El Conde (15)
Directed by Pablo Larrain
★★★
 

JUST when you thought there were no new ways of exploring Augusto Pinochet’s devastating impact on Chile comes an ingenious and biting satire from Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larrain. 
 
It is set in a parallel universe where the former dictator (Jaime Vadell) is portrayed as a vampire who after 250 years suffers an existential crisis and decides he finally wants to die.  He calls a meeting of his ruthless wife (Gloria Munchmeyer) and their five grown-up children to inform them of his plans and where his hidden millions are. 

His kids hire a young French accountant (Paula Luchsinger) to get their father’s affairs in order, who turns out to be an undercover nun determined to save Pinochet’s soul. However, he falls in love with her and rethinks his demise. 
 
Shot in black and white this is a surreal political farce which shows the evil and brutal impunity that Pinochet represents. His influence is depicted through the decades as he first appears in the run up to the French Revolution as the young Claude Pinoche. Once the aristocratic heads start to roll he escapes and disappears from history until he reemerges centuries later determined to stamp out all revolutions. He has aged greatly which somewhat defies vampiric lore. 
 
Having sucked the life out of Chile he refuses to admit he made any mistakes except for accounting ones, and is incensed when he is accused of being a thief. “You can call a soldier a killer, but not a thief!” he insists angrily. 
 
It is exceedingly gory, depraved and inspired as it sinks its teeth into Pinochet and his cohorts and features a devilish twist. 

Out in select cinemas today and on Netflix September 15

Once Upon A Time in Uganda (15)
Directed by Cathryne Czubek
★★★★

 
SHOT like an all-guns-blazing non-stop action film, this hugely entertaining documentary follows the bromance between Uganda’s answer to Tarantino, Isaac Nabwana, and American film nerd Alan Hofmanis as they bond over their love of Chuck Norris and 1980s action flicks. 
 
You cannot help but be swept up by brick-maker Isaac’s passion and energy to make hilarious comedy action films on a shoestring, with improvised special effects, crazy explosions, fight scenes and car chases and put Wakaliwood, the country’s very own Hollywood, on the map. 
 
The film, co-written and directed by Cathryne Czubek, follows Alan as he heads from the US to Uganda to meet Isaac and his family, at which point he decides to stay and assist him in making his films and getting him known internationally. 
 
Meanwhile, Isaac wants national recognition and for the snobby “corporate class,” as he calls them, to go and see his action comedies and accept him as a bona fide filmmaker. 
 
This is a wild and inspirational ride which will make you laugh and cry and is a wonderful love letter to filmmaking and the power of films to unite people across the cultural divides.

Out in cinemas today

Man on the Run (12A) 
Directed by Cassius Michael Kim
★★★

 
THIS gripping documentary exposes the shocking greed and corruption which resulted in a wannabe playboy and player stealing around $5 billion from Malaysia’s 1MDB (a strategic development company owned by the Minister of Finance) to fund his extravagant lifestyle as he parties with Hollywood stars including Leo DiCaprio and Jamie Foxx. 
 
Known as Jho Low, this mysterious businessman invested money in DiCaprio’s film The Wolf of Wall Street which was about crime, corruption, and the federal government. Oh, the irony!
 
If you haven’t heard of the 1MDB scandal, which also involved Malaysia’s former prime minister Najib Razak, writer-director Cassius Michael Kim’s in-depth film gives you a detailed account of what happened and who was involved. It is told by the journalists, opposition leaders and the law enforcement that uncovered the conspiracy. 
 
It is a very complex tale which beggars belief and this is definitely worth watching. It is a real eye-opener.

Out in cinemas today

A Life on the Farm (12)
Directed by Oscar Harding
★★★

THIS bizarre film, made from VHS found footage, is a rather disturbing, yet hard-to-look-away-from home video by a Somerset farmer which features his dead cat, his dead mother and father whom he photographed shortly after they died, as well as graphic shots of cows giving birth. 

The eccentric farmer Charlie Carson, who was obsessed with capturing death, gave this video to first time documentary maker Oscar Harding’s grandfather. 

Harding gives context and background on camera to this surreal home movie, and to this larger than life character who was married with children, although he comes across as a loner from the footage. 

Also Harding explains his fascination with Carson who was also an inventor and an eclectic artist while outlining his legacy.

This won’t be to everyone’s taste. 

Out in cinema today