Critical Week: Hold on tight

Because awards season is fully underway now, there is a steady stream of screenings to help voters catch up with contenders. It's not always clear how these are selected, as some great movies are routinely ignored during these months, while others get massive campaigns. So it's always great when smaller films get a bit of a push - and I love discovering these gems. One of the best of the year is Joachim Trier's drama Sentimental Value, a stunner from Norway featuring another riveting performance from Renate Reinsve, plus Stellan Skarsgard in the role of his career as her filmmaker father. And from Argentina, Belén has real power in its true story about women fighting for rights in a male-dominated society. Actor-filmmaker Dolores Fonzi and Camila Plaate (in the title role) are terrific in this moving, important film.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Palestine 36
Stitch Head • Bugonia
Nouvelle Vague 
ALL REVIEWS >

More mainstream, the animated comedy Stitch Head is a wonderfully cartoonish spin on Frankenstein that's funny and engagingly sweet. The atmospheric horror Shelby Oaks is creepy and gleefully gruesome, but never scary. And the bonkers Aussie animated romp Lesbian Space Princess is smart, rude and delightfully ridiculous. I also saw a live performance of Akram Khan and Manal AlDowayan's Thikra: Night of Remembering at Sadler's Wells. And I spent a day on the set of MobLand, as it begins filming its second season, accompanied by cast members Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Joanna Froggatt, Anson Boon, Lara Pulver, Mandeep Dhillon and Teddie Allen.

Coming up this next week, I'll be watching Russell Crowe and Rami Malek in Nuremburg, Glen Powell in The Running Man, Jodie Foster in A Private Life, Miles Teller in Eternity, Andrea Riseborough in Dragonfly, the French romance Eden & Charlie, the British Museum doc The Marbles, a gala screening of the short Burn Your Gays, the interactive movie The Run and a live performance of Figures in Extinction.

Screen: October TV Roundup

I've watched quite a lot of TV over the summer, episode by episode in between the movies. I look for more escapist fare, although sometimes something serious can work perfectly. I certainly avoid police or medical procedural dramas. And finding a good comedy has been tricky lately...

T H I S   I S   T H E   E N D

Sex Education: series 4
Firing on all cylinders, this show powers into its final season by knowingly shifting the action to a touchy-feely politically correct school where our heroes' shenanigans aren't nearly as revolutionary. Even if plotlines sometimes hiccup, each of the central characters takes their own pointed journey through this new reality, and they bring complexity and engaging nuance to their interaction. Asa Butterfield, Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey, Connor Swindells and Amy Lou Wood have deservedly boosted their stardom over these four seasons. And Gillian Anderson channels Margaret Thatcher from The Crown into her sexologist. There are also several sparky new characters who hint that this show shouldn't stop here. (Netflix)

Physical: series 3
Things continue to ramp up for Sheila (Rose Byrne) as she becomes a minor TV celebrity with her weekly workout segments, expanding her empire. Yet despite doing some work on herself, she has a new inner demon to contend with in the form of arch-rival Zooey Deschanel, whose actual character is miles away from Sheila's imagined version of her. This kind of writing seems a bit uneven, reusing old ideas rather than finding a fresh new direction, and her big revelation and ultimate grounding isn't particularly convincing. But Byrne is terrific in the central role, a complex character whose messiness makes her sympathetic. Her journey is still compelling to watch, even if we care less and less about the people who are in her orbit. (Apple)

A L L   N E W

Juice
Written by and starring bright young spark Mawaan Rizwan, this riotous comedy is made to a very high production standard, with often outrageously colourful sets and costumes and cleverly inventive transitions between scenes. It follows the antics of Jamma (Rizwan), who is described by his boyfriend (Russell Tovey) as a tornado of energy. Indeed, the show is sometimes so chaotic that it's a little exhausting, but it's infused with a huge amount of heart thanks to the endearing performances and writing that digs beneath the hyperactive surface. Terrific costars include Jeff Mirza (as Jamma's surly dad) and Rizwan's mother Shahnaz and brother Nabhaan as gloriously heightened versions of themselves. (BBC)

