Critical Week: Up to no good

With the distraction of the Paris Olympics on television, and the fact that they're so close we can almost touch them from London, it's easy to lose sight of the movies screening in nice, cool cinemas. But there's a steady stream of releases, and I'm trying to keep up for the moment while anticipating a drastic change in my daily routine over the next few months. The biggest filmI saw this week was The Instigators, a reunion for Matt Damon with both Casey Affleck and director Doug Liman. It's an enjoyably scrappy action comedy with sharp character touches. The cheeky animated adventure Ozi: Voice of the Forest has a starry voice cast that includes Laura Dern, Amandla Stenberg, Djimon Hounsou and the late Donald Sutherland. This helps make up for a sometimes awkward, preachy script. 

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Kensuke's Kingdom
A Story of Bones • Kneecap
ALL REVIEWS >

Abbie Cornish elevates the low-budget psychological thriller Detained, which is twisty but undercooked. Robin Campillo's 1970s Madagascar coming-of-age drama Red Island is gorgeous to look at, and powerfully involving as it tackles personal and political issues. The British drama Sebastian is an intimate, moving profile of a writer who becomes an escort for research, then has to rediscover himself. The Chinese noir-style thriller Only the River Flows weaves wit and visual style into a darkly resonant odyssey. And the Saint Helena doc A Story of Bones packs a powerfully resonant kick in its exploration of the importance of remembering difficult history. I also saw Jamie Allan's stage magic show Amaze, and published a roundup of TV reviews for the summer, including The Bear, Shogun, The Boys, The Acolyte, Fallout, The Curse and more.

This coming week I'll be watching Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis in Borderlands, Eugenio Derbez in Radical and a whole bunch of films that will be showing at London's FrightFest later in the month. I'm also heading up to Edinburgh for a week to cover the Fringe theatre festival, which I'll be covering here.

BFI Flare: Take a shot

The 37th edition of BFI Flare holds its closing night film and party tonight, with tomorrow set aside for screenings of the best LGBTQIA+ films of both the festival and the past year. So I'll have a final report to wrap things up - including short films and my personal favourites. I had hoped to include a report on the festival's new Expanded programme of virtual reality projects, but it was only open for three days and was seriously overcrowded. So while I still have a few features and shorts to watch, here's another offbeat collection of highlights...

Golden Delicious
dir Jason Karman; with Cardi Wong, Chris Carson 22/Can ****
Warm and engaging, this Canadian comedy-drama uses strongly sympathetic characters to encourage the audience to explore big issues relating to family and societal expectations. Asian ethnicity and queer sexuality play a role in the various story threads, which remain resonant even when things get a bit melodramatic in the final act. Throughout the film, director Jason Karman maintains a wonderfully light touch, and the gifted, fresh-faced cast members are easy to root for.

Winter Boy [Le Lycéen]
dir-scr Christophe Honore; with Paul Kircher, Juliette Binoche 22/Fr ***
French filmmaker Christophe Honore tells another remarkably intimate story, once again weaving in autobiographical elements that add a powerfully detailed emotionality to the unfolding drama. While the film is overlong and occasionally feels meandering, it has real strength in the way it recounts events from a teen's specific perspective. This offers conflicting thoughts and feelings that force the audience to get involved. And the cast is wonderfully engaging.

Afeminadas [aka: Effeminate]
dir-scr Wesley Gondim; with Igor Willian, Khryz Amusa 22/Br ***.
Compiled from remarkably raw footage, this documentary visits five people around Brazil to explore the experiences of effeminate gay men. While all have their sexuality in common, what's most striking here is that each has such a distinct persona, expressing their thoughts and feelings both in unstructured interviews for the cameras and on-stage as performers on lively stages. The film is infused with life and colour, and it also completely strips away the artifice.

Fierce: A Porn Revolution [Ardente-x-s]
dir Patrick Muroni; with Melanie Boss, Olivia Schenker 22/Swi ***
While this documentary takes on an important topic and is beautifully shot, it never quite seems to get to the story the filmmakers are trying to tell. There's definitely a need for a female gaze in the porn industry, and the Oil collective in Switzerland has developed some clever ways to approach the issue. But the skilled camera crew follows them right off the topic, so the documentary leaves these lively, intelligent women looking like they're merely indulgent. But at least they're having a lot of fun.

BEST OF YEAR
Bodies Bodies Bodies
dir Halina Reijn; with Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova 22/US ****
Gleefully mashing-up genres, this riotous black comedy takes the form of a slasher horror movie, and it's also packed with slapstick mayhem, interpersonal tension and social commentary. It's expertly assembled by the filmmakers and a seriously up-for-it cast to freak us out and make us laugh. But even more intriguing is that the movie pushes us to think about the nature of relationships for today's generation of young people... FULL REVIEW >

FROM THE ARCHIVE
Le Beau Mec [aka: Dude]
dir Wallace Potts; with Karl Forest, Frank Chazal, Philippe Renaud 79/Fr ****
Thought to be a lost film, this vintage French arthouse pornography has been digitally restored, complete with its English overdub narration. Directed by Wallace Potts, Rudolf Nureyev's last lover, it's a sharply well-made movie with eye-catching visual style and some remarkably dark themes. While it's very explicit, the film is also quirky and unexpected, with a range of sequences that catch the viewer by surprise. And it has an unusually personal perspective to even its sexiest moments.

