Cheltenham International Film Festival

Latest reviews

• 
  Goliath

  Review preview for Goliath

  A crisp, downbeat, clever exploration of the issues, combined with a whodunnit.

  In the aftermath of President Macron's U-turn on a glyphosate ban, the stories of lawyer Patrick, victim France and lobbyist Mathias intertwine when the wife of a farmer dead from cancer commits a terrible act of protest.
• 
  Rhino

  Review preview for Rhino

  What Sentsov does really well here is to show us the humanity which lies within even the most monstrous of these men.

  Starting out as a petty thief, a young man nicknamed “Rhino” quickly works his way up the criminal hierarchy in 1990s Ukraine. Rhino has only known power and cruelty, but with nothing left to lose, could he finally find a chance at redemption?
• 
  You Resemble Me

  Review preview for You Resemble Me

  Both girls deliver exceptional performances in the powerful opening section, and if the film struggles to make the same impact afterwards, that serves to bring Hasna’s loss into sharp relief.

  Cultural and inter-generational trauma erupt in this story about two sisters on the outskirts of Paris.
• 
  Hit The Road

  Review preview for Hit The Road

  Panahi and his actors shift through emotions so smoothly, you barely notice them until they have immersed you.

  Drama based around a road trip in a borrowed car.
• 
  Both Sides Of The Blade

  Review preview for Both Sides Of The Blade

  Although this film has no body count, it carries with it all the danger of an erotic thriller.

  Sara has been in a stable, loving relationship with Jean for years. But then a man from their past reappears and, without warning, an old passion reignites.
• 
  Between Two Worlds

  Review preview for Between Two Worlds

  Binoche gives her all, stripping away any vestiges of actressy pretence to assimilate herself in the community while at the same time investing her performance with an authentic conviction.

  Marianne Winckler, a well-known author, goes to live in northern France to research for her new book on the subject of job insecurity. Without revealing her true identity, she gets hired as a cleaner, working with a group of other women.
• 
  Girls Girls Girls

  Review preview for Girls Girls Girls

  The performances are all first class, with any one of the three leads capable of carrying a film on her own.

  Mimmi, Emma and Rönkkö are girls at the cusp of womanhood, trying to draw their own contours. In three consecutive Fridays two of them experience the earth-moving effects of falling in love, while the third goes on a quest to find something she’s never experienced before: pleasure.
• 
  Miracle

  Review preview for Miracle

  With impressive cinematography at every stage, the film hinges on two magnificent slow, circular sequences, one in the middle and one at the end, each of which resets the narrative.

  Divided into two chapters, Miracol follows a young novice as she sneaks out of an isolated convent to attend to an urgent matter. The second part deals with a determined police detective trying to understand what happened to her.
• 
  Huda's Salon

  Review preview for Huda's Salon

  Writer/director Hany Abu-Assad emphasises the menace in the mundane.

  A young mum tries to navigate her way out of a blackmail situation, while her attacker also finds herself under unexpected interrogation.
• 
  The Good Boss

  Review preview for The Good Boss

  The balance of Javier Bardem's central performance as the CEO of the title is what elevates this from being another run-of-the-mill satire.

  Trouble brews at a factory after a boss finds himself in line for an award for excellence.

A–Z of Cheltenham International Film Festival 2022 reviews →

Features

• Background to a tragedy
  Justin Kurzel on exploring real events in Nitram
• Breaking the cage
  Ronnie Sandahl on the treatment of young footballers and Swedish Oscar submission Tigers