True Story

THE PROMISED LAND (BASTARDEN)

Directed by Nikolaj Arcel
Starring Mads Mikkelsen, Amanda Collin, Morten Hee Andersen, Gustav Lindh, Simon Bennebjerg, and Kristine Kujath Thorp

A Scandinavian historical drama starring the magnificent Mads Mikkelsen anyone?

That combination was instantly enough to add The Promised Land to my must-watch list. Now, after viewing the film, it also has my tick of approval to broadly recommend.

Beginning in the year 1755, Ludvig Kahlen (Mads Mikkelsen) has just returned to his homeland, Copenhagen, after 25 years of service in the German Army fighting in the Silesian Wars (a once Central European region that is now South-Western Poland). A determined man who knows precisely what he wants next in life, which is a noble title and to make a comfortable living, Ludvig soon learns that fighting is not over for him as a different and more personal type of battle comes his way. Frederik De Schinkel (played by Simon Bennebjerg), an unruly, unhinged, and abusive county judge who considers himself above the law does not accept the approval that Ludvig has received from the Royal Danish Court to build property and cultivate land that he considers his own. If Ludvig’s refusal to obey any orders given by Frederik weren’t enough on their own to incite him, then news of married couple Johannes and Ann (played by Morten Hee Andersen and Amanda Collin, respectively), former servants of Frederik’s who have fled and now work for Ludvig, will surely tip him over the edge. Furthermore, Frederik’s attractive cousin and less than devoted lover, Edel Helene (Kristine Kujath Thorp) recognises a way out if pursuing a romantic interest in Ludvig.

As you can fathom from my synopsis of The Promised Land, this is a story that is wealthy in weight where every character pursues, and some exploit, opportunities to be gained from another. What I’ve described is just the framework too! Even Ludvig is guilty of placing his self-driven ambitions above helping others who are also in various positions of vulnerability and need. While this might lead to some viewers suspending their support of his cause, it goes to show just how fully formed the script and its characterisation really is. Storytelling, character formation, and their presentation is something that co-writer and director Nikolaj Arcel previously accomplished in outstanding fashion in the outstanding 2012 biographical period drama A Royal Affair, which also starred Mads Mikkelsen as well as Alicia Vikander. These valuable components of The Promised Land ensures that it always remains involving and continuously evolves in anticipation towards an intriguing climax. To further compliment and recommend this film on a last note, The Promised Land is also a high quality and very competent cinematic production, courtesy of its cinematography and score. And of course, another mighty Mads Mikkelsen performance to appreciate.

The Promised Land is showing in selected cinemas across Australia from June 20th.

Moviedoc thanks Rialto Distribution and Annette Smith: Ned & Co for providing a screener link to watch and review this film.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc

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THE TEACHER WHO PROMISED THE SEA (EL MESTRE QUE VA PROMETRE EL MAR)

Directed by Patricia Font
Starring Laia Costa, Enric Auquer, Alba Guilera, Milo Toboada, Luisa Gavasa, Gael Aparicio, Alba Hermoso, Nicolás Calvo, and Ramón Agirre

The Teacher Who Promised the Sea delivers upon its early promise to competently accomplish something that in my view not a lot of movies manage to do as successfully as this.

This Spanish and Catalan-language drama based on a true story opens with its present-day plot set in 2010 while frequently taking us back to the mid 1930s, covering a separate yet connected story.

Buried memories of the Spanish Civil War are unearthed after the discovery of a mass grave in Barcelona, which acts as the catalyst that sets Ariadna (played by Laia Costa) off in search of a teacher whom she has a generational connection with that worked at a school in a small village more than 70 years ago. Assisting her with the search is a helpful local she meets at the site named Emilio (Ramón Agirre), who was a pupil at the school Antoni (played via extended flashback sequences by Enric Auquer) taught at.

Antoni is an innovative and passionate teacher who firmly believes in children having a childhood and is determined to inspire his students to learn and have an open mind to all things, despite starting off with a class of just 3 pupils. His progressive teaching methods get heavily scrutinised though and are instantly disapproved of by the town’s ultra-conservative Priest (Milo Toboada), who will do everything within his power to ensure Antoni’s placement is a short-lived one.

Many movies tell their story adopting the same format used here. Yet in many, even most of these, one of the two or more separate timelines or parts of the plot simply function better than the rest. One of the main problems I often find with films that simultaneously develop their present-day set plot and a separate timeline is that one slows, even halts, the progression and anticipation of the other. Just as I would start to be engaged by the characters and story in one part of the plot, the film would relocate its focus to another, and that often results in a rather incomplete experience.

But that is absolutely not the case in The Teacher Who Promised the Sea.

