While technically an English-based film critic and interviewer, Paul shows his political disgruntlement towards his homeland by identifying instead as a European writer. You’ll often find him agreeing with the late great French filmmaker, François Truffaut, preferring the reflection of life to life itself – he’ll even tell you that the cinema is more important than life. Often mistaken for a cynic, he prefers to think of himself as a disappointed idealist. Unsurprisingly he likes skulking in the sanctuary of the dark confines of the cinema.
Described as 'philosophically inclined', Paul has a broad taste in cinema. His film writing has been published by academic and non-academic publications, including, amongst others: PopMatters, Little White Lies, Cineaste, DMovies, VideoScope, Eye For Film, Film International, The Quarterly Review of Film and Video, and Filmmaker Magazine. He’s also on the advisory board of Mise-en-scène: The Journal of Film & Visual Narration (MSJ), the official film studies journal of Kwantlen Polytechnic University, where he serves as interview editor. He regularly contributes to the Arrow Films blog, the FrightFest festival programmes and online blog.
We have 15 reviews by Paul Risker in the database:
read them
here.
Anchored by Anthony Ippolito’s performance – he not only bears a striking resemblance to Stallone, but his physical and verbal mimicry is uncanny.
Sylvester Stallone, then a failing actor, writes the ultimate underdog story and must fight for his chance to play the role of a lifetime - Rocky Balboa.
Worse than incomplete, Haigh's film lacks a fully developed soul. This is in spite of striking aesthetic moments and sharply written scenes complemented by strong performances from the cast.
Returning to his childhood home deep in the mountains, Mike is drawn back into the quiet rituals of family life as the clan prepares for the winter ahead.
While there are undeniably parts built for the big screen spectacle, which are juxtaposed with an emotional weight, the film's rudimentary form is the enemy within.
Follows two mountaineers as they attempt to climb and ski the direct North Face of Mount Everest.
What should have been a pleasant, even a heartwarming and humorous story about the way life knocks us down and asks if we're able to pick ourselves up, is crippled by a screenplay that sets itself up to fail.
An ageing financier faces divorce, seeking new purpose in the New York comedy scene. Meanwhile, his wife confronts sacrifices made for their family, and they are forced to navigate co-parenting.
It cannot be denied that Jay Kelly is interested in exploring the human condition through the lens of fame and fatherhood, but the romantic, sentimental, and saccharine tones come with a risk.
Famous movie actor Jay Kelly and his devoted manager Ron embark on a whirlwind and unexpectedly profound journey. Both are forced to confront choices they've made, their relationships with loved ones and the legacies they'll leave behind.
The director drops her audience into the lives of these two women and lets the rhythm of their lives guide the narrative.
A woman whose marriage is crumbling and is struggling to care for her ageing parents has an encounter with a single mother that leads to an unexpected bond.
