November 28th
By the Grace of God
Mrs. Lowry and Son
Knives Out
Martha: a Picture Story

Here's an interesting week that makes me ponder how everyone's perception of a film is so very personal. While I loved Mrs. Lowry and Son, some critics have been unkind, finding it "boring". While other critics are over the moon about Knives Out, I find myself, despite being mildly entertained, somewhat critical of it. Ah, well, thank heavens for  divergent thought, or there'd only be one sort of film for us all to watch! I truly believe most films have something to offer to someone, and very few can be totally dismissed as worthless.

By the Grace of God
Director: Francois Ozon
Length: 137 min
Exclusive to Cinema Nova

©  Sharmill - moving, insightful, stunningly 
executed film about sex abuse by the church. 

Lyon, France: Alexandre Melvil Poupaud), 40-year-old family man with five kids, can no longer keep silent about his abuse as a child at the hands of local priest Fr Preynat. As he seeks out others who were also victims of the same priest, a movement gathers momentum. Francois (Denis Menochet), Emmanuel (Swann Arlaud) and Gilles (Eric Caravaca) join the fight for justice. This brilliantly executed film joins the likes of Spotlight, as we continue to read about child sex abuse scandals at the hands of priests in many countries. (In fact, the upshot of this case was reported in the Vatican news as recently as July of this year.) Ozon surprises greatly, as many of his previous films have had lighter themes, often with a gay orientation; this one cuts to the heart of the psychological cost of child sex abuse, and the battle to make higher-ups in the church accountable. The pain of the victims is palpable; the defensive machinations of church figures like Cardinal Barbican (Francois Marthouret) are despicable. The acting by all these men is flawless. This film works superbly in its straightforward, intensely humane, approach, that takes into account so many complex aspects of these cases - parents' refusals to doubt the church, the church's desire to protect itself, the sickness of the perpetrators, and ultimately the incredible courage of the victims to speak out and seek support from others. There is no sensationalism; the actual crimes are briefly hinted at in flashbacks, and in a way to make their repulsiveness progressively powerful. This film is gripping in its intensity, and vitally important in its subject matter.
4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended!

Mrs. Lowry and Son
Director: Adrian Noble
Length: 91 min

©  Rialto - it's very hard for this son to please
his difficult mother. An excellent portrait of 
an oppressed artist. 

Lawrence Lowry was an English artist, born in the late 1800s and living for 40 years in an industrial area of Lancashire, England. Though he was not traditionally trained, and worked by day as a debt collector, he ended up in later life (he lived until the 1970s) being much sought-after for his works depicting life in his depressed area of the world. This film is a snapshot of a small period in his life, which was spent entirely looking after his depressed, neurotic, manipulative mother (Vanessa Redgrave). I see unkind reviews from some other critics; why I'm at a loss to know. This is one of the best two-handers I've seen in a long time, with little happening, and yet the relationship between mother and son is so mesmerisingly awful that I was captured. With clever cinematic devices, the director captures the look of the actual artworks in some of the film's imaginative sequences. Spall, with his hang-dog look, delivers a star turn as Lawrence, while Redgrave shows just why she is acting royalty, as she loses no opportunity to put her son down, while attempting to elevate herself in her own eyes. She is snobby, hypocritical - yet vaguely tragic as she dreams of her lost youth and ambitions to have been a pianist. If you exercise patience with this film, you will be rewarded.
4 - highly recommended!

Knives Out
Director: Rian Johnson
Length: 130 min

©  StudioCanal - some funny moments in a good-
looking, but ultimately disappointing film

Famous crime author Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead in his study with his throat slashed, just after his 85th birthday party. An anonymous call brings in the services of famed detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), who starts investigating possible motives for the crime. Each member of Harlan's highly dysfunctional family has good cause, and Blanc must wade through mountains of red herrings. The film, a homage to Agatha Christie style mysteries, sports an all-star ensemble cast - Toni Collette as the daughter-in-law, Don Johnson, Michael Shannon and Jamie Lee Curtis as Harlan's adult children, not to mention the gorgeous Ana de Armas as Harlan's trusty companion and nurse. The film opens with promise - a stunning and stylish setting, enough witty remarks from the various characters, and a plot that jumps back and forth in time to intrigue and confound. Unfortunately when the ultimate "big reveal" comes, it is so convoluted and anti-climactic that my feelings of amiability towards the film tended to evaporate. I enjoyed the performances of all the aforementioned cast, with the exception of Craig who I feel is miscast. He is no Hercule Poirot, and I feel he needed more bite and pizzazz to be a memorable character. I can't say I wasn't mildly entertained, just disappointed that it could have been so much better. That said, I think there will be an audience, eager for light frivolity, that will be pleased by Knives Out. (Consensus on certain internet sites is VERY positive.)
2.5 - maybe!

Martha: A Picture Story
Director: Selina Miles
Length: 82 min

©  Umbrella - fans of graffiti and subway sub-culture
should enjoy this one. 

Martha Cooper is an acclaimed photographer, noted for bringing New York's urban  scene, with its poverty and especially its graffiti, into the limelight. Now 75 years old, she began her career hoping to be a National Geographic photo-journalist, but when she first saw trains covered in graffiti, she fell in love with the underground art scene that centred around early hip-hop and the creation of "pieces" (which I tend to perceive as vandalism). Today she still documents the graffiti art movement on trains and in subways all across the world, and is a much loved and revered person to graffiti artists. I find it very hard to separate my personal feelings about this art form from my perception of the film. While I find the film would benefit from a bit more incisiveness to its style, it certainly gives a voice to a sub-culture that is often dismissed. Some of Martha's socially aware photos that document various "corners of life" as she calls them, like the Puerto Rican part of town, make for excellent viewing on the big screen. Most of all, Martha's enthusiasm and dedication to her art, as she literally runs with the graffiti crew, is inspiring to see. (Again, consensus on certain internet sites is VERY positive.)

2.5 - maybe!