10. THE ROOM NEXT DOOR
Spanish director Pedro
Almodovar has been, in my opinion, the most consistent director
working in cinema over the past thirty years, in terms of quality.
The man has not made a bad film during that time, and while it is
obviously true that some of his features are more successful than
others, there is not one film that I can point at and say that it is
poor. Even the critical bomb that was 2013's “I'm So Excited!”,
I found hilarious and a lovely nod to the cinema Almodovar himself
made back in the 1980's. For his latest film, “The Room Next
Door”, Almodovar has given himself a new challenge as this is his
first feature that has been shot in English. Despite this change in
language, I am happy to say that this is an Almodovar film through
and through. It looks like an Almodovar film, it sounds like an
Almodovar film, it moves like an Almodovar film, and once again, it
is a story about women. “The Room Next Door” is about Ingrid and
Martha, who used to be quite close when they worked together at a
magazine, who reconnect and resume their friendship later in life
when Martha confides in Ingrid that she has cancer. Sick of all the
treatments, chemotherapy and radiation, Martha has had enough and
asks Ingrid for the ultimate gift of their friendship; that she would
help her to die. Ingrid is initially horrified, but Martha explains
that through her connections (she is a war reporter) she has been
able to obtain a euthanasia pill that will extinguish her life once
she takes it. All she wants Ingrid to do, is be in the room next
door when she does it, although she doesn't want to set a
predetermined date to do it; she will know when the time is right.
Until that time, the two of them will rent out a luxury villa,
reconnecting and enjoying their last moments together. After
deliberating briefly, Ingrid agrees, but is not entirely ready for
what this commitment actually means. It is funny just how many
directors make a movie about death as its theme, late in their
careers, and I guess this is Pedro Almodovar's take on that. The
most amazing thing about “The Room Next Door” is that because of
the topic, you think that the film is going to be dark, heavy and
sombre, but it is nothing of the sort. It is surprisingly uplifting
and life affirming, as Martha really focuses on just how beautiful
the simple things in life really are, and just how important a close
friendship can be. As good as Tilda Swinton is as Martha, I was most
impressed with Julianne Moore's performance as Ingrid and the way she
treats Martha and her illness. She isn't overbearingly concerned
constantly looking sad and saying “you poor thing, are you okay?”.
She is always upbeat and positive, while being respectful of
Martha's wish to die. She briefly tries to talk her out of it, but
once she understands that her mind is made up, all Ingrid wants to do
is make her final weeks to be as pleasurable as possible. Almodovar
doesn't sugar coat the cancer though, and there are some tough scenes
relating to it, particularly early on when Martha is in hospital, but
for the most part this is a story told from a positive perspective.
It is also, at times, very funny because being in a house with the
same person for an extended period, you can get on each other's
nerves, and this is shown amusingly. Like all of Pedro Almodovar's
films, “The Room Next Door” has been beautifully put together,
with his use of colour once again front and centre, although for this
film he has used a new cinematographer, Eduard Grau, who has no
problem at creating the “Almodovar” look. It is such a wonderful
looking film, with some lovely visual moments throughout, like for
instance the scene when it snows pink snow. Once again, Alberto
Iglesias returns to create the score for the film, and as usual it is
glorious, with the music toeing the line between sadness and
happiness, which compliments the film perfectly. I did have a little
issue with the flashback scenes in the film, as I felt they weren't
really needed, but my biggest issue with “The Room Next Door” was
a casting decision late in the film, which made me roll my eyes, only
because it has been done to death by now. It is a minor thing to
dislike in this very good film, which let me also mention, would've
been on my most anticipated films of 2024 if I thought Almodovar had
the time to finish it before year's end. Sometimes I forget just how
quickly he can put together a film, because it was done and ready to
premiere at Venice back in August, where it won the Golden Lion for
“Best Film” at the film festival. “The Room Next Door” is
yet another success for this brilliant director and continues his run
of amazing films.
