Thursday, 11 May 2023

 May 11th 2023

November
Infinity Pool 
More from the German Film Festival
The Swimmers (streaming on Netflix)

A gripping story of the hunt for the Paris 2015 terrorists, another of a holiday gone horribly wrong, an inspiring tale of Syrian refugees and three more top films from the German Film Festival. It's another big week for movie lovers. 

November
Dir: Cedric Jimenez
Length: 107 mins
© Palace - Dujardin leads a crack team in a gripping thriller

The horrific terrorist attacks in Paris in 2015 have given rise to some powerful films. In Paris Memories (shown at the French FF) the story was told from the victim's perpective. In this film we see the manhunt for the terrorists from the viewpoint of the investigators in the anti-terrorist squad, led by Heloise (Sandrine Kiberlain). Jean Dujardin plays associate investigator Fred, who, along with Ines (Anais Demoustier) are up against the clock to find the suspects and prevent another attack. This is pulsating and suspenseful film making, setting a cracking pace, and though at times we don't quite know who is who (so many undercover operatives), there's barely a moment to catch one's breath. The film was nominated for 8 prestigious awards at the French Cesars. 
3.5 - well recommended

Infinity Pool
Dir: Brandon Cronenberg
Length: 117 mins
© Maslow Entertainment - James should have
avoided this woman at all costs!
James Foster (Alexander Skarsgard) and his wife Em (Cleopatra Coleman) are on holiday at La Tolqa, an exclusive resort in a fictional poverty-stricken country. When they meet fellow guest Gabi (Mia Goth) and her partner Alban (Jalil Laspert), they are lured outside the grounds of the hotel - forbidden territory - and after a horrific accident are forced to contend with the barbaric justice system of the country. After discovering he can have a clone of himself take the punishment, James is drawn deeper into decadent and animalistic behaviour, with the alluring and sensual Gabi running the show. Thriller? Sci-fi? Horror? Social commentary? It's a bit of everything. True to the legacy of his father (David Cronenberg), Brandon goes for broke on the body horror and repulsiveness, and at times it is almost too much to watch. However, underneath the in-your-face grotesqueness and sexuality, there are plenty of intriguing questions to ponder: if I'm cloned who is the real me? Are we just bestial creatures with a veneer of civilisation? Why do the rich get away with behaving badly? If you are a fan of this genre you may well love this film; it's stylish and well shot, has a brilliantly ominous musical score, and best of all has amazing chemistry between Skarsgard and Goth. For more conservative types . . . be warned!
1 or 3.5 - avoid or well recommended . . . depending upon YOU! 

German Film Festival
Melbourne until May 24
Palace cinemas
For other states, ticketing, film programs visit: www.germanfilmfestival.com.au
This festival, with its stellar line-up of recent films from Germany and German-speaking countries is in full swing. Following on from my reviews last week, I've caught a further three to recommend.

The Lost Transport
Dir: Saski Diesing
Length: 98 mins
This film from The Netherlands, Germany and Luxemburg is part of the festival's focus upon female directors. Based upon a true story, it's set in the last days of the second world war, when a transport taking Jewish prisoners from Bergen Belsen concentration camp stops near a German village. The guards flee from advancing Russian troops, abandoning the prisoners. Dutch couple Simone (Hanna van Vliet) and her husband Isaac are assigned to stay in the house of Winnie (Anna Bachman), a German girl who had been in Hitler youth, along with Red Army sniper Vera (Eugenie Anselin). Many of the prisoners have typhus, prejudice and mistrust rule the village, and most of the Russian soldiers are brutal. To survive, the three women must learn to adjust to each other. This is a deeply compassionate and moving film, which sees the humanity in all the main characters, regardless of where they sit in the conflict. 

