LFF: Soak it in

The 66th London Film Festival moves into its second week with more nightly galas and special events. I'm largely watching from outside this year, but I attended the starry screening of Allelujah last night in the Royal Festival Hall, introduced by cast and crew including Jennifer Saunders, Judi Dench, Richard Eyre, Bally Gill, David Bradley and pretty much everyone else who worked on the movie. But I'm seeing most of these films thanks to distributors who have invited me to other screenings or sent online links for me to watch them. It sure beats sanding in queues for two hours before press screenings. Here are more highlights...

Causeway
dir Lila Neugebauer; with Jennifer Lawrence, Brian Tyree Henry 22/US ****.
Theatre director Lila Neigebauer makes a remarkable feature film debut with this delicately crafted drama, which explores a topical issue through an especially internalised perspective. This requires sensitive performances from Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry, who are extraordinary as two people struggling to get their lives back on track after serious injuries. Never obvious about anything, the film gets deep under the skin.

Allelujah
dir Richard Eyre; with Jennifer Saunders, Bally Gill 22/UK ****
Based on the Alan Bennett play, this gently edgy comedy is a celebration of the tenacity of Britain's National Health Service in the face of relentless government interference, from sell-offs to cut-backs. It's is a remarkably complex, engagingly freeform romp. And coming on the heels of a pandemic, it could hardly be more timely. But the filmmakers hold back their biggest statement until a seriously powerful wallop the final moments.

Emily the Criminal
dir-scr John Patton Ford; with Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi 22/US ***.
There's a serious theme running through this engaging drama set in the criminal underworld of Los Angeles. Writer-director John Patton Ford cleverly pulls the audience in along with a hugely engaging central character adeptly played by Aubrey Plaza. It's a remarkable look at a society that makes it almost impossible for someone to escape their past. So even if it dips into several thriller cliches, it remains gripping.

Godland [Vanskabte Land, Volaða Land]
dir-scr Hlynur Palmason; with Elliott Crosset Hove, Ingvar Sigurdsson 22/Ice ****
Under gloomy skies in unforgiving landscapes, this visually striking epic follows a Danish priest to rural Iceland in the 19th century, where he confronts both a strange new land and also his own beliefs. It's a dark and brooding drama, but continual moments of wit and artistry make it remarkably compelling. And writer-director Hlynur Palmason digs deeply into the souls of the characters to challenge the audience to think about big issues in new ways

1976
dir Manuela Martelli; with Aline Kuppenheim, Nicolas Sepulveda 22/Chl ****
This strikingly thoughtful dramatic thriller tells a story set in the wake of Chile's 1973 coup, as a dictator cracked down on the country. Filmmaker Manuela Martelli takes an observational approach, letting the narrative take shape in bits and pieces with characters who are afraid to say too much to each other. It's beautifully shot and edited, and performed with steely understatement by a gifted cast.

And four more LFF films that I saw in Venice...

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
dir Laura Poitras; with Nan Goldin, Megan Kapler 22/US ****.
With this extraordinary film, documentarian Laura Poitras takes a multifaceted look at a fascinating artist. As a biography of photographer Nan Goldin, this is a clear-eyed look at her life, work and survival. And it seamlessly connects her efforts to raise awareness of the Sackler family's direct responsibility in more than half a million deaths from opioid addiction. All of this is skilfully woven together with a remarkably gentle hand... FULL REVIEW >

No Bears
dir-scr Jafar Panahi; with Jafar Panahi, Vahid Mobasheri 22/Irn ****.
Despite being banned from making movies, master filmmaker Jafar Panahi continues to tell powerful cinematic stories from Iran. This hugely involving film uses wry humour to capture cultural absurdities that have an impact on two love stories, while further complicating the process of making movies. More importantly, this is a personal depiction of people who are struggling to survive when traditions and borders turn them into desperate refugees... FULL REVIEW >

The Son
dir Florian Zeller; with Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern 22/UK ***
After The Father, writer-director Florian Zeller adapts another of his thorny plays for the big screen, this time about parents trying to help a troubled teen son. It's a dark story, with rare moments of lightness as characters struggle with elusive ideas that defeat almost everybody. Clinical depression is an important topic to dramatise, although it also means that the plot needs to retain a nagging level of uncertainty... FULL REVIEW >

Saint Omer
dir Alice Diop; with Kayije Kagame, Guslagie Malanga 22/Fr **.
There's a terrific story at the centre of this French drama, bursting with powerful themes and clever juxtapositions. But filmmaker Alice Diop remains in her head while she puts this onto the screen, as chilly, inexpressive scenes remain stubbornly out of reach. It's very sharply shot, as a genuinely riveting courtroom case steals focus from the loosely undeveloped plot thread that is clearly meant to be the film's main thrust... FULL REVIEW >

All London Film Festival reviews, once they're uploaded, will be linked to SHADOWS' LFF PAGE >

Venezia79: And the winners are...

