Well Geeks The Melbourne International Film Festival is over, and our reporting team has agreed to do a regular "AICN-Downunder" weekly column for us soooooo, lets give them a week or two to recover from the fest... theeeeeeen ol' Father Geek here will start up the column. This will be great, lots of major geek films are being made in their neck of the woods, plus all those great homegrown flicks too... I can't wait... Here's Tamsin on the final day of MIFF...
Hi Father Geek, and evertone else... I would love to do a weekly Australian Film Report featuring news and reviews from our Film Industry. Although we are a small industry there is a constant flow of screenings, shoots, outside productions and festivals happening here at all times. Also, Australians are dedicated film buffs (most obviously reflected in the constant sell-out sessions at MIFF) and it's a pity we're often not seen as a real industry because our population is not large enough to make a large impact on the box office.
But now, for the last time, my final day MIFF reviews...
First up is the final ISHII Sogo film for the festival, "Gojoe" (made in 2000). This is the story of Benkei, once a fearless warrior now a monk, who is forced to return to the battlefield to destroy the invisible demon who lurks on Gojoe Bridge. Always in his way are the battling Heike and Genji clans, who often place him into violent confrontations which conflicts with his religion. I had to leave the end of this film as it crossed over with another but, from what I saw, this is another great one from Ishii. The overall production is slick and the costumes and production design spectacular (except for some bad spurting blood effects which are way over-the-top). The story did seem to be lacking depth but it is difficult for me to judge entirely as I missed the end. I will be definitely be keeping my eye out for this one so I can catch the ending.
Ran to the next one, the Vietnamese film "Wharf of Widows". This was a great idea for a film but didn't quite deliver. It is about the Vietnamese women of a small town who are waiting for their husbands, boyfriends, brothers etc to return from the Vietnam war. It explores themes such as desperation, gossip of a small town, desire...the only problem was the subtitles were terrible on the print screened and there were some amazingly bad (often humourously bad) translation problems. This often made it difficult to follow the storyline. There is one line of dialogue, which the only eligible bachelor says to one of the many women who want him, "I have nothing to offer but my cock" (he means his rooster), which made me wonder whether perhaps the film was a comedy and that it was lost in the translation. There are definitely some funny anti-US lines and it is great to see the Vietnam war told from the other perspective for once.
The next film should have been my last. It would have been fantastic to finish the festival with the Brazilian film "Me, You, Them" as it was absolutely one of the Best of The Fest. The film opens on Darlene, a pregnant bride whose fiancé never turns up. She leaves her small town and returns three years later with her child. I don't want to say much more about this film as it is so much more of an experience not knowing anything about it. The visuals are lush, the performances brilliant, the story is absolutely polished. It is hilarious without sacrificing depth and an absolute crowd-pleaser. I think it's already played in the US and didn't do amazingly well but really deserves a second chance as it is brilliant. Here is the film's official site: http://www.uol.com.br/eutueles/english/index2.htm
Now to the last film of the entire film festival, the much anticipated Australian film, by director Richard Lowenstein, "He died with a Felafel in his hand". I SO wanted to like this film. I was praying it was going to be good not only because I had hoped that Richard had other great films in him (he burst onto the scene young with "Strikebound" and the Michael Hutchence film "Dogs in Space" and then everything went downhill from there). Unfortunately it appears that he is regressing rather than progressing. Starring Noah Taylor, "Felafel" is about a "writer", whose idols are Jack Kerouac and Dostoevsi, living with a bunch of hoons in a Brisbane house. He moves to Melbourne to another house with another bunch of freaks and some of the hoons from the original house follow. Stuff happens, lots of smart-arsy chatter from a singular voice (that of the original novel's writer, John Birmingham) and he moves again to a house in Sydney with more weirdos. Overall it is once again about late 20s/early 30s angst with supposedly witty dialogue about 'cool' post-modern stuff and bong-smoking characters who say, "Let me get this straight. You're telling me... (INSERT repetition of beliefs of the main character reduced to supposedly hilarious point form). The characters are totally underdeveloped and then this is overcompensated by throwing in some overly dramatic moments in the story. The end is terrible because you have absolutely no connection to any character in the story. A few people walked out and I overheard one patron sum it up in one word: "juvenile". There should be a ban on quirky 20-something angst-ridden Australian films.
