BFI Flare: People get ready

The 39th BFI Flare festival wrapped up this weekend with a terrific closing night film in Night Stage, which led to a superbly celebratory wrap party. Here are comments on that film and one other, plus notes on the shorts I managed to catch and my best films of the festival..

Night Stage [Ato Noturno]
dir-scr Filipe Matzembacher, Marcio Reolon; with Gabriel Faryas, Cirillo Luna 25/Br ****
From the opening shot, this Brazilian drama channels the surging operatic sensibilities of Brian De Palma's 1980s erotic thrillers. But what's coming is thoroughly rooted in the present day, mixing more open-minded public opinion with ideas that are still transgressive. Filmmakers Filipe Matzembacher and Marcio Reolon create a wonderfully lurid visual sensibility alongside characters who are complex, shady and likeable. And they delight in making us think.

Some Nights I Feel Like Walking
dir-scr Petersen Vargas; with Miguel Odron, Jomari Angeles 25/Ph ****
Lush cinematography captures the colours and textures of the Philippines, creating a vivid backdrop for this gritty drama about a group of fast-talking teens who run wild in the streets. The plot sends them on an odyssey that's strongly involving, largely because the characters and situations are so complex. Writer-director Peterson Vargas includes a terrific mixture of emotions in these found brothers who care for each other in the face of hatred.

Shorts 
I only saw 11 short films at this year's Flare, which is a very small number for me. These include this year's strong selection of Five Films for Freedom, which are available free to view worldwide during the festival. My favourite was one of these, Dragfox (Lisa Ott, UK), a witty stop-motion musical comedy about a boy who is coaxed by a cheeky fox (voiced by Ian McKellen) to let his true self out into the world. Other favourites included the earthy street-kid drama Home (Donja R Love, US) and the snappy dress-up-and-sing comedy Wait, Wait, Now! (Ramon Te Wake, NZ).

Rich's Best of the Fest

1. 
   High Tide (Calvani, US)
2. Viet and Nam 
   (Truong, Vie)
3. Night Stage
   (Matzembacher/Reolon, Br)
4. The Astronaut Lovers (Berger, Arg)
5. Memorabilia
   (Lum/Verow, US)
6. Departures 
   (Eyre-Morgan/Ely, UK)
7. Some Nights I Feel Like Walking (Vargas, Ph)
8. Really Happy Someday (Stevens, Can)
9. We Are Faheem & Karun (Onir, Ind)
10. The Wedding Banquet (Ahn, US)

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

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.

~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~
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: Hit the road

We're into the second half of the 38th BFI Flare film fest, and I've been enjoying the wide range of films in the programme. The four highlights noted here are quite an eclectic bunch, very different styles of moviemaking from four countries — a comedy, drama, collage and documentary...

Drive Back Home
dir-scr Michael Clowater; with Alan Cumming, Charlie Creed-Miles 24/Can ****
Based on a true story that took place at a time in Canada when men were sent to prison for being gay, this film bristles with dark humour as it recounts a story involving brothers and entrenched societal homophobia. Writer-director Michael Clowalter and his cast fill the screen with sparky attitude and offbeat character touches that are both funny and honest. It's a lively, entertaining movie that cleverly uses its period to explore present-day attitudes.

The Pleasure Is Mine [El Placer Es Mío]
dir-scr Sacha Amaral; with Max Suen, Katja Alemann 24/Arg ***.
Like its central character, this drama from Argentina is a bit flippant and enigmatic, pulling us in with pure charm. Unfolding in fragments of scenes, this observant film follows a quick-thinking hustler who finds it easier to manipulate people than to make a meaningful connection. Writer-director Sacha Amaral shoots with offbeat wide-screen camerawork that sharply captures the characters, which makes it eerily easy to put ourselves in their shoes.

Memorabilia
dir-scr Charles Lum, Todd Verow; with JJ Bozeman, Justin Ivan Brown 24/US ****
Planned by filmmaker Charles Lum before his death and completed by his collaborator Todd Verow, this experimental film is a collage-style film memoir tracing a gay man's sexual journey, including things rarely spoken of on film. It's also unusually honest in its depiction of inner yearning, creating a gorgeously lusty vibe that runs through even in the more prosaic interludes. So the cumulative effect is dreamy and resonant.

