London Film Festival 2009

I Fought the Law
I Fought the Law is a collection of short films chosen by Simon Young, described as "Short films with added fighting: from verbal disagreements to clashes of ideology, to full on machine-gun in face Mexican stand-offs."

I enjoy the shorts as generally they have to be powerful and to the point, and if they're not, you've only about 10-15 minutes to endure! At the beginning of the screening, Simon introduced a number of the directors, who each spoke briefly to the audience. This is the value of seeing things at the film festival, you usually get access to director and cast, which sometimes adds immeasurably to the experience.


X Returns

X Returns
The opening piece was by a new director, his first piece and first screening! Well filmed, it seemed more like a trailer for a feature film than a short in itself. Still, how can one not enjoy anything starring Holly Valence?

The Man in the Blue Gordini
A bizarre yet enjoyable French animation about a world of Orange totalitarianism and a brief flash of Blue revolutionary action (and naughty bits) by a masked rebel who drives an R8 Gordini car.


Fetch

Fetch
A slightly weak short about two American wise-guys being hired to do a job by a gangster.

Harvest
A powerful short about a burglary that goes wrong, ended up with a new life for one of the thieves as a pig farmer. Slightly bizarre yet enjoyable.


The Odds

The Odds
Directed by the beautiful Paloma Baeza, this short is simple yet clever, with a couple of twists. The story revolves around a suspicious casino floor manager confronting a very successful punter.

The Little Dragon
Thirty-five years after his death, Bruce Lee is reincarnated in the form of a toy figure in a French short. Hilarious and to the point, this animation had the audience laughing out loud.

Trunk
Two college students spend a long hard day in the desert that they'll never forget. A predictable variation on an old theme with some shocking twists.

The One Last Time
An amusing short sketch of a bank robbery where multiple gangs all with themed masks attack the same bank. Watch for Lion Witch and Wardrobe coming up against Marvel and Starwars!


Overall - a good start to the festival. More tomorrow!