Wednesday 24 May 2023

May 25th 2023

The Little Mermaid
The Narrow Bridge- special Q&A screening may 28th
CHIFF - Children's International Film Festival
St Omer
Renfield
Audrey Napanangka
Olga (limited screenings)

More films than ever this week, with a huge variety of genres and a terrific children's film festival thrown in! Note that Olga and The Narrow Bridge have limited screenings, so plan your time carefully.
 
The Little Mermaid
Dir: Rob Marshall
Length: 135 mins
© Disney - sweet, romantic and visually gorgeous
Ariel (Halle Bailey) is one of seven beautiful mermaid daughters of King Triton (Javier Bardem). She is fascinated by humans and life beyond the sea, and ventures where her father forbids her to go. She witnesses a shipwreck and helps save the life of a handsome human, Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer King). Then the evil octopus sea-witch Ursula (Melissa McCarthy) offers Ariel an irresistible Faustian trade - swap her siren voice for becoming human with legs to walk upon the land. But the condition is she must kiss the prince within three days or ... disaster! Disney made the wholly animated The Little Mermaid in 1989, but now it's been taken to a whole new level with human actors and CGI animation. This is a beautifully reimagined story, with Bailey shining in the lead role. The color, music and movement is spectacular, and more so on the giant screen, especially in a glorious sequence with a song called Under the Sea, set to a Caribbean beat. Much is what you'd expect of Disney: the usual trio of fun friends (a fish, a crab and a bird), an evil sorceress (Ursula), death (and resurrection!) and a plot that has romance, tension and a level of predictability. Perhaps it's a tad long, but it's just so sweet and enjoyable.
3.5 - well recommended

The Narrow Bridge
Dir: Esther Takac
Length: 66 mins
Special Q&A screening Sunday 28th May, Elsternwick Classic
© Bonsai Films - a ray of hope as enemies
befriend each other through shared grief
Israel, Palestine - will the hatred, bloodshed and warfare ever end? If you feel that this is an insoluble problem, there just may be a ray of hope coming from the people who are part of this inspiring documentary. Bushra and Rami are Palestinian; Meytal and Bassam are Israeli Jews. All four have lost a child or parent at the hands of "the other side". As they tell their stories of loss and heartbreak, it's hard to imagine they could ever find a meeting ground, let alone friendship. Yet this is what has happened, as they join the Israeli Palestinian Bereaved Families group to share their loss and work towards grassroots change. There are intimate close-ups as each bares their soul, and some incredibly moving contributions from Leonard Cohen. Very important film-making. Bassam and Rami will talk at the Q&A. 
4 - highly recommended

Children's International Film Festival (CHIFF)
27th May - 12th June
Classic Elsternwick , Cameo Belgrave, Lido Hawthorn, Sydney Ritz
For all session times and information visit www.chiff.com.au

Back for its fifth year, CHIFF brings wonderful stories from all over the world. As an adult used to watching too many serious and traumatic films, I find it a delight to engage in some of these movies, so well curated by Thomas Caldwell. Never dismiss a kid's flick; there will almost certainly be something to entertain and enlighten for all age groups! And what a great opportunity for kids to see films outside the scope of the usual Hollywood offerings. 
The Dragon Princess
74 mins with French Subtitles, ages 7+
This cute animation is the story of Bristle, a human born from a dragon's egg. Deep in a cave in the forest, Papa Dragon fiercely guards his treasure, and there is mutual hatred between  the beast and the local humans. When Bristle befriends a feisty princess, daughter of the King, the pair must battle prejudice and opposition to their friendship. This is a fun adventure, that looks simply glorious in its painterly style, and there are subtle messages beneath the surface: females may be the only hope of stopping war, and don't judge your enemies before you meet them.

The Island of Lost Girls
104 mins, English, ages 8+
Scarlett Autumn and Avila are three little girls having a day at the beach, when they are somehow swept away to a remote island. There they battle death-defying odds to climb to a remote lighthouse, hoping to be rescued. Elephant seals, crashing waves, sea caves and vertical cliffs must all be confronted. The incredible thing about this film is a little family has made it, using their three children, who play versions of themselves in a fictional setting. Remarkably (and probably against all OHS laws)  they do their own terrifying stunts. The film is a little long, but in parts certainly had me on the edge of my seat, scared, but quite charmed by the sisters and in awe of the quality of the film-making. Could be frightening for very small children.