A Thousand Lines
Dir: Michael Herbig
Length: 92 mins
Hot from opening night comes another drama based upon the true story of one of Germany's biggest media scandals. In real life, in 2018, it was discovered that award-winning journalist from Der Spiegel, Klaas Relotius, had been faking stories for years. In this film it is Lars Bogenius who is the fraud, with colleague Juan Romero (Juan Moreno in real life), exposing him. In an era of fake news, Artificial Intelligence creations and social media fraudulence, this is a critically relevant film, executed with a touch of humour, and a refreshing focus upon the personal life of Romero, not just the machinations he must perform to expose the fraud.   

In a Land That No Longer Exists
Dir: Aelrun Goette
Length: 101 mins
Director Goette was a model in the 1980s in East Berlin, and bases much of this story upon her own life. It's the story of free-spirited Suzie who is forced to work in a factory, but gets noticed by a handsome photographer, Coyote. From there she inadvertently ends up in the world of high fashion. When she meets flamboyant designer Rudi (impressive Romanian actor Sabin Tambrea) she becomes even more involved in the world of fashion subculture, but all this comes at a risk in a repressive country like East Germany. This is a sympathetic and entertaining film that has won prizes for its performances and costumes. The characters are appealing, the driving soundtrack features plenty of Suzie Quatro, and the film brings a different view of East Germany in which the rebellious youth managed to find its own version of freedom.

The Swimmers
Dir: Sally El Hosaini
Length: 134 mins
Streaming on Netflix 
© Netflix - real-life escape from Syria
to pursue an Olympic dream
Another true story, in which real-life sisters Nathalie and Manal Issa play Yusra and Sara Mardini, two young Syrian girls who are training to be top swimmers in their country, with an ambition to swim in the Olympics.  In 2015,  all hell breaks loose. As life becomes more dangerous in Syria the girls decide to make the treacherous trek to try to get to Germany, and then hopefully bring their family to join them. The refugee experience is powerfully portrayed, as the girls and their cousin Nizar make their way to Istanbul, then board a flimsy dinghy to cross from Turkey to Greece. Depicting the journey, the director keeps the tension nail-bitingly high. We've often seen such events on the news, but up close and personal, with characters we quickly care for, it quickly becomes a far more intimate story. The Swimmers is also about family bonds, striving and resilience. There is an easy, believable naturalness between all the characters, and a lovely performance from Matthias Schweighofer as swim coach Sven, who returns kindness and love to their lives. This is tense, inspiring and emotionally powerful film-making.
4 - highly recommended


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Tuesday, 2 May 2023

May 4th 2023

German Film Festival
My NeighbourAdolf
The Survival of Kindness
Masquerade
The Inspection
Cairo Conspiracy
Two Netflix streaming series I've really enjoyed . . . 

Let's lead off  one day early to get ready for the German Film Festival, opening tomorrow  night. Plus five excellent new releases - from an unusual comedy set in South America, through to a romance thriller in the French Riviera, political intrigue in Cairo, then from army boot camp to the Australian desert. 

German Film Festival
Melbourne May 4-24
Palace cinemas
For other states, ticketing, film programs visit: www.germanfilmfestival.com.au
Another of my favorite festivals has landed in Melbourne, with a stellar line-up of recent films from Germany and German-speaking countries. There is a focus upon female directors, a sidebar of children's films, and a retrospective which includes the iconic Wim Wenders film Wings of Desire. Those I've previewed so far are all recommended, with Merkel a total stand out. 

Merkel
Dir: Eva Weber:
Length: 95 mins
This documentary is a wonderful homage to a great politician who was the second-longest serving Chancellor of Germany, in office from 2005-2021. The film stresses the against-the-odds nature of her becoming one of the most powerful people in Europe; an East German, a woman, and a student of  quantum chemistry. The doco traces her early life, right through to her retirement and includes interviews from her mother, friends, colleagues, critics, allies and more. We really get an up-close-and-personal sense of the woman - her lack of ego, her powerful intelligence, her cool headedness, and a slightly wicked sense of humour. Archival footage shows the physical transformation from gauche-looking to statesmanlike. Other clips fill in the historical background to her incumbency, notable those dealing with Chancellor Helmut Kohl through to the more contemporary figures of Trump and Putin. In a world where power-hungry irrational men are coming more to the fore, the story of Merkel's career is a timely reminder that things can be done better.    

