Critical Week: Stay sharp

I'm back in London after six days at the Edinburgh Fringe, where I watched and reviewed 15 shows. Back in London, film screenings are coming in thick and fast. I finally caught up with Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer in the sharply well-made drama The Death of Robin Hood, which is very violent and rather relentlessly downbeat. By huge contrast, there's the nearly shelved Coyote vs Acme, starring Jon Cena and Will Forte opposite animated characters from Looney Tunes cartoons. It's a riot of energy, references and inventive imagery. And it's very, very funny.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
The Magic Faraway Tree
Teenage Sex & Death at Camp Miasma
ALL REVIEWS >

Andrew Scott and Brendan Fraser lead the charge in the D-Day drama Pressure, a riveting true story about men on a knife-edge decision. It's seriously well-written, directed and played. Zoey Deutch has the title role in the comedy pastiche Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass, but it's Jon Hamm and John Slattery spoofing themselves that makes this smart and very silly movie worth a look. Lea Seydoux stars in the Austrian drama Gentle Monster, as a woman whose life is upended by a police visit. It's powerful, complex and costars Catherine Deneuve. In addition, advanced screenings of films from next month's Venice Film Festival included the Bosnian drama Agata the Writer starring Mia Wasikowska. 

Coming up this next week, I'll be very busy watching Jacob Elordi in Ridley Scott's The Dog Stars, Olivia Wilde in I Want Your Sex, Maggie Grace in The Girl in the River, Cannes award-winner La Bola Negra, German satire Babystar, French crime drama Case 137 and Chabrol's restored 1969 classic La Femme Infidele. There will also be many more films from both FrightFest (which starts next Thursday in London) and the Venice Film Festival (I head to Italy the following week).

Critical Week: Have a laugh

The 69th London Film Fest continues this week, which means I am watching rather a lot of big awards-season titles, often with the filmmakers and actors in attendance.  Sometimes this even includes a chance to chat with them at a reception, which is always nice. One of these was Bradley Cooper's new movie Is This Thing On?, a romantic comedy-drama starring Will Arnett (above) and Laura Dern, based on the life of British stand-up comedian John Bishop. It's a terrific story, and the film is strikingly well shot and acted, without a single false note, which is like a miracle in this genre.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Souleymane's Story
Roofman • Frankenstein
Some Nights I Feel Like Walking
ALL REVIEWS >

Elsewhere, Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons were on hand for the premiere of Yorgos Lanthimos' Bugonia, a surprisingly punchy black comedy. Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield and Ayo Edebiri came along for Luca Guadagnino's After the Hunt, an abrasive, challenging drama about morality. Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi and Mia Goth turned up for Guillermo del Toro's superbly epic new version of Frankenstein. Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal were on-stage for Chloe Zhao's utterly gorgeous Hamnet, one of the most emotional resonant movies in recent memory. 

And there's more! Colin Farrell showed up for Edward Berger's colourful, involving Macau odyssey Ballad of a Small Player. Tessa Thompson, Imogen Poots and Nina Hoss were resplendent at the screening of Nia DaCosta's inventive, spiky new adaptation of Hedda. Brendan Fraser was on hand for Hikari's beautiful comedy-drama Rental Family, which skilfully explores modern-day isolation through a strongly engaging story set in Tokyo. Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones attended for Clint Bentley's sumptuous lifelong saga Train Dreams. And Kaouther Ben Hania's harrowing The Voice of Hind Rajab mixes documentary elements with emotive dramatics in a true story from the Israel-Palestine war. I also attended a live performance of Hofesh Schechter's mesmerising Theatre of Dreams at Sadler's Wells.

Coming this next week are a few more London Film Fest movies, including Jafar Panahi's Palme d'Or winner It Was Just an Accident, Paolo Sorrentino's La Grazia, Annemarie Jacir's Palestine 36, Emirati horror thriller The Vile and the photography doc Love+War, plus the Navy Seal doc In Waves and War.

LFF: Own the night

It's odd to experience the 66th London Film Festival from the outside, after 28 years covering it as accredited press. I'm seeing as many films as usual, but the process is far less stressful, as I'm working with distributors and publicists who invite me to screenings, rather than queuing up for early morning press shows. It's still very busy, but it's remarkable how less stressful it is when you see whatever you can and don't worry about anything else. This has also provided some nice surprises this year so far. Here's another bunch of highlights...

Empire of Light
dir-scr Sam Mendes; with Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward 22/UK ****
Writer-director Sam Mendes packs perhaps too much into this personal 1980s drama. Infused with a love of cinema, the film's central storyline also takes on loneliness, racism, sexual harassment and mental illness. It's rather a lot for such a warmly beautiful film, but if any actress can bridge all of this material together it's Olivia Colman, who radiates emotional resonance that brings focus to each theme and makes this well worth a look.

