March 20th

The Grizzlies

White Riot

Mank (Netflix)

Yes folks, the Oscar nominations are out, and many of the films I've been reviewing over the past weeks are among them. This week it's the Netflix film Mank. Also on offer this week are a doco set in the 1970s but scarily resonant for today's racist times, and a warm-hearted, crowd-pleasing true story of a dedicated teacher changing the lives of Inuit teens. 

The Grizzlies
Dir: Miranda de Pencier

Length: 102 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4g9HRBA5n4

© Heritage films - who'd have though lacrosse
could be the solution to teen suicide?

First Nations peoples throughout the world are increasingly in the spotlight. This film, based upon a true story, highlights a group of Inuit teens living in Kugluktuk, northern Canada. The group had the highest teen suicide rate in the area, and low school attendance. When teacher Russ Sheppard (Ben Schnetzer) is sent to the remote town, he recognises the need to give the kids a goal in life, and decides getting them involved in Canada's national sport of lacrosse could do the trick. Yes, the film's style follows a fairly traditional narrative arc, but the performances by the almost entirely Indigenous cast feel so authentic; I guess they have lived that life where hope is not always in big supply. The tension between older generations wanting to preserve traditional lifestyles and youngsters wanting to break out are well presented. The story is ultimately moving and uplifting, and gives a strong insight into a lifestyle I know little about. The Grizzlies program is still going - testament to a dedicated and inspirational teacher.

3.5 - well recommended

White Riot
Dir: Rubika Shah

Length: 80 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2weyH9QcII

© Icon - Rock Against Racism hit
home in 1970s Britain 

In the 1970s Britain was deeply divided over immigration to the country. Racism was alive and well. The National Front, a far-right fascist group, was rising up the political ladder. When Eric Clapton famously made racist remarks, a music photographer called Red Saunders founded a movement called Rock Against Racism. He called for music to be a force against racism, and it all culminated in a 100,000-plus march to a concert where The Clash (among many other anti-fascist musicians) performed the song White Riot. This is a fascinating slice of history, with terrific current interviews and powerful archival footage. What's really scary is we could be looking at the world today, so little seems to change. The film has won a number of awards and even if you don't like punk music, there is much historical interest here.

3.5 - well recommended

Mank
Dir: David Fincher

Length: 131 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSfX-nrg-lI

© Netflix - delving into the backstory of Citizen
Kane could turn this film into a classic.

So, the Oscar buzz is on, and Mank has garnered 10 nominations across major categories including Amanda Seyfried as Best Supporting Actress and Gary Oldman as Best Actor, not to mention a Best Picture and Best Director nod. It's the true story of screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz who wrote the screenplay (and won an Oscar) for the film regarded by some as the best ever - Citizen Kane. The tale criss-crosses the timeline between the 1930s and forties, and the film looks every inch the part. Made in the style of the classic films of the era, it's a masterpiece in itself. It's also bitingly insightful into the machinations and complexities of Hollywood power plays and politics of the day. The plot is dense and textured, and Gary Oldman's performance is something like watching a car-crash unfold in slo-mo (well, the film opens with a real one!) The alcoholic Mank is a deliciously disastrous guy, outspoken, self-destructive but with a big talent. Seyfried is a revelation as Marion Davies, starlet girlfriend of tycoon Randolph William Hearst (Charles Dance). This is the sort of film to watch more than once, to revel in its look, its fine acting,  and to fully grasp its plot intricacies. 

4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended

 March 11th 

Melbourne Queer Film Festival

More from Alliance France French Film Festival

Judas and the Black Messiah

Girls Can't Surf

As my good friend and presenter of On Screen (Saturdays 3CR 11 am) Melinda O'Connor told listeners, Melbourne is currently awash with fab film festivals. Don't forget you can still catch up with Transitions FF (all online), Jewish FF, French FF, and (unfortunately concluding this weekend) the Birrarangga FF (https://www.birrarangga.world/). But wait there's more! New releases are coming to cinemas thick and fast. Lots for your delectation this week, and several of them highlighting issues of gender identity and politics.

