Sunday 28 March 2021

 March 29th

Soul (Disney Plus)
Crisis
Sound of Metal (Amazon Prime  & selected cinemas)
Disclosure

I've set myself a mission to try to watch and review as many of the Oscar-nominated films as possible, up until the fateful day on 26th April. So, this week I add to the list one nominated animation Soul, plus the drama, Sound of Metal. But let's not forget the big screen with two new releases.  

Soul
Dir: Pete Docter, Kemp Powers
Length: 100 mins
Streaming on Disney Plus
© Disney  - one's dreams are sometimes
 thwarted by life's unpredictability
Joe (Jamie Foxx) is a school band teacher but his real love is the part-time gigs he does as a jazz musician. Just after he lands a gig he's always wanted with the Dorothea Williams Quartet, he manages to fall into a man-hole, and finds himself in a strange world somewhere between life, the Great Beyond and the Great Before. How do I even begin to describe the creativity, philosophy, fun, and emotion that infuse this Oscar-nominated animation, which, by the way, is definitely not for kids. (Grown-ups, you need to learn that animation can also be for you!) It's an extraordinary mash-up of visual styles and dialogue moods; down on planet Earth, the richly realistic visual style captures the moody jazz nightclub, Joe's school, and the depressing commuter train, while up in the ethereal realms, the visual style is something totally "other". Souls wait to be sent to earth to inhabit a body - their representation is child-like, while the organisers in the Great Before appear ghost-like, evoking Picasso paintings on steroids. Some well-worn territory gets mined when Joe's soul and that of a waiting soul get swapped between his body and that of a cat - but great dialogue and shenanigans come of it. Terrific too to see an animation about people of color, but for me the absolute highlights are those sublime moments that had me in tears, so close to the bone that 
it leaves you pondering the very meaning of life.
4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended - bordering on unmissable

Crisis
Dir: Nicolas Jarecki
Length: 118 mins
© Universal - sound thriller
depicting a growing problem
Three very different plot threads  form the basis of this story of the growing problem of opioid addiction in today's world. Researcher and professor, Tyrone Brower (Gary Oldman) discovers something dodgy about the Big Pharma company that is funding his work, as they rush to get a "non-addictive" pain-killer onto the market. Federal drug agent Jake Kelly (Armie Hammer) goes undercover to try to bust a ring of Armenian Fentanyl smugglers, while ex-addict Claire (Evangeline Lilly) goes on the trail of her son who has disappeared. Two of the three plotlines will intersect in what is a reasonably gripping thriller, that tackles a mighty hefty problem, ubiquitous world-wide. The scariest part is not so much the drug runners, depicted in the usual gangster style, but the seemingly respectable pharmaceutical companies who will put profit above human safety. With added elements of blackmail around issues of sexual harassment, plus a terrific performance from Oldman (again!), there's plenty here to  entertain and disturb audiences. 
3 - recommended

Sound of Metal
Dir: Darius Marder
Length: 120 mins
Exclusive to Lido, Classic and Cameo - catch it this week or on Amazon Prime 
© Amazon Prime - how can a muso cope
when his hearing fails?
Ruben (Riz Ahmed) is a drummer and recovered drug addict, going from gig to gig in a motor home with his girlfriend Lou (Olivia Cooke) fellow musician in a heavy metal band. When he suddenly loses his hearing, Reuben's world is turned upside down. He enters a facility for hearing impaired people, run by Joe (Paul Raci), who expects nothing less than total commitment from his residents. Nominated for SIX of this year's Oscars, this is a gut-wrenching story of despair and hope, grounded by one of Ahmed's best performances ever, justifiably up for a Best Actor award this year. The sound work is magnificent, (also nominated), taking us into Ruben's ears, so we can viscerally experience what life is now like for him. Add to this nominations for Editing, Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Raci) and overall Best Film, and you have a strong movie, excelling in empathy and powerful story-telling.
4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended

Disclosure
Dir: Michael Bentham 
Length: 84 mins
Many sessions at Cinema Nova 
© Bonsai Films - two couples face one of
a parent's worst nightmares
Journalists Emily Bowman (Matilda Ridgway) and husband Danny (Mark Leonard Winter) are enjoying a skinny dip when their friends, local politician, Joel Chalmers (Tom Wren) and his wife Bek (Geraldine Hakewell) turn up for a serious discussion. The Bowman's four-year-old daughter Natasha has accused Joel's nine-year-old son Ethan of sexually assaulting her. What starts off as a semi-civilised discussion descends into a horrific, no-win, free-for-all of insults, threats, recriminations and denials. This is a super-timely film, taking the issue of sexual assault into an even more fraught area - that of child upon child. As the talk-fest escalates, many important issues are alluded to: kids' exposure to porn on the net, parental disbelief about what their kids are capable of, politicians' determination to protect themselves at all costs, and the critically important one of 
believing in the testimonies of assault victims. The film is beautifully shot and the cast give it their all, but at times there is a clunkiness, exacerbated by unnecessary use of slow motion, and a repetitiveness in the dialogue. However, this is a brave and thought-provoking film debut which is certainly worth a look.
3 - recommended


