Critical Week: Take a load off

Bigger movies continue to turn up at the box office each week, signalling a return to the pre-lockdown pattern of one blockbuster per week. And press screenings are also getting a bit more colourful as a result. We had two big screenings this week, starting with the Nicolas Cage pastiche action comedy bromance The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, which is even more fun than expected. Going full-method as himself, Cage and up-for-it costar Pedro Pascal dive fully into the ridiculous story, and they keep the audience right with them. There was also Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, the third chapter in the whizzy but oddly uninvolving Harry Potter prequel franchise. This one is much more momentous, and the actors (notably Jude Law and Mads Mikkelsen) make it worth a look. I also caught up with Michael Bay's latest over-the-top action thriller Ambulance, a choppy but very entertaining ride through Los Angeles with the superb Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen and Eiza Gonzalez.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Compartment No 6 • Small Body
Poppy Field • Cow
PERHAPS AVOID:
Agent Game • Sonic the Hedgehog 2
ALL REVIEWS >

Further afield were the by-numbers spy thriller Agent Game, which has a strong cast (Dermot Mulroney, Jason Isaacs, even Mel Gibson) but rarely rises above its cliches. French actor-filmmaker Valerie Lemercier's Aline is a fictionalised biopic about Celine Dion, and it's as bonkers as you hope it will be. From Ireland, You Are Not My Mother is a stylish dramatic horror that properly gets under the skin. And from France, Anais in Love is a sunny, chatty comedy-drama that recounts an awkward coming of age.

For this coming week I have no press screenings in the diary, but I do have some links to watch at home, for films including Eva Longoria in the comedy Unplugging, James Duval in the comedy I Challenger and the Japanese triptych Sexual Drive. I also hope to see Alexander Skarsgard in The Northman, most likely buying a ticket for a regular cinema.

Screen: April TV Roundup

Recent travels and a film festival put me out of sync with television series, which I watch in gaps between movies to cleanse my palate, like an amuse bouche. And of course, the more I write about shows, the more are sent to me to watch before they air, so keeping up gets trickier and trickier. But I'm working through things! And here are things I've watched over the past couple of months...

Peacemaker
A riotous blast of James Gunn nuttiness, this DC spinoff is packed with terrific characters who are all at cross-purposes with each other. They're also unusually flawed for a superhero show, which makes them far more gripping to watch. John Cena is perfection as the too-focussed title character. Everything he says sounds sexist or racist, even though he's neither (his father, played unapologetically by Robert Patrick, is both and then some). Some of this is too wacky for its own good, but the central plot is surprisingly involving, and the core characters begin to feel like family: we wouldn't want to live with them, but we care. (HBO)

This Is Going to Hurt
Ben Whishaw gives a spectacularly committed performance as an NHS ob-gyn barely clinging to sanity amid the everyday chaos of his job. Writer Adam Kay based this on his experiences, and it plays at a blackly hilarious fever pitch, skilfully evoking the feeling of life out of control, plus a sense of impending doom. Thankfully the script continually surprises us, as do the unusually complex characters, with fine support from Ambika Mod (as Adam's newbie colleague), Rory Fleck Byrne (his gorgeous fiance), Alex Jennings (his thoughtless boss) and the great Harriet Walter (his imperious mother). And it's difficult to recall a more emotionally devastating series than this one. (BBC)

The Book of Boba Fett 
While it looks great, making the most of its desert planet setting and first-rate effects, this spinoff series meanders between two timelines to tell the underwhelming story of the title character, played with understated steeliness by Temuera Morrison. Then it suddenly shifts and becomes its parent show The Mandalorian, which is much more involving. The overarching plotlines are a little awkward, such as contriving to get Grogu back into the show, but the Pedro Pascal brings some badly needed personality that sustains the simplistic storytelling. This includes a climactic battle sequence that's properly epic but so long and violent that it becomes oddly dull. (Disney)

The Afterparty
A clever premise sets this show apart, especially as it plays out so inventively. After a top actor/singer (Dave Franco) dies at his school reunion, his classmates are quizzed by a detective (Tiffany Haddish). Each episode centres on one person's account, told in different styles (including Ben Schwartz's full-on musical and Zoe Chao's bonkers animation) as bigger details emerge about the characters and their twisted connections over the past 15 years. The excellent ensemble includes Sam Richardson, Ilana Glazer, Ike Barinholtz and a wasted Jamie Demetriou. Each performer dives in fully to the sometimes frantic comedy and edgy drama. (Disney)

