May 16th 2025

The Salt Path

Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning

Misericordia

The Surfer

La Cocina

It's a huge week, with the final film in the Mission Impossible series hitting the big screen. Plus four more films, all so different; all so interesting in their own way. 

The Salt Path

Dir:  Marianne Elliott

Length: 115 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmKrU58h9lU

© Transmission - faced with calamity, a couple
decide to simply walk! A true tale. 

Some people have it tough, yet manage to make something special out of even the worst of situations. Based upon a true memoir, this heartfelt, gentle film tells the story of Raynor Winn (Gillian Anderson) and her husband Moth (Jason Isaacs), who lose their home in a botched business deal. On top of that, Moth is diagnosed with a dire neurological illness, corticobasal degeneration, (CBD) and is given only a few months to live. The couple decide there's nothing for it but to walk the coastal path from Dorset to Land's End, hoping nature will help to heal grief and loss. Not a lot happens in the film, but the stunning scenery, with the associated soundtrack, lure you in from the start. Sections of the walk, such a challenge for Moth's physical condition, make for moments of quite gruelling watching. The kindness of strangers, and the recognition of shared  humanity feature large. However it is the understated and delicate performances from Anderson and Isaacs that make this study of connection and long-term love between a couple truly memorable. One is left asking what the concept of home means; for these two it is being free, and being together in nature, something quite alien to the world of possessions and striving; something totally refreshing. A truly lovely film.

4 - highly recommended

Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning

Dir:  Christopher McQuarrie

Length: 169 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsQgc9pCyDU

© Paramount - if it's action you're after,
here it is! 

A malicious form of AI known as The Entity is about to take over the world, by getting control of the nuclear arsenals of nine countries, which will spell the end of humankind.  Our fearless hero, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his Impossible Mission Force (IMF) are set to make sure this doesn't happen. Ethan is, as always, on a quest to save the world. Of course there has to be a big-time baddie - Ethan's human adversary Gabriel (Esai Morales), who is in league with The Entity. Regular readers will know this is not the kind of film I usually get into, but I must say upfront, I really had a very good time with this one, even though I've never been a huge follower of the MI franchise. Although the basic plot is simple (good versus bad), I often fail to understand the convolutions of such plots, and the opening sequences of this film certainly didn't disappoint - so much AI jargon and drawn-out setting of the impending Armageddon scenario, I doubted I could follow what was happening. But once the action ramps up, the excitement is on for a nail-biting near three hours! The action set pieces are simply stunning (even if we have to suspend total disbelief to the point of ludicrousness!) Ethan's descent into a sunken submarine makes for heart-stopping action, as does the final aerial scene in which he and Gabriel both face off in light planes and Ethan/Cruise performs some of his best ever aerial acrobatics. With such a long runtime, the umpteen associated characters are nicely fleshed out, such that we can actually feel something for them. Benji (Simon Pegg), Grace (Hayley Atwell) and Luther (Ving Rhames), along with newcomer Paris (Pomm Klementieff), are all loved members of Ethan's team, and all characters to enjoy spending time with, as is submarine captain Bledsoe (Tramell Tillman). It's notably heartening to see many women in roles often given to men - Angela Bassett plays a terrific US President Sloane, while many of the army dudes and 'copter pilots are also women. There are also several worthy underlying messages about the dangers of AI, and the hot-headedness of men versus the rationality of women! With all the things fans of MI have come to love, and much more, this film is spectacular, fun and a worthy finale (maybe!?) to a much-loved franchise. 

4 - highly recommended

Misericordia

Dir:  Alain Guiraudie

Length: 104 mins

Exclusive to Cinema Nova

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wk2SgBIoF4&t=2s

©  Weird relationships, motivations, and underlying
drives feature large in this intriguing story.

Unemployed baker Jeremie (Felix Kysyl) returns to his home town for the funeral of his former boss. He is invited to stay with the boss's wife Martine (Catherine Frot), which incurs the wrath of Martine's son Vincent (Jean-Baptiste Durand), who thinks the young man has designs on his mother. Anger and jealousy spill out of control, and the local priest Abbe Phillipe (Jacques Develay) gets involved, with his own particular agenda driving him. The film walks a strange tightrope between thriller, comedy and character study. We never fully understand what motivates each of the major players, and the constant undercurrent of sexual desire mingled with potential violence is ever present. Even from the opening scene, a long-drawn out shot of Jeremie's car heading into the village, accompanied by suitably ominous music, the intrigue mounts. Everyone except Vincent cuts this young man a lot of slack (misericordia means mercy), and we have to ask whether he is some sort of focus for each of their repressed desires. The film has garnered a whole swag of nominations at various festivals. If it's something out of the ordinary and left of centre you're seeking, this certainly should keep you fascinated.

