Critical Week: Campfire stories

It's the week after the London Critics' Circle Film Awards, so much of my time has been spent wrapping up details and sifting through the photos (I published my annual album on Instagram - in four parts). There were only a few film screenings, and with the cold, wet weather I was happy to stay indoors. The big movie was Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, the goofy but enjoyable fourth chapter in the saga of the London singleton so endearingly played by Renee Zellweger, this time alongside romantic foils Chiwetel Ejiofor (above) and Leo Woodall. Plus fabulous scene-stealers like Hugh Grant and Emma Thompson. 

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
September 5
ALL REVIEWS >

Ke Huy Quan is a terrific lead in action comedy Love Hurts, adeptly underplaying the drama while adding wit to the action sequences. The movie is silly, but watchable. Ryan Destiny is fiercely engaging in the boxing biopic The Fire Inside, which is sharper than expected thanks to director Rachel Morrison and writer Barry Jenkins, plus the terrific Brian Tyree Henry in a nuanced variation on the coach role. And Francois Ozon is back with the very French drama When Autumn Comes, which twists and turns through its gently offbeat story, layering personal drama with insinuating intrigue. I also attended the press night for the inventive political play Antigone [on strike] at the Park Theatre.

This coming week, the Avengers are back for Captain America: Brave New World, and I'll also be watching coming-of-age romcom Bonus Track, New York romance Barrio Boy, French drama Holy Cow, Palestinian refugee drama To a Land Unknown and the stage play Miss Brexit at the Omnibus in Clapham.

Critical Week: Generations

Awards season is cranking up for anyone who votes in these things, and yet there are still regular releases opening in cinemas that I need to cover, So the week was a combination of films aimed at very different audiences. As for cinema releases, there was the latest film directed by 94-year-old Clint Eastwood, the old-fashioned dramatic thriller Juror #2, starring Nicholas Hoult, and Toni Collette. It's slow and not nearly as complex as it looks, but enjoyably gripping. Hugh Grant is excellent as the charming-but-shifty villain in Heretic, a rather simplistic horror film that's livened up by deeper theological questions. And Liam Neeson's latest action movie is Absolution, a surprisingly thoughtful meditation on mortality and redemption.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
A Real Pain • Emilia Perez
Anora • Super/Man
Home Sweet Home: Where Evil Lives
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There were also a few more films that showed at the London Film Festival. Pharrell Williams uses Lego animation to tell his life story in Piece by Piece, an uplifting and delightfully original concoction packed with hilarious gags and lots of great music. Cate Blanchett leads the ensemble cast of Rumours, a nutty satire about G7 leaders lost in the woods. The film is a bit lost itself. From Hong Kong, The Last Dance is a beautifully well-made comedy about the tension between tradition and progress. From Britain, Secrets of a Wallaby Boy is a very scrappy hand-made comedy about a delivery boy. And there were two docs: Christopher Reeve is the focus of the fascinating, moving Super/Man, which has some important things to say about curiosity and compassion, and How to Build a Truth Engine is a fascinatingly detailed exploration of the spread of fake news.

As the big movies keep coming, this coming week I'll be watching Paul Mescal in Gladiator II, the adventure comedy sequel Paddington in Peru, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in Wicked Part 1, Dwayne Johnson in Red One, Emma Corrin in Nosferatu and the FrightFest Halloween comedy Time Travel Is Dangerous.

Critical Week: Make a wish

Awards season is in peak flow, with multiple screenings and Q&As every day, forcing us to choose carefully. One easy choice was attending the world premiere of Wonka, attended by filmmaker Paul King and the entire cast. The party was astonishing (so much candy!), and the film is a lot of fun too. There was also the musical remake of The Color Purple, a finely made film even if the songs create an uneven tone. Eddie Murphy takes on Christmas in Candy Cane Lane, an enjoyably goofy comedy fantasy that's slight but watchable. That's pretty much the same way to describe Melissa McCarthy in Genie.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
May December • Femme
Fallen Leaves • Totem
We Dare to Dream
ALL REVIEWS >

A bit more high brow, there's Jeffrey Wright in the fiercely intelligent comedy American Fiction, taking on cancel culture with complexity and nuance. George MacKay and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett are excellent in the dark British drama Femme, a provocative exploration of masculinity. Isabelle Huppert is as good as always in The Sitting Duck (La Syndicaliste), an otherwise rather dry and talky drama. The slickly made Hong Kong crime thriller The Goldfinger reunites the great Tony Leung and Andy Lau, although the film gets bogged down in details. And there were two riveting docs: High and Low traces the life of disgraced fashion icon John Galliano, while We Dare to Dream is an intimate journey with members of the Olympic refugee team.

