list.co.uk/film REVIEWS | FILM
HORROR IN FABRIC (TBC) 118min ●●●●●
DOCUMENTARY DIEGO MARADONA (TBC) 130min ●●●●● COMEDY LATE NIGHT (15) 102min ●●●●●
Peter Strickland (Berberian Sound Studio) is one of the most interesting filmmakers working today. His ethereal, giallo-esque approach makes for unique cinematic expression but this elusive style fails to mask the limitations of In Fabric’s narrative.
As ever, the idea is intriguing. A stunning red dress, purchased from a bizarre department store, endangers those who wear it. The first, single mother Sheila (a brilliant Marianne Jean-Baptiste), wears it on a couple of dates and seems to find love. And, later, washing machine repair man Reg (Leo Bill) and his fiancée Babs (Hayley Squires) find the dress adds an incendiary spark to their humdrum existence.
There’s an interesting duplicity at play, with the otherworldliness of the store contrasting sharply with the mundane lives of the dress owners. There is also well-observed commentary about the cult of consumerism and an appealing thread of off-kilter humour that runs throughout. Augmented by some truly lush cinematography from Ari Wegner, In Fabric is, like the central garment itself, masterfully crafted and undeniably gorgeous. Yet, despite its beauty and the brilliance of individual moments, it never coalesces into a satisfying whole. (Nikki Baughan) ■ Selected release from Fri 28 Jun.
After Senna and Amy, British director Asif Kapadia completes his unofficial trilogy with another documentary portrait of a fallen idol: peerless footballer Diego Armando Maradona. Focusing primarily on his eight years in Italy, when he propelled struggling Napoli to two Serie A titles and a UEFA Cup win, Kapadia’s film is in the same style as his earlier works, as new, audio-only interviews are cut to archive footage.
The big difference is that, unlike singer Amy
Winehouse and racing driver Ayrton Senna, Maradona is still alive. Kapadia does get time with his subject, who goes on the record about his party lifestyle that came to the fore in Naples, when he became heavily addicted to cocaine under the watchful eye of mobsters, the Camorra. But Kapadia gives equal room to the sporting highs, like spearheading his native Argentina to victory in the 1986 World Cup, including that quarter-final win against England.
If the film isn’t as moving or compelling as Amy or Senna, it’s perhaps because Maradona’s third act has yet to be played out. But, by reserving some focus for his illegitimate son, Kapadia finds enough emotional heft to ensure this isn’t just a celebration of Diego’s greatest goals. (James Mottram) ■ General release from Fri 14 Jun.
Comedian Mindy Kaling brings her piquant perspective to a tale of an outsider entering a hostile workplace. Taking on an industry she knows all too well – TV comedy – the writer-star frames her observations within a peppy narrative, in a film that plays like Working Girl meets 30 Rock. Directed by Nisha Ganatra, it’s the story of
seasoned talk show host Katherine Newbury (Emma Thompson, in her best role for years). She’s an Englishwoman taken to America’s bosom, but whose shtick has grown stale. Scripted by men, her own acerbic personality is hidden. However, when her job is threatened, Katherine is forced to make some changes; joining her writing staff is Kaling’s Molly, an inexperienced woman of colour, whose last job was in quality control at a chemical plant. Thompson snarls and snarks her way through well-crafted putdowns, while Kaling’s irresistible sweetness adds a spring to the story’s step; their salt-and-sugar dynamic is the film’s trump card. Late Night clocks the need for co-operation in its battle-of- the-sexes narrative, without compromising its ideals. Looking beyond the obvious bad guys, its intrinsic good nature suggests a way past society’s current stalemate. (Emma Simmonds) ■ General release from Fri 7 Jun.
DRAMA NEVER LOOK AWAY (TBC) 189min ●●●●●
If the prospect of a three-hour film isn’t immediately enticing, remember writer-director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s debut was 2006’s Oscar-winning The Lives of Others. If you are in the camp that thought that among the best films of its decade, you will have no problem being drawn into this engrossing drama with a wonderful cast and Oscar-nominated cinematography by American veteran Caleb Deschanel.
The story spans 30 years in 20th century Germany: from Nazism to the Communist GDR and a flight to freedom in the west. As seen through the eyes of artist Kurt Barnert (Tom Schilling), it’s a chronicle of love, loss, betrayal, politics and art. In 1937, young Kurt is taken by his beautiful, fragile aunt Elisabeth (Saskia Rosendahl) to a now infamous Nazi exhibition of degenerate art, in which modern works by Picasso, Klee and Kandinsky were reviled as illustrations of mental illness and crimes against culture. ‘Don’t tell anyone, but I like them,’ Elisabeth whispers. Soon after, she has a breakdown and is incarcerated in a ‘clinic’, where a diabolical SS doctor (a chilling Sebastian Koch) decides whether patients are treated, sterilised or killed.
We follow the fates of Elisabeth and Kurt’s family and watch his love affair with Ellie (Paula Beer) unfold, which all feed into the encompassing theme of art and personal expression versus ideology, with individuality extinguished by those who would control what is seen and thought. Kurt becomes successful painting murals of heroic workers but he restlessly searches for his real path and voice. There are stunning sequences – awful, rapturous, illuminating – while pieces of the fractured past finally connect in a thrilling climax. (Angie Errigo) ■ Selected release from Fri 5 Jul.
1 Jun–31 Aug 2019 THE LIST 91