Critical Week: A star is born

As we approach Oscar weekend, there is always a flurry of activity in trying to predict the possible winners. And it's great that this year's race seems much more up in the air than usual. So I'm rooting for some surprises (and I'll post predictions as usual on Saturday). Meanwhile, there have been more new movies to watch, including the finely produced British biopic Mr Burton, which recounts the early days of Richard Burton (played by Harry Lawtey, above) and his English teacher mentor Philip Burton (Toby Jones). Another British true story is set off the Scottish coast: Last Breath is a taut thriller adaptation of the nailbiting 2019 documentary about deep-sea divers (Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu and Finn Cole) caught in a terrifying situation. 

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
The Last Showgirl • Chang'An
The Summer With Carmen
My Dead Friend Zoe
Superboys of Maleagon
ALL REVIEWS >

Taking on the finale of Homer's Odyssey (and perhaps offering a preview for Christopher Nolan's forthcoming epic), The Return stars Ralph Fiennes as Odysseus, arriving home in Ithaca to find chaos presided over by his faithful wife Penelope (Juliette Binoche). It's rivetingly played and a bit stagey. One of Them Days is a very silly but strongly engaging comedy starring Keke Palmer and SZA as best pals on a momentous day in their Los Angeles neighbourhood. Bruno Dumont's The Empire is a wacky alien invasion thriller disguised as an edgy social satire, set in an offbeat French seaside village. And the Georgian drama April follows a doctor on her illicit rounds with audacious visual and thematic style and bizarrely indulgent flourishes.

This coming week I'll be watching Robert Pattinson in Mickey 17, John Lithgow in The Rule of Jenny Pen, Bruce LaBruce's new film The Visitor, the drama Throuple, the animated adventure Giants of La Mancha and the documentary Riefenstahl.

Critical Week: Everybody wants to rule the world

While the television is covered with major sporting events at the moment, the gloomy weather is driving people into the cinemas. And there are plenty of things worth seeing. As usual, I'm a bit ahead of the pack on many of the films I saw this week. But I never heard about a press screening for Despicable Me 4, so I bought a ticket and was happy to find it the best in the franchise so far. It's still fast and blissfully nutty, but there's a smart edge to it this time. I also caught the British animated adventure Kensuke's Kingdom, based on the beloved Michael Morpugo novel about a young boy stranded on an almost deserted island. It's beautifully designed and well-written.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Sisi & I • Problemista
Despicable Me 4
Fly Me to the Moon
ALL REVIEWS >

In live-action, there was Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum subtly falling for each other in the Apollo 11 comedy-drama Fly Me to the Moon, which is colourful and very charming. Jacques Audiard's new film Emilia Perez won multiple prizes at Cannes, notably for the staggering central performances in a bold, moving story about violence and transformation. Sandra Huller is as terrific as always in Sisi & I, as the handmaiden to the Austrian empress; the film is witty, inventive and involving. The Korean horror Sleep begins as a sharply well-made light drama about sleep-walking before turning genuinely freaky. And from Iran, My Favourite Cake is a warm and hugely involving late-in-life romance with a big emotional kick. On stage, I attended the opening cabaret of this month's London Clown Festival at Soho Theatre and Dorian: The Musical at Southwark Playhouse.

This coming week I'll be watching Glen Powell in Twisters, Saoirse Ronan in The Outrun, June Squibb in Thelma and the British drama Chuck Chuck Baby, plus two stage shows: National Youth Dance Company at Sadler's Wells and more of Jack Tucker at Soho Theatre.

Critical Week: Keep an eye out

Battling an eight-hour jetlag from Seoul, I dove straight back into action with screenings and deadlines here in London. It'll take awhile before I feel normal, but I'm getting there. And it's nice to have some intriguing films to fill the space between blockbusters. For example, Shortcomings is a terrific comedy with a superb Asian-American perspective, starring Justin H Lin and Sherry Cola as friends grappling with their own flaws as they seek romance. And then there's Tom Cruise's seventh franchise entry Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, a thunderously entertaining action thriller that holds the attention for nearly three hours with epic stuntwork and a knotted if absurd plot. From Germany, the drama Afire astutely explores the artistic sensibility in an offbeat tale set in a holiday home next to a forest on fire. And from Belgium, Easy Tiger is an almost silent drama about a man trying to work out his own nature.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
The Damned Don't Cry
Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning
Afire • Amanda
Name Me Lawand • Easy Tiger
ALL REVIEWS >