Sorry to end on a downer and I've decided that, for me, the Festival ended with "Me, You, Them." My final total to the 18 day festival was: was 82 (not including a few early walk outs).
Overall the 50th Melbourne International Film Festival was a huge success with a wide range of dynamic and entertaining films from around the world. Congratulations to the new director James Hewison and all his crew for constant enthusiasm and a dedication to filmmaking.
To finish up, here are a few Best and Worst Lists...
First up I want to start with some common motifs/elements which seem to pop up in a large number of the films at this year's Festival.
Cigarettes - surprisingly these appeared in just about every film. If a character needed to show signs of stress they grabbed the cigarettes. If there was a important moment when a character had to ponder a large decision, of course the actor has to do something with their hands...a perfect place for a cigarette. And of course, what cigarette companies prey upon, to make characters look "cool". It is amazing how many characters were non-smokers in earlier sections of the film and then suddenly took it up when they had to ponder something. A special prize goes to "The Chateau" because it was one film where I'm almost certain they never resorted to "cigarette-as-device". The toothpick can also be used as a substitute for the cigarette. (see below)
Toothpicks - strangely there were a large number of toothpicks used in most films, especially the Asian ones. They were pretty much used as a substitute for cigarettes (see above) and fulfilled all the same reasons for using cigarettes but never for the real reason toothpicks were invented - to pick the food out of your teeth.
Vomiting - was absolutely amazed by the number of films featuring vomiting this year. From the Iranian film, "Smell of Camphor, Fragrance of Jasmine" to Australian film "The Bank" vomiting played an important role. Whether it was from drinking too much alcohol, from stress, eating shrimp or pregnancy, "Vomiting" seems to be overtaken suicide as a major festival motif.
Suicide - this is always a big festival favourite. To provide an added oomph to a film, a good suicide attempt never goes astray. Last year, suicide definitely won as the most used motif but then, "Virgin Suicides" was one of the featured films. No more 'intense-relationships between two ostracized teenagers who commit suicide at the end' please!
Sex - with men, women, porn stars and a large zucchini, SEX is always a major element. This year featured a large number of teenage girls experimenting with lesbianism which seems to be still in vogue. Sex scenes are definitely pushing the envelope more, with lots of full frontals, "how did they fake that" scenes, and breast pummeling. As they say, if you want to get off at the movies, don't go to the X-Rated theatres - go to a Film Festival.
Now to the Lists:
- Best Narrative Feature Films (in no particular order)
"Me, You, Them";
"Under The Sand";
"The Foul King";
"The Big Animal";
"Sexy Beast";
"Faithless";
"The Piano Teacher";
"The American Astronaut";
"Little Otik";
"101 Reykjavik";
"The Chateau";
"The Low Down";
"The Legend of Love";
"Smell of Camphor, Fragrance of Camphor";
"The Circle"
- Worst Narrative Feature Films (in no particular order)
"Bunny";
"He Died with a Felael in his Hand";
"Deep End";
"Pariah";
"I Won't Go Back Home";
"Totally Flaky";
"Shiner"
- Best Documentaries
"The Gleaners and I;
"My Khmer Heart";
"The Turandot Project";
"Pie in the Sky: The Brigid Berlin Story";
"We Sold Out Souls For Rock and Roll";
"Keep you River on Your Right: A Modern Cannibal Story"
- Worst Documentaries
"Miotte by Ruiz";
"ABC Africa";
"Transitions"
- Best Music
"Vengo";
"Me, You, Them";
"Calle 54";
"Turandot Project"
- Worst Music
"Orfeu"
- Best Animation
"Saamuel's Adventures Part 1-3"
- Worst Animation
"X"
- Best Classic
"Crazy Family"
"Michael" (Peter Weir)
Thanks for reading...