And Tomorrow We Will Be Dead
Dir: Frederick Steiner
Length: 115 mins
In 2011 young Swiss couple Daniela Widmer and David Och were on an exciting world adventure, travelling by campervan. On their way home, leaving Pakistan, they were captured by criminals and on-sold to the Taliban who held them hostage for 259 days. The film has been based upon diaries they wrote, and while their experience is shown to be gruelling, the pair apparently claim that it was even worse than the film depicts. Regardless, this is an edge-of-the seat thriller based upon a true case that captivated Switzerland for months. Their grim daily survival is counterbalanced with behind the scenes negotiating by Swiss politicians, along with the distress of the couple's respective parents. Shot in Rajastan, India, and southern Spain the film looks impressive and remains topical in a world where travel in certain areas is increasingly untenable, and terrorism remains a constant threat.  

Sisi & I
Dir: Frauke Finsterwalder
Length: 123 min
Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Susanne Wolff), known as Sisi, is the subject of a second film in recent weeks. This latest interpretation takes a different slant to that of Corsage. The Empress here is seen through the eyes and friendship of her lady in waiting, Countess Irma von Sztaray (Sandra Huller).  The transformation of Irma from frumpy to almost boho-chic under Sisi's demanding hand reflects the filmmaker's fun and feminist approach to her lead characters. The smaller male roles of Emperor Franz Joseph and cousin Viktor are deliciously executed but the two lead women steal the show, Wolff depicting Sisi as a woman who blows hot and cold, and Huller almost sympathetic as the man-hater seeming to fall in love with her capricious friend. A mix of tradition and modern feminist sensibility imbue the plot, all augmented by a driving modern soundtrack.  

As always, this festival comes highly recommended

My Neighbour Adolf
Dir: Leon Prudovsky
Length: 96 mins
© Vendetta - a touching and funny story
of paranoia, suspicion and friendship  

Polsky (David Hayman) is a grumpy and lonely Holocaust survivor living in a remote part of the Colombian countryside. It is 1960 and notorious Nazi Adolf Eichmann has just been captured so Polsky is alert and alarmed. When a reclusive German neighbour, Herzog (Udo Keir), moves in, Polsky is convinced the man is none other than Adolf Hitler, and sets about spying on him to get proof. But when the Israeli embassy won't accept the "proof", Polsky is forced to gather further evidence and so sets about developing a friendship with his nemesis, including the odd game of chess. With terrific performances by the two lead men, this is an enchanting and funny film about prejudice, loneliness, paranoia, and ultimately friendship. Some might find the backdrop of subject matter too unpleasant to be made fun of, but for me it works.
3.5 - well recommended

The Survival of Kindness
Dir: Rolf de Heer
Length: 110 mins
© Umbrella - Black Woman - symbolic of
all those persecuted? Interpret this film as 
you see fit. 
According to director de Heer, the intersection of Covid-19 and Black Lives Matter haunted him as he made this extraordinary film. The plot (if it can be called such) features Black Woman (played by Congolese actor Mwajemi Hussein), trapped in a cage and left to die in the middle of a desert. Using ingenuity, she escapes and begins walking. She steals boots from a corpse, meets white people obviously stricken by a deadly pox-like virus, and encounters gas-mask wearing whites running a large industrial complex employing enslaved people of color. This film is virtually impossible to describe - it must be experienced. There is no dialogue; the only spoken words are unintelligible gibberish. The post-apocalyptic feel of the entire story is at once horrific, but also mesmerising. It invites the audience to constantly ask themselves "What is this a metaphor for?" Perhaps many answers are acceptable: I found myself pondering persecution of indigenous people and refugees, white supremacy, cruelty of humans to fellow humans, pandemics and other similarly disturbing themes. Everthing has a horrific end-of-days feel just slightly softened by the idea that maybe kindness, as personified by Black Woman, could survive. Hussein's silent performance is a revelation, while de Heer's vision is something so unlike what is seen in more conventional films. Watching it requires patience and a surrender to the film, but your time will be richly rewarded. 
4 - highly recommended