9. GOOD ONE
Oh my god, do I love this
movie!! It is such a simple, tiny story, but it left such a huge
mark on me after I saw it at MIFF. Well after my screening of it, I
just kept thinking about “Good One”, little moments from the
film, small snippets of dialogue, and just how great the film was in
general. The film never left me, and when I was finally able to
re-visit it a few months later, I was impressed by it all over again,
to the point that I liked it even more. As I said, “Good One” is
such a tiny movie, basically comprising of only three characters
hiking through the Catskills over the course of a weekend, but all
the characters have been fully developed and are well-rounded, and
totally believable. You believe both the things they say and the
connections they have with one another. These are people with a
history together, and it comes across beautifully throughout the
movie. It proves
that you do not need much to make a great movie. Interesting
characters treated realistically and honest, natural dialogue, a
stunning location and just a smattering of drama, that is all you
need. Whilst I have seen “Good One” described as a coming of age
film, it is also about fathers and their connections to their
children, while coming to terms with the mistakes they have made in
their own lives (which ultimately affect their children's lives too).
This is done via three characters; Sam, a seventeen-year-old girl
camping with her father Chris, who are joined by Chris's best friend
Matt, a recently divorced man who has a combative relationship with
his own teenage son, who was originally meant to go on this trip but
bailed at the last second after a fight with his father. What I
loved most about “Good One” were the conversations between these
three characters which felt casual and very real, particularly of
people who have known each other for a long time. They talk about
real tangible things like their fears, their kids, all the mistakes
they have made in their lives, their future and then other times they
just hang shit on one another like good friends do. Even when one may
be pouring their heart out, someone might then make a joke in poor
taste about what they are talking about due to their shared history,
and yet it is not offensive. The relationship between Sam and her
father is just beautiful and for me, is the heart of the film. Having
a seventeen-year-old daughter myself, their connection really
resonated with me and touched my heart.
The character of Sam
gives “Good One” it's soul and she has been played by a
stunningly good Lily Collias. She is amazing but so natural in her
role; you believe her every moment. She plays Sam with a fun energy,
light, sensitive and open to others, always up for frivolity. When
the third act arrives and tensions arise, Collias does an excellent
job of portraying the hurt and betrayal that she feels, so your heart
pours out for her.
For mine, Collias gives the best female performance I saw in 2024,
she is that good. As
I was watching “Good One”, thoroughly engaged in the involving
conversations between the three characters, I remember consciously
thinking “this is great! You do not need drama in a film to make it
good, you just need great characters.” As such, I was thrown for a
bit of a loop and unprepared for the third act when tensions arise
and relationships change, all due to one stupid mistake. A mistake
so obvious that the perpetrator knows immediately that they have
messed everything up in this instant. The scene is actually heart
breaking and my cinema let out a collective “oh no!!!!” when it
happened because we loved these characters so much. The drama is then
amplified when the others do not take ownership of their mistake or
acknowledge the hurt and pain caused by another. It totally changes
the dynamics of the film, and the group, and the final third of “Good
One” is both tense and painful. I have only positive things to say
about this film, so I guess it is safe to announce that “Good One”
is, ahem, a good one (sorry). Click here to read my original review.
The only good thing
about “Joker: Folie a Deux” flopping as badly as it did (and I
seriously mean the “only” good thing), was that it made people
forget just how poorly “Furiosa” also did at the box-office. A
failure, mind you, that I just cannot wrap my head around, because
this is another exceptional film from George Miller who expands the
myths and legends of his Mad Max world in this fifth instalment of
the series. The only thing that I can think of for the failure of
“Furiosa” is that it is a tough act to follow “Mad Max: Fury
Road”, but seriously, Miller does a bloody good job of getting
close to it. The action scenes in this film are just insane, as
George Miller continues to show that he is the king of kinetic
cinema. I know some people bemoan the fact that he used more CGI in
“Furiosa” than in “Fury Road” to achieve these scenes, but
stunt-people would've been killed trying some of the insane things
that happen and are tried in “Furiosa”. What has been done for
real is simply breathtaking and awe inspiring. No one today is
making action cinema anywhere close to what the past two Mad Max
films have given us! Speaking of Max, I love the fact that Miller
gives him a tiny cameo in this film too. But the title character
here is Furiosa, with the film working as a prequel, giving as the
backstory on how she became the kick-arse warrior we know and love
from “Fury Road”. Anya Taylor-Joy fills the role of Furiosa this
time around, but this is a much different version of the character
than the one Charlize Theron played in the previous film. Taylor-Joy
is excellent in the role, showing all of her character's
vulnerabilities and dreams, before she is forced to abandon them all
and become the woman we all know her to be. She also does a
fantastic job in all of the action scenes she is a part of, making us
fully believe she is capable of becoming a total bad-ass. The
biggest surprise of the film though is Chris Hemsworth who plays the
evil Dementus, and has the time of his life doing so. It is amazing
to think that just with a prosthetic nose, I found him totally
unrecognisable. When the trailers started to come out and his name
was mentioned in the cast, I couldn't work out who he was, and then
it hit me, he was the bad guy. He is so, so good in this, and like I
just said, it looks like he is having so much fun in the role. The
other person who I loved in the film (which surprised me, because he
is an actor who I usually dislike) is Tom Burke who plays Praetorian
Jack, who is almost like a Mad Max cipher for this film.
