Big Beasts at the London Film Festival 2024
Preview feature by Colin Dibben
The London Film Festival 2024 runs from 9 to 20 October.
There are some big name films and some great in-person events to watch out for, including:
Blitz
A mother and her son seek refuge in a London devastated by Luftwaffe bombing in this intimate epic of East End life during the Second World War. Saoirse Ronan, Paul Weller and newcomer Elliott Heffernan star in Steve McQueen’s visually dazzling tour de force that packs an emotional punch too.
Emilia Pérez
Rita is an ambitious young lawyer whose firm asks her to work closely with a drug cartel boss who is undergoing gender affirming surgery. Master French auteur Jacques Audiard’s wonderfully operatic Cannes prize winner is an incredibly entertaining and unexpectedly moving Mexico-set musical odyssey. It features great performances by Zoe Saldana, Karla Sofia Gascon, Adriana Paz and Selena Gomez.
Dahomey
Mati Diop’s Berlin Film Festival Golden Bear winner is a philosophical and otherworldly documentary exploring the journey of 26 objects plundered treasures as they travel from vaults in European museums to their original homes in Africa. Diop’s approach to documentary is every bit as immersive and haunting as her fiction debut, Atlantics.
Queer
In 1940s Mexico City, an outcast American, played by Daniel Craig, revels in the sultry nightlife and the larger-than-life characters of the city, before falling in love with a younger man. Director Luca Guadagnino and writer Justin Kuritzkes serve up a sensual and evocative drama, adapted from William S. Burroughs’ semi-autobiographical novel.
The Gutter
A bowling alley on the brink of closure is the hangout for a bunch of professional bowlers, including Shameik Moore, D’Arcy Carden and Susan Sarandon. They may be down but they are definitely not out, as they gang together to save the alley in this outrageous and hilarious spin on the sports comedy.
Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass
The Quay Brothers’ new feature is a distinctive stop-motion work where dreams, fantasies and memories blur, creating a wondrous alternative reality. Sanatorium sees them returning to the work of Bruno Schulz, whose Street of Crocodiles they were inspired by much earlier in their career. This is equally iconic and haunting.
Caught by the Tides
Chinese auteur Jia Zhangke goes meta with this prismatic contemplation of 21st century China’s seismic shifts, as seen through two decades of his own films. It sounds ‘heavy’, but Jia’s perspective is always intellectually stimulating and epic in scale. Regular collaborator/ muse Tao Zhao is our guide through the vortex of past, present and future.
Watership Down
A group of rabbits seek a new place to live after one of them has visions of impending disaster. Newly restored in 4K, the dark and disturbing animated film that has already traumatised several generations of children looks better than ever and shouldn’t be missed on the big screen. This is definitely one of the UK’s greatest animated films; the watercolour style character painting and backgrounds are every bit as beautiful as anything from pre-digital Studio Ghibli and there is wonderful voice work from the likes of John Hurt and Denholm Elliot.
There are several screenings of most of these films.
Screen Talks:
Andrea Arnold in person
Andrea Arnold will talk about her career, including her new film, Bird. Saturday 19 October 2024 12:30, BFI Southbank, NFT1
Denis Villeneuve in person
Denis Villeneuve will discuss his cinematic journey from his early work through to his more recent visionary epics including Dune. Saturday 12 October 2024 11:30, Southbank Centre, Royal Festival Hall
