Critical Week: Pleased to meet you

It's been another eclectic week at the cinema, with a very, very wide range of movies to watch. Sophisticated audience will love the nuances in Materialists, Celine Song's second film, which plays on the romcom formula. It stars Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans. Rather a lot more low-brow, Smurfs features voice work from Rihanna, James Corden, Nick Offerman and John Goodman. It's very silly, and also occasionally funny.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Unicorns • Friendship
ALL REVIEWS >

The sweeping Irish romance Four Letters of Love stars powerhouse actors Helena Bonham Carter, Pierce Brosnan and Gabriel Byrne, but its strongest roles go to the terrific Fionn O'Shea and Anne Skelly. A prickly bromance is at the centre of the provocative black comedy Friendship, starring Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd. Despite its three-hour running time and rather grim title, the German drama Dying is mesmerising, witty and wonderfully thoughtful. The first film in the Oslo Stories Trilogy, Dreams is an astute and involving look at teen longing. And because I'm seeing the sequel this weekend, I finally caught up with the animated action comedy The Bad Guys, which is cool, funny escapism.

This coming week we have Pedro Pascal in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Liam Neeson in The Naked Gun,  Sam Rockwell in the animated sequel The Bad Guys 2, Fiona Shaw in Park Avenue, the mystery thriller Gazer, Slovenian drama Little Trouble Girls, and the second chapter in the Oslo Stories Trilogy, Love. I'm also looking forward to the 100-year restoration of Eisenstein's iconic Battleship Potemkin, which I've never seen projected. And there's a special 3D premiere of the new trailer for Avatar: Fire and Ash.

LFF: Take a break

I feel like I hit a wall today at the 65th BFI London Film Festival, as my wall-to-wall schedule finally overwhelmed me. So I'll be skipping a couple of movies tomorrow just to regain my equilibrium. It's difficult to miss films at the festival, as I'm already only seeing about a third of the movies I really want to see. But something had to give, and I'll be slowing things down a bit over the final four days just so I survive until the end! Here are some more highlights...

The Lost Daughter
dir-scr Maggie Gyllenhaal; with Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson 21/Gr ***.
As an exploration of motherhood, this film has a remarkable complexity that sets it apart, especially since it centres around yet another mesmerising performance from Olivia Colman. Writer-director Maggie Gyllenhaal takes an internalised approach that's engaging even it if sometimes feels meandering and indulgent. It also taps into sharply resonant themes using a range of interconnected mothers, fathers, daughters, sons and lovers. And it finds truth in contradictions.

A Hero
dir-scr Asghar Farhadi; with Amir Jadidi, Sahar Goldust 21/Irn ****
Iranian master Asghar Farhadi continues to take a nuanced approach toward morality with this striking drama about justice. It's a hugely involving story that quickly gets under the skin, then takes a series of twists and turns that challenge perceptions of the characters and situations. In his usual earthy, unflashy style, Farhadi makes bold comments about how difficult it is to do the right thing in an unfair society.

Luzzu
dir-scr Alex Camilleri; with Jesmark Scicluna, Michela Farrugia 21/Mlt ****
The title of this Maltese film is a type of traditional fishing boat locals use to maintain traditions. Writer-director Alex Camilleri creates a documentary-style realism that's instantly involving, following earthy, likeable people through everyday highs and lows. This is captured with a sharp eye by cinematographer Leo Lefevre, both in the sun-drenched seaside scenes and some colourful nighttime sequences. And the complex narrative takes a series of unpredictable turns... FULL REVIEW >

Natural Light
dir-scr Denes Nagy; with Ferenc Szabo, Laszlo Bajko 21/Hun ***.
With a documentary approach to realism and minimal dialog, this gritty World War II drama relies on the moral dilemmas faced by a central character who gives little away to the audience. Writer-director Denes Nagy creates beautiful imagery in a cold, muddy place while exploring complexities of wartime interaction. So its slow pace is strikingly involving, although the icy approach to emotion leaves it more academic than moving... FULL REVIEW >

Full reviews of festival films will be published as possible and linked at Shadows' LFF HOMEPAGE 
For full information, visit BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL 

 

Critical Week: Hearing voices

Another week of lockdown, another unusual collection of movies released into the streaming networks. At least the weather has been glorious, tempting me outside in between the films. The best thing I've seen in several weeks, The Vast of Night is a low-budget sci-fi thriller by first-time filmmaker Andrew Patterson that skilfully nods to 1950s classics while echoing present day issues.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Guest of Honour
The Vast of Night • You Don't Nomi
The Uncertain Kingdom
PERHAPS AVOID:
A Clear Shot • The Accompanist
The Dinner Party

The highest profile film was The High Note, starring Dakota Johnson, Tracee Ellis Ross and Kelvin Harrison in an enjoyable but trite romantic comedy-drama set in the music world. The Last Full Measure has a powerhouse cast and an inspiring story, but is belittled by its over-worthy tone. David Thewlis is superb in Guest of Honour, Atom Egoyan's perceptive drama about identity and connection. And Willem Dafoe gives a full-bodied performance in Tommaso, Abel Ferrara's Rome-set dark drama about a filmmaker who's losing the plot.