Somehow, this utterly involving human drama absolutely nails what it needs to for both timelines to seamlessly and simultaneously develop, become absorbing, bring in anticipation, and grow both a sense of urgency and in significance. One of the definite secrets to this beautifully realised story’s success is its consistency in pacing. Full credit must be given to director Patricia Font for her all-round sound judgement. Perhaps an example of the seamless yet subtly powerful way in which communication between the two timelines speaks volumes comes from a scene that made an immediate impression upon me and has stayed with me since. In the present-day timeline, we are taken inside the building where Antoni taught at from 1935. In the background, viewers have clear visibility of an image of Jesus Christ hanging against the same wall Antoni removed a crucifix from all those years ago.

Despite the heavy content underpinning this picture and its undeniable capability to derive emotion, The Teacher Who Promised the Sea is also heartwarming to watch throughout. Witnessing the adoration Antoni’s pupils form towards him and how they thrive under his tutorship is just beautiful to be a part of. At the same time, the tragic fate that is soon to come for Spain is never forgotten and The Teacher Who Promised the Sea remains firmly dedicated to paying homage to its ramifications.

The Teacher Who Promised the Sea is showing in selected cinemas as part of the HSBC Spanish Film Festival across Australia from June 14th – July 10th.

Moviedoc thanks Palace, the HSBC Spanish Film Festival, and Miranda Brown Publicity for the invitation to the screening of this film.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc

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RADICAL

Directed by Christopher Zalla
Starring Eugenio Derbez, Daniel Haddad, Jennifer Trejo, and Danilo Guardiola

In 2011 at Jose Urbina Lopez Elementary, the final grades for a fresh class of sixth grade pupils at this Mexican border town school located in Matamoros have already been decided by their teachers before the term even begins. Merely ensuring they pass is an incentive the teachers will be awarded for. Achieving that is a challenge in itself though at the self-dubbed “school of punishment” where the modus operandi is a one size fits all approach to teaching and disciplining those who do not comply. Then there are students who will simply drop out, which is another expected outcome that is simply accepted. Enter new teacher Sergio Juarez (played by Eugenio Derbez) who possesses an unrivalled passion and unorthodox approach to teaching that unlocks the potential of his students and ruffles the feathers of fellow faculty members.

Based on a true story and taken from a 2013 article published in a monthly American magazine, Wired, Radical is an impressively focused film that for most part is light-hearted and easy viewing. There is so much for Radical’s story to be distracted by and a plethora of social issues and personal themes it could have explored. The aforementioned education settings for one. These unfortunate kids are never even given the chance to recognise or explore their own potential let alone to be set-up for success. If they even choose to attend school, they are attending one that is severely neglected. Their environment outside of school is also not one to thrive in, as sometimes seen in impoverished households and while walking past a homicide crime scene on the way home from school. So, it really is credit to co-writer and director Christopher Zalla for finding ways to incorporate these settings without ever losing sight of what his ultimate goal is, and the film experience he intends to and does indeed give audiences.

Mr Juarez’s unconventional and very much go-with-the-flow teaching practices often generate amusement and certainly earn appreciation from adults who will comprehend just what he is doing. Despite throwing the rule book out of the classroom from the moment he arrives, Mr Juarez is never unethical or outrageous and does not place his pupils at any adverse risk. His colleagues simply can’t identify the method to his madness, so to speak, and do not appreciate that he gets to employ his own teaching style instead of blindly following the process they all settle for.

Radical is to be applauded for deservedly celebrating the one in very few who made such a positive difference to more than a few.

Radical is showing in selected cinemas across Australia from May 23rd.

Moviedoc thanks Madman for the invitation to the screening of this film and for providing a screener link to watch and review this film.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc

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FROM HILDE, WITH LOVE (IN LIEBE, EURE HILDE)

Directed by Andreas Dresen
Starring Liv Lisa Fries and Johannes Hegemann

By virtue of the sheer volume of lives taken and devastatingly impacted during The Holocaust, it more than understandably and deservedly is central to almost all WWII films set in Europe, especially in Germany. There are, however, other stories too. Stories that certainly do not match the magnitude of true accounts to emerge from the years-long genocide of European Jews (yes, I’m referencing you, Schindler’s List) yet demonstrate that if people were not actively supporting the Nazi agenda, they were against it and treated as an enemy. From Hilde, With Love presents one of those other stories.

It is 1942 in Berlin when a heavily pregnant young woman, Hilde (played by Liv Lisa Fries from TV series Babylon Berlin and the new Anthony Hopkins film, Freud’s Last Session) is taken from her home by members of the Gestapo, interrogated, and imprisoned indefinitely. They have reason to believe that Hilde, together with her husband Hans (Johannes Hegemann), is part of a German resistance group to Nazism. From Hilde, With Love details Hilde’s imprisonment as she awaits a trial date and learns of her fate while providing regular flashbacks centred on her passionate romance with Hans.