I saw five films on four flights halfway around the world: Return to Seoul is a gorgeous drama about a Korean-American girl trying to come to grips with her ethnic identity; Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson team up for the corny but enjoyable action comedy The Man From Toronto; Adam Driver finds himself in Earth's distant past in the derivative but enjoyable dinosaur thriller 65; a Spanish water polo team battles trite internal rivalries as they head to a rousing gold-medal Olympic match in The Final Game; plus a revisit to a favourite musical Hairspray. Back in London, I also attended the lively press night for Sh!t-Faced Shakespeare: Much Ado About Nothing.

Coming up this next week are Margot Robbie in Greta Gerwig's Barbie, Cillian Murphy in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus in You Hurt My Feelings, Greta Lee in Joy Ride, the thriller The Dive and the docs Kokomo City and Bobi Wine: The People's President. I'll also attend a couple of events at Sadler's Wells Flamenco Festival (reviews here soon).

Screen: June TV Roundup

This is the time of year when we vote in TV awards, and I'm still making my own shortlists before submitting my nominations for the Dorian Awards. This has meant catching up with various shows, and there will be more to watch once the nominations are announced. But I always enjoy watching an episode or two between movies. And the past two months have featured several terrific new shows, a lot of returning series and three high-profile final seasons...

A L L   T H I N G S   M U S T   E N D

Ted Lasso: series 3 
This season of the almost painfully loveable show feels rather darker and more intense than usual, sending Ted and his cohorts on a rollercoaster journey. Few shows have stronger story arcs for each of their central characters, and several of these episodes are simply sublime (the Amsterdam one is a masterpiece). While some side roles feel a bit cursory, at least they allow the scripts to touch on big themes without too much preaching. And the way Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein and the whole ensemble brought their characters full-circle was lovely to watch. (Apple)

Succession:
series 4  
Jesse Armstrong's riotously hard-edged series reaches its operatic climax with the long-promised death of imperious patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox), which escalates the scramble for, yes, succession. These episodes have densely entangled grief with desperate power-grabbing on so many levels that it's almost overwhelming to watch. Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook and Matthew Macfadyen are the most powerful players of this season, with staggeringly layered characters who are painful to watch as they squirm. But it's also impossible to look away. The interrelationships are brilliantly played. (HBO)

The Marvelous Mrs Maisel: series 5
More rapid-fire than ever, this furiously busy comedy feels more focussed in on Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) for this final season, thankfully leaving plotlines for the side characters to gurgle in the margins. And Midge is funnier than ever. Along with the revelatory flash-forwards, this season has a remarkable sense of momentum, catching the passage of time in scenes that sometimes get a bit too goofy. Each character takes his or her own journey along the way, with particularly lovely textures between Midge and Susie (Alex Borstein), a relationship that becomes the core through-line for the entire series. (Amazon)

T H E Y ’ R E   B A C K

Dave: series 3 
Somehow still under the radar, this show gets deeper and more powerful with each season, intelligently exploring meaning in life through the lens of offbeat musician Dave Burd. These shows hinge on his search for true love, and the scripts tackle enormous issues with insight, creating an unflinching discussion that grapples with everything from sex to religion. Burd's performance feels effortless, but is packed with nuance. There's a delightful range of A-list guest stars riffing on their own experiences with celebrity. And Burd's witty songs become more knowingly pointed with each episode. (FX)

Schmigadoon: series 2
To energise to their childless marriage, Josh and Melissa (Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong) try to return to the magical musical land, but instead end up in Schmicago, which draws inspiration from gloomier 1960s and 1970s musicals. The returning cast includes Kristen Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Ariana DeBose and Aaron Tveit in new roles, plus the fabulous Titus Burgess as the narrator. While the producers seriously miss a trick by using a Patti LuPone impersonator instead of the real thing, these six episodes again feature wonderful pastiche Broadway numbers and a thin but likeable storyline. (Apple)

Shadow and Bone: series 2
The fantasy premise put me off initially, but friends encouraged me to catch up for the second season, and I'm glad I did. Less dense than Game of Thrones but equally well-realised, this show is populated by sparky rogue characters who are easy to identify with. They're also played with humour and quirky energy by a largely unknown cast. The plotlines are the usual mix of action chaos, sinister machinations and romantic yearning, but they're also surprisingly complex for a show like this. And the production design is also first-rate, with above-average effects. Looking forward to more. (Netflix)

