SIRÂT – MIFF 2025

 

As per the MIFF guide: “Luis is travelling through southern Morocco with his son, Esteban. They’re searching for his daughter, who has been missing for five months, last seen at a dance festival in the desert. As the pair travel from party to party, they hear of a semi-mythical rave near the border of Mauritania. Descending into the scorched terrain as a not-so-distant global conflict encroaches, Luis and Esteban are soon drawn into a primal landscape in which they must walk a tightrope between heaven and hell.”

One film that entered MIFF with a whole lot of positive buzz after it's premiere at Cannes was director Oliver Laxe's “Sirât”. Despite this buzz, I actually had no idea what the film was about. I had heard “Mad Max: Fury Road” being mentioned in the same breathe as “Sirât”, which definitely piqued my interest, and I also heard that it was an audio / visual experience unlike any other that needed to be seen on the big screen. In fact the word “experience” was often used to describe the film, in that this was a film you experience and are entranced by, as opposed to just watching it. I had also heard that this was a “movie of the year” contender and that “Sirât” was just plain cool. Other than these hints and feelings, I knew nothing about what “Sirat” was actually about, so I feel I went pretty blind into my screening of the film. So did “Sirât” live up to all it's praise and huge hype? Well, for me, sadly not really.

Firstly, I should point out that my MIFF screening of “Sirât” was held at IMAX so I think I got the maximum visual / aural experience of the film possible, and I must admit that in this regard, “Sirat” is very impressive. It opens with an epic scene of a massive rave held in the middle of the desert where thousands of people have come from nowhere just to attend, get high and dance the night away. The build up of this sequence from the setting up of all the massive speakers and amps, before they are turned on as loud as possible and the party begins, is seriously impressive and what I thought would be the start of an incredible journey. The rave is attended by an oddball array of characters; outsiders, loners and weirdos, with the most straight laced man possible, together with his young son, walking amongst them all, searching for his lost daughter. It is a fantastic opening which also sets up intrigue for the rest of the film, which is further heightened when the army comes at daybreak to break up the still-in-progress rave, declaring there is a state of emergency and everyone must follow them out of the desert. When two massive vehicles break rank (holding what will be our makeshift family of main characters), and the father and son decide to follow them in their mini-van with the hope of finding their loved one, I said to myself “here we go!”, as I expected the film to explode and ramp up with action from this moment on until its end. And this is my ultimate problem with “Sirât”; it always feels like it is building to something massive or bigger, but that never eventuates which, for me, became a sense of huge frustration and made the film feel entirely pointless by it's end.

That said, “Sirât” has been very well made and does have some wonderful sequences within it, but as a whole, I felt the film was less than the sum of its parts. Outside of the opening rave party which is outstanding and pulse pounding, “Sirât” contains at least another two or three epic scenes. One of these is what I call the “Wages of Fear” sequence which sees our characters trying to manoeuvre their massive trucks around these giant cliffs. The suspense in this scene is so intense and it is ratcheted even further when one of the trucks needs it's tyre changed. Make no mistake, this is essentially “Wages of Fear” repeated but it is so well done, and with someone so afraid of heights like myself, the suspense at times is unbearable. The next brilliant moment comes when the group, so stressed from the events that have come before it, decide they need to pull over on a flat patch in the desert, set up their speakers, and flat out dance their troubles away. Expectations are that this will be similar to the opening scene but on a smaller scale, which turns out to be true, although this sequence ends abruptly, unexpectedly and shockingly. It is a powerful moment that then sets the scene for another extended suspense sequence which then leads directly into the film's finale, so I will not talk about the details of it, other than to say that it is another nail-biting affair.

Maybe it is my own fault that I focused so heavily on the plot points within “Sirât” rather than letting it just wash over me, because as you can see, the film has great moments but, again, by the end, it all felt entirely pointless as both journeys are never fulfilled. There is no real closure to this experience. The film is at its best when it comes to its visuals and sound (as per its reputation), but when it comes to dialogue, lets just say that the script is rather lacking and basic. The cast of characters are certainly offbeat and interesting, filled with amputees and heavily tattooed people that “normal” folk would fear or shy away from, but as the film progresses, we see they are much nicer and friendlier than their appearances suggest. The film explores the bonds between this make-shift family, but only on the surface, nothing too deep. None of the people playing this group are actual actors and it shows in their range and ability to emote, but they all look perfect for the world they populate. Sergei Lopez plays Luis, the man looking for his daughter, and while he is serviceable in the role, I wouldn't call this his finest hour in terms of acting, as he really isn't given that much to do. I think it is fair to say that performance and emotional depth were not the most important aspects for director Oliver Laxe in his creation of “Sirât”, rather it was the trance-like ability to hold his audience and give them an “experience” (there's that word again) like no other. However, by doing this, he has left other interesting elements or ideas within his film half baked or unexplored.

