Sydney Film Festival 2019
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- DirectorRachel WardStarsFrances BerryBryan BrownMatilda BrownLifelong friends reunite for a party at Sydney's Palm Beach.SFF#01: PALM BEACH. Lifelong friends reunite for a party at Sydney's Palm Beach. In the past, director Rachel Ward has made films centred on confronting and unpleasant subjects. Here, she's finally directed a film with an audience in mind. This senior citizen chamber play is worth watching and a fine choice for Opening Night. And having a chat over a beer at the afterparty with the friendly and approachable Bryan Brown was a real bonus.
- DirectorCelia Rico ClavellinoStarsLola DueñasAnna CastilloNoemi HopperA daughter leaves home for the first time. Her mother, left behind, doesn't know how to fill the empty nest.SFF#02: JOURNEY TO A MOTHER'S ROOM. A daughter decides it is time to move out of her mother's apartment. Painfully subdued, this Spanish drama really captures the daughter's boredom living with her widowed mother and the mother's emptiness when the daughter leaves.
- DirectorNicole SchaferStarsEnock AluA Malawian boy, raised in a Buddhist orphanage, struggles to retain his cultural identity.SFF#03: BUDDHA IN AFRICA. There are Buddhist orphanages across Africa, where tough Chinese instructors teach youths discipline and martial arts. The youths are given opportunities they wouldn't otherwise have but many of them feel they are losing touch with their own culture. This observational documentary shows us the boys facing this struggle, along with spectacular displays of acrobatics and a not-so-spectacular fight with a machete that breaks out between the strict instructors and some defiant students.
- DirectorMark JenkinStarsEdward RoweGiles KingChloe EndeanMartin is a fisherman without a boat, his brother Steven having re-purposed it as a tourist tripper. With their childhood home now a get-away for London money, Martin is displaced to the estate above the harbour.SFF#04: BAIT. A British fisherman struggles to make ends meet while we struggle to stay awake. Flickering photography, choppy editing, stilted performances and incomplete sound design all add up to give this the feel of a student film from the 90s. But there will always be critics who call it art.
- DirectorGuy NattivStarsJamie BellDanielle MacdonaldDaniel HenshallA destitute young man, raised by racist skinheads and notorious among white supremacists, turns his back on hatred and violence to transform his life, with the help of a black activist and the woman he loves.SFF#05: SKIN. Based on a true story, Jamie Bell plays Bryon Widner, a reformed white supremacist skinhead who underwent extensive and painful surgery to remove the racist tattoos that covered his face. But removing himself from his criminal family proved even harder. With a strong supporting cast, including Australians, Daniel Henshall and Danielle Macdonald, this is a bleak journey with a positive outcome.
- DirectorMay el-ToukhyStarsTrine DyrholmGustav LindhMagnus KrepperA successful lawyer jeopardizes her career and threatens to tear her family apart after engaging in an affair with her teenage stepson.SFF#06: QUEEN OF HEARTS. Why do actors these days feel the need to prostitute themselves with unsimulated sex scenes? This bold effort at capturing truth is actually an enormous distraction from the plot. And Danish directors are always the culprits! This potent drama tells the story of a woman who works tirelessly to protect abused children, only to have an illicit affair herself, with her teenage stepson. His youthful bravado soon falls away and he becomes an emotional and vulnerable little boy. Overlong and uneven, this is nonetheless a fascinating portrait of a manipulative monster. And it's refreshing to see the growing trend of female Scandinavian directors who completely reject the "all women are victims, all men are perpetrators" narrative that is constantly reinforced in our own culture.
- DirectorPedro AlmodóvarStarsAntonio BanderasAsier EtxeandiaLeonardo SbaragliaA film director reflects on the choices he's made in life as the past and present come crashing down around him.SFF#07: PAIN AND GLORY. Any film by Pedro Almodóvar is met with much anticipation. In his latest, Antonio Banderas plays the director himself, or rather, a surrogate named Salvador. But the lives of great artists aren't necessarily filled with excitement and intrigue, as we soon learn here. This film is plodding and self-indulgent.
