Critical Week: Who you gonna call?

It's been a strange summer at the cinema, without a break-out hit. Disney and Marvel continue to rake up most of the box office cash, but nothing particularly outstanding has emerged quite yet. Meanwhile, it's been another eclectic week at the movies for me. Jim Jarmusch's wry zombie thriller The Dead Don't Die has his usual all-star cast, including Adam Driver, Chloe Sevigny and Bill Murray (above), plus a particularly hilarious Tilda Swinton. It's charming, dryly funny and too sardonic for mainstream audiences. And then there's the studio action-comedy Stuber, starring Kumail Nanjiani and Dave Bautista, who provide some charisma to help paper over the fact that the movie isn't particularly funny or thrilling.

Gurinder Chadha is back with her British feel-good drama Blinded by the Light, a scrappy but likeable movie set in the late-80s with a Bruce Springsteen song score. Summer Night is an equally loose American comedy-drama about a small townful of entangled characters. Even more independent, the twisty British-Dutch thriller AMS Secrets heavily channels Hitchcock's Psycho in its luridly stylised plot. From Mexico, Always Say Yes is an inventive odyssey about a young country boy in the big city. It's seriously explicit, but also insightful and disarmingly sweet. There was also the shorts collection The Male Gaze: The Heat of the Night, featuring six rather dark dramas about masculine sexuality from around the world. And I had a chance to see one of my all-time Top 5 films on the big screen in a new edit. Every edit of Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now has been a masterpiece, and he says that this summer's pristinely digitised release is his "Final Cut".

Coming up this next week, we have Disney's remake of The Lion King, the animated adventure Playmobil: The Movie, Willem Dafoe in Opus Zero, the British immigrant drama My Friend the Polish Girl, the Mexican drama The Chambermaid, and the French drama Hidden Kisses.

Flare: Meeting of minds

The British Film Institute's 33rd Flare: London LGBTQ+ Film Festival kicked off last night on the Southbank with the gala screening of Vita & Virginia, attended by Gemma Arterton, Rupert Penry-Jones, director Chandra Button and several cast and crew members. This is my 21st year covering what is one of London's biggest film festivals, and the most festive film festival I get to attend each year - one where you can mix with the filmmakers and actors, attend parties and casual gatherings alongside screenings and special events. Not only are the films of unusually high quality, but BFI Southbank is always a much more colourful part of the city for these 10 days! I'll be blogging the festival every day or two. Here's the first bunch of highlights...

Vita & Virginia
dir Chanya Button; with Gemma Arterton, Elizabeth Debicki 18/Ire **.
There's a refreshingly modern sensibility to this period drama, which allows the actors to create vivid characters. But the script is so wordy that it never lets the audience in. This leaves this as a film that's lovely to look at, and even admire, but it's impossible to crack the surface and genuinely experience the emotions. And the excellent cast struggles to make the dialog resonate with the famous characters they're playing.

Lizzie
dir Craig William Macneill; with Chloe Sevigny, Kristen Stewart 18/US ***.
The sensational true story of Lizzie Borden is told in an intriguingly naturalistic style by filmmaker Craig William Macneill. It's a remarkably thoughtful film, packed with insinuating plot points and earthy performances. And Macneill uses deliberately choppy editing to drop hints and reveal the chain of events out of sequence. It's rather chilly, and very cleverly made... FULL REVIEW >

Jose
dir Li Cheng; with Enrique Salanic, Manolo Herrera 18/Gua ****
Earthy and honest, this observational drama deals with big themes without ever getting pushy about them. Chinese-born American filmmaker Li Cheng lets the story develop in an organic way, almost as if he's capturing real events with the camera. This astute style stretches from the busy street scenes to much more intimate moments, grounding the events and emotions in a way that's powerfully resonant... FULL REVIEW >

Girl
dir Lukas Dhont; with Victor Polster, Tijmen Govaerts 18/Bel ****
Belgian filmmaker Lukas Dhont takes a matter-of-fact approach to an extraordinary story, turning a teen trans girl's epic struggles into something that's remarkably easy to identify with. And without a traditional plot, the film builds a gnawing sense of dread that bottled-up feelings will lead to something very dark. Indeed, the climactic scenes deliver a powerful punch... FULL REVIEW >

The Gospel of Eureka
dir Michael Palmieri, Donal Mosher; with Lee Keating, Walter Burrell 18/US ****
Beautifully written and edited, this documentary centres on an unusual corner of the world where devout Christians mix with the LGBTQ community. The filmmakers wisely avoid commenting on the issues, cutting scenes together with knowing wit to make an important point, bracingly highlighting the hypocrisy of people who use the Bible to justify bigotry. And the personal stories earn the viewers' tears... FULL REVIEW >

LFF: Start the party without me

The 62nd London Film Festival kicked off on Wednesday evening with Steve McQueen's Widows. Unfortunately, I was halfway around the world at the time, in the tiny town of Kavieng on New Ireland island in Papua New Guinea. A family event (more on that in another post) took me away from the London Film Festival for 10 days this year - my 22nd year covering the event. I've seen several films beforehand, and will be back to binge on movies over the final five days. So my coverage won't be quite as deep as usual. But here we go with some highlights from the first three days, starting with something bracingly original (pictured above)...

