Wednesday 27 March 2019

March 28th
Dumbo
Where Hands Touch
Us
South African Film Festival

This week sees yet another film festival launched - and an inaugural one at that. Add to that one horror film, another take on the Holocaust and a Disney crowd-pleaser and you have plenty to choose from.

Dumbo
Director: Tim Burton
Length: 112 min
© Disney - simply delightful - get in touch with
your inner child in this excellent remake

Surprised that my pick of the week is a kids' film about a flying baby elephant? This remake of the beloved Disney tale, features real humans, a re-imagined plot and top-shelf digital effects. In 1919, Max Medici (Danny de Vito) runs a ragtag travelling circus. Horse rider Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) returns from the war to find himself the now-widowed father of two youngsters Milly and Joe. Having lost an arm, Holt is given care of the new baby elephant which Max hopes will be a drawcard for the circus. But the baby, endowed with overly large ears, is seen as a total freak, and only when his secret talents are discovered do things take a turn for the better. But other secrets lurk within the circus, especially when greedy rival Vandevere (Michael Keaton) takes over the whole show. With a director like Burton at the helm it's no surprise this is a winner, but I really surprised myself at how many tears I shed; despite there being a level of predictability and a goodly dollop of sentimentality, the film is unexpectedly moving, and carries an excellent message about those who are seen as different eventually finding the place in which they can shine. Rediscover your inner child and sense of wonder, as Dumbo is for kids of all ages.
3.5 - well recommended! (simple enjoyment: 4.5)

Us
Director: Jordan Peele
Length: 116 min
© Universal - horror, social commentary - whatever 
you want it to be really!
As a child on holiday in 1986, Adelaide Wilson (Lupita N'yongo) wandered off from her parents into a fun-parlor horror house of mirrors where she was confronted by a malicious replica of herself. Now in the present day, with husband Gabe and children Zora and Jason, she revisits her childhood holiday home, constantly haunted by the idea that something bad will happen to her family, and never quite sure what happened in that childhood incident. Sure enough, soon the family see another family of four standing in their driveway; funny thing is the interlopers are them - so-called doppelgangers, and they are intent upon mayhem. Here's a film to really mess with your mind. I recognise that it is really well-made (as was Peele's last film Get Out). But do I understand it and all its references and implications? I'm just not sure. On one level it works as simply a well-made horror film, while on another it seems to be making clever commentary on so many broader issues - race, America today, marginalised people, fear of "the other", fear of one's hidden dark side, masks we wear  . . . and possibly so many other issues viewers can read into it for themselves (not to mention zombies, underground dwellers, biblical references and more)  It's superbly acted, not without humour in the script, subverting so many preconceptions about "black" and "white" families. Perhaps its main flaw is that it's a bit too clever for its own good, but it sure will keep you pinned to your seat never knowing what will happen next and stunning you with the implications of its twisty ending.
3.5 - well recommended!

Where Hands Touch
Director: Amma Asante
Length: 122 min
© Rialto - fascinating World War 2 theme, that
is presented in an overly "film by numbers" manner
Yet another take on Holocaust history is depicted in this interesting but patchy film. The children of African troops serving with the French in WW1 were known by the Nazis as "Rhineland Bastards" or mulattos, and were persecuted and often sterilized, being seen as threats to the white purity of Germany. Many ended up in the camps. This story focuses on Leyna (Amandla Sternberg), the mixed-race daughter of an Aryan mother (Abbie Cornish) and black father. In Berlin of 1944, against all common sense and hope, Leyna falls in love with Lutz (George MacKay), the son of an SS officer. This is a fascinating and little known piece of German WW2 history, testament once more to the horrific racial policies of the Nazi regime. Although the performance of Sternberg is excellent (remember her from The Hate U Give?), there is something a bit wooden about the film as a whole. For such an important and powerful story it deserved a less conventional treatment. At times it veers into melodramatic soap opera territory, at other times it becomes almost unbelievable. Nevertheless there are plenty of moving and gut-wrenching moments and the story certainly deserves to be told. 
2.5 - maybe!

South African Film Festival
March 28 - April 3
Classic Cinema Elsternwick
For details visit: www.classiccinemas.com.au

The inaugural South African Film Festival features 8 premiere films showcasing distinctive stories and talents of film-makers from the region. I've been fortunate to preview a couple.


