BFI London Film Festival 2013

On the 19th and 20th of October I went to see two different films that were being shown as part of the BFI London Film Festival.

Short Term 12

Written and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, this film initially caught my attention due to the involvement of John Gallagher Jr in it - something that links both of these films.

The film follows a 'foster care facility for at-risk teenagers' and both the carers - primarily a twenty-something woman called Grace - and the teenagers living there. Films which involve serious teen issues can sometimes seem over-dramatised or unrealistic, but Short Term 12 portrayed these issues with sensitivity yet adding a rawness which could be difficult to match. The structural similarity of the beginning and ending perfectly started the narrative and effortlessly brought it to a natural end.

Brie Larson was perfect for Grace and conveyed her yearning to help these teenagers whilst never confronting her own feelings and needs perfectly. John Gallagher faultlessly portrayed the helplessness of not being able to let his girlfriend, Grace, open up to him. Kaitlyn Denver was also heartbreaking as Jayden, a teenager whose journey is to talk about why she is in the facility.

Keith Stanfield stood out for me as Marcus whose looming eighteenth birthday means he has to leave short term 12. His complete lack of emotion on the surface was what made the whole plot seem like you were not watching written characters on a screen, but real people in such a devastating position.

This is writing at its best from Cretton. Nothing seems out of place, cheesy, or over the top. They made the best of what they had with such a small budget, but this heightens the rawness of the film. I think the cinematography was perfect; the camera work wasn't static, but as if you were there with these characters. 

I have never wanted to laugh and cry so violently in such a close proximity, but Cretton made the balance between comical and darker elements perfect. This is a film I would definitely recommend. Best film of the year, hands down.  

5*

Broadway Idiot

Broadway Idiot is a documentary about the making of the Broadway production 'American Idiot' which incorporates the music and narrative of the band 'Green Day's album of the same name.

It focused more on Billie Joe Armstrong's personal connection to the album and the making of the production. It was a bit disheartening hardly seeing Mike and Tre, but as the director and editor said in the talk afterwards, bits were shot with them however in the final cut Billie's story was the path they wanted to take. I found it extremely bittersweet when he repeatedly told how he found he had made true friends for the first time in a long time in theatre, which he couldn't do in the rock world.

Being both a massive theatre and green day lover this was the perfect documentary for me. I did find it initially took time to get started, but once it did it was relatively fast-paced, showing you all aspects of putting on a Broadway show - from set design, to musical arrangements, to pre-Broadway runs - without ever leaving you bored.

I couldn't help, but find that something was missing from it, but don't quite know what. Nevertheless it was a wonderful insight into the hard work and time that goes into putting together a production of such a large scale. Definitely a must for Green Day and/or theatre fans and it is great to see these two worlds colliding.

Georgia Goody-Miceli

4*