Wednesday 27 March 2024

March 28th 2024

Perfect Days
Io Capitano
20 Days in Mariupol (streaming on DocPlay)
Little Richard: I am Everything (streaming on Amazon Prime) 

There are some GREAT films to catch up with over the Easter break. Two outstanding nominees for Best International Feature Film hit our big screens, while streamers can catch two fabulous (but very different) documentaries. 
 
Perfect Days
Dir: Wim Wenders
Length: 103 mins

© Madman - a slice of Japanese life
that is so beautiful and simple
Hirayama (Koji Yakusho) seems content with his life. He has a set routine, getting up each day to work as a toilet cleaner in Tokyo, later going to his regular restaurant and bathhouse, and reading nightly from his large book collection before sleeping. He is a quiet man, who says little, works fastidiously and immaculately, and who keenly observes the world around him, taking copious photos of shadows and light patterns cast by the trees. The encounters he does have with others are varied: among them his co-worker Takashi (Tokio Emoto) and a girl that Takashi is pursuing;  his niece, Niko (Arisa Nakano), who runs away from home to spend a few days with him; his estranged sister who cannot cope with her brother's life choices, a homeless vagrant; the people who serve him his meals; and a stranger who bots a cigarette and confesses he is dying from cancer. Gradually these encounters, some more impactful than others, seem to cause him to look introspectively at his life. Nominated for a Best International Feature this year, Perfect Days is definitely not a film for the impatient person. Rather, it is more like a meditation upon life, in an inimitably Japanese way. The observation of not only beauty but the world around us, the care taken with every tiny task, and the ability to live in the moment - all these things are at the heart of this sublime film. When Hirayama goes into his dreams at night, he conjures the ethereal black and white beauty of his photographs; when his niece questions the future, Hirayama responds with "now is now", like a mantra evoking living in the present. Wenders' love of Japan seeps out of every scene, and Yakusho creates a character who we cannot help but love, admire and empathise with. The film for me is a small treasure to be savoured, moment by moment. 
4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended

Io Capitano
Dir: Matteo Garrone
Length: 121 mins
© Rialto - fiction that is so close to the
truth. Challenging but ultimately uplifting
We may be getting inured to seeing news reports of refugees making their way from Africa to Europe, sometimes at the cost of their lives. But it's a different story when you see it up close and personal, getting emotionally invested in the actual human beings involved. This is exactly what director Garrone achieves in his award-winning story of two young Senegalese teens, who decide to take the perilous journey, hoping to make their names in the music business when they arrive in Europe. Cousins Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Moussa (Moustapha Fall) save for six months to chase their dream, but it turns out to be a harrowing experience, as they make a treacherous journey through the Sahara, are ripped off by corrupt guards and people traffickers, fall into the wrong hands in Libya, and, for Seydou, ultimately face the biggest challenge of his young life. Despite the harrowing nature of the subject matter, Garrone imbues the narrative with touches of surrealism and near-magical experiences. He also exploits to the max the cinematographic opportunities afforded by colorful African villages with music and dance, and the stark but majestic beauty of the Sahara, along with the threatening vastness of the mighty Mediterranean Sea. Young Sarr is a revelation as an actor, bringing grace, bravery, and ultimately hope to his character. A nominee for Best International Film at this year's Oscars, Io Capitano has also won four prestigious awards at the Venice Film Festival. It's a very rewarding watch that will have you totally engaged with the characters and their journey.
4 - highly recommended 