Ahsoka
When this series recaptures that sense of kinetic energy and snappy camaraderie that made the Star Wars universe hum to begin with, it's remarkably involving. But like other recent series, there's a tendency to turn ponderous and very dark (both thematically and visually) for no real reason other than to heighten the drama about the Jedi and Sith fighting over control of the galaxy. And there's now a second galaxy to worry about. Alongside Rosario Dawson, the solid cast brings scenes to life, especially the late Ray Stevenson and the voice of David Tenant. The show is very well-made, with lovely offhanded moments scattered all the way through, but the mythology is so dense and intrusive that it's difficult to care. (Disney)

Single, Out
From Australia, this comedy-drama traces the coming-of-age of young artist Adam (Will Hutchins), who has his first sexual experience with cute rugby-playing Josh (Adam Mountain), best friend of his brother Clayton (Steven Christou). So Adam decides to come out, then has to navigate this new reality. This includes going to bars, dating and working out who he is and what he wants. There are the usual sitcom elements, such as Adam's witty interaction with his boss and colleagues, and the show definitely has sex on its mind, but shoots anything sexy with a awkward prudishness (it's not about what's shown, but how). That said, the side roles are enjoyably sparky and the humour is wonderfully dry, and there are sharply pointed issues woven through each 20-minute episode. (Cinephobia)

B A C K   F O R   M O R E

Only Murders in the Building: series 3
Things ramp up once again, as our trio of sleuths (Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez) investigate the messy murder of an actor (Paul Rudd) by someone in the company of his Broadway show, which includes a hilariously gung-ho Meryl Streep. The stakes feel higher this time around, perhaps because the murder happened (twice!) right within their midst, and all of the suspects are good friends and colleagues. This gives a charge of energy to the show, which is further heightened by fabulous guest stars like Andrea Martin and Matthew Broderick.  Where the plot goes is enjoyably twisty, packed with witty in-jokes about both the mystery genre and theatre culture. And some great songs too. (Hulu)

Star Trek - Strange New Worlds: series 2 
Maybe it's just me, but despite the solid cast and high production values, and writers willing to take on big topics, this show is struggling to hold my interest. This season seems designed to merely hit the usual action beats while making references to the original series, rather than allowing thoughtful drama to drive the episodes forward. And the ever-expanding cast means that no one gets enough screen time to become fully engaging. Even in their relatively short scenes, Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Christina Chong, et al are riveting. The Lower Decks crossover episode is fabulous, striking the witty tone the whole series needs. And the musical episode was certainly ambitious. (Paramount)

And Just Like That: series 2 
More focussed than the first season, this sequel show carries on both reinventing its characters and refusing to allow them to grow in any meaningful way. It's an odd concoction in which Sarah Jessica Parker tries to play Carrie as if she's still 35, rather than almost 60, which might add a more meaningful kick to everything. Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis don't get a lot to do here, and most of the side roles remain oddly thankless. Cameos from the original series continue to pop up from episode to episode, adding enjoyable colours. So it's always watchable, even if it never quite feels like anything interesting is happening. And like the original series, it never feels remotely believable. (Sky) 

Lupin: part 3
Even more tightly written and directed than the first season, this heist thriller series gleefully plays with the narrative, flickering around in time to conceal plot secrets and then reveal them at just the right time to keep the audience on board.  Although the villain's motive remains obscure for far too long. The central plotline about Assanne being blackmailed into stealing things is a little tedious, but it plays out with pizzazz. This is hugely entertaining to watch, with a steady stream of satisfying payoffs. Omar Sy is terrific as the charming super-thief at the centre, with his bright smile and lanky swagger. And the supporting cast have had their roles deepened and textured to add even more interest. (Netflix)

Minx: series 2 
Leaning more intently into female power dynamics with the arrival of moneybags boss Elizabeth Perkins, this show continues the now-rising fortunes of a magazine editor (Ophelia Lovibond) who finds success with her publication centred around naked men. As before, the show is a mix of business struggles, personal challenges and flashy shenanigans. And most of the trouble is caused by scruffy publishing genius Doug (Jake Johnson), while more interesting characters played by Oscar Montoya, Jessica Lowe and Idara Victor take pointed side journeys of their own. Snappy pop culture references and an overall sense of narrative momentum keep us watching, even if characters and plotlines are somewhat underwhelming. (Starz)

