SUSAN DARLINGTON appreciates a retelling of the Merlin myth that emphasises family and belonging
The harrowing journey of the immigrant
MARIA DUARTE recommends the outstanding account of a young African who makes the fatal journey towards a better life in Europe
FRAIL BOATLOAD OF HUMANITY: Seydou Sarr in Matteo Garrone's Io Capitano
[IMDb] 
JAN WOOLF is beguiled by the tempting notion that Freud psychoanalysed Hitler in a comedy that explores the vulnerability of a damaged individual
TONY BURKE reviews new releases from Cheikh Lo, Mishra & Deepa Shakthi, N’Faly Kouyate
Gin Lane by William Hogarth is a critique of 18th-century London’s growing funeral trade, posits DAN O’BRIEN
ANDY HEDGECOCK sees his scepticism lessened by a story is more complex and far-reaching than is initially apparent
MARK TURNER holds on tight for a mesmerising display of Neath-born ragtime virtuosity
Io Capitano (15)
Directed by Matteo Garrone
AS this Tory government continues to pursue its unlawful and frankly inhumane Rwanda policy to deport asylum-seekers and immigrants, Matteo Garrone’s harrowing yet uplifting Oscar-nominated drama humanises them by showing the treacherous journeys they undertake in pursuit of a better life.
The film is told through the eyes and perspective of two Senagalese teenage cousins, Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Moussa (Moustapha Fall), who travel from Dakar to Italy in a bid to become pop stars in Europe and help their families back home.
They secretly save all their money from their construction jobs to fund their trip, but their excitement and idealistic dreams of heading to Europe are soon knocked out of them by the brutal reality of their endeavour.
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