John David Washington (right) and Adam Driver in BlacKkKlansman
BlacKkKlansman
Released on 24th August
The brash swagger and polyester fashions of this comedy from Spike Lee may be pure 1970s, but the anger that crackles throughout has a more contemporary target: Lee misses no opportunity to take pot shots at Trump. Based on a true story, the film tells of Ron Stallworth, an African-American detective who infiltrates a local chapter of the KKK (below). As bold as it is broad, the film executes a few lurching tonal swerves, but Lee manages to keep the energy pulsing and the fury on target.
The Miseducation Of Cameron Post
Released on 31st August
This Sundance prize-winning picture from Desiree Akhavan is a biting blend of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and the LGBTQ teen comedy But I’m a Cheerleader. After getting caught in a clinch with another girl, Cameron (Chloë Grace Moretz) finds herself sent to a conversion therapy centre, where happy clappy team leaders attempt to pray the gay away. Together with fellow rebels Jane (Sasha Lane) and Adam (Forrest Goodluck), Cameron self-medicates with homegrown weed and sarcasm. Akhavan deftly handles the shift from wry comedy to darker themes.
Cold War
Released on 31st August
Pawel Pawlikowski follows the Oscar-winning Ida with another snapshot of post-war Europe captured in luminous black and white. As elegant as it is economical—there’s no padding here, not a frame which isn’t exquisitely crafted—the film is inspired by the tempestuous on-off romance of Pawlikowski’s own parents. Singer Zula and musician Wiktor meet in Poland, but their story takes in Berlin, Paris and Yugoslavia. Music is key: we journey from the raw, full-throated peasant songs of Zula’s youth, to world-weary jazz in Paris.