The Afterparty: series 2 
And we're back with another murder that takes place during an afterparty, this time a wedding. Tiffany Haddish returns to the scene as the no-nonsense detective, and each partygoer's account of the fateful event is rendered in another genre style, including romcom, period drama, noir mystery and a Wes Anderson film. It's also just as messy and pointless as it was the first time around, with the frantic pace and scattershot approach making it difficult to care much about whodunit. That said, it's skilfully well-made, and the cast is always watchable, including returnees Sam Richardson and Zoe Chao, plus Elizabeth Perkins, Jon Cho, Jack Whitehall and Paul Walter Hauser. (Apple)

Good Omens: series 2
Even more bonkers than the first season, this show is infused with a hilariously quirky sense of humour as our best pal outcasts, angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and demon Crowley (David Tenant), find themselves in the middle of a supernatural battle when the amnesiac archangel Gabriel (Jon Hamm) turns up. Wacky antics ensue, augmented by an amusing collection of nutty flashbacks scattered throughout eternity. Plus the tremendous chemistry Sheen and Tenant have developed here and elsewhere (see Staged). So even if it all feels faintly pointless, it's a lot of fun to watch inept angels and demons trying to force order into the universe, while Sheen and Tenant remain outside the fray. (BBC)

The Wheel of Time: series 2
Making most of the worst mistakes of fantasy TV series (and movies), the dialog in this show has far too much mythology in it, including endless people, place and thing names that are impossible to understand or remember if you haven't read the books. But the production quality is much stronger this season, including more eye-catching special effects, even if many action sequences take place murkily in the night. It remains watchable because the ensemble cast members deliver nicely offhanded performances, let by the reliable Rosamund Pike. So when the show concentrates on their interrelationships, we can get involved in the story and ignore the gibberish. (Prime)

What We Do in the Shadows: series 5 
Twisting the story further, these endearingly ridiculous characters enter a new dynamic when Guillermo (Harvey Guillen) breaks the rules to realise his dream of becoming a vampire. This adds an intriguing new mix of tension and emotion to the usual silliness. The storylines are expertly crafted to build amusingly on threads from previous seasons as Guillermo's secret spirals increasingly out of control, although where it ends up feels like a cop-out. Still, these characters seem to have no end of hilarity built into them, as they continually misunderstand even the most basic things while assuming their centuries of existence make them the smartest people in the room. (FX) 

P L A Y I N G   C A T C H - U P

Starstruck: series 1-3
Rose Matafeo created and stars in this comedy as Jessie, a seriously disastrous 30-ish woman trying to make sense of her aimless life in London when she falls in love with famous movie star Tom (Nikesh Patel). Their on-off relationship is the spine of this series, and they spend most of the episodes at an awkward distance, grappling with lingering feelings that make it difficult to move on. Jessie is such a relentless self-saboteur that she's not easy to like, but then she only has one proper friend (the fabulous Emma Sidi). She continually stirs up drama and wrecks her connections with friends, then blames them for it, which is exaggerated and not remotely funny. But the dialog crackles with wit and honest emotion. (BBC) 

Young Royals:
series 1-2
Essentially a more grounded Swedish variation on the sexy Spanish teen soap Elite, this show is also set at a posh private school. Here, 16-year-old Crown Prince Wilhelm (Edvin Ryding) causes all kinds of drama simply by being present. These spotty teens are realistically messy in their romantic entanglements, and there's meaningful commentary about race, class, politics and economics along the way. But of course the most engaging thing here is the romance between Wilhelm and townie Simon (Omar Rudberg), a cutie with the voice of an angel. And Malte Gardinger is particularly good as conflicted villainous senior August. The question is whether they can keep this going as the actors begin to look 30. (Netflix)

Glow: series 1-3
I'm not sure why I missed this show, but the presence of Betty Gilpin and Alison Brie made me want to take a look, plus a starry lineup of directors. Strong characters kept me watching over the 30 episodes, even with some rather annoying plot lines (such as the unlikely romance between Brie and her boss Marc Maron). And there's a sense that after the sparky opening set-up season, the writers attempted to drastically slow things down, moving from the creation of a ladies wrestling TV show to a Vegas extravaganza that isn't nearly as interesting. There actually could have been more wrestling on-screen, as it's hilariously choreographed and staged. Getting back to basics might have saved this show. (Netflix)