Cinematographer John Seale did not return to shoot “Furiosa”, but
Simon Duggan does an exceptional job filling in and continuing the
uniformed look to this world, convincing us that both films
(“Furiosa” and “Fury Road”) exist in the same universe. As
usual, George Miller has outdone himself with all of the strange and
wonderful vehicles he has come up with, not to mention the odd
methods of attack. It is all crazy and brilliant stuff that makes
this world so exciting to revisit. My only hope is that the failure
of “Furiosa” does not mean that we will no longer get George
Miller's final Mad Max film “The Wasteland”, which is already
written. Sadly, though, I think it is unlikely that we will see that
film anymore, but if that is the case, George Miller can hold his
head high knowing he ended the series with a more than worthy (if a
little long) effort.
Bertrand Bonello's
“The Beast” is a sumptuous cinematic delight that is big in
ambition, grand in scale and just oozes style. The film is set in
2044 where artificial intelligence has taken over the running of the
world, and due to humanity's emotional response to things, they deem
us unfit for work except for the most menial jobs. However, there is
a process a human can take where they can “purify their DNA” by
revisiting past lives and attempting to remove the emotional response
to traumas that happen in those lives, essentially neutering the
person and making them more AI like. After resisting the idea for so
long, Gabrielle finally decides to go through with purification. She
is placed in a shallow bath, filled with thick black liquid, before
she is injected with something that begins the process. From here we
are witness to two of her timelines, one set in 1910, the other in
2014, while we occasionally return to 2044 as she deals with the
after-effects of her treatment. Through all three timelines, she
meets up with a man named Louis; what is their connection and are
they meant to be together, like soul mates? Wow! What a movie!
There is so much in this film that it is an exhilarating watch. At
the start it is a little hard to get your head around just what the
hell is going on, but when we go back to 1910 for the first of
Gabrielle's past lives things begin to make sense as we start to
notice patterns, recurring events and dialogue, similar people,
objects and warnings in each time line. And pigeons. I absolutely
fell in love with the scenes set in 1910 thanks to the stunning
production design which appears no money was spared to recreate. The
doll factory that Gabrielle's husband owns and runs is both beautiful
and creepy in equal measure, as we are shown in detail how these hand
crafted dolls are made. It also begins a doll theme within the film
that pops up in the other time lines. The thing that surprised me
the most about this section though was the fact that Paris actually
flooded for real back in 1910, something I had no idea about until
this movie. Bonello gives us a romanticised version of this
flooding, I am sure, giving Paris the feel of Venice, which adds to
the romantic atmosphere of this section of the film. Most of the
1910 sequence happens at a party where an artist is exhibiting their
work. Gabrielle is there with her husband, but the two are rarely
together. It isn't long until Gabrielle encounters Louis, an
American in Paris, who claims the two have met before. There is an
instant attraction between the two of them, but with Gabrielle
already married, does she dare take a chance on this new love? Just
as you are fully enthralled in the 1910 segment, it ends very
suddenly, and we are thrust into the next past life of Gabrielle. It
is a little jarring at first, but I think this is to give us an
indication of how it must feel to Gabrielle herself. The style of
this section is completely different (including a different aspect
ratio), but no less great. In this section Gabrielle, who is a
struggling actress in this life, is house sitting this immaculate
mansion in Hollywood when she comes to the attention of Louis, an
incel psychopath who regularly spouts his boyfriend credentials on
his YouTube account while explaining to his followers that he
“deserves women”, and has had enough of being single and a
virgin, and was going to do something about it. Both George MacKay
and Lea Seydoux are sensational in “The Beast” playing a number
of variations of their characters and excelling with all of them.
