10. CYRANO
After topping my
Worst Films list last year with the dreadful “The Woman in the
Window”, director Joe Wright has immediately bounced back with his
glorious musical version of the Cyrano de Bergerac tale, simply
titled “Cyrano”. This is actually my first cinematic exposure to
the story although I am aware that in most versions Cyrano is
self-conscious because of his large nose. In this version, Cyrano is
portrayed by Peter Dinklage, so the story has been altered that
Cyrano is now convinced that Roxanne, the love of his life, could
never truly love him because of his diminutive size. It is funny
that he finds his size to be an issue when it comes to love, because
he never lets it affect him negatively any other aspect of his life,
as he is very adept at cutting down naysayers with his sword or his
expert use of the English language. Dinklage is absolutely
sensational as Cyrano, to the point that I was sure he would win Best
Actor at last year's Oscars for his performance (“Cyrano”
qualified for the 2022 Oscars due to a brief one week run in December
2021, before expanding later in 2022). The fact that he wasn't even
nominated was an absolute disgrace as his performance was my
favourite by an actor all year. He is charming, loyal, loving,
self-deprecating, brave, and his line-delivery was second to none.
Playing his love interest, Roxanne, is Haley Bennett, who is actually
Joe Wright's partner in real life, but this is actually the first
time they have worked together. She suits the role perfectly,
although her character isn't as well rounded or developed as the two
boys. The third in the trio, and the character who Roxanne actually
loves, Christian, is played by Kelvin Harrison Jr who, like the other
two, is fabulous. Harrison Jr is such a great actor, and this role
gives him a chance to show off an aspect he hasn't before which is
his lighter more comedic side, as Christian is a bit of a goof. This
is a story of true love because even though Cyrano loves Roxanne so
much, and it hurts him that she doesn't feel the same way, he is
willing to do anything to make her happy, which is why he supplies
the poems and love letters to Christian to woo Roxanne. I mentioned
that “Cyrano” is a musical, and I really liked the majority of
the songs in the film with two being particular standouts. I also
like that Joe Wright was fine with using the actors unpolished voices
when singing, as I prefer when characters suddenly burst into song,
that it doesn't sound perfect. There is also some dancing within
“Cyrano” which is really beautiful, but the style is so unusual;
it has a very flowing look to it, but it is really lovely. I was
such a massive fan of “Cyrano” particularly because it feels like
the old Joe Wright, the guy who directed “Atonement” and “Anna
Karenina”. Unsurprisingly, he has teamed up with his two key
collaborators from those films, production designer Sarah Greenwood
and cinematographer Seamus McGarvey and together they have created a
gorgeous, highly stylised film. Some might think that it has
actually been over-styled to the point of excess, but hell, this is
what I love about Joe Wright and why I adore “Cyrano”.
Over the course of
2022, I really fell in love all over again with the cinema of
director Francois Ozon, re-watching a lot of his earlier films,
catching up with the ones I had missed over the years (with “Ricky”,
his 2009 feature, the only one left I have to watch) and also seeing
his two latest films as well. Both of these films were great, but
only one made my top ten list, which was his assisted suicide comedy
“Everything Went Fine”. I mean lets face it, what is more funny
than suicide, am I right? Going into the film, I was a little weary
about it, for a couple of reasons. The first was because I had heard
it was a comedy, and I was unsure how Ozon was going to make this
controversial subject funny. Thankfully, he treats the assisted
suicide very seriously, but the character of the father (who wants to
die) is just a prick, which leads to some very funny situations and
reactions from his two daughters. One very amusing moment is when he
tells Emmanuele, his eldest daughter, that he got great satisfaction
of telling her she was an ugly baby; the joke here is that Emmanuele
is played by Sophie Marceau, one of the most beautiful women in the
world. It is interesting, and the two girls mention this in the
film, Andre (the father) is not a nice person, but you find yourself
endeared to him. One of them says “He is a terrible father, but I
think we would be great friends”. The other reason I was worried
about the film was I had a feeling it was going to turn into a mushy
sentimental affair by the end, which thankfully it never does. In
fact, it never goes that way at all, with only a brief moment where
the girls actually cry a bit. By the end it turns into something of
a heist thriller, if you can believe it, because assisted suicide is
illegal in France so the sisters have to find a way to get their
father out of the hospital, and over the border to Switzerland where
a clinic is waiting for him so the procedure can be carried out.