Sundance London: Take control

The 10th Sundance Film Festival: London comes to a close this evening at Picturehouse Central, after four days and 15 features, plus short films and various events. I attended one last screening today - of the surprise film (see below), at which the director gave an animated Q&A. And this is the one that turned out to be my best of the fest. I managed to catch all but one of the features; each is above average and worth seeing. Whether they'll all get proper releases is another question. Here's a final collection of comments...

Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.
dir-scr Adamma Ebo; with Regina Hall, Sterling K Brown 22/US ***.
Loosely based on a true story, this church-based drama has the aura of a Christopher Guest-style improv comedy, but its humour is on-the-nose rather than riotous. Which is partly because mega-churches are absurd enough without exaggeration. Writer-director Adamma Ebo takes a knowing approach that finds  amusing gags that are sometimes obvious or unnerving. And there's enough complexity in the story to take in both broad nuttiness and darker emotions.

S U R P R I S E   F I L M
Bodies Bodies Bodies
dir Halina Reijn; with Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova 22/US ****
Gleefully mashing-up genres, this riotous black comedy takes the form of a slasher horror movie, but is packed with slapstick mayhem, interpersonal tension and social commentary. It's expertly assembled by the filmmakers and a seriously up-for-it cast to freak us out and make us laugh. But even more intriguing is that the movie pushes us to think about the nature of relationships for today's generation of young people. 

Resurrection
dir-scr Andrew Semans; with Rebecca Hall, Tim Roth 22/US ***
Aside from being grisly and creepy, there isn't much to this bonkers dramatic horror, which sends a woman on a nightmarishly symbolic journey into maternal guilt and paranoia. It's strikingly well-played by Rebecca Hall and an ace supporting cast, and writer-director Andrew Semans keeps the surreal nastiness churning from start to finish. But it's never quite as meaningful or provocative as he seems to think it is.

The Princess
dir-scr Ed Perkins; with Princess Diana, Prince Charles, 22/UK ****
Compiled entirely from news and paparazzi footage, this documentary traces the life of Princess Diana from the day photographers started chasing her until her coffin disappeared from their view. It's a remarkable film that reveals a narrative in how she appeared in the public eye, including clips of her interviews and commentators at the time. Filmmaker Ed Perkins assembles this without overt messaging, although the point is unnervingly clear.

Full reviews will be on the site soon. For more information, visit SUNDANCE LONDON >

LFF: Fancy footwork

The 62nd London Film Festival wrapped up tonight with the world premiere of Jon Baird's Stan & Ollie. It seems to have gone by in a blur for me this year, mainly because I missed about two thirds of the festival due to my travels. Although I still managed to see 35 of the films! And I am catching up with a few more over the coming weeks. There are eight more films listed below, beneath the award winners (none of which I've seen) and my own best of the fest.

2018 LFF AWARDS
Best Film: JOY
Sutherland Award - First Feature: Lukas Dhont (GIRL)
Grierson Award - Documentary:
WHAT YOU GONNA DO WHEN THE WORLD'S ON FIRE?

RICH'S BEST OF THE FEST

1. If Beale Street Could Talk
2. Colette
3. The Favourite
4. Won't You Be My Neighbour?
5. A Private War
6. Dogman
7. Border
8. Shadow
9. The Breaker Upperers
10. Stan & Ollie

Stan & Ollie
dir Jon S Baird; with Steve Coogan, John C Reilly 18/UK ****
With a gentle tone, this biopic traces Laurel and Hardy's final stage tour. The focus is on their relationship, and Jeff Pope's script beautifully captures their rivalry and deep affection. Director Jon Baird stages the film as a loving homage to the iconic duo, replaying their best bits and thankfully resisting the temptation to over-egg them for a modern audience. So the film remains warm and, yes, funny.

A Private War
dir Matthew Heineman; with Rosamund Pike, Jamie Dornan 18/UK ****.
Filmmaker Matthew Heineman (City of Ghosts) brings his documentarian's eye to this biopic about noted war reporter Marie Colvin. Played with earthy intensity by Rosamund Pike, Colvin was a powerhouse who shined light on people caught in the crossfire. This film is sharply well-assembled to throw the audience into both her life and her perspective... FULL REVIEW >

Can You Ever Forgive Me
dir Marielle Heller; with Melissa McCarthy, Richard E Grant 18/US ***
Based on an extraordinary true story, this low-key comedy-drama is a terrific showcase for Melissa McCarthy's acting skill, something lost in the silly mayhem of her usual projects. It's a punchy tale about artistic frustration and the need to find an outlet for expression, even if it might be an illegal one. And while the events are actually rather serious, they unfold with plenty of offbeat wit and warmth.

