Raindance: Hang on tight

As usual with film festivals, I came to the end of the 33rd Raindance with a backlog of movies to watch and write about. But here's my post from the festival, which wrapped up last night with a screening of The Academy followed by a party - neither of which I was invited to, but that was fine. I needed the rest. I managed to catch 12 films at this year's Raindance, and the quality was uniformly strong. Here are the final four...

The Lonely Musketeer
dir-scr Nicolai Schumann; with Edward Hogg, Richard Glover 24/UK ***.
Featuring a single person in a small room, this experimental drama is shot in black and white and edited with restless energy that keeps the pace moving. Writer-director Nicolai Schumann relies heavily on the exceptional skills of audacious actor Edward Hogg to bring the surreal set-up to vivid life, creating a riveting one-man show. As the narrative unpicks the mystery, the film becomes increasingly murky and darkly disturbing.

Breakwater
dir-scr Max Morgan; with Daniel McNamee, Shaun Paul McGrath 25/UK ***
From the start, this British drama evokes a tone that hints at intrigue with tiny glances and brief cutaways. Writer-director Max Morgan uses eye-catching widescreen cinematography to create a strong sense of the settings and characters. Although these people speak in hesitant fragments, as if they're always hiding something. So while everything seems to move at a maddeningly underpowered pace the subtle performances bring out deeper feelings.

Beam Me Up Sulu
dir Timour Gregory, Sasha Schneider; with Stan Woo, George Takei 25/US ***.
Briskly traces the production of a Star Trek fan movie, this scrappy documentary uses terrific behind-the-scenes footage and extensive clips and interviews, plus some witty animation. Warm-hearted and engaging, it's a lovely depiction of one man's passion alongside remarkable explorations of US cultural history. Yes, the film goes down several sideroads, not all of them relevant. But everything feeds into a strongly entertaining portrait of a dedicated fanbase.

The Dark Fantastic
dir-scr Lg White; with Simon Boswell, Alejandro Jodorowsky 25/UK ****
Tracing the career of British film composer Simon Boswell, this punchy documentary deploys a flurry of split-screen and overlapping imagery to mix clips and interviews alongside a thunderous rock-n-roll sound mix. Filmmaker Lg White's whizzy editing style may play colourfully with images and text, but the focus remains tightly on the music. It's a sharply well-made movie that beautifully depicts the career of an inventive and prolific artist.

Full reviews of festival films will be linked here in due course: SHADOWS @ RAINDANCE >

Raindance: Dance the night away

Approaching closing night, the 33rd Raindance Film Festival continues with a range of fascinating independent films. I'm running a bit behind on reviewing them, but I'll catch up this weekend with a final post. Here are three films that take very different looks at love and community. And my Critical Week is below...

Somewhere in Love [Une Vie Rêvée]
dir-scr Morgan Simon; with Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Felix Lefebvre 24/Fr ***.
Warm and full of life, this French drama follows a woman who finds herself in a difficult situation but refuses to give up. Writer-director Morgan Simon sets this out as a slice-of-life character study about a mother and son, using a realistically sparky humour and emotions. The narrative structure contrives to create some drama, but there's something more intriguing, and remarkably hopeful, going on under the surface.

If You Should Leave Before Me
dir-scr The Andersons; with Shane P Allen, John Wilcox 25/US ***
While this low-budget comedy-drama feels rather deliberately offbeat, it's also warm and observant as it explores things that remain unspoken between a middle-aged couple. Filmmakers Boyd and Markus Anderson ambitiously use colourful hand-made effects, visual flourishes and goofy jokes to tell interwoven stories that touch on love and death. With its overriding existential afterlife narrative, there's plenty to chew on, even if the movie feels indulgent and overlong.

Flamingo Camp
dir Chris Coats; with Nova, Poe, Cecil, Emmit 25/US ***.
Chronicling life for a group of people who live far off the grid, this openly emotional documentary observes residents of a colourful queer community in the California desert. It starts as a slice of life before turning into something much darker and more intense, as an eerily predictable tragedy strains relationships and opens wounds. This creates a loose narrative that's fascinating, largely because the setting is so unusual.