One aspect that I felt was seriously underdone was the notion in the film that something huge was happening in the world, possibly World War III. There are a number of times when we are witness to a large military presence but their actual purpose is never fully explained. We don't ever find out just how dire the situation truly is, nor if this is a true “end-of-the-world” scenario like some of the characters think, and I feel this is a lost opportunity within “Sirât” as it could have made the drama that much more palpable and the suspense increased. At the very least, it would heighten the real world stakes for our characters and give them something else to deal with.

Overall, whilst I believe that “Sirât” is definitely worth watching, it sadly didn't live up to the hype or its reputation for me. It has a number of incredible scenes within it, and I will admit that as an audio / visual experience that can be trance inducing, it is something of a success. However in saying that, I feel like director Oliver Laxe didn't explore the world he created fully, nor the ideas within it with any depth, which for me made “Sirât” feel half-baked and underdone. While the scope of the film was epic, by the end it's story told felt small, and for me, ultimately pointless. That said, from listening to others who have seen “Sirât”, my opinion seems to be in the minority, so take that how you will.

3 Stars.

 

 

THE SEALED SOIL - MIFF 2025

 

As per the MIFF guide: “At 18, Roo-Bekheir is already considered past prime marrying age by her fellow villagers, who ostracise her for refusing a string of proposals from would-be suitors; moreover, she is resistant to a government-mandated construction project that’s forcing her entire village to relocate. When her family becomes convinced that their daughter’s unruly defiance of her stifling circumstances is the work of evil spirits, they seek help from a local exorcist. Pushed to the brink, Roo-Bekheir is determined to maintain any independence she can grasp.”

My love of modern Iranian cinema is well documented on this blog, and in the past five years or so, I have also seen a number of pre-revolutionary Iranian films which has opened my eyes greatly to the differences in the types of stories told in their cinema before the Islamic Revolution changed everything. “The Sealed Soil”'s big claim to fame though is that it is the oldest known surviving feature from Iran to be directed by a woman, Marva Nabili. Shot in secret and never (legally) shown in it's home country, this new restoration of “The Sealed Soil” gives the world a chance to see this lost film on the big screen once more. As you might imagine, I was never going to miss this screening.

Whilst the above synopsis does explain the story of “The Sealed Soil” and the events that happen within it, I think it also does a disservice to the type of film it actually is, by giving viewers expectations that this will be a more bombastic affair than it is. “The Sealed Soil” is an example of observational cinema and its pace is very slow, which could put off the casual viewer. The opening scene of the film is a very long, static scene that sees our main protagonist, Roo-Bekheir, preparing breakfast for the rest of her family. It is incredibly slow and detail orientated but because the camera never moves, and there are no edits, we are forced to just watch. Initially I feared that I was going to dislike the film, but as can happen during examples of “slow cinema”, your mind begins to focus more on smaller details within the frame, until you are essentially mesmerised by the experience, which is what ultimately happened to me. Naturally, if the opposite happens and you find yourself bored and thus, get easily distracted from what is onscreen, the ninety minutes of the film can feel like a lifetime, but thankfully that did not happen to me and I was fully invested in the life, and lifestyle, of eighteen year old Roo-Bekheir.

Like I said, a large chunk (I'd say at least half) of the film is purely observational as we watch Roo-Bekheir go about her daily tasks; making breakfast, collecting wood, doing dishes, walking her younger sister to school, mending clothes, preparing the grain, etc. There is no plot nor drama to speak of, but it is incredibly interesting watching the life of a country girl in an unnamed village of Iran. There are allusions to a bigger world outside, and to the fact that this is a village in flux, as a new village is being built nearby which the village chief expects the current residents to move to (for a price of course), but the core of the film is about Roo-Bekheir and how content she is with the life she leads. This all changes however when a friend casually mentions that she heard a man is coming to the village to see Roo-Bekheir with the intent to marry her. The young girl is horrified by this revelation that she knew nothing about and fiercely rebels at being forced into a marriage she wants no part of. She goes more and more within herself, stops talking to everyone, consistently going missing, and just being downright unhappy by the situation, until she has a massive breakdown.

