FILM | Reviews
MUSIC DOCUMENTARY ON THE ROAD (TBC) 112min ●●●●●
For this documentary following indie band Wolf Alice, British director Michael Winterbottom blends fact and fiction, in a similar but less accomplished manner to his work on The Trip. He inserts a flimsy fake romance between a roadie and a music manager played by James McArdle and Leah Harvey. The young actors are fantastic and ease into the group convincingly, yet their story feels fabricated from the start. The film is at its best when it lets the music and musicians speak for themselves. Observing the band play acoustic radio sessions, attempt to
get some rest, dance to noughties rock hits and share jokes as they wait around for the next gig adds an intimacy that also reveals how much hard work goes into making them successful. Winterbottom captures that giddy feeling between excitement and exhaustion that comes from being on tour, and inserts interesting snippets of conversations from the crew. The gig scenes are atmospheric and filmed from the audience’s point- of-view, with vocalist and guitarist Ellie Rowsell whipping up a thrilling mood. After watching the modest musicians perform and hang out for nearly two hours you’ll want to book tickets to see them play live immediately. (Katherine McLaughlin) ■ Selected release from Fri 29 Sep.
ACTION THRILLER STRATTON (15) 94min ●●●●●
This formulaic B-movie starring Dominic Cooper focuses on the Special Boat Service, the special forces unit of the Royal Navy. Based on the novel by Duncan Falconer – a former SBS commando who co-adapts here – Stratton shows the highly skilled, crazily dangerous work involved. The underwater opener alone is enough to give you the bends. Cooper’s John Stratton is 007-lite, a loner dedicated to
working for Her Majesty. When his partner is killed in action, he hunts down international terrorist Grigory Barovsky (Thomas Kretschmann) who is threatening to set off a dirty bomb. The characterisation is anaemic but what Stratton does have going for it, particularly given its limited resources, is a director who can stage action; Con Air’s Simon West generates a few thrills along the way and Cooper convinces in the lead. Unfortunately, the film is hampered by dreary exposition and poor acting, particularly from Connie Nielsen – totally miscast as the SBS boss – and Derek Jacobi, who hams it up as Stratton’s boozy mate. Locations like Rome add glamour but hardly on the scale of, say, Spectre. Enjoyable, but only if your expectations are low, this is not likely to inspire a sequel anytime soon. (James Mottram) ■ General release from Fri 1 Sep.
ROMANTIC DRAMA CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (TBC) 130min ●●●●●
A coming-of-age romance, sensitively and sensuously hewn, Luca Guadagnino’s latest film is a triumph. Following his hyper-stylised marital drama I Am Love and the more loose- limbed remake A Bigger Splash, this adaptation of André Aciman’s novel is yet another change of gear. Featuring a career-best performance from Armie Hammer and a career- making one from Timothée Chalamet, it’s a dreamily evocative piece that transports the viewer to rural Italy for an intimate summer of love.
Set in 1983, the story begins as Hammer’s Oliver arrives at the lavish Perlman residence
in Lombardy, where he will spend the warm summer months as intern to the family’s patriarch (Michael Stuhlbarg), a professor specialising in Greco-Roman sculpture. Slowly but surely he forms a strong bond with his mentor’s 17-year-old son, Elio (Chalamet), a bond which goes beyond friendship as feelings begin to flourish. With a screenplay by veteran filmmaker James Ivory, this is a beautifully written, almost
bashful piece that watches events cautiously from Elio’s point-of-view, as he observes and gradually falls for the handsome twentysomething. Chalamet, who previously came to attention in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, is almost painful to behold at times, so unbearable is it to see this young man struggling with his heightened emotions. Seasoned with ideas and intellect, Call Me by Your Name is a cultured work that
jettisons the usual patronising adult-adolescent barriers, presenting a languid world where innocence and experience mix and, frankly, it’s intoxicating. With the love scenes reserved but ripe, Guadagnino and his team get every creative decision just right. The result is one of the year’s best films. (James Mottram) ■ General release from Fri 27 Oct.
DRAMA ZOOLOGY (15) 91min ●●●●●
Growing a tail might be the best thing that ever happened to the central character in Zoology, a complex story told in a compact, satisfying fashion. Director Ivan I Tverdovsky’s second feature is a sly contemporary fairytale that speaks to Putin’s Russia but resonates much wider as it explores the cost of daring to be different when conformity seems safer. Natasha (a wonderful, beautifully nuanced
performance by Natalya Pavlenkova) is a middle-aged procurement manager at a zoo. She has a better relationship with the caged animals than she does
with her cruel colleagues. Life unfolds in shades of grey until she starts to grow a tail, a special secret that becomes a great catalyst for change as she attracts the attentions of a younger doctor (Dmitriy Groshev) and begins engaging with the world. But Natasha’s individuality comes at a price. One of the great achievements of Zoology is the effortless way it encourages the suspension of your disbelief. The premise seems ridiculous on paper but is handled with such conviction and wit that you never doubt it. Tverdovsky’s sure touch, bone-dry social satire and affinity with the outsider confirms him as a talent to watch. (Allan Hunter) ■ Selected release from Fri 29 Sep.
56 THE LIST 1 Sep–31 Oct 2017