We're over half-way through the reporting of my London Film Festival reporting - hooray!
Part one here
Part one here
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THE TWO POPES
dir. Fernando Meirelles
December 20, Netflix
The Two Popes' bizarre direction and wonky character work weigh down an otherwise well-approached and smartly-written screenplay.
As dense as it can be, The Two Popes' thematically-pointed and surprisingly humourous screenplay do it the world of good. For the most part, Anthony McCarten's writing explores themes of change versus compromise, the importance of belief and danger of uncertainty effectively, empowering long passages of dialogue - the film is essentially a collection of long, double-handed conversations - that compel, no matter your brushings with religion. Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce are both exceptional, handling the intimidating subject matter and turning in well-calibrated performances that represent tradition and reform in an interesting way.
The Two Popes hits a stumbling block just past the halfway mark that it never quite recovers from. A barrage of sudden character work clumsily presented through flashbacks unsteadies the film, structurally and tonally. Although it introduces some topical themes, its abrupt incorporation stagnates the film's pacing and perplexes in its decision to drop it on the audience in one shipment. Also baffling is Fernando Meirelles' direction, whose lunging camerawork and half-hearted docu-drama approach is jarring given the film's otherwise unfussy visual work.
Well-written dialogue, two powerful performances and a surprising amount of humour hold The Two Popes despite poor pacing and strange direction leaving it on unholy ground.
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AND THEN WE DANCED
dir. Levan Akin
TBC
There's a tendency to lump all LGBTQ+ cinema under the same umbrella but the similarities between Levan Akin's And Then We Danced and Luca Guadagnino's Oscar-winning Call Me By Your Name are inescapable.
Yet, despite the familiarity of And Then We Danced's exploration of first love, it is textured by a number of lesser-explored themes of the meaning of identity and gender expectations, and it's hard not to find yourself enraptured by Levan Akin's stirring, emotionally poignant third feature-length. With such fever, Akin's script develops the blossoming relationship between Merab (Levan Gelbakhiani) and Irakli (Bachi Valishvili) in a place of distressing prejudice slowly but oh so rewardingly - by the time their relationship comes to a head, you are utterly captivated by their romance.
Likewise, the direction is just as sensitive, with ravishing visuals that find warmth in a cold and closed environment. Fluid camerawork captures the feeling of first love's uncertainty and as Merab reconciles his feeling and emotions, you find yourself sinking into the romance with him; Gelbakhiani impresses in the lead role, with excellent support from Valishvili, with the pair achieving palpable and convincing chemistry.
The Call Me By Your Name comparisons are valid and even with added ABBA music, it can't reach the heights of that 2017 masterpiece due to a familiarity with this and various other LGBT and coming-of-age titles - but And Then We Danced is a film made with such tender feeling that it would be largely impossible not to make a song and dance about it.
Likewise, the direction is just as sensitive, with ravishing visuals that find warmth in a cold and closed environment. Fluid camerawork captures the feeling of first love's uncertainty and as Merab reconciles his feeling and emotions, you find yourself sinking into the romance with him; Gelbakhiani impresses in the lead role, with excellent support from Valishvili, with the pair achieving palpable and convincing chemistry.
The Call Me By Your Name comparisons are valid and even with added ABBA music, it can't reach the heights of that 2017 masterpiece due to a familiarity with this and various other LGBT and coming-of-age titles - but And Then We Danced is a film made with such tender feeling that it would be largely impossible not to make a song and dance about it.
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LITTLE MONSTERS
dir. Abe Forsythe
November 15th
Little Monsters isn't your typical "festival movie" but cleverly scheduled as a palette cleanser to the straighter, more serious movies in this year's line-up, this zombie horror-comedy injects some fun.
Riotously good fun thanks to an enjoyable combination of horror and humour, Little Monsters isn't a faultless film by any stretch, but it sure is an entertaining one. The very definition of a romp, it breezes by deliciously, crowd-pleasing in both its mostly-hit-but-occasionally-miss humour and a few bloody thrilling moments too. In his sophomore feature, Abe Forsythe hits an admirable number of notes - it's charming, rude and bold - and while there's not too much going on beneath the surface, it's perfectly content in entertaining in the most fundamental manner.
Lupita Nyong'o is reliably terrific and easily the film's strongest element: her Miss Caroline is a joy, a real bolt of energy, and her interactions with the younger cast are especially sweet. Speaking of, Diesel La Torraca is a real find and utterly endearing. Alexander England's Dave is perhaps too broadly written for his performance to impress at first, but the character arc softens his performance efficently. Josh Gad, however, is increasingly grating as a child's entertainer with a vulgar side, very much overstaying his welcome.
You will find Little Monsters hard to shake off.
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LE MANS '66 / FORD V FERRARI
dir. James Mangold
November 15th
Very much made with a particular demographic in mind, Le Mans '66 (or Ford v Ferrari depending on which corner of the world you inhabit) is an unremarkable-made, formulaically-told underdog story which will fail to compel anyone without a pre-established interest in the real story of motor-racing.
Matt Damon and Christain Bale star in James Mangold's bland biographical motorsports drama, whose starry presence provides the picture with an unearned prestige; this film may have all the hallmarks of an award-worthy ride but, if anything it makes this a far more disappointing drag. At 152 minutes, Le Mans '66 is definitely not the speediest movie, and really splutters out in its pacing in the middle act; while the finale is fuelled by a little more excitement, it's had its foot off the gas for far too long to accelerate.
