My second year at London Film Festival is currently underway, with plenty of films to choose from but little sleep almost guaranteed. The plan is to jot down my initial thoughts on social media, write a little more extensively here in the form of capsule reviews, and then more thoroughly tackle individual films when time allows it, or as the film's official release draws nearer.
With up to 30 films on the cards, we'll attempt them in batches - for your sanity and mine. Number one will cover the films I have seen on Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th, with more to follow in the coming days.
Without further ado...
- - - - - - - -
JUST MERCY
(dir. Destin Daniel Cretton)
24th January 2020
"The Just Mercy filmmakers cannot resist and refuse to escape the genre trappings, conventions and comparisons that ultimately weight this important tale down"
Extended review on Film Inquiry here
Extended review on Film Inquiry here
- - - - - - - -
THE KING
(dir. David Michôd)
1st November 2019, Netflix
It's not until Timothée Chalamet rises to the regal titular position that The King finds its footing - but as soon as the crown is secured, David Michôd's visceral and brooding film reigns supreme.
Intelligent and surprisingly contemporary, The King's Shakespearean influence are embraced but it mostly looks to our times to deliver a piece with both meaning and relevance for modern audiences. It would be foolish, given the political climate brewing in almost every corner of our world, not to recognise the jostle for power, dangerous treachery and political unsteadiness that Joel Egerton and David Michôd have embedded within their script. It takes on a slower pace as it documents Henry V's rise and his attempts to change the world he has inherited, but once those tricky first 20 minutes are out of the way, it's difficult not to be gripped until the close of this slow-burning feature.
A lot of the success is down to Timothee Chalamet, who is most impressive in his first real period role. His boyish charm serves the role immensely well, with a quiet complexity building towards a thoroughly earned, chest-clutching speech before the film's big battle that cements his brilliance for anyone foolish enough to still be in any doubt. His characterful supporting cast featuring Egerton and Ben Mendelsohn (alongside Robert Pattinson, whose accent could not be more french if it were dressed in a garlic garland and singing La Marseillaise) fill out the ensemble, but Chalamet towers above them all, registering one of the year's most captivating performances worthy of all the recognition in the land.
- - - - - - - -
THE LIGHTHOUSE
(dir. Robert Eggers)
31st November 2019
The Lighthouse is a most singular vision. Traces of other film exists within Robert Eggers' follow-up to The Witch but there's no questioning the creativity or originality placed into this inspired, impeccably-made second feature.
A tonal hybrid - mystery, thriller, horror, drama, comedy all in one - The Lighthouse's unique blend of genres works through sheer ambition at times, and you find yourself enraptured by this disorientating, alienating and almost hypnotic world of mermaids, shanties and alcohol - whether you are actually "liking" it is another question entirely. Almost faultless technically, it is a beautifully-composed feature: the boxed-in aspect ratio suffocating, Mark Korven's score enchanting and the horror imagery, further textured by the monochrome visuals, breeds a grimy discomfort. Robert Eggers directs the hell out of The Lighthouse and it's near impossible to imagine anyone having the success with it that he has.
It could easily be reduced in its length, which would, in turn, smooth over the uneven character trajectories and the sense of repetition that settles in during the second half. But overcoming these drawbacks are Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe: the slightest resistance from either would have pushed this film out to sea without a paddle, but because of their commitment to the roles, The Lighthouse is anchored tremendously well. Pattinson plays it (mostly) straight, Dafoe is having the time of his life, and both ensure that this two-hander is compelling because of their well-matched energies.
The Lighthouse won't be for everyone but is a cult classic waiting to happen. I admire it but can I say I like it so confidently? Come back to me.
- - - - - - - -
HOPE GAP
(dir. William Nicholson)
TBC
William Nicholson's explores the dissolution of a 28-year-old marriage in Hope Gap, a film that essentially amounts to three character studies for the price of one.
A trio of stellar performances turns the poetic and surprisingly funny Hope Gap into a rather endearing piece of filmmaking. Examining an older couple's rocky marriage from both sides, as well as from their son who has "inherited" similar issues with his own love life, Nicholson's screenplay does a solid job of presenting the separate perspectives with balance and sophistication. Weakening the film though is the occasional chunk of dialogue that finds itself bogged down when it veers into a poetic realm that seems unnatural despite the prominence of verse in the film's narrative.
Annette Benning is the film's strongest player, providing a sassy and scathing performance that masks the heartbreak she is experiencing with the poise we have come to expect from an actress of her calibre. In what could (unironically) be described as controlled mania, Benning flips between poignant and hilarious with such ease, beautifully contrasted against the dryness of Bill Nighy's work. Josh O'Connor is stranded with the least interesting narrative strand but overcomes the weaker material when interacting with his on-screen parents.
Hope Gap is solid and would likely stand out more if it weren't for the higher-class filmmaking it is surrounded by at the festival.
A trio of stellar performances turns the poetic and surprisingly funny Hope Gap into a rather endearing piece of filmmaking. Examining an older couple's rocky marriage from both sides, as well as from their son who has "inherited" similar issues with his own love life, Nicholson's screenplay does a solid job of presenting the separate perspectives with balance and sophistication. Weakening the film though is the occasional chunk of dialogue that finds itself bogged down when it veers into a poetic realm that seems unnatural despite the prominence of verse in the film's narrative.
Annette Benning is the film's strongest player, providing a sassy and scathing performance that masks the heartbreak she is experiencing with the poise we have come to expect from an actress of her calibre. In what could (unironically) be described as controlled mania, Benning flips between poignant and hilarious with such ease, beautifully contrasted against the dryness of Bill Nighy's work. Josh O'Connor is stranded with the least interesting narrative strand but overcomes the weaker material when interacting with his on-screen parents.