3.5 - well recommended

The Surfer

Dir:  Lorcan Finnegan

Length: 100 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb6iY_p1Qi0

© Madman - he just wants to surf, but the
locals are giving him a hard time!

A man, aka the Surfer, (Nicolas Cage) is headed for his much-loved childhood beach to take his son (Finn Little) surfing. At the same time he is putting in a bid to purchase the clifftop home of his childhood, hoping this will get his estranged wife back. Approaching the beach he is accosted by a group of aggressive surfers, both teens and older men, who tell him "you don't live here, you don't surf here". The Surfer refuses to accept this and hangs around in the beach carpark, where things start going from bad to worse, in such a way that he will eventually end up questioning his whole identity. This film gets better for me the more I think about it, after the event. Cage remains relatively restrained, though I kept hoping he would go "full-on crazy Cage" and destroy the toxic men who bully and brutalise him. Nicholas Cassim is memorable as The Bum, who lives in the carpark and has a history to hide, while Julian McMahon as Scally, leader of the surfing group, is fabulously menacing. Things get a little weird and tribal towards the end, with dark, threatening almost psychedelic cinematography reflecting the cultishness of the men and the Surfer's progressive unhingement. Shot in Yallingup in Western Australia, the Aussie landscape is utilised well, with potentially threatening, or simply dispassionately observing animals, adding a certain frisson of mystery. The ending is possibly a bit of a letdown, but for Cage fans and those wanting a story to make you really angry, this could be the one.

3.5 - well recommended

La Cocina

Dir:  Alonao Ruizpalacios

Length: 139 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuyLpBU9HOo

© Vendetta - high drama for lovers
and immigrants in a New York resto

Set in a busy New York restaurant, this is the story of  Estela (Anna Diaz), an illegal Mexican immigrant who comes to work at The Grill, because she knows one of the cooks Pedro (Raoul Briones). Pedro is in love with a waitress, Julia, (Rooney Mara), who is pregnant and wants an abortion, while he harbors fantasies of them running away together. The restaurant's owner is an American Arab who promises the mostly illegal immigrant workers he will help them get a visa, but it never happens. This film also mixes drama and comedy with a goodly dollop of despair, while the black and white cinematography gives it a certain contrived gravitas. In some ways it's a bit like The Bear on steroids (is that even possible?), so exhausting is the pace of work in this particular kitchen. Overall, everything is a bit too loud and over-the-top, making for emotional alienation, and any desired commentary upon the plight of illegals chasing the American Dream is subsumed by the constant escalation of interpersonal dramas, and Pedro's progressive emotional meltdown. A Golden Bear nominee, the film has plenty of nominations to its name. While it certainly entertains and engages, with its frenetic pace, impressive look and Briones' memorable performance, it is not ultimately a story that fully engages me.

3 - recommended

May 8th 2025

Monsieur Aznavour

More from the German Film Festival

More from the South African Film Festival

Entertainers feature large this week, one being Charles Aznavour, the iconic French singer, and the other John Cranko, a world famous ballet choreographer.  Plus, I review two more fine films from the South African Film Festival. 

Monsieur Aznavour

Dir:  Mehdi Idir & Grand Corps Malade

Length: 133 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB3OAsPPzl0

© Palace - prolific songwriter,
superb entertainer

Charles Aznavour (Tahar Rahim) came from an Armenian family who, with him as a child, fled from a genocide perpetrated by the Turks. The family was very musical, and ended up in France. The young Charles started out as an entertainer in partnership with songwriter Pierre Roche (Bastien Bouillon), then went on to become his own person, writing more than 1000 songs and achieving international fame, helped along the way by iconic French chanteuse Edith Piaf  (Marie Julie Baup). I find it very hard to review this film, as I adore Aznavour and am familiar with so many of his songs. Let's look at the positives: the recreation of the era is perfect with set design and "the feel" of the day spot on. The music is a delight. Baup as Piaf is simply excellent. The negatives: Rahim, though he gives his all, does not look near enough like Aznavour to convince me, although as the film progressed I began to feel more that it could be him. The lyrics of Aznavour's songs are heart-breaking and intensely meaningful, and the director's choice to subtitle less than half of them  is a major oversight, methinks! The arc of the narrative is very traditional - the A-Z typical biopic, with little originality. And yet . . . I enjoyed this film tremendously, immersing in the sublime songs, and learning much about the man himself - a crazy mixture of ambition, drivenness, sadness, and with a gift for expressing the deepest emotions that we all share in life. So . . . 

