★ Directed by #FrancoLeng Starring: #JoeNoh #DavisDeRock #BrianErvin Film review by Nathanial Eker Do you remember that viral video of an angry German boy viscously smashing his gaming keyboard? Imagine if someone took that video and stretched it into a feature film. PWN3D boasts an endearing, 90s inspired mise-en-scené and enjoyably geeky intertextuality, but little else. Regrettably, both script and actors let it down immensely and many segments are so riddled with unnecessary screeching that PWN3D becomes difficult to take seriously. Joe and Bo are average nerds, with all the typical problems that the stereotype brings; they can’t talk to girls, they’re obsessed with video games, and they live with Joe’s Grandfather. However, their lives turn around when they steal a talking fish. Yep. The fish, who lost his wife to a horrific flushing, bonds with the boys, as the trio evade his former owner, Claxton. Let’s face facts; the biggest issue with PWN3D is that the plot is utter nonsense. While there is a loose cause and effect, a lack of scene structure and convincing dialogue leaves the audience with sequences that are either totally unnecessary, dreadfully boring, or a combination of both. The script aims for Clerks, but settles on Troll 2, with an unhealthy infusion of A Talking Cat. The climax descends into such madness that what little verisimilitude the film did have is demolished by a wave of mediocre geeky fan-service. Characterisation is ignored in favour of constant (and highly irritating) screaming. Both Bo and Joe are entirely skin deep and the former’s jokes are so painfully devised and executed that the film is defined by cringe, not comedy. Muted, the film fares far better. The 90s aesthetic is well developed and the often-blurry cinematography works to craft a period piece that exemplifies classic gaming culture. Equally, the use of VFX in an intentionally primitive manner is charming and further engulfs us in that classic period of Sega v Nintendo that gamers remember with fondness. PWN3D’s soundscape is a mixed bag. At times it crafts a genuinely engaging 8-bit score that works with the irreverent, retro style that the film is going for. Then unfortunately there are the ballads, sung (hopefully) in an intentionally amateurish way, perhaps to satirise traditional love song clichés. At any rate, these vocal songs fail to be funny or sweet and merely add an additional level of childish annoyance. There is something there in PWN3D; it boasts a sometimes-great soundtrack and a wonderfully nostalgic mise-en-scené. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives end, as its sloppy writing, juvenile characters, and nonsensical story make a seventy-minute film feel like we’re watching War and Peace with dorks. Despite its fantastic geeky style, it’s regrettably game over for PWN3D. #NathanialEker

★★★★ Director: #MarjaneSatrapi Starring: #RosamundPike, #SamRiley, #SimonRussellBeale, #AneurinBarnard and #AnyaTaylorJoy FilmReview by BrianPenn Marie Curie once said ‘Nothing in life is to be feared it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more so that we may fear less’ Wise words that define the spirit of innovation and discovery. Radioactive pays tribute to the genius of Marie Curie and a stubborn streak that took her to the peak of scientific achievement and depths of the Paris scandal sheets. The story begins in 1893 as Marie Sklodowska (Rosamund Pike) fights for recognition in the laboratory of Professor Lippmann (Simon Russell Beale). A Polish immigrant and woman in a male dominated environment, Marie learns to tread the line between confidence and arrogance. She clashes with Lippmann, raging at the lack of respect and space for her experiments. She soon catches the eye of fellow scientist Pierre Curie (Sam Riley). They share a passion for physics and inevitably each other. Later married the couple begin research in a shared laboratory. With Pierre's assistance Marie discovers radium and polonium; two new elements that would change the world. The death of Pierre in 1906 is followed by an explosive affair with colleague Paul Langevin (Aneurin Barnard); but a damaged reputation is duly repaired as her mobile x-ray units save thousands of lives in the Great War. Director Marjane Satrapi strives for a rounded picture of Curie, and largely succeeds without delving too deeply into the science. A micro lecture covers the basics and allows the narrative to flow more freely. Context is everything when true events are portrayed; and the consequences of Curie's work are evident from the flash forward in history; a trick used periodically to show how radium, like any discovery can be a force for evil as much for good. Such are Curie's achievements it becomes a relatively easy story to tell. Nevertheless, the film creates an effective portrait of a woman whose place in history is assured. Rosamund Pike is excellent as Marie and supported by a similarly able cast. Images of Paris in the late 19th Century are beautifully framed and look sumptuous on the big screen. It only really falters in the contrived romance of Marie and Pierre; the idea their eyes met across a row of test tubes is horribly corny and only sends up their relationship. That aside, Radioactive is a highly watchable history lesson and you won't need a prior peak at Wikipedia to understand it.

