Wow this film is amazing.
Visually stunning and the sound and the score are powerful.
The film shows glimpses of a remembered family life in the 50's birth, 3 sons playing, fights and the family hearing of the death of one son, more glimpses of one of the brothers looking back for memories that then involves a section that appears to show evolution of the earth and various creatures and then more family.
Dreamlike sequences of seraching the desert and then a coastline that appears to now emphasise more strongly the religious theme embodied by the mother.
The film is dazzling, stunning, confusing and ridiculous. Overly long and a complete overload for the senses.
Attempts to make sense of this film are I believe futile.
Worth seeing yes, expect to be confounded, elated and disappointed.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Sydney Film Festival Day 6: A Separation
An Iranian film of depth and colour. From the opening sequences you are immeresed in a legal dispute. Simin and Nader are seeking a divorce, Simin wants to immigrate with their daughter and Nader is committed to caring for his father who is suffering from Alzheimers. When they are not granted the divorce and told to work it out Simin moves out of the family home and Nader is forced to bring in a carer the outcomes of which embroil them in another legal battle.
The strength of this film is the passion, anger and disappointment are so real you completely forget this is a film. You are frustrated at the unfamiliar laws and the continued conflicts in everyones lives and keep watchin in the hope a resolution can be found. A brilliant touch is the action is allowed to unfold and slowly then the camera will show you one of the two children and you realise they are witnessing their parents behaviour and judging them.
Enthralling.
The strength of this film is the passion, anger and disappointment are so real you completely forget this is a film. You are frustrated at the unfamiliar laws and the continued conflicts in everyones lives and keep watchin in the hope a resolution can be found. A brilliant touch is the action is allowed to unfold and slowly then the camera will show you one of the two children and you realise they are witnessing their parents behaviour and judging them.
Enthralling.
Sydney Film Festival Day 6: Project Nim
Project Nim charts the story of a chimpanzee that is seperated from its mother quite early and reared with humans to see if it will be able to learn to communicate independently using sign-language. During this the film examines the structure of scientific experiments, the impact of environment (house vs classroom) and the ethics of the individuals involved. It highlights the escape of Nim's chimpanzee nature that was unexpected by his teachers and handlers.
This film is a well constructed emotionally engaging piece of filmaking that will introduce a whole generation to the ills of using animals for experiments and the ethics of their treatment before, after and around that fact. As an avid watcher of nature films, specifically those from the seventies, I am not sure this film had anything new to say. Enthralling nonetheless.
I was surprised at the handful of children that were in the audience - firstly as the film festival is strictly over 18s unless specifically identified as a childrens film and secondly as this was really not a child suitable film. Unfortunately the little girl sitting closest to us was quite distressed.
This film is a well constructed emotionally engaging piece of filmaking that will introduce a whole generation to the ills of using animals for experiments and the ethics of their treatment before, after and around that fact. As an avid watcher of nature films, specifically those from the seventies, I am not sure this film had anything new to say. Enthralling nonetheless.
I was surprised at the handful of children that were in the audience - firstly as the film festival is strictly over 18s unless specifically identified as a childrens film and secondly as this was really not a child suitable film. Unfortunately the little girl sitting closest to us was quite distressed.
Sydney Film Festival Day 6: Amador
Marcela is a south American immigrant living in Spain with her boyfriend Nelson making money from selling stolen flowers. As she is in the process of leaving him she faints and after being taken to hospital is informed that she is pregnant. She reluctantly returns to her boyfriend to work out what to do. Their refridgerator dies and the urgent need for a replacement sends Marcela out looking for work.
She interviews with a disinterested woman who is looking for someone to look after her aging, ailing father while they build a family house outside the city. He dies early on and Marcela is forced to make a series of decisions.
I found this film was easy to suspend disbelief and follow Marcela through her decisions, the first of which comes easily, but leads to many more complicated ones. The film was blackly funny and an engaging watch.
Fernando Leon de Aranoa the director was delightful in the Q&A and he and and his (very small) entourage were sitting in my row during the screening of Tree of Life last night. Lets just say an interesting experience.
She interviews with a disinterested woman who is looking for someone to look after her aging, ailing father while they build a family house outside the city. He dies early on and Marcela is forced to make a series of decisions.
I found this film was easy to suspend disbelief and follow Marcela through her decisions, the first of which comes easily, but leads to many more complicated ones. The film was blackly funny and an engaging watch.
Fernando Leon de Aranoa the director was delightful in the Q&A and he and and his (very small) entourage were sitting in my row during the screening of Tree of Life last night. Lets just say an interesting experience.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Sydney Film Festival Day 5: Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids is a conventional comedy in the tradition of boy-man lead character.
John C Reilly replays his annoying character stance -this time with a heart.
A good laugh but definitely a fish out of water film a the festival.
It does include a few extra laughs for fans of The Wire.
Sydney Film Festival Day 5: The Forgiveness of Blood
Opening with a group of teenagers, the film quickly establishes Albanian teens are no different to others interested in Facebook, computer games attracting girls/guys.
