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| Andrew Haigh's All Of Us Strangers garnered four nominations |
There’s a yearning for connection in Andrew Haigh’s melancholic drama that spans out in the present but also, unexpectedly, travels back into the past. Adam (Andrew Scott) is a lonely soul, living in a near-empty modern apartment block, where his first encounter with its only other resident, Harry (Paul Mescal), does not go well. The spark is there, however, and a romance of sorts blossoms, with Mescal and Scott on top form. The strangeness in Strangers is provided by a visit Adam makes to the neighbourhood where he grew up. There, he encounters his mum (Claire Foy) and dad (Jamie Bell) at the same age they were when he was a lad. This affords him with a chance to say all those things as an adult, he was unable to say as a child. Haig crafts a delicate and deep film, at once an unusual romance but also an exploration of shifting attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community and the importance of forgiveness.
If Beale Street Could Talk, BBC2, midnight Monday into Tuesday, June 9
Jennie Kermode writes: They say the blues began on Beale Street in Memphis, and their associated imagery floods Barry Jenkins’ film, with its grainy textures, drifting smoke, low-lit alleyways and crowded domestic spaces. This is a mood piece, scored with trumpets and strings. Sometimes its story struggles to stand up to the weight of that, never quite capturing the power of the James Baldwin novel it’s based on, but it’s compelling nonetheless. At the centre of it is Fonny (Stephan James), a young man whose efforts to defend his pregnant girlfriend, Tish (KiKi Lane) from a white stranger’s groping puts him on the wrong side of a cop, and who subsequently finds himself facing a false rape allegation. There’s impressive supporting work from Regina King as Tish’s mother, helping to defend him against a corrupt system.
Winter’s Bone, ITVX, streaming now
Set in the Ozark Mountains, this is the film that gave Jennifer Lawrence, who had just turned 18 when she took on the role, her big break when it showed at the Sundance Film Festival. She is reminiscent of a young Jodie Foster in the role of Ree, who is looking after her younger siblings and her depressed mum after her father goes on the run. Ree becomes determined to find him in what is an increasingly tense search through the community. Beyond Lawrence, the film also features strong support from the likes of John Hawkes, who received an Oscar nomination for his menacing turn as Teardrop, Ree's uncle.
Scum, ITVX, streaming now
Hell hath no fury like a director scorned and when the BBC banned Alan Clarke's original TV play of life in a borstal, he remade it in even more visceral fashion for the cinema screen. Ray Winstone was just 19 when he took on the role of Carlin in the original 1977 version, which he then reprised for the film, and credits Clarke with helping to educate him in the art of acting. Clarke’s drama follows Carlin’s progress up the rankings from new boy to “daddy”. A scathing consideration of crime and punishment during the era, the naturalistic performances help to sear it onto your brain – still shocking after all these years.
The Lost City, 6.50pm, Film4, Wednesday, June 10
A throwback to the sort of comedy romance/adventure films that were popular in the Eighties – think Romancing The Stone – Adam and Aaron Nee's film might not be the most memorable one you watch this year, but it's a lot of fun while it lasts. Sandra Bullock stars as a reclusive writer who is reluctantly penning romance novels when she finds herself kidnapped by a billionaire (Daniel Radcliffe, having an enormous amount of fun) and thrust into a jungle adventure with her loveable lunk of a cover star Alan (Channing Tatum). The script zips along and Bullock and Tatum have plenty of spark. Brad Pitt's hair metal cameo turn as a mercenary who tries to help the pair is an added treat.
Little Richard: I Am Everything, 1.55am, Channel 4, Friday, June 12
Less would be more when it comes to this documentary about the flamboyant rock and roll star but there's all sorts of interesting elements in Lisa Cortes' documentary, although if it often feels as though it's zipping by so fast you can barely catch sight of them. Beyond the snippets of performance from the man himself – the one thing this film could use more of – it takes an interesting dive into his Queer icon status and his shifting attitude towards it. Sections on his early life and performances on the "Chitlin' Circuit", which was dominated by Black and Queer stars, are particularly fascinating, even if some parts are weighed down by too many talking heads.
Kes, MUBI, streaming now
A heartbreaker that is accessible for all ages. Ken Loach's adaptation of the tale of a working class lad and his pet falcon has stood the test of time. All his hallmarks are here in his social-realist rendering of a story that sees young Billy (David Bradley) find escape through nature, in sharp contrast to the grind of his everyday life. While the climax is sobering it is also a call to arms for workers everywhere. Beyond the central performance of Bradley, Freddie Fletcher also puts in excellent work as his half-brother Jud, while the late-great Brian Glover excels as the epitome of everyone's most hated PE teacher.
This week’s short selection is Marshall Curry’s A Night At The Garden, which shows a Nazi rally in America in 1939. Curry went on to win an Oscar for The Neighbors’ Window and you can read more about his work here.
The film is age-restricted, so you'll have to pop over to YouTube to watch.
