Alex B Cann Film Column - March 6th 2025

I was fortunate enough to catch a preview screening this week of Flow, the Oscar-winning Latvian animation about a solitary cat caught up in a raging flood and forced to team up with other animals to try and survive the torrent. There's not a single word of dialogue, but this is a mesmerising watch from start to finish. An unlikely alliance is forged between the cat, a capybara, a dog, and a secretary bird, and the film leaves us thinking about climate change, living in the moment, and survival. Clever stuff, and it proves that sometimes you don't need a wordy script to move cinema audiences.

Talking of the Oscars, it was an incredible night for gritty Pretty Woman Anora, which was in my top five films of 2024. I half expected the Best Picture to go to Conclave or The Brutalist, but fair play to Anora...it's a high-octane, sordid, unfiltered watch. Mikey Madison took best actress, and the film's director Sean Baker gave a great acceptance speech, in which he made a passionate case for audiences to support cinemas. He said they are a "vital part of our culture" and they are risk of being lost. Certainly, aside from a packed Bridget Jones screening, I've rarely seen good numbers on a par with those that were the norm pre-pandemic. Admittedly, I do often go to the cinema at random times of the day, but even so, I fear a lot of people are far happier streaming stuff at home in their pyjamas, whilst doom scrolling through the latest madness from America on social media.

Appropriately for a film that was an eye-watering duration, The Brutalist star Adrien Brody has become the new Guinness World Records holder for the longest acceptance speech, after his rambling acceptance of Best Actor ran to five minutes and 36 seconds. It's not his first record, as back in 2003 he became the youngest actor to accept a Best Actor statuette.

Elsewhere, I'm delighted Kieran Culkin was awarded for his supporting role in A Real Pain. I saw it twice at the cinema and really enjoyed it on both occasions. I recommend it as one of the finest 90-minute movies I've seen in the last decade. Culkin is so good in every scene and really gets under the skin of his character.

There wasn't much love for Wicked or The Substance, and I was left wondering if the Oscars are seen by many outside the Hollywood bubble as relevant. Audiences know what they like, and Wicked was huge in the UK. Comedies never seem to fare very well either, and it feels like some films are crafted according to a particular template that gets them noticed by the judges, at the right time of year. Still, 2024 was a decent year for movies. Also, Demi Moore was robbed and should have taken home Best Actress for The Substance. She was incredible in it. Here's to whatever 2025 brings!