THE ETERNAL MEMORY – NO RATING

I had a very enjoyable session at the Kino, snoozing through this seemingly sweet Chilean documentary about an aging journalist with Alzheimers and his actress/politician wife. I heard mixed reviews, but can’t provide one beyond stating how comfortable and warm the Kino cinema is on a brisk Winter’s day. I’ll try and catch it one day if it comes to streaming services

THE BREAKING ICE – ★★★☆

A Chinese film set on the border of North Korea. It’s about three people; a local tour guide, her friend a local restaurant chef, and a young man who works in finance visiting the area that is suffering from depression. All three have histories of struggle, and together over several days, it appears that they manage to find new hope. I say it appears, because the final third of the film became increasingly unclear to me in its messaging. The film work was incredible though and the scenery of the area was beautiful.

HOUNDS – ★★★

As the John Wick series teaches us, sometimes it’s best not to mess with another man’s dog. Moroccan film about a father who is a low impact mobster, and takes his adult son on a “small job” that goes wrong. The rest of the film follows them over a night where they try to get things right. I found it alright but somewhat frustrating watching people fail to solve the problem at hand, and the mess become bigger and bigger. 

ART COLLEGE 1994 – NOT RATED

First official walk out of MIFF 2023. I was tired. It was a dialogue heavy Chinese animation and my eyes closed one time too many. People seemed to be laughing, so maybe it was good. I got to the point where a coffee seemed like my better option than sticking around.

RIDDLE OF FIRE – ★★

I kinda get that they were going for something quirky with this, and maybe someone totally baked would find it great. This picture, which put a fantasy adventure type element into a story of three kids who try and complete a real life quest for a pie so they can play a game console just didn’t hit the mark for me. The acting was poor, and the plot was poorly thought out. Was a good swing, but it was a miss.

THE ADULTS – ★★★☆

American comedy/drama about three siblings coming to terms with the state of their relationship years after the death of their mother and their own directions in life. Very nicely made, well acted, and certainly quirky. Loved the party scene with Men at Work’s “Overkill” playing. If I didn’t give rating in half star increments, I’d probably bump it up to four stars.

CASA SUSANNA – ★★★

This was a documentary about a retreat/resort/camp during the 1960s for cross dressing and trans people who identity as women, and focuses on a few of them. I found parts of it intriguing, learning more about the complexities and difficulties experienced back then, but often felt like the documentary was leaving me behind. It was like I was sitting at a reunion of people talking about the old days, sometimes at length, often flicking through old photos, but not providing a level of context and background that would have made it more relatable to those that weren’t there. I will admit to shutting my eyes at points and letting my mind wander, so perhaps my assessment is unfair.

THE NATURE OF LOVE – ★★★☆

I mostly liked this Canadian romantic comedy; it’s about a female academic in a long term relationship who begins an affair with a builder. The film unsurprisingly explores the … nature of love. It’s interesting from the perspective that it makes one ponder the subject, and includes several philosopher’s thoughts about this throughout.

20,000 SPECIES OF BEES – ★★★

A Spanish film about an eight year old who is realising that she is a girl born in a boy’s body. Over a holiday with family, both her and her family come to terms with it, at different paces and with different levels of acceptance. An excellent performance by the young actor who played Lucia/Aitor. I got the intent of this film, and applaud it, but I felt that there could have been a little more story in the 125 minute run time.

AUTOBIOGRAPHY – ★★

Indonesian drama about a young servant to an army general who has returned to a village to run for office. I felt the character development of the servant was patchy, and the story uninspired. Didn’t didn’t engage me.

SCRAPPER – ★★★☆

A watchable enough film about a scrappy 12 year old girl whose mother (and sole parent) has passed away. She is attempting to live between the cracks of the system by herself, inventing a fake uncle, until her absent father shows up. It’s a kitchen-sink drama with a lot of comedy injected, so not a very heavy watch – probably worth recommending to young adults who enjoyed Home Alone, where the child character is outsmarting the adults around them (but without the Hollywood story or slapstick/violent acts). The highlight for me was that it was the first time one of my children were able to attend MIFF with me, so it was a joyful moment to be able to share what I love about MIFF (and point out the incredible ceiling of the Capitol Theatre.

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.