Critical Week: The world in his hands

Awards season is cranking up earlier than usual this year, kicking off even before the Toronto International Film Festival finished. So screenings have kept me on the run this week. The biggest was the world premiere royal performance of Digger, with Tom Cruise, Alejandro G Iñárritu and the cast on hand to watch this astonishingly enormous movie. People will love or hate it, but it's undeniably full-on. I also had screenings of two Toronto titles: the hugely crowd-pleasing biopic I Play Rocky features an amazing performance by Anthony Ippolito as Sylvester Stallone makes of his classic underdog movie. And Rhys Ifans and Laura Linney star in Onwards and Sideways, an involving romance that knowingly takes on Parkinson's.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Forgotten Island
Boorman and the Devil
ALL REVIEWS >

Elsewhere, Emilia Jones and Nick Robinson star in Charlie Harper, which gets a little over-emotive as it spirals around a love story. Sophie Thatcher and Charles Melton lead Nicolas Winding Refn's fantastical futuristic thriller Her Private Hell, which looks amazing but doesn't hold together. From Belgium, the gorgeously animated drama In Waves is a superbly moving true story about surfers. I also enjoyed De Gaulle: Liberté, the expertly made conclusion of the two-part biopic starring Simon Abkarian as the French general, this time covering the final years of WWII. The German satire Babystar is witty and very pointed as it sharply lampoons social media culture. The Filipino black comedy Filipiñana is simply stunning: funny, skilfully shot and darkly powerful. And Juliette Binoche directed In-I in Motion, tracing her collaboration with choreographer Akram Khan on a stage show. She presented the screening herself, and held a terrific Q&A at the end. I also had a live performance of the National Dance Company Wales' show Blue | Glas.

Coming up this next week, I'll be watching Sebastian Stan in the Cannes winner Fjord, the dramatic thriller Child, the Spanish drama The Portuguese House and three documentaries: The Last First: Winter K2, How Deep Is Your Love and Kikuyu Land, plus live performances of Deepfake and Flamenc Oh!

Dance: Move, members, move

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Legacy
choreography Alvin Ailey, Ronald K Brown
dancers Leonardo Brito, Michael Cherry, Patrick Coker, Shawn Cusseaux, Sarah Daley-Perdomo, Caroline T Dartey, Isaiah Day, Solomon Dumas, Mason Evans, Samantha Figgins, Sebastian Garcia, James Gilmer, Ashley Kaylynn Green, Jacquelin Harris, Xavier Mack, Renaldo Maurice, Corrin Rachelle Mitchell, Jesse Obremski, Kali Marie Oliver, Tyrone Reese, Deidre Rogan, Hannah Alissa Richardson, Mahalaya Tintiangco-Cubales, Isabel Wallace-Green, Christopher R Wilson, Dandara Veiga
music Duke Ellington, Chuck Griffin, Leon Russell
costumes A Christina Giannini, Jane Greenwood, Ves Harper, Omotayo Wunmi Olaiya, Ursula Reed
Sadler's Wells, London • 15-19.Sep.26 ★★★★★

Nearly 70 years after its formation in 1958 New York, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater brings a programme of vintage pieces to Sadler's Wells (plus new works on other nights). These classics feature Ailey's distinctive mix of jazz, blues and gospel vibes, drawing on his Southern heritage with echoes of West African culture. This is gloriously expressive choreography, a soaring blend of ballet and modern movement that elevates the audience.

The Legacy programme opens with excerpts from Night Creature (1974), moving to the groovy bounce of Duke Ellington's big band score. Dressed in sparkling dresses and skin-tight body suits, the dancers evoke a buoyant night out, prowling and shimmering. Two witty and sexy movements feature expansive arms, swaying hips, weightless footwork and slyly flirtatious eye contact, ending on a high-energy note that evokes New York's ballroom scene. 

This is followed by two solos: first, Yannick Lebrun performs to Donny Hathaway's rendition of A Song For You (1972), mixing physical strength with achingly deep emotion. Then on a red-hued stage, a sparky Constance Stamatiou dances an excerpt from Cry (1971), a colourfully funky piece that ripples with tough-minded determination and a celebratory spirit.

Grace (1999) is the one piece here choreographed by Ronald K Brown, and it pulses with party-like R&B rhythms as colours of both the stage and costumes shift around the company. It opens in an earthy mood with tribal and gospel flourishes, as the performers playfully interact to create a growing sense of exuberance with kicks and leaps. It's a glorious expression of inner spirit featuring solos, duets and full group moments that are packed with clever touches. And it reaches a series of triumphant highs.

