The new Pretty Woman? This wild caper about a stripper and a shady high-roller is far cleverer, BRIAN VINER writes

As a film enthusiast and someone who appreciates the art of storytelling that reflects real-life experiences, I find myself deeply moved by the cinematic offerings this week. The tender adaptation of Keegan’s book, Formior, resonated with me, stirring memories of my own upbringing. Emily Watson’s portrayal was captivating, heartrending, and beautifully executed.

Verdict: Hilarious and touching 

 Verdict: Classy horror-thriller 

 Verdict: – Pitch-perfect adaptation

Occasionally, although it’s not common, you might find an impressive collection of fantastic new movies arriving simultaneously.

They’re like those proverbial London buses, arriving in convoy just when you were beginning to think you might never see one again.

This week’s films serve as a strong rebuttal to the frequent criticism we film critics encounter, suggesting that we are somehow at fault for claiming there’s nothing good to watch in cinemas.

You’re mentioning a typical lineup of weak follow-ups and superhero stories, right? At times, it’s challenging not to concur with that assessment.

Today, I have an extraordinary lineup that surpasses my usual weekly output. Leading the pack is the well-deserved recipient of this year’s Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or, Anora – a film that truly shines among its peers. In the first person, I am thrilled to bring it to your attention and share in its brilliance.

Sean Baker, hailing from Summit, New Jersey and recognized for both writing and directing, has hit his peak with this captivating story about a vibrant, lively ‘dancer at an erotic club’, named Anora, brilliantly portrayed by Mikey Madison. The tale is humorous, poignant, tender, pulsating, contemporary, and altogether engaging.

On an enchanting evening at the lap-dancing club in New York City where she captivates all who enter, none more so than Vanya – the charming yet hapless scion of a questionable Russian tycoon, I found myself irresistibly drawn to Anora, affectionately known as Ani among her circle. So smitten was I, that in an impulse born of infatuation, I extended an offer: to compensate Ani for her companionship throughout an entire week.

Her coworkers inform her that she’s won the lottery, and it’s even more exciting when he unexpectedly takes her to Las Vegas. In a spontaneous moment influenced by cocaine, they decide to get married there.

Helpfully, Ani speaks half-decent Russian herself, learnt at her immigrant grandmother’s knee.

momentarily, she considers whether she’s found herself right in the midst of a genuine fairy tale like Cinderella, one that promises a joyful conclusion.

However, the deception doesn’t persist for long. Upon learning about the situation, Vanya’s parents from their homeland send over some enforcers based in the United States to handle the matter.

The outcome of this escapade is both laugh-out-loud funny and subtly heartwarming, and Baker skillfully guides our emotions towards unexpected paths.

I hold high regard for all his past movies, including “The Florida Project” (2017) which I adored, but this latest work surpasses my expectations in terms of the narrative, scriptwriting, and actor selection.

Frankly, I’d give Madison the Oscar now for Best Actress. But the young Russian actor Eydelshteyn matches her with what, I gather, was a partly improvised performance. 

This delightfully engaging film, often compared to the 1990’s Pretty Woman, offers a fresh take. However, it surpasses simplicity by being significantly smarter and stimulating deeper thoughts.

Heretic is a belter too, a gripping, intelligent horror-thriller ideal for those who like to see something scary in Halloween week. 

The atmosphere grows ominous and foreboding, much like rising floodwaters, as two diligent young Mormon missionaries, Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East), unexpectedly arrive at a remote residence during a typical horror-movie downpour.

It is the home of Mr Reed (Hugh Grant), who has previously declared an interest in their church. 

His cheerful and engaging demeanor makes him appealing, and learning that his wife is preparing a homemade blueberry pie in the kitchen, a fragrance they could detect, serves as an irresistible invitation for them to cross the doorstep for some friendly evangelism.

Initially, they found themselves struggling more with intellectual challenges than physical ones, as Mr. Reed refuted their prepared speeches with his deeply held religious beliefs.

 He’s smart and amusing, creatively using songs by The Hollies and Radiohead, and various iterations of the board game Monopoly, to challenge religious orthodoxies.

Gradually, the physical danger solidifies, culminating in a conclusion that might be a tad excessive, yet it’s still thrilling.

In the same vein as their exceptional work on A Quiet Place (2018), Scott Beck and Bryan Woods serve as both writer and director for this project, with casting choices that hit the mark once more.

Thatcher and East deliver impressive performances, but it’s Grant who truly shines. His portrayal is spot on, further dimming the memories of past charming upper-class antagonists, as he delivers yet another exceptional depiction of a villain.

In Small Things Like These, I had the pleasure of witnessing an exceptionally true-to-life portrayal of religion, a depiction that unfortunately continues to receive undeserved criticism.

The plot unfolds in a quaint Irish village in 1985, and it follows a compassionate coal dealer named Cillian Murphy. This man encounters the corrupt practices of the local convent’s stern Mother Superior, Emily Watson, which triggers memories of his own childhood experiences within the Catholic Church.

I thought Keegan’s book was a small masterpiece and so in its way is the film, sensitively adapted by playwright Enda Walsh, gently directed by Tim Mielants, and led beautifully, heartrendingly, by the splendid Murphy.

All films in cinemas now.

ALSO SHOWING  

Writer-director Steve McQueen found inspiration for the movie Blitz (Rated 12A, Running Time 120 minutes, Four Stars) after coming across an old, faded photograph depicting a black child among evacuees during the intense air raids by the Luftwaffe in London.

This situation led him to establish a family of three based in the East End, which he narrates in this delightful amalgamation of truth and imagination.

In this rephrased version: Rita, skillfully portrayed by Saoirse Ronan, resides in a terraced house with her nine-year-old son George, who is of mixed heritage. Her father, Gerald, played authentically by musician Paul Weller making his acting debut on screen, also shares the household.

In September 1940, race and racism were significant issues, but fundamentally, “Blitz” is an old-fashioned tale of adventure. It centers around a feisty young boy who defies authority when his loving mother, with heavy heart, decides he needs to be evacuated. He leaps off the train taking him to safety and embarks on a challenging journey back home.

Blitz recounts the journey back, filled with expected danger for narrative effect, and featuring Stephen Graham in a role reminiscent of a wartime character similar to Bill Sikes.

During the recent London Film Festival, I initially watched Blitz. There was almost one concern that arose for me: a character portrayed by Benjamin Clementine, who represents a Nigerian ARP warden in real life, appeared to deliver a speech on racial harmony that seemed entirely fabricated to me.

However, after being directly informed by the producer that the passages were taken from real diaries, I am now willing to concede my previous assertions.

 I still think the film depicts racism a bit one-dimensionally, but it’s a cracking yarn, very nicely told.

All the most compelling stories have at least an element of truth, or, like Super/Man: the Christopher Reeve Story (****), are entirely factual. 

This captivating, deeply emotional documentary focuses on an actor who appeared to be thriving until a tragic incident in May 1995, where he fell from his horse and became paralyzed.

Coincidentally, we were seated together at a gathering in New York a few weeks back during the Oscars, and I, along with many others, couldn’t help but notice his undeniable masculine charisma.

Over the years, I’ve often found a subtle emotional bond with his narrative, as it’s beautifully shared by his offspring and others, in a heartwarming manner that exudes grace and kindness.

A longer review of Blitz ran last month. Both films are in cinemas.

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2024-11-01 05:32