Critical Week: Shop til you drop

The 34th Raindance Film Fest kicked off Wednesday night with April X, an enjoyably stylised near-future thriller starring Luly Krug and Connor Storrie. Indie films from around the world are on the programme over the next 10 days. Meanwhile, the biggest film in cinemas is Toy Story 5, the latest thoroughly entertaining sequel in the franchise that could easily have just ended years ago. Thankfully, the Pixar team doesn't rest on its laurels.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Cactus Pears • Toy Story 5
Rose of Nevada • Nino
Virginia Woolf's Night & Day
PERHAPS AVOID:
A Murder Between Friends
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I also saw Voicemails for Isabelle, a romcom that references classic romcoms shamelessly and still wins us over thanks to charming leads Zoey Deutch and Nick Robinson. Virginia Woolf's Night and Day is a smart British period comedy-drama with Haley Bennett as a fiercely independent woman in 1910 London, Joan Collins leads the cast of the nutty whodunit A Murder Between Friends, which is watchable even if it's very corny. The British drama Ish is a staggeringly realistic slice of life that grapples meaningfully with big issues. And the American drama Blue Film is a fascinating and finely contained exploration of attraction and sexuality.

Coming up this next week, I'll be watching Milly Alcock in Supergirl and the Icelandic vampire movie Thirst. At Raindance Film Festival, I plan to see Think of England, Pescador, My Daughter's Hair and more, and then at Annecy Festival in France there's Minions & Monsters to start with.

On the Road: Comfort movies

One of the hazards of being a film critic is the airline entertainment system: scrolling through the hundreds of movies that are on offer looking for something that (1) I haven't seen before and (2) want to watch. Occasionally something that fits this criteria pops up but, on my recent flight to California to spend some time with my family, there wasn't anything. In these cases I tend to turn to favourite comedies or musicals that will amiably pass the time. On this flight, the 1999 classic Galaxy Quest did just the trick. I hadn't seen it in years, and I'd forgotten how great the cast is: including Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tim Allen, Sam Rockwell, Tony Shalhoub and Daryl Mitchell (above). This isn't a film you ever get tired of revisiting. I also revisited the 2005 musical Rent, a film that isn't quite as potent as the stage version but still boasts excellent performances. And I watched all eight episodes of The Franchise (it's a long flight!), an amusing comedy series about the cast and crew of a superhero movie. It's likeable and sometimes very funny, but feels a bit random.

Before leaving London I also watched two very small American dramas: Midnight in Phoenix is a micro-budget thriller about two guys who go on the run after witnessing a violent robbery. It's a bit uneven, but has strong emotions and solid characters. Things Like This is a snappy New York romantic comedy that's a little awkward but features nicely complex characters and connections.

While I'm out here, I am hoping to catch Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, and possible also Disney's live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch. But my emphasis is on spending time with my family, and it's nice to have movies take the back seat for a couple of weeks.

BEST NEW FILMS: The Wedding Banquet (9th May cover with Lily Gladstone and Kelly Marie Tran) • Motel Destino • The Extraordinary Miss Flower • Good One (16th May cover with Lily Collias) ALL REVIEWS >