Well that's it all over for this year and I am thoroughly looking forward to next year, when hopefully I won't have other plans already in place taking up precious film watching time and will be able to squeeze in a few
more. This year anyway was filled with feel-goods, creepers and dramas, including
The Girl from the Wardrobe – a heartwarming Polish dramedy
LFO – a dark Swedish indie sci-fi
A Long Way Down – British comedy adaptation of Nick Hornby novel
The Congress – cross-continental dystopian live action/animation
The Lunchbox – a feel-good Indian romantic drama
Exhibition – a cold British drama about middle-class problems
Metalhead – an Icelandic heavy metal drama
Drew: The Man behind the Poster – documentary
Unforgiven – a samurai version of classic Clint Eastwood Oscar winner
Concussion – family drama
Almost Human – sci-fi horror from the US
Benny & Jolene – a charming British indie rom-com
Click through on the links below to go to the original reviews for each film.
Out of them all I would have to say my favourite was Metalhead. Heavily biased towards the rocking soundtrack and emotionally charged plot of a girl desperately trying to cling on to the memory of her late brother, I was captivated. The touching family moments and comedic touches provide an even and grounded basis, ready for the faultless cast to build upon. This was followed closely by the mind-bending live action/animation cross The Congress. With a great performance from Robin Wright, long past are the days of Princess Buttercup, as the aging actress gets caught up in an extreme version of the ever changing world of celebrity and youth to devastaing effect. Whether that's a good or bad thing is open to debate. My third favourite was documentary Drew: The Man behind the Poster. A genuine and thoughtful reflection on one of the movie industry's most prolific poster illustrators. It was inspiring.
Inadvertently, several of the films I chose were feel-good films of different cultures, including The Girl from the Wardrobe, A Long Way Down, The Lunchbox and Benny & Jolene. A sweet selection of charming, sweet films filled with down-to-earth, loveable characters. There were also a couple of indie sci-fis with LFO and Almost Human. Both quite dark and unsettling, which worked to their advantage.
There is one film I am still on the fence about, Concussion. Trying to decide whether the outcome is flawed or smart, I dither on both sides, so at this point it is pretty far down the list of favourites until the day I finally decide. So the least favourite films of my festival selection are left to Unforgiven and Exhibition. These films may be favourites for others, however I found the characters unrelatable, lingering scenes that felt awkward and an overall sense of doom meant I found it difficult to connect with and fully appreciate.
Of course there were quite a few I missed out on. I had been looking forward to seeing cult favourite Tron in the unique surroundings of the Glue Factory, The Double, The Scribbler, Heli, Cas & Dylan, Mindscape, Love is the Perfect Crime, Miss Violence and The Fog showing on The Tall Ship. Hopefully some will get a release at some point, otherwise better luck next time!
And now the obligatory sign off. Roll on 2015!
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