Steven Berkoff puts his one-man-show version of Edgar Allan Poe's Tell Tale Heart on the screen as a moody freak-out. Three micro-budget indies are somewhat underpowered: The Departure is a sharp but abrasive dating drama, The Dinner Party is a bonkers cultish horror romp, The Accompanist is a quirky overserious romantic drama. And for Pride month, HomoSayWhat is a fascinating, provocative doc about the origins of societal homophobia.

Coming up this next week, there's another offbeat collection of movies, including the British comedy Dating Amber, the futuristic thriller The Last Days of American Crime, the award-winning Chilean drama The Prince, the Italian comedy Citizens of the World and the football doc The Australian Dream.

London Film Fest: Heavy is the head

As the 63rd BFI London Film Festival heads into its first weekend, the range of films continues to be astonishing - from children's adventures to freak-out horror, experimental art films, indie comedies and even a blockbuster or two. This doesn't actually feel so much like a festival as a particularly condensed film season at the British Film Institute. Basically, it's the greatest hits from Sundance, Berlin, Cannes, Venice and Toronto, with a number of world premieres thrown in for fun. Critics are already run ragged by Day 2, with so many movies that it's impossible to even see half of our wish lists. But we'll give it a go. Here are Friday highlights...

The King
dir David Michod; with Timothee Chalamet, Joel Edgerton 19/UK ****
The gloomy intensity that floods through this British historical drama very nearly swamps the screen, leaving it rather murky and brooding. But the script is so sharp, and the actors so good at finding the textures of their characters, that the story comes to life with some surprising moments of modern-day resonance. And filmmaker David Michod stages both the tense conversations and muddy battles with gusto.

Luce
dir Julius Onah; with Kelvin Harrison Jr, Naomi Watts 19/US ****
Strikingly well written and directed, this drama has a powerhouse cast that brings huge themes strongly to life. Based on JC Lee's play, the film uses barbed dialog to grapple with a powerful issue, which makes it intimate and deeply unsettling. Director Julius Onah skilfully cuts through the heavily weighted story to focus on personal reactions and relationships, which helps the film deliver a number of pungent kicks... FULL REVIEW >

Little Joe
dir Jessica Hausner; with Emily Beecham, Ben Whishaw 19/Aut ***
There's a cleverly unnerving tone to this subtly artful thriller, which combines science-fiction elements with the undercurrents of an old-fashioned monster movie. Austrian filmmaker Jessica Hausner keeps the lights bright and the colours garish all the way through, yet still creates a relentless sense of tension as characters try to work out if something truly horrible is afoot.

Wounds
dir-scr Babak Anvari; with Armie Hammer, Dakota Johnson 19/UK ****
Following on from his inventive Iranian horror Under the Shadow, filmmaker Babak Anvari breathes fresh life into an American-set scary movie. There's a energising, realistic scruffiness to this bonkers story of an everyman who discovers the hard way that there's nothing of depth in his life. This attention to darker themes marks this as much more than a gonzo freakout. But it's that too.

I Lost My Body [J'ai Perdu Mon Corps]
dir Jeremy Clapin; voices Hakim Faris, Victoire Du Bois 19/Fr *****
With a spectacular visual sensibility, this animated French thriller tells a strikingly original tale that inventively sparks the viewer's imagination. Offbeat and fiendishly clever, the film has been designed in a way that looks fully cinematic, offering vivid perspectives and a fully formed experience that appeals to all the senses. It's also a refreshingly grown up movie that will connect with the childish dreamer inside... FULL REVIEW >

Bacurau
dir-scr Kleber Mendonca Filho, Juliano Dornelles; with Barbara Colen, Thomas Aquino 19/Br ****
A staggering exploration of Brazil's past and present, this darkly satirical fable is witty, engaging and deeply disturbing. Filmmakers Kleber Mendonca Filho and Juliano Dornelles capture the matter-of-fact rhythms of a close community while also unflinchingly tapping into the violent impulses that come both within and from outside. And while there is a continual stream of humour, it's the violence that lingers. Mainly because of what it means.

Links:

Shadows LONDON FILM FEST homepage (full reviews will be linked here) 

Official LONDON FILM FEST site 

London Film Fest: Hat's off!