Fatherhood 
[Tre Fedre]
dir-scr Even Benestad, August B Hanssen; with Kristopher, David, Sindre 25/Nor ***.
Warmly soft-spoken, this documentary presents three men in a relationship in a matter-of-fact way. Being gay in Norway has never been a problem for these guys, although being a throuple did catch people off guard, as did the way they planned to become parents. These are earthy, funny men who will clearly make good fathers, and the film knowingly traces their journey as they prepare for the birth.

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

BFI Flare: Just keep walking

These are unusually busy days for me, with this week's normal releases alongside watching films for the 39th BFI Flare film festival, which is running on London's Southbank until Sunday. Here are four more festival highlights, including the festival's special presentation film Dreams in Nightmares...

A Few Feet Away [A Metros de Distancia]
dir-scr Tadeo Pestana Caro; with Max Suen, Jazmin Carballo 25/Arg ***.
With the tentative energy of a young man who isn't quite sure who he is yet, this drama from Argentina draws us in with its easy authenticity. It may feel a little underwritten, but filmmaker Tadeo Pestana Caro has a strong sense of visual style, tapping into the attitudes of the characters. The editing feels a bit abrupt, jumping from scene to scene, but Caro is unafraid to take the story in some very dark directions. It's an unusually introspective, thoughtful drama.

Dreams in Nightmares
dir-scr Shatara Michelle Ford; with Denee Benton, Mars Storm Rucker 24/US ***.
Strikingly photographed by Ludovica Isidori, this drama has a wonderfully visual kick, pulling us in with dreamlike imagery and vivid textures that we can almost touch and smell. Writer-director Shatara Michelle Ford uses the loose structure of a road movie to send three characters on an odyssey into their souls, and into the soul of their nation. While the film is a bit meandering, it continually touches on resonant issues from knowing perspectives.

Viet and Nam
dir-scr Truong Minh Quy; with Pham Thanh Hai, Dao Duy Bao Dinh 24/Vie ****
Right from the opening shot, there's a sleepy, dreamlike quality to this film that becomes mesmerising, especially as dreams and visions feature strongly throughout this story. Shot on 16mm film, cinematographer Son Doan's eye-catching imagery mixes earthy beauty and grainy authenticity. And the narrative unfolds in the characters' faces. This is a resolutely gentle film, and viewers who can follow its quiet rhythms will find it darkly involving.

Mea Culpa
dir-scr Patrick Tass; with Patrick Tass, Randa Tass 25/Bel ****
A collage-style documentary, this film is a yearning statement from filmmaker Patrick Tass, who lives in Belgium, to his mother in Lebanon. It explores the geographical distance as well as how they hide things about themselves from each other. The images are beautifully shot and edited, capturing offhanded real-life moments as well as deeper thoughts, ideas and emotions. It's a fascinating exploration of identity, seen through filters of nationality and sexuality.

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

BFI Flare: Life's a beach

The 39th BFI Flare charges into its first weekend with a flurry of terrific films, many of which are attended by filmmakers and actors who are happy to discuss their work and chat with the audiences. Which is what sets this particular festival apart from others in London where the talent remains in a VIP festival all their own. Over the years covering this event, it's been great to see such a wide range of excellent films that approach queer topics from every conceivable angle. Here are four more highlights for this weekend... 

Hot Milk
dir-scr Rebecca Lenkiewicz; with Emma Mackey, Fiona Shaw 24/UK ***
Beautifully shot on the Mediterranean seaside, this introspective drama is tightly contained within the perspective of a young woman frustrated that she doesn't have control of her own life. The film is packed with intriguing relationships, but writer-director Rebecca Lenkiewicz never quite allows the audience in, which makes it difficult to sympathise with anyone on-screen. Still, the big themes hold the interest, and the location comes vividly to life.

