LFF: Lose yourself

It's been an intense three days at the London FIlm Festival with four films each, and today's outrageous journey took me from the UK to the US, Ireland and the Philippines. It feels a bit like cinematic whiplash, but it's also exhilarating to see some of the best films of the year - both the crowd-pleasers and more challenging things that rarely travel beyond festivals. Here are three more highlights...

Mogul Mowgli

dir Bassam Tariq; with Riz Ahmed, Alyy Khan 20/UK ***

Shot in an edgy documentary style, this is an intimate drama that often feels claustrophobic with its tight Academy-ratio framing and pointed plotting. An exploration of identity and legacy, the film has a hallucinatory style that plays on internalised feelings rather than plot details. This makes it feel a bit thin, but the central turn from Riz Ahmed has a razor-sharp energy that gives the film a bristly emotional punch.

The Reason I Jump 

dir Jerry Rothwell; with David Mitchell, Elizabeth Vosseller 20/UK ****

This documentary is based on the book by Japanese 13-year-old Naoki Higashida, describing how it feels to be autistic and unable to speak. Filmmaker Jerry Rothwell illustrates this by travelling around the world to visit parents and children who are dealing with autism in a proactive way. The film is beautifully shot and edited, using colours, shapes and textures to offer the viewer a new sense of perspective... FULL REVIEW >

I Am Samuel

dir Pete Murimi; with Samuel, Alex, Redon, Rebecca 20/Ken ****

Filmed over the course of five years, this is an astonishingly brave documentary about a gay man in Nairobi. Homosexuality isn't illegal in Kenya, but "unnatural" sex is a felony. And vicious public attitudes are even more dangerous. But Samuel knows that it's important for him to tell his story, and filmmaker Pete Murimi has made a remarkably intimate film that eloquently pleads with for compassion and understanding.

NB. My anchor page for the LFF is HERE and full reviews will appear in between these daily blog entries. That's the plan anyway.