Hope Gap is solid and would likely stand out more if it weren't for the higher-class filmmaking it is surrounded by at the festival.
- - - - - - - -
THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON
(dir. Tyler Nilson & Mike Schwartz)
28th October 2019
I set you a challenge: find a film more heartwarming and soul-stirring this year than the debut feature from Tyler Nilson & Mike Schwartz, The Peanut Butter Falcon. A road trip movie where the road isn't an option and a coming-of-age story in which all of its characters appear to grow in one way or another, this film facilitates quite a number of life-affirming journeys and whisks audiences along for the ride.
Falcon's sticky start gives cause for concern but once over the bumps in the road, it's smooth sailing from then on and you'll find it impossible to resist falling head over heels in love. A film of real authenticity despite the wholesome sheen of its presentation, its earnest messages and themes somehow avoid oversentimentality, with the humour both slapstick and genuinely witty. Nilson and Schwartz's screenplay's incorporation of a Down Syndrome character opens it to a rarely-explored ground that they are more than willing to tackle; it empathetically and astutely refuses to have the character of Zack defined by his condition and it's refreshingly observed. With similarly heartfelt direction, Nilson and Schwartz announce themselves as directors to watch in this remarkable debut.
Shia LaBeouf and Zack Gottsagen craft some of the most impressive and convincing chemistry we have seen on our screens in some time. Their unlikely relationship develops in a touching way and the bond they share is an honour to witness, with their comedic back-and-forth and swelling appreciation of each other guaranteed to warm the coldest of hearts. There is excellent support from Dakota Johnson too, in one of the strongest roles of her career.
The Peanut Butter Falcon may not be the film the world deserves, but it is certainly one we need right now.
Falcon's sticky start gives cause for concern but once over the bumps in the road, it's smooth sailing from then on and you'll find it impossible to resist falling head over heels in love. A film of real authenticity despite the wholesome sheen of its presentation, its earnest messages and themes somehow avoid oversentimentality, with the humour both slapstick and genuinely witty. Nilson and Schwartz's screenplay's incorporation of a Down Syndrome character opens it to a rarely-explored ground that they are more than willing to tackle; it empathetically and astutely refuses to have the character of Zack defined by his condition and it's refreshingly observed. With similarly heartfelt direction, Nilson and Schwartz announce themselves as directors to watch in this remarkable debut.
Shia LaBeouf and Zack Gottsagen craft some of the most impressive and convincing chemistry we have seen on our screens in some time. Their unlikely relationship develops in a touching way and the bond they share is an honour to witness, with their comedic back-and-forth and swelling appreciation of each other guaranteed to warm the coldest of hearts. There is excellent support from Dakota Johnson too, in one of the strongest roles of her career.
The Peanut Butter Falcon may not be the film the world deserves, but it is certainly one we need right now.
- - - - - - - - - - -
WOUNDS
(dir. Babak Anvari)
18th October 2019, Netflix
Babak Anvari's sophomore feature, Wounds, is a film that festers in its intensity and manages to maintain an unnerving atmosphere for the duration of its 94-minute runtime, but ultimately fails to burrow beneath the surface to the themes that are far beyond its reach.
Toxic masculinity and emotional emptiness are teased in the film adaption of Nathan Ballingrud's novella entitled "The Visible Filth", but are rarely given the focus or attention such fruitful and promising themes would need. It's a similar problem for the narrative itself, which both escalates and sprawls a little out of control the deeper into the madness we descend, and feels mostly ambiguous to avoid deconstructing its own premise or tackling the questions its poses. Armie Hammer brings a natural charisma to the role that gradually distorts as his world turns upside down around him, unhinging in a gleefully fun performance to see unfold. Dakota Johnson, disappointingly, has less to sink her teeth into but makes the most of her limited material.
While it is an effectively unsettling piece of horror filmmaking, with gory moments spliced throughout to satisfy the cravings of genre fans (and a handful of jump scares for passers-by), Wounds is the type of film you would find playing on a late television channel and put on to fill the background, catching your attention infrequently with its creepy-crawly business. But whether you're quite as tempted to seek it out on a streaming service that will also be offering a Martin Scorcese gangster film, Noah Baumbach divorce flick or Timothee Chalamet unsheathing his sword this quarter remains to be seen.
Toxic masculinity and emotional emptiness are teased in the film adaption of Nathan Ballingrud's novella entitled "The Visible Filth", but are rarely given the focus or attention such fruitful and promising themes would need. It's a similar problem for the narrative itself, which both escalates and sprawls a little out of control the deeper into the madness we descend, and feels mostly ambiguous to avoid deconstructing its own premise or tackling the questions its poses. Armie Hammer brings a natural charisma to the role that gradually distorts as his world turns upside down around him, unhinging in a gleefully fun performance to see unfold. Dakota Johnson, disappointingly, has less to sink her teeth into but makes the most of her limited material.
While it is an effectively unsettling piece of horror filmmaking, with gory moments spliced throughout to satisfy the cravings of genre fans (and a handful of jump scares for passers-by), Wounds is the type of film you would find playing on a late television channel and put on to fill the background, catching your attention infrequently with its creepy-crawly business. But whether you're quite as tempted to seek it out on a streaming service that will also be offering a Martin Scorcese gangster film, Noah Baumbach divorce flick or Timothee Chalamet unsheathing his sword this quarter remains to be seen.
- - - - - - - -