(I won't be rating all the films, I don't think it's fair in some instances because they would be based on some very specific personal preferences that majorly differ from current opinions or I just didn't feel I was able to engage enough with the film at the time of watching.)
Honeymood ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: Following a fight in their honeymoon suite on the night of their wedding, a bride and groom embark on a surreal urban odyssey through the streets of Jerusalem.
I wrote a full review for this film, but on reading it back I realised that I was so blah about the film that it really wasn't useful. The very beginning of the film hits with some wonderful visuals and everything was framed perfectly, that was supported by an excellent use of colour. The idea of the story sounded great but the reality of it felt unsuccessfully unbelievable. That goes double for the random musical number... and I usually love a musical number. There's definitely something to this film, I thought about it several times in the days after watching it, but all in all it didn't come together for me.
Mogul Mowgli ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: A British Pakistani rapper is on the cusp of his first world tour, but is struck down by an illness that threatens to derail his big break.
Mogul Mowgli illustrates for me how quality cannot overtake personal choice when writing reviews. There are a lot of great things about this film, but some things just aren't for everyone. Riz Ahmed gives a very passionate performance, and the way he portrayed the illness was incredible. In fact, everything portrayed in this was a credit to those involved. But... I'm going to say it... aspect ratio. I hated it was a passion, and I couldn't really see any reason for the choice in this instance.
The Disciple
Synopsis: Chaitanya Tamhane's masterfully composed second feature examines a lifetime journey devoted to the art of Indian classical music.
The music in The Disciple was beautiful, but I found myself getting slightly confused about what was happening and ultimately that distraction meant I didn't get a lot out of it as a whole.
Stray ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: The world of Zeytin, a stray dog living life on the streets of Istanbul.
Stray was a very interesting journey, it was fascinating to see the filming successfully integrate into the life of a dog without being a focus of attention for it. It does however have a heavy secondary influence behind it.
Shadow Country ★★ ½ ☆☆
Synopsis: How to reconcile with killings committed by your own neighbours? How to face growing evil that nobody stands against? What can human will overcome and what is the value of humility and hope?
Beautifully filmed, but it was a very long slog to watch, not because it was boring but because it was a very serious subject matter and obviously a very dramatic film.
Siberia
Synopsis: An exploration into the language of dreams.
Dear. God. Did I miss the small print in the LFF press waffle that says every year will have a film where Willem Dafoe acts nuts? I absolutely did not see the point in this, but I did appreciate the conversation that came out of it...
Me: How far into it are you?
C: I'm at this part.
Me: It gets weirder, how many different naked women have you seen so far?
C: What?! Just one.
Me: I'm up to 4... wait, 5... damn it! 6... Christ, 7... wait, maybe that was the same one from earlier.
Farewell Amor ★★★ ½ ☆
Synopsis: Reunited after 17 years, an Angolan immigrant is joined in the U.S. by his wife and daughter. Now strangers sharing a one-bedroom apartment, they discover a shared love of dance that may help them overcome the distance between them.
I loved the way this film was put together, incredibly well thought out. The three storylines weave together in such a way that you don't have anything ruined for you, it gets revealed to you when you need it. That technique worked so well at keeping you interested in the characters. It's not entirely my sort of film, but it was still an enjoyable watch.
I Am Samuel ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: Filmed verite style over five years, I Am Samuel is an intimate portrait of a Kenyan man torn between balancing duty to his family with his dreams for his future.
I Am Samuel was an interesting and heartbreaking documentary that follows a couple's life together in Kenya. The reason that's heartbreaking? The couple are gay, and there are severe repercussions for living the life you truly want to. There are a lot of ups and downs throughout the film, as you'd expect, but I was surprised it wasn't a more emotional watch. I didn't find myself getting caught up in what should have been very tense moments, and I didn't find myself crying... which... it's me, I cried at a cartoon yesterday. So that caught me a little off-guard, but it's a very interesting subject matter.
180° Rule ★★☆☆☆
Synopsis: A school teacher from Tehran is preparing to attend a wedding in northern Iran. When her husband suddenly forbids her to go, she makes a choice that will place her on a painful path to atonement.
This story took a turn to a very unbelievable point, up until then I was following along quite happily and vaguely enjoying the watch. I can't explain that point without spoilers but even for fiction I found it too ridiculous. (I don't want to do any googling because I have no doubt I'd find a real-life story like this and I'd despair.) There is also a second storyline that appears, it had some hard-hitting points, but I didn't feel that it connected enough into the rest of the film. While there was the potential for a solid drama, I really felt that the way they took it after the event lost my interest quite quickly.
Mangrove
Synopsis: Mangrove tells this true story of The Mangrove Nine, who clashed with London police in 1970. The trial that followed was the first judicial acknowledgment of behavior motivated by racial hatred within the Metropolitan Police.
