May 16th
Aga
The Realm

Apologies! I ran my review of The Realm one week too early, so here it is again. This week there's not a lot that I've yet managed to catch up with, but the one I have reviewed is a beauty: a film about an Inuit couple living in the middle of nowhere, and exclusive to Cinema Nova. 

Aga

Director: Milko Lazarov

Length: 96 min
Exclusive to Cinema Nova

© Madman -  an old couple living a traditional
life at the ends of the earth

The gem of a film is set in the frozen northern wilderness where aging Inuit couple Nanook and Sedna live a traditional life, in the style of their ancestors. The daily grind is  bleak, challenging, lonely and remote. Each year less food is caught, and Sedna's health is rapidly deteriorating. It is the woman's wish that the couple can reconcile with estranged daughter Aga who works in a far-off mine. Bulgarian director Lazarov has crafted a sublime film, that has won many awards, and which sneaks up on you, after initial ponderings as to whether anything substantial is going to happen. This is an eye-opening insight into a lifestyle that is fading fast, and almost unimaginable to us city-slickers.  The deliberately slow pace, the endless whiteness, and the gradual unfolding of the tale all make for a mesmerising cinematic experience. I can't imagine ever experiencing that culture so it is a privilege to get an insight via this gentle, surprisingly moving film.
4 - highly recommended! 

The Realm
Director: Rodrigo Sorogoyen
Length: 132 min
Limited Release: Palace Como, Balwyn, Kino, Cinema Nova and Classic Elsternwick

© Rialto - Antonio de la Torre is excellent as a corrupt
pollie going from perpetrator to
aspiring whistle-blower

Manuel Lopez Vidal (Antonio de la Torre) is a Spanish politician in a regional area, living a lavish lifestyle largely funded by political corruption. When leaked information threatens to expose the dastardly doings of Manuel and his cronies, the cover-up, distancing and scapegoat games begin. From the fantastic opening long tracking shot to the explosive final two monologues, this is a smart and challenging film, that really exposes the sort of political corruption familiar to parts of Europe (and no doubt many places). Manuel's situation becomes more dire by the moment as his once-loyal pals seek to save their own skins using progressively threatening measures. This is not an easy film and  I needed quite some effort following the characters, who's who and who does what. But I became gradually lured into the suspenseful plot, that doesn't let up for a minute. The film has won copious awards (mostly in Spain) for its acting, scripting and more. It's a salutary lesson for us all to keep those pesky pollies honest!
3.5 - well recommended!