Critical Week: Take the wheel

It's been another week of movies here, and I'm enjoying how things are back to a relatively normal schedule after months of intensity. The biggest movie this week was an online feature: Ghosted is an engaging action romcom that reteams Ana de Armas and Chris Evans. Rather a lot mopier, To Catch a Killer stars Shailene Woodley as a troubled cop pulled into an FBI investigation into a mass-shooter. It's dark and timely, but feels somewhat undercooked.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
A Thousand and One
The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan
PERHAPS AVOID:
Padre Pio
ALL REVIEWS >

The best surprise this week is The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan, a familiar story sharply well told with a first-rate French cast and properly thrilling action. The latest in the franchise, Evil Dead Rise is never very scary but will please fans with its outrageously excessive gore. And then there's the inventive and hugely engaging Filipino comedy I Love You Beksman, which kicked off the Queer East Fest in London on Tuesday. 

Outside the cinema, I loved the Nederlands Dans Theater programme at Sadler's Wells. And this was my first year attending the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards as a voting member (I am a member of the Critics' Circle Theatre Section, in addition to being chair of the Film Section). These awards are great fun, held at @sohoplace, the first new theatre built in the West End in 50 years. And most winners were in attendance, so it was great to celebrate them.

This next week I'll be watching the biopic Big George Foreman, Jay Baruchel in the story of BlackBerry, Kate Bosworth in Last Sentinel, the Greek drama Broadway, the Swedish comedy RSVP and the dance art film Transparent.

Critical Week: Pray for mercy

London critics caught up with Martin Scorsese's new film Silence  this past week. It's a strikingly thoughtful movie, a quest for faith for Portuguese priests in 17th century Japan - a bit academic perhaps, but powerful. And then there's the biggest movie of the year: Gareth Edwards' stand-alone Star Wars story Rogue One, which is a startlingly edgy war thriller with complex characters and situations that don't go as expected. It's a properly grown-up movie unafraid to embrace its darker elements.

There were two starry year-end dramas: Taraji P Henson and Octavia Spencer lead the ensemble in Hidden Figures, about the women whose mathematics expertise got Nasa into space in the early 1960s. And Michael Keaton stars in The Founder, about McDonald's ruthless entrepreneur Ray Kroc. Both films are solidly made, finely acted and worthy of acclaim, if not actual Oscars.

Further afield, The White King is a strikingly well-made dystopian thriller with a somewhat murky plot; The Eyes of My Mother is an inventively harrowing monochrome drama with elements of grisly horror; and London Town is an enjoyable riff on the music scene of the late 1970s. I also watched the rather uneven TV spectacular Hairspray Live!, which had a great cast but struggled to maintain this fantastic musical's energy levels. And there were two films I hadn't covered on their UK releases...

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Chicken
dir Joe Stephenson; scr Chris New; with Scott Chambers, Yasmin Paige, Morgan Watkins 15/UK ***.
Based on the Freddie Machin play, this British indie drama tells a very dark story in a remarkably breezy way. It's a skilful feature directing debut for Joe Stephenson, anchored by fierce performances from the three main cast members. The story centres on Richard (Chambers), a mentally disabled 15-year-old whose best pal is a chicken named Fiona. He lives in a caravan in a field with his big brother Polly (Watkins), a hothead who simply can't hold his temper long enough to keep a job. Then new landowners arrive, threatening their already fragile existence. And Richard befriends their annoyed daughter Annabell (Paige). The shifting dynamics between the characters are fascinating, helping add some deeper feelings to a rather gimmicky plot. In the end, the twists and revelations are so big that they leave the film feeling oddly distant. But it's still powerful stuff, beautifully written, directed and acted.

