The Oscars have come and gone for another year. What a wonderful field of contenders it was. For the life of me I can't understand why The Revenant got Best Director but not Best Film. Oh well, overall I strongly agreed with most of the results. Now it's back to business as usual with the usual new releases each week. 

The Lady in the Van 
 Director: Nicholas Hytner
Length: 112 mins

This is a must for Maggie Smith fans. Author/playwright Alan Bennett (Alex Jennings) used his real experience to craft this scarcely believable story of an old, smelly homeless lady who parked her van in his London driveway for a few weeks, and ended up staying 15 years! Smith is her usual irascible, sharp-tongued self, but as we learn the background of why this old duck is the way she is, we tend to soften and feel a bit of compassion. (Not much, though!) The film is archetypal Brit fare, fun and entertaining. 

Worth seeing!

For my full review:

http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=5970

Son of Saul
 Director: Laszlo Nemes
Length: 107 mins

It's amazing that film-makers can still come up with an original slant on the Holocaust. This remarkable and grueling film tells of Saul, a Sondercommando, working on body disposal at the Auschwitz crematoria. Rather than incinerate the body of one young boy, Saul is determined to find a Rabbi to give the lad a proper burial. Employing tightly-focussed camera work, the entire movie clings to Saul, as he struggles to hang on to a shred of humanity in a living hell, where the sounds and sights of man's inhumanity to man are inescapable. This is visceral story-telling at its best, and is a well-deserved winner of Best Foreign Film (but be warned - it's hard to watch). 

Unmissable - but too harrowing for some!

For a full review from Chris Thompson:

http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=5977


Alliance Française French Film Festival 2016

Always a winner, this year's FFF is no exception. Of those I've previewed so far, my favourite has been Mon Roi, with the ever-impressive Vincent Cassell. It's a fine relationship drama and should ring a lot of bells for women who've had truck with attractive but troublesome men.  Also affecting is the low-key but powerful  Heatwave, looking at the impact one challenging misfit can have on a small rural village. 

Head to the website to see what's on offer and make your choices:
affrenchfilmfestival.org.au

For my reviews of a selection of this year's films:
http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=5983


Triple 9
Director: John Hillcoat
Length: 115 mins

Read my colleague's review for a much clearer rundown than I could ever give of this well-made but loud, confusing, muddled, and ultimately uninteresting heist movie. What a shame, since it sports a good cast (Kate Winslett, Ejiofor Chiwetel, Woody Harrelson), and has a director with some cred to his name. Guess you can't win 'em all!  

You've got better things to do with your time!

For a full review from Bernard Hemingway:

http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=5982