Critical Week: It's party time

The 68th BFI London Film Festival kicked off this week, just as my two-month stint on a television series wrapped, so there's been no time to kill! But I'm taking the festival more lightly this year, with just one or two films per day. I'll catch up with other movies later. Meanwhile, awards season is fully underway in London, with Q&A screenings most evenings. And over the next week many of these are also in the festival. This week's screenings included Sean Baker's Palme d'Or winner Anora, a lively romantic comedy that spins into something even more interesting as it goes along. It's a proper stunner.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Transformers One
We Live in Time
ALL REVIEWS >

LFF opened with Steve McQueen's Blitz, a gorgeously produced recreation of 1940 London under attack, starring Saoirse Ronan and Elliott Heffernan. The story doesn't quite work, but it looks astonishing. Ralph Fiennes leads a strong cast in Conclave, Edward Berger's drama about the selection of a new Pope. It's smart, nuanced and riveting. John David Washington, Samuel L Jackson and Danielle Deadwyler lead an adaptation of August Wilson's play The Piano Lesson, which is beefy and intense, but remains rather stagebound. Mike Leigh is back with Hard Truths, an edgy family drama starring the terrific Marianne Jean-Baptists and Michele Austin. And apart from LFF/awards season, the lively Hong Kong action movie Stuntman pays playful and sometimes melodramatic homage to the stunt performing community. I also caught Chicos Mambo's amusing live show Tutu at the Peacock. 

Most films I'm watching this coming week are also screening at LFF, including the animated adventure The Wild Robot, the SNL romp Saturday Night, Angelina Jolie in Maria, Amy Adams in Nightbitch, Thomasin McKenzie in Joy, Kieran Culkin in A Real Pain, the Indian comedy Superboys of Malegaon and the psychic doc Look Into My Eye. There's also Alex Wolff in The Line, Mark Cousins' A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things and the doc Studio One Forever, plus Fillibuster at Jackson's Lane. 

Critical Week: They're everywhere

Heading into my birthday weekend, Britain is in full-on summer mode, with London's Pride march on Saturday, Glastonbury in full swing, Wimbledon finishing week 1 and England playing in the European Football Championship knockout round. It's also a double blockbuster week in cinemas, and both films had their only press screenings just a few days before opening. A Quiet Place: Day One is a prequel to John Krasinski's 2018 hit, and it's a remarkably personal, deeply involving thriller starring Joseph Quinn and Lupita Nyong'o (above), plus the year's best cat so far. Kevin Costner's Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter I is a three hour epic that's skilfully made and strongly acted by a starry ensemble cast as vast as the Montana landscapes. Basically an introduction to a planned series of films, it's all set-up with no pay-off at all. At least we only have to wait about six weeks for chapter two.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Network • Kinds of Kindness
A Quiet Place: Day One
Dance Revolutionaries
ALL REVIEWS >

Other films this week included the excellent Julianne Nicholson and Zoe Ziegler as mother and daughter in the quirky Janet Planet, which is beautifully observed but far too indulgent for most audiences (including me). Currently on television with Fantasmas, Julio Torres brings his quirky acting-filmmaking style to the big screen with Problemista, a hugely inventive immigrant drama that explores the urgency of being creative. And it costars an on-fire Tilda Swinton.

Set at an isolated clothing optional campground in New Hampshire, Birder is an unusually casual serial killer thriller that gets under the skin, as it were. The queer drama Spark finds all kinds of clever, resonant ways to explore a familiar story about identity. From India, the action thriller Kill is a seriously well-orchestrated rampage of gritty violence and heightened emotion on a train. Filmed at locations around Britain, Dance Revolutionaries features first-rate performers in gorgeously choreographed pieces. And I had a chance to revisit one of my all-time favourites, the 1976 TV newsroom drama Network, as it's being reissued to celebrate director Sidney Lumet's centenary. With its ace cast (Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch) and Paddy Chayefsky's blistering screenplay, it still feels frighteningly current.

This coming week is even busier, as I'll be watching Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron in A Family Affair, Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, Mia Goth in MaXXXine, Nicolas Cage in Longlegs, Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Tuesday, Ewan McGregor in Mother Couch, Hayley Bennett in Widow Cliquot, Stellan Skarsgard in What Remains, Paul Raci in The Secret Art of Human Flight, Chinese drama Black Dog and Carlos Acosta's stage production of Carmen.