And as voting deadlines get closer, screenings are getting even busier. Movies this week include Pierce Brosnan in Fast Charlie, acclaimed foreign films The Taste of Things, The Peasants, Monica and Green Border, plus on-stage performances of Lunar Halo at Sadler's Wells, Tossed at Royal Vauxhall Tavern and Gary Starr at Southwark Playhouse.

Critical Week: Too cool

The weather in London has been diabolical this week, more wintry than spring-like with grey skies, rainshowers and weather that's oddly cold for this time of year. So not too bad for moviewatching. I enjoyed Ben Affleck's new film Air a lot more than expected, but then I wasn't expecting much for a movie about trainers. It's a sharply well-written drama about Nike's creation of the Air Jordan brand, and has terrific performances from Affleck, Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Viola Davis and more. And the new adaptation of the roleplaying fantasy game, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, was also a pleasant surprise: a rare blockbuster that's colourful, funny and thoroughly engaging. Thankfully it takes its cues more from The Princess Bride than Marvel or DC. I wrote reviews of it for three different outlets.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Chrissy Judy • Summoning Sylvia
Dungeons & Dragons
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Further afield, Summoning Sylvia is a riotously silly horror comedy about a group of camp friends in a haunted house, but it has serious undertones that give it unexpected weight. Missing is a well-made thriller told through computer screens (it spins off from Searching), gripping even if the story holds no water at all. A verbatim adaptation of a recording, Reality is the riveting re-enactment of the arrest of a whistleblower, starring a superb Sydney Sweeney. Cairo Conspiracy is a strikingly involving mystery about government interference in religious leadership in Egypt. Of course, exiled filmmaker Tarik Saleh had to shoot it in Turkey and Sweden. And the lightly futuristic Japanese drama Plan 75 is a thoughtful meditation on mortality that's not particularly easy to watch, understandably. 

This coming week is mercifully slow after the past few months. I'll be watching Taron Egerton in Tetris, the Norwegian black comedy Sick of Myself, the Moroccan drama El Houb, the addiction doc Blue Bag Life, and the biographical doc Little Richard: I Am Everything. I also have a theatre show and museum exhibition to check out (reviews here soon).

Critical Week: Cool kids

It's that odd period in the year when cinemas are full of amazing movies that are taking home Baftas and various guild prizes while awaiting Oscar night (coming on 12th March), but the box office champions at the moment are decidedly mediocre fare released by distributors now to cash in on the audience desire for mindless entertainment. Everyone asks me where the good movies are, and I reply that you need to look past the blockbusters that are dominating multiplexes and headlines: good movies are everywhere at the moment. 

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Close • Wandering Heart
ALL REVIEWS >

Speaking of blockbusters, I saw two this week: Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guere is Guy Ritchie's latest snarky action romp, with a terrific cast and gorgeous locations, lively twists and a barely serviceable script. It's thin but fun (largely thanks to a scene-stealing Hugh Grant, opposite Aubrey Plaza, Jason Statham and Bugzy Malone, above). Also suffering from script problems, Creed III is sharply well acted by a superb cast, and Michael B Jordan shows real talent as a director. It's rousing and worth a look, but simplistic the way it deploys toxic masculinity.

I also caught up with the British romantic comedy What's Love Got to Do With It, which adds some South Asian spice into the comfy mix with a snappy story that circles around arranged marriage in Pakistani immigrant families. Colourful cultural touches and strong turns from Lily James, Emma Thompson and Shazad Latif make it engaging. Michael Shannon is a bit too subdued in A Little White Lie, as a handyman posing as a reclusive author. Despite lacking energy, the film does generate some charm, and has a solid supporting cast. And from France, Love According to Dalva centres around a remarkable performance from Zelda Samson as a 12-year-old who believes she's a grown woman. It's a provocative, important take on the realities of child abuse.

