Hursto's five minute films

October 25th
Pavarotti
Blinded by the Light
After the Wedding
Promised

EXTRA!!!
JIFF - Jewish International Film Festival - EIGHT reviews

It's a massive film week. Four new releases are previewed, plus eight films for JIFF. So many film festivals arew coming up between now and year's end, plus the plethora of mainstream releases. It's a smorgasbord of choice for film lovers.

Pavarotti

Director: Ron Howard

Length: 112 min

Up front: I've never been an opera fan, except for the handful of well-loved and over-played arias that are so beautiful they bring one to tears. But this film is simply a joy to watch, regardless of one's relationship with opera. As the title says, it's the story of one of opera's superstars, Luciano Pavarotti, who, as soon as he started to sing, went from strength to strength, towards the end of his career bringing opera to the masses with the fabulously successful Three Tenors shows and recordings. But behind the fame is often a bag of worms, and Pav was no exception. With an eye for the ladies he surely put his wife and three daughters through the mill, incurring the wrath of the Italian public when he remarried . . . a woman 34 years his junior. The daughters, and his ex-wife all speak to camera of their relationships and life with the maestro. Interspersed with the most glorious singing, and the awareness that this man was hugely generous of spirit (and money), this film leaves one feeling uplifted, inspired, and almost overwhelmed to experience such a sublimely beautiful voice, in a man with an absolute passion for life, his art, and other people.
4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended (for opera fans, unmissable!)

Blinded by the Light

Director: Gurinda Chadha

Length: 120 min

Javed (Viveik Kalra) is the 16-year-old son of Pakistani immigrants, and an aspiring writer. Frustrated by the traditional expectations of his family, he becomes inspired to follow his dream when his Sikh friend introduces him to the music of Bruce Springsteen. Something in the Boss's celebration of the working class hero lights a fire in Javed, and, encouraged by his English teacher (Hayley Atwell), he starts to see a possible future for himself. Based upon the true memoirs of English journalist Sarfraz Manzour, this film is definitely not one for the cynics amongst you. Jaded critics sometimes label this type of film formulaic and schmaltzy . . . but that is to discount its overwhelming charm and entertainment value. Something in Chadha's style captures the sweet optimism and innocence of youth, and Kalra is such a gorgeous screen presence, he carries the film to extra heights. There's also a winning cross-cultural love story, with Nell Williams as girlfriend Eliza, and a disturbing sub-plot of the racist neo-Nazi movement of Thatcher's Britain. Fortunately there is no attempt to wring jaded humour out of Javed's struggling parents; both are played with empathy and subtlety. A cameo by Rob Brydon is an unexpected delight. The film is an unashamed celebration of Bruce; his lyrics are displayed on screen when Javed listens, and the entire soundtrack pays homage to the best of Bruce. The film is an absolute crowd-pleaser and a joy to watch. (Try not to sing out loud in the cinema!)

4 - highly recommended!

After the Wedding

Director: Bart Freundlich

Length: 112 min

When I saw that this Danish film directed by Susanne Bier was being remade by the Americans I felt a sense of dread. But no need to fear - this is a worthwhile remake of the original. Isabel (Michele Williams) runs an orphanage in India. When a wealthy benefactor in New York promises a huge bequest, Isabel goes to America to meet media mogul Theresa (Julianne Moore.) She is coerced into staying on for the wedding of Grace (Abby Quinn), daughter of Theresa and Oscar (Billy Crudup). To her shock and distress, Isabel discovers a connection from her past, and soon dramatic revelations change everyone's lives. As you know, I'm very partial to this sort of relationship drama, and such films rely heavily upon the calibre of the acting. Moore gives her usual excellent performance depicting a confident, successful, at times almost brittle woman who is brought low by life's cruel vicissitudes. Williams does the strong/vulnerable thing really well, and Crudup is excellent as a basically good man who has to 'fess up to some morally dubious decisions in his past. I'm deliberately not giving too much away here, but as a story of redemption, forgiveness, and making fresh bonds it works really well. (The scenes in India are also pretty good.)
4 - highly recommended!

