NOW in its 23rd year, this month sees the return of the Leeds International Film Festival.
From November 4 to 22, you can see a host of mainstream feature films and documentaries, as well as more experimental work and short films, showing at locations across the city.
Two of the festival’s biggest attractions, however, were shown on the opening night.
The first of these is Grant Heslov’s comedy The Men Who Stare At Goats, the true story of the US government’s attempts to create a paranormal army of ‘Jedi warriors’ who could kill using just their minds.
The cast includes George Clooney, Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey as the ‘psychic’ soldiers and Ewan McGregor as the reporter trying to uncover the truth about the operation.
Shown immediately afterwards was Jane Campion’s acclaimed Bright Star, a drama about poet John Keats and his doomed romance with Fanny Brawne.
The film has already been laden with praise, not least for Ben Whishaw’s performance as the tragic Keats.
Another highlight of the festival is Joel and Ethan Coen’s A Serious Man (showing November 8, 10 and 12), a ‘60s-set black comedy about a man whose life begins to unravel when his wife announces she’s leaving him.
If critics are to be believed, this highly personal Coen brothers outing is something of a masterpiece.
On the other hand, the movie Cracks (November 18 and 19), about a cliquey all-girl boarding school in 1930s Britain, is gaining buzz mainly for the heritage of its director, Jordan Scott (daughter of Sir Ridley).
Starring Casino Royale's Eva Green, Cracks focuses on the fallout which occurs when enigmatic new girl Fiamma begins to attract the attention of mysterious teacher Miss G (Green).
Of the other smaller films in the line-up that have gathered momentum from their rounds on the festival circuit, there is Cold Souls (November 6 and 7), a comedy drama starring the fantastic Paul Giamatti, French zombie flick The Horde ( November 7) and Bunny and the Bull (November 8), a quirky comedy from Paul King, director of TV’s The Mighty Boosh.
King’s film features a cameo from ‘Boosh’ regular Julian ‘Howard Moon’ Barratt, who makes an appearance at the festival in support of ‘Mighty Boosh’ documentary Journey of the Childmen (November 8).
Fans of Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli may also be interested to know there are screenings of its latest feature, Hayao Miyazaki’s Ponyo, on November 22. A re-working of The Little Mermaid, Ponyo has been embraced as yet another classic from the Oscar-winning studio, featuring voice work from Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett and Liam Neeson.
