Time Out review: Detective Vince Edwards hunts Los Angeles for dynamiter Chuck Connors (a
nicely quirky characterisation), who is writing to the papers to
explain that his bombs are punishments meted out to society. The victims
include a high school, a hospital, a Women's Lib group...and aid comes
from the unlikely quarter of a pathetic rapist (Brand, another fine
performance). Shoddily assembled, but brightly conceived and very well
acted, it has a genuine 'B' movie vitality. (From a story by Marc Behm).
Time Out review: A mini-masterpiece, this is a cross between a ‘Grand Hotel’ for the
1980s and film noir: a crumbling Paris hotel houses four groups of
people whose paths occasionally cross. One is the group around detective
Terzieff, still trying to solve a murder of years ago; another is the
entourage of boxer Tiger Jones, in training with his manager (Johnny
Hallyday); another is a couple on the verge of breaking up; and the last
is the Mafia. Much of it, especially Léaud (Terzieff’s nephew-aide) and
Cuny as a Godfather who judges men by their toilet habits, is riotously
funny. Built on the charisma of its stars and on memories of the great
thrillers of the ’40s, tenuously held together by Jean-Luc Godard’s romantic
pessimism, curiosity and sense of humour, it’s co-dedicated, sensibly,
to Clint Eastwood. Tony Rayns
Time Out review: RogerCorman's first gangster movie is one of the most ambitious and rewarding of his '50s quickies: not because it transcends any of its inherent limitations, but rather because it indulges them recklessly. Apparently modelling itself on Siegel's Baby Face Nelson, it sees Kelly (Charles Bronson) as a child-like thug with a pathological fear of death, helplessly dominated by his moll Flo (Susan Cabot, Corman's favourite femme fatale until Barbara Steele came along). The post-Freudian motifs aren't imposed on the dime-novel material; they grow with a hysteria all of their own from the sleazy settings and one-note performances. The movie reveals Corman as a director entirely in touch with his audience, and Floyd Crosby as one of the most prodigiously resourceful cameramen in Hollywood history. Tony Rayns
70th LONDON FILM FESTIVAL (7th - 18th October 2026) DAY 12
With its date at the end of the year, London is a "festival of festivals", as the Telegraph film critic Robbie Collin put it in one of his previews,
so the films shown have mostly been seen and commented on by critics
who have watched the features at such high-profile festivals as Cannes, Venice, Toronto, Sundance and Berlin.
So I'm making it simple with one recommendation a day. I will be concentrating on the repertory choices but I've also read the
reviews of the contemporary releases and talked to and listened to the trusted critics all year and I
am as confident as I can be that this is the pick of the movies within
the parameters I have set. Firstly, there's no point highlighting the
major gala films - they will be sold out quickly. Secondly, there is
little to be gained in paying the higher Festival ticket prices to see
films that are out in Britain soon. I will be returning to the London
Festival films worthy of seeing and set to be released in the coming
months on this blog as and when they get a general release in London.
Here then (from October 7th to October 18th) are the films you are likely
to be able to get tickets for and the movies you are unlikely to see in
London very soon unless you go the Festival. Here is the LFF's main website for the general information you need. Don't
worry if some of the recommended films are sold out as there are always
some tickets on offer which go on sale 30 minutes before each
screening. Here is the information you need to get those standby tickets.
This film is also screened at BFI Southbank on Friday October 16th. Details here.
BFI introduction: Adapted from Kieran Goddard’s novel, this intoxicating yet
compassionate film by the director of The Selfish Giant and Ali &
Ava is propelled by a superb ensemble cast and the euphoric pulse of
club music. As moments of youthful joy gradually give way to
disillusionment, the film offers a piercing portrait of contemporary
Britain, exposing exploitative social structures and widening inequality
as forces that have deeply marked its characters’ lives. Hyun Jin Cho
70th LONDON FILM FESTIVAL (7th - 18th October 2026) DAY 11
With its date at the end of the year, London is a "festival of festivals", as the Telegraph film critic Robbie Collin put it in one of his previews,
so the films shown have mostly been seen and commented on by critics
who have watched the features at such high-profile festivals as Cannes, Venice, Toronto, Sundance and Berlin.