Tamsin
Now to Norman's last report...
hi there, well it's been quite a journey and thanks for running so many of my stories... With regards to a possible "OZ AICN", count me in. I'm definitely interested. I've got a couple of the usual news sources... industry mags etc, and I'll stand advised as to what else you want, how things work. I'm connected with the industry in the loosest of ways - a freelance scriptwriter just starting out, with a couple of TV credits. Lots of exciting stuff happening up in Sydney but unfortunately I'm stuck in Melbourne right now... lots of possibilites for LOTR and SWEP2 interviews closer to release dates with local actors. So yeah, count me in!
Last day of MIFF. Firstly thanks for reading, and thanks to AICN for running these here reviews. Some awesome last minute ones, so I'll get on with it...
Last year MIFF scheduling meant I missed out on Francois Ozon's WATER DROPS ON BURNING ROCKS, so I hurried the trusty old roadster down Bourke Street to catch his latest effort, UNDER THE SAND (France). Marie and Jean have been comfortably married for 25 years, a relationship that Ozon paints in deft, light touches as they arrive at their coastal villa for an overdue holiday. And then something happens that changes that relationship forever... and Marie has to make that agonising choice of whether to move on and meet someone new. It's a dilemna packed with drama, but Ozon doesn't quite explore its dimensions. What could have been a rich exploration became a bit of a narrrative cul-de-sac. I can't deny the stark beauty of the final image though, where Ozon lets us just watch Marie make that choice in the most visual way possible. He's a mature filmmaker that is - I sense - approaching the height of his powers.
LAIN is a 13 part Japanese anime TV series that ran over three sessions at MIFF. We're following Lain, a 13 year old high school girl, as her growing interest in computers spins into a schizoid existence of secret organisations and alternate identities. It's fascinating to see a contemporary TV show centring around computers and hacking (I didn't see the American FREAKYLINKS but I heard it was an interesting failure), and LAIN had some great moments. The overall story arc lacked drive, however; the sense that we were going somewhere, moving forward, that there was a big problem that had to be solved. I'd love to see the world presented here married with the serial-story nous displayed by the BUFFY team. It'd make a killer show...
Two great films followed, and I forgot how tired I was feeling...
MIFF Executive Director James Hewison made an impassioned introduction to the capacity crowd of THE PLEDGE. By the end of the speech I didn't quite understand why he liked the film so much, but it was clear he felt pretty darn strong about it. The clincher for me, however, was seeing him remain in his crappy first-row right seat for the first five minutes of the film. That's dedication.
I'd probably sit behind the screen for this film. It really was that good.
Jerry (Jack Nicholson) is on the cusp of retirement - it's only six hours away. Then, sensing destiny, he leaves his own farewell party to attend the site of a particularly horrid crime. It's the rape and murder of a young girl. It seems like an open and shut case, once the suspect is brought in. But Jerry has to do better than "seems". He's on a promise - the pledge of the title - to the dead girl's parents, one he was forced to make while he was looking into their eyes. He will bring the killer to justice.
STORY SPOILERS FOLLOW
Penn gives us a big hint early on as to who the culprit is. Everything points towards him. He's brought in, a confession is cajoled out of him, he's charged, and then - he grabs a gun off a deputy and commits suicide. As far as everyone except Jerry is concerned, the suicide confirms it even more.
SPOILERS END
A lesser film would have Jerry putting off his retirement and cajoling the brass into re-opening the case. Instead Jerry tries to quiet those demons. Going fishing, just like he promised. His conscience won't let him quit on that promise, though, and he does some low-key investigating of his own. Half-suspicions harden into belief. Patterns start to form. And a ray of hope arrives, in the form of a lonely, abused woman and her young daughter. Jerry finds some happiness, stops drinking so much. He really does love that child.
