SXSW London: Free your mind

The inaugural SXSW London festival as been fascinating to explore, with so many spaces around Shoreditch being used for exhibitions, music gigs, conferences and films. Being the first year, there were the usual teething problems with crowds, confusing queuing systems, ticketing issues, transport problems and so on. But the sheer quantity of arts on display will leave people looking forward to more. The festival wrapped up tonight with the UK premiere of The Life of Chuck, based on the Stephen King story. And another King novel, The Institute, is the basis for a new TV series that held its world premiere at the festival this year. It was fun to attend that, and to get a chance to chat at the afterparty with actors Ben Barnes, Mary-Louise Parker, Joe Freeman (above), Fionn Laird and Simone Miller, plus director Joe Bender (Lost). The show is creepy and cleverly put together to pull the audience in tightly. Meanwhile, I've also been watching more movies...

The Life of Chuck

dir-scr Mike Flanagan; with Tom Hiddleston, Jacob Tremblay 24/US ***.

Based on Stephen King's novella, this ambitious drama takes its inspiration from Walt Whitman's line "I am large, I contain multitudes" as it explores identity and mortality. Writer-director Mike Flanagan amps up the sentiment, aided by a proscriptive Newton Brothers score. And deliberately artificial elements undermine the inventive storytelling. Even so, the film is packed with powerfully involving moments and terrific characters sharply played by a solid cast... FULL REVIEW >

Plainclothes
dir-scr Carmen Emmi; with Tom Blyth, Russell Tovey 25/US ****
Inventively shot and edited to give the viewer an internalised perspective, this intense but also warmly observational film explores a pivotal moment in a young man's life. Mixing romance, family drama and a coming out story, writer-director Carmen Emmi uses extreme closeups, kaleidoscopic editing and various film and video formats to add a tactile kick to an already pungent narrative. So it's both involving and very sexy.

The Old Woman With the Knife
dir Min Kyu-dong; with Lee Hye-yeong, Kim Sung-cheol 25/Kor ***
A messy swirl of revenge and regret, this Korean action thriller is packed with vivid characters and superb set-pieces. But the plot is a bit loose on connective tissue, leaving many questions unanswered. As a result, character motivation begins to feel somewhat blurry, which makes it tricky to fully invest in the story. That said, it's sharply well-directed by Min Kyu-dong and played with plenty of emotional spark.

Love & Rage: Munroe Bergdorf
dir Olivia Cappuccini; with Munroe Bergdorf, Reece King 25/UK ****
In recounting the life of the British model, author and activist, much of this documentary feels like the fairly standard journey of a trans woman. But Munroe Bergdorf's story has taken several unexpected turns. In this empowering film, she honestly speaks about her notoriously confrontational relationship with the media. While tracing dark situations unflinchingly, director Olivia Cappuccini adeptly captures this smart, articulate, fierce woman and her passion for justice.

Toro
dir-scr Rocco Di Mento; with Rocco Di Mento, Angelo Caruso 25/Ger ****
With this funny and warmly insightful autobiographical documentary, Italian filmmaker Rocco Di Mento takes a voyage of self-discovery relating to the picture of masculinity instilled in him as a child. The result is a complex, thought-provoking journey into manliness, unearthing some deeply personal issues that make the film universally resonant. Most intriguing is a depiction of machismo as something far more textured than we usually see on screen.

Full reviews are coming, and will be linked to Shadows' SXSW LONDON PAGE >

SXSW London: Lose yourself

The first SXSW London festival kicked off on Monday night with the world premiere of the Eminem fan doc Stans, and it runs through the week until Saturday with a rather blinding range of music gigs, panel discussions, talks, events and, yes, films. They've packed rather a lot into these six days, using venues scattered across East London, with Shoreditch as the epicentre. I also attended a panel this week, hosted by the Golden Globes, exploring the global nature of storytelling. Participants came from Britain, Turkey and Ukraine, and there was a strong interaction with the audience in attendance, talking about what kinds of stories resonate beyond cultural barriers. I'll also be attending a TV series premiere this week, and several more movies. Here are three film highlights so far...

Stans 
dir-scr Steven Leckart; with Eminem, Dr Dre 25/US ****
Rather than tracing the artist's career or personal life, this documentary explores the interaction between Eminem and his most earnest fans, noting that the term "stan" was coined from his eponymous 2000 hit. This approach makes the film unusually intimate, highlighting how music connects into deeper issues. And because Eminem's music is so soul-baring, it has an unusual resonance that can silence critics who don't quite get it.

Cactus Pears
dir-scr Rohan Parashuram Kanawade; with Bhushaan Manoj, Suraaj Suman 25/Ind ****.

Hushed and observational, this beautifully shot Indian drama focusses on a 30-year-old gay man who has escaped his home culture but is now is forced to make peace with it. Packed with local traditions and interpersonal details, the film is powerfully involving as writer-director Rohan Parashuram Kanawade continually finds unexpected layers of resonance. And in a skilfully low-key way, the film offers a strong sense of hope.

Cielo
dir-scr Alberto Sciamma; with Fernanda Gutierrez Aranda, Fernando Arze Echalar 25/Bol ****

Gorgeously shot in spectacular mountain landscapes populated by lively characters, this Bolivian drama opens with a beautiful but darkly disturbing sequence that opens with a young girl swallowing a fish. With vibrant colours, writer-director Alberto Sciamma infuses this fable with offbeat magical realism, pulling us into an odyssey that is packed with moments that are touching, provocative and wonderfully funny.

Full reviews are coming, and will be linked to Shadows' SXSW LONDON PAGE >

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C R I T I C A L  W E E K

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
The Life of Chuck 
Dangerous Animals • Mountainhead
ALL REVIEWS >

Alongside the festival, I also watched Ana de Armas in the John Wick spinoff Ballerina. It's slickly well-made and entertaining, but oddly unsurprising. Natalie Portman and John Krasinski make an engaging duo in the comical adventure Fountain of Youth. It's a lot of fun, but there's not much to it. Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells star in the black comedy I Don't Understand You, which is enjoyable but never quite bridges the gap between silliness and nastiness.

This coming week I'll be watching the live-action(ish) remake of How to Train Your Dragon, Kerry Washington in Shadow Force, Jonathan Groff in A Nice Indian Boy, the reimagined pop musical Juliet & Romeo and the drama Franklin. I'll also attend the premiere of the third season of Squid Game and the dance show Inside Giovanni's Room.