LFF 2019 Highlights Part 2

With the 63rd BFI London Film Festival drawing to a close tonight, there have been a lot of wonderful movies this year. The best films of the first week can be viewed here. Below are the LFF 2019 highlights from the second week…

LFF 2019 Highlights – Unmissable

The Irishman

In a career positively littered with jewels, Martin Scorsese manages to surpass expectations once more. The film is a magnificent gem. The Irishman is an introspective study, with Scorsese pulling no punches where it counts. READ MORE

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Midge Costin’s documentary Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound is as immersive as its subject matter. Midge Costin’s documentary Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound is as immersive as its subject matter. READ MORE

Judy & Punch

Mirrah Foulkes’ Judy & Punch is an impressive fairy tale. Boasting a distinctive atmosphere and strong performances, the film is an engrossing watch. Foulkes has delivered an original, creative, and compelling debut with Judy & Punch. READ MORE

LFF 2019 Highlights – Best of the Rest

Knives Out

Writer-director Rian Johnson’s murder mystery Knives Out is tremendous fun. The star cast are on great form in this very entertaining film. With Knives Out, Johnson plants several red herrings, offers up twists, and delivers a hugely enjoyable film. READ MORE

Waves

Trey Edward Shults’ Waves is tender, powerful, and finely executed. There are several emotional moments, and each of these is earned by the solid script, good character development, and the filmmaker’s considered direction. READ MORE

Family Romance LLC

Werner Herzog’s documentary style drama Family Romance LLC depicts a bizarre but fascinating phenomenon. The film is both amusing and disquieting. Herzog once again shows his flair for capturing the various shades of humanity. READ MORE

Sid & Judy

On the fiftieth anniversary of Judy Garland’s death, director Stephen Kijak has created a timely and engrossing documentary with Sid & Judy. The film effectively conveys Garland’s magnetism, and does not shy away from depicting the star’s personal struggles. A very entertaining documentary. READ MORE

Deerskin

Another one of LFF 2019 highlights is Deerskin. Writer-director Quentin Dupieux’s Deerskin (Le Daim) is absurd and entertaining. The film is a real treat. The film marries creativity and accessibility in an amusing package. READ MORE

The BFI London Film Festival ran from 2nd-13th October 2019.

Film Review: Family Romance LLC

Werner Herzog’s documentary style drama Family Romance LLC depicts a bizarre but fascinating phenomenon. The film is both amusing and disquieting.

Yuichi Ishii runs a company offering an usual service. Ishii offers fake family members; actors who pretend to be relatives to fulfil their clients wishes…

Family Romance LLC focuses on a very interesting, and for many alien concept; hiring out pretend family members to meet the varying needs of clients. Written and directed by Werner Herzog, the film is a series of reenactments by Ishii, who plays himself. The film focuses on a series of meetings and services provided by Ishii and his colleagues.

The narrative follows Ishii as he carries out several jobs and meets with a variety of clients. Herzog keeps returning to the first client; a young girl whose mother has paid Ishii to act as her estranged father. By choosing to focus on this story, the moral quandary is placed at the very centre of film. For both protagonist, those that hire out the service, and the recipients (some would say victims) the ethical dilemma of such a service is laid bare. Herzog approaches this in a careful and measured way to begin with. As the narrative progresses, these issues grow louder. 

Family Romance LLC highlights the setting very much as providing the context for the business. Using plenty of long shots, and some aerial ones, Herzog underlines the sense of alienation in a city bursting with people. He also highlights some uniquely Japanese anachronisms, such as worker who needs to save face over a mistake to both his boss and his family. The very end of the film is great; it really emphasises the toll such an endeavour takes. Throughout, Herzog provides his great style of humour, whilst never neglecting more serious aspects of the subject.

With Family Romance LLC, Herzog once again shows his flair for capturing the various shades of humanity. An intriguing watch.

Family Romance LLC is being screened at BFI London Film Festival in October 2019.

Film Review: Manifesto

Julian Rosefeldt’s Manifesto has promise, but ultimately fails to connect with viewers. For all the ideas the film extols, the end result is noticeably flat.

Numerous characters extol the words of different theorists, critics, and artists who have each written a manifesto on art. The subjects range from architecture to conceptual art, from originality to the point of art itself.

Written and directed by Rosefeldt, Manifesto seeks to express the ideas and beliefs of various thinkers on the subject of art. To do so, the filmmaker has enlisted Cate Blanchett to play a variety of characters who deliver their words. The theorists and critics quoted include Karl Marx, Guy Debord, and Werner Herzog.