I   G I V E   U P

One Piece
While this has been a big hit, it's difficult to know who it's made for. The humour seems aimed at an audience around the same age as the teen protagonists. But it's also relentlessly dark and violent. This might have worked with half-hour episodes, but at an hour this is simply too much, especially since everything is so hammy. I only made it through two episodes. (Netflix)

The Full Monty 
Catching up with the characters from the 1997 movie 25 years later, this show isn't easy to get into. It feels like the first season of a Sheffield-set soap opera about people struggling to survive due to societal issues and bad decisions. The cast is good, but their connections feel contrived, which gives the show no sense of direction. I stuck it out for four episodes. (Hulu)

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GUILTY PLEASURES: Drag Race (UK/Down Under), The Great British Bake Off, Strictly Come Dancing, Selling the OC.

NOW WATCHING: The Continental, Still Up, Gen V, Our Flag Means Death (2), The Morning Show (3), Black Mirror (6).

COMING SOON: Frasier, Lessons in Chemistry, All the Light We Cannot See, Loki (2), Invincible (2), Upload (3), Elite (7).

Previous roundup AUGUST 2023 >

Critical Week: Take a load off

Returning home to London from Venice, I arrived in a nation in mourning, with a new monarch and prime minister. Meanwhile, I'm grappling with a backlog of festival reviews. Most are written in rough form, so I'm working to get them online bit by bit. And there are also new releases to keep up with.Confess, Fletch is the first film featuring the quick-thinking reporter since those two Chevy Chase movies in the '80s. This one is closer in tone to Gregory McDonald's Fletch novels (I've read a few of them), with Jon Hamm creating a more enjoyably deadpan and less silly take on the character. But the film is perhaps a bit underpowered to launch a new franchise.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Athena • In From the Side
Blonde • Strawberry Mansion
Funny Pages • Casablanca Beats
ALL REVIEWS >

I also caught up with Oliver Hermanus' superb Living, an inventive remake of Kurosawa's Ikiru with a terrific lead role for Bill Nighy as a 1950s London businessman who begins to see things from a new perspective.  There was another offbeat offering from Peter Strickland with the pointedly amusing Flux Gourmet, about musicians who mix sound with food. Asa Butterfield and Gwendoline Christie lead a terrific ensemble cast. Finally, there was the gonzo horror of The Retaliators, an increasingly violent revenge thriller that gleefully preaches a seriously unhelpful message.

Lined up to watch this next week are Viola Davis in The Woman King, George Clooney and Julia Roberts in Ticket to Paradise, Lesley Manville in Mrs Harris Goes to Paris, the British drama It Is In Us All, New Zealand drama The Justice of Bunny King, Korean drama In Front of Your Face, Japanese animation Inu-Oh and the movie club doc A Bunch of Amateurs.

Screen: December TV Roundup

There's been a lot on television to distract me from work over the past few months, and as always I particularly enjoy mindless fun to reset my brain in between serious movies. Obviously, I can't watch everything, and I do tend to avoid gritty police/hospital dramas in lieu of shows that keep me smiling. Although occasionally I like to be challenged on the small screen, I usually leave that for the big one...

Only Murders in the Building
Smart and witty, this comedy-mystery series reteams dynamic duo Steve Martin and Martin Short, plus Selena Gomez, as murder podcast obsessed neighbours who team up for some amateur sleuthing when someone is killed in their apartment block. While the pacing is quaint and silly, there are deranged twists galore. Martin and Gomez play their characters with a straight face, leaving Short to expertly steal every scene. While starry guests (Nathan Lane, Jane Lynch, Amy Ryan, Sting) provide plenty of pizzazz as the mystery unfolds. And the final moments are either a massive cliffhanger or a teaser for the second season. (Hulu)

Nine Perfect Strangers

Timing wasn't kind to this series, which came out too close to The White Lotus, a more astute, grounded drama set in a resort. But this show is worth a look, with its adept cast including Nicole Kidman, Melissa McCarthy, Michael Shannon, Manny Jacinto. It's set at a wellness retreat with guests who have been mysteriously curated by the owner (Kidman), who experiments with microdosing acid to push psychological buttons. It's slightly over-constructed, which makes things far less surprising than they should be, but the general nuttiness of the story holds the interest, as the actors bring offbeat layers to each character. (Prime)

