November 4th
Firefront
Gloriavale
Sissy
Japanese Film Festival reviewed:
In Pursuit of Perfection
In the Wake
More from the Jewish International Film Festival (JIFF) reviewed:
Karaoke
J'Accuse
1618
L'Accusation
To employ a good Yiddish word, this week's selection is a real mish-mash. From an Aussie doco focussing upon the ghastly 2019-20 fires, through to Aussie horror/comedy, plus an expose of a reprehensible New Zealand religious cult. And I review four more fabulous films from the ongoing Jewish Film Festival.
Firefront
Dir: Eddie Martin
Length: 92 mins
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© Umbrella - a nightmare that will happen
more frequently as the climate changes |
This is the stuff of nightmares - except it's all real. In 2020 Australia's east coast was ravaged by months of bushfires. Entire towns were destroyed, about a billion animals killed, 34 human lives lost, and the landscape devastated. The entire world was focused upon what was happening here. And now this amazing documentary, cleverly constructed entirely of archival footage, takes viewers as close to the front line as is possible, giving a visceral sense of the terror as events unfold in real time on the screen. Many of the survivors, and firefighting volunteers have contributed their home-shot footage, bringing an immediacy not seen before. Bravery and heartbreak are front and centre. The failure of government looms large. News clips from reports all over the world highlight also the looming menace of climate change, and the fear that this may not be just Australia in future, but the entire planet. This is compulsory, if distressing, viewing. 4 - highly recommended
Gloriavale
Dir: Fergus Grady, Noel Smyth
Length: 89 min
 |
© Limelight - a controling abusive cult
masquerades as a Christian enterprise |
In the gorgeous rolling hills of New Zealand is a little isolated community of evangelistic Christians called Gloriavale. Families live and work there, having as many kids as possible, making honey, farming the land. But it's not all brightness and warm fuzzies, as John gets evicted from the group, forced to leave his wife and kids behind. He mounts a legal case against the leaders, and issues of widespread abuse emerge. There are no real surprises here - the story is typical of these sorts of groups where the patriarchy exert their power, and the rest suffer, particularly the women who are virtual slaves. A most sobering and disturbing insight into a cult that still exerts its coercive power to this day. 3 - recommended
Sissy
Dir: Hannh Barlow, Kane Senes
Length: 115 mins
 |
© Arcadia - smart combo of horror, comedy
and social commentary |
Sissy (Aisha Dee) and Emma (Hannah Barlow) are childhood best buddies who vow to grow old together. But their friendship fractures after Sissy perpetrates a violent act upon Alex (Emily de Margheriti), who teases her mercilessly. Ten years later Sissy is Cecilia, a wellness influencer and internet sensation with 200,000 followers. Despite her inner insecurities, her life is a self-focussed dream, until she runs into Emma who invites her to a hen's night at a house in the countryside in celebration of Emma's forthcoming marriage to girlfriend Fran (Lucy Barrett). Shock, horror! Alex is there, along with two of Emma's other friends. Sissy's influence will not be as New Age and soothing as it appears on her internet site. This is a clever mix of comedy, drama and horror, with a side-serve of satirical commentary about the age of social media along with allusion to the deep scarring caused by childhood bullying. With a goodly dose of gore it won't be to everyone's taste, but this is a well scripted, terrifically-acted, film. (The trio playing Alex, Sissy and Emma as kids are noteworthy.) Despite having the expected horror tropes, the film surprises and entertains, in a very black way, throughout.3.5 - well recommended
Japanese Film Festival
November 5 - Dec 4
Canberra, Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney
Melbourne Nov 30-Dec 4, ACMI, Palace Kino
This year's JFF features a strong selection of films, from drama to comedy, anime to documentary. There is also a retrospective featuring four films from an unsung master film-maker Mikio Naruse (free screenings). Thematically, these films examine societal change in post-war Japan and will be screened in 35 mm. I'm lucky to have previewed a couple so far.
 |
© JFF: Just the placement is
done with absolute precision |
In Pursuit of Perfection: Anyone who has spent time in Japan will know the way so much of Japanese culture and life is spent making everything "just so" - beautiful, elegant, the best it can be. In this mouth-watering documentary we meet four chefs who are at the peak of their profession and with a dedication to cooking that is unsurpassed, From traditional kaiseki banquets through sushi, and French inspired cuisine we meet these masters of their crafts. Don't go hungry to this one!
