1 The Other Side of Hope (12A)
(Aki Kaurismäki, 2017, Fin/Ger) 100 mins
Kaurismäki’s gorgeous alternative universe of 1950s retro stylings, eccentric characters, deadpan comedy and universal cigarette-smoking houses two escapees: a mournful Syrian asylum seeker and a dour, divorcing Finnish restaurateur; fellow lonely souls whose salvation reminds us what it is to be human, and European.
2 The Red Turtle (PG)
(Michaël Dudok de Wit, 2016, Fra/Bel/Jap) 81 mins
Clean, minimalist line animation, subtle detailing and an absence of dialogue make this a refreshingly calm alternative to the standard hyperactive family movie. It’s a Robinson Crusoe-like parable of a man on a desert island, whose encounters with a mysterious giant turtle brings elements of magic and companionship to what becomes a soothing tale of humans, nature and human nature.
3 I Am Not Madame Bovary (12A)
(Feng Xiaogang, 2016, Chi) 139 mins
A comically stubborn villager seeks revenge on her cheating husband and retribution from the state in this long but rewarding satire, which often deploys a novel circular frame. Her demands seem perverse but her dealings with a succession of self-serving, buck-passing officials take her case all the way to Beijing.
4 Colossal (15)
(Nacho Vigalondo, 2016, Can/Spa) 109 mins
Anne Hathaway’s quarter-life crisis appears to be connected to a Godzilla-like monster rampage on the other side of the world in this enjoyably bizarre collision of indie comedy and sci-fi apocalypse. It’s not a perfect match but, by Hollywood’s play-it-safe standards, this is a refreshing novelty.
5 Frantz (12A)
(François Ozon, 2016, Fra/Ger) 114 mins
Ozon’s handsome 1920s drama offers a rich blend of emotional turbulence, romantic suspense and anti-war humanism, as a German villager is drawn to a handsome French soldier she meets at her fiance’s grave after the war.
