September 13th 2024

Speak No Evil

Elizabeth Taylor: the lost tapes (streaming on Foxtel)

Follow the Rain (streaming on Netflix)

Operation Finale (streaming on Netflix)

Unfrosted (streaming on Netflix)

The big release for fans of psychological thrillers is Speak No Evil, with plenty of gasp-put-loud moments. I've also gone on a bit of a stay-at-home streaming binge, with a motley assortment of films viewed.   

Speak No Evil

Dir:  James Watkins

Length: 110 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjzxI6uf8H8&t=2s

© Universal - scary with an unnerving
lead performance from McAvoy

Louise (Mackenzie Davis) is holidaying in Italy with her husband Ben (Scoot McNairy) and their 11-year-old daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler). They end up sharing a few meals and fun times with a rather pushy couple, Paddy (James McAvoy), his partner Ciara (Aisling Franciosa), and their son Ant (Dan Hough), who can't speak, supposedly due to a congenital tongue defect. Paddy subsequently invites the family to stay with them at their idyllic English country house. Very quickly Louise feels uncomfortable and wants to go home, but Paddy and Ciara have a way of smoothing over awkward situations and forcing the issue, while Ben seems quite unable to speak up for himself. This remake of an award-winning Danish film is, apparently, less horrific than the original, but it sure had me scared and emitting a few involuntary gasps. The less said the better so as not to spoil the plot, but McAvoy is quite brilliant as the sort of person who seems likeable enough, yet gradually one realises he is not what he seems. Coercive control and psychological mind-games are big in this film, but there's way more, in the way of old-fashioned thrills, especially as the audience starts to realise the real depths of trouble Ben's famly has got themselves into. The two kids cook up a great chemistry, the slow build up to the nightmarish second half of the film is effective, and thankfully the director chooses not to use music to create suspense - there's enough of that in the narrative and action.

4 - highly recommended 

Follow the Rain

Dir:  Catherine Marciniak

Length: 87 mins

Streaming on Netflix

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9N9WeFU3vA

© Netflix/ Planet Fungi - yes they are real.
A spell-binding doco on fungi

Years ago I fell in love with a film called Fantastic Fungi. And now along comes this doco to rival it, exploring the world of extraordinary fungi, many of them in Australia. Now you may think the topic boring, but I assure you, when you see this mind-blowing time-lapse photography you may think again! It's not just about the film's passionate narrator and mushroom hunter, Stephen Axford, whose life has been devoted to tracking down the life form, but also about how critical mycelium and its fruiting bodies (mushrooms) are to the very existence of life on earth. Treat the viewing as both educational and as a form of meditation upon the exquisite beauty of this wondrous life form. 

4 - highly recommended

Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes 

Dir:  Nannette Burstein

Length: 100 mins

Streaming on Foxtel

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCyYJVTODXg&t=2s

© Netflix - beautiful and talented -
her life in her own words

Compiled from 40 hours of taped interviews, this is a documentary to please any Liz fan, or even most cinephiles. It's a comprehensive look at her career from child star in National Velvet and Lassie, through the golden era of movies in which people declared she was too pretty to be a serious actress. It traces her fight for recognition through to eventually winning Oscars and being taken seriously. She speaks a lot of the demarcation between her celluloid self and her "real" self, and this of course includes the countless marriages and life/health struggles, along with her later years campaigning strongly for AIDS justice. Great footage and interesting information make for a worthy watch. 