Utama
dir-scr Alejandro Loayza Grisi; with Jose Calcina, Luisa Quispe 22/Bol ****
The title of this Bolivian drama is the Quechua word for "our home". Set in the highlands, it focusses on the details of life for an elderly couple that is grappling with an extended drought. Writer-director Alejandro Loayza Grisi assembles this in a documentary style, creating a vivid depiction of the local culture. It's a gorgeous slice of life with properly momentous undertones.

Rodeo
dir-scr Lola Quivoron; with Julie Ledru, Yannis Lafki 22/Fr ***
Diving headlong into a subculture, this French drama spirals around a young woman who is obsessed with riding off-road motorbikes in street gangs. There's little context to the characters or situations, and the script's plot feels rather over-familiar as it develops a series of moral conundrums. But writer-director Lola Quivoron blasts energy through each scene, which makes the film feel urgent and involving. And biker-turned-actress Julie Ledru has terrific screen presence.

And four films I saw previously...

Triangle of Sadness
dir-scr Ruben Ostlund; with Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean 22/Swe ****
Another lively provocation from Swedish filmmaker Ruben Ostlund, this pitch-black comedy overflows as big ideas are laced through an ambitiously epic tale. It's an exploration of the divisive nature of class, gender, race, disability and language. And as the plot spirals through its pointed chapters, the film can also be seen as a social media parable. It's messy, but the way it challenges the viewer is also exhilarating... FULL REVIEW >

The Whale
dir Darren Aronofsky; with Brendan Fraser, Hong Chau 22/US ***.
Based on Samuel Hunter's play and retaining a stagey claustrophobia, this pointed drama is unusually contained for Darren Aronofsky. It's about how people impact each other for good and bad, and is likely to divide viewers along lines of optimism and cynicism. Although few will be able to resist a startlingly winning performance from Brendan Fraser, even from within an enormous fat suit. And the deeper ideas strike a nerve... FULL REVIEW >

Butterfly Vision
dir Maksym Nakonechnyi; with Rita Burkovska, Liubomyr Valivots 22/Ukr ****
Beautifully observed with a sharp attention to detail, this Ukrainian film is packed with powerful issues but plays out matter-of-factly, without exaggerated melodrama. Set during Russia's long campaign in Donbas, before this year's invasion, the film is less timely than timeless, with scenes that are packed with complex issues and personal nuance. And as it takes on bigger ideas, this clear-eyed but over-serious film becomes often unnervingly resonant... FULL REVIEW >

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

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

Venezia79: Make it big

The 79th Venice Film Festival has powered through its first weekend, continuing an unusually strong lineup that is making it difficult to predict how the jury will award the winners on Saturday. I took much of Sunday off to roam around the city, eat too much food (including the three staples here: coffee, gelato and Aperol spritz) and watch the centuries-old traditional Regata Storica parade of elaborately decorated boats down the Grand Canal, followed by races between crews of standing rowers. Even so, I did see two films. Here are some highlights for Monday...

The Whale
dir Darren Aronofsky; with Brendan Fraser, Hong Chau 22/US ***.
Based on Samuel Hunter's play and retaining a stagey sense of claustrophobia, this extremely pointed drama is an unusually contained piece for Darren Aronofsky. It's a story about the power of people to impact each other for good and bad. And it is likely to divide viewers pretty much along lines of cynicism and optimism. Few viewers will be able to resist a startlingly winning performance from Brendan Fraser, even from within what's obviously an enormous fat suit. And the deeper ideas in the film deserve to strike a nerve.

Don't Worry Darling
dir Olivia Wilde; with Florence Pugh, Harry Styles 22/US ***
While this thriller is strikingly designed and directed, its story never quite digs deep enough to make the premise memorable. This is partly because the film harks back to far more nuanced variations on the theme, like The Truman Show or The Stepford Wives. But actor-director Olivia Wilde keeps things moving with a growing sense of intrigue, while deploying some properly dazzling imagery. And Florence Pugh delivers such a belting, involving central performance that everyone and everything around her pales by comparison.

Immensity [L'Immensità]
dir Emanuele Crialese; with Penelope Cruz, Luana Giuliani 22/It ****
There are lively ripples of meaning throughout this Italian drama, and because they are never shouted loudly they work their way under the skin. Recounting a clearly autobiographical story with evocative personal details, filmmaker Emanuele Crialese continues to be especially adept at isolating the identity of characters who are unable to be who they are in a society that crushes diversity. And it features a remarkably textured performance from young Luana Giuliani, who holds her own against the irresistible magic of Penelope Cruz.

Skin Deep [Aus Meiner Haut]
dir Alex Schaad; with Mala Emde, Jonas Dassler 22/Ger ****.
A sense of mystery infuses every scene in this film, with knowingly insinuating conversations and characters who clearly have tantalising secrets. And all of this is skilfully underplayed by the cast, while director Alex Schaad maintains an enticing visual sensibility that pulls the audience in further, even though the rather outrageous premise can be tricky to follow. Still, what the film has to say about how we define ourselves and each other is seriously profound, challenging us to take a fresh look at the human experience.

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