Films this coming week include the sequel Scream VI, Woody Harrelson in Champions, horror comedy Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, rural comedy-drama The Middle Man, Australian drama Lonesome, offbeat sci-fi drama Lola, Italian horror Sound of Silence and filmmaking doc Brainwashed.

Critical Week: Happy New Decade!

I watched a handful of films in the time between Christmas and New Year, some were catch-up awards-qualifying titles, others are coming to cinemas soon, some are both! The Japanese animated feature Weathering With You looks simply gorgeous (see above) and tells an imaginative story with style and emotion. Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen stars Matthew McConaughey in a British crime comedy-drama. And the Russia's Oscar qualifier Beanpole is an unforgettable, twisted, powerful post-war odyssey. There were also these three: the first is an acclaimed and pointedly timely drama set in Paris, the second is Poland's provocative Oscar contender, the third is a masterpiece made by my all-time favourite filmmaker before I was born...

Synonyms Synonymes
dir Nadav Lapid; scr Nadav Lapid, Haim Lapid
with Tom Mercier, Quentin Dolmaire, Louise Chevillotte, Uria Hayik, Olivier Loustau, Yehuda Almagor, Gaya Von Schwarze, Gal Amitai, Idan Ashkenazi, Dolev Ohana
release Fr 27.Mar.19, UK Jun.19 eiff, US 25.Oct.19
19/France 2h03 ****

With an impressionistic, visceral filmmaking style, Nadav Lapid takes a fictionalised look at his own experiences moving away from his home country and adapting to a new culture. The narrative takes a series of random and sometimes absurd turns along the way, adding a range of textures to the film and its themes. It's strikingly well shot and edited, with intriguing angles and surprising twists in each scene. And it's anchored by a remarkably thoughtful performance from Tom Mercier, who brings a brave willingness to reveal the character inside and out.

Frustrated by his native country Israel, 20-ish Yoav (Mercier) esacapes after his military service to live in Paris. On his first night, literally everything he has brought with him is stolen. Neighbours Emile and Caroling (Dolmaire and Chevillotte) come to his rescue. As he befriends them, Yoav refuses to speak Hebrew, studying a French dictionary whenever he has a spare moment. Indeed, his only goal is to be French. He gets a job with a rather offbeat security group, which makes it even more difficult to simply reject his past. Yoav is angry at the ugliness he sees in Israeli society, but Emile reminds him that there is rot in every culture.

As Yoav bonds with Emile, Caroline and a Jewish colleague (Hayik), he reminisces about his life before France. Scenes are offbeat and unexpected, sometimes warmly involving or blackly comical, including a moment of sudden aggressive physicality. The character portrait and nature of his odyssey sometimes feel so broad that it's difficult to find the central idea, but then fleeing one culture for another is never going to be straightforward. The film is shot with style and honesty that hints at angles to the story Lapid deliberately struggles to explore, like identity or masculinity. Or perhaps he's just provoking his audience to find a way through their own stories.

28.Dec.19 • Berlin/Toronto

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Corpus Christi Boże Ciało
dir Jan Komasa; scr Mateusz Pacewicz
with Bartosz Bielenia, Aleksandra Konieczna, Eliza Rycembel, Lukasz Simlat, Tomasz Zietek, Mateusz Czwartosz, Barbara Kurzaj, Leszek Lichota, Juliusz Chrzastowski, Zdzislaw Wardejn
release UK 18.Oct.19, US 22.Apr.20
19/Poland 1h55 ****

From Poland, this boldly provocative drama takes on some enormous issues while telling the darkly personal tale of a young man grappling with who he is. The story is set in the deep-seated Catholic culture, tackling underlying repression, prejudice and, most notably, the appalling inability of religious people to forgive each other. Writer Mateusz Pacewicz  and director Jan Komasa refuse to pull any punches as the events unfold, and their actors play it beautifully.

