April 21st
The Northman
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Moro Spanish Film Festival
BOFA
It's a big week for film. A Viking epic roars onto our screens, along with a philosophical sci-fi, and a comedy that no Nicolas Cage fan will want to miss. The Spanish Film Festival makes a welcome return, and Launceston's BOFA is worth investigating.
The Northman
Dir: Robert Eggers
Length: 136 mins
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMSdFM12hOw  |
| © Universal - |
The year is 895 and tribes are battling and rampaging far and wide. King Aurvandill War Raven (Ethan Hawke) returns from battle to Ireland, to his wife Queen Gudrun (Nicole Kidman) and young son Amleth. Within a day the king is slain by his brother Fjolnir (Claes Bang), who vows to also kill the boy, and takes Gudrun as his wife. Amleth flees and is found and raised by a band of Vikings. Fast forward a couple of decades: Amleth, played by a very buff Alexander Skarsgard, learns that Fjolnir has been overthrown and now lives in Iceland, farming and ruling over a band of slaves. Stowing away disguised as a slave Amleth vows to exact his revenge against his uncle, and to rescue his mother. He meets fellow slave Olga (Anya Joy Taylor) who claims to be a white witch and aids Amleth in planning his revenge. That's only a portion of this epic plot, almost Shakespearean in its scope, and blood-soaked in its execution. Director Eggers, known for the seriously atmospheric films The Witch and The Lighthouse, has employed some heavy-duty Viking historians to help him recreate a world we could only shudder at the thought of living in. The result is a film viscerally gory, that also manages to vividly depict the Norse beliefs in spiritual/supernatural occurrences. All is delivered to the screen with breathtaking cinematography (shot on real film, not digital), settings both majestic and oppressive, along with plenty of sword wielding and hand-to-hand combat. Skarsgard really lets loose with his inner animal, and it's a performance that could be seen as either over-the-top, or something remarkable, depending on your viewpoint. For many this will be an unmissable epic tale, while for those more squeamish it will be something to perhaps avoid at all costs. So . . . . 4 - highly recommended (for Viking buffs and adrenaline junkies) or 2 - don't bother (for gore averse viewers).
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Dir: Tom Gormican
Length: 105 mins
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2YHPZMj8r4  |
© Studio Canal - what a total
entertainment in every regard! |
Nicolas Cage plays actor Nick Cage (a fictionalised version of himself). Full of ego, bluster and insecurity, he seems at a crisis point in his finances and career, so reluctantly agrees to accept a $1 million offer to attend a fan's birthday party in Majorca, Spain. When he arrives things take an unexpected turn. CIA agent Vivian (Tiffany Haddish) recruits him to go undercover on a mission involving his host Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal). When things go seriously awry, Nick needs to channel many of the characters from his film roles to handle the situation. To say more about the plot would be to give too much away; but the referencing of many actual Cage films and the characters the actor has played in them is done to perfection. Analysts of the real Cage talk about his different incarnations - macho action man, loud lunatic, and sometimes even Mr. Vulnerable, able to weep on command. All of these versions emerge, while the film also manages to lampoon many aspects of the film industry. It satirises Cage's actual career, devises a mind-bending script-writing collaboration sub-plot, all encased within a buddy/action movie that is a wild ride. I loved every moment of this creative, zany film. 4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended
Moro Spanish Film Festival
April 21-May 15
All Palace Cinemas Melbourne
For other states, times, etc visit: www.spanishfilmfestival.com
Featuring a wonderful movie lineup predominantly from Spain and Latin America, the festival consists of 34 films: dramas, documentaries, comedies and more. And for fans of power couple Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, encore screenings of three of their collaborations are featured in the festival. As usual, I'm the lucky duck who has previewed a selection, with more to come next week.
Maixabel: Between 1968 and 2010, the leftist group ETA fought for independence for the Basque region of northern Spain and southern France. In that time they killed more than 800 people. This is the true story of Maixabel, whose husband was a victim of the group's terrorist activities. Seven years after the life-shattering event, Maixabel receives a request from one of her husband's murderers to meet with him in prison. Blanca Portilla is simply awesome as Maixabel, deservedly winning the Best Actress Award in the Spanish Goyas. And notably, for its powerful themes of redemption and forgiveness, the film won the SIGNIS award, an interfaith ecumenical award given at many major film festivals. Inspiring viewing!
Parallel Mothers: Janis (Penelope Cruz) is about to turn 40 and is delighted when she becomes pregnant to Arturo (Israel Elejalde), even if he is married and she is to be a single mother. In her hospital birthing ward she meets 19-year-old Ana (Milena Smit), alone and scared. The women bond and give birth at the same time. What ensues will change their lives forever. Master film-maker Pedro Almodovar deftly weaves many disparate plot threads, including the dark times of Spanish history, and the disappeared people under Franco's regime. Cruz, nominated for a Best Actress, gives a performance that is a career highlight. The film is full of humanity without ever becoming melodramatic. It also has a vibrantly gorgeous color pallette which somehow heightens all the emotions. Stunning film-making.
Language Lessons: An American-made film, this delightful dramedy takes a very novel approach to the topic of friendship and deeper connections. Adam (Mark Duplass) is given a course of Spanish lessons as a gift from his partner, who dies unexpectedly just days after the lessons begin. Adam's teacher Carino (Natalie Morales, who also directs the film), gives lessons online from her home in Costa Rica. The film's visual device of seeing what Adam and Carino see of each other via their screens makes for a lot of fun, but it is the deeper emotions and vulnerabilities of each character that really hit home far more intensely than you would expect from a plot of this nature. Duplass and Morales feel totally like real people up there on the screen, making it near impossible not to be drawn into their worlds. Funny, charming and fresh.
Carajita: The first film I've ever seen from the Dominican Republic, Carajita tells the story of three women, and a tragedy that upends their lives. Sara, the daughter of a wealthy family, has been attached to her nanny Yarisa since childhood. When the family moves from the capital to a seaside town, it gives Yarisa the chance to reunite with her biological daughter Mallory, who she had neglected in favor of her wealthy employers. Beautifully acted and shot, with a wonderful soundtrack, it is a window into lives quite unfamiliar, but also ultimately this is also a hauntingly familiar story of class differences that cannot be glossed over when reality strikes.
BOFA (Breath of Fresh Air)
Online Until 31 May
Real-life Launceston Festival April 29-8 May
At the start of covid, Launceston launched one of the first online film festivals and continues the tradition, with bundles of films to purchase for hassle-free viewing from your home. For those wanting to jet off to the gorgeous Apple Isle, there is also a real-life festival of film, food and fun from April 29-May 8.
Of the films screening online there are quite a few I have reviewed in the past and can heartily recommend: I am Wanita; The People upstairs; The Biggest Little Farm; Older Than Ireland; Chef Antonio's Recipe for Revolution.
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