Awards season has begun once again and with such a turbulent year that has seen cinemas reopening and more studios utilising streaming services, there are an abundance of films that are competing for those big awards. What is wonderful to see about the offerings from 2021 is how well received films directed by women were with Julia Ducournau winning the Palme d’Or for her incredible boundary pushing film, Titane while Jane Campion has returned to feature filmmaking after a 12 year hiatus with her intricate character-led The Power of the Dog. The variety of films on offer this year prove that there is something for everyone which ensures that this awards season is going to be great.
As ever, I will be gathering all of the reviews for the films that will be competing for awards from best special effects to best picture and everything in between.
Here is the list of films to guide you through awards season 2022:
This year’s London Film Festival 2021 brought back some of the traditional elements of attending the cinema to see some of the films while others I had the pleasure of watching online. This hybrid experience made it both exciting and busy whilst also allowing me to see some of the biggest films of the year as well as some indie films I may not have had the chance to see otherwise (which is always a good thing!).
It’s become a little tradition to do a small awards at the end of each festival so it only makes sense to point out the highlights of my London Film Festival experience. From the Palme d’Or winning Titane to Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog (her first film in 12 years!) to two of Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s new films, Drive My Car and Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, there were so many films to see. In total, I saw 14 films with 3 of those being at Chapter Cinema in Cardiff (The Harder They Fall, The Power of the Dog and Titane) and the rest online, being successful in the online ballots for Petite Maman and Lamb so I got to experience the best of both mediums.
Here are the Smaller Pictures Winners of London Film Festival 2021:
Best Picture – Titane
Best Director – Julia Ducournau for Titane
Best Leading Actress – (TIE) Agathe Rousselle for Titane and Annes Elwy for Gwledd (The Feast)
Best Leading Actor – Benedict Cumberbatch for The Power of the Dog
Best Supporting Actress – Regina King for The Harder They Fall
Best Supporting Actor – Jason Isaacs for Mass
Best Original Screenplay – Julia Ducournau for Titane
Best Adapted Screenplay – Jane Campion for The Power of the Dog
Best Original Score – Jim Williams for Titane
Best Cinematography – Eli Arenson for Lamb
Best Editing – Julien Lacheray for Petite Maman
Best Production Design – Martin Whist for The Harder They Fall
Best Costume Design – Antoinette Messam for The Harder They Fall
Best Hair and Makeup – Olivier Afonso, Marison De, Amelie Grossier, Céline Llerena, Antoine Mancini and Flore Masson for Titane
Special Shoutout Winner – Ryusuke Hamaguchi for Drive My Car and Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
The calibre of the films this year was so high and each film I watched had something important to say. With even more non-English language films being incorporated into the roster, it’s great to be given the chance to view even more films from around the world that I may not have had the chance to watch otherwise.
That’s it for my roundup! It’s been extremely busy and a lot of work but definitely worth it and makes me excited to see what next year will bring!
Here are the films I saw at this year’s London Film Festival in alphabetical order. My reviews for Gwledd (The Feast) and The Phantom of the Open were commissioned by Wales Arts Review so the link will take you to the page on their website:
One of the many films to captivate audiences at this year’s Cannes Film Festival was Drive My Car where it won three awards including Best Screenplay. Adapted from Haruki Murakami’s short story of the same name from his 2014 short story collection Men Without Women, Drive My Car follows stage actor Yūsuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima) who is hired to direct an upcoming production of Uncle Vanya following the sudden death of his wife. The film is a whopping three hours long and because of this, the original narrative of the short story has been extended thoroughly to create a story so detailed, that watching it is like being on a long and relaxing car journey.
Directed by renowned visionary Ryusuke Hamaguchi who cowrote the script with Takamasa Oe, Drive My Car is an exceptional character piece that really allows the audience to delve into Kafuku’s life in riveting detail. The simplicity of the direction and Hamaguchi’s knack for long conversational scenes allows the film to develop at an organic pace serves Drive My Car well and feels like a breath of fresh air in a current climate where filmmakers feel the need to rush their characterisation. This film is proof that less is more and shows Hamaguchi’s place as a fantastic visionary which hopefully lead to more astounding character pieces being made in the future.
Playing Kafuku is Hidetoshi Nishijima who has been perfectly cast in the lead role. Kafuku is a veteran actor who lives with his wife. We see people come and go in Kafuku’s life which is expected in his occupation as an actor and following the death of his wife, he finds himself at a stand still emotionally as he cannot fathom why she cheated on him before her untimely death. Despite this, Kafuku is recruited to direct an upcoming production of Uncle Vanya and is assigned a driver, Misaki, to transport him to and from the rehearsal venue where they strike up a friendship over time. We see Kafuku remain emotionally disconnected from those around him but something about Misaki strikes his curiosity and he desires to learn more about her. Due to the character centric plot, a lot of the film’s brilliance comes from Nishijima’s performance which feels so natural and organic in the role. He makes this mammoth performance seem easy and effortless despite being in almost every scene of this three hour epic. That is by no means an easy feat and the exceptional clarity and nuance he brings makes the film even more rewarding to watch.
The supporting cast is filled with strong performances, especially those who play the actors in Uncle Vanya as playing an actor requires extra layers. However, the star of the supporting cast is Tōko Miura who plays Kafuku’s driver, Misaki Watari. Miura’s performance is quiet and subtle but she her impact on the film and on Kufuku’s character is clear. At first it seems as though Kufuku and Misaki have nothing in common but eventually the former begins to open up emotionally and the two form a bond with Misaki providing much wisdom which helps Kufuku to move on with his life. In terms of their background, Misaki does not have an arts background and there is misconstrued as beneath Kufuku and his lifestyle. Soon enough, Kufuku realises that Misaki has much more to offer him than any play could. Miura’s performance is quietly powerful and it’s a shame she isn’t in the film more but the scenes we are treated to between the characters are beautifully written and paced, displaying a masterclass in filmmaking and character studies.
Overall, Drive My Car may seem intimidating due to its three hour running time, but just as the title suggests, the audience is taken through a journey slowly in a way that we get to fully take in everything the film has to offer. Adapting Murakami is no easy feat and Hamaguchi does a beautiful job of bringing this short story to life and extending the storyline in a way that is even more rewarding and breathes life into the characters by lifting them off the page.
Drive My Car is playing at this year’s London Film Festival!
