No. 40 (2023) PRISON 77 (MODELO 77) Palace Aust. Spanish Film Festival 2023. May 29th.

 

Film No. 40  (2023)  May 29th.  6:35 PM PALACE Raine Sq, Plat Cinema 6, Perth City.

"This is my cell. What I say in here goes. Do you understand?" (Manuel gets his first "rule of law" in Mondelo 77 from his new cell mate, Jose Pino).

WINNER: (Alberto Rodriguez), Best Film & Best Director @ ASECAN. NOMINEE x5 @ GOYA AWARDS 2023.

The fact that MONDELO 77 is based on real events that occurred as recently as the late 70's into the 80's is mind boggling. Perhaps 77 gives audiences a chance to experience what life in prison in Spain under the Franco regime was really like. So while Alberto Rodrigues has created a prison drama packed with all you'd expect, this is no SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION. Not by a long shot.

MONDELO gives its audience an insight into one example of the plight of convicted people in Spain during the immediate aftermath of Franco's passing. Rodrigues sets his story in a maximum security prison in the heart of his home "town" Barcelona. Other than a few short scenes prior to the rolling titles, the entire film is shot in the claustrophobic confines of 77. The early drone shot above the jail gives us a sense of what home looks like for Manual (Miguel Herran) in the coming years. 

As a flow on from the tyrannical rule of Franco, Spanish jails were overflowing with men (in the case of this story) who waited to be tried for often minor offences. Herran  (MONEY HEIST) captures our attention with his good looks and clear brown eyes. He's accused of embezzlement as an accountant of a large company. The system cares little for the speed with which he faces court or for his protests. It's here there is a touch of the" SHAWSHANKS". He's mistreated and bashed but eventually Manuel needs to find his an ally and credibility. Javier Gutierrez (MARSHLAND) provides the power of comradeship; a quality Manuel will need to survive.

The brilliant Rodriguez gave us MARSHLAND (2014). In it he created a strong, believable connection between cops Juan & Pedro as they hunted a serial killer in humid swamplands. In 77 he reinforces how he wants us to empathetically "root" for his characters, in this case, Manuel and Jose. He's lost nothing in 8 years. Maybe he's even strengthened this artistic long-suit of his.

 

I would so have loved to have experienced a viewing with locals in the darkness of a Barcelona cinema. There are generations of Spanish natives who can't believe their parents and grandparents experienced this era. MODELO 77 has created plenty of emotion at its Spanish screenings. The younger generations are grappling to believe Rodriguez's gritty interpretation. The fact so many prisoners of that time live and continue to tell their story gives great credence to this interpretation.  11GUMS.

      

 

No. 39 (2023) INFINITY POOL 2023. May 23rd.

 

Film No. 39  (2023)  May 23rd.  12:10 PM PALACE Raine Sq, Plat Cinema 4, Perth City.

"But for a significant sum ... we'll build a double to stand in for your execution." (After his arrest, a stunned James has what his future could be, explained to him.)

SUBMITTED: (Brandon Cronenberg), Berlin, Istanbul and Sundance Film Festivals.

 

Once a Cronenberg, always a Cronenberg is a sweeping and very disrespectful summation of Brandon Cronenberg's INFINITY POOL. Sure Brandon is the son of David and there are similarities in style between the films they've made, but they each have something different to say, which is a bonus. Our international cinematic landscape is further enriched, no doubt. 

Did I like INFINITY POOL? No, not really. but it held me transfixed for two hours. Mia Goth as Gabi weaves most of the metaphoric strings and ropes around her audience making sure we sat and absorbed the abysmal behaviour that represents why the entitled of the human race needed to be critically analysed and ultimately detested. Alexander Skarsgard's, James, is our vehicle here as Goth drives him, first to attraction, then to diabolical distraction.

Cronenberg first asks "What if the entitled could holiday in a paradise (a third world corrupt paradise) behave as deplorably as they choose, then get away with it ?". Then finally, "Who gets left in the wake of such mayhem, and who cares?" He's not seeking answers. He's simply, in very complicated, high concept terms, making observations.    