The story centres on Daniel (Bielenia), a teen who gets parole just as his arch-nemesis Bogus (Czwartosz) arrives at the juvenile detention centre. Daniel had found solace there working alongside Father Tomasz (Simlat), so while heading to his new job in a sawmill, he's distracted by the village church, and especially Eliza (Rycembel), daughter of church administrator Lidia (Konieczna). Presenting himself as a priest, Daniel winds up taking over while the vicar (Wardejn) is away in hospital. And Daniel works himself into the heart of the community.

Tension emerges throughout this story, including dark hatred around the village relating to a fatal car crash a year earlier, ruthless control exerted by the sawmill owner (Lichota), and another ex-con (Zietek) who recognises Daniel and threatens to expose him. Balanced on this precipice, it's fascinating to watch Daniel's crisis of faith, beautifully played by the young Bielenia, barely concealing his emotions under layers of earthy bluster. It's clear to see that this is where Daniel belongs: even if he's an unqualified interloper, he's not a fraud, his work is genuine. And the filmmakers never take an easy route through his story, which means that it is packed with moments of joy, pain and even a few epiphanies.

27.Dec.19 • Venice/Toronto

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La Dolce Vita
dir Federico Fellini; scr Federico Fellini, Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli
with Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg, Anouk Aimee, Yvonne Furneaux, Alain Cuny, Annibale Ninchi, Nadia Gray, Magali Noel, Lex Barker, Jacques Sernas, Walter Santesso, Alain Dijon
release It 4.Feb.60, UK 24.Aug.60, US 19.Apr.61
reissue UK 3.Jan.20
60/Italy 2h54 *****

Any excuse to rewatch Federico Fellini's masterpiece should be embraced, so it's great that the film continues to be restored/reissued. This is one of the most audacious movies ever made, packed with life, love, energy, wit and some bleak emotion. It's very long, sweeping the audience along on an episodic odyssey that combines Fellini's larger-than-life exuberance with his earthier realism. It's also quite possibly the coolest movie ever made.

The story centres on Marcello (Mastroianni), a journalist who travels with a pack of paparazzi, chasing famous starlets around Rome. Marcello seems to fall deeply in love with each of these glamorous women, so it's no wonder that his drama queen fiancee Emma (Furneaux) is at home contemplating suicide. But Marcello carries on flirting, dancing through each night with a sequence of gorgeous celebrities even as darker drama plays out around him, including a freaky night in the pouring rain following two children who say they can see the Madonna, a lovely but unsatisfying visit with his father (Ninchi), and a friend (Cuny) who loses it horrifically.

From the opening shot of a helicopter dangling a statue of Christ over a rooftop pool of bathing beauties, the film explodes with life. And everyone's loving it. These achingly cool people wear sunglasses indoors, seduce each other shamelessly and have moments of serious introspection ("My father's still a handsome man, isn't he?" Marcello muses). Classic imagery and moments abound, from Maddalena's (Aimee) vast Cadillac convertible to a frolic in a fountain with a red-hot movie star (Ekberg) to an outrageous party in an unoccupied villa ("And I'm unoccupied too," notes Maddalena). There's a range of astonishing settings, various types of music, and both old and young people being free and happily sexy.

Few filmmakers have ever had Fellini's powers of observation, spotting the tiniest telling movement within the grandest spectacle. So the film is a funny, crazy, wrenching collision of banter, bravado and humanity. It's the kind of movie that reminds us to howl at the moon from time to time, to remember that the good times go hand in hand with the bad ones and to take nothing for granted.

revisited 31.Dec.19 • Cannes/Berlin

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Screenings will be cranking up slowly this coming week as press offices return from the holidays. At the moment, I only have two in the diary: the British road movie The Runaways and the shorts compilation The Uncertain Kingdom. More are to come, surely.

Shadows on the Screen: Summer TV roundup

It's been a busy few months for television shows. But it's nice to have some quality programming to keep me entertained and clear my mind in between my film screenings...

Trust

The story of J Paul Getty III's kidnapping was the subject of Ridley Scott's underrated All the Money in the World last year, and now Danny Boyle comes at the story with this sprawling, skilfully assembled 10-part series. This allows for rather a lot more detail relating to all of these people, plus much more on the figures around them. And what a cast: Donald Sutherland as the stingy grandfather, Hilary Swank as the determined mother, Harris Dickinson as the kidnapped teen, Brendan Fraser as the swaggering Texan fixer, and terrific support all around. The scripting by Simon Beaufoy sometimes tries too hard to be inventive, while the raw facts of the story are so mind-boggling that they don't need the embellishment. 