For mine, this is Seydoux's best performance yet, she is phenomenal
throughout. It is such a complex role(s) too, but man, is she good.
George MacKay also impresses by being seductive, suave and romantic
in the 1910 section, also impressing with his French speaking
abilities (which he learnt specifically for this role), while being
both terrifying and pathetic as Louis Lewanski in the 2014 parts. He
is actually really funny in this section particularly because of how
pitiful he comes across.......until he becomes scary. I haven't
mentioned much about the 2044 section because it has the least amount
of screen time but does lead to a very effective finale, which I do
not want to ruin. “The Beast” is such a fantastic film and while
it's two and a half hour running time may intimidate some viewers, it
is well worth the watch, as this is a brilliant genre-hopping film,
moving between period drama, sci-fi, horror, and psychological
thriller.
Jane Schoenbrun's “I
Saw The TV Glow” was a film that took awhile to get it's claws into
me. After my first viewing of it, which I enjoyed but wasn't sure I
fully understood everything that was going on, it never really left
my mind. Images kept replaying in my psyche to the point that I was
drawn back to the film for a re-watch.......where this time around I
understood a whole lot more, and just fell in love with the film
wholeheartedly. Suddenly the trans reading of the film stood out in
bright flashing colours, as did the understanding of how painful it
must feel to be trapped in the wrong body most of your life, as well
as how freeing it has to be when you realise this and begin your
journey towards transition. This second viewing was such a powerful
experience, that it shook me and excited me that cinema could do this
to me. The film is about two teenage friends, Maddy and Owen,
bonding over a sci-fi/horror television show called “The Pink
Opaque”, which is a Buffy-like show that sees two characters, Tara
and Isabel, take on a “monster of the week” each episode to save
their town. Both Maddy and Owen obsess about the show, and think it
is the greatest show ever made, regularly coming together every
Friday night to experience it with one another. However, one day
Maddy disappears, and within the same week, “The Pink Opaque” is
cancelled. Owen's world is changed forever, as he attempts to move
on with his life without his best friend or his favourite television
show. Many years later, a chance encounter sees Maddy and Owen
re-connect, where Maddy tries to explain that the world he lives in
is not real, and that reality is actually The Pink Opaque, and that
their true identities are Tara and Isabel. What Maddy is saying is
madness, but is there any chance what she is saying could be true??
I actually find it really hard to explain why I love this movie so
much as I am also not sure if I truly “get” everything in the
film, but it has the most wonderful atmosphere to it all that I am
just drawn too. It is mysterious, funny, creepy at times, and there
is also a sense of nostalgia in their love for a “Buffy the Vampire
Slayer” type show, because I was a massive fan of that show in the
90's too. There is a wonderful moment late in “I Saw The TV Glow”
when Owen (now in his 40's) explains that he has started re-watching
“The Pink Opaque” once more, and it isn't how he remembers it; it
isn't as cool or edgy, but in fact rather pathetic. I mention this
because this is the exact reason why I haven't re-watched “Buffy”,
as I fear this may happen and destroy my memory of it all. “I Saw
The TV Glow” has been gloriously shot on 35mm film and you should
see the way the colours pop in this movie. The chalk on the road,
that green Mr Whippy truck, the creepy clowns, the colours coming out
of the television, it all looks amazing. The performances from
Brigette Lundy-Paine and Justice Smith, as Maddy and Owen
respectively, are rather unusual if I am to be honest, but work
within the world of this film. I was particularly confused by
Smith's performance during my first viewing, but my opinion totally
reversed on my second, and thought he was quite impressive,
particularly late in the film. Speaking of that, there is a moment
near the end of “I Saw The TV Glow” that is both shocking and
painful (in an emotional sense) that takes place during a birthday
party that is one of the highlights of the film. I am not sure “I
Saw The TV Glow” will be everyone's cup of tea, but for those that
connect with it, it is a hell of a ride, that has a lot to say, and
more importantly makes the viewer feel. It is quite the achievement.
My
vote for the flat-out most entertaining movie of 2024 is Coralie
Fargeat's “The Substance” which explodes on the screen, grabs you
hard and then doesn't let go until the final credits roll. It
is loud, bombastic, in your face, offensive, graphic, bloody and
very, very entertaining. The film is essentially about the extreme
lengths women go (and where men expect them to go), all in the name
of looking young and beautiful, but by the end of it, it morphs into
a bloody and violent body horror monstrosity that knows no extremes.