20 Days in Mariupol
Dir: Mstyslav Cherbnov
Length: 95 mins
Streaming exclusivelyon DocPlay
© DocPlay - confronting and important
documentary making going to the heart
of the horrors of war. 
In his acceptance speech for Best Documentary feature at this year's Academy Awards, director Chernov said, “Probably I will be the first director on this stage to say I wish I'd never made this film. I wish to be able to exchange this to Russia never attacking Ukraine.” But what a film he has made, condensing the first 20 days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as the people of Mariupol are bombed, and the city is progressively destroyed. Words can barely convey what these people went through, and while the footage is at times shaky, handheld and on the run, it captures to the last ghastly detail the horror of such a war. The scene of the bombed out maternity hospital is heartbreaking. The bravery of the Ukrainian journalists who were trapped in Mariupol is remarkable, as they desperately struggle to get their video footage out of the besieged city to appeal to the world to send help. This is no easy watch, but is such an important film, which brings the broad sweep of war reporting down to the personal details of real people and the destruction of their lives.
4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended
www.docplay.com 
It's been a while since I've nagged you about subscribing to DocPlay, but if you are a doco aficionado, for the price monthly of a couple of cups of coffee, you can have the best and latest docos in the world streamed to your home. What's to think about??!!

Little Richard: I Am Everything
Dir: Lisa Cortes
Length: 101 mins
Streaming on Prime Video
© - Good golly Miss Molly, this is such
a terrific doco. 
And now for something absolutely entertaining and uplifting; something for rock'n'roll fans and anyone who loves a great music doco. Too much credit is often given to the white origins of rock'n'roll. Richard Penniman, black and queer, could well be called the father of the craze that swept the world. This exciting biopic features more archival footage than you can shake a stick at, along with insightful input from such later iconic musicians as Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Tom Jones and more, all of whom credit Richard with being a major inspiration. The personal backstory of Richard's muti-faceted personality is equally captivating, and we learn much about his various incarnations: from popular pompadoured raucous singer, to being openly gay in a time when it was neither fashionable nor legal. Amazingly he later married a woman, divorced, turned to religion, returned to his rock roots, and continued for his lifetime to present different versions of himself to the world. This film is just so much fun, with a brilliant soundtrack (of course!) and an eye-opening insight into a man who changed the course of modern music.
4 - highly recommended
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Wednesday 20 March 2024

March 21st 2024

Just a Farmer
Love Lies Bleeding
The Nut Farm
More from the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival

Not one but two Aussie films with a farming theme - and they couldn't be more different from each other!  Plus violence, sex and grunge intersect in a thriller with the wonderful Kristen Stewart. And one more from the French Film Festival - a lavish period piece. 
 
Just a Farmer
Dir: Simon Lyndon
Length: 103 mins
Catch this film where and when you can! For cinema locations and times in Melbourne and rural Victoria: https://www.justafarmer.net/cinemas
© Vam Paddock Productions - heartache on the 
land. This is the daily struggle for many farmers,
both psychologically and physically.  
The life of a farmer can be one of hard work, struggle, and sometimes tragedy. The film opens early on with the suicide of Alec (Joel Jackson), who leaves behind distraught wife Alison (Leila Mcdougall), their two children, Eric (Oliver Overton) and Sally (Vivian Mcdougall),  brother Oliver (Damien Walshe Howling) and father  Owen (Robert Taylor). With debts up to the eyeballs, Alison barely knows how to cope, while Owen drinks himself into the ground to cover his pain. Alison's sister, city gal Kathryn (Susan Prior) comes to help out.The ghastly statistic in Australia is that one farmer dies by suicide every ten days. This timely film sets out to start a conversation that hopefully will help troubled farmers, especially men, to seek help before things get out of hand. The tough aussie male ethos is challenged, with encouragement to talk to a counsellor, or a friend, rather than stoically battle on. This is a beautifully scripted film, with lovely performances from the entire cast, especially the two young kids. Shot out in Victoria's wheatbelt, the film makes the most of the magnificent landscape, and with Mcdougall herself  coming from a farming background (and having scripted the film), authenticity is at its heart. This is a moving and important story that we all should see, even non-farmers, to remember just how vital farming is to our lives, and hopefully to improve farmer's psychological and physical wellbeing.
4 - highly recommended