Friday 19 March 2021

 March 20th

The Grizzlies
White Riot
Mank (Netflix)

Yes folks, the Oscar nominations are out, and many of the films I've been reviewing over the past weeks are among them. This week it's the Netflix film Mank. Also on offer this week are a doco set in the 1970s but scarily resonant for today's racist times, and a warm-hearted, crowd-pleasing true story of a dedicated teacher changing the lives of Inuit teens. 

The Grizzlies
Dir: Miranda de Pencier
Length: 102 mins
© Heritage films - who'd have though lacrosse
could be the solution to teen suicide?
First Nations peoples throughout the world are increasingly in the spotlight. This film, based upon a true story, highlights a group of Inuit teens living in Kugluktuk, northern Canada. The group had the highest teen suicide rate in the area, and low school attendance. When teacher Russ Sheppard (Ben Schnetzer) is sent to the remote town, he recognises the need to give the kids a goal in life, and decides getting them involved in Canada's national sport of lacrosse could do the trick. Yes, the film's style follows a fairly traditional narrative arc, but the performances by the almost entirely Indigenous cast feel so authentic; I guess they have lived that life where hope is not always in big supply. 
The tension between older generations wanting to preserve traditional lifestyles and youngsters wanting to break out are well presented. The story is ultimately moving and uplifting, and gives a strong insight into a lifestyle I know little about. The Grizzlies program is still going - testament to a dedicated and inspirational teacher.
3.5 - well recommended

White Riot
Dir: Rubika Shah
Length: 80 mins
© Icon - Rock Against Racism hit
home in 1970s Britain 
In the 1970s Britain was deeply divided over immigration to the country. Racism was alive and well. The National Front, a far-right fascist group, was rising up the political ladder. When Eric Clapton famously made racist remarks, a music photographer called Red Saunders founded a movement called Rock Against Racism. He called for music to be a force against racism, and it all culminated in a 100,000-plus march to a concert where The Clash 
(among many other anti-fascist musicians) performed the song White Riot. This is a fascinating slice of history, with terrific current interviews and powerful archival footage. What's really scary is we could be looking at the world today, so little seems to change. The film has won a number of awards and even if you don't like punk music, there is much historical interest here.
3.5 - well recommended

Mank
Dir: David Fincher
Length: 131 mins
© Netflix - delving into the backstory of Citizen
Kane
could turn this film into a classic.
So, the Oscar buzz is on, and Mank has garnered 10 nominations across major categories including Amanda Seyfried as Best Supporting Actress and Gary Oldman as Best Actor, not to mention a Best Picture and Best Director nod. It's the true story of screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz who wrote the screenplay (and won an Oscar) for the film regarded by some as the best ever - Citizen Kane. The tale criss-crosses the timeline between the 1930s and forties, and the film looks every inch the part. Made in the style of the classic films of the era, it's a masterpiece in itself. It's also bitingly insightful into the machinations and complexities of Hollywood power plays and politics of the day. The plot is dense and textured, and Gary Oldman's performance is something like watching a car-crash unfold in slo-mo (well, the film opens with a real one!) The alcoholic Mank is a deliciously disastrous guy, outspoken, self-destructive but with a big talent. Seyfried is a revelation as Marion Davies, starlet girlfriend of tycoon Randolph William Hearst (Charles Dance). This is the sort of film to watch more than once, to revel in its look, its fine acting,  and to fully grasp its plot intricacies. 
4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended

Friday 12 March 2021

 March 11th 

Melbourne Queer Film Festival
More from Alliance France French Film Festival
Judas and the Black Messiah
Girls Can't Surf


As my good friend and presenter of On Screen (Saturdays 3CR 11 amMelinda O'Connor told listeners, Melbourne is currently awash with fab film festivals. Don't forget you can still catch up with Transitions FF (all online), Jewish FF, French FF, and (unfortunately concluding this weekend) the Birrarangga FF (https://www.birrarangga.world/). But wait there's more! New releases are coming to cinemas thick and fast. Lots for your delectation this week, and several of them highlighting issues of gender identity and politics.

