list.co.uk/fi lm Reviews | FILM
BIOPIC BATTLE OF THE SEXES (12A) 121min ●●●●● BIOPIC ONLY THE BRAVE (12A) 133min ●●●●●
COMEDY DRAMA MENASHE (U) 82min ●●●●●
Battle of the Sexes recreates the celebrated tennis grudge match between Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) and unrepentant male chauvinist pig Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell). It is an irresistible story and the stellar cast and smart screenplay from Simon Beaufoy extract every last drop of juice from it.
The 1973 encounter between King and Riggs
was about much more than tennis. It was a pivotal moment in the battle for women’s rights. Riggs had been the number one tennis player in the world; a hustler and buffoon, you sense that for him it was all part of the chaotic circus of his life. In the case of King, it was a chance to strike a blow for women everywhere. There was the added pressure of her affair with hairdresser Marilyn (Andrea Riseborough) and her first steps to identifying as a gay woman. Directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little
Miss Sunshine) have assembled a slick crowdpleaser – especially for those with little knowledge of the context or the outcome. Carell finds the outrageous and the sad within Riggs’ personality but it is the warmth and force of Stone’s highly convincing performance that wins game, set and film. (Allan Hunter) ■ General release from Fri 24 Nov.
Joseph Kosinski’s nerve-shredding biopic focuses on the elite group of Arizona firefighters who battled the Yarnell Hill Fire of 2013. A sharp deviation for the director, following sci-fi outings TRON: Legacy and Oblivion, this is a tale grounded in Mother Nature. After his mountaineering sojourn in Everest, Josh Brolin continues his quest to be cinema’s answer to Bear Grylls, playing Eric Marsh, the leader of a team of firefighters known as the Granite Mountain Hotshots. With the likes of James Badge Dale and Taylor Kitsch among their number, the biggest impression is made by Miles Teller as rookie Brendan, a drug addict trying to get his life together.
Working from a script by Ken Nolan and Eric Warren Singer, Kosinski lets the relationships build gradually before a devastating fire strikes close to the team’s hometown. The film is simplistic in its outlook – characters are largely the patriotic heroes that Hollywood loves – but Kosinski knows how to stage action, resulting in an impressive spectacle. Giving a real sense of the dangers of trying to control wildfires, it’s a fitting tribute to the sacrifice of first responders – not just the brave souls of Arizona, but the world over. (James Mottram) ■ General release from Fri 10 Nov.
A go-to theme for the more mawkish end of the comedic spectrum – a father striving to parent alone after his wife dies – gets an illuminating, unsentimental new spin. According to the traditions of his conservative Hasidic community, the widowed Menashe must hand the care of his young son over to a relative until he remarries. But what if he isn’t ready? Or the right woman doesn’t present herself? Or he’s just disinclined to do what custom demands? Set in Brooklyn, delivered in Yiddish, and
based upon the real-life experiences of lead actor Menashe Lustig, this lightly comic character piece has a rare willingness to let its audience draw their own conclusions about what they’re witnessing. Director Joshua Z Weinstein has a background in documentaries, and his facility for unobtrusive, unmediated observation is on show here. Lustig, meanwhile, is suitably infuriating and endearing as a character whose insistence on going his own way secures him a sense of independence, but also leads him into frequent scrapes. The film’s chief appeal, however, is the affection and humour that Weinstein brings to his portrayal of a community usually regarded as impenetrably closed. (Hannah McGill) ■ Selected release from Fri 8 Dec.
DRAMA THE FLORIDA PROJECT (15) 111min ●●●●●
Sean Baker follows the raucous and triumphant Tangerine with another low-key masterpiece; like that juicy fruit, The Florida Project is both sweet and a little sour as it tags along with a pack of adorable urchins. It’s a gloriously impish endeavour in which the key word is colour, from popping pastels to its quirky characters, sassy retorts and incidental charms.
A star is born in Brooklynn Prince, luminous as six-year-old Moonee. Raised in the vicinity of Disney World by single parent Halley (Bria Vinaite), this vivacious youngster is surrounded by cheap imitations of the Disney experience, as her mom scratches out a living on the wrong side of the law. Moonee’s home is a luridly painted motel dubbed The Magic Castle, while her and pal Scooty (Christopher Rivera) terrorise guests at a neighbouring establishment.
The Florida Project explores the flipside of parental
irresponsibility, the thrill of running wild and free in a carnival- esque landscape. It’s not blind to the precariousness of the situation but doesn’t hammer this home. Instead, the motel’s affable, overworked manager Bobby (gorgeously subtle work from Willem Dafoe) is the film’s quietly concerned presence, making it his business to discreetly watch over Moonee and her chums.
The fluid visuals are a perfect match for the curiosity and exuberance of the kids, who prowl the motel grounds and beyond on the hunt for mischief. The sunny perspective is welcome in a film resplendent with affection for its characters, while the kitsch environs are a rich source of cinematic spectacle. At a stroke, vulgarity becomes majesty as Baker reminds us that you can find beauty everywhere when you see the world through the eyes of a child. (Emma Simmonds) ■ General release from Fri 10 Nov.
1 Nov 2017–31 Jan 2018 THE LIST 87