Sorry to Bother You
dir-scr Boots Riley; with Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson 18/US ***
There's a loose, surreal nuttiness to this film, which mixes topical drama and edgy comedy to create something bracingly original. It starts out as an office satire, but shifts gears along the way as writer-director Boots Riley plays with fantastical imagery and thematic parody. Sometimes, the pastiche becomes a little too insane for its own good, and where the story goes is deliberately confrontational... FULL REVIEW >

The Hate U Give
dir George Tillman Jr; with Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall 18/US ***
Despite an oddly simplified script and glossy mainstream direction, this film tackles a huge issue in a way that will engage a wide audience. It's a take on Black Lives Matter that helps illuminate the issue with a warmly involving story packed with solid characters. So even if the ideas are obvious, the film may help audiences understand the topic with more clarity... FULL REVIEW >

Sauvage
dir-scr Camille Vidal-Naquet; wtih Felix Maritaud, Eric Bernard 18/Fr ***.
Observed in an offhanded, almost documentary style, this French drama traces the day-to-day experiences of a French prostitute who is looking for love. Filmmaker Camille Vital-Naquet takes an unflinching approach that catches details in the characters and the relationships between them. With minimalistic dialog, the film features skilful naturalistic performances from a cast of brave rising stars.

Utøya - July 22
dir Erik Poppe; with Andrea Berntzen, Aleksander Holmen 18/Nor ***.
This film explores the events of 22 July 2011 in Norway. After CCTV footage of the Oslo car bomb, filmmaker Eric Poppe traces the right-wing extremist's subsequent attack on a summer camp outside the city. Shot as a single take matching the 72-minute attack, events unfold in real time through the eyes of the (fictionalised) young people. It's a harrowing film that vividly puts the audience into an unthinkable situation.

Burning
dir Lee Chang-dong; with Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yeun 18/Kor ***
It wouldn't be too difficult to cut an entire hour out of this dramatic thriller. While the meandering approach does add some realism and earthiness, plus a lot of fascinating detail, it also leaves the audience unable to piece together disparate, seemingly irrelevant elements into something coherent. Still, it's finely written, directed and played, and it's packed with superb moments.

Critical Week: Looking good

London critics finally had a chance to catch up with Spike Lee's Cannes prize-winning BlacKkKlansman, and it was well worth the wait. The film is a fierce, skilfully told true story with lots of present-day resonance. John David Washington (son of Denzel) is terrific in the title role. Meanwhile, the week's blockbuster was the tongue-in-cheek guilty pleasure The Meg, with Jason Statham doing what he does best, diving into the action and winking at the camera. But the latest near-future young adult adventure The Darkest Minds was a disappointment, despite a strong cast led by Amandla Stenberg and Harris Dickinson.

Outside the mainstream, we had the animated true story Sgt Stubby: An Unlikely Hero, which is involving and very moving. Making a Killing is a wildly entertaining true crime romp, told with heavy doses of irony. Tides is a meandering, improv-style British comedy-drama set on a canal boat holiday. And The King is a staggeringly clever documentary about Elvis Presley, layered with a telling exploration of American culture today.

There were also three excellent European films. From France, The Guardians is a gorgeous drama about women who run the family farm while their men are off fighting WWI. From Germany, The Captain is a pitch-black satire about a deserter who assumes power as an officer during the final weeks of WWII. And from Iceland, the unnerving, involving Under the Tree weaves irony into a darkly witty story of a war between two neighbours.

Films screening in this coming week include Ewan McGregor in Christopher Robin, Ansel Elgort in Billionaire Boys Club, Hugo Weaving in Black '47, the British comedy The Festival, the coming-of-age drama We the Animals, the zombie apocalypse thriller Redcon-1, the German drama Paths, and the ballet documentary Nureyev.

Critical Week: A question of trust

One of the more anticipated films screened to London press this week was Francois Ozon's Cannes entry L'Amant Double (The Double Lover), a slinky Hitchcockian thriller featuring lots of mirrored identities. It's a lot of fun. Also from France, Joachim Lafosse's After Love is a strikingly unsentimental drama about a a family going through a divorce, anchored by riveting performances from Berenice Bejo and Cedric Kahn.

More mainstream fare included Charlize Theron in the rather mindless action thriller Atomic Blonde, which is skilfully made but could have used either a more coherent plot, stronger characters or just a lot more silliness. Mark Strong and Jamie Bell anchor 6 Days, a forensic recreation of the Iranian embassy siege in London that's fascinating as it builds to a ripping final act, but never quite cracks the surface. Everything, Everything is a sappy teen romance that plays out pretty much as expected, but is elevated by actors Amandla Stenberg and Nick Robinson. And Goon: The Last of the Enforcers is a sequel to the surprise comedy hit starring Sean William Scott as hockey player in Canada. Despite a terrific supporting cast, this follow-up completely misses the mark.

Perhaps the biggest movie this week was Al Gore's follow-up An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power, which traces the decade since his Oscar-winning climate change documentary. It's very well put together, and lucidly highlights the issues, but the biggest surprise is that it has a lot of positive things to say about what people and nations are doing to show respect to the planet and give hope for future generations.

Among other things, this coming week's press screenings include Idris Elba in The Dark Tower, Scarlett Johansson in Rough Night, Sally Potter's festival hit The Party, the coming-of-age British road trip Moon Dogs, and this year's episode, Sharknado 5: Global Swarming.