The 63rd London Film Festival kicked off on Wednesday with a gala premiere for Armando Iannucci's take on Dickens with The Personal History of David Copperfield. This is the kind of festival where you know there are parties, but you're not invited to any. And I'm not the kind of person who chases invitations. So there are stars around the festival, but they rarely cross paths with either press or audience members. That said, Iannucci did come in person to chat to the press after the screening on Wednesday morning, so that makes a start! And I do have appointments to interview various actors and filmmakers over the next 10 days. The trick is finding time to write and sleep in between watching movies. It's Day 1 and I'm already exhausted. Here are some highlights...

The Personal History of David Copperfield
dir Armando Iannucci; with Dev Patel, Tilda Swinton 19/UK ***. 
After taking on Russian history with The Death of Stalin, Armando Iannucci turns to Charles Dickens with this elaborately funny and relatively faithful adaptation. Of course, the film is laced with the filmmaker's usual quick-fire wit and engagingly ridiculous characters, but it also maintains an undercurrent of deep sadness in its timely tale of income inequality and social injustice. With a mostly happy ending, naturally.

Clemency
dir-scr Chinonye Chukwu; with Alfre Woodard, Richard Schiff 19/US ***
A somewhat overwrought sensibility kind of undermines this hushed, intense death row drama. Where it needs to be coolly aloof, the film indulges in gyrating emotional fireworks. This give the actors plenty of scenery to chomp on, but it waters down the power of the writer-director Chinonye Chukwu's story. Still, the film makes important comments about the issue of capital punishment, without ever preaching... FULL REVIEW >

The Peanut Butter Falcon
dir-scr Tyler Nilson, Mike Schwartz; with Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson 19/US ***.
A warmly offbeat road movie, this drama takes a fable-like approach that becomes increasingly engaging as the story progresses. It's beautifully shot in American coastal wetlands, with an evocative song score and superbly unfussy performances from the cast. First-time feature filmmakers Tyler Nilson and Mike Schwartz refreshingly ground everything in a matter-of-fact tone that draws out the themes without ever pushing them... FULL REVIEW >

Monos
dir Alejandro Landes; with Julianne Nicholson, Moises Arias 19/Col ****
Dramatically filmed in an epic landscape with a Lord of the Flies sensibility, this wildly inventive Colombian thriller has an earthy, honest tone and a plot that's unpredictable and often unnerving. With its almost allegorical style, the film is a bracing depiction of both animalistic humanity and lost youth, echoing war-zones around the world. This adds a proper kick of both intrigue and resonance... FULL REVIEW >

You Don’t Nomi
dir Jeffrey McHale
with Adam Nayman, David Schmader, Haley Mlotek, Jeffrey Conway, Paul Verhoeven, Elizabeth Berkley, Gina Gershon, Joe Eszterhas
release US Apr.19 tff, UK Oct.19 lff • 19/US 1h32 ****

A fascinating exploration of the notorious 1996 drama Showgirls, this documentary asks whether it's a masterpiece or a turkey. Or maybe it's both at the same time. Certainly, Paul Verhoeven's film has become a cult classic in the two decades since it was declared the worst film of the year (it swept the Razzies). With comments by journalists, academics and commentators, plus archival interviews with the actors and filmmakers, this is a deep dive into why such an obviously trashy movie has had such an indelible impact. It gets a little sidelined into the film's cultural impact (which is rather dubious), but it's all great fun.

Showgirls was dismissed on its release, this doc suggests, because Verhoeven was far too comfortable with using nudity and sexuality at the centre of a Hollywood movie, especially one with strong female leads. In Europe this isn't such a problem, and director McHale includes extensive clips from Verhoeven's Dutch films before and after his American sojourn (there are also plenty of scenes from RoboCop, Total Recall and Basic Instinct). It's fascinating to hear experts talk about the over-the-top acting, Eszterhas' blatantly in-your-face script and Verhoeven's trashy eye. On the other hand, the film also contains serious themes that echo elements of society most viewers (and pretentious critics) don't want to face.

In other words, it's not a fluke that Showgirls has become a beloved classic. And that's not just because it's so bad it's good. It's actually a technically adept film with astute directorial touches everywhere. So there's more to the story. And in exploring the shattered career of the film's star Berkeley, this doc begins to touch on a much bigger topic about the underlying sexism of both Hollywood and all of America.

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CRITICAL WEEK

Of course, I also had to watch a few non-festival films this past week, including Joaquin Phoenix storming the cinema in Joker, Will Smith doubled in the rather standard action movie Gemini Man, Eddie Murphy's terrific turn in the groovy Dolemite Is My Name, Chris Morris' gut punch of a political comedy satire The Day Shall Come and the haunting Polish post-war thriller Werewolf.

