MIFF 2019 - Day 8

Fire Will Come

Cue the slow burn jokes. This is a gentle and slow film observing a pyromaniac released on parole returning to his mother's farm. He tends to the cattle and quietly refuses to reintegrate into the life of the community. Then there's another massive forest fire. Did he do it or not? We never find out. It's extremely light on narrative, heavy on image and sound. It's a sensory experience. And oddly, for something like this, very satisfying.

Akasha

Adnan loves his AK 47, he's named it Alice. His girlfriend doesn't like that because it's his ex's name. She kicks him out and keeps the rifle. Thus begins a series of hijinks as Adnan and his mate try various knuckle head schemes to retrieve the rifle and avoid being redrafted into the rebel army they're AWOL from. It's a light comedy, kind of reminds me of The Gods Must Be Crazy for some reason. Screwball comedy done well.

Animation Shorts

Normally a highlight of the festival. This year I'm not sure. The animation was a lot more experimental than normal this year. Some fun ones, well animated, but nothing stands out particularly.

First Love

Miike is a staple of the festival. He's coasting a bit this year though. A fun but sloppy story about a boxer who thinks he has terminal cancer gets mixed up with a girl sold into sex slavery who has been set up as the patsy for a drug heist. Then cops, yakuza and the triad are after them. Lots of blood and gore, comic stupidity and hijinks. Miike on a bad day is still entertaining, but it's not his best work.