EIFF 2016: Finding Dory, Slash, Irreplaceable, Bigger Than the Shining 0 1982

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Welcome to my second review report from this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival. Hope you enjoy!

Finding Dory

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Although at first the idea of a sequel to Finding Dory seemed like a decision made far more out of financial than creative motivations, it turns out it’s a very worthy film in its own right.

The film takes place some time after Marlin (Albert Brooks) found his beloved son Nemo. This time the focus has moved from everyone’s favourite clownfish to the The loveable and forgetful Dory (once again voiced by Ellen Degeneres), who goes on an epic adventure of her own when she starts remembering her family from whom she got separated many years ago.

While the film doesn’t have the instant classic feeling of the previous one, it adopts a certain kind of comedic and dramatic rhythm all its own, thanks to a steady stream of laugh out loud funny gags, wonderful voice performances – Ed O’Neill steals the show as a particularly impatient octopus – and a firm grasp on making an audience tear up. 4/5

Slash

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Clay Liford writes and directs this engaging and intimate comedy that focuses on a particularly weird and wonderful area of fan fiction.

We follow Neil (Michael Johnston), a shy and awkward but creatively passionate high school freshman who loves nothing more than to write slash fiction – that’s fan fiction that involves well known fictional characters engaging in sexual acts – of his favourite fantasy Vanguard. Neil one days meets a fellow slash fiction writer, the alluring Julia (Hannah Marks), who encourages him to publish his work online in order to gain entry into a prestigious comic con event.

It’s a small scale film but it has a big heart beating at the centre of it all, not least in how it openly explores teenage angst and discovering your sexuality at an awkward age. It also has plenty of visual ambition, not least in how it brings Neil’s stories to life on-screen. 4/5

Irreplaceable

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This tender French drama-comedy stars François Cluzet (Intouchables) as Jean-Pierre Werner, a passionate and very talented country doctor who one day is given the devastating news that he has an inoperable brain tumour.

At first he tries to carry on as normal, treating his patients with all the care he usually does, but finds that the tumour is giving him symptoms that interfere with his work. So he is sent the help of a recently graduated doctor named Nathalie (Marianne Denicourt) who tries to ease his burden while trying to figure out if she can even put up with the job herself.

The film is a tad on the predictable side, particularly as it gets into the later stages of the film when Jean-Pierre’s illness comes to a head and the relationship between Jean-Pierre and Nathalie starts to blossom and complicate. But, even so, it’s still a touching, gently moving character piece with two great, complex performances at the forefront. 3.5/5

Bigger Than the Shining

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I wasn’t sure how much I could say about this, the great Mark Cousins’ latest experimental piece of cinema, including the intriguing note I was given pre-screening. Mark tweeted it recently so I’ll include that below:

As per request, I’m not going to go into specifics about what exactly the film entails but I will say that it was a fascinating and engrossing look at the idea of cinematic influence, whether overt or subconscious, and how that has (could have?) played out over the course of film history.

You’ll have to hunt around for the film as, like the note says, it’s going to be destroyed very early next year. But it’s well worth seeking out if you have the opportunity to in any way! Just when you think Mr. Cousins couldn’t do anything more to surprise the ardent film fan… 4/5

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I'm a freelance film reviewer and blogger with over 10 years of experience writing for various different reputable online and print publications. In addition to my running, editing and writing for Thoughts On Film, I am also the film critic for The National, the newspaper that supports an independent Scotland, covering the weekly film releases, film festivals and film-related features. I have a passion for all types of cinema, and have a particular love for foreign language film, especially South Korean and Japanese cinema. Favourite films include The Big Lebowski, Pulp Fiction and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

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Feature: 2019 Oscar Predictions 0 4031

I think it’s fair to say that the run up to this year’s Oscars has been a little messier than usual, from unexpected and bizarre wins at other awards shows (Vice winning Best Editing at the BAFTAs, anyone?) to ridiculous decisions by the Academy to change the show around.

The latter has proved a particular point of contention with both those in the industry to onlookers on social media, with choices such as not letting all the songs be performed to introducing a Best Popular Film category (whatever that means) to not airing four categories live; Editing and Cinematography proved a particular issue, sending the folks of Film Twitter into a Hulk-like rage.