S O M E T H I N G   N E W

Jury Duty
This exhilaratingly clever reality series is a jaw-dropping experiment on human nature, as one normal guy (Ronald Gladden) is surrounded by actors in a fake courtroom trial, constantly pushed into moral dilemmas to see if he will emerge as a hero. It's a stroke of genius to have James Marsden play a riotously heightened version of himself. The cast and crew are terrific at improvising around Gladden, the only person who doesn't know that there's a script. Rather a lot of footage has been edited into eight brisk, entertaining episodes. And what it reveals makes it a must-see. (Prime)

Queen Charlotte:
A Bridgerton Story
Shamelessly entertaining, this lavishly produced spin-off takes real elements from the life of Charlotte and George III and adds plenty of fiction. The cast is excellent at bridging the gap between the two, cleverly blending present-day sensibilities in a 18th century setting, plus flash-forwards to Bridgerton's Lady Whistledown era. Most intriguing is how Shonda Rhimes weaves a gentle exploration of mental illness into the plot, taking a new look at King George's legendary "madness". This adds some proper emotional resonance, as well as some challenging themes amid the watchable romance. (Netflix)

Bupkis 
While mixing in some thinly veiled fiction, Pete Davidson dramatises his own life in this sometimes astonishingly honest comedy-drama. With Edie Falco as his mother and Joe Pesci as his grandfather, plus a continual parade of A-list costars, everything here feels exaggerated for comical but pointed effect. But there's also the sense that some things have been toned down, perhaps for legal reasons. It's a superbly assembled show, eager to unsettle the audience in all kinds of provocative ways. And Davidson's performance is almost startlingly raw, offering an unusually clear-eyed view of celebrity. (Peacock)

White House Plumbers 
Based on the astonishing true story behind the Watergate break-in, pretty much everything in this series feels stranger than fiction. Events are recounted with a freewheeling slapstick sensibility, as swaggering ex-CIA operative Howard Hunt (Woody Harrelson) teams up with trigger-happy ex-FBI nutcase Gordon Liddy (Justin Theroux) to orchestrate a series of "dirty tricks" to guarantee Richard Nixon's re-election in 1972. The things they do are shocking, revealing deep-seated bigotries and a callous disregard for democracy. Playing this for laughs sometimes feels horrific, but it's hugely entertaining. (HBO)

Mrs Davis 
A bonkers premise and wildly ridiculous visual panache keeps this action-comedy enjoyably unpredictable. It centres around nun Simone (Betty Gilpin), who is avoiding contact with Mrs Davis, the pervasive artificial intelligence that has achieved world peace. And now Mrs Davis wants Simone to take her down by, well, finding and destroying the Holy Grail. It's utterly nuts, but has an eerie resonance in the characters' quirky spiritual yearnings. Performances from the entire ensemble are terrific, including Jake McDorman, Elizabeth Marvel, Ben Chaplin and the great Margot Martindale. (Peacock)

The Big Door Prize 
For some reason, the title of this comedy-drama never reveals itself. This is a warmly engaging comedy about a small town populated by eccentrics who are thrown off balance by an arcade game that presents you with your true life purpose. The solid ensemble cast, led by Chris O'Dowd, creates charmingly offbeat characters who are amusingly entangled with each other. And the way everyone begins to change is fascinating, because the machine's pronouncements are cleverly enigmatic. But the show builds the mystery without answering anything in 10 episodes, leaving it hanging for a potential season 2. (Apple)

Citadel 
Clearly designed to launch a franchise, this globe-hopping adventure is mindless fun that patches together spy movie elements with little connective logic. Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Stanley Tucci and Lesley Manville are on peak form in a tale of amnesia, double-crossing, world-domination, and so forth. It's flatly ridiculous but plays out with a straight face, so you either have to give up or go with it. International locations add textures, and seductive actors make it worth the ride, most notably Tucci and Manville in rare intense roles, plus the dashing Madden auditioning for Bond. (Amazon)

GUILTY PLEASURES: Queer Eye, Britain's Got Talent, Selling Sunset, RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, I Kissed a Boy.

NOW WATCHING: Fubar, The Other Two (3), I Think You Should Leave (3), Never Have I Ever (4).

