Clio Barnard, the director of the incredible documentary The Arbor, has won two awards at this years London Film Festival, Best British Newcomer and the Southerland Award. The Arbor is one of the finest documentaries at this yeats festival and is one that is certainly destined to become a classic. Telling the story of renowned Bradford playwright Andrea Dunbar, writer of 1980s classic Rita, Sue and Bob Too, and uses lip-synching technique fusing actors with the recorded voices of the Dunbar family, friends, and colleagues.

Original, brave, and honest Clio Barnard has been able to produce a real masterpiece that not only respectfully tells the story of Andrea, but of her eldest daughter, Lorraine Dunbar, who was interviewed whilst in prison. The directors use of live theatre, historical interviews and BBC Look North clips of Andrea gives a small glimpse in to her life and the performance of The Arbor – one of Andrea’s first and most autobiographical play – on the estate with local actors, and Jimmy Mistry, greatly adds to this story of a daughters relationship with her mother.

Juror David Morrissey Said:

“This year’s Best British Newcomer category was amazingly strong and the jurywas impressed by all the candidates. The three young actors nominated all delivered exceptional performances, and at a time when raising money for films and keeping them on track is so difficult, the two producers on theshortlist should be commended for their exceptional work. Finally, the three writer/directors nominated for IN OUR NAME, SUBMARINE and THE ARBOR created three very different, challenging pieces of work. The jury washugely impressed by all of their films.”

Tony Grisoni adds: “Focusing on playwright Andrea Dunbar’s uneasy relationship with her daughter, Lorraine, Clio Barnard’s genre-busting film THE ARBOR is innovative, eloquent and emotionally resonant. This film, whichtouched all of us, both challenges conventional filmmaking and at the same time engages with real lives. Astunning debut.”

This is a fantastic film and can be see at The Duke of York Cinema in Brighton today 28th October.

It wouldn’t be a film festival without the usual American remake of a classic European film. Sometimes, and this is almost rare but I find myself having to justify my review in some way, they get in on the money and lets face it sometimes these Euro classics need a little injection of that great American factory Hollywood blood. But then there are times (too many to count) when they fail in many respects, Let Me In is just such a case.

Before I even sat down to see this movie I knew I wasn’t going to like it. Two years ago I saw the original at a Empire Cinema no less and was stunned by its ingenuity and beauty. I then got the book and within three days had read it as it filled in so many of the additional storys you only get a glimpse of in the film.

The American remake is nothing other than a bastard that tries too hard to be clever yet its unnatural borrowing from the original and some of it’s own “creativity” was weak and at one or two points laughable.

This was one of the first films to come out of the classic UK film franchise Hammer Films. Classic in the sense that the films Hammer Horror produced where at times really cheesy and corny and this one is no different. There are times in the film where I swear not a moment goes by where this isn’t some music playing in the background. The production seems to want to be an independent film from the original but is unsure just how to do it.

If they had set it somewhere that wasn’t winter or snowing then that would have been a start. But the beginning of the film is odd and rushed and you crappy ‘two weeks earlier’ bull comes on you lose interest instantly.

The movies saving grace is Richard Jenkins, Håkan/The Father, who gives a very terrifying performance but one that isn’t matched by the script of by the younger leads. Some of the changes makes no sense as in Håkan become The Father takes a lot away from the relationship between Oscar and Abby (Eli in the original). And that’s the final straw in a sense. You don’t believe the relationship between the two and it comes across very forced and unrealistic.

They seemed to have missed some of the subtlety of the original and the role of Håkan and his real relationship with Abby. They could have very successfully managed to form a darker and more sinister film by taking more from the book with a central focus on the need of Abby to move on. There is a line in the remake that Jenkins says when he’s failed to get Abby the blood she needs which alludes slightly to their relationship and to the new forged friendship with Oscar but then doesn’t really go anywhere.

Let Me In has few moments in it that would make you jump or sit up and enjoy. The originals power was through its scope and believability with the leads you strangely connect with. Let Me In tries to do too much and as such becomes over complicated and for fans of the original this is going to be a great disappointment.

The American starts but comes from nowhere and it ends pretty much the same. Watching this film was a must for all the reviewers as this screening was packed but after the initial opening scene nothing but confusion and randomness was to to found and what should have been a good film simply failed.

George Clooney tries hard in this film but for the first time he looked old. The film could have gotten a way with the arty script and feel but this wasn’t a French or Italian thriller and Clooney, as the lead, was just miscast. His performance at times was a little unbelievable and comical which took away from the film a great deal.

