November 9th 2023
Caravaggio's Shadow
Damage
Paris Memories
Melbourne Queer Film Festival
This week sees strong feature films from Italy, France and Australia. Plus a Melbourne favorite, The Melbourne Queer Film Festival, hits cinemas for the next ten days.
Dir: Michele Placido
Length: 120 mins
 |
© Palace - vibrantly told story of an
artist battling the church and himself |
Michelangelo Merisi (Riccardo Scamarcio) better known as Caravaggio, is an artist in Italy in the early 17th century. He runs foul of the church as he uses commoners to pose for him: prostitutes painted as the Virgin Mary, thieves and beggars painted as saints. Caravaggio is desperately hoping for a Papal pardon for a murder he has committed, but Pope Paul V decides to investigate the painter, to see if he is worthy of pardoning. He send his inquisitor (Louis Garrel) known only as Ombra (the Shadow) to delve into the painter's life, interviewing those who knew him, especially the Marquesa Colonna (Isabelle Huppert). The film is structured in an intriguing way, toggling between the current investigation, and Caravaggio's past exploits, with the denouement culminating in . . . well, you'll have to see it to find out! This is an exquisitely executed film, in every detail. Its look is amazing, almost like one big Caravaggio painting, with its use of light and shade, and characters whose faces we have indeed seen if we are familiar with the artist's work. The depiction of life in those days is almost palpable - the grime, the smells, and the debauchery. Scamarcio captures the ambivalence of his character beautifully. Caravaggio seemed to have a deep sympatico for his subjects, along with religious faith that did not however adhere to church doctrine. The moral issue of whether one can admire the art but condemn the creator still remains in today's world. A truly wonderful film!4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended
Damage
Dir: Madeleine Blackwell
Length: 84 mins
 |
© Delicate, low-key, with deeply humanistic
values at its heart |
Ali (Ali Al Jenabi) is an Iraqi man living in Adelaide and awaiting his visa. He drives a cab illegally for a friend and one night picks up Esther (Imelda Burke), an old lady with a fading memory, unsure even of where she is going. Together they head off into the night. She obviously harbours prejudices against immigrants, but as they search for her destination, and share stories of their damaged lives, gradually a connection and empathy develops between them. This is low key but sensitive film-making which puts two non-professional actors in the main roles. Ali feels so real a character, Esther a trifle more stilted. Regardless, they work well together, and we feel both their pain keenly. She is so troubled that she cannot even remember her daughter's address, he is haunted by many things he cannot forget. The prismatic lighting effects and evocative cinematography, capturing Adelaide streets by night, are very impressive, lending a moody contemplative atmosphere to the narrative, which ultimately captures something very important about human connection and loneliness.3.5 - well recommended
Dir: Alice Winocour
Length: 105 mins
 |
© Vendetta - sensitively made examination
of trauma and recovery |
In November 2015 a series of coordinated terrorist attacks took place in Paris.
We heard a lot in Australia about the stand-off in the Bataclan Theatre, but
several other attacks took place in restaurants and cafes. This film deals with
two fictional victims, Mia (Virginie Efira) and Thomas (Benoit Magimel), who
lock eyes across a crowded cafe just before a shooter comes in. Mia manages to
hide in a closet with a cafe staff member, while Thomas is severely injured in
his leg. The pair later meet and try to come to terms with what happened and
the drastic ramifications for their lives. Efira's moving performance is the
centrepiece of this exceptionally powerful story. (Efira won a Cesar for Best Actress.) The narrative moves between timelines; the actual events and Mia's subsequent struggles to even regain memory
of what happened, and then to track down the man with whom she hid in the closet.
The film moves in a beautiful arc from sadness and despair, to hope and
renewal. This was my top pick of what I saw at this year's French Film Festival.
4 - highly recommendedMelbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF)
Melbourne November 10-21
Kino, Nova, Jam Factory, Capitol, Astor, Victoria Pride Centre
Once again, the best of queer film hits Melbourne screens. The main trouble is, there are so many excellent films, only showing for such a short time, often only once. Short film packages are also available to stream at home. So you need to be prepared, research what you want to see, and make yourself a schedule. And, as I always say, you don't have to be queer to enjoy these wonderful films, so many of which speak to us all.
Commitment to Life: Hot on the heels of the recently reviewed Rock Hudson film, comes this excellent documentary tracing the history of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and how it was dealt with by negligent politicians in the USA. The spotlight is also on Hollywood activists who stepped up to speak out in support of the cause. The film features much moving and informative archival footage, along with interviews with sufferers, survivors, and activists.
Shape: A truly insightful documentary about the ridiculously unrealistic standards gay men put upon themselves and others in terms of looks and body shape. The men who speak bravely about how this has affected their lives are inspiring. What really impresses me is how relevant this is to society as a whole, especially young girls and women who have also fallen victim to this pressure for years.
Healed: This is a very well-made, creepy thriller about a pop star and her pregnant wife who head off to an isolated wellness retreat for a week. It soon becomes apparent the place and the woman running it are not what they seem. The couple's relationship will be put to the test. A virtual three-hander, the film features fine performances and a tense script.
I’ll have to see Commitment to Life now. Thanks for the review
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