This year, I had the absolute pleasure of attending London Film Festival in person. It was one of the most valuable experiences of my life. Here, I am going to review every film I saw in order, and then pick my award winners. i spent a wonderful 9 days at the festival, and then saw Andrea Arnold’s Bird a few days after returning at the Broadway Cinema in Nottingham.
1. Steve McQueen’s Blitz
I unfortunately missed the Gala screening for Blitz, and instead saw it on the 10th October at BFI Southbank. I was pleased to see the screening full, and the level of excitement in the room. My LFF journey was about to begin!
Blitz is probably my favourite of McQueen’s films since Shame. It is powered by such a pure love for humanity and the multi-cultural community of London. New comer Elliott Heffernan leads with confidence and vulnerability. Saoirse Ronan is wonderful in a rare supporting role, and her singing scenes are a force of nature. The film’s original song ‘Winter’s Coat’ is simply beautiful, and expertly performed by Ronan. Overall, why the film might be considered too sprawling by some, I found myself adoring Blitz. It has something new and valuable to add to the war movie genre.
Bella’s rating: 4.5/5
2. Conclave dir. Edward Berger
I was lucky enough to attend the 10th October Gala for Conclave, and hear from the brilliant cast and crew.
I went into this film somewhat apprehensively: having not read the book, I assumed it to be simply another religious drama, which I have no real interest in. I was, therefore, pretty blown away by the sheer drama happening here. Cardinals arguing, being petty and sabotaging each other all in an effort to become the new pope. The constant twists and turns captivated me, and the final reveal delighted me so very much. Ralph Fiennes will surely get his overdue Oscar nomination for this, but the performance I loved most was Carlos Diehz as Benitez. A solid drama that you won’t want to miss.
Bella’s rating: 4/5
3. Emilia Perez, dir. Jacques Audiard
Emilia Perez is one of the most uniquely brilliant films you will ever see. It feels like we’ve been lacking in original musicals for a long time now, but this film will reignite your passion. It has to be seen to be believed.
Every performance in this film is spectacular: it is lead by a superb turn by Karla Sofia Gascon, and supporting turns from Zoe Saldana, Selana Gomez and Adriana Paz. Saldana is the best for me, as she delivers the best performance of her accomplished career. I think it’s about time she gets that Oscar nomination, and even the win.
Emilia Perez is full of fun and brilliant original songs, my favourite being El Mal, performed by Saldana and Gascon. Try and see it in cinemas before its Netflix release, if you can.
Bella’s rating: 4.5/5 stars
4. Anora, dir Sean Baker
Take all of the hype you’ve heard about Anora, and multiply it by ten. That’s how brilliant it is.
I was lucky enough to see it twice at LFF, the first being the Gala screening as i grabbed a last minute ticket. The atmosphere in the festival hall was incomparable to anything I’ve ever seen or felt. Two thousand people crying with laughter and interacting with the film on levels I have never seen before.
Sean Baker’s films have gotten better and better over the years, and it feels like he’s hit his magnum opus with this. His writing has never been funnier or had more heart. Mikey Madison delivers a star making turn that is sure to win her many awards. It’s impossible not to fall in love with Ani. The supporting cast, comprised of Yura Borisov, Mark Eydelshteyn, Karren Karagulian and Vache Tovmasyan provide more laughs than any cast has before. It would be easy to fill the best supporting actor category with just Anora’s actors!
I saw it once again in a packed festival hall on the morning of the 15th, and the reactions were much the same. This is sure to be an audience favourite of the festival, as it is mine.
Bella’s rating, 5/5
5. The Piano Lesson, dir. Malcolm Washington
Some plays are simply not meant to be adapted for the screen, and this is sadly one of them. It felt caged, and the performances (other than Deadwyler’s) suited for the stage. It also felt, tonally, more like a horror than a family drama, which is not something I expected or wanted from it.
Danielle Deadwyler is fantastic, but most other aspects of the film simply didn’t work for me. I felt trapped in too small of a space.
Bella’s rating: 2.5/.5
6. The Wild Robot, Chris Sanders
This film has the most emotional maturity I have ever seen from an animated film targeted at kids. I sobbed throughout.
The animation team craft some of the most stunning visuals I have ever seen, and the incredibly talented voice cast bring these characters to life. Lupita N’yongo as Roz is the greatest voice work I have ever heard. The thought and care she puts into the character’s emotional journey is evident throughout. This film deserves to not only win Animated Feature, but make it into the Best Picture line up. It is brilliant.
Bella’s rating: 4.5/5
7. A Real Pain, dir. Jesse Eisenberg
A Real Pain was a gut-punch. All too familiar in its perfect portrayal of depression, and brought together by Kieran Culkin in one of the best supporting performances of the year. We all know someone like Benji. A lot of us are Benji. A lot of us are David.
The film’s ensemble work beautifully together, it’s great to see Jennifer Gray in a new, critically acclaimed movie!