Masquerade
Dir: Nicolas Bedos
Length: 136 mins
© Madman - intrigue and plot twists
galore in this French comedy/thriller
Adrien (Pierre Niney) is an idle young man whose potential dancing career has been destroyed by an accident and who now lives off older women. His current squeeze is fading actress Martha (Isabelle Adjani). Then Pierre meets Margot (Marine Vacth), who is pursuing a similar lifestyle, living off older men. The two hatch a convoluted plan whereby Margot lures married man Simon (Francois Cluzet) into her clutches. Behind it all, Giulia (Laura Morante) is pulling strings to orchestrate her own revenge for past wrongs done to her. You need to concentrate very hard upon the opening plot points in this film; a shooting, then a court trial with umpteen witnesses, followed by flashbacks to reveal who was screwing over whom, and how. The twists and turns are a bit too overwhelming for me, but the exotic settings of the French Riviera are a strong drawcard and the acting is universally strong throughout. The final plot twist is somewhat of a winner. But ultimately I didn't care a lot about all these shady unlikeable characters, and much preferred Bedos' earlier film La Belle Epoque. However, if you like old Hollywood classics like Sunset Boulevard and To Catch a Thief you will probably love Masquerade. 
3 - recommended

The Inspection
Dir: Elegance Bratton
Length: 95 mins
© Roadshow - gay, black and training
to be a Marine. A challenging combo. 
Ellis French (Jeremy Pope) is a young black man, adrift in the world and rejected by his mother Inez (Gabrielle Union) who cannot accept that he is gay. In a bid to get his life and self-esteem together he decides to enlist as a recruit for the Marines. There he must endure the most gruelling training regime and ongoing prejudice from his fellow recruits. Pope was nominated for a Best Actor at the Golden Globes 2023. And what a moving and powerful performance it is, possibly the beating heart of this film. The opening scenes where French is on the street feel a bit forced and clunky. The army training experience is one we have seen on our screens many times before - screaming sadistic drill sergeants, rigorous punishments, relentless exercising through pain, rivalry, cameraderie and bullying among the men, with several recognisable personality stereotypes. But there are more nuanced deeply emotional layers, as director Bratton has based this story upon his own experience. Counterbalancing the toxic macho ethos embodied in the military, is the depiction of the bonds that develop, and, in several of the characters, an empathy we wouldn't expect: a fellow recruit singled out for being Muslim who stands up for French, and Rosales, an instructor who lets his own compassion shine through. Ellis's dogged determination to keep his sense of self and to push through his training makes him an admirable and engaging central character and elevates the film to something  more than your average army flick.
3.5 - well recommended

Cairo Conspiracy
Dir: Tarik Saleh
Length: 126 mins
© Rialto - enthralling insight into the 
world of Islamic studies and corruption 
in Egypt
Adam (Tawfeek Barhom) is the son of a fisherman in an Egyptian village. He wins a scholarship to Al-Azhar, a prestigious Cairo Islamic college that is the epicentre of Sunni Muslim. Soon after Adam's arrival, the Grand Imam dies and the head imams will have to elect a new leader. And so begins the power struggle between religion and politics. The State Security Department uses Colonel Ibrahim (Fares Fares) to find an informer from within the college, and that choice is Adam. The informer's role is to report to the State Security on what is happening within the college to somehow ensure that the new Grand Imam will be on the same page idealogically as the government. Adam will be witness to murder plots, betrayal and corruption at the highest lelvels. If it sounds complex it is - just like any good spy or thriller novel, except this is based on the real machinations and power-broking that goes on in countries where religion and state jockey for power. Taking such a stance means the director cannot return to his country, and the movie had to be shot in Turkey. Settings of the mosque are visually magnificent, contrasted with a sort of prison feel to the minimalist surroundings of the students' lives and routines. For those who know nothing of Islamic religous studies it is a real eye-opener and those who suspect extreme corruption in the higher echelons of state and church will feel vindicated. Barhom and Fares play really well off each other and the script is tight, complex, intelligent and gripping. On a human level, there is something very moving about Adam's journey, the wisdom he gleans and the purity he maintains, while even the crusty old Colonel shows a tiny glimmer of redemption. Winner of the Best Screenplay at Cannes 2022, this is most rewarding viewing.
4 - highly recommended

And another thing . . . two series I've loved
I don't make it a habit to talk about TV shows I've consumed but these two have been quite irresistible to me. 
 