3.5 - well recommended

More from the HSBC German Film Festival

Melbourne: Now until 21 May

Palace Cinemas

For all other states, bookings, film synopses, visit germanfilmfestival.com.au

I've had the good fortune to catch up with the film John Cranko, a must-see for all ballet lovers. And even if you don't know much about ballet, this is a story and performance that is absolutely worth seeing! If it ever gets a mainstream release, it's a 4-star from me. 

John Cranko: Brief bio: John Cranko was born in South Africa in 1927 then went to London where he was a choreographer with the Sadlers Wells Ballet School. After being arrested for homosexual activity and given the sack, he headed in 1961 to Stuttgart where he was contracted to be choreographer for a little-known German ballet company. It is from this point that the movie takes off. British actor Sam Riley was wonderful as Ian Curtis from the band Joy Division in the film Control. Here he again absolutely inhabits the role of an incredibly talented and complex man who is at once flamboyant, at times cruel, but also caring, vulnerable, and extraordinarily lonely. (And Riley speaks fluent German!) Cranko defies convention on every level. In getting into the creative mind of a choreographer, director Joachim Lang cleverly employs imaginary dance sequences. Rehearsal scenes give a powerful insight into what goes into crafting a ballet, and then we have the actual performances which are all simply beautiful, with settings, costumes and dancing quite awe-inspiring. Lang chose to use real dancers from the company in the roles, and they all prove how well they can act and dance. Many are playing themselves, while Elise Badenes, a current principal dancer with the company, plays the role of Marcie Haydee who was discovered and propelled to fame by Cranko. It can be said that Cranko changed the fortunes of the Stuttgart Ballet Company and left a legacy of original balletic reimaginings of classic stories that are still performed today. 

South African Film Festival 

Limited films in cinema now until 31 May at Classic Cinema Elsternwick

Online 11-31 May

For all  the information you need, plus other states, visit https://saff.org.au/

Coming online in a few days, the SAFF has plenty of rewarding and interesting films. 

Diary of an Elephant Orphan: I defy anyone not to fall in love with this documentary, that follows the work of a group of elephant carers. In Sth Africa many elephants are orphaned thanks to poaching, and this group of veterinarians and carers virtually give their lives over to tending the orphans and the adult herd, mostly made up of now-grown orphans. The doco follows baby Khanyisa, caught in a snare, and near to death. How she is cared for and reintegrated into the herd is a story to melt the hardest hearts. What more can I say? If you love elephants, don't miss this one!   

Snake: Little Stella (Lamiyah Barnard) lives in an  impoverished rural family, much loved by her mother Nancy, and her drunkard of a father Frank. One day itinerant Jerry turns up, playing a tin whistle and seeking work. He charms the entire family, especially Stella, but we soon realise he is not what he seems. This is a fabulous film, the story seen through the eyes of a child. The focus is constantly upon Stella who desperately wants to protect her family from a smooth-talking, utimately bad man. The nine-year-old lead actress is a force to be reckoned with. Director Meg Rickards nails the feeling of the poverty and lack of opportunities, while capturing the heart of what it means to be a family and overcome divisive external forces. 

May 3rd 2025

Tina

HSBC German Film Festival

South African Film Festival

Palestinian Film Festival

Festival frenzy is upon us. The German FF is the highest profile, but no less important are the smaller festivals that give audiences a great opportunity to see into worlds and cultures that are unfamiliar to us. There is also a Persian Film Festival on the go, but I couldn't snag any previews! Music lovers are in for a treat in a couple of this week's films, Tina and Old Righteous Blues. 

Tina

Dir:  Miki Magasiva

Length: 124 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p39afPLXALw

© Madman - 

Teacher, Mareta Percival (Anapela Polataivao), suffers a tragedy when her beloved daughter is killed in the Christchurch earthquake. Feeling her life is over, she becomes reclusive, then reluctantly takes a job as a fill-in teacher at an elite local school, where her Polynesian style is the cultural antithesis of the privileged white students. After a rocky start, she decides to set up a school choir, and introduce her students to singing, and to her Samoan culture. In Samoan language, the word Tina means mother, and it is the rediscovering of being a mother, this time to her students, that is at the heart of this tear-jerker of a film. Yes it's emotionally manipulative, and the plot is at times predictable, but ultimately the film is so uplifting that you forgive it. Although Samoan culture is front and centre, universal themes of parenting, redemption, pride and identity extend to all the characters in the film. Students Sophie (Antonia Robinson) and Anthony (Zac O'Meagher) stand out in their roles as kids struggling to find their true calling, while head teacher Alan (Dalip Sondhi) with his gentle compassionate nature, is a great foil for Mareta's fiercely resilient character. While the choir gets amazingly good in a barely believable short time, the music sweeps us away. If you've ever been to Samoa and a Sunday church service (which I have), you'll know just how beautifully the locals sing, and how important music is to their identity. This celebration of the Samoan culture and of the role of the universal mother is done with such love, it's no wonder that the film is such a delightful crowd-pleaser and has been a smash hit in New Zealand.

