For the first time, the films premiering at London Film Festival are available to watch online through BFI Player and at various cinemas across the UK. Because of this, I was able to watch some of the films, including Herself, Shirley, Mogul Mowgli and Supernova.
Phyllida Lloyd is best known for directing the upbeat and energetic feature film adaptation of the successful musical, Mamma Mia!, which featured a star studded cast led by Meryl Streep and a catchy soundtrack that includes hit songs by pop group ABBA. Lloyd collaborated with Streep once again on the 2011 drama, The Iron Lady, with the latter receiving an Oscar for her portrayal of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Now, Lloyd has created a deeply personal motion picture, Herself, which touches upon the difficult subject of domestic abuse.
Sandra (Claire Dunne) is a young Dublin-based Mum struggling to provide her two young daughters with a safe, happy home after leaving an abusive relationship. When it becomes clear that the local council won’t provide that home, she decides to build one herself. With very little income and a menacing ex-husband a threat to her happiness, Sandra calls on the support of a new community of friends, including her employer Peggy (Harriet Walter).
Going nowhere with a novel about the disappearance of a local girl, writer Shirley Jackson (Elisabeth Moss) gets the inspiration she needs when two young newlyweds come to stay.
Prior to watching, I had no idea what to expect from Shirley as I knew little about the plot, however, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
The strength of Shirley lies in Moss’ unforgettable portrayal of the reclusive writer. Recently, Moss has made a name for herself and impressed with her acting the television series, The Handmaid’s Tale, and earlier this year in the horror, The Invisible Man. Moss continues to establish herself as one of the most talented actors and delivers one of her best dramatic performances so far. Shirley is a fascinating individual and, unsurprisingly, the film is at it’s most compelling when it’s focusing on her and her interactions with the other characters including her husband, Stanley (Michael Stulhbarg) and Rose (Odessa Young). While Moss stands out with her performance, the rest of the cast leave a lasting impression. I think that Stuhlbarg is one of the most underrated actors as he’s made small appearances in films such as Lincoln, Hugo, The Shape of Water and Call Me By Your Name. However, as Shirley’s husband, Stuhlbarg provides a contrast personality as he’s lively, friendly and amusing.
Mogul Mowgli focuses on Zed (Riz Ahmed) who is a young British rapper about to begin his first world tour when a crippling autoimmune diseases strikes him down and he is forced to move in with his family.
Mogul Mowgli finally gives Ahmed a chance to shine in a leading role after delivering supporting performances in films such as Nightcrawler, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Venom. He does so admirably and delivers a career-best performance as Zed. The opening scene introduces viewers to Zed by showing him performing on stage and it’s clear here that the character loves performing. After he is a diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, Zed’s life changes significantly. Despite his diagnosis, he still wants to go on tour, unfortunately, his new illness makes it impossible for him to leave the hospital. Ahmed clearly understands what Zed is going through making him the best choice to bring the character to life.
Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci are two of the most talented actors working today, with the former earning his first Oscar at the 83rd Academy Awards for his portrayal of King George VI in The King’s Speech, and the latter being one of the most versatile actors and appearing in films such as The Devil Wears Prada, Easy A, Spotlight and big blockbuster films such as Captain America: The First Avenger and The Hunger Games. When it was announced that Firth and Tucci were appearing in a drama, named Supernova, together, I soon became interested in seeing it. The premise, sees the actors portraying a couple, Sam (Firth) and Tusker (Tucci) and focuses on them travelling in a RV across England visiting friends, family and places from their past. While Supernova sounds like a lighthearted film, it’s far from it as Tusker was diagnosed with early on-set dementia two years ago. Dementia is a horrible disease that causes long-term and often gradual decrease in the ability to think and remember that is severe enough to affect daily functioning. The care and understanding that has gone into making Supernova is clear. Director Harry Macqueen establishes himself as a talented filmmaker and, with Supernova, he has created one of the year’s most moving and heartbreaking films.
A lot of films that focus on a main character’s health declining feel sentimental and manipulative. That’s not the case with Supernova. Its story progresses naturally with Macqueen taking his time to establish the main characters and what they’re going through. Those who know someone with dementia will resonate with the main characters in Supernova, however, it is tough to watch at times, especially towards the end.
2020 has, obviously, been one of the toughest and most difficult years in recent history because of the COVID-19 pandemic which has led to millions of deaths worldwide. The pandemic has also affected the way people live, especially in England, leading to the Prime Minister Boris Johnson sending the population into lockdown for three months and setting new rules including face masks being worn in public areas, queuing outside shops and social distancing. The pandemic also led to the closure of cinemas in March, leading to many films being delayed to later in the year or 2021. Fortunately, the majority of cinemas reopened in July with new safety measures put in including the mandatory of face masks, the availability of hand sanitisers and social distancing rules. I’ve been back to my local cinemas many times since they’ve reopened and I’ve been really impressed with how seriously the staff have taken the new rules and I’ve felt really safe. I’ve noticed that the screens are being frequently cleaned in between films rather than just tidied. Overall, 2020 has been a life changing year for millions, however, the trips to the cinema have made the year that little bit easier to deal with.
Usually, the final few months of the year sees the release of films that have Oscar potential which is why it’s my favourite time of year. I first heard of Chloé Zhao’s latest film, Nomadland last month when it premiered at the Venice Film Festival. It received a positive reception from critics and it quickly became one of my most anticipated films of this year. Christopher Nolan’s latest film, Tenet, was the first to be released in cinemas, however, it was released during a time when many people were too anxious to return to the cinema during a pandemic, despite the new health and safety measures. Honestly, if there’s one film that should convince audiences to return to the cinema, it’s Nomadland. It’s more than just a film, it's a fascinating exploration of its main character, Fern (Frances McDormand), who, following the death of her husband, loses her home and lives in her van and travels across the United States. However, Fern doesn't perceive herself as homeless, rather “houseless”.
With Nomadland, filmmaker Zhao has created an inspiring and life affirming feature with McDormand delivering her most moving performance yet. Because I hadn’t seen any of Zhao’s previous films, including The Rider and Songs My Brother Taught Me, I wasn’t sure what to expect from her latest feature, Nomadland, fortunately, it beat my expectations and found it to be a fascinating insight into what it’s like to be a nomad in the United States. Because I enjoyed Nomadland, I’m really looking forward to watching more ofZhao’s works and for her next film, The Eternals, which is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In 1800s England, acclaimed but unrecognized fossil hunter Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) works alone on the rugged Southern coastline. With the days of her famed discoveries behind her, she now searches for common fossils to sell to tourists to support herself and her ailing mother. When a wealthy visitor entrusts Mary with the care of his wife Charlotte Murchison (Saoirse Ronan), she cannot afford to turn his offer down. Proud and relentlessly passionate about her work, Mary initially clashes with her unwelcome guest, but despite the distance between their social class and personalities, an intense bond begins to develop, compelling the two women to determine the true nature of their relationship.
Because I hadn’t seen director Francis Lee’s previous feature, God’s Own Country, I didn’t know what to expect from his latest work, Ammonite. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised and I found it to be a romantic and heartfelt drama. While I mostly enjoyed it, I can imagine many viewers struggling with Ammonite as it is slow, especially in the beginning. Lee is clearly a patient filmmaker and doesn’t want to rush or force the relationship between his characters. I respect his decision as I think that a lot of romantic relationships in films do feel forced and fail to have any impact on the viewer. Fortunately, I didn’t think that was the case with Mary and Charlotte’s relationship. In the beginning, Mary is portrayed as cold and distant, however, she soon warms to Charlotte.
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