The Gilded Age
Is this the most sexless show HBO has ever made? Essentially a far less lusty American Downton Abbey, this lavishly produced series is set in 1880s New York as old money sneers at new, and dramas take place both up and downstairs. After a young woman (Louisa Jacobson) discovers her father has left her nothing, she turns to her estranged, imperious aunts (the fabulous but oddly muted Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon), and secretly befriends their ambitiously wealthy new neighbours (Carrie Coon and Morgan Spector). But it's relentlessly dull, with dense and oddly stilted conversations that leave little space for personality. I gave up after four episodes. (HBO)

Murderville
Too gimmicky for its own good, this comedy stars Will Arnett as a ridiculous detective whose ex-wife (Haneefah Wood) is the chief. Each episode features a rookie partnered with him for one case, with the hitch being that actors are playing themselves without a script and must identify the killer. Guest stars like Sharon Stone, Annie Murphy, Kumail Nanjiani and Conan O'Brien bring their specific energy to the show. So it's a shame that the narrative is set up so specifically that the show feels stale by the second episode. Little is made of the overarching mystery, Arnett is too dopey to be likeable and the only fun is found in the guests' throwaway gags. (Netflix)

Bridesman
One of the first series produced by a hook-up app, this wacky comedy features six brief but over-plotted episodes that follow chatty, self-absorbed Terry (Jimmy Fowlie), a bridesman in the wedding of his rather intense childhood friend Judith (Sydnee Washington). But he's unable to stop fantasising about her dumb-jock fiance (David Mudge). The story mainly centres on the cartoonishly spiky bridesdmaids, while Terry has a couple of superficial sexual encounters. It's bright and camp, and plays on several transgressive ideas, but it completely misjudges its intended audience by being merely goofy rather than even remotely lusty. (Grindr)

A N O T H E R   S E A S O N

Snowpiercer: series 3  
Plotting gets increasingly central with each season, this time digging even deeper into the rivalry between Wilford (grinning villain Sean Bean) and Layton (tenacious nice guy Daveed Diggs). This war involves tactics, attacks and betrayals that grow increasingly nuanced. This isn't as compelling as the social satire of the earlier seasons (or the 2013 film), because the premise and characters are far more intriguing than violent tit-for-tats. But the season builds interest, adding dark complexity as things twist and turn around the growing possibilities that Melanie (Jennifer Connolly) is alive, and there might be somewhere on Earth that's thawing out. (Netflix)

Star Trek Discovery: series 4b
Fans will remain devoted, but this show continues its slide away from more intelligent interpersonal dynamics with each episode, falling back on much less engaging action, threats and antagonism. The superb cast skilfully continues at full speed, even in some dead-end plotlines. But it's tricky to stay engaged when favourite characters depart for realistic (but frustrating) reasons. It's also difficult to get very excited about another "anomaly" and the sciency jargon that goes with it. Still, the twists in the plot do manage to hinge around deeper character issues. And in the first-contact scenario in the final set of episodes, this season generates some terrific thrills. (Peacock)

O N G O I N G

Minx
A strong premise and terrific cast make up for some rather clunky writing in this enjoyable comedy about a group of people trying to launch a female-targetted magazine in the early 1970s, taking on the patriarchy of Playboy and Penthouse. Ophelia Lovibond is solid in a rather thankless role as an uptight feminist journalist who can't quite comprehend the sexy magazine she's editing. But she has great chemistry with Jake Johnson as the counterculture publisher who knows how these things work. Oddly, the show is still shot from a male gaze, essentially apologising for the lashings of masculine nudity. But at least the actors dive without hesitation. (HBO)

The Conners: series 4
As the grandkids begin growing up, this sitcom has found a variety of intriguing things to say about three generations of a family living under one roof. Carrying the plotting forward sometimes feels a bit forced, although the wedding episode did have some classic moments, while officially adding Katey Segal to this messy family. Laurie Metcalf still steals all the best lines, but everyone around her is on fine form too. These characters continue to have a properly current resonance, taking on big issues to create a much more grounded picture of American life than the usual shiny version on television. And the joke hit-rate is unusually high too. (ABC)

This Is Us: series 6
Quite why this show is ending with this season is anyone's guess, as the multi-timeline premise lends itself to endless reinvention. Oddly, these final episodes are circling around themselves rather pointlessly, continually revisiting the same situations and emotions without pushing people in new directions. The cast is still excellent, selling the big feelings even if we've felt them all before. Surely it would have been much better for the audience (and the ratings) to continue to push things forward into new territory, bringing new characters into focal positions. They've really missed a trick, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a spin-off or follow-up in a few years. (NBC)

