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At the centre, Pascariu holds focus as a woman caught in a storm of ideas, in danger of being cancelled because her private life has come to light. Her stoicism is remarkable, perhaps even inspiring, as she defends herself with facts rather than battling the appalling innuendo, gossip and insults hurled at her. Aside from the superb Ieremia as the paralysed headmistress, side characters remain busy in the film's edges, supplying comedy, colour and texture to the bigger picture.

Set during the pandemic, Jude cleverly uses surgical masks to add witty tweaks to characters and their interaction. And while the film seems too madly bonkers to provide a clear message, that's exactly the point: our need for everything to be black or white, right or wrong, is the problem. The world is a wildly inconsistent place, full of quirky individuals who deserve careful consideration rather than quick judgement. It's an entertaining, riveting film that forces us to open our minds and really look at the world around us.

themes, language, sexuality, violence

23.Sep.21 lff

Szabo's performance has a remarkable stillness to it, never speaking unless it's absolutely necessary and refusing to allow even a flicker of feeling to show on his face. But he's watching and considering everything around him, showing aloof compassion where others are brutally cruel. A few other faces become familiar along the way, although most are never proper characters in the story. Only Bajko gets his own punchy moments, including a pointed storytelling scene.

Indeed, pretty much everything about this film is pointed. Each tiny sequence carries an anecdotal moral moment, as decisions are made that reflect on the people involved. The salient, and seriously haunting, question is how complicit a caring man like Semetka is in the thug-like nastiness that he is determined to avoid. Is simply walking away enough? Is omitting the truth from a report an act of injustice? These are big enough issues to make the film important, even if Nagy's approach is somewhat indulgent.

themes, language, violence

14.Sep.21

Performances from Rousselle and Lindon are hugely invested, using full physicality to create powerfully sympathetic characters who repeatedly surprise us. Their scenes together range from frighteningly prickly to earthy and tender, ultimately tapping into some sharply moving emotions. Other roles are smaller but memorable, adding an array of fascinating textures that stretch the themes. The crew of fit firemen are particularly well-played, oozing machismo while partying as if they're in a gay nightclub.

Oddly there never seems to be a resolution to all of these swirling ideas. Ducournau simply leaves everything hanging in the air, then adds even more into the mix. The cumulative effect is bold and ambitious, because the urgency of these topics is impossible to ignore as the compelling story itself surges to its only possible conclusion. Perhaps a bit more focus would have helped these big issues gel into something that packed a powerful punch. But as is, the film leaves us with a lot to think about.

themes, language, violence, sexuality

30.Sep.21 lff