It is totally unhinged and all the better for it. It is the kind of
film David Cronenberg used to make in his prime, although lacking the
subtlety of that master director. I was absolutely bowled over with
just how great Demi Moore was in “The Substance”, especially
since she is an actress I have never been overly impressed with in
the past. She has to go to a number of very vulnerable places during
the film, with her rarely given a chance to look “good”, not to
mention the regular and extended nude scenes that she must perform.
She is so brave and such a good sport, and I honestly cannot remember
her being better (or more unhinged). The character of Elisabeth
Sparkle is an intense one, a former star now fading doing anything in
her power to stay relevant and to keep the spotlight shining on her,
to which she goes to a very extreme length to succeed. “The
Substance” works best knowing as little as possible going into it,
but it is safe to say that Elisabeth tries an experimental drug that
“unlocks her DNA” giving her the ability to birth a new and
better version of herself; young, beautiful and talented to the max.
Of course there are rules, with the first being that each version
only gets seven days in control (whilst the other sits unconscious
and naked on the bathroom floor) before they have to switch and let
the other take over for the same period of time, whilst the most
important rule to remember is that they are ONE; there is no me and
her. Soon enough, a power struggle inevitably begins between them
both, the rules are forgotten and thus consequences of breaking those
rules must be faced.....and those consequences are insane!! Margaret
Qualley plays Sue, the younger, hotter variant of Elisabeth, and
while she is good, I feel she has less to work with in the role
compared to Moore's Elisabeth as she is the eye candy of the film;
she pretty much just has to look sexy and smile......at least
initially. When Sue determines that she deserves to be in control for
more than the seven days, it is scary the lengths she will go to to
succeed in her goal (which should come as no surprise, because she is
one with Elisabeth who has the same extreme tenacity). I was not
prepared for just how full on “The Substance” was going to be or
just how far Coralie Fargeat would go with her idea. No one can say
that she did not have the balls to take her idea to it's zenith.
Fargeat is not what you would call a subtle director. She uses
sledge hammer techniques (loud music, extreme images, large onscreen
text), but as I intimated earlier, it works really well in “The
Substance” because after coming up with such an insane idea, to
then pussy foot around it ending up with a watered down product,
would have been entirely pointless. The practical effects are
brilliant when the body horror elements begin to take over the film.
You are given an early litmus test during the birth of Sue, who
arrives out of the spine and back of Elisabeth who then needs to be
immediately sewn back together (by Sue) before she bleeds to death.
The effects are gooey, gory and impressive......and this is nothing
compared to what is to come later in the film. If you find yourself
squeamish during this sequence, all I can say is good luck for the
rest of the film. The violence within “The Substance” is very
full on, and alternates between “fun, horror” violence to an
incredibly graphic and disturbing beating that has to be seen to be
believed. Amazingly “The Substance” is also very funny at times
too. I must admit that I do have a problem with the final fifteen
minutes of “The Substance” as I think Fargeat ends up going too
far with her story and idea, to the point that it turns camp and
almost ruins everything that has come before it.......almost. Before
that final sequence though, “The Substance” is absolutely
brilliant, and the most entertaining film I saw in a cinema all year
long. It is so damned entertaining, the audience at my sold out MIFF
session of the film lapped up every minute of it! Click here to read my original review.
Arguably
the most poorly reviewed film of 2024, which I also consider the most
misunderstood film of 2024, Todd Phillips' “Joker: Folie a Deux”
enters my best-of list at number 4, which I say very UN-ironically.
This is a brilliant, brilliant film, and yes, I think it is actually
better than the original 2019 “Joker”. I have already spoken
about the film in my “most underrated” section of this list, but
something that I failed to mention was just how great the use of
colour is in the film. When the movie begins (after the animated
sequence), the colour is totally drained from the picture, to the
point that it almost looks like a black and white film. The jail
where Arthur is imprisoned looks like a very cold and dreary place.
