Words: Guy Aubrey Devito
The BFI London Film Festival is upon us once again and this year looks to be one of the best in its 58 year history. Here are the 10 films we’re most excited about seeing this month.
Fury (David Ayer) starring Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman
Brad Pitt seems to have developed a taste for war films. He had never made one prior to 2009’s Inglourious Basterds, but nows stars in another; the hotly anticipated Fury. Set during the last weeks of WWII, the film chronicles the misadventures of an American tank crew as they push into Germany.
Mr Turner (Mike Leigh) starring Timothy Spall
When Mr Turner screened at Cannes it was greeted with critical acclaim, garnering 5-star reviews and was nominated for the Palm d’Or. Now the grandfather of impressionism is returning to the UK. Mike Leigh, at the age of 71 may well have directed his magnum opus.
Rosewater (Jon Stewart) starring Gael Garcia Bernal
Gael Garcia Bernal (The Motorcycle Diaries, Babel) portrays the journalist Maziar Bahari in Rosewater, based on the true story of Bahari’s imprisonment after he went to Iran to report on the 2009 elections for the BBC.
The Keeping Room (Daniel Barber) starring Hailee Steinfeld, Sam Worthington, Brit Marling
Barber’s debut feature Harry Brown was met with broadly positive reviews but he focuses his attention on a different era and a different continent in The Keeping Room. Set during the American civil war, two sisters (Steinfeld and Marling) guard their farm in the absence of the menfolk who are fighting on the frontline.
National Gallery (Frederick Wiseman)
The avant-garde documentary filmmaker, Frederick Wiseman, focuses on physical and/or cultural institutions in his films and here he has focused his lens on the often unrepresented National Gallery. Although Wiseman’s style may not be to everybody’s taste, it’s wonderful that Britain’s preeminent gallery is the focus of a new film and art lovers everywhere will be queuing up to see this.
The Imitation Game (Morten Tyldum) starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightly, Matthew Goode, Mark Strong, Charles Dance
With an all-star cast and an ‘against all odds’ story, the producers of this film will be hoping it emulates the success of 2010’s The King’s Speech, which was a critical and commercial success. The Imitation Game is a biopic of Alan Turing’s life and focuses on the work he did code-breaking at Bletchley Park during WWII. Cumberbatch plays the scientist in what looks to be a groundbreaking performance.
, Foxcatcher (Bennett Miller) starring Channing Tatum, Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo, Vanessa Redgrave, Siena Miller
A story about Olympic wrestling hopefuls does not exactly scream ‘must-see movie’ but, by all accounts, this is exactly what this film is. Based on real-life events, Foxcatcher is the true story of Mark Shultz (Tatum), a world wrestling champion who was taken under the wing of the wealthy – but strange – John E. du Pont.
, The Blue Room (Mathieu Amalric) starring Mathieu Amalric, Stephanie Cleau
This French erotic-thriller, produced, directed and starred-in by Mathieu Amalric looks to be one of the sleeper hits of the festival. The Blue Room or La Chambre Bleue is a classic tale of infidelity and lust with a dark underbelly.
Leopardi (Mario Martone) starring Elio Germano
Leopardi or Il Giovane Favoloso is a biopic of the 19th century Italian poet Giacomo Leopardi (Elio Germano) and provides a fascinating portrayal of Italy as the peninsular hurtles towards unification. Whether Leopardi becomes Italy’s answer to Bright Star remains to be seen. At the very least you can expect it to be a lush costume drama.
Madame Bovary (Sophie Barthes) starring Mia Wasikowska, Paul Giamatti, Rhys Ifans
There have been several film and TV adaptations of Flaubert’s first novel, most of which have been met with critical and commercial indifference. This may well be the first time that a Madame Bovary film finds a wide audience and with the excellent Mia Wasikowska playing the titular role it looks unmissable.
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