Melbourne Queer Film Festival  Film Festival 2021
Melbourne Until March 21
Village Coburg Drive-in, Village Jam Factory, Cinema Nova
For films and session times,  visit: https://mqff.com.au/

MQFF is always one of my favorite festivals. The usual wonderful features, shorts and documentaries, local and international, will be here, with another longer MQFF planned for later in the year. Every year I say the same thing: people of all sexual persuasions will find something to enjoy in this festival - like all good films, these speak to what we all share in common - being human. 

Rurangi
© MQFF - compassionate
story-telling
The pick of what I've previewed so far, this is a subtle, compassionate, beautiful film, set in the farming countryside of New Zealand. Transgender activist Kaz (Elz Carrad) returns to the small town he left as a girl before transitioning. He hopes to reconnect with his estranged father, who is now passionately involved in environmental issues. Having fled a community he believes would never accept him, Kaz now meets again people from his past. This is one of the best features on transgender I've seen and is a must for anyone wanting to 
better understand the subject, and the emotional trauma for young people questioning their identity. But it is also a most human story of parental bonds, friendship bonds, and acceptance of self and others. Moving and beautifully scripted, with powerful performances by all. 
  
Sublet
© MQFF - intergenerational 
understanding
Michael, a conservative fifty-something journalist, is writing an article on Tel Aviv and decides to sublet an apartment which belongs to young film student Tomer. Over the five days, the two men, almost polar opposites, learn much about themselves. 
Winning the audience award at the Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival, this delicate, sweet film is a sure crowd pleaser, appealing to diverse age groups. The dialogue is beautifully written, and the various scenarios and emotions feel authentic. The two leads, who pretty much anchor most of the film, create two characters we can really relate to.

The Whistle
© MQFF - fascinating lesbian
history
Stormmiguel Florez is a trans man who has made a fascinating doco inspired initially by a secret whistling sound that many lesbians adopted in Albequerque 
back in the 1980s. It was used as a means of identifying each other, in a place and time when being out was not as easy as it is today. Interviews with a swag of women, reminiscing upon their schooldays and experiences coming out are warmly handled. Things get darker however when stats are discussed about how hate crimes against minority groups surged after the dreaded Trump was elected. Then and now footage, with plenty of photo albums, works well, and the film is a reminder that, especially in America, vigilance against haters must prevail.  

Cowboys
© MQFF - father and son
in glorious Montana
Troy (Steve Zahn) and his 11-year-old son Joe (Sasha Knight) head off for some bonding time in the mountains of Montana. But nothing is as it seems: Joe started life as a girl, and has run off with his father to get away from a mother who refuses to understand his gender dysphoria. Troy is bipolar, the police go on the trail assuming it is a kidnapping, and things get pretty fraught. This one of Zahn's best performances, Jillian Bell is terrific as a perplexed loving mother, and young Knight handles the role well. Notable is Ann Dowd (Aunt Lydia in The Handmaid's Tale), as an understanding police officer. The mountain scenery is stunning and, even if at times things are a touch too "pat" and simplified, this is a film with plenty of heart, tackling the increasingly spotlighted issues of young kids grappling with their gender identity.

Summerland
© Icon/MQFF  - mystery,
romance snd war
During WW2 in London, some children were evacuated to the countryside away from the constant threat of bombing. Local "grump" Alice, (Gemma Arterton) is totally reluctant to take in young Frank (Lucas Bond) and vows to get rid of him at the earliest possible opportunity. Gradually we discover the cause of Alice's sadness and slowly she also warms to Frank. This is a sweet film, with a very unexpected performance from Arterton, who shines in her role, as does Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Vera, a significant part of Alice's past. This is a sweet, solid and touching story, with yet another take on the war, and on times past, when freedom to be one's true self was rare.    
Alliance France French Film Festival 2021 . . . more
Melbourne until March 31
Palace Cinemas Melbourne
For other states, session times, and movie synopses visit: https://www.affrenchfilmfestival.org/

Final Set
© FFF - the tough life of 
professional sportsmen
Thomas Edison (Alex Lutz) is 37 and still playing on the international tennis circuit. Plagued by injuries and dealing with an endlessly harsh and disappointed mother (an always excellent Kristin Scott Thomas), he is determined to get accepted for one last Grand Slam. This film gives insight into the stresses of being a top athlete, and the problems of ageing, when sport is your life. The way the director constructs his shots makes it feel like you are watching the real thing, and Lutz is terrific in his role. 

