THE HUMANS – ★☆

My first walk out for MIFF 2022. I guess this film about a somewhat dysfunctional family going on and on about themselves doesn’t remind you enough of your own regular experiences, perhaps this might appeal. A surprising disappointment, given the talent of the cast.

FALCON LAKE – ★★★☆

Nicely made French-Canadian coming of age film set on a lake. A summer is spent with a visiting family sharing a cabin with family friends who own it, and the story focuses on the friendship that forms between a near-14 year old boy and a 16 year old girl. Did a reasonable job of showing the awkwardness of the age, with a couple of minor slips in the story for me, but mostly hits the right notes.

MILLIE LIES LOW – ★★★

Was looking forward to this New Zealand comedy. Its premise was of an architecture student who wins a scholarship to work in New York, suffers a panic attack on the plane, and ends up staying in Wellington, trying to pretend she’s in NY to her friends and family. This one had a good concept, but was a bit of a mixed bag, and didn’t seem to know whether it was a bleak-ish drama or a comedy. Ultimately it was hard to be on-side with any of the flawed characters, and many of the plot points weren’t entirely watertight.