Journey to Yourland
85 minutes, Czech film in English language, ages 8+
Imagine Howl's Moving Castle, Transformers, Wall-E and The Birds rolled into one crazy animated story. 10-year-old Riki gets a mysterious stone implanted in his chest, and ends up in a parallel world, Yourland,  where everyone is eager to retrieve the stone, the source of energy in that land. Riki meets Emma, daughter of Yourland's president, as well as a talking monkey, huge metallic machines and robots, evil-looking ravens and more. Who can he trust and how can he get home? Lots of action and adventure here, and a sweet human story of friendship and family under it all. 
The festival comes, as expected, highly recommended

St Omer
Dir: Alice Diop
Length: 122 mins
© Palace - a courtroom drama with a
difference. 
Rama (Kayije Kagame), a literature professor, is from a Senegalese background, and is four months pregnant to her white husband. She travels to Saint Omer to observe a trial, that of Laurence Coly (Guslagie Malanda), also Senegalese, who is accused of leaving her infant daughter on the beach to be swept into the sea. Rama finds herself dramatically affected by what she witnesses. This unusual film is based faithfully upon a true case in 2016. The trial is intensely, slowly and deliberate, with long, lingering shots on the faces of the judge and the two Senegalese women. Arguments centre around Coly's weird defence that she was bewitched by evil spirits, but much of the trial is also about the mother's overall mental state. The film gives us a lot to mull over, in the realms of mother/daughter relationships, attitudes to immigrants on trial, and women's fears of how good a parent they will be. While this is a fine example of compellingly authentic courtroom procedure and of mental anguish, there is (for me) an alienation for some of the time, as the two women seem emotionally shutdown until near the movie's conclusion. The film has copious awards, not the least being four big wins at Venice. Probably critics will like it more than audiences will. 
3.5 - well recommended

Renfield
Dir: Chris McKay
Length: 99 mins
© Universal - smile for the camera! 
Dracula and his sidekick reimagined. 
For decades Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) has been trusty servant and gopher to the evil vampire Dracula (Nicolas Cage). Now he's sick of that life and hopes to break free and live a semblance of normality. He realises he is co-dependent and attends a self-help group, with the ulterior motive of delivering the members to Dracula as prey. Now the plot convolutions really start: enter drug king pin Teddy Lobo (Ben Schwarz), and local cop Rebecca (Awkwafina), to whom Renfield is attracted. There is more blood, gore, exploded bodies and and crazed fighting action than you can shake a stick at; it is all supposed to done in a humorous vein, and I must confess to having a few laughs at all the outrageous gruesomeness. The film tries for a serious underbelly, laboring the theme of narcissism (Dracula) and co-dependency (Renfield), but the plot developments are too silly for words. However, there is something intrinsically wonderful here, and that is Nic Cage! He's a perfect Dracula and a fitting foil for the English properness of Renfield. Cage fans should not miss it.   
2.5 - maybe

Audrey Napanangka
Dir: Penelope McDonald
Length: 84 mins
© Chilli Films/Brindle Films - timely story
of racial harmony, caring and inculcating
traditional First Nations values

This revealing doco is the culmination of ten years of filming. Audrey is a 70 year old Walpiri woman married for 30 years to Sicilian husband Santo. She tells her story in a matter-of-fact way, detailing how both her babies were taken from her, and she could never have another. Despite that she has raised maybe 30 kids, schooling them in the ways of her culture, and encouraging them to navigate their traditional world and the complexities of the colonial world. Audrey's balancing of these two lifestyles is quite an eye-opener, and the fact that director McDonald has known Audrey all her life brings a great intimacy to the film. This doco is especially relevant at this time when First Nations people are in the spotlight, trying to find a Voice. It is also testament to the power of family, love and care in everyone's life. 
3.5 - well recommended

Olga
Dir: Elie Grappe
Length: 85 mins
Limited special screenings: 30/31 May (Thornbury Picture House), 10/11 June, Sun Theatre Yarraville
© Screen Inc - set against a true backdrop
of Ukrainian revolution, Olga goes
into the world of competitive gymnastics
Among umpteen awards, including Critics Week Grand Prize in 2021 at Cannes, Olga is the story of a talented 15-year-old Ukrainian gymnast (Anastasia Budiashkina, in an impressive performance). When violence and threats against her mother, an investigative journalist, engulf her family, Olga flees to Switzerland where she joins the Swiss national squad. It's hard for her to fit in and, to exacerbate matters, a pro democracy uprising against the government takes place in Ukraine, and people she loves are in danger. This is a strong film on several levels. Firstly the obvious - the story is set against true Ukrainian history, all the more relevant with what's happening today. Olga is also a rare insight into the world of competitive gymnastics and the rigorous, sometimes brutal training, aspiring athletes must go through. The film is a compelling examination of how the political and the personal often intersect, and how finding identity and following dreams are not always easy.
4 - highly recommended