High Tide
dir-scr Marco Calvani; with Marco Pigossi, James Bland 24/US ****
With a lovely light touch, writer-director Marco Calvani takes an honest and unusually resonant look at the life of an immigrant, and the film is also gently tinged with issues relating to sexuality and race. Because the approach is so knowingly realistic, the film is funny, emotional, sexy and surprising. The film makes the most of its Massachusetts coastal setting, which is populated by recognisably authentic characters. And the delicate acting and filmmaking that make it memorable.

Departures
dir Neil Ely, Lloyd Eyre-Morgan; with Lloyd Eyre-Morgan, David Tag 25/UK ****
Warm and engaging, with some sharply pointed edges, this British drama plays out as a kaleidoscopic essay looking back at a relationship that was never quite right from the start. Clever writing and acting creates characters who are likeable and unusually complex, offering surprising points of resonance throughout the non-chronological narrative. And it's beautifully shot and edited too, anchored ably by sparky actor-filmmaker Lloyd Eyre-Morgan. 

Sad Jokes
dir-scr Fabian Stumm; with Fabian Stumm, Haley Louise Jones 24/Ger ****
From Germany, this bittersweet film plays on its comedic intentions by including a stream of jokes that are silly, brittle, bleak and absurd. These provide an almost meta running commentary to the story of a filmmaker who is trying to get his life back on track after a difficult breakup and the birth of his son. Actor-filmmaker Fabian Stumm has a wonderfully easy presence on-screen, allowing the audience to travel this journey without pushing any points.

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

BFI Flare: Get the party started

The 39th BFI Flare kicked off last night on the Southbank, with the international premiere of the Sundance hit The Wedding Banquet, with the entire cast and crew on stage for an intro, then back for a hilarious Q&A. I also got a chance to talk to director Andrew Ahn at the party, which was nice. The next 10 days will be a flurry of excellent LGBTQIA+ films from all over the world. Here are comments on three films - full reviews will be posted on the site soon. And Critical Week is below...

The Wedding Banquet
dir Andrew Ahn; with Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone 25US ****
In reimagining of Ang Lee's breakthrough 1993 comedy, director-cowriter Andrew Ahn cleverly updates the topicality while also playing up the plot's farcical entanglements. The resulting film often feels very silly, but it is continually underscored by resonant themes and involving emotions. It's also thoroughly entertaining, with seven complex central characters who are beautifully played by an ensemble cast that's heavily stacked with adept scene-stealers.

Really Happy Someday
dir J Stevens; with Breton Lalama, Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah 24/Can ****
Quietly observational, this warm drama follows a young trans man who is struggling to redefine both himself and who he wants to be. Director J Stevens takes an offhanded approach, shooting scenes like a fly-on-the-wall documentary to add a striking sense of authenticity. It's also infused with Broadway songs that contain huge emotionality, allowing us to see into the soul of the lead character, who is played beautifully by cowriter Breton Lalama.

We Are Faheem & Karun
dir Onir; with Tawseef Mir, Akash Unnimenon 25/Ind ****
From India, this is the first Kashmiri film to openly explore sexuality. As with his 2023 drama Pine Cone, filmmaker Onir uses a gently understated tone to focus on the internalised thoughts and feelings the characters are grappling with. The film is strikingly well shot in spectacular locations, while the actors deliver warm, honest performances. So without overstating anything, the film creates a vivid sense of how a culture can sometimes feel like a prison.

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

~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~
C R I T I C A L  W E E K

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Flow • Layla
When Autumn Falls • Santosh
ALL REVIEWS >

Aside from Flare, this past week featured screenings of two films with Pedro Pascal. The multi-strand adventure Freaky Tales is clever and offbeat, while the comedy-drama The Uninvited is intriguing like an ensemble play. Disney's live-action Snow White was better than expected, although the animated dwarfs are all wrong. Robert De Niro gives two solid performances in The Alto Knights, which is otherwise a bit unremarkable. Alain Guiraudie's superb French drama Misericordia is complex and challenging. And the artificial intelligence doc The Thinking Game is brisk and eye-opening.

This coming week I'll be watching Jack Quaid in Novocaine, Jason Statham in A Working Man, Jason Isaacs in The Salt Path, the wartime drama Irena's Vow, the Andy Kaufman doc Thank You Very Much, and a lot more films at BFI Flare. Plus a few live stage performances.