© SAFF -  Pluck illuminates the
troubled history of
South Africa through Nando's
advertising campaigns
PluckThis fabulous doco is on one level about the world famous South African chicken brand, Nando's. The doco is a clever way of viewing the highly complicated history of Sth Africa as seen through the lens of the incredibly creative advertising campaigns used by the company over the years. In interviews with company heads and creative hotshots, we see how the ad campaigns traced the history, and commented upon the country and its leaders both pre-and post-apartheid. A truly informative, creative and at times very funny doco.  


© SAFF - women on a 
journey of self-
discovery
Sisters of the Wilderness: Five young Zulu women head off on a trek with two guides through the Mfolozi nature reserve. Their goal is to experience the county's wildlife and nature for the first time, as well as to pursue self-discovery, healing of their problems and bonding with each other. It's a gentle meditative journey, featuring a delightful group of women and some spectacularly good-looking African animals. There is also commentary upon the precarious existence of rhinos (thanks to poaching), along with threats to the park and its inhabitants from mining. 
The festival will close with a screening of the highly successful, popular and side-splitting movie The Gods Must Be Crazy


Wednesday 20 March 2019

March 21st
Destroyer
Swimming with Men
Maria by Callas
More from MQFF

Cops, swimmers, opera stars and playwrights - they are all here in this week's reviews. Dare I say, as always - something for everyone. 
Destroyer
Director: Karyn Kusama
Length: 123 min
© Madman - Kidman as you've never seen her in
a strong crime/redemption story

Erin Bell (Nicole Kidman) is a hard-bitten LAPD cop with a past. Years ago, undercover for the FBI and infiltrating a gang, she was involved in a bank robbery, the upshot of which pretty much destroyed her spirit. Now that someone from her shady past has re-emerged, she must trawl through her own history to bring perpetrators to justice and come to terms with herself and the losses in her life. The thing viewers will no doubt discuss most here is how unglamorous Nicole looks in this role. It's almost a distraction. But there's no denying she acts really well, and director Kusama has a way of portraying the seedy, grimy side of LA life that is really compelling. Toggling between the past years and Erin's present, with a soundtrack to enhance the respective eras, it's a film that will suit those wanting strong crime drama crossed with a tragic story of self-examination and redemption.
3.5 - well recommended!

Swimming With Men
Director: Oliver Parker 
Length: 96 min
© Icon - British fare, with some really good 
stuff  plus plenty of predictability
Eric (Rob Brydon) is going through a mid-life crisis. He believes his wife (Jane Horrocks) is having an affair and he is sick of his boring job as a top accountant. But then he finds new meaning to life when he joins a group of middle-aged men who are hoping to form an all-male synchronised swimming team. Touted as a "feel-good movie", it should certainly please those looking for something VERY light and predictable. It is chock-fill of the typical British tropes and one-liners that try to be funny but fall short. However, despite it being corny and trying too hard to be another Full Monty, there is something of a sweet heart to the film. I really enjoy that it presents a different picture of men and masculinity; these guys are kind, supportive and even affectionate to their friends - what a breath of fresh air! Plus the fact that none of them is buff or especially trim, but all are happy to get about in their togs, happy in their bodies and the water. Plus of course Rob Brydon is always good to watch. I'm almost tempted to call it a recommend.
2.5 - maybe!

Maria by Callas
Director: Tom Volf
Length: 119 min
© Sony - Maria Callas was 
arguably the world's best 
operatic voice
This is a must see for opera lovers, and even non-opera lovers (like me) will get so much from this excellent documentary. Using only archival footage and interviews featuring the great opera singer Maria Callas, it reveals an intense and talented woman who gave her all to her public and every performance she ever did. The doco traces briefly her early life, then focuses on her extraordinary career, dogged by paparazzi who followed her every move and press who slammed her for anything they saw as less than perfection. Her heartbreak at the hands of Aristotle Onassis is covered, but it's her own exquisite voice, speaking and singing, that reveals utterly the talent and depth of passion in this iconic woman.
3.5 - well recommended!

more from . . . Melbourne Queer Film Festival
Until March 25 (oops - wrote wrong dates last week)
Village Jam Factory, cinema nova, ACMI
For other states, times and ticketing visit  https://www.mqff.com.au

With encore screenings abounding, make sure you check the website to see what's on, plus the forthcoming weekend still has many more excellent first release films to see. 