Probably one of the most horrific elements of “The Sealed Soil” and where director Marva Nabili's obvious anger comes from, is the way everyone just expects Roo-Bekheir to fall into line because that is the normal thing that is done. No one cares about her happiness, or what she may actually want, rather they just want to see the village norms upheld. The village chief even tries to convince Roo-Bekheir by reminding her that her own mother married her father at the age of seven (!), and be her current age, eighteen, she had already had four children. I do not know how he thought this would convince her, but it is obvious that her well being or happiness is never considered in regards to this issue, and you can see the change in this once happy girl, content with life, after she is expected to agree to this arranged marriage forced upon her. What is worse is the way the rest of the villagers treat her, as if she is ungrateful or better than the rest of them. None of them really understand why Roo-Bekheir is so unhappy with the situation and instead compound the problem by putting more pressure on the girl by essentially ostracising her from the rest of the village because she doesn't want what the rest of them have.

I mentioned earlier that the opening shot of the film is long and static, but that is not how the film continues. It is true that most scenes are shot from a distance and that the camera barely moves, but this is to assist in the observation of the duties being performed onscreen. As the film progresses though, and becomes more about Roo-Bekheir and her ordeal, the camera does begin to get closer to our protagonist, and I think we get one close-up on her face when she is sitting alone by the lake. This is like her special place, where she goes when she wants or needs to be alone with her thoughts. She removes her headscarf, lies on the grass and just thinks. The film's most beautiful image comes at this lake too, when lost in thought it suddenly begins to pour with rain. Roo-Bekheir frees her hair, and takes off her top, sitting totally topless (with her back to the camera), as the rain pours down on her, almost like a cleansing shower. Another thing that I want to mention about the images in “The Sealed Soil” are that while they are simple, they are beautifully composed and the use of repetition of these images is interesting. We are regularly greeted by images of the arches leading out of the village, the peacefulness of the lake, the street to the school where the kids walk, and the common areas where Roo-Bekheir and the other women of the village cook their food. It is in this repetition that Roo-Bekheir finds peace and solace in her life, and these images disappear or are distorted once she has her breakdown.

Speaking of that breakdown, it is an incredibly tense and emotional moment within the film as Roo-Bekheir thrashes her body around in absolute pain and despair. It also includes a brutal killing of a little chick, as during her fit the young woman picks up the bird and in her rage violently throws it onto the ground repeatedly until it finally stops moving. It is a shocking and very disturbing moment that highlights the true despair of Roo-Bekheir in that moment (animal lovers beware).

Overall, I was pretty impressed and quite moved by “The Sealed Soil”, although I am not sure everyone in my screening agreed. A woman in front of me turned to another woman and said “what a powerful film”, to which the other woman bemoaned “It was so slow!!”, whilst I heard another guy say to his mate “well that was minimalism to the extreme”. I agree that it is all of those things but if you are lucky enough to connect with it, like I was, it is also a richly rewarding experience. It is an interesting look at female rebellion in a male dominated world, but one that seems doomed to failure from the beginning. Whilst the film is shown from a woman's point of view, it becomes pretty apparent that when anything of importance is to happen, it is the men of the story who have the ultimate say and get their way, and there is nothing the woman can do about it.

3.5 Stars.

 

 

THE MASTERMIND - MIFF 2025

 

As per the MIFF guide: “Aimless J.B., a former art student who’s fallen on hard times as an out-of-work carpenter, has hatched a cunning plan: to steal a handful of paintings from a small museum outside of Boston. It may seem like a bad idea, but he’s got it all figured out … save for what to do with his kids while the theft is taking place, and what to do with the paintings once he has them.”

Coming into MIFF this year, I was elated to see that a number of my most anticipated films of 2025 had made it onto the programme. The first of these to actually screen for me turned out to be Kelly Reichardt's “The Mastermind” and the reason why I was looking forward to the film so much was because it felt so outside of Reichardt's usual wheelhouse. While it is true that this is her second consecutive film to deal with the art world, whereas “Showing Up” was about the process of making art, “The Mastermind” is actually an art heist film. The idea of Kelly Reichardt making a heist film had me intrigued, as I was sure that she would make it a unique experience, just due to the fact that this isn't the usual kind-of film that she makes, so she would see this genre exercise with fresh eyes. Obviously with “The Mastermind” being on my most anticipated list, I was expecting to like the film, but I wasn't expecting to end up liking it as much as I did; I absolutely loved “The Mastermind”!

