gortx
Joined Jan 2000
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RED ISLAND (2024)- Robin Campillo's followup to his energetic and provocative B. P. M. Seems, at first, to be less confrontational and more evocative. It's another semi-autobiographical (as was B. P. M.) story, here showing Campillo's childhood in Madagascar. His character, a young boy, Thomas (Charlie Vauselle) is quite and observant. His brusque father, Robert (Quim Gutierrez) is stationed at the French Military base which has been imposed on the island's government. His mother, Colette (Nadia Tereszkiewicz) is caring if sometimes distracted.
Thomas and a young girl, Suzanne (Cathy Pham), share a love of the comic book, Fantomette - a masked and caped teen girl crusader. It's through their eyes that Campillo drifts the film into fantasy segments. They are beautifully realized by the film's team. Further, Campillo lets other scenes in the film float into almost dreamlike montages. Fine Cinematographer Jeanne Lapoirie (BPM, BENEDETTA) produces some stunning visuals, including a gorgeous outdoor nighttime movie screening at the seashore.
Campillo's screenplay (with two collaborators) is a bit hazy, allowing the visuals and the general mood to carry the movie. For much of the runtime, the method works due to the visuals and performances. It's only in the last act where the script brings the politics of the country's turbulent situation where it becomes a bit bumpy. RED ISLAND's end meaning is clear, but the steps along the way are blurred and don't blend well. It's still an effecting film, flaws and all.
Thomas and a young girl, Suzanne (Cathy Pham), share a love of the comic book, Fantomette - a masked and caped teen girl crusader. It's through their eyes that Campillo drifts the film into fantasy segments. They are beautifully realized by the film's team. Further, Campillo lets other scenes in the film float into almost dreamlike montages. Fine Cinematographer Jeanne Lapoirie (BPM, BENEDETTA) produces some stunning visuals, including a gorgeous outdoor nighttime movie screening at the seashore.
Campillo's screenplay (with two collaborators) is a bit hazy, allowing the visuals and the general mood to carry the movie. For much of the runtime, the method works due to the visuals and performances. It's only in the last act where the script brings the politics of the country's turbulent situation where it becomes a bit bumpy. RED ISLAND's end meaning is clear, but the steps along the way are blurred and don't blend well. It's still an effecting film, flaws and all.
BLACK BOX DIARIES (2024) Nominated for Best Documentary Feature. Journalist Shiori Ito's intimate film about her sexual assault in 2015. Ito's first person account details not only the crime but the public outrcry and her subsequent book ('Black Box') and civil trial. Her assailant, Noriyuki Yamaguchi, was not only a fellow journalist, but also a close confidant of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (Yamaguchi claims the encounter was mutual).
Ito's documentary is, by it's nature 'one sided'. There is very little objective news footage. It's her story, compellingly told. She isn't always seen in a favorable light and even her own family was against her going public with the accusations. Her attractiveness was used against her by opponents claiming she 'set up' the man. The police never arrested nor charged Yamaguchi with the strong implication that his ties to the Prime Minister put pressure on law enforcement to look the other way. Ito's book and civil lawsuit sparked a furor and movement to update the Japan's criminal laws which place the burden on the female victims.
As a film about journalism, BLACK BOX DIARIES has given rise to criticism that Ito filmed many of the participants surreptiously and without consent. There are legitimate concerns raised, with the defense that the filmmaker was documenting a news story, her book has been published and the case has been tried and appealed all the way up the Supreme Court. Still, they are questions worth considering. The film has not been released in Japan.
BLACK BOX DIARIES tells a vital story of a woman who became a virtual one person Me Too movement. Ito's quest continues on both with her emotional recovery and spreading the word of the movement.
Ito's documentary is, by it's nature 'one sided'. There is very little objective news footage. It's her story, compellingly told. She isn't always seen in a favorable light and even her own family was against her going public with the accusations. Her attractiveness was used against her by opponents claiming she 'set up' the man. The police never arrested nor charged Yamaguchi with the strong implication that his ties to the Prime Minister put pressure on law enforcement to look the other way. Ito's book and civil lawsuit sparked a furor and movement to update the Japan's criminal laws which place the burden on the female victims.
