MIFF Day 3
Yakuza Eiga
There are documentaries that are great films, that have insight and a narrative drive. And then there are films like this, which is a collection of interviews charting the development of Yakuza cinema of post-war Japan. There's a lot of interesting facts, but they're not strung together very well. If you know your Japanese gangster cinema though, you'll find new dimensions to the films you've seen. It also sketches the demise of the traditional yakuza as well, something that probably deserves a much longer film. There's a much bigger film to be found in the material, but this is satisfactory.
Pierrot Le Fou
And speaking of yakuza cinema, Takeshi Kitano's first masterpiece, Sonatine, was made in homage to Godard's absurdist parody of noir cinema. A totally nonsensical film, shot in a mixture of elaborate single takes and rapid and bizarre sequences, it's a fun and silly ride. The newly remastered print is gorgeous on the big screen, though the subtitles retain their period charm. (The swearing is politely ignored.)
Troubled Water
This was something unexpected. A film to fill in a gap in the schedule, it's one of my favourites so far this year. Boy A was a great film exploring a fictionalised account of the James Bulger murder from the perspective of one of the killers, recently released from prison. This film takes a very similar premise, but absolutely blows Boy A out of the water. Jan gets a job as a church organist, falls in love with the priest, takes care of her young son and begins to enjoy a normal life. But Agnes, the mother of the child he killed, discovers him and fears that the child is in great danger. It's a pulse pounding thriller, filled with amazing character moments, riveting performances and questions about the nature of forgiveness and what it requires. The moment that Anna (the priest) discovers her son is being cared for by a child killer is potent, and as all her homilies about forgiveness and evil are thrown in her face, the extreme cost of grace is highlighted. Structurally the film is smart, drawing us into Jan's life before hitting the reverse button and taking us through Agnes's grief, building up to an explosive ending. Easily the pick of the festival so far.
Balibo
Robert Connelly's film about the Balibo Five and Roger East, murdered by the Indonesian military in 1975, is surprisingly quiet about the political conspiracy surrounding their deaths. Instead, we get a very direct story about the men, what happened (based on eyewitness accounts and the novel Cover Up by Jill Jolliffe) and what came next. A visceral film that tells in focused miniature the events surrounding the Indonesian invasion of East Timor, it's raises more questions than it answers. A deeply affecting and uncomfortable film, it's a very strong piece on a shameful episode in Australian foreign policy.
All Around Us
Does anyone do intimate family epics better than the Japanese? I can only think of one or two Korean films that come close. A sprawling story of a husband and wife, struggling through marriage, mistrust, miscarriages, and mental breakdown. It's a very light film for all it's heavy subject matter, with a good heart and a sunny optimism that is perhaps the secret that keeps the couple together. A great film about good and decent people struggling to stay good and decent. And best of all, succeeding.
There are documentaries that are great films, that have insight and a narrative drive. And then there are films like this, which is a collection of interviews charting the development of Yakuza cinema of post-war Japan. There's a lot of interesting facts, but they're not strung together very well. If you know your Japanese gangster cinema though, you'll find new dimensions to the films you've seen. It also sketches the demise of the traditional yakuza as well, something that probably deserves a much longer film. There's a much bigger film to be found in the material, but this is satisfactory.
Pierrot Le Fou
And speaking of yakuza cinema, Takeshi Kitano's first masterpiece, Sonatine, was made in homage to Godard's absurdist parody of noir cinema. A totally nonsensical film, shot in a mixture of elaborate single takes and rapid and bizarre sequences, it's a fun and silly ride. The newly remastered print is gorgeous on the big screen, though the subtitles retain their period charm. (The swearing is politely ignored.)
Troubled Water
This was something unexpected. A film to fill in a gap in the schedule, it's one of my favourites so far this year. Boy A was a great film exploring a fictionalised account of the James Bulger murder from the perspective of one of the killers, recently released from prison. This film takes a very similar premise, but absolutely blows Boy A out of the water. Jan gets a job as a church organist, falls in love with the priest, takes care of her young son and begins to enjoy a normal life. But Agnes, the mother of the child he killed, discovers him and fears that the child is in great danger. It's a pulse pounding thriller, filled with amazing character moments, riveting performances and questions about the nature of forgiveness and what it requires. The moment that Anna (the priest) discovers her son is being cared for by a child killer is potent, and as all her homilies about forgiveness and evil are thrown in her face, the extreme cost of grace is highlighted. Structurally the film is smart, drawing us into Jan's life before hitting the reverse button and taking us through Agnes's grief, building up to an explosive ending. Easily the pick of the festival so far.
Balibo
Robert Connelly's film about the Balibo Five and Roger East, murdered by the Indonesian military in 1975, is surprisingly quiet about the political conspiracy surrounding their deaths. Instead, we get a very direct story about the men, what happened (based on eyewitness accounts and the novel Cover Up by Jill Jolliffe) and what came next. A visceral film that tells in focused miniature the events surrounding the Indonesian invasion of East Timor, it's raises more questions than it answers. A deeply affecting and uncomfortable film, it's a very strong piece on a shameful episode in Australian foreign policy.
All Around Us
Does anyone do intimate family epics better than the Japanese? I can only think of one or two Korean films that come close. A sprawling story of a husband and wife, struggling through marriage, mistrust, miscarriages, and mental breakdown. It's a very light film for all it's heavy subject matter, with a good heart and a sunny optimism that is perhaps the secret that keeps the couple together. A great film about good and decent people struggling to stay good and decent. And best of all, succeeding.
posted by Andrew Lee at 12:52 AM
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