Annette Bening and Bill Nighy in Hope Gap, a film which allows the two accomplished actors to give fine performances.
Annette Bening and Bill Nighy in Hope Gap, a film which allows the two accomplished actors to give fine performances.
A new film festival expands the horizons for film fans yet again, finds Tom Augustine
It's striking how many great, smaller-scale film festivals have popped up throughout Auckland in recent years. For budding or established cinephiles, there are now plenty of ways to experience varied independent and world cinema -including the British Film Festival (October 31-November 13), launching in New Zealand with an outstanding line-up of films from Dear Ol' Blighty. Here are my picks for the juiciest titles on offer:
Hope Gap (dir. William Nicholson) Adapted from the film-maker William Nicholson's own play, The Retreat from Moscow, this film stars Bill Nighy, Annette Bening and Josh O'Connor in a mature and emotionally complex story about a holiday gone awry when a father tells his son that he plans to leave his mother. Bening and Nighy are two of the strongest actors in the game and the chance to watch them sink their teeth into these meaty, nuanced roles is something to relish. Expect a sterling showcase for some great performers.
Official Secrets (dir. Gavin Hood) One of the biggest titles at the BFF is Official Secrets, a slick political thriller based on the true-life account of Katharine Gun, a handler of routine state secrets with British Intelligence, who makes the historic choice to reveal attempts to blackmail United Nations' members into voting in favour of the invasion of Iraq. A vitally important story to revisit at this point in time, Official Secrets joins other critical and reflective examinations of the corruption and cost of the Middle East conflict, including the forthcoming film The Report and last year's Vice. Starring the always-wonderful Keira Knightley.
Peterloo examines a bloody period in British history.
Peterloo (dir. Mike Leigh) Mike Leigh is one of Britain's greatest living film-makers. His patient, actor-forward style is legendary for producing raw and uncannily realistic performances. Following his brilliant Mr. Turner, his latest, Peterloo, finds the director working with perhaps his biggest canvas yet, recreating the bloody massacre at Peterloo in 1819, when government forces unloaded on a peaceful gathering protesting in favour of democratic reform.
Deirdre Kelly in Ray and Liz.
Sorry We Missed You (dir. Ken Loach) and Ray & Liz (dir. Richard Billingham) It wouldn't be right to overlook one of the most singular cinematic movements in British film - British realism - and there are several exciting titles at the BFF. The consummate master of the style, Ken Loach, is back with Sorry We Missed You, about a delivery driver for an Amazon-style web company driven to the very edge by the ludicrous pressures of late capitalism. Meanwhile, Richard Billingham's autobiographical Ray & Liz recounts episodes from his own life living in a council flat on the margins of society. Both are sure to be challenging, bleakly funny experiences; both have drawn rave reviews around the world.
John Hurt in David Lynch's classic film, The Elephant Man.
The Elephant Man (dir. David Lynch) This year's BFF also features the return of the masterful The Elephant Man, one of the most straightforwardly moving films director David Lynch ever made. Featuring lush black and white cinematography from Freddie Francis and a now-legendary performance from John Hurt as the titular Merrick, the film is a sentimental and kindhearted ode to transcendence, nobility and redemption.
