The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019)
★★★★☆
In The Last Black Man in San Francisco, writer/director Joe Talbot takes a true story and turns it into a poetic and haunting version of itself – a brightly lit, lyrical, stylised drama.
Americas
BFI LFF 2019: Harriet (2019)
★★★☆☆
Harriet, directed by Kasi Lemmons, is a conventionally made biopic of a supremely unconventional and inspirational woman, Harriet Tubman, taking her life story from slave to fearless abolitionist and conductor on the underground railroad to freedom.
BFI LFF 2019: Festival briefs
★★★★☆
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Monos (2019)
★★★★★
Monos by Alejandro Landes, set among volatile, trainee teenage guerillas in Latin America, is quite simply of this year’s best and most disturbing films.
The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)
★★★☆☆
The Peanut Butter Falcon transcends initial discomfort to become a wish fulfilment, odd-couple odyssey with a deliciously soft centre.
BFI LFF 2019: COMPETITION WINNERS
★★★★☆
BFI LFF 2019: COMPETITION WINNERS
American Woman (2018)
★★★☆☆
American Woman is sensitively directed byy Jake Scott, son of Ridley, who produced this surprisingly emotionally involving saga with a star-making lead performance from Sienna Miller.
BFI LFF 2019: The Lighthouse (2019)
BFI LFF 2019: It Must Be Heaven (2019)
★★★★☆
It Must Be Heaven continues Elia Suleiman’s deadpan global quest for recognition of Palestinian identity and homeland.
BFI LFF 2019: The Two Popes (2019)
★★★★★
The Two Popes by Fernando Mereilles is a sparklingly written, joyfully acted, behind-the-scenes imagining of historic events made personal that has its international premiere at the BFI London Film Festival.
BFI LFF 2019: La Llorona (2019)
★★★★☆
La Llorona by Jayro Bustamente is a dark, powerful political and psychological horror, grounded in Guatemala’s history and folklore.
BFI LFF 2019: Bacurau (2019)
★★★★☆
Bacurau by Kleber Mendonça Filho is an exhilarating mixture of genres – political satire, western, science fiction – underpinned by savage political and social comment. It’s a blast.
BFI LFF 2019: The Climb (2019)
★★★★☆
In original, smart buddy comedy movie The Climb co-writer/directors Kyle Marvin and Michael Angelo Covino play two losers also called Kyle and Mike.
Hitsville: The Making of Motown (2019)
★★★★☆
Hitsville: The Making of Motown is an enjoyable, nostalgic celebration of the 60th anniversary of the iconic record label Tamla-Motown.