Preview: The Times BFI 51st London Film Festival 2007
17 October - 1 November 2007
London Film Festival 2007 Preview...
So you want an insiderıs tip on choosing what to see at the upcoming London
Film Festival? You want to be ahead of the game? Check out Helen M Jerome's
picks of what to move heaven and earth to see, what to avoid and some
unexpected treats you hadnıt considered.
Tip 1: You know there will be big name directors arriving hand in hand with
their big budget films for their UK premieres. Some will be fabulous,
darling, some will be must-sees, and some will be only so-so, but know this:
each and every one of them will coming to a multiplex cinema near you within
weeks or even days.
Opening and closing the festival are David
Cronenbergıs Eastern Promises, his graphic, London-based follow-up to A
History of Violence, and Wes Andersonıs journey east in The Darjeeling
Limited. Highest profile documentary has to be Michael Mooreıs angry
examination of the US healthcare system, Sicko (right).
Also soul searching as they
variously deal with current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq are Robert
Redfordıs Lions for Lambs, Nick Broomfieldıs Battle for Haditha and Brian De
Palmaıs Redacted. And on a lighter, more family-oriented note comes
Dreamworksı latest animated feature, Beeline, which could be smarter than
your average cartoonı as itıs scripted by the maestro, Jerry Seinfeld. But
look to Tip 3 to see what you probably wonıt be seeing elsewhere anytime
soon.
Tip 2: Go in the daytime, if you can. Itıs easier to get tickets, especially
for the main attractions. You know it makes sense!
So, for example, if the
opening evening Gala screening of Eastern Promises (right) is booked up, then simply
go to the 4pm screening the following day. The tickets are often cheaper
too. You can also save money by buying five or ten Weekday Matinee Vouchers
at £35/£70 that let you into weekday screenings before 5pm if seats are
available but you must buy the vouchers in person.
And itıs always worth
turning up and trying for standby tickets half an hour before each
screening - you never know your luck.
Tip 3: Hot tickets are not necessarily the biggest, starriest films (see Tip 1).
Highly recommended are Secret Sunshine (right), from Korea and boasting a riveting
central performance from Jeon Do-Yeon; Serbian thriller The Trap; two
stylish Italian dramas, Saturno Contro (take a box of tissues and a shoulder
to cry on though), and shot-in-one-continuous-take Valzer; Romanian black
comedy California Dreaminı; and Mike Millsı revelatory documentary on
Japanese depression-sufferers, Does Your Soul Have A Cold?
Also worth checking out are Sean Pennıs beautiful dramatisation of the true
story of doomed young adventurer, Chris McCandles, Into The Wild; Moby Dick
prequel Captain Ahab; Tom Kalinıs Savage Grace; documentary The English
Surgeon; Juno, Jason Reitmanıs follow-up to Thank You For Smoking; The
Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, starring Brad Pitt;
Carlos Reygadası Silent Light; broad ladsı comedy from Spain, Friends of
Jesus; and French animation Persepolis.
Tip 4: Okay, itıs subjective, but give Far North (right) a miss
as itıs beautiful but only comes to life at the end when the miscast Sean Bean
gets a bit of a shock.
Harmony Korine is Marmite (you love him or loathe him) and his Mister Lonely
looks lovely, stars Diego Luna and Samantha Morton, but feels like the
Emperorıs New Clothes. So donıt say I didnıt warn you!
DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV
connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and
played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.
PC games reviewed by the editor are on:
Since Nov 2005: Intel Pentium D 830 3.0Ghz, 1Gb RAM, 128Mb nVidia GeForce 6700XL, Windows XP
Since Aug 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.66Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb GeForce4 MX440 graphics, Windows XP
Since May 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.6Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb ATI Radeon 9600TX graphics, Windows XP
Since Jun 2002: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, 64Mb ATI Radeon 8500LE
Since May 2000: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, Voodoo 3 3000 AGP
London Film Festival 2007 Preview...
Tip 2: Go in the daytime, if you can. Itıs easier to get tickets, especially
for the main attractions. You know it makes sense!
Tip 3: Hot tickets are not necessarily the biggest, starriest films (see Tip 1).
Tip 4: Okay, itıs subjective, but give Far North (right) a miss
as itıs beautiful but only comes to life at the end when the miscast Sean Bean
gets a bit of a shock.