Critical Week: Monkey business

The onslaught of family-friendly movies continued at press screening this week, and I think we might have seen everything now in this particular wave. The biggest movie is Dora and the Lost City of Gold, starring Isabela Moner, Eva Longoria and a scene-stealing Michael Pena as the explorer family on the hunt for a legendary Inca city. It's very, very silly, but also a lot of fun. The Art of Racing in the Rain, by contrast, takes the heartwarming approach to a story about a dog and his race-driver master (Milo Ventimiglia). It's even sillier. As for animation, there was UglyDolls, a lively and engaging if relentlessly corny fable about misfit toys. And Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion is finely animated and quite sophisticated in its humour, even it if it's also thoroughly ridiculous.

More serious fare included the offbeat drama The Peanut Butter Falcon, an involving and gorgeously shot and performed road movie starring Shia LaBeouf and Dakota Johnson. Halle Berry and Daniel Craig star in Kings, an uneven but audacious experiential take on the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The British drama The Last Tree is a strikingly beautiful coming-of-age drama that's emotionally resonant but never feels terribly deep. Also from Britain, Wicked Witches is a very cheaply made but thoroughly nasty horror about female vampires (not actually witches). And the American indie Ecco is an ambitious thriller that struggles on various fronts.

This coming week's screenings include Julianne Moore in After the Wedding, Naomi Watts in Luce, Lupita Nyong'o in Little Monsters, the pre-teen drama Good Boys, the rom-com One Last Night and the Iranian drama Permission. I'm also watching films that will feature at this year's FrightFest, later this month in London.

Critical Week: Dynamic duo

There were no screenings this week due to Christmas, but I have had a few screeners to catch up with at home before voting deadlines. I also had to buy a ticket to see one film in the cinema, due to the lack of press screenings. Holmes & Watson is a rather broad, silly take on a tired, overused character. There are some funny moments scattered through the film, but they're too far apart to properly take advantage of Will Ferrell and John C Reilly's strong chemistry. And here are short reviews of other things I've seen, both catch-up titles that were released while I was away...

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Bad Times at the El Royale
dir-scr Drew Goddard
with Jeff Bridges, Chris Hemsworth, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Lewis Pullman, Cailee Spaeny
18/US 2h21 ***
Stylish and ambitious, this epic-length thriller is a series of stunningly staged set-pieces that ooze insinuation and intrigue. The El Royale Hotel is a vintage glamorous hideaway on the California-Nevada line outside Tahoe that last had some swing in 1966. Like an Agatha Christie story, this isolated place draws together a priest (Hamm), singer (Erivo), salesman (Hamm) and hippie (Johnson), welcomed by receptionist-barman Miles (Pullman). Each person has a but secret. Some of them looking for something buried under the floorboards 10 years earlier. All are willing to resort to violence if needed. Scenes develop with unexpected twists and turns, flashbacks that offer back-stories and connections, and some remarkable emotional subtext in each person's sense of desperation. Writer-director Goddard could easily have trimmed and tightened this snaky, witty script, which continually shifts back and forth within the story. But it's superbly assembled, cleverly directed to play on the layers of secrets the characters are carrying with them. And the cast is excellent across the board, including Hemsworth, who arrives properly about 90 minutes in and takes things in a brutal new direction. Erivo is the standout, bringing a soulful yearning that adds gripping depth beneath the increasing swirl of violence and the nagging feeling that underneath the gorgeous surface, this is yet another movie about desperate people and a bag of cash.

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The Other Side of the Wind
dir Orson Welles; scr Orson Welles, Oja Kodar
with John Huston, Oja Kodar, Bob Random, Peter Bogdanovich, Susan Strasberg, Norman Foster, Lilli Palmer
18/US 2h02 ****
Not many films have this kind of production history: returning to Hollywood after a 20-year exile, Orson Welles started filming this in 1970 and carried on for six years, followed by a decade of editing before his death. More than 30 years later, the film was finished by a team working from Welles' notes and 100 hours of footage. Ironically, it's the story of famed filmmaker Jake (Huston), hounded by the press as he makes his latest epic, shooting as usual without a script. Critics say Jake has lost touch with culture, and he's having problems with cool young star (Random). As the leading lady, Kodar spends rather a lot of time naked, but generates a strong sense of mystery. Narrating the story as Jake's protege, Bogdanovich offers a sparky performance as a fast-talker who seems to steal his personality from everyone he meets. Stylish and bold, this is a striking look at the industry, mixing colour with black and white to blur the lines between movies and reality. The jazzy tone, skilful camerawork and energetic performances are fascinating as well as raucously entertaining. This twist on Felliniesque comedy-drama is perhaps a bit too loose and unfocussed to properly grab hold or build up a sense of narrative momentum, but it's packed with fiercely inventive touches and dazzling imagery. And its knowing approach to the process of filmmaking is lacerating. This is Welles' love/hate letter to cinema. And it's bound to be revered by generations of film students to come.

