August 13th

Made in Italy
La Belle Epoque

More  from MIFF:
   The Fever
   The Leadership
   Shirley

Strange days indeed Mama! And they just keep on getting stranger, as films release in other parts of Oz, we Melburnians watch MIFF online, and have no clue when and if life will ever again be experienced without a mask! So non-Victorians may pick up the first two films in a real cinema (aghast!) - the rest of us will wait. 
(PS - Blogger is playing up something ghastly, and about to change its interface which looks like a further nightmare, so please forgive formatting problems now and in future.)

Made in Italy
Dir: James D'Arcy
Length: 120 mins

©  - Madman Neeson acts with real-life 
son in this sweet tale

Robert (Liam Neeson) heads off to Italy with his estranged son Jack (Micheal Richardson, Neeson's actual son) to sell the old family villa in Tuscany which they have inherited from Robert's late wife. They plan a quick DIY renovation, then a quick sale through local agent Kate (Lindsay Duncan). But as work progresses (badly), and Jack meets local chef Natalia (Valeria Bilello), it seems father and son may be able to sort out past difficulties. Yes, the plot is fairly predictable, but there is much to enjoy in this good looking, light-weight sweet story of family, travel, ambition and reconciliation. Nice to see Neeson in a more human role than his many recent action-hero guises, and of course what's not to love of scenes of glorious Tuscany and atmospheric Italian villas and restaurants. 

3.5 - well recommended

La Belle Epoque
Director: Nicolas Bedos
Length: 115mins

© Rialto  - Daniel Auteuil is excellent in this

delightful, whimsical reflection on the past

Victor (Daniel Auteuil) is in his seventies. His wife Marianne (Fanny Ardant) has lost all interest in him and his career as a cartoonist is on the wane, partly because he is technophobic, loathing all manner of modernity. He meets Antoine (Guillaume Canet) who runs a company specialising in unique theatrical experiences, where customers pay to visit a historical period of their choosing and to re-enact carefully constructed fantasies. Victor opts for a particular week in the 1970s, the one when he met the love of his life. I did not expect to be so moved and delighted by this playful, sweet, nostalgic film. The whole 70s disco, big moustache, flaired trousers thing is beautifully done, as is the lovely setting of the Belle Epoque Cafe (with obvious reference to a previous film!) Auteuil gives a great turn as a guy rediscovering his joie-de-vivre. The film really was food for thought as I mulled over exactly what time in my life, or further back, I would choose to experience. 
4 - highly recommended

MORE from MIFF
Still running until August 23rd, there are many more days and nights to enjoy MIFF online. Remember that the Shorts program is entirely free, so why not log in and give it a go. Heaps of terrific short films local and international are on offer. www.2020.miff.com.au. A few more I've previewed are:

The Fever
Director: Maya Da-Rin
Length: 95 mins

© MIFF

Winning the top critics' award at the Locarno FF, this is the story of a man caught between the white world, where he works as a security guard,  and his Indigenous origins in the Brazilian rainforest. When his daughter announces she is leaving for medical school, he develops a mysterious fever. Slowly and thoughtfully crafted, the film is a slow-burn heartfelt picture of lives trapped between two worlds. Beautifully acted by the small cast, and with a soundtrack of buzzing insects that evokes the humidity and oppression, it is an unusual, film well worth watching for its insight into worldwide problems concerning First Nations peoples, and for its fascinating portrayal of a way of life we know so little about. 

The Leadership
Director: Ili Bare
Length: 97mins

© MIFF

76 scientists go on an inaugural all-women trip to the Antarctic. It is a leadership course, aimed at addressing global inequalities in regard to the role of women in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Medicine.) One of several facilitators is Fabian Dattner, whose approach seems to jar with the women, and somehow a lot more baggage is unearthed than initially expected. This is a VERY important doco, generating a lot of discussion about how important it is for women to have much more involvement in STEMM fields. A special MIFF talk will take place on Sunday 15th August, featuring some of the women from the film:

https://2020.miff.com.au/film/miff-talks-stories-from-the-leadership-women-in-stem/

Shirley

Director: Josephine Decker
Length: 107 mins

© MIFF

Here's a surprise late addition to the MIFF program. Fans of Elisabeth Moss are in for a treat in this rather dark story, loosely based upon a period in the life of horror writer Shirley Jackson. Shirley and her husband take in a young couple to live with them for a while, and proceed to decimate the pair psychologically. This seems to give Shirley, who has been suffering writer's block, a new impetus to forge ahead with her work. For me Shirley and husband are too nasty to actually enjoy spending time with, but it is a showcase for Moss, and worth seeing on that basis alone. Also an interesting reflection upon the intersection between life and art.