See, there is no liking INFINITY POOL. It's not a film to be liked, but it's a film to be taken seriously. Cronenberg presents the notion that compassion and care hold no currency here. The captivating performances of Goth and Skarsgard grip us. Brandon has a good eye for gripping us emotionally. Goth has taken cinema to new dimensions of horror via her genius (X, PEARL). As an actor her angelic looks lead us in a direction we know we shouldn't be headed; but we can't wait to see what happens. Her final scene and exit here are really unnerving.  8GUMS. 

     

 

  

No. 38 (2023) THE TEACHER'S LOUNGE (DAS LEHRERZIMMER) Palace Cinema German Film Festival 2023. May 21st.

 

Film No. 38  (2023)  May 21st.  4:10 PM  LUNA LEEDERVILLE,  Cine 5, Leederville.

 

"I understand your outrage but you don't know how long it has been going on" (A colleague of Leonie's gives his opinion on top of the tensions building in The Lounge).

NOMINATIONS: Including Best Film, Best Director (Ilker Catak) and Best Actress (Leonie Benesch) German Film Awards 2023.

 

Films mirroring naturalism where the drama, specifically, is generated from the confines of a teachers' staff room, are few and far between. A teacher's lounge has never had the grit or glamour of a police operations room or a corporate backroom when it comes to screen story telling, but DAS LEHRERZIMMER creates a tension worth squirming through. We do have Miss Nowak's back here, riding her every move, but can we save her career?

Possibly not, but Leonie Benesch presents us with a character choc full of integrity and courage. She brings us into her workplace as an inexperienced but highly competent teacher. She has devised techniques to engage her upper-elementary school students. She is gaining their respect with every boundary she sets. Her students appreciate her care. So when she devises a method to seek out which fellow staff member is raiding her handbag for the contents of her purse ... the complications that follow, leads to stress levels she could never have contemplated. 

And so while Leonie is well within her rights to find justice, the fact she is an outsider (new teacher, but not from the region) the tension in her life builds then squeezes her. There are no 'good guy, bad guy' clichés here. Her management team follow due process in support of her allegation but because the accused is a local, and pleads her innocence, and has a child in Leonie's class and has social currency, Leonie is caught between a "rock and a hard place".

Ilker Catak has created a film not specific to German culture. The politics that go with this story is generic. It is a social drama spoken with a balanced view and leaves her audience with a thought or two. Does Miss Novak lose her job? Did she do any wrong here? Did she lean a life lesson to take with her for years to come? Go see LEHRERZIMMER, the answers lie within!  10GUMS.       

  
 

No. 37 (2023) THE BANK OF DAVE. May. 15th.

 

Film No. 37  (2023)  May 15th.  6:30 PM  LUNA LEEDERVILLE,  Cine 1, Leederville.

 

"The financial regulation board hasn't approved a new bank in one hundred and fifty years. We've got Google up here too you know!" (Dave outlines the facts to Hugh on their first meeting).

NOMINATIONS: Nil (The most streamed film in The U.K. on Netflix in its first week of release).

Why let a good story get in the way of the truth? Why indeed. But then again, what does it matter? Dave Fishwick is a real guy with plenty of "balls" who became disillusioned with the U.K. banking system, so he decided to try and establish his own bank to give the people of Burnley, his home town, a fairer go when it came to borrowing money and creating opportunity to fulfil their dreams. And to a point, he has achieved his vision; to a point!

The real Dave Fishwick is, by all counts, a larger than life, charismatic, Lancastrian (Northerner). Roy Kinnear has captured just such a character here. Likeable, self effacing and not a dastardly bone in his body. The script doesn't give great insight into why this successful Owner/Manager decides to create a bank. We get a glossy introduction to Dave taking "the bit between his teeth" leading to Hugh (Joel Fry) becoming his legal representative. In many ways it becomes Fry's film, as gradually Hugh becomes the guiding light to making Dave's vision real. 