Taking nothing away from Holocaust films and the devastating, powerful and consequential true stories they often present, it was refreshing to view a WWII film set in Germany that portrays the true account of another victim of the war the world is far less acquainted with. As a production, From Hilde, With Love contains all of the content required to support the significance of its story, which is enough on its own to pack quite an emotional punch. However, the manner in which this story has been packaged unfortunately lets it down. The frequent flashbacks to various and unspecified timelines prior to Hilde’s imprisonment pull viewers out of the state of uncertainty, anxiety, and limbo she is stuck in. The events depicted prior to her being detained are absolutely of importance to the central story, the characterisation, and also change the tone of the movie by way of infusing it with plenty of romance. Instead, they often feel like an unwelcoming and interrupting distraction, slow the overall pace of the film in an uncomplimentary way and left me wishing this story was told in chronological order. One noteworthy aspect that does remain a more positive contribution all throughout though is the anchoring performance of Liv Lisa Fries.

From Hilde, With Love is showing in selected cinemas across Australia as part of the HSBC German Film Festival from the 10th – 29th of May.

Moviedoc thanks Palace, the HSBC German Film Festival, and Miranda Brown Publicity for the invitation to the screening of this film.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc

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WICKED LITTLE LETTERS

Directed by Thea Sharrock
Starring Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Timothy Spall, Gemma Jones, Malachi Kirby, Alisha Weir, Anjana Vasan, Hugh Skinner, and Paul Chahidi

Edward and Victoria.

In a film titled Wicked Little Letters where two of its central characters possess these names, you would be forgiven for believing this to be a period film revealing the heavily classified content of letters penned by Prince Edward and/or Queen Victoria themselves!

Well, spoiler alert, if these or any Royals for that matter, are revealed as the anonymous authors behind the crude vocabulary and insulting profanities shared throughout Wicked Little Letters by its end, that will spell the end of the monarchy as we know it!

Rather, Edward and Victoria here (played by Timothy Spall and Gemma Jones) are the arch conservative parents of the repressed scripture-quoting Edith (Olivia Colman). In this stranger-than-fiction true story set during the 1920s in a post-war English seaside town, Edith is the recipient of numerous blasphemous letters whose content would be enough to make most regular citizens blush. Instead of launching her own investigation into who is writing and sending these to her, Edith and her parents, whom she lives with, decide to go straight to the police. All of them set their sights on the one convenient culprit it just has to be – the potty-mouthed and widowed Irish migrant living right next door, Rose (Jessie Buckley). In Rose’s corner, however, is Police Officer Moss (played by Anjana Vasan), the town’s lone female cop who observes some facts in need of straightening and begins her own investigation into the case.

In addition to the reasonable doubt in evidence mounted against Rose, Officer Moss is also further motivated to help her because of the equally poor treatment of women by men they are subject to. Irrespective of where that discriminatory treatment is occurring – being ostracised at the workplace, scorned at by society in general or forced to be a proper ‘lady’ and ‘Christian’ inside the home, and which female character is subject to it, this is a theme that is seamlessly integrated into the story and ultimately plays a pivotal role in proceedings. It is really well executed in that it adds all the depth and heart it needs to without ever diminishing or over-powering this film’s effortless ability to entertain and evoke great cheer. That is despite its chosen style in acting to be uniformly hammy. While I accept its constant presence may be too much for some, it was something I could embrace and felt it had its place. Especially towards the end in an absolute hoot of a scene Olivia Colman nails (I am still laughing days later when reminiscing this particular scene).

Wicked Little Letters is showing in selected cinemas across Australia from March 21st.

Moviedoc thanks Studiocanal and Annette Smith: Ned & Co for the invite to the screening of this film.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc

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THE GREAT ESCAPER

Directed by Oliver Parker
Starring Michael Caine, Glenda Jackson, John Standing, and Danielle Vitalis

One soldier who will never fail to answer the call of duty. This is a memorable line spoken later in The Great Escaper that doubles as a perfect Segway to delving straight into its plot.

Based on a true story that made national news in 2014, Bernard “Bernie” Jordan (Michael Caine) casually leaves the care facility he resides at with wife Irene (Glenda Jackson) and sets off on his own without permission for the beaches at Normandy, France, to commemorate fallen comrades at the D-Day Landings 70th Anniversary. It’s an occasion very close to Bernie’s heart given he is a WWII Royal Navy veteran whose memories from his time in service to his country are still quite vivid, as the film’s semi-regular flashbacks show. Closer to our hearts perhaps is the fact The Great Escaper is acting great Michael Caine’s final film, as well as being the last movie of his co-star, Glenda Jackson.

