Hursto's five minute films

June 29th
Master Cheng
Romantic Road
Love Sarah
The Taverna
More from Melbourne Documentary Film Festival - online June 30 - July 15th

This week I'm a one-eyed reviewer thanks to being forced to lie horizontally for five days following emergency retinal surgery. A word of warning, especially to older readers: floaters in the eye - the internet says they are common, and not serious. Eye surgeons say yes, they are common, but ALWAYS check them out, as they can be a precursor to retinal detachment, as was the case for me. So, that dealt with, it seems many more films are now being released, quite a few for enjoyment on the big cinema screen, for those happy to go. So here are some I've seen; find them where you can, as who knows what will and won't be opening or staying open!! I'm recommending them all, with my pick of the week Master Cheng.

Master Cheng
Dir: Mika Kaurismaki
Length: 114 mins

After the death of his wife in Shanghai, master chef Cheng (Pak Hon Chu) heads off with his small son Niu-Niu to Finland, hoping to track down and repay a Finnish man who has helped him out of trouble. Ending up in a remote town, and unable to locate the man, he finds a cafe run by Sirkka (Anna Maija Tuokko), and an unlikely alliance forms. This is delightful, uplifting and warm-hearted story telling, understated, witty, moving and a joy to watch. Local old fogeys Romppainen and Vippula add to the rich mix of characters, as they fall in love with Cheng's unfamiliar cuisine. As well as giving a strong lesson in cross-cultural understanding, this film is seductively charming in so many ways. (Don't go to the cinema hungry!)

Romantic Road
Dir: Oliver McGarvey
Length: 80 mins

Eccentric London lawyer Rupert Grey heads off on a six-month adventure with Jan, his wife of 35 years. (Factoid: Rupert is the great grandson of former British PM Earl Grey, after whom the tea is named.) The couple take Rupert's beloved 1936 Rolls Royce and depart from Mumbai, hoping to arrive in Dakha, Bangladesh for the Chobi Mela photographic festival. This fun and informative documentary highlights English quirkiness at its best. The film is a feast of amazing adventures and perils, as they meet maharajahs, tea-wallahs, curious locals, and much needed car mechanics. As hard as it was for Rupert and Jan, I can only imagine how the camera crew battled all the challenges along the way. The film is also a lovely testament to an enduring relationship and the value of taking time out together to create unforgettable memories.

Love Sarah
Dir: Eliza Schroeder
Length: 97 mins

Aspiring baker Sarah is killed in a bicycle accident just as she is about to open her shop with best friend Isabella (Shelley Conn). Sarah's daughter Clarissa (Shannon Tarbet) enlists the help of estranged grand mother Mimi (an excellent Celie Imrie) to make the dream a reality. Sarah's old flame Matthew (Rupert Penry Jones) turns up to lend his expert baking hand, and to explore another agenda on his mind. This film is very sweet, very predictable and somewhat formulaic. However, in these fraught times I think it is exactly what the doctor ordered to pick up one's spirits, and make for a salivating distraction that is a celebration of mending estranged families and of female friendships (not to mention of fabulous cakes and diabetes-inducing sugar highs!)

The Taverna
Dir: Alkinos Tsilimidos
Length: 86 mins
To screen at select Palace Cinemas, plus Classic, Lido and Cameo

Kostas (Vangelis Mourikis) runs a popular suburban Greek taverna. When belly dancer Jamila (Rachel Kamath) refuses to dance after spotting her ex at a table with his older lover, waitress Sally (Emily O'Brien-Brown) decides to step into the breach. Throw into the mix sleazy groping customers, an impromptu kidnapping, rampaging possums, and Kostas's drug-addict son having an accident, and you have a recipe for an absolutely chaotic night. After directing such serious films as Every Night . . .Every Night and Tom White, Tsilimidos turns his hands to a black comedy inspired by his own Greek/Aussie experiences, and shot at White Village Tavern (round the corner from where I live!) As a Hellenophile, I really relate to the sensibility of this film - Mourikis nails his role, while Turkish actor Senol Mat as chef Omer is a hoot (if totally morally questionable!) Notable too is screen debut of popular singer Emanuela Costaras as waitress Katerina.

Melbourne Documentary Film Festival
Online 30th June - 15th July

For ticketing and synopses of films visit: mdff.org.au
Streaming via https://watch.eventive.org/mdff

So, last edition I reviewed four films from this excellent festival which includes Melbourne stories, Aussie stories, international stories, biographies, docos focusing on music and art and way more. MDFF is about to start so make your selections and get into some seriously good doco watching!

Let's Talk About Sex (75 mins): Your guide to all things sexy is Julia Sloane, who starts off chatting with her parents, and reflecting upon her very conservative upbringing. She then takes audiences on an enlightening and entertaining sex tour. She interviews folks on the street about their attitudes to sex, visits a massage parlour specialising in bondage and discipline, takes us on a tour of a sex toys shop, meets a guy who designs 3D virtual sex experiences, and attends a pole-dancing class. It's all very open and a lot of fun and could possibly revive anyone's flagging sex life.

The Boys Who Said No (90 mins): People called them draft dodgers, but these young men were the face of youth with conscience, refusing to be drafted to fight in a war they didn't believe in, the controversial Vietam War. Back in the 1960s America was a hot-bed of protest and social change. This fabulous doco traces that era, with riveting archival footage including activist/singer Joan Baez, Martin Luther King, and the protesters then, along with interviews with them now. It's extraordinarily timely given the upsurge again in protest movements.

Man on the Bus (83 mins): 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!

Descent (62 mins): Kiki Bosch is one of the world's only professional ice free-divers - that is, she dives without a wetsuit or scuba kit in the most freezing waters in the world. This has helped her get over debilitating sexual trauma, and has created a determination and resilience seen in few humans. She helps train others to use her techniques for their own self-development. Inspirational, scary and fascinating viewing. (If you missed it at Sydney FF, here's another chance!)

The World's Best Film (89 mins): At age 24, aspiring film-maker Joshua Belinfante was told he didn't have long to live, thanks to a massive tumour. After his recovery he set off to visit 10 countries over 5 years, meeting 13 individuals all over the world, each one of whom is "the best" at whatever they do. So we meet people who are "the best" at dog sitting, cigarette bumming, being a granddad, running London toilet tours and much more. Whether these people are or are not the best is irrelevant; ultimately the film is an affirmation of life, self esteem and the philosophy that you can do whatever you want if you really set your mind to it, as the director has proven with his sweet and uplifting film.

Hursto's five minute films

Sunday 28 June 2020

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