These characters do not have names or back stories, instead they are a series of characters who fulfil various archetypes. These include the rock star, the teacher, and the Wall Street businesswoman. Some of these pieces are more interesting than others. For example, the newsreader delivering a report with a difference is an inventive way that conveys the message.

Ultimately, however, the film does not fully engage its audience. Although the premise is sound, the execution falls short. Some of the chapters are too long, whilst others simply are not interesting. Although some of the ideas the film relays are interesting, these aren’t conveyed in a way that grabs the attention. In some ways the film may have worked better as a documentary about theorists and creators on art.

Cate Blanchett shape shifts into a dozen characters, showing a broad range. Her performances are great. Blanchett changes appearance and accent and a drop of the hat, but more significantly the body language is always apt. It is a shame she is only given one-dimensional archetypes to work with.

If it had been pulled off Manifesto could have been a fascinating film that pulled a wider audience into the world of art theory and criticism. In spite of Blanchett’s considerable talent, the film lacks a spark.

Manifesto is being screened as the BFI London Film Festival in October 2017.

2016 Hollywood Trends

2016 has been a remarkable year in current affairs, and a sad one for the untimely deaths of so many beloved celebrities. But let us turn our attention to something more comforting – film. As the year draws to a close, it’s time to review the 2016 Hollywood trends. Rather than a countdown of the best films, this article looks at the key trends in mainstream cinema of the year. It has been a year that harks back to Golden Age-Hollywood, whilst superheroes met head to head. Disney have dominated once again, whilst the Summer was lacklustre blockbuster season…

2016 Hollywood Trends: Superheroes Assemble

Although big superheroes appearing together in the same film is not a new phenomenon (2012’s Avengers Assemble and even 2014’s The LEGO Movie attest to this), in 2016 it became a noticeable trend. whilst February’s Deadpool only featured lesser-known X-Men with the title character, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice brought together three of DC’s biggest heroes in one film (paving the way for 2017’s Justice League). Released in  April, Captain America: Civil War functioned like ‘Avengers 3’ with the inclusion of Iron Man, Ant-Man and other secondary Avengers. Pivotally, the film boasted the addition of Spider-Man (who had previously appeared only in Sony films). In August, the hotly-anticipated Suicide Squad hit the big screen. The film featured many of Batman’s nemeses together, including the Joker, and Harley Quinn in her first live-action film appearance.

2016 Hollywood Trends: Golden-Age Revival

2016 has been the year for Golden-Age Hollywood nostalgia. The Coen Brother’s comedy Hail, Caesar! focussed on the day in the life of a studio fixer in 1950s Hollywood. As well as all the backstage activity Mannix has to keep under wraps, the film features some great musical sequences harking back to classic Hollywood features. Albeit, with tongue firmly in cheek. Woody Allen’s Café Society focuses on the assistant to a Hollywood producer working in the 1930s. With the action taking place between Hollywood and New York, the film offers wonderful costumes and a salubrious soundtrack. Although it is set in contemporary Los Angeles, La La Land (opening at UK cinemas on 12th January 2017) is brimming with Golden Age nostalgia. The opening sequence, and indeed others later in the musical, are reminiscent of the best technicolor musicals of the 1950s. Continuing this trend, Warren Beatty’s 1950s Hollywood-set Rules Don’t Apply arrives on UK screens in March 2017.

2016 Hollywood Trends: Disney Dominance

Disney sitting on top of worldwide box office grosses is not a surprise considering the properties the company owns (Marvel, Pixar, LucasFilm). In 2015, Star Wars: The Force Awakens was crowned box office champ, pulling in almost $400 million more than nearest competitor Jurassic World. Nevertheless, this year Disney have completely dominated worldwide box office grosses, with four films (Captain America: Civil War, Finding Dory, Zootropolis, and The Jungle Book) each grossing more than any other studio’s production. And this is while Rogue One: A Star Wars Story currently rides high at the box office across the world.

2016 Hollywood Trends: Starring Michael Shannon

It may not be immediately obvious when looking back at 2016 films, but Michael Shannon has appeared in a plethora of films this year. The actor has no fewer than ten credits for 2016. These range from leading roles in films such as Midnight Special and Frank & Lola, to a supporting role in Loving (released in UK cinemas on 3rd February 2017), and even in a brief flashback in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Shannon delivered a scene-stealing performance in Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals, released in November. Expect to see more of Shannon next year, with Wener Herzog’s Salt and Fire, among others.

