THE LOVE THAT REMAINS – ★★★★

Icelandic film by Hlynur Pálmason, who did Godland at MIFF 2022. There’s something about the Scandinavian aesthetic that does it for me, and this was easily worth the time. I’m yet to figure out the magic of a film that is slowly paced but entertaining, vs one that is slow and painful to sit through. This was the former, covering a slice of time of a family whose parents are separated. It had an interesting mix of fantastical scenes, and I can’t help but feel I probably missed some thematic references. Much like one of the characters, it left me feeling a little bit floating out at sea.

TWINLESS – ★★★☆

American film about two young men who have lost an identical twin, and meet at a support group for those who’ve suffered such a fate. They both have a need, and find them generally met in the other as they build a new friendship. A nice watch, plenty of amusing moments and pretty well done for James Sweeney, who produced, directed, wrote, and acted in it. It felt a tad formulaic at points but not overly so, and I certainly wouldn’t say that every aspect was predictable. Great performances by the leads as well. Given that this is (I believe) only the filmmaker’s second feature film, I’m looking forward to seeing more by them in future.