3.5 - well recommended

Operation Finale

Dir:  Chris Weitz

Length: 122 mins

Streaming on Netflix (2018)

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGuKbkN_Zgw

© Netflix - Ben Kingsley, as always,
nails his role

This is based upon the true story of how the Israeli secret service tracked down the so-called "author of the final solution", war criminal Adolf Eichmann (Ben Kingsley), to Argentina, then sent a crack team to abduct him and get him out of the country to stand trial in Israel. Although at times uneven, this is an interesting production. I strongly feel it should have been in the languages of the countries concerned (Hebrew and Spanish), as the many accents speaking English detract from the story. But its cast is strong. Kingsley at times looks uncannily like Eichmann and captures the snake-like coldness of the man. Oscar Isaac impressively plays Peter Malkin, one of the agents critically instrumental in getting Eichmann to sign a paper that allowed for his extradition. Lior Raz (well-known from Fauda) is Isser Harel, Director of  the Mossad, while Melanie Laurent plays a doctor whose help is vital in keeping Eichmann sedated as the group make a final run for the El Al plane, with Argentinian authorities in hot pursuit. There is enough tension, and intriguing psychological discourse between Eichmann and Malkin, around the usual topics of who was following orders, and who was intrinsically evil.

3 - recommended

Unfrosted

Dir:  Jerry Seinfeld

Length: 93 mins

Streaming on Netflix (new release) 

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lqRPUhPfho

© Netflix - silly, sillier and silliest! 

Sometimes a movie is so bad it's good! I can't be sure if this fits the category, or is just plain bad, but I must confess to moments of cackling with laughter as some scenes tapped into my sicko, childish sense of humour! Inspired by the true race between Kellogg and Post to create a new breakfast food (the Pop Tart), this really is a mix of insipid, childish, funny, goofy and just plain silly. Mind you, there's some strong comedic talent like Melissa McCarthy and Amy Schumer, with other unexpected appearances by the likes of Christian Slater and an excellent Hugh Grant. He's fun to watch as an aspiring Shakesperian thespian who dons a tiger suit to advertise Frosted Flakes. Die-hard Seinfeld fans, and those wanting a dumb diversion may well enjoy it. 

2.5 - maybe

 September 7th 2024

A Horse Named Winx

In Restless Dreams (streaming on DocPlay)

Origin (streaming on Foxtel)

An excellent new Aussie documentary is in cinemas, while my other two films reviewed are to be found on streaming channels. Remember, documentary lovers, DocPlay costs less than the price of two cups of coffee per month, and has all the docos you'd ever be able to watch in a lifetime! 

A Horse Named Winx

Dir: Janine Hosking

Length: 117 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49WUOJ-IbTk

© Transmission - surprisingly excellent doco
on the best racehorse ever

I've never had an iota of interest in horse-racing, but this beautifully produced documentary drew me in and held me spellbound throughout. The doco traces the life of the record-breaking mare Winx, considered the greatest racehorse ever, through the eyes of the humans who were closest to her. We meet the hopeful buyers of the young foal, then her dedicated trainer Chris Waller, and of course her jockey Hugh Bowman. Surprisingly there is also much drama throughout, not just in watching each race, where the mare often hit the front after being stuck behind the pack. No-one imagined a horse could win the Cox Plate four times, but, to everyone's astonishment Winx just kept delivering. After her retirement, the mare showed she had as much determination off the racecourse, as she battled severe illness and pulled though. The doco certainly gave me a deep insight into how much time, effort (and money!) goes into making a horse a winner, and of course it showcases the absolute beauty of these magnificent animals. All of this makes for both inspiring and moving viewing, in a story that actually transcends sport, and speaks to the power of perseverance, faith and commitment.

4 - highly recommended

In Restless Dreams

Dir:  Alex Gibney

Length: 216 mins

Streaming on DocPlay www.docplay.com

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9QQJPzykuo&t=2s

© DocPlay -Paul Simon's genius showcased - 
a must for lovers of music 

Now there's a photo to bring back memories! This documentary is predominantly about the music and creative genius of Paul Simon. However any telling of his story cannot exclude the fabulous duo that were Simon and Garfunkel, the folksy-turned-mainstream phenomenon of the late 1960s. You can see the runtime is ultra-long, yet for a diehard Simon fan like me, the entire film had me spellbound. The timeline moves between recent times when Simon was composing his latest album Seven Psalms (released last year), and the 1960s, beginning with his friendship with Art when they were 10-year-old boys, and inspired by the Everly Brothers to sing harmony. With so much footage of Simon's creative process, especially as he collaborates with other musos in his latest venture, this doco is an incredible insight into a songwriter's mind and methodology. The film is also a far-reaching tribute to an extraordinary collection of songs that not only feature great melodies, but have lyrics that resonate with one for a lifetime. Gibney, veteran director of countless insightful documentaries, has assembled a stunning array of footage, and uses it creatively with the music, as Simon's six-decade career is honoured. Fans of Simon solo, and of the wonderful duo, should not miss this one. 

