BFI London Film Festival 2017 Launch

It’s that time of year again. Today saw the launch of the BFI London Film Festival 2017. The festival this year sees 242 feature films being screened, which includes 28 world premieres. Here are some picks to look out for at the London Film Festival 2017…

Headline Galas

The opening and closing galas previously announced; closing gala Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri in particular looks great. Directed by Martin McDonagh (Seven Psychopaths), the film stars Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson. Other Headline Gala highlights include Battle of the Sexes (starring Emma Stone and Steve Carell), Alexander Payne’s Downsizing, and Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water. Another highlight is The Killing of a Sacred Deer, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster). The film stars Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, and Barry Keoghan, and is about a doctor who introduces his family to a fatherless young man he has befriended.

Strand Galas and Special Presentations

This year sees the return of the Embankment Garden Cinema and its series of Strand Galas.   There are a number of exciting screenings, including Redoubtable (Le Redoutable). Directed by Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) the film is a biopic of Jean-Luc Godard and stars Louis Garrel, Stacy Martin, and Bérénice Bejo. Also showing is Wonderstruck, based on the novel of the same name. Directed by Todd Haynes (Carol), the film stars Julianne Moore. Among the Special Presentations are Sally Potter’s The Party and the first two episodes of David Fincher’s upcoming Netflix series Mindhunter.

Official Competition

Amongst the Official Competition at London Film Festival 2017 are The Breadwinner (an animated film about a young girl in Taliban-controlled Kabul), and Thoroughbred, which stars Anya Taylor-Joy. The First Feature Competition includes Beast, which is about a young woman who falls for a police suspect. Also in this category is I Am Not A Witch, about a young girl in a Zambian village who is accused of being a witch. The Documentary Competition includes Jane, a film about primatologist Jane Goodall.

Strands

A highlight of this year’s Love strand is How to Talk to Girls at Parties, based on the Neil Gaiman short story. The film stars Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning. The Debate strand features The Venerable W., a documentary about a Buddhist monk espousing anti-Muslim rhetoric. Laugh includes Brigsby Bear, a comedy about a man who tries to remake a children’s show he was obsessed with. A highlight of the Dare category is 9 Fingers, directed by FJ Ossang. The Thrill section includes the classic noir Mildred Pierce, whilst Harry Dean Stanton and David Lynch star in Lucky as part of the Journey strand.

The Cult strand includes Paco Plaza’s horror Veronica, and Create features documentary G Funk, about Snoop Dogg, Warren G and Nate Dogg. The Family strand includes fairy tale compendium Ivan Tsarevitch and the Changing Princess. Experimenta features documentary Tonsler Park, a timely film about polling stations in Charlottesville during last year’s US election.

The full London Film Festival 2017 programme can be viewed here. The BFI London Film Festival runs from 4th-15th October 2017.

Horse on Film

Steven Spielberg’s War Horse is released in cinemas today. The buzz around Uggy from The Artist and his award chances has got me thinking about the horse from Spielberg’s film. Joey is undoubtedly the lead character in War Horse, and the performance depicts an array of emotions. What will dent the character’s chance of critical acclaim is the fact that Joey is played by multiple horses. This is quite understandable, as War Horse depicts Joey’s journey from infancy to adulthood. Nevertheless, the adult Joey is also played by more than one horse. Perhaps War Horse is more likely to succeed in a Group Performance type of award? I cannot imagine the Academy going for this, but MTV Movie Awards get on to it!

Dogs on Film

This year cinema has offered some treats for fans of dogs on film. I was intending to write a ‘best films of the year’ list, but this seemed so much more important. Here is a list of the most memorable cinematic dogs of 2011. I haven’t seen every film released this year, so there is a chance I have missed the most fantastic dog on film. Therefore, this is a list of the best from films I have seen; feel free to make suggestions in the comments below.

1. Uggy

The Artist is perhaps the finest film released in 2011, and Uggy the finest dog. Irrepressibly cute, this silent movie canine does everything from starring in movies to saving lives. Often a scene stealer, Uggy is integral to The Artist, and undoubtedly adds to the film’s captivating charm.

2. Snowy

It would not be an exaggeration to assert that Snowy is better than his human companion Tintin on all levels in The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn. Snowy is far smarter and more observant than the boy detective, and is miles ahead in terms of natural charisma. Yet Tintin gets all the glory. Go figure.

3. Arthur

The adorable Arthur is the sidekick to Hal and then his son Oliver in Beginners. Arthur talks through the medium of subtitles, which is truly a delight to behold. Arthur’s comments are insightful and sometimes poignant, more than one may expect from a canine companion. Beginners is a great film, and is all the more enchanting with the inclusion of Arthur.

