Oslo Trilogy

Right, so that’s the Cannes Film Festival over and done with for another year. Not that I’ve been, mind you, but thankfully such events always yield a flurry of movie reviews on Youtube, and I gladly devour all of those to make up my own mind. One of my favourites reviewers is ‘Like Stories of Old’. He always manages to review films that have a certain dreaminess and sensitivity that I like very much.

So I was watching his Cannes review and made notes of all the films he enjoyed seeing when there, among which was Sentimental Value, the latest film by Norwegian director Joachim Trier. The reviewer Tom van der Linden (I believe he is a fellow Dutchman but that’s beside the point) then said that The Worst Person in the World, also by Trier, was one of his favourite films of all time.

Naturally I had to see this film, so I did and am blown away by it. It’s such a beautiful portrait of a young woman finding her way in the world, trying to find her way in life. Beautifully played by Renate Reinsve, especially in her scenes with Anders Danielsen Lee. Beautiful cinematography, especially that sunrise scene somewhere near the end. The film takes it time, it’s over two hours long, so too long for our film nights unfortunately, but it’s gripping so you just settle in and enjoy the slower pace. It makes you contemplate your own path in life, the decisions we made when we were younger, the wrong ones, the right ones, most of them necessary to end up where we are now.

Does that make us the worst person in the world? Or is it just part of life? An absolutely amazing film.

And on top of that I’ve since found out that it is the final part of what is now known as Trier’s Oslo Trilogy. They’re all stand-alone films, so you don’t need to see them all together, but I now most certainly will and I hope to start soon with the first one, Reprise, to be followed by Oslo August 31st.

So watch this space!

Adrian

Hard watch

I’ve just joined Mubi (and can heartily recommend it!) which is why I’m now able to try and see so many films that I would never have thought of seeing before. So when we just had that wonderful Irish film with Barry Keoghan in (The Banshees of Inisherin), I thought I’d watch some more films he acts in. So I saw Bring Them Down the other day. And I must say, it was a hard watch.

I read somewhere that the film depicts paternalism, heritage and generational trauma cycles in Ireland. And boy, did it deliver. Gritty, rather violent, though just about watchable, it is classed as a revenge film, which would normally not be something I’d like to watch. But it was beautifully shot and most graphic stuff sort of happens out of sight, so the film kept me intrigued and I managed to finish it without looking away.

There’s not really that much of a story, and there’s not really that much of dialogue, but the emotional tension is palpable and you sort of get why people are struggling they way they are. And that is definitely the strong point of this film.

Which is why I think you may have a go, if you’re stomach is up for it, because it may be more rewarding than you would at first expect. The whole feel of the film surely stayed with me for a couple of days, which is another strong point.

So yes, I think I’ve got to give it a 4 out of 5 after all.

Adrian

Book of the Dead

Well, what to say about this film? Supposedly about Tokyo’s underbelly, and described as a techno trip, it is really a film about the Tibetan Book of the Dead. It’s a film that left me with many conflicting thoughts.

Yes, it’s highly original. Yes, most of it is a feast for the eyes. Yes, the story works fine although it is rather predictable, because the complete story line is divulged within the first ten minutes or so. But it’s so long, and the middle bit just goes on and on and is very repetitive and that spoils the movie big time, for me anyway.

In fact, it was so long and drawn out that I didn’t manage to see it in one go, and although I couldn’t really be bothered to see the final half hour of it on my second day of viewing, I’m glad I still plucked up enough courage to do so, because the final ten minutes or so sort of redeemed the whole experience.

I’m not really selling it, am I?! Halfway through I was certain I was going to reward it only 2 stars, but having seen the whole thing now, I’ll be less harsh and give it a 3 out of 5. If you like originality, and you’re open to a new, wild and colourful experience, then do see this film. Just make sure you’ve got enough drinks and snacks and whatever to get you through the middle part.

Adrian

Nacho cheese

It sounds rather cheesy: white man teaches kids in black neighbourhood and his idealism doesn’t get him anywhere until he manages to help this one kid. But the great thing about this film is that it isn’t cheesy. For one, the film doesn’t ram the message home. In fact it is not really clear who is helping who in the end, or if there is any help at all. There’s no happy ending, just a glimmer of hope, maybe. On top of that, our “white hero” isn’t much of a hero really, rather a fully doped-up bum who hardly knows what he’s doing even though he does try every now and then. But that makes the film so great to watch. You’re still rooting for him but there’s never any sentimentality.

And all that brought to the screen by Ryan Gosling, the current superstar who can’t seem to put a foot wrong and is in each and every film. To be honest, he’s probably become a bit too Hollywoody, what with his Barbie shenanigans and other entertainment productions. But this film is nearly 20 years old now and so we see a much younger Gosling who’s still invested in “proper” film making.

Definitely a 4 out of 5 from me and one that I would recommend.

Adrian

Dream on.

Who is the better man?  The scoundrel who is hanged because he is a petty thief or the revered warlord who killed his father, deposed his son and led many of his men to their death, just to be able to hang on to his position of power?  That question is asked within a couple of minutes and it sort of sums up the main theme of the film beautifully.  But it gets more complicated when the petty thief has to act as the double for the dying warlord.

This interesting conflict of personalities, of integrity versus loyalty, was why I was glued to the screen for the duration of Kurosawa’s Kagemusha (The Shadow Warrior).  But it’s not just the story or the themes that are on display, Akira Kurosawa is known for creating visual splendours and Kagemusha is a marvellous example of that.  The impression of movement and near-chaos suggested by his trademark zigzagging of warriors, his use of colour culminating in a fantastical nightmare sequence, it’s all a feast for the eyes.  No wonder this film is often included when discussing the greats of cinema.

Definitely a 5 out of 5 from me, and one which I would love to have in my own library.

Adrian

Is it?

It is always an adventure to watch a Michael Haneke film. I must admit that the experience is not always a good one for me. There are quite a few films of his that I can’t stomach, that I find too violent. I know his philosophy (as I understand it) is to make us the audience think about why we watch that sort of violence when nobody’s forcing us, but sometimes it feels as if the point gets rammed home too much, as if it is actually Haneke himself who’s unhealthily obsessed with violence. That sort of leaves the ‘make the audience aware of their own motives’ philosophy with a bitter and unpleasant aftertaste.

But the thing is that Haneke has also made some truly beautiful films. Still a hard watch and very uncomfortable, but with a layering of emotions and empathy with the characters that they leave a lasting impression. For me, The Piano Teacher is one of those, as is Amour.

So yes, nobody’s forced me to watch yet another Haneke film, but curiosity made me see Happy End the other day. Sometimes referred to as Haneke’s Greatest Hits, and it is true that this film references some of his other films or repeats ways of bringing home a point. There’s a lot happening and many a character’s story to follow. There’s the now almost obligatory subject of France not dealing with its colonial past, which seems a little passé, and furthermore I would say that the apathy of the younger generation is a main theme. Rightly so, maybe, but it does not really make for an intense film.

Isabelle Huppert is in it, but she does not shine and never becomes her character, rather just remains Isabelle Huppert the actress. Jean-Louis Trintignant is in it and he is marvellous. Amazing! I could watch any film he is in, no matter for how short a period. That’s over 140 though, so maybe don’t hold me to that statement!

All in all the film plods along a bit and only at the very end does it become interesting when two stories come together to form a (happy?) end. It saves the whole film, to be honest, and makes it worthwhile to see the film again at some stage. Which I undoubtedly will. So I gave this film a 3 out of 5 initially but upon reflection and after the passage of time I think it is worth a 4 out of 5.

Adrian