Making the job that little bit harder is that the two girls can't be
associated with it or they will face the full brunt of the law back
in France. The movie is based on Emmanuele Bernhaim's book of the
same name which chronicles the real life drama of helping her father
in his wish to have an assisted suicide after becoming paralized down
half his body after suffering a stroke. Bernhaim was a close friend
of Francois Ozon, having helped in writing the screenplays of four of
his films (“Under the Sand”, “5x2”, “Swimming Pool” and
“Ricky”). Sadly though she passed away in 2017 from cancer, and
missing his friend, Ozon decided to translate her book into a film as
a tribute to her. He has done her proud, creating a stunning film
with “Everything Went Fine”, one of the very best of his entire
career.
Peter Strickland's
“Flux Gourmet” was on my most anticipated list of 2022, with the
caveat being that I thought “...out of all the films on this list,
[this one] has the biggest chance of being a total dud”. Boy, was
I wrong! There was never a chance this was going to be anything
other than genius, as Strickland has created his best film yet with
“Flux Gourmet”. I have watched the film, so far, three times and
it never stops being hilariously entertaining! Combining two tonally
different plot threads, writer / director Peter Strickland has done
almost the impossible and created gold with “Flux Gourmet”. The
main part of the film is a very, very funny look at an unnamed “sonic
collective” and their time together during their residency at an
exclusive art institute, where they constantly bicker amongst
themselves and with their director, before starting to implode.
Documenting their stay at the residency is a “dossiage”, Stones,
who is struggling with a gastrointestinal disorder, making him feel
uncomfortable within the group due to the excess wind his body needs
to regularly release, and it is Stones' ordeal that is the second
plot thread of the film. The tones between the two plot threads
couldn't be more different and yet they live together harmoniously in
the same film. The whole aspect involving the sonic collective is so
over-the-top and done with tongue planted firmly in cheek; it is
hilarious and we laugh both with and at the group. However
Strickland then balances the absurdity of the sonic collective with
the complete sincerity in regards to Stones' condition and the pain
and awkwardness he feels because of it. Whilst the situations he
finds himself in are humorous (not to mention his dead-pan narration
of his problems, told in subtitled Greek), Strickland never once
makes fun of him or his condition. Strickland then is able to make
both plot threads come together for a very satisfying conclusion that
is also, amazingly, quite poignant too. Again, I have no idea how he
does it, and it really shouldn't work, but it just does! The entire
cast is excellent; they all clearly understood just what type of film
they were making, as well as the tone of the film, and they deliver
in spades. I love a director who has a style that is recognisably
their own, and Peter Strickland certainly has that. What makes it
more impressive is that none of his films resemble one another, they
are all so different, but when you watch them, you know that only one
man could have made the film. Probably the thing I was most
impressed by though was his handling of the ending and his ability to
make something poignant out of all the insanity that has come before
it. Click here to read my original review.
