Critical Week: Cool kids

It's that odd period in the year when cinemas are full of amazing movies that are taking home Baftas and various guild prizes while awaiting Oscar night (coming on 12th March), but the box office champions at the moment are decidedly mediocre fare released by distributors now to cash in on the audience desire for mindless entertainment. Everyone asks me where the good movies are, and I reply that you need to look past the blockbusters that are dominating multiplexes and headlines: good movies are everywhere at the moment. 

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Close • Wandering Heart
ALL REVIEWS >

Speaking of blockbusters, I saw two this week: Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guere is Guy Ritchie's latest snarky action romp, with a terrific cast and gorgeous locations, lively twists and a barely serviceable script. It's thin but fun (largely thanks to a scene-stealing Hugh Grant, opposite Aubrey Plaza, Jason Statham and Bugzy Malone, above). Also suffering from script problems, Creed III is sharply well acted by a superb cast, and Michael B Jordan shows real talent as a director. It's rousing and worth a look, but simplistic the way it deploys toxic masculinity.

I also caught up with the British romantic comedy What's Love Got to Do With It, which adds some South Asian spice into the comfy mix with a snappy story that circles around arranged marriage in Pakistani immigrant families. Colourful cultural touches and strong turns from Lily James, Emma Thompson and Shazad Latif make it engaging. Michael Shannon is a bit too subdued in A Little White Lie, as a handyman posing as a reclusive author. Despite lacking energy, the film does generate some charm, and has a solid supporting cast. And from France, Love According to Dalva centres around a remarkable performance from Zelda Samson as a 12-year-old who believes she's a grown woman. It's a provocative, important take on the realities of child abuse.

Films this coming week include the sequel Scream VI, Woody Harrelson in Champions, horror comedy Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, rural comedy-drama The Middle Man, Australian drama Lonesome, offbeat sci-fi drama Lola, Italian horror Sound of Silence and filmmaking doc Brainwashed.

Screen: November TV Roundup

I'm still watching a bit more television than usual, thanks to lockdown - basically filling the time I would normally be travelling into central London for film screenings. There's been a lot on, and I'm behind with a few series, trying to take them one by one and getting easily distracted when something new pops up (The Crown!). Here's what I've been watching over the last few months, starting with a timely treat...

The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special
This animated 45-minute mash-up is an inventive mix of silly comedy and thrilling action. It's set after the nine-film saga as Finn and Poe plan a bustling Life Day party, and a magical Force Key sends Rey on a wildly chaotic journey through space and time, jumbling up the entire franchise. The mayhem is packed with knowing nods to fans, plus hilarious Lego-style gags as that black caped gang (Darth Vader, Kylo Ren and Palpatine) squares off against Rey, Luke and others. The holiday touches are amusing too, including Christmas jumpers, Poe's sentimentality and an unexpected snowfall. It's a lot of nutty fun, but not nearly as daring or ridiculous as the notorious 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special. (Disney)

We Are Who We Are
With the pungent subtitle "Right Here Right Now", this strikingly current series by Luca Guadagnino centres around teens living on a US military base in italy. The show has a loose-limbed exuberance to it that's engaging and freeform, allowing it to circle themes and deepen considerably as it spirals in unexpected directions. It also deliberately blurs lines of gender and sexuality in almost every character, which is fascinating as these young people take circuitous routes into their grown-up selves. The central friendship between Fraser and Caitlin is played with unapologetic complexity by Jack Dylan Grazer and Jordan Kristine Seamon. And their parents have their own messy journeys. (HBO)

Lovecraft Country
This ambitious series could have been this year's Watchmen, exploring history and major issues through story infused with fantasy. But it's not nearly as focussed or coherent. Jonathan Majors leads an above-average cast, holding attention even as the characters and plotting become increasingly opaque. Each episode is a combination of intrepid action and mind-bending supernatural freak-outs, all of which feels strangely random, especially as it never comes together to illuminate the bigger mystery. The themes are powerful, but the expository dialog is too dense, the dramatics exaggerated, and whole episodes are extraneous. Curiosity keeps us watching, but interest wanes. (HBO)