L A T E   T O   T H E   S H O W

Shrill: series 1-3
I'd never heard about this show, but spotted a box set of all three seasons on my long flight to Los Angeles in March. I watched all of it, and really enjoyed the story of Annie (the likeable and seriously up-for-it Aidy Bryant) as she seeks to make the most of her life, even as everyone criticises her for her weight. Based on Lindy West's memoir, Annie is a superbly complex character, funny and confident, and also full of doubts. Relationships are also nuanced and beautifully played by a terrific ensemble cast (John Cameron Mitchell!). It's a rare TV series that's funny, hopeful and also realistically painful. (Hulu)

NOW WATCHING: Moon Knight, Our Flag Means Death, Minx, Bridgerton (2), Euphoria (2), Star Trek Picard (2), Young Rock (2), The Conners (4), This Is Us (6)
COMING SOON: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Only Murders in the Building (2), The Boys (3), Ozark (4b), Grace & Frankie (7b).

Critical Week(s): Lights, camera, action!

I've rather enjoyed stepping out of my usual routine over the past month or so, with a long catch-up break visiting friends and family after two years, then two weeks of film festival capped by the all-night mayhem of this year's Oscar ceremony. Whether I'll return to my usual schedule is still up in the air, but I'm definitely re-thinking how I spend my time. For example, I was unable to attend the only press screening of Marvel's latest epic Morbius, and I was fine with that. It's the first one I've missed, and I feel that if the studio doesn't want me to see a movie, that's going to be OK from now on. This post is catching up on about two weeks of regular-release movies I watched between festival films... 

BEST NEW FILMS:
The Worst Person in the World
Poppy Field • Jump, Darling
Mothering Sunday • Down in Paris
PERHAPS AVOID:
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
ALL REVIEWS >

The most starry of these films was The Bubble, which being a Judd Apatow movie is of course far too long for what it is: a comedy about making a movie during the pandemic. It has its moments, and the cast is up for it, but tighter editing and sharper writing never go amiss. Much more fun was The Lost City, a relentlessly silly romp in the jungle with Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum and Daniel Radcliffe. On the other hand, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 merely honed in on the most irritating things about the likeable 2020 movie, so this one feels painfully unfunny and manages to waste Jim Carrey as well.

Further afield, Jennifer Reeder's offbeat horror Night's End is witty and very clever, creating a terrific sense of gnawing fear, plus some big jolts. Francois Ozon's expertly made French drama Everything Went Fine is based on a true story about dying with dignity, but manages to avoid politics for something more engagingly personal. The Shakespeare Sisters adapt William Shakespeare's iconic romance into the present-day comedy Much Ado, making the most of a low budget and talented cast. Antony Hickling's thoughtful odyssey Down in Paris is a fascinating night of earthy soul-searching. And the British horror comedy Followers finds a new way to use video-screen imagery to create tension, even if the film feels a bit thin.

Coming up this next week, I'll be watching the blockbuster sequel Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, Jake Gyllenhaal in Ambulance, Nicolas Cage in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Dermot Mulroney in Agent Game, the French comedy Anais in Love, the Irish thriller You Are Not My Mother and the quirky biopic Aline.

Stage: Grappling with identity

Sadler's Wells presents two shows concurrently, 40 Years of Phoenix at the Peacock and Traplord at 180 Studios, both of which explore issues of identity through a distinctly Black perspective. These are unmissable performances that are worth seeking out...

40 Years of Phoenix
with Aaron Chaplin, Alana Cowie, Charlie Naylor, Alabama Seymour, Melina Sofocleous, Yuma Sylla, Matthew Topliss, Shawn Willis
The Peacock Theatre, London
29-30.Mar.22 and on tour until 20.May.22

With this anniversary show, Phoenix Dance Theatre celebrates the four decades since it launched in Leeds in 1981. Artistic Director Dane Hurst has selected five distinctive pieces from the company's history, which he calls "five essential works that display something of the scope and reach of what dance can achieve". Indeed, these are dramatically involving performances, deploying terrifically talented dancers to provoke the audience physically, emotionally and also intellectually.

Signal
Choreographed by Henri Oguike, this rhythmic diptych is performed to Japanese Taiko percussion that reverberates right through the audience. It's an often startling mix of elegance and strength, blending balletic moves with properly intense physicality as the dancers, dressed in striking red and black body suits, interact in a variety of ways that feel deeply human. And the final section, performed with leaping flames on-stage, bursts with energy and intent.