© MQFF - Terrence with actor Nathan Lane in an
inspiring doco showing that creativity has no age limit
Every Act of Life: Here's a must for lovers of theatre - a splendid doco on the prolific writer Terrence McNally. His career has spanned six decades and he's won more awards than you can shake a stick at for plays, and the scripts for musicals. Always comfortable in his own gay identity, he wrote some of the first openly gay characters. Interviews with McNally (still writing at age 80) plus many more from the likes of Angela Lansbury, Edie Falco, Nathan Lane, are simply entertaining and inspiring. 

Wednesday 13 March 2019

March 14th
Hotel Mumbai
Sometimes Always Never
Pimped
Melbourne Queer Film Festival
Dillili in Paris (from the current French Film Festival) 


Another strong week for film. The much anticipated thriller Hotel Mumbai, along with Aussie film Pimped fire up the adrenalin. Veteran actor Bill Nighy stars in a superbly articulate family tale, while the Melbourne Queer Film Festival offers a smorgasbord of excellent features and docos. Plus a bonus French Film Festival treat: an award-winning animation.  

Hotel Mumbai
Director: Anthony Maras
Length: 125 min
© Icon - Gripping tension, great acting, in a
terrifying true tale of terrorism
In 2008 a group of 10 Islamic extremist terrorists from Pakistan launched attacks upon various sites in the city of Mumbai, India. This lasted four days with around 160 victims dead and 300 injured. The luxury Taj Mahal Hotel was one of the targets. |This film, based upon a memoir The Siege: The Attack on the Taj, gives an insider's view of the attacks and is focused around various staff members and particular guests (some characters are no doubt composite). The tension builds from the outset. The opulence and serenity of the hotel is in stark contrast to the grungy streets of Mumbai, and we see the terrorists berthing a small boat. Gradually the two plot threads draw together as the hotel is invaded and all hell breaks loose. Central to the plot are David (Armie Hammer ) and wife Zahra (Nazanin Boniani) who are there with their Aussie nanny (Tilda Cobham Hervey) and baby, along with Russian Mafia man Vasili (Jason Isaacs). Staff member Arjun (Dev Patel) and Chef Oberoi (Anupam Kher) risk their all to attempt to get the guests to safety. The acting is top shelf, the tension excruciating, and the cinematography splendid. The film is testament to self-sacrifice and heroism, as well as a damning indictment of the sort of senseless terror that seems so rampant in the world today.
4 - highly recommended!

Sometimes Always Never
Director: Carl Hunter
Length: 91 min
© Transmission  - Bill Nighy is his usual wonderful
self in this smart and touching comedy/drama
Scrabble-obsessed, dapper tailor Alan (Bill Nighy) has been grieving his missing son Michael for decades. He has a strained relationship with other son Peter (Sam Riley). Together they make a journey to identify a body that may or may not be the long-lost son. This film sneaks up on you slowly then wallops you with an emotional clout. The central conceit is that all of Alan's family are great with words on a Scrabble board, but can't seem to relate to each other or communicate in real life.  This gently understated story is beautifully played out with pathos, humour, clever scripting, and of course yet another riveting performance by Nighy. (The man seems to have something that the screen just loves!)  The film is deliberately stylized, making great use of country and seascapes, and also of interior settings that reflect how the characters are stuck in the past emotionally. All this is cleverly set against a modern online Scrabble game that may mark the turning point for familial reconciliation. A true delight for lovers of words, and of something quirkily different.
4 - highly recommended!

