BFI Flare: The struggle is real

As BFI Flare continues this week on the Southbank, it's a reminder that films about people outside the mainstream really need to be more present throughout society. They may be hard to find in multiplexes, but more are turning up on streaming platforms, so search them out. Over the past few days at Flare I've seen movies about people who happen to be gay, lesbian, trans or intersex, and each has something important to say to society at large. These are resonant stories about identity and community, told through perspectives that are important to understand. And there's something powerful about watching them with at a festival like this, with audience members who are open to challenges and provocations, plus the chance to interact with the filmmakers themselves. As the festival hits its midpoint, here are some more highlights...

Big Boys
dir-scr Corey Sherman; with Isaac Krasner, Dora Madison 23/US ****
There's an internalised, autobiographical tone to this warm comedy-drama about a young teen on a journey of self-discovery regarding his sexuality. Writer-director Corey Sherman knowingly observes both small details and much larger themes, which will help anyone in the audience resonate strongly with this witty, sometimes even sexy odyssey. This is a story about a boy realising that it's time for him to come out to those closest to him. And taking the first step is terrifying.

Unidentified Objects
dir Juan Felipe Zuleta;  with Matthew August Jeffers, Sarah Hay 22/US ****
Wildly inventive, this lively road comedy has a wonderfully fantastical streak running all the way through it, even as the story grapples with seriously grounded themes. It may be a bonkers adventure involving a little person who's gay and a woman who makes a living as a webcam model, but the writing, direction and acting have a lot to say about overcoming everyday fears. It's also a hugely engaging journey that's packed with wonderfully surreal touches and moments that are both hilarious and moving.

XX+XY
dir Lee So Yoon; with Ahn Hyun Ho, Choi Woo Sun 22/Kor ****
Life is an endless series of decisions about everything from food to romance, but this film centres on things you can't choose, like your gender. Bright and observant, this Korean comedy-drama centres on an intersex teen who is confronted with this exact choice. Aimed at a teen audience, this is a witty, clever film that takes on something rarely depicted on-screen with charm and insight, relishing the awkwardness and misunderstandings between characters. And it has a lot to say to anyone who's paying attention.

The Fabulous Ones [Le Favolose]
dir Roberta Torre; with Porpora Marcasciano, Nicole De Leo 22/It ***.
With a wonderfully cheeky tone, this meandering Italian documentary-drama is a joyful exploration of connections between a group of middle-aged Italian trans women. It's a warm, honest film that reflects a varied range of feelings and experiences. Beautifully shot and edited, the movie is assembled artistically by director-cowriter Roberta Torre, revealing a matter-of-fact affection for these colourful people who refuse to be normal, so instead they are fabulous... FULL REVIEW >

Mel
dir Inna Sahakyan; with Mel Daluzyan, Lilit Lalayan 22/Arm ***
Shot in a pure fly-on-the-wall style, this documentary remains almost unnervingly honest as it traces the life of an Armenian champion weightlifter who competed as a woman but always knew he was a man. So in addition to his personal journey, the film captures the religious and political issues that drove him from his home, as well as a complex relationship with his girlfriend. By simply observing them while avoiding both controversies and narrative conclusions, the film feels unsatisfying, but it still has raw power.

BEST OF YEAR
Blue Jean
dir-scr Georgia Oakley; with Rosy McEwen, Kerrie Hayes 22/UK ****
Set in a northern English seaside town during the tumultuous Thatcher years, this drama has an earthy realism that finds timely themes almost 35 years ago. While the personal story is compelling and full of involving detail, it's not always easy to watch a film in which everyone is so miserable. Thankfully, writer-director Georgia Oakley finds moments of humour and joy along the way, and the cast is excellent... FULL REVIEW >

LFF: Talk it through

The 66th London Film Festival is powering along into its first weekend, and I'm trying to watch it from outside. But of course being in the business I have been sucked into various events and screenings. The best part of this is getting the chance to hang out with filmmakers and actors at various receptions, which ironically is something I've rarely done when I've been press accredited because I was too busy waiting in lines for screenings. This week I've had terrific chats with the likes of Jennifer Lawrence, Florence Pugh and Letitia Wright, to name three amazing actresses. Here are some more hightlights...

Aisha
dir-scr Frank Berry; with Letitia Wright, Josh O'Connor 22/Ire ****
An almost overwhelming sense of realism floods through this moving drama, which follows a Nigerian refugee facing a series of obstacles as she seeks safety and stability in Ireland. It's clear that writer-director Frank Berry has exhaustively researched these characters and situations, so scenes are able to play out without the need for dialog, pushing the narrative forward through the power of the emotions that churn under the surface. It's an unusually delicate, understated film, and it packs a big punch.

My Father's Dragon
dir Nora Twomey; voices Jacob Tremblay, Gaten Matarazzo 22/Ire ***.
With the same colourfully hand-made quality as her previous animated films, like Wolfwalkers and The Secret of Kells, Nora Twomey's latest fantastical odyssey feels like it came from the mind of a particularly imaginative child. So young viewers are especially likely to enjoy its mix of goofy slapstick and gently thrilling action. There is also quite a bit of wildly outrageous anime-style nuttiness and dazzling visual panache running through this energetic romp.

