October 22nd
Ms White Light
Becoming Cousteau
St Ali Italian Film Festival
Well here we are at last. Cinemas are re-opening and there has been so much confusion, I suggest if you want to watch any of these films, new releases or festival films, you head to Professor Google and find out what is playing where in your State. Of course online and streaming remain alive and well. If the Italian FF is not yet on near you, jot down those that take your fancy, and catch them when the Festival hits your city.
Dir: Paul Shoulberg
Length: 97 mins
Available to rent on a variety of platforms - including iTunes, Googleplay and more
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© Heritage Films - bringing death into
the spotlight - in a quirky way |
Lex Cordova (Roberta Conlindrez) works with her dad Gary (John Ortiz) in a business they call Mortality Solutions. It involves Lex being hired to assist dying people to "let go" and to accompany their final moments, especially in cases where the families cannot handle the situation. Lex is masterful at what she does, however, when it comes to relating in the broader world, she is socially inept. Then she meets Valerie (Judith Light), a feisty unafraid woman, who just wants companionship and also employs Spencer (Zachary Spicer), a charlatan spiritualist. These two will give Lex a whole new perspective on life. I have no idea why this award-winning quirky film hasn't made it to screens here before now (maybe because it divides critics on Rotten Tomatoes?) Even though a couple of plot directions are a bit obvious, it's refreshing to see death out in the open, with our mortality front and centre. The film is well-scripted with plenty of dry humour and winning performances by all, especially Ortiz and Conlindrez.4 - highly recommended
Dir: Liz Garbus
Length: 93 mins
Variety of cinemas Australia wide
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© Rialto - a legend in the ocean
and in his own lifetime |
I remember as a little kid loving the regular docu-series The Underwater World of Jacques Cousteau. And now, all grown up and old, I can enjoy him all over again, in this excellent doco tracing his life story and his environmental legacy. A nominee for Best Doco at the London FF, the film has been crafted from more than 550 hours of footage, archival and modern. We discover that the man had many more strings to his bow than underwater exploration - he was an adventurer, author and inventor, giving the world the breathing regulator that enable SCUBA diving to happen. Sadly too, we discover how Cousteau began sounding the alarm on the world's environmental problems decades ago, but no-one really wanted to listen. Absorbing and important viewing.3.5 - well recommended
ST ALi Italian Film Festival
20 October - 12 December
Melbourne and Canberra are last cabs off the rank, not opening until 19th November.
Always a showcase of magnificent films from Italy, this year's festival features a Roberto Rossellini retrospective, with a restored version of the classic Rome, Open City as the closing night movie. Another couple of interesting retro films are Marriage Italian Style and Visconti's The Leopard. As always, the festival features award winners, including Nanni Moretti's Three Floors and To Chiara, which won the Director's Fortnight prize at Cannes. I'm lucky to have previewed a few.
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© Italian FF - Cannes winner
1946 |
Rome, Open City: This remarkable film, nominated for an Oscar in 1945, also won the top prize at Cannes the following year. Rossellini had Fellini collaborate with him on the screenplay, a script which totally stands the test of time! An Italian resistance leader is pursued by the occupying Nazis, while deception, lies, torture, tragedy and unsurpassed bravery take centre stage. The film feels more authentic than so many war depictions in modern films, and having the opportunity to see it gloriously restored is not to be missed.
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© Italian FF - Bergman
in full flight |
Stromboli: Another film in the Rossellini retrospective, Stromboli won a couple of awards for Ingrid Bergman. It's the story of Karin, a woman displaced after WW2, who marries a simple Italian guy who comes from the volcanic island of Stromboli. She cannot get used to the lifestyle there, and resolves to get away - but the volcano has other ideas! Melodramatic but intriguing, this is a window into a way of life led by many of the migrants who ultimately made their way to Australia. If you want a classic 50s film, this could be it, and of course Bergman is iconic.
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© Italian FF - best actor for
Favino |
Padenostro: Inspired by the director's own childhood, this is the story of young Vale, who witnesses the attempted assassination of his father, Alfonso (Pierfrancesco Favino) a judge. The traumatised boy befriends a mysterious older lad, and, when the family head south for a break to Calabria, disturbing connections are revealed. Favino got the Best Actor award for his fine performance, scenically it is beautifully shot, and there is much tension and heart in this impressive film.
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© Italian FF - much awarded
and so innovative |
Hidden Away: Antonio Ligubue was an artist who painted in the naive style. His story is heartbreaking: he was orphaned young, sent from his native Switzerland to Italy, then spent many years in and out of mental institutions. This startling biopic is the winner of the Silver Bear for Best Actor (Elio Germano) plus many other Donatello awards, and is innovative in so many regards. Its visual style, narrative arc, and stunning cast are all memorable. It also is a beacon to encourage compassion for those who are somehow different.
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© Italian FF - umpteen awards
for this moving story |
Glass Boy: This one is fun for the entire family. Young Valerio suffers from haemophilia and can only look longingly out the window at other kids playing together. But when he attracts the attention of a special group (the SNERDS), his life takes a new turn. Yes, there is much here that we can predict and have seen before, but the kids all pour their hearts into their roles, there's plenty of light-weight adventure, and it is an uplifting film in dark times.
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