Pimped
Director: David Barker
Length: 90 min
© Bonsai Films - be careful who you go home with!
Encouraged by her danger-loving alter ego, conservative Sarah (Ella Scott Lynch) heads out to a bar where she meets suave smooth-talking Lewis (Benedict Samuel) who takes her home.The promised sexual delights soon turn ugly with the unwelcome involvement of Lewis's flatmate Kenny (Robin Goldsworthy). But things are to get even uglier, as Sarah reveals a hidden side to herself. This is a taut thriller, which capitalises on the very popular theme of late (Revenge, Greta) of women being in the power seat). It also examines the rather delicious concept that we all have a hidden side that would like to behave a certain way, but doesn't due to societal expectations. Sometimes, when those darker forces are unleashed within us, who knows what could happen? With themes of desire, rape, murder, revenge etc, this film encourages some thoughtful questions, but also allows for a good dose of hedonistic mayhem. Lynch is terrific in her dual role, and the stylish cinematography builds tension and makes for a good-looking, if at times, uneven movie.
3 - recommended!

Melbourne Queer Film Festival
Melbourne March 14- March 25
Village Jam Factory, cinema nova, ACMI
For other states, times and ticketing visit  https://www.mqff.com.au

I look forward to this festival greatly every year. Films that are thought-provoking, emotionally wrenching, or simply fabulous are thick on the ground, and there are always plenty of excellent docos among the offerings. 


© MQFF - Rafiki is a powerful  and touching film
from Kenya, where being gay is still unacceptable
Rafiki: This is a dynamic and touching story of forbidden love in ultra-conservative Kenya. Kena and Ziki, the daughter of two rival politicians, fall in love, but being openly gay in Nairobi is fraught with danger. The two leads have blistering chemistry, and the sweetness of their love is compellingly portrayed. This marvelous film has won worldwide awards, but remains banned in Kenya. It's also an intriguing vision of a society I know so little about.

Trans Military: This brilliant doco looks at the vexatious situation for transgender people serving in the US military, now that the dreaded Trump has clamped down on their ability to serve.  It closely follows a number of trans men and women in their working and personal lives. The film is a scathing indictment of using people's sexual identity against them, when it is totally irrelevant to their competence. The film is never less than engaging and inspiring.  

Love, Cecil: Cecil Beaton was a man of many talents - artist, set and costume designer, writer, and photographer (including war photography, Vogue magazine and even the Queen's official photographer). This wonderful documentary captures his creative legacy, with readings from his diaries, archival footage,  interviews with other creative folk, as well as excerpts from such iconic films as Gigi and My Fair Lady

Mapplethorpe: Robert Mapplethorpe was one of the 20th century's most controversial and trailblazing photographers. In 2016 we saw the doco Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures; now here's the feature film tracing his life's work, (from Polaroids to galleries worldwide) his relationship with Patti Smith, and how he brought his deepest fetishes and and love of the male body into brilliant black and white shots. Lead actor Matt Smith is terrific as the driven genius.

Making Montgomery Clift: This documentary about the Hollywood matinee idol is made by his nephew. Using plentiful archival material and copious audio recordings from the day, it examines the career and loves of the man - was he a tormented closet gay who drove himself to drink or someone actually quite together about his sexuality? This is a must for lovers of Hollywood queer history, or simply of Clift himself.

Black Divaz: Among the short films program is this entertaining doco about a group of Indigenous drag queens battling it out for the title of Miss First Nation in Darwin. The contestants speak about their lives and relationship to their heritage, and to drag, and there is both insight and fun to be had here. 
   
Knife + Heart: Vanessa Paradis plays Anne, a producer of third-rate gay porn. When the stars of one of her films are murdered one by one, she finds herself caught up in a bizarre investigation. This is an odd mixed bag of comedy, slasher film, love story, the retro gay porn scene and perhaps a commentary on a genre of film I fail to fully understand. (also in the French Film Festival) 

Dillili in Paris
More from . . . Alliance Francaise French Film Festival
Melbourne March 6 - April 10
For other states, times and ticketing visit  https://www.affrenchfilmfestival.org/
Palace Cinemas Astor, Westgarth, Balwyn, Brighton, Como


© FFF - a treat for Paris-ophiles
Here's a real treat for lovers of animation and of Paris. Winner of the French Cesar award for Best Animated  Film, Dillili in Paris is a naive, quirky and touching film about a feisty little Kanak girl, and her friend, a delivery boy, who set about busting a gang of rogues in the business of kidnapping little girls. On the way they meet the Who's Who of Belle Epoque Paris from the Impressionist masters, to Madame Curie, Proust, Baron von Zepellin and more. A very art-naif style collection of animated characters is set against an almost photographically realistic and exquisite backdrop  of Paris of the era. Every scene is a feast for the eyes. Viewers can learn much about the cultural milieu of Paris in the iconic era, with architecture, artists, musicians, and writers of the period as a backdrop. There are also many feminist implications with more than fleeting echoes of The Handmaid's Tale. Have I piqued your interest?
4 - highly recommended!   
  