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Wednesday 17 May 2023

 May 18th 2023

The Blue Caftan
Limbo
Quant
Marlowe
Remember Belsen - special screening Sunday 21st May

Again this week brings some powerful movies to our big screen. Great to see a top Aussie drama amongst them. Plus I recommend you to a Q&A this Sunday, remembering a dark time in human history. 
The Blue Caftan
Dir: Maryam Touzani
Length: 124 mins
© Kismet - sensitive, delicate, 
beautiful and absorbing. 
Here's a literal winner of a film, with nine prestigious awards, among them Queer Palm and Un Certain Regard critics' prize at Cannes. The film is a co-production from France, Morocco, Belgium and Denmark. It stars beautiful Belgian actor Lubna Azabal as Mina, who runs a dressmaking shop in Morocco with her husband Halim (Saleh Bakri). Their lives are turned upside down when a handsome young apprentice Youssef (Ayoub Missioui) comes to work at the shop. The film takes a slow burn approach; it is only incrementally that we discover the truth of Mina and Halim's lives, both in terms of his sexual proclivities, and her illness. The friendships that develop between the three are handled with an exquisite sensitivity and at a measured pace. Anyone who's visited Morocco will know of the painstaking work done on clothing in the form of embroidery, and this side of the film is a treat for the senses (though not for viewers who are impatient). The story is also homage to the dying handcrafts that are being usurped by machine work, and clients who want ready-made rather than the delights of intricate hand workmanship. 
4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended

Limbo
Dir: Ivan Sen
Length: 108 mins
© Bunya Productions - raw, gritty, film
noir set in the Aussie outback 
The outback opal mining town of Limbo is a gloomy place in every regard: the surroundings are bleak and the people seem defeated. Detective Travis Hurley (Simon Baker) is sent to the town to investigate a cold case from 20 years ago when a local indigenous girl, Charlotte, went missing. The police hadn't cared, and when they finally investigated had tried to pin the blame upon local First Nations men, including implicating Charlotte's brother, Charlie (Rob Collins). Hurley gets the initially hostile locals to finally open up to him, including reclusive Joseph (Nicholas Hope), brother of a one-time suspect, and Charlie's estranged sister Emma (Natasha Wanganeen). This finely crafted, haunting film just oozes atmosphere. The decision of Sen to shoot in black and white adds a noir overlay to the feel, from the minute Hurley checks into the underground cave-style motel, to the ending which remains, cleverly, ambiguous. There is much pain in the story - that of fractured families and a justice system that continually ignores or mistreats the First Nations people. Baker is compelling as the world-weary Hurley, who himself has a drug habit, but has enough compassion to invest himself in the sad case. The settings (in and around the underground mining town of Coober Pedy) are stark and fascinating, and the understatedness of the plot, the characters and their interconnections is beautifully handled. An intriguing, gritty cop-story with a big human heart.
4 - highly recommended

Quant
Dir: Sadie Frost
Length: 86 mins
© Vendetta - the face of sixties' 
fashion, and mother of the  miniskirt 

Probably no fashion designer says 1960s more than Mary Quant. This excellent doco shows not only how fashion changed women's lives, but how society itself went through seismic changes in the sixties. Quant opened her first shop in 1955, and as the sixties blossomed was known for bold colors, mini skirts, and a free-spirited, individualistic line of  clothing. There are many revealing interviews with Quant and fashion doyens then and now, excellent old footage of the day, and all is backed up by a nostalgia-inducing fabulous soundtrack. But Quant's career was more encompassing than a single decade; she moved with the times and the changes she and her brand went through up until the year 2000 (when she retired) are also highly reflective of societal change. No need to be a fashionista to get a lot out of this engaging film, made more poignant by the fact that Quant died on April 13th this year, aged 93. 
4 - highly recommended