★★★★ Directed by: #ElleJaeStewart, #ThomasHStewart Written by: #ElleJaeStewart Starring: #ElleJaeStewart, #MarcusHenderson, #AndrewLloydPreston, #ChloePaigeFlowers Film Review by: Darren Tilby Public Relations is a bit of an anomaly in that it isn’t a complete story. Instead, it’s a proof-of-concept pilot for a 10-part series, and, as such, reviewing it as a film with a whole narrative isn’t possible because it just doesn’t work. And there are a few issues here and there, but if the point of a pilot is to peak one’s interest (and it absolutely is), then Public Relations is a resounding success. Chelsea (Elle Jae Stewart), is a celebrity public relations agent, you know, the people that fix things when a celebrity gets caught in a potentially career-damaging situation. And she’s good at her job. But she obsesses about her own image and reputation as much as that of any of her client’s. So, after discovering her husband’s, Andrew (Marcus Henderson), infidelity and with her image now in jeopardy, Chelsea reacts violently. In Public Relations, we only get to see the beginnings of Chelsea’s revenge; the movie ends before we witness its full extent or its aftermath. Still, I think it’s reasonably apparent where, as a series, Stewart (who co-directs and writes as well as starring in the lead) would like to take it. Chelsea will do something terrible, as we’ve partially seen, and have to spin another web of lies, but this time, covering her own misdoings. It’s an intriguing premise, and I’d be lying if I said this short pilot didn’t have me wanting more by the end. There are a couple of issues, however. First and foremost is the basic production value. Nothing particularly stands out or feels like it’s being used to full effect. Like the score, for example: while it’s certainly not bad, it just isn’t utilised to full effect. Now, having said that, this is more likely due to the film being a proof-of-concept piece and not a finished project. I fully expect the finished product will remedy these particular problems. And while the picture quality itself isn’t always brilliant, Ellington Tynes’ cinematography (in particular, the framing and lighting) is superb. But Public Relations’ real strength lies in Elle Stewart’s aptitude for writing realistic characters, dialogues, and spinning intricate webs for them to get stuck in. In fact, the quality of writing is such that it alone should be more than enough to guarantee a good series getting made. But with everything else thrown in (the superb performances, brilliant camera work, and better-utilised score), this could be a fantastically gripping, tension-filled thriller.

★★★★ Directed and Written by #LukeHowe Starring #JoeDaCosta, #RebeccaBanatvala, #SarahDaykin, #VanessaHehir, #ChristopherAdams Short Film Review by Jack Bottomley It has become a cliché to tell a story that ‘love knows no boundaries’ and to ‘never judge a book by its cover’ and yet, the point is somehow still a valid one. We think ourselves more accepting of the inside rather than the outside but you need only see the rise of internet dating, match-up apps and the still booming beauty industry and its conventions, to see that things are still very much geared towards “a look”. Perhaps this is why stories about true love and looking beyond our perceptions will always have a meaningful weight to them and in writer/director #LukeHowe’s Kickstarter-assisted The Beast, old and new are married to brilliantly and enjoyably tell such a story. The film sees successful magazine editor Rupert (#JoeDaCosta) find less success in the world of dating thanks to his towering, horned and hairy appearance but when he finally gets a match, he leaps at the chance to find love. Despite the initial concept visually seeming like something akin to maybe Alexandre Aja’s Horns, The Beast takes more than a petal of influence from Beauty and the Beast, to tell a still-timely story of pursuing love and overcoming the shallowness of a world that takes everything at face value. The Beast may have a simple story at its base but how it wields it makes for an enjoyable and rather sweet short feature. Luke Howe embraces the fairytale-ness of his story (from vast libraries to a dance scene) but instils very modern updates in some of the formula and in the app dating and contemporary setting. There is an irony at work in how Rupert has a knack for editing magazines for the most aesthetic appeal but has the problems that his horns and hooves bring to struggle with but the film suggests, as is often the case in