A Real Pain is definitely worth your time. It’s simple, but so very effective. I was so lucky to attend the gala presentation!
Bella’s rating: 4/5
8. I’m Still Here dir. Walter Salles
Salles’ true and devastating political drama is lead by a brilliant performance from Fernanda Torres, who sets it apart from convention. Each young actor playing one of her children is so devastatingly convincing, you feel this family’s grief in real time.
See this on the big screen if you can, preferably with someone to discuss it with afterwards. And pack tissues!
Bella’s rating: 4/5
9. Hard Truths dir. Mike Leigh
Unfortunately, I walked out of Mike Leigh’s newest film feeling somewhat deflated and disappointed. Jean-Baptiste is great, but the story tried to cover too much. I would have much preferred a more focused character study on Pansy, and felt focus on her nieces and husband were unnecessary and made the film feel longer than it was.
Be sure to see this film and form your own opinion! It was brilliant to see all of the cast at the gala screening.
Bella’s rating: 3/5
10. Nickel Boys dir. RaMell Ross
Nickel Boys is unlike anything you’ve seen before. Shot almost entirely in subjective, alternating between Elwood and Turner’s points of view, it tells the story of young black boys in a reform school, where they are beaten and abused. Its performances are magnificent and devastating, and Aunjaneu Ellis-Taylor’s performance is small, but impactful.
This film is not to be missed.
Bella’s rating: 4.5/5
11. The Seed of the Sacred Fig dir. Mohammad Rasoulof
So politically relevant, it is devastating and infuriating to watch. It is set in Tehran around the time protests surrounding women’s rights intensifies. An investigating judge, who makes a cruel father, suspects his daughters’ involvement in protests and the robbery of his gun. His paranoia intensifies, and he begins to torment his family.
The film has a satisfying conclusion, whilst also reminding you that the fight for freedom is ongoing. A film that you won’t want to miss.
Bella’s rating: 4/5
12. Nightbitch, dir. Marielle Heller
In all honesty, I’m still not entirely sure what I thought of Nightbitch. Amy Adams was brilliant, but the film itself would have benefitted from a more serious approach. I have not read the book yet, but many fans of it have complained about the change in tone. A body horror approach would have been much better than the final product, which felt far too light hearted for the subject of post-partum depression.
Bella’s rating: 3/5
13. The Apprentice dir. Ali Abbasi
I was absolutely delighted by how good this film was, it was such a surprise to me!
It has been described as a supervillain origin story, but its so much more than that. We see Donald Trump for who he really is, and what he came from. It exposes his hypocrisy, particularly on subjects like gay rights, and his treatment of women. Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong are fantastic, and Maria Bakalova shines in the limited screen time she has. This should be a big awards contender, and I’ll be extremely disappointed if it isn’t.
Bella’s rating: 4.5/5
14. Queer dir. Luca Guadagnino
Luca Guadagnino’s Queer is a triumph in film making. It manages to adapt the unadaptable.
It does not shy away from sexual scenes at all, choosing to linger on them for the entire duration, rather than cut away. Daniel Craig delivers his bravest performance yet, and Drew Starkey’s supporting role will surely catapult him to stardom.
It feels like Guadagnino’s most personal work yet, and pushes the boundaries of reality and film making. The final third is so very intimate, it gets under your skin and will remain there forever.
Bella’s rating: 5/5
15. Maria dir. Pablo Larrain
Maria was, unfortunately, quite disappointing to me. Outside of its beautiful costumes and scenery, it has very little to say. Unlike Spencer and Jackie, it loses its focus and does little more than visually impress. When she’s acting, Jolie is incredible, but her lip-syncing ruins the musical scenes. Why not get someone who can actually do the singing? It feels like Larrain went for status, rather than authenticity.
Bella’s rating: 3/5
16. Bird dir. Andrea Arnold
Unfortunately, I had returned home by the time this screened in London, but luckily I made it to my local cinema’s LFF screening on the 21st, so didn’t miss out entirely. Bird is a beautiful film that explores puberty, comparing it to a sort of animalistic transformation. Bailey is a 12 year old girl with a young father, and a mother whose new boyfriend is abusive. She meets the whimsical and mysterious Bird (Franz Rogowski) after spending the night in a horse field, and they embark on a series of adventures together.
Arnold’s newest is simply beautiful. Its magical realism themes work perfectly with the subject matter of poverty.
Bella’s rating: 4/5
My Award Winners:
I will now pick my favourites from a few different categories as follows
Best Film: Anora
Best Director: Luca Guadagnino
Best Actress: Mikey Madison, Anora
Best Actor: Daniel Craig and Sebastian Stan (tie0
Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldana, Emilia Perez
Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Original Screenplay: Anora
Adapted Screenplay: Queer
Cinematography: Nickel Boys
International: Emilia Perez
Editing: Anora
Production Design: Queer
Costume design: Maria
Makeup: The Apprentice
Original Score: The Wild Robot
Original Song: El Mal, Emilia Perez
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