Release Date – TBC, Cert – TBC, Run-time – 1 hour 36 minutes, Director – Martín Rejtman

Separated from his wife (Manuela Oyarzún) and struggling to lead his yoga practice Gustavo (Esteban Bigliardi) seeks help from various health retreats and outlets, leading to a tangled series of overlapping relationships.

“I realised my life was becoming a world of students and ex-students” says yoga teacher Gustavo (Esteban Bigliardi), he’s struggling to lead at his practice in the wake of a worsening knee injury and his separation from his wife, Vanessa (Manuela Oyarzún), playing on his mind. In the wake of his world spiralling downwards relationships flow in and out of his life with no proper ending, leading him to reassess things and seek out other health retreats and outlets. An entangled set of events sees him jump from one point to another and back again, seemingly uncertain as to whether they will work for him or not.

The Practice tries to play as a two-hander between Gustavo and Vanessa, with a handful of their respective relationships and actions overlapping at some point across the narrative, however the focus is certainly on Gustavo. As things develop Vanessa’s arc certainly breaks through more, but it more often than not feels like something of an afterthought to the meandering of the protagonist’s narrative. In much the same way the film goes through its events weaving from one thing to another, not always being fully drawn in by the audience.

Such a feeling means that the humour doesn’t always come through perhaps as much as the film would hope. Laughs don’t exactly come through, instead the more comedic sequences and moments bring about a couple of exhales and amusement every now and then but not much more. Narrative soon takes up the bulk of the 96-minute run-time as characters cross over from various places and bring a busier feeling to the proceedings. Things border on feeling as if they’re close to expanding beyond Gustavo and Vanessa, as if more branches will form amongst the already crowded run-time.

Yet, by the end things feel as if they’ve largely been a set of connected moments and instances. The ending feels as if it just happens, as if the film just finishes and that’s it. It’s in part down to the slight bits and pieces nature of the developments that we see Gustavo experience as he tries to climb back up to his more peaceful state of mind. The world keeps kicking him, or rather letting him down, with occasional moments of amusement to be found along the way. However, while watchable the film never feels completely involving as it moves along its way fine enough but not in the most memorable of fashions.

The Practice meanders through its events and interweaving interactions with occasional moments of amusement but never quite enough to fully hook into within the busy-feeling run-time.

Release Date – 28th June 2024, Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 30 minutes, Director – Erica Tremblay

Since her sister disappeared Jax (Lily Gladstone) has been looking after her niece Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson), who has her heart set on attending the upcoming powwow with her mother, however other family members are seeking custody.

There’s a clear heart and love between aunt and niece Jax (Lily Gladstone) and Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson). Jax has been looking after her niece ever since her sister went missing. Yet, there are those who say that Roki should be in a better home with more responsible, reliable members of her family – these are particularly Jax’s distant father (Shea Whigham) and his wife (Audrey Wasilewski). The battle for custody is heated, with Jax passionately fighting against it, especially in the wake of her niece wanting to attend an upcoming powwow, where she has previously won mother-daughter dances.

Gladstone and Deroy-Olson put in great performances, forming a quietly compelling relationship and set of events. As the pair leave the reservation to attend the powwow any sign that their loose plan may fall apart leads to a great deal of tension. One situation emphasised by the presence of an ICE agent conducting an apparent random questioning outside a shop. The closer they get, and the more Jax tries to get answers as to what happened to her sister – with help from her police detective brother JJ (Ryan Begay) – the more the film brings you in.

As the people around her become increasingly frustrated, with their feuds and personal battles growing more and more heated, Roki finds herself more intent on reaching the powwow. “It’s a way for everyone to be together” she says about the celebration and its dances and music, you really feel not just how much her heart is set on it, but what it means to her on a number of personal levels. Her story in particular, and the connection she has with Gladstone’s character, creates the emotional punches, with especially arrive in the later stages of the film. At just 90 minutes the narrative feels tight and well-built around the characters, further propelling the emotional beats and tense sequences.

One of the most quietly affecting scenes involves Whigham and Wasilewski talking to Deroy-Olson about Roki wanting to go to the powwow. Is that possible if she’s living with them? They might be busy, or simply not prepared to let her go, especially if she’s only just settling in. The conversations are disheartening for her, something felt by the viewer too. They also highlight Jax’s love for her niece and how much she’ll fight for her, both conflicting and complimenting her want to find out what has happened to her sister. The narrative uses this to move along and create something more emotionally engaging, especially as things develop and move out into the wider world. All grounded and made more engaging by the two well-connected performances at the centre of it.

Fancy Dance develops itself around its two great central performances from Gladstone and Deroy-Olson, bringing in tension and emotion as the personal beats create an increasingly compelling story.

