drama
Sarah Paulson fits the criteria of great actors. She has range and stamina, two incredibly important things to have in Hollywood.
In this Sundance London Film Festival Round-up, Alistair Ryder looks at the films he saw that charmed Sundance audiences enough to make the trip across the Atlantic.
Many audiences will likely shy away from the graphic depiction of abuse within director Jennifer Fox’s autobiographical film The Tale, but the film’s frankness is often its greatest asset.
While lacking the effervescence of his previous film Claire’s Camera, Sang-soo Hang’s The Day After has a mournful cloud that hangs over this digital monochrome display of admirable honesty.
While cathartic in the emotional expression of the finality of death, Irreplaceable You fails to be memorable, forgotten long after the credits have rolled.
A Kid Like Jake succeeds on behalf of Howard’s confident direction, Pearle’s sharp-witted and empathetic script, and two outstanding performances from Danes and Parsons.
On Chesil Beach feels like three separate character studies awkwardly forced into one occasionally incoherent film – but with a characteristically brilliant Saoirse Ronan performance at the centre, it is never anything less than compelling.
On the eve of its 50th anniversary, Claude Berri’s autobiographical drama The Two Of Us remains as heartwarming as ever, offering a look at one of the greatest conflicts in history and the prejudices it triggered through a child’s eyes.
With the inclusion of a MacGuffin and the eventual predictable narrative that follows, Fahrenheit 451 misses out on a golden opportunity to connect with a modern audience.
The Escape from director Dominic Savage is an unsettling character story, one that takes its time getting its claws into you but ultimately delivers an intense ride.
With 30% of British children living in poverty, director Candida Brady’s film couldn’t be timelier, depicting the harsh realities of young Britons’ lives with an unapologetic sincerity.
It doesn’t always manages to keep your attention, but when Jacob’s inspired cinematography and the cast’s strong acting appear on screen, Cold November demands your attention and it surely gets it.
Haifaa al-Mansour’s Mary Shelley, helped along greatly by Elle Fanning’s powerful performance, will summon up all of one’s righteous feminist anger and make one appreciate the accomplishments of Mary and those like her all the more.
Lacking emotional honesty, Disobedience from director Sebastián Lelio fails to create believable, organic tension between its characters and translate an understanding of the films primary cultural focus and subject matter.
Obey is a compelling watch anchored by visceral, emotional performances by Rutherford and Miller, and a well-crafted script by Jones.