July 17th 2024
Kinds of Kindness
Mr Blake at your Service
Longlegs
The Leisure Seeker (streaming on Netflix)
Saxo Scandinavian Film Festival
For lovers of Nordic film, the Scandi Film Festival is back with some excellent offerings. Plus Greek auteur Lanthimos returns to his challenging style of filmmaking, crazy Nic Cage portrays a bizarre serial killer, and two top actors examine the perils of growing old in a Netflix streamer.
Kinds of Kindness
Dir: Yorgos Lanthimos
Length: 164 mins
 |
© Searchlight - beyond weird, but so creative
with magnificent performances |
Without a doubt the most bizarre incomprehensible film I've seen in years, this is a challenge to review. After the great success of relatively mainstream films The Favorite and Poor Things, Greek auteur Lanthimos returns to his previous crazed, cryptic form in this trio of separate stories, each starring the same ensemble of actors. Each tale is obscurely titled using the initials of a man, RMF (Yorgos Stafanakos), a character who features importantly but minimally. In the first story Jessie Plemons plays Robert, a man whose entire life is dictated to by Raymond (Willem Dafoe), in cahoots with his lover Vivian (Margaret Qualley). Robert's wife Sarah (Hong Chau) leaves him then he meets Rita (Emma Stone), who is also being controlled by Raymond. In the second tale, Plemons plays Daniel, a police officer whose wife Liz (played by Stone) goes missing. When she returns Daniel is convinced this is an imposter in Liz's body. The final tale sees cult members Andrew and Emily searching for a woman they believe can reanimate the dead, in this case RMF, who was killed earlier. Yes, the plot is bizarre and confusing, but something in this remarkable film had me totally absorbed, and simply in awe of the acting ability of the main players, each character so utterly different in every respect. I find it impossible to give this a blanket recommendation. If you can't cope with such a long film with its weird plot, (including some nasty body horror), then I'd say give it a total miss. If you want to see a film that is truly creative and original, combined with a stunning cast, then don't miss it. ??? - love it or hate it!
Mr Blake at Your Service
Dir: Gilles Legardinier
Length: 100 mins
 |
© Rialto - one of Malkovitch's best in
a long time |
Andrew Blake (John Malkovitch) is a successful businessman, grieving the death of his wife. Without notice, he packs his bags and heads off to a place in France where he first met his beloved - an old mansion run by the elegant, financially struggling Madame de Beauvillier (Fannny Ardant). Blake thinks it's a hotel, but the staff are interviewing for a butler, so he ends up taking the job, under the strict and watchful eye of housekeeper Odile (Emilie Dequenne). A film like this could run the risk of veering into schmaltz territory, but ultimately it is very sweet and charming, anchored by a terrific performance from Malkovitch, who speaks excellent French throughout the film. His character borders on eccentric, always putting his two francs' worth of suggestions into any situation, much to the initial annoyance of the women. The laundry maid Manon and the groundskeeper Magnier round out the plot nicely, and as Andrew proves his worth and things become more light-hearted in the household, I find myself thoroughly engaged with all the characters. This is an amusing, feel-good story, which features two great actors, looks terrific and is sometimes the sort of light-weight panacea needed in dark times.3.5 - well recommended
Longlegs
Dir: Oz Perkins
Length: 101 mins
 |
| © Rialto - this is a weird one, for sure! |
FBI agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) is assigned to a bizarre serial killer case in which several entire families have been killed over the years. Cryptic notes point to a killer known as Longlegs (an unrecognisable Nic Cage). As the FBI closes in, Lee discovers a more personal connection to the case. Touted as the best thriller since Silence of the Lambs, this one unfortunately doesn't thrill me like Lambs did. Yes there are positives: an excellent sound track, some very evocative (think dark and gloomy) sets and cinematography, and a fabulous performance from the master of weird, Cage (augmented by brilliant makeup). Monroe is pretty good too as the isolated agent, haunted by her past and present nightmares, and from the outset a strong sense of foreboding is created. But I find it too derivative of many other films - Satanic and occult references, creepy dolls, axe murders, and other predictable scenes where I was "psychic" enough to know what was about to happen, and all with a twist at the end that veered into silly territory. But above all, except for a couple of moments, I was simply NOT scared!2.5 - maybe
The Leisure Seeker
Dir: Paolo Virzi
Length: 112 mins
Streaming on Netflix - 2017
 |
© Netflix - predictable at times,
but very moving |
One actor from British royalty, and one much-loved, recently departed actor star in this film, a nominee for the Golden Lion back in 2017. Ella (Helen Mirren) and her husband John (Donald Sutherland) climb aboard their old Winnebago and head off on a journey of fun, nostalgia (watching old family slides) and the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. John has been a literature teacher, worships Ernest Hemingway, and wants to visit the Hemingway House in Florida. The trouble is he is suffering rapidly advancing Alzheimer's, and Ella is undergoing chemo for cancer. Their adult kids are horrified that the pair have done a runner, but this important trip could well be their last. Yes there is a certain predictability in some of the dialogue and the plot, while the two adult offspring are a bit like cardboard cutouts. But Mirren and Sutherland shine together, as she scolds him for always forgetting, coaxes old memories out of him, and he endlessly manages to remember literary trivia and students from the past, while the present eludes him. The film achieves a nice balance between lightness and touches of humour, while addressing the serious issue of illness and aging. There are some deeply touching moments, and for those of us advancing along life's path, it will strike some deep chords.3.5 - well recommended
Saxo Scandinavian Film Festival
19 July - 7 August (Melbourne)
Palace cinemas
Now in its tenth year, this excellent festival celebrates the best of Nordic cinema from Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Iceland. Thrillers, comedies, relationship dramas, science fiction, satire, historical epics, and more - it's all here, plus a special presentation of four films featuring the collaboration between Liv Ullman and director Ingmar Bergman. For fans of iconic Finnish director Kaurismaki, the festival celebrates the 35th anniversary of Leningrad Cowboys Go America. Let me recommend to you a couple of terrific films I've reviewed so far:
Hammarskjold - Fight for Peace: In 1961, at the height of the Cold War, Dag Hammarskjold (Mikael Persbrandt) was Secretary General of the United Nations. He was strongly in favour of the decolonisation of African states. Shortly after Congo was declared an independent country, political drama ensued, with the mineral-rich area of Katanga seceding, Lumumba (Congo's president) being killed, and Dag desperately trying to broker a peace deal (with powers like Belgium, the USA and Britain) meddling in the background. When the plane carrying Dag and 14 UN officials crashed, foul play was suspected. This excellent biographical thriller revisits the case, examining the politics, and the man himself, a lonely and principled man, with personal demons. The film is not only historically intriguing, but is surprisingly moving, with a top-notch performance from Persbrant, and a much nominated musical score.
The Tundra Within Me: The Sami are the indigenous people from what used to be known as Lapland, the far northern regions of Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia. They are traditionally reindeer herders, with men mostly being the top dogs in the business. The film's setting is already fascinating - depicting a lifestyle so unfamiliar to me. The low-key, gentle story is about Lena, a Sami woman, once a herd manager, who left her homeland years ago to become an artist in Norway. She returns for a time, with her young son, to do a gender-focused project about women in reindeer management. When she meets herder Mahtte, and they start a relationship, she needs to decide what direction her life will take. A tender love story, with a telling look at gender roles in a traditional society, this is worthwhile viewing.
I've only seen Kinds of Kindness out of that list. Yez the behaviours of characters are quite disgusting..what is Yorgos trying to tell us? The performances are amazing ..
ReplyDelete