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: The Guilty (Den Skyldige)

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. 

Asger works in an emergency call centre, directing help to those in need. Asger is cynical about those he is supposed to help, until he receives a cryptic call. He faces a race against time if he is to help his caller…

The Guilty takes place within the confines of a small office, with all of the action taking place over phone calls. The initial premise is reminiscent of 2013’s The Call, although The Guilty is more Locke than this, in terms of quality phone-based movies. 

Möller presents viewers with a jaded protagonist. Asger has something upcoming, but the filmmaker holds this back, gradually leaking details as the narrative progresses. Möller sets up his lead character succinctly with his first few phone calls. Asger is developed in an authentic manner as he deals with the stressful situation. 

As the main narrative strand gets under way, The Guilty starts to build tension. This sense of unease is effective, especially considering the confines of the set up. There are frequent phone calls, but with different characters to keep the audience guessing. The central premise is a race against time, and protagonist’s limitations play into the tension. 

Möller’s twist is unpredictable, and carried out in a most effective manner. The director manages to inject genuine emotion into his thriller, in a way that is not at all jarring. After the reveal, it seems as if the film has little where to go. Nevertheless, it is concluded in a suitable fashion, with Asger’s own issues finally made clear. 

Jakob Cedergren delivers a most convincing performance. Given that he is mostly interacting with voices, Cedergren portrays the varying emotions in an empathetic and genuine manner. Lighting in the film makes the most of the confined space. The sound design is on point. 

The Guilty is a solid thriller which uses its limitations to its advantage. A tense thriller that is not without emotion.

The Guilty (Den Skyldidge) is being screened at the BFI London Film Festival in October 2018, and available in UK cinemas on 26^th October 2018.