BFI London Film Festival 2017 - UPDATE #3
Dark River
Directed by Clio Barnard
UK/89 MINUTES/SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
 You really shouldn't, but just in case you needed more proof that John Cho deserves to be a bigger star: Columbus. Watch it. About a man who returns to America from Korea when his father falls Ill, and who subsequently strikes up a friendship with a young librarian, Columbus is a walker-and-talker in the vein of stuff like Lost in Translation and Before Sunrise. It never quite rises to the level of those films, but it has a low-key charm that's undeniable. Cho is, as mentioned, absolutely great -- he's as charming as ever, while still embuing the role with an impressive amount of pathos. But Haley Lu Richardson is every bit his equal, giving a vibrant performance that clearly portends bigger and better things for the young actress. Columbus is the first film from Kogonada, whose stylish but admirably restrained direction emphasizes long, meticulously framed shots with a static camera. If this film is any indication, he's definitely a filmmaker you're going to want to keep on your radar.
 out of
The Breadwinner
Directed by Nora Twomey
CANADA/IRELAND/LUXEMBOURG/93 MINUTES/OFFICIAL COMPETITION
 Powerful but also lighthearted, Last Flag Flying is the latest film from Richard Linklater, which means that everyone talks a lot with dialogue that's occasionally a bit overly theatrical, but it also means that the film is well made and engaging throughout. About three old navy buddies who reunite after decades apart to go on a road trip, the movie features a trio of really impressive performances from Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, and Laurence Fishburne. Their easy-going chemistry is a big part of why the film works as well as it does, and though all three are great, it's Carrell who gives the film's most understated performance, and who's tasked with much of the dramatic heavy lifting. He's absolutely fantastic; there's almost certainly an Oscar nomination in his future, if not an outright win. But while the movie is entertaining throughout, it does drag a bit towards the end of its fairly long 125 minute runtime (though if your eyes are dry after the emotional conclusion, you might just be a robot).
out of
-Reviews by Michael Nusair
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Dark River is an almost impossibly grim drama about a woman, still dealing with the trauma from her childhood abuse at the hands of her father, who returns to the family farm after he dies. Clio Barnard's austere direction suits the material well, and Ruth Wilson is pretty much amazing in the main role. She's playing a character who never particularly opens up to anyone, so the performance is more about what she doesn't say than what she does. And while she pulls it off beautifully, we never learn enough about her character to fully connect with the film. Without a real connection to the protagonist, the film's overriding bleakness feels a bit smothering. 
out of 
Life can be horrible and cruel in Afghanistan, especially for a woman. You don't need a film to tell you this, and you might think that one that delves into this subject matter is going to be preachy or didactic -- but The Breadwinner absolutely never feels that way. Featuring absolutely beautiful animation from Cartoon Saloon, the studio behind The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea, The Breadwinner is about the struggles that ensue when the father (and only man in the house) of a family of five is arrested. Women aren't allowed to go outside without a male chaperone in Afghanistan, making this situation much stickier than it would be otherwise. It sounds like it should make for a film that's just one-note grim, but there's a real warmth here that's absolutely irresistible. The characters are all so endearing, and Nora Twomey's direction is perfect -- she does a great job of balancing the low-key first half with the more eventful second half of the film. It concludes with a finale that's as riveting as it is emotional, and that cements the The Breadwinner as one of the best animated films to come out in years.