BFI Flare: Dance the night away

We're coming into the final weekend of the 39th BFI Flare, and I still have quite a few films to watch, including the closing film Night Stage, followed by a party, which I think we all need after such a busy 12 days. I also want to catch up on this year's Five Films for Freedom. Here are some more highlights...

A Night Like This
dir Liam Calvert; with Alexander Lincoln, Jack Brett Anderson 25/UK ***
Because this film is so beautifully shot in locations around London, it doesn't really matter that the city's geography is rather fantastical, as are two major coincidences in the plot. As lonely people at the end of their rope intersect over one fateful night, it's the big ideas rippling through Diego Scerrati's script that hold the interest. And director Liam Calvert maintains a warm, intimate tone that nicely balances the sometimes overpacked dialog and performances.

The Astronaut Lovers 
[Los Amantes Astronautas]
dir-scr Marco Berger; with Javier Oran, Lautaro Bettoni 24/Arg ****
Smart and very funny, this romcom from Argentina takes an audacious premise and spins it with snappy dialog that playfully references a wide range of movies along with the titular metaphorical running gags. Writer-director Marco Berger takes his usual astute look at masculinity and identity, avoiding cliches while playfully remaining faithful to the genre. Indeed, he includes an unapologetic romance that sneaks in through character-based wit. 

Sandbag Dam 
[Zečji Nasip]
dir Cejen Cernic Canak; with Lav Novosel, Andrija Zunac 25/Cro ***.
Set in rural Croatia, this relaxed drama skilfully captures the everyday rhythms in this place, focussing in on a young gay man who finds himself at a crossroads in his life. The title refers to a wall of sandbags that protects a village from rising river levels, and of course this also represents the wall this guy has built to hide himself from those around him. As a slice-of-life drama, this is a very powerful film that has a lot to say about how a culture can push people away.

Winter Kept Us Warm 
dir-scr David Secter; with John Labow, Henry Tarvainen 65/Can ****
Pristinely restored, this Canadian drama was made in 1965 by student filmmaker David Secter, starring his classmates. In the style of the French New Wave, the film features a subtly gay narrative at a time when homosexuality was criminalised. So it's understandable that the approach to the topic is discreet, but the plot is remarkably sophisticated, taking what today feels like a fresh run at this kind of narrative. This makes it both involving and surprising.

Full reviews will be linked on Shadows' BFI Flare page when published.

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C R I T I C A L  W E E K

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Time Travel Is Dangerous
Holy Cow • The Penguin Lessons
Misericordia • Viet and Nam
PERHAPS AVOID:
A Working Man
ALL REVIEWS >

Aside from films at BFI Flare, I also watched Jack Quaid in the guilty-pleasure action comedy Novocaine, Jason Statham in the derivative A Working Man, Jason Isaacs and Gillian Anderson in the engaging true story The Salt Path, Steve Coogan and Jonathan Pryce in the engaging true story The Penguin Lessons, plus two live stage performances at Sadler's Wells: Outsider and Crow/Pigeons.

This coming week I'll be watching A Minecraft Movie, whatever that is, Rami Malek in The Amateur, Miguel Gomes' Grand Tour and British drama Restless, plus more films at BFI Flare's closing weekend.

BFI Flare: Play the field

So the 36th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival comes to a close today, following last night's closing night world premiere for the energising documentary Tramps! It's been a great festival this year - especially nice to be back in person after two virtual festivals - and I still have some short films to watch, and perhaps a feature or two. Links to full reviews will be up when possible. And my 10 best films of the festival are listed below this final collection of highlights...

In From the Side
dir Matt Carter; with Alexander Lincoln, Alexander King 22/UK ****
Skilfully directed by one-man movie studio Matt Carter, this British rugby movie is packed with big drama, sparky comedy and some powerfully emotional romance. The film may be a bit overlong and melodramatic, but it looks gorgeous and features a terrific cast of actors who bring the complex characters to bustling life. It also tackles deeper themes with remarkable nuance, which makes the movie both entertaining and surprisingly moving.

Tramps!
dir-scr Kevin Hegge; with Judy Blame, John Maybury 22/Can ****
This blisteringly energetic documentary covers the period of London's 1970s-80s art scene often known for the Blitz Kids or New Romantics. But filmmaker Kevin Hegge looks beyond high-profile stars like Boy George and related icons like David Bowie, digging much more deeply into the origins and textures of this ground-level movement. The film traces events with unusual intimacy, revealing intriguing queer sensibilities that are almost mainstream today.

Sublime
dir-scr Mariano Biasin; with Martin Miller, Teo Inama Chiabrando 22/Arg ****
There's a realistic charge of loose-limbed energy in this coming-of-age drama from Argentina. Writer-director Mariano Biasin keeps the camera very close to the lead character, seeing events through his eyes. The internalised approach sometimes allows the narrative to drag a bit, but the film has the authentic kick of an autographical drama, getting under the skin with its organic mix of relaxed comedy and sharp-edged drama... REVIEW >

FROM THE ARCHIVES
Dakan [aka Destiny]
dir-scr Mohamed Camara; with Aboubakar Toure, Mamady, Cecile Bois 97/Gui ****
Known as the first West African film to explore homosexuality, this Guinean drama is only available at retrospective screenings like this 25 year anniversary showing at BFI Flare. It's a strikingly powerful piece, written and directed with a poetic eye that cuts through the usual melodramatics to get under the skin of its central character, a teen who simply can't understand why it's such a scandal that he has fallen in love with another boy. The story takes some intense twists and turns on its way to an ending that's surprisingly tender for the genre and period. And its honesty makes it well worth a look.

Rich's Best of Fest

1. A DISTANT PLACE (Park, Kor)
2. MONEYBOYS (Yi, Tai)
3. THE PERFECT DAVID (Aparicio, Arg)
4. WILDHOOD (Hannam, Can)
5. BRUNO REIDAL: CONFESSION OF A MURDER (Le Port. Fr)
6. GIRL PICTURE (Haapasalo, Fin)
7. SUBLIME (Biasin, Arg)
8. THE NOVICE (Hadaway, US)
9. MANSCAPING (Fox, US)
10. THE DIVIDE (Corsini, Fr)

I have a bit of a backlog, but all full reviews will be linked to Shadows' BFI Flare ANCHOR PAGE 
For festival information, visit BFI FLARE