Film No. 25 (2024) April 20th. 11:00 AM LUNA CINEMA, Cinema 1, Leederville.
"I don't spend much time thinking; I'm too busy with my social life" (Donya answering a question about what thoughts make her anxious about her previous life in Afghanistan, in her first session with psychiatrist, Dr Anthony).
NOMINEE: Next Innovator Award (Babak Jalali) Sundance Film Festival. WINNER: Grand Jury Prize; Narrative Feature (Babak Jalali) Independent Film Festival of Boston.
Did you love both PATERSON and NAPOLEON DYNAMITE equally, for the simplicity of unpretentious characters, truly comfortable in their own skins? If the answer is, yes, you did, then you are going to love FREMONT.
There is not a word wasted here as we fall in love with Anaita Wali Zada's, Donya, an ex Afghan translator for the U.S. army. An immigrant finding her feet in Fremont, California, working at a fortune cookie factory. See, it's an interesting premise already, don't you think? Once the dialogue takes hold and each eccentric character uses the script, shaping their enigmatic selves around the lovely Donya, you'll be smitten with FREMONT. I bloody love this film !!
The talented Carolina Cavalli (AMANDA) teams with director Babak Jalali (LAND) to create a brilliant script. They may well have transformed the humble Fortune Cookie advice to where, many of us believe, social media should settle as a means of communication in these, sometimes unsettling contemporary times. 12GUMS.
Film No. 24 (2024) April 14th. 4:00 PM LUNA CINEMA, Cinema 1, Leederville.
"Stop, I will shoot!" (The moment that catapults Mona and Julia into a friendship which will fill them both with regret, but also, most importantly, hope).
NOMINEE: Sudan entry, Best Foreign Film (Mohamed Kordotan) The Oscars.
Does GOODBYE JULIA (G.J.) help the western world to understand the Sudanese political upheavals over recent years? No, but Sudan forms the backdrop for a human drama which could unfold in any place where the repression of women is a prevailing subculture.
While the plight of women in Sudanese culture forms a foundation for this story, with its themes of; living with lies, seeking redemption, friendship, compassion and finally, the inevitability of life in a violent subculture, G.J. explores much. First time feature director Mohamed Kordofani gives us naturalism at its rawest, through the eyes of his leads Eiman (Mona) and Siran Riak (Julia), both in their debut performances. Characters are thrown together because Mona lives with a lie; but can she truly make it up to Julia?
Art will always prick our consciousness through films like G.J. I feel forever privileged to be invited into a world so foreign, to that I live in, with its first world problems. IO CAPITANO and GOODBYE JULIA help to point me towards comprehending why a more tolerant world than the one we currently live in would make sense. 9GUMS.
Film No. 23 (2024) April 12th. 10:20 AM EVENT CINEMAS, Cine 10, Innaloo.
"Hold the bloody line!" (The call from Sgt Beaufort which sent many a chill up the spine of the young Australian soldiers on the front).
NOMINEE: Most Authentic War Documentary (Jordan Prince-Wright) AWM, Canberra.
Has there been a better, grittier, more sustained depiction of young Australian men fighting for their survival in the trenches of France/Belgium during WWI, than here in, BEFORE DAWN? If there has, I've not seen it. I might be going out on a limb, but Jordan Prince-Wright has created a visual masterclass, where his interpretation of true mateship helps us to understand why the ANZAC culture is immortalised.
The script and character development is leaving audiences cold here, but I've not experienced a more immersive WW1 trench warfare experience in my cinema going life. I've always marvelled at the exuberance of excited young Australian men who bounded into battle, landing in the trenches of France in 1916/17/18. If they didn't die, a vast proportion were wounded. The scars they lived with turned their lives from innocence into a hell once war ended.
The 400 odd days we spend with 18 year old Jim Collins is a savage reminder of why young men lost their innocence. Levi Miller is the face of that innocence. Mud and mateship could have been substituted with a stronger storyline. I understand the criticism but I was engrossed and compelled to be reminded of why 18,000 Australians died and have no gravestone. 8GUMS.
Film No. 22 (2024) April 10th. 6:30 PM EVENT CINEMAS, Cine 16 Vmax, Innaloo.
"I want people to hear my voice and forget their troubles for just five minutes"" (One of Amy's many thoughtful, philosophical quotes inviting people to love her music).
NOMINEE: Most Anticipated film (Sam Taylor-Johnson) BBFF.
How successful has Sam Taylor-Johnson been in capturing an Amy Winehouse story, through the eyes of Amy, in BACK TO BLACK? Very successful, it is the strength of the film, no doubt. Marisa Abela is the reason Taylor-Johnson (NOWHERE BOY) has achieved her objective.