Harmonica Breakdown
Created in 1938 by dancer-choreographer Jane Dudley, this piece plays out to the earthy rhythms of Sonny Terry's eponymous track, danced by Yuma Sylla as if her life depends on it. This is a bracing depiction of human endurance and resilience in the American South, as this woman continues surging forward despite a range of unseen barriers that restrict her progress. But she persists in moving, and she vividly expresses her determination, pain and joy in equal measure.

Family
There's a witty kick to this fascinating play on home life, choreographed by Danial Shapiro and Joanie Smith to give voice to a range of family members, including parents, children, an uncle, cousin and boyfriend fighting for his place in the holiday portrait. Centred around an armchair, the movement is clever and often exhilaratingly fluid, as dancers take flight in their interaction, pushing and pulling each other to draw out both humour and darker emotions.

Pave Up Paradise
An inventive, emotionally resonant take on the story of Adam and Eve choreographed by Ben Duke and Raquel Meseguer, this piece includes musician Andrew Burke on-stage performing music by the Strokes, Gomez and Jeff Buckley while two dancers spiral around the stage. It's a rare dance piece featuring lines of spoken text as the performers retrace the creation mythology with their voices and physicality, exploring the connection and tension between male and female perspectives.

Heart of Chaos
Choreographer Darshan Singh Bhuller's fiercely physical work has been revisited in the context of boxer Jack Johnson (played by Aaron Chaplin), his rivalry with Jim Jeffries (Matthew Topliss) and his tumultuous marriage to Etta Duryea (Melina Sofocleous). It's a breathtaking piece that includes riveting dance-based recreations of boxing matches as it grapples with complex ideas of race, masculinity, celebrity and sexuality. As in the other pieces, the dancers' work is staggeringly precise and evocative, here with an added punch of historical context and dramatic urgency. Simply stunning. 

for information: PHOENIX DANCE THEATRE
photos by Foteini Christofilopoulou • 29.Mar.22

Traplord
director-choreographer Ivan Michael Blackstock
with Ivan Michael Blackstock, Chantelle Dawe, Shannelle 'Tali' Fergus, Kanah Flex, Wild G, Kyron Jake, Magero, Robia Milliner, Underwaterkash, Malachi Welch, Chaldon Williams 
music by Michael 'Mikey J' Asante, Brnsrght, Creatxr, Dominant, Denzel Himself, Mindaugas Juozapavicius, Torben Sylvest
180 Studios, London • 26.Mar-16.Apr.22

A staggering burst of pent-up energy, Ivan Michael Blackstock's atmospheric show digs deeply into concepts of masculinity while recounting an epic tale of redemption through a Black point of view. This is a provocative trip through resonant issues of identity and connection that vibrates the audience's bones, while performers bounce around the industrial theatre space with expressions that range from gun violence to heavenly bliss.

Dressed in combat gear with provocatively blacked-in faces, the performers emerge from the darkness with intent, deliberately evoking cliched masculine posturing in a show of strength before the deeper ideas begin to emerge between them. The show includes live music, spoken word and a giant screen that plays on videogame imagery to hint at the internal intensity of daily life for someone whose self-image is at risk if they don't continually level up, as it were. And of course the real quest here is to find the strength to accept and celebrate yourself.

There's an explosiveness to this performance that literally takes the breath away, both in large group scenes and several pointed individualistic moments. The physicality is astonishing, often seemingly loose and random before coalescing into bracing communal choreography. This combination expresses ideas that cut through tough surfaces that are pointedly abrasive, from the distorted sound mix to lights shining straight into the audience's eyes.

In the unstructured narrative, the sympathetic Blackstock appears in a rabbit-eared cap, often hiding from a hulking figure in a pig mask. And the astonishingly bendy Kanah Flex is another stand-out. The range of colliding ideas intentionally challenges the audience to feel this piece rather than to understand it. And while the climactic sequence involving a mythical sword and a crowd of angels feels a little low in energy, the show is capped off by a terrific blast of raw power.

for information: TRAPLORD
photos by Camilla Greenwell • 30.Mar.22

BFI Flare: Play the field

So the 36th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival comes to a close today, following last night's closing night world premiere for the energising documentary Tramps! It's been a great festival this year - especially nice to be back in person after two virtual festivals - and I still have some short films to watch, and perhaps a feature or two. Links to full reviews will be up when possible. And my 10 best films of the festival are listed below this final collection of highlights...