De Gaulle
© FFF - should appeal to 
history buffs
Nominated for 3 Cesars including Best Actor for Lambert Wilson, this film focuses on a moment in the life of the iconic general (later to become President). The film focuses solely on the time frame of June 1940. During this seminal point in France's history, the government capitulated to the Nazis, while the General escaped to Britain and got Churchill on side. From there he broadcast regular radio messages of encouragement to the French resistance. This slice of  war history strongly 
portrays a courageous man, firm in his convictions and in his love for his family, an important sub-plot in this impressive film. 

The Godmother

© FFF - who's shopping
for what?
Fans of popular actress Isabelle Huppert should enjoy seeing her as an upstanding woman, gone rogue when an opportunity falls into her lap. Patience is a translator for the police, and when she gains access to a huge shipment of hashish, she disguises herself in Muslim garb, and sets up her own not-so-little dealership. Eluding police, who call her Mama Weed, she leads them a merry dance. I'm not one for French crime capers, but if it's your scene, then you'll probably enjoy this slight film, if just for its ever-watchable lead gal. 

How to Become an Astronaut
© FFF - should appeal to 
history buffs
At the age of 38. Thomas Pesquet became the youngest ever French astronaut. This insightful doco tracks the gruelling training regime he must go though, along with two other astronauts, before they are launched on their way to a six-month mission at the International Space Station. Anyone wanting to be an astronaut will be completely enthralled by this, as it is an unusual insight into a field I sure knew little about. 

Judas and the Black Messiah
Dir: Shaka King
Length: 127 mins
© Universal - strong biopic, brilliant acting
and powerfully topical story
Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya) was chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panthers in Chicago in the late 1960s. This biographical feature tells how local car thief  Bill O'Neal (Lakeith Stanfield) became an FBI informer and infiltrated the party, to unleash the ultimate betrayal upon Fred. 
This is a stunningly crafted depiction of one chapter of America's never-ending race wars. Kaluuya simply shines as the charismatic leader who seems genuinely more concerned for his downtrodden people than his own life, and it's no surprise he's just won the Golden Globe for Best Actor. The whole cast is splendid with stand-out perfs from Jessie Plemons as O'Neal's weasly FBI handler Roy Mitchell and Dominique Fishback as Deborah Johnson, fellow party member with whom Fred falls in love. The tension of the film is unrelenting and  Hampton's oratory inspirational, but it's the message that is so chilling - the fight back then seems not to have moved dramatically forward, with police brutality towards people of color still front and centre in the news.
4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended

Girls Can't Surf
Dir: Christopher Nelius
Length: 108 mins
© Madman - men take note: your
chauvinistic days are numbered!
Here's a terrific doco that should appeal to both surfers, and anyone following the ongoing gender wars. Girls Can't Surf looks at the inspiring women who battled for equality in their chosen sport, one until then dominated by men who were seen (and saw themselves) as gods. Starting with archival footage of the 60s, when "surfer chicks" were mostly hangers on to their blond-haired boyfriends, the film traces the rise of the sport with such star athletes as Pam Burridge, Frieda Zamba and Aussie Pauline Menczer. Later, more widely known names like Layne Beachley entered the arena, but women were still not getting the same pay for training as hard, surfing the same waves, and being the face of such high-profile sponsors as Roxy and Billabong. It took until 2019 for this to happen.  This film, featuring interviews and recollections from many Aussie and overseas women, and men sympathetic to the cause, really sticks it to the patriarchy - the "dumb-assed chauvinistic pigs" as one surfer calls them. It's fun, and another great notch in the belt of the battle for female equality.
3.5 - well recommended




Wednesday 3 March 2021

March 4th

Alliance Francaise French Film Festival
About Endlessness
Nomadland

Rejoice! We've finally got the fabulous French Film Festival back in real life. I review several French offerings this week, with more to come next week. I also look at an award-winning film about as visually amazing as anything I've seen in a long time, and re-run my review of Nomadland, which gets it official release this week. 

Alliance France French Film Festival 2021
Melbourne Mar 3-31
Palace Cinemas Melbourne
For other states, session times, and movie synopses visit: https://www.affrenchfilmfestival.org/
One of Australia's most popular festivals is back, in real life and in real cinemas! As always it offers a splendid selection of films running the gamut of genres. All those I've previewed so far come highly recommended. More to come next week. 

