Film No. 98 POOR THINGS (2023). 28th Dec.

 

Film No. 98  (2023)  December 28th.  3:00 PM  EVENT CINEMAS, Cine 7,  Innaloo.

"Her brain and and her body are not quite synchronized" (Dr Baxter explains to Max, that Bella is a work in progress).

WINNER: Bronze Frog (Robbie Ryan) Camerimage. WINNER: Best Actress (Emma Stone) Las Vegas Film Critics Award.

Salvador Dali would surely have admired the pallet of POOR THINGS. Scene after scene could have been extracted from a Dali canvas. But this is just one of the impressive elements that go to make up 2023's most unique film.

POOR THINGS is a film with such rich visuals, dialogue, and themes. A second viewing is essential - but only if you liked what you saw the first time. It's only been hours since my viewing. I'm processing it still, but questions linger. Did I miss something on the odd occasion?

Bella Baxter, is as much an Emma Stone formulation, as a Dr Baxter (Willem Dafoe) creation. But there is nothing scary about Bella; shocking certainly, but never scary. The shock factors revolve around her sexual exploits, and while sexually explicit, Bella is using her comeliness to grow and learn about the world around her. The reason she is so childlike in the beginning is revealed later. It is an important reveal! 

What do the previous two paragraphs mean? Little, from a storyline POV. And to recommend POOR THINGS as a must see film would be inviting trouble, but if you prefer your films to be extraordinary, unique, even odd, but completely fascinating, then don't miss this offering by Yorgos Lanthimos (THE LOBSTER, THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER).  10GUMS.

   

Film No. 97 ROBOT DREAMS (2023). 24th Dec.

 

Film No. 97 (2023)  December 24th.  8:00 PM SOMERVILLE Outdoor U.W.A.                       

"ROBOT DREAMS may be sentimental, but, most importantly, it is also wise. Wise beyond it's years" (An early response from a critic present at the film's preview).

WINNER : Best Animated Film (Pablo Berger); European Film Awards 2023. Nominee: Best Feature Film, Animated or Mixed Media (Pablo Berger) Satellite F.F.

Dog meets robot (DIY robot). Dog loses robot. Robot finds new friend, eventually. Dog finds new friend, but never forgets robot. ROBOT DREAMS has so much more to say. It's more like, lonely dog changes direction in his loveless New York Life by building his own robot. An instant companion, programmed to have fun with Dog!

Told without dialogue, but with imaginative images and sound, Spanish director Pablo Berger (BLANCANIEVES) presents a simple tale about connection, in a clever feel-good manner. Dog's decision to actually do something, fast-tracks him into life in a way he could never have calculated. He'll forever be thankful for the opportunities offered him.

A Spanish director setting his tale in 80's New York has a story, I'm sure. The fact the Trade Centre Towers make regular background appearances, says much about his reminder to the world, that the sun had only recently gone down on simpler times. 

Berger is presenting a simple tale about connection and kindness. The characters are uncomplicated animals and machines with not a care in the world. Never once in the 100 minutes do we crave a conversation between characters. He has meticulously engaged us with his visuals. It is a wonderful feature film.  10GUMS.

    

Film No. 96 MASTER GARDENER (2023). 23rd Dec.

 

Film No. 96  (2023)  December 23rd.  4:00 PM  LUNA LEEDERVILLE,  Cine 7, Leederville.

 

"The smell at certain times of the year gives you a real buzz - like the buzz you get - just before pulling the trigger" (Narvel's voice over as we meet him as a gardener and deduce something dark has occurred in his past).

NOMINEE: Best Screenplay (Paul Schrader) Dublin Film Festival.

Paul Schrader (Director) has found his niche writing and directing stories about strong characters with a dark past. Audiences meet these characters, mainly men, at a time when their past tests their resolve. THE CARD COUNTER (2021) gave us an ex-military interrogator, William Tell (Oscar Isaac) making a living via random black-jack tables. Here Narvel Roth (Joel Edgerton) is a once extremist, turned head horticulturalist, working on a rich widow's estate. 