4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended

Origin

Dir:  Ava Duvernay

Length: 141 mins

Streaming on Foxtel

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAweg5PaMuw

© - wonderfully engaging handing of
some pretty heavy subject matter

In 2023 author Isabel Wilkerson wrote Caste: The Origin of our Discontent, in which she challenged traditional ideas of racism and bigotry, proposing that oppression may be more about a caste system than something based upon race. After all, Indians are all the same race yet the caste system rules. And caste is all about slotting people into certain immutable stations in life and on this basis treating them accordingly. Hence Jews in Nazi Germany were treated as a lower caste, as are coloreds in America, so she posits. It's hard to imagine making a film about such conceptual ideas, but this story of Masterson's life and ideas is beautifully executed with Aunjanue Elllis-Taylor magnificent in the lead role. Wilkerson used stories and examples from American history, from Nazi Germany and from India, with the film episodically recreating these stories and  interspersing them into the narrative of Wilkerson's life, which had many tragedies. Jon Berthal shines in the role of her husband Brett, a white man who exemplified lack of bigotry. This award-winning film is unafraid to tackle really large questions, but not in an overtly academic way. It is deep intellectually, and yet manages to remain constantly engaging and so emotionally powerful. Truly a worthwhile film to get your hands and eyes on.

4 - highly recommended

August 30th 2024

Last Summer (opening September 5th)

Bookworm

Midas Man

Yet again a selection of most worthy films, each so different from the other; each highly entertaining in its own unique way. From a quasi-incestuous affair, to a father-daughter adventure, to a legendary music tale - there's major attractions in all of them. 

Last Summer

Dir:  Catherine Breillat

Length: 104 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSRzzx1Ubi0&t=11s

© Potential - innocent times between a step-mother 
and step-son - or maybe not so innocent?

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 the highly charged issue, and just who seduced whom!  The film flirts with issues of male insecurity at ageing, and of a woman's need for affirmation from youth. Father/son clashes and adolescent arrogance figure strongly too. 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 and respect the way Breillat reserves judgment - she doesn't allow you to totally demonise one party or the other. 

3.5 - well recommended

Bookworm

Dir:  Ant Timpson

Length: 103 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOYuOm6I1nI

© Rialto - delightful, adventurous and
plain entertaining in every way!

Mildred (Nell Fisher) is an amazingly precocious 11-year-old growing up with her single mum. She speaks like a mini-adult and has knowledge and love of books way beyond her years. When her mum ends up hospitalised in a coma, her biological father Strawn (Elijah Wood) flies in from the USA to take care of her. He agrees to accompany Mildred on a camping expedition in which she hopes to get photographic proof of the existence of the legendary Canterbury Panther, which, if achieved, will solve the financial woes of her mum. What an unexpectedly total delight this film is! Despite the plot of father/daughter bonding being a tried and true one, almost everything in this version feels fresh and exciting. The setting is a cinematic extravaganza, with New Zealand South Island landscapes just loving the camera. Young Fisher simply steals the show as Mildred, and her lines are so wonderfully written and delivered, with a cutting, cynical edge that is funny and at times almost shocking. Strawn is a wonderful foil as a character to his daughter - as feisty, practical, and no-nonsense as she is, he is a timid, fearful, unassertive character, who happens to also work as an illusionist. Wood, immortalised as Frodo in Lord of the Rings, demonstrates the breadth of his acting talent. There is also plenty of adventure, sometimes quite heart-stopping, but none of it should be too alarming for younger viewers. The film is one of those that works beautifully for all age groups, and never falls into Hollywood-esque schmaltziness. All in all, a total treat!

