★★★★ Directed by: #BastiaanRook Starring: #TorstenColijn, #BjorneWillemsen Short Film Review by: #BrunaFolettoLucas Doorslag was directed by Bastiann Rook and it tells the story of two brothers, Mike (Bjorne Willemsen) and Eddie (Torsten Colijn), who, despite their shared upbringing, now live very different lives. Mike is a successful man whilst Eddie is the “black sheep”. However, Eddie has a family, a wife, Irma (Janine Krol), and a son, Jordy (Luca Romagnoli), who suffers from nightmares and asks Eddie to always check the closet for monsters. In a painful reality check, Jordy realises that monsters are real but they live inside us and not in our closets, as he sees his dad beating up his mum. All this back-story is presented in form of dialogue between the two brothers when Mike goes to Eddie’s house to make sure he is all right, after receiving a message from Irma pleading him to go and check on his little brother. Irma and Eddie are divorcing and Eddie is not coping well. The two brothers are brought back together and they need to sort out their differences. Eddie has found out Irma and Mike have been having an affair and he seeks revenge, however, his vengeance is not as straightforward as one might think. And Mike, in desperate need to protect himself, takes matters into his own hand, without realising he is becoming the monster that Eddie was. The two brothers trade places, or rather they both take on the role of the monster, posing the questions of who are the monsters and what makes a monster? The film is incredibly gripping – Doorslag is a gut-wrenching family drama that, through dialogue, gives us an insight of the brothers’ past and current lives. The two brothers could not be any more different, but somehow they make the same mistakes. They are both human and both monsters, at the same time. At the end, Mike sobs when saying he is not a monster whilst he loses his humanity – he cannot comprehend how his life has shifted in so little time. His actions are spellbound by a domino effect, one simple action sets the rest in motion and he cannot stop it. Both Colijn and Willemsen give strong and emotional performances. Colijn as the deadbeat brother, borderline alcoholic with violence problems, and who has absolutely nothing to lose – which makes him even more powerful. And Willemsen as the hero who falls into a patter he cannot escape, almost as Rodion Românovitch Raskólnikov in Dostoiéviski’s “Crime and Punishment”, the spectator almost feels sorry for him as he dugs his own grave. Rook has made all the right decisions when directing Doorslag – it is incredibly captivating and he was able to explore human nature in its worst only through dialogue between the brothers in a living room. The camera angles combined with the performance of the actors, especially Colijn’s, give us the feeling of watching a thriller when we are given a well-scripted family melodrama.

★★★★ Directed by: #MarkOxtoby Written by: #DawnBuckland, #MarkOxtoby Starring: #LaurenLogan, #DanKrikler, #LilyOxtoby, #CharlesDaish Film Review by: #DarrenTilby Mark Oxtoby’s latest piece is a sobering exploration of the dark and sordid world of child #trafficking in the UK. And whilst this is a difficult subject to broach, Oxtoby has managed it with a believable and deferential finesse. Schoolteacher Amy Parker’s date with old-friend Yarick begins well and the two seem to be getting along. But the night soon takes a sinister turn when Yarick spikes her drink. After collapsing in the pub, Yarick and his step-brother Yanis – who had been waiting and watching the couple throughout the night – hurry in and whisk her away. Awakening in unfamiliar surroundings, Amy is confronted by Marek, Yarick’s uncle; who gives her an ultimatum: help him get an 11-year old girl to talk, so she can be sold to an impatient client, or he’ll kill her parents. The movie’s strength lies firmly in the believability of its characters and their actions. This is the result of very well-written characters, a near-perfect script and some damn fine acting to boot. Lauren Logan leads us through the film with a marvellous portrayal of the grounded and protective Amy, and Dan Krikler gives a solid performance as Yarick; a man perpetually in contention with his conscience and the family he can’t escape. Which brings us to Yarick’s uncle, Marek. A Mafia-esque crime-lord, whose seemingly benign facade and calm demeanour belie his abominable nature. So perfect is the casting here, it’s difficult to imagine anyone other than Charles Daish in the role. And last but not least is young Lily Oxtoby as Bethany, in an incredibly confident first screen outing. In fact, Oxtoby has managed to show she has great potential, in spite of the relatively little screen-time she’s given and limited dialogue the story allows her. The film’s greatest asset is the efficiency of its writing: the script, characters and screenplay have all been produced to a high-standard and showcase the talents of writing duo, Dawn Buckland and Mark Oxtoby. Indeed, Buckland and Oxtoby should be fully commended for writing both a narrative and characters which remain firmly grounded in reality. And it’s this sense of gritty realism which #JonBourne’s excellent and understated score really drives home with its soft and moody ambience. With the recent high-profile cases of sex #trafficking in the news, it's easy to imagine not everyone will appreciate the film's direct and no-nonsense approach. However, I feel the filmmakers have done an incredible job of tiptoeing that fine line between acceptability and crass opportunism with sincere intentions and dexterity. With the film's down-to-earth approach ensuring it doesn't fall into the trap of becoming some overripe Hollywood thriller (except, perhaps, for that odd last 10 seconds), Blood Means Nothing is a terrific start to a new year of filmmaking.