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There are no press screenings next week either, but I still have a few discs a and links to watch. The problem is that it feels too good to just relax and NOT watch movies for a change....

LFF: It is your destiny!

I'm finally back from my globe-hopping, and dove right back into press screenings for the 62nd London Film Festival, which has entered its final stretch now. My jet lag seems to be helping rather than sending me into a coma, thankfully. And I'm enjoying the buzz of the festival, if not the mammoth crowds of accredited journalists this year (which leads to vast queues for each screening). But it's great to be back in the swing of things - and to see those daily red carpets drawing crowds of fans in Leicester Square in the evening. Here are seven highlights from Tuesday and Wednesday...

Outlaw King
dir David Mackenzie; with Chris Pine, Florence Pugh 18/UK ***.
David Mackenzie brings the historical saga of Robert the Bruce to life with a sharp mix of introspective drama and epic-scale grandeur. This makes the film both darkly involving and gorgeous to look at, although the emotions are somewhat elusive and the narrative perspective never quite comes into focus. But the drama is strong, and the battles are enjoyably messy and grisly, even if they're also rather choppy.

Peterloo
dir-scr Mike Leigh; with Rory Kinnear, Maxine Peake 18/UK ***
Produced on a frankly awesome scale, this dramatisation of historical events from 1819 Britain wears out the audience with its endless speech-making, basing the narrative on ideas rather than a coherent sense of story. Each scene is fascinating, and it builds to a staggering climax, but the vast number of distinct characters and rambling structure leave it feeling somewhat dry. It's basically a spectacularly produced museum exhibition.

Suspiria
dir Luca Guadagnino; with Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton 18/It ***
Luca Guadagnino takes on Dario Argento's bonkers 1977 masterwork and spins it into a politically aware horror epic that's so over-serious that it often forces the viewer to stifle a giggle. It's also darkly creepy, and infused with a bizarre emotionality that never quite makes sense but registers almost subliminally. And the long running-time allows for a seriously extended bloodbath finale... FULL REVIEW >

Support the Girls
dir-scr Andrew Bujalski; with Regina Hall, Haley Lu Richardson 18/US ***.
Crisply well-written in a way that avoids the most obvious gags, this dramatic satire pokes fun at those American chains that require waitresses to dress in skimpy outfits and have no more more than one black waitress on duty per shift. While recounting a day in the life of a frazzled manager, writer-director Bujalski astutely observes the issues in a way that's quietly involving rather than madcap funny.

Birds of Passage [Pájaros de Verano]
dir Cristina Gallego, Ciro Guerra; with Carmina Martinez, Jose Acosta 18/Col ***.
Using real events and traditions from the Wayuu culture in northern Colombia, this involving drama tells a fascinating, deeply human tale about an escalating cycle of revenge. But there's added meaning since what happens is fuelled by a combination of isolationism and colonial invasion. It's a striking film that remains earthy and honest even as it touches on magical realism.

After the Screaming Stops
dir Joe Pearlman, David Soutar; with Luke Goss, Matt Goss 18/UK BBC ***
Matt and Luke Goss turn out to be such great characters that it feels like their words in this biographical documentary have been written by a comedy genius. But no, this film uses archives and newly captured footage to trace their reunion as Bros for a concert in London 28 years after they famously split up. It's a fast, snappy movie, although it's also a bit squirm-inducing since the most riotously entertaining dialog is unintentionally funny.

Bisbee '17
dir Robert Greene; with Fernando Serrano, Becky Reyes 18/US ****
This chilling documentary features a town re-enacting the darkest chapter in its history 100 years later to the day. Filmmaker Robert Greene ambitiously overlays history in the present-day town, which has struggled with the horrific truth of these events. It's strikingly well shot and edited, and performed full-on by the townsfolk with an undercurrent of quiet contemplation... FULL REVIEW >

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C R I T I C A L   W E E K

The only other films I've seen over the past 12 days have been on very, very long flights. This includes finally catching up with the horror adventure It (rather good fun) and the survival drama The Mountain Between Us (beautifully made, nicely acted, corny story), revisiting The Last Jedi (I still like it!) and catching two new releases: Operation Finale (a great story, somewhat clumsily told) and Disobedience (a messy story, brilliantly well acted). And I am just beginning to add press screenings into the diary for next week, including Beautiful Boy, Monsters and Men and Adrift in Soho.