4. Tulip

The honey badger of the list, Tulip has no time for social airs and graces. Instead, Tulip does whatever she likes, sometimes to the displeasure of her owner in My Dog Tulip. Despite her uncouth ways, Tulip proves to be a loyal and affectionate companion, although others who come into contact with her may disagree.

5. Skeletor

The reason Skeletor features on this list is predominantly because he is named after He-Man’s arch nemesis. A retired greyhound, Skeletor is bought as a companion to Adam, who is diagnosed with cancer in 50/50. In spite of his minor role, Skeletor is memorable for his doe-eyed expressions.

London Film Festival Debriefing

So the BFI London Film Festival is over for another year. I managed to catch thirty-five films this year, as well as a smattering of press conferences and a round table interview. Having seen less than a quarter of the films shown throughout the festival, I have undoubtedly missed some gems. With this in mind, the following is a very brief appraisal of the festival.

The Best Films I Saw: The Artist, Shame, The Ides of March

The Films That Were As Good As Expected: This Must Be the Place, Headhunters, Martha Marcy May Marlene

The Unexpected Gem: The Monk

The Films I Wish I Had Seen: 50/50, Nobody Else But You

The Film I Wish I Could Unsee: Shock Head Soul

London Film Festival – One Week In

It has been a busy week since the BFI London Film Festival began on the 12th October. There have been some fantastic films screened so far. Of these, The Artist tops the list. The film is simply wonderful, and heartily recommended. The video above features clips from the film, as well as brief interviews. Shame last week was also excellent. Tuesday evening also saw a screening of Headhunters, a thriller which was fantastic fun and a pleasant antidote to some of the more serious films. We Need To Talk About Kevin was shown on Monday evening. The powerful film is discussed in the video below. George Clooney strolled into town on Wednesday for The Ides of March screening. Clooney was keen to answer questions at the press conference in the afternoon. Also screening on Wednesday evening was Miss Bala, a sombre but effective Mexican film.

Film Review: The Artist

Films about cinema and the film industry rank among some of the best films ever made; one only needs to think about Sunset Boulevard or Singin’ in the Rain for example. The Artist continues in this vein of quality. Michel Hazanavicius’ film is spellbinding and an unadulterated joy.

In the Hollywood of 1927, actor George Valentin is a huge star of silent pictures. Bumping into a young hopeful on the red carpet, George helps give Peppy Miller her break into acting. While Peppy’s career is just beginning, George is concerned by the arrival of talking pictures…

The Artist features a wonderful combination of humour and drama, set against a backdrop of the Hollywood studio system. It is similar to Singin’ in the Rain in that it covers the transition from silent films to talkies. However, The Artist comes at the topic from a different vantage, being a silent film itself. The film is self-reflexive, playing a little game with audiences with its use of sound.

The Artist relies to a certain extent on the viewer’s awareness of Hollywood history. Humour is based around this, but also on the hammy performances that the film itself makes reference to. Archetype roles, such as the move executive, are a source of great amusement. Even in moments of heightened drama, The Artist will pull the rug from under and deliver a punch line.

The sets, costumes and props are excellent, helping to generate the sense of spectacle. Cinematography is at times sublime with some superb composition. The score is so important to the film’s success, and Ludovic Bource’s music works incredibly well. There is also an unexpected but marvellous use of Bernard Herrmann’s Vertigo score.

Performances are great, particularly from lead Jean Dujardin. The film also features one of the cutest and most talented dogs ever to appear on screen. Simply put, The Artist is majestic. A must-see film.

The Artist is being screened at the BFI London Film Festival in October 2011.

London Film Festival 2011 Launch

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… Well ok, it isn’t quite Christmas yet, but it is almost time for the BFI London Film Festival! Today was the launch of the festival in a heavily-gridlocked Leicester Square. BFI chief executive Amanda Nevill took the stage first to introduce this year’s event, and to say thanks to the numerous parties involved. Following this, the festival’s artistic director Sandra Hebron spoke, mentioning with sadness that this was her last LFF. A reel of clips and trailers from selected films due to be screened at the October festival was then shown.

The range of films being shown at the London Film Festival is as diverse as ever. Some of the big films have already been screened at Venice, even so there are some interesting prospects such us A Dangerous Method and Madonna’s W.E. Also being shown are Coriolanus, Shame, Anonymous and The Ides of March. Other films which peaked my interest included Let the Bullets Fly (currently China’s highest grossing film), Nick Broomfield’s Sarah Palin – You Betcha!, Norwegian film Headhunters and Tales of the Night, which is the Family Gala screening. Perhaps the film I am most looking forward is The Artist, a French homage to the silent movie era.

To see the full programme and find out more about the London Film Festival 2011 click here.