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  • FIFA 21 Edition: Bits & Pieces

    FIFA 21 Edition: Bits & Pieces

    Starring Sophie Rundle (Peaky Blinders, Gentleman Jack) & Matt Stokoe (Cursed, Jamestown), Rose – A Love Story follows a young couple living alone in the woods, who must contend with a life-altering illness that manifests itself in a violent and terrifying way.

    Song Without a Name (Canción Sin Nombre) is set in Peru in 1988. The country is in the grip of a devastating political crisis. Georgina, a young woman from the Andes, has her newborn daughter stolen, after giving birth at a fake health clinic. The desperate search for her baby leads her to Pedro, a young and tenacious investigative journalist who will stop at nothing to get to the truth.

    In 2018, 34-year-old Shanann Watts and her two young daughters went missing in Frederick, Colorado. As heartbreaking details emerged, their story made headlines worldwide.  Told entirely through archival footage that includes social media posts, law enforcement recordings, text messages and never-before-seen home videos, director Jenny Popplewell pieces together an immersive and truthful examination of a police investigation and a disintegrating marriage. AMERICAN MURDER: THE FAMILY NEXT DOOR is the first film to give a voice to the victims.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ONgWkJszWs&feature=youtu.be

    YELLOW ROSE is the timely story of a Filipina teen from a small Texas town who fights to pursue her dreams as a country music performer while having to decide between staying with her family or leaving the only home she has known.

    Five-time GRAMMY® Award winning Darkroom/Interscope Records artist Billie Eilish has today revealed the official music video for ‘No Time To Die,’ the original song written for the 25th James Bond motion picture, No Time To Die.

    Fifteen years in the making with archive material going back forty years, this feature length documentary looks at a totally unique aspect of British sub-culture – the first generation of skateboarders and BMX freestyle riders in the world’s most unique skatepark. Built in a suburb of east London in the late 1970’s, Rom is the only skatepark in the world to have official historic protection. The film looks at the users of the park and not only what it means to them but the influence it has had on their lives. Shot in full DCI 4K and Featuring over 30 interviews with architects, historians, entrepreneurs, street and graffiti artists, professional skaters and BMX riders as well as the old school locals who have been visiting the park since it opened; this is the first time a feature length documentary has taken an in-depth look at this scene, and its participants, from a uniquely British perspective. When the park suffers a major tragedy during the middle of filming, the story then shifts focus to how these skaters and riders rally together to try and save the park from closure for a new generation of Rom Boys AND Girls.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Kk7I1Ioa7E&t=18s

    Seven of the most disappointing season finales in TV history have been revealed – and Game of Thrones, American Horror Story, and House of Cards are among of the worst offenders.   The data team from NetVoucherCodes.co.uk have crunched the numbers to see which season finales let loyal fans down the most.

    TIME, directed by Garrett Bradley and featuring FoxandRob Rich, won the prestigious Golden Eye Documentary Film Award this weekend at the 16th Zurich Film Festival. This prize is one of the three competition awards of the festival. TIME will next be seen at the BFI London Film Festival this Friday 9 October, where it is one of the 12 live galas, before its global release on 16 October.

    With the spookiest day of the year nearly upon us, a new report by thortful.com uncovers the top 10 scariest (and least scariest, if you’re a bit of a wimp, easily scared), films of all time…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uyk0NfxiGVk&feature=youtu.be
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=–APUoocIJI

    Directed by Francois Ozon and adapted from the novel Dance on my Grave by English author Aidan Chambers, Summer of 85’ is a story of friendship and love between two teenage boys at a seaside resort in Normandy in the mid-1980s. When 16-year-old Alexis capsizes off the coast of Le Tréport, 18-year-old David heroically saves him. Alexis thinks he’s just met the friend of his dreams. But will the dream last more than one summer?

    The acclaimed, Peabody Award-winning Apple Original comedy series “Dickinson” will officially return for its second season on Friday, January 8, 2021, exclusively on Apple TV+. Apple today released a first look at season two, and announced that the series has scored an early renewal for a third season.