- DirectorMirrah FoulkesStarsDaisy AxonDon BridgesMichael PapasSeaside (nowhere near the sea), puppeteers Judy and Punch are trying to resurrect their marionette show in an an anarchic town on the brink of mob rule.SFF#08: JUDY AND PUNCH. A 17th Century puppeteer with a drinking problem tries to kill his wife. This so-called "feminist revenge film" can't decide if it wants to be a drama or a comedy (and yes, I do get all the references to the classic puppet show). One thing's for sure, though, the director of this misguided fantasy has a real problem with men. [Trailer not available but this link seems appropriate]
Misandry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - DirectorImogen McCluskeyStarsMaddy McWilliamHannah LehmannPriscilla DoueihyFollowing their recent graduation, 4 friends distract themselves from the looming responsibilities of adulthood. But as the boundaries between real and surreal blur, they are faced with decisions that will define the rest of their lives.SFF#09: SUBURBAN WILDLIFE. Four friends in their early twenties try to find direction and purpose in their lives. "I think I'm just waiting for something," says one. Made with a budget of only a few thousand dollars, with excellent performances and photography, this Australian film is a real accomplishment.
- DirectorNick BroomfieldStarsNick BroomfieldLeonard CohenMarianne IhlenAn in-depth look at the relationship between the late musician Leonard Cohen and his Norwegian muse Marianne Ihlen.SFF#10: MARIANNE & LEONARD: WORDS OF LOVE. I've been a disciple of Leonard Cohen for the past fifteen years. The depth of his writing, his understanding of what it is to suffer and the profound humility he showed in life all endeared him to millions of people worldwide. This documentary puts a focus on his muse, Marianne Ihlen, and their time living on the Greek island of Hydra. Many of the stories will be familiar to Cohen fans, but there are some surprise revelations as well. Irving Layton's widow has no reservations telling us what she really thought of Suzanne Elrod and Leonard's mother. Judy Collins speaks fondly but misremembers some details. And the director, Nick Broomfield, tells of his own romantic involvement with Marianne. For fans of the great Canadian poet and songwriter, and those wanting to know more about his muse, this is essential viewing.
- DirectorEmilio EstevezStarsAlec BaldwinTaylor SchillingEmilio EstevezAn act of civil disobedience turns into a standoff with police when homeless people in Cincinnati take over the public library to seek shelter from the bitter cold.SFF#11: THE PUBLIC. I greatly admired Emilio Estevez's previous film, THE WAY. In his next, he plays a librarian in a tough position. Homeless men take over his workplace one evening to avoid having to sleep on the streets, where people are dying in the freezing cold. This film has a great premise and though it drags in places and doesn't ring true in others, it does succeed in provoking thought about a serious social issue.
- DirectorMaya NewellStarsCarol TurnerDujuan TurnerMegan TurnerAn intimate and compassionate observational documentary from the perspective of a 10-year-old Aboriginal boy in Alice Springs, Australia, struggling to balance his traditional Arrernte/Garrwa upbringing with a state education.SFF#12: IN MY BLOOD IT RUNS. A boy living in the Northern Territory fails in the classroom but thrives in the bush. Light on narrative, this is strictly for the patient viewer. [Trailer not available]
- DirectorSascha Ettinger-EpsteinWhere are the lost kids of 2008's documentary, "The Oasis"? This follow-up film revisits the Sydney homeless teens whose chaotic lives shocked the nation.SFF#13: LIFE AFTER THE OASIS. Years ago, I came across a $1 DVD at a video store. It was the excellent Australian documentary, THE OASIS, that looked at the tireless work Paul and Robbin Moulds did with the Salvation Army to help homeless youth on the streets of Sydney. Ten years on, the filmmakers try to track down these homeless people to see what has become of them. Have they got off the streets? Have they got off the drugs? Are they even still alive? This sobering follow-up film deserves to be seen by everyone.
- DirectorAlina RudnitskayaStarsLidaVikaDiana'School of Seduction' follows the three Russian women, Diana, Lida and Vica, who are on the same mission. They're searching for security, a higher social status, and plain, simple happiness. This isn't an easy task in post-communistic Russia, where an extremely patriarchal culture is ruling, the general perception of being happy equals a life with a successful man and where women outnumber the male population in outright numbers. Our three heroines take matters into hand and start at a course called "The School of Seduction", where they learn how to live, think, and behave in order to be loved. But is this really what they dream about and want? Director Alina Rudnitskaya, herself a Russian woman, followed her protagonists for seven years and has remarkable footage of their development, struggling in a country which always put the man before the woman. In a time where political and cultural reactionary movements are fast-growing all over the world, this is a more relevant story than ever to tell.SFF#14: SCHOOL OF SEDUCTION: THREE STORIES FROM RUSSIA. In Russia, women outnumber men. As a result, schools have emerged where women can formally study how to get a husband. One institution, run by a sleazy, middle-aged man, teaches women to cry and act stupid in order to get what they want. This disconcerting documentary follows three women over a period of seven years as they manipulate their way to marriage.
