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Michael Pattison

Michael is a freelance critic and programming consultant whose writing has been published by Sight & Sound, Fandor, MUBI and others.

Michael is based in Gateshead, and blogs at idFilm. He never picks his feet in Poughkeepsie.

We have 66 reviews by Michael Pattison in the database: read them here.

Latest Film Reviews

  • X-Men: Days Of Future Past (2014)
    Review preview for X-Men: Days Of Future Past

    What makes this film so enjoyable is the chemistry that holds its ensemble together.

    Michael Pattison · 3.5 out of 5
    Wolverine travels back in time in a bid to change history.
  • The Years Of Fierro (2013)
    Review preview for The Years Of Fierro

    A clear and succinct overview of the case at hand.

    Michael Pattison · 3.5 out of 5
    Documentary about a Mexican who has been on Death Row - and protesting his innocence - for 30 years.
  • We Did It On A Song (2014)
    Review preview for We Did It On A Song

    Working closely with his selected cast, André has allowed these youngsters to express their current fears and anxieties in a distinctive and personalised way.

    Michael Pattison · 3.5 out of 5
    Musical docudrama following six 17-year-olds on the cusp of leaving school.
  • Emptying The Skies (2013)
    Review preview for Emptying The Skies

    The broader perspective demonstrates the moral and legal disadvantage at which the volunteers are fundamentally placed.

    Michael Pattison · 3.5 out of 5
    Documentary about songbird poaching.
  • Dreaming Of A Family (2013)
    Review preview for Dreaming Of A Family

    Jargil’s film is a clear account of two adults learning to confront their own guilt.

    Michael Pattison · 3.5 out of 5
    Documentary about a recovering alcoholic dad who is trying to be reconciled with his family.
  • On The Edge Of The World (2013)
    Review preview for On The Edge Of The World

    Rather than matching his subjects’ plight with a routinely rugged aesthetic, Drexel demonstrates both appreciable tact and a keen eye for the unexpectedly beautiful.

    Michael Pattison · 4 out of 5
    Documentary about homelessness in Paris.
  • Bastards (2013)
    Review preview for Bastards

    Perkin documents with delicacy and humour Rabha and others’ legal fights.

    Michael Pattison · 3 out of 5
    The battles of single mums trying to legitimise their children in Morocco.
  • The Valley Of The Jato (2012)
    Review preview for The Valley Of The Jato

    The underlying implication here is that organised crime is a social phenomenon: a form of systematic opportunism, it flourishes under certain historical and political conditions.

    Michael Pattison · 4 out of 5
    Documentary about a family-run TV station in Sicily that has taken a stand against corruption.
  • The Forgotten Space (2010)
    Review preview for The Forgotten Space

    Tthere are about six or seven fascinating shorts competing for attention here, and Burch and Sekula’s respective backgrounds pull the film one way and then the other, never quite settling into a structurally or aesthetically consistent framework.

    Michael Pattison · 2.5 out of 5
    Film essay documenting fishermen's working conditions and sea trade.
  • West Of The Tracks (2003)
    Review preview for West Of The Tracks

    As a consciously durational work, Wang’s epic poses a suitably gruelling challenge to viewers.

    Michael Pattison · 3.5 out of 5
    Documentary focusing on the decline of heavy industry in the Tiexi district of Shenyang, China.

Features

  • Undistributed gems

    28 Dec 2014

    The Eye For Film team pick some of their favourite films from the the festival circuit that have yet to find a UK distributor.

  • Short Stuff

    29 Sep 2013

    The best of Berwick's short film selection.

  • Northern highlights

    12 Sep 2013

    We preview the Berwick Film Festival

Read more.

News and features

Paul Rowley on moving to New York, the Pulse massacre, and Gays Against Guns

Going ape Antonin Niclass on character creation, empathy and animated short Into The Forest

Freeform Will Niava on grief, new immigrant experiences and Jazz Infernal

In silence Emir Kumova on child marriage in Türkiye, moral challenges and making The Witness

Taking a ride into liminal spaces Katharine Round on making documentary Ghost Town

Flying blind Michael Woloson and Scott Tinkham on improvisation, experimental writing and Littermates

In deep water Dominic Curran on internet overexposure and A Little Learning Is A Dangerous Thing

More news and features

Festival coverage

Festivals
Cannes festival coverage, 2026

We're bringing you all the latest news and reviews from the Cheltenham International Film Festival, the Leeds International Film Festival, the Thessaloniki International Film Festival and Tallinn Black Nights.



We're looking forward to the French Film Festival and DOC NYC.



We've recently brought you coverage of the Belfast Film Festival, Halloween Frightfest, the Scottish Queer International Film Festival, Newfest, the London Film Festival, the New York Film Festival and Grimmfest.



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