Critical Week: Stardust memories

It's been another random week of screenings, topped by a surprise Netflix release and a starry film premiere. The surprise was The Cloverfield Paradox, the latest loosely connected film in JJ Abrams' franchise. This one's a sci-fi thriller with some nicely deranged touches but a general air of randomness about it. The premiere was for Black Panther, Marvel's latest game-changer, a thumpingly entertaining adventure with a properly African sensibility and some wonderfully pointed themes. It's also swamped with too much digital extravagance.

Clint Eastwood's new film The 15:17 to Paris stars the actual three heroes who thwarted a gunman's attack on a train in 2015. They have presence, but the film feels meandering and pointless apart from the momentous 10 minutes. Becks is a beautifully written and performed story about a musician trying to rebuild her life, although it kind of chickens out in the final act. Just Charlie is a gorgeous British drama about a pre-teen who begins a male-to-female transition that's never simplistic or preachy. Revenge is a gleefully blood-soaked thriller about a woman turning the tables on three tough guys, although it kind of mixes its messages by fetishising her. The Canadian drama Sebastian has some charm, but is undermined by inexperienced filmmaking. And Ingmar Bergman's underrated, remarkably complex 1971 romantic drama The Touch gets a stunning digital restoration. And then there were these two...

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Fifty Shades Freed
dir James Foley; scr Niall Leonard; with Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Eric Johnson, Eloise Mumford, Rita Ora, Luke Grimes 18/US *.
Shot back-to-back with the second movie, this trilogy finale features the same dopey writing and directing, remaining resolutely superficial as a preposterous thriller without even a hint of suspense. It's a bit sexier, structured like a soft-porn romp as our heroes can't keep their hands off each other whenever the music kicks in. But the characters are so limp that the actors look like they were drugged and forced to speak this laughably awful dialog. The film opens as Christian and Ana (Dornan and Johnson) have a fantasy wedding, then bicker on honeymoon about going topless on a French beach. As a married couple, their biggest challenges are Ana's hot security guard (Brant Daugherty) and Christian's flirty architect (Arielle Kebbel), before Ana's surprise pregnancy causes some overwrought his-and-her melodrama in between the belt buckles, bubble baths and Ben & Jerry's. Meanwhile, Ana's psychotic ex-boss (Eric Johnson) launches a series of attacks that get increasingly ludicrous until a climactic showdown. All of this is so flimsy that it's difficult to remember why EL James' books created such a fuss in the first place. There's certainly no sense that these two people are in any sort of real-world relationship. In the original film, director Sam Taylor-Johnson and writer Kelly Marcel captured a zing of tension and a bit of deranged fun in the characters. But these sequels are wet noodles.

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Dropping the Soap
dir Ellie Kanner; with Paul Witten, Jane Lynch 16/US ****
The nutty backstage comedy is set among the cast and crew of the camp soap opera Collided Lives, and features as much bickering off-camera as on it. New producer Olivia (Lynch) is rattling everyone, manly lead actor Julian (Witten) is so deep in the closet that his leading lady (Suzanne Friedline) thinks they're engaged. The show's other female star (Kate Mines) is plotting to out him, but everyone is so caught up in their own worries that they barely notice. The scripts for these 10 episodes (each around 10 minutes long) are hilarious, packed with witty verbal gags and riotous interplay between the actors and their soap characters. It's also made with a snappy pace, a steady stream of funny cameos and a refreshing willingness to under-explain everything that happens. It's out on DVD/VOD, and well worth a look.

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There aren't many screenings next week, but I will catch up with Owen Wilson in Father Figures, the British horror The Lodgers, the Brazilian drama About Us and the documentary Saving Capitalism. It's also the run-up week for the Baftas on Sunday 18th February.

Critical Week: Bump in the night

Back into screening mode after returning to London, my first was to finally catch up with Personal Shopper, which reunites a superb Kristen Stewart with French filmmaker Olivier Assayas. It's an endlessly fascinating mix of personal drama and ghostly horror that leaves the audience wondering. Kong: Skull Island is a big, enjoyably 1970s-style take on the monster movie that's entertaining and very cool, even if the characters are rather thin. My comments on two British comedies are embargoed until closer to the release dates: Roger Allam, Matthew Modine and Fiona Shaw in The Hippopotamus, and Diane Keaton, Brendan Gleeson and Lesley Manville in Hampstead.

