablanca is a movie where every single person is giving it their all, from director Michael Kurtiz to writers Howard Koch and Julius and Philip Epstein.
Everyone has their favorite moment, but ours is “I’m shocked, shocked” which we think about every time we read the latest headlines.
If you ever long for the good old days, watch this one to remind yourself that people of the past were anything but naive.
John Garfield makes being a drifter look like a good life choice when his character, Frank, wanders into a service station operated by the stunning Cora (Lana Turner). Unfortunately, she runs it with her husband.
Frank and Cora work out a little scheme to take care of that obstacle. It goes about as well as you’d expect if you’ve ever seen a ’40s noir.
The most fun movie ever made about insurance, this noir extravaganza sizzles off the screen in moments like the anklet scene — aka the “how fast was I going” scene — between Fred McMurray as an insurance man and Barbara Stanwyck as a scheming client.
It never goes too fast, which somehow makes it all the more wildly seductive.
It inspired many (often color) films, including 1981’s very good Body Heat, but we still prefer the black and white movie.
High Noon seems to fly by as it unfurls in real time over the 85 tight minutes leading up to the title. Gary Cooper plays Will Kane, a New Mexico marshall ready to ride into the sunset with his new bride Amy (Grace Kelly).
But Frank Miller, a brutal outlaw Kane once sent to prison, will arrive in town at noon, as his gang is ready to meet him. Everyone would understand if Kane slipped out of town to let someone else deal with the disaster to come.
But that’s not what he does.
Did you make it through another holiday season without watching this Frank Capra gem?
If so, like many of us, you may wrongly remember it as a sweet little affair. But no. The film is surprisingly honest about how much failure and struggle are part of the cost of living, and makes a clear-eyed case about why it’s still worth it to press on.
Also, we have to agree with this tweet about how the phone scene between Donna Reed and Jimmy Stewart, despite its lack of anything gratuitous, is pretty hot.
The Alfred Hitchock films of the 1950s and ’60s could get a little slow — but Notorious crackles from start to finish thanks to the presence of one of the all-time greatest actresses, and magnetic lead characters.
Ingrid Bergman is magnificent as Alicia Huberman, whose virtue and morality are in constant question. She juggles endless demands and expectations, keeping her intentions a mystery until the very end.
Cary Grant as T.R. Devlin, a U.S. agent who recruits her. When people start falling in love, things get very tricky.
From the start of theater critic Addison Dewitt’s very unreliable narration (wryly delivered by George Sanders), you know you’re in excellent hands with this showbiz satire written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
Bette Davis plays a Broadway star who won’t give up the spotlight, and Anne Baxter is Eve Harrington, a shrewd manipulator ready to take her place. It’s a dynamic we’ve seen a million times since, from The Devil Wears Prada to Showgirls, but no one’s done it with more wit than All About Eve.
When a young Marilyn Monroe is the seventh or eight billed person in the cast, you know you’ve got an incredible lineup of actors.
TMZ might want to take notes from this noir classic, a story of a showbiz columnist, J.J. Hunsecker (Burt Lancaster) who rules Broadway with a velveted fist.
Ruthless press agent Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis) toadies up to him, but proves to be pretty clever himself, as he tries to break up a relationship between Hunsecker’s little sister Susan (Susan Harrison) and a jazz guitarist.
It’s also one of the most beautifully shot black and white movies — the lights of Broadway have never felt so hot.
You’ll find yourself saying again during The Apartment: They made this in 1960? A Mad Men-era story of sex and ambition — and an obvious Mad Men influence — the film is about a young clerk on the make (Jack Lemmon) who has to loan out his apartment to executives who use it for secret trysts with vulnerable women, including one played by an adorable, and vulnerable, Shirley MacLaine.
You quickly finding yourself rooting hard for the have-nots in this film about refusing to bend over for the man.
MacLaine, Lemmon, director Billy Wilder and screenwriter IAL Diamond reunited three years later for Irma la Douce, which revisited some of the themes of The Apartment. It’s not a black and white movie, but don’t hold that against it.
We know, everyone thinks first of the shower scene. But Psycho hooks you long before that with its setup: Janet Leigh’s Marion Crane robs her boozy boss to flee across the Arizona desert to the arms of her deadbeat boyfriend. It’s juicy as hell, even before she checks into the worst possible hotel.
The only thing that keeps Psycho from perfection is its stodgy expository ending that feels unnecessary now, but may have been helpful for a 1960 audience that hadn’t yet seen a million movies about psychos.
You know how Shakespeare plays can feel cliched, but only because they were the first to do something that later inspired countless shallow imitations? Psycho is exactly like that.
Joseph Cotten plays pulp novelist Holly Martins, who arrives in ghostly postwar Vienna to investigate the death of an old friend, Harry Lime. But things aren’t as they seem.
The highlight is an utterly chilling little monologue by Orson Welles as he and Cotten ride a Ferris wheel and look at all the little people below.
We could tell you about all the great film deconstruction critic-turned-director Jean-Luc Godard is doing in this sexy, breezy girl-and-a-gun French crime thriller, but just watch it. You’ll be blown away by how fresh and cool it feels all these decades later.