Melbourne Queer Film Festival  Film Festival 2021

Melbourne Until March 21

Village Coburg Drive-in, Village Jam Factory, Cinema Nova

For films and session times,  visit: https://mqff.com.au/

MQFF is always one of my favorite festivals. The usual wonderful features, shorts and documentaries, local and international, will be here, with another longer MQFF planned for later in the year. Every year I say the same thing: people of all sexual persuasions will find something to enjoy in this festival - like all good films, these speak to what we all share in common - being human. 

Rurangi

© MQFF - compassionate
story-telling

The pick of what I've previewed so far, this is a subtle, compassionate, beautiful film, set in the farming countryside of New Zealand. Transgender activist Kaz (Elz Carrad) returns to the small town he left as a girl before transitioning. He hopes to reconnect with his estranged father, who is now passionately involved in environmental issues. Having fled a community he believes would never accept him, Kaz now meets again people from his past. This is one of the best features on transgender I've seen and is a must for anyone wanting to better understand the subject, and the emotional trauma for young people questioning their identity. But it is also a most human story of parental bonds, friendship bonds, and acceptance of self and others. Moving and beautifully scripted, with powerful performances by all. 

  

Sublet

© MQFF - intergenerational 
understanding

Michael, a conservative fifty-something journalist, is writing an article on Tel Aviv and decides to sublet an apartment which belongs to young film student Tomer. Over the five days, the two men, almost polar opposites, learn much about themselves. Winning the audience award at the Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival, this delicate, sweet film is a sure crowd pleaser, appealing to diverse age groups. The dialogue is beautifully written, and the various scenarios and emotions feel authentic. The two leads, who pretty much anchor most of the film, create two characters we can really relate to.

The Whistle

© MQFF - fascinating lesbian
history

Stormmiguel Florez is a trans man who has made a fascinating doco inspired initially by a secret whistling sound that many lesbians adopted in Albequerque back in the 1980s. It was used as a means of identifying each other, in a place and time when being out was not as easy as it is today. Interviews with a swag of women, reminiscing upon their schooldays and experiences coming out are warmly handled. Things get darker however when stats are discussed about how hate crimes against minority groups surged after the dreaded Trump was elected. Then and now footage, with plenty of photo albums, works well, and the film is a reminder that, especially in America, vigilance against haters must prevail.  

Cowboys

© MQFF - father and son
in glorious Montana

Troy (Steve Zahn) and his 11-year-old son Joe (Sasha Knight) head off for some bonding time in the mountains of Montana. But nothing is as it seems: Joe started life as a girl, and has run off with his father to get away from a mother who refuses to understand his gender dysphoria. Troy is bipolar, the police go on the trail assuming it is a kidnapping, and things get pretty fraught. This one of Zahn's best performances, Jillian Bell is terrific as a perplexed loving mother, and young Knight handles the role well. Notable is Ann Dowd (Aunt Lydia in The Handmaid's Tale), as an understanding police officer. The mountain scenery is stunning and, even if at times things are a touch too "pat" and simplified, this is a film with plenty of heart, tackling the increasingly spotlighted issues of young kids grappling with their gender identity.

Summerland

© Icon/MQFF  - mystery,
romance snd war

During WW2 in London, some children were evacuated to the countryside away from the constant threat of bombing. Local "grump" Alice, (Gemma Arterton) is totally reluctant to take in young Frank (Lucas Bond) and vows to get rid of him at the earliest possible opportunity. Gradually we discover the cause of Alice's sadness and slowly she also warms to Frank. This is a sweet film, with a very unexpected performance from Arterton, who shines in her role, as does Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Vera, a significant part of Alice's past. This is a sweet, solid and touching story, with yet another take on the war, and on times past, when freedom to be one's true self was rare.    