Love Lies Bleeding
Dir: Rose Glass
Length: 104 mins
© VVS - two kick-ass girls in love, seething
violence and a father from hell.  
Lou (Kristen Stewart) runs a seedy gym. When aspiring bodybuilder Jackie (Katy O'Brian) comes in, on her way to the Las Vegas championships, the two fall instantly for each other and a passionate relationship erupts. When not training, Jackie works at a shooting range run by Lou's estranged father (Ed Harris) who is definitely involved in murky criminal activities. But Jackie has a short fuse, and when Lou is upset that her sister-in-law Beth is being abused by husband JJ, Jackie snaps, triggering off a sequence of violent events that threaten to destroy the girls' love, and expose Lou's past. It's hard to categorise this film - yes it's a love story, with a side-order of revenge, all fuelled by violence and characters who each are unhinged in their own ways. The two lead women generate a fantastic chemistry together, while Ed Harris sports one of the worst hairdos seen in years on film. The broody, dark and moody cinematography captures the grunge and marginalisation of all of their lives, and the tension ratchets up with each plot twist. It's not a film for the faint-hearted, with some scenes bordering on repulsive. Unfortunately the ending runs somewhat off the rails, feeling clunky and unimaginative, but overall it's a solid and, (for most of its runtime) gripping thriller.
3.5 - well recommended

The Nut Farm
Dir: Scott Corfield
Length: 91 mins
© Bonsai - nuts, nonsense and fracking
in this Aussie comedy
San Francisco cryptocurrency trader Brendan Brandon (Arj Barker) goes bust, then discovers he is to take over a macadamia farm run by his uncle Mitch (Roy Billing) who has gone missing. But the farm comes with conditions, and everything is under threat from evil  schemer Zoran (Jonno Roberts) who is fracking gas and planning to send it via pipeline to his beloved New Zealand. Can Brendan save the farm and win the love of neighboring dairy farmer Kim (Madeleine West)? Arj Barker is a mainstay of the Melbourne Comedy Festival. I seldom go to the comedy festival, uncertain if any of it will elicit a laugh from me. Even if Barker's humour is great for a stand-up routine, it surely doesn't translate to the big screen. Unfortunately this film doesn't even get into the category of "so bad it's good"! It feels like peurile schoolboy humour, with an infantile collection of nut and poo jokes, none of them particularly funny. Zoran, the milk-guzzling villain, is so stereotyped he may as well have stepped out of an old music-hall routine, while the local cop Sergeant Blake is beyond unbelievable. Some viewers may enjoy this simplistic style of silly story, and I hate to stick the boots into an Aussie film, but  it just doesn't do it for me.  
2 - don't bother

More from . . . 
Alliance Francaise French Film Festival
Until April 2
Palace Cinemas
For all information on venues, films, synopses, bookings visit https://www.affrenchfilmfestival.org/

I'm yet again at odds with the Tomatometer, but I find this lavish, unusual period piece definitely worth a look on the big screen. 

Jeanne du Barry: Maiwenn directs and stars in the true story of a courtesan, Jeanne du Barry, who rose from virtually nothing to become the favorite mistress of King Louis the XV (Johnny Depp) just before his death, and two decades before the French Revolution. A French-speaking Depp plays the king with taciturn reserve, while Maiwenn conjures up a feisty woman, very ahead of her time, defying convention, and those at court who deride her. The huge pluses for the film are the magnificent settings, much of it shot at Versailles, and the glorious costumes, which, en masse, look like the pallette of a richly rendered painting. Despite feeling unsure of the authenticity of the representation of the relationship, I found myself much engaged with the plot and the characters.  



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Thursday 14 March 2024

 March 15th 2024

Nyad (streaming on Netflix)
American Fiction (streaming on Amazon Prime) 
More from the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival

So, did you watch the Oscars? What a big win for Oppenheimer with poor old Barbie pretty much missing out (except for Best Song). As I wait to catch a couple of this week's releases that I've missed, I thought I'd bring you two streaming films that were nominated for Oscars - both very worthy viewing. Plus the French Flim Festival powers on, and I have a couple more for you to consider.  
 