The final section is Ailey's signature piece Revelations (1960) which uses traditional spirituals to explore deep emotional connections. Watching this is like being taken to church, with insistent beats that burrow into our souls as the dancers perform expressive, evocative choreography to both plaintive prayer-like songs and more pulsing numbers like Fix Me, Jesus and Wade in the Water. It's packed with breathtaking movement and balance, running, spinning and lifting, both in full-company formations and individual breakouts like Xavier Mack's dazzling I Wanna Be Ready solo.

It closes with the triumphant, sun-washed staging of Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham that gets us bouncing in our seats as if we're sitting along the edge of the church hall, waiting for our turn to get up and strut our stuff. No matter how many times we see Revelations, it always feels fresh and alive, encouraging us to express our feelings with full-bodied joy. It's a visually spectacular show, and it radiates love throughout the room.

For information: SADLER'S WELLS >

photos by Christopher Duggan, Paul Kolnik, Danica Paulos,
Glyn Stanley, Tyler Whitman • 16.Sep.26

Critical Week: A man and his dog

I jumped straight back into the thick of things in London after my nine days in Venice. There are extra screenings these days for press, running in parallel with film festivals and getting a jump on awards season. There are also the big releases to watch, such as Heart of the Beast, a Brad Pitt survival movie in which he and his faithful dog are stranded in the Alaskan wilderness. It looks amazing, and has strongly vivid ideas running through it, but the story feels very constructed.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Queen at Sea • Knife
April X • Sunny Dancer
The Beast of Mossy Bottom
ALL REVIEWS >

Shaun the Sheep is back for The Beast of Mossy Bottom, another silly, hilarious romp involving mischievous barnyard animals and their hapless farmer, this time playing on classic monster movie tropes. Call My Agent! The Movie catches up with the beloved characters from the TV series, now facing many, many obstacles as they make a movie. It's very funny, with some great actor cameos. Bella Ramsay is terrific in Sunny Dancer, a teen camp comedy with a cancer-drama edge to it, plus James Norton, Jessica Gunning and Neil Patrick Harris. Monica Dolan shines in the true Irish drama of The Lost Children of Taum, another grim tale about horrific Catholic homes for unwed mothers. For dance fans, Scottish Ballet have produced These Violent Delights, an inventively cinematic take on Romeo and Juliet. I also saw a stunning live dance production of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Legacy.

Coming up this next week, there's Tom Cruise in Digger, the biopic I Play Rocky, Nick Robinson in Charlie Harper, Laura Linney in Onwards and Sideways, Sophie Thatcher in Her Private Hell, the animated drama In Waves, the German satire Babystar, the Juliette Binoche/Akram Khan collaboration In-I in Motion, the conclusion of the two-part biopic De Gaulle: Liberte, and the documentary Pulp: What Do You Do for an Encore. I also have a live performance of Blue/Glas.

Venezia83: Best of the fest

And the 83rd Venice Film Festival presented its top prize on Saturday to Danish-Egyptian filmmaker May el-Toukhy, the only female director in the official competition, for Woman Unknown. This was the main film I regretted missing at the festival, so I look forward to catching up with it at some point. The other three I most wanted to see but couldn't fit into my schedule (or couldn't get seats for) were Lance Oppenheim's Primetime, Hirokazu Kore-Eda's Look Back and Takashi Miike's Shumei. Here are the main prizes from the official competition and some of the parallel sections and independent juries. And below that are my favourites...

Golden Lion: Woman Unknown

Grand Jury Prize: Possible Love

Special Jury Prize: Naza

Director: Ilya Khrzhanovskiy (Dau)

Actress: Mathilde Arcel (Woman Unknown)

Actor: John Malkovich (Wild Horse Nine)

Screenplay: Coralie Amedeo, Stephane Brize, Olivier Gorce (A Good Little Soldier)

Mastroianni Award: Malou Khebizi (A Place To Heal)

Queer Lion: London and Queer Edward II

Leoncino d'Oro: Mr Nelson, Did You Kill People? 

Bisato d'Oro: Dau

Lion of the Future: Bernard Auguste Kouemo Yanghu (House of the Wind)

Orizzonti: Diane in the Loop 

Critics' Week: Before the War

Audience Award: Our Share of Sand

Venice Days: Sometimes Sadness, Sometimes Rebellion

Fipresci: Possible Love

Lifetime Achievement: Ellen Burstyn, George Clooney

Glory to the Filmmaker: Luca Guadagnino

Passion For Film: Serena Rossi

R I C H ’ S   F A V O U R I T E S

1. Naza (UK)
2. Wild Horse Nine (UK)
3. Possible Love (Korea)
4. A Good Little Soldier (France)
5. Queer Edward II (UK)
6. Moonfish (US)
7. London (Brazil)
8. Tijuana, Todavía (Mexico)
9. Dau (Germany)
10. Everest: The Other Side (US)

Honourable mention: Back to Buenos Aires (Italy). Guria (Georgia). Our Share of Sand (India). House of the Wind (Cameroon). No Paradise if You Are Killed by a Woman (Iraq). Musk (US). A Bit of Light (Iran). Lovers in the Blue Night (India). Hombre al Agua (Mexico). From Inside Out (Germany).