Thankfully all of these decisions except for the one to not have a main host have taken the walk-back of shame; I look forward to Clint Eastwood talking to an empty chair again. Of course there’s still the issue of plenty of thoroughly deserving films, filmmakers and performances not being up for any Oscars at all (*cough* Toni Collette! *cough*) but of course that’s not an issue unique to this year.

The show must go on, as they say, and I thought a week out from this year’s ceremony I’d throw my hat into the ring as far as predictions goes. Below I’ve listed what I think will win in each category, as well as what I personally would like to see pick up that little gold man come next Sunday evening.

Best Picture

Want to win: A Star is Born
Will win: Green Book

Lead Actor

Want to win: Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born)
Will win: Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody)

Lead Actress

Want to win: Olivia Colman (The Favourite)
Will win: Olivia Colman (The Favourite)

Supporting Actor

Want to win: Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)
Will win: Mahershala Ali (Green Book)

Supporting Actress

Want to win: Emma Stone (The Favourite)
Will win: Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Director

Want to win: Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)
Will win: Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)

Animated Feature

Want to win: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Will win: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Adapted Screenplay

Want to win: BlacKkKlansman
Will win: BlacKkKlansman

Original Screenplay

Want to win: First Reformed
Will win: The Favourite

Cinematography

Want to win: Roma
Will win: Roma

Documentary Feature

Want to win: Free Solo
Will win: Minding the Gap

Foreign Language Film

Want to win: Roma
Will win: Roma

Film Editing

Want to win: BlacKkKlansman
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

Sound Editing

Want to win: A Quiet Place
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

Sound Mixing

Want to win: A Star is Born
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

Production Design

Want to win: Roma
Will win: The Favourite

Original Score

Want to win: If Beale Street Could Talk
Will win: Black Panther

Original Song

Want to win: Shallow (A Star is Born)
Will win: Shallow (A Star is Born)

Makeup and Hair

Want to win: Mary Queen of Scots
Will win: Vice

Costume Design

Want to win: Black Panther
Will win: The Favourite

Visual Effects

Want to win: Avengers: Infinity War
Will win: Ready Player One

Animated Short

Want to win: Bao
Will win: Bao

Live Action Short

Want to win: Marguerite
Will win: Marguerite

Documentary Short Subject

Want to win: Black Sheep
Will win: Lifeboat

Do you agree? Disagree? Feel free to leave your predictions/wishes for the winners below or tweet @TOF_UK or @rosstmiller.

Roll on Sunday!

Competition: Win King of Thieves on DVD *CLOSED* 0 3872

***This competition is now closed. Thanks to all who entered! The two winners will be contacted soon!

This coming Monday sees the DVD and Blu-ray release of King of Thieves, the latest film from acclaimed director James Marsh (Man on Wire, The Theory of Everything), which features a cavalcade of legendary British actors including Michael Caine, Ray Winstone, Jim Broadbent, Tom Courtenay, Michael Gambon and Paul Whitehouse who team up to pull off a brazen heist. You may know the job from our own headlines as “The Hatton Garden Heist,” described as the biggest and most daring heist in British history.

It’s a good slice of old-fashioned heist movie fun which morphs in its latter half into something with surprising touches of the dangerous and sinister as suspicions and loyalties start to inevitably turn.

To celebrate the film’s release, we have two copies of it on DVD to give away, thanks to the lovely folk at Studio Canal.

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To enter the competition simply answer the following question: in which classic British film does Michael Caine famously say the line, “you were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!”?

a) Alfie
b) The Italian Job
c) The Ipcress File

Please email your answer to rosstmiller@thoughtsonfilm.co.uk with the subject heading “King of Thieves competition.” Please also include your delivery address details so we can easily send the prize out if you win.

Now for the technical part:

  • UK residents only
  • Entrants must be 18 or over
  • Winners will be chosen at random
  • The prize for each entrant is one DVD copy of King of Thieves
  • Prize is non-transferable
  • Competition ends on Sunday January 27th at 11:59pm GMT
  • Prize will be sent from PR/studio

King of Thieves is available to buy on DVD and Blu-ray from January 21st. You can already rent/buy the film digitally.

Best of luck on the competition!