Critical Week: You're winding me up

After the Bafta Film Awards on Monday, the final stretch of this year's awards race is as unpredictable as ever. Apart from Zoe Saldaña and Kieran Culkin, most categories are still up in the air. A flurry of awards this weekend will further muddy the water before it all climaxes at Oscar on March 2nd. Meanwhile, movies are still arriving in cinemas, and this week's biggest was The Monkey, another enjoyably creepy film from Osgood Perkins, this time with Theo James as twin protagonists. It's funnier than it is scary. 

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
I'm Still Here
I Am Martin Parr
Picnic at Hanging Rock
ALL REVIEWS >

From the Netherlands, Invasion is a slickly made thriller set in sunny Caribbean locations as beefy marines take on an unexpected attack from a (fictional) rogue South American nation. It's fun but anticlimactic. The Brooklyn drama Barrio Boy is an involving depiction of Latino subculture with a story that explores homophobia in somewhat elusive ways. From China, the animated epic Chang'An is a spectacular mix of gorgeous imagery, visceral battles and moving poetry. And the entertaining, finely made documentary I Am Martin Parr explores the British photographer's inimitable career. I also attended the programme launch for the 39th BFI Flare film festival (coming 19-30 March), plus the monumental Vollmond at Sadler's Wells and the rhythmic Trash! at the Peacock.

This coming week I'll be watching Woody Harrelson in the underwater thriller Last Breath, Ralph Fiennes in The Return, Toby Jones in Mr Burton, Bruno Dumont's The Empire, Georgian drama April and the documentary Ernest Cole: Lost & Found.

BFI Flare: Reveal yourself

The 38th BFI Flare wrapped up on Sunday, after Saturday night's closing ceremony and the world premiere of Lady Like, starring Lady Camden, who brought her starry glamour to the evening. It was a great festival, with lots of excellent films. Although without a delegate centre or team, it was tricky for press to see the films. And of course the best thing about this event each year is catching up with my Flare friends! Here are some final highlights, plus comments on the relatively few short films I managed to see and my 10 best films of the fest...

Lady Like
dir-scr Luke Willis; with Rex Wheeler, Shiloh Brody-Clarke 24/US ***
There's a terrific story at the centre of this documentary, tracing the life of drag star Lady Camden from her London childhood to TV stardom and beyond. Filmmaker Luke Wheeler has wonderful access, capturing Camden's alter-ego Rex Wheeler with unusual openness and authenticity. But the film itself isn't edited together with momentum or a clear structure, circling around and repeating emotional points. So it's entertaining, but never as moving as it wants to be.

Unspoken
dir-scr Jeremy Borison; with Charlie Korman, Michael Zapesotsky 24/US ****
Sensitive and introspective, this teen drama plays out almost like a mystery thriller. Sharply shot with a vivid attention to detail, the film has a focussed perspective that's both riveting and involving. Writer-director Jeremy Borison maintains narrative momentum along with a knowing sense of how it feels to be gay in a religious community. And because the story is connected to history, it carries surprising weight and complexity.

Love Lies Bleeding
dir Rose Glass; with Kristen Stewart, Katy O'Brian 24/US ****
Cleverly using excessive audio and visual flourishes to heighten the mood, filmmaker Rose Glass takes the audience on a pitch-black adventure that propels forward without mercy. The film is dark and often intensely gruesome, but there's a terrific undercurrent of raw emotion even in the more outrageous situations. So as it closes its grip on us, the movie becomes a skilfully lurid, heady mix of romance, murder and bodybuilding.

Orlando, My Political Biography
dir-scr Paul B Preciado; with Paul B Preciado, Oscar Miller, Janis Sahraoui 23/Fr ****
Breathtakingly original, this drama-documentary hybrid is a loose adaptation of Virginia Woolf's classic novel blurred inventively with portraits of trans people who connect with and elevate the book's story and ideas. Writer-director Paul Preciado maintains a cheeky tone, mixing plot elements with real-life details to create a movie that's colourful and often hilarious. And it also takes on several enormous issues with wit and knowing observations, challenging audience preconceptions.

