POSSIBLE SPOILERS Apart from genres that I don't much care for such as musicals and westerns (John Ford excepted) I don't really have any taboos about what I watch. I generally close my eyes when anyone is about to slash their wrists but that's a matter of personal squeamishness rather than taboo. Provided it has quality, I generally lap up the rest of the film, blood and all. There is however one type of film that I find suspect to the point of avoidance and that is the dramatised account of tragedies and disasters that are so near in time that it casts the viewer into the role of voyeur of people still experiencing tremendous personal grief. Films on 9/11 certainly fall into this category. My sole reason for watching "London River" which deals with the 2005 London terrorist attacks was to catch a performance by Brenda Blethyn, a British actress for whom I have a tremendous admiration. I can only say that my cinema going experience would have been that much the poorer, had I not made this decision, such is the power, sincerity and integrity of this highly charged work. Although the horrendous events of 7/7 are an integral part of the film, it touches on so much more in its presentation of two disparate characters drawn together in a common quest, she a farming widow living on Guernsey, he an African forestry worker from France. In the ordinary way their only remote point of contact, apart from language, would be their proximity to the land, but 7/7 has drawn them to a neighbourhood of North London in their anxiety to discover what might have happened to their children on that terrible day. Even before they meet we are made aware of the woman's deep seated mistrust of other cultures and everything Islamic in particular. Her unease and expressions of bigotry only intensify the more she comes to realise that her daughter may have been cohabiting with a Muslim. Ultimately it is the subtle way that a common tragedy can enable a dignified respect by two people for one another to come about that gives the last half hour of "London River" its tremendous poignancy. The farewell between cinema's possibly most unlikely couple is something very precious and unforgettable

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning Elisabeth (Brenda Blethyn) lives a reclusive life on the shores of Guernsey, until her life is torn apart when she learns of the July 7th terror attacks in London, where her daughter lives. Meanwhile, Ousmane (Sotigui Kouyate) is a black Muslim immigrant from France who has also come to London to look for his son, who he has not seen from birth. When he discovers a photo and some contact details, he gets in touch with Elisabeth and they embark on a soul shattering quest to find their flesh and blood that takes them on a journey of discovery and hope, to the gravest depths of despair.In the extras section of the DVD, even Blethyn herself comments on doubts she had about accepting the script for London River, on account of how close it was to the attacks and the official enquiry etc. not coming out. But it's good that she pushed her doubts aside, because her performance is one of the more compelling things about this old fashioned feeling drama, tending to headlines from very recently. With the feel of some TV drama from the early 90s, director Rachid Bouchareb has laced his daring and challenging drama with some personal touches here and there that give it a neat feel of it's own. The execution never hits with it's maximum impact, and it's over too quickly to really make it shine. But the subtle, under-stated performances from the two lead actors and it's realistic feel of a tragedy and the cruelty of life unfolding lift it well above average. ***

Hmm, I was in London on 7.7.05. I was trying to get down the road where the bus was blown up. Does this film cause me to recall how I felt that day, what I saw that day? No. Sorry folks, this is a very thin treatment of a landmark event in London's history. It annoyed me to the same extent that it consciously tried to pull at my heart strings. That's too much. I hate being manipulated like that. I'm being generous not damning this film because the two principal actors give good enough portrayals of the characters despite the poor standard of writing in the script. One of them was constantly reminding me of Giacommetti sculptures - a distraction from the criminal bloopers that had not been cut; e.g. a post September 2007 car registration number clearly visible centre screen for several long seconds. There is no story arc worth mentioning. You know how it's going to end and quite frankly, it's hard to care other than feeling moved by the loss of life. A missed opportunity for something much better.

I've been sitting here in front of the computer with a blank page open trying to find a way to write about London River that will convey everything it made me feel while watching it.It is funny to confirm once again that I have no problem in writing about the things I don't like, about what things aren't and all the other negative aspects about any given subject, but once I have to write about the reasons why I like something, why it is great, etc; I blank.I think a good way to start writing about London River is to say that A) it is the best film (fiction) I have watched at the Festival so far and B) it will be really hard not to spoil anything about the story (so, if you want to be truly surprise you should stop reading now).London River is the story about a woman and a man whose children go missing after the attacks in London in 2005. The film follows their efforts to find out what happened to them and their struggle to accept the obvious.The brilliance about London River is that what could have been an over melodramatic film is, instead, very emotionally repressed.I know that for Brazilians and other Latin-American people, telling such a dramatic story this way might seem odd and, even worse, cold. But it truly isn't. It turns out quite the opposite, in fact.The very contained direction and script from Rachid Bouchareb ends up making you feel even more for these parents and what they are going through. Their despair is subtle and yet palpable. It involves you and moves you. It is heartbreaking.Another reason for being the perfect way to tell this story is that the fear and prejudice that permeates British society is a touchy issue. How could it not be? No one likes to admit their faults, but facing it this way without accusations or making it a spectacle (like Michael Moore in Bowling for Columbine or Fahrenheit 9/11) is more powerful; it makes you think. It is also a very respectful and honorable way of tackling a very real and present aspect of British life.If the technical aspects of London River weren't enough to make it a great film, then you can delight and be amazed with Brenda Blethyn and Sotigui Kouyaté performances. They are very honest and beautiful. They will bring tears to your eyes, I guarantee.On a personal note, I rarely watch a film and am taken aback by the actors to the point that I think they deserve awards, but this time I did. I really hope they get nominated for the major awards. It will be shocking and unfair if they don't.