Acapulco

Drawing on the nostalgic comedy traditions of shows like The Wonder Years or Young Rock, this lively comedy-drama features Eugenio Derbez reminiscing about his time as a chirpy teen (Enrique Arrizon) working in a fancy resort in the Mexican seaside town. Each of his adventures has a little moral message, which feels a bit pushy, as does the way the script somewhat simplistically depicts rich people exploiting locals who in turn are conning them. But the show's flamingo-coloured approach is thoroughly charming, and the cast is fresh and likeable, hinting at all kinds of secrets and revelations that are still to come. The bilingual approach is also superb. (Apple)

The Big Leap

A lively drama set around a dance-based reality show, this series features terrific characters in a tangled mess of over-egged soap-style storylines as a group of wannabe dancers try to stage a new production of Swan Lake. It's concocted and safe, including the romances, dark dramas and sassy challenges involving both the dancers and the crew members. But the actors are solid, anchored by Scott Foley as the semi-ruthless show-runner. Each of the interlinked plot threads is deeply silly, the kind of mindless nonsense that's perfect for escapist television, which the script knowingly acknowledges. And the dancing is strikingly good, especially Raymond Cham Jr's spinning, popping Justin. (Fox) 

Invasion

Yet another series that kicks off with a bunch of random, disconnected scenes, characters who mean nothing to the audience and forced suspense based only on the musical score. It looks great, and the excellent international cast manages to draw out some interest in a wide range of people facing a mysterious worldwide alien invasion. But the lazy, indulgent writing and directing make no attempt to pull a viewer in, allowing the story to unfold in out-of-sequence flashbacks that are both repetitive and inadequate. Even the random moments of insight are simplistic. I only barely resisted giving up. Set up for season 2, I doubt I'll return for more. (Apple) 

Mr Corman 

An inventive mix of comedy, drama and satire, this show centres on the terrific Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a fifth grade teacher who is feeling squeezed in by his day-to-day life, something very easy to identify with. Gordon-Levitt (who also writes and directs) is so likeable that he makes the title character deeply sympathetic even when he makes terrible decisions. The episodes are hugely uneven, spinning off into unexpected and sometimes indulgent directions that include long sideroads, fantasies and some darkly provocative twists. It's tricky to engage with it as a series, but it maintains a nicely provocative tone. I almost gave up, but stuck with it to the end. (Apple)

B A C K   F O R   M O R E

Ted Lasso: series 2 
Instead of repeating the breezy comedy of the first season, Jason Sudeikis goes deeper with his now-iconic American football coach in London, pushing him with a team psychologist (Sarah Niles), unexpected conflicts and corporate issues, plus the slow transformation of his protege (the brilliant Nick Mohammed) into a supervillain. And in most of these areas, his down-home aphorisms don't quite have the intended effect. This season has featured a few inventively themed episodes, but instead of being gimmicky they've maintained the same open-handed but earthy emotionality that pushes the story and characters further and further. It's a rare show that manages to balance realism and optimism. (Apple)

The Morning Show: series 2 

Going even darker, this drama starts exactly where the first season ended, with everyone in chaos following the revelations of harassment at a big network. Then it cuts to January 2020, as the breakfast TV show's cast and crew are blithely unaware of what sporadic reports about a virus in China might mean. This adds an underlying tension to everything, as do the chaotic US presidential primaries and the increasing melodrama between characters finely played by Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston and Billy Crudup, with added Steve Coogan who's in hiding with Valeria Golino in Italy. Where it all goes is perhaps a bit too shocking. (Apple)

The Other Two: series 2

It's been two and a half years, but this superbly written and played comedy is finally back for a second season, and this time siblings Brooke and Cary (Helene Yorke and Drew Tarver) find themselves in the shadow of their talkshow host mum (Molly Shannon), in addition to their popstar little brother Chase (Case Walker). The comedy feels a lot broader this time around, which makes it sillier and perhaps less endearing. But the central theme is still strong, playing on how frustrating it can be to watch seemingly untalented people succeed while you struggle. And once again, the pop culture gags are continual and skilfully right on the nose. (HBO)