The storyline is hard and makes little sense, in that it doesn’t try to link the several story lines together, and the over the course of the film the director doesn’t seem willing to explain to the audience what is going or what the story is about. For this he has sacrificed substance for style and the look of the film is beautiful and some scenes are perfectly shot yet is all let down by a simple story that makes no sense. The start of the film Jack is attacked quite out the blue by a Swedish assassin in the middle of nowhere, after killing the assassin he then shoots the woman he was with in the back which is designed to show the audience that Clooney is bad guy.

That said the rest of the story evolves from nothing and really left me thinking midway through that I might need to watch this film again as I have clearly missed something. There is a patchwork feel to this film with some scenes either made and not edited into the final film or those scenes not made at all. A prime example os this is when Jack has taken the Italian prostitute he has been seeing on a picnic where he had planned to kill her. He becomes confused because she has a small handgun in her bag – a fact he found out after going through it. The next scene had them in the car arguing about this fact but there was no preview of this when they where sat having the picnic.

You don’t think at all she is anything other than what she is, a woman who has fallen for the type of guy that Jack is. So including this as a possible side plot was a waste. Then the Swedes come back and trace Jack to the small nowhere town he has been staying and yet again the filmmakers fail to give any indication of who they are or what they want with Jack.

By the end of the film I found myself wanting to leave but intrigued as the pace started to build, but after a few moments the end became somewhat predictable and shed even less light on the film storyline. A whole chunk of the film is left ignored and your never truly engaged with Jack or the other characters. Your led along but for what reason? It comes across like a very selfish vanity European vanity project for Clooney which might not be true but any other reasons for this film are hard to find.

The American never really manages to deliver and is a little bit of a disappointment. This might need a few views to allow it to settle in but that would take a lot on the part of the viewer and am not sure it really has that much to tell second time round.

El Ambulante, The Peddler, is a documentary that will lift your spirits and put the biggest smile on your face by the end. Does Daniel Burmeister really exist, does this type of spirit really travel from town to town in this way? El Ambulante will inspire you in a way you wont understand at first but will grow to realise just how important a person he really is, this film is a stunning testimony of how important documentary films can be.

Daniel is a self taught filmmaker who travels from town to town in Argentina making films. The difference here is that the towns people become the actors and Daniel uses everything he can to make his movie, there is not a moment that goes by where there is a problem and he over comes it with a class that is beautiful. And with that you get an idea of what this film is about When you first meet Daniel you get the sense that he’s a bit of a charmer and a little untrustworthy. His meeting with the deputy mayor of the small town, Benjamin Gould, his fee is nothing more than free room and board and all the takings during the finished films run, Let’s Kill Uncle becomes a resounding success!

Daniel has a passion and belief in his filmmaking that is inspiring, yet he does something more stunning than make a film. He brings a community together in a way none of them would have expected. Towards the end if the film Daniel takes a back seat and lets the towns people enjoy their movie. And that’s what it is “their movie”. Watching the towns people laugh and come together like this you start to think that Daniel is something more than a filmmaker.

This idea that he goes from town to town making one of 4 or 5 films that he has written (58) using the local community as the actors is inspired. The town really comes together for this film and each of them have a undeniable level of respect for Daniel. People who have never spoken to each other before are now sharing stories, taking part, and having fun.

The movie starts off in a “Highway to Heaven” type opening. A dirt road in which a rickety red car, held together by the rust, comes into focus with the vast open countryside in the background. He will leave in the same manner, no fanfare, no big hugs, but safe in the knowledge that his movie has made a difference to this town. Daniel is a honest to a fault and lives for his movie. There is no need for him to make millions or care about making commercial features to him being on the back streets and small towns is where his heart and creative passion lays. One point in the movie during filming of a funeral scene Daniel gets an unexpected phone from his sister which sets him back slightly and gives a small glimpse into a part of himself that he keeps incredibly guarded.

Having raised his daughters alone as a widower Daniel’s life is where he wants it to be, he talks little about his daughters and what they think of what he is doing. In his 60s, a smoker, and slightly overweight, this life on the road is clearly taking his toll on him. Yet he doesn’t seem to want to entertain the idea of going slower, his aim over the next few months is to make another 5 or 6 films so he can pay for his grandson to come and visit him.

Few films can touch you just as much as this one. Daniel entres these peoples lives and asks them to trust him, and they do. The result is a totally unique record of their town, a bringing together of everyone, young and old, to document a time in their history that will remain with them forever. At times this film is insane and verges on ridiculous with some of the most natural humour you could imagine. You will love this movie!