FILM | Reviews
ANIMATION THE BREADWINNER (12A) 93min ●●●●●
Nominated for the Best Animated Feature Oscar, this adaptation of Deborah Ellis’s book explores life under Taliban- controlled Afghanistan. Set in 2001 and directed by Irish i lmmaker Nora Twomey, the story is seen through the eyes of a spirited 11-year-old girl named Parvana (voiced by Saara Chaudry), who lives in Kabul and accompanies her father Nurullah (Ali Badshah) to the market, listening to his stories about Afghan history as he sells his wares. Events take a dramatic turn when the Taliban arrest Nurullah, leaving his family in dire straits. Under the strict regime, females must be accompanied by men in public, but the plucky Parvana disguises herself as a boy so she can move around the city unimpeded, earning money by doing odd jobs. The hand-drawn animation has an elegant simplicity, and the accompanying music feels as authentic as the historical detail. Unfortunately the script never quite sets out Parvana’s path clearly, with frequent cuts to a folk tale distracting. It’s also difi cult to see how children will take to such a politically charged story, one that feels more akin to adult animations Persepolis and Waltz with Bashir. Nonetheless, it’s a valiant and vital effort. (James Mottram) ■ General release from Fri 25 May.
DRAMA LEAN ON PETE (15) 122min ●●●●●
‘There’s only so many times you can fall down, right?’ jockey Bonnie (Chloë Sevigny) tells young Charley (Charlie Plummer), as she recounts the twists and turns of her hard-knock life. It’s one of many such conversations in a i lm with more than its fair share of tragedy. Adapting Willy Vlautin’s novel, the brilliant British director Andrew Haigh (Weekend, 45 Years) heads Stateside to tell the story of a 15-year-old boy coming of age in heartbreaking circumstances. Although he and his chaotic father Ray (Travis Fimmel) are new to Portland, Charley quickly secures work at the local racetrack. There he assists crabby trainer Del (Steve Buscemi), building up affection for a near- knackered quarter horse called Lean on Pete. Haigh has no truck with stereotypes, nor any interest in giving his audience an easy ride: mentors come and go, authorities neglect to intervene. His delicate directorial style is complemented by Plummer’s appealingly understated performance, while Charley’s pain seems eased by the mere presence of his equine companion. Lean on Pete beautifully illustrates why the simple love between man and beast matters, particularly when human relationships can so often disappoint. (Emma Simmonds) ■ General release from Fri 4 May. See feature, page 67.
DRAMA 120 BPM (BEATS PER MINUTE) (15) 143min ●●●●●
The i rst encounter Nathan (Arnaud Valois) has with Sean (Nahuel Pérez Biscayart) is when he attempts to jump into an elevator to join fellow activists and members of AIDS awareness group Act Up-Paris. Sean jokes, ‘Only HIV-positive allowed!’ and Nathan steps away to reveal he is one of the few members of the team who is not. Robin Campillo’s exhilarating, 90s-set drama is an involving and erotically charged discourse that puts sex and politics on the agenda without ever compromising on cinematic l air.
Engaging debate sequences are shaded in with convincing details thanks to Campillo’s personal experience of Act Up. He introduces each person as they put forward their point-of-view on the matter of a botched protest involving fake blood bombs, but the i lm never feels like a mouthpiece. Instead, the lively and heated discussions round out each character, while also being informative.
All the characters mature over the course of proceedings but they don’t lose their passion for activism. Nathan and Sean embark on a love affair and their i rst sex scene is intimate, funny and powerful. Adèle Haenel is outstanding as the headstrong Sophie, who is so i red up on her quest she may even convince members of the audience to take to the streets.
Campillo (Eastern Boys) and his cinematographer Jeanne Lapoirie summon up the party atmosphere of a Pride march with scintillating results. The heady pleasures of dancing the night away in a club are complemented by Arnaud Rebotini’s pulsing house music score and trippy visuals that resemble cells moving through the air. 120 BPM resonates emotionally as it captures a collective hunger for change in an irresistible celebration of life and love. (Katherine McLaughlin) ■ Selected release from Fri 6 Apr.
ROMANTIC DRAMA ON CHESIL BEACH (TBC) 110min ●●●●● Overwrought and underwhelming, On Chesil Beach is a cold, calculating affair that constantly threatens to collapse under its own self-importance. Set on the cusp of the sexual revolution, it’s a i lm that’s as dramatically restrained and emotionally inaccessible as the period it depicts. Adapted by Ian McEwan from his own Booker- nominated novella, the narrative bounces around in time as it tells the story of newlyweds Eddie (Billy Howle) and Florence (Saoirse Ronan), whose tumultuous wedding night is interrupted by l ashbacks that reveal their vastly different home lives and idyllic courtship.
Filmed with a heavy hand by theatre director Dominic Cooke, making his feature debut, the story feels episodic, like a series of staccato vignettes rather than cohesive moments of a shared life. The narrative’s dual themes of intimacy and repression are underscored by Sean Bobbitt’s beautiful yet aloof cinematography, but both this and the score are rather on the nose. Indeed, for a i lm about the i rst l ushes of love and the impulses that drive us, On Chesil Beach feels so awkwardly self-conscious, so carefully constructed, that it’s difi cult to engage with either its characters or its message. (Nikki Baughan) ■ General release from Fri 18 May.
70 THE LIST 1 Apr–31 May 2018