Baldiga: Unlocked Heart
dir Markus Stein; with Jurgen Baldiga, Ulf Reimer 24/Ger ***.
Shot and edited with a contemplative, artful sensibility, this documentary focusses on thoughts and feelings as it recounts the life of German photographer Jurgen Baldiga, remembered depicting the truth in his images, which was uncomfortable to gay men during the Aids epidemic. Even if it's a bit slow and ponderous, the film is a remarkable depiction of a man who was hungry for everything life had to offer.

Flare Shorts

I wasn't able to watch as many shorts as I hoped to see, because they didn't make them accessible to the press this year. So I only managed to catch 12 of them - including the Five Films for Freedom. My favourite was from Spain, The First Kiss (dir Miguel Lafuente), a sharply clever drama that goes from funny to cute to intense in 15 minutes. I also really enjoyed The Lime Green Shirt (UK, Kaushik Ray), a lovely mother-son drama that's moving and provocative; Halfway (India, dir Kumar Chheda), a simple and inventive relationship drama with a quirky twist; We Collide (UK, dir Jason Bradbury), a two-minute thrill ride through a nightclub; Car Wash (Spain, dir Lucas Sogas), a complex drama about closeted football players; and A Bed for Three (Germany, dir Jan-Peter Horstmann), a silly but pointed comedy with a witty Ikea kick.

Rich’s Best of the Fest

1. 
   Crossing
2. Orlando, My Political Biography
3. The Summer With Carmen
4. Unspoken 
5. Unicorns
6. Love Lies Bleeding
7. Toll
8. Calls From Moscow
9. Riley
10. Desire Lines

All full reviews will be posted soon and linked on Shadows' BFI FLARE PAGE >
For festival information, BFI FLARE >

BFI Flare: Family matters

The 38th BFI Flare powers into its final weekend with even more movies and events, including a big closing night party tomorrow. It's been great to have filmmaker Q&As at every public screening I've attended, while having time between films to catchup with them and with my festival friends here in London. Of course, festivals wear us out (we watch too much then have to find time somewhere to work!), so I'll be glad to have my life back on Monday. But until then, there's miles to go. Here are more highlights, plus a brief Critical Week roundup...

Our Son
dir Bill Oliver; with Luke Evans, Billy Porter 23/US ***
While this drama features a new angle on the usual child custody narrative, its script never achieves the complexity needed to bring the situation to life. Instead, it feels more like a TV melodrama in which each conflict happens simply because the formula says it should. Thankfully, the cast rises above the sometimes simplistic dialog to deliver involving performances that knowingly touch on important issues. So even if it isn't memorable, the film is warm and engaging.

Pine Cone
dir Onir; with Vidur Sethi, Sahib Verma 23/Ind ***.
With a sensitive story that's groundbreaking for Indian cinema, this warm gay romantic drama takes a deep dive into its central character's relationship history through a robust flashback structure. Filmmaker Onir finds earthy honesty in scenes that grapple with connections, while eliciting layered performances from an excellent cast of newcomers. It may look a bit flatly digital (it was largely shot on an iPhone), and the music may feel somewhat insistent for Western audiences, but the film is powerfully involving.

Don't Ever Stop
dir Stuart Pollitt; with Fergie, Andy Buckley 24/UK ****
It's appropriate that a documentary about Tony De Vit, Britain's Godfather of Hard House, would pulsate with the thumping rhythms of a sweaty nightclub. This is a knowing and warmly personal portrait of a man whose influence on the music industry has been enormous, and it expands to explore his legacy by also recounting the story of his protege Fergie, one of the biggest DJs in the world. Filmmakers Stuart Pollitt and Phill Smith have poured a lot of love into this film, which makes it powerfully involving.

Commitment to Life
dir Jeffrey Schwarz; with Jeffrey Katzenberg, Bruce Vilanch 23/US ****
Centred around the queer community in Los Angeles and its response to the Aids epidemic, this knowing and sensitive documentary chronicles how a range of people took high-profile action that changed attitudes around the world. Master documentarian Jeffrey Schwartz assembles this beautifully, with a superb range of personal interviews offering firsthand commentary alongside the extensive archival material.

