LFF13: Prince of darkness

Yes, that's Britain's infamously Machiavellian political puppetmaster Peter Mandelson on the London Film Festival red carpet last night for the premiere of a documentary about him, Mandelson: The Real PM? The film debunks Mandelson's "evil genius" reputation as filmmaker Hannah Rothschild shadows the then-cabinet minister for eight months, right through May's general election.

Crowds in the venues today were very strong, with people braving the cold weather to catch a glimpse of tonight's red carpet guests and see some offbeat movies too. Here are comments on two films I saw...

The Sleeping Beauty

dir Catherine Breillat; with Carla Besnainou, Julia Artamonov 10/Fr ***

Breillat continues to subvert fairy tales with this riff on the classic fable. Although there's little recognisable in this movie beyond continual references to the original story. Instead, it's more like Alice in Wonderland as a young princess roams through a series of crazy landscapes looking for her lost prince. Is this the dream she's having while she's sleeping for 100 years? Possibly. Although Breillat would never tell us. Instead we get a series of random encounters and adventures that are wonderful simply because they're so strange (children feature heavily in the story as princes and queens, and there are also a few little people to keep us on our toes). But what it's all about is anyone's guess.

Kaboom

dir Gregg Araki; with Thomas Dekker, Juno Temple 10/US ****

As this scruffy coming-of-age sex comedy turns into a horror movie, the combination is completely disarming. It's both silly and creepy, with honest subtext about youthful searching and the complexities of human sexuality. Araki assembles the film with lurid colours and lots of visual trickery to keep us as off balance as the characters, who are young university students trying to figure out who they are when their vivid dreams start invading real life. As the film goes along, the darkly creepy subtext begins to take over. It's funny, unnerving and impossible to predict where it goes from here. And while it's a bit madcap, it's also thoroughly engaging.

LFF12: In the line of fire

Actors Jamie Michie, Trevor Williams, Andrea Lowe and Mark Womack, producer Rebecca O'Brien and director Ken Loach were on hand to introduce the UK premiere screening of Route Irish at the London Film Festival last night (snapped on my phone from the front row). We've had Q&As at every public screening except one so far in the festival, which is pretty impressive. Here are a few more highlights from today and tomorrow...

Route Irish

dir Ken Loach; with Mark Womack, Andrea Lowe 10/UK ***

After the relative whimsy of Looking for Eric, Loach is back in angry political mode for this gritty revenge thriller set around the war in Iraq. The story centres on Fergus (Womack), an ex-SAS officer who's trying to find out what happened to his best friend, who died on Route Irish, the road between Baghdad airport and the Green Zone. But Fergus is such a hothead that it's a wonder he has ever managed to do anything in his life. And his friend's widow (Lowe) also operates on pure emotion. The film starts out extremely well, but gets rather overwrought in the final act, when the script starts piling on clunky plot points. Still, it's nice to see a film about the conflict that centres on the human cost, especially the innocent Iraqis who have been caught in the crossfire.

Carancho

dir Pablo Trapero; with Ricardo Darin, Martina Gusman 10/Arg ***

Bold and muscular filmmaking lifts this noir-style thriller above the murky nastiness of its storyline. And even though everyone's a little too morally compromised, the cast and crew give us plenty to chew on. The plot centres on a corrupt syndicate of lawyers, policemen, doctors and judges who are all out to defraud the insurance system (and the real victims) of anything they can get. It's a pretty nasty scenario, and we're thrown into it through gritty, saturated filmmaking that immerses us in this world through the eyes of one lawyer (Darin) and one doctor (Gusman) who are trying to keep their hands clean. Fat chance.

Submarino

dir Thomas Vinterberg; with Jakob Cedergren, Peter Plaugborg 10/Den ****

Grim almost to the point of despair, this is like a Danish version of Requiem for a Dream, except that there's a tiny spark of hope deep inside it. And it's filmed and performed with raw honesty by the cast and crew. The two-part plot centres on two brothers separated by the circumstances of their life and both going through harrowing situations beyond what they can bear. It's quite painful to watch them flail to survive when their decisions contribute nothing but pain and tragedy. But there's a refreshingly mordant vein of humour running through the whole film, and the actors are remarkably sympathetic even when they're not very likeable.

LFF11: A chill in the air

It was Black Swan night on the London Film Festival red carpet yesterday, as producer Scott Franklin, costars Vincent Cassel and Mila Kunis and director Darren Aronofsky lined up for the cameras. The evening was pretty chilly, although Aronofsky's scarf might be a slight overstatement. As we head into the festival's final weekend, there's definitely a sense that things are winding down - only five days to go. And the journalists are beginning to look like the walking dead after 10 days of sleep deprivation and too many movies. Here are two film highlights from this weekend...

