Critical Week: Sucker punch

There were three big movies screened to critics this week. Liam Neeson takes on the lead role (as the son of Leslie Nielsen's iconic character) for the reboot/sequel The Naked Gun, which is flat-out hilarious. And as wonderfully stupid as we hoped it would be. Pedro Pascal leads the action reboot The Fantastic Four: First Steps, alongside Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bacharach. Groovy visual stylings and superbly character-rooted comedy make it thoroughly engaging. And Sam Rockwell is back for the animated sequel The Bad Guys 2, which is just as funny and action-packed as the first movie. With some terrific new characters and bigger set-pieces. 

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Dying • The Bad Guys 2
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
ALL REVIEWS >

Further afield, Fiona Shaw and Katherine Waterston are as good as expected in the mother-daughter drama Park Avenue, which is involving but elusive. Even more the evasive, Gazer is a stylised mystery thriller that intrigues but never quite pays off. Slovenian drama Little Trouble Girls is also somewhat slippery in its coming-of-age story about a teen choirgirl. 

Much more gripping is Love, the second chapter in the Oslo Stories Trilogy, which features fascinating characters on offbeat journeys. I also loved watching the 100-year restoration of Eisenstein's silent masterpiece Battleship Potemkin, with a new score by the Pet Shop Boys. I'd never seen it on a big screen, and it looks and sounds gorgeous. It also feels thoroughly modern. Finally, I attended a special 3D premiere of the new trailer for Avatar: Fire and Ash, which looks properly epic. The film itself comes out in December.

This coming week I'll be watching the horror thriller Bring Her Back, British road movie The Ceremony, Dutch coming-of-age drama Young Hearts, the final chapter of the Oslo Stories Trilogy, Sex, and the Ukrainian documentary 2000 Meters to Andriivka. I'll also attend the premiere of the second season of the Netflix show Wednesday.

BFI Flare: Life's a beach

The 39th BFI Flare charges into its first weekend with a flurry of terrific films, many of which are attended by filmmakers and actors who are happy to discuss their work and chat with the audiences. Which is what sets this particular festival apart from others in London where the talent remains in a VIP festival all their own. Over the years covering this event, it's been great to see such a wide range of excellent films that approach queer topics from every conceivable angle. Here are four more highlights for this weekend... 

Hot Milk
dir-scr Rebecca Lenkiewicz; with Emma Mackey, Fiona Shaw 24/UK ***
Beautifully shot on the Mediterranean seaside, this introspective drama is tightly contained within the perspective of a young woman frustrated that she doesn't have control of her own life. The film is packed with intriguing relationships, but writer-director Rebecca Lenkiewicz never quite allows the audience in, which makes it difficult to sympathise with anyone on-screen. Still, the big themes hold the interest, and the location comes vividly to life.

High Tide
dir-scr Marco Calvani; with Marco Pigossi, James Bland 24/US ****
With a lovely light touch, writer-director Marco Calvani takes an honest and unusually resonant look at the life of an immigrant, and the film is also gently tinged with issues relating to sexuality and race. Because the approach is so knowingly realistic, the film is funny, emotional, sexy and surprising. The film makes the most of its Massachusetts coastal setting, which is populated by recognisably authentic characters. And the delicate acting and filmmaking that make it memorable.

Departures
dir Neil Ely, Lloyd Eyre-Morgan; with Lloyd Eyre-Morgan, David Tag 25/UK ****
Warm and engaging, with some sharply pointed edges, this British drama plays out as a kaleidoscopic essay looking back at a relationship that was never quite right from the start. Clever writing and acting creates characters who are likeable and unusually complex, offering surprising points of resonance throughout the non-chronological narrative. And it's beautifully shot and edited too, anchored ably by sparky actor-filmmaker Lloyd Eyre-Morgan. 

Sad Jokes
dir-scr Fabian Stumm; with Fabian Stumm, Haley Louise Jones 24/Ger ****
From Germany, this bittersweet film plays on its comedic intentions by including a stream of jokes that are silly, brittle, bleak and absurd. These provide an almost meta running commentary to the story of a filmmaker who is trying to get his life back on track after a difficult breakup and the birth of his son. Actor-filmmaker Fabian Stumm has a wonderfully easy presence on-screen, allowing the audience to travel this journey without pushing any points.

Full reviews will be linked on Shadows' BFI Flare page when published.

Raindance: Don't be shy

This hybrid edition of the Raindance Film Festival is coming into its final weekend, and I'm trying to catch up on things before it ends. This is the kind of festival that's always packed with undiscovered gems so, even as you discover great movies along the way, there's a nagging feeling that you've missed something amazing. I haven't seen any duds yet this year, so I'm doing well as I prowl through the programme. With only a couple of days left, I'll be selecting things carefully. Here are four more highlights, plus this week's non-festival roundup below...

