FILM OF THE WEEK

WAR PONY

This marks the remarkable directorial debut of Riley Keough and Gina Gammel, whose lyrical piece of filmmaking gives a rare voice to Native Americans. The screenplay is co-written by the directors along with first time writers Franklin Sioux Bob and Bill Reddy and their story is centred around two Oglala Lakota men coming of age on the Pine Reservation in modern-day America.
Bill (Jojo Bapteise Whiting) is a 23-year-old with big dreams of providing for his small sons but first he must be content with breeding poodles for sale or by just doing odd jobs for a rich turkey farm owner whom he rescues when his car breaks down. Matho (LaDainian Crazy Thunder) is a fiercely independent but troubled 12-year-old who falls out with his young, absent father and seeks refuge at a kind woman’s house…
The film highlights the grim realism of growing up in such an environment and benefits tremendously by the luminous presence of its two protagonists. Whiting and Crazy Thunder never acted before but they both deliver deep, complex and utterly mesmerising performances. This assured film from first time directors recalls the early work of the Oscar winning Chole Zhao, particularly SONGS MY BROTHER TAUGHT ME and THE RIDER. Essential viewing!

TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS in IMAX

This dull franchise based on the Hasbro toy line has run out of steam long time ago. The latest takes place in New York in 1994, the time when the twin towers were still standing tall and proud. Noah (Anthony Ramos), an ex-military electronics expert lives with his family in Brooklyn and struggles to find a new job. He breaks into a fashionable car which miraculously, like Aladdin’s genie, turns out to be a transformer called Mirage. Meanwhile, Elena (Dominique Fishback), an intern at a museum, notices a bird sculpture with strange markings which she accidentally turns into another transformer…
If you want logic and comprehensible narrative, this is not for you. Even the Mirage tells Noah when he first meets him: “This is a waste of time.”

SPIDER-MAN ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE in IMAX

The original was one of the most unexpected delights of recent years. Again, this is stunning visual experience superbly edited and designed. Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) returns for another adventure as he travels across the Multiverse to join forces with Gwen Stacy (Hailee Staenfeld) and a new team of Spider People…
The labyrinthine plot takes a while to get going or to make any sense but once the heroes of this spectacular adventure begin to face off with a villain, the energetic direction, the mind-blowing animation and sharp editing will sweep you along for the ride. A touch too long but a worthy sequel.

MEDUSA DELUXE

Writer/director Thomas Hardiman’s daring debut feature is dedicated to all hairdressers across the world. He sets his action during a hair stylist competition after one competitor is found dead. Everyone involved with the competition is alarmed and do their best to solve the murder mystery…
It is a highly original piece of filmmaking shot almost entirely in one take by celebrated cinematographer Robbie Ryan, whose stunning travelling camera work follows hairdressers, models and organisers around the long corridors and backstage rooms of the building. Like last year’s BOILING POINT, the excellent ensemble of actors keeps the unstoppable action going. A clever cocktail of a whodunnit mixed and stirred with a social satire on the obsessive world of hairdressers.

LOVE WITHOUT WALLS

Writer/director Jane Gull tells the story of Sophie (Shana Wash) and Paul (Niall McNamee) , a young married couple whose life is turned upside down when they fail to pay their London rent. “We are not homeless – we are temporarily living without walls,” Sophie tells her aspiring musician husband. But love is just not enough in this cruel world…
This cross between the lovely Irish musical ONCE and a Ken Loach gritty drama is strongly scripted and directed and benefits tremendously by the truthful and honest performances of its two protagonists.

MY IMAGINARY COUNTRY

Celebrated documentarist Patricio Guzman known for LA CORTILLERA OF DREAMS and NOSTALGIA FOR THE LIGHT, brings to the screen another powerful film set in his native Chile. This time he brings to the light the continuous struggle to bring democracy back to his Kong suffering country, which has been erased since the 1973 CIA backed coup which overthrew the democratically elected Allende. In 2019, one a half million people demonstrated on the streets of Santiago demanding social change, more democracy, a better education system and a new Constitution. Guzman uses effectively front-line protest footage along with a series of interviews with activist leaders. Not to be missed!

FULL TIME

The notorious scene stealer from the delightful French television series Laure Calamy delivers a career defining performance in Eric Gravel’s urgent film. She plays Julie, a single mother with two young children struggling to make ends meet. She lives in the suburbs and works as a chambermaid in a prestigious hotel in Paris but wants a new job so she can pay her debts. She lives a frenetic life and to make matters worse, the train strikes hit Paris…
Calamy is sensational – she is in practically every scene and carries the film most valiantly. It is compelling and is perfectly complemented by a pulsating score.

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