The Kids Are All Right

dir Lisa Cholodenko; with Annette Bening, Julianne Moore 10/US *****

Five of this year's best screen characters appear in this comedy-drama about a relatively ordinary family facing some unusual challenges. And while the premise seems extremely offbeat, it's actually beside the point... MORE >

Archipelago

dir Joanna Hogg; with Tom Hiddleston, Lydia Leonard 10/UK ****

A gruelling exploration of middle class angst, this observant film tells its story in a minimalistic, abstract way that may be frustrating for some filmgoers. But it'll chill most audiences to the bone... MORE >

LFF10: Hairdos and costumes

Tim Burton and his wife Helena Bonham Carter win, as always, several red carpet awards (best hair, most amazing outfit) at the London Film Festival premiere of The King's Speech last night. It was a pretty glittering night, with lots of stars braving the frosty autumn evening for the big event. Here are a few highlights from the festival over the next few days...

Black Swan

dir Darren Aronofsky; with Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis 10/US *****

Aronofsky comes up with yet another daring cinematic experience, and it's perhaps more Requiem for a Dream than The Wrestler this time, as it dips into some very deep, dark areas of humanity. The film cleverly adapts Swan Lake into a ballet company setting, with Natalie Portman as Nina, the lead dancer who begins to suspect that another dancer (the superb Mula Kunis) is trying to steal her position. The film is a bundle of insinuations and rather insidious suggestions, and as it goes along we are plunged deeper and deeper into Nina's tortured mind. And in the end the film seems to be playing with our own perceptions as well.

Catfish

dir Ariel Schulman, Henry Joost; with Yaniv "Nev" Schulman 10/US ****

This starts as a documentary about an offbeat online relationship before warping into something much more interesting. It essentially becomes a real-life thriller packed with outrageously amusing observations. It's the story of 24-year-old new York photographer Nev, who begins an online chat with 8-year-old painter Abby Pierce in Michigan then begins to wonder if anything about Abby and her family is real. So he heads to Michigan with his friends to find out. The result is surprisingly funny and also packed with suspense as the showdown approaches - and then it takes a few very unexpected turns. The most clever thing about the film is the way it makes us wonder how much of it has been staged, because it really doesn't matter when it's this entertaining.

Circo

dir Aaron Schock; with Tino Ponce, Ivonne Galindo 10/Mex ***

This straightforward doc offers a fascinating profile of a nomadic family in rural Mexico struggling to maintain their old traditions in a world that's shifting dramatically. And it really captures their hopes and fears. The film follows a family that has been in the travelling circus business for more than 100 years and is struggling to cope with changes in both society and within their family. It's a telling look at how the world has shifted in recent years, and the family members provide plenty of humour and drama - plus of course amazing circus acts - along the way.

Spork

dir JB Ghuman Jr; with Savannah Stehlin, Sydney Park 10/US **

Rather too mannered for its own good, this colourful teen comedy combines serious subject matter with a silly production style, like the corny, cheap lovechild of Johns Waters and Hughes. It's the story of a 14-year-old who has been nicknamed "Spork" because she's both make and female. And as she finally stands up to the school bully and makes some decent friends, she find the ability to accept who she is. It's nice that the filmmaker has taken such a comical approach to a strong issue, but the film is too hyperactive for us to ever really resonate with it. At least there's a nice range of veteran scene stealers (Beth Grant, Chad Allen, Keith David) along for the ride.

LFF9: Word of mouth

Director Tom Hooper (left) appeared at today's London Film Festival press conference for his new film The King's Speech along with his lively stars Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter. It was a livelier event than most as the panellists all talked openly about some big issues (disabilities, politics, history) while having a good time revealing how they approached playing real-life characters in the film. They clearly seem a bit surprised by all of the awards attention at this point in the process. But then buzz on this film started back in the spring when people started seeing rough cuts. Here are my comments on the film, plus a couple of others from the festival today and tomorrow...

The King's Speech

dir Tom Hooper; with Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush 10/UK *****

Momentous historical events add a remarkable kick to this already fascinating personal drama based on true events. The film also gives Colin Firth yet another meaty role to dive into. He plays Bertie the Duke of York who was suddenly thrust onto the throne when his brother Edward VIII abdicated in 1936. But a debilitating stammer made him terrified of public speaking, something he would need to do in the job, especially as war was declared with Germany. The film traces these big events through a character-based story that is utterly riveting. Firth finds hidden textures in the role, and his interaction with Rush is sharp and often hilarious. Helena Bonham Carter adds a serious kick as Bertie's wife Elizabeth (aka the Queen Mother). In other words, the film has Oscar written all over it, and rightly so for a change.

It's Kind of a Funny Story

dir-scr Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck; with Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis 10/US ***

While this comedy is an intriguing exploration of mental illness, the title is perhaps too accurate: it's only kind of funny. But if the film is somewhat mopey, it's also packed with great moments. It also tells its story in a nicely relaxed, low key way that allows the gifted cast to underplay their scenes and avoid mental hospital movie cliches. Along the way, there are some sharp insights into both mental health and teen angst, and it's astute enough to keep us engaged. Although the sentimentality is a little too heavily laid on to actually move us.

