BFI LFF: Breathe (2017)
★★★☆☆
Opening the BFI London Film Festival, Andy Serkis’s debut as a director is the inspiring drama Breathe, a very moving true story.
UK
BFI LFF: Lean on Pete (2017)
★★★☆☆
Andrew Haigh’s Lean on Pete is an appealing coming-of-age road movie grounded in the all-American setting of quarter-horse racing.
Brimstone (2016)
★★★★☆
Brimstone is an almost unbearably violent take on the Western with a strong female character at its centre.
Borg vs McEnroe (2017)
★★★☆☆
Janus Metz’s Borg vs McEnroe recreates Wimbledon 1980 and delves into the winning psychology of the two tennis rivals.
My Pure Land (2017)
★★★★☆
My Pure Land, director Sarmad Masud’s first feature, is a Pakistan-set, female, Western-style gun battle based on an extraordinary true story.
Una (2016)
★★★☆☆
Una is a disturbing drama about a difficult and provocative subject that subverts conventional expectations. Directed by Benedict Andrews, written by David Harrower, it stars Rooney Mara and Ben Mendlesohn.
God’s Own Country (2017)
★★★★☆
A gay romance set high in the Yorkshire moors, Francis Lee’s God’s Own Country is a no-nonsense evocation of hard-won life in the country.
Moon Dogs (2016)
★★★☆☆
Moon Dogs is an appealing, strongly Celtic coming-of-age road movie that showcases vibrant new talent and the riches of Scottish scenery.
The Ghoul (2016)
★★★★☆
Executive produced by Ben Wheatley, The Ghoul is a teasingly self-aware psychological thriller.
Chubby Funny (2016)
★★★★☆
Chubby Funny is Harry Michell’s sophisticated debut as writer, director and star in a very funny comedy about contemporary generational angst.
Alone in Berlin (2016)
★★☆☆☆
Adapting Hans Fallada’s German resistance novel for the silver screen, Vincent Perez’ Alone In Berlin recreates the plot but none of the drama.
Sodom (2017)
★★★★☆
Sodom is an impressive, assured, thought-provoking debut for writer/director Mark Wilshin.
Churchill (2017)
★★★☆☆
Jonathan Teplitzky’s Churchill focuses on the tragedy of a previously indomitable, ageing leader recognising his failing powers to command in wartime in the tense lead-up to D-Day.
The Shepherd (El Pastor) (2016)
★★★★☆
In The Shepherd (El Pastor) Jonathan Cenzual Burley captures the heart of rural Spain in a beautifully observed and moving David and Goliath battle.