4 - highly recommended

Midas Man

Dir:  Joe Stephenson

Length: 140 mins

Trailer: https://www.transmissionfilms.com.au/films/midas-man

© Transmission - the tragic story of
Beatles manager Brian Epstein

When people of my vintage hear "The Beatles" we reflect on an iconic era in our lives, when four Liverpool lads took the music world by storm. I sometimes overlook that the man who made it all happen was Brian Epstein, son of a furniture salesman, who became their manager and scored them their first record deal when the major companies weren't interested. This biopic looks at the life of Epstein (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd) from 1961 to his death in 1967. In his late twenties Brian lived and worked with dad Harry (Eddie Marsan) and mother Malka (Emily Watson), both of whom were concerned by their son's homosexuality in an era when it was illegal to be gay. But Brian's drive and determination to make something of himself and of "his boys" as he called The Beatles took them all to great heights, while Brian's demons of loneliness, stigma, and substance dependence brought him low. The film recreates the era accurately, although die-hard Beatles cognoscenti might quibble at some aspects of the depiction of the band. The actors playing the Fab Four all feel pretty authentic, with gestures and speech spot on, and whoever plays the music nails the Beatles' sound accurately. We also meet other contemporaneous musical stars who Brian handled: Gerry and the Pacemakers, Billy Kramer and the Dakotas, Cilla Black. In several lighter scenes that creatively use montages, Brian talks to the film audience, recounting his life and the arc of success that saw exhilaration give way to exhaustion and emotional unravelling. Many defining Beatles' moments are captured, while some I hoped for are absent. Despite the long runtime I found myself completely immersed in this mesmerising story, and moved by the sadness of a man who gave the world so much, yet himself suffered deeply.

3.5 - well recommended

August 22nd 2024

Touch

Take My Hand

Remembering Gene Wilder (streaming on Netflix)

One of my rare unmisssable films releases this week. Touch is totally up my alley! An Aussie movie about multiple sclerosis is definitely worth the watch, and couch dwellers will love the biopic tribute to Gene Wilder. 

Touch

Dir:  Baltasar Kormakur

Length: 121 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5fXuZ3ns_c

© Universal - just seeing the shorts for this film
turned my heart over! 

Kristofer (Egill Olafsson) is advised by his doctor to get his affairs in order as he is starting to suffer severe cognitive decline. He decides now is the time to try to find Miko (Yoko Narahashi), a woman he was in love with when he worked as a young man in a Japanese restaurant in London. So, just as the Covid pandemic is breaking out, he hops a plane from his home in Iceland to London. We then flash back in time to young Kristofer (Palmi Kormakur), jaded with his London-based university studies, applying for a job as a dishwasher in a Japanese restaurant. As soon as he and young Miko (Koki) see each other, it's love at first sight. But life doesn't always work out as one wishes, and Miko's father Takahashi (Masahiro Motoki), who survived the Hiroshima bombings,  has classified his daughter as hibakshu, (atomic bomb survivor) which determines the course of her life. Some films just nail it - the ability to tap into life's regrets, joys, and the everpresent nostalgia of a love that never leaves one - and this is one of those films. It is sublime in its encapsulation of young love, sensuality, and the grief of loss and what could have been. It constantly moves in time from the present, with  Kristofer's determined quest, (despite having lived a reasonably happy life) to the past; a time in which he immersed himself in all things Japanese: cooking, language, the culture of the people he worked with, and an all-consuming love. The time shifts only serve to augment the emotion that runs so deeply in both time frames of the film. The past (the late 60s) is presented in a rich, warm color palette, while the present is cooler, the woes of the Covid-stricken world and of a man heading towards the end, all  overwhelming. There is so much tenderness, sensuality and joy in this exquisite film. I loved it.