How does an extremist become a quiet natured gardener of extraordinary talent? I won't tell you that. The tale of Narvel's past is masterfully unravelled by Schrader. CARD COUNTER fans won't miss GARDENER, and will know what I mean. Performances by Sigourney Weaver as widow Norma Haverhill, and Esai Morales as Narvel's handler (an FBI Marshall) give some hint as to why these figures help to keep his past at bay.    

Schrader completes his trilogy (FIRST REFORMED, THE CARD COUNTER) with MASTER GARDENER. His accomplishment with these stories places him in the highest echelon of working directors. REFORMED and COUNTER are more rounded films than GARDENER. The six hours I have spent with all three, over the last six years, have been particularly worthwhile. 

Narvel is revealed to us gradually through a gentle calm, made so via Edgerton's talent. His voice-overs set us up and, never impede intellectually. Weaver creates the most complicated character of all. Norma leaves us with the most to think about, well after the screen has gone to black. I haven't even mentioned Maya, (Quintessa Swindell)  Narvel's "project", who has a few missteps (writing wise) but TV star Quintessa may be the next "big thing" on the large screen.  9GUMS.

     

 

   

Film No. 94 SHOWING UP (2023) . 10th Dec.

 

Film No. 94 (2023)  December 10th.  8:00 PM SOMERVILLE Outdoor U.W.A.                       

"I'm enjoying my retirement. I do a little of this, a little of that and before I know it, it's time to watch TV again!" (Bill, Lizzy's dad feels no need to justify his quiet existence to his daughter. He's retired).

WINNER : Top Ten Independent Films (Kelly Reichardt); National Board of Review U.S.  2023. Nominee: Palme d'Or (Kelly Reichardt) Cannes FF.

One always knows when a film maker has cinema industry cred. They have actors lining up to appear in their films. Jessie Eisenburg, Dakota Fanning, Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern have all worked and loved their Kelly Reichardt experiences. The pay cut they take is never a concern. Michelle Williams appears here in SHOWING UP for her third feature with Reichardt. Reichardt takes such care with her characters it takes an actor of William's quality to capture the director's precise meaning. 

So what is it about SHOWING UP that is fracturing audiences? People not used to the Reichardt treatment of everyday events lived by characters who need to grow on an audience, in a meditative manner, is my guess. FIRST COW was promoted as a western. A western immediately conjures images of gunfights and conflict, not cowboys forming a friendship over a cow and oily cakes. Reichardt gave us a western to think about. She set a new standard for the genre.

SHOWING UP gives us Lizzy (Williams), an artist who escapes everyday decisions and responsibilities through her art; the creation of delicate clay figurines, maybe mirrors how she views herself; fragile, delicate, brittle. She is creating, at pace, for her exhibition. There is nothing glamorous about her creative pursuit, especially considering her anxieties. She also cares for a sick pigeon she has inherited and grown fond of. All the while she has no hot water. Her landlord and friend Jo (Hong Chau) is too busy to rectify this water situation. Jo discussing her predicament with Lizzy as she makes a tyre swing from the bough of a tree is classic Reichardt.   

So what? You might be thinking. So what indeed. It is Reichardt's treatment of life as it distils, as if through gauze, onto the screen that matters. Wenders, Jarmusch set a pattern for this type of observational cinema. You either love it or allow it time to grow on you.  10GUMS.       

 

  

Film No. 92 (2023) THE BOYS IN THE BOAT. 4th Dec.

 

Film No. 92  (2023)  December 4th.  6:45 PM  HOYTS CINEMAS,  VMAX Cine 1,  Karrinyup.

"Yeah the rowing team. You get a part-time job. A place to live. It'll tide you over" (Joe's mate Roger give him a "heads up" on how he might find a way to pay for his studies, and a way of life).

