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 Shadows off the beaten pathIndies, foreign, docs and shorts...
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ONLY THE RIVER FLOWS |
PARADISE IS BURNING |
RED ISLAND
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| See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL | Last update 11.Aug.24 | |||||||||||||
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Only the River Flows Review by Rich Cline | 
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 dir Wei Shujun scr Kang Chunlei, Wei Shujun prd Tang Xiaohui, Huang Xufeng, Li Chan, Shen Yang, Wang Caitao with Zhu Yilong, Chloe Maayan, Hou Tianlai, Tong Linkai, Kang Chunlei, Wang Jianyu, Moxi Zishi, Liu Baisha, Cao Yang, Zhou Qingyun, Zeng Qi, Huang Jun release Chn 21.Oct.23, US Oct.23 ciff, UK 16.Aug.24 23/China 1h42 CANNES FILM FEST  Is it streaming? |
 Deadpan humour sets this gritty Chinese noir thriller apart, with witty characters and playful settings adding to a darkly intense narrative. Beautifully shot with a grainy 1990s celluloid vibe, with an evocative classical score, the story is told by director-cowriter Wei Shujun with inventive flourishes and remarkably vivid emotionality. It's a mesmerising film that worms under the skin, forcing us to grapple with our own suspicions and expectations. In a rainy, rundown town in 1995 Jangdong, police captain Ma Zhe (Zhu) runs his murder investigation from an abandoned cinema with a team of detectives. The victim is a granny (Cao) killed on the riverbank. She had adopted a non-responsive "madman" (Kang), who quickly becomes the obvious suspect. But there's also a hairdresser (Wang) who feels destined to be convicted of the crime. Then several rather cagey witnesses raise additional questions about what exactly happened on that fateful day. And when one of them is murdered, Zhe begins to lose his sense of perspective. Echoing vintage noir classics, the film opens with a group of kids playing cops and robbers in a derelict building. Then with Zhe's command centre relocated to the theatre, several scenes have a terrific staged quality to them, with random moments that come along to add amusing textures, such as the various activities of Zhe's wife (Maayan), whose pregnancy creates a strain between them, or an impromptu ping pong match between Zhe and his boss (Hou), who isn't happy about the murky facts and wants this case closed quickly. Zhu gives a remarkably internalised performance as a man who finds the questions from his personal and professional lives blurring together. He gives Ma Zhe a sharp wit that reflects in his various interactions, including his endearingly dopey deputy (Tong). And it's fascinating to watch his relationships shift as this case becomes more knotted in his mind. The supporting ensemble around him are terrific as well. Along the way, there are all kinds of wrinkles in the case, from sudden deaths to a manhunt during a torrential storm. And one stunning sequence gets deep into Zhe's mindset as he battles the perplexing evidence in a cinematic dream. Filmmaker Wei is cleverly using movie history itself to dig into the human psyche. So as Zhe struggles to think clearly, the film skilfully explores how complex it can be to find the truth in everyday situations.