In From the Side
dir Matt Carter; with Alexander Lincoln, Alexander King 22/UK ****
Skilfully directed by one-man movie studio Matt Carter, this British rugby movie is packed with big drama, sparky comedy and some powerfully emotional romance. The film may be a bit overlong and melodramatic, but it looks gorgeous and features a terrific cast of actors who bring the complex characters to bustling life. It also tackles deeper themes with remarkable nuance, which makes the movie both entertaining and surprisingly moving.

Tramps!
dir-scr Kevin Hegge; with Judy Blame, John Maybury 22/Can ****
This blisteringly energetic documentary covers the period of London's 1970s-80s art scene often known for the Blitz Kids or New Romantics. But filmmaker Kevin Hegge looks beyond high-profile stars like Boy George and related icons like David Bowie, digging much more deeply into the origins and textures of this ground-level movement. The film traces events with unusual intimacy, revealing intriguing queer sensibilities that are almost mainstream today.

Sublime
dir-scr Mariano Biasin; with Martin Miller, Teo Inama Chiabrando 22/Arg ****
There's a realistic charge of loose-limbed energy in this coming-of-age drama from Argentina. Writer-director Mariano Biasin keeps the camera very close to the lead character, seeing events through his eyes. The internalised approach sometimes allows the narrative to drag a bit, but the film has the authentic kick of an autographical drama, getting under the skin with its organic mix of relaxed comedy and sharp-edged drama... REVIEW >

FROM THE ARCHIVES
Dakan [aka Destiny]
dir-scr Mohamed Camara; with Aboubakar Toure, Mamady, Cecile Bois 97/Gui ****
Known as the first West African film to explore homosexuality, this Guinean drama is only available at retrospective screenings like this 25 year anniversary showing at BFI Flare. It's a strikingly powerful piece, written and directed with a poetic eye that cuts through the usual melodramatics to get under the skin of its central character, a teen who simply can't understand why it's such a scandal that he has fallen in love with another boy. The story takes some intense twists and turns on its way to an ending that's surprisingly tender for the genre and period. And its honesty makes it well worth a look.

Rich's Best of Fest

1. A DISTANT PLACE (Park, Kor)
2. MONEYBOYS (Yi, Tai)
3. THE PERFECT DAVID (Aparicio, Arg)
4. WILDHOOD (Hannam, Can)
5. BRUNO REIDAL: CONFESSION OF A MURDER (Le Port. Fr)
6. GIRL PICTURE (Haapasalo, Fin)
7. SUBLIME (Biasin, Arg)
8. THE NOVICE (Hadaway, US)
9. MANSCAPING (Fox, US)
10. THE DIVIDE (Corsini, Fr)

I have a bit of a backlog, but all full reviews will be linked to Shadows' BFI Flare ANCHOR PAGE 
For festival information, visit BFI FLARE 

BFI Flare: Celebrate your roots

Coming into the final weekend of the 36th BFI Flare, I've tried to catch up a bit on sleep, simply because there are parties tonight and tomorrow - followed by the shift to Summer Time on Saturday night and then the Oscars on Sunday night, which runs until dawn here in Britain. I'll sleep next week. In the mean time, I'm enjoying hanging out with colleagues, filmmakers, actors and the friends I've made at this amazing festival over the past 20-some years. And the films just get better each year, with more subtly complex comments on queer themes. Here's another varied collection of highlights...

Wildhood
dir-scr Bretten Hannam; with Phillip Lewitski, Joshua Odjick 21/Can ****
Set in a Mi'Kma'Ki community in eastern Canada, this drama has an electrical charge of energy as it follows a teen trying to work out who he is. Bristling with attitude, the film revels in its youthful characters' loose physicality as they begin feeling freedom for the first time. Skilfully written and directed by two-spirit filmmaker Bretten Hannam, the film grabs hold with sharp characters and knowing details.

The Divide
dir Catherine Corsini; with Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Marina Fois 21/Fr ****
A blackly comical sensibility infuses this fast-paced French drama set in an overwhelmed public hospital. Set before the pandemic, the narrative is fuelled by personal issues and street demonstrations. Director-cowriter Catherine Corsini masterfully orchestrates complex ripples of relentless action and emotion, cleverly centring on the confused, frustrated, often annoying patients rather than the endlessly adept medical workers. It's so expertly written and assembled that it feels unnervingly real.

