BFI Flare: Family matters

The 38th BFI Flare powers into its final weekend with even more movies and events, including a big closing night party tomorrow. It's been great to have filmmaker Q&As at every public screening I've attended, while having time between films to catchup with them and with my festival friends here in London. Of course, festivals wear us out (we watch too much then have to find time somewhere to work!), so I'll be glad to have my life back on Monday. But until then, there's miles to go. Here are more highlights, plus a brief Critical Week roundup...

Our Son
dir Bill Oliver; with Luke Evans, Billy Porter 23/US ***
While this drama features a new angle on the usual child custody narrative, its script never achieves the complexity needed to bring the situation to life. Instead, it feels more like a TV melodrama in which each conflict happens simply because the formula says it should. Thankfully, the cast rises above the sometimes simplistic dialog to deliver involving performances that knowingly touch on important issues. So even if it isn't memorable, the film is warm and engaging.

Pine Cone
dir Onir; with Vidur Sethi, Sahib Verma 23/Ind ***.
With a sensitive story that's groundbreaking for Indian cinema, this warm gay romantic drama takes a deep dive into its central character's relationship history through a robust flashback structure. Filmmaker Onir finds earthy honesty in scenes that grapple with connections, while eliciting layered performances from an excellent cast of newcomers. It may look a bit flatly digital (it was largely shot on an iPhone), and the music may feel somewhat insistent for Western audiences, but the film is powerfully involving.

Don't Ever Stop
dir Stuart Pollitt; with Fergie, Andy Buckley 24/UK ****
It's appropriate that a documentary about Tony De Vit, Britain's Godfather of Hard House, would pulsate with the thumping rhythms of a sweaty nightclub. This is a knowing and warmly personal portrait of a man whose influence on the music industry has been enormous, and it expands to explore his legacy by also recounting the story of his protege Fergie, one of the biggest DJs in the world. Filmmakers Stuart Pollitt and Phill Smith have poured a lot of love into this film, which makes it powerfully involving.

Commitment to Life
dir Jeffrey Schwarz; with Jeffrey Katzenberg, Bruce Vilanch 23/US ****
Centred around the queer community in Los Angeles and its response to the Aids epidemic, this knowing and sensitive documentary chronicles how a range of people took high-profile action that changed attitudes around the world. Master documentarian Jeffrey Schwartz assembles this beautifully, with a superb range of personal interviews offering firsthand commentary alongside the extensive archival material.

B E S T    O F    Y E A R
20,000 Species of Bees
dir-scr Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren; with Sofia Otero, Patricia Lopez Arnaiz 23/Sp ***
From the Basque Country, this loose drama circles around an important issue with honesty and emotion. But writer-director Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren makes it difficult to engage with the characters. Not only are there too many ill-defined people on-screen, but the meandering structure never offers a way in. That said, the film looks beautiful, skilfully using the setting and culture. And the cast is excellent across the board... FULL REVIEW >

Full reviews will be linked on Shadows' BFI FLARE PAGE >
For festival information, BFI FLARE >

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C R I T I C A L  W E E K

I've only caught a couple of non-festival movies this week, namely the franchise continuation Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, which feels the strain of too many characters and a distracting plot. But there is still some fun to be had. Kristen Stewart is excellent in Love Lies Bleeding (also at Flare as it happens), the anticipated twisted thriller from Rose Glass (St Maud). It's wonderfully original. And from Australia, Limbo is a gorgeously stylish mystery shot in black and white by the gifted filmmaker Ivan Sen. In the diary for next week, I've got Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, plus In the Land of Saints and Sinners, The Beautiful Game, The Origin of Evil, Ama Gloria and Carnal Sins.