ABOUT DRY GRASSES – ★★★☆

A three hour and twenty minute epic Turkish film. I am extraordinarily pleased and surprised that I made it. It was enjoyable on many levels, incredibly filmed and acted. It’s a story centred around a teacher at a small school in a village. It covers a lot of ground, between accusations by a student of improprieties (arms around shoulder, waist), and the friendship of his colleague/housemate and another female teacher from a larger school. Some very deep and rapid conversations covering philosophies of life, that would leave me helpless if I tried to participate. It was a journey, and one that overall, I enjoyed.

PERFECT DAYS – ★★★★☆

A new best of the festival (so far) today. This film by Wim Wenders is set in Tokyo, and about a solitary man who leads a modest life with a regular routine. He cleans toilets during the day, taking great effort and pride in his work, eats at the same haunts, reads, and listens to cassette tapes from 60s and 70s artists like Lou Reed and Patti Smith. He also finds beauty in nature, often pausing to enjoy the view of leaves on trees swaying in the wind, and photographing them. He is content with his life. As the story and pattern of his life progress, we see minor events that give some ideas of his past, and how he handles the lifestyle he leads. I read another review suggesting this is Wim Wenders’ version of Jim Jarmusch’s ‘Paterson’ (from MIFF 2016). I don’t entirely disagree – the feel is somewhat similar, and I loved Paterson, so it’s not surprising I liked this too – even more. Do not miss the opportunity to see this.

FAIRYLAND – ★★★★

Thank goodness for cry-baby sessions. Well done to MIFF for being inclusive and offering these to parents of babies, so they too can enjoy MIFF. I didn’t realise going into it that it was one of these, but it was helpful; the gurgle and noise of the babies was the right amount of distracting to stop me from being far more emotional during this film. It’s primarily set in San Francisco over the 1970s and 1980s, and unlike Fremont the other day, San Francisco had a starring role. Was lovely to see shots of the Sutro Tower and other landmarks. It’s about a widower gay dad raising his daughter, and is based on the memoirs written by the daughter. Scoot McNairy who plays the father was brilliant. I’ve loved his work since his role on Halt and Catch Fire. Sometimes predictable, but didn’t overly sugar-coat and had several scenes that made you laugh, and cry (though not as much, thanks to the crying babies). Probably the best of the festival so far.

THE CARNIVAL – ★★☆

Slightly similar to another documentary, “Because We Have Each Other” from MIFF last year. In this one, it follows an Aussie family who’ve been running a touring carnival for the past century. Similar to last year’s; it’s interesting enough to watch, but I’m not really clear on the intent. And similarly, I think this could have just as easily been an hour long Australian Story episode.

HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINE – ★☆

Oh my, this was so bad it was nearly “so bad it’s good”. But, it didn’t get there. For a seemingly well-financed film, they desperately needed someone overseeing the production to say something before it was released as is. It’s the story is about a bunch of young angry folks who want to blow up a (you guessed it) pipeline. Their intent is to make a statement against oil companies. Tries to be a clever heist movie with twists, but takes itself so seriously, with near constant foreboding soundtrack while simultaneously not really delivering. I felt no empathy for the protagonists, and given the purpose of the film, not showing the results of their action was odd. (did they succeed in making a difference? How did the media cover it? And so on). I think I audibly groaned.

SHORTCOMINGS – ★★★☆

After so many films in one day, and knowing I’d have to experience the sub-standard seats and sound of The Comedy Theatre for this one, I’ll admit I was dragging my heels to come to this final session of the day. I almost walked out 2 minutes in, but luckily the opening cliche-ridden, groan-inducing scene was a film within the film. I’m glad I stuck around, as the actual film was pretty good. An American comedy with a predominantly Asian American cast, this appears to be an “Answer film” of sorts to Crazy Rich Asians. it deals with modern relationships and the settings of San Francisco and NYC were nice to see again; seems to have been a theme this MIFF. Several laugh out loud moments, and doesn’t play by the numbers when setting up well used tropes.

BLIND WILLOW, SLEEPING WOMAN – ★★★☆

French animated film set in Tokyo, and based on short stories by Haruki Murakami. It was a bit weird to see an animation set in Japan, with French language, and English subtitles, but I got used to it. The film mainly focussed on vignettes along two story lines, one of a man whose wife leaves him following the Tokyo earthquake, and the other a salaryman banker who is visited by a frog trying to fight to stop another major earthquake from occurring. Nicely put together, and mostly entertaining. I’ve intended to read some Murakami for years, and it’s back in the reading list.