Nyad
Dir: 
Length: 121 mins
Streaming on Netflix
© Netflix - a beautiful friendship, and a 
determined woman for whom age means nothing
Long distance swimmer Diana Nyad (Annette Bening) first tried to swim the 100 miles from Cuba to Florida when she was 28 years old. She failed, but thirty years later, at the age of 62, she made another five attempts to achieve the record swim. This is the incredible story of how she did this with the help of her best friend Bonnie (Jodie Foster). Foster and Bening were each nominated in the recent Oscars for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. Although neither won, these are two wonderful, powerful performances, in an inspiring true story showing that you are never too old to pursue your dreams. Despite the film following a tried and true formula, it succeeds richly thanks not only to the performances, but also the cleverly recreated swims, with all the attendant excitement and dangers. Rhys Ifans is impressive as John Bartlett, the navigator responsible for charting the currents during the swim attempts. But for me what is most notable is how Foster and Bening defy ageism in being unafraid to front up, wrinkles and all, and show us that women don't have to fit the Hollywood glamor stereotype to be top in their field.
4 - highly recommended

American Fiction
Dir: Cord Jefferson
Length: 117 mins
Streaming on Amazon Prime

© Netflix - Wright is a revealtion as the 
writer whose plot backfires
Thelonious Ellison, nicknamed Monk (Jeffrey Wright), is an aspiring writer who has achieved limited success. He hates the trend in American literature which, as he sees it, stereotypes blacks, and dishes up the sort of fiction in which downtrodden, criminal, drug-addicted (etc etc) black folk battle through their lives. And he hates the way the establishment of white publishers loves and profits from this type of literature. To prove a point he writes a novel, under a pseudonym, employing the same old tired tropes and plotlines he has reviled. The novel is a resounding success and Monk finds himself caught up in the very world he detests, and becomes the subject of an increasingly convoluted drama centring upon his bogus identity. Wright was another nominated actor in this year's Oscars. What a wonderful, subtle and funny performance he gives. All the characters border just on this side of outright satire, which allows the film to be at once hilarious, and socially observant. I especially love the ambiguous possible alternative endings.
4 - highly recommended

More from . . .
Alliance Francaise French Film Festival
Until April 2
Palace Cinemas
For all information on venues, films, synopses, bookings visit https://www.affrenchfilmfestival.org/

Along Came Love: Single mother Madeleine had fathered a child by a German soldier and keeps the father's identity a secret from her son Daniel, much to the boy's distress. After the war she meets academic Francois and the two marry. But Madeleine's past, along with Francois' deeply-held secrets, create difficulties in their lives. This is a bit of a sweeping melodrama/epic, which starts at the end of World War 2 and moves through several decades.  I just wish they could have employed better ageing makeup!

Les Enfants du Paradis (Children of Paradise): This classic 1945 black and white drama is most definitely epic - the first part runs for 101 minutes and the second for 128 minutes. Apparently it has been voted the best ever French film. I saw it years go and it is certainly unforgettable; the tale of a beautiful courtesan Garance, loved by four men, and all set in the theatrical scene in Paris in the mid-nineteenth century. Google for session times (limited) and don't miss your chance to catch this amazing film on the big screen. 



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Wednesday 6 March 2024

March 7th 2024

The Great Escaper
Vanya
Cabrini
How to Have Sex
Alliance Francaise French Film Festival

It's another great week for strong cinematic offerings. And the much-loved French Film Festival hits the Palace Cinemas - always looked forward to and enjoyed by audiences. 
 