Full reviews of festival films will be linked here in due course: SHADOWS @ RAINDANCE >

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C R I T I C A L  W E E K

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Sorry, Baby • Ponyboi
Rent Free • Wolf and Dog
ALL REVIEWS >

The big movie this week is F1 starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, a viscerally whizzy blockbuster with a script that never even remotely surprises us. River Gallo and Dylan O'Brien are excellent in the dark drama Ponyboi, even when it turns into a thriller. The indie comedy Rent Free takes an offbeat look at friendship that's funny and thought provoking. I also attended the premiere for the TV series Too Much, complete with a Q&A featuring creator Lena Dunham and stars Megamn Stalter and Will Sharpe, plus a very starry party. And I saw three live performances: Quadrophenia at Sadler's Wells, Jonah Non Grata at Soho Theatre and Botis Seva's Until We Sleep at Sadler's Wells East.

This coming week I'll be finishing up Raindance movies and also watching Charlize Theron in The Old Guard 2, Jon Cena and Idris Elba in Heads of State, David Cronenberg's The Shrouds, Sam Riley in Islands and a couple of live shows: Otto & Astrid: The Stage Tour at Jackson's Lane and Kiki & Herb Are Trying at Soho Theatre Walthamstow.

Raindance: Find your family

The 33rd Raindance Film Festival continues in central London, with a programme of amazing independent films that you're unlikely to see anywhere else. There's also a chance to mix with the filmmakers in ways that are far more relaxed than most festivals, including workshops and panel discussions at the festival's super-cool headquarters right next to Bafta on Piccadilly. Here are comments about three properly chilling movies I've seen over the past couple of days. More to come...

Dirty Boy
dir-scr Doug Rao; with Stan Steinbichler, Graham McTavish 24/UK ***.
Dark and brooding, this shadowy thriller opens with glimpses of nutty, violent religious rituals as seen through the eyes of a young man who knows he's unhinged. Writer-director Doug Rao makes clever use of effects to add freak-out flourishes alongside glorious Austrian landscapes that echo with The Sound of Music. All of this plays out in a way that's over-serious and sometimes ponderous. But it's impossible to look away.

Our Happy Place
dir-scr Paul Bickel; with Raya Miles, Paul Bickel 24/US ****
Opening with an intense swirl of home-movie clips, this increasingly gruesome horror is assembled with remarkable skill, making terrific use of Californian mountain locations. Along with the spurts of jarring editing, actor-filmmaker Paul Bickel also grounds everything in an eerie emotional honesty regarding love and mortality. So as the film encompasses elements of ghost stories and slasher movies, it also becomes a staggeringly twisted exploration of subconscious fears... FULL REVIEW >

Row
dir Matthew Losasso; with Bella Dayne, Sophie Skelton 25/UK ***
With visceral cinematography by Zoran Veljkovic, this hushed thriller skilfully pulls the audience into its chilly, windswept North Atlantic locations. Even with the fragmented, out-of-sequence editing, director Matthew Losasso manages to build a creeping sense of dread by revealing that this story will turn very grisly along the way. There are logic and point-of-view problems in the indulgently overlong running time, but the unfolding central mystery remains compelling.

Full reviews of festival films will be linked here in due course: SHADOWS @ RAINDANCE >

Raindance: Take your shot

The 33rd Raindance Film Festival kicked off on Wednesday with the world premiere of the British drama Heavyweight and a properly epic afterparty at with special honours were presented to screen icons Celia Imrie and Jason Isaacs. The festival runs over the next 10 days with a flurry of independent films. I'm trying to limit how many I watch, aiming for one per day. So here are the first two...

Heavyweight
dir-scr Christopher M Anthony; with Jordan Bolger, Nicholas Pinnock 25/UK ****
Unfolding in real time and largely in a single room, like a stage play, this British boxing drama has a propulsive pace as it traces the run-up to a championship bout. Writer-director Christopher Anthony keeps the tension high with edgy dialog, beefy performances, prowling camerawork and a churning underscore. The sheer machismo on display is perhaps a bit exhausting, but it's balanced by a terrific sense of underlying emotion.

A Cell Phone Movie
dir-scr Will Sterling; with Will Sterling, Tessa Glanville 25/US ****
As the title indicates, this meta-comedy was shot on a mobile phone. It looks great, skilfully filmed in wide-screen and sharply well-edited too. Actor-filmmaker Will Sterling is a charming lead, and the comedy is warm and off-the-cuff, with a continual stream of witty gags about trying to make a no-budget movie. Even more engaging are the thoughtfully serious sequences that dig deeper into the characters and situations.