    OLEANDER, 17, is the star and sole creator of her own provocative, sex-positive YouTube channel. She is also an unwilling student at a Christian abstinence program, led by the poised and charismatic ALISSA, 50s. When Alissa demands that Oleander issue an on-camera apology for mocking her abstinence program online, a fierce battle of wills ensues. Alissa is aided by KIM, 30s, a filmmaker-for-hire who has no allegiance other than to serve her client. Oleander fights desperately for her voice and her beliefs, but will her anti slut-shaming message be able to stand up against the manipulative power of the two adults who seek to suppress her?

    Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous follows a group of six teenagers chosen for a once-in-a-lifetime experience at a new adventure camp on the opposite side of Isla Nublar. But when dinosaurs wreak havoc across the island, the campers are stranded. Unable to reach the outside world, they’ll need to go from strangers to friends to family if they’re going to survive. Scott Kreamer (Pinky Malinky) and Aaron Hammersley (Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness) serve as showrunners and executive producers.

    Vertical Entertainment is proud to present the trailer and poster for Alice Winocour’s intimate drama, PROXIMA. The film stars a “career best” Eva Green as an astronaut preparing to leave both her seven-year-old daughter and her planet behind. PROXIMA premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival and proceeded to run the festival circuit where it won the Special Jury Prize at San Sebastian Film Festival. Vertical Entertainment will release the film on digital and VOD platforms on Friday, November 6.

  • Mogul Mowgli: The BRWC LFF Review

    Mogul Mowgli: The BRWC LFF Review

    Bassam Tariq’s new film (his first since 2013 documentary These Birds Walk) is clearly a passion project for both its director and its star, Riz Ahmed, who also co-wrote and produced it himself. Having first premiered at the Berlinale back in February, Mogul Mowgli (which gets its title from a track by Swet Shop Boys, Ahmed’s own hip hop group), tells the story of British-Pakistani rapper Zed, who suddenly comes down with an autoimmune disease just as he’s about to get his big break, with young RPG waiting in the wings to fill his spot on an upcoming tour. 

    Of course, this isn’t what the film is really about. In truth, this is a story of a young man reconnecting with his family and rediscovering his roots. Having spent some time in America, Zed is constantly accused by his loved ones of having westernised himself, at one point even referred to as a ‘coconut’. They believe Zed to have forgotten where he comes from, or worse still, to be ashamed of it. This belief is only worsened when Zed undergoes dangerous treatment, which his father strongly disapproves of. 

    Mogul Mowgli would be nowhere near as successful were it not for Riz Ahmed, who lives and breathes every second of it. Already a vastly underappreciated actor, he’s arguably never been this committed to a role in his career. It’s clearly so personal to him; an exploration of his own culture and community, and it almost feels like he’s letting go of a weight on his shoulders. Perhaps the role he was born to play, Ahmed has never been better. (Sudha Bhuchar and Alyy Khan also deserve a special mention for their outstanding work as Zed’s parents). 

    It’s in the film’s hallucinogenic sequences that it begins to lose itself a little. While interesting at first (harkening back to the 1947 partition of India), they’re just a little overplayed. All too often, Tariq crosses the line into experimental cinema, and it just doesn’t mesh enough with the raw, authentic tone of the rest of the film. Perhaps it’s intentional, but it all seems a little confused and self-important. 

    For the most part, Mogul Mowgli is shot with real vigour. Erratic in nature, it’s cleverly presented in academy ratio, masterfully visualising the metaphorical walls closing in on Zed’s life. It’s claustrophobic and uncomfortable, as is undoubtedly intended, yet full of energy and sincerity. 

    The film isn’t consistent enough and it does begin to fade away in the third act, but it’s also mindful, driven, multi-layered and unashamedly personal, with Ahmed continuing to prove himself as one of Britain’s most exciting acting talents. 

  • Herself: LFF Review

    Herself: LFF Review

    Herself: LFF Review. By Jack Hawkins.

    After Mamma Mia!, The Iron Lady, and then Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, director Phyllida Lloyd has said that she ‘doesn’t want to make another blockbuster!’ To realise this, she has directed her first piece of social realism, joining peers such as Andrea Arnold (Fish Tank), Clio Barnard (The Selfish Giant) and Sarah Gavron (Rocks). Frankly, emotional manipulation causes Herself to fall short of those titles, but it certainly isn’t without merit.