Playfully deriving its title from the 1963 classic film The Great Escape (enter shameful shocking confession – I am yet to see The Great Escape but promise that will change in 2024!), it’s fair to say the security protocols at the nursing home Bernie and Irene reside are hardly a match for those at Alcatraz (now that – 1979s Escape from Alcatraz – I have seen, thanks to my Clint Eastwood-enthusiast father). Though nowhere near being labelled a classic itself, The Great Escaper is everything it ought to be, no more and no less, and is an emotionally satisfying departure from acting for Michael Caine. He’s given plenty to work with thanks to a reasonably layered screenplay. A friendship he makes with a former RAF pilot (played by Caine’s The Eagle Has Landed co-star, John Standing) on the way to Normandy adds substance and depth to both the story and Caine’s character. Oh, and no, I have not seen The Eagle Has Landed either and don’t necessarily intend to. Those aforementioned flashbacks don’t seem to be much more than time-fillers throughout but do make themselves relevant by the end. Some support and blunt words of wisdom given to a young soldier is less effective, but what is capable of tugging at the heartstrings is a past truth Bernie has kept privy over past decades he finally confronts.

The Great Escaper is showing in selected cinemas across Australia from March 7th.

Moviedoc thanks Transmission and Tracey Mair Publicity for the invite to the screening of this film.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc

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Leigh’s Best & Worst Movies, Moments and Performances of 2023

An annual accomplishment I enjoy sharing is the volume of motion pictures released in Australia I have seen. As of now, that number for 2023 stands at 168 films with around 30 movies still to be seen on my watch list! But that will begin to change in 2024!

Perhaps this can be considered a New Year’s resolution of sorts, but I am opting for quality over quantity in 2024 and also more carefully selecting the movies I watch according to both personal taste and reliable word of mouth rather than seeing endless spin-offs and sequels out of self-directed obligation. The motivation for this change is to enable myself to see a number of older and classic films I ashamedly have never viewed and to experience films at film festivals, which never manage to be a priority due to my current new release watch list at the time.

Nevertheless, I guarantee you spoiler-free reviews of various movies throughout 2024 and promise there will always be something for all tastes at Moviedoc HQ 🙂

Now, to what you’re all really here for. Here are the best & worst in movies from 2023. For the best, I’ve decided to include all films I awarded four stars or more to this year. Also, a gentle reminder that I do things a little differently to most other critics and collate my movies according to their official release date in Australia.

The 15th time director Ken Loach and writer Paul Laverty team up may very well be their last in the wonderfully empathetic drama, The Old Oak.

Joyland is an incredibly brave film from Pakistan about a married man who becomes infatuated with a transgender woman, who I mention further below as a stand-out performer.

A tie between two extraordinarily different Amazon release documentary features, the comprehensive and utterly informative 3-hour Getting Away With Murder(s) and the very touching and compact 82-minute The Defenders.

A gut-wrenching depiction of depression in The Son, starring Hugh Jackman, Zen McGrath, Laura Dern, and Vanessa Kirby.

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The moment Willy introduces the hair repair eclair in Wonka, I just knew this creatively concocted sweet treat for the family needed to be in my top films of 2023 list!

The touching true story of “The British Schindler” as depicted in One Life.

Since its July release in Australia, Aussie horror gem Talk to Me has gone on to become a huge box office success abroad, becoming American distributor A24’s highest-grossing horror film and second-highest grossing film overall. It is my runner-up for both best Australian film of 2023 and best horror film of 2023. It’s a beauty mate, check it out if you haven’t already!

As its title suggests, Sharper is a sharp, thoughtfully conceived, and well-structured crime drama/thriller. One of my few underrated movies of the year. Stars Julianne Moore and Sebastian Stan.

An inspirational and touching true story is elevated by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi’s (Directors of the duo of excellent documentaries Free Solo and The Rescue) smart direction to tell Nyad’s story and by the acting performances of Annette Bening and Jodie Foster, which is truly something special to behold.

At first, Maestro can appear to solely be Bradley Cooper’s entry strategy to the Academy Awards ®, if you get my drift. But in no time at all, this superbly constructed and written true story unveils its depth, becomes immersive and is impeccably acted by both Bradley Cooper and the always magnificent Carey Mulligan. After Maestro and A Star is Born, Bradley Cooper is absolutely one of Hollywood’s leading directors right now.

Undoubtedly in many critics’ top movies list for the year and probably a favourite for many of you, Oppenheimer’s outstanding production, competent storytelling and fine acting performances will earn it several Oscar ® nominations (and wins, surely) and make it mandatory to be in my top films list.

News of the ‘Brennaisance’ has sunk, but The Whale remains afloat as one of this year’s greatest releases.

Saltburn is Emerald Fennell’s follow-up to her Oscar-winning writing and directing debut feature, Promising Young Woman, is another gutsy and tremendous film experience that takes viewers on an all-new mesmerising and unforgettable journey.

Thanks largely to its characters, characterisation and writing, American remake A Man Called Otto starring Tom Hanks surprisingly surpasses the very good Swedish original.

The Origin of Evil (L’origine du Mal) is one of my personal favourites of the year. A well-crafted French dramatic thriller starring a superb Laure Calamy (who is everywhere in French cinema right now!) that features a number of devilish twists I certainly didn’t see coming!

An underrated and genuine surprise of the year was Joy Ride, a raunchy comedy with real heart that brought me to tears in more ways than one.

