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On this page: RADICAL | SISI & I | SLEEP

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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL | Last update 6.Aug.24

Radical  
Review by Rich Cline | 4/5

Radical
dir-scr Christopher Zalla
prd Joshua Davis, Ben Odell, Eugenio Derbez
with Eugenio Derbez, Daniel Haddad, Jennifer Trejo, Danilo Guardiola, Mia Fernanda Solis, Gilberto Barraza, Victor Estrada, Manuel Marquez, Christian Gonzalez, Xochiquetzal Martinez, Edmundo Monoz, Enoc Leano
release Mex 20.Oct.23,
US 3.Nov.23, UK 9.Aug.24
23/Mexico 2h05


SUNDANCE FILM FEST



Is it streaming?

derbez
Based on real events, this drama is set in a Mexican border town grappling with enormous social problems as a man seeks to break a cycle of failure for a group of students. It's an engaging story, packed with empowering moments and played beautifully by Eugenio Derbez and a superb young cast. And while much of the film has a comical, uplifting tone, it also remembers the darker realities.
In 2011 Matamoros, everyone is on edge due to drug cartel violence and political corruption. At a failing primary school, teachers worry that their students aren't progressing, destined to drop out. Then new teacher Sergio (Derbez) begins shaking things up with improvisational methods sparked by his curiosity. Principal Chucho (Haddad) can't understand. But the 12-year-old students are fascinated, realising that they're learning in new ways, and that they need to take advantage of their potential, because no one else will. Sergio also helps them realise that they are already smart enough to do almost anything.
Because no one cares what goes on at this school, Sergio is given freedom to experiment with new ideas. And he's stunned by the neglect, such as a computer lab that's been out of commission for four years. The film hones in on three students: science and maths genius Paloma (Trejo), who lives in poverty with her single father (Barraza); class clown Nico (Guardiola), destined to be a drug dealer until he realises the power of his own mind; and the thoughtful Lupe (Solis), who's helping to raise her younger siblings and takes a profound interest in philosophy.

Performances have an earthy authenticity, anchored by the always charming Derbez in role that skilfully mixes light and dark shadings. His growing friendship with Haddad's Chucho is charming, but it's the way Sergio connects with his students that allows the film to grab hold so tightly. And these child actors are unusually natural on-screen, with notable turns from Trejo, Guardiola and Solis in roles that have far more nuance than expected.

Sergio's main approach is to allow the students to discover the joy of learning, which makes dull subjects practical and exciting. This is a powerful reminder that intelligence and ability have nothing to do with the economics or social status that limit a child's opportunities. There are some intensely bleak angles to this story, especially in the perhaps overlong final act. But this is a thoroughly involving film that has something urgently important to say about education systems across the world.

cert 15 themes, language, violence 5.Aug.24


Sisi & I   Sisi & Ich
Review by Rich Cline | 4/5
Sisi & I
dir Frauke Finsterwalder
scr Frauke Finsterwalder, Christian Kracht
prd Wiebke Andresen, Tobias Walker, Philipp Worm
with Sandra Huller, Susanne Wolff, Stefan Kurt, Georg Friedrich, Sophie Hutter, Maresi Riegner, Johanna Wokalek, Sibylle Canonica, Markus Schleinzer, Tom Rhys Harries, Anthony Calf, Annette Badland
release Ger 30.Mar.23,
US 12.Jul.24
23/Germany 2h12

BERLIN FILM FEST



Is it streaming?

Wolff, Hutter and Huller
With a snappy script, lavish production design and a rock-n-roll attitude, this blackly comical period drama comes to life in unexpected ways through vivid details, settings and characters. Set in the late 19th century with a pulsing modern song score, the story is beautifully observed by director Frauke Finsterwalder to cut through the lively surfaces and reveal emotional depth. This makes the film both provocative and very entertaining.
At 42, Countess Irma (Huller) has few options after rejecting marriage and the convent, so her mother (Canonica) arranges for her to become companion to the feisty Empress Sisi (Wolff) in Corfu, where she lives her own life far from her husband Franz Joseph (Schleinzer) and children. Despite the rigorous pace and strict diet, life here is free from the constrictions of the Austro-Hungarian court. And Sisi's only desire is to never be bored. Irma and Sisi travel to Algeria, Bavaria and England, but it's in Budapest and Vienna that Sisi resolves to change things.
Initially, everything about Sisi's lifestyle takes Irma aback, starting with the absurdly restrictive weight-loss regimen, which is monitored closely. Sisi insists on breaking social rules and surrounds herself with women and gay men like the emperor's brother Ludwig Viktor (Friedrich). She's also endlessly curious and playful. And Irma shares her disinterest in men. So because she finally finds something to care about, Irma's possessiveness fuels what happens later.