WINNER: The Truly Moving Picture Award (George Clooney) Heartland Film Awards.

 

THE BOYS IN THE BOAT (TBITB) is the story of 9 rag-tag young men who vie for a chance to row for their state, (Washington) post the depression of 1936. They want to row so they might have some cash plus board to tide them over through studies and unemployment, and in good feel-good form, become good enough to represent the U.S. at the Berlin Olympics.  

Adapted from the Daniel James Brown book of the same name, recreating one of the U.S.'s great underdog sports stories, TBITB has been on George Clooney's mind for some time. Brown must have been chuffed to receive a cheque for the rights to his story, particularly considering Clooney's signature was attached. Clooney acts in blockbusters (Ocean's stuff) so he can make pet projects like GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK and THE MONUMENT MEN. THE BOYS IN THE BOAT is another project, and for me, it is more in the realms of the disappointing MONUMENT than the brilliant GOOD NIGHT. 

Disney masterminded a formula for film making which can be best described as viewer friendly, SECRETARIAT and THE FINEST HOURS are fine examples. Amazing underdog stories, handsomely told with truths manipulated to suit the imaginations of screenwriters. TBITB follows this formula. It is spectacularly shot but characters key to Brown's story, in particular Joe Rantz (Callum Turner) and coach Al Ulbrickson (Joel Edgerton) while prominently portrayed on screen, there is a lack of depth in uncovering their real deeds and achievements. 

I'm currently reading Brown's book. It is a riveting read. The fact Rantz begins his journey to rowing immortality in 1933, a full three years prior to the Olympics is a story in itself. Strangely, Clooney begins the story in 1936. The year of the Berlin games. The story has been adjusted for no apparent reason. Brown has a credit for writing the screenplay. Strange! 

Rowing clubs, school teams and sports history buffs are going to love THE BOYS IN THE BOAT. It is a slick, well made film with a series of clean cut performances. Cinephiles looking for grit, depth and an original narrative strand will be disappointed.  8GUMS.

         

 

Film No. 95 ROSALIE (Perth Film Festival '23/'24) (2023). 12th Dec.

 

Film No. 95 (2023)  December 12th.  8:00 PM SOMERVILLE Outdoor U.W.A.                       

"Stay for me. Please stay another day. I beg you." (Rosalie pleads with her father not to leave her in this isolated village).

WINNER : Best Actress (Nadia Tereszkiewicz); Festival de Film Francophone 2023. Nominee: Best Film (Stephanie Di Giusto) Stockholm FF.

David Lynch's, THE ELEPHANT MAN asked questions about man's inhumanity to man based on what is perceived as normal. And while John Merrick (John Hurt) was ostracised and humiliated for his disfigurements, Rosalie (Nadia Tereszkiewicz) deals with similar prejudices and excruciating predicaments differently in this wonderful love story. Yes, a love story. Rosalie will steal your heart.  

Stephanie Di Giusto is back after directing her excellent THE DANCER (2016). What a fresh film maker she is. Here she creates a period piece, set in Brittany, France, based on the story of a beautiful maiden with an unfortunate physical disfunction. Rosalie has a hormone imbalance and she grows hair, even from an early age, as if she were a man. We meet her in an isolated community about to be wed. Her prospective husband has received money (much needed for a debt) to guarantee a lady's future. Husband, café owner, Abel (Benoit Magimel) knows nothing of Rosalie's  abnormality. Their wedding night does not go well!

1870 is brilliantly authenticated on screen, here. A gentle natured girl becoming ostracised by a husband and a community is difficult to watch, but as we become convinced that compassion will ultimately win out, through the entrepreneurial wisdom of Rosalie, there are emotional sweeteners. But can a happy ending be possible? When a community, riddled with prejudices and inhibitions, is faced with a bearded woman, there is bound to be collateral damage. 

