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The low-key tone works especially well in the performances. Nanini gives Pedro a vivid internal life, a self-proclaimed loner connecting with someone against his better judgement ("You're too complicated for my taste"). Lopes brings unexpected tenderness to the tough-guy Jean, who bonds on a more openly affectionate level than Pedro can muster. And Weinberg's Daniela has several surprises up her sleeve, revealing how her friendship with Pedro is deep but still prickly.

This means that the plot feels almost irrelevant, since the interesting things unfold in these three characters' minds as they grapple with mortality, identity and connection. The intriguing inversion on the stereotype is that Pedro deflects his emotions, while Jean is more open to them. Where this goes is so subtle that it's difficult to work out what Praca is saying. Is this a story about the emptiness of being alone? Or maybe the life-altering effects of finding love in an unexpected place? Either way, it definitely gets under the skin.

themes, language, sexuality

25.Nov.19

Because of the filmmaking style, the performances come across as enigmatic and sultry. At the centre, Huang has a muted, gravelly charm that internalises Hongwu's odyssey, remaining engaging even when he's speaking off-screen or shot in blurry reflection. Opposite him, Tang has an offbeat feistiness that's muted by her complex character's inner turmoil. But then everything and everyone in this movie is muted, including expert scene-stealing side players like Chang as Wildcat's lively mother.

This is a resolutely arthouse movie that's more engaging for its intricate filmmaking than its coherent story. Bi's surreal approach echoes filmmakers like David Lynch and Apichatpong Weerasethakul, as emotions wash over the audience rather than fully connecting. The astonishingly elaborate final 59-minute take is a stunning, otherworldly climax to the hypnotic epic journey of a man delving into his past to find some hope for the future. As Hongwu observes, movies are always false, while memories mix truth and lies.

themes, violence

22.Dec.19

Youssef is superb, creating a character who is complex and thoughtful, letting the audience into his inner life without being obvious about it. His alert eyes and soulful attitude make him likeable, especially as he has doubts about his job and worries about his family. He also has terrific energy when he's in scenes with the Mohammed, vivid as a sharp-but-naive young man entrapped by the system. Habib has the other strong role as a woman who has survived too much to let her son go.

Thankfully, the titular radical white supremacist group remains largely in the background, turning up masked at rallies. But their hatred fuels everything that happens as they follow Bjerg's deceptively soft-spoken politician, who carefully resists admitting that he is their leader. The way he manipulates his followers is echoed in how the police operates, tricking Muslims into prison while allowing the white monsters to proliferate. It's definitely not a pretty picture of far-right surges around the world, so instead of offering false hope, the film leaves the audience badly shaken.

themes, language, violence

16.Oct.19