Alliance France French Film Festival 2021 . . . more

Melbourne until March 31

Palace Cinemas Melbourne

For other states, session times, and movie synopses visit: https://www.affrenchfilmfestival.org/

Final Set

© FFF - the tough life of 
professional sportsmen

Thomas Edison (Alex Lutz) is 37 and still playing on the international tennis circuit. Plagued by injuries and dealing with an endlessly harsh and disappointed mother (an always excellent Kristin Scott Thomas), he is determined to get accepted for one last Grand Slam. This film gives insight into the stresses of being a top athlete, and the problems of ageing, when sport is your life. The way the director constructs his shots makes it feel like you are watching the real thing, and Lutz is terrific in his role. 

De Gaulle

© FFF - should appeal to 
history buffs

Nominated for 3 Cesars including Best Actor for Lambert Wilson, this film focuses on a moment in the life of the iconic general (later to become President). The film focuses solely on the time frame of June 1940. During this seminal point in France's history, the government capitulated to the Nazis, while the General escaped to Britain and got Churchill on side. From there he broadcast regular radio messages of encouragement to the French resistance. This slice of  war history strongly portrays a courageous man, firm in his convictions and in his love for his family, an important sub-plot in this impressive film. 

The Godmother

© FFF - who's shopping
for what?

Fans of popular actress Isabelle Huppert should enjoy seeing her as an upstanding woman, gone rogue when an opportunity falls into her lap. Patience is a translator for the police, and when she gains access to a huge shipment of hashish, she disguises herself in Muslim garb, and sets up her own not-so-little dealership. Eluding police, who call her Mama Weed, she leads them a merry dance. I'm not one for French crime capers, but if it's your scene, then you'll probably enjoy this slight film, if just for its ever-watchable lead gal. 

How to Become an Astronaut

© FFF - should appeal to 
history buffs

At the age of 38. Thomas Pesquet became the youngest ever French astronaut. This insightful doco tracks the gruelling training regime he must go though, along with two other astronauts, before they are launched on their way to a six-month mission at the International Space Station. Anyone wanting to be an astronaut will be completely enthralled by this, as it is an unusual insight into a field I sure knew little about. 

Judas and the Black Messiah

Dir: Shaka King

Length: 127 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=sSjtGqRXQ9Y

© Universal - strong biopic, brilliant acting
and powerfully topical story

Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya) was chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panthers in Chicago in the late 1960s. This biographical feature tells how local car thief  Bill O'Neal (Lakeith Stanfield) became an FBI informer and infiltrated the party, to unleash the ultimate betrayal upon Fred. This is a stunningly crafted depiction of one chapter of America's never-ending race wars. Kaluuya simply shines as the charismatic leader who seems genuinely more concerned for his downtrodden people than his own life, and it's no surprise he's just won the Golden Globe for Best Actor. The whole cast is splendid with stand-out perfs from Jessie Plemons as O'Neal's weasly FBI handler Roy Mitchell and Dominique Fishback as Deborah Johnson, fellow party member with whom Fred falls in love. The tension of the film is unrelenting and  Hampton's oratory inspirational, but it's the message that is so chilling - the fight back then seems not to have moved dramatically forward, with police brutality towards people of color still front and centre in the news.

4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended

Girls Can't Surf
Dir: Christopher Nelius

Length: 108 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBjcbZla2cA

© Madman - men take note: your
chauvinistic days are numbered!

Here's a terrific doco that should appeal to both surfers, and anyone following the ongoing gender wars. Girls Can't Surf looks at the inspiring women who battled for equality in their chosen sport, one until then dominated by men who were seen (and saw themselves) as gods. Starting with archival footage of the 60s, when "surfer chicks" were mostly hangers on to their blond-haired boyfriends, the film traces the rise of the sport with such star athletes as Pam Burridge, Frieda Zamba and Aussie Pauline Menczer. Later, more widely known names like Layne Beachley entered the arena, but women were still not getting the same pay for training as hard, surfing the same waves, and being the face of such high-profile sponsors as Roxy and Billabong. It took until 2019 for this to happen.  This film, featuring interviews and recollections from many Aussie and overseas women, and men sympathetic to the cause, really sticks it to the patriarchy - the "dumb-assed chauvinistic pigs" as one surfer calls them. It's fun, and another great notch in the belt of the battle for female equality.