Le Mans '66's three-person screenplay strikes you as a most American interpretation of British people and their dialogue, despite featuring two of us on the three-person writing team. Its conventionality leads to predictability which results in a far less engaging experience overall. And, in actual fact, such basic writing really holds the typically-impressive Bale back; in an uncharacteristically hammy and disappointing performance, Bale plays it stereotypically broad, "bloody hell"-ing it up with lazy Britishisms riddled throughout the screenplay. Damon is less impacted by the underwhelming writing, with a decent,, laid-back turn, but it's nowhere near approaching the superior work seen throughout his career.
In spite of a few brief moments of adrenaline in the finale, Le Mans '66 is ultimately a dull and uninspired retelling that isn't really saying anything new or interesting. It doesn't burst into flames, if only because it doesn't work up the traction or friction or takes any chances to do so, spluttering out before its even really begun. Your dad will love it but unless you're a petrolhead, you're unlikely to find anything remarkable on this track.
Matt Damon and Christain Bale star in James Mangold's bland biographical motorsports drama, whose starry presence provides the picture with an unearned prestige; this film may have all the hallmarks of an award-worthy ride but, if anything it makes this a far more disappointing drag. At 152 minutes, Le Mans '66 is definitely not the speediest movie, and really splutters out in its pacing in the middle act; while the finale is fuelled by a little more excitement, it's had its foot off the gas for far too long to accelerate.
Le Mans '66's three-person screenplay strikes you as a most American interpretation of British people and their dialogue, despite featuring two of us on the three-person writing team. Its conventionality leads to predictability which results in a far less engaging experience overall. And, in actual fact, such basic writing really holds the typically-impressive Bale back; in an uncharacteristically hammy and disappointing performance, Bale plays it stereotypically broad, "bloody hell"-ing it up with lazy Britishisms riddled throughout the screenplay. Damon is less impacted by the underwhelming writing, with a decent,, laid-back turn, but it's nowhere near approaching the superior work seen throughout his career.
In spite of a few brief moments of adrenaline in the finale, Le Mans '66 is ultimately a dull and uninspired retelling that isn't really saying anything new or interesting. It doesn't burst into flames, if only because it doesn't work up the traction or friction or takes any chances to do so, spluttering out before its even really begun. Your dad will love it but unless you're a petrolhead, you're unlikely to find anything remarkable on this track.
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BAD EDUCATION
dir. Cory Finley
TBC
Thoughts coming to Film Inquiry
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LINGUA FRANCA
dir. Isabel Sandoval
TBC
Thoughts coming to Film Inquiry
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KNIVES OUT
dir. Rian Johnson
27th November
Undoubtedly one of the most hotly-anticipated films for the remainder of the year, Rian Johnson's inspired whodunnit, Knives Out, is as sharp as the blades brandished in its title.
Johnson's first feature since setting the internet ablaze with Star Wars: The Last Jedi is an excellently-calibrated mixture of crowd-pleasing genre thrills and deeper thematic musings and allegorical undercurrents. Both embracing and satirising the conventions served up by the whodunnit narrative, Johnson's screenplay is consistently one step ahead of you with every twist and turn; just when you sense complacency setting in - a lacklustre car chase or a too-clunkily handled "twist" - Johnson's script knows and has already lined-up the punchline. Immensely funny and more importantly fun, Knives Out has one of the smartest, most creative screenplays of the year.
His direction is similarly impeccable. Aided by the glossy production design, striking lighting and a dramatically effective score, Johnson's film thrives on every level: unified in its brilliance, it is calculated for maximum thrills, laughs, enjoyment and - surprisingly - emotion, with a foreboding but playful atmosphere capturing the overall tone of the piece superbly. An unwaveringly impressive ensemble is having the time of their lives; to single anyone out besides Daniel Craig (utterly hilarious, with a doughnut gag so ludicrously brilliant that you cannot quite believe it worked) would risk exposing their involvement in the narrative, but there's hardly a weak link here. Some have their presence damaged by the trailer divulging their best lines, but that's hardly their fault.
An immensely satisfying and creative jigsaw puzzle with many thrilling pieces, Knives Out is a fun, old-fashioned studio movie smartly rooted in the politics of today. Piercing in its satire but so wholly entertaining, it's hard to imagine anybody not loving Knives Out.
Johnson's first feature since setting the internet ablaze with Star Wars: The Last Jedi is an excellently-calibrated mixture of crowd-pleasing genre thrills and deeper thematic musings and allegorical undercurrents. Both embracing and satirising the conventions served up by the whodunnit narrative, Johnson's screenplay is consistently one step ahead of you with every twist and turn; just when you sense complacency setting in - a lacklustre car chase or a too-clunkily handled "twist" - Johnson's script knows and has already lined-up the punchline. Immensely funny and more importantly fun, Knives Out has one of the smartest, most creative screenplays of the year.
His direction is similarly impeccable. Aided by the glossy production design, striking lighting and a dramatically effective score, Johnson's film thrives on every level: unified in its brilliance, it is calculated for maximum thrills, laughs, enjoyment and - surprisingly - emotion, with a foreboding but playful atmosphere capturing the overall tone of the piece superbly. An unwaveringly impressive ensemble is having the time of their lives; to single anyone out besides Daniel Craig (utterly hilarious, with a doughnut gag so ludicrously brilliant that you cannot quite believe it worked) would risk exposing their involvement in the narrative, but there's hardly a weak link here. Some have their presence damaged by the trailer divulging their best lines, but that's hardly their fault.
An immensely satisfying and creative jigsaw puzzle with many thrilling pieces, Knives Out is a fun, old-fashioned studio movie smartly rooted in the politics of today. Piercing in its satire but so wholly entertaining, it's hard to imagine anybody not loving Knives Out.
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