Amy Winehouse was a home loving, uncomplicated daughter, granddaughter and lover who simply thrived in her humble, London (Camden) life. She sang from her heart, with a voice of velvet. The world loved her. An addictive personality and a destructive love life, paralleled with new found fame, weighed on Amy. She was a mere twenty seven when she left our world without meaning to.
There are no actual Amy vocals on this unique soundtrack. This may be a turnoff to those expecting a "cover film" especially in the knowledge the film is full of the music of (not by) Winehouse. Marisa Abela brings us Amy with a real legitimacy. Taylor-Johnson is compassionate and true to Amy's legacy. Amy would be chuffed! 9GUMS.
Film No. 21 (2024) March 30th. 11:15 AM LUNA LEEDERVILLE, Cine 5, Leederville.
"It's such a perfect day. I'm glad I spent it with you." (The tones of Lou Reed echo through the meditative mind of Hirayama as he goes about his day).
WINNER: Best Actor in a lead role. (Koji Yakusho) Cannes FF 2023. WINNER: Prize of the Ecumenical Jury (Wim Wenders) Cannes FF 2023.
Can a film of such simplicity, hang all of its artistic integrity on the lead performance? Definitely not all, but in the case of PERFECT DAYS, the performance of Yoki Yakusho leaves us with a lasting love of a gentle man.
Try telling a friend you've just seen a wonderful film about the gentle, fulfilling life of a Tokyo toilet cleaner and see how much traction you get. Then mention it will take 124 minutes to deeply appreciate our hero. On face value it's not an easy sell, but don't give up. Films like PERFECT DAYS reminds us why film is so important and why watching can lead us to enjoy new dimensions in understanding the world we live in. Hirayama (Yakusho) is a good man who explores hi-tech Tokyo through, sound, touch, smell and simple observations. His 20 year old flip phone and out dated flash camera say it all.
The fact that Wim Wenders (PARIS TEXAS) is German and shoots this small masterpiece in Tokyo has no bearing on cultural interpretation. Any hi-tech city could form the back drop to this story. Wenders' real masterstroke was casting Yakusho as his lead. 11GUMS.
Film No. 20 (2024) March 24th. 1:15 PM LUNA WINDSOR, Cine 1, Nedlands.
"We worked with each other for over 20 years. I read the recipe, and she worked magic on the stove" (Bodin describes how he built a bond with Eugenie which went beyond food).
NOMINEE: Critics Choice Award; (Anh Hung Tran) The Best Foreign Language Film.
Is the opening scene of THE TASTE OF THINGS (T T O T) the most thorough and mouth watering single shot sequence, depicting food preparation, ever filmed? Possibly. It is worth the price of entry to experience this sequence!
T T O T is a beautiful French costume drama (1885) about the love two gastronomes have for food, and the love that has marinated between them for 20 years as they combine to create amazing food in a kitchen more akin to an artists studio. Juliette Binoche plays Eugenie, the live in cook for Dodin (BenoitMagimel). The recipe for their tender love story unfolds as unforgettably as the flavours that linger with each dish they prepare. But Dodin must move quickly to consummate their union.
Vietnamese/French director Tran Anh Hung (NORWEGIAN WOOD) has created images of food preparation most deliciously. The oh so marination of this love story, sumptuously complements every dish made. The images are astounding. Eat before you watch!! 10GUMS.
Film No. 19 (2024) March 19th. 6:30 PM LUNA LEEDERVILLE, Cine 1, Leederville.
"Think about becoming a big star. White people will be wanting your autograph." (Seydo wants friend Moussa to focus on the big picture as to why they need to head to Europe).
NOMINEE: Best International Feature (Matteo Garrone) The Oscars 2024.
Is this the sort of film that should be shown to teenage boys who are about to embark on their own coming of age adventures? Why not! It wouldn't do any harm. It might get a conversion or two started.
The Senegalese boys Seydou (Seydo Starr) and Moussa (Moustapha Fall) live full, happy, third world lives in Dakar. They are friends with a love of creating their own music and they harbour dreams of making it big in The West. They have hard earned money saved, and a burning will to flee to Europe. So they do. IO CAPITANO is their epic tale of ambition, love, resilience, pain, fear, dishonesty, loyalty, friendship, achievement and finally becoming men. This is one epic journey with a smattering of delusional wonderment. I liked IO CAPITANO, a lot.
