He’s back – and not a moment too soon…
In a fairly seismic news week, it’s a relief to see some cinematic succour arriving in the form of Paddington in Peru – but can it top the giddy heights of Paddington 2?
Plus, a wartime evacuee makes a dangerous journey in Steve McQueen’s Blitz, and Pharrell Williams says it with Lego in block-umentary Piece By Piece…
New releases
Paddington in Peru
Cinema’s most unfailingly polite hero makes his long-awaited return in this new adventure, which sees him heading back to his homeland for a reunion with his beloved Aunt Lucy.
Only problem is, when Paddington (Ben Whishaw) and the Brown family arrive at the Peruvian jungle’s Home for Retired Bears, she’s nowhere to be seen – setting the clan off on an action-packed mission to find her.
She’s not the only one who’s gone AWOL, with Paddington 2 director Paul King and his co-writer Simon Farnaby having jumped ship to helm last year’s Wonka instead – and while reviews suggest that some of their universally adored sequel’s magic has gone with them, the presence of Olivia Colman as a singing nun ought to go some way to making up for it.
| Cert PG, 106 mins | |
| Cineworld, City Screen, Everyman, Vue | |
| From Fri Nov 8 | |
| More details |
Blitz
Following his tremendous Small Axe series for the BBC in 2020, 12 Years a Slave director Steve McQueen returns to the big screen with this World War II drama starring Saoirse Ronan.
The story centres on 9-year-old George (newcomer Elliott Heffernan), who’s sent away from London to the safety of the countryside by his mother Rita (Ronan) – but impulsively decides to make his way back home alone through the capital’s war-ravaged streets.
If some critics have found it a surprisingly conventional film from the director of Hunger and Shame, others have praised McQueen’s ability to bring a new perspective to familiar subject matter – and it certainly breaks ground in one way, by casting the Modfather himself, Paul Weller, in his first ever film role as George’s grandad.
| Cert 12A, 120 mins | |
| City Screen, Everyman | |
| From Fri Nov 8 |
Piece By Piece
…or to give it the title by which everyone will actually refer to it, The Pharrell Williams Lego Thing.
Yes, this is the film which sees the trailblazing music producer and performer opt for a typically novel spin on the music doc, choosing to tell his story via the colourful medium of building blocks and collectable mini-figures.
Gwen Stefani, Kendrick Lamar and Jay-Z are among the talking detachable heads lining up sing his praises, while the master builder behind the camera is Morgan Neville, who helmed the acclaimed Motown documentary 20 Feet from Stardom.
| Cert PG, 93 mins | |
| Cineworld, Vue | |
| From Fri Nov 8 | |
| More details |
Other screenings
Aesthetica Short Film Festival
The 14th Aesthetica Short Film Festival is now in full swing, with film fans darting in and out of darkened rooms across the city.
Running until Sunday 10th November, the ASFF showcases a dazzling array of over 300 films across genres such as animation, comedy, drama and documentary – as well as giving you the chance to immerse yourself in the realms of VR and gaming.
That’s alongside the usual wide-ranging selection of talks and masterclasses from some of the best in the business, including Aardman, Ridley Scott Associates and the BBC – plus a series of kids’ workshops covering everything from stop-motion animation to how to become a game developer.
As in recent years, the festival will also be available to experience online up until the end of the month, and tickets are available to take part in-person, online or a hybrid of both.
Tickets start from £7.50 for a single screening (usually comprising six shorts), with one-day, two-day and unlimited passes also available – and York residents can also get 25% off a one-day pass. Head to ASFF’s website to see the full range of options and prices, and check out the full range of screenings and events in their programme.
| Various venues across York | |
| From Weds Nov 6 to Sun Nov 10 | |
| More details and tickets |
Family-friendly films
And the prize for most ridiculously early festive release goes to…Red One, a Santa’s-gone-missing caper starring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans as the mismatched duo tasked with getting him back – it does at least have the virtue of starring J.K. Simmons as the man in red, which feels like something that had to happen at some point (Cineworld, Everyman, Vue, daily).
Despicable Me 4 is your budget viewing choice at both Cineworld (£2.50) and Vue (£2.49) on Sat 9th and Sun 10th – Cineworld are also showing eco-fable Ozi: Voice of the Forest (Sat 9th, Sun 10th, £2.50), while Everyman’s Toddler Club is screening period adventure Buffalo Kids (Fri 8th, Sat 9th, £6.25 child/£9.80 adult plus toddler).
Cineworld’s Julia Donaldson double bill this week is Zog and the Flying Doctors & Stick Man (Sat 9th and Sun 10th,£5.00), and you can also catch some more small screen favourites at Vue in the form of Hey Duggee Is 10 (Sat 9th, Sun 10th, £3.99) and Bing & Friends: Birthday Celebration (Fri 8th, £3.99) – got to say, this pair are really milking it at this point. Blow the candles out and move on, lads!
Skellington puts Santa on furlough and Giamatti ain’t quaffing no Merlot: old favourites back on the big screen
Cineworld’s musical season continues apace this week as they rewrite the stars with The Greatest Showman on Sat 9th, before getting embroiled in the murky world of scandal, celebrity and all that jazz in Chicago on Weds 13th.
The Halloween spirit lingers on with screenings of A Nightmare on Elm Street (Sat 9th, Sun 10th) and Saw (Sat 9th) at Vue, while Cineworld are getting the Ghostbusters in on Tues 12th.
Vue are also continuing to bridge the gap between Halloween and the festive season with The Nightmare Before Christmas on Sat 9th, Sun 10th and Mon 11th, as well as getting ready for the upcoming big screen adaptation of Wicked with screenings of The Wizard of Oz on Sat 9th, Sun 10th and Tues 12th.
Moving from red shoes to red wine, Paul Giamatti will be offering you his not entirely complimentary thoughts on Merlot as City Screen’s celebration of Searchlight Pictures continues with 2004’s oenophile road trip Sideways on Sun 10th.
And finally, it’s no surprise that the music of the late, great Quincy Jones has graced many a movie over the years, from his score for the Sidney Poitier classic In the Heat of the Night to Austin Powers earworm Soul Bossa Nova – not to mention this shimmering slice of psychedelia from the Brothers Johnson, which soundtracked the scene where Samuel L. Jackson takes Chris Tucker on a fateful (and rather brief) car journey in Jackie Brown. “Now that, my friend, is a clear-cut case of him or me – and you best believe, it ain’t gonna be me…”