LFF: Light the way

The strangest London Film Festival in memory is heading into its final weekend, and I still have yet to have any physical evidence that anything has actually taken place - no printed programme, press badge, not even a single in-person screening. But I've watched a lot of amazing films over the past couple of weeks (two of the best so far are below). I did get out of the house again yesterday for a theatre press night, which was good fun (watch for that review once this LFF blog ends on Sunday). In the meantime, here are four more highlights...

Nomadland

dir-scr Chloe Zhao; with Frances McDormand, David Strathairn 20/US *****

A hybrid between drama and fly-on-the-wall doc, this astonishing film takes a journey through an unseen segment of US society, chronicling the thousands of Baby Boomers whose lives have been irrevocably changed by the 2008 Great Recession. Almost everyone on-screen is playing themselves. Filmmaker Chloe Zhao, Frances McDormand and gifted cinematographer Joshua James Richards create a powerful portrait of a vast community on the move around the American West.

Another Round

dir Thomas Vinterberg; with Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen 20/Den ****

With his usually realistic approach, filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg takes a deep dive into Denmark's heavy drinking culture. Even with the high-concept premise, the film is beautifully character-based, centring on four middle-aged men on a frankly ridiculous quest to prove that humans achieve optimal performance with alcohol in their system. So as warning signs begin to appear, the shift from warm comedy to dark drama is astute, complex and provocative... FULL REVIEW >

Limbo

dir-scr Ben Sharrock; with Amir El-Masry, Vikash Bhai 20/UK ****

An offbeat approach to storytelling sets this film apart as it recounts the experiences of a refugee. Writer-director Ben Sharrock sees the narrative through a cheeky, artful eye, catching tiny absurdities and deeper resonance. With snappy production design, bleak landscapes and expectant faces, this is a wonderfully human approach to an important topic. And it worms its way under the skin, surprising us with laugh-out-loud humour and strong emotions.

Notturno

dir-scr Gianfranco Rosi; with Ali Ali, Mohamas Ali Monajed 20/It ****.

Shot over three years in Syria, Kurdistan, Iraq and Lebanon, this masterful documentary by the gifted Gianfranco Rosi immediately reminds us of the intensely personal stories behind headlines about war. This film digs deeply beneath the news to recount the human impact of political and religious violence. Shot by Rosi like a particularly beautiful narrative feature, it has elements of family drama, adventure and heart-stopping thriller woven into it.

NB. My anchor page for the LFF is HERE and full reviews will appear in between these daily blog entries. The backlog will start shrinking soon.