Critical Week: Head over heels

The weather warmed up considerably in London during the week, but has reverted back to near-wintry just in time for the long weekend, which perhaps will drive up cinema attendance. There was a big romcom this week, with Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine in The Idea of You, an unusually well-written movie that's smart and very sexy. But we're now officially in blockbuster season, with a major release each week for the next few months. This week's big movie was The Fall Guy, a meta-action comedy starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. It's hugely entertaining, even if it's not quite as funny as it should be.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Love Lies Bleeding • The Idea of You
The Lost Boys • Evil Does Not Exist
Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry
Blue Giant • Jeanne du Barry • Drifter
ALL REVIEWS >

I also caught this week's big online release Unfrosted, Jerry Seinfeld's outrageously silly retelling of the birth of the Pop Tart, which is riotously packed with enjoyable cameos. Josh O'Connor stars in the offbeat Italian drama La Chimera, which is magical in the way it plays with the past and present. Lea Seydoux and George MacKay are terrific in The Beast, a freak-out with several fiendishly clever futuristic twists. There was also the photogenic German romp Lassie: A New Adventure, which is enjoyably predictable. From Argentina, the tango-infused Adios Buenos Aires tells an involving story about personal connections. And from England, the observant, charming doc Much Ado About Dying traces the final four years in the life of an eccentric actor.

I've got several films to watch over the coming week, including an Imax screening of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Rebel Wilson in The Almond and the Seahorse, Ashley Judd in Lazareth, Mira Sorvino in The Image of You, the Hong Kong action thriller Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, the action-comedy Hazard and the Guatemalan drama Our Mothers.

On the Road: Family time

Hello from sunny Southern California. I'm in Orange County for a couple of weeks visiting my parents, family and friends. And also watching movies, because I can't help myself. Since its movie awards season, there are a lot of screenings on, so I'll be occasionally driving up into Hollywood to see things there. And there are also a few movies in theatres now that haven't opened in the UK yet, such as the first one here, which I saw with my parents yesterday. The other two were films I caught up with on the plane...

Armageddon Time
dir-scr James Gray; with Anne Hathaway, Jeremy Strong 22/US ***.
Filmmaker James Gray makes by far his most personal project yet, tapping into his own childhood for a coming-of-age drama set in 1980 Queens with a plot that plays largely in the subtext. Even as it takes on enormous political and social issues, film has a lovely delicacy, although this subtlety can be challenging for viewers who like to have a clear idea of what the story is trying to say. That said, it bristles with provocative themes, bracingly complex characters and nuanced performances from a strong cast ably anchored by the young teen Banks Repeta.

Clerks III
dir-scr Kevin Smith; with Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson22/US ***.
Kevin Smith revisits his now iconic characters once again for another flurry of nutty antics and snappy movie references. All of the main cast is back, with added cameos, for a meta-comedy that takes a remarkably moving look at middle-aged men grappling with their mortality. Things kick off when Randal (Anderson) has a heart attack and decides it’s finally time to make a movie of his own, enlisting Dante (O'Halloran) and the gang to play themselves. What follows is witty and messy, as expected, with Smith’s charming-scruffy filmmaking quietly revealing a rather sophisticated exploration of ambition, regret and grief. There are plenty of goofy sequences along the way, but the most memorable moments involve nostalgia and big emotions.

Marcel the Shell With Shoes On
dir Dean Fleischer-Camp; voices Jenny Slate, Isabella Rossellini 21/US ****
Disarmingly surreal, this surreal animated romp is so relentlessly charming that its big emotional climax sneaks up on us. It’s the story of a tiny shell named Marcel (Slate) who finds himself alone in a big house with his grandmother Connie (Rossellini) after the owner (Thomas Mann) leaves, inadvertently taking the rest of Marcel's eclectic family with him. Then filmmaker Dean rents the house on Airbnb. He befriends Marcel and starts shooting documentary footage, which goes viral online and attracts the attention of a 60 Minutes producer. Where this goes is wonderfully bonkers, and along the way the amusing details and Marcel’s hilariously sarcastic humour completely win us over, leading to some unexpected moving moments. Watching this micro-gem of a film is pure joy.

In addition to catching up with family and friends (the main purpose of this trip!), while in Southern California I'll also be attending a few awards-consideration screenings, and also seeing some things in cinemas. Over the coming week, I'm looking forward to Sarah Polley's Women Talking, Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans, Disney's animated Strange World and Damien Chazelle's Babylon. Others are sure to pop up...

Raindance: Making movies

The 29th Raindance Film Festival is heading into its final weekend in London, as audiences get a taste of independent films that are often unlikely to turn up in either cinemas or streaming sites. I'm still watching the films online, but have been meeting filmmakers at the House of Raindance social space as well. My usual weekly routine continues amid the festival, so it's covered below. But first a few more Raindance highlights...

