Elle (2016)

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ELLE-1Aaagh. I think this movie is well-made crap but I’m not sure. Okay, I need to admit my bias. It is directed by Paul Verhoeven who also directed Starship Troopers, the favourite film of a person very dear to me who I won’t name to save him embarrassment although anyone who knows him well will know who I’m talking about. And I think Starship Troopers is a heap of well-made misogynist crap. But believe me, I went into this movie with high (though slightly nervous) hopes. Continue reading

Kaili Blues (2015)

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KAILI-BLUES-03It’s never a good sign when you are hoping a film is about to end, that this scene will be the final one. Not that Kaili Blues is terrible, there is a lot to recommend about it, it just seemed to get lost halfway through and then keep going. And going. Continue reading

What’s in the Darkness (Hei chu you shen me) (2015)

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WHAT'S-IN-THE-DARKNESS-01I took the advice of my husband this morning and ditched the Romanian drama Sieranevada. His advice was to make sure I enjoyed my MIFF experience and to not make it hard work. My MIFF buddy Alex pointed out that Sieranevada is nearly three hours long and I just didn’t feel like it. Instead, I booked this Chinese drama, What’s in the Darkness, that reads like a Nancy Drew set in rural China. It isn’t. Strangely, it is not so different from last night’s The Demons. Continue reading

Madly (2016)

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MADLY-01Madly is six short films, each by a different director and based in a different country. They all explore some aspect of love and are stylistically and emotionally diverse. It’s hard to choose a single rating for six such different films and I struggle with the episodic nature of anthologies of short films; no sooner have you engaged with the story than you have to leave. They are all interesting, the first three – from India, Australia and the US (though directed by a Chilean Sebastián Silva) – are my favourites. Continue reading

Harmonium (2016)

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HARMONIUM-1I’m not really sure what this film was trying to say and it took just a bit too long to not say it. Toshio and Akié are a married couple with a young daughter, Hotaru. One day a neat, quiet man, Yasaka, arrives and Toshio gives him work and invites him to stay in their house. Toshio’s demeanour and offhand furtiveness show that there is more to this connection than meets the eye and his generosity is not necessarily being done through friendship. Continue reading

Radio Dreams (2016)

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RADIO-DREAMS-3My favourite film of the festival so far. Not quite a 5 star but a solid 4.5. This sweet, deadpan, gorgeously rendered exploration of cultural displacement is set in an Iranian radio station in San Francisco. The band Metallica has promised to call in to jam with Afghani band Kabul Dreams; Mr Royani, the wild-haired director of programming sees it as a symbolic gesture of reconciliation in the aftermath of 9/11. Continue reading

Hedi (2016)

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HEDI-2A bittersweet Tunisian love story, that’s what this film is supposed to be. Hedi is a shy car salesman who likes to draw. He is dominated by his mother, who tries to steers his life into an acceptable version of success, making it clear that he is not as clever as his older brother. Continue reading

Mahana (The Patriarch) (2016)

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MAHANA-1Lee Tamahori, who directed Once Were Warriors, brings Temuera Morrison back to the screen, this time in a family-friendly poignant tale of patriarchy, set in 1950s rural New Zealand and based on a novel by Whale Rider author, Witi Ihimaera. The warm tones, beautiful rendering of the rural life of the time and great characters make this an enjoyable and thought-provoking tale. Continue reading