    The story concerns Sandra (Clare Dunne), an Irish mother of two girls who vows to build her own home after leaving her abusive partner Gary (Ian Lloyd Anderson). The script wastes no time in establishing this, opening with a short and nasty scene of domestic violence in which Gary knocks her to the ground and stomps on her hand, causing nerve damage. Weeks later, we see Sandra and her girls Emma (Ruby O’Hara) and Molly (Molly McCann) – both great performers –living in a hotel room.

    The following 20 minutes are sure to make you feel terrible. Sandra has no friends and no family beyond the girls; she counts only Jo (Cathy Belton), a women’s charity worker, as a support system. A freelance cleaner, most of Sandra’s interactions are with employers who show her casual disrespect. Indeed, almost everyone treats with Sandra with an unlikely degree of impatience and contempt. It is the first sign that Herself is contriving to evoke maximum sympathy from the audience, to jerk tears and wrench hearts. Yet the strength of Dunne’s performance – and the general grounding of Sandra’s desperate situation – is enough keep you interested.

    After viewing a particularly rancid flat offered for a laughable €1000pcm, Sandra’s outlook is bleak. It seems her life will consist of a hotel room, a slavish job and the shadow of her loathsome husband. However, the narrative changes course when she reads of houses that can be built for €35,000. Having no Internet connection of her own, Sandra conducts secret research on the laptop of employer, Peggy (Harriet Walker), a cantankerous doctor recovering from a hip injury. Such skulduggery will surely see her out the door, but when Peggy discovers Sandra’s trail of search terms, she is revealed to be more benevolent than battle-axe, offering Sandra a patch of land and a generous repayment scheme to build her home.

    Again, the film’s emotional intent is obvious during all of this but it’s hard to resist Sandra’s good fortune, especially when the performances are this strong.  The film is visceral when it needs to be, too, depicting Sandra’s posttraumatic stress with a thumping, disorientating heartbeat as she struggles to collect herself. Don’t expect easy answers or perfect resolutions, either, because you won’t get them, especially in one shock moment. But then, alas, is the schmaltz and outright naffness, especially a building montage set to the tune of David Guetta’s ‘Titanium’, which reminds one of being stuck in a minicab or queuing at a McDonald’s restaurant.

    Some will be more receptive to Herself’s engineered emotion than others, but Phyllida Lloyd must be happy either way, because with both small names and a small budget, she has clearly succeeded in not making another blockbuster. Unfortunately, though, cheese and contrivance will prevent an otherwise very watchable drama from joining the new women-led oeuvre of social realism.

    3/5 (positive)

  • Welcome To Sudden Death: Review

    Welcome To Sudden Death: Review

    Remakes are a dime a dozen, yet most connect the trend to well-regarded classics. In the case of the latest low-rent actioner Welcome to Sudden Death, writer/director Dallas Jackson looks to revive a disposable entry in Jean-Claude Van Damme’s action star catalog. While its modernized approach registers some cheeky fun, this iteration never rises above its formulaic genre approach.

    Welcome to Sudden Death follows Jesse Freeman (Michael Jai White) an army vet and family man working diligently as a local security guard. When he takes his kids to a professional basketball game, the stadium gets hijacked by tech-savvy robbers. After all the other guards are disposed of, it’s up to Jesse to stop the scheme and assure his children’s safety.

    Similar to its forefather, Welcome to Sudden Death operates in a shamelessly self-aware fashion. Dallas Jackson crafts his film in the image of campy action throwbacks, reveling in the inherently cartoonish nature of his set-up and characters. Much of the fun derives from star Michael Jai White’s straight-faced delivery, playing off the theatrical beats with assured confidence and a sly sense of humor. It’s also a blast to see White let loose in some soundly-constructed set pieces, with Jackson exhibiting enough steadiness to scratch that low-rent, popcorn movie itch.

    The film’s openly goofy approach is right up my avenue, yet there are plenty of noticeable blemishes present throughout the narrative. Jackson’s sitcom-esque presentation flatly presents frames without much thought or creativity behind the camera (every action scene is drowned out with an off-putting uptempo score). The autopilot presentation is hindered even more by apparent budgetary limitations, eliciting a cheap aroma rather than the type of scrappy earnestness that marks most B-movie successes. Mixing the child-like simplicity with a wildly unnecessary R-rating (some woeful uses of CGI-blood bring little to the table), Welcome to Sudden Death never presents itself with a consistent voice.