Full reviews of all of the films I've seen will be linked to Shadows' VENICE FILM FEST PAGE >

Venezia83: It's a celebration

It's time to head back to London, but I have thoroughly enjoyed my 10 days at the 83rd Venice Film Festival, as always. Not only is it in one of my very favourite spots on the planet, but every single film is a world premiere, so we watch them without any preconceptions at all. I'm looking forward to seeing who the juries award - I'll have one last post with my favourites and the award winners. In the meantime, here's one last collection of notes on movies I've been watching...

Lovers in the Blue Night
dir-scr Anuparna Roy; with Neelima Sharma, Pritam Pilania 26/Ind ****
In a culture of arranged marriages, this beautifully shot and edited film focusses on people outside the system finding love on their own terms. Writer-director Anapurna Roy is gifted at observing the everyday rhythms of life in Mumbai, where people from around India and beyond come to make a new life for themselves. This is a warm, involving portrait of people trying to find options in a society where there aren't many.

Back to Buenos Aires [Ritorno a Buenos Aires]
dir-scr Marco Bechis; with Adriano Giannini, Ana Celentano 26/It ****
Exploring a historical event from a new angle, this powerful drama looks at the repercussions of severe trauma on an individual, a nation and the world at large. With the background of Argentina's horrific late-1970s military regime, writer-director Marco Bechis finely crafts a complex, challenging film that churns with underlying tension from the start, remaining tightly introspective even as it takes on seriously horrific events.

No Paradise if You Are Killed by a Woman
dir-scr Halkawt Mustafa; with Avan Jamal, Thorbjorn Harr 26/Irq ****
From Iraq, this is an unusually focussed war thriller, honing in on a female sniper helping to liberate her country from Islamist extremists. With exceptional camerawork, writer-director Halkawt Mustafa skilfully follows a resilient warrior who bravely approaches the battle with both military precision and kindness. The brisk story unfolds through seriously intense set-pieces, balanced with engaging quieter moments.

The Good Lawyer [Un Bon Avocat]
dir Tristan Seguela; with Laurent Lafitte, Anthony Bajon 26/Fr
Punchy energy infuses this French drama, as lively camerawork and editing combine with a muscly script and strong performances to propel the audience through the twists and turns of one week in the life of a lawyer desperately trying to cling to his job. Filmmaker Tristan Sequela keeps the focus tightly on Laurent Lafitte's brilliant but outrageously messy attorney as he is forced to confront his own integrity.

What Belongs to Others [Cudze Rzeczy]
dir-scr Grzegorz Debowski; with Monika Kwiatkowska, Robert Mania 26/Pol ***.
Shot in a matter-of-fact style with dialog that feels like it was captured by accident, this realistically gritty Polish drama centres on a woman who reacts unexpectedly when she has nowhere left to turn. Writer-director Grzegorz Debowski skilfully uses silent scenes to propel the story, allowing the audience to simply watch, and to get increasingly involved in the thoughtful and rather darkly shaded narrative.

Full reviews will be linked to Shadows' VENICE FILM FEST PAGE >

Venezia83: On the nose

It's my last full day at the 83rd Venice Film Festival, although I have more movies to watch tomorrow before (and after) my flight back to London. This trip has been a bit more work-intensive than previous visits to this festival, and I have't had much time to explore other things, including Biennale exhibitions or Venice Immersive. Still, I've seen a lot of movies, and had spare time to roam the city most days. Here are notes on five more movies...

Trick [Scherzetto]
dir Mario Martone; with Toni Servillo, Lorenzo Perrotta 26/It ***.
 Centred around a man and his young grandson, this Italian film mixes comedy and drama in a way that feels somewhat uneven. Filmmaker Mario Martone is gifted at creating complex characters and seeing the world through their eyes, so there are many layers to this story that speak to issues of aging, nostalgia and the disparities between generations. And actor Toni Servillo is a master at engaging with the audience.

Naza
dir-scr Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor; with Yuval Abraham 26/UK ****.
Don't expect something quietly informative here: this documentary's title is the acronym used by Israeli Military Forces to indicate the number of civilians who are expected to be killed in a strike against Gaza. Oscar-winning filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor use quiet conversations to tell this story, revealing that innocent people, including children, are being deliberately murdered as part of Israel's war on Palestine. 

