MIFF 2017 - Day 7

Guardians of the Strait

It's a bit of a mess, but charming all the same. A doco about various groups and individuals who live and work along the Bosporus and try to prevent disasters, be they shipping or ecological. Structurally the film spends too much time early on dealing with shipping and the need for pilots, despite an international treaty that lets companies get away without them. When it detours into deforestation and a third bridge that is destroying a beach, it lost me. Some judicious editing early on could have set up a different set of narratives and stakes to make it flow better. But it's still an insight into life along one of the busiest naval passages in the world.

Jupiter's Moon

Wow. Just, wow. I'm getting spoiled. A Syrian refugee enters Hungary and gets shot by an overzealous police detective. And then suddenly the boy can fly. He's found by a disgraced doctor who the detective pressures to cover up the shooting. Instead, he helps the boy escape and uses his new powers to con patients out of money. All the while the detective is hunting them. And that's just the first act. It's constantly reinventing its genre and surprising you, while taking all the characters through interesting journeys. And it's shot with deliriously original long takes that would make Cuaron weep. Add in a great score and it's a must watch.