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DVDfever.co.uk – Preview: The Times BFI 53rd London Film Festival 2009Helen M Jerome brings you
London Film Festival 2009 Preview…
Cue fanfare and opening credits. Yes, its that time again. For the capitals movie fans its like Christmas every day for two whole weeks. So cancel everything, have the box-office on speed-dial, be prepared to camp out for returns for the big films or be entirely flexible and take a chance on something new.
HELEN M JEROME studies the gargantuan, 108-page festival guide late into the night to give you some pointers on the runners and riders, from the rank outsiders, to the whatever-you-do-drop-everything-and-see-this hot tips.
1. The Big Fellas
After coming up with the goods in both the closing (SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE) and opening (FROST/NIXON) features last year, the bar is very high indeed. So can Wes Andersons FANTASTIC MR. FOX and Sam Taylor Woods John Lennon biopic, NOWHERE BOY (right), live up to their immediate predecessors?
The animated version of Roald Dahls classic kids tale is voiced by the likes of Meryl Streep, George Clooney (of whom more later) and Bill Murray which bodes well and hopefully means Anderson is back on track. Taylor Wood is primarily known as an artist but that didnt stop Steve McQueen making one of last years outstanding movies, with HUNGER. And her chosen subject matter, the young Beatles teen years, is ripe territory indeed.
One of the big films I can heartily recommend is Steven Soderberghs return to form, THE INFORMANT! (right) with Matt Damon outstanding in the title role, complete with unflattering hairstyle, clothes and tache. Is this Damons best-ever comic performance? Probably. Its hard to see anyone bettering his fantasist, who has read too many Michael Crichton and John Grisham thrillers, and absorbed far too much trivia, for his own good. And its all based on the true story of the biggest corporate whistleblower in US history. Honourable mention goes to the rest of the cast, with Melanie Lynskey perfect as the naïve, loyal wife.
Much mouth-watering fare comes from festival favourites, like the Coen Brothers with A SERIOUS MAN, Jean-Pierre Jeunet with MICMACS, Michael Haneke with Palme dOr-winner THE WHITE RIBBON, Scott Hicks with THE BOYS ARE BACK, Ang Lee with TAKING WOODSTOCK, and Jane Campion with BRIGHT STAR the last grabbing headlines at previous festivals, thanks to thrilling work from Ben Whishaw as romantic poet John Keats and Abbie Cornish as the focus of his passion, Fanny Brawne. Oh, and Werner Herzog is a last minute addition, with his new version of BAD LIEUTENANT, starring Nicholas Cage.
2. Clooney Tunes
For all of us self-confessed fans of Gorgeous George Clooney, this is a bumper film festival, as apart from his vocal talent in FANTASTIC MR. FOX (right), we can also enjoy the rest of the Cloonster in two further, very different movies. THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS is based on Jon Ronsons non-fiction modern classic of paranoia, and co-stars Ewan McGregor as the reporter who discovers the story.
UP IN THE AIR comes from the director of JUNO, Jason Reitman, and is a satirical comedy focusing around Clooneys central character, who paradoxically aims to build up his frequent flyer miles while downsizing companies. But can he escape downsizing himself?
3. Going for Gold
Brace yourself. In fact, as Bette Davis said in All About Eve: buckle up; its going to be a bumpy ride. Go on, take a gamble on some of the films around the edge of the festival. These may feature lesser-known names, have less starry directors and smaller budgets, but their ambition is just as big. And they could repay your small outlay, and even turn out to be the gems that take the film world by storm, many months after you were raving about them to your peers. Told you so, is what youll be saying!
And if you do come across the odd clunker, it will still be worth a punt. Anything from Todd Solonz, Harmony Korine, Gaspar Noe, and even Atom Egoyan will always divide the public Marmite-style but theyre rarely dull. And Jim Jarmuschs latest, THE LIMITS OF CONTROL (right) boasts Christopher Doyle as cinematographer, so its going to look sensational!
If you want something epic and genuinely shocking, then Lu Chuans CITY OF LIFE AND DEATH (right) stands head and shoulders above any western rivals. Shot entirely in beautiful black and white, often using handheld cameras in the midst of the action, this is the story of the siege and massacre of Nanjing in 1937, and features gripping performances from Liu Ye and Hideo Nakaizumi. At the other end of the scale is the intimate ALEXANDER THE LAST, from mumblecore darling Joe Swanberg, which is a simple tale with semi-improvised performances by a tiny cast.
Perched somewhere between indie and major is THE ROAD, starring Viggo Mortensen and based on Cormac McCarthys dystopian novel. And getting lots of column inches is AN EDUCATION, based on journalist Lynn Barbers 1960s youth, adapted by Nick Hornby, directed by Dogme graduate Lone Scherfig, and starring Carey Mulligan. Meanwhile, with fine artists already making their names as filmmakers, its time for a darling of the design world like Tom Ford to try his hand with his debut, A SINGLE MAN. As should you!
Now theres a whopping eight films from Italy in the festival, including crime thriller THE DOUBLE HOUR, AS GOD COMMANDS, and VINCERE about Mussolinis mistress it seems almost time for the French Revolutions strand to step aside or simply merge with its neighbours in some European union.
But as if vigorously defending its territory, France gives us some real treats, including the Cannes-favourite A PROPHET, along with LEAVING, PERSECUTION, THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN (right), and AROUND A SMALL MOUNTAIN, plus Claude Chabrols BELLAMY and Claire Denis WHITE MATERIAL.
So what about the rest of Europe? Try ANDER, WOMAN WITHOUT PIANO, or LITTLE INDI from Spain; Czech and Slovak films PROTEKTOR and OSADNE; Denmarks HEADHUNTER; Irelands HIS AND HERS; Swedens BURROWING. And the Brits? MUGABE AND THE WHITE AFRICAN looks unmissable.
Debuts from Tom Harper with THE SCOUTING BOOK FOR BOYS, and Malcolm Venville with 44 INCH CHEST impress. And the old guard are here, including Stephen Poliakoffs GLORIOUS 39 (right), Penny Woolcocks 1 DAY, Julian Fellowes FROM TIME TO TIME, and Chris Atkins STARSUCKERS. But will they reach the heights of creativity achieved by Steve McQueen and Terence Davies last year?
And the crackers from the rest of the world? COLD SOULS from the US (starring Paul Giamatti), BALIBO from Australia, South Africas SHIRLEY ADAMS, Japans KAMUI, and GIGANTE and ADRIFT from South America show that every corner of the globe can make films that are both thought-provoking and gripping.
Also, look out for small-town America documentary 45365 (right), plus Israeli film LEBANON, which is set in a tank and based on the directors own time as a soldier. So stock up on popcorn, sit back and enjoy!
Book your tickets online at: bfi.org.uk/lff, or call 020 7928 3232.
Review copyright © Helen M Jerome 2009. View the discussion thread.blog comments powered by Disqus = 0) {query += ‘url’ + i + ‘=’ + encodeURIComponent(links[i].href) + ‘&’;}}document.write(”);})();//]]]]>]]>
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.