COMING SOON: The Crowded Room, Based on a True Story, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2), And Just Like That (2), The Bear (2), Black Mirror (6).

Previous roundup: APRIL 2023 >

Critical Week: We will rock you

With Oscar night on Sunday, all eyes are on how Hollywood wraps up this year's surprisingly unpredictable season. There are very few sure winners for this ceremony, so let's hope for lots of upsets. My predictions will be posted on Saturday as usual. Meanwhile, movies keep arriving in cinemas. Woody Harrelson has a lot of fun in the inspiring remake Champions, about a lively young basketball team. Yes, it's full predictable, but director Bobby Farrelly adds some spark. Scream VI takes the franchise to New York for another meta-horror with comical touches. This one's unusually grisly, and also sometimes properly scary. And there's also the clumsy horror pastiche Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, set up as a sequel to the iconic tale. Except that this is mindlessly misogynistic and sadistic.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom
Lonesome • Sound of Silence
PERHAPS AVOID:
Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey
ALL REVIEWS >

Further afield is Norwegian filmmaker Bent Hamer's offbeat Canadian drama The Middle Man, a stylised story about grief that's moving but rather bleak. Lola is a fiendishly inventive British thriller about two sisters in 1941 who build a device that receives future broadcasts, changing their lives and then some. Also inventive, Italian ghost story Sound of Silence is packed with visual panache, although the story feels thin. From Australia, Lonesome is a powerfully honest drama about a runaway who makes a connection in the big city. And the documentary Brainwashed astutely explores the impact of the gender-bias that's ingrained in moviemaking. It should be essential viewing at film school.

Films this coming week include the superhero sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in 80 for Brady, Alec Baldwin in Supercell, Mike Faist in Pinball and the British drama Rye Lane. There's also The Stroll, the opening night film at BFI Flare, plus three theatre press nights (reviews here soon).

LFF: Own the night

It's odd to experience the 66th London Film Festival from the outside, after 28 years covering it as accredited press. I'm seeing as many films as usual, but the process is far less stressful, as I'm working with distributors and publicists who invite me to screenings, rather than queuing up for early morning press shows. It's still very busy, but it's remarkable how less stressful it is when you see whatever you can and don't worry about anything else. This has also provided some nice surprises this year so far. Here's another bunch of highlights...

Empire of Light
dir-scr Sam Mendes; with Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward 22/UK ****
Writer-director Sam Mendes packs perhaps too much into this personal 1980s drama. Infused with a love of cinema, the film's central storyline also takes on loneliness, racism, sexual harassment and mental illness. It's rather a lot for such a warmly beautiful film, but if any actress can bridge all of this material together it's Olivia Colman, who radiates emotional resonance that brings focus to each theme and makes this well worth a look.

Utama
dir-scr Alejandro Loayza Grisi; with Jose Calcina, Luisa Quispe 22/Bol ****
The title of this Bolivian drama is the Quechua word for "our home". Set in the highlands, it focusses on the details of life for an elderly couple that is grappling with an extended drought. Writer-director Alejandro Loayza Grisi assembles this in a documentary style, creating a vivid depiction of the local culture. It's a gorgeous slice of life with properly momentous undertones.

Rodeo
dir-scr Lola Quivoron; with Julie Ledru, Yannis Lafki 22/Fr ***
Diving headlong into a subculture, this French drama spirals around a young woman who is obsessed with riding off-road motorbikes in street gangs. There's little context to the characters or situations, and the script's plot feels rather over-familiar as it develops a series of moral conundrums. But writer-director Lola Quivoron blasts energy through each scene, which makes the film feel urgent and involving. And biker-turned-actress Julie Ledru has terrific screen presence.

And four films I saw previously...

Triangle of Sadness
dir-scr Ruben Ostlund; with Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean 22/Swe ****
Another lively provocation from Swedish filmmaker Ruben Ostlund, this pitch-black comedy overflows as big ideas are laced through an ambitiously epic tale. It's an exploration of the divisive nature of class, gender, race, disability and language. And as the plot spirals through its pointed chapters, the film can also be seen as a social media parable. It's messy, but the way it challenges the viewer is also exhilarating... FULL REVIEW >

The Whale
dir Darren Aronofsky; with Brendan Fraser, Hong Chau 22/US ***.
Based on Samuel Hunter's play and retaining a stagey claustrophobia, this pointed drama is unusually contained for Darren Aronofsky. It's about how people impact each other for good and bad, and is likely to divide viewers along lines of optimism and cynicism. Although few will be able to resist a startlingly winning performance from Brendan Fraser, even from within an enormous fat suit. And the deeper ideas strike a nerve... FULL REVIEW >