B E S T    O F    Y E A R
20,000 Species of Bees
dir-scr Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren; with Sofia Otero, Patricia Lopez Arnaiz 23/Sp ***
From the Basque Country, this loose drama circles around an important issue with honesty and emotion. But writer-director Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren makes it difficult to engage with the characters. Not only are there too many ill-defined people on-screen, but the meandering structure never offers a way in. That said, the film looks beautiful, skilfully using the setting and culture. And the cast is excellent across the board... FULL REVIEW >

Full reviews will be linked on Shadows' BFI FLARE PAGE >
For festival information, BFI FLARE >

~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~
C R I T I C A L  W E E K

I've only caught a couple of non-festival movies this week, namely the franchise continuation Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, which feels the strain of too many characters and a distracting plot. But there is still some fun to be had. Kristen Stewart is excellent in Love Lies Bleeding (also at Flare as it happens), the anticipated twisted thriller from Rose Glass (St Maud). It's wonderfully original. And from Australia, Limbo is a gorgeously stylish mystery shot in black and white by the gifted filmmaker Ivan Sen. In the diary for next week, I've got Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, plus In the Land of Saints and Sinners, The Beautiful Game, The Origin of Evil, Ama Gloria and Carnal Sins.

BFI Flare: See the world

Past the halfway point now, the 38th BFI Flare is running at full speed on the Southbank in London, with a continuing series of screenings and events, plus parallel screenings on the BFIPlayer online, including the annual #FiveFilmsForFreedom shorts, which are available globally during the festival. I'm still running around to screenings, meeting with filmmakers and actors, and generally enjoying the festive atmosphere (which seems to be missing from most festivals, as talent is now separated from everyone else). Here are some more movie highlights...

Aligned
dir-scr Apollo Bakopoulos; with Panos Malakos, Dimitris Fritzelas 23/Gr ****
A lyrical drama about two dancers, this Greek film is infused with body movement that's photographed with a lovely sense of sunlight, bodies and musicality. While the plot is fairly simple, the way the story is told is sensitive and sensual, focusing on thoughts and feelings as deeper yearnings come into conflict with practicalities. With an attention to detail, filmmaker Apollo Bakopoulos takes an approach that feels knowingly autobiographical... FULL REVIEW >

Toll [Pedágio]
dir-scr Carolina Markowicz; with Maeve Jinkings, Kauan Alvarenga 23/Br ****
Snappy characters and colourful visual touches add spark to this gritty Brazilian drama about a mother and son who find themselves at odds with each other. Writer-director Carolina Markowicz balances earthy authenticity with a deadpan sense of humour and remarkably complex characters who are just getting on with the challenges of life. Infused with irony, the plot unfolds with twists and turns that are funny and darkly harrowing... FULL REVIEW >

What a Feeling
dir-scr Kat Rohrer; with Caroline Peters, Proschat Madani 24/Aut ***.
Bright and snappy, this Austrian romantic comedy centres on two workaholic women who make an unexpected connection. Even though it feels a bit frantic and out of control, writer-director Kat Rohrer creates an engaging mix of earthy interaction and nutty slapstick. While there are bigger themes gurgling within the story, it remains light and easygoing, so a happy ending is never in doubt. Bring on a stand-and-cheer musical finale... FULL REVIEW >

The Queen of My Dreams
dir-scr Fawzia Mirza; with Amrit Kaur, Nimra Bucha 23/Can ***.
Recounting a young woman's story alongside the experiences of her mother, writer-director Fawzia Mirza deploys a range of flashbacks and Bollywood-style musical sequences that are bursting with colour and culture. So while the constant cross-cutting is disorienting, the film overflows with textures of life in multiple generations of this Pakistani-Canadian family. And what emerges is a richly detailed look at the threads that hold loved ones together... FULL REVIEW >

