October 15th
Lamb (in cinemas where open)
The Donut King (streaming on DocPlay)
Security (streaming on Netflix)
The Father Who Moves Mountains (streaming on Netflix)
Despite our Melbourne cinemas still not being open, there's a lot of stuff happening on streaming platforms, and A LOT of film festivals coming up. So, that may explain the frequency of editions I'm putting out. Stay tuned for the Japanese Film Festival, British Film Festival, Italian Film Festival. Meantime some good recommendations here, and let me reiterate the value of subscribing to DocPlay, for little more than the price of a cup of coffee per month!
Dir: Valdimar Johansson
Length: 106 mins
Screening at most cinemas where no lockdown applies! Put it on your list Melbourne!
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© Madman - warm and fuzzy but
also unnerving and majorly weird! |
Maria (Noomi Rapace) and husband Ingvar (Hilmir Snaer Gudnason) farm sheep in a remote rural region of Iceland. One day, a most unusual lamb is born, and they decide to rear it as if it were their child. When Petur, Ingvar's brother, turns up, he disturbs their new-found happiness. Perhaps the less said about the rest of the plot, the better, as this is the sort of imaginative, bizarre and quasi-mythical narrative that invites you to interpret what it really is all about. Winner of the prestigious Un Certain Regard in Cannes 2021, Lamb is a film some viewers may find slow, but I found it grippingly tense, at times menacing, and absolutely intriguing. The bleak landscape is splendidly captured in wide shots, and the director creates a constant tension. The unexpected nightmarish conclusion makes for challenging viewing. Many close-up shots of the farm's sheep add to the surreal atmosphere. Ultimately Lamb tells a powerful but sad tale, which leads us to question the value of playing with nature. Fabulous performances from the small cast, and some fine special effects where required.4 - highly recommended
Dir: Alice Gu
Length: 90 mins
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© Madman - donut heaven in a really
interesting and inspirational story |
In 1975 Cambodian refugee Ted Ngoy fled with his wife and three kids to America, with nothing to his name. While working as a janitor and then 'pumping gas' he noticed a local successful donut shop and got himself apprenticed to Winchells, then a leading donut chain in California. The rest of the story is just amazing - how Ted set up a chain of his own unique donut shops, giving employment to countless other Cambodian refugees. There's a lot more to Ted's story but I'll leave you to discover it, as this is an absorbing and delightful story, not only of happy times and success from nothing, but also of hard times including some of the horrific history of Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge. The soundtrack, featuring plenty of donut-themed songs, is a hoot, and the American obsession with the sweet treat something to be wondered at. At heart, this is a story of hope and caring , with Ted an inspiration to make the best one can of life.4 - highly recommended
Security
Dir: Peter Chelsom
Length: 118 mins
Streaming on Netflix
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© Netflix - complex plot, strong
performances |
Roberto (Marco D'amore) works as a security surveillance expert, protecting the homes of the elite in the picturesque Tuscan seaside town of Forte dei Marmi. One fateful night Maria appears in many of the residents' security cameras, face bloodied and beaten and begging for help. The ensuing revelations will bring down many people in the town, break up relationships, and uncover a web of lies and deceit. When I watched this I was definitely in the mood for a bit of a mystery/thriller and this sure has a lot to recommend it, although the plot at times is quite complex and convoluted. There are many thematic threads involving sexual assault, rich privilege, teacher-student relationships, marital discord and more. The fine cinematography captures the lovely town with the alpine backdrop and the dark underbelly. Acting is universally strong and overall, when the plot threads finally come together, there's a sense of a well-crafted, satisfying film.3.5 - well recommended
The Father Who Moves Mountains
Dir: Daniel Sandu
Length: 108 mins
Streaming on Netflix
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| © Netflix - gripping and starkly beautiful |
Mircea (Adrian Titieni) is a retired intelligence officer. He's expecting a child with his second wife. When the son from his first marriage, plus new girlfriend, go missing hiking in the remote Bucegi Mountains in Romania, he heads to the site, begging the local search and rescue team to take him along on the mission. When the missing hikers can't be located Mircea calls in unauthorised hi-tech help from his past colleagues. With grand and sweeping cinematography, and a tense plot this is gripping watching that puts the viewer right into the scene: a cold, majestic, overpowering, and threatening landscape, and a man whose guilt and obsession lead him down paths of desperation. With strong psychological undertones, and a thrillingly tense plot, this is fine watching.4 - highly recommended
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