Well, today was my first semi-meltdown at the 63rd BFI London Film Festival, as I shockingly skipped two screenings to come home and get some work done instead, the result being that all of the films mentioned below link to full reviews. But today I reached my limit; there's always a point during a festival when you say to yourself, "I don't actually need to watch every film on my want-to-see list." Well, I did start at an 8am screening this morning, which is a bit extreme no matter what the film is (it was Noah Baumbach's wrenching Marriage Story). It's also been raining off and on, and that has a way of wearing you down as you trudge from screening to coffee to screening to coffee. It can't be much fun for those walking red carpet at the big evening gala screenings. But then I don't see the stars, I only see the movies. And here are some more highlights...
Jojo Rabbit
dir-scr Taika Waititi; with Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie 19/Cz ****
Making a comedy about Nazis may be rather risky, but actor-filmmaker Taika Waititi strikes a clever balance between silliness and sadness with this provocative coming-of-age tale. The film is solidly well-made, with a terrific cast of comical geniuses romping through the scenery. So while the mood change from wacky to serious feels abrupt, the central story's pathos strikes a chord.... FULL REVIEW >
Abominable
dir-scr Jill Culton; voices Chloe Bennet, Albert Tsai 19/Chn ***
The script for this animated adventure is oddly unambitious, recycling themes and action beats to tell a predictable story that contains no real tension. Thankfully it looks terrific, mainly due to spectacular settings that create a travelogue around China. So if the character design and big set-pieces lack imagination, at least there are some nicely engaging situations that keep it lively.... FULL REVIEW >
Monsoon
dir-scr Hong Khaou; with Henry Golding, Parker Sawyers 19/UK ****.
Director Hong Khaou continues on from the delicate beauty of Lilting with this gentle, finely crafted exploration of personal history and identity. Set in Vietnam, it also centres around a death, but this time as a window into the past as the central character quietly allows his lost connection with his roots to wash over him and change him. It's a stunner of a film packed with moving moments.... FULL REVIEW >
Rialto
dir Peter Mackie Burns; with Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Tom Glynn-Carney 19/Ire ***
Dark and very moody, this Irish drama excavates the life of a married man in his 40s who is grappling with issues relating to his job, family and sexuality. It's a little too mumbly and mopey to engage properly, and perhaps too deliberately pointed as well (it's based on the stage play Trade). But it's so intimately directed by Peter Mackie Burns that it can't help but be moving... FULL REVIEW >
Real
dir-scr Aki Omoshaybi; with Aki Omoshaybi, Pippa Bennett-Warner 19/UK ***.
There's an everyday authenticity to this British drama, capturing very present-day pressures on normal people who are trying to get their lives in forward motion. Actor-filmmaker Aki Omoshaybi has created a warm, involving spin on the kitchen sink tradition. While the situations are grim, the people in this film are very easy to identify with, especially as they're so relentlessly likeable.... FULL REVIEW >
Don't Look Down [Haut Perchés]
dir-scr Olivier Ducastel, Jacques Martineau; with Geoffrey Couet, Francois Nambot 19/Fr ***
Like a stage play, this film puts five characters in an apartment and watches them over the course of a single night as the talk to each other. French filmmakers Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau use deep colourful lighting to give the film a lush look and feel, and each of the cast members has a vivid sense of physicality. This is a seductive, mysterious little film that pulls the audience in.... FULL REVIEW >
Links:
Shadows LONDON FILM FEST homepage (full reviews will be linked here)
Official LONDON FILM FEST site