The Great Escaper
Dir: Oliver Parker
Length: 96 mins
© Transmission - two of Britain's finest actors
in a heart-warming true story 
Ex-World War II soldier Bernie Jordan (Michael Caine), now 90 years old, lives with his wife Irene (Glenda Jackson) in a retirement home. When the 70-year commemoration of the D-Day landings rolls around, and he misses out on a place in the organised tour, he does a runner from the home, crosses the channel and joins in the memorial ceremonies. Difficult memories come flooding back, along with his awareness of the waste of young lives, and the importance of what time is left to him with his beloved wife. Bernie's true story made headlines around the world. I feared this film could be formulaic and overly sentimental, but somehow the fine acting of two of Britain's top actors elevates the tale to another level.  Jackson (who died last year aged 87) delivers a sharp-tongued, witty performance as Irene, who, like her husband, reflects upon their past, their first love and their 70 happy years together. Caine, himself 90, delivers a heartfelt and deeply emotional performance, with Bernie's rheumy aging eyes a window to a life well-lived. Flashbacks to the wartime scenes are well done, as is the lovely short friendship Bernie forms with fellow veteran Arthur (John Standing). But it is the portrayal of old age (along with older love), done with dignity and respect, that is so lovely to watch.
4 - highly recommended

Vanya
Dir: Sam Yates
Length: 107 mins
© Sharmill -  I've never seen a stage 
performance this amazing! 
I'm usually the last person to watch theatrical productions put onto film. Let alone a reimagined version of a Chekov play (which I have never seen). But this is something else - something amazing to be enjoyed in its own right. Irish actor Andrew Scott takes to the stage solo to play eight different characters: the house staff Liam and Maureen, visiting (drunken) doctor Michael, ageing filmmaker Alexander and his much younger wife Helena, Alexander's former mother-in-law Elizabeth, the titular Vanya, (brother to Anna, deceased first wife of Alexander) and his niece Sonya, Alexander's daughter. The stage is set for a heartbreaking story (with amusing moments) of unrequited love, misplaced passions, resentments and life regrets. What could have been a jumble of confusing characters and scenes, is simply brilliant and awe-inspiring in the hands of Scott, who uses slight accent variations, and mannerisms to differentiate which character he is inhabiting with each line. It's like nothing I've ever seen, and the beautiful close-ups of Scott's face, as emotion pours from him, make this tour-de-force of acting even more impactful. This is the best acting master-class you could have. 
5 - unmissable!

Cabrini
Dir: Alejandro Monteverde
Length: 145 mins
© Rialto - inspiring story of the determination of
one woman to change the world
New York, 1889, sees large numbers of Italian immigrants hoping for a better life, but living in squalor. Enter a group of nuns, led by Mother Francesca Cabrini (Cristiana Dell'Anna) who has a burning desire and a mission to improve the lives of those she encounters, especially children. But New Yorkers are deeply prejudiced against Italians, and Cabrini encounters resistance at every step of the way. She decides to set up an orphanage, and with support of Archbishop Corrigan (David Morse) is successful. But the local community, especially patriarchal men like the Mayor (John Lithgow), are fervently against her. She hopes to expand her mission to building a hospital for the underpriveleged and takes her plea all the way to Rome to entreat the Pope himself (Giancarlo Giannini). The downside of this film is the very traditional manner of telling the narrative. At times one can almost predict what the next spoken line will be. But the story itself is absolutely inspirational and Dell'Anna is quite mesmerising as the dogged woman, who, despite her ailing health since childhood, is a true entrepreneur. Production values are also superb with great period re-enactment, and wide angle cinematography that lends almost a majestic feel to the squalor. Overall it's a wonderful story of a brave woman who gave her name to a worldwide chain of hospitals.
3.5 - well recommended