There were two micro-budget underwater thrillers: The Dark Below is a wordless cat-and-mouse chase on a frozen-over lake, while The Chamber is a claustrophobic stranded-sub adventure. Both have solid production values but little in the way of story or characters. Fair Haven is a sensitive American indie drama that grapples with issues of expectations and sexuality with warmth and honesty. And from Argentina, Bromance is a provocative drama that raises some big themes and almost deals with them. I also caught up with this gem...

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Fifty Shades Darker
dir James Foley
scr Niall Leonard
with Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Marcia Gay Harden, Kim Basinger, Eric Johnson, Eloise Mumford, Bella Heathcote, Rita Ora, Luke Grimes 17/Can *.
This sequel, based on the second novel in EL James' trilogy, is noticeably dumbed down from the first movie, with empty slick direction (by safe pair of hands Foley) and an embarrassingly simplistic script (by James' husband Leonard). But the biggest problem is that it abandons the premise, as billionaire Christian (a sleepy Dornan) goes all mushy in the presence of his young lover Ana (a feisty Johnson) this time. Instead of punishing her as before, he gives her pleasure and begs her to move in and then marry him. This never remotely rings true, as there is only a slight spark of chemistry between them and no sign of love at all. Conflict arises simplistically from outside in the form of two of Christians exes (glowering Basinger and psycho Heathcote), plus a near rape and a random helicopter crash that both like a pointless asides. But then, there is nothing about this movie that even remotely grabs hold. Every scene feels rushed and superficial, with dialog that's painfully cheesy, completely missing the central themes of control and dominance. So by the time Basinger takes a drink and slap to the face, the audience reaction is laughter. Badly in need of a sense of humour about itself, as well as an awareness of its own misogyny (Dakota is often naked while Dornan takes off his shirt a few times), the film is hardly whetting appetites for next year's sequel.

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As for films this coming week, I have the Disney revamp of Beauty and the Beast, the indie drama Bwoy, the British drama The Levelling, the Korean thriller The Age of Shadows, the award-winning Brazilian drama Aquarius, the Finnish comedy-drama The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki and the Oscar-nominated doc I Am Not Your Negro. There's also a film festival starting next week, the 31st edition of BFI Flare - expect my usual coverage....

Critical Week: Teen spirit

A highlight this week was the Oscar-nominated Mustang, a pointed Turkish drama about five sisters whose strong personalities are at odds with their restrictive culture. It's beautifully made by first-time feature filmmaker Deniz Gamze Erguven (she's a Turk based in France, so it's the French entry for the Academy Awards). The film has such a striking point of view that it's impossible not to be caught up in its earthy, honest narrative. And what it has to say is remarkably timely.

Other movies screened this week include Ryan Reynolds' entertainingly snarky superhero romp Deadpool, which is perhaps too snarky for its own good but will have genre fans overflowing with praise. Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann and Alison Brie grapple with sex and the city in the comedy How to Be Single. Keanu Reeves investigates a perplexing, possibly supernatural-tinged murder in the choppy mystery Exposed. Natalie Dormer seeks her twin in the horror movie The Forest, which is unsettling and creepy until it turns silly. The creepy Austrian drama Goodnight Mommy, which morphs into an original but over-the-top horror thriller as it goes along. And a young junkie throws his life away on the streets of Montreal in the murky, meandering arthouse drama Love in the Time of Civil War.

Coming up over the next week we have a very late screening of Ben Stiller's comedy sequel Zoolander 2, Christian Bale in Terrence Malick's Knight of Cups, Richard Gere in Time Out of Mind, Aidan Gillen in John Carney's Sing Street, and the Belgian comedy The Brand New Testament.

LFF 3: Take a walk

The nightly parade of stars continued last night at the 59th London Film Festival, as the cast of Trumbo trooped down the Leicester Square red carpet - including Bryan Cranston, Helen Mirren and John Goodman. Tonight it'll be the teams from High-Rise (Tom Hiddleston, Sienna Miller, Elisabeth Moss, Ben Wheatley), A Bigger Splash (Ralph Fiennes, Luca Guadagnino) and Tangerine (Sean Baker and actress Mya Taylor, pictured above with Kitana Kiki Rodriguez). Thankfully the weather has turned bright but crisp, so no soggy carpets tonight. Here are some more highlights...

Tangerine
dir Sean Baker; with Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor 15/US ****.
This film is so fresh and original that it's easy to forget that it was shot entirely on an iPhone, proving that money isn't what makes a movie engaging. With snappy dialog, colourfully complex characters and a farcical plot that's genuinely hilarious, this is a seriously unforgettable Christmas comedy.


A Bigger Splash
dir Luca Guadagnino; with Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton 15/It ****
A remake of the 1969 French classic La Piscine, this is a fresh, enjoyably twisted drama about a group of people whose lives are inextricably entangled. With fine performances from the eclectic cast and the striking visual stylings of director Luca Guadagnino, this is a fast, funny little romp. And it carries a surprisingly nasty sting in its tail.