reality, that the answer to Rupert’s loneliness just might have been right under his nose the whole time. It is predictable in some ways but Howe wisely ends his film with a hopeful hint rather than a big swig of saccharine and it works beautifully. The Beast is a wonderfully traditional and yet savvy tale of finding love and it is made all the more impressive by impressive performance and construction. As the lead, Joe Da Costa is fantastic, making this nice, polite and somewhat timid character, feel very natural. There is something of a Hellboy or Shrek feel to how he portrays a fantastical character with such relatability and how he shows the struggle of dealing with society’s rejections. There are some good supporting turns too, especially from #RebecaBanatvala as the understanding and accepting plumber Pari, who in many ways is the film’s essence and most humane soul. #TamasAMeder’s cinematography makes wondrous the everyday and makes a wealthy surrounding seem quite lonely when filled with only feelings of exclusion instead of warm embracement. This really is very well shot, with great production design by #DavideValsecchi and accompanying music by #RaphaelFimm, which captures the tone of the kind of cinema and literature that has inspired the story. Though it is perhaps in the department of bringing Rupert to life onscreen that the film most impresses! Utilising their resources well, the talented crew have put some bigger budget work to shame, as the prosthetic and SFX work by #ChrisFitzpatrick looks great, as does the hair and make-up by #AmyWhyard, both of which bring the beastly look of Rupert out but also prioritise the character’s humanity as well, as do the sophisticated costumes by #JennyAnderton. This all aids Da Costa’s nervy and charming lead performance and brings “The Beast” very much to life. The Beast is a tale as old as time indeed but it is still very much true as it can be. #JackBottomley

Filmmaker Interview by Chris Olson Back in 2016, we reviewed a #shortfilm called Infinite, which starred George Mackay - who is currently getting rave reviews for his role in the epic war film 1917 - read our 1917 Movie Review Here. We spoke to the short's director in this exclusive filmmaker interview. How would you pitch your film to a new audience? A film that should hopefully leave you with tears in your eyes, and unsure why you feel so happy at the same time. It’s about young men feeling comfortable to open up to one another in a time of grief. Why did you want to make this movie? After two people close to me unexpectedly died within 2 days of each other, I saw my close male friends respond by supporting each other through grief. I wanted to make a film that aimed to redefine masculintiy and represent men as both emotional, and willing to open up with one another, in the hope that it would provoke those who watch it to follow suit. What were the struggles getting it made? The budget was very small! At the time I was 21 and had to learn quite quickly what it meant to make a film of this scale and having never come from a film background - we just had to adapt and guess how to make it all run as smoothly as possible. Luckily, 4 years later, Lowkey is now our full time job so it definitely worked out well in the end! Who are your filmmaking influences and why? Peter Jackson as a director and Viggo Mortensen as an actor. When I was 9 I had an illness which made me bed bound for 2 months. I watched The Fellowship of the Ring and the Two Towers almost every day along with the BTS films. After seeing how the crew and actors came together to create something special, I knew this is what I wanted from both my life and #filmmaking. Why do you make movies? Sounds a bit extra… but sometimes, like with Infinite, it feels like I need to spill a story from my body. But mainly I want to tell stories that help to redefine stereotypes. With Infinite, it’s been amazing hearing so many men, young and old, have reached out to tell me how this film has made them feel more comfortable to be open and emotional with those around them and all audiences have said how it shines a positive light for them on life after death. What's next for you? I still feel like I have more to say about masculinity, therefore, we’ve spent the past 4 years developing Infinite as a feature. Alongside running Lowkey Films and directing commercial work, developing the feature into something really special is my main goal at the moment. What would you say if you were a dolphin? Why is there a lidl bag in my house?

★★★★ Director: #AutumndeWilde Starring: #AnyaTaylorJoy, #JohnnyFlynn, #CallumTurner, #BillNighy, #MirandaHart, #JoshOConnor, #GemmaWhelan, #MiaGoth and #RupertGraves FilmReview by BrianPenn Four versions of Emma have hit the big and small screen in the last twenty five years; but this latest addition directed by Autumn de Wilde is by far the best. A sparkling script by Eleanor Catton is laced with nuggets of humour exploiting the absurdity of Regency manners; and a similarly bright cast freshen up the Jane Austen classic with confidence and sureness of touch. Emma Woodhouse (Anya Taylor-Joy) attends the wedding of friend and former governess Miss Taylor (Gemma Whelan) to Mr Weston (Rupert Graves). Emma introduced the couple and eagerly claims credit for the couple’s new found happiness. She begins matchmaking much to the consternation of her sister’s brother-in-law Mr Knightley (Johnny Flynn). She attempts to match her friend Harriet Smith (Mia Goth) with Vicar Mr Elton (Josh O’Connor); even though local farmer Robert Martin is madly in love with Harriet. Emma’s meddling begins to affect her reputation and endanger her own chances of personal happiness. Despite the new adaptation, Emma can never stray far from the pen of Jane Austen yet still challenges the safe world of costume dramas. I was impressed the film drew such a strong reaction from the audience; there were frequent laughs but also a genuine intake of breath in sympathy with characters’ predicament, something one rarely sees in the cinema. There were pleasing performances throughout; Miranda Hart delivered a fine cameo as Miss Bates and Bill Nighy was in terrific form as the eccentric but lovable Mr Woodhouse. But all were outshone by the remarkable Anya Taylor-Joy, whose beguiling presence stole virtually every scene. She has incredible eyes that convey the full gamut of emotions; and certainly makes Gwyneth Paltrow’s earlier performance in the title role pale by comparison. The final piece in the jigsaw was the location filming, which took place at Firle Place Manor House in the South Downs National Park. Visually stunning and impeccably researched, it really felt like an authentic window into the 1800s. Similarly, interior shots featuring charming dance sequences perfectly captured the mood. Period dramas occasionally have a seen-one-seen -them-all quality about them, but there’s enough here to win over new converts.

★★ Directed by:  #PhilipBrocklehurst Written by: #MuhammadHolmatov Starring: #PMThomas #PhilipBrocklehurst Short Film Review by: #ChrisBuick Prolifically busy #filmmaker Philip Brocklehurst is back with another short film once again inspired by the iconic horror and slasher films of the eighties, a recurring theme that has carried through a lot of his previous works such as Vengeance Runs Red and now continues with his latest effort Lock The Door, paying particular homage this time to John Carpenter's Halloween. After a long hard day doing…. something, we see a young man return home wanting nothing more than to put his feet up and relax with a great film from his vast collection. But while he sits down to enjoy the works of Claude Chabrol, he has forgotten one important thing; to lock the front door. Much like with his other aforementioned films, Brocklehurst employs a distinctive style of gritty, raw aesthetics which genuinely do well to capture the grainy look and feel of those now famous classics. Even the echoing synth score creates a somewhat chilling callback to the famous themes that are now so iconic in our minds, and the film clearly comes from a #filmmaker in love with the genre. However, that seems to be where the positives of this piece meet their grisly end. While the look of the film might be right, what we get to see unfortunately let's it all down. Shots that seem clever (such as running a finger down a tower of DVDs or a close up of switching off a light) add nothing to the piece, all time that could and should have been better spent elsewhere. Other shots seem simply nonsensical (why does the killer stand literally across the street in broad daylight sticking out like a sore thumb?). It's obvious that the dialogue here is of course entirely tongue in cheek but it is so hammed up to the point where what it actually does instead is render the film completely void of any gravitas or tension or, if intended, humour. Therefore the film is never able to firmly plant its feet either as a film that is going for scares or laughs and in the end doesn’t achieve either. From the films title alone, one might expect a certain unpleasant outcome here which is absolutely fine, but what we need is to be taken down a path that leads us to that conclusion with at least one or two surprises along the way, and there is simply nothing here that tries to do anything remotely new or original, instead just playing out step by step what we already know will unfold, which all point to a basic premise not being thoroughly thought through or supported with better writing. Brocklehurst has some promising ideas and a real potential to make good on them, but lazy writing is the main culprit here. As an important public safety announcement, it’s a pretty good one but as a horror, Lock The Door is unfortunately lacking tension, surprise and imagination. #ChrisBuick

BFI Southbank announce futher special guests for Tilda Swinton season including Wes Anderson, Bong Joon-ho, Sally Potter, Joanna Hogg and Mark Cousins BFI Southbank’s TILDA SWINTON season, programmed in partnership with the performer and filmmaker herself, will run from 1 – 18 March 2020, celebrating the extraordinary, convention-defying career of one of cinema’s finest and most deft chameleons. The BFI today announce that a number of Swinton’s closest collaborators will join her on stage during the season to speak about their work together including Wes Anderson (Isle of Dogs, The French Dispatch, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Moonrise Kingdom), Bong Joon-ho (Snowpiercer, Okja), Sally Potter (Orlando) and Joanna Hogg (The Souvenir, Caprice). Also announced today is Tilda Swinton’s Film Equipment (28 February – 26 April) a free exhibit to accompany the season which has been curated in close collaboration with BFI and Swinton’s personal archive. Alongside a programme of feature film screenings, shorts and personal favourites, the season will include Tilda Swinton in Conversation with host Mark Kermode on 3 March, during which Swinton will look back on her wide-reaching career as a performer across independent and Hollywood cinema, as well as producer, director and general ally of maverick free spirits everywhere. On the same evening will be Tilda Swinton and Wes Anderson on stage: A Magical Tour of Cinema – a unique chance to hear from two of the most fervent disciples of the church of make believe, as Swinton and Anderson take to the BFI stage to discuss their many collaborations and their film passions. The event will offer a glimpse into their intimate partnership as the two long-time co-conspirators and voracious cinephiles select and explore personal favourite gems from throughout cinema’s history. Hot on the heels of Parasite’s historic Oscar wins, Bong Joon-ho returns to BFI Southbank for a screening of Snowpiercer (2013) – his post-apocalyptic thriller set on a train, which remains unreleased in UK cinemas. A rare big screen outing of the film on 1 March will be followed by a Q&A with Bong Joon-ho and Tilda Swinton. On 2 March, Swinton will join director Sally Potter for an extended introduction to their remarkable collaboration Orlando (1992) about a person viewing four centuries of experiences through the eyes of both sexes. Director Joanna Hogg will be on stage alongside Swinton to talk about Hogg’s graduation film Caprice (1986) on 16 March; made more than 30 years before they collaborated on The Souvenir (Joanna Hogg, 2019), which also starred Swinton’s daughter Honor, Caprice stars Swinton as a woman who enters the dreamworld of her favourite fashion magazine. Other extended introductions with Swinton during the season will include The Garden (Derek Jarman, 1990) on 12 March, We Need to Talk About Kevin (Lynne Ramsay, 2011) on 13 March, Julia (Eric Zonca, 2008) on 15 March and I Am Love (Luca Guadagnino, 2009) on 17 March. Swinton will also be on stage on 13 March to introduce her BFI Screen Epiphany – Peter Ibbetson (Henry Hathaway, 1935) accompanied by short film Portrait of Ga (Margaret Tait, 1952), one of Swinton’s favourite films; the event will be hosted by filmmaker and frequent collaborator Mark Cousins. There will also be an event to explore The Seasons In Quincy: Four Portraits of John Berger (2016) a cinematic project that Swinton was intimately involved in the making of as writer, producer and director. The project comprises four short essay films focused on the novelist and poet John Berger. On 11 March, there will be an event to explore the project, featuring excerpts from the finished films and a discussion of Berger’s legacy with Tilda Swinton, Bartek Dziadosz and Lily Ford, collaborators on the film. Accompanying the season will be Tilda Swinton’s Film Equipment, a free exhibit in BFI Southbank’s Mezzanine Gallery running from 28 February – 26 April. This special exhibition has been curated in close collaboration with the BFI; drawing on posters, photography, sketchbooks and more held in the BFI National Archive’s Special Collections, and items from Swinton’s personal archive. FULL DETAILS OF FILMS SCREENING IN THE TILDA SWINTON BFI SEASON Tilda’s fresh-eyed curiosity, anarchic spirit and instinct for collecting conspirators were all forged in the intensely creative collaboration she shared with artist and filmmaker Derek Jarman, with whom she made seven feature films. The season will feature screenings of Caravaggio (1986), the meditative and utterly singular biopic of the late-Renaissance painter, which was Swinton’s first film role and remains one of her most cherished. Caravaggio will screen alongside Rompo i lacci From Flavio (Tilda Swinton, Sandro Kopp, 2018), which sees Swinton’s five springer spaniels romp around a Scottish beach to an aria from Handel’s opera Flavio. Also screening will be Jarman’s tour-de-force The Garden (1990), reimagining the life and death of Christ as an allegory for the persecution of gay men. This intimate insight into the ailing filmmaker’s inner world was shot on Super 8, utilising a cast of religious icons that include Jesus, Judas and a skullcap-wearing desert wanderer Madonna played by Swinton. The Garden will screen alongside a segment from an anthology film Aria (segment Depuis le jour, 1987), also directed by Jarman. Swinton has enjoyed a risk taking, unconventional career, relishing in make believe and shape shifting identities. She won great acclaim for playing the title role in Sally Potter’s adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s Orlando (1992) about a person viewing four centuries of experiences through the eyes of both sexes; the film is still a convention-defying spectacle to behold over 25 years on – no wonder it’s being feted by the Met Gala this year. Orlando will screen alongside Will We Wake (1998), Swinton’s intimate and epic directorial debut, produced for the anthology film Millennial Fever for BBC2’s art strand Tx. Also screening is Man to Man (1992), John Maybury’s twisted nightmare of a fairy tale, adapted from Manfred Karge’s gender-blurring one-woman play which Swinton performed to great acclaim at the Royal Court Theatre in 1988. It features a phenomenal solo performance from Swinton as a German woman who assumes the identity of her dead husband and goes on to witness the rise and fall of the Third Reich, and many years of German history after, while shapeshifting through multiple personas. Man to Man will be screened alongside Joanna Hogg’s graduation film Caprice (1986) which stars Swinton as a woman who enters the dreamworld of her favourite fashion magazine which Hogg and Swinton made more than 30 years before they collaborated on The Souvenir (Joanna Hogg, 2019), which also stars Swinton’s daughter Honor Swinton Byrne, and the forthcoming sequel The Souvenir Part II which is expected later this year. Revered by the avant-garde and British and World independent cinema, Tilda also seamlessly crosses over into studio films, winning the Best Supporting Actor Oscar and BAFTA for Michael Clayton (Tony Gilroy, 2007), a thriller about the tentacles of corporate power that feels more relevant than ever in the age of Trump. Also screening will be The Deep End (Scott McGehee, David Siegel, 2001), the taut Hitchcockian thriller which launched Swinton’s Hollywood career. In it she plays an ordinary housewife single-handedly juggling childcare and an ailing father-in-law while struggling to pay a blackmail ransom. In existential drama Julia (Eric Zonca, 2008) Swinton is at her most committed and riveting as a manipulative and desperate alcoholic who becomes embroiled in a kidnapping plot. ‘A horror film and the nightmare scenario for anyone who’s ever thought of having a child’ is Swinton’s description of Lynne Ramsay’s We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011), adapted from Lionel Shriver’s novel. As a mother struggling to connect with her sociopathic son, Swinton viscerally maps her trajectory from newly-married bohemian to a husk of a woman, ably capturing her conflicting emotions and supressed trauma. Swinton has worked with a range of auteur filmmakers with big artistic visions and compelling world views, sustaining and developing these relationships by collaborating on a number of separate projects including Luca Guadagnino (The Love Factory, A Bigger Splash, Suspiria), Jim Jarmusch (Broken Flowers, The Limits of Control, The Dead Don’t Die) and Wes Anderson (Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel). Examples of these which will screen in the season include Guadagnino’s I Am Love (2009), in which Swinton excels at embodying urgent desire in one of the great cinematic portraits of sexual awakening. Swinton co-produced, developed the film and learned Italian for this ravishing and epic romance in which she plays a wealthy mother and an interloper in the Milanese aristocracy. Playing a 3000-year-old beatnik vampire, Swinton flexes her comic powers and channels her inner-animal in Only Lovers Left Alive (Jim Jarmusch, 2013) a stylish musing on mortality. She was heavily involved in developing the project with Jim Jarmusch, and it’s littered with personal references. Her hypnotic chemistry with Tom Hiddleston’s jaded musician Adam makes for an incredibly charming romance. There will also be a rare chance to see Bong Joon-ho’s masterly Snowpiercer (2013), unreleased in the UK, on the big screen. A ‘mild-mannered man in a suit’ was how Bong Joon-ho’s script originally described the bureaucrat quelling an uprising in this post-apocalyptic thriller set on a train; Swinton delighted in transforming the role into a sadistic monster, complete with dentures and furs. For full listings for the Tilda Swinton season and to book tickets visit the BFI website. A full press release announcing Tilda Swinton’s BFI Fellowship can be found here. #BFI #PressRelease #FilmEvents

★★★★ Directed by #RichardWong Written by #ErikLinthorst Starring #GrantRosenmeyer #HaydenSzeto #RaviPatel Film Review by Cat McAlpine Come As You Are follows three men on a quest to get laid at a Canadian brothel, La Chateau Paradis, that caters to people like them. Scotty (Grant Rosenmeyer) is a paraplegic who was “born this way, baby.” Matt (Hayden Szeto) is an ex-boxer fighting a degenerative disease. Mo (Ravi Patel) is visually impaired. Collectively, their biggest hindrance is that they all still live with their mothers. After one hilarious caper, a cop stops Scotty, Matt, and Mo as they slowly make their way along the shoulder of the highway. He looks at the three men and says: “My cousin’s brother-in-law has Down syndrome so…I know.” Sometimes, this film is about life as a person with disabilities. Mostly, though,Come As You Are is just about life as a person. The natural flow between these perspectives takes a raunchy boy’s trip and turns it into a heartwarming slice of life film about making friends, believing in yourself, and defining exactly what your life is supposed to be. Come As You Are is the English remake of 2011’s Belgian Hasta la Vista (dir. Geoffrey Enthoven), and while I haven’t seen Enthoven’s original, it’s worth the effort to bring this film to American audiences. Sorry, Bong Joon-ho, I guess we’re still warming up to subtitles. This 2019 edition is directed by Richard Wong, who has more cinematography credits than directorial. That experience shows in the film’s easy movement between steady and handheld shots. Wong’s vision expertly highlights how monumentally huge small inconveniences can be. At times, Scotty’s confinement to his chair leads to hilarious antics. Other times, it’s a horrific prison. Wong looks at both sides of every coin in a valiant effort to show the bigger picture. Come As You Are boasts a diverse cast, a good script, and great performances. The best performance is from Rosenmeyer, whose unflinching cynicism and peeks at vulnerability are masterfully done. The other stand-out performance comes from Janeane Garofalo as Scotty’s mother who, for better or worse, cannot shut up. Szeto and Patel both deliver quieter performances that gracefully grow with their character’s arcs. Patel particularly does a fantastic job of revealing the complexities behind his Coke-bottle glasses. Some may find the final awkwardly funny scene misplaced after the narrative has moved to deeper material. I found it tonally perfect and more human than abandoning the characters and circumstances we started with. Come As You Are is bitter, funny, tender, and worth the watch. #CatMcAlpine

★★★★ Directed by #TanyaWexler Written by #BrianSacca Starring #ZoeyDeutch #JaiCourtney Film Review by Brandon Thomas Phone solicitors are a menace. Political campaigns? Blech. Offers to buy your home “as is” for cash? Get out of here. Timeshare schemes? Block that number. Oh, and debt collectors? The absolute worst. What’s that? Debt collectors are the heroes in Buffaloed? Tell me more. From an early age, Peg Dahl (Zoey Deutch) had money on her mind. After a bad ticket scalping endeavor lands her in the joint, Peg racks up some massive legal fees. With career opportunities slim and her optimism fading, Peg discovers the lucrative world of debt collection. Accompanied by a flimsy moral code and a ragtag group of associates, she sets out to eliminate her debt and make a small fortune along the way. Within its first few frames, Buffaloed announces that it’s not about to be your standard rags-to-riches tale. There’s a sense of whimsy apparent as director Tanya Wexler (Hysteria) introduces us to this heightened version of Buffalo, New York. Whimsy with an edge, that is. Buffaloed threatens many times to veer into the familiar. A down-on-their- luck group trying to defy the odds? Yeah, we’ve seen that before! Not so fast. A clever script by Brian Sacca doesn’t let these characters off the hook easily. They make mistakes, learn from them, then make even worse ones. The nimbleness of Buffaloed’s kinetic story is one of its greatest assets. Peg is always zigging when she should be zagging. Deutch has been building a solid resume over the last few years. Her recent turn in Zombieland: Doubletap stole the show from long working veterans like Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, and Emma Stone. There’s a crackling energy to her performance as Peg that’s a perfect fit for the character’s chaotic actions. Equally good is Jai Courtney (Suicide Squad, Terminator Genysis) as Peg’s sleazy and dangerous competitor. Courtney has become an online punching bag over the years for appearing in bad sequels and/or comic book movies. Here, he’s allowed to flex some pretty incredible comedic muscles that don’t involve him interacting with a green screen. With an offbeat story, and memorably eccentric cast of characters, Buffaloed charms and impresses with the miraculous feat of making debt collectors sympathetic. #BrandonThomas

★★★★ Directed by #CarloMirabellaDavis Written by #CarloMirabellaDavis Starring #HaleyBennett Film Review by Hope Madden Like Todd Haynes’s 1995 film Safe, Swallow shadows a lovely homemaker with little of merit to occupy her time who eventually falls prey to an unusual malady. Dressed like something out of a 1950s pantyhose ad, Hunter (a transfixing Haley Bennett) fluffs pillows, prepares dinner, and waits for her husband Richie (Austin Stowell) to come home from work. She’s so grateful. Just really thankful, she nods in a hushed, respectful, humble tone. You might think that pregnancy would give Hunter something meaningful to do with her time: prepare the nursery, read up on parenting, that sort of thing. But the only thing she really wants to do now is to swallow things she shouldn’t. Putting a relevant twist on the classic "horrific mother" trope, writer/director Carlo Mirabella-Davis uses the rare eating disorder pica to anchor his exploration of gender dynamics and, in particular, control. At times almost Hitchcockian in its suspense, anxiety and balance of gender hysterics, Swallow feels urgently present but simultaneously old-fashioned. The costume choices, the vacant expression Hunter wears like a mask, the way she smooths and tucks her hair—all of it rings with the tone of the dementedly June Cleaver-esque. Where Mirabella-Davis’s talent for building tension and framing scenes drive the narrative, it’s Bennett’s performance that elevates the film. Serving as executive producer as well as star, Bennett transforms over the course of the film. The path Swallow takes is eerily, sometimes frustratingly similar to Haynes’s Safe. Both films cover similar themes, both take on a meticulously crafted visual aesthetic, and both boast incandescent lead performances. Indeed, Bennett here is every ounce as believable and touching and transfixing as the great Julianne Moore as Haynes’s brittle heroine. But where Haynes played things a little too ambiguously to satisfy an audience, Mirabella-Davis embraces clarity—although first he flirts and then dances with it before the full bear hug. The first half of this film is almost sleight of hand, the filmmaker telegraphing imagery too meticulous and obvious. When things finally burst, though, director and star shake off the traditional storytelling, the Yellow Wallpaper or Awakeningor even Safe. The filmmaker’s vision and imagery come full circle with a bold conclusion worthy of Bennett’s performance. #HopeMadden

★★★ Directed by #NatFaxon #JimRash Written by #JesseArmstrng #NatFaxon #JimRash Starring #JuliaLouisDreyfus #WillFerrell Film Review by George Wolf If you're a pair of American filmmakers out to remake an exceptional foreign film from the last decade, you gotta pick a side. Are you gonna put some bankable U.S. stars up front and just add your name to someone else's originality, or do you have a vision that can make the story your own? To their credit, co-writers/directors Nat Faxon and Jim Rash choose the latter path for Downhill, their take on Ruben Ostlund's 2014 stunner, Force Majeure (Turist). Faxon and Rash won an Oscar for their The Descendants screenplay - so the boys can write - but this makeover ultimately lands as a pleasant exercise stripped of the insightful bite. The catalyst remains the same: a traumatic event changes the way a couple sees each other. Pete (Will Ferrell) and Billie Stanton (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) are on a lavish ski vacation in Austria with their two sons. Eating lunch on the resort's outdoor porch, the family is terrified when an avalanche appears to be heading right for them. Bille clutches her children in fear, while Pete grabs his phone and runs. Turns out it was a planned snow release and everyone's fine, but the Stanton marriage has been shaken to its core, no matter how hard Pete tries to revise history with another couple (Zach Woods and Zoe Chao). Faxon and Rash do Americanize the story well, as Billie first looks to blame the resort ("I'm an attorney!"), and Pete, continually wallowing in the loss of his father eight months prior, becomes a personification of rationalized selfishness. But while Ostlund used the secondary couple as a device to invite us into a near clinical deconstruction of societal assumptions, Faxon and Rash introduce a new "B" story involving an aggressive resort concierge (Amanda Otto) who lives on the wild side. It's an uneven trade of insight for zany, and can't move the film from an uneven headspace that's too serious for comedy but too light for drama. Downhill does give us the chance to see Will and Julia go head to head, and that is no small treat. Ferrell is a natural as the big awkward goof trying to come to terms with himself, but make no mistake, Julia Louis-Dreyfus is the reason to see this movie. Billie is confused, hurt and angry, and Louis-Dreyfus sells it all with total authenticity, often with little to no dialog. She finds real depth in terrain that's often shallow (such as Billie's flirtations with a younger ski instructor), ultimately offering more proof that, in case you've missed the last few decades, JLD is a flat-out treasure. And much like Billy Ray's updated Secret in Their Eyes five years ago, Downhill has a humdinger of an ending to deal with. In the original film, Ostlund gave us an organic twist that managed to re-frame all that came before. Faxon and Rash's take feels a bit like hitting the Ohio slopes after a trip to Vermont. There are similarities, but the thrill is gone. If you've haven't seen Force Majeure, Downhill is a perfectly acceptable vehicle for two well-loved stars. If you have, well, see it again. #GeorgeWolf