Essential Coli-members what's the last thing you watched?
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TheGodling
Los Ingobernables de Sala de Cine
As We Like It is a fun and playful adaptation of the Shakespeare play, set in a (near)future version of Taipei, Taiwan, where the famous setting of the Forest of Arden is a no-wifi zone in which people interact the old-fashioned way. In a modern rectification of the Shakespeare era rule that only men could act on stage, all roles in this film are performed by women. With some clever modernizations as well as cultural changes and an overall happy-go-lucky approach it is an easygoing but joyful film, that often borders on the line of cheesy, and sometimes crosses it, but is bound to put an undeniable smile on your face.
La Nuit des Rois (Night Of The Kings) is an Ivory Coast film set in "La Maca", a prison run by the inmates. Upon the night of a Red Moon, the sick and dying prison boss Blackbeard calls upon a new arrival to become "Roman", the role of a storyteller who has to entertain the prisoners during the Red Moon. What follows is a night in which stories are told within stories, invoking the past era of kings and queens and magic, the rise of a notorious local gangster and the power struggle within the prison itself. With gripping acting, inspired directing and an otherworldly atmosphere this is a wildly unique and menacing film.
This was actually better than I expected but I still can't call it any kind of good. It was like a hood Guy Ritchie film that almost worked but with a Tarantino style shootout and the film just ends. Eh.
Say what now?!
TheGodling
Los Ingobernables de Sala de Cine
Pebbles is sort of an Indian road movie/odyssey about an alcoholic father and his young son. The father intends to leave him with his separated wife who has moved in with her family in their village. But arriving there it turns out she has actually returned, and after a fight with the family, the two are forced to walk back to their own town. On the journey back through the desert the broken bond between father and son seems to have no way of recovering, but through metaphors, symbolism and unique encounters a family bond is revealed that goes deeper than the surface level. Short but sweet (not necessarily in content, which is harsh as fukk).
The Last Farmer can be best described as an Indian Clint Eastwood film (without the drab of right wing politics). An aging and old fashioned farmer in a small village is increasingly confused by the new farming technology and modern society in general. When a local landowner tries to frame him for the killing of a peacock, the country's national bird, the old man becomes entangled in judicial bureaucracy. In the meantime his crops are in danger of dying, but since they are grown for a ritual prayer to their deity, the whole town decides to get involved. At two and half hours it feels like it's longer than it would need to be but it is so well made it doesn't matter. Every character is well-crafted and has their own unique personality and purpose in the story, a story which in itself is simply a charm. A feel-good epic like no other.
Drifting is a Hong Kong drama following a homeless man just released from prison who returns to his companions on the streets. Addicted to heroin, their life seems fruitless as they sue the police for unlawfully throwing away and destroying their possessions. The film follows the group of homeless people in documentary style, but there is not enough plot or intrigue here to make their daily struggles that interesting.
Liborio tells the true story of the titular character, a cultist/guerilla leader from the Dominican Republic. Building a small independent community loyal to him exclusively, he immediately becomes a target by the leaders in the country. It's a very interesting look at a unique piece of the history of the country, but in terms of narrative it might be a bit too straight forward to really stand out.
TheGodling
Los Ingobernables de Sala de Cine
I haven't seen Promising Young Woman yet but even so the parralels with Black Medusa are clear as the film deals with a young woman seducing and killing predatory men. More surprisingly in this case since it's a Tunesian film, joining a rise in feminist genre films from the area. Shot in black and white it at first feels minimalistic and to the point, but there's a wonderful contrast in the hurt experienced by the main's character new female colleague, who attempts to befriend her but is pushed away for her own protection. In a beautiful climactic scene, the young killer walks home after one of her kills and as she encounters more men it is no longer about revenge, but a genuine hatred. Supported by a melancholic piano tune that swells up with each encounter, it's one of the highlights I've seen in the 15+ films I've seen at this IFFR.
Possibly the biggest misfire of IFFR, The Year Before The War feels like it could have been so much better than it is. A surreal story following a simple Latvian doorman's rise through anarchist, nationalist and communist movements in 1913 is entirely bogged down by an utter lack of structure and piss-poor dialogues with historical figures that I at best could only decypher as attempts at humor. If the film has any quality to it all, it probably is the teaching that I now know why there has never been a famous comedian from Latvia.
Youri is an introvert young black man living in the titular French apartment block called Gagarine, named after famed Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin (also notice the name parralels with the main character). Youri is intrigued with space travel and technically skilled, putting his efforts in improving the quality of housing in the apartments, set for inspection and possible demolition. As the inevitable loss of his home draws nearer, and the absence of his mother draws its toll, he withdraws deeper into the fantasy of space travel. The film initially struggles but eventually perfectly balances a grounded drama about government eviction in the Paris Banlieus with a cerebral and poetic telling of a young man's dreams. Debuting actor Alseni Bathily plays the role perfectly, having excellent support in Lyna Khoudri, who further cements her rising star status.
El Perro Que No Calla (The Dog Who Wouldn't Be Quiet) is a short, slightly surreal drama of a man in his 30s whose life is changed through a series of events all starting by his neighbors complaining about his dog. As he maneuvers through these events he rarely proactively engages, often being a listener to the problems of people around him rather than causing trouble. Shot entirely in 2019, the film turns out scarily prophetic as a portion of the film deals with a strange (alien) disease that causes oxygen deficiency higher than 4 ft above the ground, forcing all of humanity to either crouch through life or wear an oxygen-supplying astronaut helmet. This coincidence makes the film a far more timely story than even the filmmakers intended, which works out for the best since it lifts up the small film from okay-ish to 'Oh shyt!' as it establishes itself as the first film to (unknowingly) showcase the individual impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our everyday interactions and relationships.
A hood romance movie.
Missed this in real time and honestly, I see i didn't miss a whole lot. The era where the soundtrack was better than the movie but that struck me as a sign of the times. 94 was the time where everything was going gangsta full-time and a lot of this movie reflected it with stereotypes on full display. Still...I didn't hate it but I can't quite call it good.
TheGodling
Los Ingobernables de Sala de Cine
The Cemil Show is a dark comedy in the vein of The King Of Comedy. Cemil is a socially awkward mall cop who wants to become an actor. After failing an audition for the role of the villain in a remake of an old noir film, he finds out that a female colleague at the mall is the original actor's daughter, and sees his opportunity. As his attempts to get the part lead to increasing disappointment, rejection and ridicule the role of the despicable villain slowly becomes more and more of an escape from his real life. I felt the film could have gone into multiple directions in early stages but once the tone of the film starts to set in more, it becomes a pretty entertaining ride with some fun turns and a lot of homage to older genre films.
