Rankings are stupid: BFI London Film Festival 2023
This list is purely an excuse for me to say a few things about my week at the BFI London Film Festival and should not be accepted as any part of canon.
I missed the first week of the festival, so this is a truncated list missing such big hitters as May December, All of us Strangers, Killers of the Flower Moon, Saltburn, The Kitchen, The Boy & The Heron.
It does include some films I watched on the delegate page portal, I’ll indicate those with a P.
1. Poor Things
The hype is real, I am pleased to confirm. Emma Stone is an utter delight as the re-animated Bella Baxter discovering the world anew in an adult’s body, maturing in front of our very eyes, socially, consciously and sexually. It is a fearless performance that shows the depth of her trust in director Yorgos Lanthimos. Likely to get unfairly tagged as ‘Barbie for Film Bros’, which is a shame as it’s a reductive reading on a film that cements Lanthimos as one of the best around. Already itching to see it again.
2. The Zone of Interest
Surely the most ridiculous ‘film’ to put on a list like this? Jonathan Glazer returns with an anti-film about the banality of evil (cliche alert!) and ignores film form entirely to instead construct a harrowing and horrifying look at humanity’s biggest crime of the 20th century. Transfixing, sublime, intellectual. A capital ‘A’ art film but if you’re prepared for it, it will overwhelm you.
3. Perfect Days
Is it a masterpiece? Absolutely not. Did I vibe with it in an incredibly strong and powerful way? Oh you betcha. German arthouse legend Wim Wenders shrugs off years of duds with transfixing tale of monk-like near-mute Tokyo toilet cleaner. Charming and delightful and full of love. Wim is so fucking back, anyone who walked out was a coward.
4. The Goldman Case
This was not even on the periphery of the edge of the horizon of my radar but I chanced into a screening and quickly found myself enraptured. A pure courtroom drama, based on a historical cause celebre murder case from 1970s France. I was reminded me of 12 Angry Men, except this time it’s four angry men (accused, judge, prosecutor and defence) and they’re in court, not the jury room.
5. Memory
Two people, one who remembers too much and one who doesn’t remember enough. When this turned into a love story I was ready to hate it but it quickly won my over. Easily the most emotional narrative film I watched at the festival. Peter Sarsgaard owns bones as a charming and witty middle aged man wrestling with dementia. Will be in the mix for acting awards.
6. Evil Does Not Exist
There’s not a chance this captures the Film Twitter buzzy zeitgeist like Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s previous film Drive My Car. A patience-testing minimalist drama about plans for a glamping site in rural Japan. I cannot deny some viewers will be bored stiff, but it’s been circling my mind ever since I saw it. The most bewitching/confusing finale of the festival? (note: this film and The Zone of Interest could have swapped titles).
7. The Holdovers
A welcome return to form for Alexander Payne. Paul Giamatti may be playing to type as the miserable, acerbic history teacher but this is where the man eats, so let’s let him feast. Scrape away the wintry conditions and humour and this is a pretty astute film about race, privilege and the lies we tell others.
Read my full review for the Evening Standard here.
8. The Taste of Mango
The crashing impact of inter-generational familial abuse is writ large in this brief-but-strong documentary by newcomer Chloe Abrahams. Slight in runtime but big in ideas and emotion, a fearless debut documentary and I hope Abrahams has it in her to turn her camera onto the world.
Read my full review for the Evening Standard here.
9. Baltimore
Stupid title aside (it’s not set in Baltimore, either the town in southern Ireland or the US city), this is damn great. A triptych tale of the radicalisation of English child of aristocracy Rose Dugdale and her attempt at an audacious art theft to support the IRA. Doesn’t take itself too seriously and raises interesting questions about art and terror. Imogen Poots is having great fun.
10. Totem
Domestic drama about an extended Mexican family preparing for a birthday party for a severely-ill member of the household. A gradual emotional powerhouse, masterfully captured. Not a lot happens but the devil is in the detail. I especially liked how much of the family dynamic revolved around access to the toilet (we’ve all been there…)
11. Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano (P)
Meta documentaries are so hot right now (’twas it ever thus?). Cyril Aris’ film charts the making of Costa Brava, Lebanon, a film nearly derailed by the Beirut explosion. Starts off incredibly strongly before becoming a bit too much of a behind-the-scenes featurette toward the end.
12. The Beast
I really struggled with The Beast. I was aware of the ‘masterpiece’ hype however I found it a bit overlong with some severe pacing issues but, and it’s a big but, I really admire what director Bertrand Bonello is trying to do here. It’s a sort of star-crossed love story set in the near future where society has judged emotions to be a danger. It’s a weird mix of sexless and sexy. Lea Seydoux the most interesting actress working?
13. The Killer
Maybe a victim of sky-high expectations? It just felt like Fincher on autopilot to me. One exceptional fight scene aside, I’ve seen this done before or better. I did like all the 2023 trappings though, and how desperately uncool they made Michael Fassbender’s anally-retentive assassin (Fincher making fun of himself?). It’s a good movie, I guess I just wanted a bit more?