Thursday 7 March 2019

March 6th
Everybody Knows
The House that Jack Built
Reflections in the Dust 
French Film Festival


What an exhausting week! I review several films from one of the most popular festivals around - the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival, plus a superb Spanish thriller starring Penelope Cruz and husband Javier Bardem. Then there are the seriously disturbing films, the latest nightmare from Danish auteur Lars von Trier, plus a challenging Aussie arthouse film highlighting violence against women. In fact violence seems a strong theme, including in a couple of the French films. No wonder I'm feeling slightly unhinged.

Everybody Knows
Director: Asghar Farhadi
Length: 133 min
© Universal - with top shelf acting, and a 
complex plot, this is well worth seeing
Laura (Penelope Cruz) lives with husband Alejandro (Ricardo Darin) in Argentina. With just her two children she travels to the wedding of her sister in the small village in Spain where they grew up. Amidst the joyous festivities, and after a blackout, Laura discovers that her daughter Irene has gone missing, apparently the victim of a kidnapping. Paco (Javier Bardem), once Laura's lover, runs a vineyard bought from Laura's family. He will be called upon to help in a way that affects his whole life. As the mystery deepens, fault lines within the local community and Laura's family emerge, exposing grievances and shocking secrets from the past. Farhadi is a master writer and director, especially skilled at portraying the nuances of interpersonal relationships. With a stunning cast (Cruz and husband Bardem are dynamite on screen), and a beautiful Spanish village setting, he fashions a moving and complex story that interweaves many themes and emotions, taking us from the uplifting joyousness of celebration, into the depths of despair.
4 - highly recommended!

The House That Jack Built
Director: Lars von Trier
Length: 153 min
Exclusive to Cinema Nova and Lido Hawthorn
© Umbrella - Uma Thurman doesn't last long in 
this serial killer extravaganza.
It's hot out of last year's Monster Fest, and the operative word here is monster. It's the story of sadistic serial killer Jack (Matt Dillon) who discusses in voice over his philosophy of everything (especially art, religion and killing) with Verge (Bruno Ganz) who is unseen for most of the film. Von Trier has always been a divisive director, but this one should divide to the max. The film's strength is definitely Dillon's performance - he manages to balance an almost prosaic ordinariness with an absolute maniacal and narcissistic side.  He sees each of his kills as some form of high art. But here's what I'm left thinking - this really is nastiness to the max, as women (even ducks and children) are strangled, mutilated, bludgeoned and shot, then stored in a freezer. The horrific "experiment" Jack sets himself at the end is almost unthinkable. There is copious philosophising upon many ghastly "icons" of history (think Auschwitz, Hitler, Stalin, Mao), proposing them as all some sort of art. Music and religion are also fodder for intellectual ponderings. The self-reflective (read "wankerish") side to the film could be seen as an attempt to elevate to high art what is basically murder porn masquerading as something more. At a lengthy runtime, and despite being uncompromising, well-made and well-acted, I find it a real torture course.   
1 - avoid! (unless you are a die-hard von Trier or Dillon fan) 

Reflections in the Dust
Director: Luke Sullivan
Length: 74 min
Exclusive to Classic cinema Elsternwick
© Backlot Films - fresh from the Czech Karlovy Vary 
Film Festival, this Aussie offering is certainly 
something totally unusual
Somewhere in an undefined post-apocalyptic place in Australia, a father (Robyn Royce Queere) and his blind daughter Freckles (Sarah Houbolt) are surviving. She is blind and he is (according to the media notes) a paranoid schizophrenic clown. He alternates between telling her he loves her and will never hurt her, and being verbally and physically abusive. Interspersed between the very loose narrative, shot in stunning black and white, are several vibrantly colored interviews, in which each character talks of their fears and hopes (or lack thereof). It's a beautiful piece of film-making, and is definitely powerful stuff, supposedly an allegory for the violence against women in society. Freckles must constantly navigate the emotional terrain with her father, constantly on guard against his erratic form of craziness. The performance by Houbolt (a circus performance artist who suffers a rare disability syndrome which gives her a birdlike appearance) is brilliant, and at no time is the film less than intriguing and disturbing, all enhanced by the impressive score. I have to say it's a maybe because, depending on your taste for seriously art-house fare, you will either love or loathe it.
2.5 - maybe!  