Thomas M. Wright's
“The Stranger” was my favourite film I saw at MIFF this year, and
while I still think it is an excellent and powerful Aussie crime
thriller, it hasn't remained in my mind as much as other films since
that time. The film is based on the kidnapping and murder of 13 year
old Daniel Morcombe back in 2003, but the main aim of the film is not
to dramatise those events but rather to highlight the years-long
investigation and undercover operation that the police conducted in
order to obtain an arrest of the killer. It has nothing to do with
the actual kidnapping or murder, and is entirely about the immense
work the police did and the huge task of collaborating between
multiple states, all in an attempt to get their man. “The
Stranger” is a dark and gritty affair but Wright understood that
the story he was telling was strong and powerful enough to not need
to fall back on cinematic excess or over-stylisation. All he needed
to do was to present the story as honest and realistically as
possible, coupled with casting the right actors who could disappear
into their roles and finally, creating the right amount of dramatic
tension and atmosphere onscreen, and Wright does all of these things
magnificently. Wright does an amazing job of recreating the
intensity of the undercover world, where criminals and cops interact
on a daily basis, and makes us feel the violence of it, without
showing a single violent act onscreen. The other thing that Wright
had to get right was to make the audience feel the progression of the
case, and how the stakes rise the closer they get to an arrest. This
is a very dangerous man they are trying to trap, and who they know
has done some horrific things in the past, and we need to feel the
weight of what making a mistake would mean in this world. I
mentioned that the casting also had to be perfect and let me just say
that Joel Edgerton is outstanding in the role of Mark, the undercover
cop assigned to get close with Henry (the killer). It is such a
multifaceted role because his character is also acting the majority
of the time and his life and the case relies on him being very
believable when in the field. It is a fantastic showcase for an
actor, and I never once doubted the reality of Edgerton's performance
for a second. He is just phenomenal! Sean Harris is just as good in
his role of Henry too. He comes across as a dangerous, yet pathetic
character, looking for a friend more than anything else. We never
see what he is like when he is alone, only when he is with Mark, but
he never seems in total control, like he could go off at any second,
either by fleeing or striking out violently. Make no mistake though,
through Harris's performance, you know that despite how pathetic and
cowardly he comes across at times, Henry is a very dangerous man.
The thing that “The Stranger” really opened my eyes to was just
how much work actually goes into not only catching a killer, but to
do so with enough physical evidence to ensure a conviction. It is
such a success at exposing the reality of these undercover operations
and exactly what these brave men and women really go through. “The
Stranger” is a sensational movie, however it is not an easy watch
because it hits you hard and stays with you after the credits have
finished. Click here to read my original review.
Shot back-to-back
with his 1970's-set slasher film, “X”, Ti West surprised the film
world when he revealed (via an end of credits teaser) that he had
already completed a prequel to the film, this time focused on the
early years of “X's” villain, Pearl. What is so impressive about
“Pearl” is that even though it is a prequel to “X”, the two
films couldn't be more different. Whilst still very much a horror
film, “Pearl” plays out more like a deranged drama – and it is
absolutely glorious! The best word to describe “Pearl” is
disturbing; it really burrows in deep and gets under your skin, but
rarely in an aggressive fashion. The fact that the majority of the
film is done in a quiet manner makes it all the more disturbing,
because when it does explode in brief flashes of violence or intense
verbal altercations, these moments hit that much harder.
Stylistically the film is also completely different to “X”. Gone
are the grainy grindhouse aesthetics, replaced by a bright, bold
Technicolor look reminiscent of those large Hollywood movies from the
30's and 40's. Whilst the film is filled with a number of
interesting characters, the focus of “Pearl” is really on one
character, with Mia Goth once again excelling above and beyond with
the younger rendition of her titular character. Goth is so good in
“Pearl” that if the Academy had any balls at all, they would
nominate her for Best Female Actor. Different from “X”, “Pearl”
requires a more internal performance from Goth, due to the fact that
Pearl is so often alone, fantasising or living in her dreams, and she
has no problem at all at delivering this. She has an uncanny ability
in giving Pearl a naivety or innocence to her and then turning the
mood towards the disturbing or sinister in a second. West gives Goth
so many moments to shine in “Pearl” such as her brilliant dance
with a scarecrow which starts out innocently enough before suddenly
turning much more sexual and disturbing. It is a telling moment,
which exposes just how messed up Pearl may be, and the thoughts that
her repressed mind is constantly fighting against. The stand out
scene of the film is Pearl's already famous six minute monologue,
which Mia Goth performs in a single unbroken take, during the film's
finale. In the scene, Pearl is persuaded by her sister-in-law to
take down those walls, confide in her and finally talk about how she
“really” feels, after Pearl makes the brave admission to her that
she “thinks something is real wrong with me”. West never takes
his camera off of Goth's face as Pearl goes through a number of
different emotional states while talking. One aspect that I loved
that Ti West included in this film was a connection to pornography
which plays so much importance in “X”, as Pearl is shown an
illegal stag film by her friend. I absolutely loved “Pearl” and
thought it was a fantastically disturbing character study about a
very sad character, exposing the dark side of the “American Dream”.