Love Life: series 2

William Jackson Harper takes over the central role as this gently comical drama returns to follow another person's romantic rollercoaster journey. Opening with some bad decision-making that quickly leads to a divorce, Harper's Marcus is a likeable guy who struggles to get his life back on track. This includes some painfully awkward encounters, stressing out his friends and family and launching himself into a series of relationships. All of this happens while he's circling around the hugely likeable Mia (Jessica Williams), who is clearly too good for him, but we can't help but hope they work out their messiness. Harper is particularly terrific in a demanding role. (HBO)

Succession: series 3

Continuing without taking a breath from the last episode, this intense media family drama never gives the audience break from these intense people who circle around each other like sharks. Patriarch Logan (Brian Cox) is now in all-out war with his son Kendall (Jeremy Strong), with siblings Roman and Shiv (Kieran Culkin and Sarah Snook) vying for control and everyone else trying to cling to what little influence they may have. It's absolutely brutal, and riveting, to watch this family so aggressively engage in vicious power games. And the complexity of the roles gives each actor a lot to chew on along the way. Once again, the ending is a stunner. (HBO)

Sex Education: series 3 

This show continues to broaden its scope by bringing more characters into the focal zone, and it works because all of them are fierce, strikingly well written and played individuals. The spiralling relationships between family, friends and lovers are thoroughly entertaining, even if the careful plotting makes it fairly clear where things are heading. And the sparky cast, led by Asa Butterfield and Gillian Anderson, is hugely engaging. With added Lola Kirke as the villainous new headmistress of the season. Even she is given a bit of perhaps uncharacteristic shading under her relentless nastiness. (Netflix)

What We Do in the Shadows: series 3 

Things continue to ramp up in this season, as this household of four clueless vampires take the place of the council that was taken out by their vampire-hunting familiar Guillermo (Harvey Guillem), who continues to take care of them without them noticing. This adds a whole new angle to their relentless obliviousness, and each episode mines ridiculous situations for genuinely hilarious laughs. But even more important is how the writing and acting make us care about these idiots, especially as the final few episodes of this season change things so drastically. Any future episodes will feel very different indeed. (FX)

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: series 8

I was very late to this show, catching up with the first seven seasons during lockdown, and I enjoyed these final 10 shows as they appeared two per week. This is the kind of comedy I love, with nutty character-based humour that simply never pauses to let the audience catch their breath. It's silly, sharp and even has some political resonance, and the jagged relationships between these police precinct colleagues add engaging angles to the jokes. A few characters feel a little muted by time, but each of them has the power to surprise us. And the show's anchors Andy Samberg, Andre Braugher and Terry Crews are fabulous. (CBS)

GUILTY PLEASURES: The Great British Bake-Off (C4), Strictly Come Dancing (BBC), RuPaul's Drag Race UK (BBC), We're Here (WoW), I Like the Way U Move (BBC).

I GAVE UP: Foundation (Apple) was just too dense and choppy for me.

NOW WATCHING: Hawkeye, Landscapers, The Great (2), The Witcher (2), Star Trek: Discovery (4), The Conners (4), And Just Like That (7), Dexter: New Blood (9).

COMING SOON: The Woman in the House Across the Street From the Girl in the Window, The Book of Boba Fett, Pam & Tommy, Euphoria (2), Killing Eve (4).

Critical Week: Chasing monsters

It's been another eclectic week in the screening rooms around London. First up, there was Slaughterhouse Rulez, a blackly comical horror romp that mixes pastiche with nastiness. The idea is great, but the film is a little choppy. Juliet, Naked is a gently engaging British comedy-drama with romantic inclinations featuring nicely understated turns from Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke and Chris O'Dowd. And Monsters and Men is a provocative American drama about three young men in Brooklyn who are pushed into a corner regarding white-on-black police violence. Its light touch makes it notable.

We had a festive Halloween screening of Hell Fest, a throwback teen horror romp so bog-standard that it's neither scary or funny. Lars Von Trier's The House That Jack Built is an epic-length exploration of a serial killer (a superb Matt Dillon), expertly made and fiercely provocative. And from France, Boys [Jonas] is a finely acted low-key drama about a young man confronting an event in his past through a series of encounters that won't let him go.