Also, if you’re not a fan of subtitles, a lot of it is in English. This is one of those black and white movies that may sound like it’s going to be a challenge, but turns out to be as fun as anything you’ve ever watched.
You might also like this list of the 1960s Classic Movies That Are Still a Pleasure to Watch. Several are, yes, black and white movies.
Main image: Ingrid Bergman in Notorious. RKO Radio Pictures.
The flickering of the gaming tables, the clinking of chips, and the tense silence as the cards are dealt – casino movies transport us to a world full of thrills, glamour, and clever tricks. Whether it’s gritty underworld dramas or stylish heist comedies, the big screen transforms every casino into a setting for great emotions.
In this article, we present five films that explore the casino genre in unique ways. From Martin Scorsese’s mafia epic to a fast-paced poker thriller: Grab your popcorn and immerse yourself in stories where everything is on the line!
Martin Scorsese’s “Casino” is no ordinary film about a Spilaviti – as a casino is called in Iceland – but a relentless study of power, money, and corruption in Las Vegas.
Robert De Niro portrays Sam “Ace” Rothstein, an experienced bookmaker who controls the eponymous casino. Sharon Stone plays his ambitious wife, Ginger, whose life is characterized by both glamour and dependency.
Particularly worth seeing:
Authentic atmosphere: Scorsese lets you practically feel the bright lights and the thrill of the gaming tables.
Mafia entanglements: The backroom intrigues and power struggles demonstrate how closely luck and danger are linked in the casino.
Character study: From their rise to their dramatic fall – the characters remain memorable and give the film depth.
With its blend of opulent staging and gripping plot, “Casino” is one of the timeless classics of the genre.
“Ocean’s Eleven” is the epitome of a coolly staged heist comedy. George Clooney slips into the role of the charming mastermind Danny Ocean, who, with eleven accomplices, plans to rob three major Las Vegas casinos simultaneously.
What makes the film so special are:
A star-studded cast: Alongside Clooney, Brad Pitt shines as a laid-back professional thief and Matt Damon as a clever card counter.
Sleek elegance: From the meticulous planning to the sophisticated diversions to the execution – everything is handled with a wink and plenty of style.
Casino flair: The impressive casino backdrops and the vibrant Las Vegas nightclub let you experience the excitement up close.
Humor and team spirit: Each character has their own specialty, and their quick wit provides plenty of laughs.
“Ocean’s Eleven” is not only a film about speed and skill, but also about the perfect interaction of a well-coordinated team. An entertaining classic heist that will keep you on the edge of your seat, puzzle along, and, above all, have fun.
In “Casino Royale,” James Bond (Daniel Craig) makes cinematic history – relying less on weapons than on his poker face. In a high-profile tournament in Montenegro, he must take on the ruthless Le Chiffre.
The realistic poker action is particularly captivating: large stakes, long bluffing phases, and direct glances across the table. Craig reveals a vulnerable side of Bond, which is difficult to conceal under the pressure of the table, revealing what makes him so human.
The film combines spy thriller and casino suspense: explosions and chases alternate with nerve-wracking card games – a must-see for fans of adrenaline and elegant casino duels.
“Rounders” tells the story of aspiring law student Mike McDermott (Matt Damon), who tries his hand at becoming a poker pro in New York. After losing an illegal underground tournament, he vows never to gamble again – until his friend Worm (Edward Norton) pulls him back to the table to collect a large debt.
The film impresses with its authentic portrayal of the underground poker scene:
Real poker games: The action at the table is believable and captivating thanks to professional advice from poker pros and real card deals.
Character study: Mike wrestles with moral questions and the temptation of quick money, while Worm, an unpredictable partner, creates suspense.
Suspense until the very end: The stakes steadily rise, and every decision could cost Mike his future.
“Rounders” has retained its cult status as a poker drama to this day, inspiring amateur and professional players alike. The mix of suspense, character conflicts, and impressively staged poker scenes makes the film a must-see for all casino fans.
In “21,” a clique of brilliant MIT students sets out to land a big win by counting cards at the blackjack tables in Las Vegas. Jim Sturgess plays Ben Campbell, who, thanks to his mathematical talent and under the guidance of charismatic professor Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey), reaps enormous profits.
The film combines suspense and moral questions:
Card counting as an art: Precise teamwork, secret signals, and strict betting plans
Risk and seduction: The temptation to exceed the limit and the pressure of the casinos
Moral dilemma: Is the quick profit enough for the students – or will they ultimately pay a high price?
“21” captivates with its high pace and shows how much brains and chutzpah a real blackjack heist requires.
These five films demonstrate, in their own unique way, how fascinating and diverse casino worlds can be in cinema. Whether you immerse yourself in Martin Scorsese’s mafia epic, cheer on Danny Ocean during his stylish heist, or watch James Bond play high-stakes poker – each film offers excitement, style, and great emotion.
There’s something for every mood:
Drama and depth in “Casino”
Clever humor in “Ocean’s Eleven”
Thrills in “Casino Royale”
Authentic poker feeling in “Rounders”
Sparkling-clean mathematics in “21”
Treat yourself to a movie night and immerse yourself in the world of casinos – don’t forget the popcorn!