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Paradise Is Burning Paradiset Brinner Review by Rich Cline | 
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 dir Mika Gustafson prd Nima Yousefi scr Mika Gustafson, Alexander Ohrstrand with Bianca Delbravo, Dilvin Asaad, Safira Mossberg, Ida Engvoll, Marta Oldenburg, Mitja Siren, Alexander Ohrstrand, Isabella Kjellberg, Andrea Edwards release Swe 27.Oct.23, US 23.Aug.24, UK 30.Aug.24 23/Sweden 1h48 VENICE FILM FEST Is it streaming? |
 Almost like a fly-on-the-wall doc, this Swedish drama takes a sometimes startlingly raw look at three sisters who are falling through the cracks of the system. Bracingly shot and edited, with impressive performances from the cast, the film is packed with powerfully intense moments. And while gifted first-time filmmaker Mika Gustafson sometimes over-eggs the melodrama or allows the story to meander repetitiously, this is vivid cinema that demands attention. After their mother vanishes yet again, 16-year-old Laura (Delbravo) takes responsibility for 12-year-old sister Mira (Asaad) and 7-year-old livewire Steffi (Mossberg). But Laura can only fend off social services for so long. Meanwhile, each sister is off on various adventures. Steffi is rescuing stray dogs and hanging with older kids, while Mira is coaching Sasha (Siren), boyfriend of their older neighbour Zara (Oldenburg) for a karaoke competition. Then on one of her escapades, Laura runs into Hannah (Engvoll), whose marriage is faltering. Hannah is intrigued by Laura's various scams, and retreats into her own rebellion. As the story develops, Laura begins to think Hannah could pose as her mother for social services. The question is whether they can avoid the law until then, as they indulge in various scams and a general disdain for the law. These sisters have clearly never been taught manners or morality, so happily steal whatever they need and break into nice houses to use pools and plunder bars and drug stashes. Laura is particularly quick-witted, able to talk her way out of anything. Performances are almost unnervingly natural, as the actors create vividly believable people in a range of specific situations. At the centre, Delbravo has fierce energy, holding the screen with her pulsing attitude while allowing us to see under her hard shell. Her bond with her sisters is fierce; even as they fight, it's clear that they love and rely on each other. More intriguing is Laura's connection with Engvoll's Hannah, a complex role that's beautifully played to bring out subtle details without easy answers. Every now and then, a plot point seems to intrude on the film, forcing the characters into some sort of proscribed action or reaction, often with emotions that feel somewhat heightened. But in between these moments, scenes roll along with fresh authenticity, expertly photographed by Sine Vadstrup Brooker to capture colours, light, textures and powerfully evocative moods. Gustafson has a terrific eye for characters and settings, and we look forward to whatever she comes up with next.
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Red Island L’Île Rouge Review by Rich Cline |
Is it streaming?
|  Beautifully produced, this French drama observes a young boy as he makes surprising discoveries about the world around him. And because the film's setting is so unusual, the knowing details feel unusually fascinating as they touch on politics both between people and societies. Writer-director Robin Campillo has a terrific visual sensibility, recreating the period and location in ways that add striking insight into the characters, history and culture. On a French military base in 1971 Madagascar, preteen Thomas (Vauselle) keeps a watchful eye on the other expat families who have a lively life in this sunshiny place. Aside from the red soil and the tropical weather, they might as well be in France. But Thomas is becoming increasingly intrigued by interaction between boys and girls. This includes quietly observing his parents (Tereszkiewicz and Gutierrez) along with family friend Bernard (Delamarliere) and his local girlfriend (Rakotoarimalala). Which gives Thomas a further glimpse into the racially charged interplay between the locals and the French community. Thomas' dawning interest in girls begins with the comic book character Fantomette (Oskal-Ool), who comes to life in his imagination in adventures that are sometimes rather extended. The camera also sharply catches his perspective as he watches the physicality of the adults around him and laughs with his classmate Suzanne (Pham) about things he can't quite understand. There are several magical scenes along the way, including the community gathering on on a moonlit beach for an outdoor screening of Abel Gance's classic Napoleon. Performances across the board are earthy and open-handed, as Campillo adeptly captures the most subtle aspects of interaction that the gifted actors add into each scene. Vauselle has terrific presence, carefully watching everyone around him while revealing things about himself he hasn't discovered quite yet. And Tereszkiewicz and Gutierrez are excellent as his parents, infusing humour and emotion through each scene. Clever touches abound, from a ring Thomas has made for his mother to three baby crocodiles his father brings home for Thomas and his older brothers (Piberne and Cosar-Accaoiu). Thomas' biggest lesson is that everyone is hiding something, and the people he thought were good might actually be the villains, including himself. Indeed, the larger story of Madagascar's brutal local government and controlling colonial powers inventively adds a sweeping sense of history to Thomas' experiences.
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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL © 2024 by Rich Cline, Shadows
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