The Best Of Ol’ Blighty: British Film Festival 2014
There’s plenty to like about England. Kate, Wills and baby George. Austin Powers. Bond. The Queen. Cups of tea and the Mini Minor. Now there’s another way to indulge in nostalgia for the UK of yore with the Emirates British Film Festival 2014, beginning in Melbourne this week. With a packed programme featuring cultural events and screenings of films both contemporary and vintage, you’re in for a treat. In today’s blog, C&G curates the best of the Brits to watch at the flicks.
…. something old
Aah, the heady days of the 1960’s in the UK. Miniskirts were going up, new estates filled ex-industrial suburbs and Beatlemania hit the western world. In an homage to the cultural revolution that fuelled the English film industry in the 60’s, the BFF presents ‘Six from the 60s’ – featuring eminently watchable and iconic cinema including a young and very gorgeous Michael Caine (inset above) in The Italian Job. Our pick of the retro films is A Hard Day’s Night, starring The Beatles and beautifully digitally restored to celebrate the film’s 50th anniversary (!). Nominated for two Academy Awards, the film charts a day in the life of the Fab Four at the peak of their powers. Come along to the Palace Cinema Como on Wednesday 12th of November to enjoy this film after a soiree of vino and live entertainment. Tickets here.
…. something new
As Robbie Williams told us, ‘the kids are alright’! In this case, the ‘kids’ are British film-makers – a selection of 15 contemporary films shown at the BFF highlights the diversity of new cinema coming out of the UK. A crowd-favourite is ‘Testament of Youth’, a new film by James Kent which is a must-see for history buffs. An epic coming-of-age war tale starring Kit Harrington (famous for his role as Jon Snow in Game of Thrones) and Alicia Vikander, it is the story of a free-minded young woman called Vera Brittain who wins a scholarship to Oxford, falling in love with her brother’s close friend and jointly pursuing their literary dreams. The First World War pulls them apart, and Brittain goes on the work as a nurse tending wounded soldiers, soon mourning the death of her own love. Sensitive and earnest. On a lighter note, keep your peepers out for ‘God Help the Girl’, a whimsical film by one-half of musical duo Belle & Sebastian starring Australia’s Emily Browning as a young woman on the road to becoming a musician in Glasgow.