This year’s London Film Festival kicks off next Wednesday (October 14) for 2 weeks. As usual, there’s a ton of UNCUT friendly films screening, plus a particularly strong selection of music documentaries. So, for those of you umming and ahhing about what you might go and see, let us make some suggestions…
THE WHITE STRIPES UNDER GREAT WHITE NORTHERN LIGHTS
Shot across the summer of 2007, just after the release of Icky Thump, Emmett Malloy’s film catches our current cover star, Jack White, and Meg, as they embark on a typically idiosyncratic tour – playing in every province and territory in Canada.
OIL CITY CONFIDENTIAL
The story of Canvey Island’s finest, Dr Feelgood, from director Julien Temple. A mix of brilliant archive footage of the Feelgoods at their peak, mixed with recollections from the band’s surviving members and fans including the Pistols and Clash.
WHEN YOU’RE STRANGE: A FILM ABOUT THE DOORS
Narrated by Johnny Depp and directed by indie filmmaker Tom DiCillo, this collects previously unseen archive material – including footage from Jim Morrison’s, ahem, “experimental” film, HWY: An American Pastoral.
BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE: THE STORY OF CBGBS
Pretty much as the title suggests, this film from Mandy Stein (daughter of the Ramones‘ late manager, Linda Stein) is a nuts and bolts history of the New York venue, including contributions from many staff, punters and musicians who played there.
NOWHERE BOY
Or Lennon: The Early Years. A collaboration from Control screenwriter Matt Greenhalgh and artist Sam Taylor Wood, with newcomer Aaron Johnson as John and Anne-Marie Duff as his mother, Julia. Rather curiously, Goldfrapp provide the score.
A SERIOUS MAN
The Coen Brothers return for a low-key, but nonetheless often hilarious film set during the late 1960s, where mild-mannered Midwestern college professor Larry Gopnik’s life is beginning to fall apart.
THE FANTASTIC MR FOX
Another one of our favourite filmmakers, Wes Anderson, turns his skills to a stop-motion adaptation of Roald Dahl’s short story. This is beautifully animated, with great voice casting from George Clooney, Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray.
WE LIVE IN PUBLIC
Exceptional doc – from Dig!‘s Ondi Timoner – about dot.com start up millionaire Josh Harris and his bizarre, Big Brother style experiments in early 90s New York, including an “art experiment” where 100 people were locked away in a New York bunker and the results filmed.
THE ROAD
An adaptation of Cormac McCarthy‘s bleak, post-apocalypse novel from The Proposition director John Hillcoat, this finds survivor Viggo Mortensen leading his son cross-country to the promise of sanctuary. That’s if the cannibals don’t get them first.
UP IN THE AIR
More from George Clooney, this time as a travelling management consultant intent on racking up 10 million frequent flyer miles. There are, of course, complications. Promises to be sophisticated comedy, directed by Juno‘s Jason Reitman.
For screening dates, booking details and other such information, log onto the LFF website here.