A Very English Scandal

Anchored by ripping performances from Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw, this three-part series tells the true story the frightfully posh politician Jeremy Thorpe (Grant), who in the early 1960s had a passionate affair with riding instructor Norman Scott (Whishaw). And when he thought the story might get out, Thorpe simply decided to have Scott bumped off. Stephen Frears directs this as a jaunty comedy with a very dark underbelly, and the actors play it with similar textures to make it thoroughly riveting. Perhaps a longer series would have made the narrative more coherent, since it leaps through the years in sometimes confusing ways. But this is dazzling television, and a great story with several complex twists in the tale.

Wild Wild Country

There's a slightly tabloid angle to this documentary series, although it does work dilligently to tell the story from each side, and the balance makes it very strong. It's tracing the events in 1980s rural Oregon, when the followers of Rajneesh bought a huge tract of land and began building their utopia. Local residents were relatively OK with this until strange things started happening, and the Rajneeshees reacted to criticism by taking over a local town government, casually poisoning restaurants throughout the region and arming themselves to the teeth. The story is grippingly recounted with firsthand interviews from a variety of people involved. Although while the facts are clear, what really happened remains a bit murky.

The Looming Tower

There are echoes of Homeland in this limited series, except that all of this is true. It's based on exhaustive research into the work of the FBI and CIA in the years leading up to the 9/11 attacks. Mixing in actors with real footage of the major figures, this 10-part drama feels eerily authentic, and it certainly doesn't go easy on the ways the CIA withheld evidence from the FBI that could clearly have averted the awful events. Jeff Daniels is excellent as FBI chief John O'Neill, whose story takes a grim ironic twist. The show's heart and mind is Tahar Rahim as agent Ali Soufan, who tenaciously tries to prevent what he can see coming. The show sometimes seems to get sidetracked by the characters' personal lives, but these details add to the realism.

Safe

Michael C Hall comes to Britain for this twisty mystery series, which explores the deep, dark secrets in a gated community outside Manchester. Written by Harlan Coban, it's all rather arch and contrived, but there's a gripping edge to the story, and it's shot and acted with plenty of intrigue. Basically, the central mystery is far too entwined to hold water, falling apart with even a casual examination of the details. It's also fairly easy early on to work out whodunit, since the usual suspects are clearly guilty of other crimes. But the cast keeps things interesting, and the story is told with a blast of energy to keep us watching.

Rise

Basically a serious version of Glee, this high school theatre club drama really needs to lighten up a bit. It's fraught with intense issues and deliberately meaningful plotlines that feel somewhat pushy, especially on themes surrounding identity. That said, these topics are addressed through characters who are engaging and beautifully played by the ensemble cast. It may feel like the usual Breakfast Club collection of teens, plus a frazzled teacher whose personal life takes up far too much screen time, but everything that happens resonates as an only slightly heightened version of things most viewers can identify with.

Here and Now

Like a cross between This Is Us and Sense8, this strikingly well made show comes from the mind of Alan Ball (American Beauty, Six Feet Under), which means that it takes a realistic approach to what feels like an extraordinary set of characters. Each of the members of the Bayer-Boatwright family have an intense journey of their own. The cast may be anchored by the robust Holly Hunter and Tim Robbins, but it's newcomers Daniel Zovatto, Jerrika Hinton, Raymond Lee and Sosie Bacon who really shine as their eclectic kids. And even the side roles are fleshed out as real people with lives of their own.

Barry 

Actor Bill Hader was involved in creating, writing and directing this series, which gives him a terrific chance to flex his acting chops. It's essentially a black comedy, but it's the darker underlying drama that makes it watchable. On the surface, this story about a hitman moving to Los Angeles and being bitten by the acting bug is pretty corny, and also far too obsessed with grisly violence. But it's through the traumatised Barry's self-discovery that the show finds unusual ways to draw the audience in. It's also great to see Henry Winkler poking fun at the industry in a surprisingly edgy supporting role as Barry's acting coach.