A Bit of Light
dir Ali Asgari; with Missagh Zareh, Sadaf Asgari 26/Irn 
With a gently rolling pace and a quietly witty sensibility, this Iranian comedy-drama approaches a very serious premise with a superbly light-handed touch. Filmmaker Ali Asgari and his gifted cast create hugely likeable characters who support each other unconditionally, even if they'd rather not. It's a beautiful depiction of familial love in a place where government actions continually seem to obliterate hope.

One Minute to Midnight [Un Peu Avant Minuit]
dir-scr Nicolas Pariser; with Melvil Poupaud, Chiara Mastroianni 26/Fr ***
Talky and introspective, this French drama follows a 49-year-old man as he drifts from one intriguing conversation to another. All of this is very pointed, and writer-director Nicolas Pariser keeps it engaging by honing in on tantalising ideas about the disparity between memory and reality and connections between men and women. But while it explores hugely resonant issues, the film remains largely academic. 

Before the War
dir-scr Tommaso Usberti; with Piero Usberti, Luana Bajrami 26/It ***.
Beautifully photographed to capture a visceral feeling of summertime, this Italian drama is set in a rural community that's infused with a deep-seated culture of racism and machismo. So the romance at the film’s centre feels like it has little choice but to be doomed. But this is a bracingly honest, observational look at a guy in his early 20s only just beginning to see the nature of the world around him. 

Full reviews will be linked to Shadows' VENICE FILM FEST PAGE >

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C R I T I C A L  W E E K 

I haven't seen any non-Venice films this week, but I return to London tomorrow, and will quickly begin watching current releases again, starting with Brad Pitt in Heart of the Beast, Aardman's stop-motion Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, catching up with the cast of the French TV classic in Call My Agent! The Movie, Irish drama The Lost Children of Taum, and Scottish Ballet's Shakespeare-inspired These Violent Delights. Plus a live performance of Alvin Ailey: Legacy.

Venezia83: Family matters

Rainclouds appeared over the 83rd Venice Film Festival for the first time today, accompanied by rolling thunder and some showers. So the red carpets have been a bit on the soggy side for the world premieres on Wednesday. Here are notes on five of today's films... 

The Fire Within You [Il Fuoco che Ti Porti Dentro]
dir Edoardo De Angelis; with Elena Radonicich, Vanessa Scalera 26/It ***.
So full-on that it's exhausting from the first frame, this Neapolitan family drama bristles with abrasive rants so vicious that it seems impossible that there's actual love among these people. Director Edoardo De Angelis shoots it largely in handheld closeup, so the film also feels harshly claustrophobic. But it's finely acted and full of powerful moments. And thankfully there are some quieter interludes as well. 

Place to Be
dir Kornel Mundruczo; with Ellen Burstyn, Taika Waititi 26/Aus ***.
Unlikely to ruffle any feathers, this bright and easy comedy-drama follows an elderly woman as she takes a stand against giving up her independence. It helps hugely that she's played by the radiantly gifted Ellen Burstyn, because the film's plot is fairly simplistic, and it doesn't seem to have a clue where it's headed. Filming in Australia, Hungarian director Kornel Mundruczo keeps everything sunny and amusing.

Dau
dir-scr Ilya Khrzhanovsky; with Teodor Currentzis, Radmila Shchogolieva 26/Ger ****
Russian director Ilya Khrzhanovsky has spent two decades making this unruly, wildly entertaining epic, which spans the 20th century through the eyes of a theoretical physicist. This is one of the most dazzling pieces of cinema in recent memory, with a scale that's beyond comparison. It also helps that the intricacies of the story are riveting, and the themes that run through each scene are urgent and powerful.

A Good Little Soldier
dir Stephane Brize; with Alba Rohrwacher, Vincent Lindon 26/Fr ****.
Fiendishly clever, this bracingly kinetic comedy-drama has echoes of The Office with its often hilariously absurd depiction of corporate culture. But underneath that, director Stephane Brize carefully weaves a lacerating attack on current global politics, in which yes-men play power games with what they know is right or wrong. So while the film is very funny, it's also sometimes staggeringly painful to watch.

Guria
dir Levan Koguashvili; with Kakhaber Tcholadze, Vamekh Jangidze 26/Geo ****
Shot in a black-and-white style that looks timeless, this wry comedy-drama from Georgia is set in the messy years following the breakup of the Soviet Union, during which the nation suffered through years of political and military violence. With that in the distant background, director-cowriter Levan Koguashvili takes a slice-of-life approach in the rural Guria region, honing in on a lively community and a key friendship.

Full reviews will be linked to Shadows' VENICE FILM FEST PAGE >