LFF: Out of isolation

Going to the cinema still seems like a novelty after the past year and a half, especially sitting in a packed theatre without any signs of social distancing. Even if most of the audience is wearing a mask. It's great to be back in public, reuniting with friends at the 65th BFI London Film Festival, which is heading into its final weekend. There's a glimmer of hope that this is the way forward, things will continue to open up further, and life will return to normal, or at least a new normal. In the mean time, I'm enjoying this glut of higher than usual quality films. Here are some highlights for Thursday...

7 Days
dir Roshan Sethi; with Karan Soni, Geraldine Viswanathan 21/US ***.
There's plenty of charm in this contained romantic comedy, which mixes the pressures of Indian culture with the uncertainty of the pandemic. It feels both improvised and somewhat constructed, and wins over the audience with the awkward but cute chemistry between charismatic actors Karan Soni and Geraldine Viswanathan. It's also a clever look at issues specific to a subculture that will have a far wider resonance for audiences.

Munich: The Edge of War
dir Christian Schwochow; with George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner 21/Ger ***.
Based on Robert Harris' fact-based book about a fateful moment just before World War II, this diplomatic thriller has plenty of heart-stopping moments that spark attention. It's skilfully directed by Christian Schwochow to maintain a slick pace and clever period detail, and the adept cast injects emotional meaning into the characters and situations. Although there's always the nagging sense that this might be as much conjecture as reality.

Ali & Ava
dir-scr Clio Barnard; with Adeel Akhtar, Claire Rushbrook 21/UK ****
Here's another Yorkshire-based drama from the gifted Clio Barnard, this time a gently effective romance based around workshopped characters and situations. Anchored with energetic performances from Adeel Akhar and Claire Rushbrook, who are surrounded by a cast of fresh faces, the film traces a surprising second chance at love for two 40-somethings who are caught off-guard by each other. And their likability disarms the audience too.

Paris, 13th District [Les Olympiades, Paris 13e]
dir Jacques Audiard; with Lucie Zhang, Makita Samba 21/Fr ***.
An intriguing interweaving of stories and characters, this French drama evokes a refreshingly multicultural view of modern society, never making a issue of the ethnic issues between people, because they add to their connections rather than stress them. Filmmaker Jacques Audiard follows three characters through engaging intertwined journeys of self-discovery. Amid the various twists, the film is rather oddly male-gazey, but it's also insightful and likeable...
FULL REVIEW >

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C R I T I C A L   W E E K

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
The Invisible Life • The Last Duel
Never Gonna Snow Again
ALL REVIEWS >

Regular releases I've watched this week include the deafening, but much improved, sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage with Tom Hardy, the superbly unsettling dark romantic satire The Beta Test with Jim Cummings, the offbeat but intriguingly arty Maltese drama The Grand Duke of Corsica with Timothy Spall and the moving but awkward Canadian small-down drama On the Fringe of Wild.

For the rest of this week, the LFF dominates my screening schedule, including Frances McDormand in The Tragedy of Macbeth, Tilda Swinton in Memoria, Will Smith in King Richard, Terence Davies' Benediction and Paul Veerhoeven's Benedetta.