And then it occurs to him. This young girl could be bait for the killer. A chance to redeem his promise. Quiet that guilt in his head. What it could be is disaster.
This is the most honest I've seen Jack Nicholson. He's got bugger all looks to fall back on now, and his characteristic sly charm is flatter, quieter. It's the autumnal performance Stallone might have achieved in COPLAND if the material were stronger. If I had any criticisms it's that I didn't quite believe the catatonic end-point of his character arc, but the work otherwise is first-rate.
Klaus Badelt and Hans Zimmer do a fine job with the score but I regret not hearing what Penn favourite (the late) Jack Nitzsche might have wrought from this American-heartland material.
I struggled to make the 11am Sunday start for GOJOE but I thought I'd be okay for a seat anyway. No sirree! I was just about behind the screen for this surprise sell out, the last Ishii Sogo feature of MIFF's retrospective.
A few weakly plotted films had me thinking Ishii is weak on narrative. GOJOE proved me wrong. This take on a feudal battle between two Japanese clans is totally engrossing on a story level, not to mention the characteristically spectacular Ishii visual stylings.
Benkei has a fearsome warrior past, but he's spent the last seven years training as a Buddhist monk. He is spurred out of his retreat by a spate of killings occurring on Gojoe bridge, near the Imperial capital of Kyoto. It is said that demons occupy this key bridge at night, and whoever ventures across is doomed in five seconds flat. An inscription has appeared on Benkei's chest, indicating that he and he alone will kill the demons.
Benkei borrows a sword - the Demon Slayer - and arrives near the Bridge. He causes himself trouble, however, by refusing to ally himself with the Genji clan; Benkei is resolutely his own man. And considered an enemy by both sides. This works well, as Ishii is able to put off the showdown between badass monk Benkei (Daisake Rye, superb) and the 'demons' through believable plot contrivances, at the same time deepening the characters and increasing the stakes. It's a fine final battle, too, with a genuinely surprising result.
Throughout the film I kept on getting these weird flashes of STAR WARS. Both films are liberally inspired by Kurosawa, so perhaps there's something to it. I'd recommend GOJOE highly if it's available on DVD.
Next, the Korean TEARS. Early on this teen-centred flick brimmed with so many statements and slogans I thought it was a bad take on KIDS. Thankfully the four main characters started to emerge with distinctive, original personalities and I enjoyed following their journeys through the narrative. They're two couples in their late teens, hanging around and working in a seedy downtown brothel. Director/writer Sang Soo Jim has some perceptive things to say about relationships, particularly between young people: the knife edge between deep love and hurtful flippancy. I'd rate this film higher if not for the two or three false endings in the last 15 minutes.
Appropriately my MIFF ended with an Australian film, ONE NIGHT THE MOON. This doubled as the Australian premiere of Rachel Perkin's second movie.
ONE NIGHT... is a true story about a young girl who went missing from her home in 1932. An initial search party includes an Aboriginal tracker (Kelton Pell), but the girl's father (Paul Kelly) refuses to have a "darkie" on his property and, minus the tracker, the search turns up nothing.
The girl's mother (Kaarin Fairfax) has a feeling about this tracker, however, and asks him if he can help. He does. He and the mother set out on a very different path, discovering along the way that the young girl was following the intoxicating light of the moon.
Give or take some expository dialogue, it's songs that drive this story forwards. Earthy, intimate, occasionally grand songs mostly written by star Paul Kelly (in his first feature film role). The stand-out is "This Land is Mine", with verses duelled between the landowner Kelly and the tracker Pell. "This Land is Mine", starts Kelly, as he strides out searching for his lost daughter. "This Land is Me" replies Pell, exiled from the search, trudging back to his home. I can't think of any more exact summation of the differences and disputes between Anglo and Aboriginal cultures than those two lines. And let me remind you not to dodge away because you're fearing a lecture - this is passionate, wonderful - and brave - filmmaking.
I'd love ONE NIGHT... to reach a wider audience but unfortunately it clocks in at an extremely unsaleable 55 minutes long. Why why why?