Desire Lines
dir Jules Rosskam; with Aden Hakimi, Theo Germaine 24/US ****
With an almost restlessly inventive approach, filmmaker Jules Rosskam mixes documentary and drama to explore the rarely recounted experiences of gay trans men, asking whether testosterone treatment can shift sexuality. The film knowingly grapples with larger ideas of identity and attraction, offering vital firsthand observations alongside intriguing dramatic scenes. And it is an important rebuke to anyone who insists that there are hard and fast rules about these things... FULL REVIEW >

B E S T    O F    Y E A R
Rustin
dir George C Wolfe; with Colman Domingo, Aml Ameen 23/US ****
Smooth and sparky, this biopic about the often overlooked Civil Rights pioneer is directed by George C Wolfe to vividly capture a pivotal point in American history. And Bradford Marsalis' jazzy score ripples with emotion, as the terrific actors create intriguing, complex layers in the characters. But what brings this film outrageously to life is the combination of a smart script and a blazing performance by Colman Domingo... FULL REVIEW >

Full reviews will be linked on Shadows' BFI FLARE PAGE >
For festival information, BFI FLARE >

BFI Flare: Sing it loud

The 38th BFI Flare heads into the week with a continuing flurry of screenings and events. Over the weekend it was great fun to hang out with actors and filmmakers who are in town to present their films. The post-screening Q&As have been lively, revealing how important these movies are as they are appreciated by such a wide range of people in the audience. And of course films with a British connection get even more audience love, with round of applause for each cast and crew member. Or in the case of the Merchant Ivory doc, post-film selfies with the likes of Helena Bonham Carter, Greta Scacchi, James Wilby, Rupert Graves, Natasha McElhone and many more. Here's another set of highlights...

Unicorns
dir Sally El Hosaini, James Krishna Floyd; with Ben Hardy, Jason Patel 23/UK ****
With a sometimes dreamlike sensibility, this British drama follows two young men who are struggling to make sense of their lives, and may find the answer together. Directing alongside screenwriter James Krisna Floyd, Sally El-Hosaini maintains an optimistic but clear-eyed and honest tone, even as the film takes on some big issues in a situation that feels impossible. It's also remarkably sympathetic to its very different central characters... FULL REVIEW >

Riley
dir-scr Benjamin Howard; with Jake Holley, Colin McCalla 23/US ****
Earthy authenticity infuses this warm drama, as writer-director Benjamin Howard knowingly captures the pervasive masculinity in sporting culture, which expresses itself in ignorant homophobia. He also gets into the mind of a teen athlete grappling with his sexuality. As the drama gets increasingly serious, the film grabs hold powerfully. So even if things begin to turn a bit melodramatic, there's truth in the way the story plays out... FULL REVIEW >

Hidden Master:
The Legacy of George Platt Lynes
dir Sam Shahid; with Bernard Perlin, George Platt Lynes II 23/US***.
Essentially making the case that photographer George Platt Lynes deserves a place in art history, this well-researched documentary recounts his career with eye-opening detail. Director Sam Shahid spent a decade compiling the interviews and hunting down archival material that fill this movie to overflowing. And Lynes' stunning images gain meaningful context through the fabulous first-hand anecdotes about a little-known but hugely influential segment of the art world from the 1930s to the 1950s. 

Merchant Ivory
dir Stephen Soucy; with James Ivory, Ismail Merchant 24/US ***.
Beautifully assembled with extensive interviews and film clips, this engaging documentary takes thorough look at the team behind the eponymous game-changing production company best known for its 1980s period dramas. As this story unfolds, filmmaker Stephen Soucy unearths some eye-opening things about the film industry and society at large. This is both a story about moviemakers who work outside the system, making first-rate projects against the odds, and an involving account of a decades-long love story that has never been told before. 

B E S T    O F    Y E A R
Bottoms
dir Emma Seligman; with Ayo Edebiri, Rachel Sennott 23//US ***
Both broadly silly and thematically pointed, this high school comedy moves at a brisk pace through a plot that's laced with absurdity. But the satire is cleverly grounded in big issues and emotional resonance, which makes even the silliest gags hilarious. Director-cowriter Emma Seligman gleefully pushes the characters and story right to the edge. So even as the transgressive nastiness takes over, the film has plenty of heart... FULL REVIEW >

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