Maestro in Blue
This is Netflix's first collaboration with Greece. Orestis (the eponomous Maestro) goes to the idyllic island of Paxos to direct a local music festival. There he gets to know the locals with their secrets, and a young woman, Klelia, steals his heart. Domestic violence and the shame of being gay on a small gossipy island feature large in the plot. This sun-drenched series is part soap opera and part thriller, and for a Hellenophile like me, a total joy.
 
Mr Mercedes
Three Series x 10 episodes each - that's a lot of binge watching. I couldn't tear myself away from this engrossing thriller based upon a Stephen King novel. Although the opening scene is horrendously gruesome (a car ploughing into a crowd of people) don't let that deter you from following the magnetic story of burnt-out private detective Bill Hodges, brilliantly played by Brendan Gleeson. In tracking down the perpetrator, he gathers people to him who become like family and puts many of his own demons to bed. Every memorable main character is compellingly played and the fiendish plot twists and turns work perfectly, but never take away from the underlying human story. 



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Tuesday, 18 April 2023

April 19th 2023

The Giants (releasing Thursday 20th)
Sand Storm (streaming on Netflix)
Beast (streaming on Netflix) 
Navalny (streaming on Docplay)

Aside from the wonderful new doco The Giants in cinematic release this week, I've gone all in on streaming offerings. 

The Giants
Dir: Rachel Antony & Laurence Billiet
Length: 110 mins
© Madman - stunning interweaving of stories of a giant of
a man and giant trees so essential for life on Earth
Bob Brown - now there's an ordinary name for a most extraordinary man who has changed the face of political and environmental thinking in Australia. The stunning documentary is revelatory, inspiring and salutory. It cleverly explores the life of the iconic activist and politician, while interweaving Brown's story with critical environmental issues, with a focus upon the story of trees and their intertwinedness with all life on Earth. Shots of the magnificent trees in what is left of Tasmania's wilderness are spellbindingly beautiful, and combined with some high-tech animation, the life cycle of those trees and their importance in connecting all of the forest is cleverly portrayed. Commentary from iconic scientists like David Suzuki further the narrative. So many important issues are covered, from the original drowning of Lake Pedder for a dam, to the first major win for environmentalists in stopping the damming of the Franklin River, a campaign that brought Brown to prominence. In telling Bob's story, there are many nostalgic shots of his early life, fascinating commentary from his twin sister, the story of his struggles to come out as gay, and the rise of Brown as a politician who founded The Greens and eventually attained a seat in the Senate. The film-makers' over-arching and vital message is this: Australia is a major culprit in animal exticntion and deforestation, and that must be stopped today. Hopefully this film may wake some people up before it is too late. (Sadly, such films often preach to the converted, and those who should most see it simply don't!)
4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended

Sand Storm 
Dir: Elite Zexer
Length: 87 mins
Streaming on Netflix (2016 film)
© Netflix - the patriarchy and oppression of women
is alive and well in parts of the Middle East
With 16 highly prestigious wins to its name, this may be an oldie, but it's a goodie! Interestingly, the director is Israeli/Jewish but she sets her story in a Bedouin village in the Negev Desert. There, father Suliman (Hitham Omari) is teaching his teen daughter Layla (Lamis Ammar) to drive. One could almost be deluded into thinking things were progressing for women, that is, until Suliman decides to take a second wife. However distressed, first wife Jalila (Ruba Blal) just has to grin and bear it. Then everything goes pear-shaped for Layla when her parents discover messages from a male school friend on her phone and start planning to marry her off. This is such a fascinating (and depressing) insight into the ordinary lives of such tradition-bound people, and a sad and sorry picture of a paternalistic society that puts women down at every step of the way.  Strong performances and a powerful story make for compelling viewing.     
4 - highly recommended

