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 Shadows off the beaten pathIndies, foreigns, docs and shorts...
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THE BOY IN THE WOODS |
SIGHT |
STING
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| See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL | Last update 25.May.24 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Boy in the Woods Review by Rich Cline | 
TORONTO FILM FEST Is it streaming?
|  Based on a true story, this is a finely made survival drama set in the final years of World War II. The historical realities provide a horrific edge, while the depiction of helpless youngsters fending for themselves while being pursued by violent racists is deeply upsetting. But writer-director Rebecca Snow skilfully maintains the youthful perspective, which keeps the actual violence off-screen while giving everything a sharply matter-of-fact tone. In Nazi-occupied Poland in 1943, the last Jewish residents are being "resettled", but 12-year-old Max (Klyne) is sent by his desperate mother (Fogler) to the countryside to live with farmer Jasko (Armitage) and his wife Kasia (Lizdek). But when the Germans begin snooping around, Max has to go live alone in a bunker in the forest. As he learns how to survive, he runs into the younger Yanek (Kohlsmith). But there's danger everywhere as they forage for food and try to stay out of sight from hunters and both German and Russian soldiers. Filmed in northern Canada, the settings are remarkably realistic. It's horrifying to see men with guns stalking these young boys like animals, and the filmmakers make sure it's not too scary. But their perilous predicament still feels intense, especially when they rescue a lost infant. Snow maintains a sharp point of view, remaining with the resourceful Max as he works out ways to get through a number of potentially harrowing situations. Young Klyne has terrific screen presence in a demanding role, portraying a sharp boy who is observant and thoughtful. His quietly methodical approach, even in the most nightmarish situation, is inspiring and even powerful. Through his eyes, other characters come and go, with Armitage and Lizdek registering strongly, as does Shauna Snow in a smaller role as a quick-thinking local. These are compassionate people in a place that is otherwise full of hate. The filmmakers don't add much here beyond dramatising a true-life story, relying on the realities of the war and the waves of emotions that generates, rather than looking for present-day resonance. And the approach is clearly based on a memoir, so outside context is minimal. But the details of this account are remarkable, and they are dramatised with skill. There's also a documentary epilogue featuring the real Max Smartthat ties up a loose in a seriously beautiful way.
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| Sight Review by Rich Cline |
|  dir Andrew Hyatt scr Andrew Hyatt, John Duigan, Buzz McLaughlin prd Darren Moorman, David Fischer, Vicki Sotheran with Terry Chen, Greg Kinnear, Danni Wang, Fionnula Flanagan, Wai Ching Ho, Raymond Ma, Ben Wang, Mia SwamiNathan, Natasha Mumba, Leanne Wang, Donald Heng, Sara Ye release US 24.May.24 23/Canada 1h43 Is it streaming?
|  Pretty much everything about this movie is overstated, including the opening caption: "based on an incredible true story". Yes, it's an inspiring tale about a groundbreaking doctor who is stirred to confront his dark past. Scenes are played for maximum emotionality, with only the occasional glimpse of earthy authenticity. This approach feels very pushy, and would have had more impact if it let the audience discover the themes themselves. In 2007 Nashville, surgeon Ming Wang (Chen) is pushing the boundaries of science by restoring sight to the blind along with his colleague Misha (Kinnear). His new patient Kajal (SwamiNathan) is a 6-year-old orphan from India, who was blinded by her stepmother so she could work as a beggar. Surprisingly, her presence reminds him of his childhood in China during the Cultural Revolution, memories he has always pushed aside. So has he seeks a breakthrough in treatment for Kajal and others, he is also trying to make peace with the lingering pain of his past. Warm flashbacks dramatise Ming's memories as a teen (then Wang) with his friend Lili (Ye) as China's communist fanatics close schools, burn books and viciously persecute artists and academics, including Ming's parents (Wang and Heng, then Ho and Ma). Ming bides his time until universities are reopened, then gets a chance to study in America. Now he and Misha discover a revolutionary treatment that might help Kajal and others like her. Chen and Kinnear are terrific, holding the film together with moments of warm humour and honest interaction amid the gauzy sentimentality. Their camaraderie is enjoyable to watch, as are scenes with Ming and his family both in the 1970s and the film's present day. The great Flanagan lends her considerable presence as Kajal's guardian nun, offering the film's uplifting spiritual message at a key moment. When he's younger and frustrated that his education has been derailed, Ming's mother notes that life isn't always a straight line. This is a nicely observed theme amid a sea of heightened feelings, as each scene is played out for maximum feelings in the most obvious way possible (often involving both surging music and furrowed brows). But this would be an even more inspiring story without the full-on sermon at the end.
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| Sting Review by Rich Cline | 
|  dir-scr Kiah Roache-Turner prd Chris Brown, Jamie Hilton, Michael Pontin with Alyla Browne, Ryan Corr, Penelope Mitchell, Jermaine Fowler, Noni Hazlehurst, Robyn Nevin, Danny Kim, Silvia Colloca, Tony J Black, Rowland Holmes, Alcira Carpio release US 12.Apr.24, Aus 16.May.24, UK 31.May.24 24/Australia 1h32 Is it streaming?
|  From Australia, this New York-set horror romp ripples with atmospheric style and gleeful grisliness. Its premise feels like something from a 1950s sci-fi monster movie, while the movie is wacky enough to keep us smiling even as it gets increasingly nasty. And first-rate visual effects continually take us aback. Writer-director Kiah Roache-Turner puts this together with a sure hand, mixing in just enough grounded drama to keep us engaged. In a decrepit Brooklyn apartment building, 12-year-old Charlotte (Browne) finds an intriguing spider in her grandmother's (Hazlehurst) apartment, without knowing that it arrived in a plum-sized meteorite. She names it Sting and begins feeding it cockroaches, but it grows alarmingly, and quickly develops a taste for larger prey. Meanwhile, Charlotte's mother Heather (Mitchell) is distracted by a new baby, while her stepdad Ethan (Corr) is overworked as the building's super, hounded by stern landlady Gunter (Nevin). The question is whether exterminator Frank (Fowler) can stop Sting before it develops a taste for humans. Not likely. Both Charlotte and Sting use creaking heating ducts to move around this building unnoticed, spying on the colourful residents. These include the lonely Maria (Colloca) and secretive biologist Erik (Kim), who is a bit too intrigued by this all-new spider species. The filmmakers have fun with sound effects, adding menacing growls to the rattling pipework so that it sounds like a bear is prowling inside the walls. The digital imagery as Sting grows exponentially is strikingly well-rendered. And the tongue-in-cheek approach delights in red herrings. Oddly, Charlotte's family are played like earthy, real people with the usual family problems, while everyone else is heightened and cartoonish. This quickly tells us where our sympathies belong, so we can laugh at the absurd behaviour of Hazlehurst's kind but forgetful granny as well as Nevin's sneering pantomime villain, knowing all too well which one is more likely to become a spider-snack. At the centre, Browne makes Charlotte smart and intrepid, and her artful viewpoint is echoed nicely in the performance, providing a strong link to Corr's illustrator stepfather. All of this is played more for laughs than scares, with scenes unfolding in ways that are comically tense rather than actually suspenseful. And the violence is yucky rather than horrific. Without much subtext, this is unlikely to become a cult classic. But it's so much fun that it's sure to find its audience, and fans will be hoping that there will be more nasty critters falling from the stars.
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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL © 2024 by Rich Cline, Shadows
on the Wall
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