Director Matteo Garrone's is not trying to make a compassionate plea on behalf of refugees fleeing repression. This is a coming of age tale, with the only Hollywood trope being how much of a superhero Seydou will become in our eyes by the final close-up! 10GUMS.
Film No. 18 (2024) March 17th. 10:30 AM LUNA LEEDERVILLE, Cine 8, Leederville.
"I'm like the character of Rose in Titanic. She tells her story with the help of actors. So I am Rose." (The actor playing daughter Rahma tries to explain her plight).
WINNER: The Golden Eye (Kaouther Ben Hania) Cannes FF 2023. NOMINEE: Best Feature Documentary (Kaouther Ben Hania) The Academy.
Have we ever seen a documentary where re-enactment becomes the mode of narrative to try and seek the truth? Yes, there have been many, but I'm not sure I have seen a more intimate example than FOUR DAUGHTERS (F D).
Olfa Hamrouni, a divorced Tunisian woman made headlines 8 years ago when two of her four daughters became disengaged from the unique family bond they had forged, and then one, then the other, disappeared. They turned up as fighters for Islamic State in Syria. It broke the hearts of Olfa and the young sisters they left behind. The mystery behind their defection not only shocked those close to them, but much of the western world. F D goes a way to uncover some answers, but we are still left with many questions.
Director K Ben Hania employs two actors to replace the sisters. Scenes are played out with the help and permission of Olfa, Eya and Tayssir, in the hope of uncovering some truth. It is a unique take. It's a unique film; experimental by nature. Documentary aficionados are going to take to F D.9GUMS.
Film No. 17 (2024) March 9th. 11:00 AM LUNA LEEDERVILLE, Cine 1, Leederville.
"Rose Gooding, "allegedly" harassed a pretty, young, Christian woman" (The judge announces a description of an incident that occurred between Edith and Rose).
What was the best choice, when it came to casting, in this outrageous comedy? Olivia Colman as Edith Swann or Jessie Buckley playing Rose Gooding? Neither! Both are great, but newcomer Anjana Vasan (as Police Officer Gladys Moss) steals the show.
The Ealing comedy trope, meets Guy Ritchie, meets Agatha Christie could be a description of what WICKED LITTLE LETTERS (W L L) brings to the screen here. The silliness of the script is surprising when we learn the story is based around an actual Littlehampton feud from the early twenties. Truth being stranger than fiction, is indeed true here. Director Thea Sharrock (ME BEFORE YOU) and first time feature writer, Jonny Sweet blaspheme their way to cheap laughs using modern slang in this 1920's setting.
The theme bubbling away at the base of this handsome production, is the strong will of formerly repressed women, post WW I. Gladys Moss pushes aside the cliched males surrounding her to form her own posse to solve this puzzle. You'll fall in love with Vasan as Moss. 8GUMS.
Film No. 16 (2024) March 2nd. 11:00 AM LUNA LEEDERVILLE, Cine 1, Leederville.
"Yeah, I've never been anywhere but here" (Lou confesses some of her limitations to new love, Daisy).
NOMINEE: Best Feature (Rose Glass) Berlin FF 2024.
Is LOVE LIES BLEEDING (L L B) so unique in its B Grade skin, there are few films it could easily be compared with? Possibly, nothing comes to mind immediately.
The outlandishness of yet another sexy, queer romp in L L B brings to mind the recent DRIVE AWAY DOLLS, but they are very different films. Kirsten Stewart (Lou) gets the chance to dive back into aspects of her THE RUNAWAYS (2010) mould. She is wonderfully magnetic here but Anna Barryshnikov playing Lou's love interest, Daisy, is equally as mesmerising. Ed Harris (Lou Sr) is the B Grade essential ingredient, much like flour is to bread. And then there is the chaotic, surprising, concluding turn of events. It detracts for some, it seems, but not for me.
LOVE LIES BLEEDING is arthouse, B Grade, high velocity entertainment. This type of film is rarely made these days. For those of us who saw SAINT MAUD, (2019) it should have alerted us that Rose Glass is a seriously good film-maker. 10GUMS.
Is CLUB ZERO (C Z) disturbing in a way that might encourage young people to think twice about falling for influential sub-cultures? Maybe, and that would be one positive to come from the film ?
So, you are a wealthy parent. You can send your child to a prestigious school secure in the knowledge that this will be a set and forget exercise. Your child will be taught by the best, and achieve to the max. But - what if one of your child's teachers is a charismatic, mistress of manipulation? The subject she teaches is nutrition and her message is that food will only poison the mind and body. Her classes can best be described as being in the realms of evangelical brain washing.
