Two controversial films hit The Ritzy this week. First up is Stranger by the Lake, Alain Guiraudie’s erotically charged thriller concerning a murder within the gay community who frequent a lakeside cruising hot spot. All screenings have recently been pulled from Cineworld multiplexes in dubious circumstances so if you want to support a highly rated independent film now’s your chance. The second controversy magnet screened this week is Nymphomaniac Volumes I & II, which will also include a live satellite Q&A with its director Lars Von Trier. Charlotte Gainsbourg stars as sex addict reflecting on her many erotic experiences in a meditation on love, life and desire.
Only Lovers left Alive is the latest film from groundbreaking cult director Jim Jarmusch. Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston are jaded vampire lovers looking for something as equally immortal in a world that seems to be becoming increasingly disposable and fickle. I’m a big Jarmusch fan so I loved it, and his off kilter takes on genres are always a treat. It’s got some great performances and a fantastic soundtrack, so if you’re looking for a healthy alternative from the usual Hollywood guff then this is it. Just don’t expect the usual vampire tropes.
The Lego Movie is now on general release, which I reviewed last week. It’s definitely one of the better children’s films I’ve had to sit through recently (I swear to go if I even see another dancing chipmunk I’ll go insane). It’s a good bit of family entertainment with a sharp comic edge. Dreamworks latest Mr Peabody & Sherman is also out, an animated 3D time travel adventure about a scientist dog and his child sidekick.
Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Act of Killing gets a special screening this week having just picked up a Bafta for best documentary. Unforgettable, surreal and extremely original, Oppenheimer’s approach to examining the Indonesian Military Coup of 1965 and the genocide that followed is documentary film making at its most hard hitting. Don’t miss the opportunity of seeing it on the big screen.