One of the first things that caught me off guard with “The Mastermind” was the film's tone which was much lighter and more playful than I expected it to be. For some reason, I felt like it was going to be a very serious film, but hadn't realised that the title of the film is actually ironic. J.B is a lovable loser and the extent of his plan is to go into the museum in broad daylight and just take the paintings off of the walls. His dreams of an easy future filled with excessive cash are doomed before he sets his plan into action, simply because he has no ambition or will to follow through with anything in his life. Instead, by making this idiotic decision to steal these paintings, all he does is make sure that the lives of himself and his family are going to get worse. J.B is a total fuck-up, but still, through Josh O'Connor's charming performance, we want to see this man succeed, if only for the future of his wife, and his two young boys who idolise him. The film at times is also very funny too. One such moment is at the family dinner table, where J.B's father reads about the art theft in the newspaper and commenting “I'm not sure they have thought this through. Stealing such abstract artwork which would then make it so hard to sell on”. This comment make J.B irate with anger, but of course he cannot say anything about it.

One of my favourite aspects of “The Mastermind” was just how little dialogue is in the film, with large chunks of it being told only through it's images. We get multiple extended scenes where we watch characters doing things, with Reichardt focusing on the smallest of details, which is a little ironic as this is something J.B himself fails to do. Scenes of J.B casing the museum, the actual robbery of the paintings, and then the hiding of said paintings in a “secret, secure” location, are all done without dialogue and in fantastic detail, and for me, these scenes were the highlights of the film. In a way, these kinds of scenes are often the norm in heist films, as we watch intricate plans and details that need to come off perfectly for the job to be successful. Reichardt puts her own spin on this by showing us these same kind of scenes but for a robbery that hasn't been thought out or planned in any real detail, with the results being pretty funny. When dialogue is present within the film, it never feels out of place, it is light and conversational, never really focusing on the dire situation J.B has found himself in. The scenes between J.B and his old schoolmate Fred (played by Reichardt regular John Magaro), who agrees to hide out the wanted felon much to the chagrin of his displeased wife Maude, are another highlight, and just feel like two old friends catching up on lost time. Fred is in awe of J.B pulling off such a job, whilst Maude is able to see the real life dangers of associating with the thief, and is frosty because of this (despite their shared past together as old friends).

“The Mastermind” is a period piece set in either 1970 or 1971, set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and the protests against it. The period detail in the film is just exquisite with locations, costumes, vehicles and props all outstanding in creating a believable 1970's world that feels truly lived in. Tiny things such as the metal alarm clock that J.B's wife throws at him, or the registration sticker on the car's windscreen add so much to the world created. Even the “classic” style of film making Kelly Reichardt and Christopher Blauvelt (her regular cinematographer) employ, help to create a film that you believe could be an actual relic from that era. Reichardt and Blauvelt chose to shoot “The Mastermind” on film (in 65mm no less) and it was an excellent choice, as it also adds greatly to the ambience of that time. Textures on fabric or wood, or the canvases of the paintings themselves are all heightened because of this photographic decision and the film looks sensational because of it. In regards to the Vietnam War aspect within the film, it is mainly in the background, playing on news reports on televisions or stories in the newspapers, and from time to time, we also see some physical protesters too. It is an added flavour within this world without it being front and centre, until the very clever and rather amusing finale to the film, where it ends up playing a large part in the conclusion.

An aspect of film making that I rarely talk about is music or a film's score, and that is mainly because I know nothing about the subject other than what I think may sound good, or work well for the film itself. I absolutely loved Rob Mazurek's score for “The Mastermind”!! It is jazzy in style, largely consisting of drums and trumpets, but it is just so damned cool. It is never used completely throughout the film, rather just to highlight certain moments and scenes, but it elevates the picture ten fold when the music is playing.

So was there anything about “The Mastermind” that I didn't like, you may be asking? Amazingly, yes! I absolutely hated the opening credits to the film which are presented onscreen top-to-bottom, as opposed to the usual left-to-right, similar to the way Japanese text is displayed in the credits of their movies, but with the text here in English. It was so hard on the eye to read and understand, and it also looked really cheap and crappy, and didn't fit the overall tone, nor the aesthetic, of the film itself. It is the film's biggest flaw, and it is right at the beginning. Thankfully, everything after this horrendous misstep is almost flawless though.

Overall, I was blown away by how great and entertaining Kelly Reichardt's crime caper turned out to be. It was completely different to what I was expecting and all the better for it too. It has a wonderfully charming lead performance from Josh O'Connor who makes us care for a lovable loser, whose every bumbling decision seems to put his and his family's lives further in trouble. The film making on display is second to none, with an eye on period detail that is impressive to say the least. I think this is Kelly Reichardt's most accessible film to date, and believe it will be a great success for her. I loved every second of it!

4.5 Stars.