Black Box
Length: 130 mins
© FFF - a tense thriller
set in the world of aviation
When a brand new aircraft crashes on a Paris-Dubai flight, black box analyst Mathieu (Pierre Niney) is called in to investigate. As theories on the cause of the crash develop and change, Mathieu finds himself increasingly at odds with his superiors. He finds himself more and more in a risky situation as the possibility of cover-ups emerge. This is a superbly made, gripping thriller, with endless tension, complex plot developments, and fascinating insight into the business of running an airline and the intricacies of the giant birds (I may never want to fly again!) For an intelligent, knuckle-clenching ride, this fits the bill!

Miss
Length: 107mins
© FFF - a most worthy beauty
Androgynous French model Alexandre Wetter plays Alex, a little boy who want to be Miss France when he grows up. This moving, humorous and delightful film traces Alex's adult journey, as he attempts to transcend society's view of gender definitions. All the characters in Alex's adult life are warmly and empathetically portrayed, especially Lola the trans/drag queen. Underneath the richly human tale and the moments of humor, are very serious issues about acceptance, identity, following dreams, and the importance of questioning long-held limiting norms. Wetter is brilliant in his debut acting role. I loved it! 

The Man Who Sold His Skin
Length: 104 mins
© FFF - be careful about lending
your body to an artist
Lovers Sam (Yahya Mahayni) and Abeer are separated by the Syrian Civil War. He flees to Lebanon and she is forced into marriage with a rich man who works in Belgium. Sam heads to Brussels to find Abeer, and meets an artist who talks him into tattooing a giant copy of a Schengen visa onto his back. Part of the contract is for Sam to sit in galleries and have his back viewed by the public. In some ways this is a satire upon the art world (as was The Square), but it is also a love story, as well as denunciation of the refugee situation in Europe, where people may be treated as worthless, and then can so easily be turned into commodities when required. This awarded film is thought-provoking and absolutely worth a watch. 

Night Shift
Length: 99 mins
© FFF - weary police question 
their code of ethics
Three police officers working the night shift are asked to escort a refugee who is about to be deported 
to the airport.  Each officer has varying reasons they don't really want to go home, which make up the sub-plot threads of the film. But the major thrust is the ethical issue, as the trio begin to question the morality of what they have been asked to do. The film's theme is highly relevant, tapping into the current debates in France about police powers and the treatment of refugees. It's great to see Omar Sy (Dr Knock) in a non-comedic role, and his co-stars Virginie Efira and Gregory Gadebois are equally strong. The film works really well as a human drama and a thriller. 

About Endlessness
Die: Roy Andersson
Length: 77 mins
Exclusive in Melbourne to Cinema Nova

© Sharmill - a visually gorgeous reflection
upon what it is to be human 
It's easiest to describe this remarkable film in the words of its official publicity: 
A reflection on human life in all its beauty and cruelty, its splendour and banality . . . inconsequential moments take on the same significance as historical events . . . (the film) presents a kaleidoscope of all that is eternally human. With a slow film of this nature you need to surrender yourself to its meditative power. A visual tour-de force, with every frame masterfully set up like an exquisite photograph and inspired by paintings, the director invites you to simply reflect upon life, with its moments of humor, tragedy, and human folly. Each vignette takes little more than a couple of minutes, and some of the characters return in later vignettes; others are transient. As you stare at a screen where little happens, you start to notice the minutiae of life; the smallest details become huge. At once absurdist and transcendent, this is a viewing experience to be relished  (although not everyone will have the patience for this style of film.) It is the winner of many awards including the prestigious Best director Silver Lion at Venice FF 2019.
4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended

Nomadland
Dir: Chloe Zhao
Length: 108 mins
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=6sxCFZ8_d84
© Searchlight - living out of a van
comes with ups and downs
Fern (Frances McDormand) is  widowed and homeless since the factory (and the entire town) where she was employed closed down abruptly due to the Great  Depression of 2007. She now lives life out of her van, travelling around Nebraska, Arizona and Dakota. In trailer parks she connects with other nomads, some only once, and then never again; others, like Dave (David Strathairn) recur in her life. Some of the people live this life by choice, others by necessity. Based upon a non-fiction book, the film has already received more than 60 various awards, and deservedly so. It is suffused with melancholy and loneliness, the majesty of the wide open spaces, but also the intimacy of true human connectedness. Many of the characters are non-professional actors playing versions of themselves which brings an 
authenticity and deep understanding to the way of life the film is portraying. This blending of real life into a loosely fictional scenario creates an unforgettable and deeply affecting cinema experience. (It's just taken out the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture (Drama) and Best Director.)
4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended