Daniel Craig is among the distinguished Hollywood figures whose latest films will be showcased at this year’s London Film Festival, organizers have announced.
Craig’s film, Queer, is set to make its British debut at the festival. Adapted from William Burroughs’ 1985 novel, the film explores the American expatriate community in 1950s Mexico. Craig’s performance has garnered significant acclaim following its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Tuesday. The Telegraph’s Robbie Collin praised Craig as “superb” in Luca Guadagnino’s “gorgeous” new film. Conversely, Kevin Maher of The Times, while acknowledging Craig’s standout performance, criticized the film for “trying too hard to be hip,” awarding it two stars. IndieWire’s Ryan Lattanzio noted that the film features “the most explicit gay sex scenes I can remember in any mainstream movie.”
Among other films generating Oscar buzz at the festival is Maria, featuring Angelina Jolie as the renowned opera singer Maria Callas. Jolie’s portrayal is already being forecasted as a strong contender in the upcoming Oscars race. Another film with potential Academy Award success is Emilia Pérez, starring Zoe Saldaña as a high-powered lawyer aiding a Mexican cartel leader with sex-reassignment surgeries.
Conclave, directed by Edward Berger, will also be presented. The film, based on Robert Harris’s novel about the papal election process, comes on the heels of Berger’s critically acclaimed All Quiet on the Western Front, which won four Oscars. Some reviews suggest that Ralph Fiennes, one of the film’s stars, could be a leading candidate for Best Actor.
Additional headline galas at the festival include:
- Nightbitch, starring Amy Adams as a mother who believes she may be turning into a canine.
- The Apprentice, a documentary exploring Donald Trump’s business ventures in the 1970s and 1980s.
- Elton John: Never Too Late, profiling the musician’s recent Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.
- Joy, featuring James Norton, Thomasin McKenzie, and Bill Nighy, portraying the real-life trio who were pivotal in the birth of Louise Brown, the first ‘test tube baby.’
The festival will commence with the world premiere of Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen’s Blitz, which follows a mother and son in London during World War Two. The closing film will be Piece by Piece, a documentary and biopic examining Pharrell Williams’ life and career through the medium of LEGO animation.
Other anticipated highlights include:
- Anora, directed by Sean Baker, which won the Cannes Palme d’Or and delves into the relationship between an exotic dancer and the son of a Russian oligarch.
- The Piano Lesson, an adaptation of August Wilson’s award-winning play, starring Samuel L. Jackson and John David Washington.
- We Live In Time, a romantic comedy-drama featuring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh.
The festival will also feature a series of screen talks with esteemed industry figures such as Steve McQueen, Lupita Nyong’o, and Daniel Kaluuya. In total, 253 titles, including features, shorts, series, and immersive works, will be presented during the festival, which runs from October 9 to 20.
