No. 37 (2018) The Other Side of Hope (Toivon tulle puolen) April 23rd.

Film No. 37 (2018) April 23rd.  4:20 PM LUNA Paradiso Northbridge. 

"I want to stay here. It is a country with no war" (The simplicity with which Khaled sums up his current predicament).

This simply staged film dealing with complicated issues of an asylum seeking nature from a Scandinavian POV is to say the least captivating. Layered with a decency Donald Trump would find confusing and down right incomprehensible, Aki Kaurismaki (Le Havre) gives us more of his view on how good people have key roles to play when opportunities arise in helping other good people. Asylum seeker  Khaled (Sherwan Haji), a Syrian refugee, has the good fortune to meet Wilkstrom (Sakari Kuosmanen) in a very staged circumstance but not before we view the simplistic plight of both men. Wilkstrom needing a new direction in his life for personal and family reasons and Khaled simply wanting a better life sums up the plight of Kaurismaki's key players. Then comes the dead-pan parade of characters mainly via a restaurant caught in the vortex of the 1950's but continually looking to diversify. Toivon is a delight and best of all there is eternal hope.  10GUMS. 

   

No. 36 (2018) Tully April 21st.

Film No 36 (2018) April 21st.  11:00 AM  LUNA PALACE Leederville . 

"Your 20's are great, then your thirties come around like a garbage truck at 5am". (Marlo offers a reflection on life so far to her night nanny).

I'm predicting that Tully, the new Jason Reitman (Juno) film, will polarise audiences, particularly female cinema goers. One thing is for certain, Tully is a fine slice of entertainment which brings to light a serious issue which only women who've experienced the darkest elements of post natal depression are qualified to comment on. Charlize Theron plays Marlo, a mother barely coping with life. The film's power comes as Reitman peels back the layers unique to Marlo using both technique and dialogue (not completely faultless) that will have you on mental rewind well after the titles have rolled. There is real chemistry between Theron and Mackenzie Davis (Tully), important to the fabric of the way Tully unfolds. Anyway, I'm a male and so totally ill equipped to relate to so much of Tully's subject matter I won't try. I do know that Reitman has made another sharp, competent, contemporary film to which so many mothers and to some extent dads will relate.  9GUMS.          

   

No. 35 (2018) Walking Out April 20th.

Film No. 35 (2018) April 20th.  4:10 PM LUNA Paradiso Northbridge. 

"Just think what you'll tell those kids back in Brian Meadow, knowing you came home with a good kill" (Cal reinforces the importance of their hunting expedition to son David).

A coming of age film with a power not often seen in this genre of cinema. Put simply, David (Josh Wiggins) makes his annual visit to the Montana wilderness where his estranged father, Cal (Matt Bonner) lives. David is reaching an age where the visit is a chore; he's struggling to maintain a connection with his dad. His interest in outdoor adventure is not meeting Cal's expectations. Writer/ directors Alex and Andrew Smith don't muddle the narrative with complicated back stories, all our assumptions are clear from the sumptuous images and concise dialogue. The dreamlike flashback scenes involving patriarch Clyde (Bill Pullman) helps us to gain a greater depth of feeling for Cal. The final 40 minutes is pulsating, exhausting then powerfully revealing. And a warning, animal lovers may find some scenes repugnant.  10GUMS.    

  

No. 34 (2018) On Body and Soul April 16th.

Film No. 34 (2018) April 16th.  6:30 PM LUNA  Paradiso Northbridge. 

"People underestimate the power of movement honey" (Workplace cleaning lady takes Maria under her wing to help her attract a man).

Director Ildiko Enyedi (Tamas and Juli 1997) brings another award winner in On Body and Soul (Golden Berlin Bear winner) to international screens. Here we meet Endre (Goza Morcsanyi) and Maria (Alexandra Borbely) in a soft, mesmerising love story of the mysterious kind. That is if you consider a couple of insular souls, working in management positions within an abattoir who strike up a common thread via a recurring dream mesmerising. If you do you're in for a treat. Maria holds camera for the most part. She's innocent, pure and on the autism spectrum, learning - literally, how to attract Endre. By the end we are willing the two to let off some steamy sexual tension. The final scenes may cause a surprise or two, but don't forget the slaughterhouse in which they work is a metaphor for aspects of this unique relationship. Deep, I know, but there is something hypnotic about On Body and Soul. 8GUMS.

  

No. 33 (2018) The Party April 15th.

Film No 33 (2018) April 15th.  2:45 PM  LUNA PALACE Leederville . 

"Patricia Clarkson steals the show, but everyone in Potter's gifted cast gets their moment to shine in a sharp edged, claustrophobic parlour piece that puts the boot into middle-class mores". Phil De Semlyen; Empire Magazine.

Sally Potter is back with something new and quite special. It’s nice to see a film of this nature which can pack all its drama into a slick 70 minutes; and Potter has hit the nail on the head here. The party is an intense black comedy about a group of friends and their dysfunctional relationships coming together for a so called celebration which quickly becomes a disaster! One revelation after another drives this fast paced drama through to the end with a bang (quite literally). The premis for The Party has been seen many times before, but when done well like much like Perfect Strangers one of my favourite films of 2017, the lack of originality doesn’t matter. However if you don’t like chaos on screen, the party is probably not for you. 10GUMS. by Sarah Greenwood.

No. 31 (2018) The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society April 12th.

Film No. 31 (2018) April 12th.  6:30 PM LUNA Paradiso Northbridge. 

"How wonderful, a film I could enjoy with no sex, no swearing and next to no violence ....... marvellous" (A fellow preview attendee in the cinema foyer immediately after the showing).

So, what of this film depicting a popular novel with the longest title in living memory? This period piece shot on some of the the U.K.'s most breathtaking coastline is going to woo the crowds, and some. Mike Newel (Four Weddings and a Funeral) returns to his British roots and melds a bunch of no name actors, Tom Courtney excluded, into a charming World War II and post war story. Lily James (Juliet Ashton) is motivated to travel to Guernsey after a chance connection via mail with Dawsey Adams (Michiel Huisman). Juliet is a successful writer seeking a challenge. What she encounters will change her life, but that's not a spoiler. The predictability of TGLPPS is unsurprising, it's the brilliant balance  with which Newel layers every character and scene leading to the conclusion we know is coming that surprises. Escapism at its very best. 9GUMS.

   

No. 32 (2018) Last Flag Flying April 14th.

Film No 32 (2018) April 14th.  10:45 AM  LUNA PALACE Leederville . 

"I haven’t seen these men in decades, they represent a dark period in my life". (Mueller, to his wife after the unexpected arrival of two fellow Vietnam veterans Doc and Sal)

                                                         

Linkletter serves up yet another clear window into the power of the human spirit with his usual insightful brilliance. This time he serves up strong themes in a film where there is much to reflect on. I am always impressed by the effective use of comedy in films which cover sensitive elements and events from the past; Last Flag Flying does just that. The three leads Bryan Cranston, Steve Carrel and Laurence Fishburne play Vietnam veterans Sal, Doc and Mueller who re-unite 30 years post war after Doc’s son ‘Larry’ dies while serving in the 2003 Iraq war. The three embark on a roadtrip across the states in order bring Larry’s body home to be buried next to his mother. Cranston’s character is the comic in this film and the source of it’s effectiveness. ‘Larry’s friend who joins the vets on their mission also plays a powerful role in bringing the two generations together.  10GUMS.  by Sarah Greenwood.