So I'm making it simple with one recommendation a day. I will be concentrating on the repertory choices but I've also read the
reviews of the contemporary releases and talked to and listened to the trusted critics all year and I
am as confident as I can be that this is the pick of the movies within
the parameters I have set. Firstly, there's no point highlighting the
major gala films - they will be sold out quickly. Secondly, there is
little to be gained in paying the higher Festival ticket prices to see
films that are out in Britain soon. I will be returning to the London
Festival films worthy of seeing and set to be released in the coming
months on this blog as and when they get a general release in London.
Here then (from October 7th to October 18th) are the films you are likely
to be able to get tickets for and the movies you are unlikely to see in
London very soon unless you go the Festival. Here is the LFF's main website for the general information you need. Don't
worry if some of the recommended films are sold out as there are always
some tickets on offer which go on sale 30 minutes before each
screening. Here is the information you need to get those standby tickets.
This film is also screened at Southbank Centre, Royal Festival Hall on Saturday October 10th and Sunday 11th. Full details here.
BFI introduction: Irwin Pearl (Miles Teller, on top form) is an engineer and family man
living in Queens. When his brother, a showboating ex-police officer (a
magnetic Adam Driver), enlists him for a high paying job, things rapidly
take a turn for the worse. Channelling the spirit of Sidney Lumet and
Michael Mann, Gray’s own, distinctive directorial style is on full
display in this instant classic of American crime cinema. Diana Cipriano
70th LONDON FILM FESTIVAL (7th - 18th October 2026) DAY10
With its date at the end of the year, London is a "festival of festivals", as the Telegraph film critic Robbie Collin put it in one of his previews,
so the films shown have mostly been seen and commented on by critics
who have watched the features at such high-profile festivals as Cannes, Venice, Toronto, Sundance and Berlin.
So I'm making it simple with one recommendation a day. I will be concentrating on the repertory choices but I've also read the
reviews of the contemporary releases and talked to and listened to the trusted critics all year and I
am as confident as I can be that this is the pick of the movies within
the parameters I have set. Firstly, there's no point highlighting the
major gala films - they will be sold out quickly. Secondly, there is
little to be gained in paying the higher Festival ticket prices to see
films that are out in Britain soon. I will be returning to the London
Festival films worthy of seeing and set to be released in the coming
months on this blog as and when they get a general release in London.
Here then (from October 7th to October 18th) are the films you are likely
to be able to get tickets for and the movies you are unlikely to see in
London very soon unless you go the Festival. Here is the LFF's main website for the general information you need. Don't
worry if some of the recommended films are sold out as there are always
some tickets on offer which go on sale 30 minutes before each
screening. Here is the information you need to get those standby tickets.
BFI introduction: A tragicomic gallery of characters composes this satirical fresco of a
hellish housing estate. In this dysfunctional, endless chaos, people
try to get on with their lives amongst the rubble and the mud of this
new socialist nightmare. After being blacklisted for years, Věra
Chytilová returns to her radical style with a film that still resonates
in a society of individuals living in crowded isolation. Giulia Saccogna
70th LONDON FILM FESTIVAL (7th - 18th October 2026) DAY 9
With its date at the end of the year, London is a "festival of festivals", as the Telegraph film critic Robbie Collin put it in one of his previews,
so the films shown have mostly been seen and commented on by critics
who have watched the features at such high-profile festivals as Cannes, Venice, Toronto, Sundance and Berlin.
So I'm making it simple with one recommendation a day. I will be concentrating on the repertory choices but I've also read the
reviews of the contemporary releases and talked to and listened to the trusted critics all year and I
am as confident as I can be that this is the pick of the movies within
the parameters I have set. Firstly, there's no point highlighting the
major gala films - they will be sold out quickly. Secondly, there is
little to be gained in paying the higher Festival ticket prices to see
films that are out in Britain soon. I will be returning to the London
Festival films worthy of seeing and set to be released in the coming
months on this blog as and when they get a general release in London.
Here then (from October 7th to October 18th) are the films you are likely
to be able to get tickets for and the movies you are unlikely to see in
London very soon unless you go the Festival. Here is the LFF's main website for the general information you need. Don't
worry if some of the recommended films are sold out as there are always
some tickets on offer which go on sale 30 minutes before each
screening. Here is the information you need to get those standby tickets.
BFI introduction: Jacquie, a beautiful 20-year-old, experiences various encounters with
men in the south of France, where she returns to her family after
leaving Paris. A young woman becoming the target of male predators is
always a relevant topic. It’s presented here with a fresh approach:
Jacquie is an unburdened wanderer rather than a desperate one, and her
search for independence inebriating and joyful. Giulia Saccogna