Ti West has created his best film yet, and I was so impressed by the
way he was able to create two films in the same “universe” and
make them so different from one another, whilst still keeping them
connected. It is a stunning achievement, now give Mia that Oscar
dammit! Click here to read my original review.
Lucile
Hadzihalilovic's “Earwig” is a very strange film and one that has
niche audience appeal, but it ticks all the boxes of what I love in
cinema. Here is how the imdb describes the plot of this utterly
bizarre film: “Somewhere in Europe, mid-20th century. Albert is
employed to look after Mia, a girl with teeth of ice. Mia never
leaves their apartment, where the shutters are always closed. The
telephone rings regularly and the Master enquires after Mia's well
being. Until the day Albert is instructed that he must prepare the
child to leave.” This was my most anticipated film at this year's
MIFF and not only did it not disappoint, it actually exceeded my
expectations, but in saying that, it is a film I would never
recommend to anyone else due to how odd it is, and the fact that it
poses more questions than it answers. The first thing you notice
about “Earwig” is how quiet a film it is and just how impeccably
designed it has been. It is a details-oriented world, both in terms
of look and in plot. Hadzihalilovic goes to great lengths to show
the daily routine of Albert and Mia, the young girl he is assigned to
look after. We see every step, in glorious detail, of him changing
her teeth of ice and replacing them with the new set. She presents
the scene almost in real time, but like the rest of the film, I found
it entirely mesmerising. These two characters clearly live day to
day in a highly structured routine, which you can tell benefits
Albert more than the girl. This is proven when he receives a
mysterious phone call telling him to ready the girl for the outside
world. Suddenly his carefully constructed world falls apart, as the
routine is now broken, and Albert struggles to function properly
without it. He resists the change, and things really start to go
downhill once Mia steps outside for the first time. I mentioned that
it is a quiet film and this is due to the fact that there is very
limited dialogue in “Earwig” with the first spoken word not
arriving until at least half an hour into the film. Hadzihalilovic
lets her amazing visuals tell her modest and very strange story,
coupled with an atmospheric sound design representing the hidden
outside world via the sounds of distant trains, animals and the
changing weather. The film has been beautifully shot by
cinematographer Jonathan Ricquebourg in low light which gives
“Earwig” a painterly look to it, which also helps define the
period setting. Lucile Hadzihalilovic is in total control of her
film “Earwig” and her direction is flawless. I feel it is
necessary to mention this because “Earwig” is a film where most
people will leave the cinema at least a little confused. Her control
of both the film's tone and pacing are expert and I never once
doubted that what was onscreen was exactly what Hadzihalilovic wanted
to show. Every frame is composed in such a way that it couldn't not
be deliberate, as is the way the actors (slowly) move throughout that
frame in unison with the pace of the film itself. Hadzihalilovic has
created a stunningly beautiful fairy tale world filled with a thick,
tactile atmosphere, while also employing the use of dream logic which
gives “Earwig” the feeling of a beautiful nightmare. Just whose
nightmare it is though is the big question. One of many questions
asked during the film. “Earwig” is a puzzle film, the type where
clues and hints of ideas are hidden throughout the film but we,the
audience, need to work a little to find and use them to get meaning
out of this elliptical story. Personally, I love this stuff! I love
when I know that the director has a definite idea about what has just
happened, but has left it up to me to find the clues and work it all
out. So what is it all about? What does it all mean? I will be
honest and say that I am not quite sure, but there are definite clues
there, which made me wonder; just who is Albert? Is Mia actually
his daughter or is he really just her guardian? Why and how are
Albert and Celeste connected symbiotically? Are they different sides
of the same person? Is Albert suffering from trauma after the war?