5 - unmissable

Take My Hand

Dir:  John Raftopoulos

Length: 102 mins

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/950594730

© Rialto - based on the director's wife's story -
shines a light on a life-changing illness

Romance and debilitating life-threatening illness can make for a strong movie combination, but this film is even more authentic, as it is based upon the true story of director Raftopoulos and his wife Claire, who lives with multiple sclerosis (MS), and who acts here as an executive producer. The story opens in rural Queensland with Laura (Meg Fraser), a keen horse rider, desperate to finish school and get away from her family. But then she meets Michael (Xavier Molyneux), and hearts inevitably get broken when she follows her plan to move to London. Fast forward 20 years later and Laura (now played by Radha Mitchell) has a successful career, and three sons with husband Jason (Bart Edwards). Her world falls apart when she is diagnosed with MS, and Jason is killed in an accident. But upon her return to Australia she reconnects with Michael (now played by Adam Demos). Partnering with MS Australia, the film-makers seek to enlighten viewers to the challenges of life with the disease. Some scenes are real-standouts in their feeling of authenticity, others at times feel a little forced. Scenery is glorious, and the main actors all bring depth to their roles, highlighting the need for compassion, understanding and love in living with this illness.

4 - highly recommended

Remembering Gene Wilder

Dir:  Ron Frank

Length: 92 mins

Streaming on Netflix

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gdbJD49t2E

© A worthy tribute to a man who
entertained so many

Fans of comic actor Gene Wilder will not want to miss this loving tribute to his life and career. I've never seen many of his films, though I adored Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles. So I really enjoyed learning about his career through the clips from umpteen movies he starred in. The biopic employs an interesting narration by the man himself from a 2005 audiobook he made. He comes across as a seriously nice human being, something not always associated with big stars, and that makes the tragedy of his ultimate decline all the more poignant. This is a film to be thoroughly enjoyed, with your laughter and tears.

4 - highly recommended

August 16th  2024

Alien: Romulus

Iris and the Men

Twisters (streaming Prime, Foxtel)

The Beautiful Game (streaming on Netflix)

Another week of terrific variety in the movies on offer. If you're a fan of the Alien franchise, you'll love this latest film, while an adulterous French comedy, a disaster blockbuster and a feel-good sport film add to the mix.  

 

Alien: Romulus

Dir:  Fede Alvarez

Length: 119 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0XDEhP4MQs

© 20th Century Studios - one word for this 
film: terrifying! 

Already taking an award for Most Anticipated Movie (did you know there was such an award??!!), Alien: Romulus has definitely lived up to expectations for me. For viewers not au fait with the franchise, I am not going to go into convoluted detail of plot and terminology. Instead I'll cut to the chase and say this excellent film, 45 years on from the first Alien, pays homage to the original while being its own beast! Cailee Spaeny (recently seen in Civil War and Priscilla) plays Rain, an orphan girl working on a remote mining outpost in a part of the galaxy that sees no sun. Her friends convince her to make an escape for a more amenable planet, and that's where the troubles begin. There are so many wonderful nods to the original film: making an unscheduled stop off from the original destination, face huggers and chestbursters, quoting of some iconic Ripley lines, Rain's behavioural resemblance to the original Ripley, android beings whose programming alternates between loyalty to humans vs the company, and of course the many face-offs between the humans and the creatures. Crafting of the sets and special effects are exemplary, and every performance is a winner.  The film is seriously scary, with a number of leap-out-of-your-seat, bordering on repulsive, scenes, with a weirdly sexual aspect to the creature which makes it all the more terrifying. This film is definitely not for the squeamish, but it's a terrific adrenaline-fuelled ride onto the horrors of space.

4 - highly recommended

Iris and the Men

Dir:  Caroline Vignal

Length: 98 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voeBxg_c0cc

© Palace - delightful Calamy makes 
being unfaithful seem almost cute!