It may well be that C Z is the best made film, I've least enjoyed in a while. The dystopian style, set against a colourful but disturbing pallet, and highlighted by Mia Wasikowska's beguiling Ms Novak, add up to a competently made film. But a film I didn't care for much. 7GUMS.
Film No. 14 (2024) January 26th. 8:00 PM SOMERVILLE Outdoor U.W.A.
"Arthur, we've found you a job. A proper job." (Flora, hopes her news will lift Arthur's spirits, but is not surprised by his reaction).
NOMINEE: Palme d'Or (Alice Rohrwacher) Cannes. NOMINEE: Best Feature (Alice Rohrwacher) Golden Rooster.
Is LA CHIMERA (L C) based on the legend of an Englishman, who once came to Italy to raid tombs of the past of artefacts for profit? Maybe, but based on the tin shack he lives in, you'd have to question the profit motive.
There is much to think about in L C. Arthur (Josh O'Connor) is a very complicated tomb-raider, who has an addiction to stealing valuable relics, like that a smoker has for cigarettes. But because of the complications caused by his continual flashbacks, (figments of his imagination perhaps) I got lost in the jigsaw puzzle that formed the narrative. Would the tombs he raided, have their ultimate revenge? Audiences are finding L C either intriguing or boring. There is not a lot of middle ground.
If you liked Rohrwacher's earlier film, HAPPY AS LAZZARO, you'll love this. If you love Italian cinema, Alice has a good eye for her country. All of her images have something to say. 8GUMS.
Film No. 13 (2024) February 25th. 7:10 PM EVENT CINEMAS, Cine 10, Innaloo.
"I don't believe it is relevant to the twentieth century lesbian!" (Jamie, exasperated with her love life, describes her feelings to friend Marian).
Is the official trailer for DRIVE AWAY DOLLS (D A D) misleading? Maybe, but there is nothing in the trailer that isn't in the film.
The fact is, Ethan Cohen and wife Tricia Cooke began writing D A D in the early 2000's based loosely on an experience Cooke had in her youth. It's a love story, ultimately, of an explicit variety. If you keep in mind the time is 1999, when sex scenes like these would never make the big screen. So Jamie (MargaretQualley) and Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) need to consummate their brooding relationship, and they do it on the road, in a Drive Away, deliverycar that wasn't intended for them, carrying valuable goods that aren't theirs, and being hotly pursued by a couple of bumbling fools. Trouble is just around the corner, Cohen style.
D A D is fun. It's silly. It's forgettable. It's less sexy, more raunchy. It's another notch in the Margaret Qualley belt. It's good entertainment of the queer variety. 9GUMS.
How could a film so uncompromisingly bleak, about a couple of self-confessed losers, leave one with such a warm feeling of hope? It's because it's under the care of Finnish director, Aki Kaurismaki, a master of minimalist storytelling who knows how to push our buttons. Buttons we take into every cinema, hoping they'll be pushed.
Two shy under-achievers, Ansa (Alma Poysti) and Holappa (Jussi Vatanen) stumble upon one another, but fail at every turn to connect. We are taken into their lives in FALLEN LEAVES. The comic elements Kaurismaki folds through FL dilutes the desperation we feel for our heroes. Then, after 79 minutes we are blessed with the final scene. It will lift your heart in a way only effective feel-good cinema can!
This is the best, almost overwhelmingly bleak, cinematic tale, you will not want to miss. 11GUMS
Film No. 11 (2024) February 15th. 10:30 AM LUNA LEEDERVILLE, Cine 4, Leederville.
"What does he mean when he says your work was plundered?" (The lead prosecutor asks Sandra a leading question in relation to a recorded argument between herself and her late husband).
WINNER: Best International Independent Film (Justin Triet) British Independent Film Awards. Nominee: Best Actress (Sandra Huller) Oscars, Academy.
Does ANATOMY OF A FALLpaint a true depiction of the way French justice is meted out when dealing with serious issues like murder? The French critics seem glowing in their analysis of this naturalistic drama. A husband falls from a height, out of a 3rd story window. Was the wife responsible?
If you can't resist a courtroom drama then ANATOMY has to be on your list. The naturalistic style and density of script (155 mins) may give the impression it is an adaptation of a play, and, or, an actual true-life event. It is neither. Writers Justin Triel and Arthur Harari are favourites to win an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Sandra Huller is the face of AOAF. Her every close-up and gesture will have you thinking you're better positioned than the jury deciding her fate. Son Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner) is equally as mesmerising. this is high-grade storytelling. 10GUMS.
Film No. 10 (2024) February 6th. 6:30 PM EVENT CINEMAS, Cine VMax 2, Whitfords.