Border [Gräns]
dir Ali Abbasi; with Eva Melander, Eero Milonoff 18/Swe ****
This Swedish film is such a genre mash-up that it's relentlessly surprising, with an engaging through-line that also makes it darkly satisfying. Mixing comedy, romance, mystery, horror and Norse mythology, each scene provides a thrill of the unexpected as secrets are revealed and the interconnections between the rather oddball characters continually shift... FULL REVIEW >

Colette
dir Wash Westmoreland; with Keira Knightley, Dominic West 18/UK *****
Much more than a period biopic, this inventive film digs beneath the surface of its people and situations to offer both a refreshing angle on history and a bold comment on the world today. Finally, it ends up feeling bracingly current, exploring both gender issues in ways that are both honest and understated. And it's beautifully written, directed and performed... FULL REVIEW >

Lizzie
dir Craig William Macneill; with Chloe Sevigny, Kristen Stewart 18/US ***.
The sensational true story of Lizzie Borden is told in an intriguingly naturalistic style by filmmaker Craig William Macneill. It's a remarkably thoughtful film, packed with insinuating plot points and earthy performances. And Macneill uses deliberately choppy editing to drop hints and reveal the chain of events out of sequence. It's rather chilly, and very cleverly made... FULL REVIEW >

Mandy
dir Panos Cosmatos; with Nicolas Cage, Andrea Riseborough 18/Bel ***.
Set in 1983, this film has a strong period vibe, echoing the era's horror thrillers everything from the themes to the typeface. Benjamin Loeb's grainy widescreen cinematography and Johann Johannsson's haunting score further add to the tone. Filmmaker Panos Cosmatos creates a deliciously deranged mix of grisly violence and witty characters, although the inevitable climactic carnage is at least 30 minutes too long... FULL REVIEW >

The Breaker Upperers
dir-scr Madeleine Sami, Jackie van Beek; with Madeleine Sami, Jackie van Beek 18/NZ ****
With this engaging comedy, the Kiwi duo Jackie van Beek and Madeleine Sami keep up a steady stream of hilarious gags from beginning to end in each of their roles: as writers, directors and actors. Much of the film has the awkward, absurd tone of Taika Waititi's work (he's a producer), creating riotously sloppy characters who are deeply likeable even when they're doing something painfully stupid.

Papi Chulo
dir-scr John Butler; with Matt Bomer, Alejandro Patino 18/Ire ***.
Irish filmmaker John Butler traces an offbeat friendship in this engaging comedy-drama, which takes a turn that adds a complex exploration of a deep theme. It's a charming story with intriguing characters who interact in honest, messy ways. So while the events in the movie sometimes tip over the top, the story and characters remain easy to identify with.

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CRITICAL WEEK

I haven't had time to check out what films are showing in Port Moresby - it's rather nice not to think about it, frankly! Meanwhile, First Man is hitting US and UK cinemas this week...

Critical Week: Up against the wall

It's been another busy week in the screening rooms as I prepare to travel over the next couple of weeks. One of the bigger titles wasn't screened for most of the press, so I had to buy a ticket to see Venom, Tom Hardy's Marvel movie, a spin-off that has is again marred by that glut of murky grey digital animation. Otherwise, Hardy is charming and makes up for a rather dull plot. Life Itself was also a disappointment. From the creator of This Is Us, it's an over-ambitious multi-generational schmaltz-fest, but the acting is excellent (Oscar Isaac, Olivia Wilde, Antonio Banderas) and there are strong moments here and there. Much more fun, Johnny English Strikes Again returns Rowan Atkinson to the goofy James Bond spoof character. The film is very silly, but it's also genuinely funny.

Moving into art-film territory, Suspiria is Luca Guadagnino's remake of the Dario Argento classic, a bonkers satanic dance freak-out with Dakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton (both superb). White Boy Rick gives Matthew McConaughey another strong role as the dad to the title character (the excellent Richie Merritt), a teen caught between the FBI and 1980s Detroit drug kingpins. Joaquin Phoenix is solid as cartoonish Jim Callahan in the biopic Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot. As directed by Gus Van Sant, it's wonderfully experiential. And Chloe Sevigny and Kristen Steward are terrific in Lizzie, an offbeat period piece spinning the story of notorious murder suspect Lizzie Borden.

Even further afield, An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn is a thoroughly nutty and oddly loveable comedy-drama with Aubrey Plaza and Jemaine Clement. Papi Chulo is an involving drama about an odd friendship between Matt Bomer and a hired workman (Alejandro Patino). Cruise is a nostalgic teen romance set in late-80s Queen. There were also two gems from Scandinavia: Border is an indescribably brilliant fairy tale from Sweden, while Heavy Trip is a hilariously engaging road movie about a scruffy death metal band from Finland. Made in Germany because it could never be made in Iran, Tehran Taboo is a beautifully animated story of young people fighting an oppressive culture. And Testosterone: Volume One is a collection of four shorts, three of which are about very mopey gay men, while the other is a black comedy about murdering a friend.

