February 2nd 2023
Knock at the Cabin
All Quiet on the Western Front (streaming on Netflix)
Miss (streaming at SBS on Demand)
Compartment No 6 (streaming on SBS on Demand)
I'm still waiting to catch a couple more high profile mainstream movies, so meantime, along with the latest thriller from M Night Shyamalan, decided to re-run a couple of excellent films I saw a year or more back. They are now streaming free on SBS On Demand. Plus a latest release, in major Oscar contention, that you can catch on Netflix.
Knock at the Cabin
Dir: M Night Shyamalan
Length: 100 mins
 |
© Universal - genuinely disturbing and
thought-provoking. Delusional conspiracy
or fact? |
Daddy Andrew (Ben Aldridge) and Daddy Eric (Jonathan Groff) are holidaying at a cabin with their beloved eight-year-old daughter Wen (Kristen Cui). Their family fun and tranquility is disturbed when four strangers knock at the door, demanding to be let in, vowing they are not here to hurt anyone. The four visitors all claim to have seen a vision of the coming apocalypse and plead that they need the family's help to avert the end of the world. Ultimately Andrew and Eric will be faced with a choice that no-one should ever have to make. I expected this to be your standard home invasion horror film, but it is actually something quite different. Shyamalan is back in form as he taps into the prevailing zeitgeist of paranoia and conspiracy theories that seem to beset the world. He cleverly opens the film with ultra close-ups of the insects that Wen loves to collect, her innocent face, and the looming face of gigantic Leonard (Dave Bautista), whose empathetic nature belies his appearance. Then the action moves to the cabin, a claustrophobic setting that ups the suspense. Leonard along with Nurse Sabrina (Nikki Amuka Bird), cook Adriane (Abby Quinn) and Redmond (Rupert Grint), are all armed with medieval looking weapons and persuasive arguments, backed up by television reports so realistic in their portrayal of catastrophe, they sure put the wind up me. There are strong religious overtones with concepts of sacrifice and God's vengeance on the world. Flashbacks that fill out the backdrop to Eric and Andrew's relationship and adoption of Wen provide welcome relief. Tight and taut, this is a worthy thriller, well shot, well acted and very disturbing.3.5 - well recommended
All Quiet on the Western Front
Dir: Edward Berger
Length: 148 mins
Streaming on Netflix
 |
© Netflix - the brutal reality of war -
a big Oscar contender |
First made into a film in 1930, this is an adaptation of a novel, which is based upon the author's own experiences in the trenches in World War One. This latest remake, nominated for 9 Oscars, is probably the most anti-war war film I've ever seen. Set in 1917, it is the story of young Paul Baumer (Felix Kammerer) who enlists in the army, along with three of his school pals. They are sent to the front, where one of them is killed immediately. The young men's romantic views of war and hopes of returning a hero are instantly shattered. Not in the novel, but added to the film is the negotiation for an armistice between German official Matthias Erzberger (Daniel Bruhl) and the allied forces. This is uncompromising stuff - visceral, bloody, horrific and tragic. Though told from the viewpoint of German soldiers, it is more a universal story of how young lives are squandered in wars. No side is painted as intrinsically evil; we just watch hapless youngsters at the mercy of egotistical, war-mongering generals who want to win at all costs. Regardless of which side the soldiers are on, they all feel the terror of war and the drive to simply survive. Every actor in this impressive film conveys those emotions. With brilliant cinematography, I'm a bit surprised this isn't on all the big screens in the country.5 - unmissable - (if you can stomach the gruesome realities of war)
Miss
Dir: Ruben Alves
Length: 108 mins
Streaming on SBS On Demand
 |
| © 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!4 - highly recommended
Compartment Number 6
Dir: Juho Kuosmanen
Length: 107 mins
Streaming on SBS On Demand
 |
© Transmission - a small
gem of a film |
Winner of the 2021 Ecumenical Jury Prize and the Grand Prix at Cannes (plus umpteen other awards) this is a quirky little gem of a film. Finnish girl Laura, (Seidi Haarla) is travelling north on a Russian train to the Arctic circle. Her girlfriend Irina was supposed to come but has stayed behind in Moscow. Laura wants to visit the 10,000 year-old petroglyphs in the frozen town of Murmansk. Her companion in the cramped compartment is Russian mining worker Ljoha (Yuriy Borisov), and from the get-go it looks like they could be a match made in hell. But things take an unexpected turn as the hard drinking, chain-smoking obnoxious Ljoha gets Laura talking about her life, and, on a stopover, even takes her to visit an old woman, a friend of his, who is full of worldly wisdom. This is one of those low-key slice of life films that surprises, constantly, as it goes along. The fact that so little happens and yet I became so engaged is testament to the strength of the direction and the acting. Ultimately the film taps into something about finding the common humanity that binds us and helps us get in touch with our deeper, sometimes hidden, self. 4 - highly recommended
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