It is our great pleasure to announce the nominees for the 2018 UK Film Review Awards. It has been an epic year for our scribes, who have covered so many of these films from talented #filmmakers across the globe. Hearty thanks to the Contributors, supporters of the site, and anyone who has helped grow UK Film Review into what it has become. You can check out the full listings below or watch the following videos which dramatically display all of the 2018 UK Film Review Awards Nominees. BEST SHORT FILM: Cotton Wool The Critic Lady The Greta Fragments Lifeline BEST INDIE FILM: Pledge Tigers are not afraid Guardians The Witch in the Window I'll Take Your Dead Alive the movie BEST DOCUMENTARY: Dominion McQueen Movie Fahrenheit 11/9 How Jack Became Black They Shall Not Grow Old BEST ANIMATED FILM: The Incredibles 2 Isle of Dogs Movie Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Coco Meeting MacGuffin Brexicuted BEST LGBTQ FILM: Iridescence Call Me By Your Name His Hands Disobedience Love, Simon BEST SUPERHERO MOVIE: Avengers: Infinity War Black Panther Ant-Man And The Wasp Deadpool 2 Venom BEST WORLD CINEMA: Carga Lullaby ROMACuaron Nje Muaj/A Month Dispersion BEST FILM: A Star is Born Roma Avengers: Infinity War Eighth Grade Peterloo BEST DIRECTOR: Nicholas Connor (Cotton Wool Film) Stella Velon (The Critic) Yad Deen (Carga) Chris Esper (Imposter) L. Marcus Williams (Lifeline) BEST PERFORMANCE: Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born) Friederike Hammer (Sternenkind) Aimee Klein Unearthed - A Short Film by Daniel Bergeson) Patrick D. Green (Crazy Right) Glenn Close (The Wife Film)

★★★★ Directed by: #RobbieWalsh Starring: #JohnnyElliott, #NicciStGeorge, #SarahCarol Indie Film Review by: #BradyClark There is something strangely familiar about Robbie Walsh’s Eden, despite a safe bet that this is unlike any other production before it. From start to finish, there is a feeling that we’re watching an all too realistic account of what it is like to be homeless in Ireland, even to the untrained eye. Karl Pilkington lookalike Adam (Johnny Elliott) has been on the streets for over a year. He has taken to sleeping rough in the local park, using the play structures as minimal cover, but waking early and returning late enough so as to not look suspicious. He spends his time by the stream, walking through the forest or collecting cigarette butts outside the station. As we move further into Adam’s day, it becomes clearer where his luck ran out and how far a wealthy man can fall. Between Walsh’s cleverly subtle arrangement and Elliott’s understated portrayal of Adam, Eden manages to give us a chilling perspective from the streets, a rarely explored viewpoint that plunges the viewer into a guilty existence. As a character, Adam doesn’t always have the audience onside – his aggressive approach towards a lady at the bus stop hardly begs for sympathy – but this gives him more depth and continues to provide the feeling we are watching very relatable interactions. This is one of many two-character scenes that Walsh delivers well and where the film is strongest. The first act spends a little too much time showing Adam sitting by streams or walking through the forest, suffering from a lack of human interaction and continual silence. Perhaps that is the point – to really drive home how it is – but for the audience, it can venture into the slightly dull. However, the warmth of the story is increasingly powerful and the sadly comical Gandalf and Hannibal impressions, as well as the interaction with the stray dog, present the strength of Elliott as a lone actor. Adam often quietens his kindness, but his increasing likeability is still apparent. The soundtrack doesn’t necessarily match the grainy tone of Eden, but it is emotive enough that this isn’t all that distracting, although the sound editing itself leaves a little to be desired where water is involved. But the overall premise, biblical undertones and clever dialogue enable forgiveness of the smaller mistakes and strengthen a simple, yet powerful story.