High-Rise
dir Ben Wheatley; with Tom Hiddleston, Sienna Miller 15/UK **
With a string of triumphs behind them, Ben Wheatley and Amy Jump hit a rough patch in this adaptation of JG Ballard's dystopian social satire. The political observations are strong, but oddly stuck in the 1970s period setting. And it isn't easy sitting through chaotic violence when there isn't a single sympathetic character.

The Invitation
dir Karyn Kusama; with Logan Marshall-Green, Tammy Blanchard 15/US ***.
This unnerving, contained thriller pours on suggestions of horror until the audience begins to believe that the terror might only be in the central character's mind. But even so, there are so many nagging incongruities that it's impossible to sit back and relax. This is fiendishly clever filmmaking, with sharply layered performances and a terrific sense of a single setting.

Beeba Boys
dir Deepa Mehta; with Randeep Hooda, Ali Momen 15/Can ***
An disarmingly comical tone undercuts any point this movie might be making about gang violence, as it portrays murdering thugs as hapless dandies who don't realise that they're playing with fire. Even so, the film is sharply well-made, with a strikingly watchable cast (in largely unlikeable roles) and enough humour and energy to keep us entertained.

Critical Week: Sleepless in Seattle

In the absence of UK press screenings, critics had to actually buy tickets (shock horror!) to see Fifty Shades of Grey on Friday morning with the superfans. Surprisingly, the film isn't that bad, and works as a rather well-made guilty pleasure. It's made a box office fortune, but earlier reviews might have broadened the audience even further.

Big movies screened this past week include the all-star British sequel The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, reuniting the likes of Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and Bill Nighy plus Richard Gere and Tamsin Grieg (comments are embargoed). Will Smith and Margot Robbie star in the conman romp Focus, which uneasily mixes a heist thriller with a rom-com. Chris Hemsworth plays a hacker in the cyberthriller Blackhat, another awkward mix of mystery drama and romance.

A little further afield, the fan doc Backstreet Boys: Show 'Em What You're Made Of is engaging without scratching the surface; Francois Ozon's The New Girlfriend is utterly magical filmmaking with amazing performances and some complex, important things to say; the low-budget The Last Straight Man is an astute two-hander exploring male friendships and relationships and the blurred line of sexuality; Dreamcatcher is an award-winning doc that can't help but inspire us to reach out to our community; Kissing Darkness is a corny gay comedy-horror about vampires in the woods; and Global Warming is a collection of four provocative comedy-drama shorts by Reid Waterer - two are very good, two are just ok.

This coming week's screenings include Celine Sciamma's award-winning Girlhood, Jeremy Renner in Kill the Messenger, the animated hit The Spongebob Movie: Sponge out of Water, Kodi Smit-McPhee in All the Wilderness, Julia Stiles in Out of the Dark, Sion Sono's Tokyo Tribe and the Brazilian drama Futuro Beach.

And I'll be watching the Oscars live all night Sunday night - best picture is usually announced just as the sun is coming up on Monday morning in London.

By the way, the blog passed 100,000 hits this week.

Critical Week: Sheer ambition

Last week was one for screenings of seriously ambitious movies. Stalingrad is one of the biggest budget Russian epics ever made, documenting the historical pivotal WWII battle as a massive 3D show of heroism. Not exactly the most delicately nuanced movie of the year, but utterly riveting. And then there was Lars Von Trier's two-part Nymphomaniac, a four-hour exploration of the complexities of human sexuality, specifically the feminine variety, through the eyes of a woman who thinks she's an extreme example.

Smaller films were no less inventive. From Belgium, The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears is a mind-bending odyssey that folds David Lynch into Italian giallo in ways that are disorienting and rather awesome. And from the USA, An Oversimplification of Her Beauty is an involving, kaleidoscopic look at a relationship that never quite was, mainly due to expectations.

As a counterpoint, we had the blunt simplicity of the car racing romp Need for Speed, starring Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper and Imogen Poots, and the British melodrama The Fold, starring Catherine McCormack as an Anglican priest grappling with grief over the death of her teen daughter. Eerily, both of these costar actresses named Dakota - Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey) and Blue Richards (The Golden Compass), respectively.

This coming week we have Liam Neeson's airborne thriller Non-Stop, Aaron Eckhart in I Frankenstein, the animated adventure Mr Peabody & Sherman, the remake We Are What We Are, the festival favourite The Rocket and the doc Beyond the Edge. I'll also have a report on the 34th London Critics' Circle Film Awards, which are being held on Sunday night.