I saw 43 films at the 79th Venice Film Festival, spread across the various selections, including Competition, Out of Competition, Venice Days, Horizons and International Critics Week. One of my favourites was the documentary All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, which won the Golden Lion for director Laura Poitras (above). Here are the other big winners, followed by my favourites from the festival and then a report on my first proper foray into virtual reality...

A W A R D   W I N N E R S

• 
  Golden Lion: All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
• Silver Lion: Saint Omer
• Special Jury Prize: No Bears
• Director: Luca Guadagnino - Bones and All
• Screenwriter: Martin McDonagh - The Banshees of Inisherin
• Actress: Cate Banchett - Tár
• Actor: Colin Farrell - The Banshees of Inisherin
• Young Actor: Taylor Russell - Bones and All
• Debut Film: Alice Diop - Saint Omer
• Queer Lion: Skin Deep
• Audience Award: Nezouh
• Horizons: World War III
• Venice Days: Blue Jean
• International Critics Week: Eismayer
• Fipresci Prize: Argentina, 1985

M Y   B E S T   O F   F E S T

1. 
   No Bears (Jafar Panahi, Iran)
2. The Banshees of Inisherin (Martin McDonagh, Ireland)
3. Athena (Romain Gavras, France)
4. Blonde (Andrew Dominik, US)
5. Skin Deep (Alex Schaad, Germany)
6. Tár (Todd Field, US)
7. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (Laura Poitras, US)
8. Blue Jean (Georgia Oakley, UK)
9. On the Fringe (Juan Diego Botto, Spain)
10. The Damned Don't Cry (Fyzal Boulifa, Morocco)

The next 10: When the Waves Are Gone (Philippines); Call of God (Kyrgyzstan); Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy (US); Argentina, 1985 (Argentina); Immensity (Italy); Anhell69 (Colombia); Bones and All (US); Wolf and Dog (Portugal); Ordinary Failures (Czech Republic); Dreamin' Wild (US).

~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~
V E N I C E   I M M E R S I V E

This was by first real experience with virtual reality on a festival level, and it's great to see how far the technology has come. It still has a way to go, mainly in making headsets less intrusive and the imagery crisper. I'd also love to see more narrative projects, but I'm sure those will come. Here's what I saw on the Venezia79 Immersive Island, in order...

Alex Honnold:
The Soloist VR

dir Jonathan Griffith; with Alex Honnold, Nicolas Hojac 22/UK 60m

The technology behind this film is almost as impressive as the seriously supernatural skills of Honnold (Free Solo) as he free-solo climbs a series of insane rock faces in Yosemite, the Dolomites and the French Alps. The camera seems to hang just off the cliff with him, allowing us to look 360 degrees: straight up and down, and also to take in the glorious views. In between the climbs we get to know Honnold as he chats to a journalist and prepares with fellow climber Hojac. So this is a brisk hour, packed with spectacular footage, and definitely not for anyone afraid of heights.

Dazzle: A Re-assembly of Bodies

dir Ruth Gibson, Bruno Martelli, Alexa Pollmann, Bine Roth; with Harry Alexander, Hannah Burfield, Emily Coates, Ruth Gibson, Axelle De Groote, Francesca Orlando, Alice Tatge 22/UK 45m 

Mixing live performance with a virtual experience, this ambitious project puts the audience amid cast members. On arrival we're assigned a role, and I was put in an observational one, sitting on the side watching, which was a bit dull as I wanted the fill experience. In front of me were two dancers in mo-cap suits and two audience members in VR gear with screens that showed the virtual environment they were engaged with. Hopefully next time I get a chance to get more involved. 

All Unsaved Progress Will Be Lost

dir Melanie Courtinat 22/Fr 10m

Using written quotes from people who were told to leave their homes after the Chernobyl incident, this animated virtual reality piece glides through a futuristic landscape under which a meadow of colourful wildflowers wave in the breeze. Up above are what look like concrete overpasses and rising tower blocks. The quotes refer to displacement, clinging to memories in specific places and ultimately to heading out to create a new world. Even immersed in this environment, watching this is a bit passive, but it's packed with pointed moments.

Space Explorers: The ISS Experience - Spacewalkers

dir Felix Lajeunesse, Paul Raphael; with Akihiko Hoshide, Andrew Morgan, Christina Koch, Jessica Meir, Megan McArthur, Luca Parmitano, Oleg Ivanovich Skripochka, Thomas Pesquet 22/Can 10m

Lajeunesse and Raphael sent a 360-degree virtual rig to the International Space Station and, for this experience, attached it to the extending arms outside. The effect is like simply floating in space, between the station and the earth, while astronauts do a series of repairs. Not only is this a fascinatingly detailed glimpse at the exterior of the station (complete with a Spacex capsule docked there), but it's a magnificent way to see how it feels to stare down at our planet, with the sun and moon appearing around the horizons.