There is no life left within Arthur himself also, who at this moment
in the film looks something like a walking corpse. It isn't until he
first meets Lee, that the colour slowly comes into the picture, and
he finally sees some hope, and hears the music within himself once
more. This is shown via the scene immediately after seeing Lee, when
he is taken outdoors, across the courtyard to the room to meet his
lawyer. It is bucketing down with rain, and all the guards have
black umbrellas to protect themselves, but what Arthur sees is
umbrellas made of bright colours, the first instance of him finding
himself and coming back to life once more. From this moment on,
colour becomes more and more integrated into the film, until Lee and
Arthur finally become one, and the colour explodes into old school
Hollywood musical numbers. It is really well thought out and
achieved. In my “most underrated” section, I also mention how
this continuation of Arthur Fleck's story really is the most natural
progression and just feels right. To now go right to the other end
of the film, I also want to briefly talk about the ending of “Joker:
Folie a Deux” which again, I think is perfect. It totally feels
like this is the only ending possible to this story and everything
has been leading up to this one moment. I know a lot of people
really hate the ending (well, they hate the whole film, let's face
it), but to me it just felt right. I also got a real kick out of
what is happening in the background to this scene, which just adds a
whole other layer to it, which again works perfectly. I understand
that audiences were expecting a completely different film to the one
they got with “Joker: Folie a Deux”, and that they wanted
something similar to the murder and mayhem of the first film, but I
am shocked that people cannot look past the disappointment of their
expectations to see just how great the film in front of them really
is. This is why I believe “Joker: Folie a Deux” will age like
fine wine, and that in twenty years time, people will re-evaluate it,
without the heaviness of expectation weighing it down, and realise
how well made and brilliant the film actually is. As you should be
able to tell, I am a massive fan of “Joker: Folie a Deux”. Click
here to read my “most underrated” film of 2024 where I talk more
about “Joker: Folie a Deux”.
Rose
Glass's sophomore effort “Love Lies Bleeding” is a superior
neo-noir, filled with lesbian love, female body-building, wild
hair-cuts and a cool 80's aesthetic. It is also a ton of fun! The
film is about a female body builder named Jackie, who is attempting
to make her way to Vegas to compete in a tournament that she feels
can change her life if she wins. On her way there, she stops in at a
small gym in the middle of the desert to get some extra training in,
where she meets Lou, and the two are instantly attracted to one
another. After flirty conversations quickly turn to sexual lust, the
two girls end up in bed, and then plan on escaping to Vegas together.
However, a sudden act of violence changes the girl's plans and
future forever, as they must stay one step ahead of the cops,
gangsters on their tail, and the scariest man on earth, Lou's father.
I have watched “Love Lies Bleeding” three times now, and each
time I put it on, it just entertains me to the fullest! Right at the
centre of the film is the love affair between Lou and Jackie, which
is one of the most toxic relationships seen onscreen in 2024, but you
just want them to be together. You know that they are not good for
one another, and that when they are together, bad things happen, but
their love is so true, that you want them to succeed and be one.
Kristen Stewart kills it as Lou, this tomboy gym manager, but it
really is Katy O'Brien's film, as she transforms herself into this
beast (sometimes literally), with muscles popping everywhere, steely
focused, which sometimes works against her, as she does not think of
the possible consequences. Dave Franco shows up as Lou's sleazy
brother-in-law, who has a bad habit of beating up Lou's sister, while
Ed Harris is terrifying as Lou's gun smuggling father, complete with
ridiculous mullet hairstyle. Everyone is just excellent in their
roles, creating a dangerous world where you cannot trust anyone,
especially family, where death could be around any corner. As you
may expect from a story like this, violence plays a big part of the
story, and director Rose Glass is not afraid of showing a bit of
blood and gore. What she refuses to do though is to hold on it, and
glorify it. The violence in “Love Lies Bleeding” is brutal,
very, very graphic, but also very quick. It is usually over before
you comprehend what has just happened. You feel the pain, and
consequence from each violent act. The gore effects have been
brilliantly done though, because they look so real, which makes you
turn away in disgust. What I found interesting about the film is the
more it goes along, the style changes from hyper real, to something
of a fever dream, as some very surreal moments happen towards the end
of the film that I am sure will be more than a little controversial
for some viewers. Personally I loved the fact that Rose Glass was
not willing to go down the usual road, and took a chance with her
film to be a little different. Whether or not she fully succeeds is
up to each individual to decide, but I thought she did an exceptional
job with “Love Lies Bleeding”. One thing that I must mention is
just how great the film looks, with it's 1980's period aesthetic,
which she never overdoes, that is then ably assisted by the fantastic
music she has paired to her visuals. “Love Lies Bleeding” is a
super-cool neo-noir film that just hit all the right notes for me,
and I loved every second of it!