Full reviews of festival films will be linked here in due course: SHADOWS @ RAINDANCE >

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C R I T I C A L  W E E K

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Red Path • 28 Years Later
Love & Rage: Munroe Bergdorf
ALL REVIEWS >

This week I got to attend the glamorous world premiere of Jurassic World: Rebirth, with the full cast and crew in attendance, including Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey and Mahershala Ali. And the film is great fun. The new Pixar animation Elio is an enjoyable if familiar space romp, but it's packed with dazzling touches. Danny Boyle and Alex Garland are back with 28 Years Later, a superbly ripping addition to the franchise. John Travolta stars in the wobbly but watchable caper comedy High Rollers. Harry Melling and Caleb Landry Jones lead the cast of Scottish period weirdness Harvest, which struggles to make its point. Writer-director Eva Victor stars with Naomi Ackie in the beautifully written and directed Sorry, Baby, putting a truthful spin on a big event. Leonie Benesch is excellent as an overworked nurse in the expertly shot Swiss drama Late Shift. And the properly stunning Tunisian drama Red Path tells a riveting true story with power and emotion. I also attended the opening night cabaret for this year's London Clown Festival

This coming week there are many more films at Raindance, plus Brad Pitt in F1, Dylan O'Brien in Ponyboi, the indie comedy Rent Free, the French comedy Colours of Time and the Colombian drama Salt Water, plus the premiere for Lena Dunham's TV series Too Much and three live performances: Quadrophenia at Sadler's Wells, Jonah Non Grata at Soho Theatre and Botis Seva's Until We Sleep at Sadler's Wells East.

Raindance: Shall we dance

The 29th Raindance Film Festival came to a close last night with a screening of the Brazilian freak-out Medusa, followed by a party. It's been another terrific season of independent films, this year screened at cinemas around London. Although I've mainly watched the films at home using the press site. Since I didn't have to travel to screenings, I was able to watch several more films than expected. Here are some final highlights, including two of my favourites. And the awards winners are at the end...

My Heart Goes Boom! [Explota Explota]
dir Nacho Alvarez; with Ingrid Garcia-Jonsson, Veronica Echegui 20/Sp ****
Using the songs of iconic Italian singer Raffaela Carra, this brightly colourful Spanish musical is irresistible. Filmmaker Nacho Alvarez infuses a swooning romantic farce with a continual flow of witty touches. And it's knowingly underscored by punchy topical themes. While the film is perhaps is a bit overlong, it maintains a breezy tone that keeps the audience smiling, complete with a series of delightfully energetic musical numbers... FULL REVIEW >

The Pop Song
[La Cançó Pop]
dir-scr Raul Portero; with Raul Portero, Joan Carles Suau 21/Sp ****.
Shot in an experimental style, this intimate comedy-drama is a remarkable depiction of the way life impacts friendships. A collection of short, sharp scenes sometimes captured in single long takes, the film is packed with knowing observations. Actor-filmmaker Raul Portero has a terrific eye for detail, infusing moments with knowing wit that balances the deeper emotions. It's a moving, beautifully textured look at powerful feelings everyone can recognise... FULL REVIEW >

The Drowning of Arthur Braxton
dir Luke Cutforth; with James Tarpey, Johnny Vegas 21/UK ***
Delving into the mind of a teen overwhelmed by life, this British drama uses fantasy and horror to add intriguing angles to the story. The film is nicely directed by Like Cutforth, using vivid visual touches to get under the surface of the characters. As a broader mythology begins to take shape, everything gets a bit overwrought, putting perhaps too much spin on the more involving internalised angles... FULL REVIEW >

The Noise of Engines
[Le Bruit des Moteurs]
dir-scr Philippe Gregoire; with Robert Naylor, Tanja Bjork 21/Can ***.
Cleverly shot with a witty, almost absurd sensibility, this bold Canadian drama continually plays with audience perceptions. Writer-director Philippe Gregoire adds a range of twists throughout the story that keep us on our toes, unable to predict where things are headed. And underneath the sometimes nutty surface, the film continually challenges us as it grapples with how officials seem to be determined to know our most personal secrets... FULL REVIEW >