Klokkenluider
dir-scr Neil Maskell; with Amit Shah, Sura Dohnke 22/UK 1h24 ***.
Using the Dutch word for whistleblower as its title, this blackly comical British thriller delights in putting its characters into awkwardly intense situations. Actor-turned-filmmaker Neil Maskell finds an array of sharp-edged detail in this collision between an offbeat group of people who are facing a situation that might be quite dangerous. Or maybe not. It's a very well-assembled little film, and its only weakness lies in how it remains so deliberately elusive.

Peter Von Kant
dir-scr Francois Ozon; with Denis Menochet, Isabelle Adjani 22/Fr ****
French filmmaker Francois Ozon returns to German maestro Rainer Werner Fassbinder, this time riffing on his 1972 drama The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant. Genders and much more are flipped around here, turning the film into a loose biopic about Fassbinder himself. With an eye-catching sense of style, the film is also entertaining for its visual panache, pitch-black wit and a provocatively lacerating look at the movie industry. Plus a collection of unforgettable characters.

Lynch/Oz 
dir-scr Alexandre O Philippe; with Karyn Kusama, John Waters 22/US ****
Taking a journey through American cinematic history, this entertaining documentary explores the resilience and timelessness of The Wizard of Oz, and how its story and iconography have had such a massive impact since its release in 1939. Cleverly weaving in hundreds of clips, filmmaker Alexandre O Philippe finds fascinating parallels everywhere, and especially in the films of David Lynch.

Fragments of Paradise
dir KD Davison; with Martin Scorsese, John Waters 22/US ****
Poet and avant-garde Lithuanian filmmaker Jonas Mekas recorded everyday life with his cameras for 70 years, from his arrival in New York in 1949 with his brother Adolfas until his death in 2019. Sifting through this footage, director KD Davison mixes clips with interviews and archival audio to create a striking account of the immigrant experience. And the film also a remarkably intimate look at Mekas himself and an undervalued aspect of the cinematic landscape.

And two films I'd seen earlier...

Living
dir Oliver Hermanus; with Bill Nighy, Alex Sharp 22/UK ****.
With a smart, delicate script by Kazuo Ishiguro and incisive direction by Oliver Hermanus, this remake of Kurosawa's 1952 classic Ikiru is skilfully shot in period style. Sensitive filmmaking and a punchy story tackle themes that feel powerfully relevant 70 years later, and everything is delivered in a subtle, understated way that's carefully tied in with the story's characters and setting. It also offers Bill Nighy a wonderful lead role... FULL REVIEW >

Blue Jean
dir-scr Georgia Oakley; with Rosy McEwen, Kerrie Hayes 22/UK ****
Set in a northern English seaside town during the tumultuous Thatcher years, this drama has an earthy realism that finds timely themes almost 35 years ago. While the personal story is compelling and full of involving detail, it's not always easy to watch a film in which everyone is so miserable. Thankfully, writer-director Georgia Oakley finds moments of humour and joy along the way, and the cast is excellent... FULL REVIEW >

All London Film Festival reviews, once they're uploaded, will be linked to SHADOWS' LFF PAGE >

Venezia79: Starting time

The 79th Venice Film Festival kicked off tonight on the Lido with the world premiere of Noah Baumbach's White Noise, just one of the movies I will miss at this year's festival! I arrived too late to catch it, but I'm already facing a full schedule, long days and, for the first time, an extended commute across the Lagoon to where I'm staying. Here's a first batch of highlights...

Living 
dir Oliver Hermanus;  with Bill Nighy, Aimee Lou Wood 22/UK ****
With a smart, delicate script by Kazuo Ishiguro and incisive direction by Oliver Hermanus, this remake of Kurosawa's 1952 classic Ikiru is skilfully shot in period style. Sensitive filmmaking and an incisive story tackle themes that still feel powerfully relevant nearly 70 years later, and everything is delivered in a subtle, understated way that's carefully tied in with the story's characters and setting. It also offers Bill Nighy a wonderful lead role. 

Blue Jean
dir-scr Georgia Oakley; with Rosy McEwen, Kerrie Hayes 22/UK ****
Set in a northern English seaside town during the tumultuous Thatcher years, this drama has an earthy, kitchen-sink realism that finds timely themes in a story set almost 35 years ago. While the personal story is compelling and full of involving detail, it's also not always easy to watch a film in which everyone is so miserable. Thankfully, writer-director Georgia Oakley finds moments of humour and joy along the way, and the cast is excellent.

Three Nights a Week [Trois Nuits par Semaine]
dir Florent Gouelou; with Pablo Pauly, Romain Eck 22/Fr ***.
Beautifully shot with a lush sense of light and colour, this French drama spins around a warm, offbeat relationship that catches two people, and their friends, by surprise. The drawn-out narrative plays a bit like a gay fantasy, as that cute guy isn't as straight as he thinks he is. And the plot points sometimes feel very deliberate. But there are honest feelings running through each scene, finely played by the actors in a naturalistic way. And thankfully director Florent Gouelou isn't afraid to lean right into a feel-good moment.

Casa Susanna
dir-scr Sebastien Lifshitz; with Kate, Diana, Susanna Valenti 22/Fr ****
Illustrated with a wonderful collection of home movies and snapshots, plus scene-setting newsreel footage, this quietly observational documentary offers a glimpse into a secret society from the early 1960s where cross-dressers could gather without fear. Director Sebastien Lifshitz gets out of the way and lets these people and their children tell the story with colourful anecdotes, big feelings and a lovely sense of nostalgia.

Full reviews will be linked at Shadows VENICE FILM FESTIVAL page, eventually!