The Third Day 
With echoes of The Wicker Man, this series initially follows a man (Jude Law) to the island of Osea, off the Essex coast, where he runs into a freaky ancient cult that's up to something nefarious. And he's the person they're after. The perspective then switches to another woman (Naomie Harris) who arrives in Osea months later on her own private mission. These two plot threads are quickly revealed to be one, and the filmmaking approach skilfully keeps dropping creepy details into scenes, including wonderful performances from Law and Harris, plus Paddy Considine and an on-fire Emily Watson. It's uneven and not terribly convincing, but enjoyably chilling. (HBO)

Tehran
A twisty plot makes sure that this espionage thriller holds the attention over eight nail-biting episodes. It's about an Israeli agent (Niv Sultan) trying to complete her mission in Tehran while an Iranian security official (Shaun Toub) tries to stop her. Telling the story from both perspectives adds some unnerving nuance, which means that we don't want either side to succeed. Some of the plot points leave gaping holes here and there, and a tit-for-tat kidnapping tilts the story toward melodrama. As does a genuinely sweet romance that might just be part of a spy's job. But it's sharply well made and superbly acted, and it gets increasingly thrilling the events unfold. (Apple)

The Duchess 
London-based Canadian stand-up comic Katherine Ryan based this sitcom on autobiographical elements as a single mother who puts her daughter above everything else. There are some very funny and astute moments scattered throughout this show, and some terrific dialog, especially as Katherine storms around being brutally honest with everyone she meets. But she's not hugely likeable, and she mistreats the people in her life until they snap; and when they do something nasty, they're suddenly the villains. It's a bit frustrating to watch her fail utterly to learn anything from her errors. But it's blackly hilarious, and rather bleak fun. (Netflix)

Someone Has to Die [Alguien Tiene Que Morir]
From Spain, this three-part melodrama centres on a wealthy Spanish family that's infused with outrageously cruel bigotry. This latest conflict starts when prodigal son Gabino (Alejandro Speitzer) returns to Madrid from Mexico after 10 years away, and his father instantly exerts control, furious that Gabino brought a friend (Isaac Hernandez) home with him. The plot is simply bonkers, not only making very little sense in its histrionics, but always settling in on the worst possible things people can do to each other. As always, the great Carmen Maura livens things up as the imperious matriarch. But even her character is essentially thankless. (Netflix)

BACK FOR MORE

The Boys: series 2 
Diving straight back in with an all-new pile-up of decapitations, betrayals and Billy Joel tunes, this mis-titled rowdy series barely pauses for breath. The high-energy superhero characters are a mess from the very start, caught in spirals of inner turmoil and frustrated megalomania, which of course gives the actors a lot to work with and provides plenty of interpersonal fireworks. Literally. The various plotlines move in fits and starts, compromised by some soapy story points and sequences that strain to be over-cool. But there are plenty of intriguing wrinkles to the characters that catch us off guard, most notably whenever the engaging Hughie (Jack Quaid) is on-screen. (Prime)

The Crown: series 4 
Peter Morgan continues to mine the royal family for dramatic morsels, and as always his writing has the ring of truth to it even though it's pure fiction. Centring this season around Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson) and Princess Diana (Emma Corrin), the show is immaculately produced, as each episode contains heart-stopping moments alongside the throwaway bits that make it feel so real. Even if the takeaway this year is that Prince Charles is a monster. And the cast deserves all the awards: beautifully anchored by Olivia Colman with Josh O'Connor, Tobias Menzies and Helena Bonham Carter, each of whom gets a chance to shine very brightly indeed. It'll be all-change for the next season. (Netflix)

ONGOING

Star Trek: Discovery: series 3 (in progress)
This season's opener sends this series into yet another whole new direction, and where it continues from here is beautifully crafted, reinventing the entire show once again with a very different set of tensions and intentions. The superior cast (led by Sonequa Martin-Green, Anthony Rapp and the awesome Michelle Yeoh) bridges all of this expertly, deepening their roles as they go while finding clever ways to reinvent the wider franchise for today's audience. Like the original series almost 60 years ago, this show continues to ask enormous moral and ethical questions in provocative ways, and it grapples with hot-potato issues using stories that are easy to identify with. (Netflix)

