July 10th 2026
Silent Friend
The Invite
First Light
Romeria
The Photographer of Mauthausen (streaming on Netflix)
It's a very strong week of recommended films. Nothing under four stars from me. From Germany, to the US, the Philippines, Spain and Austria, so many diverse settings and genres of film-making should entice you into the cinema.
Silent Friend
Dir: Ildiko Enyedi
 |
© HiGloss - mysterious, original, contemplative
and so much more |
So original and so beautiful,
Silent Friend has as its main star a tree - a huge 100-year-old gingko, one of the Earth's truly ancient and special trees. It stands in the grounds of Marburg University in Germany. Over the course of 100 years the tree is witness to the lives of three people, who are each as individual and lonely as it is. In 1908 Grete (Luna Wedler) becomes the first female to be accepted into the university to study botany. She must run the gauntlet of sexist professors, and disapproving landladies. She takes a job with a photographer where she learns how to capture the soul and sensuality of plants through her work. In the 1970s Hannes (Enzo Brumm) is besotted with fellow student Gundula (Marlene Burow) who is conducting a weird experiment on a geranium, wiring it up to sensors that record its reactions and "mood". Then in 2020, neurologist Tony Wong (a magnificent Tony Leung) travels to the university to further his studies on the brain reaction of infants to certain stimuli. When his work is interrupted by the COVID lockdown, and he is stranded almost alone on campus, he decides to research what reactions the gingko tree has, and connects it to all manner of sensors. He shares his work online with fellow researcher Alice (Lea Seydoux). You need to surrender youself to this remarkable movie - allow yourself to ponder the mysteries of life, the isolation as well as the connection between all living things. Three totally different shooting styles for the three eras are extremely effective, each contributing to the overall sublime beauty and the capturing of nature in all its glory. The storytelling, though slow and gentle, has hidden depths, that will lead you to ponder this film long after its over. A truly magnificent cinematic experience and something that nature lovers and philosphers of life will relish.
4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended
The Invite
Dir: Olivia Wilde
 |
© VVS - sexy, funny, touching, and wildly
entertaining |
Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Olivia Wilde) are at loggerheads in their marriage, constantly bickering and sniping. They haven't had sex for a year, and things come to a head when she invites the upstairs neighbors Pina (Penelope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton) to come over for dinner. Pina is a sex therapist and psychologist, Hawk a retired fireman, and they have caused Joe great distress by their noisy love-making at night. I won't reveal what happens when the four meet up; that's all part of this intelligent, witty script, which is based upon the 2020 Spanish film, The People Upstairs. Suffice to say there are laughs aplenty, but some viewers may cringe as they see aspects of their own relationships portrayed on the big screen. Rogen shows his versatility as a serious actor, not just a funny man. Cruz positively sizzles off the screen, with Norton fabulous as the calm, collected and rational foil to her. Sometimes Wilde (who directs strongly) seems to overplay her role, but as a look at the foibles of marriage, relationships, and attitudes to sex, this film is a real winner. It could also be a great date night movie, especially if you want to kickstart challenging coversation (or some even livelier hijinks!) 4 - highly recommended
First Light
Dir: James J Robinson
 |
© Bonsai Films - tranquil, provoking
contemplation on religion, grace and corruption |
Philippino/Australian director Robinson garnered strong buzz at the last Melbourne FF, winning Best Australian Director. In a remote convent in the Philippine mountains, Sister Yolanda (Ruby Ruiz) lives a quietly dedicated life, always helping, tending the sick and mentoring a nun-to-be, Sister Arlene (Kare Adea). When a young construction working has an accident and is hospitalised, Yolanda is asked to give the last rites. She feels the boy could have been saved, and that he has been deliberately left to die. Heading up the construction business is the Dela Cruz family who have a dying mother to whom Yolanda tends. The more Yolanda discovers about the young man's accident, and how political power and corruption have played a role in the outcome, the more her faith is tested. This is understated and beautiful film-making. The character of Yolanda is never judgmental, carries herself with quiet grace yet speaks her mind. Wide-angled cinematography gives the film a sweeping feel, yet it is in fact very intimate. The setting of the crumbling old convent is in stark contrast to the lovely outdoor scenery, with light and shade powerfully used. The narrative makes for a great starting point to examine attitudes to the church and its rituals, as opposed to embodying its teachings through simple humanity. 4 - highly recommended
 |
© Palace - a quest for understanding one's
past and present |
This impressive Spanish film was nominated for many Goyas and Gaudis (awarded in Spain) last year, and was a Palm d'or nominee at Cannes. Director Simon has crafted a semi-autobiographical movie about 18-year old Marina (Llucia Garcia - winner of a Best Actor award), who, in 2004, goes on the trail of her family history. An orphan, Marina has been raised by her aunt, and has never met the countless relatives that she now lands up with in the seaside town of Vigo, on the Galician coast. She is especially drawn to cousin Nuno (Mitch Martin). Each relative has a different, and often conflicting, tale to tell about her parents' past, and their deaths in the mid 1980s. Time toggles back and forth and as the film progresses we see the hedonistic, drug-fuelled lives her parents lived. There is even a touch of magical realism when Marina "meets" them. (The same actors who play Marina and Nuno play her parents.) The film is slow moving, but so realistic in its portrayal of family relationships, and quite alarming in its ultimate revelations of her parents' deaths and how the family handled it. Garcia brings a naivete yet quiet strength to her character, and the luminosity of the Spanish coastal town is somehow reflected in her inquiring, innocent face. Despite the deep subject matter, there is no ultra-heavy drama, and for lovers of relationship, family/self-discovery stories, this is a winner.
4 - highly recommended
The Photographer of Mauthausen
Dir: Mar Targarona
Length: 110 mins
Streaming on Netflix - 2018
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© Netflix - Nazi atrocities from a
Spanish viewpoint |
Another powerful Spanish film, this one also garnered many nominations for Goya and Gaudi awards when it released. It is a powerful depiction of the horrors of World War Two, and the atrocities committed by the Nazis. This lesser known true story is that of Francesc Boix (Mario Casas), a Spaniard imprisoned in Mauthausen concentration camp for his anti-Fascist activities. There he gets a job in the camp's photography department, where the Nazis documented every last detail of their vile activities. Boix is determined to smuggle negatives out from camp, so that one day the world will know what was done and hold those responsible accountable. Yes the subject matter is bleak, but Taragona injects the story with much tension and suspense, perfectly augmented by the violin soundtrack. As a story of endurance, brutality and bravery, this is another worthy addition to the pantheon of Holocaust films. 4 - highly recommended
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