Ari Aster is a genius who plunges his protagonist, Beau, barely living an idyllic life to begin with, into a surreal nightmare that gets more outrageous and disconcerting with every minute of its 2 hours and 59 minutes run time. Beau is Afraid is disturbingly brilliant.

These 4-star movies thoroughly deserve their places in my top movies list and are must-watch releases.

Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-nominated ® The Fabelmans from early in the year provided wonderful escapism and captivating storytelling that still resonates today.

Like its predecessor, Missing is entirely fun and thrilling to watch. It is a cleverly and thoroughly conceived and entirely plausible screenlife thriller filled with tantalising and intriguing twists and turns that constantly kept me guessing from beginning to end.

Air shares a wonderful story with unrivalled universal appeal, boasts a terrifically engaging script, a top-notch cast, and excellent all-round performances that culminate in the ultimate feel-good biopic.

I cried absolute buckets in Spoiler Alert, which brings to life so eloquently, realistically and beautifully the ups and downs of a long-term relationship, specifically a gay one, and how a significant health threat puts everything into perspective and can absolutely change your entire world.

They just don’t make movies like A Good Person these days. But they ought to because this involving human drama is as excellent as the pairing of Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman.

It rarely occurs that I really yearn to see a movie twice, yet Babylon’s dare, flare and energy has rendered me powerless to soon succumb a second time to its grandiosity.

An Oscar-worthy writing and directing feature film debut in what’s a highly personal story from Iranian-Australian Noora Niasari. Shayda was Australia’s entry in the Best International Feature Film category for the 96th Academy Awards ® but was disappointingly not shortlisted 😦

The following movies earned 4 ½ stars from me and are clearly among the absolute best of 2023.

I am yet to meet anyone who loved this live-action remake as much as I do. Following in the footsteps of The Lion King, The Little Mermaid seamlessly and magically adapts everything I loved about the 1989 animation to live-action realness and had me both reminiscing and falling in love all over again with its beautiful story, iconic characters, and unforgettable songs. I absolutely loved it. Also, Melissa McCarthy was born to play Ursula!

Of An Age is an Aussie gem for the ages. No film has grounded me in its present with its central characters more than this romantic drama set and shot in Melbourne.

Keeping it short and sweet, yet keeping it real, Past Lives is a present masterpiece and a future romance classic that should not be missed.

It’s rare that a film can articulate its meaning with such clarity and precision in the manner Close does. The end result is beautiful, powerful, and utterly heartbreaking.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 is a near-perfect spy action film and a masterclass in the genre whose action & set-piece sequences completely blew me away. I saw this several months ago and still get goosebumps when thinking back to some of its spectacular sequences. Easily the most exciting movie I’ve watched in 2023!

The Best Motion Picture Released in 2023

In March, I wrote this in my review of Till:

“This near faultless and absolute powerhouse of a movie could very well end up being the best film of 2023”

This statement proves to be true by year’s end.

None of the 166 other movies I watched in 2023 managed to topple Till from top spot. This insightful, harrowing and impossibly involving true story is a must-see no matter what your tastes are, but if the likes of Changeling, Just Mercy and The Hate U Give are films that impacted you, then you know precisely what to expect in Till.

But wait… where is Barbie!?

The moment I firmly decided that three and a half stars was just right for Barbie, I knew it wouldn’t be making any top 20 (or so) for the year. It is undoubtedly a creatively concocted story, offers loads of fun and has genuine depth in its themes. There was just a little too much about Barbie that didn’t quite work for me and prevents it from making my best-of list.

A few other notable and potentially surprise omissions from my best-of list that also scored three and a half out of five stars include Tár, Theatre Camp, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Netflix’s The Killer. More than 60 movies I saw this year received three and a half stars, so there were many very good ones edging close to the best-of list. Reach out if one of your favourites isn’t mentioned in this post 🙂

As mentioned earlier in this post, there are around 30 movies on my watch list I am yet to see. These are the ones I believe could shake-up law and order in my current best-of list.

Napoleon
Beyond Utopia
Coup de Chance

Next are some, actually a lot, of commentary on various acting performances, filmmaking, and memorable moments in motion pictures over the year. Grab a cold drink, tea or coffee and enjoy the read 🙂

Michelle Williams is uniformly excellent in The Fabelmans, though I was deeply impressed by the lesser-known Gabriel LaBelle’s work. On that note, some of Steven Spielberg’s directing work (especially the sequence before, during and following the revelation of a big family secret) is among his very best.

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Cate Blanchett rising to the absolute peak of her powers (that we know of) in what must surely have been her most challenging role yet as Lydia Tár in the transfixing and ultra-intelligent yet ultra-pretentious and very complex feature, Tár.

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The remarkable debut performance from Aftersun’s younger star, Frankie Corio.

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It ain’t called the Brenaissance for nothing! Brendan Fraser’s towering, triumphant and Oscar-nominated performance in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale. Also, Hong Chau is splendid as his co-star.