Feel-good, entertainment done effectively on the big screen is littered with failures. DAVE doesn't fail. Like Dave's bank idea, we invest with every scene. Fry and Phoebe Dynevor (Alexandra) have great chemistry as they explore innocent love. Angus Wright steals his scenes as Hugh's legal boss, Clarence. The mean and stuffy Sir Charles, the type of banker Dave despises is played wonderfully by Hugh Bonneville. Def Leopard even make an appearance as part of the film's climactic ending (the real Dave Fishwick worships Def Leopard).    

So if you loved FISHERMAN'S FRIENDS then Dave will be in your "wheelhouse". Director Chris Foggin and Piers Ashworth (Writer) team up once more to create DAVE; Netflix has provided "the bank" here. So, with Netflix money comes entertainment for the loungeroom. I was lucky enough to catch a cinema showing. Try to catch it on the big screen. It's a good, fun film full of likeable characters, excellent performances, and a beaut, cute romance thrown in. The story in the hands of one writer (Ashworth) gives more "meat on the bone' than FF. There's lots to like about DAVE.   8GUMS.

  

 

No. 36 (2023) SWEET AS. May. 13th.

 

Film No. 36  (2023)  May 13th.  11:00 AM  LUNA LEEDERVILLE,  Cine 1, Leederville.

 

"The camera will be your instrument for telling your story" (Fernando discusses part of the reason his group will find purpose using photography as a tool).

WINNER: Feature (Jub Clerc); Australian Innovation Award MIFF 2022.

I'd seen the trailer to SWEET AS so many times, I was becoming muddled as to what I expected from this coming of age road movie, shot in the beautiful hard country of northern Western Australia. An inundation of a trailer can do that to you. 

Well, I wasn't wrong. Half way through the film I was muddled. The script lacked the maturity to coax us into investing in the characters. I was resigning myself to being disappointed - but that all changed. The longer I sat, the more I did invest. As the healing of Murra (Shantae Barnes-Cowan) and her new found mates gave them hope and companionship, I was "on board". It was like, one minute I was in my velvet cinema seat, the next I was  riding in the Toyota Coaster bus with our heroes. 

The beauty of Barnes-Cowan gives the screen a lift with every close-up. Her Murra is the balm that gently heals the blemishes affecting Kylie (Mikayla Levy), Elvis (Pedrea Jackson) and Sean (Andrew Wallace) on their week long photography excursion into the harsh, flint orange rock expanses of The Pilbara. It's a shame the adult mentors,played competently by a likable Tasma Walton (Mitch) and Carlos Sanson Jr. (Fernando), didn't have an edgier script to work with. 

Director Jub Clerc has created a very personal story. It is an experience close to her heart. She too went through a life changing experience (like the one on screen) which gave her greater understanding of who she is and what dreams she would pursue. Her current life as a respected film -maker gives a clue. It's a risky business throwing a piece of yourself on the big screen.

The great measure of a sentimental road movie like SWEET AS is, when the goodbyes are sad. Is there a tear or two, a lump in the throat maybe? From an audience POV, I'm talking! Well, I didn't need tissues, but there were plenty of people in our crowd who dabbed their eyes. SWEET AS is gaining the response that Clerc was hoping for.  8GUMS.    

Guest Blogger: Julia Greenwood   

    

No. 34 (2023) SOMEDAY WE WILL TELL EACH OTHER EVERTHING. Palace German Film Festival. May. 8th.

 

Film No. 34  (2023)  May 8th.  3:20 PM PALACE Raine Sq, Cinema 1, Perth City.

"You don't have that expression very often." (Johannes gives Maria a photograph he took of her standing in direct sunlight at their bedroom window).

NOMINEE: (Emily Atef) Best Film; Berlin International Film Festival.

 

Here Emily Atef's adapts, most beautifully, the brilliantly written novel, of the same name, by Daniela Krien. The tragic tale of a teenager's longing and love for a man who is twice her age, seemingly damaged and certainly complicated.

