April 16th 

Supernova

Pieces of a Woman (Netflix)

Borat (Amazon Prime) 

White Tiger (Netflix)

Fantastic Film Festival

Melbourne Documentary Film Festival

So, continuing to eye the forthcoming Oscars, I review three contenders this week, (all of them on streaming platforms) plus one mainstream release, and give you a taster of a couple of film festivals.  

Supernova
Dir: Harry Macqueen

Length: 95 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4Vk0CVcDts

© Madman - moving story of a love that
faces the ultimate challenge

Sam (Colin Firth) and his husband Tusker (Stanley Tucci) are on a road trip, to catch up with family and spend as much precious time together as possible; precious because Tusker has been diagnosed with early onset dementia. Firth and Tucci are utterly convincing as lifelong partners, and the bitter-sweet nature of the unfortunate end to their relationship is portrayed gently, without melodrama, and in a way that all people dealing with dementia could relate to. As the pair amble along through the bucolic English countryside in their campervan, we are painfully aware of the winding roads almost as a metaphor for the road of life - headed in one direction, beautiful and sad at the same time.  

4 - highly recommended

Pieces of a Woman

Dir: Kornel Mundruczo

Length: 126 mins

Streaming on Netflix

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zLKbMAZNGI

© Netflix - strong psychological drama
of lives torn asunder

Martha (Vanessa Kirby) and her partner Sean (Shia LaBeouf) are having their first baby and opt for a home birth. When things do not go as planned, Martha spends the next year in deep grief, gradually falling apart, and damaging all the relationships around her. Kirby is nominated for a Leading Actress Oscar, and I can see why. The earlier part of the film, featuring a no-holds-barred, totally immersive performance of a woman giving birth, lasting maybe half an hour, is grueling and in your face, and not for the faint-hearted. As the tale moves on to the struggles of all involved, it becomes a taut psychological drama. The courtroom scenes in which Martha takes on the midwife who attended the birth are ultimately powerful and moving. Ellen Burstyn as Martha's mother, and Sarah Snook as Martha's cousin are an added bonus to this fine drama.

4 - highly recommended

Borat Subsequent MovieFilm 
Dir: Jason Woliner

Length: 95 mins

Streaming on Amazon Prime

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOwaypo3jC4

© Amazon Prime - Cohen is a master of
satire and of disguise

Journalist and TV star Borat Sagdiyev (Sasha Baron Cohen) has been released from imprisonment in the gulag, and decides to make amends by heading to the USA, with a bribe for Vice President Mike Pence.  His daughter Tutar (Maria Bakalova) will be offered in marriage to restore the glory of Kazakhstan. Love him or hate him, Sasha Baron Cohen is a force to be reckoned with. His not-so-subtle spoofing of American culture is wickedly funny, while his politically incorrect humour will not be for everyone. Nevertheless, the film has two Oscar nominations, one for Bakalova as Actress in a Supporting Role, the other for Cohen (and a gazillion co-writers) for Adapted Screenplay. In Cohen's familiar mockumentary style, it is always a challenge to figure out what is a set-up, and what cringe-worthy scenes have taken their unsuspecting stars totally unawares. I sure had a lot of fun with this one. 

3.5 - well recommended

The White Tiger
Dir: Ramin Bahrani

Length: 125 mins

Streaming on Netflix

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35jJNyFuYKQ

© Netflix - powerful depiction of a very
corrupt and at times cruel society

Balram (Adarsh Gourav) comes from a large family in a poor Indian village. He heads to the city and takes a job as a driver to Ashok, (Rajkummar Rao) who has returned from the USA with his American/Indian wife Pinky (Priyanka Chopra). Ashok moves in a questionable circle of thuggy relatives, and Balram is alternately treated as if he were the most prized servant, and then the most reviled person on earth.  After a shocking incident in which he is called on to take the fall, Balram's resentment and aspirations build, and things move to a shocking climax. Nominated for an Adapted Screenplay, this is a faithful interpretation of the 2008 award-winning novel, and an eye-opening insight into a deeply divided society of haves and have-nots.       

4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended

Fantastic Film Festival
April 16th - May 1st

Melbourne: Lido Cinema Hawthorn

https://www.fantasticfilmfestival.com.au/

© Bloodshot Pictures - mother and son - a
very troubling relationship

For lovers of films that are out there and totally left of centre, this festival could be the one for you. Billing itself as "a weird and wonderful world", the festival is (in its own words) "home to trendsetters, truth talkers, trailblazers and loose wires" and is "dedicated to showing the world’s most daring works from filmmakers with innovative and unique perspectives". For example, one doco, Kidnapped Abroad features cam corder footage of hostage negotiations synthesised into a unique documentary. Other films feature high-profile stars such as Willem Dafoe and Nic Cage. From psychological deep dives, to reflections of our daunting modern world, there is much to stimulate the senses in this festival. 

I've previewed a home-grown Aussie genre film called Bloodshot Heart. Part drama, part fantasy and part horror, it is the story of 44-year-old, living-with-Mum driving instructor Hans (Richard James Allen) who has suffered past trauma. When a young tenant Matilda moves in to live with him and his mother, he becomes obsessed and confused, and devises a daring plan to win her love. Beautifully shot and full of blood, gore, hallucinations, and even poignancy, this film shows how film-makers can let their imaginations run riot when they are not working to a box-office formula.

Melbourne Documentary Film Festival
Monthly special events at Cinema Nova

https://mdff.org.au/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/701561099982598/

http://www.cinemanova.com.au/events/melbourne-documentary-film-festival-presents

This always-excellent festival  festival has a new format, featuring monthly screenings at Cinema Nova. This month's films show on the 18th April and are all music docos. For details you can visit any of the three links above. If you want to binge the five films in one day, there's a special ticket deal. I've caught two of the five showing. 

© MDFF 

Small Island, Big Song: This is a must-see for lovers of music and features more than 100 musicians from 16 island nations over the Pacific region. As environmental challenges threaten many of these places, the song goes on, and we are treated to a wealth of uplifting beautiful music, featuring unusual instruments, and the joy of the island inhabitants. In places the director has employed a technique of overlapping concurrent rhythms and performances from different places, lending a sense of unity to the region, and stressing a unique but also shared culture. An insightful, important, and unforgettable musical journey with an underlying critical environmental message.

© MDFF

Bleeding Audio: Featuring post-punk/indie rock band The Matches, this doco is interesting on many levels. Firstly, as a portrait of a band it handles its subject matter in an almost intimate manner - examining the nature of what it's like to go on the road, enjoy what you do (without a truckload of egos), and truly suffer for your art. The band was tipped to hit the big time, but when the digital revolution came along things got tough, and thanks to bungling oversights by their manager, money was always in short supply. The seemingly authentic nature of these blokes, plus their dedicated fan base, make this a fascinating movie, even if the genre of music is not your bag. An especially impressive part of the film is how good it looks, with snappy editing, fabulous graphics and visual design that make the actual film in part like the many video clips of the era. And of course any fans of The Matches should not miss this insight into their heroes.