Butterfly Vision
dir Maksym Nakonechnyi; with Rita Burkovska, Liubomyr Valivots 22/Ukr ****
Beautifully observed with a sharp attention to detail, this Ukrainian film is packed with powerful issues but plays out matter-of-factly, without exaggerated melodrama. Set during Russia's long campaign in Donbas, before this year's invasion, the film is less timely than timeless, with scenes that are packed with complex issues and personal nuance. And as it takes on bigger ideas, this clear-eyed but over-serious film becomes often unnervingly resonant... FULL REVIEW >

The Damned Don't Cry [Les Damnés Ne Pleurent Pas]
dir-scr Fyzal Boulifa; with Aicha Tebbae, Abdellah El Hajjouji 22/Mor ****
Grounded and earthy, this Moroccan drama finds resonance in a complex relationship between a woman and her teen son. It's the kind of film in which the audience must work to discover deeper truths about the events depicted. The premise feels bracingly realistic, impossible to predict as it cycles through events that are hopeful and darkly troubling. And this authenticity in the story and characters bravely takes on the system... FULL REVIEW >

All London Film Festival reviews, once they're uploaded, will be linked to SHADOWS' LFF PAGE >

Critical Week: A pie in the face

I caught up with a bunch of films opening this week in the US and UK, including some high-profile ones. Written by Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy is an autobiographical drama about the actor's relationship with his father (whom he plays on-screen). It's seriously gorgeous filmmaking. Last Christmas is a holiday comedy-romance from Paul Feig and Emma Thompson, starring (cool casting alert!) Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding. It's charming, funny and ultimately thoughtful. The Good Liar is a guilty pleasure about two old folks (Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren) caught up in a con. The wobbly plot is fun, riding on the actors' charisma. Roland Emmerich directs Midway, an entertaining special-effects action adventure about the pivotal WWII battle, with a strong cast manfully grappling with wooden dialog. And the animated feature Klaus looks a little too digital, but its derivative Christmas origin story is told with spiky humour and some enjoyable twists.

In the arthouse department, Terrence Malick's latest wonder is A Hidden Life, based on a true story, so it has a more forceful narrative than his films usually do, even with minimal dialog. It's the powerful story of a man who quietly stood by his principles in Austria under Nazi rule. From Senegal, Atlantics is a haunting drama about a young woman in love with the wrong guy. And it has a supernatural wrinkle that deepens its themes. From Ecuador, The Longest Night (La Mala Noche) could have been a cliched tale of a hooker with a heart of gold, but it becomes much more than that with its gritty plot and complex characters. And there's a restored rerelease for the 1985 drama Buddies, a beautifully made story of friendship that was one of the first films to address the Aids epidemic.

This coming week is another collection of contenders and other releases, including Greta Gerwig's new take on Little Women, Cynthia Erivo in Harriet, the Hamlet riff Ophelia, the British black comedy Kill Ben Lyk, the dance-musical Romeo & Juliet: Beyond Words, and the acclaimed doc For Sama. I also have a few stage shows to watch, just for some fresh air!

Critical Week: Long live the king

In in recovery mode following the London Film Festival, but that also means catching up with movies that are coming to normal cinemas. One of these is Zombieland: Double Tap, screened quite late to the critics just a few days before it opens. It's a lot of fun - a guilty pleasure sequel that reteams the original cast and adds some hilarious new characters. By contrast, the sequel Maleficent: Mistress of Evil has superb actors (both returning and new ones) but has such a terrible script that it would be unwatchable without Disney's amazing visual effects extravaganza.

Ken Loach is on fine ranting form with Sorry We Missed You, taking on zero-contract jobs with a terrific fresh-faced British cast. The Danish drama Sons of Denmark is a harrowing trawl into the life of a cop infiltrating Muslim fanatics and, more terrifyingly, nationalist racists. And the sunshiny drama The Third explores the life of a three-way relationship in Palm Springs, maintaining a balance of light romance and very dark drama. And there was also this doc, which I'd missed at LFF...

Mystify: Michael Hutchence
dir-scr Richard Lowenstein
with Michael Hutchence, Bono, Kylie Minogue, Helena Christensen, Tina Hutchence, Rhett Hutchence, Andrew Farriss, Jon Farriss, Tim Farriss, Garry Gary Beers, Kirk Pengilly, Chris Thomas, Martha Troup, Gary Grant, Chris Bailey, Michele Bennett
release Aus Jun.19 sff, UK 18.Oct.19
19/Australia 1h42 ***.

With a superb collection of archival footage, photos and audio recordings, filmmaker Richard Lowenstein presents a chronological narrative documentary about the INXS frontman. It's not a particularly flashy film, but it's elevated by the fact that it's narrated by Michael Hutchence himself using cleverly edited interview clips. And as it continues, it provides never-heard information that should end the rumours that have swirled since his death at age 37 in 1997.

After a childhood spent in Australia and Hong Kong, Hutchence set up INXS with the three Farriss brothers, Beers and Pengilly in 1977, and over the next decade rose to international fame. He is remembered by family and friends as a gentle soul, an artist who became another person in the spotlight. And being a celebrity, his rock god behaviour and romances with the likes of Kylie Minogue and Helena Christensen were top fodder for the paparazzi. What no one knows is that in 1992 he suffered a terrible brain injury that changed his personality, leaving him struggling to maintain his identity. Suddenly prone to outbursts of anger, his romance with Paula Yates was passionate and tempestuous.

There's a lot of amazing home movie footage woven in here, revealing both the youthful Hutchence and his own perspective behind-the-scenes on tour, on holidays, at family events and so on. This is so intimate that by the end it's easy to feel like the public image everyone knew was just a mask. In other words, the film demystifies him. It's beautifully assembled by Lowenstein, who lets Hutchence and his friends, family and colleagues recount his story in remarkable detail. And despite his final years of drug abuse and public misbehaviour, Hutchence emerges as a remarkably likeable man who never got the care he needed after his injury. So his suicide takes on a whole new meaning, and becomes even more tragic.

15.Oct.19

---

Coming up this next week are screenings of the James Cameron-produced Terminator: Dark Fate, Margot Robbie and Charlize Theron in Bombshell, Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins in The Two Popes, Ewan McGregor in Doctor Sleep, a new animated The Addams Family, the British drama Connect, the Ukrainian rom-com Just Sex Nothing Personal, and the Brazilian comedy-drama Cousins.

Critical Week: A hot topic

It's been a busy week screening-wise, as I have packed in films in preparation for taking next week off. There was a new adaptation of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, one of my very favourite novels, although the film changes the plot and kind of loses the focus, despite strong performances from Michael B Jordan and Michael Shannon. And I managed to catch two screenings of Solo: A Star Wars Story, the Han Solo origin movie, which ticks a lot of entertaining boxes to take the audience on a fun ride.

A little off the beaten path, Travis Mathew's evocative Discreet is a swirling experimental drama about past wounds, regrets and the pointlessness of revenge. Hooked is a slightly over-obvious drama about a young rentboy on a dangerous trajectory. Freelancers Anonymous is a refreshing if silly comedy about a woman trying to start over in a tough economy. And Astro is an amateurish sci-fi thriller with a couple of decent performances and laughably overserious dialog.

There were also three docs: The Fabulous Allan Carr is a lively and moving trip through the life of the iconic, life-loving but lonely producer of Grease; All the Wild Horses is a spectacularly shot trip across Mongolia on the world's longest horse race; and Arcadia uses a lot of amazing archival footage to try and say something odd about Britain's relationship with the land. And finally, I had a chance to catch the restored Yellow Submarine on the big screen as it gets a 50-year reissue. It's simply delightful - great animation and a thoroughly whimsical story.

I'm on holiday over the next week, so am avoiding films altogether! I return home just as the Sundance Film Festival: London kicks off, and will catch up with the anticipated horror Hereditary, Leave No Trace, Generation Wealth and Skate Kitchen, plus a programme of short films. Then the following week, it's time for Jurassic Park: Fallen World.

Critical Week: Smile for the camera

This week was supposed to be a quiet pause to regain my breath after the Venice Film Festival and to get ready for the London Film Festival - press screenings start on Monday in advance of the festival itself (4-15 Oct). But it hasn't worked out like that. This was a busy week too! Screenings included the new Armando Ianucci film The Death of Stalin, a hilariously pointed political comedy set in 1953 Moscow with an ace cast of scene-stealers including Jason Isaacs, Steve Buscemi, Michael Palin and Jeffrey Tambor (pictured above with others).

Annette Bening and Jamie Bell are excellent in the skilfully made British comedy-drama Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool, based on a memoir about the final years of Oscar-winning screen siren Gloria Grahame. Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson and Naomi Watts shine in the gripping and sometimes a bit murky The Glass Castle, based on a memoir about growing up with anti-establishment parents.

Sverrir Gudnason and Shia LaBeouf take on the title roles in Borg vs McEnroe, a lively, beautifully observed biopic about the iconic tennis rivalry, set during the 1980 Wimbledon final. Robert Pattinson plays a low-life criminal loser in Good Time, a luridly stylish all-night odyssey that stretches credibility but holds the interest. And an ensemble of solid British actors features in Brakes, a multi-strand improvised movie about break-ups that's scruffy and funny.

In the diary for this next week is a mix of festival and mainstream films: Reese Witherspoon in Home Again,Armie Hammer in Call Me By Your Name, Lola Kirke and Zoe Kravitz in Gemini, the horror thriller The Ritual, Russian marital drama Loveless, Japanese action movie Blade of the Immortal, Zambian drama I Am Not a Witch,arthouse thriller Let the Corpses Tan and Afghan filmmaker doc The Prince of Nothingwood.

Venezia74: Speak your mind on Day 6

I finally made it across the lagoon in the warm sunshine from the Lido to Venice today. (It took me this long last year as well!) After the two morning films, I jumped on the vaporetto, and then spent the afternoon roaming around one of my favourite places on earth, visiting a couple of museums (Damien Hirst's fabulous Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable at Palazzo Grassi, and the glories of the Guggenheim Collection) and of course eating gelato. Then back over to Lido for two more movies at the 74th Venice Film Festival, so a rather full day...

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
dir-scr Martin McDonagh; with Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson 17/US *****
Writer-director Martin McDonaugh is on blistering form with this fiendishly clever personal drama, which arrives masquerading as a funny, violent police thriller. With take-no-prisoners performances from the entire cast, particularly a storming Frances McDormand, the film tackles our angry world head-on with a surprisingly heartfelt plea for compassion. And it tackles the riveting story as well as a series of pungent themes with remarkable honesty.

The Third Murder
dir-scr Hirokazu Kore-eda; with Masaharu Fukuyama, Koji Yakusho 17/Jpn ****.
Expertly orchestrated by master filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda, this is on the surface a police procedural thriller. Except that it's actually a detailed exploration of a group of intertwined characters who may or may not be telling the truth. Which is kind of the point for what turns out to be a provocative look at the nature of justice in a world full of imperfect people. It's also the kind of movie that demands close attention from the audience.

A Family [Una Famiglia]
dir Sebastiano Riso; with Micaela Ramazzotti, Patrick Bruel 17/It 1h37 **
This may look like a gritty Italian drama that addresses a dark corner of Roman society, but nothing about it feels very believable. Despite some strong acting by the lead actors, the characters are impossible to sympathise with simply because their overpowering self-interest is so contrived. There are some intriguing comments about male-female dynamics and co-dependence, but any astute observations seem to emerge almost by accident.

My Generation
dir David Batty; with Michael Caine, Paul McCartney 17/UK 1h25 ***.
A groovy trip through swinging 1960s London, this colourful documentary explores the seismic shift in British society as working class artists teamed up to break the rules and become global stars in music, acting, art and fashion. Narrated by Michael Caine, its full of enjoyable personal anecdotes, terrific songs and lots of clips edited together into a swirling concoction. It may feel rather gimmicky, but it's packed with entertaining surprises.

Tomorrow we have the world premiere one of the most anticipated films of the festival: Darren Aronofsky's Mother! There's also Jim & Andy, about Jim Carrey and Andy Kaufman, and Loving Pablo, with Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz.

Sundance London: Get out of there

The fifth Sundance Film Festival: London wraps up tonight at Picturehouse Central. It's been a terrific collection of films this year - a varied selection of American indies made by gifted filmmakers. Repeat cast members included Lakeith Stanfield (Crown Heights and The Incredible Jessica James) and David Warshofsky (Beatriz at Dinner and Wilson). And the surprise film Patti Cake$ is likely to end up in my top 10 movies of the year. Full reviews will appear on the site as the films open, but here are some final blurbs...

A Ghost Story
dir-scr David Lowery; with Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara 17/US ***.
A quirky oddity of a movie that's more than a little indulgent, this spiritual odyssey explores issues of life, death and time with a poetic sensibility, almost as if Terrence Malick made an extended Saturday Night Live sketch. It's so absurd that it feels like it should be funny, but the tone is strikingly somber, even morose. And while it's too mannered to be emotionally involving, it's impossible to look away.

Wilson
dir Craig Johnson; with Woody Harrelson, Laura Dern 17/US ***
A jarringly offbeat tone keeps the audience on its toes for this scruffy comedy, which is essentially a celebration of a hyperactive, hopelessly optimistic curmudgeon. Based on screenwriter Daniel Clowes' graphic novel, there's nothing very realistic about this character, but the script is brittly funny, with hints of real insight under the goofy surface.

The Incredible Jessica James
dir-scr James C Strouse; with Jessica Williams, Chris O'Dowd 17/US ****
With a perceptive script and a wonderfully nuanced lead performance from Jessica Williams, this comedy has a lot of very honest things to say about the difficult choices we make relating to both relationships and careers. But while the film has moments of pointed intensity, nothing is ever laid on thickly. Instead, writer-director James Strouse keeps the audience laughing at the witty dialog and surprising characters all the way through.

Patti Cake$
dir-scr Geremy Jasper; with Danielle Macdonald, Bridget Everett 17/US *****
A loud blast of fresh air, this crowd-pleasing comedy-drama is impossible to watch without generating a huge smile and probably a few tears. It's a forward-thinking story of frustration and ambition that almost anyone in the audience can identify with, and it's populated with an eclectic bunch of messy, loveable characters. If you have the ability to find beauty in even the most unlikely places, it's pure bliss.

Critical Week: Teenage kicks

It's been a slow week for screenings, perhaps a brief intake of breath before the awards season kicks off in earnest. My first awards-consideration screenings are late next week. In the meantime, this weeks' screenings included The Edge of Seventeen, an unusually edgy teen drama starring Hailee Steinfeld with fine grown-up support from the likes of Woody Harrelson and Kyra Sedgwick. The other big movie was The Accountant, the slick but preposterous Ben Affleck autism-gangster thriller that's entertaining only if you don't think about it.

Further afield was the micro-budget British thriller The Darkest Dawn, which makes up for a simplistic script with some sharp acting and inventive effects. Ron and Laura Take Back America is an extended sketch-style comedy-doc lampooning head-in-the-sand right wing politics. And I also finally caught up with Clint Eastwood's 1997 southern gothic melodrama Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, starring baggy suited John Cusack and a scene-nibbling Kevin Spacey, plus a notable cameo from a young Jude Law.

Things are still slow over the coming days, with just three press screenings: Gael Garcia Bernal Pablo Larrain's biopic of the poet Neruda, the Italian drama One Kiss, and the UK premiere of the Korean thriller The Truth Beneath. I also have several screeners to watch at home....

Critical Week: Not to be messed with

The most unforgettable performance in a press screening this week easily belongs to Kate Winslet's fierce Russian mobster in Triple 9, John Hillcoat's urban Western, which opens next month boasting a fierce cast that also includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Casey Affleck, Anthony Mackie, Woody Harrelson and Gal Gadot, to name a few. (Side note: it was fun to chat with Winslet about this film at the London critics' awards on Sunday - she hadn't seen it yet.)

We also reunited with Ice Cube and Kevin Hart for the rote action-comedy sequel Ride Along 2, a sequel even worse than the lacklustre original (part 3 is pretty much guaranteed after audiences in America flocked to see it last weekend). Much more challenging were William Monahan's desert thriller Mojave, a choppy dramatic thriller starring Oscar Isaac and Garrett Hedlund; the dark and deeply moving British drama Departure, starring the amazing Juliet Stevenson and Alex Lawther; and the unnerving, elusive drama Chronic, starring a terrific Tim Roth.

This coming week I have very, very late press screenings of J Blakeson's The 5th Wave with Chloe Grace Moretz and Dark Places with Charlize Theron (both open this Friday), plus Michael Bay's Benghazi thriller 13 Hours, acclaimed arthouse drama Green Room, animated adventure Capture the Flag, cycling doc Battle Mountain and shorts compilation Boys on Film 14: Worlds Collide.