Maria (Marlene Burow) is nineteen, beautiful and reads fiction as if these stories reflect the real experiences of life.  Maria is neglected by her single mother who offers little of a guiding light in the ways of life. Boyfriend Johannes (Cedric Eich) dotes on her and offers a sanctuary on his family's farm while she figures things out. Idle and inquisitive, she meets a the mysterious neighbour, Henner, a man twice her age and this tale of forbidden love unfolds.

  

This East German story (1990) takes place within the first year of the Republic's unification with the west. It's a tragic tale of temptation, love, lust, betrayal and, as the title might suggest, lies.  The sex on screen is strong and for some, gratuitous. It pushes the boundaries, but for good reason. This affair is headed in one direction and Johannes who we most want to protect, (emotionally) needs to know. He's the "good guy" in all of this. 

SOMEDAY WE WILL TELL is a wonderfully shot film. The beauty lies in the framing of Burow against the sweeping green and yellows of rural Germany. We long for her to come to her senses and hope this impossible love will spark her awakening; a chance to direct her mind towards a future brimming with potential. Or maybe, the future she desires won't be a decision for her to make. Either way there is a sense of loathing as the conclusion looms.  9GUMS.   

 

No. 35 (2023) MERKEL. (MACHT DER FREIHEIT) Palace German Film Festival. May. 10th.

 

Film No. 35  (2023)  May 10th.  2:00 PM  LUNA LEEDERVILLE,  Cine 5, Leederville.

 

"Tear down walls of ignorance and narrow mindedness, for nothing has to stay as it is" (Markel speaks to democratic Germany as she attempts to convince her people, that to be good people, they needed to act on issues of immigration and acceptance).

EXIBIT: Documentary (Eva Weber); Telluride Film Festival 2023.

When a documentary, profiling an eminent person, is made without the subjects assistance, there is a sense the themes may not shine a positive light on that subject. Well, nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to Eva Weber's, MERKEL.

Here is a profile of one of the greatest leaders of the democratic world. I couldn't help but think that this very wise person, Angela Merkel, chose not to participate because, just perhaps, she knew she could put her trust in Weber. She trusted that a film-maker of Weber's quality would never need  to use the words of the current  subject to "blow her own bag".  MERKEL is a totally engaging documentary that never outstays its welcome (93 minutes).

Angela Merkel left office 18 months ago after 16 years as the German Chancellor. This film highlighting the fairmindedness of her philosophy on leadership is a sobering reminder for these current times. And considering her humble beginnings as a bright scientist working behind 'The Wall' in the east, her rise to "power" was always ground breaking. 

So what does Weber do best while shining a light on Merkel? Well, the thing about Merkel, the leader, to me has always been her kind blue eyes. Weber takes the compassionate, fair-minded aura, plus those eyes,  which are everything we see in Merkel and reinforces these traits using archival footage: talking heads of doting allies (Hillary Clinton, Tony Blair) and emphasising her relationships with the powers that mattered at the time, with just a touch of soap! The segment as she farewells her friend Obama after 8 years of friendship is touching, made all the more so as The Trump Years infect the screen. 

I'm a middle class Australian who admires leadership from those who have an ability to show what real democracy looks like. Someone who leads without a trace of ego or self benefit. Their view is wide and they have a huge sense of others. MERKEL gave me a sense of exactly the sort of leader I'd be keen to vote into power.  10GUMS.    

 

  

    

  

No. 32 (2023) IT'S IN US ALL May 6th.

 

Film No. 32  (2023)  May 6th.  10:45 AM  LUNA LEEDERVILLE,  Cine 1, Leederville.

 

"There is a moment when death is so near, there is no real!" (Evan continue to grapple with his emotions after the car accident that killed his friend and saw him escape uninjured).

NOMINEE: Best Direction (Antonia Campbell-Hughes); Best Actor (Cosmo Jarvis); Irish Film Awards 2023.

