The first day of London Film Festival can be called a little depressing morality lesson. I don't know if it is just me, but I think that for the first day, and for such early hours, the choice of press screenings today was probably made by a sadist. Instead of writing three different reviews, I have decided to review a day itself because there ,definitely was a reason for such selection. So what do these films say about this year's London Film Festival?
10.30 NFT1 BERNIE
It all started too early, at 0.30. Doors opened about fifteen minutes before it and I have chosen the seat in the middle of the row, in the middle of the room and in one of many chairs that are too comfortable for such early hour. 
Fortunately for me, the morning film was a comedy drama, in which there was more comedy than drama (which surprised LFF audience so much it seems, that every single joke was met with burst of laughters, even though overall Bernie wasn't THAT funny, it was ok).
Bernie is, like I Love You Phillipe Morris, based on a true story about a man who not necessarily should be, but still is in jail. Bernie, played by Jack Black is a very refreshing Jack Black film. He obviously sings but he sings Christian songs and even though it is Jack Black, and no performance of his can stop me from seeing him playing someone instead of this someone, his charming campiness in this film asks us for forgiveness. And I forgive. Also, the form of the film is pretty refreshing. It is made in a documentary style which makes it more identifiable and persuasive. After the screening, I heard mostly positive opinions, I think Bernie doesn't go pass 7/10 rating. It is ok but come on, it could have been so much better.
And I promise, Shirley McLaine is a female Mickey Rourke
1.00 NFT1 Junkheads
And that was it for a funny refreshing morning films. From then on, the press screenings became torturous heroin trip presented in two films- British Junkheads and Swedish Oslo, August 31st. At this point of the day I was already pretty hungry, so seeing suffering people on screen did not help me forget about my very own stomach moan. Junkheads is definitely independent movie and it is trying so hard to remain seen as independent that it simply forgets about the characters and story it is trying to tell. Instead, it is just about showing London from its darker side, with all the Brick Lane drug addicts and teenage runways.Although the story tends to get lost very often and some shots are pretty random it seems, Junkheads defends itself with good performances. Still, the characters are not developed strongly enough for actors to make them remarkable. Junkheads looks and feels like a heroin trip, but it is a moralising, depressing and forgettable trip, I think. Give them 3/10
3.00 NFT2 Oslo, August 31st
With only twenty minutes in between the movies and in starving mode already, I went to the smaller room (with less comfortable chairs) to see Oslo, August 31st, another drug addicts tale. Our main protagonist is having a very bad day. He fails to commit suicide he planned, he fails his job interview and finally, although sober for 10 months, overdoses on heroin. You might now say it's a bit of a spoiler, me revealing all these details but trust me, from the first scene you can easily predicted how the story is going to end. It is a pretentious trip to the inevitable. I enjoyed it much more than Junkheads. 
Oslo was subtler and colder, but in its coldness and lack of drama, it managed to say more. Still, only 4,5/10 to me.
I promise to write some proper reviews of the above films, or at least one of them. Let's hope tomorrow will bring better films.