October 31st
Yuli
Balloon
Happy Sad Man
Terminator Dark Fate
Mini British Film Festival
More from JIFF

Four more new releases, a new film festival, and more from an ongoing festival - the choices just go on and on!!

Yuli
Director: Iciar Bollain
Length: 109 min

©  Limelight Distribution - true ballet 
story set in Cuba

I've never thought of Cuba and classical ballet dancers together, yet here they are. Cuban born Carlos Acosta later joined the London Royal Ballet, becoming the first black man to dance some of the most prestigious roles in the field. The film opens with the childhood of Carlos, nicknamed Yuli by his overbearing truck-driving father Pedro (Santiago Anfonso). The boy is played by cheeky, charismatic Edlison Manuel Olbera Nunez. He leads a carefree life in Havana, loves his family and break-dancing, and defiantly tells his father he does not wish to go to ballet school, despite his rare talent being recognised by Pedro and the dance teachers. The real Carlos plays the older version of himself in this film with Keyvin Martinez dancing the teenage Carlos. Many of the dance sequences we see on screen mirror his life, some inspired by his conflict with his father over his reluctance to dance. The story flits back and forth from Carlos' childhood, to his teen years, to his later age where he is running his own dance school. This is a total treat for ballet lovers, and even those not committed to the art form. Cinematography of Cuba and of dance is magnificent, and the undercurrent of the country's history is a fascinating backdrop to a wonderful story of a highly talented person, never totally at peace with his life's journey.
4 - highly recommended!

Balloon
Director: Michael Bully Herbig
Length: 125 min

©  Studio Canal - very tense true story of
folks trying to escape East Berlin in a hot-air balloon

Based on true events this is the story of two families, the Strelzyks and the Wetzels, friends who lived in East Germany, in 1979. Anxious to escape the oppressive communist regime, they hatch an audacious plan: to build a hot air balloon and float to freedom in the West. But when their first attempt fails and they crash-land, the Stasi are alerted and start closing in on them. In a battle against time, they start sewing a new balloon. Talk about a tense nail-biter!! The direction of this film is near flawless, as the two plot threads close in on each other - the families racing to effect an escape and avoid detection; the Stasi racing to discover from the crash evidence the identity of the would-be escapees. Both families had two children each, making the mission all the more fraught. Head of the Stasi, played by popular actor Thomas Kretschmann, is a superb performance, and the actors (adult and child) playing both families are a perfect match. As with all films set in this era, it's a chilling reminder of how ghastly life was and still is for those who live under oppression - every glance, every encounter carries fear and suspicion. It's a wonder this film got made as the real-life families had sold the rights of their story to Disney, but with the help of Roland Emmerich, finally a German production eventuated, and it's a beauty.
4 - highly recommended!

Happy Sad Man
Director: Genevieve Bailey
Length: 93 min
Showing from today at cinema Nova. For other locations (Bendigo, Castlemaine, Rosebud, Geelong) visit https://happysadman.org/screenings/#theatrical

© Proud Mother Pictures - frank and honest doco
interviewing men with mental illnesses

This moving documentary tackles a really important subject - men's mental health. As we know, Aussie blokes don't like to talk about their emotions; for them it's a threatening topic, and that's why this film is so important. Bailey (who made the wonderful I am Eleven) interviews a handful of men with troubles ranging from depression, bipolar illness, anxiety attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder and more. The men are refreshingly frank about their feelings: their fears, their joys and what has happened in their lives to get them to this point. Some go on to help other men, like the young man (pictured), who loves to surf and has founded One Wave, which holds a regular "Fluoro Friday" where everyone dresses up and goes to the beach to draw attention to men's mental health. Some use their experiences to counsel others; some express themselves through art and song-writing. Old John, who the director befriends, is especially poignant. 
3.5 - well recommended!

Terminator Dark Fate
Director: Tim Miller
Length: 128 min

© Fox - fans of the franchise should enjoy
this latest addition

Can you believe it is 35 years since the first film in the Terminator series hit our screens? This latest is the sixth in the franchise, and while nothing for me can beat the first, this one is way better than the last - Genisys. It reunites Linda Hamilton (playing Sarah Connor) with Arnold Schwarzenegger, the one and only original Terminator. In this episode, a new Rev-9 cyborg killing machine (Gabriel Luna)  has been sent from the future to kill Mexican gal Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes). Not one but two wonderfully kick-arse women turn up to protect Dani: Sarah Connor, now mature age, gun-toting and hell-bent on killing cyborgs, along with bionically enhanced super-soldier Grace, who has also been sent from the future. And of course our old fave, Arnie, an outmoded T-800 cyborg, turns up about half-way through to lend a bionic hand. Despite the ludicrousness of the action sequences, and the convoluted timelines (as in all Terminator films) I find myself well entertained by this film. I particularly love the character Arnie has become which gives rise to many laugh out loud lines. As with many films in this genre, I got more enjoyment from it than my score would indicate, and fans of the franchise should definitely get into this one.
3 - recommended (for Terminator fans)!