Home for Christmas

dir Bent Hamer; with Reidar Sorensen, Fridtjov Saheim 10/Nor ****

Combining colourful characters with the continual presence of Christmas lights, Norwegian filmmaker Hamer weaves together a series of sentimental but never syrupy holiday tales about generosity. Based on a collection of short stories, the film captures the holiday season on screen in ways we've never seen before (no mean feat!), with the continual presence of Christmas lights and trees reminding us and the characters of their responsibilities, goals, hopes and dreams. And when Hamer stirs in clever references to that first Christmas, as well as Muslim-Christian relations, the film finds surprising resonance.

LFF8: Go west

Bollywood took over Leicester Square last night as Jimi Mistry, Ila Arun, Zita Sattar, Linda Bassett, Aquib Khan, Om Puri, Lesley Nicol and Emil Marwa lined up on an especially festive red carpet last night for the UK premiere of their film West Is West at the London Film Festival.

Perhaps to recover, today was a relatively quiet day at the festival, as there wasn't a major red carpet premiere, although several filmmakers were in attendance. Meanwhile, London-based critics have been watching normal releases as well over the first week of the festival, and my festival schedule has been augmented with the good, bad and ugly (in that order) likes of: Lukas Moodysson's Mammoth, Aussie drama Animal Kingdom, 3D Imax animation Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, the teen comedy Easy A, the Grindhouse spinoff Machete and the comic-based action RED. Meanwhile here are a couple of festival highlights...

NEDs

dir Peter Mullan; with Connor McCarron, Joe Szula 10/UK ***

Beautifully shot in period style, this 1970s Glasgow teen drama is a harrowing exploration of how gang mentality seduces even the brightest students. The title is an acronym for non-educated delinquents. But while it's an intense story, the only discernible point seems to be that you should consider yourself lucky if you managed to grow up in 1970s Glasgow and are still alive to make a movie about it. Fortunately, Mullan has assembled a large cast of nonactors in the teen roles, and they all give powerfully believable performances, especially the extremely promising McCarron in the central role as a smart guy who is lured over to the dark side.

Robinson in Ruins

dir Patrick Keiller; narr Vanessa Redgrave 10/UK ****

A sequel to Keiller's London (1994) and Robinson in Space (1997), this is a witty and sharply observant exploration of the English landscape. It's also a fiercely artistic film that's impossible to categorise... MORE>

LFF7: Another red carpet

Ruth Sheen, Mike Leigh, Lesley Manville and Jim Broadbent were on hand for the Leicester Square red carpet premiere of Leigh's acclaimed new film Another Year last night at the London Film Festival. Tonight's big event was the UK premiere of West Is West, the long-awaited sequel to the 1998 hit East Is East.

Rarely for this festival, I was invited to a party last night for the UK premiere of Ferzan Ozpetek's new film Loose Cannons, which I liked a lot. It was a low-key reception before the screening, hosted by the UK distributor Peccadillo, but it made me feel like I was actually at a festival for a change. Meanwhile, here are some highlights from today and tomorrow...

West Is West

dir Andy DeEmmony; scr Ayub Khan-Din; with Om Puri, Linda Bassett 10/UK ****

It's been 11 years since we last caught up with the Khan family, although only five have passed in their lives. And while this sequel isn't as sharply funny as 1999's East Is East, it has some nice things to say about growing up in a multi-cultural society. Set in 1976, the story leaves England behind as family members travel to Pakistan to reconnect to the old ways and to learn something about themselves. While still comical, this is much more of a drama than the first film, taking a serious look at cultural issues as well as the internal journeys of both father and son (Puri and newcomer Aqib Khan). And at the heart of the film, Puri and Bassett are simply terrific.

Meek's Cutoff

dir Kelly Reichardt; with Michelle Williams, Bruce Greenwood 10/US ****

With a fierce attention to detail, Reichardt turns her focus on the old West with this evocative drama based on true events. Not only are the characters almost outrageously authentic, but the depiction of the Western frontier is unlike anything we've ever seen on screen. With a minimalistic script, the film traces a harrowing journey across a desolate Oregon landscape as a group of intrepid migrants in 1845 cross unmapped territory and try to figure out whether to trust an indigenous man they encounter at a moment of need. Actually, the film is about issues of trust and fear, and while the plot is a bit untouchable, the film is thoroughly haunting.

The Tillman Story

dir Amir Bar-Lev; narr Josh Brolin; with Pat Tillman, Mary Tillman 10/US ****

This thrillingly assembled documentary traces one family's struggle to find out the truth behind their famous son's death as a soldier serving in Afghanistan. But clearly the US government has no interest in the truth. The shocking facts are plainly laid out by the filmmakers to explore how the Bush administration abused the memory of one fallen soldier (millionaire football player Pat Tillman) for their own political gain. And they clearly weren't prepared for this tenacious family, which decided that the truth was more important than anything else. Along the way the film stirs in us a deep sense of righteous anger. It's a bit strong, but also essential viewing.