August 7th 2023

On the Wandering Paths

Rachel's Farm

Chevalier

MIFF

The mecca of movie madness has arrived in the form of the  Melbourne International Film Festival. Aficionados don't need my encouragement to get along. But for those wanting their local cinema, several worthy new releases are up for consideration. An injured adventurer hiking across France, an almost forgotten musical talent, and a woman determined to change the face of farming. Something for all tastes. 

 

On the Wandering Paths

Dir: Denis Imbert

Length: 95 mins

Trailer: https://www.madman.com.au/on-the-wandering-paths/

© Madman - a moment's reflection after
a catastrophic accident

Sylvain Tesson is a French writer and adventurer. Recently, a wonderful film, The Velvet Queen, documented his search for the Tibetan snow leopard. This latest film concerns Tesson again, but is somewhat darker. In 2014, after too much drinking, Tesson fell from a balcony and did himself a serious damage. After waking from a coma he decided to heal himself by walking across France, a distance of 1300 kilometres and no mean feat for a badly injured guy. Jean Dujardin plays the character Pierre, based upon Tesson and his  book in which he documents his journey. Not a lot happens, but Dujardin is quite magnetic in the role, as he doggedly makes his way along the little-walked paths of France. There's scant dialogue, though no doubt a lot of interior monologue within Pierre, and the scenery is quite spectacular. The time frame toggles from the walk back to Pierre's previous life, the accident, his hospitalisation and rehab, giving a variety to the narrative. Sometimes the lone walker meets a fellow journeyman or a kind stranger in a village. Whether Pierre ever finds redemption and makes up for his devil-may-care earlier lifestyle we never really discover, but going along for the journey is a joy, if stressful and scary at times.

3.5 - well recommended

Chevalier

Dir: Stephen Williams

Length: 108 mins

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

© Fox Searchlight - a handsome film highlighting
a talent few have heard of 

Ever heard of a classical composer named Joseph Boulogne? Well, neither had I until this highly entertaining film enlightened me. Born in 1745 in Guadeloupe, Joseph (Kevin Harrison Jnr) was the son of a French planter and one of the slave women who worked for him. Joseph was taken to Paris and deposited in a school, where he stood out, not just as a colored boy among all whites, but because of his prodigious talent with the violin. He was made a Chevalier (a French knight) and rose rapidly through the ranks. Initially quite cosy with Queen Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton) and Princess Marie Josephine (Samara Weaving), he aspires to lead the Paris Opera. But of course his skin color is against him and his life takes a downhill turn from then on. Harrison's Joseph commands the screen with his arrogant stride, his fiery musicianship, and his self-assuredness. It's a rivetting performance. The music is terrific and production values and costuming in recreating France of the era are quite magnificent. Aside from remembering a talent almost lost to history, the story  of prejudice remains relevant to this day. 

4 - highly recommended

Rachel's Farm

Dir: Rachel Ward

Length: 84 mins

Trailer: https://www.madman.com.au/rachels-farm/

© Madman - Rachel gives a ray of hope
that maybe the world is not doomed! 

Film actor and director Rachel Ward gets her hands in the dirt in this inspiring documentary about her commitment to the art of regenerative farming. Rachel and husband Bryan Brown own a 300-odd hectare farm near Nambucca. Bryan has little interest in farming but Rachel has teamed up with neighbour Mick Green to amalgamate their cattle herds and devote themselves to making the dead soil live again, using cow manure and all manner of non-chemical methods, along with native grass plantings. Rachel explains that, when she realised the earth was in big trouble and past farming methods had exacerbated climate change, she could make a difference in her own part of the world. Rachel's enthusiasm, combined with her engaging positivity, makes her a delightful character to spend time with. For anyone with an interest in this area, this short, sharp and lovely-to-look-at film is richly rewarding and could give you a few ideas of your own.

4 - highly recommended

Melbourne International Film Festival

In cinemas until August 20th, online August 18-27

Selected Melbourne cinemas, plus selected regions: Bendigo, Bright, Castlemaine, Echuca, Geelong, Rosebud and Warrnambool

Visit www.miff.com.au for everything you need to know

What can I say that isn't preaching to the converted? As always MIFF presents the best in top class cinema. Aussie films, international, documentaries, shorts and more. This year the Music on Film section includes, among others, docos on Joan Baez, Little Richard and Michael Gudinski. For lovers of horror, as part of the Director in Focus section, the festival features Italian maestro Dario Argento. Another is African director Safi Faye, who helmed the first African film to screen at Cannes. And of course with all the talks, immersive experiences (MIFF XR), food and film events, and more, MIFF has all those elements you love. I've sussed out some of the excellent shorts, in which MIFF highlights the "art of saying more with less", always an eye opening experience for those used to only full length feature films. Shorts are often the launching pad for future world class directors, so with this great selection of narrative, animation, doco and experimental shorts, why not try something new this year.