    Aside from White’s personable delivery, no one else seems to be in tune with the genre’s unique frequency. Half-hearted attempts towards a humorous streak sink under the weight of cloying cliches (his janitor buddy and a famous rapper make for tiresome one-note sidekicks). The script also utilizes a bizarre melodramatic set-up, embracing dated contrivances that lack enough ingenuity or charm to be palatable. There’s nothing grating about Welcome to Sudden Death, yet its unremarkable 80-minute length passes by without drawing a real impression.

    While often agreeable, Welcome to Sudden Death rarely distinguishes itself from its bargain bin peers.

  • Mangrove: The BRWC LFF Review

    Mangrove: The BRWC LFF Review

    In a year that has been (and continues to be) seriously concerning for cinema, we have to take the wins when we get them, and audiences being treated to five films from Steve McQueen (one of Britain’s finest filmmakers, and the brilliant creative mind behind Hunger, Shame, 12 Years a Slave and Widows) is one very big win. Small Axe, an anthology series comprising of several feature films depicting real-life racial injustice towards London’s West Indian community between 1969 and 1982, is coming to the BBC in November, and if Mangrove is anything to go by, that’s a special thing indeed. 

    Frank Crichlow (Shaun Parkes), the owner of the Mangrove restaurant in Notting Hill, has become something of an accidental and reluctant leader, his business having become a safe haven for his community, with many civil rights activists frequently spending time there. The restaurant’s significance in the area hasn’t gone unnoticed, and bullish PC Pulley regularly orders raids based on false allegations and zero evidence. His reasoning? To put ‘the blacks’ in their place and drive them out.

    Crichlow, along with many of his patrons, has grown frustrated with the constant harassment and decides to hold a non-violent demonstration in protest, but the involvement of the police soon exacerbates things, and nine of the demonstrators (now referred to as the Mangrove Nine) are charged with incitement to riot. McQueen’s film tells the story not only of the incident itself, but of the long and arduous trial that followed. It’s a film of two halves; first an infuriating tale of police brutality, before becoming an outstanding courtroom drama wrought with rage and passion. 

    It’s surprising how little-known the story of the Mangrove Nine is, given it made national headlines at the time and is widely recognised as the first trial in which the judge acknowledged, however loosely, the clear racially-driven prejudice within the Metropolitan Police. It was a huge step, and it’s one that deserves to be remembered and respected. McQueen is a filmmaker born to tell important stories, and his interpretation of it is just magnificent.

    McQueen continues to be a master behind the camera. He knows when to utilise it fully and when to let it linger, the latter being a signature aspect of his work, and one that he uses effectively in Mangrove on several occasions (a long look at Crichlow’s face in the courtroom is particularly memorable). He’s able to properly communicate emotions with his work better than most filmmakers working today; a subtle artist unafraid to push buttons when necessary.

    Where McQueen most excels is his positive depiction of the culture itself. While the film mostly roars with fury (the content resonating with anyone paying attention to the current political climate), the community atmosphere in and around the restaurant is always portrayed as happy and warm. At one point, McQueen lingers on a colourful street carnival just long enough for us to feel a part of it, the dancing and singing at its utmost joyous and wonderful. It’s brilliant moments such as this that help attach the audience to the characters; it’s why we care about them so damn much. It’s a community worth defending.

    The characters are brought to life by a talented cast at the top of their game, particularly scene-stealer Letitia Wright, whose powerful monologues radiate with both anger and fear. Malachi Kirby is also exceptional, fully coming to life in his courtroom sequences, and Shaun Parkes’ quiet and reserved performance as Crichlow is another highlight. He expertly portrays a man who has had any faith in the system beaten out of him, but is equally afraid of fighting it for fear of having that very system take everything away. He’s a hard-working man who just wants to be respected.

    Mangrove is about serious issues, but it’s far from miserable. If anything, it’s quite the opposite; a film that is fully aware of our past and present failings, but equally optimistic about the progress we can make, so long as brave, intelligent people are willing to speak up. 

    It’s powerful, emotive and expertly-crafted by an artist operating at the peak of his powers. It speaks volumes for the talents of McQueen that Mangrove, undoubtedly one of the year’s best films, is just one episode of an anthology series. For any other filmmaker, this would comfortably be their stand-out work. For McQueen? Hmm. It still might be.