The Perfect David
dir Felipe Gomez Aparicio; with Mauricio Di Yorio, Umbra Colombo 21/Arg ****
Dark and insinuating, this fiercely clever Argentine drama explores masculinity through the rather extreme life of a 16-year-old bodybuilder. Much of the film is virtually silent, telling the story with the expressive physicality of the characters. And as a churning intensity rises up from within the narrative, filmmaker Felipe Gomez Aparicio makes some powerful observations about our toxic culture. It's a complex, provocative and ultimately moving story

Being BeBe
dir Emily Branham; with Nea Marshall Kudi Ngwa, Dimitra Ngwa 21/US ***.
The veryfirst winner of RuPaul's Drag Race is the subject of this fairly straightforward documentary. Filmmaker Emily Branham outlines 15 years in the life of BeBe Zahara Benet, while also highlighting the way his high profile has changed public perceptions in his home country Cameroon, even as homosexuality remains illegal there. Meanwhile, clips of BeBe's performances over the years remind us what a fabulous star he still is.

BEST OF YEAR
The World to Come
dir Mona Fastvold; with Katherine Waterston, Vanessa Kirby 20/US **.
Hushed to the point of being downright dour, this low-key period drama gets into the mind of a woman who finds unexpected purpose in her life. Norwegian director Mona Fastvold evokes a strong visual sensibility, vividly creating the time and place on-screen while slowly opening up options for the central character. This brings a welcome hint of lightness to the film, although the story structure is mopey and repetitive... REVIEW >

Full reviews will be linked to Shadows' BFI Flare ANCHOR PAGE 
For tickets and information, visit BFI FLARE 

BFI Flare: Be a team player

Passing the halfway point, the 36th BFI Flare is getting into serious party mode, with late-night events most evenings, building up to the closing party on Saturday. This makes it tricky to find time to write up reviews of the films I'm watching, but I keep up as best as I can, knowing that I'll have to wait until next week to tackle the backlog. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the socialising, of course! The quality of the films this year is unusually strong, with complex dramas that depict a range of social situations with subtlety and insight. And the variety of dramas, documentaries, comedies and thrillers is very strong as well. Here are some more highlights...

The Novice
dir-scr Lauren Hadaway; with Isabelle Fuhrman, Amy Forsyth 21/US ****
With her debut feature, writer-director Lauren Hadaway skilfully creates a seriously intense drama harking back to her experiences on a university rowing team. While she adeptly captures the pressure on students who are trying to achieve sporting prowess, she zeroes in on a young woman who is so obsessive that every aspect of her life is about competition. And she's played with wrenching honesty by the terrific Isabelle Fuhrman.

A Distant Place
dir-scr Park Kun Young; with Kang Gil-woo, Hong Kyung 20/Kor ****
Set in rural Korea, this understated drama explores lingering unspoken homophobia in a progressive country. Writer-director Park Kun Young takes an observant approach, carefully staging scenes that reveal connections between the characters and their environments. This creates a striking and often unnerving depiction of more subtle forms of prejudice like side glances, passive-aggressive silences and exclusion. But the film is also infused with hope for a more compassionate future.

Jimmy in Saigon
dir-scr Peter McDowell; with Peter McDowell, Ellen McDowell 22/US ****
Confronting a veil of sadness that he's always felt in his family, filmmaker Peter McDowell documents his impressive investigation to discover the facts about the big brother he barely knew. This is a beautiful collection of interviews with a variety of people, illustrated with extensive home movies and snapshots. And while making this film over more than a decade, Peter uses the truth to rewrite his family's history.

This Is Not Me
dir Saeed Gholipour; with Saman Ghazian, Shervin Ramezan 22/Irn ****
From Iran, this documentary follows two young trans men who are navigating the complex situation in their country, going to court for the right to live as the person they are inside. By resisting both preachy moralising and flashy filmmaking, director Saeed Gholipour shows remarkable sensitivity, letting the cameras follow them through day-to-day situations over the course of several years. This approach gives them a powerful voice.

BEST OF YEAR
Flee
dir-scr Jonas Poher Rasmussen; voices Rashid Aitouganov, Daniel Karimyar 21/Den ****.
Bracingly cinematic, this documentary traces an Afghan refugee's staggeringly involving story. Because much of his journey wasn't captured on film, and since he prefers to remain anonymous, his story is gorgeously animated by director Jonas Poher Rasmussen in a range of hand-drawn styles. But it's so detailed and skilfully put together that it's hugely involving on a range of levels, both in the bigger themes and the darker emotions.... REVIEW >

Full reviews will be linked to Shadows' BFI Flare ANCHOR PAGE 

For tickets and information, visit BFI FLARE