There's an important story in Mangrove, and yet another one that I didn't know about. (As a side note, this would pair well with Ultraviolence from week two, but I'll save my thoughts on that for post two.) Mangrove also has an impressive selection of actors that do a great job in their roles. I do however have a big issue with this film, and that's that it doesn't feel like a film, it feels like a BBC film. There's a very evident style and that doesn't always work for me. It also has one of my pet peeves, it didn't convey time well. I did learn a lot from the film, but I would have been more interested in a documentary or researching the subject (which I did afterwards).
Kajillionaire
Synopsis: A woman's life is turned upside down when her criminal parents invite an outsider to join them on a major heist they're planning.
I'm sure this won't be a popular opinion but I really didn't like this film at all. The style, the way the characters were portrayed... though I will be excluding Gina Rodriguez from all of that. If I read this script without preconceptions, I can see there easily being a way I would have enjoyed this, but what I watched was not it.
Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets ★☆☆☆☆
Synopsis: A look at the final moments of a Las Vegas dive bar called 'The Roaring 20s'.
A dramatised documentary... it's a no from me. I saw little point to this tale, if you've worked in certain types of pubs then you've encountered a lot of this stuff... and that's more than enough of that.
Shirley ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: A famous horror writer finds inspiration for her next book after she and her husband take in a young couple.
The first thing I will say about this is that I was really happy to see Elisabeth Moss playing a role that didn't feel like every other role I've seen her do. She's my Brad Pitt of actresses. (Don't come for me over this statement!) I don't know a lot about Shirley Jackson but I would be interested to know where the line between truth and fiction lies with this film. There were definite moments I enjoyed about Shirley, but I spent a lot of time wondering where that line between true and entertainment was, and because of that I found myself frowning at various things that occurred.
Never Gonna Snow Again ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: Zhenia, a Russian-speaking immigrant from the East works as a masseur in Poland and becomes a guru-like figure in a wealthy gated community where his clients live.
This was a very odd film. I could leave the mini-review at that I guess... Was it drama... could it have potentially been sci-fi... I quite liked the mystery there. It was an interesting twist on the idyllic town setting and the mysterious stranger. And it was bizarrely compelling (Who am I kidding? Nosy, I got to be nosy.) but at the end of it I didn't feel like I was feeling anything massively new.
Time
Synopsis: Fox Rich fights for the release of her husband, Rob, who is serving a 60-year sentence in prison.
This was an interesting story, but I didn't find it very engaging. I felt there were aspects of the story missing that would have added to what was already in place and without that there were still unanswered questions.
The Reason I Jump ★★★★★
Synopsis: Based on the book by Naoki Higashida this immersive film explores the experiences of nonspeaking autistic people around the world.
This was an extraordinary exploration of autism around the world and the perception of it within communities. I don't think I've ever seen an account of autism from this angle before, and it was eye-opening. Like many, I probably have what can only be considered as a passing knowledge, so I learned a lot of things from watching The Reason I Jump. Well constructed and thoughtfully produced, I honestly think this should be something that everyone watches.
One Night In Miami
Synopsis: One Night in Miami is a fictional account of one incredible night where icons Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown gathered discussing their roles in the civil rights movement and cultural upheaval of the 60s.
This film is filled to the brim with talent, not just the four leading actors but the supporting cast as well. Seeing them tackle such well-known icons was definitely a treat, I would think there's a significant portion of the world who will know all of these gentlemen for their historical and cultural impact, and that makes the performances that much more interesting. Even with all of that I didn't find myself engaged, and I think that's because it was very contained... a lot of the film is in a single point in time and in one location, and I can see how that would work for the stage (as it was originally designed) but the film kept that format, and sadly for me that didn't work.
Wildfire
Synopsis: The story of two sisters who grew up on the fractious Irish border. When one of them, who has been missing, finally returns home, the intense bond with her sister is re-ignited. Together they unearth their mother's past but uncovered secrets and resentments which have been buried deep, threaten to overwhelm them.
Some films I really don't connect with, and while I wasn't uninterested in this one, it definitely wasn't one I would choose to watch. (Let's discount the fact that if my Cineworld was open, and it was showing, I would go... because that's a whole other ball game.) For me, there wasn't enough story on show, but there's definitely an audience for it out there.
Genus Pan
Synopsis: A look at how much human beings are like animals.
At some point while watching this I completely lost track of what was going on. What I was very aware of was the number of extended shots where we see the characters walking somewhere, or just sitting after some dialogue... The film was 2 hours and 30 minutes long, had you cut out what felt like unnecessary pieces of those shots it could probably have come in at around 1 hour 45.
The Intruder ★★ ½ ☆☆
Synopsis: The story of Inés, a young woman who after a traumatic episode during a trip with her partner begins to confuse herself between the real and the imaginary.
This film... Had you asked me during the first 90% of the film whether I was enjoying it I would have probably shrugged and said it was fine. That last 10% was where all the real thrill of this thriller was hiding. I love how they ended it, I just wish that what came before that had a little more of that spark.
Some of my main reviews are already live, check out Herself, Wolfwalkers and Soul by following the links. Other reviews coming soon: The Painter & The Thief, Relic, Supernova, and Another Round, as well as (hopefully) some more gems from week two.
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