LFF 2018 Highlights Part 1

It is approximately the half way point of the BFI London Film Festival, and there have been some excellent films screened so far. Here are some LFF 2018 highlights from the first week…

LFF 2018 Highlights – Unmissable

Widows

Director Steve McQueen kicked off the festival with a bang with the gripping Widows. There is so much to love about Widows that is pretty much impossible to find fault. READ MORE

The Old Man and the Gun

David Lowery’s The Old Man and the Gun is bursting with charm, much like its leading man. In what is rumoured to be Robert Redford’s last film, Lowery has created an ode to the actor. READ MORE

Non-Fiction

Oliver Assayas’ latest is a witty and endearing exploration of life, truth, and publishing. Non-Fiction illustrates Assayas’ versatility as a filmmaker. READ MORE

LFF 2018 Highlights – Best of the Rest

Sorry To Bother You

Boots Riley’s satire Sorry To Bother You is inventive, thought provoking, and tremendous fun. Riley is not afraid to target the system in Sorry To Bother You. READ MORE

Mandy

Panos Cosmatos’ Mandy is quite the trip. At its best moments, the film is dazzling. Despite the simplicity of the plot, Mandy is a striking and memorable film. READ MORE

The Guilty

Gustav Möller’s The Guilty (Den Skyldige) is a very impressive directorial debut. The filmmaker makes the most of the confined setting, creating a taut thriller. READ MORE

Border

Ali Abbasi’s Border (Gräns) is stark, different and engaging. The film is at different times a mystery, a love story, a crime thriller, and a fantasy. What keeps viewers intrigued is this ambiguity. READ MORE

The Front Runner

Jason Reitman’s political drama The Front Runner is an engrossing watch. The film is superbly scripted, and boasts solid performances from its cast. The dialogue is often quick-fire, and there is plenty of humour to be found, amongst the more serious proceedings. READ MORE

The BFI London Film Festival runs from 10th-21st October 2018. See the full programme here.

Film Review: Sorry To Bother You

Boots Riley’s satire Sorry To Bother You is inventive, thought provoking, and tremendous fun.

Cassius Green starts a new job as a telemarketer. After not having much luck, he is given some advice that propels his career forward – to use his white voice on calls…

Writer-Director Riley takes aim at everything with Sorry To Bother You, with employment rights, corporate speak, television, viral fame amongst the targets of his ire. The prime focus, however, is capitalism. Riley skewers the system in a way that is both amusing and resonant. 

The narrative takes its cue from Faustian myth, positing a young man who is tempted by the allure of wealth and power. What could have been rather a straightforward story is moulded into something far more compelling, thanks to Riley’s inventiveness. The premise of a call centre working finding success when he uses his ‘white’ voice is a strikingly honest appraisal of race and perception in America. The filmmaker satirises the system which upholds these values, whilst making a wider statement on the ills of capitalism and its effect on the working classes. 

At a certain point it seems as if Sorry To Bother You is going to be a show Cassius getting deeper into the system, before providing a redemptive arc. Whilst the narrative may loosely follow a traditional pattern, the final third is anything but ordinary. The spin might be absurdist, but it works ever so well given the film’s tone. 

Dialogue in the film is great at times. There is plenty to laugh at, even if the film gets serious at times. The protagonist has sufficient depth, and from the amusing interview at the beginning, he is someone for the audience to root for. Detroit is both love interest and a well crafted character in her own right. Lakeith Stanfield offers a great performance as Cassius. His delivery is on point, and reactions seem perfect. Tessa Thompson and Danny Glover standout among the supporting cast. Armie Hammer is most amusing in his caricature role. 

Riley is not afraid to target the system in Sorry To Bother You. The fact that he does this in an accessible, creative, and amusing is testament to Riley’s skill as a filmmaker.

Sorry To Bother You is being screened at the BFI London Film Festival in October 2018.

Previews: Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Trailer, More!

Plenty in this week’s preview of coming attractions, including the new Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse trailer, Fahrenheit 11/9, and more…

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Trailer

Here is the latest Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse trailer. The film is produced by The LEGO Movie‘s Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, and features a mix of computer-generated and hand-drawn animation. The cast includes Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is set for release in UK cinemas on 12th December, with previews on the 8th and 9th December 2018.

Fahrenheit 11/9 Trailer

Michael Moore returns with a political documentary on the 2016 US presidential election. Fahrenheit 11/9 sets its sights on the Trump era, with filmmaker Moore asking how America got to this point. Fahrenheit 11/9 will be screened at the BFI London Film Festival, and will be released in UK cinemas on 19th October 2018.

On The Basis Of Sex Trailer

Above is the trailer for On The Basis Of Sex. The film is based on the true story of US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who led the fight against gender discrimination. It stars Felicity Jones and Armie Hammer, and is directed by Mimi Leder. On The Basis Of Sex will be released soon.

Sorry To Bother You Trailer

Sorry To Bother You finally has a UK distributor and release date. The film, directed by Boots Riley, the film is about a telemarketer who discovers a magical key which leads to material glory. Starring Lakeith Stansfield and Tessa Thompson, Sorry To Bother You will be screening at the BFI London Film Festival and hits UK screens on 7th December 2018.

Rocket Man Trailer

Here is the first look at Rocket Man, the story of Elton John’s early years. The film stars Taron Egerton as the musician, as well as Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, and Bryce Dallas Howard. Directed by Dexter Fletcher, the film count Elton John among its executive producers. Rocket Man is set for release in May 2019.