Iris (Laure Calamy) is 50 and runs a successful dental practice. She has been married for 16 years to Stephane (Vincent Elbaz). They seemingly have everything in life: careers, good friends, a great house and two lovely daughters. But they haven't made love for years, so when the seed is planted in Iris's head that she take a lover, she joins a dating app. Calamy has an enchanting screen presence and great comic timing, and again she teams up with director Vignal, with whom she made the delightful Antoinette in the Cevennes. She is just as charming in this film, but there are a few issues with the plot here that don't ring true. Nevertheless there are enough amusing and fun scenes to make for enjoyable viewing, especially the song and dance number Il pleut des hommes - It's Raining Men (which is incidentally the alternate and better title to the film). There are also more serious underlying themes to instigate robust discussion, especially between bored monogamous couples - but maybe it's just a French thing to imagine taking a lover cures all marital ills! Light-weight, cute and diverting.

3 - well recommended

Twisters

Dir:  Lee Isaac Chung

Length: 122 mins

Streaming on a variety of platforms

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm27YjLnPHc

© Universal - extreme weather combines with
humour, friendships and romance

Kate (Daisy Edgar Jones) is a meteorologist who retires from tornado chasing when her friends are killed on the job. Her old friend Javi (Anthony Ramos) talks her into returning to the pursuit, supposedly in the service of helping predict disaster. Along the way she meets celebrity tornado chaser Tyler (Glenn Powell), and after initial antagonism, they gradually find a common meeting ground. I didn't see the original Twister, but apparently this film pays worthy homage to that movie. For me it stands alone as a fun and strong story, with enough excitement, romance and humour to make for enjoyable viewing. The three leads cook up a great chemistry, and special effects are terrific. The film also provides quite a fascinating scientific insight into what the natural disaster of a tornado is all about; and it is certainly frightening and dramatic.

3.5 - well recommended

The Beautiful Game

Dir:  Thea Sharrock

Length: 152 mins

Streaming on Netflix

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXWgl7pOpMM

© Netflix - inspired by a true story of 
homeless people having their own soccer championship

The first ever soccer tournament for homeless people was in 2003 and has been the inspiration for this film, even though the characters are fictional. The ever-wonderfull Bill Nighy plays Mal, a talent scout, who tracks down Vinny (Micheal Ward), a talented player with a chip on his shoulder for never having made the big-time. Vinny, who is in denial at being homeless, is invited to the tournament in Rome, but he has a hard time fitting in with his team mates, who include refugees, ex-addicts and other folk down on their luck. The men in Mal's team, in fact all of the characters, seem a bit too "nice" to be true; I think a little more rough around the edges would have felt more authentic. Much-awarded Italian actress Valeria Golino has a lovely role as Gabriella, the event organiser.  Elements of the story are predictable, but there is something so big-hearted and full of warmth, you cannot help but enjoy it, and as a lesson in the role sport can play in boosting the self-esteem and purpose of people, it's a winner.

3 - recommended

August 9 2024

MIFF - Melbourne International Film Festival

The biggest film festival of the calendar is here again. As always it's a chance to catch the latest and best of film from around the world, and to enjoy a wide range of events. 

 

Melbourne International Film Festival

8-25 August

Numerous locations around Melbourne, also 8 regional venues

For all info, and trailers of the films,  visit www.miff.com.au

I've been fortunate to preview quite a number of these fine films, and must declare that each one of them, all so different, is totally worth seeing. 

Memory 

Dir: Michel Franco

103 mins

Sylvia (Jessica Chastain) is a social worker and recovering alcoholic. She leads an ordered life with teenage daughter Anna. One day at a school reunion she is followed home by Saul (Peter Sarsgaard), a man with early onset dementia who is under the care of his brother Isaac. What ensues will change both Saul's and Sylvia's lives forever. This film, a nominee for the Golden Lion (2023), is  a delicate and tender examination of an unexpected and unlikely connection between two damaged people. Chastain and Sarsgaard are terrific together. Other significant themes add to the depth and intensity of the plotting. 

