London Film Fest: Hang on tight

As we roll into the final weekend of the 63rd London Film Festival, there are a lot of films to catch up with and not much time left. Today, two press screenings I wanted to get into were full, so I saw two alternate movies instead (the results were mixed). And the online links I have for watching other films simply won't stream. So maybe I'll get some free time this evening! Anyway, here are some highlights for Friday...

Ema
dir Pablo Larrain; with Mariana Di Girolamo, Gael Garcia Bernal 19/Chl ****
Deliberately messy, Pablo Larrain's Chilean drama challenges the audience to both take sides and admit that there may not be any sides to take. It's a riveting cinematic journey, packed with moments that are darkly chilling as well as sweetly moving. And even as it follows characters who largely behave like villains, the movie encourages the viewer to identify and sympathise with them, perhaps against our instincts. Not many films can make us think or feel this deeply.

First Love
dir Takashi Miike; with Masataka Kubota, Sakurako Konishi 19/Jpn ***.
It's difficult to imagine another filmmaker who could so effortlessly combine such a relentlessly nasty bloodbath with a warm romantic-comedy. But Takashi Miike makes it work in this bonkers thriller about a chaotic series of clashes between Japanese and Chinese mobsters, all while a sweet love story evolves in between the bullets and flashing swords. It's all a bit messy and frantic, with a lot of characters to keep straight, but it's also hilarious and involving.

Give Me Liberty
dir-scr Mikhanovsky; with Chris Galust, Lauren 'Lolo' Spencer 19/US 1h50 ***
This comedy has vivid characters and subject matter so strong that it becomes hugely important. But the filmmaking itself is exhausting, most notably because the script just won't stop piling chaos upon mayhem. It's definitely a case where less would have said more. But perhaps filmmaker Mikhanovsky does this deliberately, creating such an overwhelming series of events that it can't help but snap viewers out of any complacency.

Burning Cane
dir-scr Phillip Youmans; with Wendell Pierce, Karen Kaia Livers19/US 1h17 **
Clearly a fan of Terrence Malick, writer-director Phillip Youmans began making this drama while he was still in high school. And while the themes and characters show maturity and find some resonance, the film itself never quite comes together. Shot by Youmans himself in deep, impenetrable shadows and edited impressionistically, there are moments of beauty even as scenes drift along, just out of reach of the audience. But the tone is overserious and rather pretentious.

Rare Beasts
dir-scr Billie Piper; with Billie Piper, Leo Bill 19/UK **
Actress Billie Piper turns writer and director for this British drama, which inventively plays with the usual tropes of the romantic-comedy as it spins a complex story. Although ultimately it collapses under the weight of its ambitious approach. Still, it's skilfully shot, and the cast is particularly strong in an intriguing range of playful twists on stereotypes. And the film also carries a solid message about female empowerment, even if it's delivered somewhat awkwardly.

Links:

Shadows LONDON FILM FEST homepage (full reviews will be linked here) 

Official LONDON FILM FEST site 

LFF: Visit the seaside on Day 5

It's been another busy day at the 61st BFI London Film Festival, with a range of unexpected movies. I'm thoroughly enjoying the chance to catch up with both some big titles as well as some smaller films from around the world. Although there are so many mainstream movies in this particular festival that it's sometimes difficult to find time to visit out-of-the-way ones. Anyway, here are some more highlights, including a double dose of the great Isabelle Huppert...

On Chesil Beach
dir Dominic Cooke; with Saoirse Ronan, Billy Howle 17/UK ***.
Author Ian McEwan adapts his own award-winning novel for the big screen, turning it into another beautifully produced story about those things that the English prefer not to talk about. Namely, class and sex. The film is both provocative and moving as it traces a relationship to a pivotal moment, and the two central characters are performed with raw honesty by Saoirse Ronan and Billy Howle.

Last Flag Flying
dir Richard Linklater; with Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston 17/US ****
Richard Linklater pays his respects to The Last Detail in a funny and sensitive road movie that hits the emotions without forcing them. It's neither a sequel nor remake to Hal Ashby's 1973 classic, but there are loud echoes. As the central trio, Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston and Laurence Fishburne create vivid characters, middle-aged war veterans who have something important to say about patriotism and what it means to be a hero.

Pickups
dir Jamie Thraves; with Aidan Gillen, Antonia Campbell-Hughes 17/UK ***
A third improvisational collaboration between Jamie Thraves and Aidan Gillen, this is a playful comedy about a television star who dives into a dark role in an effort to get over his divorce. It's a meandering, relaxed story assembled from a series of lively, witty scenes, some of which tap into some surprisingly disturbing emotions. Parts of the film feel random or indulgently stretched out, but it gets under the skin... FULL REVIEW >

Happy End
dir-scr Michael Haneke; with Isabelle Huppert, Jean-Louis Trintignant 17/Fr ****
This may be as close as we'll ever get to Michael Haneke lightening up. Although even if it's packed with offbeat wit and characters who verge on farce, there's no escaping that this is essentially a comedy about suicidal and murderous urges. Families don't get much more dysfunctional than the one depicted on-screen, and the film also taps into the current economic divide, being a story of the very wealthy in a place known for its population of desperate refugees.

Reinventing Marvin
dir Anne Fontaine; with Finnegan Oldfield, Catherine Salee 17/Fr ***.
The thoughtful story of a young artist's journey to self-expression, this film is sometimes brutally honest about the tension between so-called provincial attitudes and enlightened liberal sensibilities. The film may be in need of some judicial editing, but the material here is resonant and important. And it's also beautifully played by an intriguingly eclectic cast that includes Isabelle Huppert in a witty role as herself... FULL REVIEW >

Blade of the Immortal
dir Takashi Miike; with Takuya Kimura, Hana Sugisaki 17/Jpn ***.
With his tongue firmly in his cheek, Japanese master Takashi Miike brings Hiroaki Samura's manga to life, using a heavy dose of sharp humour to undercut the nonstop grisliness. It's also a remarkably involving story that blurs the lines between good and evil by adding layers of complexity to the characters. It may essentially be a story of revenge with a hint of redemption thrown in, but it's also a classic tale very well told.