"There's a war going on. You can't separate the music from the message" (Marley answers the media. They question him about being famous. He wants the world to listen to his words).
Is Bob Marley the most iconic and influential Jamaican to have lived? Possibly, but the likes of Harry Belafonte, Marcus Garvey and Usain Bolt have also made significant contributions to their people.
Does ONE LOVE live up to its hype and thus powerfully reinforce Marley's legacy? A legacy truly worth imprinting on the minds of the world. Unfortunately not. Reinaldo Marcus Green, after creating the memorable KINGRICHARD (2021) is muddling here. Where he told a gritty story of the rise and rise of the Williams sisters under the tutelage of a hard-edged father, MARLEY is underwhelming, lacking continuity and coherency. I wanted to have a greater reason to be hitched to the wagon of this great man. The soundtrack is good, but ...
Don't go if you are expecting to hear his iconic song sheet. The soundtrack is a blended version of his reggae rhythms. It's different and excellent, however it may not meet everyone's expectations. 7GUMS
Film No. 9 (2024) February 1st. 12:10 PM EVENT CINEMAS, Cine 1, Innaloo.
"Pop tried to protect us with wrestling. He said if we were the toughest, the strongest, nothing could hurt us. I believed him" (Kevin gives an insight into the world he was brought up in).
WINNER: Best Ensemble Cast (Sean Durkin) National Board of Review Awards. NOMINEE: Best Actor (Zac Efron) San Diego Film Critics Award.
Do you have to be a wrestling fan to enjoy THE IRON CLAW? No. Most definitely not!
If you enjoy well told, if somewhat manipulative, human dramas then CLAW will suit you fine. You will need tissues however, especially if you know nothing of the tribulations (not all of which have been included) of the Von Erich family . A wrestling family ruled by the iron fist of a patriarchal father. There may even be a life lesson for parents and the sometimes forgotten influence we have over our loved ones!
Efron is magnificent here, and Maura Tierney is outstanding. They provide the ingredients that will manipulate most of your emotional outpourings. Remember, however, this is not a film about wrestling. 9GUMS
Film No. 7 (2024) January 28th. 11:00 AM LUNA LEEDERVILLE, Cine 5, Leederville.
"You were always scared of something. Always running away from something. Do you remember?" (Adam's mum, a figment of his imagination, reflects on his behaviours before he was twelve).
WINNER: Best Actor (Andrew Scott) NFSC Award. WINNER: Top Ten Independent Films (Andrew Haigh) NBR Award.
When it comes to queer cinema, is Andrew Haigh up there with the best when it comes to compassionate story-telling? Yes, after watching ALL OF USSTRANGERS, I think he is.
Haigh's imaginative script gives an insight into a lonely writer's mind. Andrew Scott is Adam, the writer who has much he needs to cleanse from his path to make his life more whole. We meet him at his lowest ebb mentally, but peaking creatively. Is he really meeting his parents who died in a car crash when he was twelve? There is nothing supernatural about Haigh's handling. And has he met the love of his life, in Paul, within the housing complex where they both live? Or is it all a hoax, a figment of this writer's imagination?
There are elements of Charlie Kaufman (SPOTLESS MIND)here in Haigh's work. Work so deeply touching, your heart will burst as the concluding scenes close in around Adam. You'll think about STRANGERS for days afterwards. 10GUMS.
Film No. 8 (2024) January 29th. 8:00 PM SOMERVILLE Outdoor U.W.A.
"A Brilliant examination of Human Complexity" (A critic's immediate response to Glazer's film immediately on their first viewing at Cannes).
WINNER: Grand Prize of the festival (Jonathan Glazer) Cannes. Nominee: Best Feature (Jonathan Glazer) Academy, Oscars.
As far as cinematic memorials go, will THE ZONE OF INTEREST become a classic as a remembrance piece in honour of those who suffered because of the Holocaust? I hope so! It deserves to.
Rudolf Hoss is an ambitious middle aged executive. He is an engaged family man who provides a comfortable life for them to thrive in. He is keen to show the executives he answers to that he has the ability to climb the promotional ladder. The fact that his role is to command Auschwitz during WWII shines a new light on this ambitious man. THE ZONE OF INTEREST gives us the man, his wife, their family and their servants in a domesticity that makes what is happening over their back wall all the more horrible. This is a horror film, make no mistake, and it will poke your senses.
British born director Jonathan Glazer (SEXY BEAST, UNDER THE SKIN) serves up unnerving characters, images, atmospheres and backdrops in all his films. All with a different style. This is his Tour deforce. 11GUMS.