★★★ Directed by: #LewisDGilbert Written by: Lewis D. Gilbert Starring: #PhilipRidout, #AmeliaGreco and #JessWilkins Short Film Review by: #RachelPullen I am always super paranoid about people knowing stuff I am doing. Your phone is tracking you, Google is trying to sell you e cigarettes and M-16’s and I’m sure the government are reading my letters. So to prevent all this I try to abstain from having a smartphone, giving out any information about myself. Heck I won’t even have LinkedIn, because you don’t need to know where I work, get away from me. So imagine my fear when writer and director Lewis D. Gilbert presents to me the idea of ghosts watching and judging me from above....have we no privacy anymore...thanks ghost. Short film An Endless Love tells the story of George, a widowed man who has lost his lady love some years back, and so ritualistically he plays “their” song on their anniversary and reminisces about the good old days, stroking a framed image from one of those old people wingback chairs. Classic grief stance, but all is not as it seems as George is not alone. Up springs the very real ghost of his departed lover [who, by the way is way out of his league, my guess is this dude is super rich, or really good in bed, one of the two because no way he could score this chick] and much to his surprise she is super pissed, even in death you men can never escape the wrath of an angry lady. Look forward to that. She knows that George has not been able to keep it in his pants [What!!! Now he has 2 ladies!] and that her gang of ghostie friends had informed her of his wandering eyes during their time together, and so she has come to make him feel super bad about being a lying, cheating scum, clearly not a lot going on in heaven at the time. So let’s chat film stats. This is a budget #shortfilm, which is obvious from the get go, but it requires little to execute the storyline, this is a tale of two people, a hashing of the past, we don’t need the bright lights and fan fair of Hollywood to express the purpose of this tale, and despite the awareness we have of the small budget, the visuals do the job. Acting is competent, to the point and executed confidently, we can feel the despair from George and the rage from Janice, they bounce off one another with ease and each line is developed by the actors so it feels not read from the page. Some of the acting from Philip Ridout gets a bit hammy at the end as he falls to his knees and does the classic clenched fist ‘’Nooooooooooo’’ kind of moment, but hey his dead wife just told him to ‘’do one’’ so you know he is probably feeling a bit odd. This is a moralistic tale, making us aware that even though we may feel that we have dodged a bullet as they say, the guilt will eventually get you. You can never really escape your shame and your mistakes and so is it not better to learn from them and develop? For if not so, pesky ghosts are going to come and make you feel bad about yourself, and that’s just going to ruin your day.

