Critical Week: Winter is coming

Yes, the weather has taken a turn in London, still sunny but much colder, perfect weather for going to the cinema. And holiday movies are starting to turn up as well. But I also saw a few big movies this past week, including House of Gucci, which stars Lady Gaga and Adam Driver in a soapy story of conniving and murder, and it's all true. It's also hugely entertaining. Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem play Lucy and Ricky in Being the Ricardos, Aaron Sorkin's smart and pointedly topical drama set around the landmark 1950s sitcom. It's rivetingly well-made, and a lot of nostalgic fun too. 

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
Encanto • House of Gucci
Annette • Rebel Dykes
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There were also two big animated features: Disney's Encanto is a charming, beautifully crafted bit of magic set in Colombia, while Sing 2 carries on the hilarious music-based antics of a group of animals as they take their show to the big time. I saw two British holiday-themed films: Aml Ameen's Boxing Day is a clever blend of traditional London romcom with a sharp depiction of the city's vibrant Caribbean subculture, while Silent Night is a black comedy starring Keira Knightley with a remarkably dark end-of-the-world edge to it. Less enjoyable was the sentimental drama Not to Forget, although its cast features ace Oscar-winning veterans Louis Gossett Jr, Cloris Leachman, Tatum O'Neal and Olympia Dukakis.

This coming week I'll be watching Javier Bardem in The Good Boss, Colin Firth in Operation Mincemeat, Noomi Rapace in Lamb, Stellan Skarsgard in Hope, the coming-of-age drama I Am Syd Stone and the Turkish drama Beyto.

Critical Week: Rock the block

With summer weather finally arriving in Britain (we basically skipped spring this year), it's tricky for us to go back to the newly reopened cinemas or spend time outside in the sunshine. But it's been too long since we were able to watch movies! My screenings this week included In the Heights, the film of Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical celebrating New York's Caribbean subculture. It's exuberant and fun, and has a terrific cast. But the songs felt a bit thin to me. And both Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson are back for a third go-round with the supernatural in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, a genuinely creepy thriller about demonic possession based on a true story. That narrative is somewhat watered down by rather a lot of effective movie nonsense.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Sublet • The Father
The Dose • Ellie and Abbie
To the Ends of the Earth
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The British comedy-thriller School's Out Forever is a fresh but over-violent take on the genre, as teens go into military mode following a deadly pandemic. From Australia, Ellie & Abbie (and Abbie's Dead Aunt) is a charming romantic comedy about teen girls in love, with an added witty ghost. Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman's It Must Be Heaven is a serious charmer, a surreal trip from Nazareth to Paris to New York packed with witty and very pointed observations. From Japan, To the Ends of the Earth is an offbeat and very likeable odyssey for a confused young TV host on location in Uzbekistan. And the riveting Swedish documentary The Most Beautiful Boy in the World follows the life of actor Bjorn Andresen following his explosion onto the world scene in Visconti's Death in Venice.

This next week I have a screening of the sequel Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, plus review links to watch include Disney's animated adventure Luca, Willem Dafoe in Lansky, the spy thriller The Serpent and the comedy Untitled Horror Movie.