The beauty of this film is that it is told exclusively through the eyes of the teenage son Nik and daughter Rudina. When their father Mark's animosity with a neighbor escalates and results in death a blood feud with the victims family ensues.
The father flees into hiding and according to tradition the older males of the family become a target. Nik is now forced into self-managed home imprisonment. His younger brother and sister are also kept at home. His sister Rudina is sent out to maintain the bread run and the family income.
The impact the prolonged life threatening house-arrest of Nik is played out invoking fear, claustrophobia, and frustration contrasted with the growing courage and creativity of Rudina finding additional ways to supplement the family income.the ending is refreshing and believable.
A totally gripping and perfectly pitched emotionally engaging film.
The beauty of this film is that it is told exclusively through the eyes of the teenage son Nik and daughter Rudina. When their father Mark's animosity with a neighbor escalates and results in death a blood feud with the victims family ensues.
The father flees into hiding and according to tradition the older males of the family become a target. Nik is now forced into self-managed home imprisonment. His younger brother and sister are also kept at home. His sister Rudina is sent out to maintain the bread run and the family income.
The impact the prolonged life threatening house-arrest of Nik is played out invoking fear, claustrophobia, and frustration contrasted with the growing courage and creativity of Rudina finding additional ways to supplement the family income.the ending is refreshing and believable.
A totally gripping and perfectly pitched emotionally engaging film.
Sydney Film Festival Day 5: Tabloid
Errol Morris' documentaries extract stories from individuals and appear to leave the audience to judge. Of course, this is deceptive, as editing and graphics will influence your opinion.
The beauty of Tabloid is that truth in this case is unbelievably stranger than fiction. The Mormon kidnapping sex scandal of the sixties coupled with the clone my super dog story is mind-blowing in its perfect insanity.
Taking advantage of the lost, stolen and destroyed evidence the film is reduced to he-said, she-said and you are left to choose just what is the truth!
Entertaining for every minute Tabloid is a must see for documentary lovers.
The beauty of Tabloid is that truth in this case is unbelievably stranger than fiction. The Mormon kidnapping sex scandal of the sixties coupled with the clone my super dog story is mind-blowing in its perfect insanity.
Taking advantage of the lost, stolen and destroyed evidence the film is reduced to he-said, she-said and you are left to choose just what is the truth!
Entertaining for every minute Tabloid is a must see for documentary lovers.
Sydney Film Festival Day 5: The Target
A beautifully and elaborately constructed first hour introduces the key characters - a government resources minister, his wife and her tv host brother and their high tech, fast-paced entertainment and gambling hungry society.
The key characters seek out "The Target" a leftover experiment from the decay of the Soviet Union that produces a fountain of youth effect. The remainder of the film deals with the after effects - a descent into chaos, extremes and madness and for 2 hopefully an escape and a reunion in the future.
The film itself is visually stunning and the first hour provides much to enjoy, the remaining hour and a half is shambolic and confusing filled with homages to a range o film makers. At well over 2 hours the film is also uncomfortably long and could have benefited from a stronger focus and editing in the second half.
Definitely a film you would only see at the festival
The key characters seek out "The Target" a leftover experiment from the decay of the Soviet Union that produces a fountain of youth effect. The remainder of the film deals with the after effects - a descent into chaos, extremes and madness and for 2 hopefully an escape and a reunion in the future.
The film itself is visually stunning and the first hour provides much to enjoy, the remaining hour and a half is shambolic and confusing filled with homages to a range o film makers. At well over 2 hours the film is also uncomfortably long and could have benefited from a stronger focus and editing in the second half.
Definitely a film you would only see at the festival
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Sydney Film Festival Day 4: Even The Rain
A passionate film crew go to Bolivia to shoot a film about the Spanish invasion and colonisation of South America and the subsequent Indian uprising.
The locals are caught up in a struggle with an international corporate Water company about access to affordable water.
As beliefs and integrity are questioned the film and the film within a film gallop to their inevitable conclusion forcing the film- makers to work out what they would do in that situation.
Engaging and powerful!
The locals are caught up in a struggle with an international corporate Water company about access to affordable water.
As beliefs and integrity are questioned the film and the film within a film gallop to their inevitable conclusion forcing the film- makers to work out what they would do in that situation.
Engaging and powerful!
Sydney Film Festival Day 4: The Future
Another film with a split audience reaction.
A 30 something couple are set to adopt an injured cat and are given month before they have to return to the shelter to pick it up.
This event spurs them to realize they are almost at the end of their lives and are not doing what they really want if only they new what it was.
Told with whimsy and humour and interspersed with narrative blocks from Paw Paw ( the cat waiting to be collected). The film is a different twist on the angst of adulthood, responsibility and being a grown up.
I loved it but many didn't.
A 30 something couple are set to adopt an injured cat and are given month before they have to return to the shelter to pick it up.
This event spurs them to realize they are almost at the end of their lives and are not doing what they really want if only they new what it was.
Told with whimsy and humour and interspersed with narrative blocks from Paw Paw ( the cat waiting to be collected). The film is a different twist on the angst of adulthood, responsibility and being a grown up.
I loved it but many didn't.
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