Miguel
Gomes' “Grand Tour” was my favourite film I saw at this year's
MIFF because it is
a celebration of cinema, of what it can be, and the playfulness that
can be had within it. Part documentary, part travelogue, part
narrative feature......complete brilliance! I honestly do not know
how “Grand Tour” all comes together as well as it does, because
it really shouldn't, but I love this film! What I loved so much
about “Grand Tour” was that it just felt so fresh and alive; it
was so much fun. Gomes was clearly enjoying himself as he was playing
around with cinematic convention and styles at a rapid rate, but it
all feels of the same whole (if that make sense). I am not really
sure how to describe the story so will just use the synopsis the MIFF
guide used: “In 1917, British diplomat Edward is stationed in Burma
and travels by train from Rangoon to Mandalay, where Molly, his
fiancée of seven years, is finally arriving to join him. But before
her steamship can dock, Edward loses his nerve and flees on the next
boat to Singapore. This doesn’t deter the exuberant Molly, who
promptly sets off after her cowardly bridegroom. He leads Molly on a
chase through Bangkok, Saigon, Manila, Osaka, Shanghai, Chongqing,
Chengdu and onwards – even through history, transcending
storytelling itself.” I must admit that it actually took me a
little while to understand what I was looking at, when the film
begins with documentary footage of modern Burmese fairground workers
before transitioning to the story of Edward, a British man who has
been engaged to Molly for the past seven years. Edward's story may
take place in the same country as the documentary footage, but his
story is set way back in 1917. So for me, the connection between the
two elements was not immediate, but once I worked it out, it didn't
make me question why the director would choose to put elements so
different from one another together, it excited me that he would try
such a daring thing. The documentary footage is just as brilliant as
the images created for the narrative sections of the film.
Basically, every time Edward changes places on his journey, Gomes
intercuts documentary footage of that place today. So for instance,
when Edward moves on to Vietnam, we are suddenly shown footage of
modern day Vietnam and local vendors there trying to make a living.
I know that it sounds very odd, but like I keep saying, it just works
within this film. Gomes also does another thing with language in
that every time we change countries within the narrative, the
narrator changes and the narration is then spoken in the language
where the film is now set, but what makes it even a little more
interesting, is that the characters themselves all speak Portuguese
no matter where they are in the story. It may sound confusing, but
it is surprisingly beautiful. In regards to the story of Edward and
Molly, it is as simple as it comes, with Edward getting cold feet
just before reuniting with Molly and fleeing on the first boat he
sees. Molly amused by the antics of her fiance, follows on the next
boat while anticipating where he may turn up next so she can meet him
there. She sends correspondence to him via telegrams, which in turn
makes him flee further and the chase continues. The story is a small
intimate one, but told in a large grand style. Gomes shot these
scenes on a stage with his regular cinematographer Rui Pocas, and the
black and white images are stunning. Gomes and Pocas lean into the
artifice of cinema creating the most perfectly composed images to
tell their story. The stage bound look of these images is obvious and
necessary, so Pocas can get the exact light and conditions needed to
create said shots. Just like every other part of this film, this
narrative section sees Gomes having his fun by using iris shots (like
a silent film), superimpositions, and bleeping out unexpected
swearing (in a very funny sequence) to name a few. Goncalo
Waddington and Crista Alfaiate play our heroes Edward and Molly, and
both are wonderful. Waddington plays Edward as a nice guy, a little
lost who doesn't really know what he wants, but through his journey
begins to discover what is important to him and who. At times he is a
little grumpy, and hates on himself the more he discovers how much of
a coward he actually is. Alfaiate as Molly though is just this burst
of energy. She is constantly smiling, styled in a look as if she had
come off of a film set of a 1930's movie, moving through life like a
force of nature. She is just so alive, constantly laughing and
enjoying every moment of her journey. You cannot help but fall in
love with Molly; she is such a beautiful character. “Grand Tour”
is exciting cinema, pushing the boundaries of what cinema can be, and
I loved every second of it. While I know that it will not be for
everyone, I cannot wait to finally be able to revisit this brilliant
film once more. Click here to read my original review.