Not to Be Unpleasant but We Need to Have a Serious Talk

dir Giorgos Georgopoulos; with Omiros Poulakis, Vangelis Mourikis 19/Gr ****

Laced with viciously black comedy, this Greek film is an inventive jolt to the system, telling a personal story with a touch of fantasy and a continual stream of offbeat imagery and jarring gags. It's a remarkably dark narrative, and the brittle humour adds to the complex emotional undercurrents. Filmmaker Giorgos Georgopoulos maintains this balance skilfully, pulling the audience into an unusual odyssey that repeatedly subverts expectations

Eastern

dir Piotr Adamski; with Maja Pankiewicz, Paulina Krzyzanska 19/Pol ***.

Deliberately provocative, this Polish thriller is set in a violent, inhumane corner of society that is governed by a set of bleak rules. It's impeccably shot and edited, with a powerful sense of dread from the beginning. Even if the minimalistic storytelling and enormous ensemble cast make it tricky to keep track of who's whom, the narrative grabs hold as it unfolds, taking some surprising turns along the way.

Nafi's Father
[Baamum Nafi]

dir-scr Mamadou Dia; with Alassane Sy, Saikou Lo 19/Sen ****

A sharply well-observed slice-of-life drama from rural Senegal, this film beautifully captures the impact of religion and local traditions on various generations. Filmmaker Mamadou Dia sets up a powerful clash between brothers that explores the corrupting influence of both faith and money at all levels of politics. While the pace is slow, the film is beautifully shot to capture fascinating details in the setting, the narrative and the characters.

Born to Be

dir Tania Cypriano; with Jess Ting, Mahogany Phillips 19/US ****

A straightforward observational documentary, this film follows a surgeon who has become an advocate for transgendered people. Dr Jess Ting is a remarkably compassionate man, brushing off criticism from others because he knows the impact he's having on people who are fighting to be themselves. Filmmaker Tania Cypriano's approach is refreshingly offhanded, allowing for natural wit even in the midst of some very serious discussions.

NB. My anchor page for Raindance is HERE and full reviews will appear in between these daily blog entries. They're on their way...

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C R I T I C A L   W E E K

BEST OUT THIS WEEK: 

Proxima • The Human Voice 

FULL REVIEWS > 

Away from Raindance, I caught up with the warmly engaging streetcat sequel A Christmas Gift From Bob, Eva Green in the terrific astronaut drama Proxima, Andrea Riseborough in the moody Egyptian drama Luxor, Jack Lowden in the freaky British horror Kindred (with added Fiona Shaw), and the artful, engaging Filipino drama 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten.

In addition to wrapping up Raindance this weekend, other films to watch this next week include a new all-star version of A Christmas Carol, the Malin Akerman comedy Chick Fight, German romance No Hard Feelings, British drama Dirty God and the dance doc Bare.

LFF: Make history

Well, that was a first and hopefully a last as well: the 64th BFI London Film Festival was an almost entirely virtual event, with a few in-person screenings just to keep the atmosphere alive for the lucky few who managed to get tickets. For me it was an intense two weeks of watching movies at home on my computer - but they're some of my favourites so far this year. Going through this makes me long even more for a time when things can return to normal, even if that's hard to imagine at the moment. Will the world still even exist a year from now? The signs aren't good, but there's still some hope. Here are my last two highlights, plus my best of the fest...

Ammonite

dir-scr Francis Lee; with Kate Winslet, Saoirse Ronan 20/UK ****

With a remarkable attention to detail, this beautifully observed drama recounts an unexpected relationship that crosses various boundaries in 19th century England. Writer-director Francis Lee takes an elemental approach, underscoring a low-key narrative with passion, earth and grit. At its core, this may be a moving love story, but it also carries with it a range of ideas that are strongly resonant nearly two centuries later... FULL REVIEW >

Lovers Rock

dir Steve McQueen; with Amarah-Jae St Aubyn, Micheal Ward 20/UK ****

Bristling with energy and colour, this 1980-set drama unfolds to the beats of the eponymous musical genre. Without a pushy narrative, this is pure cinematic bliss, a blast of happiness in a safe space away from the racism and riots in the streets. Steve McQueen, with cowriter Courttia Newland and ace cinematographer Shabier Kirchner, skilfully depicts one Saturday night, and into Sunday morning, when the world belongs to hopeful youth... FULL REVIEW >

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M Y   B E S T   O F   T H E   F E S T

1. 
   Mangrove
2. Nomadland
3. After Love
4. One Night in Miami...
5. Notturno
6. Never Gonna Snow Again
7. The Salt in Our Waters
8. Time
9. Ammonite
10. The Reason I Jump

Special mention: Lovers Rock, Another Round, Possessor, Limbo, African Apocalypse, David Byrne's American Utopia, The Painter and the Thief, Supernova, I Am Samuel, Wolfwalkers. 

ALL REVIEWS >

NB. My anchor page for the LFF is HERE and full reviews are all linked there, with winners of the audience awards to come soon.