Thursday 12 January 2023

Critical Week: Desperado

It's been a very busy week with lots of meetings relating to the forthcoming London Critics' Circle Film Awards, voting deadlines in various awards and appearing on this week's episode of the Arts Hour for BBC World Service (link to come).

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Tár • M3gan • The Old Way
Empire of Light • Enys Men
ALL REVIEWS >
So I've only managed to watch three films this week. Nicolas Cage brings his wonderfully offbeat intensity to the Western drama The Old Way, which is never quite as original as it should be, but is sustained by Cage's presence and his chemistry with intrepid young costar Ryan Kiera Armstrong. Another genre film that is more entertaining than it should be is M3gan, about an AI robot toy doll that becomes murderously protective of its owner. It's gleefully nasty, but never scary. And Gillian Jacobs is terrific in the unusual The Seven Faces of Jane, which features episodes in the day of a mother's life made by eight filmmakers who didn't consult with each other. The result is surreal and riveting.

This coming week I'll be watching Anna Kendrick in Alice Darling, Vicky Krieps in More Than Ever, Alfredo Castro in The Substitute, the acclaimed British drama The Swimmers and the animated adventure Epic Tails.


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