Filmmaker Interview by #ChrisOlson What can you tell us about short film Gender and your character? Nowadays the film industry and its projects are becoming more international and collaborative, and more and more serious issues are being addressed in movies. Our project has both of these elements, with a cast and crew from all over the world who worked on Gender. GENDER is a drama about inequalities at work place. It shows how women struggle emotionally and sometimes physically in order to make themselves noticeable and still get overlooked just because of some gender prejudices. So we wanted to express that unfairness in a film to make more and more people aware if these issues. My character ANNA is layered and a complex one. I had to decide upon her strong and weak sides to act accordingly. Plus, had amazing help from GENDER director Aleksandra Czenczek on set. The tricky scenes for me were the ones where Anna is alone at home and she doesn’t have any lines, so I had to express all the loneliness and worries without saying a word, as by morning at work Anna had to be invincible again. What did/does your role as a Producer on this movie involve? Literally what every Producer usually does. Starting from getting funding, then setting up production meetings to polish the script and getting the right cast and crew on board. The moment we locked the location, everything started flowing. I was looking after details on set as well with the help of my crew of course. After post production was finished it was time for festival route. I started putting GENDER into #filmfestivals, promoting it on social media and arranging interviews. So I’d say if you’re producing a project, you have to be there from the start until the very end and take care of lots of details and deal with problems as they come along in order to get to your goal. What was it about this story that made you want to make it? Last year we decided to make a film together because our film vision was very similar and it was easy for us to work with each other. So we started to play around with ideas. One day Gisele [Mauvecin] sent me the script. The topic of the script intrigued me, plus it was partially based on her life. This was my first film that dealt with serious social issues. I wanted to make an impact and inspire other women, not only to raise their voices, but also professionally. Since the film's been made, it's been rewarding to hear that I inspired someone as, not just a woman in film, but also in a creative way. What projects do you have in the making? At the moment I’m involved in several projects. Both features and shorts. One of them is a horror feature which is predominantly set on the coach. I can’t say too much about the project at the moment. It’s a gory thriller story. Promo trailer is planned to be shot in the early 2019. I like #horror genre. You get to play around with human emotions and the art of suspense. It’s amazing to act/produce/shoot something that will make an audience jump or have any other strong reaction. The other project is a thriller about crime world in the UK. This one is at the very early stages of development, but very exciting. What are the challenges as a female filmmaker in 2018? I guess the biggest challenge is the same one as portrayed in GENDER – to make yourself noticeable and prove that you’re just as good as your male colleagues. Although recently the #filmmaking industry took a big turn in terms of giving more opportunities and appreciation to women in film, there are still changes that needs to be made. I am a foreign female filmmaker which makes it hard enough for me already, but if you stay focused on your goals and keep working hard, there’s nothing that can put you down and you will get where you want to be eventually. Personally, I had lots of positive experiences of working with male colleagues on set. Everyone was supportive and helpful. Each filmmaker has his/her own challenges, and I think the success also depends on what kind of team you are working with. Who are your movie inspirations and why? My favorite actress at the moment - #RachelWeisz. Her heroines are always so natural, you never notice she is acting. I would also love to mention #SalmaHayek, she is definitely my inspiration being talented, creative and a brave woman in the film industry. I admire a lot of actors too but I think my favorite one is #GaryOldman. There is no role this man cannot play! And his acting and characters are so different every time. He portrays them amazingly without repeating his own work, he just creates something new entirely. What advice would you give to new filmmakers and storytellers? Don’t wait for the right time! Make it the right time yourself! If you are interested in creating your own project, go for it! No one else is going to do that for you. So first have a clear idea of what kind of project you want. Then talk to some fellow filmmakers who have more knowledge in this area, it is always useful to hear from other people experiences. When creating any story, always think about the audience, will it make sense to them? Can they relate to the story? If they can’t recognise themselves in characters, then the story should be very entertaining. What would you say if you were a dolphin? Hold on, I’m a talking dolphin, I’m RICH!!! Haha.