Space Explorers: The ISS Experience - Unite

dir Felix Lajeunesse, Paul Raphael; with Christina Koch, Andrew Morgan, Jessica Meir, Luca Parmitano, Hazzaa Almansoori, Alexey Nikolaevich Ovchinin, Oleg Ivanovich Skripochka, Aleksandr Alexandrovich, Skvortsov 22/Can 35m

This time, Lajeunesse and Raphael's camera rig is inside the station, as various astronauts and cosmonauts interact with each other, go about their business, enjoy leisure time and show the viewer around the remarkably cluttered station. How they live and work is riveting to see so up-close and personal, as they share their own thoughts and feelings. And the coming and going of various crew members adds to the atmosphere, giving us a glimpse of the camaraderie and playfulness of these scientific experts who are still in awe when they look down on the Earth from above.

Eggscape

dir German Heller; scr German Heller, Federico Heller, Jorge Tereso 22/Arg 10m

Finally, I thought I'd attempt one of the game experiences, and this one looked particularly intriguing, as the physical site contains a series of tiny sets built with a witty attention to detail. And once you put on the VR headset, they come to life with augmented reality. You control a little egg who collects capsules while dodging obstacles, fighting monsters and trying not to fall off the sets and splat on the floor. It's colourfully animated, wildly inventive and absolutely hilarious. Thankfully they also give you infinite lives so you can make it to the exhilarating ending.

I still have a lot of writing to do, but full reviews of the films will be linked at Shadows VENICE FILM FESTIVAL page as soon as possible.

Venezia79: Happy families

The 79th Venice Film Festival continues to lay out starry red carpets, as I spotted Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern, Zen McGrath (pictured above), plus Vanessa Kirby and writer-director Florian Zeller out there today. I also took advantage of a long gap between two films to head off to the beach for awhile. It was nice to just stroll in the sand and lounge in the shade for a couple of hours. There's just one big premiere left, Ana de Armas in Blonde tomorrow, as the global festival attention shifts to Toronto. But there are still plenty of movies showing on the Lido here. Here are some more highlights...

The Son
dir Florian Zeller; with Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern 22/UK ***
After The Father, writer-director Florian Zeller adapts another of his complex family-centred plays for the big screen, this time a story about a troubled teen and the hoops his parents and stepmother jump through trying to help him. It's a dark story, with only very rare moments of lightness as the characters struggle with ideas they can't quite comprehend, largely because no one can. Clinical depression is an important topic to dramatise, although it means that the plot needs to retain a nagging level of uncertainty.

Dreamin' Wild
dir-scr Bill Pohlad; with Casey Affleck, Noah Jupe 22/US ****
Remaining in musical mode after 2014's Love & Mercy, filmmaker Bill Pohlad tells the true story of how Don and Joe Emerson's eponymous album became a hit some 30 years after it was recorded. It's an involving movie with strong characters, sharply shot and edited to the rhythms of these brothers' soulful-teen tunes. And while the film has a tendency to lean into the sentimental nostalgia, it also offers some knowing insight into family relationships. And it's likely to give birth to a whole new generation of fans.

Saint Omer
dir Alice Diop; with Kayije Kagame, Guslagie Malanga 22/Fr **
There's a terrific story at the centre of this French drama, and it's woven in with some powerful themes and clever juxtapositions. But filmmaker Alice Diop never manages to get out of her head as she puts this onto the screen, so the chilly, inexpressive scenes remain stubbornly out of reach. But it's sharply well shot, and the courtroom drama that the story revolves around is genuinely riveting, stealing focus from the loosely undeveloped plot thread that is clearly meant to be the film's main thrust.

The Damned Don't Cry [Les Damnés Ne Pleurent Pas]
dir-scr Fyzal Boulifa; with Aicha Tebbae, Abdellah El Hajjouji 22/Mor ****
Grounded and earthy, this Moroccan drama finds resonance in a complex relationship between a woman and her teen son. It's the kind of film in which the audience has to work to discover the deeper truths about the events depicted on-screen, with secrets carefully revealed by writer-director Fyzal Boulifa. The story feels bracingly realistic and impossible to predict as it cycles through events that are hopeful and darkly troubling. And this authenticity in the story and characters bravely takes on the system.

Lord of the Ants [Il Signore Delle Formiche]
dir Gianni Amelio; with Luigi Lo Cascio, Elio Germano 22/It ***
Big and melodramatic, this Italian period drama is so locked into its 1960s style that it neglects to provide much insight on its hugely important central topic. This means the film says essentially the same things that were said at the time, even if they weren't shouted loudly enough. It's the true story of a court case in which a gay university professor was tried for plagio, manipulating a student. The injustice is horrific on several levels, and filmmaker Gianni Amelio sharply depicts this. But the dialog waffles through far too much poetry and metaphor.

Full reviews will be linked at Shadows VENICE FILM FESTIVAL page, eventually!