Did Albert have a wife, and if so, did she die in childbirth? I am
not sure of the answer to these questions, but I adore the mystery of
it all. Whilst I was initially attracted to “Earwig” due to the
unusual image of a girl with ice teeth, I ended up being blown away
by the stunning photography, exquisite production design and
beautiful mystery of the finished film. It is a very odd film, but I
fell in love with all of this oddness and for its originality; its a
stunningly produced film. Click here to read my original review.
The film that I have
seen on the top of people's top ten lists this year more than any
other is Charlotte Wells's “Aftersun”, and it deserves all the
accolades that it is receiving. The thing that I found so amazing
about “Aftersun” was that I had no idea just how much I was being
moved by it all whilst I was watching it. It wasn't until the
credits started to roll that I was hit by this huge ball of emotion
and was just devastated by it. I honestly could not move for ages,
as I was just sitting there thinking about what I had just witnessed.
I cannot remember feeling like this with any other movie in my life
prior. The movie absolutely floored me, but I had no idea at the
time that it was affecting me so. “Aftersun” is about a woman
named Sophie recollecting old memories, via video footage she took of
the time her dad and her went on a holiday to Turkey back when she
was ten. Whilst the majority of the moments are happy ones, Sophie
remembers them with a sense of melancholy as she begins to realise
the truth of what her father was going through at that time, which
was invisible to her back then because she was a child. Being a
father with two daughters myself, films with father/daughter
relationships at their core often hit me hard, but this was something
else entirely. The way Charlotte Wells feeds us information,
particularly about the father Calum is so clever. The story isn't
told in a linear fashion, as we are fed bits and pieces of Sophie's
memories as she is having them, while she also fills in the blanks
with the video footage she is watching, and fantasising about a
possible future. One thing we learn late in the film is Calum's
difficulties as he struggles with depression. This makes us, and
Sophie, re-evaluate certain reactions and moments Calum had during
the holiday. We realise that Sophie understands all of this now,
because she is going through similar things herself in the present,
which is at the same age her dad was when they went on this holiday.
What is scary though is that Sophie shows signs way back then during
that holiday and her dad obviously recognises these symptoms
immediately. Writing about this movie now, it chokes me up just
thinking about it. The casting of Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio, as
Calum and Sophie (father and daughter) respectively, is perfect.
They have the most beautiful, natural rapport together. They are so
authentic that it feels like we are witnessing little private moments
between them, rather than they are actors performing for a film.
They are extraordinary together, but they are equally as good when
they have scenes away from each other. The pain you can feel in
Mescal towards the end of the film is just heart-breaking, but also
so impressive. The film looks amazing too, thanks to the gorgeous
Turkey locations. “Aftersun” is amazing and I am sure in the
future it will be considered a classic. My biggest cinematic regret
of this year is not seeing “Aftersun” at MIFF on the big screen.
At the time, I was not yet aware of the film, but what makes its more
upsetting is that I know that I actually had a clear space in my MIFF
calendar to see it when it was actually playing. No matter what, I
implore anyone who has a chance to see “Aftersun” to do so; you
will not be disappointed.
Expectations
are a funny thing. You would think being excited about something
should always be a positive, but as I have found now and then, having
big expectations on a film can sometimes cause the opposite effect.
Disappointment often ensues as the film cannot possibly live up to
the expectations that you have put onto it. This is exactly what
happened with me during my first viewing of “The Banshees of
Inisherin”. My wife and I are massive fans of the film “In
Bruges” from 2008, and think it is one of the funniest films going
around. So when a film re-uniting the director, Martin McDonagh,
with his two stars from that earlier film, Colin Farrell and Brendan
Gleeson, comes about, you cannot help but get a bit excited about it.
You also have some expectation on just how funny it is going to be.
