James Saynor
Bio

James writes about film and says he thinks about the Joni Mitchell song “Both Sides Now” when reflecting on his relationship to movies. After covering film and TV when younger, he jumped through the screen and worked as an executive in the film industry for a while. Now he’s back criticising movies again. He doesn’t think you go easier on films having helped to make them once. And having looked at film from both sides now, perhaps he should follow the pattern of the Mitchell song and conclude, “I don’t know film at all”. But then, for everyone, movies may be a life-long study.

articles by James Saynor

latest in today

We are bowled over! We knew that theartsdesk.com had plenty of supporters out there – we’ve always had a loyal readership of arts…
The first question is always: Don Carlos or Don Carki? Verdi’s opera was originally composed for Paris in 1867, in French, with the…
In a cultural world with no frontiers, French-Lebanese trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf has a musical CV that ranges very widely: collaborations…
The Ryland Caravan Festival is an annual festival put together by local musical eccentrics, Independent Country, and held in the outside…
As Metallica have long known, Ennio Morricone's Ecstasy of Gold is a rousing choice of walk on music. Deadletter might not be playing the…
“My Ice Queen” immediately makes its case. A mid-to-low tempo chugging rhythm underpins choppy guitar, a contemplative, distant vocal and a…
Charli xcx’s cinema blitz includes seven acting roles and Wuthering Heights’ soundtrack, reinforcing her cultural ubiquity since 2024’s…
I watched a video online recently of a three-year-old girl being quizzed with questions about her mom (adorable). It was a Mother’s Day…
Carl Nielsen: The Ultimate Solo Piano Collection Rikke Sandberg (OUR Recordings) Image…
Okay, theatre is all about acting, but then so is most porn. Except for amateur stuff. Sort of. And then there is AI, deep fakes and…