Here is a film worth seeing for its depiction of Northern Ireland's Donegal . Every scene is carefully shot, mainly in a still, wide shot.  The framing and the pallet of IT'S IN US ALL is spectacular. The story of a young man returning to the home of his mother and aunt, experiencing a near death experience (car accident), meeting the locals who have mixed emotions about his being there, and seemingly never really coming to terms with anything particularly, confused me. It disappointed me that I couldn't connect here!

This is to take nothing away from Antonia Campbell-Hughes's debut feature, a feature which suffered many production trials through COVID before finally being made. The film is a deeply dark depiction of manhood and the stark realities of what it takes to face mortality, pain, morality and coming to terms with the past. 

Cosmo Jarvis as the lead, Hamish, is a mesmerising character, prone to a little over-acting often shouting while making a point, mainly to Rhys Mannion's, Evan. Given this, Jarvis is compelling in the 7 minute DIY, mend your own broken arm sequence, which includes: wrenching an exposed broken arm  bone back into place, (ref the poster), sprinkling it with disinfectant and using super glue to hold the wound together and finally, utilising gaffer tape and broken chair struts as a splint. We feel the pain, let me tell you! 

Sometimes one's mood needs to match a film's purpose. This is Campbell-Hughes' first feature, and I have no doubt she knows her craft and she is comfortable with place; Donegal is her pallet and she paints it beautifully. She is a director I'll follow, I just couldn't connect with this.  7GUMS. 

       

No. 33 (2023) A GOOD PERSON May. 7th.

 

Film No. 33  (2023)  May 7th.  10:50 AM  LUNA LEEDERVILLE,  Cine 7, Leederville.

 

"In life, of course nothing is neat and tidy." (Daniel's voice over set us up for an epic tale of tragedy, forgiveness and emotional and physical repair).

NOMINEE/WINNER : Nil

Director Zach Braff blew me away with one of my favourite light, but prophetic films (GARDEN STATE) 20 years ago. It was his first feature and while he has directed two  more major big screen features (I WISH I WAS HERE, GOING IN STYLE) prior to A GOOD PERSON, each has been a disappointment. Do I think AGP rekindles the GARDEN STATE spirit and standard? Definitely NO! 

I'm not sure what Braff is trying to say here. The extremely talented Florence Pugh is Allison. She's a loving fiancé to Nathan (Chinaza Uche) and his family adore her. Her world and that of the two families come crashing down when a car accident kills her prospective sister and brother-in law. She is the driver. Cut to ONE YEAR LATER. Allison is a mess and addicted to oxycontin. She lives at home with her mum, Diane (Molly Shannon).   The next 100 minutes is time we spend on her journey of recuperation. It becomes a tick the boxes "healing after tragedy" (ORDINARY PEOPLE) exercise. And while that will attract a crowd who love that genre (me being one) it comes down to how well the boxes are ticked. 

A GOOD PERSON,  was definitely a let-down. The performances of Pugh and Freeman (Daniel) were not. Pugh puts all her talents on show, including performing two original songs she wrote, accompanying herself on a keyboard. Braff talks about writing the film for Pugh, his muse at the time. Freeman, well it was Braff's love letter to Freeman also. Morgan gets to do his signature voice over, then oversees Daniel's love of miniature trains (Braff's as well). The set depicting Daniel's model train-scape is stunning. 

Ultimately Braff spent so much time writing for love, his friend, and a hobby, that he forgot his audience. In the U.K. they refer to things of little style, taste or substance as naff. A GOOD PERSON is NAFF!   5GUMS.

   

       

No. 30 (2023) LIMBO May. 1st.

 

Film No. 30  (2023)  May 1st.  6:45 PM  LUNA LEEDERVILLE,  Cine 5, Leederville.

 

"No, I'm sorry. I don't know how to handle certain situations any more." (Travis issues an apology to his new friend Emma, as he continues to deal with his own frailties when dealing with intimate relationships).

NOMINEE : Best Film; Golden Bear (Ivan Sen) Berlin Film Festival 2023.