2016 Hollywood Trends: Lacklustre Summer Blockbusters

There were plenty of Summer blockbusters in 2016 (as has been the case for years), but this year’s tentpoles seemed to lack something. July’s The Legend of Tarzan may have delivered somewhat decent worldwide box office grosses, but reviews were less than sparkling. Ghostbusters‘ domestic gross did not get near its reported production budget, and Independence Day: Resurgence received poor reviews. Meanwhile, Star Trek Beyond, Jason Bourne, and Suicide Squad failed to make the impacted expected at the box office. At the tale-end of the Summer, sword and sandals epic Ben-Hur flopped at the box office. If 2016 is anything to go by, 2017’s Summer blockbusters will need to beat family animation and Spring superhero films to take the crown.

Previews: Rules Don’t Apply Trailer, Doctor Strange, More!

Lots of film-related goodness this week, including the new Rules Don’t Apply trailer, Hacksaw Ridge, Doctor Strange and more…

Rules Don’t Apply Trailer

Here is the latest Rules Don’t Apply trailer. The film is directed by Warren Beatty, who stars as Howard Hughes. The film is about a relationship between Hughes’ driver (played by Alden Ehrenreich) and an aspiring young actress (played by Lily Collins). Rules Don’t Apply is one of a number of recent films set in Hollywood’s Golden Age, following Café Society and  Hail, Caesar!. Beatty’s film is scheduled for release soon.

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back Trailer

Here is the new trailer for action-thriller Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. The film is a follow up to 2012’s Jack Reacher. This instalment sees To Cruise return as the title character. I am hoping that filmmakers keep the same tone as the original film, even if there is no Werner Herzog. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back hits cinema and IMAX screens on 20th October 2016.

Doctor Strange Poster

Here is one of the Doctor Strange character posters. Tilda Swinton joins a stellar cast (Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Womg, and Mads Mikkelsen) in Marvel’s latest film. Cumberbatch stars as Dr Stephen Strange, a neurosurgeon who sets out to repair himself following an accident. Doctor Strange is out in UK cinemas on 25th October 2016.

Moana Featurette

Here is Moana star Dwayne Johnson and composer Lin-Manuel Miranda talk about mutual love and respect in this new featurette. The film is about a teenager who sets out on a mission to complete her ancestors’ unfulfilled quest. Moana will be released in UK cinemas on 2nd December 2016.

Fences Trailer

Denzel Washington directs Fences, based on August Wilson’s award-winning play. Wilson also writes the screenplay for the film, which is about a man struggling to raise his family in the 1950s. Also starring the brilliant Viola Davis, Fences is set for release soon.

20th Century Women Trailer

Writer-director Mike Mills follows 2011’s Beginners with 20th Century Women. The film is about three women at different eras of the 20th century. Starring Annette Benning, Greta Gerwig, and Elle Fanning, 20th Century Women will be released in 2017.

Hacksaw Ridge Trailer

Mel Gibson directs war drama Hacksaw Ridge. The film is about the true story of Desmond Doss, a soldier during World War II who saved many of his compatriots without firing a weapon. Starring Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, and Teresa Palmer, Hacksaw Ridge will be released in cinemas soon.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Trailer

Here is the final trailer for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The film is based on the magical world created by J.K. Rowling. Starring Eddie Redmayne, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is out in 3D on 18th November 2016.

BFI London Film Festival 2016 Launch

Today saw the launch of the BFI London Film Festival 2016. This year’s programme is bursting with cinematic delights. There are more galas than in previous years, and screen talk participants include Werner Herzog and Paul Verhoeven. Here are some of the films to look out for at London Film Festival 2016.

Headline Galas

The London Film Festival 2016’s opening gala A United Kingdom had already been announced, the Scorsese-produced, Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire looks like a lot of fun. Elsewhere, plenty of hotly anticipated films including La La Land, Arrival and The Birth of a Nation. Writer-director Nate Parker also stars in the story of an enslaved preacher who led a revolt in 1830s Virginia. Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals is also a headline gala. An adaptation of Austin Wright’s novel Tony and Susan, the film stars Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Shannon. Mira Nair’s Queen of Katwe stars David Oyelowo and Lupita Nyong’o.

Strand Galas and Special Presentations

This year sees additional galas, which will take place on a purpose built venue on the Strand. They include The Handmaiden, from director Chan-wook Park. The film looks as sumptuous as Park’s previous film Stoker. Miles Teller stars in Bleed For This, based on the true story of boxer Vinny Paziena. Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq is the Sonic Gala. The hip hop musical features Teyonah Parris, Wesley Snipes, Angela Bassett and Samuel L. Jackson. Andrea Arnold’s American Honey and Ava DuVernay’s The 13th are among the special presentations this year.

