Critical Week: Keep an eye out

Working on a television crew kept me out of cinemas for much of this week, but I had a couple of days off to catch up on movies and other things. New films this week included Salem's Lot, yet another adaptation of one of my favourite Stephen King novels, although this film's approach features standard cheap scares rather than the book's brainer chills. Joaquin Phoenix is back for Todd Phillips' sequel Joker: Folie a Deux, starring with Lady Gaga in a very well-made, twisted drama about mental illness. But it's unnecessarily bleak. 

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Things Will Be Different
Daaaaaali • Maya and the Wave
PERHAPS AVOID:
Salem's Lot
ALL REVIEWS >

Further afield, there was Quentin Dupieux's wonderfully surreal biopic Daaaaaali!, taking an appropriately bonkers look at the iconic artist. Two low-budget American films were worth a look: All Kinds of Love is a relaxed romcom with strong characters, while Beauty Grace Malice is an offbeat thriller with engaging themes. And the doc Maya and the Wave recounts the astonishing story of surf champ Maya Gabeira with some jaw-dropping footage. I also attended a special screening of the TV series La Máquina with a lively intro from Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna. And I reviewed two live events: Frontiers: Choreographers of Canada at Sadler's Wells and Foreverland at Southwark Playhouse.

The TV series I'm working on wraps this week after shooting eight episodes, just in time for the start of the 68th London Film Festival on Wednesday. In the diary this coming week: Steve McQueen's Blitz, Sean Baker's Palme d'Or winner Anora, Ralph Fiennes in Conclave, Samuel L Jackson in The Piano Lesson and the Chinese action movie Stuntman, plus Chicos Mambo's live show Tutu.