LFF Review Capsule #14 – The Ides Of March
The Ides Of March, 2011. George Clooney, US. One could be forgiven for suggesting that George Clooney’s once promising directorial career had ground to something of a halt upon the release of 2008′s Leatherheads, a clunky, overlong failed homage to the screwball comedies of the 1930′s. Alas, The Ides Of March marks a return to … Read more
LFF Review Capsule #13 – Hors Satan
Hors Satan (Outside Satan), 2011. Bruno Dumont, France. We led our coverage of the 55th London Film Festival with a stark image from Hors Satan, so expectations for Bruno Dumont’s follow-up to the still unreleased (in the UK) Hadewijch were obviously rather high over here at Hope Lies at 24 Frames Per Second. We … Read more
LFF Review Capsule #11 – Shame
Shame, 2011. Steve McQueen, UK/US. We’re on to the final stretch of our coverage of this years London Film Festival. By sheer coincidence these last three reviews cover the three films that impressed and affected us the most at the festival. The first of these films, and the one that was perhaps the most visceral … Read more
LFF Review Capsule #12 – We Need To Talk About Kevin
If Hope Lies at 24 Frames Per Second gave out an award for “The Most Disappointing Film Of The Year” then We Need To Talk About Kevin would be the proud owner of 2011′s statue. Lynne Ramsay is one of the UK’s great cinema talents, with Ratcatcher and Morvern Callar two of the key works upon which … Read more
LFF Review Capsule #9 – Miss Bala
Miss Bala, 2011. Gerardo Naranjo, Mexico. Miss Bala, Mexican filmmaker Gerardo Naranjo’s follow-up to I’m Gonna Explode, 2008′s smart homage to the nouvelle vague, is a film that certainly packs the proverbial bang. And a literal one too. This time around Naranjo channels a Hollywood influence in an alarming yet massively entertaining work. Miss Bala … Read more
LFF Review Capsule #10 – Corpo Celeste
Corpo Celeste, 2011. Alice Rohrwacher, Italy/France/Switzerland. Corpo Celeste marks director Alice Rohrwacher’s debut in the realm of narrative. Something of a formidable documentarian, the Italian filmmaker carries many of the traits of the vérité over with her to the staged movie. An inward journey of personal discovery unfolds against a backdrop of sibling rivalry … Read more
LFF Review Capsule #7 – Dreams Of A Life
Dreams Of A Life, 2011. Carol Morley, UK. Carol Morley’s documentary, which received its world premiere at this years London Film Festival, attempts to piece together the life of Joyce Vincent, a woman whose dead body was found decaying in a North London flat in 2006, an estimated three years after her death. … Read more
LFF Review Capsule #8 – Americano
Americano, 2011. Mathieu Demy, France. The directorial debut of Mathieu Demy was one keenly anticipated by this viewer, and the film didn’t disappoint. Granted, there are a number of issues with the film, but ultimately Americano is such a keen love letter to a period of French cinema that I hold dearly that it … Read more
LFF Review Capsule #6 – Natural Selection
Natural Selection, 2011. Robbie Pickering, US. This slice of stereotypical independent Americana was either here nor there, with Natural Selection essentially falling in to the harmless yet uneventful spot traditionally occupied by any number of MOR American “independent” films at festivals all over the world. Effectively a road trip movie, with an Odd … Read more
Our Coverage Of The London Film Festival Thus Far
With the London Film Festival opening tomorrow we thought that a reminder of where our coverage of the festival can be found might be helpful. A header entitled LFF2011 can be found across the top of the Hope Lies at 24 Frames Per Second front page (and indeed most other pages on the site). This … Read more