Official Competition

Paul Verhoeven’s Elle is amongst the Official Competition at London Film Festival 2016. Staring Isabelle Huppert, the film is an adaptation of a Philippe Dijan novel. Terence Davies’ A Quiet Presentation is a biopic of Emily Dickinson staring Cynthia Nixon. Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight, about a young man struggling with his sexuality in 1980s Miami, looks like a great watch. In the First Feature Competition, Porto sees one of Anton Yelchin’s final performances, whilst animation My Life As A Courgette looks like a lot of fun. David Lynch: The Art Life is among the contenders for the Documentary Competition, as well as The Graduation. The latter is a documentary about a prestigious film school in Paris. Chasing Asylum, about the Australian government’s immigration policies, seems very topical.

Strands

The Love strand features Lovesong, director So Yong Kim’s film about a lonely young mother. It stars Jena Malone and Riley Keough. Highlights in the Debate category include Asghar Farhadi’s The Salesman. A Separation‘s Farhadi has already won awards at Cannes. Mindhorn features in the Laugh strand. The film stars Julian Barratt as a washed-up 1980s TV detective. Dare features Christine, starring Rebecca Hall as the notorious television journalist. Paul Schrader’s Dog Eat Dog looks to be a highlight of the Thrill section, with Nicholas Cage starring alongside Willem Dafoe. Another David Lynch connection (Cage and Dafoe starred in Lynch’s Wild at Heart), Blue Velvet Revisited, features in the Cult strand.

Cult also features I Am Not A Serial Killer, based on the young adult novel. The Innocents looks to be a highlight of the Journey strand. Anne Fontaine’s film is about a young doctor working for the French Red Cross in 1945. London Town, a coming of age film set in 1979 London, features in the Sonic strand. The Family strand includes Rock Dog, an animation featuring the voices of J.K. Simmons and Luke Wilson. Finally, Experimenta includes Have You Seen My Movie?; a must-see for cinema fans.

The full London Film Festival 2016 programme can be viewed here. The BFI London Film Festival runs from 5th-16th October 2016.

Film Review: Aguirre, Wrath of God

Werner Herzog’s 1972 historical journey gets a re-release. Aguirre, Wrath of God is a worthwhile watch for viewers that see it through.

In the 16th century, a few decades after the destruction of the Inca empire, a Spanish expedition leaves the mountains of Peru in search of the wealth of El Dorado. The ruthless Aguirre, who takes control of the expedition, is hellbent on reaching his destination at all costs…

Aguirre, Wrath of God is a slow burner. The first half of the film is quite difficult going, with the narrative taking some time to unfurl. There are some shots in the first half that are held for too long without any real gravitas. There is a lack of momentum that hinders the film.

Nevertheless, the second half of the film is a big improvement. Herzog offers an interesting portrayal of an unquenchable thirst for power with his title character. Aguirre, Wrath of God becomes more engaging in proportion with Aguirre’s growing delusion.

Themes of power and legacy are most potent in Herzog’s film. This is most apparent through Aguirre and his rapacious drive to reach El Dorado. However,  there are nuances in the film that also feed into these themes, such as Don Fernando de Guzman and his burgeoning corruption.

There are some great shots at the beginning and very end of Aguirre, Wrath of God. However, elsewhere production values can be a little haphazard, with blurry lenses and some abrupt editing. The humorous lines in the film are a welcome addition. There is also some great symbolism at the end of the film.

Klaus Kinski delivers a marvellous performance as Aguirre. Kinski is utterly believable in the role, which is highly praiseworthy given the extremes of the character. The supporting cast are also decent, but no one is able to take the limelight of Kinski.

Aguirre, Wrath of God requires viewers to persist with it, but is ultimately rewarding.

Aguirre, Wrath of God is being re-released as part of the BFI’s Werner Herzog season. It will be screened at the BFI Southbank and selected UK cinemas from 7th June 2013.

Stuff To Look At

Plenty of movie stuffs this week, including the latest Man of Steel TV spot, Disney’s Big Hero 6, the Coen Brothers’ latest and a Herzog re-release…

Man of Steel

Here is the new Man of Steel TV spot. Although the film looks exciting, the TV spot fails to answer the question everyone is asking; is Gus Gorman in this latest Superman film? Really, that’s what we want to know. Man of Steel, with or without Gus Gorman, is released in UK cinemas on 14th June 2013.

