LFF: Face your fears

I deliberately took it a bit slowly today at the virtual London Film Festival, watching only one festival film. Although I've still been staring at the computer screen, because I used the time to write up some reviews. I also needed to watch a couple of non-festival films for work purposes, leading to more writing - it's a never-ending circle! Anyway, here are some more LFF highlights... 

WolfWalkers

dir Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart; voices Honor Kneafsey, Eva Whittaker 20/Ire ****

With beautiful storybook-style animation, this Irish animated adventure harks back to a magical time. Children will love the tale's darker edges, as it never shies away from enjoyably yucky realities or political tensions between Ireland and its interloping British rulers. So even if the line between good and evil is a bit too clear-cut, the characters are hugely engaging, and the story takes several surprising twists and turns... FULL REVIEW >

Siberia

dir Abel Ferrara; with Willem Dafoe, Dounia Sichov 20/It 1h31 ***.

A provocative, often baffling collision of ideas and feelings, this bonkers film is impossible to watch at face value, as filmmaker Abel Ferrara takes a dreamlike dive into the psyche of a grizzled man played by frequent collaborator Willem Dafoe. The settings have a fable-like quality, with imagery that seems to come directly from the subconscious. It's a gorgeously assembled existential odyssey that's alternately funny, horrific and unnervingly thoughtful... FULL REVIEW >

Wildfire

dir-scr Cathy Brady; with Nora-Jane Noone, Nika McGuigan 20/UK **.

Almost terrifyingly current, this drama set in Northern Ireland tells a story set against the fragile peace that has held since the 1998 Good Friday agreement, which the UK government is currently violating with its Brexit plans. The tone of this film is very gloomy, which matches the grim themes. But because it's so relentlessly bleak, writer-director Cathy Brady never achieves the catharsis the story seems to be seeking... FULL REVIEW >

Time 

dir Garrett Bradley; with Sibil Fox Richardson, Robert Richardson 20/US ****

Using a collage of black and white images, both new and from grainy home video, this artful, astute documentary explores America's thriving mass-incarceration industry, which disproportionately targets mainly poor people from ethnic communities. Filmmaker Garrett Bradley has a terrific eye for imagery and storytelling rhythms, drawing the audience deeply into the story. She packs so much into 81 minutes that this film feels like an urgent epic... FULL REVIEW >

NB. My anchor page for the LFF is HERE and full reviews will appear in between these daily blog entries. Yes, there's a backlog.