The New Legends of Monkey

From New Zealand, this adventure series is packed with hilarious comical asides that more than make up for its cheesy Xena/Hercules production values and a nutty plot in which demons and gods battle for control of a primitive culture. At its centre is a witty four-person team, including the revived Monkey King, trying to keep the demons from unlocking the secret to ruling the world. Or something. It doesn't really matter when the dialog is so snappy, the characters so silly and the action such a riotous mess. Sit back and giggle right through all of it, then be surprised by a creeping current of emotion.

MORE DRAMA

Timeless: series 2

There's a cheesy charm to this time-travel series that makes for enjoyable escapism. But it's important not to think about anything that happens, because the scripts are full of holes. For one thing, our heroes are always racing to get in their time machine to stop baddies they're convinced are determined to destroy the world. But this ignores the fact that having a time machine eliminates the urgency. Not to mention how quickly they're able to steal perfectly fitting clothing on arrival. And the villains' actions are also inexplicably pointless. Meanwhile, the show-runners indulge in rather a lot of pointlessly unnecessary cross-cutting in an attempt to ramp up simplistic subplots. Still, it's enjoyable if you don't think about it. 

Jane the Virgin: series 4

One of the best-written series on TV, this funny, warm, fiendishly clever show is both a comedy and a drama, as well as a pastiche of florid Latina telenovelas. Terrific recurring guests this year include Rosario Dawson (as a shady/seductive lawyer) and Brooke Shields (as a deranged version of herself). The plot leaps along at a rapid-fire pace, with constant twists and turns, relationships and momentous events. But the characters are solidly grounded and thoroughly charming, with a complexity that's rare for light entertainment. So not only is the show hilarious and sweet, but it also grapples with some serious issues (like Xo's cancer) in earthy, authentic ways. And it leaves the soapy excesses in the background where they belong.

Scandal: series 7

After a very rough start which struggled to convince us that Kerry Washington's Olivia had gone over to the dark side, this rather ludicrous show picked up a head of steam as it headed into its last episodes ever. As always, everyone on-screen lectures each other in over-enunciated, vein-bursting rants. But at least the writers had a bit of fun messing with the characters and who they can trust, leading to some meaty moments as things barrelled along to what was clearly going to be a "shocking" finale. Except that, as satisfying as it might have been, it was never surprising at all.

Homeland: series 7

After last year's more contained season, the shift to domestic activity is breathing new life into this series, especially as Claire Danes' Carrie goes off the grid to take on a renegade US President (Elizabeth Marvel) who's thankfully not too Trumpish, aside from bullheadedly charging into every situation. Relational textures are intriguing, as Mandy Patinkin's Saul finds himself in a somewhat contrived but compelling position as it becomes apparent that the Russians have launched an elaborate plan to destabilise the American government. Yes, the writers are drawing from headlines and, as usual, real life has overtaken them. But at this point in the show, Carrie and Saul are more interesting for how they react and interact than for what they do to save the world.

MORE LAUGHS

Santa Clarita Diet: series 2

This charming bit of fluff is mainly watchable thanks to the goofy-charming performances of Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as a suburban couple coping matter-of-factly with her murderous zombie condition. It's all very silly, dealing with violent death with a wink and a smile (because that's OK if the victims are Nazis). And the general panic is infectiously entertaining. This season's breakout star is Liv Hewson as their snarky daughter, who gets rather a lot more to do and shines, especially in scenes with best pal Eric (Skyler Gisondo). And it's nice to have Nathan Fillion back too. Well, his head at least. 

Schitt's Creek: series 4

This show has been sharply well-written from the outset, but this season feels even more focussed than usual, bringing the characters to life in ways that are often surprisingly moving (as well as being hysterically funny). Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Dan Levy and Annie Murphy are all expert actors, milking each moment for maximum comedy, but never without a point. And the ensemble surrounding them is also wonderfully engaging, especially Noah Reid as David's dryly provocative boyfriend - a great character who changes the tone of the show in the right direction. As always, Chris Elliott's idiotic mayor is just an irritant in need of better subplots. Still, it's the best thing on TV this year so far.