Big Hero 6

Here is the first look at Disney Animation’s Big Hero 6. I want to live in San Fransokyo, it looks amazing! The film is about a robotics prodigy who finds himself in the grips of  criminal plot that threatens the city. Big Hero 6 is due for release in the US on 7th November 2014.

Inside Llewyn Davis

Ethan and Joel Coen’s Inside Llewyn Davis is about a young folk singer in 1960s New York. The film stars Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan and Justin Timberlake. But who knows, the breakout star may be the cat in the first seen in this trailer. Inside Llewyn Davis is due for release in UK cinemas on 24th January 2014.

The World’s End

Edgar Wright’s latest offering is The World’s End, starring past collaborators Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. The film seems like exactly what one would expect from the trio; comedy and some very strange shenanigans. The World’s End hits UK screens on 19th July 2013.

The Internship

The Internship reunites Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn. The comedy is about two advertising salesmen who start an internship at Google. The trailer reminds me of that episode of Friends where Chandler starts an internship at an ad agency and he’s so much older than the rest of the interns. The Internship is out in UK cinemas on 4th July 2013.

About Time

Here is the first trailer for Richard Curtis’ latest film, About Time. The comedy stars Bill Nighy, Rachel McAdams and Domhall Gleeson. I’m getting Groundhog Day vibes from the trailer, although I think the film is going to weigh heavy on the whole consequences theme. About Time is released in UK cinemas on 6th September 2013.

Aguirre, Wrath of God

I wish Werner Herzog was narrating this trailer. Werner Herzog should narrate everything. Anyway, the director’s 1972 film Aguirre, Wrath of God gets a re-release as part of the BFI’s retrospective of Herzog in June. Aguirre, Wrath of God will be screened at the BFI and selected UK venues from 7th June 2013.

Film Review: Jack Reacher

Jack Reacher is an immensely entertaining thriller. Wisely, the film does not take itself too seriously, which adds to the overall enjoyment.

When five innocent people are gunned down by what appears to be an expert sniper, police believe that they have found the culprit. However Jack Reacher, a former investigator in the army, thinks there is more to the case than meets the eye. He begins an investigation of his own…

A crime thriller that combines mystery with action, Jack Reacher could have easily been run of the mill. In some ways, it is. The narrative is not particularly illuminating. Nevertheless, the opening sequence does the job of grabbing the attention and setting up what is to follow. The sequence is provides sufficient mystery to keep the audience engaged.

The plot is fairly standard for this genre. Where the film excels in its ability to inject a healthy dose of ridiculousness into what could have been a straight-faced thriller. Director and screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie permeates the film with tongue in cheek humour. At least on one occasion where the film may be taking itself seriously but it rather silly, McQuarrie pulls it back to let viewers know that the filmmakers are in on the joke.

The action sequences are good overall, neatly building to a western-style showdown. Production values are sound, and the lighting and camera work in the finale convey a sense of disorientation. Casting Werner Herzog was a masterstroke. He really makes the film. Tom Cruise does not take himself too seriously as the title character, it is pleasant to see a star of his magnitude being able to laugh at himself.

Unless a action thriller can be genuinely original, this is exactly how films of this genre should be made. Jack Reacher is lots of fun.

Film Review: The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – New Orleans

Werner Herzog’s Bad Lieutenant is a peculiar film, but one well worth a watch. Its strength is in the fact that it does not follow more traditional approaches to filmmaking, the result of which is a compelling film.

Lieutenant Terence McDonagh is charged with investigating the murder of a Senegalese family in post-Katrina New Orleans. His drug and gambling addictions, however, interfere with solving the crime…

What begins as a noir drama becomes increasingly surreal in a style often associated with David Lynch. As McDonagh descends further into criminality, the story takes several turns and it is hard to predict how the film will conclude. With so many highly predictable films released of late, this makes a refreshing change.

Overall, Nicolas Cage gives a good performance as McDonagh, although at times it seems that he is trying so hard to give a first-rate performance that it comes across as forced. The supporting cast performs well, with Xzibit and Jennifer Coolidge in particular giving believable performances. Eva Mendes is fine as love interest Frankie, although the casting of such a beautiful actress in this role is a tad unconvincing.

The cinematography and production design work well to create visuals that match the seedy nature of the narrative. The soundtrack is sometimes inspired, adding to the uncanny sequences.

By not following the rules, Herzog has created a film that throws up unexpected incidents and strange but amusing scenes in what could have been a straightforward crime thriller. The Bad Lieutenant is an intriguing film, offering a modicum of the unforeseen in a sea of predictability.