- DirectorPartho Sen-GuptaStarsAdam BakriRachael BlakeRebecca BreedsRicky Nasser is a young Australian whose peaceful suburban life turns into hell when sister Ameena, a Slam poet; disappears without a trace.SFF#15: SLAM. A young Muslim man living in Sydney tries to track down his missing sister. She's a "slam" poet who writes and performs embarrassing, undergraduate-level verses that aim to divide people. Was she abducted or has she fled the country? This arty and contrived melodrama has so many dream sequences, it becomes difficult to determine what is supposed to be real and what is supposed to be imagined. Both seem artificial.
- DirectorSamantha LangA celebration of the inspirational artworks created for Kaldor Public Art Projects over 50 years.SFF#16: IT ALL STARTED WITH A STALE SANDWICH. 'Art should challenge you to question your beliefs,' we're told. I love art. But what is art and what is trash? This documentary looks at the public art commissioned over the decades by entrepreneur, John Kaldor. Unfortunately, a prolonged and unnecessary introductory speech from the director, Samantha Lang, delayed the start of the film and I had to leave for the next screening before this interesting documentary was completely finished.
- DirectorKriv StendersStarsTravis FimmelToby BlomeAlexander EnglandIn August 1966, in a Vietnamese rubber plantation called Long Tan, 108 young and inexperienced Australian and New Zealand soldiers are fighting for their lives against 2500 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong soldiers.SFF#17: DANGER CLOSE: THE BATTLE OF LONG TAN. One hundred soldiers against an enemy of two thousand isn't exactly a fair fight. Director Kriv Stenders has done an excellent job recreating this tense and violent battle. He also did an excellent job handling a gentleman who tried to hijack the Q&A after the screening.
- DirectorBong Joon HoStarsSong Kang-hoLee Sun-kyunCho Yeo-jeongGreed and class discrimination threaten the newly-formed symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim clan.SFF#18: PARASITE. The most talked-about film of the festival is this year's Palme d'Or winner and with the director in attendance, the lines at the State Theatre were around the block. Members of a family living in poverty in South Korea con their way into the home of a family with wealth. What starts as a clever comedy becomes a bizarre bloodbath and it's not easy to go along with this drastic change of gears.
- DirectorKasimir BurgessStarsMichael LeunigEloise MignonRichard StablesA revealing documentary portrait of Michael Leunig: Australian cartoonist, writer, painter, philosopher, poet, and playful provocateur.SFF#19: THE LEUNIG FRAGMENTS. Michael Leunig's weaponised whimsy has provoked and enthralled Australians for decades. This is a wonderful film about a wonderful artist.
- DirectorBenjamin BermanStarsThe Amazing JohnathanEric AndréCriss AngelWhat begins as a documentary following the final tour of a dying magician - "The Amazing Johnathan" - becomes an unexpected and increasingly bizarre journey as the filmmaker struggles to separate truth from illusion.SFF#20: THE AMAZING JONATHAN DOCUMENTARY. Filmmaker Benjamin Berman had spent months of his time shooting a documentary on the terminally-ill Amazing Jonathan, only to learn he had competition from another documentary crew who were also making a film about the crazed magician. And the rival team was much more experienced, with two Academy Awards. What follows is a race to make the better film, in this strange story with unexpected twists.
- DirectorJim JarmuschStarsBill MurrayAdam DriverTilda SwintonTwo pioneers fight for their lives and their love on the American frontier during the Civil War.SFF#21: THE DEAD DON'T DIE. Jim Jarmusch's zombie comedy has a terrific cast that includes Bill Murray, Danny Glover, Tilda Swinton, Selena Gomez, Adam Driver and Steve Buscemi. It's just a shame the script is so, well, lifeless.
- DirectorUrsula MacfarlaneStarsHarvey WeinsteinBenjamin BrafmanHope Exiner D'AmoreFeature documentary about the spectacular fall from grace of media mogul Harvey Weinstein. With a cast of characters including survivors, friends and colleagues, this is a portrait of power and its abuses, spanning over forty years.