RAINDANCE AWARD WINNERS 2021

• International Feature: MEDUSA
• UK Feature: THE DROWNING OF ARTHUR BRAXTON
• Documentary: WHITE NOISE
• Music Documentary: I'M WANITA
• Director: Luana Bajrami (THE HILL WHERE LIONESSES ROAR)
• Screenplay: Renata Pinheiro, Sergio Olivera, Leo Pyrata (KING CAR)
• Performance: Lucia Moniz (LISTEN)
• Cinematography: Sam Levy (MAYDAY)
• Discovery: Luana Bajrami (THE HILL WHERE LIONESSES ROAR)
• Raindance Icon: Michael Caine

Full reviews of festival films are linked at Shadows' RAINDANCE HOMEPAGE 
For full festival information, visit RAINDANCE FILM FEST 

Raindance: Making movies

The 29th Raindance Film Festival is heading into its final weekend in London, as audiences get a taste of independent films that are often unlikely to turn up in either cinemas or streaming sites. I'm still watching the films online, but have been meeting filmmakers at the House of Raindance social space as well. My usual weekly routine continues amid the festival, so it's covered below. But first a few more Raindance highlights...

The Rossellinis
dir Alessandro Rossellini; with Alessandro Rossellini, Isabella Rossellini 20/It ***.
There's an offhanded honesty to this documentary, in which Alessandro Rossellini explores his sprawling family and the meaning of his famous grandfather's legacy. Key film clips and extensive archival footage are included that tellingly explore layers of family history. But the filmmaker's goal is to reveal stories that have never been told and find the defining factor that keeps him so closely connected to his aunts, uncles and cousins... FULL REVIEW >

King Car [Carro Rei]
dir Renata Pinheiro; with Luciano Pedro Jr, Matheus Nachtergaele 21/Br ***.
Blackly comical and wildly outrageous, this satirical Brazilian thriller plays on the idea that cars have consciousness and would change the world if they could communicate with humanity. While set in the present, filmmaker Pinheiro cleverly evokes a 1980s vibe, including a terrific Christine-meets-Knightrider kick as the story spins into an epic battle against government oppression. And there are several even more bonkers elements to the story as well... FULL REVIEW >

Against the Current
dir Oskar Pall Sveinsson; with Veiga Gretarsdottir, Gretar S Petursson 20/Ice ****
Beautifully shot in spectacular locations, this introspective documentary traces a daring physical challenge. And as a trans woman, Velga Gretarsdottir's life has been full of challenges. The movie doesn't shy away from bleak elements of her life, but it maintains a sense of positivity, facing each obstacle with dignity and tenacity. Filmmaker Oskar Pall Sveinsson keeps the tone earthy and warm, celebrating a woman who has never followed the crowd... FULL REVIEW >

Zip It
dir-scr Anicee Gohar; with Mohanad "Kojak" Aglan, Nabila Yassin 21/Egy ****
This documentary about rising star Egyptian fashion designer Kojak takes on the thorny issue of being a queer artist in the Middle East with openness and honesty. Filmmaker Anicee Gohar vividly captures Kojak's energy and style, including lots of glitter and glamour. Even at just an hour long, this film provides a remarkably complex portrait of a bright young designer who is quietly determined to change his harshly proscriptive culture.

Full reviews of festival films will be linked at Shadows' RAINDANCE HOMEPAGE 
For full festival information, visit RAINDANCE FILM FEST 

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C R I T I C A L    W E E K

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
The Card Counter • Beans
The Beta Test • A Cop Movie
ALL REVIEWS >

Non-festival films I caught up with this week include Chloe Zhao's Marvel epic Eternals, which has a fantastic ensemble cast led by Gemma Chan and some lovely character touches, but is disappointingly dense and effects-laden. Josh O'Connor and Odessa Young are terrific in the British period drama Mothering Sunday, which is unusually sexy for the genre. The British comedy Pirates bristles with energy even if it feels silly. Paolo Sorrentino's The Hand of God is a gorgeously autobiographical coming-of-age drama. And the shorts collection The Male Gaze: Celluloid Dreams features a remarkable set of vintage films about masculinity and sexuality.