The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: series 4

With only a half-season this year (the show wraps up with the second half early next year), what used to be one of the funniest sitcoms on the air has fallen into something so mannered that most of the gags feel like in-jokes that leave the audience out. The cast is still terrific, with the perky Ellie Kemper and shameless scene-stealer Tituss Burgess holding down the fort, plus a lot more of the wonderful Carol Kane and a lot less of the awesome Jane Krakowski. But the storylines are corny and dull, struggling to propel the show's premise in an interesting direction. And quirky running gags like that ubiquitous robot are rather pointless.

Mom: series 5

This sitcom just gets stronger year by year, thanks to the fine performances by Allison Janney and Anna Faris, along with an ace supporting ensemble. Even as the issues get deeper and more serious, mainly relating to addiction, the scripts continually undercut the emotion with jagged jokes. But they never belittle the themes. Back when this show first debuted, the main gag was that this wildly implausible tall mother and tiny daughter were both irresponsible parents and grandparents. But the show-runners sensibly (and a bit jarringly) jettisoned the kids to focus on some important things about them, while Janney and Faris rose to the challenge, creating powerful chemistry while having a lot of fun at the same time.

Modern Family: series 9

This show continues to wobble in the writing department, although this season the smartly comedic have outweighed the over-stretched, stale lows. Some of the funniest sequences have involved the kids, who are now complex young adults who are adept scene-stealers alongside the veterans. So when the writing is sharp, it sparkles. And there have been terrific moments for everyone this year. On the other hand, it all feels very safe, never pushing anyone too far one way or the other. And the overriding plot is running in place while mini-dramas last the length of a half-hour episode then flutter away. In other words, the show needs to start moving forward again.

Will & Grace: series 9

It seems odd to revive a series like this, which was dated in its original run even as it broke ground for its depiction of central characters who happened to be gay. It's hard to imagine younger audiences watching this new, since it's pretty much exactly the same show as it was when it went off the air in 2006 after its eighth season. Eric McCormack and Debra Messing's title characters are still fairly ridiculous, so self-absorbed that it's no surprise that they're single. Sean Hayes' Jack is still so silly that he can't help but raise a smile. And Megan Mullally's absurd Karen is still the only thing that keeps me watching: everything she does and says is flat-out brilliant.

Roseanne: series 10

After the hype about this resurrected series (which originally ran 1988-1997), the show is surprisingly nuanced. And also very funny. The writers cleverly keep things balanced, pitting Roseanne Barr's Trump-supporting title character against her left-wing sister Jackie (the awesome Laurie Metcalf, likely to win a fourth Emmy for this role). John Goodman again brings a witty, relaxing tone, and the kids (now with added grandchildren) are stirring the mix of blue-collar humour with sharply observed politics. You don't have to agree with everything each character says to enjoy this skilfully written and played sitcom. Sadly, Barr's inability to hold her tongue off-camera has sunk the show.

I GIVE UP

Two series came back for their second seasons badly misjudging their successes. Both Westworld and Legion gave into the most indulgent instincts of their showrunners. The plotlines splintered as both shows became relentlessly gimmicky, tilting toward great-looking confusion rather than actual storytelling. The actors are fantastic, but the more pretentious a show gets, the less engaging it is. I gave up after a few episodes of each. Only a fanboy could love these shows now.

NOW WATCHING

Patrick Melrose, Pose, The Handmaid's Tale (series 2), I'm Dying Up Here (series 2), Sense8 (series 3), Younger (series 5), and I'm on the look out for more half-hour comedies. Suggestions welcome...

38th Critics' Circle Film Awards: words and pics...

As chair of the London Critics' Circle Film Awards, I get to be right on the frontline putting this event together. It's a lot of work, over about six months with especially intense days when voting starts in early December until the big night. Our 38th awards were handed out on Sunday 28th January at The May Fair Hotel, presented by Dover Street Entertainment. And since I have to get up at the start to thank our sponsors, I usually hand out the first award. This year's first honour went to Hugh Grant (above), named Supporting Actor of the Year for Paddington 2. He joked, "Well that's ludicrous. Trump, Brexit, and now me winning this. It's the end of days!"

