Category: BFI London Film Festival
55th BFI London Film Festival: ‘A Dangerous Method’
A Dangerous Method Directed by David Cronenberg Starring Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen, Vincent Cassell When judged against his peers over recent years Canadian horror maestro David Cronenberg is the film maker who has undergone the most compelling metamorphosis. … [Read the Rest]
55th BFI London Film Festival: ‘Monk’ held together by a towering performance from Vincent Cassel
The Monk (Le Moine) Directed by Dominik Moll Written by Dominik Moll and Anne-Louise Trividic, from the novel by Matthew Lewis France, 2011 Dominik Moll’s The Monk is so redolent with Gothic gloom, overweening piety and suppressed lust that it’s … [Read the Rest]
55th BFI London Film Festival: ‘We Need To Talk About Kevin’ a low-budget, high-impact wonder
We Need To Talk About Kevin Directed by Lynne Ramsay Written by Lynne Ramsay and Rory Kinnear UK / USA, 2011 Lynne Ramsay returns to the big screen after almost a decade long hiatus, and talk about returning with a … [Read the Rest]
55th BFI London Film Festival: ‘Hunky Dory’
Hunky Dory Director: Marc Evans Writer: Laurence Coriat If Marc Evans’ Hunky Dory is anything to go by, the long hot summer of 1976 was a lot more exciting in South Wales than in North London. My memories are mainly … [Read the Rest]
Nanni Moretti at the 55th BFI London Film Festival
The lady from the BBC World Service was very persistent. Nanni Moretti had just spent more than an hour talking to us about his new film, We Have a Pope/Habemus Papam, and he was late for a Gala Screening. Now … [Read the Rest]
55th BFI London Film Festival: ‘The Descendants’ finds Payne at his intelligent, mature best
The Descendants Written by Alexander Payne Directed by Alexander Payne USA, 2011 It’s hard to believe that it’s been seven long years since Sideways, Alexander Payne’s widely beloved paean to middle aged disappointment, which was so thoroughly embraced by middle … [Read the Rest]
55th BFI London Film Festival: ‘Better this World’ – How far would you go to help a friend?
Better this World Directed by Kelly Duane de la Vega and Katie Galloway If Michael Moore had made Better this World we’d probably know Sarah Palin’s recipe for mixing the perfect Molotov cocktail – Alaskan style. But this sobering documentary … [Read the Rest]
55th BFI London Film Festival: ‘The Kid with a Bike’ another brilliant example of no-frills Dardennes film-making
The Kid with a Bike / Le Gamin au Vélo Directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne Written by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne France/Belgium/Italy, 2011 The style of brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne might not sound immediately appealing to someone who … [Read the Rest]
55th BFI London Film Festival – ‘The Somnambulists’: less documentary than political screed
The Somnambulists Directed by Richard Jobson UK, 2011 The title of Richard Jobson’s second film, one part political screed and one part disturbing documentary on the terrible Iraq debacle serves twin purposes – to witness the hypnotised fashion in which a … [Read the Rest]
55th BFI London Film Festival: Masterclass: Barry Ackroyd
Masterclass: Barry Ackroyd “The most peaceful place you can be on a film set is when you put your eye to the camera.” On Monday night at the BFI, British cinematographer Barry Ackroyd talked to Screen International Editor Mike Goodridge … [Read the Rest]
55th BFI London Film Festival: ‘Shame’ serious drama for adults, in more ways than one
Shame Directed by Steve McQueen Written by Steve McQueen UK, 2011 New York city hasn’t looked so beautifully cold and ironically isolating for quite some time as it does in Shame, Steve McQueen’s second collaboration with everyone’s favourite actor Michael Fassbender, … [Read the Rest]
55th BFI London Film Festival: ’50/50′ aptly balances the tragic and the comic
50/50 Directed by Jonathan Levine Written by Will Reiser USA, 2011 Will Seth Rogen ever grow up? His contribution to Jonathan Levine’s comedy drama 50/50 is peppered with expletives and those trademark looks of disbelief at the failure of women … [Read the Rest]
55th BFI London Film Festival – ‘Rampart’
Rampart Directed by Oren Moverman Written by James Ellroy and Oren Moverman Starring Woody Harrelson, Cynthia Nixon, Robin Wright, Sigourney Weaver, Anne Heche & Steve Buscemi Two years ago debut director Oren Moverman directed Woody Harrelson to his second Oscar … [Read the Rest]
55th BFI London Film Festival Opening Gala: ‘We Have a Pope’ toothlessly takes on the Vatican
We Have a Pope / Habemus Papam Directed by Nanni Moretti Written by Nanni Moretti, Francesco Piccolo and Federica Pontremoli Italy / France, 2011 We Have a Pope gets off to a colourful start, with the masses in Saint Peter’s … [Read the Rest]
55th BFI London Film Festival Opening Gala: ’360′ yet another “we’re all in this together” mediocrity
360 Directed by Fernando Mierelles Written by Peter Morgan It’s not difficult to see why the organisers of the 55th London Film Festival selected the new film by Fernando Mierelles, the spherically titled 360, as the opening night gala film. … [Read the Rest]
