London Film Festival review - Citizenfour

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London Film Festival review - Welp (Cub)

Maurice Luijten as Sam

This nasty but enjoyable Flemish horror film tells the tale of a cub scout camping trip that goes horribly wrong. As the group venture further into the forest, the scout leaders' stories of a young werewolf called Kai grab the attention of Sam (Maurice Luijten), a quiet boy who doesn't quite fit in with the others. Sam discovers that there is indeed something lurking in the woods. Something that likes to kill.

First-time director Jonas Govaerts is not afraid to hurt women, children or animals (cinematically, that is - not in real life I'm sure). So although this isn't the most violent slasher film you will see, it has an unpleasant edge to it. It's also not that out-and-out frightening in what I call a "jumpy" way (I don't do that well with jumpy horrors). But it is definitely creepy.

For its modest budget, the sets and locations are marvellous. Luijten is an excellent child actor (why do all the best ones look exactly like River Phoenix in Stand By Me? See also Mud), and the two scout leaders (Titus De Voogdt and Stef Aerts) are a lot of fun. I would have preferred the story to have been slightly better sign-posted, as sometimes it wasn't wholly clear what was happening or why. But this is a sterling first effort from someone who obviously loves his genre.

London Film Festival review - Une Nouvelle Amie (The New Girlfriend)

Romain Duris as David, avec baby Lucie.

Every year, the thud of the London Film Festival guide landing on my doormat heralds an intense week of study. Which of the hundreds of films should I choose? A few years ago I just decided to go with "all the documentaries about murder", which helpfully narrowed down the selection. This year I had no theme in particular, just films that intrigued me.

I was drawn to French film The New Girlfriend because the guide told me very little of the premise. "We can't tell you what it's about because it would spoil it", it said. My review will be similarly infuriatingly vague about the details so as to keep you spoiler free.  

But I can outline the main set-up. Claire (Anaïs Demoustier) has idolised her luminous best friend Laura (Isild Le Besco) since they were little girls. When Laura dies shortly after having her first child, Claire promises her that she will watch over her husband David (Romain Duris) and her baby daughter. This watching over leads Claire to discover a secret about David, that will ultimately change both their lives. 

Perhaps surprisingly, The New Girlfriend is based on a Ruth Rendell short story. In the hands of director Francois Ozon this has become much more of a human story than a mystery or suspense one. The performances from the two leads are what really recommend the film - Demoustier is absolutely riveting, her wide, expressive eyes telling so much. Duris is by turns hilarious, creepy and absolutely heartbreaking. 

Although slightly melodramatic and silly in places, this is an intriguing tale of tolerance and self-discovery that avoid sensationalising the topic.