Ultimately though, ROSALIE is a love story. The relationship that matters most is the one between husband and wife. So will that love become a true and legitimate love? We most definitely hope so!  10GUMS.

           

Film No. 93 (2023) COUP DE CHANCE. 9th Dec.

 

Film No. 93  (2023)  December 9th.  11:00 AM  LUNA LEEDERVILLE,  Cine 5, Leederville.

 

"Would you want a different life." (Friend Julia asks Fanny a question well worth contemplating considering her growing bond with Alain).

Is there anyone other than Woody Allen who could make a drama with such nasty undertones in such an irreverent manner, leaving his audience knowing exactly how to interpret it? Maybe, but no one comes to mind immediately. And has Woody headed to Paris (N.Y. substitute) to make his first foreign language film because he is still on the nose in the U.S. or more specifically N.Y. ? I have no idea ... but more importantly is COUP worth a watch? Yes, most certainly. Woody Allen fans are rubbing their hands in glee. He's back and this 85 year old enigma has presented, in this his 50th feature, an understated gem. For summary's sake, let's call it a nasty, irreverent, "little" crime, drama!   9GUMS. 

  

 

Film No. 91 (2023) THE ROYAL HOTEL. 3rd Dec.

 

Film No. 91  (2023)  December 3rd.  12:10 PM  EVENT CINEMAS, Cine 7,  Innaloo.

"We have sunshine and booze in a box. Let's put up with it for a few weeks, make some cash. It'll toughen us up" (Liv raises her glass while summarizing how the next two weeks might turn out).

NOMINEE: Best Film (Kitty Green) Official Competition London Film Festival.

Kitty Green and Julia Garner bring their chemistry to an Australian setting in THE ROYAL HOTEL. Garner's, Hannah, is a very charismatic character and while she doesn't quite meet the heights of her Jane in THE ASSITANT, TRH would not be the film it is, without her. But while Kitty Green was inspired to make TRH after watching HOTEL COOLGARDIE, that engaging documentary possessed nothing of the fear Green instils here. 

Kitty Green seemingly has plenty to say about young female vulnerability in toxic male environments. That is, if we are to go by her two, non-documentary features so far. The brooding, THE ASSISTANT scared the pants off most, for what we didn't see, through the eyes of Jane. THE ROYAL seems to want us to feel the same, this time through Hannah. Does it work? No, and worst of all the ending is both tabloid and disrespectful. 

Disrespectful from the POV that she has taken an aspect of Australian life that existed as a norm 25 years ago. To build a fear of outback Australia for potential visitors in contemporary times, in such a crass manner is surprisingly naïve. The vast majority of small outposts running socially welcoming drinking and eating establishments are worth experiencing. Most travelling backpackers have no regrets about their experiences in remote corners of "that land down under". The thing is, Green has made a naturalistic drama, not a psychological, slasher.

Green does have an excellent eye for character and casting. Billy, the alcohol dependent publican is an example here. Hugo Weaving is excellent as a man with exceptionally low expectations of life. Trapped! Jack Thompson's Foley came to mind in one of my favourite Aussie films, capturing the "groundhog hog" existence of an outback shearer in SUNDAY TOO FAR AWAY. And the ending ... well maybe that is the girl's gift to Billy and his loyal friend Carol (Ursula Yovich).    

I'm glad I saw ROYAL H. Go see it, it is a well made film. Kitty Green is a good film-maker who fills the screen with tight, no-nonsense images and a narrative to match. To come back to her country of birth and create another feature of substance and bring with her an actor of Garner's quality is cool! I can't wait for Green's next creation.   8GUMS.

 

Film No. 90 (2023) ONE LIFE. (Palace; Australia British Film Festival). 27th Nov.

 

Film No. 90  (2023)  November 29th.  6:30 PM  LUNA Windsor,  Cine 2, Nedlands.

 

"He is a national hero in the Czech Republic. He did a kind act and never told anybody." (Vera Egermayer, holocaust survivor).