4 - highly recommended

HSBC German Film Festival

Melbourne: Now until 21 May

Palace Cinemas

For all other states, bookings, film synopses, visit germanfilmfestival.com.au

The largest festival of German films outside of Germany is back bringing the latest from German cinema, along with movies from Austria and Switzerland. And a special treat for those wanting a movie marathon: Rainer Werner Fassbinder's award-winnning Berlin Alexanderplatz screens over 3 weeks, with 5 episodes running 320 minutes per session! While I don't have the sitzfleisch (patience) for this one, I'm previewing several over the course of the festival. 

Riefenstahl: Directed by festival guest Andres Veiel, this remarkable documentary  features a woman whose middle name is surely "controversy". Leni Riefenstahl started life as a  performer and actress who then went into directing, allying herself with the Nazi regime for whom she made one of its best-known propaganda films, Triumph of the Will, followed by Olympia. Veiel's two-hour doco is based upon films, letters, recordings and photos from Riefenstahl's estate. In the many old TV interviews used in this film it's amazing to note how she always denies having had close ties to the Nazi regime, yet so much other evidence points otherwise. The interweaving of all the material with the commentary makes for a totally thought-provoking and revelatory film, in which we must ask ourselves whether Riefenstahl's gifts as a filmmaker (yep, she was good!) can ever begin to counterbalance the evil of the people for whom she filmed. The filmmaker doesn't pass judgment, but gives his subject enough rope to hang herself.  

I Want It All: As opposed to Riefenstahl's infamy, Hildegard Knef was simply famous; one of Germany's best known stage and screen actresses, a singer and a writer. Major scandal dogged her after a 1950s film revealed her breasts (duh!), but then she found a mix of success and failure overseas. Using archival footage and interviews, the film gives a most intriguing and engaging portrait of a talented and ambitious woman who simply never gave up. Her career spanned five decades, with her autobiography becoming a best-seller in Germany. 

Hysteria: Billed as a conspiracy thriller, this rather convoluted story starts on the set of a movie crew who are making a film about a real-life arson attack. When a burned Koran is discovered on the set, all hell breaks loose. Accusations, lies, and possible big-time conspiracy by the film-makers themselves all converge to mask the truth. Except that the truth is perceived differently by all concerned. 

South African Film Festival 

In cinema 4-31 May at Classic Cinema Elsternwick

Online 11-31 May

For all  the information you need, plus other states, visit https://saff.org.au/

Not many South African films get released in Australia, so here's your chance to catch up with some. The festival runs online and in-cinema, with the majority showing online.  Anyone looking for a fun opening night in the cinema, (tomorrow!) head off to see South Africa's submission for this year's Oscars (reviewed below). More to come next week when the festival is available online. 

Old Righteous Blues: This award-winning drama deals with something I'd never heard about - in the Cape area of Sth Africa, marching bands take to the streets from Christmas time until March to entertain the locals and reaffirm bonds of friendship. This narrative tells of a fractured mixed ethnicity Christian community with past feuds and secrets to hide, along with two brothers who hold allegiances to different bands, leading ultimately to tragedy. Well-worn themes of reconciliation, redemption, ambition and, of course, love flow through the story, which also has an underlying Romeo and Juliet theme. It is genuinely interesting to see such a strong (and unfamiliar) tradition portrayed in a story that is warm, entertaining, and beautifully acted, with a winning soundtrack.  

13th Palestinian Film Festival

Melbourne 7-11 May

Cinema Nova

For other states, bookings, synopses, visit: https://palestinianfilmfestival.com.au/

Here's a small window of opportunity to get a great insight into a community that is at the forefront of today's news. Thanks to technical issues, I've only managed to preview one film, in fact a short film, called Upshot. 

Upshot: A winning entry in a couple of short film festivals, this is the story of a couple with a carefully constructed routine and life, in which they regularly discuss their children's lives. Their seclusion is interrupted when a stranger comes to the door, bearing news that will rock their world. This is a fine example of telling a dense story in a short amount of time. The subject matter is both moving and relevant to today's horrific ongoing problems in the Middle East, and the cinematography is impressive, with the lighting and olive groves being especially memorable.