31st Flare: Dance the night away

The British Film Institute's 31st Flare heads into its final weekend with a continual stream of receptions, parties, club nights and of course film screenings and events. It's been great to hang out with all of these filmmakers, actors and festival people, but all of these late-night activities aren't the most helpful for a critic who needs to be at a 10am screening each morning! At least the festival only runs for 10 days. And we'll miss it badly when it's gone. Here are more highlights (that's Lucas Andrade and Kelner Macedo, above)...

Body Electric
dir Marcelo Caetano; with Kelner Macedo, Lucas Andrade 17/Br ****
A loose slice of life movie, this Brazilian drama simply follows its young protagonist through a series of everyday situations and interactions. It's a striking representation of a rather normal gay man's life, as he enjoys his budding career, hangs out with friends, indulges in alcohol and sex, and doesn't worry about tomorrow. So without preaching at all, the film has a lot to say.

Miles
dir Nathan Adloff; with Tim Boardman, Molly Shannon 16/US ****
Based on a true story, this charming comedy-drama set in small-town America uses a collection of cleverly written and played characters to explore why it's so important so break out of the box sometimes. It's smart and warm, which makes it both funny and engaging, and filmmaker Nathan Adloff proves that he's also not afraid to generate some honest, dark resonance as well.

Handsome Devil
dir-scr John Butler; with Fionn O'Shea, Nicholas Galitzine 16/Ire ****
From Ireland, this breezy drama tackles some earthy issues as it tells an engaging story about inclusion and boarding school bullying. It's a sharply written film, with bold central characters and some surprisingly strong emotional moments along the way. Along with several pointed comments about the tyranny of sports-obsessed culture, the film carries an important message about finding the courage to be yourself, whatever the cost.

The Ornithologist
dir-scr Joao Pedro Rodrigues; with Paul Hamy, Xelo Cagiao 16/Por **.
This experimental film from Portugal starts promisingly, as it follows a bird-watcher on a trip into a spectacular wilderness. It's an intriguingly internalised odyssey, beautifully shot and played, with tantalising clues about a variety of issues. But as it continues, writer-director Joao Pedro Rodrigues drifts into pretentious metaphorical nuttiness that overwhelms any sense of narrative drama and loses the audience deep in the forest... FULL REVIEW >

Two Soft Things, Two Hard Things 
dir-scr Mark Kenneth Woods, Michael Yerxa; with Jack Anawak, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril 16/Can ***
There's nothing particularly inventive or flashy about this simple little documentary, but the situation it explores is utterly riveting. Centred in an isolated community near the top of the world, the issues the film explores are relevant all over the world, with some big implications for nations still struggling with their response to sexuality in society. And the people who speak to the camera are articulate and compelling.

LFF 5: Stare into the abyss

Amy Adams was on hand to lend some Hollywood glamour to the red carpet for the 60th London Film Festival tonight - with the gala screening of her new film Arrival (pictured above). And she'll be back later in the week for Nocturnal Animals. There are quite a few actors pulling double duty this year, including David Oyelowo and Natalie Portman. Meanwhile, those of us in the ranks of the film journalists are starting to look like the walking dead, as too many movies and too little sleep begins to catch up with us. Here are some highlights from Monday...

Paterson
dir-scr Jim Jarmusch; with Adam Driver, Golshifteh Farahani 16/US ****
Evoking the poetry of William Carlos Williams, this whimsical comedy-drama explores the profundity of everyday details in Williams' hometown of Paterson, New Jersey. Writer-director Jim Jarmusch lets this hilarious story unfold gently, taking the time to soak in the small things that liven up both our seemingly monotonous lives and our seemingly similar personalities.

After the Storm
dir-scr Hirokazu Kore-eda; with Hiroshi Abe, Kirin Kiki 16/Jpn ****
Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda continues his string of gently revelatory dramas with this story about a rather typical modern family. As they explore the connections between them, the characters are pondering the past and the future, and realising that they may need to live in the present if they're ever going to be happy. There are no fireworks in this movie, but Kore-eda's writing and directing are simply beautiful, as always.

Sweet Dreams [Fai Bei Sogni]
dir Marco Bellocchio; with Valerio Mastandrea, Berenice Bejo 16/It **
Italian maestro Marco Bellocchio makes bold movies, and this one feels deeply personal as it explores the very Italian topic of the mother-son bond. It's beautifully shot, with insinuating performances and an ambitious approach to the narrative structure. But it's also oddly over-serious, and the fragmented style of storytelling stubbornly refuses to properly let the audience into the characters' inner lives.

Being 17  [Quand On a 17 Ans] 
dir Andre Techine; with Sandrine Kiberlain, Kacey Mottet Klein 16/Fr ***.
An intriguing teaming of French filmmakers Andre Techine and Celine Sciamma, this drama tackles a series of emotive issues head-on with strong characters and striking honesty. The problem is that it feels like two separate films have been mashed together, so each storyline undercuts the power of the other one. Is this about the challenges of a community doctor whose husband works abroad? Or an edgy romance between two teen outcasts?

The Ornithologist [O Ornitólogo]
dir-scr Joao Pedro Rodrigues; with Paul Hamy, Xelo Cagiao 16/Por **.
This experimental film from Portugal starts promisingly, as it follows a bird-watcher on a trip into a spectacular wilderness. It's an intriguingly internalised odyssey, beautifully shot and played, with tantalising clues about a variety of issues. But as it continues, writer-director Joao Pedro Rodrigues drifts into pretentious metaphorical nuttiness that overwhelms any sense of narrative drama and loses the audience deep in the forest.

And two more films I saw in Venice that are showing here in London: Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner in Arrival and the Italian road movie These Days.