How to Have Sex
Dir: Molly Manning Walker
Length: 98 mins
© AHI - teens celebrating - at what
emotional cost?
Three close friends Tara (Mia McKenna Bruce), Em (Enva Lewis) and Skye (Lara Peake) have finished their exams and head to a resort in Greece for a hedonistic celebration, with plenty of sun, boozing, dancing, and, for Tara, the hope of losing her virginity. They hook up with two guys and a girl in the apartment next door, and the revelry begins. But for Tara things do not turn out as she hopes. Full disclosure: this film has won the Un Certain Regard award at Cannes last year, along with many other accolades. But I have to side with the 3% of Rotten Tomato critics who have issues with this film, and it is one of the rare times I find it hard to relate to a film because of its content. I've always despised the culture of Schoolies' Week in Australia, and much of this film centres around this sort of mindless, booze and lust-driven teenage activity.  It is only near the end, when Tara finds herself in situations she doesn't know how to handle, that things have the potential to become thought-provoking, but even there the director fails to examine more deeply the implications of  barely-consensual sex. The performances of the teens are powerfully compelling, particularly McKenna Bruce, whose face expresses in the close-ups all the feelings she is too young to be able to articulate. And the way the director and cinematographer portray the sweaty frenetic partying with its vomitous aftermath, along with the disturbingly sexist demeaning games, is also impressive - it's just that, for me, there is too much of it. (Is this a sign I'm showing my age!?)
2.5 - maybe

Alliance Francaise French Film Festival

Until April 2
Palace Cinemas
For all information on venues, films, synopses, bookings visit https://www.affrenchfilmfestival.org/
No point in my ranting about how good this festival is each year. You know that already. Suffice to recommend you a number of films I've been lucky enough to preview, and over the next week or so I will  add a couple more I catch up with. 

© Sharmill 
Sidonie in Japan
The always wonderful Isabelle Huppert plays author Sidonie Perceval, a widowed author who heads to Japan where her last novel is being re-released. She meets with her publisher Kenzo (Tsuyoshi Ihara) who will be her compantion for her six-day tour. To her amazement, Sidonie finds  that the ghost of her husband (August Diehl) turns up in each hotel where she stays. If she is to ever move on with her life she will need to dispel this apparition. This is such a sweet, poignant and romantic film, not without its humour, mostly derived from the differences between the formality of Japanese culture and the French style of doing things. There's a lovely chemistry between the two leads, and somehow the supernatural element blends seamlessly and almost believably into the overall plot. For me, loving all things French and Japanese, this film is a sweet and uplifting treat.
    

© Studio Canal 
All Your Faces
Imagine victims of crime meeting up with their perpetrators. This is precisely the notion of restorative justice which has been a feature of French society for about 10 years now. Taking this social reality, director Jeanne Herry crafts a fictional story that feels about as real as things can get, all helped by such notable French actors as Jean Pierre Daroussin, Gilles Lelouche and Adele Exarchopoulos. (Every cast member is superb!) This is intelligently scripted, emotionally powerful film-making that interweaves two distinct narrative threads: one is the group meeting of victims and perpetrators, the other is a lawyer facilitating a meeting between a now-adult woman who seeks to ensure she never runs into the recently-released brother who raped her as a child. The facilitators of the group carry no judgment, while all parties learn to talk, to listen and to get an understanding of where the other is coming from, plus the impact the crime has had on lives. The emphasis throughout the film is upon reconciliation, but not at the expense of showing the deep emotions carried by all. It is a worthy model of how negotiations could be conducted in a world where anger and revenge too often hold sway.
 
© Potential
Last Summer
Anne (Lea Drucker) is a brilliant lawyer married to older, respectable Pierre (Olivier Rabourdin). They have two adorable adopted twin girls. All seems idyllic until Pierre's estranged and surly seventeen-year-old son Theo (Samuel Kircher) comes to live with them. Theo looks like a young Adonis, and it's not long before Anne is knee-deep in a lustful affair with her stepson. Director Catherine Breillat loves to shock, and thematically this film may shock some viewers, while inviting audiences to ask where they stand morally on this issue, and just who seduced whom! The plot keeps us in plenty of suspense as we eagerly and anxiously await to see whether the couple will be sprung.  Performances are strong, especially Drucker who embodies hypocrisy and self-preservation to the max. The ambivalent ending has me intrigued and I enjoy the way one can never totally demonise one party or the other. 