Alliance Francaise French Film Festival
Melbourne March 6 - April 10
For other states, times and ticketing visit  https://www.affrenchfilmfestival.org/
Palace Cinemas Astor, Westgarth, Balwyn, Brighton, Como


It may be hard to believe, but the FFF is in its 30th year! This year's 54-film line up promises to be as good as ever, with something for everyone. A highlight this year will be the restored version of the 1961 classic Last Year at Marienbad. For fashionistas there will be docos on Jean Paul Gaultier and Yves St Laurent, plus an eclectic selection of dramas, comedies and animations. As always, I'm the lucky duck who has previewed a number of these films.

© FFF - delicate and poignant adolescent drama
Genesis: Half siblings Guillaume and Charlotte are going through their experiences of young love, in this sweet, delicate story set in Canada. The film-maker captures poignantly and compellingly the dramas of emerging sexuality, first heartache, and questioning of sexual identity. In effect three different story threads are interwoven, the final one seeming like a bit of an add-on, but overall the young actors are so authentic, and the camera work so strong, you will easily be transported back to your own youth.  
© FFF - The bravery of the Kurdish fighting women
is highlighted in this wonderful film
Girls of the Sun: Now here's a must-see in the festival. This gripping and emotional story centres around Kurdish women who were abducted and kept as sex slaves by ISIS, only to escape and become fighters, alongside men. Nominated for a Palme D'or, it focuses on Bahar, leader of the battalion, as she alternates between the harsh realities of her present life, and her past, which went in one fell swoop from middle class lawyer and mother, to living nightmare at the hands of ISIS. Vital also to the plot is Mathilde, an embedded French reporter, who feels compelled to risk her own life to report on the atrocities, and the bravery of those amazing women prepared to stand up to the brutality of ISIS men.  
The Sisters Brothers: Touted as "a modern masterpiece", this film is a Western, starring John C Riley and Joaquin Phoenix, and is in English (but with a French director, Jacques Audiard). Set in the Californian gold rush in the 1850s it is the story of two brothers sent to kill a mysterious gold-panning chemist (Riz Ahmed). Another hired assassin (Jake Gyllenhaal) is also on the trail. This is definitely a western with a difference as these brothers manage to explore their emotions and what it means to be a man. This festival is your only chance to catch the film and the director is a festival guest.
Revenge: Here's a thriller/horror/slasher for the #metoo age. Bimbo Jen goes for the weekend with her married boyfriend Richard to his remote American desert hideaway. When two of Richard's hunting mates turn up, things go pear-shaped for Jen, after which she turns from Bimbo to Rambo. If you want misogynistic men, blood-thirsty revenge, glorious desert scenery, and bucket-loads of blood and gore, this could be just the film for you. Its credibility is stretched at times, but there is nevertheless something riveting about a woman sticking it to a group of really nasty guys.
Knife + Heart: Vanessa Paradis plays Anne, a producer of third-rate gay porn. When the stars of one of her films are murdered one by one, she finds herself caught up in a bizarre investigation. This is an odd mixed bag of comedy, slasher film, love story, the retro gay porn scene and possibly a commentary on a genre of film I fail to fully understand. 
Place Publique: Agnes Jaoui star and directs this amiable comedy about a washed-up TV talk show host Castro (Jean-Pierre Bacri) who goes to a house-warming party in the French countryside. His producer/girlfriend Natalie, and his ex-wife are there, along with an upcoming rapper in line to take over his show. Nothing dramatic happens - it's more an expose of shallow bourgeois life versus those who still believe in something, along with the powerful effect of  social media.
The festival is, as always, highly recommended!