Navalny
Dir: Daniel Roher
Length: 99 mins
Streaming on DocPlay, HBO, Prime Video
© DocPlay - a revelation of a corrupt, dare I say,
evil system and a man brave enough (or
foolish enough) to stand up against it. 
The winner of this year's Oscar for Best Documentary Feature is a most worthy and highly disturbing film. From the news, we know the outcome, but even so, the director manages to present it as a gripping thriller. We are constantly on the edge of our seats expecting the worst for the brave Russian politician who tried to go up against Putin. As Navalny and his team work to expose the plot that resulted in him being poisoned, one especially striking scene has the group recording a conversation in which a chemist virtually confesses to the whole plot, believing the man on the phone is one of his co-conspirators. (It is in fact Navalny.) Investigative journalist Christo Grozev features large in his attempts to assist Navalny via his organisation Bellingcat. Navalny's wife Julia and his two kids add a very heartbreaking element to the story. Knowing what we now know about Russia, the invasion of Ukraine, and Navalny's ongoing persecution in prison, makes the film all the more powerful. Dark days indeed!  
4 - highly recommended

Beast
Dir: Baltasar Kormakur
Length: 99 mins
Streaming on Netflix
© Universal - Elba scrubs up well as 
a hero fighting for everyone's survival 
Sometimes it's a lot of fun to just surrender to the excitement of an adventure that stretches credibility but nevertheless has you on the edge of your seat. Beast sees widowed father Dr Nate Samuel (Idris Elba) take his two daughters on a trip to visit his old friend Martin (Sharlto Copley) who manages a South African game reserve. Martin is a friend to a pair of lions he raised as cubs, now living wild with their pride. But it is another large lion, a survivor of an attack by poachers, that has turned rogue and starts striking terror into the hearts of all the humans in its vicinity. I had a good time with this film, despite some plot holes and seriously unbelievable happenings. The landscape with its majestic animals  and gorgeous views comes up very well on the screen, and the moments of heart-stopping terror make for a lot of vicarious fear and excitement. Just the film for a Saturday night in. 
3 - recommended



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Wednesday, 5 April 2023

April 6th 2023

Air
EO
Mavka: The Forest Song
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (streaming on Netflix)

This week sees a high profile mainstream release in the shape of Air. Plus a worthy school hols animation from Ukraine, a film whose main star is a donkey, and for those wanting something darker, another Netflix film on Ted Bundy. Enjoy! 

Air 
Dir: Ben Affleck
Length: 112 mins
© Universal - the team working on the shoe
that will change the world of basketball
It's 1984 and manufacturer Nike has dominated the running shoe market. But Nike wants more - to sign up basketball players to endorse their basketball shoes. Enter Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon), a "basketball guru", who obsessively watches tapes of up and coming players. Sonny's boss, CEO Phil Knight (Ben Affleck), wants to split the pitch money among three lesser players, but Sonny has a deep conviction that 18-year-old Michael Jordan will be the sport's next big thing. So the company goes up against Adidas and Converse to try to woo over Michael Jordan. Sonny's inspiration is to go via Michael's mum, Deloris (Viola Davis), a canny woman who, with the deal she strikes, ultimately changes the face of sponsorship in favor of a better deal for athletes. Now I'm no sports film fan, but this one is a winner! Sure, on one level it is about marketing, sponsorship and corporate goings-on, but is also about teamwork, trust, friendship, taking risks, perseverance and the ascendance of the underdog. The scripting of the dialogue feels so real - relaxed relations between certain members of the Nike team and mutual abuse (with a grudging friendship) between Sonny and Michael Jordon's manager David Falk (a hilarious Chris Messina). Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker, Matt Maher and Marlon Wayans play other important characters critical to the Nike team, and every performance is pretty much a stand out. Davis is simply electric as the intractable mother, who knows the worth of her son, while Damon shines in his impassioned role. This true story, delivered in a classic entertaining way and with a great feel for the era, generates a surprising level of emotion all round, including in something as simple as the revelation of a new shoe, the Air Jordan! The film is sure to score a lot of goals! (Did I mention the fantastic 80s soundtrack?)
4 - highly recommended