I have no plans to see any films at all over the next 10 or 11 days, as I will be travelling halfway around the world on a charity trip. I'll blog about that afterwards! I return to London in time for the last four days of the London Film Festival, so will be playing catch-up then.

Venezia74: Flying the flag on Day 3

The weather shifted here on the Lido with an extended series of thunderstorms in the middle of the night, which left the Venice Film Festival rather drippy and wet for most of the day, a drastic change after the sunshine of the previous two days. There was also a shift in the films, from the thematically overheated to more overwhelmingly emotional adventures. Here's what I saw today, including one film that will surely be among my best of the whole year...

Brawl in Cell Block 99
dir-scr S Craig Zahler; with Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Carpenter 17/US 2h12 ****
After infusing the Western with horrific new life in 2015's Bone Tomahawk, S Craig Zahler is back with a thunderous reinvention of the prison movie. Set in the present day but playing out like a 1970s exploitation thriller, this increasingly grisly story unfolds with choreographed precision, grinding the audience into its emotional depths with several genuinely hideous plot turns. And it's anchored by a superbly thoughtful/fierce performance from Vince Vaughn.

Lean on Pete
dir-scr Andrew Haigh; with Charlie Plummer, Steve Buscemi 17/US *****
There's an unusual depth of character to this finely crafted odyssey about a teen who hits the road in a last-gasp effort to find some semblance of hope in his life. While there's plenty of potential for bleakness, writer-director Andrew Haigh instead infuses the film with warmth and honesty, facing the darkest moments head-on as the only way to get through them. It's an extraordinarily tough story told with a light touch that brings the viewer right into the journey

Our Souls at Night
dir Ritesh Batra; with Jane Fonda, Robert Redford 17/US ***.

In addition to screening their new film,
Redford and Fonda are receiving
a special award here in Venice.

Gentle and never pushy, this homespun drama spins a love story between two people who are pushing 80. Although it might be a little unrealistic, since they're played by perhaps the fittest 79 and 81 year-olds on earth: Jane Fonda and Robert Redford. Both actors easily reignite their on-screen chemistry, adding character details that give the film a strong emotional kick. It's all a bit cozy, but it touches on some sharper-edged themes.

Tainted Souls [Il Contagio]
dir Matteo Botrugno, Daniele Coluccini; with Vinicio Marchioni, Maurizio Tesei 17/It **.
This ambitious multi-character drama takes aim at several potent issues plaguing Italian society, from organised crime and drug abuse to the machismo that leaves men too proud to get a job. But the film's tone is all over the place, veering from quirky comedy to gruelling nightmare, more like a melodramatic TV series than a feature film. And the characters feel equally uneven as they look for happiness in all the wrong places.

Sundance London: Drink to that

The fifth Sundance Film Festival: London is now fully underway with a series of screenings and quite a few chances to meet the filmmakers at Picturehouse Central in Piccadilly. Last night's opening event was superb, with the team from Beatriz at Dinner in attendance - writer Mike White, director Miguel Arteta and actor Salma Hayek, all on great form. I'm catching movies all weekend, including the surprise film tonight (I have an inkling). Here are a few more highlights...

Beatriz at Dinner
dir Miguel Arteta; with Salma Hayek, John Lithgow 17/US ****.
A third teaming of the terrific director-writer duo Miguel Arteta and Mike White (see also Chuck & Buck and The Good Girl), this astute pitch-black comedy cuts a razor-sharp line through affluent American society. It's a fiendishly smart film with moments in which we're not sure whether this is funny or terrifying, simply because it resonates so strongly. And it's anchored by Salma Hayek's best ever performance.

Walking Out
dir-scr Alex Smith, Andrew J Smith; with Matt Bomer, Josh Wiggins 17/US ***.
A sensitive drama about the awkward bonding between a father and son takes a very dark turn in this beautifully photographed film. As things get genuinely gruelling, filmmakers Alex and Andrew Smith somehow manage to avoid both melodrama and sentimentality. The themes get a bit lost in the dictates of the plot, which makes the pace feel draggy, but there's still a thoughtful, moving edge.

Bitch
dir-scr Marianna Palka; with Jason Ritter, Jaime King 17/US ***
A jarring production style and unsympathetic characters make it difficult to enjoy this offbeat pitch-black comedy, but there are important themes that surge up throughout the story that make it worth a look. And it's always great to see a film that keeps you off-balance. In addition, writer-director Marianna Palka draws boldly realistic performances from her cast. And herself.

Icarus
dir Bryan Fogel; with Bryan Fogel, Grigory Rodchenkov17/US ****
This documentary starts out to explore drug use among professional cyclists then becomes engulfed in another series of events that have far bigger repercussions. Filmmaker Bryan Fogel may be too involved in what happens to tell the story with journalistic vigour, unable to resist framing everything as some sort of epic spy thriller, but what's revealed is genuinely earth-shaking. And it's a movie that's impossible to ignore.