The Conners: series 4 
(in progress)
The astute writers on this sitcom have always reflected the times, and this new season is no exception. Embracing the pandemic and the economic carnage it has brought to the working class, the scripts are putting this already bedraggled family through the wringer with issues of health, work, finances and immigration flaring up in earthy, thoughtful ways. And throughout even the most serious stuff, this great cast (Laurie Metcalf continues to steal the show) manages to drop smart punchlines all over the place, reminding us that laughter can ease the pain, for a few moments at least. It's rare to have such a long-running show that actually feels like it's still going somewhere. (ABC)

CATCHING UP

Huge in France 
Acclaimed comedic actor Gad Elmaleh plays a version of himself in this amusing comedy about a top French comic who moves to Los Angeles to be closer to his teen son (Jordan Ver Hoeve), an aspiring model with his own issues. The show focuses on how Gad struggles with the fact that he's not famous in America and can't get a grip on the local sense of humour. With his identity in crisis, he's certainly in no shape to help his son pursue his dream, although his contacts come in handy (cue a terrific Jean Paul Gaultier cameo). Everyone in this show is struggling wildly with who they are, which gives the writers a chance to astutely satirise various aspects of show business.  (Netflix)

REALITY BITES

Reality competitions are comfort food during this pandemic, and have found clever ways to bubble, distance and so forth. The most comforting of them all, The Great British Bake Off: series 11 (C4), put its cast and crew in a bubble and made the show as normal with another terrific line-up of likeable contestants, plus a new host in the cheeky Matt Lucas. With a more complex style of safe distancing, Strictly Come Dancing: series 18 (BBC) is also back for another spin, with entertaining celebrities and up-for-it professionals. Quarantine measures make everything look very different, but there's plenty of glittery magic. And then there's I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here: series 20 (ITV), held this year in a superbly creepy castle in Wales, which has added some enjoyable twists for the typically eclectic cast of scene-stealers. And then there were two competitions that delayed their finals until the autumn: Britain's Got Talent: series 14 (ITV) saw the title going to a fitting winner who warms the heart with his witty quintessentially British act, while The Voice UK: series 9 (ITV) came back with two live shows to wrap up its truncated season and crown another seriously talented winner we'll probably never hear from again.

Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman hit the road again for Long Way Up (Apple), another likeable travelogue, this time from Tierra del Fuego to Los Angeles. The scenery is spectacular, and their stopovers add some pointed meaning. The first and last episodes get a bit bogged down in logistics, but it's a fabulous journey. And in Amy Schumer Learns to Cook: series 1-2 (Food) the comic and her chef husband take us into their lockdown life, teaching how to make cocktails and to recreate favourite restaurant dishes at home. It's loose and funny, with some great tips.

Finally, RuPaul had a few series running through the autumn as well, including Drag Race: Vegas Revue (VH1), following a group of queens as they launch a massive show on the Strip, and God Shave the Queens (WoW), with British drag stars putting on their own UK tour. Both featured plenty of lively backstage clashes, which isn't surprising with these divas. And both stage shows were cut short by Covid. I couldn't find a way to watch Drag Race Holland, and now Drag Race Spain is coming too.

I GIVE UP

• Adult Material: I only made it through two episodes of this broad and contrived comedy-drama before giving up. The premise is solid, a soapy bit of madness set around the porn industry. But it's impossible to believe that these people are wealthy when they make such terrible porn and are so incapable of acting like humans. A waste of the terrific Hayley Squires and Rupert Everett. (C4)
• Truth Seekers: As a fan of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, I was looking forward to this ghost-hunting sitcom. But while it has a gently scruffy charm, it just isn't funny. Frost and Samson Kayo are a witty double act at the centre, as they face a variety of supernatural activity. And high-profile guest stars add sparky moments along the way. But after three dull episodes, I gave up. (Prime)

NOW WATCHING: The Undoing, Next, The Comey Rule, Des, The Mandalorian (2), His Dark Materials (2), Fargo (4), This Is Us (5), Superstore (6), Mom (8)

LOOKING FORWARD: The Stand, Bridgerton, The Morning Show (2), Dickinson (2), Shameless (11).