While I did think “The Banshees of Inisherin” was a good film on
my first viewing, I did think it was overrated and couldn't
understand all the fuss around it. I also didn't find it anywhere
near as laugh-out-loud funny as I thought it would be. That bummed
me out a bit, but I moved on. However I kept reading glowing review
after glowing review for it, that I decided that it wasn't the film's
fault for letting me down but the expectations I had put on it.
Therefore on New Year's Eve, I decided to have a re-watch (it was the
final film I watched in 2022), and this time around I absolutely
adored the film. I also found it ridiculously funny and haven't
stopped quoting it since! For those who do not know what the film is
about, here is how the imdb describes it: “Two
lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends
their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them.”
Hands down, this is the best acted film of the year! The entire
ensemble is superb with not one giving a bum note. Farrell and
Gleeson continue to have incredible chemistry, with Kerry Condon (who
plays Farrell's sister) just extraordinary. The person who surprised
me the most though, particularly during my second viewing, was Barry
Keoghan who essentially plays the village idiot. He is an actor that
I traditionally cannot stand, but he blew me away in this; he is just
so, so good. And hilarious, but the entire cast is! This is not a
comedy in the style of “In Bruges”, this is the most jet black of
black comedies, but if you get onto its wavelength, you are going to
be rewarded with non-stop laughter. It can be a depressing film
though too, and it gets darker the more it goes along, but
writer/director Martin McDonagh also has an amazing knack of adding a
deep emotional layer and poignancy to his film. These are all
characters stuck living on an island off the coast of Ireland, which
doesn't have a lot of prospects in the future for any of them. They
go through life, doing the same things day-in, day-out, with the
spectre of death hanging around them at all times (death is portrayed
by an old busybody woman in the film). Themes of isolation,
depression, loneliness, guilt and wanting to do something with ones
life so they are not forgotten, are all explored in the film. I
cannot speak highly enough about “The Banshees of Inisherin”, and
I am sure it will continue to grow in my appreciation as time goes
on. It is a hilarious film, with so many stand out scenes and
moments, but one of the very funniest is a confessional scene gone
wrong when Gleeson's character, Colm, asks his priest if he has
impure thoughts about young men (immediately after the priest asked
him the same thing). The priest rages and then refuses to forgive
him for his sins to which Colm replies “well I better not be dying
in the meantime, eh Father, otherwise I'll be pure fucked!!”, and
the priest screams “Yes! You will be pure fucked! You will be pure
fucked!”, and then waves the next person into the confessional.
OMG! I was in tears with this scene. Fantastic movie, all around.
The imdb synopsis of “The Quiet Girl” sums up the film really
well so I am going to use that myself here: Set in rural Ireland “in
1981, the film tells the story of a quiet, neglected, young girl who
is sent away for the summer from her dysfunctional family to live
with "her mother's people". These are Seán and EibhlÃn
Cinnsealach; a middle-aged couple she has never met. Slowly, in the
care of this couple, Cáit blossoms and discovers a new way of
living, but in this house where affection grows and there are meant
to be no secrets, she discovers one.” “The Quiet Girl” turned
out to be a surprise hit in the UK and Ireland earlier this year, and
after my viewing at MIFF, it was very easy to see why this film has
been so loved by so many. Here we have an understated and
fantastically unassuming but powerfully emotional tale, that is just
so human. It celebrates love, and caring for one another, and
putting the time in to help, nurture and teach someone in our care.