14. Maestro
Actor-director Bradley Cooper, the world’s best actor’s director! Well, it could be true. Carey Mulligan and Cooper himself are both sublime here and some of the musical sections reach great heights. It’s a shame it’s let down by some hackneyed writing and on-the-nose scenes where characters obliquely discuss the themes and just how difficult it was to love Leonard Bernstein. Going to be in the Oscar mix.
15. Starve Acre
A horror film about parental grief that feels like the child of the horror films of the 1970s. Don’t Look Now by way of The Wicker Man, with some Penda’s Fen thrown in for good measure (Alan Clarke my king). Unfortunately I don’t think it does quite enough ‘new’ with the ideas and imagery but I’d still give it a thumbs up. The score is brilliantly eerie and painting a child’s bedroom never seemed so sinister.
Read my full review for the Evening Standard here.
16. In Camera (P)
A frustrating debut by Naqqash Khalid. I thought it started very strongly but the decision to eschew any sort of three-act structure means the middle meanders and there’s a subplot that could be cut entirely. Still, an interesting feature looking at film industry prejudice and social hypocrisy. A director to watch.
17. Little Girl Blue
Mona Achache your Agnes Varda is showing… docu-drama starring Marion Cotillard deftly combines real life with performance as Achache examines her mum’s complicated life and sudden death. There’s a chance I had some meta fatigue by this part of the festival. One to revisit.
18. If Only I Could Hibernate
“Do you have wood and coal?” Extreme poverty hits different in Mongolia where temperatures go as low as -30C. Teenager Ulzii is left alone to care for his three siblings while also trying to excel at school, resorting to burning anything he can steal to keep warm and sharing his homework to earn himself any sort of social life. A bit stretched at feature length but magnificently captured by Zoljargal Purevdash, who is one to watch.
19. Nyad
Good lord, was this the only ‘feel good’ film I managed the whole festival? I think I have a masochistic streak. This tale of incredible ultra swimmer Diana Nyad is brought to you by a buff, tanned Jodie Foster chugging Diet Coke, some ropey CGI and a tremendous central performance by Annette Benning. Knows the buttons it wants to push. My mum would love this movie.
20. Banel & Adama
Maybe a bit of a victim of my movie fatigue? I don’t think I gave Banel & Adama the attention it deserved and I’ll try and check it out for a rewatch. A sort of Lady Macbeth retelling in a remote Malian village where harsh weather conditions blight a couple’s attempts to start a new life of their own. Gorgeously shot.
21. Black Dog (P)
Road trip drama about two London teenagers heading north is largely by the numbers but there’s enough here to invest yourself in, especially the two central performances. Surprisingly tender in moments and it ends with a fantastic close-up that caught me off balance.
Read my full review for the Evening Standard here.
22. Shoshana (P)
Palestine, it’s complicated! Michael Winterbottom’s historical drama is a bit muddled by what exactly it wants to be (love story? drama? police procedural?). Doesn’t really do enough with the setting and actors at hand, just feels very middle-of-the-road, sadly. A missed opportunity.
Read my full review for the Evening Standard here.
23. The End We Start From
Jodie Comer survivalist drama has earned some good buzz but it was not for me. The actions of some characters required a suspension of disbelief I just could not muster and left me wanting to watch other, better movies (Children of Men, yes please). Despite clearly aiming for being a film about motherhood, the baby doesn’t have much ‘to do’ (never getting sick, crying, needing changing) and thus the schmaltz ending feels unearned.
24. Fingernails
This movie should have been a Black Mirror episode (and maybe it would have been good?). Jessie Buckley does her best in drama about a certifiable love test that requires you to sacrifice your fingernails and what that means for relationships. Riz Ahmed and Jeremy Allen White both play incredibly boring love interests of Buckley’s as she tries to discover more about this love test and what it really means. Funny in spots though.
25. Gassed Up
Debut directors generally get a pass with formulaic story choice for the first outing, but this is London crime drama is so predictable and rote it’s almost a parody. A strong central performance cannot save this misfire by director George Amponsah, who cut his teeth on documentaries.
Read my full review for the Evening Standard here.
26. The Book of Clarence
Tonally all over the shop. Jeymes Samuel’s second film is an epic biblical-comedy starring LaKeith Stanfield as Clarence, a down-on-his-luck man who decides to pretend to be a messiah in order to earn some cash. It’s not a religious send-up, an outright, parody or a racially-accurate retelling of any biblical tale. The Life of Brian this is not. Benedict Cumberbatch got some laughs in my screening but there were a few walkouts.
27. Foe
Some average films are elevated by good actors, other average films feel like a waste of talent. This is the latter. And maybe even average is charitable. Paul Mescal’s first certifiable dud, a high-concept, low-intelligence script that does the actors no favours and a twist that could be seen mile off. Mescal is very hot in it, at least.