★★★ Director: #DavidSalcido Written by: #AlexGianopoulos, #KentHarkey, #ArturoPortillo, #RobertPosey, #DavidSalcido Starring: #TawnyaBass, #LanceBlea, #DonnaBellaLitton, #MykaPuentes, #MariciaOKeefe, #StephDrake Film Review by: #DarrenTilby This tongue-in-cheek #horror #anthology offers a devilishly funny escape from reality; in spite of its problems. The mistress of the underworld, Lady Belladonna, conjures five tales of terror and suspense from the depths of Pandora’s box in this #TalesfromtheCrypt inspired #anthology movie. In ‘Family Tradition’, an old family secret emerges to wreak its vengeance, whilst ‘The 7 Doors’ sees a corporate worker explore the dark recesses of her mind. ‘Hexit Strategy’ is an hilarious, if very short, examination of our seeming inability to follow instructions and ‘Light Signs’ delivers a straight-up alien invasion story. With ‘The Inferno’ finishing us off with the tale of a man who faces the seven deadly sins in his attempt to overcome the guilt of his girlfriend's suicide. The performances – much like the characters – are a bit of a mixed bag: some are good, others are a little underwhelming, rarely are they great. Funnily enough, thanks to the tongue-in-cheek nature of the film, this inconsistency seldom had the negative effect it should have had. I simply found myself going along with it and enjoying its quirky characters. And, perhaps, that’s the point? But whilst consistency isn’t the film’s strongest feature, it’s interesting to note the one consistent element in it is also one of the best. I’m talking, of course, about the frame narrative element. Tawnya Bass’ brilliantly entertaining turn as Lady Belladonna is aptly supported by Donny Prosise’s overtly camp minion, Hitler or Addy; while Rafael Medina appears in a wonderfully funny parody of director #EdWood, who shows up completely in drag and bemoaning the work of film #critics. These characters, the dialogue shared between them and the subtle nods and jokes to their real, historic selves had me grinning and laughing far more than I care to admit. Clunky editing (particularly during the frame story section) and a flawed script (except during the frame story section) only serve to highlight the film’s other irregularities; ultimately, imparting an amateurish look and feel and occasionally causing the delivery of some pretty awkward lines. By contrast, Enrique Ponce’s score is a mood-setting wonder which remains solid throughout. Themes of #grief, #regret, #consumerism, #traditionalism and more underlie the #supernatural facets of the film’s five tales. And while those more profound ideas are there, the way in which they are arrived at isn’t always clear. Still, the filmmakers deserve due praise for having that ambition and refusing to simply regurgitate the same tired and overused stories we’ve seen a hundred times before. Lady Belladonna’s Tale From the Inferno certainly has its fair share problems. However, there are still buckets full of entertainment value here. It’s fresh enough to arouse the interest of die-hard fans of the #horror #anthology genre and even has enough appeal to titillate some of the sceptics out there. But moreover, Lady Belladonna is just a marvellous piece of #escapism.

★★★ Directed by #JosieRourke Written by #BeauWillimon Starring #SaiorseRonin #MargotRobbie #DavidTennant #GuyPearce Film Review by #RachelWillis From a technical perspective, everything about director Josie Rourke's film, Mary Queen of Scots is nearly perfectly realized. Saoirse Ronan is resplendent as Mary, the rightful queen of Scotland and contested heir to the throne of England. Margot Robbie is equally enlivening as Mary's cousin, better known as Elizabeth I. The film begins with Mary's return to Scotland at the age of 18 following the death of her husband, the Dauphin of France. As she assumes her rightful throne from her half-brother, she is quickly met with opposition. John Knox (David Tennant), a Protestant minister – and also one of the leader's of Scotland's Reformation – immediately dismisses her rule as she is both Catholic and a woman. From Knox's initial dissent, more threats emerge, primarily from the English queen, Elizabeth I. Dual narratives tell the story of Mary and Elizabeth's rivalry. Through letters, the queens express solidarity, but behind the scenes, Elizabeth worries. Her most loyal advisor, William Cecil (Guy Pearce) stokes those fears. But his genuine affection for Elizabeth is a glaring contrast to Mary, who frequently stands alone. Much history is condensed in the two hour running time. Because of this, the movie flows smoothly, but history is glossed over, changed, or omitted entirely. While this works, it's also misleading. Mary's trusted advisor, David Rizzio, is reduced to a minstrel who is more handmaiden than advisor. It's not unusual for a fictional film to mold history to fit a story, but the most disappointing aspect is the portrayal of Mary. The film asserts that Mary was a good queen with a good heart who was an innocent victim of the people around her. This begs the question: Was Mary truly an innocent – a pawn at the mercy of scheming men? Or was she a ruler like any other? One who made mistakes, bad choices, and whose ambition was outmatched by another's power? The history surrounding Mary has always been controversial – it's impossible to know exactly what she knew and what she plotted. But by portraying Mary as a victim, the film reduces her to a caricature rather than a woman – a queen – with agency. It's a disappointing decision in an otherwise stunning film.

