UNDER ELECTRIC CLOUDS ⭐️⭐️
Russian film about… Well… Umm, I doubt anyone knows, to be honest. Beautifully shot, giving everything a harsh, cold, feel, but to say what it was about would be near impossible. Maybe I’m not arty enough to get it…
EL CINCO ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I like almost every Argentinian film I see, and this was no exception. This film is about a football (soccer) player and his last year of playing in his league before retiring. Most of the film is shown outside the arena though, as he comes to term with what’s next.
MOUNTAINS MAY DEPART ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This Chinese film was enjoyable, if a litle disjointed at the end. While not directly comparable, if you liked Yi Yi (A One and a Two) a few years ago at MIFF, this one’s probably worth a look. The story starts with a decision needing to be made by the lead woman betweeen two interested suitors; one, a miner, and the other a wealthy entreupeneur. A few things about it were particularly interesting to me; the use of Pet Shop Boys’ ‘Go West’ as a key song through the film, the fact that parts were centred and filmed around Melbourne (or more accurately around the Great Ocean Road), and finally the use of aspect ratio to cover the three different eras that were part of the story. I was a little disappointed that the miner’s story was left a little but unfinished, but overall, an enjoyable watch.
THE LOBSTER ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This film’s the first English speaking one by a Greek director whose other films I’ve not seen before. A kind of surreal experience set in a world where adults who are single are rounded up and given a certain number of days to find their match, otherwise face being transformed into an animal of their choice. It’s an interesting perspective on the black and white of being single or in a relationship with both sides getting a chance to be explored (at the somewhat extreme level). Certainly has some squirm factor, but quite also quite darkly funny. There was one scene in the middle spoken in French that wasn’t subtitled at this session. I can’t help but wonder if it was meant to be or not, as it felt like some key points of the story were being divulged.