Release Date – TBC, Cert – TBC, Run-time – 1 hour 35 minutes, Director – Sav Rodgers

Sav Rodgers explores the impact of Kevin Smith’s Chasing Amy on himself and the wider LGBTQ+ community, especially as depictions and representation in cinema changes over the years.

Sav Rodgers beams with disbelieving delight as he walks into Kevin Smith’s home. Seeing props and items from the writer-director’s films in a shop dedicated to Smith’s comics and films, not to mention visiting the Quick Stop, brings plenty of delight but meeting the director whose work changed his life is on another level. Rodgers makes clear that Chasing Amy is a big film in his life, one watched on repeat and eye-opening with its LGBTQ+ themes and representations. However, it’s not a film without its criticisms, particularly regarding its narrative which some have described as one based around a woman’s heterosexual conversion by a straight man.

Chasing Chasing Amy takes this as its starting point. Bringing in critics and people involved with the film to give their views on the film, its depictions and how attitudes may, or may not, have changed over time for the film. These link into Rodgers own personal feelings for the film as he details how it helped him to learn about himself and his own sexuality, the film acts as a personal journey for himself as much as it does something looking at the legacy of Chasing Amy.

Rodgers is a very likable figure, we engage with him and his journey, acting as a big consistent throughout the film. As various tangents crop up to look at other aspects of Smith’s 1997 feature, with the documentary seemingly acknowledging that it can’t simply be an essay about the LGBTQ+ angles, there are certainly some which work better than others; largely the ones which don’t feel as drawn-out. While only 95-minutes there’s something of a busy nature to the documentary with how much it gets in, particularly once past the second half when a new form seems to be taken in regards to the personal development of the director – a key interview with Chasing Amy lead Joey Lauren Adams about her relationship with the film, with her answers perhaps not quite lining up with what was hoped for, being a key turning point.

Chasing Amy is described part way through as “a roadmap of how not to f*ck up a relationship”. We dive into Smith’s own personal feelings towards the film, including when writing and filming it, the course that it took when first released. When leaning into Rodgers’ views, and the glimpses we see of his relationship with his wife, such moments have that extra layer of interest. They keep things going, again largely thanks to the likable nature of the central filmmaker and how he changes overtime through new understandings and interviews.

These particularly lift up the various tangents which crop up in the later stages of the film, moving away from the initial focus and themes of the documentary. And while eventually these work and lead onto something, it takes some time for things to come together, especially with how much the film wants to delve into in such a short space of time. Not everything feels as if it builds upon the opening and closing points, but overall there’s enough present to make for a decent documentary with the push of an engaging filmmaker at the centre.

While starting and ending in some interesting places, largely thanks to the personal angle of Sav Rodgers who makes for an engaging secondary focus, Chasing Chasing Amy is held back by a number of tangents to other points and topics in its short run-time.

Release Date – 19th January 2024, Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 42 minutes, Director – Mahalia Belo

When London is hit by a catastrophic flood a young mother (Jodie Comer) experiences the chaos of a country struggling to survive whilst she waits to return home.

The End We Start From is an environmental crisis film which focuses more on the human impact that the environmental crisis at hand. Jodie Comer is forced to flee both her home and city with her newborn child when London is hit by a catastrophic flood. Whilst trying to find shelter and safety in different locations she encounters both kindness and harshness in the reactions to the events which have hit the country. The different reactions of those who have access to dry land and food, and those who have been most affected by the events leads to frantic attacks and escapes equal to those of leaving London in the first place.

As Comer’s character, simply credited as Mother, tries to survive whilst waiting to return to her home, and hopefully reunite with her partner (Joel Fry), she finds herself frantically going to various different locations each with different attitudes to her situation, and that faced by the country. As we go from place to place the actual disaster which started all of this off fades into the background and almost seems to be forgotten. The reason for this chaos; the reason for emergency shelters and refuge being set up, the threat at hand, is somewhat left behind as the film goes from moment to moment as part of the narrative.

Particularly when cutting between times and locations as part of sequences the effect that was in place fades over time lessening the dramatic impact and scale of what is happening. Things eventually border on repetition as we go from one place to another, with panic and disorder largely being the points which spur the need to run away and go somewhere else. It means that the points to engage with also dwindle as things go on, occasionally treading familiar disaster-movie or post-apocalyptic tropes – especially during a campfire scene with Benedict Cumberbatch, who also acts as executive producer, as does Comer.

