Top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week (February 16-22), from Miss Sloane to The Lego Batman Movie

I, Daniel Blake is Ken Loach’s latest gritty masterpiece, Trainspotting re-released ahead of sequel, while Natalie Portman soars as grieving first lady Jackie Kennedy

Edmund Lee

Published: 7:00am, 16 Feb, 2017

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1. I, Daniel Blake

After winning the Palme d’Or at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, Ken Loach’s gritty drama about one man’s struggles in the UK’s labyrinthine welfare system took home the outstanding British film award at the Baftas this week – amazingly only the 80-year-old director’s first non-honorary Bafta. (Now showing)

2. Miss Sloane

It says much about the strong pool of Oscar contenders that Jessica Chastain wasn’t even nominated for best actress. In this political thriller, the Zero Dark Thirty star gives a tour de force performance as a Washington lobbyist fighting for the underdogs in the US gun control debate. (Opens on February 16)

3. The Lego Batman Movie

Is this the funniest Batman movie ever made? Quite possibly yes. After the deafening boredom of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice , the moodiest DC superhero receives an inspired makeover as a delusional freak, even making fun of every Dark Knight from Adam West to Ben Affleck. (Now showing)

4. Trainspotting

Danny Boyle’s stylish sophomore outing got everything just right – from canny casting and extraordinary soundtrack, to imaginative camera work and editing. This frenetic tale of sex, drugs and violence among a group of Edinburgh junkies is an era-defining classic. (Re-release from February 17)

5. Jackie

Natalie Portman has shown her aptitude for grief-stricken roles in her deeply poetic but little-seen directorial debut, A Tale of Love and Darkness . It turns out the actress didn’t have to wait long to prove herself again, as she shines as JFK’s imperious widow in this Oscar-nominated drama. (Now showing)

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