As a film about journalism, BLACK BOX DIARIES has given rise to criticism that Ito filmed many of the participants surreptiously and without consent. There are legitimate concerns raised, with the defense that the filmmaker was documenting a news story, her book has been published and the case has been tried and appealed all the way up the Supreme Court. Still, they are questions worth considering. The film has not been released in Japan.
BLACK BOX DIARIES tells a vital story of a woman who became a virtual one person Me Too movement. Ito's quest continues on both with her emotional recovery and spreading the word of the movement.
STRANGE DARLING (2024) - JT Mollner's thriller announces itself from the get go: Big Oversized lettering for the credits; Proudly boastiing it was all shot on "35mm Film"; Brash chapter headings; Even an onscreen countdown clock at one point. Writer-Director Mollner certainly can't be accused of modesty.
After a brief opening text stating that a Serial Killer is on the loose, STRANGE DARLING plunges the viewer into the 'middle' of the story (Chapter 3 of 6). An intimidating man, The Demon (Kyle Gallner) is chasing The Lady (Willa Fitzgerald) wielding a rifle. Mollner's screenplay deliberately jumbles the chronology which makes it difficult to mount much of a synopsis, but suffice it to say that the couple are brought together for what appears to be a night of casual sex. A man wants to bang a live wire temptress.
Fitzgerald and Gallner are very good. There's a genuinely unnerving chemistry when they are on screen together, even if only a couple of the chapters truly allow much interaction. The main other significant characters are an old couple in the woods where the woman runs for shelter. It's good to see Barbara Hershey and Ed Begley Jr. Here, if only for a few scenes. Actor Giovanni Ribisi makes his feature film debut as a Cinematographer and the genuine celluloid look is pleasingly grungy. Craig DeLong's score and Z Berg's songs mostly work (including a cover of Nazareth's "Love Hurts" with Keith Carradine).
The very structure of the piece is designed to delay information to the viewer in order to increase the suspense. Mollner delays one turn as long as possible by placing the episodes out of order, but once revealed, it opens up several plot holes. Further, it's fairly easy to see where the big development is heading for eagle eyed viewers. Even if one doesn't foresee it, once the dust settles, there really isn't much insight or revelation. It's mostly sizzle.
STRANGE DARLING is bold filmmaking. The individual scenes make an impact, but it doesn't add up to much. Tell the story in chronological order, and much of it's momentary excitement would dissipate. The performances are so strong, that Mollner need not have depended so much on misdirection. He has the chops. Trust them.
After a brief opening text stating that a Serial Killer is on the loose, STRANGE DARLING plunges the viewer into the 'middle' of the story (Chapter 3 of 6). An intimidating man, The Demon (Kyle Gallner) is chasing The Lady (Willa Fitzgerald) wielding a rifle. Mollner's screenplay deliberately jumbles the chronology which makes it difficult to mount much of a synopsis, but suffice it to say that the couple are brought together for what appears to be a night of casual sex. A man wants to bang a live wire temptress.
Fitzgerald and Gallner are very good. There's a genuinely unnerving chemistry when they are on screen together, even if only a couple of the chapters truly allow much interaction. The main other significant characters are an old couple in the woods where the woman runs for shelter. It's good to see Barbara Hershey and Ed Begley Jr. Here, if only for a few scenes. Actor Giovanni Ribisi makes his feature film debut as a Cinematographer and the genuine celluloid look is pleasingly grungy. Craig DeLong's score and Z Berg's songs mostly work (including a cover of Nazareth's "Love Hurts" with Keith Carradine).
The very structure of the piece is designed to delay information to the viewer in order to increase the suspense. Mollner delays one turn as long as possible by placing the episodes out of order, but once revealed, it opens up several plot holes. Further, it's fairly easy to see where the big development is heading for eagle eyed viewers. Even if one doesn't foresee it, once the dust settles, there really isn't much insight or revelation. It's mostly sizzle.
STRANGE DARLING is bold filmmaking. The individual scenes make an impact, but it doesn't add up to much. Tell the story in chronological order, and much of it's momentary excitement would dissipate. The performances are so strong, that Mollner need not have depended so much on misdirection. He has the chops. Trust them.