Critical Week: I need a hug

I've tried to get outside more this past week, simply because after three months lockdown is doing my head in. A few days out in sunny weather were a welcome break from watching movies at home. This week also brought word that film production will begin again in the UK at the beginning of July, around the same time cinemas will be re-opening with some level of social distancing. And we also found out that awards season is being extended by two months, with the Oscars set for April.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Young Ahmed • Da 5 Bloods
On a Magical Night • The Painted Bird
WORTH A LOOK:
The King of Staten Island
7500 • Babyteeth
FULL REVIEWS >

The biggest films I watched this week included the warm and gently comical The King of Staten Island, Pete Davidson's fictionalised autobiography costarring Marisa Tomei (above). Spike Lee's powerful drama Da 5 Bloods follows four Vietnam vets back to the battleground 50 years later on a secret mission. It's staggeringly timely, hugely involving and strongly pointed. And Kevin Bacon and Amanda Seyfried star in the horror thriller You Should Have Left, in which a family's holiday getaway becomes very darkly haunted. It's a bit thin, but sharply put together.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars in the German thriller 7500, a gritty, contained drama set in the cockpit of a plane that's hijacked. It's a little contrived, but very well-made, and Gordon-Levitt is excellent. Jesse Eisenberg stars in the German drama Resistance, which traces Marcel Marceau's involvement in the French Resistance during WWII. It's a great story, even if the filmmaking is somewhat standard. The indie American comedy horror Driven follows a cab driver who picks up a demon-slayer and spends the night trying to save the world. It's silly but very entertaining. And the Dardenne brothers' Young Ahmed is another fiercely well-observed drama, low-key and unnerving as it follows a teen who has fallen under the influence of an extremist imam in Belgium.

Among the movies to watch this coming week, there's Penelope Cruz in Wasp Network, Maxine Peake in Fanny Lye Deliver'd, Teresa Palmer in Ride Like a Girl, the comedy thriller Homewrecker, the dance comedy Feel the Beat, the French thriller Lost Bullet, and the sexual assault documentary On the Record.

Contenders: Another grab bag

Here are four more films I caught up with - things I missed on their cinema release. It's impossible to see everything before drafting my best of the year lists, but I try to listen to recommendations...

The Cave
dir Feras Fayyad; scr Alisar Hasan, Feras Fayyad
with Amani Ballour, Salim Namour, Samaher, Alaa, Farah, Amer, Mahmoud
release US 18.Oct.19, UK 6.Dec.19
19/Syria 1h47 ****

This documentary explores the five-year siege of Al-Ghouta, a Damascus suburb viciously attacked by its own government forces with help from Russia's military. It's a haunting, provocative film that focusses on a doctor in an underground hospital known as The Cave. In addition to the falling bombs, she has to cope with patients who are both wounded and dealing with serious illness, plus a misogynist culture that belittles women.

As Syria's president Bashar wages this horrific assault, Al-Ghouta's millions of residents flee to refugee camps or hide in tunnels under the city. In the hospital, paediatrician Dr Amani not only tends to the children but has also been selected as hospital manager by her staff. She works alongside surgeon Salim amid the constant roar of warplanes and explosions, trying to fortify above-ground parts of the building. But men continually insult her for working, rejecting her as both doctor and manager. Back in her hometown, her parents understand the risks she's braving. So they're both worried and deeply proud of her, the people she has saved and the women she has employed, flouting convention to help them take care of their families.

"Since you were born, you never let anyone tell you what to do," her parents say on one of their FaceTime chats. "You really should have been born a boy!" Using fly-on-the-wall camerawork, the film follows her through situations such as evacuating children to a tunnel playground or dealing with things like chemical attacks and power cuts. It's astonishingly intimate footage, beautifully shot up-close to capture real people in a harrowing situation. Her colleagues include Samaher, a cheeky nurse who is forced to do all the cleaning and cooking (after refusing to help, men complain about the food). She also plots a surprise 30th birthday party for Amani, although the smell of popcorn gives it away.

