LFF: Out of isolation

Going to the cinema still seems like a novelty after the past year and a half, especially sitting in a packed theatre without any signs of social distancing. Even if most of the audience is wearing a mask. It's great to be back in public, reuniting with friends at the 65th BFI London Film Festival, which is heading into its final weekend. There's a glimmer of hope that this is the way forward, things will continue to open up further, and life will return to normal, or at least a new normal. In the mean time, I'm enjoying this glut of higher than usual quality films. Here are some highlights for Thursday...

7 Days
dir Roshan Sethi; with Karan Soni, Geraldine Viswanathan 21/US ***.
There's plenty of charm in this contained romantic comedy, which mixes the pressures of Indian culture with the uncertainty of the pandemic. It feels both improvised and somewhat constructed, and wins over the audience with the awkward but cute chemistry between charismatic actors Karan Soni and Geraldine Viswanathan. It's also a clever look at issues specific to a subculture that will have a far wider resonance for audiences.

Munich: The Edge of War
dir Christian Schwochow; with George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner 21/Ger ***.
Based on Robert Harris' fact-based book about a fateful moment just before World War II, this diplomatic thriller has plenty of heart-stopping moments that spark attention. It's skilfully directed by Christian Schwochow to maintain a slick pace and clever period detail, and the adept cast injects emotional meaning into the characters and situations. Although there's always the nagging sense that this might be as much conjecture as reality.

Ali & Ava
dir-scr Clio Barnard; with Adeel Akhtar, Claire Rushbrook 21/UK ****
Here's another Yorkshire-based drama from the gifted Clio Barnard, this time a gently effective romance based around workshopped characters and situations. Anchored with energetic performances from Adeel Akhar and Claire Rushbrook, who are surrounded by a cast of fresh faces, the film traces a surprising second chance at love for two 40-somethings who are caught off-guard by each other. And their likability disarms the audience too.

Paris, 13th District [Les Olympiades, Paris 13e]
dir Jacques Audiard; with Lucie Zhang, Makita Samba 21/Fr ***.
An intriguing interweaving of stories and characters, this French drama evokes a refreshingly multicultural view of modern society, never making a issue of the ethnic issues between people, because they add to their connections rather than stress them. Filmmaker Jacques Audiard follows three characters through engaging intertwined journeys of self-discovery. Amid the various twists, the film is rather oddly male-gazey, but it's also insightful and likeable...
FULL REVIEW >

Full reviews of festival films will be published as possible and linked at Shadows' LFF HOMEPAGE 
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C R I T I C A L   W E E K

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
The Invisible Life • The Last Duel
Never Gonna Snow Again
ALL REVIEWS >

Regular releases I've watched this week include the deafening, but much improved, sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage with Tom Hardy, the superbly unsettling dark romantic satire The Beta Test with Jim Cummings, the offbeat but intriguingly arty Maltese drama The Grand Duke of Corsica with Timothy Spall and the moving but awkward Canadian small-down drama On the Fringe of Wild.

For the rest of this week, the LFF dominates my screening schedule, including Frances McDormand in The Tragedy of Macbeth, Tilda Swinton in Memoria, Will Smith in King Richard, Terence Davies' Benediction and Paul Veerhoeven's Benedetta.

LFF 5: Ready for labour

Kate Winslet and her rather large baby bump braved the chilly red carpet tonight in Leicester Square for the UK premiere of her film Labor Day at the 57th London Film Festival. She was joined by costar Josh Brolin and writer-director Jason Reitman. And yes, the city is crawling with cinema celebrities at the moment. In addition to the Labor Day junket, I also attended a small press conference today for The Family (not showing at LFF) with Robert DeNiro, Michelle Pfeiffer and Dianna Agron. But then, everyone seems to be in London at the moment. More festival highlights...

Labor Day 
dir Jason Reitman; with Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin 13/US ***
While this drama starts off well, with another remarkably layered performance from Winslet and a growing sense of uneasy tension, it slowly transforms itself into a Nicholas Sparks-style sappy romance along the way. To say this is frustrating is an understatement, and by the time we make it to a series of deeply schmalzy epilogues, we wonder what happened to the Reitman of Up in the Air or Young Adult... [review coming soon]

Like Father, Like Son 
dir Hirokazu Kore-eda; with Masaharu Fukuyama, Machiko Ono 13/Jpn ****. 
Japanese filmmaker Kore-eda is an expert at telling sentimental stories in a way that's genuinely involving but never remotely sappy. By catching tiny details in characters who are cleverly underplayed by the cast, he draws us into the events in an uncanny way that's utterly disarming. And wonderful... FULL REVIEW >

Ida
dir Pawel Pawlikowski; with Agata Trzebuchowska, Agata Kulesza 13/Pol **** 
With pristine black and white photography and beautifully textured performances, this simple story overflows with big ideas about history and faith. And since the two central characters are so beautifully written and played, they are able to engage us on layers that go much deeper than we expect... [review coming soon]

The Double
dir Richard Ayoade; with Jesse Eisenberg, Mia Wasikowska 13/UK *** 
Dostoevsky's novella is adapted into a Gilliamesque black comedy that's packed with visual invention but never quite grabs hold narratively. Still, the cast is so good that we willingly go along with them on a surreal odyssey about a young man struggling to make sense of his own identity. And the surprise-packed cast is a lot of fun... [review coming soon]

The Selfish Giant
dir-scr Clio Barnard; with Conner Chapman, Shaun Thomas 13/UK **** 
After the brilliantly inventive drama-doc The Arbor, it's unsurprising to find that Barnard takes an original approach to a kids' story. This film was inspired by the Oscar Wilde tale, and the connections are askance at best. But there's such an intense blast of realism that it's utterly gripping, right to the shattering conclusion... FULL REVIEW >