★★★★ Directed by #BobPersichetti #PeterRamsey #RodneyRothman Written by #PhilLord Starring #ShameikMoore #MahershalaAli #JakeJohnson Film review by #GeorgeWolf Should we really be surprised a spider-based franchise has so many legs? It wasn't that many years ago when Spider-Man 2 was the conventional wisdom pick for all time best superhero flick. Then last year, Homecoming erased the memories of some disappointing installments with with a tonally perfect reboot. And now, Spidey gets back to his animation roots with Into the Spider-Verse, a holiday feast of thrills, heart, humor and style that immediately swings to the very top of the year's animated heap. Teenager Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore from Dope and The Get Down) is juggling a lot of teen drama. He's trying to make friends at a new school, make nice with his dad (Brian Tyree Henry), and practice graffiti art with his cool Uncle Aaron (Mahershala Ali), so he really doesn't need to be dragged into an alternate universe with Spider-Man (Jake Johnson) right now, okay? But, thanks to an evil plan from Kingpin (Liev Schrieber) and Doc Ock (Kathryn Hahn), that's just what happens. And before you can say quantum theory, Miles is meeting kindred heroes from all over the Spider-Verse, including another Spider-Man (Chris Pine), Spider-Man Noir (classic Nicolas Cage), anime version Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn) and Spider-Ham, a hilarious Looney Tunes-style crime fighting pig (John Mulaney). Writer Phil Lord follows his winning scripts for Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and The Lego Movie with an even bigger bulls-eye, one that manages to honor franchise traditions as it's letting in some fresh, hip, and often very funny air. In the hands of directors Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman, the story bursts to vibrant life. The dazzling animation gives a big soul kiss to comic books and pushes nearly every frame to its action-following limit. This Spider-Man is filled with everything you want in a superhero flick today. There are compelling characters and engaging conflicts within a diverse climate, and a vital, clearly defined message of empowerment that stays above the type of pandering sure to bring eye-rolls from a kid's b.s.detector. And man, is it fun. That still works, too.

★★★★ Directed by #BradyCorbet Written by #BradyCorbet Starring #NataliePortman #RaffeyCassidy #JudeLaw #StacyMartin Film review by #HopeMadden and #GeorgeWolf No doubt you're hip to the talent of Natalie Portman. But if you only know Brady Corbet as an actor (Funny Games, Melancholia, Simon Killer), or maybe don't know him at all, get to know Corbet the visionary filmmaker. Corbett writes and directs an astute and unusual pop ballad about celebrity—American celebrity, at that. Vox Lux opens in 1999 as young Celeste (Raffey Cassidy, The Killing of a Sacred Deer) and her high school class are visited by a disgruntled young white male. Corbet’s camera plays with the horror of the scene as it dawns on those in the classroom as well as the audience what is about to happen. As Celeste heals from a bullet to the spine, she and her older sister Eleanor (Stacy Martin) work through their collective grief and trauma by writing a song, which Celeste later performs at a memorial vigil. Thanks to the astute strategy of a no-nonsense manager (Jude Law) and straightforward publicist (Jennifer Ehle), the song becomes a healing anthem and Celeste—her protective sister at her side—is launched into pop stardom. Corbet’s chaptered “21st Century Portrait” (the proper subtitle to his film) offers infrequent omniscient narration from Willem Dafoe, a glib narrative device that’s part “Behind the Music” and part sociological commentary. Tragedy is commodity in modern America, a fact that can only mean more tragedy. When the timeline shifts forward and Portman takes over in the lead, we see a new character fully formed from years of living that are only hinted at. Celeste is now a veteran megastar with a daughter of her own (also played by Cassidy) and strained relationships with everyone around her. Portman's performance is such an all-in tour de force it effectively divides the film into parts: with and without her. She commands the screen with such totality you're afraid of what Celeste might do if you dare to shift your focus somewhere else. Corbet knows better than to do that. With Portman as a mesmerizing guide, he crafts a fascinating fable with two uniquely American pillars - gun violence and celebrity culture. Vox Lux is shocking, funny, sad, and haunting, with plenty of visual flourish and even some new songs by Sia. It's a statement, and coming from a relatively unknown writer/director, a pretty audacious one. Keep 'em coming, Corbet.