This next week, in addition to Raindance films, I'll be watching the reunion sequel Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Almodovar's Parallel Mothers, Ryan Reynolds in Red Notice, Tom Hanks in Finch and Clint Eastwood's Cry Macho.

Raindance: Give us a kiss

The 29th Raindance Film Festival continues to play out around London, showcasing a wide range of truly independent films from around the world. I've mainly been watching virtually this year, although I hope to attend some screenings in-person over the coming days if possible. In the meantime, here are some more highlights...

Miguel's War
dir-scr-prd Eliane Raheb; with Miguel Jelelaty, Eliane Raheb 21/Leb ****
Relentlessly inventive, this lively and often very funny documentary is a snappy portrait of a man who finally feels ready to accept his roots, which stretch in a range of directions. Filmmaker Eliane Raheb cleverly uses interviews, archive footage, hilarious reenactments and animation to reflect Miguel Jelelaty's enormous personality and fascinating journey through life. With constantly surprising touches, the film is hugely entertaining, and powerfully involving too.

A Bird Flew In
dir Kirsty Bell; with Jeff Fahey, Kirsty Bell 21/UK ***.
With a gentle tone that mixes in humour and emotion, this British drama tells several inter-connected lockdown stories. Shot in striking black and white, the film looks great and features a fine eclectic cast. Many scenes are heightened with a poetic sensibility, which adds an artistic touch that's more deliberate and sometimes feels indulgent. But the situations depicted have an involving quality that is easy to identify with.

Listen
dir Ana Rocha De Sousa; with Lucia Moniz, Sophia Myles 20/Por ****
Quietly observational, this astute London-set drama captures the situation for people who are squeezed by a system that claims to offer help but is actually making life horrifically difficult. Director Ana Rocha De Sousa tells the story unflinchingly, allowing the audience to vividly see both the truth and the injustice. And the situation that plays out is utterly unthinkable. So the film carries a powerfully emotional gut punch.

In the Mirror
dir-scr Laila Pakalnina; with Madlena Valdberga, Elza Leimane 20/Lat ***.
With characters filming themselves selfie-style, this black-and-white Latvian satire gives the Snow White fairy tail a snappy spin. The film is a riot of witty touches, played in a deadpan style that never goes for the obvious laugh. Indeed, much of the film is silent, framing social media-style clips as old-time movie scenes. Much of this is properly nuts, so even if the pacing feels uneven, it's always entertaining.

Full reviews of festival films will be linked at Shadows' RAINDANCE HOMEPAGE 
For full festival information, visit RAINDANCE FILM FEST 

Raindance: Get up and go

The 29th Raindance Film Festival heads into its first weekend with a packed programme of independent movies. There's a strong festival vibe at the House of Raindance hub at Charing Cross, with nightly gatherings for filmmakers and press and industry delegates. And the programme of offbeat films always includes some real gems if you look for them. Here are some from the first couple of days, starting with the opening night film...

Best Sellers
dir Lina Roessler; with Michael Caine, Aubrey Plaza 20/Can ***
A snappy comedy centred on a generation gap, this movie is brisk enough to hold the interest, layering bigger ideas under a silly situation. Director Lina Roessler tells the story with a jaunty sensibility that plays on character eccentricities and narrative gimmicks. Little about the plot is unpredictable, but the tension between the characters touches a few nerves. It's also a gentle celebration of the power of literature... FULL REVIEW >

Hating Peter Tatchell
dir-scr Christopher Amos; with Peter Tatchell, Ian McKellen 21/Aus ****
Quick-paced and packed with terrific footage, this documentary traces the life and work of someone who's been called the most disliked man in Britain. Australian-born Peter Tatchell has unapologetically pursued justice on human rights issues, using civil disobedience to protest against wars, oppressive regimes and inequality based on race, gender and sexuality. This is a riveting, intimate, remarkably balanced film that carries a series of urgent kicks... FULL REVIEW >

The Man With the Answers
dir-scr Stelios Kammitsis; with Vasilis Magouliotis, Anton Weil 21/Gr ****
With an understated storytelling style, writer-director Stelios Kammitsis takes the audience on a road trip that meanders engagingly while exploring an unexpected connection between two young men. With its gently loping pace and warm comical touches, film is beautifully shot in lovely locations, sharply capturing the characters' personalities and physicality. And it has a lot to say about the freedom that comes from being honest with yourself and others... FULL REVIEW >