Aside from the cost factor I suspect that at some stage along the extremely lengthy development process of ONE NIGHT... there's been a dunderheaded crit that the idea - a musical - could only be sustained for an hour. If so, this is a tragic missed opportunity. If you're going to go 55, why not go that extra 25 minutes and make it a saleable 80? Darnit.
I was halfway up Bourke Street on my roadster when I realised that this was it, no more MIFF. No more peppermind Tictacs, Bex, stale California rolls, 7-11 bottled water. Actually, I was getting a little sick of the Tictacs anyway...
So to commemorate MIFF, I decided to put together a "MIFF WRAP" for you! A quick review of the fest, some of the highlights and lowlights, and a few special "Gunston Awards" for standout stuff. So here goes...
IN SUMMATION...
I'll give MIFF a 7 out of 10. Praise as always for the Australian debuts, which were mostly superb, for the depth of the Asian selection, the adventurous Ishii Sogo retrospective (apparently the first of his work), the Herzog doco retrospective, the much-improved ticketing system, the comfy couches of the Festival Club between sessions, and - less obvious but always perceptible - a general improvement in the "festival machine". Better co-ordination of crowds, handling of sold out venues, and prompt session starts. Fine work in a MIFF year that is said to have recorded a 10-13% increase in ticket sales. Anachronistic, perhaps, given Melbourne's subordinate relationship with Sydney but MIFF is now by a comfortable margin the biggest film festival in Australia, and perhaps the Southern Hemisphere. Congratulations to Executive Director James Hewison on a fine debut...
...but I'm not going to let you off that easily. Where did MIFF fall short? My number one crit is that I was not once blown away by a film. Impressed, plenty of times. Lots of good product this year at MIFF, but nothing amazing. (I somehow missed THE PIANO TEACHER, which could have proved the exception to this rule.) The large Asian selection I was so anticipating at the start of the festival provided more misses than hits - stylish product and neat ideas but badly crafted storytelling.
Finally, MIFF is still largely a reactive festival. I'm looking to Hewison and his team to build on the growing size and clout of MIFF by sourcing high-profile debuts from the Luhrmans, Coens, Tarantinos etc. Perhaps it's a pipedream to want MIFF competing one day with Berlin, Toronto, Venice, but that's where we've got to aim...
And now, what you've been waiting for: the GUNSTON AWARDS!
The "Silver Gunston" for BEST DOCO
The "Fluted Gunston" for BEST SCORE
Mihaly Vig (WERCKMEISTER HARMONIES)
Melancholic, heartbreaking repetitions melded with perfection to Bela Tarr's long takes.
Honourable mentions: Damon Albarn/Einar Ørn Benediktsson (101 REYKJAVIK), Coby McAbee (THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT)
The "Norma Gunston" for BEST FEMALE LEAD
Alicia Fulford-Wierzbicki (RAIN)
She played the role perfectly. And she will be a big star. Don't forget I told you, either.
Honourable mentions: Kate Ashfield (THE LOW DOWN), Naomi Fujiyama (FACE)
The "Chesty Bonds Gunston" for BEST MALE LEAD
Richard Dreyfuss (THE OLD MAN WHO READ LOVE STORIES) Gentle, angry, meditative, and true.
Honourable mentions: Jack Nicholson (THE PLEDGE), Kang-ho Song (FOUL KING)
AND... The "Golden Gunston" for BEST FILM
Thanks for reading, it's been fun telling you all about MIFF in tandem with neato reviewer Tamsin (wow! How many films did she see!)... now I think I'll just go to bed for a week...
normangunston@aintitcoolmail.com
Father Geek back with Tamsin for this bit...
Is it too late to add one more film to my "Best of the Fest"? "Jalla! Jalla!" definitely deserves a place there as it was extremely entertaining and well=-produced and from such a young talented filmmaker (he's 23).
Hope I didn't miss the post.
Tamsin