STONEWALLING – ★

Two and a half hours that I will never get back. Would have been my first walk-out for MIFF 2023, except I had several people either side of me in the row. I also incorrectly thought it was a 90-ish minute film, so the face that I was there for an hour long than planned made it worse. Chinese film about a girl who falls pregnant, and decides to keep the baby solely to give it away to a family her mother is indebted to. Very hard to understand the point or purpose of many of the scenes. Maybe lost in translation, but would have dearly loved to have had a nice coffee somewhere instead.

FOUR DAUGHTERS- ★★

Documentary about a Tunisian mother and her four daughters. Started strong, and I thought it was going to be enjoyable. Quickly descended into such layers of meta that I kind of lost track of the point of the whole thing, and the message it was trying to convey. It seems that they were trying to portray the matriarch as the protagonist, but it was possibly harder to succeed given her stories of beating up her (probably asshole) husband, beating her (probably innocent) children, and so on. Was glad when it was over.

TIME BOMB Y2K – ★★★

This was a fun film. A nice break from more serious topics that I’ve seen this year. It is not an important documentary by any means, but I was glad that it took a sensible direction around reporting the Y2K bug. As someone who was there, I saw the work that went into correcting systems before the new year hit. Lots of fun nostalgic interviews and reporting, and easily transportable into some modern tech issues such as AI and social media. And of course may help when it’s time to start planning around the Year 2038 Problem

MUTT – ★★★☆

A film about a young trans man living in New York City who is still going through transitioning. Over a roughly 24hr period, it shows a variety of interactions with his ex-partner, family, friends, and others. I think it will help those less familiar with the trans community get a better understanding, though at points it did feel a little bit like a checklist of what people might wonder in an “ask me anything”. Nicely done, and I think worthy addition in helping to make the world a better and more accepting place. Was glad to finish the day on a strong note.

ROBOT DREAMS – ★★★☆

Nicely made animated film, seemingly set in an alternate universe version of 1980s New York inhabited by human-like animals. A lonely dog decides to order a robot to be his friend, and the film follows. Lots of cool little time appropriate references throughout – the first scene had me when the dog was playing Pong on an Atari like console. Also saw references to Commodore 64s and Tab cola. The robot itself was an ‘Amica 2000’, likely a reference to the Amiga 2000 computer. I felt like the film dragged a little in the middle in a situation that didn’t seem as complicated as it was presented. Had echoes of last night’s film ‘Past Lives’ dealing with relationships and how life can deal the unexpected. Worth a watch.

BLACKBIRD BLACKBIRD BLACKBERRY – ★★★☆

A Georgian film about a 48 year old woman living a simple village life, who has made a choice to me alone. After a near-death experience, she begins a secret relationship, but must fight against her village’s expectations of the norm; that she should be partnered, have children. It was perhaps a little slowly paced at times, but nicely presented, and showed the difficulty of balancing between competing desires, as well as making choices based on personal preference as opposed to external pressures. I would love to know what kind of cake it is she eats during a few of the scenes – it looked amazing! This is a film that stuck with me after watching, and this raised my rating.

FREMONT – ★★☆

Went to this with high hopes. Fremont is set in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I’ve visited several times, and it was billed as being Jim Jarmusch-like. The film itself didn’t really use much of the area as a backdrop, and I see the JJ reference, but don’t feel it grabbed me like many of his films have. Some of the acting felt a little forced; possibly the actors hadn’t done much before, though the role played by ‘The Bear” star Jeremy Allen White was well done. There were certainly some nice moments mixed in amongst the showing of difficulties for Afghan migrants in America.

HAPPY CLOTHES: A FILM ABOUT PATRICA FIELD – ★★☆

Some documentaries covering my interest areas aren’t great, and some about topics that aren’t of interest can be great. I’m not particularly interested in fashion, wasn’t a Sex in the City fan, nor have I watched Emily in Paris. So a documentary about the costume designer for these (and other) shows was one that I was hoping would be interesting, despite it not being an area of personal interest. There was nothing wrong with it, but I don’t think it’s a must see, unless the topic is of particular interest to you. Well done to Patricia Field for the great amount of work and support she’s done over many decades, including an obvious tendency to be a mentor to others.

PAST LIVES – ★★★★

Thoroughly enjoyable film about a Korean girl that immigrates to Canada at an early age, leaving behind the boy she liked. Splitting between three times (childhood, 12 years later by which time she’s moved to New York, and then 12 years later again when she is married), it explores connection between people, who never seem to quite align despite the mutual interest. It presented nicely level and honest, where it could have been so easily led into more predictable ways for the sake of drama.