Cunningham (U)
Directed by Alla Kovgan
★★★★★

I AM no balletomane, so it says much for Alla Kovgan’s beguiling documentary about the life and work of legendary US dancer and choreographer Merce Cunningham that her film grabbed me at the start and held me throughout as it charts the story of his artistic evolution from 1944 to 1972.

From a struggling dancer in New York, he became one of the most visionary choreographers in the world who lived up to comments such as “The dancing does not refer — it is what it is” and, memorably, “I have nothing to say and I am saying it,” as he danced.

Despite rejection by ballet contemporaries, Cunningham created in collaboration with his life partner, composer John Cage, and visual artist Robert Rauschenberg, and perfected his own unique dance style.

Here it’s vividly recreated in 3D cinematography, on locations ranging from an empty New York subway tunnel to a forest and a skyscraper roof, along with well-selected archive film footage.

Alan Frank

Calm With Horses (15)
Directed by Nick Rowland
★★★★

SET in darkest rural Ireland, this brutal drama about family and loyalty and where these lie will leave you with your heart in your mouth.

Based on a short story by Irish writer Colin Barrett, it follows Douglas “Arm” Armstrong (Cosmo Jarvis), a former boxer-turned-enforcer for a surrogate family of drug dealers who, at the start of the film, is asked to kill for them for the first time.

He also learns that his ex-girlfriend Ursula (Niamh Algar) wants to take their autistic son to a special school across the other side of Ireland.

So he is stuck between a rock and a hard place as he has to choose between his two families.

This is an extraordinarily powerful and truly impressive debut feature by Nick Rowland which is carried by a mesmerising and stunning performance by Jarvis, who keeps you on a knife-edge as you watch Arm's life slowly spiral out of his control.

It does not pull any punches but it is a surprisingly emotional ride.

Maria Duarte

And Then We Danced (15)
Directed by Levan Akin
★★★★

SINCE he was a child, obsessive young Georgian traditional dancer Merab (Levan Gelbakhiani) has been training with his partner Mary (Ana Javakishvili) at the National Georgian Ensemble.
 
Then, in writer-director Levan Akin’s potent love story, the arrival of the charismatic Irakli (Bachi Valishvili) initially triggers rivalry between the two men before segueing into a gay romance.

Akin elicits truthful characterisations from his leads, who endow his drama with an authenticity made even more compelling by vividly used contemporary Georgian locations.

Akin has said that in the film  “the Georgian Dance would represent the ‘old’ and the burgeoning love between two of the dancers would represent the new.

He’s done just that in this consistently engrossing work.      

AF

Run (15)
Directed by Scott Graham
★★★

A FORMER boy racer turned factory fish-worker puts his life on the line for a final joyride in this depressing drama about lost hopes and dreams.

Think the Scottish equivalent of the Fast and Furious, set in an impoverished small Scottish town and inspired by Bruce Springsteen’s songs about growing up the wrong side of the tracks.

The 36-year-old Finnie (Mark Stanley), a father of two, falls into depression when he discovers his teenage drag-racer son has got his girlfriend pregnant. It would seem life is repeating itself.

He can’t confide in his wife Katie (Amy Manson), who desperately wants to rekindle his love and interest. So, in order to recapture his youth, he takes his son’s beloved car for one last ride.

Stanley gives a soulful performance but this isn’t a film to see if you are feeling low.

MD

My Spy (12A)
Directed by Peter Segal
★★★★

SUPERVILLAIN coronavirus may have postponed 007’s latest action epic from February to November but fortunately, having beaten Bond to the screen, here’s an unexpectedly funny alternative.

In it, fresh from being demoted after an unfortunate cock-up in an abandoned nuclear plant in Ukraine, hardened CIA operative JJ ends up being bossed by precocious nine-year-old Sophie (Chloe Coleman) when he is consigned to surveil her family in Chicago,

While JJ, played with an astonishingly entertaining comic touch by Dave Bautista, may be praised for kicking ass, knowing that “spy craft requires finesse” and can hold his own against enemy agents, it doesn’t take long before he becomes totally under Sophie’s thumb — and enjoys it.

Armed with an amusing screenplay, attractive key performances and a climactically thrilling action sequence that’s a genuine cliffhanger, director Peter Segal keeps the story moving fast, funny and exciting.

AF

The Hunt (15)
Directed by Craig Zobel
★★★

THE FILM that President Trump reportedly lambasted last year without having seen is finally coming to a screen near you.

The reason being that it revolves around a group of wealthy liberal elites who embark on a deadly game to hunt down 12 carefully chosen racist, conspiracy theorist and gun-toting right-wing red-necks.

Starring Betty Gilpin, Hilary Swank and Emma Roberts, it’s an intense thriller with a bold killer premise in which nobody comes out faring well.

With a deliciously dark and twisted script by Nick Cuse and Damon Lindelof, director Craig Zobel delivers a slick and stylish but uber-intense film which cleverly works both as a horror and as a political satire.

In a world full of Trumpian fake news and lies, where migrant children are caged up, it’s not such a stretch that a group of powerful rich people would hunt humans for sport.

MD