Marlowe
Dir: Neil Jordan
Length: 109 mins
© Madman - the big man is back
Raymond Chandler wrote The Big Sleep in 1939. It featured a detective known as Philip Marlowe. Since then ten films about the private detective have been made. Some have become classics, but probably not this one. Jordan is Irish, as is the writer of the Chandler lookalike book, so Liam Neeson is an Irish-accented Marlowe in LA in 1939. The mandatory blonde seductress Claire Cavendish (Dianne Kruger) asked Marlowe to help find her missing lover Nico, a props man for a movie studio. Marlowe discovers Nico has been killed. But has he? All the ingredients are here - an upmarket nightclub ( a front for what?) run by Floyd Hanson (Danny Huston), a druglord Lou Hendricks (Alan Cumming), Claire's horse-riding mother (Jessica Lang) along with a grab-bag of other assorted characters from cops to crooks. I find the plot too convoluted, and something about Neeson's performance feels clunky and not quite right. However, Glover, Cumming and Lang (great to see her again!) all bring top performances to their characters. And the film certainly looks fabulous, with excellent period recreation and costuming. 
2.5 - maybe

Remember Belsen
Dir: Frank Shields
Length: 104 mins
Special Screenings and Q & A - Sunday 18th May, Melbourne Holocaust Museum
Selwyn St, Elsternwick. 2pm-4.30 
© Frontier Films  - one of Alan Moore's 
artworks depicting camp horrors
After WW2 ended, a film was commissioned, documenting the horrors the Allied troops discovered upon liberating the concentration camp Bergen Belsen. But that film was never made and 40 years later the reels were unearthed. Now this extraordinary documentary by Australian director, writer and producer Shields puts it all on the big screen lest the world forget the atrocities that were perpetrated upon the Jewish people by the Nazis. Shields dedicates the film to Aussie war artist Alan Moore, who immortalised in his work some of the most confronting scenes he was experienced as a young soldier. Yes, we've seen some horrific scenes of the Nazi horrors before, but never in quite as much sobering and disturbing detail as here. Interwoven into the dark history, are wonderful interviews with survivors, including two women, Helen Schon and Olga Horak. They speak so powerfully of their experiences, and they are a testament to human resilience and survival in the face of evil. Alan Moore (before his death) was interviewed, while artworks from other prisoners and famous war artists are also detailed. The film plays in three "chapters" - the first detailing how so many of prisoners came via Auschwitz to Belsen, the second documenting the actual liberation, and the third examining the extraordinary efforts from medical personnel and volunteers to nurse back to health some of those inmates who were able to be saved (a ray of light amidst the horror).  This beautifully assembled doco, so well edited by John Doggett Williams, weaves in and out of the timelines, seamlessly blending stills, footage and interviews. Remember Belsen is vital viewing, to keep reminding the world how dangerous hatred can be.
4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended




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Thursday 11 May 2023

 May 11th 2023

November
Infinity Pool 
More from the German Film Festival
The Swimmers (streaming on Netflix)

A gripping story of the hunt for the Paris 2015 terrorists, another of a holiday gone horribly wrong, an inspiring tale of Syrian refugees and three more top films from the German Film Festival. It's another big week for movie lovers. 

November
Dir: Cedric Jimenez
Length: 107 mins
© Palace - Dujardin leads a crack team in a gripping thriller

The horrific terrorist attacks in Paris in 2015 have given rise to some powerful films. In Paris Memories (shown at the French FF) the story was told from the victim's perpective. In this film we see the manhunt for the terrorists from the viewpoint of the investigators in the anti-terrorist squad, led by Heloise (Sandrine Kiberlain). Jean Dujardin plays associate investigator Fred, who, along with Ines (Anais Demoustier) are up against the clock to find the suspects and prevent another attack. This is pulsating and suspenseful film making, setting a cracking pace, and though at times we don't quite know who is who (so many undercover operatives), there's barely a moment to catch one's breath. The film was nominated for 8 prestigious awards at the French Cesars. 
3.5 - well recommended