Every Little Thing 

Dir: Sally Aitken

93 mins

Bird lovers should not miss this shimmering documentary about hummingbirds, and a big-hearted woman from Los Angeles who devotes her life to caring for those creatures which fall from the nest or are otherwise injured. Terry Masear has a homemade bird hospital, and the filmmaker sets up her camera to track the progress of several feathered friends, from admission to release. The close-ups of the amazing avians are stunning and their tiny personalities utterly endearing.  

You Should Have Been Here Yesterday

Dir: Jolyon Hoff

100 mins

This Aussie doco is a homage to the birth of the surf culture in Australia in the 1960s. Before the sport gained worldwide attention, it attracted people looking for an alternate lifestyle, and many filmmakers at the time made movies aimed at that particular market. The documentary is compiled from 200 hours of surf footage, and stunningly captures a moment in time, along with a piece of film history many non-surfers (and maybe even film reviewers!) will not be aware of. A great trip down memory lane.

Future Council 

Dir: Damon Gameau

80 mins

The director takes 8 amazing kids in a bus on a journey to visit the CEOs of big companies, and to present their ideas on how to solve the climate crisis. A full review of this delightful and important film will be out upon its mainstream release next year. 

My Sunshine 

Dir: Hiroshi Okuyama

100 mins

Takuya is a sensitive young boy ill-suited to his role in the ice hockey team in Hokkaido. But he does yearn to figure skate. Coach Arakawa is training Sakura, a talented young girl, and decides to pair Takuya up with her to learn the art of figure skating. This gentle,  understated and sweet film handles the yearnings and insecurities of growing up, along with the harsh realities of life that could spoil the tentative bond between the trio. Lovely cinematography and soundtrack add to a moving story. 

I Shall Not Hate 

Dir: Tal Barda

95 mins

Few films could be as relevant at this moment in Middle East history as this emotionally devastating documentary. It features Dr Izzeldin Abuelaish, born in a Gaza refugee camp and nominated for a Nobel peace prize many times. He became a doctor and worked in an Israeli hospital, advocating medicine and health as a pathway to peace. But when tragedy struck, Israeli shells taking the lives of three of his daughters, he chose not to hate, but to persevere in trying to generate understanding and peace. I confess to sobbing uncontrollably during this film, and think if only people in power could see it, there might be hope for the world. 

Animale 

Dir: Emma Benestan

98 mins

Nejma (Oulaya Amamra) works alongside a bunch of men on a cattle farm in the Camargue in the south of France. Bull running is a popular tourist attraction that raises money for the farm, and Nejma desperately wants to be part of this male-dominated, dangerous sport. After a drunken night ends with Nejma unsure of what happened, men start dying, seemingly the victims of a rogue bull. An inspired and creative mish-mash of genres - part horror, part human drama - this evocative and frightening film is impressive in its scripting, acting and broody cinematography. Its strong feminist undercurrent packs a mighty punch.

  

All We Imagine as Light

Dir: Payal Kapadia

115 mins

Prabha is a nurse working in a Mumbai hospital in the field of women's health, She shares a room with fellow nurse Anu, who is secretly dating a Muslim boy. Prabha's husband from an arranged marriage is in Germany and she seems at a loss as to her place in the world. When hospital cook Parvaty is evicted from her Mumbai home, the two women accompany her back to her village. This powerful, yet mysterious, film captures so much about the paradoxes of life in modern India - women's place, Hindu/Muslim conflict, old ways vs new. With a haunting soundtrack and camera work that captures Mumbai and the monsoon, it is atmospheric, beautiful and intensely humanistic. 

MIFF and every one of these films comes wholeheartedly recommended. 

August 2nd 2024

Ezra

Sleeping Dogs

Ka Whawhai Tonu

Three vastly different films are reviewed this week. Ezra is my pick. Great to see de Niro back in form!