The Rossellinis
dir Alessandro Rossellini; with Alessandro Rossellini, Isabella Rossellini 20/It ***.
There's an offhanded honesty to this documentary, in which Alessandro Rossellini explores his sprawling family and the meaning of his famous grandfather's legacy. Key film clips and extensive archival footage are included that tellingly explore layers of family history. But the filmmaker's goal is to reveal stories that have never been told and find the defining factor that keeps him so closely connected to his aunts, uncles and cousins... FULL REVIEW >

King Car [Carro Rei]
dir Renata Pinheiro; with Luciano Pedro Jr, Matheus Nachtergaele 21/Br ***.
Blackly comical and wildly outrageous, this satirical Brazilian thriller plays on the idea that cars have consciousness and would change the world if they could communicate with humanity. While set in the present, filmmaker Pinheiro cleverly evokes a 1980s vibe, including a terrific Christine-meets-Knightrider kick as the story spins into an epic battle against government oppression. And there are several even more bonkers elements to the story as well... FULL REVIEW >

Against the Current
dir Oskar Pall Sveinsson; with Veiga Gretarsdottir, Gretar S Petursson 20/Ice ****
Beautifully shot in spectacular locations, this introspective documentary traces a daring physical challenge. And as a trans woman, Velga Gretarsdottir's life has been full of challenges. The movie doesn't shy away from bleak elements of her life, but it maintains a sense of positivity, facing each obstacle with dignity and tenacity. Filmmaker Oskar Pall Sveinsson keeps the tone earthy and warm, celebrating a woman who has never followed the crowd... FULL REVIEW >

Zip It
dir-scr Anicee Gohar; with Mohanad "Kojak" Aglan, Nabila Yassin 21/Egy ****
This documentary about rising star Egyptian fashion designer Kojak takes on the thorny issue of being a queer artist in the Middle East with openness and honesty. Filmmaker Anicee Gohar vividly captures Kojak's energy and style, including lots of glitter and glamour. Even at just an hour long, this film provides a remarkably complex portrait of a bright young designer who is quietly determined to change his harshly proscriptive culture.

Full reviews of festival films will be linked at Shadows' RAINDANCE HOMEPAGE 
For full festival information, visit RAINDANCE FILM FEST 

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C R I T I C A L    W E E K

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
The Card Counter • Beans
The Beta Test • A Cop Movie
ALL REVIEWS >

Non-festival films I caught up with this week include Chloe Zhao's Marvel epic Eternals, which has a fantastic ensemble cast led by Gemma Chan and some lovely character touches, but is disappointingly dense and effects-laden. Josh O'Connor and Odessa Young are terrific in the British period drama Mothering Sunday, which is unusually sexy for the genre. The British comedy Pirates bristles with energy even if it feels silly. Paolo Sorrentino's The Hand of God is a gorgeously autobiographical coming-of-age drama. And the shorts collection The Male Gaze: Celluloid Dreams features a remarkable set of vintage films about masculinity and sexuality.

This next week, in addition to Raindance films, I'll be watching the reunion sequel Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Almodovar's Parallel Mothers, Ryan Reynolds in Red Notice, Tom Hanks in Finch and Clint Eastwood's Cry Macho.

Critical Week: Family values

I've been in America's Deep South for a week and finally managed to get to a cinema yesterday to see Incredibles 2, which opens next month in the UK. I really enjoyed the way Brad Bird recaptures the family dynamic in the superhero genre, deepening the characters of the children in the process (Jack-Jack steals the show). The dialog is hilarious, and the action sequences are hugely thrilling (Marvel take note). Although I wish the plot and the villain were a bit more fully formed. Still, it's enjoyable enough that it makes us hope Bird doesn't wait another 14 years to make the next one.

Last week, I watched two films on the flight over here. Del Shores' Sordid Lives expanded universe has had a place in my heart since I spent two weeks with him at a film festival where the first movie premiered. So I was happy to find A Very Sordid Wedding in the fight's entertainment system. It's as wacky as the previous films and TV episodes, with the same messy humour, depth of feeling and a proper edge of religious and political themes woven through the nutty characters. The awesome Beth Grant was sorely missed (although Dale Dickey was great), but the film is a lot of fun, and actually has something important to say.

The other thing I watched was the two-and-a-half hour conclusion to Netflix's Sense8, basically the third season mashed together. Fans will love this epic adventure, which has plenty of twists and turns and carries on the Wachowskis' staggeringly inventive visual style. Although there's perhaps a bit too much gunplay than was necessary. And the emphasis on violence leaves the more interesting, engaging interpersonal drama feeling kind of wedged in at the end with two massive montage sequences that give the series' devoted followers just what they wanted to see most. More of that ebullience woven throughout each episode might have helped it gain a wider fanbase. But at least cast and crew were able to wrap up the story in style.

There's only one other movie in cinemas here that I'm interested in seeing (the comedy Tag), and only one coming out this weekend (the sequel Sicario: Day of the Soldado). But I don't know if I'll have a chance to see them before flying back home to London. Watch this space.