September is a great month for the discerning cinemagoer. Blockbuster season is over and the more thoughtful, some would say, intelligent fare begins to grab its share of the limelight. Literary adaptations rub shoulders with festival award winners and even an idiosyncratic family film pops up. Below are just a few highlights in an exciting month.
Obvious Child (29 August)
I first saw Obvious Child at Sundance London in April and it immediately leapt to the top of the list of my favourite films of the year. Gillian Robespierre's film about a New York stand-up comedian, who after being dumped by her boyfriend, has a one-night stand with the likeable, but slightly boring, Max (Jake Lacy) and gets pregnant, is one of the funniest and most insightful films I've seen in yonks. It also features a wonderful break-out performance from Jenny Slate as the protagonist, Donna. Rather than taking the Juno/Knocked Up narrative, Obvious Child explores the options regarding abortion and Donna's decision whether or not to include Max in the process. Newcomer Slate is all set to be a huge star, she's by turns fizzing energy, wit and fragile vulnerability and we're going to be seeing a lot more of her.
The Guest (5 September)
Dan Stevens is best known for setting hearts-a-flutter in Downton Abbey but he's recently made a break for Hollywood and his first leading role is in dark thriller The Guest. Perhaps an eye-opener for anyone more familiar with the starched collars of Downton, Stevens plays a soldier returning from a tour of Afghanistan, who pays a visit to the family of one his deceased comrades. Initially friendly and charming, he is invited by the family to stay for a few days but they become alarmed as a number of people in the town where they live are found dead. If you saw last year's You're Next, you'll know the delicate balance director Adam Wingard straddles, as his films lurch from offbeat comedy to brutal violence. It's an acquired taste, but there's no denying the skill involved. Stevens is also something of a revelation as the charismatic loner with a mysterious past. Further leading man roles surely await.
The Hundred-Foot Journey (5 September)
Director, Lasse Hallstrom is the go to guy if you want to adapt a book that has been a hit with a more mature audience, having directed the feature film adaptations of Chocolat, The Cider House Rules and Salmon Fishing In The Yemen. His latest adaptation hoping to pull in the ‘grey pound’ is this gentle romantic drama starring British film royalty, Helen Mirren as Madame Mallory, the owner of a celebrated French restaurant who clashes with the Kadam family after they move in opposite and start their own restaurant. Cockles will be warmed though when Madame Mallory takes the gifted young chef Hassan under her wing. It’s ideal for fans of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and it has real power behind it, having been produced by none other than Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey.
Pride (12 September)
In a year of very good comedies, Pride is the best yet. Since first seeing it back in July, I have found it a struggle not to wax lyrical about it to anyone who is prepared to listen. A genuinely wonderful British film that tells an important story, it deserves to find a huge audience and, with any luck, it will. A community of lesbian and gay activists in London in the early-1980s identify a kinship with the striking miners and set about raising money for a small mining community in south Wales. The story arc may be familiar, but director Matthew Warchus hits every single beat and as well as being extremely funny, it also packs a huge emotional punch. Few films manage to make you roar with laughter and cry with emotion within the space of a few minutes but Pride manages it with ease. It also features arguably the best cast of the year, with seasoned performers Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton and Paddy Considine rubbing shoulders with brilliant newcomers, Ben Schnetzer, George Mackay and Jessica Gunning. Prepare to be moved in September.
Boxtrolls (12 September)
Animation studio, Laika, are the extremely patient people behind the stop-motion wonders, ParaNorman and Coraline and they’ve wiped their fingers and are just about ready to present their latest film, Boxtrolls. It’s another charmer about a young orphaned boy who is raised by underground cave-dwelling trash collectors. When they’re threatened by an evil exterminator, he tries to save his friends from their imminent extermination. It promises to be a striking and funny piece of animation.
The Riot Club (19 September 2014)
A handsome looking tale of two first-year students at Oxford University who join the infamous Riot Club, where reputations can be made or destroyed over the course of a single evening. Cue scenes of wanton debauchery and suits that most people would be a bit embarrassed to wear. It’s based on the popular play, Posh, by Laura Wade, which is loosely based on the Bullingdon Club, which a number of our prominent politicians were members of. With a very photogenic cast and a director who has proved her directing chops with An Education and One Day, this could be one of the next homegrown hits.
The Equalizer (26 September 2014)
Based on the 1980s television show starring Edward Woodward, The Equalizer features one of cinemas greatest leading men, Denzel Washington who plays McCall, a former black ops commando who has faked his death to live a quiet life in Boston. When he comes out of his self-imposed retirement to rescue a young girl, Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), he finds himself face to face with ultra-violent Russian gangsters. Director, Antoine Fuqua, as well as directing last year’s surprise hit, Olympus Has Fallen, also directed Washington to his last best actor Oscar in Training Day.
These are just seven of the films that will be in cinemas throughout September. I haven’t even highlighted Liam Neeson’s latest thriller (A Walk Among The Tombstones) or one of the great Philip Seymour Hoffman’s final performances (A Most Wanted Man) or Woody Allen’s latest comedy (Magic In The Moonlight). It’s an eclectic and exciting selection that proves that this September is again, a great month for cinema.