Lydia Spencer-Elliott
AS a week of film watching and celeb spotting draws to a close at the 68th San Sebastian Film Festival in Donostia, we’ve rounded up the best British cinema from the programme to look out for in mainstream cinemas.
Supernova
Stanley Tucci and Colin Firth set off in their campervan for a literal trip down memory lane. As Tusker (Tucci) loses himself to dementia, he and his husband Sam (Firth) revisit the places and people that remain special to them on the road. The intimate relationship between the pair translates beautifully to screen and the script is packed with comedy that punctuates the heartbreak that will have you sobbing into your popcorn.
Spain release date: November 27
Herself
Mamma Mia director Phyllida Lloyd has swapped sequins for sledgehammers with her latest feature film Herself. After escaping an abusive husband, an Irish mother exasperated by her temporary housing sets to work building a house for her and her two daughters with nothing but her bare hands and the kindness of strangers behind her. The tale is inspiring and harrowing in equal measure but, at its heart, portrays the power of a determined mother who refuses to fail. Will also have you itching for a trip to B&Q.
Spain release date: October 1
Nomadland
Francis McDormand has been pegged for another Oscar for her characteristically earthy performance in Nomadland. A docu-fiction hybrid, the narrative follows van dweller Fern (McDormand) after her life is turned upside with the death of her husband and the disbanding of her town, Empire, Nevada. Chloe Zhao has directed with grace and finesse: The plot demonstrates that amongst hardship and heartache there is always friendship and freedom to be found. It is a fascinating look into the American soul and depicts austerity without an ounce of self-pity. Also has a gorgeous soundtrack by Ludovico Einaudi.
Spain release date: January 2021
The World to Come
Vanessa Kirby and Katherine Waterston play two 19th-century farmers wives who fall in love and aspire to escape from their tiresome husbands. A gorgeous love story set in the 1850s, The World to Come riffs on friendship, insecurity, inequality and education to portray a spellbinding relationship between two charismatic women. If you were a fan of Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) then this one is for you.
Spain release date: TBC
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Eliza Hittman tells the story of an American teen who must travel from Pennsylvania to New York with her cousin for an abortion aged just seventeen. The film is told with such political candidness and unflinching honesty that it will make your blood boil and your eyes sting from sheer frustration at the injustice of it all. This is a deeply affecting narrative with grief and exasperation running through it. It is so relevant to the pro-life/pro-choice debate that it will make you wince. Astounding and heartbreaking.
Spain release date: September 25