Over the next 10 days, I'll travel to Greece to be on the international critics' (Fipresci) jury at the 59th Thessaloniki International Film Festival. While there, I'm also planning to catch some festival films I've missed so far, including Alfonso Cuaron's Roma, Berlin winner Touch Me Not, London winner Joy, Lazlo Nemes' Sunset and Ben Wheatley's Happy Birthday, Colin Burstead.

Critical Week: It's a battlefield

Normal press screenings are slowly returning to London, although there are still a lot of awards-season screenings going on for Oscar and Bafta voters to catch up on things. The Bafta nominees came out this week, led by The Shape of Water, and nominated films are beginning to flood the cinemas.

But I'd seen all of those ages ago! So this week, I caught up with Journey's End, a slow-burning WWI drama with Asa Butterfield, Sam Claflin and Paul Bettany. It's moody and intense, and carries a very strong kick. The late Martin Landau gives his last screen performance in Abe & Phil's Last Poker Game, a warm drama costarring Paul Sorvino about two retirees in a rest home trying to have a bit of an adventure.

The micro-budget British drama In Another Life is a fascinating story told through the eyes of a Syrian refugee trying to get from France to England. It's strikingly well shot, and the story is compelling. And there were also two documentaries: The Ice King is the amazing story of British figure skating legend John Curry, a tortured genius whose life is revealed through lots of lost footage. And there was also this one...

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Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars
dir Lili Fini Zanuck; with Eric Clapton, BB King 17/UK *** 
Low-key and a little dry, this documentary is an intriguing portrait of a guitar nerd who became a rock hero. Fans will love it, certainly not minding its long and meandering structure. Filmmaker Lili Fini Zanuck traces Clapton's life from his childhood in Surrey (including the shock of learning that his sister was actually his mother) to art college and London's 1960s underground blues scene, his key influences (BB King, Muddy Waters, Bismillah Khan) and work with the Yardbirds, Bluesbreakers and Cream. It also traces the impact of friendships with Jimi Hendrix and George Harrison, his years battling with addiction and his inability to remain faithful in a relationship. This is assembled from existing footage and interviews, with terrific home movies and performances segments. But the narrative is fractured, dropping key revelations in later on and getting rather distracted by some events while skipping over others. Thankfully it comes back together in a powerful final chapter as Clapton finally seems to have his life in control. Through all of this, his musical genius is indisputable, and that's enough to keep us watching.

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This coming week I'll be seeing Aardman Animation's Early Man, the British drama Finding Your Feet, the British horror Ghost Stories and the doc The Cinema Travellers, among other things no doubt. I also have a lot of work still to do as chair of the London Critics' Circle Film Awards, which take place on 28th January.

Critical Week: No wallflower

As awards season heats up, the films screened to critics begin to feel more eclectic than usual. One higher-brow offering was Lady Macbeth, which I missed in the festival rounds last autumn. Florence Pugh stars as a woman who finds a rather grisly way to take control of her life in 19th century England. It's gruesome and clever. The Space Between Us is a romance between two teens in which a sci-fi plot point becomes little more than set dressing. It's a well-made film, but the script remains resolutely superficial.

On the extreme other end of the spectrum, The Lego Batman Movie is a frantic comedy that's very funny but also somewhat exhausting. From Romania, Graduation is a powerfully challenging drama that grapples with huge themes in a way that's sharp and resonant. And All This Panic is a loose, beautifully shot and edited documentary that feels like a narrative feature about a group of teen girls navigating crises that feel like the end of the world. To them at least.

I'm flying off to California for the next couple of weeks to visit family and friends. And I'll also catch up with some movies along the way, which I'll cover here. First on my list is John Wick Chapter 2, as I'm missing the big London press screening. I'll also be over there for Bafta on Sunday night, and perhaps more relevantly for Oscar two weeks later.

Critical Week: It's raining films

24th Raindance Film Festival is underway in London, wrapping up on Sunday. I always struggle to catch many of the movies at this festival, as it runs right through the press screening schedule for the London Film Festival (which runs 5-16 Oct). I was able to attend Raindance's opening night gala, including the feature Problemski Hotel (above), an involving, artful exploration of refugees in Europe, and the short The Nation Holds Its Breath, a witty Irish comedy about a young man conflicted by the fact that his first child is being born just as Ireland makes it to the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 1990. There were also two ambitious low-budget sci-fi thrillers: from America, Shortwave is somewhat overcooked but very atmospheric, and from Britain, Worm is a skilful stunner about teleportation.