 

When it comes to tribute films, you won't find many told better than here in One Life by James Hawes (BLACK MIRROR)  recognising the amazing contribution to humanity made by Britain's "Schindler", Nicholas Winton in 1939. 

The story is that of a man taught by his mother to be a good person. At age 29, he goes to Prague to help a friend assist refugees (mainly Jews) who had accumulated in Prague as they were pushed from their homes in eastern and central Europe by Hitlers' henchmen. It is a story worth telling, particularly in these times. Winton recognised on his first visit to Prague, that one act, that of transporting as many children as he could, to safety, was an act he needed to complete. So, with the help of many, he did; 669 children owe their lives to Nicky Winton. 

Hawes, a director of T.V. mainly, cleverly inter-cuts between '39 and '87. Johnny Flynn gives us the '39 version of Winton. His performance is clean cut and perfect in setting us up for the 79 year old Anthony Hopkins version. Hopkins gives us the humble man Flynn created with a dimension that has us screaming, "why did this story take so long to be told?" The reason is captured in Hopkin's performance. "This was never about me" is a sentence used by Winton at least three times in the film. Luckily for the world his wife, Grete (Lena Olin), "outed" him. What comes in the film's final stanza will require tissues.

Using the talent on hand, Hawes gives us cinephiles something to savour. Flynn plays second fiddle to Helena Bonham Carter during their mother/son scenes. Babette Winton is integral to Winton's plan for these children of Prague, Bonham Carter gives a performance which "gold stamps" that contribution. Winton's friend, Martin Blake (Ziggy Heath & Jonathan Pryce) is the reason he first goes to Prague. Their relationship in '39 is never really fleshed out but the '87 scene in a restaurant between Hopkins and Pryce is worth the price of the ticket. Two masters of their craft give us 5 minutes of gold. 

ONE LIFE should be on the list of must see films for all, considering our era of current unrest.  11GUMS.     

          

Film No. 88 (2023) UPROAR. 27th Nov.

 

Film No. 88  (2023)  November 27th.  6:40 PM  LUNA Windsor,  Cine 2, Nedlands.

 

"Out here is the real world. Everything is different. You've got to be different!" (Josh get some life advice from big brother Jamie).

Josh (Julian Dennison) is a unique character. He's a bully's delight especially in the setting of a "prestige" boys school. So how does he cope? How does he come of age? How does he give as good as he gets, and  grow via a supportive family and a zany teacher? Well, UPROAR will provide answers for all of those questions. At 110 minutes the answers are somewhat long winded, but the lift you'll get from Josh's "ride" as a 17 year old in 1981 Dunedin is well worth the watch. 

Like BOY, and HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE, UPROAR proudly trumpets the pride New Zealanders' have for who they are; a proud, compassionate people who, in the main, practice what they preach. UPROAR definitely exposes themes of care and thoughtfulness for others. From a message POV it probably over-preaches, but the performances of Minnie Driver (Josh's Mum), Rhys Darby (Brother Madigan) and James Rolleston (James, Josh's brother) never outstay their welcome.

The stunning university, and port city of Dunedin on New Zealand's east also plays a key role. Many outdoor shots could be mistaken as blatant tourism "product placement". Who cares? The product, New Zealand, is  worth experiencing. UPROAR will stir many emotions, which hopefully engage all that is good about us and our interactions with others. And while the film has its flaws, it will entertain you; "watch it bro!"   9GUMS.       

  

 

Film No. 89 (2023) SWEET SUE. 28th Nov.

 

Film No. 89  (2023)  November 28th.  11:30 AM  PALACE Raine Sq, Cinema 3, Perth City.

"You can live life one of two ways. You can live it like wood. You can live it like water." (Ronald, Sue's new flame, expounds a simple theory on life after acceding to Sue's request to ride with him on his motor bike).

