MOVIE SCENE – APR/MAY 2021
By Jason Palmer
Welcome once again to the movies! It’s been a precarious year, and we are not out of the woods just yet, but the show must go on. Thankfully, it’s with social distancing in mind as we look to get back to some semblance of normality. Film has proved to be an invaluable tool in coping with the lockdown and now, open air film events are back to offer us some big screen escapism along with some premium home premiere choices too if venturing out is still not an option. With more blockbusters on the horizon, here are the best London events coming up.
UNDINE – 4 stars
Credit: Curzon
Writer/Director Christian Petzold delivers a wonderfully offbeat romantic drama that has wowed audiences on the festival circuit for the past few months. The sensational Paula Beer stars as our title character Undine Wibeau, a local historian who lectures on Berlin’s urban development. She’s a hit with the tourists too, where she catches the eye of Christoph (Franz Rogowski), a local man who is captivated by her beauty. But Udine has an unusual secret, one linked to urban mythology, and before long she’ll have to deal with the ramifications of that. This is a true undiscovered gem that deserves your time and attention. The two leads are superb, the story is heartfelt, and it frequently leaves you on the edge of your seat.
NOMANDLAND – 4 stars
Credit: Disney
Frances McDormand hands in yet another outstanding lead performance in this awards season favourite, that finds its way to Disney +. Chloé Zhao helms her own adapted screenplay from the Jessica Bruder book about the travelling community of the United States, and how the ever-changing world conflicts with the pursuit of a simpler life. McDormand plays Fern, a woman who packs her van and sets off on the open road after the economic collapse of a small town changes her circumstances. The film astutely examines the struggles of being a modern-day nomad, whilst also highlighting the plight of an older generation who feel at odds with the world around them. A touching and bittersweet drama that completely hooks you in. Expect some Oscar gold for this one in the future.
THE MAURITANIAN
Credit: STX/Eros
This hard-hitting and disturbing examination of the practices of the US government in detaining suspects following 9-11 comes to Amazon Prime this month. Tahar Rahim is on stellar form as Mohamedou Ould Slahi, a man who was held and imprisoned at Guantánamo Bay for many years without charge. Based on the New York Times best-selling memoir “Guantánamo Diary” by Slahi himself, director Kevin Macdonald doesn’t pull any punches in this harrowing account of the injustice Slahi suffered. Jodie Foster makes a welcome return to the big screen playing Nancy Hollander, the legal representative of Slahi who fights for his freedom against a world ready to throw away the key without any evidence. The revelations are shocking and the treatment Slahi endures leaves a lasting mark, but there’s also an incredible story of hope and forgiveness to be found here too. An unmissable watch.
AMMONITE – 4 stars
Credit: Lionsgate
The highly anticipated movie written and directed by Francis Lee and starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan closed last year’s London Film Festival, after winning huge critical praise across the global film festival circuit. A fictionalised account of the life of the 19th century palaeontologist Mary Anning, Winslet plays the pioneering scientist with suitable aplomb alongside the always reliable Ronan as a well-to-do young gentlewoman who falls in love with her whilst unexpectedly staying in Lyme Regis. Ammonite is a love story of great intimacy and suppressed urges, and the film also shines a telling light onto women in science and how their roles have been quietly eroded from history. The two leads are as exceptional as you would expect too.
TOM & JERRY – 2 stars
Credit: Warner Bros
This should have been an easy win, but somehow the filmmakers of Tom and Jerry have managed to deliver a messy and unsatisfying attempt at updating a classic. Its biggest sin is that Tom and Jerry aren’t even in their own movie very much – instead too much time and money is spent on the human cast and a story that doesn’t ignite any real interest. Call me old fashioned but I want to see the cat and the mouse front and centre of a Tom & Jerry film, not an overblown story about a celebrity couple looking to tie the knot at a prestigious New York hotel. A few jokes land and a few of the cast do ok in spite of such poor writing, like Chloë Grace Moretz, Michael Peña, Ken Jeong and Rob Delaney, who all deserved better. Tom and Jerry don’t speak in this movie which at least honours that part of their legacy. However, this could also be construed as a protest on how disappointing the film is – who knows?
WOLFWALKERS – 4 stars
Credit: Cartoon Saloon/Apple
Cartoon Saloon have done it again with an absolutely gorgeous animation that can be found on Apple. Englishman Bill Goodfellowe (the voice of Sean Bean) and his young, feisty daughter Robyn (Honor Kneafsey) move to a small town in Ireland where Bill is hired by the Lord Protector (Simon McBurney) to rid them of a wolf problem in the neighbouring woods. Unbeknown to him, Robyn secretly wanders into the woods one day to help her father hunt and is soon confronted by a pack of wolves led by a free-spirited girl named Mebh Óg (Eva Whittaker). They strike up a strong friendship and soon Robyn must convince her father and the townsfolk that they must not kill the wolves. This is a perfect film to enjoy with the little ones, with young Eva Whittaker and Honor Kneafsey leading the film superbly well. The animation is stunning, the music is sublime, the performances are sensational, and the story warms the soul. A triumph for the whole family to enjoy and a film worthy of its awards season buzz.
GODZILLA VS KONG – 3 stars
Credit: Warner Bros
One of the big disappointments of this current situation is that we can’t enjoy popcorn-fodder like this on the big screen. With a home premiere release from Warner Bros, Godzilla vs. Kong is the epic match-up we’ve all been waiting for. A giant radioactive lizard pitted against a big monkey seems like an unfair fight but that doesn’t stop the fun, as this is brash summer-blockbuster nonsense that provides a perfect platform for some escapist fun. The human cast are decent too, with Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Shun Oguri, Eiza González, Julian Dennison and Lance Reddick all on-hand to add some thespian power to the carnage. It won’t be to everyone’s taste but there’s no mistaking that when the beasts start throwing punches, there’s a lot of fun to be had. The plot? Don’t worry about that…