The cliché arises as the threat diminishes and in the end there’s not as much to connect or engage with as Comer’s character awaits news of when she can get back home with her baby. You watch as new groups in different locations pop up with their own ways of life, hope or signs of safety and reassurance before it all breaks down whether due to riots – at one point I questioned what happened to the military which literally surrounded the location a few minutes before – or turns in character. The familiarity does little to help the film and in the end it trudges through these puddles towards its ending with the environmental disaster still somewhere in the background. The threat being focused on may be human, but the natural one which sparks it all lies in the background with little thought or effect, diminishing the overall push of the film.

The End We Start From focuses on the human chaos in the wake of an environmental disaster, however the spark and initial threat is quickly moved on for to make way for a familiar set of events which never manage to properly engage or connect you with the characters or events.

Release Date – 2nd February 2024, Cert – 12, Run-time – 1 hour 45 minutes, Director – Jonathan Glazer

A Nazi commandant (Christian Friedel) and his wife (Sandra Hüller) try to live their most idyllic life, living next door to Auschwitz.

I’m willing to admit that I’m very likely not the best voice to listen to when it comes to The Zone Of Interest. I’m also in a minority when it comes to the film, largely because I don’t think I entirely understood it. In part because of how difficult it is to connect with the events that are being depicted, you certainly can’t connect with the characters. They’re Nazis unaware of the evil that they’re a part of, made even more concerning when we see the guard towers and gas chambers of Auschwitz peaking over the stone walls of the central family’s garden.

There’s undeniably a haunting nature to seeing the buildings, and hearing the screams and sounds echoing from the distance, looming in the background. We never see the atrocities, but we know they’re there, with constant reminders from the film. Yet, this is a slice-of-life drama following commandant Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel) and his family, living out their peaceful life. He attends meetings and fills out paperwork, his wife, Hedwig (Sandra Hüller) and children attend to and play in the garden. The scenery is bright with the sun frequently shining down – this is the season for family trips to the lake.

Husband and wife, in-between arguing about whether they move away or not or reading Hansel And Gretel to their kids before they go to sleep, discuss their plans for after the war – when everything is over, we’ll farm”. It adds to the mundanity of the lives that are being lived. Throughout I could see what writer-director Jonathan Glazer was trying to do with contrasting the bland every nature of the lives of the Höss family with the unseen horrors which are unfolding in the background, however with the slice-of-life in so much focus it often dominates the overall tone and style at the fore.

There are interesting conversations and sequences here and there, such as Hedwig passionately telling Rudolf she wants to stay in Auschwitz, having built something of a dream life there and not wanting the change. However, while there are interesting points here showing the true level of ignorance to the evil and horror literally next door it was still hard to connect with the film and properly feel the full effect of the tones and themes that it wanted to get across. Again, this is very likely down to me not understanding it and missing out on something. However, while there’s interest in what happens and the angle the film is trying to take it doesn’t always have the intended effect of amplifying the darkness in the background, instead portraying a difficult-to-connect-with slice-of-life drama about Nazis.

There are interesting moments and conversations within The Zone Of Interest, however it never quite gets across the full effect of the horror and darkness lying in the background of this hard-to-connect with slice-of-life drama.

Release Date – 19th April 2024 , Cert – 15, Run-time – 2 hours 16 minutes, Director – Jeymes Samuel

As debts begin piling up Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield) poses himself as the messiah in order to make money, however this comes with its own consequences.

When being interviewed about the controversy surrounding the then newly-released Life Of Brian on Friday Night, Saturday Morning John Cleese responded to Tim Rice’s question about ‘why Brian?’ simply stating “It’s one of the funny names, isn’t it? It’s like Trevor and Kevin, they’re just funny”. Now, joining the ranks of amusingly named not-messiahs is Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield) – the low-achieving twin brother of disciple Thomas (also Stanfield). Before premiering at this year’s London Film Festival multiple comparisons were between The Book Of Clarence and Life Of Brian, yet in this case you can actually see those similarities coming through, with plenty of extra spark and originality. While Brian was desperate not to be the messiah, Clarence is trying his best to come across as just that, and in the process is a very naughty boy.

Owing a growing amount of money Clarence devises a scheme to pose himself as the messiah, with the help of friend Elijah (RJ Cyler), in order to rake in the cash. As things start to look up for the pair, and those they rope into their con, it could be so easy for Clarence to come across as a much louder comedic character, yet he’s consistently reined in by Stanfield and writer-director Jeymes Samuel – previously working together on Samuel’s debut The Harder They Fall, where Stanfield stood out amongst a great ensemble cast.

