London Film Festival 2012: Top five films to watch

The 56^th BFI London Film Festival is here. Taking place from 10^th to 21^st October, Southbank will host the much anticipated movie lovers event. 

Rather than just listing all 225 films and documentaries available to watch, here are the top five films we recommend: 

Frankenweenie (3D) – The latest of Tim Burton’s creations will be playing at this year’s BFI Film Festival. Originally a short story in Burton’s days at Disney, Frankenweenie is about a young inventor named Victor, who finds a way of bringing his dog Sparky back from the dead. This 3D animation promises to be all the things we’ve come to love and expect from the director.

Wednesday 10^th October, 7pm – Odeon Leicester Square / IMAX

Beasts of the Southern Wild – Benh Zeitlin’s debut film has already been called as the next Slumdog Millionaire. Just as inspiring as Danny Boyle’s blockbuster, Beasts of the Southern Wild is an imaginative piece of film-making combined with just as lyrically inspiring poetry. Quvenzhané Wallis gives an amazing performance as six-year-old Hushpuppy, who must adjust her life to match the highs and lows of her alcoholic father’s moods.

Thursday 11^th October, 10am – Odeon Leicester Square

Helter Skelter – The second feature by Mika Ninagawa (daughter of the celebrated theatre director Yukio Ninagawa) lives up to its name. It’s a thrill ride, reminiscent of vintage Ken Russell, which tears into the supermodel/teen-idol industries that make the world of Japanese pop culture go round. Lilico is The Face, but her outer beauty masks the tantrums of a self-hating queen bitch. The plot (based on a manga by Kyoko Okazaki) turns on hysterical jealousy and rivalries. 

Wednesday 10^th October, 9am / Friday 12^th October, 3pm – BFI Southbank

Amour – Haneke’s Palme d’Or winner is an honest account of a comfortably off-couple trying to cope when the wife suffers strokes that leave her first partly paralysed, then virtually speechless and inactive. The treatment is simplicity: apart from an early scene in which the couple go to a piano recital, the entire film takes place at their Paris apartment. 

Thursday 11^th October, 8.45pm / Saturday 13^th October, 12.15pm – Curzon, Mayfair

Argo – Ben Affleck is back with his new political thriller, Argo, which is already being considered as an early Oscar contender. On 4^th November, 1979, as the Iranian revolution reaches boiling point, militants storm the US Embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. But in the midst of the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador. Knowing it is only a matter of time before the six are found out and likely killed, a CIA “exfiltration” specialist named Tony Mendez (Affleck) comes up with a plan to get them safely out of the country.

Thursday 18^th October 12.15pm – Odeon Leicester Square

Zanib Asghar

For a list of all available movies and ticket purchases, please visit the official BFI London Film Festival website.