Promised

Director: Nick Conidi, Tony Ferrieri

Length: 97 min

Angela (Antoniette Iesue) has been "promised" by her parents since she was a baby to Robert (Daniel Berini). Now they are adults, charming Robert back from studying law at Oxford, vivacious Angela an aspiring writer and literature student. But times have changed. She is dating Tom (Santo Tripodi) and does not want to go through with the promise. But the parents are adamant - in Italian society, obligations are important. What can I say? I really wanted to like this film, especially with Tina Arena making her acting debut opposite Paul Mercurio as Angela's Mama and Papa. But unfortunately the script in many places is too clunky and prosaic to give any of the actors much to work with; maybe some of them are simply not up to it or the direction lacks oomph. The best moments are those between Angela and Robert, when some liveliness gets injected, despite the situations feeling "ordinary". Much of the film has an amateurish feel. Not to mention when the time frame fast-forwards about 20 years, none of the adults seem to have aged a jot. Although director/writer Conidi has based it upon his own parents' life, something just falls short here. Sadly, as I really like to support Aussie film-makers.
2 - you have better things to do with your time

Extra:
JIFF - Jewish International Film Festival
The Advocate
Ask Dr Ruth
Avenging Evil
Beyond the Bolex
Curtiz
Last Stop Coney Island: The Photography of Harold Feinstein
Man on the Bus
The Tobacconist
What Will Become of Us

Every year I run an extra, featuring some of the wonderfully curated films from JIFF. So many intriguing, riveting docos to choose from; so many outstanding feature films from around the world, not to mention the many special events. As I always say, you don't have to be Jewish to get heaps (entertainment and edification) out of these films dealing with themes that are universal to us all.

Films will show mainly at the Classic Elsternwick and the Lido Hawthorn, with an occasional screening at the Cameo Belgrave. Some films have multiple sessions, others only a few.

For times, ticketing, interstate details and more, visit www.jiff.com.au

Previewed so far (In order of my enjoyment).
More to come next week.

The Tobacconist

With 20 screenings in JIFF Melbourne alone, this award-winning film should definitely be put on your short list. Set in Austria just as the Germans occupy the country, it is the story of innocent 17-year-old Franz (Simon Morze), a young country boy whose mother sends him to Vienna to be apprenticed to a tobacconist, Otto (Johannes Krisch). One of the shop's customers is Sigmund Freud (superbly played by Bruno Ganz), and Franz and the great professor develop a friendship, as the lad initially asks Freud for advice on matters of the heart. This film is simply exquisite to look at, with glorious attention to period detail. The writing captures a delicate balance between a personal story (fictional), of a boy who is a dreamer and gets hard lessons in life, and the historical/political facts of yet another ghastly chapter in the Nazi saga.

Man on the Bus

Melbourne producer/director Eve Ash gets curious about some old home movies after her mother's death. They show an unknown man looking lovingly into the camera, and Eve as a girl playing with a little boy. She starts researching, and what she unearths about her mother's secret life will turn everyone's lives upside down. This is intriguing, shocking, funny in parts, and basically compelling entertainment on an intensely personal scale. I refuse to tell you too much since the film plays out like a good detective story; just know that the fabulous old recreations of the North Rd Brighton bus hold the key to a story that perhaps is not so far removed from many families' skeletons in the closet!

Ask Dr Ruth

The opening night film will have more than 20 more screenings, so you can definitely make a time for this wonderful doco about America's celebrity sex therapist. This spritely 91-year-old hasn't lost a skerrick of enthusiasm for life, (and talking about sex) but as the movie shows, she had a traumatic childhood. Orphaned at the age ten of by the Holocaust, she went on to handle the grief and become an esteemed therapist, helping countless people overcome sexual problems, and changing the way the world talked about sex. With excerpts from her many TV and radio appearances and famous talk show, as well as some beautifully crafted sketches that tell the story of her sad childhood in Germany, this is both entertaining, uplifting and absolutely inspiring watching.