Once again Samuel brings together an almighty ensemble cast (including David Oyelowo – very funny as John The Baptist – Alfre Woodard, Omar Sy, James McAvoy, Micheal Ward and Benedict Cumberbatch), each putting in great performances and matching his directorial flair and energy. Continuing from his debut feature there’s a clear punchy style from the director, and his scores too which also help to bring more traditional genres – in this case the biblical epic – up to date. Mix in the laughs, and there are a great many to be found here, and there’s a consistently entertaining piece of work. Even when nearing and past the two-hour mark the laughs still manage to flow in. It’s humour which feels so much a part of the characters and world that it naturally springs up yet still comes with an unexpected hit each time.

It helps to keep things going within a narrative which, while enjoyable, occasionally feels like it goes from A to C to get X for Y to get to B, before somewhat skimming around in the third act as it knows it needs to wrap things up. Yet, there’s still plenty to like about the energy and humour that the occasional narrative bumps don’t come through too often. Allowing for the dramatic tones in the later stages to be well-handled and led into for even more effect. It’s here where even more of the originality comes through with the themes and ideas that Samuel has been playing with coming more to the fore. Even the comedy beforehand plays into the impact.

It’s rare that a comedy exceeds two-hours and largely works, but by focusing on the characters – even if the story occasionally seems somewhat winding – and the way they develop and interact over the course of the narrative The Book Of Clarence successfully hits. Infused with Jeymes Samuel’s energetic and modern-feeling style the humour helps influence the later drama with both comedic and eventually narrative effect. The starry cast put in good performances with an excellent lead from Stanfield who powers through with a subtle depiction of growing confidence, and regret and fear. It brings an extra layer to this interesting and up-to-date, not to mention hilarious, biblical take filled with drive and energy. It feels destined to be looked back on very fondly in years to come.

Flashy and original there’s a lot to like about The Book Of Clarence’s punchy style and energy, all while still feeling effectively held in thanks to Stanfield’s excellent performance, backed by a great supporting cast. Helping both the comedy and eventual dramatic beats.

Release Date – 21st June 2024, Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 56 minutes, Director – Jeff Nichols

A photographer and reporter (Mike Faist) tracks the lives of a 60s motorcycle club as their dynamic shifts with the changing times and faces.

The Bikeriders is dominated by an aesthetic of ‘old school cool’. The style leads much of what comes across in the chapters and sequences which construct the development of a 1960s Chicago motorcycle club. All united by a love of riding bikes, and talking about riding bikes, the group – led by Tom Hardy’s Johnny – simply want to go about their business. They’re not a gang of tough guys, they’re family people. But, of course, they’re misunderstood by the rest of the city, seen as figures of unrest, particularly due to the actions of the younger generation who particularly misperceive the central bikeriding group.

A photographer and reporter Danny (Mike Faist) surveys and interviews the group the dynamic changes over the years. The shift comes through in bits and pieces, largely in the second half, within the chapters. There isn’t much of a narrative in place throughout writer-director Jeff Nichols’ latest, instead more a series of moments capturing that aforementioned vibe and aesthetic so key to the way in which the film wants to come across. So much of what we see is down to the initial external appearance. From the look of the gang, the roar of the bikes – there’s a clear attention to detail in the sound design – and on some occasions the accents.

Jodie Comer plays Kathy, the wife of key rider Benny (Austin Butler). She sums his reckless driving and attitude up with the statement “Benny thinks that when you die you’re better off than when living”. Benny is pitched as the successor to Johnny’s leadership of the group, maybe if he could get his act together, and the film seems to want to pitch Butler as a lead yet never really gives him enough to do to justify this. Meanwhile, Comer narrates much of the film with her outside view on the events and relationships of the core group, and while her performance is good it largely feels characterised by the accent.

With so much external detail happening on screen it does feel like the story is sometimes left behind. It’s hard to engage with some of the events and characters simply due to the main link being the bikes and same characters with little narrative happening alongside. The style is the personality and this would be more fine if there was more to the film as a whole. What we get is fine, and it has its moments and interesting beats, but it’s not always enough, especially in the first half before the changing face of motorcycle clubs leads to gangs and violence, to make for a more steady piece of work.

The plot beats, when arriving over halfway through, are skipped through with enough detail to have an effect while keeping the lingering embers of ‘old school cool’ in place to get across the point of “the end of the golden age of motorcycles”. In capturing the feeling of a photo collection – like the film is based on – things jump around and try to look back with largely the pictures and memories to go on. While this doesn’t quite construct a narrative to run throughout and properly tie things together it makes for something that works enough over the course of the film, even if not everything manages to grab your attention over the almost two hour run-time.

While there’s clear attention to detail in the overall aesthetic, look and feel of The Bikeriders the lack of story means it jumps through its sequences without always having something to engage with until the bigger developments of the second half.