Flare: Men in love

The British Film Institute's 33rd Flare: London LGBTQ+ Film Festival is just past its halfway point, and as always I'm enjoying the mix of provocative movies and great conversations with filmmakers, programmers and other journalists. This is a seriously social festival! And the quality of the films, many of which are difficult to find on a big screen, is very high. Meanwhile, I'm also watching the weekly theatrical releases as they are screened to the press - so the usual Critical Week section is below these Flare highlights...

The Blond One [Un Rubio]
dir-scr Marco Berger; with Gaston Re, Alfonso Baron 19/Arg ****.
As with Marco Berger's other films, this drama captures an easy masculinity that blurs lines of sexuality as a group of fit young men circle around each other. The film is quiet and observational, telling its story in offhanded moments rather than big plot points. It's a strikingly involving, moving exploration of the nature of relationships, transcending the gay genre to explore both deeper human emotions and larger societal issues.

Papi Chulo
dir-scr John Butler; with Matt Bomer, Alejandro Patino 18/US ***.
Irish filmmaker John Butler traces an offbeat friendship in this engaging comedy-drama, which takes a turn that adds a complex exploration of a deep theme. It's a charming story with intriguing characters who interact in honest, messy ways. So while the events in the movie sometimes tip over the top, the story and characters remain easy to identify with... FULL REVIEW >

Tucked
dir-scr Jamie Patterson; with Derren Nesbitt, Jordan Stephens 18/UK ****
Warm and moody, this British drama has an earthy honesty to it that's instantly engaging. It's the story of an offbeat, unlikely friendship, but filmmaker Jamie Patterson resists the usual cheap humour or sentimentality. Instead, each belly laugh is tinged with prickly emotion. And it's remarkable that the film maintains a sense of cheeky optimism even in the story's intensely moving darker moments. Packed with surprises, it's well worth seeking out... FULL REVIEW >

Nevrland
dir-scr Gregor Schmidinger; with Simon Fruhwirth, Paul Forman 19/Aut ****
First-time Austrian filmmaker Gregor Schmidinger demonstrates his love of film history with a psychological thriller that stylistically echoes masters from Cocteau to Kubrick to Noe. Digging deeply into the mental state of the protagonist, this bold and involving film can't help but unnerve the audience as it drags us down a psychedelic rabbit hole that involves suppressed sexuality, a nervous disposition and serious daddy issues.

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C R I T I C A L   W E E K 

There were a pair of big screenings of animated movies, starting with Disney's live-action revamp of the classic Dumbo, a lively, engaging film that maintains some of Tim Burton's quirky sensibilities. It was also my first visit to the newly revamped Odeon Leicester Square, London's largest cinema which is now full of comfy recliners. British voice cast members Joe Sugg and Caspar Lee introduced the screening of Wonder Park, a frantic adventure with a terrific premise but little in the way of story, pace or message. And Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn star in Dragged Across Concrete, the latest genre-buster from S Craig Zahler, which is sharply well made, entertaining and jaw-droppingly nasty, but about twice as long as it needed to be.

This coming week's non-festival screenings include the superhero romp Shazam, the Stephen King remake Pet Sematary and the Aretha Franklin doc Amazing Grace.

Venezia74: Flying the flag on Day 3

The weather shifted here on the Lido with an extended series of thunderstorms in the middle of the night, which left the Venice Film Festival rather drippy and wet for most of the day, a drastic change after the sunshine of the previous two days. There was also a shift in the films, from the thematically overheated to more overwhelmingly emotional adventures. Here's what I saw today, including one film that will surely be among my best of the whole year...

Brawl in Cell Block 99
dir-scr S Craig Zahler; with Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Carpenter 17/US 2h12 ****
After infusing the Western with horrific new life in 2015's Bone Tomahawk, S Craig Zahler is back with a thunderous reinvention of the prison movie. Set in the present day but playing out like a 1970s exploitation thriller, this increasingly grisly story unfolds with choreographed precision, grinding the audience into its emotional depths with several genuinely hideous plot turns. And it's anchored by a superbly thoughtful/fierce performance from Vince Vaughn.

Lean on Pete
dir-scr Andrew Haigh; with Charlie Plummer, Steve Buscemi 17/US *****
There's an unusual depth of character to this finely crafted odyssey about a teen who hits the road in a last-gasp effort to find some semblance of hope in his life. While there's plenty of potential for bleakness, writer-director Andrew Haigh instead infuses the film with warmth and honesty, facing the darkest moments head-on as the only way to get through them. It's an extraordinarily tough story told with a light touch that brings the viewer right into the journey

Our Souls at Night
dir Ritesh Batra; with Jane Fonda, Robert Redford 17/US ***.

In addition to screening their new film,
Redford and Fonda are receiving
a special award here in Venice.

Gentle and never pushy, this homespun drama spins a love story between two people who are pushing 80. Although it might be a little unrealistic, since they're played by perhaps the fittest 79 and 81 year-olds on earth: Jane Fonda and Robert Redford. Both actors easily reignite their on-screen chemistry, adding character details that give the film a strong emotional kick. It's all a bit cozy, but it touches on some sharper-edged themes.

Tainted Souls [Il Contagio]
dir Matteo Botrugno, Daniele Coluccini; with Vinicio Marchioni, Maurizio Tesei 17/It **.
This ambitious multi-character drama takes aim at several potent issues plaguing Italian society, from organised crime and drug abuse to the machismo that leaves men too proud to get a job. But the film's tone is all over the place, veering from quirky comedy to gruelling nightmare, more like a melodramatic TV series than a feature film. And the characters feel equally uneven as they look for happiness in all the wrong places.