Father of Flies
dir-scr Ben Charles Edwards; with Keaton Tetlow, Page Ruth 21/US ***
Building a queasy sense of unease with disjointed imagery, writer-director Ben Charles Edwards further augments this horror film with cheap filmmaking tricks using music to create jump scares. While the tone is effectively nasty, and there are quite a few superbly chilling moments along the way, the film as a whole feels like a somewhat thin variation on the solid freak-out concept of the wicked stepmother.

Beans
dir Tracey Deer; with Kiawentiio, Rainbow Dickerson 20/Can ****
Recounting an involving story that's set during a 78-day land rights stand-off in 1990 Canada, this involving film skilfully mixes dramatic and documentary elements. Seen through the eyes of an alert child, the story has an earthy resonance that has strong echoes in current conflicts on a range of issues. In addition, writer-director Tracey Deer  infuses the film with autobiographical elements that add insight and unexpected emotions.

Full reviews of festival films will be linked at Shadows' RAINDANCE HOMEPAGE 
For full festival information, visit RAINDANCE FILM FEST 

Critical Week: Scary season

It's Halloween week, so the cinemas are packed out with various kinds of horror movies, including big-budget creep-outs (Antlers, above), stylised arthouse offerings (Last Night in Soho) or down and dirty ones (Chuck Steel). And the 29th Raindance Film Festival has also just kicked off, so I'll get a chance to catch up with some indie movies over the next 10 days. I'll add some festival updates along the way.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
A Cop Movie • Wild Indian
The Souvenir Part II
Cicada • Keyboard Fantasies
ALL REVIEWS >

As for movies I saw this week, Antlers is an atmospheric monster movie from filmmakers Scott Cooper and Guillermo Del Toro, starring Keri Russell. It's sharply well-made, but feels a little thin. Oscar Isaac is excellent in Paul Schrader's provocative drama The Card Counter, a challenging exploration of the tension between revenge and redemption. The British haunted house horror Barun Rai and the House on the Cliff has a riotously arch tone that's entertaining even if it's clumsy. Using stop-motion animation, the riotous action satire Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires is packed with witty touches and knowing gags, even if it's all rather ridiculous. And the Turkish drama Love, Spells & All That is a lovely look at lingering romantic feelings between two women who haven't seen each other in two decades.

In the coming week, I'll be watching Chloe Zhao's Eternals, Josh O'Connor in Mothering Sunday, the British comedy Pirates, Paolo Sorrentino's The Hand of God, the black comedy Decrypted and several Raindance movies.

Raindance: Use your voice

The 28th Raindance Film Festival came to an end this weekend, after making much of its programme available for free online. Although the closing film was cancelled due to England's new lockdown. I managed to see 21 films this year, a slight uptick on previous years, perhaps because all screenings were virtual, but also because this year's festival didn't have the usual clash with London Film Festival. There are four final highlights below, plus this year's award winners. Note that Stardust was the festival's opening film, and Thou Shalt Not Hate is my best of the fest...

Stardust

dir Gabriel Range; with Johnny Flynn, Jena Malone 20/UK ***.

There's a loose, scruffy charm to this biopic about a pivotal moment in David Bowie's life. Shot 1970s-style, and emphasising how tricky it is for a flashy British artist to make it in the United States, the film is likeable and witty, with lively characters and terrific attention to detail. Filmmaker Gabriel Range gets too ambitious with story structure, but this is an involving movie that has a strong impact... FULL REVIEW > 

Thou Shalt Not Hate [Non Odiare]

dir Mauro Mancini; with Alessandro Gassmann, Sara Serraiocco 20/It ****

Skilfully shot and edited, this involving Italian drama takes a complex approach to the rise in right-wing hatred across the world, holding the focus tightly on a very personal story. Director-cowriter Mauro Mancini keeps the tensions simmering all the way through the film, creating suspense over whether this will erupt into a violent clash or a chance for redemption. And the complex emotions gurgling underneath make it darkly involving... FULL REVIEW > 

