January 29th 2024
Poor Things
Anatomy of a Fall
Priscilla
My Name is Alfred Hitchcock (streaming on Foxtel)
The Oscar nominations are here and two of this week's films are strong contenders. Yes, I'm finally catching up with some high profle films I missed, and all this week's films come well recommended.
Poor Things
Dir: Yiorgos Lanthimos
Length: 151 mins
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© Madman - outrageous, audacious,
creative and fabulous! |
Bella (Emma Stone) has jumped off a bridge and killed herself. Scientist Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe) brings her back from the dead by transplanting an infant's brain into the young woman's body. As Bella quickly matures, Godwin's assistant Max (Ramy Youssef) falls in love with her and the two are betrothed. But Bella wants experience, and her lust for life (and sex) sees her fall into the arms of rake and scoundrel Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), who whisks her off to Europe. Bella matures at an exponential rate, travelling the world, living a debauched hedonistic life, and eventually developing a deep interest in politics and philosophy. But her biggest challenge will come when she learns the details of her past. Audacious, creative, funny, outrageous and simply wonderful - this remarkable film has just been nominated for 11 Oscars and already has another 73 awards under its belt. Set in a steam-punk styled Victorian England, the costumes and settings are wild and energising, while the zaniness and at times shockingness of the plot don't detract from it feeling real. This is perhaps Stone's best ever work, while Ruffalo is perfect as the rakish Duncan, Dafoe surprisingly empathetic as the almost Frankenstinian doctor, and every other smaller role is pitch-perfect. While aspects of the film may well disturb, (strange animal creations and gory operations), they nevertheless fit seamlessly into a story that could haunt you for a long time. And lest you think it is all froth and bubble, there is a strong feminist thread giving an alternative narrative for women in an oppressive male world. Exhilarating and exciting viewing! 4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended
Anatomy of a Fall
Dir: Justine Triet
Length: 151 mins
 |
| © Madman - a marriage laid bare |
Already a strong contender in the Oscar race (Best Picture, Director, Actress, Editing, Original Screenplay) Anatomy of a Fall is a compelling drama that works on many levels. Sandra (Sandra Huller) and her husband Samuel (Samuel Theis) live in a remote chalet in the French Alps. She is a writer, he aspires to write but is renovating the chalet, and their 11-year-old son Daniel (Milo Machado Graner) is blind, thanks to an accident when he was four. When Samuel is found dead in the snow below the third-floor attic window, investigations point to murder and Sandra becomes the chief suspect. The ensuing trial puts huge stresses on her relationship with her son. So, on one level this is a courtroom drama, but it is also an examination of family relationships, and it could well be titled Anatomy of a Marriage. While most critics have raved over this film, mostly justifiably, there is a certain clinical precision to the way it is constructed, and an edge of emotional coldness, which only thaws towards the film's conclusion. That said, Huller's performance is extraordinary, but young Graner as her son steals the show for my taste. Ambiguity remains front and centre, with murder vs suicide the central dilemma, but also the complexities of a marriage in which the couple love each other, yet have so many issues of competitiveness and resentments that it is constantly fraught. The scene based upon a recording of one of their fights is simply spellbinding and devastating. The soundtrack drives the narrative and the setting is chillingly beautiful.4 - highly recommended
Priscilla
Dir: Sofia Coppola
Length: 113 mins
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© Madman - a love story for the ages -
well, very mismatched ages! |
Priscilla Beaulieu (Cailee Spaeny) was only fourteen in 1959 when army associates of her father introduced her to the much older singing sensation Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi), who was doing a stint in the US Army based in Germany. They married in 1967, had one daughter, and were separated in 1972. Based upon her book Elvis and Me, this film explores the convoluted (and controlling) relationship shared by the couple. There is plenty to enjoy in this film, along with a number of disappointments. Aussie born Elordi, (who recently played Felix in Saltburn) to me just doesn't look enough like the King to capture him the way Austin Butler did in Elvis. Furthermore, the film follows a very traditional narrative trajectory, trudging along, year by year, almost by numbers, with less creativity than I would expect of Coppola. However, Spaeny is terrific as Priscilla and has already got herself several awards. She expertly captures all the nuance, from the young innocent girl, through to the disillusioned wife. Plus the recreation of the era via costumes, hair and makeup, cars, the Graceland mansion, is all superbly executed. All in all, the enjoyment from the film outweighs any reservations I may have, (though nothing will compare to my love of Baz Luhrmann's Elvis!) 3.5 - well recommended
My Name is Alfred Hitchcock
Dir: Mark Cousins
Length: 120 mins
Streaming on Foxtel
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© - an overview of Hitchcock's body of
work done in a most creative way |
After a run at last year's British Film Festival, it's surprising this excellent doco hasn't got a cinematic run. But for those with Foxtel, you can now catch it, and I'd suggest it's a must for Hitchcock fans, and cinema buffs generally. A voice over, purporting to be the man himself, takes viewers on a comprehensive tour through his film history, not chronologically, but centred around six themes to examine in the films: escape, desire, loneliness, time, fulfillment, and height. The use of these themes as demonstrated in the copious film clips is fascinating and enlightening, and quite a novel way to view film analysis. And it's a real eye-opener as to the many films he made before the best-known ones, even in the silent era! If you are wanting to learn more about the master's work, you can't miss this doco. 4 - highly recommended
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