BFI London Film Festival 2021

Am hoping to see King Richard as I think this is the World premiere debut. Both The French Dispatch and Last Night in Soho are being released a few weeks after their BFI debut so will catch them on general release.

I assume the reason the cinemas in LS aren't being used for the Festival this year is because of No Time to Die which is out next week.

I am surprised Dune isn't getting a look in but that could be because it's being released in the same month.

Dune could be the Surprise Film.

Been there done that half a dozen times over the years, there isn't anyone I particularly want to see enough this year to pay £30 for the privilege to then sit through the film in a wholly unsuitable venue. Not worth it for me.

Phantom of the open, Riz Ahmed in Encounter, 'all my friends hate me' and king Richard for me.

So, my first film of the festival tonight, Sundown. Disappointing that neither Tim Roth or Charlotte Gainsbourg attended the screening (although Michel Franco, Henry Goodman and the two that play Gainsbourgs children in the film did) I wasn’t impressed with the film, without spoilering it, it’s the kind of film that leaves it all to the viewer to put things together, I’ve seen comparisons to Camus in some of the reviews before it got here and that is generous to say the least: Roth’s character is so hard to find sympathy for that by the time the film ends it was hard to say I was that bothered what happened to him.

I’ll be generous and give it 6 out of 10.

Just seen The French Dispatch at the RFH and to tell the truth I wasn’t impressed, probably the worst Wes Anderson film that I’ve seen: it had a few moments but overall it seemed to drag and the cast was stuffed full of name actors who only get to say a few words (for example Christoph Waltz, I just thought why did he bother?)

But at least we got to see Jarvis Cocker and Bill Murray before and after the film 🥳

Haha now that would be telling.

It's not going great for me; I avoided the RFH for the galas - paying £30 to sit in somewhere that wasn't a cinema (and had £10 "restricted view" seats) didn't seem the best use of my money for films that would appear on a proper big screen anyway. And an abortive hour at the Prince Charles on Friday night waiting for the "world premiere" of All My Friends Hate Me before the showing was cancelled due to a "technical issue" was hugely insulting to the filmmakers, crew, friends and family who were there.

Of what I have seen, Cop Smart from Iceland was funny without being ground-breaking and The Divide was a decent film but should never have been in the Laugh thread, it's one of the bleakest films I've seen, enough to put me off my film the following day which was set in Nazi Germany and sounded like a tough watch regardless. Three films tomorrow to round off the festival for me but I haven't been excited this year.

The reason that they’re at Royal Festival Hall is because since Odeon Leicester Square had its ‘Luxe’ refurbishment replacing standard seats with colossal recliners, the capacity inside has been massively reduced. So in 2019, they held simultaneous galas at OLS and their pop-up Embankment Garden Cinema.

Alternative commercial venues that would have had a suitable capacity as the original OLS (such as Cineworld Leicester Square which hosted galas in 2018, or BFI IMAX) likely wouldn’t have been willing to surrender 10 nights so soon after the release of No Time To Die. So, they settled on RFH.

Personally I have found the sound to be not an issue at all, and I’ve loved seeing each of the films with a huge audience. However I have been mainly sitting in Rear Stalls which definitely seem to have the best acoustics with the overhang of the balcony perhaps contributing to this.

The pop-up Embankment had far worse sound IMO being able to hear every passing siren, as well as a lot more uncomfortable to sit in for 2+hrs with whole rows of seats of thinly padded seats rocking backwards and forwards as soon as someone on the same row fidgeted.

I find RFH great as it keeps the festival centred in the Southbank too.

Is anyone else failing at BFi player this year? I’ve had 2 films I’ve booked but missed because the 24 hour window to start watching/ 4 hours to finish coincided with internet problems and general life business. Last night I realised 10 minutes after the deadline had passed that I had a film to watch.

I think next year I am sticking with in-person screenings.

Last Night in Soho is my new favourite film of the year. I absolutely loved it. It looks sumptuous and the 60s soundtrack is fantastic. It demands to be seen on a huge screen with cranked-up surround sound. Other than that, the least you know about it before seeing it, the better.

As we were in London last night (for The Shark is Broken), we couldn't resist a post-show drink in The Toucan Bar basement. Go see the movie then check out the filming locations.