FOMO Fear of Missing Out

dir Attila Hartung; with Yorgosz Goletsas, Gergely Bouquet 19/Hun ***

Fast and snappy, this heavily pointed Hungarian drama is shot like an MTV show from around 1990, with quick-cut, hand-held scenes of pretty young people at raucous parties. It's also a vicious satire of lad culture that leads to a provocative, unsettling drama about assault. So while the film feels more than a little melodramatic, it's an important topic dealt with in a story that continually challenges accepted attitudes... FULL REVIEW > 

Drag Kids

dir-scr Megan Wennberg; with Stephan Hirst, Jason Kerr 19/Can ****

This observational documentary takes a look at pre-teens who love to perform in drag on-stage. Filmmaker Megan Wennberg follows four children from three countries as they travel to Montreal to perform together at Pride and compete at a ball. This gives the movie a terrific story structure, watching they plan, practice and develop a hilarious camaraderie. They also begin to understand the positive impact of drag culture on global society... FULL REVIEW > 

A W A R D S

• 
  Film of the Festival: NOT TO BE UNPLEASANT BUT WE NEED TO HAVE A SERIOUS TALK
• Spirit of the Festival: THE HAT
• Raindance Icons: Jude Law and Sally Hawkins
• International Feature: FORCE OF HABIT
• UK Feature: HE DREAMS OF GIANTS
• Documentary Feature: THE STATE OF TEXAS VS MELISSA
• Music Documentary: TOPOWA! NEVER GIVE UP
• Discovery Award: Antonio Lukich (MY THOUGHTS ARE SILENT)
• Performance: Johnny Flynn (STARDUST)
• Director: Milcho Manchevski (WILLOW)
• Screenplay: FORCE OF HABIT
• Cinematography: Tim Cragg (THE GREAT GREEN WALL)

NB. My anchor page for Raindance is HERE and all of the full reviews are linked there. And I'll add more over the coming months as I see them.

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.

Raindance: Don't give up

Watching Raindance Film Festival movies is a great tonic as both the US election takes place and London braces for a new month-long lockdown starting tomorrow. All of the films at Raindance are available for free online this year, so hopefully audiences are discovering lots of new movies that will be very difficult to see outside a festival setting. More highlights...

He Dreams of Giants

dir Keith Fulton, Louis Pepe; with Terry Gilliam, Adam Driver 19/UK ****

After documenting Terry Gilliam's ill-fated attempt to make The Man Who Killed Don Quixote in 2002's Lost in La Mancha, Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe are back to cover the film's ultimate production 17 years later. It's a story of artistic tenacity that echoes Cervantes' classic tale of a man on a mission. And it's an intriguing echo of Cervantes himself, who published his masterwork after two decades of struggle... FULL REVIEW > 

Antarctica

dir-scr Keith Bearden; with Chloe Levine, Clea Lewis 20/US **.

With a scattershot approach to teenage life, this loose comedy follows two teens through the school year, confronting big issues from body image to pregnancy. It all feels a bit random, struggling to build momentum without much sense of narrative drive. Filmmaker Keith Bearden takes a deliberately quirky approach, bringing out comedy in both fragile characters and even the most serious situations. And his sense of humour is lacerating.

The Woman With Leopard Shoes

dir-scr Alexis Bruchonl with Paul Bruchon, Pauline Morel 20/Fr ****

Shot in deeply shadowed black and white, this French thriller has a saucy tone that's both gripping and enjoyable. With a strong mystery at the centre, it provides proper intrigue and suspense. The film demonstrates how much can be accomplished with a tiny crew, as ambitious writer-director Alexis Bruchon and family seems to have done pretty everything on a reported budget of just €3,000. And it looks like a million... FULL REVIEW > 

True North

dir-scr Eiji Han Shimizu; voices Joel Sutton, Michael Sasaki 20/Jpn ****

This English-language animated film is certainly not meant for children, as it depicts the horrors of the North Korean prison system. Based on firsthand accounts, the story unfolds in a series of set-pieces that reveal hideous inhumanity. Often painful to watch, this is a terrific example of the kind of movie that can only be made with animation, revealing a truth that very few have lived to tell about... FULL REVIEW > 

NB. My anchor page for Raindance is HERE and full reviews will appear in between these daily blog entries. Much more to come...