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The trio of performances I rated most strongly in the epic Babylon belongs to Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, and Jean Smart. It is a painful oversight Jean Smart in particular was overlooked for a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the 2023 Academy Awards ®. The Oscar nominations Babylon did receive though – Production Design, Music, and Costume Design, are seriously impressive.

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The collective performances of the big and not as big names among the ensemble acting up a storm in Women Talking.

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The quite extraordinary performance of Andrea Riseborough in the rags to riches to rags true story, To Leslie.

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The first-ever Oscar nomination for 73-year-old Bill Nighy for his well-measured, restrained and possibly career-best performance as Mr Williams in Living, the English-language adaptation of the 1952 Japanese Film, Ikiru directed by Akira Kurosawa.

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The truly special and inexplicably Oscars-shunned performance from Danielle Deadwyler in powerhouse true story, Till.

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The astounding acting performances from Thom Green and Elias Anton in an Aussie gem for the ages, Of An Age.

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The astonishingly adult-like debut performances from duo child actors Eden Dambrine and Gustav De Waele in Belgian filmmaker Lukas Dhont’s second feature film, Close.

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The outstanding performance from the outstanding Florence Pugh in A Good Person. Also, the coming together of two of the greatest actors of our generation, Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman, born generations apart themselves, doesn’t let down for even a second and is among some of the best casting in film for the year.

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It must have been a stressful job being the lead actor Ari Aster’s Beau is Afraid. It was certainly stressful watching everything Joaquin Phoenix’s character endured, yet this unbelievably gifted actor fully immersed himself into Beau and was mind-blowing as a result. Not to mention, the animation sequence featuring a live-action Joaquin Phoenix is one of the most awe-inspiring and extraordinary sequences I can recall seeing in any film, ever. Period.

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The entire sequence that takes place at the Arc de Triomphe intersection perfectly demonstrating why it’s an insurance company’s worst nightmare in John Wick: Chapter 4.

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Priya Kansara’s comically excellent breakout performance in the charming crowd-pleaser and laugh-out-loud action-comedy Polite Society.

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Emma Mackey’s strong performance as Emily Bronte in Frances O’Connor’s very impressive feature film directing debut, Emily.

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Madison Tevlin bringing much-needed spark to the admirable and sweet sport comedy-drama Champions.

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The 21 minutes long one-take action sequence during the first act of Netflix’s Extraction 2.

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Transgender actress Alina Khan’s incredibly brave and assertive performance in the equally brave Pakistani drama, Joyland.

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Michael’s apartment and bedroom surprise (more G-rated than I make it sound) in Spoiler Alert, plus the very real and very sexy surprising chemistry between The Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons and Ben Aldridge.

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Mia Goth’s mighty monologue in prequel horror film Pearl.

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Wi Ha-joon’s menacing and deranged performance in the impressive debut feature from promising newcomer Oh-Seung Kwon, Midnight.

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The mounting tension on the face of Sydney Sweeney in Reality, in what is a riveting re-enactment of the real-life figure.

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The Italy car chase sequence and the Austrian Alps train scene finale in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1. The latter is arguably the best set-piece sequence staged and shot in any film released this year.

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The hilariously scene-stealing performance from Kate McKinnon in hot-pink form as weird Barbie in Barbie.

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Many components that comprise the ultra-impressive Oppenheimer could be called out, but the stand-out for me is Robert Downey Jr.’s excellent performance, which I say might earn him an Oscar ® nomination.

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The perfect precision of Past Lives‘ writing. An outstanding film debut from writer and director Celine Song.

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The pairing of James Morosini and Patton Oswalt in the surprising and admirable comedy, I Love My Dad.

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The writing and directing feature film debut of Noora Niasari and the Oscar-worthy ® outstanding lead performance from Zar Amir Ebrahimi in Australian drama Sundance winner Shayda.

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Lola Campbell’s impressive first film appearance in delightful dramedy Scrapper.

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The Burial’s fabulously flamboyant Foxx performance.

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The razor-sharp, raunchy yet mature performance of Jennifer Lawrence in the razor-sharp, raunchy yet mature comedy No Hard Feelings.

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Laure Calamy’s layered and superb work in the twisty-turny and underrated French dramatic thriller, The Origin of Evil and her equally superb performance in Annie’s Fire. Actress of the year for me goes to none other than Laure Calamy.

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The brave and brilliant Barry Keoghan and the equally hideous and hilarious characterisation & dialogue of Rosamund Pike’s Elspeth in Saltburn.

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Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’s star performer, Ella Graham in the supporting role of Nancy. The young lady playing Margaret, Abby Ryder Forston is also very competent. In fact, due to this movie’s straight to home viewing release in Australia, I envisage it flying under the radar. Make no mistake, this follow-up to writer and director Kelly Fremon Craig’s excellent writing & directing debut, The Edge of Seventeen, is very, very good.

