The UK lockdown continues and to take my mind off things I have put together a list of film and television I have enjoyed throughout April.
In my previous article, I spoke about film festivals adapting to the current climate and briefly wrote about Prime Video USA and SXSW collaborating a streaming festival.
Since that announcement, Tribeca Enterprises has announced a World Health Organisation Covid-19 fundraising collaboration with YouTube. We Are One: A Global Film Festival will be a free digital festival taking place over 10 days starting on May 29th and has been co-curated by over 20 film festivals.
My recommendations this month are on various streaming sites, some of which are part of a subscription and more current film releases that are available to rent for under £5.
My top three films for the April are:
Rating 10/10
A truly wonderful American road movie through the eyes of a European director. Wim Wenders direction allows Sam Shepard’s and L.M. Kit Carson’s screenplay to slowly unfold. Its methodical pace pays off massively as I got invested in Travis’ journey. Harry Dean Stanton’s performance, Robby Müller’s cinematography and Ry Cooder’s accompanying score are just fantastic. I loved everything about this.
You can watch Paris, Texas on the BFI player or Prime Video Channels.
Rating 9/10
An incredibly personal and brilliant debut from Bing Liu. This Oscar-nominated documentary delicately tackles hard-hitting issues that Liu and his two skater friends are faced with growing up in Rockford, Illinois. What stood out for me was the effortless editing and superb cinematography. In an interview with IndieWire, Liu stated he wants to continue making films about American Midwestern youth and coming of age stories.
You can rent Minding the Gap on Prime Video, BFI Player, YouTube & Google Play.
Rating 9/10
Denis Villeneuve is up there with one of my favourite filmmakers. The first part of his science fiction epic Dune has been slated for a December 2020 release which has prompted me to watch some of his earlier work. I went in blind to 2010 Oscar-nominated Incendies and was blown away by Villeneuve’s powerful storytelling and Lubna Azabal’s performance. Take note, this Middle Eastern mystery is not an easy watch.
You can rent Incendies on Prime Video
One film studio that features on more than one occasion in my honourable mentions is UK based Film4 Productions. From the early 2000s to the present day I’ve watched many of their varied releases at the cinema and on television:
The Wind That Shakes the Barley Rating 8.5/10
This Irish War drama, starring Cillian Murphy, set in the 1920s is unsettling and powerfully acted. This has been added to the list of Ken Loach & Paul Laverty projects I have been thoroughly engaged by.
You can watch The Wind That Shakes the Barley on Prime Video.
The Last Black Man in San Francisco Rating 8/10
The central focus of this beautifully shot and scored film is gentrification in San Francisco. The story follows Jimmie, accompanied by his friend Mont, in his quest in reclaiming his Grandfathers old Victorian home. This film felt unique and I am looking forward to seeing more from Jonathan Majors in the future.
You can rent The Last Black Man in San Francisco on Prime Video, YouTube & Google Play.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire Rating 8/10
A French period romance is generally a film I would not go out my way to watch but this slow-burn drama impressed me. The film is stunningly shot by Claire Mathon and the minimal score results in a few key scenes having an enormous impact when music is introduced.
You can watch Portrait of a Lady on Fire on Mubi & Prime Video Channels.
Sexy Beast Rating 8/10
Jonathan Glazer’s debut crime film has stood the test of time. 20 years since its release, I had forgotten how tight and compact this film was with its 89-minute run time. I loved the exhilarating pace and Ben Kingsley’s performance as psychopath Don Logan.
You can watch Sexy Beast on All 4.
High Hopes Rating 8/10
I enjoyed Mike Leigh’s 1980s slice of life drama which focuses on three London couples from varying social backgrounds who are all linked to the elderly Mrs Bender. An almost unrecognisable Phil Davis is the highlight as he plays working-class Cyril.
You can watch High Hopes on Prime Video.
Brassed Off Rating 8/10
A Film4 classic that I have memories of watching. The film centres around members of a miners’ brass band in a small Yorkshire town. Based around the time of the Thatcher government, their livelihoods are at stake with the potential pit closure. Stand out performances are from the late Pete Postlethwaite and Stephen Tompkinson.
You can watch Brassed Off on All 4.
Assault on Precinct 13 Rating 7.5/10
This fast-paced action thriller has been on my watchlist for a long time. Approaching almost 44 years since its release, it shows how influential a filmmaker John Carpenter is.
You can watch Assault on Precinct 13 on All 4 or rent on Prime Video, YouTube & Google Play.
In the Mouth of Madness Rating 7.5/10
I found this on a Letterboxd list of underrated films. John Carpenter’s 1990s isolation horror stars Sam Neill who plays an insurance investigator looking into the disappearance of cult horror writer Sutter Cane. This film had some genuinely creepy moments and had a real Stephen King feel to it.
You can watch In the Mouth of Madness for free on YouTube.
Big Night Rating 7.5/10
As I mentioned in a previous post, I had hoped Netflix would start to add more under the radar 90’s films and here we have another. Two brothers are struggling in 1950s New Jersey to get their authentic Italian restaurant off the ground. Stanley Tucci co-directs and stars in this charming food movie.
You can watch Big Night on Netflix.
The Gentlemen Rating 7.5/10
Guy Ritchie is up to his usual tricks in this fun crime caper. Hugh Grant steals the show.
You can rent The Gentlemen on Prime Video, YouTube & Google Play
This blog is predominantly about film, but I thought I would fire on a quick list of 5 television programmes that had me hooked during the lockdown evenings:
- Alex Garland’s Sci-Fi mystery Devs (BBC iPlayer)
- Jason Hehir’s ongoing Chicago Bulls/Michael Jordan documentary The Last Dance (Netflix)
- Lenny Abrahamson & Hettie Macdonald’s romance adaptation Normal People (BBC iPlayer)
- Erika Calmeyer & Kristoffer Metcalfe’s Scandinavian crime drama Twin (BBC iPlayer)
- Ricky Gervais’ second season of comedy After Life (Netflix)
You can find all my film ratings on my Letterboxd account.
See you next month with my May recommendations!
Alex
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