Like it has done to almost everyone that has seen it, “The Quiet
Girl” weaved its spell on me, and exposed me for the big softy that
I truly am. It is such a modest and simple film, but it has been so
beautifully made. Director Colm Bairéad has sensitively directed
the film, keeping it very grounded without the use of grandstanding
emotional manipulations that you would likely see if this film had
been made in Hollywood. The film is all the better for it, and is an
incredibly emotional experience, but each moment is earned and not
forced upon the audience. From the pain you feel for Cáit in the
beginning, and then you just beam for her as she starts to come out
of her shell and grow. The cinematography by Kate McCullough is
exquisite. It is not flashy, nor does the camera move excessively
but the images of the rural Irish landscape are so beautiful. She
also does a great job of catching the light in Cáit's gorgeous big
blue eyes. The reason that “The Quiet Girl” works as well as it
does is the stunning lead performance from Catherine Clinch who plays
Cáit. She is mesmerising; you cannot take your eyes off of her. As
the title suggests, she does not say very much in terms of dialogue
but those big blue eyes tell you so much, and you can see her change
and grow and become more confident in herself under the attention,
love and care from the older couple looking after her. Clinch's
performance is both simple and subtle which mirrors the film she is
starring in. It is so impressive seeing her conveying so much, while
doing so little. Two things I have to briefly mention also, are the
fact that “The Quiet Girl” is predominately told in subtitled
Irish Gaelic, which I think was a first for me, but another thing I
loved about this great film. The other thing is just how
heartbreakingly beautiful the film's finale is. It is essentially
the same ending as a film in my top twenty last year (which I wont
reveal as it will give away this film's ending), although the roles
are reversed. Like that previous film, I was totally sucked in by
this ending, and it totally broke me (a tear may have even left my
eye). Again, like I mentioned before, as much as the ending is very
emotional, it is a moment that has been totally earned. This is such
an exceptional film, and one that I think anyone would enjoy. It
would also make the perfect double bill with Celine Sciamma's “Petite
Maman”. Click here to read my original review.
My favourite film of 2022 was Audrey Diwan's “Happening”, a film
that was so mind-blowingly good and sadly, still incredibly relevant
as two weeks after I watched “Happening” the United States
Supreme Court voted to overturn the result of the 1973 “Roe vs
Wade” case, which was historic for its recognition of an
individual's right to terminate a pregnancy. I was totally blown
away by “Happening”; it is such a powerful film, but it is also
an incredibly difficult watch. Diwan pulls no punches when it comes
to showing the risks involved in obtaining an illegal abortion,
including a number of very graphic and confronting scenes that will
have you squinting at the screen. While these moments are full on
and incredibly tough to watch, that is the whole point. The viewer
needs to understand just how bad and dangerous and painful it can get
for the woman, so if these scenes were watered down to make it easier
on the viewer, the impact would be lost. The film is an adaptation
of Annie Ernaux's autobiographical book of the same name, that deals
with her own experiences with abortion back in the 1950's. Diwan and
her co-screenwriter Marcia Romano have done an excellent job at
adapting the book and creating a film that is filled with immediacy,
tension, heart and understanding, without it making it feel like a
political or “message” film. The entire film is from Anne's
perspective, she is in every scene, so Diwan needed an actress with
an ability to go through a large range of emotions quickly and
believably and she struck gold with the casting of Anamaria
Vartolomei, who is just extraordinary. I was particularly impressed
by Vartolomei's ability to express her character's sudden lack of
focus, as well as her fear which continually builds until its
outright panic, as she understands just how much trouble she is in
after deciding to terminate her pregnancy and realising just how hard
that will actually be. She also does an excellent job of making us
feel her isolation from the rest of her, once comfortable, world.
While I would always describe “Happening” as an intense drama, at
times it plays like a thriller (particularly as Diwan highlights
regularly where exactly Anne is in her pregnancy, getting closer to
when an abortion is physically impossible), with the final fifteen
minutes just excruciating to sit through. After two viewings of the
film, I am convinced it is a masterpiece, but it is a hard film to
recommend due to how confronting it is in places. If you are not
afraid of bold and difficult cinema, and can handle scenes of a very
graphic nature (think about what the film is about, to work out what
these scenes probably involve), I wholeheartedly recommend
“Happening”. While the film is about a hot-button topic, Audrey
Diwan is more interested in the human element behind it all, rather
than attempting to make a big political statement. Personally I
think “Happening” is a brilliant and important film, that has
left my jaw on the floor both times I have watched it, which is way I
consider it my favourite film of 2022. Click here to read my original review.