What Will Become of Us

Frank Lowy is a name well known for years to then shareholders of the huge company Westfield. Less well known is the story of Lowy's life, from Slovakia, to Hungary, to Israel and finally to Australia. This short but intriguing doco is a real eye opener, as the iconic businessman man reveals his vulnerability and talks about his traumatic past, the coming to terms with his father's death in the Holocaust, and his grief at the fate of his beloved wife Shirley who has Alzheimer's. It's a real rags to riches tale, with terrific footage of Lowy visiting the notable sites from his past, and explaining how he went from a single delicatessen bringing much missed goodies to European refugees, to being the CEO of Australia's largest shopping empire. Surprisingly moving and fascinating.

Last Stop Coney Island: The Life and Photography of Harold Feinstein

For lovers of photography, and of New York this is a doco to cherish. Feinstein was an amazingly talented and insightful photographer, yet does not seem to be well known in the pantheon of famous clickers. Harold loved New York and this reflects in the tenderness, melancholy and delight with which he shoots some of his subjects. His exquisite black and white shots, capturing a nostalgic age now past, are something rare in this age of digital clicking. The later color work he did, when he came more to the public eye, is also to be marvelled at. For lovers of great photographs this film is a real treat.

Curtiz

Hungarian born Michael Curtiz will always be remembered as the man who directed Casablanca. This film recreates the making of Casablanca, with Ferenc Lengyel excellent in the lead role. It is shot beautifully in fitting black and white, and exposes the controversy that surrounded the making of the iconic movie. It was 1942 and the US government desperately wanted a propaganda film, but disputes raged about how various characters should be represented, and what the ending should be. Add to that Curtiz's problems with his estranged daughter Kitty, and news of his sister's attempts to flee Nazi Hungary, and you had a fraught situation. This is an intriguing film, about a classic that went on to win Best Picture and Best Director in the 1944 Oscars. A treat for film historians.

Avenging Evil

When you think of the Avengers, you tend to think superheroes. Well, this lot of Avengers were a secret organisation of Holocaust survivors, who were hell-bent on revenge, following the "eye for an eye" motto. In tapes discovered years after the war, was the evidence of some seriously vengeful plots to take out tens of thousands of Germans as revenge for the destruction of the Jewish people. The survivors, today very old men and women in their 90s, express varying attitudes now, to what they were planning to do. Some still burn with the rage, others now look with shock and mortification at what they were planning to do. It's a fascinating reflection upon the nature of crime, justice and vengeance. And who would have thought this society even existed. Yet another revelation from the Holocaust.

Beyond the Bolex

This complex documentary looks at the origins of a camera much loved by movie-makers, both professional and amateur, since the 1920s. Filmmaker Alyssa Bolsey explores her family's history from great-grandfather Jacques Bolsey, who invented the camera, when he lived as a refugee in Switzerland during WW1. Finding boxes of diaries, gadgetry, invention sketches and more, she turns the family history inside out to really reveal the influence of this invention on the world of film-making, along with the personal connections within her ancestral family. Famous filmmakers like Wim Wenders talk about their love affair with the camera and we discover how many others used it in their years as embryonic film-makers.

The Advocate
(by guest reviewer Peter Levy, not seen by me)

Lea Tsemel, an Israeli Jewish lawyer, spends her working life committed to defending Palestinians no matter what they’ve done or how much she is criticized for it. Her aim, and the aim of the movie, is to show that there exists two levels of justice in Israel and it’s an uphill battle to change that mindset. What one person would call an act of terrorism, another would call an act of a freedom fighter … but the main issue for Tsemel has always been the concept of human rights for all peoples. Most of her cases end up being lost, but that does not diminish her positivity or belief that the system will ultimately change one day. As she said in an interview, "I am the future and it is my responsibility to ensure that it happens sooner rather than later." The film is hard going because of the complexity and intensity of the subject matter but well recommended.

Hursto's five minute films

Thursday 24 October 2019

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