Amidst this yr’s grand line-up of London Movie Competition galas, a treasure trove of titles awaited discovery: BFI restorations, archival interventions, unlikely massive hitters and works of radical experimentation all made their mark. What’s sure is that London’s repertory cinemas can have no scarcity of upcoming masterful, redefining work. A robust thread on this yr’s programme was reinterpreting ladies on display screen – from Lucile Hadžihalilović’s The Ice Tower to Kristen Stewart’s reducing directorial debut The Chronology of Water and, in fact, Lynne Ramsay’s extremely anticipated Die My Love – however as all seasoned cinemagoers know, the very best a part of any competition expertise is sourcing the surprising. Discovering smaller, hidden joys makes the limitless networking and queueing on three hours of sleep price each minute. My private better of the fest got here from essentially the most stunning voices considering what lies on the strangest reaches of human creativeness, and daring to problem our definition of what movie can be.
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You – Mary Bronstein
A stand-out return from indie New York director Mary Bronstein, whose first movie in 17 years – a twisted comedy-horror helmed by drive of nature Rose Byrne – delivers a slamming punch to the intestine. Rife with charming sardonic humour, Bronstein delves in essayistic element into the relegation of ladies’s home roles and the psychological terror of mothering in an everlasting catalyst of psychological swings and ruptures. Not letting up for a second, If I Had Legs goals excessive, and hits tougher than most this yr – a movie assured to knock the breath out of you.
Dry Leaf – Alexandre Koberidze
This German-Georgian thriller could show jarring for some – filmed totally on a W595 Sony Ericsson, rendering cohesive photos from this three hour-long epic requires a strategy of true endurance. Nevertheless, as soon as adjusted, essentially the most pictorial panorama cinema seems, rewiring our expectation of movie totally, and our personal capability for comprehension. I’d wrestle to consider something like this, a lo-fi street journey starring the director’s father, full with an invisible character, and an totally fascinating rating by Giorgi Koberidze. In some way, embodying Monet, Kiarostami, and the pure nostalgia of 140p decision in the identical second.
Redoubt – John Skoog
I went into this on a advice from a buddy, understanding actually nothing across the movie itself besides that it starred French grasp of physicality Denis Lavant, so no additional convincing was wanted. What unfolded was a deeply heartwarming and concise tribute to a actual life obsession with the Swiss ‘Re-doubt’; a sort of speculative Chilly Struggle group fall-out shelter. It’s under no circumstances the grandest movie at this yr’s competition, but it surely’s constructed with sturdy ambition and a coronary heart of gold, and Lavant is in his absolute factor because the agitated, toiling farmhand.