♥

The very impressive Netflix animation Nimona barely made a dent in the top 10 most watched films during its release. Such a disappointment and deserved so much more. I hope I’m wrong, I can’t help but feel a gay lead character in a family animation is the reason why families avoided this.

♥

Don’t be dismissive due to the lack of big names in the equally entertaining and humorous true story, BlackBerry.

♥

Annette Bening and Jodie Foster’s performances in Nyad are truly something special to behold.

♥

On paper, it might be a hard sell, but the unapologetically bloody and B-grade comedy-horror Renfield more than works! Deliciously wicked performances and genuinely comical writing that lends itself to this genre very well deserve for it to be seen.

♥

The impeccable acting of Maestro director Bradley Cooper and the always magnificent Carey Mulligan in Cooper’s equally excellent follow-up to A Star is Born.

♥

The “That’s Life” TV program studio sequences in the touching true story One Life.

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If you’re still reading this post, well done and thank you! It’s mammoth, even by my lengthy standards. To finish, here are the film titles along with an accompanying sentence of films I didn’t like this year.

I’ll start with the underwhelming and disappointing Maggie Moore(s). The appealing synopsis, genre and lead cast were enough to convince me to give this a shot, despite its poorer ratings. Trust those poor ratings in this instance.

EO is an Oscar-nominated ® arthouse film that was clearly well beyond my realm of appreciation. I was utterly tedious watching what was ultimately a pointless, albeit short film.

Why? Just why did they need to create a follow-up to what is and remains one of the greatest and most frightening horror films ever made? The Exorcist: Believer (review by Zak) is a completely unnecessary sequel that would have William Friedkin rolling in his grave.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 hands us a Greek platter consisting of exaggerated acting and mundane developments that result in the film being as stagnant as it is stale. Most of this comedy works as well as dancing the Zorba to a death metal tune.

After reading the IMDB premise and seeing the film poster, I had hoped and expected Runner to be a Lithuanian version of German classic Run Lola Run, albeit with an extra twist or two. In the end, Runner slows to an unmemorable crawl I wish I’d never taken a chance on.

How the heck can you possibly screw-up a movie where your leads are none other than Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal? Foe is how.

I’ll be having none more of The Nun II, thank you very much.

Mafia Mamma fell well short of my already lower expectations. Terrible dialogue, cringeworthy over-acting and absent directing plague this way off comedy from start to end and don’t make a single element of its improbable plot likeable or work.

Don’t be sucked in like I was by the mostly false claim God is a Bullet is a true story. Films that depict cults ordinarily strongly arouse my interest. This near 3-hour timewaster never did. Just awful.

If it weren’t for the casting of Channing Tatum reprising his role of Mike in Magic Mike’s Last Dance, this absolute borefest third instalment would feel like a completely separate movie.

It’s not uncommon for me to be less amused by an American comedy. What came as a surprise in Strays though was just how sad it both is and made me feel!

Compiled by Leigh for Moviedoc

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I LOVE MY DAD

Written and Directed by James Morosini
Starring James Morosini, Patton Oswalt, Claudia Sulewski, Lil Rel Howery, Amy Landecker, and Rachel Dratch

I am so delighted and impressed by what I saw in this comedy from writer, director, and star James Morosini, I am compelled to compose a mini review of it!

Disconcertingly based on something that really happened to James Morosini, I Love My Dad chronicles Chuck’s (Patton Oswalt) attempts to rekindle a relationship with his son, Franklin (James Morosini) after being cut off… by catfishing him! The profile Chuck chooses to hide behind is that of a kind-hearted and attractive waitress he meets at a diner, Becca (Claudia Sulewski). As Franklin begins to develop serious feelings for his online companion, just how far is Chuck willing to go to maintain some form of contact with his son, regardless of how awkward it gets!?

This surprising and admirable comedy encourages its viewers to be as forgiving to Chuck as his real-life son clearly has been. It thoroughly deserves that forgiveness too. Though things didn’t go quite as far in real life as they do in this movie, Morosini has publicly stated that emotionally this story is entirely true. I think the premise I’ve shared alone warrants those sentiments from the creator, maker, and star. He’s adopted a rather unique and interesting method to telling the story by visually portraying many of the online interactions. For instance, Franklin and Becca appear in the same scenes together, simultaneously re-enacting the exchanging of messages from his perspective, with cuts showing Chuck’s perspective too. This format is sometimes a bit clunky, but it also produces many laugh-out-loud scenes that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. I guarantee there’ll be places you don’t think this film is going that it absolutely does go to! The dread I Love My Dad builds for Franklin’s inevitable forthcoming moment of realisation is palpable, especially considering his current mental health state. Nevertheless, Morosini’s film never becomes serious or dark, truly committing to maintaining his story’s humorous elements just as much as he opts to view and portray his father’s actions from an admirably empathetic lens. The pairing of James Morosini (who can look quite a lot like a younger Jake Gyllenhaal) and Patton Oswalt is one of the standouts of 2023 too.