Andrew Haigh's “All
Of Us Strangers” was a film that I saw very early in 2024, and even
way back then, I was fairly certain that it would be my top film of
the year. It is such a rich and emotional experience, that once seen
is impossible to forget. As soon as I saw it, I immediately
recommended it to a friend (Hi Phill!), who took up my recommendation
and ended up loving the film as well. There is just something so
transcendent about this film, in the way it deals with past and
present at the same time, and you do not question it once. Every
moment feels so honest and real, but you also know that it should be
impossible too. The film is about a writer, Adam, attempting to
write about his childhood, who goes back to his childhood home for
inspiration, and finds his parents still there. What is strange
about that is that they died in a car accident way back when he was
twelve. His parents are still the same age as they were when they
died, which means that Adam is now older than them, but the family
come together to reconnect, happy to see each other once more. At
the same time as this is going on, Adam has also started a new
romantic relationship with a neighbour from upstairs named Harry.
The two share instant chemistry, and despite the age difference
between them, Adam and Harry seem perfect for one another. “All Of
Us Strangers” has to be the most achingly beautiful film I saw in
all of 2024. It has scenes of such warmth that makes your heart
swoon, while at other times it can be as painful as anything you have
ever seen before. The scenes between Adam and his mother where he
basically comes out to her, are both powerful and heartbreaking,
because she doesn't really understand homosexuality as when she died,
which was in the 1980's, AIDS was still prevalent so there was a
stigma to being gay. While I wouldn't say she is disappointed that
her son is gay, it would be true that she questions it, and you can
see how painful it is to Adam even though he came out twenty years
earlier in his life, and is content with who he is as a person. All
of the shame, and uncertainty he felt growing up suddenly comes
rushing back to him in an instant, as he is on the verge of tears. I
love this scene so much, and it is probably the most perfect scene in
a film I saw this year, despite how much it hurts. He has similar
moments with his father, who appears more understanding, but it is
just lovely seeing these three characters having such honest and
heartfelt conversations. But what is going on? Are his parents
ghosts, or figments of his imagination, or are they characters in a
story he is writing? Is Adam a ghost? We never really find out, and
it doesn't matter either because the moments they all have together
are worth it, no matter if they are real or fake. When it comes to
the romance with Harry, I also wasn't expecting a twist that arrives
late in the film, but this moment comes with the most heartbreaking
line of dialogue I have heard in forever, which was “how come
nobody found me?”. In terms of the performances in “All Of Us
Strangers”, this is a masterclass in acting. Everyone is sublime
both in their own performances and working off one another.
Everything just feels so real and natural, which is so special
because what is happening onscreen clearly isn't. For mine, Andrew
Scott gives the best male performance of the year as Adam, a role so
complex that I have no idea how he makes it look so effortless. His
scenes with Paul Mescal, as Harry, are so romantic and genuinely
lovely, as the two of them get to know one another by delving into
each other's past. My favourite scenes though are with the parents
who are played by Jamie Bell and Claire Foy, who are both
extraordinary. I have never been a fan of Foy as an actress, but I
cannot fault her here, she does not put a foot wrong in her
performance, while Jamie Bell is just brilliant as Dad. The fact
that these actors are both younger than Andrew Scott, you never
question, as Bell and Foy do an exceptional job of making you believe
that they are indeed Adam's parents, which is also helped by Scott's
reactions to their performances too. He instantly feels younger when
talking to his parents compared to when he is talking with Harry. I
find that “All Of Us Strangers” is really a hard film to
articulate about, because everything you say doesn't fully express
how it makes you feel and comes across as kind of trite. It is a
film that you feel more than anything, as I do not think you need to
understand everything that is happening in the film, as long as you
feel it. I think the film is about longing, loss and loneliness. It
is incredibly sad while at the same time, being absolutely beautiful
and heartfelt. I adore this film with a passion, which is why it is
my favourite film of 2024. Thank you to all those involved who made
“All Of Us Strangers” the most emotional viewing experience I had
(and continue to have) over the past year.
Well
there you have it, that was my round-up of the year that
was 2024; hopefully you got some enjoyment out of it. Now before I
finish, lets have a brief look at the upcoming year and my most
anticipated films of 2025.