3.5 - well recommended

March 4th

Alliance Francaise French Film Festival

About Endlessness

Nomadland

Rejoice! We've finally got the fabulous French Film Festival back in real life. I review several French offerings this week, with more to come next week. I also look at an award-winning film about as visually amazing as anything I've seen in a long time, and re-run my review of Nomadland, which gets it official release this week. 

Alliance France French Film Festival 2021

Melbourne Mar 3-31

Palace Cinemas Melbourne

For other states, session times, and movie synopses visit: https://www.affrenchfilmfestival.org/

One of Australia's most popular festivals is back, in real life and in real cinemas! As always it offers a splendid selection of films running the gamut of genres. All those I've previewed so far come highly recommended. More to come next week. 

Black Box

Length: 130 mins

© FFF - a tense thriller
set in the world of aviation

When a brand new aircraft crashes on a Paris-Dubai flight, black box analyst Mathieu (Pierre Niney) is called in to investigate. As theories on the cause of the crash develop and change, Mathieu finds himself increasingly at odds with his superiors. He finds himself more and more in a risky situation as the possibility of cover-ups emerge. This is a superbly made, gripping thriller, with endless tension, complex plot developments, and fascinating insight into the business of running an airline and the intricacies of the giant birds (I may never want to fly again!) For an intelligent, knuckle-clenching ride, this fits the bill!

Miss

Length: 107mins

© FFF - a most worthy beauty

Androgynous French model Alexandre Wetter plays Alex, a little boy who want to be Miss France when he grows up. This moving, humorous and delightful film traces Alex's adult journey, as he attempts to transcend society's view of gender definitions. All the characters in Alex's adult life are warmly and empathetically portrayed, especially Lola the trans/drag queen. Underneath the richly human tale and the moments of humor, are very serious issues about acceptance, identity, following dreams, and the importance of questioning long-held limiting norms. Wetter is brilliant in his debut acting role. I loved it! 

The Man Who Sold His Skin

Length: 104 mins

© FFF - be careful about lending
your body to an artist

Lovers Sam (Yahya Mahayni) and Abeer are separated by the Syrian Civil War. He flees to Lebanon and she is forced into marriage with a rich man who works in Belgium. Sam heads to Brussels to find Abeer, and meets an artist who talks him into tattooing a giant copy of a Schengen visa onto his back. Part of the contract is for Sam to sit in galleries and have his back viewed by the public. In some ways this is a satire upon the art world (as was The Square), but it is also a love story, as well as denunciation of the refugee situation in Europe, where people may be treated as worthless, and then can so easily be turned into commodities when required. This awarded film is thought-provoking and absolutely worth a watch. 

Night Shift

Length: 99 mins

© FFF - weary police question 
their code of ethics

Three police officers working the night shift are asked to escort a refugee who is about to be deported to the airport.  Each officer has varying reasons they don't really want to go home, which make up the sub-plot threads of the film. But the major thrust is the ethical issue, as the trio begin to question the morality of what they have been asked to do. The film's theme is highly relevant, tapping into the current debates in France about police powers and the treatment of refugees. It's great to see Omar Sy (Dr Knock) in a non-comedic role, and his co-stars Virginie Efira and Gregory Gadebois are equally strong. The film works really well as a human drama and a thriller. 

About Endlessness

Die: Roy Andersson

Length: 77 mins

Exclusive in Melbourne to Cinema Nova

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP4G2pRwT_o

© Sharmill - a visually gorgeous reflection
upon what it is to be human 

It's easiest to describe this remarkable film in the words of its official publicity: A reflection on human life in all its beauty and cruelty, its splendour and banality . . . inconsequential moments take on the same significance as historical events . . . (the film) presents a kaleidoscope of all that is eternally human. With a slow film of this nature you need to surrender yourself to its meditative power. A visual tour-de force, with every frame masterfully set up like an exquisite photograph and inspired by paintings, the director invites you to simply reflect upon life, with its moments of humor, tragedy, and human folly. Each vignette takes little more than a couple of minutes, and some of the characters return in later vignettes; others are transient. As you stare at a screen where little happens, you start to notice the minutiae of life; the smallest details become huge. At once absurdist and transcendent, this is a viewing experience to be relished  (although not everyone will have the patience for this style of film.) It is the winner of many awards including the prestigious Best director Silver Lion at Venice FF 2019.