I Love My Dad is streaming on Paramount + and is available for rent in Australia.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc

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ELLOS EATNU – LA ELVA LEVE (LET THE RIVER FLOW)

Written and Directed by Ole Giæver
Starring Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen and Gard Emil

As one of many of us who once needed to keep an integral part of my true identity privy from others, I could effortlessly empathise with Let The River Flow’s lead character, Ester (Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen). In fact, and irrespective of the specifics, many people will be able to resonate with more than one of this film’s themes.

With everyone around her constantly making negative remarks of Sámi people and their growing activism against the government’s plan to build a dam on their land, it’s no wonder the already reticent Ester is further silenced and burdened with shame of her heritage. As each day passes where the bias against her and her people even extends to her own family and workplace as a school teacher, Ester is filled with increasing determination to start making some noise.

The person to lend some sort of licence to Ester taking part in protests and discovering others like her is her cousin, Mihkkal (played by Gard Emil). Further fuelling her inspiration to make a stand against the dam’s construction is its risk of flooding their land in which generations have lived, laboured, and loved. As the movement gains momentum and grows in number, Ester’s personal journey to surmount lifelong oppression commences.

Though the central character Ester is fictional, Let The River Flow is based on true events that took place between 1979-1981. Despite this and the described synopsis preparing audiences for a dramatic experience and conclusion, I have to say it is quite the opposite. This slowly paced film remains equally committed to its focus being Ester’s personal journey as it does to presenting the story in a muted tone. While I commend the decision to create this fictional female character, utilise her to raise globally resonant themes and make that the focal point, I’m afraid to say that Let The River Flow causes the ripple effect of a motionless sea. Furthermore, the film’s writing assumes audience knowledge of the real life event depicted and uses language that wouldn’t be widely known. Again, I acknowledge this film is less about the event than it is about the person. However, it is ultimately the catalyst for the evolution of the character of Ester and seems to inadvertently undermine its own importance.

Let The River Flow is showing in selected cinemas across Australia as part of the Saxo Scandinavian Film Festival from July 13th to August 2nd.

Moviedoc thanks Palace and MB Publicity for the invite to the opening night film festival screening.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc

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SAINT OMER

Directed by Alice Diop
Starring Guslagie Malanda, Kayije Kagame,Valérie Dréville, Aurélia Petit, and Xavier Maly

Has there been a more seamless filmmaking transition than Alice Diop’s legal drama, Saint Omer?

After working as a documentary filmmaker for years, this first of hopefully many feature films to come from her is an utterly compelling case that is based on a real-life court trial she attended in person.

In her shoes is new actress Kayije Kagame as Rama, a novelist and journalist who travels a few hours to attend the Saint-Omer court of law where a young and very well-educated woman by the name of Laurence Coly (Guslagie Malanda) is standing trial for the murder of her 15-month-old daughter. Surprisingly to some, Laurence does not deny committing the unfathomable act, but attempts to justify her not guilty plea by attributing blame to circumstances outside her control that led her to that fateful day. Meanwhile, as Rama listens to and observes the defendant for the purpose of a new work project, she discovers Laurence’s story hits closer to home than expected.

It might sound and at first seem impossible to have any ounce of empathy for Laurence or care to hear how she explains the reasons behind her atrocity, but the fact Saint Omer first opens viewers minds and then our hearts is credit to the strong writing and the insights and context it provides to us. Laurence is asked to speak about her upbringing, her relationship with her parents, is questioned about the father of her baby who also takes to the stand and of her feelings towards falling pregnant and having her daughter, Elise. I’m sure viewers interpretation of this intriguing and complex character will differ. For me, this character study set largely within a courtroom was irresistible. Is Laurence merely victimising herself? Is she a master manipulator? What element in proceedings, if any, does sorcery play? Laurence’s mother, who is in attendance at her daughter’s trial, seems to back this up. Is this modern adaptation of Medea simply a film of delusions? Plenty to contemplate.

Crossing just over the two-hour mark, Saint Omer is a film whose format and content does require some extra patience from its viewers. Momentary breaks away from the case consist of flashback sequences from a time in Rama’s life. To be honest, soon after Rama is seated among other attendees at the trial, she becomes irrelevant to the film for a long while as the focus almost entirely shifts to the defendant and the case before her. By the end of the film when certain revelations are made, I felt as though Saint Omer needed involve Rama more than it does earlier in the film. Doing so could have made this aspect as equally compelling throughout. Nevertheless, and on a final positive note, I must say that little-known actress Guslagie Malanda is really well cast as Laurence. She carries an expression that invites viewers to study her deeply and possesses a piercing glance when making eye contact just one time with Rama, which was my favourite scene in the entire film.

Saint Omer is showing in selected cinemas across Australia from May 25th.

Moviedoc thanks Palace Films for the invite to the screening of this film.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc

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