The mystery here is less the cold case that needs solving and more the cop Travis Hurley, brilliantly played by Simon Baker. Hurley has been sent to Umoona to solve a 20 year old murder. He's a good guy; complicated, but measured and empathetic towards a community as tired and dried out as the backdrop, a pock-marked moonscape. In this environment Travis discovers a little about himself.

Sen has such a brilliant eye for the Australian outback. He's as good as Rolf de Heer  when it comes to placing indigenous characters and their life stresses against the land that is theirs. Like de Heer's 10 CANOES, Sen chooses a monochrome/sepia tone for every scene. Hurley is a dusty, troubled, weathered warrior picking his way through the stark opal fields that is the fictional town of Umoona (Coober Pedy; South Australian region).

Hurley comes to us with no back story. He could be a Pale Rider, one of Clint Eastwood's intriguing character inventions. He's a man of few words, he arrives with a drug habit (heroine) and a slim file of case notes. His "digs" are an underground motel room with just a bed and a side-board. As we grow fond of this cop the character traits as a listener and quiet communicator is what we are drawn to. His temporary chariot, a 60's Dodge, adds to his mystery and charm. It's engine and squeaky springs adds dimension to the sepia tones.

The mystery of the cold-case takes a back seat as Hurley senses there is a whole lot of healing that needs to take place in Umoona. The case is a whole lot less complicated than the people involved. Emma, Charlie and Oscar, superbly played by Natasha Wanganeen, Rob Collins and Joshua Warrior weld the tale together, they give Travis a purpose. Something he's been lacking in a while; we assume!!  11GUMS.

       

 

   

No. 31 (2023) OLGA May. 3rd.

 

Film No. 31  (2023)  May 1st.  6:45 PM  LUNA LEEDERVILLE,  Cine 1, Leederville.

 

"I need The Jaeger for the Euros. I can do it!" (Olga responds to her coach who suggests she's not ready to achieve the sophisticated gymnastics move.

WINNER: Best Film (Elie Grappe); Best Screenplay (Elie Grappe); Best Sound (Jurg Lempen) Swiss Film Awards 2023.

I've said it often. "Film is art that nourishes the soul". It does it in so many ways; we are usually entertained, we are often moved but most of all we learn something new that wakes us into better understanding the plight of others. OLGA is so much the latter. It's a story of fiction but it's a hybrid of situations faced by many who live in a country where personal safety is of the highest priority.

Anastasia Budiashkina  is a Ukrainian gymnast. She was chosen by director Elie Grappe to play Olga for her skills as an athlete. Grappe felt Budiashkina could be taught the skills necessary for her to perform. Grappee's decision was a triumph. OLGA achieves its power through the strength and mind of a new star of the screen, that is if she decides on a performance career. 

15 year old Olga lives with her mother, Illona (Tanya Mikhina), a journalist and activist against the communist reign of Yanukovych during the time of his demise (2013). Her determination to maintain the rage compromises the safety of both herself and daughter. After a near horrific traffic incident Illona decides to use her diseased husband's Swiss citizenship to have Olga enter the prestigious Swiss gymnastics program. The film takes us into the world of a determined teen who has to deal with the stresses of; expectation, worry about the safety of her mother, hoping for acceptance by other gymnasts, the barrier of language, and striving to maintain acceptable standards for an elite athlete. Budiashkina is brilliant. Her stress is soon our stress!

OLGA is very much a Swiss film. A submission for that country at The Oscars for Best Foreign Language film. It deserves that accolade. More importantly it is being shown, mainly in English speaking countries, in concurrent events to raise awareness and money for the women and girls of war-torn Ukraine. $6.50 of our tickets were a donation. A great cause from our POV. And Budiashkina, the talented athlete and performer who took us on Olga's incredible journey,  well she is safely out of her native Ukraine and living in Poland. A happy ending for her at present. As for OLGA and its ending. Go see the film to find out ... its worth the price of a ticket.  9GUMS.