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Don't Think Twice
dir-scr Mike Birbiglia
with Gillian Jacobs, Keegan-Michael Key, Mike Birbiglia, Chris Gethard, Kate Micucci, Tami Sagher 16/US ***
Not only is this a serious drama about comedy, but it's also a scripted story about improv, and both of these things make the film difficult to go along with. The central theme is a strongly involving one, that this six-person improvisational team is like a family that has a strong bond even as circumstances pull them apart. When one member (Key) gets his break on a live TV show and their theatre faces closure, all of them are forced to reconsider their career and life choices. Most of this is a little simplistic, but it's very nicely played by likeable actors who bring out strong details in their roles. And some clever cameos and side roles add a bit of spice here and there. Definitely worth a look for anyone interested in the rather grim realities of life as a comedian, but not great if you're looking for a laugh.

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This coming week I'll be seeing the James Franco/Bryan Cranston comedy Why Him?, the Will Smith drama Collateral Beauty, Michael Fassbender in Assassin's Creed, Ang Lee's Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk and the adventure romp Monster Trucks, plus various last minute screeners to watch in time for voting deadlines.

LFF 4: Take on the establishment

After launching the festival with his opening film A United Kingdom on Wednesday, David Oyelowo was back out again tonight for the premiere of Queen of Katwe, an inspiring true story from Uganda. Oyelowo has made quite a mark on the 60th London Film Festival, as he also hosted the launch of the BFI's Black Star programme exploring diversity in cinema. His speech made headlines, including the fact that only 13 percent of British films have leading roles for black actors. "The odd token thrown, the odd bone given is not going to do it," he said. "Don't pat yourself on the back because you made that black drama. Bully for you, but that's not diversity. It's got to be baked into the foundation of where the ideas flow from." Here are some highlights from Sunday...

Queen of Katwe
dir Mira Nair; with Madina Nalwanga, David Oyelowo 16/SA 2h04 ***.
While this fact-based film is low on authentic edge, it's bright and engaging enough to hold the audience's interest and deliver a terrific emotional kick. Abject poverty hasn't looked this colourful since Slumdog Millionaire, and this story also addresses big social issues as it follows a handful of likeable characters through an involving odyssey. And the movie is so entertaining that we hardly realise we're learning something.  FULL REVIEW >


Elle 
dir Paul Verhoeven; with Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Lafitte 16/Fr ****
With a bold tone that's bracingly matter-of-fact, this outrageous comedy-thriller takes the audience on a rollercoaster ride with an extraordinary woman who refuses to just accept whatever life throws at her. It's a twisty, surprising story that takes several disturbing turns, offering Isabelle Huppert another wonderfully complex role, while director Paul Verhoeven adeptly plays with audience expectations.

Una

dir Benedict Andrews; with Rooney Mara, Ben Mendelsohn 16/UK **

Adapted by playwright David Harrower from his play Blackbird, this is a harrowing look at seduction and manipulation. But its gyrations feel somewhat contrived on a film screen, and the characters are oddly simplistic for a story that takes such a bold, complex approach to a difficult situation. It's worth seeing for some of the performances, and also for its ability to get us thinking. But it's never engaging. 

Dancer

dir Steven Cantor; with Sergei Polunin, Galina Polunina 16/UK ****
This narrative doc traces the life and career of Sergei Polunin, often called the "bad boy of ballet" for his hard-partying lifestyle. But the film reveals a more complex young man whose innate gift made him the youngest ever principal for the Royal Ballet, while his family fell apart supporting him. It's a powerfully emotional documentary, even though it feels like it only scratches the surface.

Hermia & Helena

dir-scr Matias Pineiro; with Agustina Munoz, Maria Villar 16/Arg **

Indulgently experimental, this is the kind of movie that appeals to film students due to its clever references and artful juxtaposition. But the fact is that there is no plot to speak of, scenes simply don't hang together and it's perhaps too generous to call the acting uneven. There is some charm in filmmaker Matias Pineiro's loose, witty style, but in the end it's just too smug to have any resonance.

And another film I saw in Venice that's playing here in London is Terrence Malick's ethereal earth doc Voyage of Time