Huller is wonderful as the awkward Irma, who is repelled by Sisi's unapologetic irreverence but adapts and blossoms into it. She has terrific chemistry with Wolff's sparky Sisi as their connection grows, most notably in a giggling fit followed by philosophical musings after nibbling on hashish in North Africa. "You're totally nuts," Irma sighs after another antic. But Irma develops a fierce loyalty to Sisi, as do several colourful side characters who are sharply well played by the supporting cast.

While the film generously stirs fiction into a historical narrative, it bracingly brings out the underlying themes about women who bristled against the constraints of their time, either proactively like Sisi or reluctantly like Irma. Franz Joseph's selfish concern is that the world is laughing at him due to his overly independent wife, violently asserting his power over her. So after enjoying her freedom, watching her options close in around her is chilling. And like 2022's Corsage, the film gives Sisi a new conclusion.

cert 15 themes, language, violence 9.Jul.24


Sleep  
Review by Rich Cline | 3.5/5  
Sleep
dir-scr Jason Yu
prd Lewis Taewan Kim
with Jung Yu-mi, Lee Sun-kyun, Kim Gook Hee, Lee Dong Chan, Yoon Kyung-ho, Park Hyun-jung, Seo Yi-Sook, Kim Nam-woo, Oh Yun-su, Hong Ha-na-im, Kim Geum-soon
release Kor 6.Sep.23,
US Oct.23 pff, UK 12.Jul.24
23/Korea 1h35

CANNES FILM FEST
TORONTO FILM FEST



Is it streaming?

jung and lee
Cleverly blending ghostly goings-on with the pitch-black comedy of annoying neighbours and worried first-time parents, this Korean psychological horror pushes the audience the edge, and then some. Writer-director Jason Yu and his sharp cast keep things funny and warm as the nastiness creeps in, unsettling us in ways that cut to the bone. So even if the story as a whole feels somewhat unfinished, it still leaves us shaken.
Living in a cozy one-bedroom flat, a happy young couple is excitedly expecting their first child. Office worker Soo-Jin (Jung) playfully teases her actor husband Hyun-su (Lee) about his sleep-walking. Then when it takes a dark turn, a doctor (Yoon) offers treatment. When her mother says it must be ghost possession, Soo-Jin can't get the idea out of her head, working out whose ghost it must be and why he is threatening them. Then when their daughter is born, Soo-jin's paranoia kicks up a gear, and Hyun-su goes along with her precautions. To a point.
While the film begins with a light-hearted tone, both of these young people quickly begin to be frightened about what might happen when they're asleep. Hyun-su's nightly activities rightly freak out Soo-jin (and us too), and her frantic reactions aren't exactly calming things down. Yu skilfully combines everyday elements, throwaway humour and awkward interaction to create a situation that's thoroughly believable, and increasingly engulfing.

The actors are so natural that they feel like real people. Even their more extreme reactions are easy to identify with, which adds to the suspense. Jung and Lee are also thoroughly likeable, so we root for both of them to overcome this together, as a sign on their wall encourages them to do. But it also becomes clear that the danger isn't only coming from the spirit realm. Meanwhile, each of the supporting roles feels bracingly realistic, including the psychic who arrives to give them a reading.

Where this story goes is genuinely harrowing, especially as the escalating levels of violence carry proper shock value. This is largely because this is such a nice young couple, and the peril arrives in such an insidiously believable way. There is also some strong subtext in the story, as well as a lovely portrayal of a couple determined to work together to get through an unthinkably nasty situation.

cert 15 themes, violence, violence 9.Jul.24


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