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 film that was an intriguing watch was Valdimar Jóhannsson’s Icelandic horror Lamb. The film follows married couple María (Noomi Rapace) and Ingvar (Hilmir Snær Guðnason) who run a small farm where one of the sheep gives birth to a sheep/human hybrid that they affectionately name Ada after a child that they had previously lost and treat her as though she is a human child. What follows is a sequence of unexpected events that explores themes of identity and family whilst also incorporating elements from various genres including horror, thriller and sci-fi. The result is a film that can be unsettling and unconventional while distinguishing Jóhannsson as a director with a unique point of view.
Directed by Valdimar Jóhannsson in his directorial feature debut and based on a script he cowrote with Sjón, Lamb is unlike any other horror film. Subverting the folklore trends so commonly seen in horror today, Lamb is a film that feels as though it may be misunderstood by some and gradually gain popularity as time goes on. Jóhannsson’s vision manipulates you into thinking that the film will take a certain direction and then completely subverting this and throwing in many unpredictable twists and turns. The writing never allows itself to get too close to the protagonists which means that the audience is never spoon-fed and provides a desire to learn more.
Noomi Rapace is great as María, a woman who is completely besotted by Ada following a life plagued by loss and grief. Rapace can always be relied upon to provide a fearless performance and María seems like a character that was written for her. María isn’t always likeable and her motivations aren’t always understood but we still feel sympathy for her despite her flaws. The scene in which Rapace locks Ingvar’s brother, Pétur (Björn Hlynur Haraldsson) in a closet and then plays the piano loudly to drown out his screaming draws her suffering and pain to the surface as we see her attempt to glaze over the negativity with music, a metaphor for her willingness to overlook Ada’s physical differences and accept her as her own.
In support, we see Hilmir Snær Guðnason play María’s husband, Ingvar in a performance that builds as the film unfolds. The decision-making between the couple usually lies in María’s hands in a role that would traditionally fall under a man’s control but Ingvar doesn’t complain or feel emasculated at any point. Content with his life, Ingvar embraces Ada as his own and does his best to provide for his family. Guðnason is a great onscreen partner for Rapace as they compliment each other’s approaches perfectly. Where Rapace’s performance is full of physical emotion, Guðnason has a quieter performance that is full of nuance and subtly, working well against the horror element of the film.
One thing that the film makes use of is the beautiful cinematography by Eli Arenson. Arenson manages to capture a world that is set in an open space whilst contrasting this with a claustrophobic setting as we feel trapped within the home. This isolated feeling makes the characters seem locked and unable to travel beyond their immediate surroundings, feeding into the horror elements of the film. Arenson utilises the natural surroundings to create a realistic approach against a topic that is full of fantasy, driving it away from being a traditional horror. It is this grounded approach that makes Lamb such an unpredictable watch and such a beautiful looking film to behold.
Lamb isn’t a film for everyone but those who enjoy it will be able to appreciate the beautiful scenery, intense writing and raw performances with characters that we never fully understand but keep us gripped from start to finish. It’s a film that will undoubtedly grow in popularity and requires multiple watches due to the various layers, textures and themes that it explores. The unconventional approach this film has is why it has been selected as Iceland’s submission for Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards which will hopefully bring Lamb to an even larger audience.