★★★★★ Directed by #YorgosLanthimos Written by #DeborahDavis #TonyMcNamara Starring #OliviaColeman #RachelWeiss #EmmaStone Film review by #MattWeiner Greek auteur Yorgos Lanthimos is someone you might charitably describe as “uncompromising.” His last two English-language films include a dystopian romantic comedy and a revenge thriller rooted in Greek mythology. So it is both a delight and a relief to see in The Favourite that Lanthimos at his most accessible is also his best yet. The story for The Favourite was originally written by Deborah Davis, later joined by Tony McNamara but with no screenplay credit for Lanthimos—a rarity. The film covers the later years of Queen Anne’s reign, during which the War of the Spanish Succession and political jockeying in Parliament are tearing the indecisive, physically frail queen in multiple directions. But the men of the court are little more than foppish pawns. The real palace intrigue takes place between court favorite Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough (Rachel Weisz) and her new maid, Abigail Hill (Emma Stone), daughter to a once-prosperous family that has fallen on hard times. Sarah and Abigail vie for Queen Anne’s affection and behind-the-scenes power, although those two things are entangled together to varying degrees for Sarah and Abigail. The Favourite might be dressed up as a period piece, but it’s not a demandingly historical one. Lanthimos admits to taking significant poetic license with the relationship and events between the three women. The effect isn’t just practical (although this should come as some relief if, like me, you were dreading a Wikipedia deep-dive on Whiggism). It’s also an avenue by which Lanthimos can smuggle in his trademark eye for the very contemporary and very weird, cruel ways we treat each other. And in this area, Lanthimos has cast the perfect leading women to keep up with—and even rise above—his vision. Stone and Weisz play off each other to perfection, with pitch black verbal volleys that threaten to turn as deadly as the war taking place beyond the mannered confines of the palace. But it’s Olivia Colman who dominates every scene, which is all the more impressive for her mercurial take on the physically deteriorating Queen Anne. Colman brings a measure of sympathy to Queen Anne that transcends what could have been played for easy mockery, and she deserves every award coming her way this year. Lanthimos and cinematographer Robbie Ryan (American Honey, Slow West) keep the camera movement as brisk as the dialogue. The film’s frequent and disorienting use of fisheye is a recurring signature, but even the more conventional wide shots manage to combine a palatial sense of openness with Lanthimos’s signature creeping, queasy dread. It felt strange to laugh out loud so much during a Lanthimos movie, especially with the undercurrents of violence and misanthropy that stalk The Favourite. Maybe it was the irrepressible performances from the leading women. Or maybe lines like “No one bets on whist!” are just inherently funny. Whatever the reason, this deadly serious comedy of manners is among the director’s—and the year’s—best.

Filmmaker Interview by Chris Olson How would you describe the role of a composer on a film to those who don't know who they are? A composer is the one who comes up with original music to support the film, and ultimately enhance it. The composer, or music...is a bridge between story and emotion. Music has that power to reach the audience and establish a connection on a deeper, subconscious level..really pull you in and affect the way you feel in reaction to a given moment or scene, or even a certain character. Sometimes music itself acts as an additional, invisible character, one that isn’t seen but is felt. Having worked on a fair amount of short films. How does the process differ from say TV, Documentary, or a Feature? They all differ in process to some extent to begin with, but broadly speaking, scoring shorts holds pretty much a similar process to longer formats - only on a smaller scale. Once In and Out points for music have been established, which would usually take place with the director at the spotting session, you'd go back to the studio break the score down to individual cues and say your prayers. Haha. Of course, each film is different and the approach I’d take varies from one film to another. Also, for shorts you’d obviously have less minutes of music to write and the teams are smaller, which oftentimes makes the process of getting cues approved a bit faster since the music doesn’t have to go through all the people involved in say a TV show or feature that need to approve your cues. Production budget would naturally run lower for #shortfilms in comparison, so when it comes to the actual music production and recording of the score, chances are you won’t be looking at hiring a full orchestra...I always try and have musicians to play on my scores, at least one or two live elements..and record/experiment with instruments myself...So, unless the film calls for something that’s more electronic oriented, you’d have to come up with creative ways in terms of live production and orchestration. With all the technology available I find there’s still something about live performance that’s irreplaceable. Another difference I can think of is when it comes down to the writing process. For shorts there isn’t as much room for developing motifs or themes as in say, a feature. I find it difficult to come to terms with that sometimes...especially when I have ideas on how to develop a good theme and a need to explore it further. On the short film, The Critic, what was your ambition for the music? Given I had about a week