On this page: BORIS KARLOFF: THE MAN BEHIND THE MONSTER | TAMING THE GARDEN | TORN

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This is a fascinating look at the inner workings of movie studios, including various political wranglings and Karloff's ongoing attempts to escape from typecasting. His nonstop career is outlined here in terrific detail, including film, television and stage work that remains distinctive. The filmmakers also delve into Karloff's childhood in Britain, but say little about his private life aside from the fact that he was married six times. Instead, the focus is on his professional approach to his work and his refusal to give up even when he was in pain in his later years.

Most intriguing is the film's discussion about why Karloff's Frankenstein remains so unforgettable even after nearly a century of development in makeup and effects. Of course it's because his monster is so startlingly sympathetic, which takes on new meaning in light of how he was ruthlessly bullied as a half-Indian child. He never discussed his mixed-race ethnicity or tumultuous family history, choosing to channel these feelings into his work. And he still outshines today's hyper-villainous actors and effects-obsessed filmmakers.

themes, violence

24.Jan.22

The sight of a giant tree slowly inching across the landscape is both fascinating and horrifying. Some sequences silently document the astonishing patience of workers tasked with lifting a massive tree from a garden and moving it. These trees are bigger than houses, and transporting them takes months. The cameras capture the painstaking stages of the journey as trees creep down roads, are loaded onto barges and floated down the coast. In anticipation, bulldozers cut away huge swathes of dirt and rockface.

Aside from conversations between workers and observers, the only sound is the ambient growl of the equipment. Yes, Jashi is making a strong political statement, but she chooses to do so by merely letting us witness the truth. Villagers may hate losing their beloved trees, but they appreciate Ivanishvili's money and the roads he builds to take trees away, even if more trees fall to build them. "No matter how much of a villain he is," says one, "at least he's doing something for us." As Georgia's Got Talent plays on a TV in the corner.

themes, language

26.Jan.22

The film also includes pristine documentary footage of the Shishapangma expedition, which captures Alex's boundless energy as well as his realisation that he needed to cut back on travelling. Conrad recalls these events firsthand with deep feeling. Badly injured in the avalanche, he suffered severely from survivor's guilt, joining the Lowe family as more than a friend. Meanwhile, Alex's body remained undiscovered for 17 years, after which the cameras follow the family to Tibet to recover his remains.

Cleverly, the film juxtaposes footage of Max, Sam and Isaac as children and adults, taking on their father's love of sports like rock climbing and snow skiing. Today, their few memories of their father centre on his Superman-like image, which continues to add pressure for them in their lives. But through this series of events, each family member comes to terms with their loss. And the shifting relationships unfold in ways that are moving and sometimes startlingly intimate.

themes, language

20.Jan.22