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© JFF: A strong thriller and psychological
study of tragedy |
In the Wake: Following the disastrous 2011 earthquake, a group of three survivors befriend each other - a small girl, a taciturn young man and an old lady. Nine years later, in the large city of Sendai two murders take place. Detective Tomashino (Hiroshi Abe), who lost his wife and child in the disaster, is on the case. Soon fate will bring all these characters together. This is an especially strong thriller and a gripping psychological study of the aftermath of tragedy - how different people cope and the ripple effect through time. The film also examines the Japanese welfare system, and its failings. Acting is uiversally powerful, and the twists and turns in the plot, alternating time frames and unexpected outcomes, make for a most satisfying film.
Jewish International Film Festival - Week 2
Melbourne: on now until 27th November
Classic Elsternwick and Lido Hawthorn
For details of other states, films, times, synopses, bookings visit www.jiff.com.au
L'Accusation: Alexandre (Ben Attal), who studies in the US, is visiting his divorced parents in Paris. Claire Farel (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and husband Jean (Pierre Arditi) are well known and respected in the media. Claire is living with Adam Wizman (Matthieu Kassowitz), estranged from his ultra-Orthodox wife. When Alexandre takes Adam's daughter Mila (Suzanne Jouannet) to a party, the girl returns and accuses Alexandre of having raped her. A protracted trial ensues. Everyone's lives are irrevocably altered. Much-awarded director Yvan Attal has come up with a gripping, intelligent and thought-provoking film that is spot-on timely, with the many current cases around sexual assault and the legislation around consent. The film has a three-part structure of interpretations of the events, the accused's, the victim's, and the courtroom arguments. After hearing testimony that could in fact imply several versions of "the truth", the moral choices are left to the audience. The actors inhabit their roles, legal arguments on both sides are compelling, and the non-judmental scripting allows audiences to come up with their own conclusions. One of the finest legal and #me too films I've seen in a long time.
Karaoke: Meir (Sasson Gabay) and Tova (Rita Shukrun), 46 years married, are growing old together in a luxurious Tel Aviv apartment. Then wealthy charismatic bachelor Itzik (Lior Ashkenazi) moves into the penthouse, hosting noisy parties and karaoke nights. Meir and Tova are drawn to him, but it remains to be seen whether the effect he has upon them will damage their marriage. I love this quirky film. Everything that happens is so unexpected, and there is a gentle humanity and charm to the three main characters, despite their very obvious flaws. Gabay is superb as an older man somehow "coming of age", as he tests the boundaries of his conservative shell, in awe of someone he wishes he were more like. The film, and its trio of leads, have been much nominated for many of Israel's top awards. Poignant, fun, and delightful.
J'Accuse: Lithuania has the dubious record of having killed the largest percentage of its Jewish population in the Holocaust: 95%. And it wasn't just the Nazis who did the ghastly deeds, it was the people of that country. One of the perpetrators, Jonas Noreika is revered to this day as a national hero. In this disturbing doco, Noreika's grand-daughter, Chicago-based Silvia Foti is writing a book about her family, when she discovers the horrific truth. She teams up with South African Jew Grant Gochin who is researching the slaughter of his family back in Lithuania during the war. Their testimonies, along with haunting still photos and the recollections of a few survivors, make for harrowing viewing. But the friendship forged between Silvia and Grant, as they try to fight against Lithuania's systemic Holocaust denial, is inspiring.
1618: Many Jews fled the Spanish Inquisition in the late 1400s and ended up in Portugal. Most converted to become "New Christians" and helped the cities where they lived to prosper. Their safe haven didn't last long. As well as the usual anti-Semitic persecution by the native Portugese, in 1618 the Inquisition descended upon the northern city of Porto. Antonio Alvares, lead character in this narrative tale, must decide whether to stay or flee with his family. Other citizens, who had eschewed their Jewish origins, are faced with some soul-searching decisions. The film is an interesting period piece, with a strong and handsomely created sense of time and place. It throws light on less-exposed piece of Jewish history.
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