more or less to write and record the score, my ambition was to make it to the deadline while not getting fired. My main challenge for the score here was to support the storyline without having the music reveal too much too soon, if that makes sense. Stella Velon, the film’s director and writer who also plays the lead character, wanted the music to keep some level of tension under dialogue, yet be very subtle, almost neutral or transparent if you will, while gradually building up without getting too overpowering or ominous for the first and second half of the film. Musically, there’s a fine line between suspense and ominosity per-se...and it was a challenge for me to crack that code. Once I established that vibe we were good to go. I guess I kinda lucked out there as I took a first stab at it, and Stella liked what I came up with. Another thing I had in mind was to create some sort of catharsis towards the end of the film, with all that tension building up and bring it to a resolution as we see her character’s breakdown. My ambition there was to come up with something musical that will be moving and heartfelt for the viewer without going sappy. I wanted to maintain that integrity and rawness found in Stella’s performance, especially on these strong moments where her character breaks down, and not get in the way or alter the vibe but to bring out what was genuinely moving for me at the center of it all. How was it working with Stella Velon, given that she was behind and in front of the camera? Was her vision specific? Or did you play a role in shaping the final piece? Stella was wonderful to work with. She’s one of those directors who gets you inspired simply by having a chat. The fact Stella both directed and played in The Critic actually got me to experience the film from both an inner and outer perspective and contributed to the way I approached scoring for that very same reason. When you think about it, that played perfectly to our advantage being that on many levels The Critic deals with the inner workings of an actual movie actress, with Stella playing that very same character! We both also felt that the music should respond on some level to the interplay of reality vs. one mind’s eye, what's real etc etc, which this film handles so brilliantly. She had a clear and strong vision for both the emotional context and storyline, which is very useful as a composer. She also encouraged experimentation with different textures, and brought a sense of collaborative spirit within our team which is key...#filmmaking is a collaborative effort. We worked closely with Greg Richling who is the Executive Music Producer and has helped distill and communicate Stella’s strong vision further in a way that could be expressed on my end through music. Stella, Greg, Jean Gabriel Kauss who is the producer and myself had some very interesting chats on what we’re after here, and where. It was my role then to take in all that, and translate it into music. What are the challenges for being a composer making films in 2018? Aside of the fact everyone seem to want the music done yesterday — and it better sound amazing? Haha. Well, I think technology has always been one, be it pastimes’ underdevelopment or the over-flood of technology we are experiencing nowadays. The fact that we all went digital, film included -- literally, and that you can now have a studio with a trillion and a half sounds at your fingertips means film composers are no longer only writing sheet music but are also music producers and sound engineers. Don’t get me wrong here I’m not saying that's a bad thing at all, it’s just the way things have evolved. Nowadays, filmmakers want to hear a cue fully realized before they sign it off to say, go on and record it with an orchestra. There are pros and cons to that.. but basically it means as a composer nowadays you’d need an entirely new, additional set of skills compared to composers in times of say Bernard Herman, Max Steiner or even early John Williams and the Moviola days, which in fact wasn’t too long ago at all when you come to think about it. I sometimes wonder if technology liberates or confines us. Probably a bit of both. Who are your favourite movie composers and for which films? While I was still living in the UK I got the chance to see Jonny Greenwood’s score for There Will Be Blood at the Barbicans played live to picture start to finish by the LSO (London Symphony Orchestra) and Jonny playing the Ondes Martenot and that was pretty powerful. More recently I heard John Williams at the Hollywood Bowl here in LA and hearing Schindler’s List live was mesmerising. There’s many more. Let’s see...Jon Brion’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is another one that never gets old. If you’re ever in LA go see him play at Largo he’s great. Anything Thomas Newman is brilliant, his score for Wall-E was beautiful. Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerard’s Gladiator. Clint Mansell’s Requiem For a Dream. A while ago I had Phillip Glass’ Mishima playing on repeat in my car. That’s the one place I get to actually sit down and listen to music these days, which oddly enough makes me appreciate traffic more. What's next for you? A feature #documentary I scored called Drugs narrated by #JKSimmons is being released on Amazon Prime next week which is exciting. It’s a strong film. Great cause, taking aim at Big Pharma. Definitely been an eye opener for me while I was working on it, and I hope it will be so for many others. Other than that I have two more shorts coming out, one being a comedy which was refreshing to work on, and a feature film in the pipeline. What would you say if you were a dolphin? Where did my legs go?