Infinity Pool
Dir: Brandon Cronenberg
Length: 117 mins
© Maslow Entertainment - James should have
avoided this woman at all costs!
James Foster (Alexander Skarsgard) and his wife Em (Cleopatra Coleman) are on holiday at La Tolqa, an exclusive resort in a fictional poverty-stricken country. When they meet fellow guest Gabi (Mia Goth) and her partner Alban (Jalil Laspert), they are lured outside the grounds of the hotel - forbidden territory - and after a horrific accident are forced to contend with the barbaric justice system of the country. After discovering he can have a clone of himself take the punishment, James is drawn deeper into decadent and animalistic behaviour, with the alluring and sensual Gabi running the show. Thriller? Sci-fi? Horror? Social commentary? It's a bit of everything. True to the legacy of his father (David Cronenberg), Brandon goes for broke on the body horror and repulsiveness, and at times it is almost too much to watch. However, underneath the in-your-face grotesqueness and sexuality, there are plenty of intriguing questions to ponder: if I'm cloned who is the real me? Are we just bestial creatures with a veneer of civilisation? Why do the rich get away with behaving badly? If you are a fan of this genre you may well love this film; it's stylish and well shot, has a brilliantly ominous musical score, and best of all has amazing chemistry between Skarsgard and Goth. For more conservative types . . . be warned!
1 or 3.5 - avoid or well recommended . . . depending upon YOU! 

German Film Festival
Melbourne until May 24
Palace cinemas
For other states, ticketing, film programs visit: www.germanfilmfestival.com.au
This festival, with its stellar line-up of recent films from Germany and German-speaking countries is in full swing. Following on from my reviews last week, I've caught a further three to recommend.

The Lost Transport
Dir: Saski Diesing
Length: 98 mins
This film from The Netherlands, Germany and Luxemburg is part of the festival's focus upon female directors. Based upon a true story, it's set in the last days of the second world war, when a transport taking Jewish prisoners from Bergen Belsen concentration camp stops near a German village. The guards flee from advancing Russian troops, abandoning the prisoners. Dutch couple Simone (Hanna van Vliet) and her husband Isaac are assigned to stay in the house of Winnie (Anna Bachman), a German girl who had been in Hitler youth, along with Red Army sniper Vera (Eugenie Anselin). Many of the prisoners have typhus, prejudice and mistrust rule the village, and most of the Russian soldiers are brutal. To survive, the three women must learn to adjust to each other. This is a deeply compassionate and moving film, which sees the humanity in all the main characters, regardless of where they sit in the conflict. 

A Thousand Lines
Dir: Michael Herbig
Length: 92 mins
Hot from opening night comes another drama based upon the true story of one of Germany's biggest media scandals. In real life, in 2018, it was discovered that award-winning journalist from Der Spiegel, Klaas Relotius, had been faking stories for years. In this film it is Lars Bogenius who is the fraud, with colleague Juan Romero (Juan Moreno in real life), exposing him. In an era of fake news, Artificial Intelligence creations and social media fraudulence, this is a critically relevant film, executed with a touch of humour, and a refreshing focus upon the personal life of Romero, not just the machinations he must perform to expose the fraud.   

In a Land That No Longer Exists
Dir: Aelrun Goette
Length: 101 mins
Director Goette was a model in the 1980s in East Berlin, and bases much of this story upon her own life. It's the story of free-spirited Suzie who is forced to work in a factory, but gets noticed by a handsome photographer, Coyote. From there she inadvertently ends up in the world of high fashion. When she meets flamboyant designer Rudi (impressive Romanian actor Sabin Tambrea) she becomes even more involved in the world of fashion subculture, but all this comes at a risk in a repressive country like East Germany. This is a sympathetic and entertaining film that has won prizes for its performances and costumes. The characters are appealing, the driving soundtrack features plenty of Suzie Quatro, and the film brings a different view of East Germany in which the rebellious youth managed to find its own version of freedom.

The Swimmers
Dir: Sally El Hosaini
Length: 134 mins
Streaming on Netflix 
© Netflix - real-life escape from Syria
to pursue an Olympic dream
Another true story, in which real-life sisters Nathalie and Manal Issa play Yusra and Sara Mardini, two young Syrian girls who are training to be top swimmers in their country, with an ambition to swim in the Olympics.  In 2015,  all hell breaks loose. As life becomes more dangerous in Syria the girls decide to make the treacherous trek to try to get to Germany, and then hopefully bring their family to join them. The refugee experience is powerfully portrayed, as the girls and their cousin Nizar make their way to Istanbul, then board a flimsy dinghy to cross from Turkey to Greece. Depicting the journey, the director keeps the tension nail-bitingly high. We've often seen such events on the news, but up close and personal, with characters we quickly care for, it quickly becomes a far more intimate story. The Swimmers is also about family bonds, striving and resilience. There is an easy, believable naturalness between all the characters, and a lovely performance from Matthias Schweighofer as swim coach Sven, who returns kindness and love to their lives. This is tense, inspiring and emotionally powerful film-making.
4 - highly recommended


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