© Potential
Divertimento
Two sisters, Zahia (Oulaya Amamra) and Fettouma  Ziouani (Lina el Arabi) have big dreams. At only 17, Zahia hopes to becomes one of very few female orchestra conductors and her sister wants to become a professional cellist. Being of Algerian descent and living in the "burbs" of Paris, they will need to overcome many hurdles, both societal and patriarchal. While following a reasonably predictable narrative arc, this true story is both uplifting and inspiring, and features lovely performances by the two lead actors. Augmenting the cast is Neils Arestrup as famed conductor Sergiu Celibidache, who sees the potential in Zahia and takes her under his wing. Take a few tissues for the very emotional conclusion! 

© 
The Book of Solutions
The delightful Pierre Niney plays Marc, a filmmaker struggling to complete his latest work. Taking his producer and editors with him, he leaves the bustling city and heads to a village in the Cevennes to see if he can reawaken the creative spark he seems to have lost. This is an amusing comedy, in which Niney shines in the lead role of a guy who is sweet, aggressive, vaguely disturbed, but who definitely knows the meaning of thinking laterally. Apparently the story is semi-autobographical, and for those who remember Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, you'll know you have a whimsical, creative and occasionally zany director in the form of Michel Gondry.  

The President's Wife
Catherine Deneuve plays Bernadette Chirac, wife to the French President from 1995 to 2007. The film plays for a low-key comedic approach and Deneuve plays her character with aplomb and plenty of haute couture. Not being very au fait with French politics, I'm sure quite a lot of the subtleties were lost on me. But it's good to see Deneuve, now 81 years old and going strong, strutting her stuff. 


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Friday 1 March 2024

March 2nd 2024

Dune Part Two
Subtraction
Four Daughters
Oscar-nominated short features, animations and documentaries


Two Arabic language films are stand-out cinematic releases this week. Plus your chance to get an insight into the best short films that are nominated for the Oscars. And where would we be without a big blockbustetr release? Yes, it's Dune Part Two, an epic continuation of the saga based upon Frank Herbert's novel. 

Dune Part Two
Dir: Denis Villeneuve
Length: 166 mins
© Universal - Paul Atreides getting older
and getting revenge. 
First up, yes!! It's totally worth seeing. I'm not going into great details of plot, but suggest if it's all too complicated for you, or you haven't read Frank Herbert's iconic novel, do a spot of googling to learn who's who in this futuristic desert planet of war, revenge and love. Picking up exactly where Dune Part 1 left off, we journey with Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) as he sets out to fight alongside planet Arrakis's indigenous people, the Fremen, to get revenge against those responsible for the obliteration of most members of his family. The action scenes are magnificent - epic and sweeping, while the characters are all mesmerising: the vile bloated Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgaard), his creepy sadistic nephew Feyd Rautha (Austin Butler), Fremen warrior and love interest Chani (Zendaya), Fremen leader Stilgar (Javier Bardem), Paul's mother (Jessica Ferguson), member of a mystical society, tough fighter Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin) - have you noticed the stunning cast? The magnificent desert setting, stunningly shot by award-winning Aussie cinematographer Greig Fraser, draws you in, as the dunes roll into infinity and giant sand worms attack, or are harnessed and ridden. The themes of messianic religous fervour, power grabs, betrayal, and environmental exploitation are all eerily close to our everyday real life dramas. The budding love story between Paul and Chani is simply beautiful. To cap it all off is a powerful musical score from Hans Zimmer. The runtime may be long, but it held me from go to whoa.
4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended

Subtraction
Dir: Mani Haghighi
Length: 107 mins
© Vendetta - a clever mind-twisting plot
of lookalikes who couldn't be more different
Farzaneh (Taraneh Alidoosti) is three months pregnant, suffering extreme anxiety and barely concentrating on her job as a driving instructor in Tehran. To add to her woes, she believes she sees her husband Jalal (Navid Mohammadzadeh) visiting another woman in an apartment building. But truth is stranger than Farzaneh's worst fears, and it turns out that the man she has seen is Mohsen, and the woman is his wife Bita. This second couple are doppelgangers for the first pair (and played by the same actors). Where Jalal is a caring and gentle soul, Mohsen is violent and nasty. Where Farzaneh is serious and troubled, Bita is light and friendly. Bita and Mohsen have a little son Bardia (Farham Azizi). With dramatically fraught and increasingly convoluted twists and turns, the lives of the two couples become intertwined, with astonishing and disturbing outcomes. This is a cleverly crafted thriller, that will have you enthralled and constantly guessing. The two leads are extraordinary in the way they each play two such dramatically different characters. The film is also an intriguing insight into Iranian society, its gender roles and the routine of daily life. An original, gripping and thought-provoking film.
4 - highly recommended

Four Daughters
Dir: Kaouther Ben Hania
Length: 107 mins
© - intriguing doco that employs real
people and actors portraying the absent ones 
Nominated for Best Documentary feature at the forthcoming Oscars, this is indeed a doco, which also employs actors to play several of the characters. Why? you may well ask. It's the story of Olfa Hamrouni, Tunisian mother of four daughters. Ghofrane and Rhama are no longer with the family; the two youngest Eya and Tayssir remain. The filmmaker interviews the family about what happened to cause the two eldest to become radicalised, heading for Libya to join ISIS. Part of the film is direct interview, but many scenes use actors in the roles of the missing girls when they were younger, and in scenes deemed too emotional for Olfa to recreate (in which case her stand-in performs). But the film explores so much more: Olaf's marriage and parenting style (neither much good!), the tight bond of sisterhood as the girls grew to adolescence, and the broader Tunisian society which went from a slightly more liberal attitude to women, to becoming extremely patriarchal, and adhering to Islamic codes. Not only is the story itself rivetingly interesting (and bizarre!), but the style of filmmaking, crossing the dramatic/documentary boundaries, adds another layer of complexity. Furthermore, it's enlightening to get the progressive female perspective of living in these patriarchal societies. Unusual, creative and intriguing viewing. 
4 - highly recommended

Oscar-nominated shorts
Showing at Nova and Lido cinemas until March 10th
To check session times:
We all take such interest in the feature films at the Oscars, but certain short movies are actually some of the finest film-making you'll see! The art of putting an earth-shattering concept into a tiny runtime - sometimes as little as ten minutes - is no easy feat. Here's your chance to catch some of those amazing short films: features, animations and documentraries. I've watched the nomines for animation and short live action. How to choose a winner? Near impossible! 

Animations: All the nominees are so creative but two really stand out for me. 
War is Over is inspired by John Lennon's song and is set on a battle field where two soldiers from opposing sides send a carrier pigeon with chess moves they can play. Within this tiny film there is heartbreak, joy, a strong anti-war message, and, of course, magnificent animation that would require an unaffordable budget to produce in real life! 

Letter to a Pig uses a spare, black and white pen sketch style of animation with glimpses of real faces. A Holocaust survivor tells a group of students of his experience as a kid hiding out in a pig sty, and how the pig, detested by Jews, became his saviour. Under the seemingly simply tale is a whole raft of messages about prejudice, hatred and kindness. 

Short Live Action: An entire world of life-defining themes is encapsulated in these beautifully executed short tales dealing with a range of issues from abortion, to loss of a wife, friendship, teenage incarceration and more. 
Knight of Fortune has that Scandinavian quirkiness, as two elderly men meet in a mortuary to say farewell to their deceased wives. A bitter/sweet tragi-comedy of loss and friendship - all in a short package!

Invincible is a French short, thematically close to home, with issues of teens suffering in detention and what is does to them mentally. Beautifully acted and heartbreaking in its narrative. 



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