Yes, filmmaker Fayyad balances the trauma with humour and quiet moments of honest humanity. And the cameras capture strikingly powerful moments, such as when Amani asks a young girl patient what she wants to do with her life, maybe something important like a doctor or teacher? Or when Amani makes a house-call to a desperate single mother who's not allowed to work to feed her four malnourished children. "Religion is just a tool for men to do what they want," Amani observes. "It wouldn't diminish them if women could make their own decisions and contribute." Of course this begins to get to her. As does the fact that her own government is trying to kill her. Fear, exhaustion and hope against hope are vivid in each person's eyes, highlighting the powerful emotional truth of what the world is allowing to happen in Syria.

22.Dec.19 • Toronto/London

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Aniara
dir-scr Pella Kagerman, Hugo Lilja
with Emelie Jonsson, Arvin Kananian, Bianca Cruzeiro, Anneli Martini, Jennie Silfverhjelm, Emma Broome, Jamil Drissi, Leon Jiber, Juan Rodriguez, David Nzinga
release Swe 1.Feb.19, US 17.May.19, UK 30.Aug.19
18/Sweden 1h46 ****

Based on a Swedish poem, this inventive sci-fi drama explores the nature of humanity and mortality with sharp insight. It's a remarkably clever idea, instantly involving and skilfully shot in a way that centres on the people, keeping the effective visual flourishes in the background where they belong. This allows the story to move through some exhilarating moods as is tips toward horror.

Following the collapse of Earth's ecosystem, humans flee to the outer-space cruise ship Aniara. During their three-week journey to Mars, passengers spend time shopping, playing games, visiting cafes, clubbing, exploring the ship. Joining the crew is MR (Jonsson), who hosts the Mima attraction, which creates a wilderness experience based on memories. But on day one, the ship is knocked off course. The fitness-obsessed captain (Kananian) says it will take years to correct this, but MR's astronomer roommate (Martini) knows that will never happen. So can they settle in to this new life?

Filmmakers Kagerman and Lilja expertly observe this slowly disintegrating microcosm. The first cracks are minor, as passengers turn to Mima for the comforts of their home planet, putting more pressure on MR, who tries to assure customers that life on Aniara is more pleasant than Mars. Then the narrative jumps forward three years, as the darker side of humanity infects Mima and brings suspicion on MR. Even later, religious cults form on the ship, and a rendezvous with a probe promises hope.

The knowing script explores all kinds of angles using this premise, including issues of addiction, criminality, suicide, religion and even romance, as MR hooks up with a hunk (Jiber) but develops a crush on aloof, feisty pilot Isagel (Cruzeiro). The film touches on virtually every layer of society without flinching, leading to a chillingly provocative final act that raises all kinds of resonant themes. A haunting, powerful film.

23.Dec.19 • Toronto

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The Last Black Man in San Francisco
dir Joe Talbot; scr Joe Talbot, Rob Richert
with Jimmie Fails, Jonathan Majors, Rob Morgan, Tichina Arnold, Mike Epps, Finn Wittrock, Danny Glover, Jamal Trulove, Maxamilliene Ewalt, Michael O'Brien
release US 7.Jun.19, UK 25.Oct.19
19/US A24 2h01 ****

With a blast of fresh energy, this film paints a witty, knowing portrait of the Bay Area's shifting social landscape. Warm and engaging, this is a low-key buddy comedy about two friends seeking justice in a world that's out of balance. Filmmaker Joe Talbot takes a gently loping pace through this slight story, concentrating on the characters and their earthy interaction.

Tired of waiting for the bus, Jim and Mont (Fails and Majors) skateboard across town to the house built by Jim's grandfather. Remembering his childhood there, Jim hopes to get it back one day, but the neighbourhood has now been gentrified, and the white occupants (Ewalt and O'Brien) don't like him sneaking in to touch up paint or tend to the garden. After a lifetime of squatting with his dad (Morgan), Jim is living with Mont and his blind grandfather (Glover). Then he launches an audacious scheme to reclaim the family home.