Aside from London Film Festival screenings (more on those next week), there have also been screenings of normal releases to catch up with. These have included Emily Blunt in the adaptation of the bestseller The Girl on the Train, an edgy emotional thriller; Tim Burton's new extravaganza Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, an enjoyable but over-packed fantasy; Mel Gibson's solid return to lead acting in Blood Father, a gritty but somewhat simplistic vengeance/survival thriller; and People You May Know, a dark but hopeful drama about navigating friendship and romance.

There were also a collection of movies based on true stories: David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike are excellent in the racially charged 1950s drama A United Kingdom; Luke Treadaway stars in the lightly comical exploration of homelessness and addiction in A Street Cat Named Bob; the shattering Polish drama The Innocents is about a convent recovering from the horrors of WWII.

This coming week, I have a few more Raindance movies while screenings for London seriously heat up as the festival itself gets underway. There's also the animated adventure Storks, the British comedy Burn Burn Burn, the horror thriller Train to Busan, the Spanish drama The Ways of Man, and the documentary Life, Animated.

Critical Week: Shake your money maker

It feels like months since I've done a regular weekly blog entry! (It was 7th October.) After the one-two punch of London and Abu Dhabi film festivals, I'm back to normal for three weeks. In the three days since flying home from the UAE, I've only seen four films....

Get On Up is an ambitious biopic about James Brown starring the seriously talented Chadwick Boseman, although the film is a bit too fragmented to properly convey much insight into Brown's own genius. One of the year's most hotly anticipated films, Interstellar is Christopher Nolan's trip into space to seek a future for humanity, featuring strong performances from Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain and others but a plot that wobbles badly in the middle. Nativity 3: Dude, Where's My Donkey?! is the latest instalment in the silly British Christmas musical series, as another new teacher (Martin Clunes) is tormented and ultimately won over by Marc Wootton's Mr Poppy and his ludicrously adorable students. And X+Y is a remarkable little British drama anchored by a powerhouse performance from Asa Butterfield as an autistic maths-whiz teen.

This coming week, I'll be watching the year's next blockbuster The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, plus Tommy Lee Jones' starry Western The Homesman, Wong Kar-wai's much delayed award-winning film The Grandmaster, the German drama Diplomacy, the French drama Eastern Boys, the Swiss drama The Circle and the Arab Spring documentary We Are the Giant.

Critical Week: Chasing the rat pack

Post-London Film Festival, UK-based critics are now in catch-up mode with current releases, upcoming films and movies that are vying for our votes in year-end awards. Possibly the most starry movie screened to us this week was Last Vegas, featuring five Oscar winners: Morgan Freeman, Michael Douglas, Robert DeNiro, Kevin Kline (pictured above) and Mary Steenburgen. Comments are embargoed until next week on this one. We also finally got to see Harrison Ford's new movie Ender's Game, which opens this week and is a pretty thrilling ride for 12-year-old boys in the audience. It's very watchable for everyone else too.

The rest of the week was pretty eclectic. Idris Elba is impressive in the biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, which is a little too clearly designed to be the definitive movie about the great man. And his story is genuinely moving. Ralph Fiennes stars in and directs another biopic, The Invisible Woman, about Charles Dickens' secret romance. It's eye-catching but a bit dull and wilfully repressed. Two other films were the polar extreme: the insanely lively and colourful, but unimaginatively titled Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 is a lot of fun but a bit less satisfying than the first film. And the oddly gentle Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa is packed with rude humour and raucous pranks, then surprises us with its sentimentality.

This coming week we will see the next Marvel movie, Thor: The Dark World, the animated adventure Free Birds, Lee Daniels' presidential drama The Butler, the Israeli comedy Cupcakes, the filmmaker doc Milius, and the nuclear power doc Pandora's Promise. And for awards consideration we have Mark Wahlberg in Lone Survivor and the Sundance winner Fruitvale Station. Among others....