The ceremony ended on a highlight, as Kate Winslet was presented the Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Film by her friend Jude Law. She gave an electric speech referencing the Time's Up movement from her own personal perspective. Kate started with, "It almost feels uncomfortable to receive an award at such a time." And she went on to reference the #MeToo issue: "I realised that I wouldn't be able to stand here this evening and keep to myself some bitter regrets that I have about poor decisions to work with individuals with whom I wish I had not."

These three men from Call Me By Your Name were in the house - Armie Hammer came along with his friends, nominees Luca Guadagnino (up for film and director) and Timothee Chalamet, who won Actor of the Year. Timothee thanked Luca ("Who basically gave me my career at this point") and his "tongue-wrestling partner" Armie.

Here's the team running the show: host Steve Oram, Critics' Circle President Anna Smith, host Alice Lowe and Critics' Circle Awards Chair Rich Cline. This was Steve and Alice's third year hosting the show - they're an awesome double act.

Winners for Breakthrough Filmmaker and Young Performer: Francis Lee for God's Own Country and Harris Dickinson for Beach Rats.

Lesley Manville was named Supporting Actress of the Year for Phantom Thread, while producer Daniel Battsek collected awards on behalf of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri: for best film, screenwriter Martin McDonagh and actress Frances McDormand.

Writer-director Paul King and writer Simon Farnaby, both nominees for their work on Paddington 2, were in the house. Writer-director Dionne Edwards and producer Georgia Goggin won British/Irish Short Film of the Year for We Love Moses.

Supervising Art Director Paul Inglis accepted production designer Dennis Gassner's Technical Achievement Award for Blade Runner 2049. Noah Jupe (Suburbicon) and Dafne Keen (Logan) were nominees for Young Performer.

More nominees in the house: Fionn Whitehead (Dunkirk), Florence Pugh (Lady Macbeth), Josh O'Connor (God's Own Country) and Emily Beecham (Daphne).

Emma Willis was a nominee for her amazing hair and makeup in The Love Witch. Other guests included Alec Secareanu (God's Own Country), Jessica Barden and Jack Johns.

Four of our winners sent thank you videos. Clockwise from top-left: Martin McDonagh won Film and Screenwriter of the Year for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri; Daniel Kaluuya was named British/Irish Actor of the Year for Get Out; Paul Verhoeven won Foreign-Language Film of the Year for Elle; Sean Baker took Director of the Year for The Florida Project.

And finally, our former chair Jason Solomons presented a lovely In Memoriam segment for Barry Norman, one of Britain's best-loved film critics.

The awards were presented this year by Dover Street Entertainment. Our main sponsor was The May Fair Hotel. Award sponsors were Heaven Skincare, Cameo Productions and Millbank and CooperSearle Management. In-kind sponsors were Sacred Gin, Remy Martin, Voss Water and Audi.

Critical Week: Home sweet home

UK critics had a late press screening of 10 Cloverfield Lane this past week. This is JJ Abrams' companion piece to the 2008 hit Cloverfield, and it's a superbly intense thriller. There were also screenings of two films based on the same true story: Florence Foster Jenkins stars Meryl Streep as the New York socialite who fancies herself an opera diva, but no one has the nerve to tell her that she can't sing. With a less-comical tone, Marguerite shifts the story to Paris with the marvellous Catherine Frot giving an award-winning performance in the lead role.

Further afield, we had two smaller British movies. Remainder is an insinuating, involving brain-bender starring Tom Sturridge, while The Call Up sends a team of video gamers into a nightmarish virtual reality game that's not as virtual as they'd like. Both are watchable but flawed. And Laurie Anderson's seriously offbeat performance-art movie Heart of a Dog plays out as an ode to her loveable rat terrier Lolabelle, pondering life, death, grief and rebirth.

BFI Flare kicks off on Wednesday night with the world premiere of the Russell Tovey drama The Pass at the Odeon Leicester Square, and over the next 10 days I'll be blogging about the films and the festivities. I've seen several Flare movies over the past few weeks, including The Pass, and I'll comment on all of them along the way.

I'll also have normal press screenings these days for things like the sequel My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, the animated comedy Zootropolis (aka Zootropia), the Scandinavian thriller The Absent One, the youthful romance Bang Gang and the documentary I Am Belfast.