 

Ezra

Dir: Tony Goldwyn

Length: 101 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c60fo6sbU94

© Kismet - autism, humour and heartache
along with wonderful performances

Stand up comedian Max (Bobby Cannavale) is separated from his wife Jenna (Rose Byrne) and now lives with his father, Stan (Robert de Niro). Max and Jenna are totally at odds as to how to raise their 11-year old autistic son, Ezra (William Fitzgerald). One night, without telling anyone, Max decides to take Ezra on a road trip. The consequences of his ill-thought out decision will be challenging for everyone and are not necessarily in the boy's best interests. Autism is today referred to as neurodivergence, and this film brings insight into just one example of it, as personified by Ezra who is intelligent, feisty, confident and fun. The screenwriter comes from a place of personal experience, his own son being autistic, so there is a real authenticity here. He walks a delicate line between comedy, poignancy and deep emotion, with each character beautifully drawn, especially Max, (an award-winning role for Cannavale), who is torn between his stand-up career and his role as a father. The issues inherent in three generations of fathers and sons trying to understand each other is nicely handled, with impressive performances from all three males. People with more knowledge of autism than I have may find things to take issue with, but I see this as a great contribution to understanding and acceptance, all couched in a highly entertaining yet deeply touching story.

4 - highly recommended

Sleeping Dogs

Dir:  Adam Cooper

Length: 110 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fthC6_9xCTk

© Rialto - how to solve a case
you can't remember!

Ex-homicide detective Roy Freeman (Russell Crowe) has early onset Alzheimer's, but is undergoing a revolutionary and promising treatment. When a prisoner is about to be executed and continues to protest his innocence, Roy is drawn back into re-examining a case he was involved in ten years before. He reconnects with his old partner Jimmy (Tommy Flanagan), but as the pair go over the old files, things become more and more complicated and puzzling until ultimately it may be a case of better to "let sleeping dogs lie". As the pieces are cobbled together from old case files, we meet the femme fatale, academic Laura Baines (Karen Gillan), and her smarmy mentoring professor (Martin Czokas), along with a number of other characters who act as red herrings along the way. Despite having quite a number of plot holes and irrational elements, this works for me as a reasonably entertaining thriller, mainly because of Crowe's solid lead performance as a man totally at a loss as to who he is, and what happened in his past. It is certainly not as finely crafted as Memento, but for a bit of intrigue and diversion with a solid twist at the end, it does the trick!

3 - recommended

Ka Whawhai Tonu

Dir:  Michael Jonathan

Length: 115 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouniNSZYpMk&t=4s

© Transmission - British colonisation, bloodshed
and Maori identity

It seems films in the Maori language are rapidly gaining in popularity. Recently The Convert told a story of British colonisation and battles with Maori tribes. This latest film (its title meaning War Without End) uses as its historical basis the Battle of Orakao in 1864, a bloody affair, as two traditionally warring Maori tribes team up to slug it out with the Brits. Fictional characters bring a more personal focus to the tale. Young Haki (Paku Fernandez)) has been captured by the Maori who think he is a British soldier; actually he is the son of a Maori woman and a British father (Jason Flemyng). He teams up with Kopu (Hinarangi Hirawira-Nicholas), a young girl who is reluctantly used as a medium and spiritual totem for the God of War. Both teens feel alienated from their people, and must try to survive and rescue others in the face of brutal slaughter. I'm somewhat torn about this film. Certain scenes are compelling and dynamic, others feel like a protracted cowboys and Indian "shoot-em-out", taking away from the connection with the characters. At other times one feels the pain of individuals and the Maori people at large, but then the strident scenes of battle overwhelm once more. In the later stages the film feels more connected to the larger picture of identity and future hope. Heavyweight NZ actors Cliff Curtis and Temeura Morrison bring their talents to bear, and the two young leads are strong, and like many First Nations stories, this one also throws light on an important chapter of a dark history.

3 - recommended