Beautifully shot with attention to detail, the film has terrific actors who play roles that ooze both charm and spiky underlying attitude. Fails and Majors have a thoughtful, likeable chemistry that strikes a strong contrast with the incessant macho bluster of the other young men who hang out in the streets. Not much happens in the plot, and perhaps relationships could have been developed a bit more. But there's plenty of time for the actors to add deeper layers to their characters, including some intriguing side players as Mont stages a perhaps too-pointed play for the entire cast: "Let us see beyond the stories we are all born into."

In addition to taking on themes within the black subculture, most obviously the issue of endemic racial inequality, the script also touches on surrounding topics such as the polluted water in the bay and the viciousness of wealthy land owners. And at its centre, this is a passionate lament for the way gentrification tears the heart out of a neighbourhood, obliterating history while forcing residents further into society's margins. Thankfully, Talbot resists turning it into an angry rant: this is a love letter to San Francisco.

24.Dec.19 • Sundance/London

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Honeyland
dir Tamara Kotevska, Ljubomir Stefanov
with Hatidze Muratova, Nazife Muratova, Hussein Sam, Ljutvie Sam, Mustafa Sam, Muzafer Sam, Veli Sam, Ali Sam, Alit Sam, Gamze Sam, Ljutvish Sam, Safet Javorovac
release US 26.Jul.19, Mac 29.Aug.19, UK 13.Sep.19
19/Macedonia 1h30 *****

Spectacularly shot and expertly assembled, this film observes what happens when the peace in a rural corner of Macedonia is disturbed by noisy interlopers. The filmmakers depict the people and events with a terrific attention to detail, capturing lively textures in the interaction. It's a gorgeous film recounting a dramatic story in a way that's profoundly moving.

At 55, Hatidze lives with her stubborn 85-year-old mother Nazife on a farm in the mountains of Macedonia, where she carefully tends to her beehives. She shares her honey with the hive, to encourage them to make more. Then she travels into the big city Skopje to sell her half at markets. One day a family of travellers encamps next door: Hussein and Ljutvie with their six clambering, boisterous children, plus noisy chickens and cows. Hatidze bonds with the family and instructs them in beekeeping. But Hussain is coerced to harvest his honey too early, so his frustrated bees attack Hatidze's hives, creating a feud between them.

Filmmakers Kotevska and Stefanov spent three years chronicling Hatidze's life, bringing out her steely personality set against the very different people she connects with. And no one hides anything from the cameras. Much of what happens is everyday routine, but there are constant quirks, conflicts, misadventures. Hatidze's only luxury is the chestnut hair dye she buys in town. Her mother complains jokingly, "I can't go outside, I've become like a tree. I'm just here to make your life a misery." There's also plenty of local colour, such as a festival at which men wrestle in the fields, something the kids immediately mimic. One of the boys helps a cow give birth ("Please don't be a male"). And then there's Hussein's scorched-earth approach, as he refuses to take responsibility for his harmful actions or have any respect for either nature or other people.

The unfolding story of these neighbours is riveting, recounted in a way that's both strikingly visual and intimate. Watching Hussein push his kids and lie point-blank to Hatidze is chilling. While the way Hatidze protects nature is lovingly observed, as is how she tends to her bees and her mother. The growing friendships between Hatidze and the children are beautifully captured in pointed sequences, noting her own sense of loss at never being a mother, something she confronts her own mother about. In other words, this lovely documentary works beautifully both on a small, personal scale and as an exploration of some much bigger themes about humanity around the world.

24.Dec.19 • Sundance
 > > 40th Shadows Awards: TOP 10 FILM

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C R I T I C A L   W E E K : 

The only other films I saw this week were the sumptuous Chinese arthouse odyssey Long Day's Journey Into Night and Transparent Musicale Finale, the offbeat movie musical that wraps up the TV series. This coming week I have a screening of the Polish Oscar contender Corpus Christi, the Japanese animation Weathering With You and a new re-release of Fellini's La Dolce Vita. I'll also be buying a ticket for Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen, as I was unable to attend the only press screening.