4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended

Nomadland
Dir: Chloe Zhao

Length: 108 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=6sxCFZ8_d84

© Searchlight - living out of a van
comes with ups and downs

Fern (Frances McDormand) is  widowed and homeless since the factory (and the entire town) where she was employed closed down abruptly due to the Great  Depression of 2007. She now lives life out of her van, travelling around Nebraska, Arizona and Dakota. In trailer parks she connects with other nomads, some only once, and then never again; others, like Dave (David Strathairn) recur in her life. Some of the people live this life by choice, others by necessity. Based upon a non-fiction book, the film has already received more than 60 various awards, and deservedly so. It is suffused with melancholy and loneliness, the majesty of the wide open spaces, but also the intimacy of true human connectedness. Many of the characters are non-professional actors playing versions of themselves which brings an authenticity and deep understanding to the way of life the film is portraying. This blending of real life into a loosely fictional scenario creates an unforgettable and deeply affecting cinema experience. (It's just taken out the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture (Drama) and Best Director.)

4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended

March 1st

Blackbird

Boss Level

JIFF - Incitement

Trial of the Chicago 7

Transitions Film Festival  - online now

It's all happening this week. Golden Globe awards happen today, films are being released hand over fist, and festivals are coming thick and fast. Plenty of good viewing is reviewed today. 

Blackbird
Dir: Roger Michell

Length: 97 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9kb6ZJre78

© Icon - choosing the time of your exit
is no easy thing. Sorting out your family
may be even harder!

Lily (Susan Sarandon) is terminally ill with a neural degenerative disease. She decides to bring her family together before taking the step to end her life while she still can. This is a remake of the Danish film Silent Heart. You know I don't like comparisons, but I find this one stands pretty well on its own two feet. With power actors like Kate Winslett and Mia Wasikowska as Lily's two daughters, not to mention Sam Neill as husband Paul, this is a very moving story, as much about family relationships and reconciliation, as about the ethics of ending one's life on one's own terms. The film's low-key approach is a strong point, and it manages to avoid sentimentality in favor of authenticity and a generous treatment of all the characters, despite their foibles. However, you may need several tissues.

3.5 - well recommended

Boss Level
Dir: Joe Carnahan

Length: 100 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mkiY-37OG4

© Rialto - how many times can they kill him?

Ex-special forces operative Roy Pulver (Frank Grillo) relives the day of his death over and over. Trapped in a time loop, he must uncover a secret government project headed by Col. Ventor (Mel Gibson), and try to save Gemma (Naomi Watts), a scientist who has worked on the project and who is mother of his child. (And of course prevent the end of the world!) I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did. But being a major fan of Groundhog Day, I love the way this film is inspired by that iconic film; it is GD on steroids, and the crazy fun is enhanced by the director's visual framing of some scenes like computer action games. There are plenty of amusing nods to well-loved movies, including the Indiana Jones series and Chinese martial arts films (with special appearance by Michelle Yeoh). Grillo and Watts make a good couple, acting is uniformly good, fast-paced action and stunts exceptional, and along with slapstick moments, there is a surprising intensity and moments of true emotion. All in all, jolly good fun.   

3.5 - well recommended

The Trial of the Chicago 7
Dir: Aaron Sorkin

Length: 129 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVb6EdKDBfU

© Netflix - top courtroom drama capturing
a seminal moment in history.

In 1968 the US was embroiled in the Vietnam War. Many student activists took to the streets and protested. One such protest led to seven students being indicted for inciting a riot outside the venue of the Democratic Convention. This is the story of their trial. With writer/director Sorkin at the helm, and a killer cast, great things happen with this movie and we'll know soon how many of its five Golden Globe nominations come through. The revelation is Sacha Baron Cohen who inhabits his role as high-profile activist Abbie Hoffman. The themes are scarily resonant for events in the very recent past, and even if you have no interest in political history, this is a film to draw you in from go to whoa.