EO
Dir: Jerzy Skolimowski
Length: 88 mins

© Hi Gloss - life, as experienced by a donkey:
human cruelty, kindness and randomness
A finalist in this year's Foreign Language films at the Oscars, EO is the story of a small grey donkey who starts life in a circus. He is much loved by his trainer, but when the circus is shut down EO moves on to various different lifestyles. To itemise the different things EO goes through would perhaps take away the surprise of this unusual film. Suffice to say the animal sees humans at their worst and occasionally at their best. He sees towns where people are disconnected from nature, and at one point is rescued by a young man whose stepmother is a countess, played by Isabelle Huppert. (This is a bizarre part of the film, almost out of kilter with the rest). There is a surreal quality to much of the movie, both in the style of shooting, camera angles and colour choices. Animal lovers need to be warned there are a couple of very disturbing moments. Optimists beware, most of the people are not very pleasant and humanity is not seen in a good light. Donkey aficionados (like me) will relish the luxury of gazing at this incredible creature, all liquid melancholy brown eyes that we humans like to imbue with wisdom, and other qualities animals no doubt don't have. Ultimately maybe the film is just about the good, the bad, and the complete randomness of life. 
3.5 - well recommended

Mavka: The Forest Song
Dir: Oleh Malamuzh & Oleksandra Ruban
Length: 90 mins

© Rialto - visually lovely with some good
messages for kiddies - and the world
Here's something we don't often get to see: a Ukrainian feature animation. Based partly around a Ukrainian fairy-tale, the film tells the story of a young woman (or is she a sprite?) chosen to be Guardian of the Forest. Years earlier, a war between humans and the forest creatures caused a seemingly irreparable rift, and the forest Guardians now make sure no humans enter their domain, while the humans believe the forest dwellers to be demons. In the quest for eternal youth, the evil human Kalynka sends Lucas into the forest, searching for a powerful healing leaf in the Heart of the Forest. Lucas meets Mavka who has just taken on her role as Guardian, and the two fall in love. Some difficult choices will have to be made. Although many of the themes have been seen before and the film feels a bit Disney-esque, it is such beautiful animation, vibrantly colored, with gorgeously created characters, lovely music, and a very sweet heart. It's very much a family film, and littlies should get a lot out of it. It also has strong messages so relevant in today's world: the dangers of humans exploiting nature, and the hope that enemies can somehow reconcile through love.
3.5 - well recommended

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
Dir: Jo Berlinger
Length: 110 mins
Streaming on Netflix
© Netflix - his charm and looks
belie the evil that lurks beneath
In 1969, single mum Liz Kendall (Lily Collins) was thrilled to meet a handsome man who didn't run from her having a child, and soon she was head over heels in love. Trouble was, that man was Ted Bundy (Zac Efron), America's most notorious serial killer. The Bundy story has fascinated peple for years - how could such a seemingly charming, intelligent man have committed so many heinous crimes? This time the narrative is seen from Liz's perspective. Again this is a film that has totally split the critics into a 50-50 for and against (check out Metacritic for polarised reviews!) For me it works, largely because of a rivetting performance from Efron who is so compelling as to have us see why someone would fall for him and his clever manipoulation. As the police investigation closes in, we also get insight into a woman in total denial, and Collins makes that quite credible too. The circus of Bundy's trial, in which he represents himself, sees John Malkovitch in top form playing the judge. Maybe it's not as authentic as The Ted Bundy tapes (same director), but nevertheless its a creepily fascinating insight into a psychopath and his evil charisma.
3.5 - well recommended
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