Mini British Film Festival
Always much anticipated, this festival brings us some top British cinema with those well-loved actors we can't get enough of - think Dame Helen Mirren, Sir Ian McLellan, Timothy Spall, Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy . . . and many more. There's a Helen Mirren retrospective featuring 6 fab films, plus the remastering of two classics: Don't Look Now and Kind Hearts and Coronets. 
The festival started in Melbourne on October 30th and runs until 24th November. 
Showing at Palace Cinemas.
For ticketing, times, interstate details and more, visit britishfilmfestival.com.au

And now for my impressions of a few I've managed to preview:

Romantic Road: Eccentric London lawyer Rupert Grey heads off on a six-month adventure with his wife of 35 years, Jan. They take his beloved 1927 Rolls Royce and head off from Mumbai, hoping to arrive in Dakha, Bangladesh for the Chobi Mela photographic festival. This documentary highlights English quirkiness at its best. The film is a feast of amazing adventures and perils, and as hard as it was for Rupert and Jan, I can only imagine how the camera crew battled all the challenges along the way. It is also a lovely testament to an enduring relationship and the value of taking time out together to create unforgettable memories.
  

Liam Gallagher: As it Was: Had I been born in another generation I may have liked this documentary more. I found it:
a) hard to overcome my dislike of the main character - arrogant ex-frontman for the superband Oasis
b) hard to understand most everything he says, except for his incessant use of the epithet f....k. 
But, as I always say, most films have something to offer someone, and I have no doubt fans of Oasis and Liam will love this, as it chronicles the dramatic split up with his brother and their band Oasis, his immediate creation of the next band, Beady Eye (a failure), followed by a triumphant return to a solo career and a little well-found humility. 

Fisherman's Friends: In the vein of The Full Monty comes a tale, based on a true story, of a group of Cornish fishermen who love to sing sea shanties. When talent scout Danny (Daniel Mays) turns up in the town one weekend, he ends up signing the band for a record contract. I find the humour in this genre of English film always too predictable, but  the singing is quite rousing and terrific to listen to. For fans of this style of British comedy, the film should be a real pleasure. 

More from Jewish International Film Festival
For session times and ticketing, along with interstate information visit www.jiff.com.au

Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles: Since it was first performed in September 1964, every day there has been a performance somewhere in the world of this beloved musical. Wonderfully entertaining, this vibrant, uplifting doco looks at the many incarnations of Fiddler, and how so many different and unexpected cultures (think Thai, Japanese), all take it to their hearts, feeling it is also the story of their family and traditions. With interviews from its creators, choreographers, and  leading actors like Topol and Zero Mostel, along with clips from worldwide performances this doco shows us why this show is so much more than a musical - it is a celebration of life and family for every nation in the world. 

Love, Antosha: Many people only know actor Anton Yelchin from his role in Star Trek. In this engaging doco we meet an incredibly prolific young man, whose love for all things creative started in his childhood. We also learn how he battled cystic fibrosis all his life, but, buoyed by the deep love of and for his parents, he maintained a zest for life, albeit driven and perfectionist. He was multi-talented - writing, music, acting, and more, and the many interviewees all attest to what an amazing human being he was. Surprisingly stirring viewing. 

Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love: Leonard Cohen was one of the greatest poets and songwriters of his era. For eight years he was involved with Norwegian woman Marianne Ihlen, and they lived on and off on the idyllic Greek island of Hydra. She was thought to be his muse, but life was no bed of roses for the lovers. In this warts and all doco, using the love story as its anchor, we discover Leonard in all his varied guises - tortured genius, intense lover, womaniser, depressive, and, according to some who speak about him, at times very funny. This is a marvellous insight into an incredible artist, and not to be missed by Cohen lovers or music lovers. 

Paris Song: At the 1925 Paris Expo, a young singer from Kazakstan, Amre  Kashaubayev, took the musical world by storm by taking out second prize in a singing competition, beating European men who had always won. The story of this shy young man comes to life in this film, which includes a romance with a nightclub singer (Abbie Cornish), and friendships with George Gershwin and Irving Berlin. A political sub-plot involves Russia's treatment of the Kazaks, and Amre. It's an absolutely fascinating story and beautifully shot with some lovely music. Beyond that it is directed in a very formulaic manner, using so many tired tropes, and having many totally unbelievable moments (eg after torture at the hands of the Russian secret police, Amre has not a mark on him). Perhaps I'm a little harsh, as it has won several awards overseas, but not my pick of the crop.