4 - highly recommended

JIFF . . . continued

Incitement
For times, films, and everything you need to know go to www.jiff.com.au

Dir: Yaron Zilberman

Length: 128 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TQgVW_smQc

© JIFF - terrorism, religion  and 
fanaticism - a lethal combo

Awarded Best Film by the Israeli Film Academy, Incitement follows one year in the life of the man who assassinated Israeli PM Itzak Rabin.  Yigal Amir (Yehuda Nahari) is handsome and charming, but a religious fanatic who sees Rabin's attempts to broker peace with the Palestinians as a betrayal, and finds justification in the scriptures for murdering him. The film gives insight into the lives of the ultra-religious, and the sub-plot of hunting for a suitable marital partner is fascinating. The tension in the film is unrelenting, and the unsettling vision of how devotion to religious ideals can also create total irrationality is ever-present. Yigal's more moderate father is the only vague voice of reason in the community in which he moves. The careful integration of historical footage with the re-enactment of actual events is seamlessly crafted, and this important movie is a reminder of the cyclical nature of violence and counter-violence, and why the world is in the state it is. 

4 - highly recommended

Transitions Film Festival
Streaming online Feb 26th - March 15

https://www.transitionsfilmfestival.com/

How do we get the message through to naysayers that the planet is in a precarious position? Well, we strap them to a chair and make them watch the wonderful documentaries that are past of the Transitions Film Festival. And this year it is easy - all the films are streaming online throughout Australia. These fabulous and important docos highlight environmental issues, social and technological innovations, revolutionary ideas, and the people who are trying to make the world a better place. I've previewed several:

© Transitions FF 

Borealis: Not the northern lights but the forests in the frigid north of the planet - an ecosystem consisting of mainly coniferous trees, which are a storehouse for vast amounts of carbon on planet Earth. These wildernesses up in Canada and the polar regions are under dire threat from global warming. This intensely complex and layered doco is beautiful to look at, with exceptional cinematography of wilderness and its plant and animal inhabitants. Critically, there is also much irrefutable evidence on the dire effects of climate change, not just on these forests, but the implications for the planet as a whole. Vital viewing!

© Transitions FF

Invisible Hand: It's no surprise that Mark Ruffalo was involved in producing this film, after starring in Dark Water. The doco is partly  about citizens' rights to clean water, and the battle waged by a small township against corporations wanting to dump waste that will drastically affect their water. It also reveals, shockingly, how the agencies formed to protect environment, actually end up legalising the harm that corporations do. Now many countries are demanding "Rights of Nature" be added to the constitution, so that legal battles can be fought better to protect further ecological damage by greedy corporations. Including important dire predictions from First Nations people and their wisdom, this film is yet another vital weapon in the fight to save our planet. 

 

The Walrus and the Whistleblower:

© Transitions FF 

 If you remember the doco Blackfish from 2013, you'll know people have been protesting for years about keeping such mammals as dolphins and whales in captivity. This tense doco features the battle waged by Phil Demers, a former trainer at Marineland Niagara, Canada, who became a sort of surrogate mum to an orphaned walrus pup, Smooshi. Phil eventually realised many creatures were suffering (abused, neglected, mishandled - whatever you want to term it) at the facility, and decided to mount legal action against the owners of Marineland. The legal ins and outs of the case are great for law buffs, but it is the remarkable and moving relationship between Phil and Smooshi that makes this doco well worth seeing. 

© Transitions FF

Beyond Zero: Carpet-tile manufacturer Interface was founded by CEO Ray Anderson. One day he had an epiphany about how the processes involved in his manufacturing plant were so damaging to the planet, and decided to commit himself and his company to the concept of totally sustainable industry. This is a riveting documentary, and inspirational beyond belief. The many employees who worked with Ray bear witness to the man's enduring legacy, and how he imbued others with his enthusiasm and vision. The historical look at an industrial process, moving from energy consumer through to current day sound ecological practice is also way more fascinating that I'd expected. But it is the achievement of this one special man that moved me beyond words. Industry needs more of his type, willing to see how making money can be married with looking after the planet. 