NOMINEE  (Leo Leigh) Best Film by an Emerging Director. Munich Film Festival (2023).

Leo Leigh comes from good film-maker pedigree. Mike Leigh (SECRETS AND LIES), his dad, is a great, when it comes to the creation of dramatic, observational cinema. Is it likely Leo will follow in his dad's footsteps? There are definitely similarities, so I think so. I certainly hope so. I enjoyed SWEET SUE. This is Leo's first foray into observational, dramatic feature film making. In the past he has made more of a mark via documentaries and short films.

Now, SWEET SUE will not be a film for all. 50% of the audience I shared the screen with, walked out within 45 minutes. A fly on the wall drama about glass half full, baby boomer Sue (Maggie O'Neill) going back into the dating scene to hopefully find a partner she can spend the rest of her days with, is perhaps not layered in potential storyline to tantalise. But if you like your cinema to be edgy, slightly experimental and with the potential for a very unconventional bitter/sweet ending, don't miss SWEET SUE.

Maggie O'Neill who made her name in EAST ENDERS, plays  Sue, and she gives us a deep view of Sue as a likeable lady who may have been a wonderful mother, but never was. Luck and sliding door moments seem to have ruled her destiny. Harry Trevaldwyn as Anthony, in his first major feature role is devastatingly good. His performance is the prime reason viewers left my screening. He is there to antagonise everyone experiencing SWEET SUE; audience and characters alike. He does a brilliant job. 

And the bitter sweet ending? It is one of my highlight endings in '23. The smile on Sue's face as she decides how she will deal with her latest predicament is all knowing.   9GUMS.       

Film No. 87 (2023) PRETTY RED DRESS (Palace Australia British Film Festival) 26th Nov.

 

Film No. 87  (2023)  November 26th.  1:15 PM  LUNA LEEDERVILLE,  Cine 5, Leederville.

 

"We can't become ourselves until we find ourselves, and I really believe my little brother Travis is finding himself right now" (Travis listens to his brother make a public announcement to friends about progress after prison).

NOMINEE: Best Feature by an Emerging Director (Dionne Edwards) Munich Film Festival.

 

Writer/Director Dionne Edwards had this idea in her head for over ten years. The idea revolved around a family coming to terms, together, with self-identity. Edwards is a black citizen of the U.K. with a keen eye for human behaviour. She was born in Bristol but moved to East London at a young age. The people of the Lambeth area form this unique story. PRETTY RED DRESS is a many layered, thoughtful film.

PRD will leave you with a series of lingering thoughts. From the first scene, as we follow Travis (Natey Jones) walking from prison to a car, where partner Candice (Alexandra Burke) is waiting, the question of his crime comes immediately to mind. Then with every scene, comes a question mainly related to what might have come before. But not all of the questions are answered, and that is the key to the mystery of PRETTY RED DRESS. The triangle of Travis, Candice and teenage daughter, Kenisha (Temilola Olatunbosun) need to find some acceptance for long held secrets if they are to thrive as a family. Many of those secrets are exposed after Travis buys Candice a red, sequined dress. A dress Candice sees herself in, as she strives to be recognised as a dance/theatre actor. 

So what about prison and the reasons Travis was in there in the first place? That's the magic of this film. It may be significant, it may not. What about the expensive car Candice drives, considering she works as a checkout chick for a grocery chain and Travis cleans pots and pans?  Are the motive's of Travis's brother always for the betterment of Travis or Candice? Is the Tina Turner aura significant, as Candice strives to play the icon via many auditions? They are questions to discuss with fellow viewers of PRD. It is likely you will all have your own theories.  

PRETTY RED DRESS may be a little shocking for some. Most cinema buffs are past the sexuality issues presented here. Our focus on a family we like, soon outweighs anything else. First time feature director Edwards, has created a small gem here. Perhaps it's a story she has experienced first hand. I don't know, but I'm looking forward to her next feature.  10GUMS.