The Transitions Film Festival is highly recommended.

 February 20th

Firestarter

Zappa

Minari

The Little Things

As promised, after earlier reviews for JIFF, here are this week's  reviews Part 2. Some frantic catching up with new releases, and I now have four new films to recommend. The two docos are simply wonderful, as is Minari. and for lovers of cop drama, Denzel is back!

Firestarter - The Story of Bangarra

Dir: Wayne Blair & Nel Michin

Length: 95 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=e3REMs9I9Tg

© Icon - Bangarra Dance Company told in
the words of those who created it

Winning the inaugural Change Award at the Adelaide Film Festival, this inspiring, informative and beautiful documentary traces the history of one of Australia's foremost dance companies. Thirty years ago the Paige brothers, Stephen, Russell and David made a big step towards Reconciliation by setting up a dance company that brings indigenous stories to life. The film is not only about the history of that company, but also about the ever-fraught situation for Aboriginal people in a white Australia. Told through archival footage, and the words of the only surviving brother, artistic director Stephen, this is a doco to delight, disturb, and make everyone think more deeply about our relationship with our countries First Nation people. The dance itself is thrilling, athletic and exquisite to watch, the issues as always challenging.

4 - highly recommended

Zappa
Dir: Alex winter

Length: 127 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4F0rT0F6OQ

© Umbrella - creative
genius extraordinaire

I always though Frank Zappa was some crazed out-there rock star of the late 60s. And he was, but he was also a driven, frenetic genius who went on to create and perform cutting edge music and ultimately to compose the most startlingly innovative (albeit not my taste) orchestral pieces played by the likes of the London Symphony Orchestra. This fabulous docoumentary traces the man's life and work, using behind the scenes clips, interviews, and more. I really hadn't expected to be so impressed by this film, but also by the determination, fearlessness and creativity of a man who left a lasting legacy, influenced countless iconic musicians, and who in fact changed the face of modern music. 

4 - highly recommended

Minari

Dir: Lee Isaac Chung

Length: 115 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ0gFidlro8

© Madman - a family trying to start a new life

Minari is an impressive domestic drama set in the 1980s. Jacob (Steven Yeun) decides to emigrate his family to Arkansas and establish a farm, hopefully growing veggies for the Korean market. They all live in an oversized trailer home, which becomes even more crowded when Granny (Esther Moon) turns up to live with them. This is a delicate, partly humorous, at times tragic, narrative that many people will relate to: the tensions, aspirations, loves, resentments within a family, all set against the struggle to create a new and prosperous life in another land.  The relationship between local farmer Paul (Will Patton) and the family is a salutary lesson for today's world which often reviles immigrants. The film already has umpteen awards, and is nominated for a Best Foreign Language Golden Globe. All the actors inhabit their roles, and the film exudes warmth, and a depth that belies the seeming simplicity of the narrative. 

4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended

The Little Things
Dir: John Lee Hancock

Length: 128 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HZAnkxdYuA

© Universal - two cops on the trail of
a serial killer

In Los Angeles, Deputy Sheriff Joe Deacon (Denzel Washington) teams up with Sgt Jim Baxter (Rami Malek) to track down a serial killer. The investigation dredges up secrets from Deacon's past, secrets that could threaten everything. This is pretty standard police procedural stuff, with the main drawcard for me being twofold -  the ever-watchable Denzel, and also a wonderful perf from Jared Leto (nominated for a Globe as supporting actor). He plays Albert Sparma, a dude picked up as a suspect, and the creepiness he injects into his role elevates it way beyond the average. This is yet another film that divides critics - torn between the lack of originality and the fine performances (though Malek to me is somehow miscast). Definitely recommended for Leto and Washington fans. 

3 - recommended