Film Review: Terra Willy: Planete Inconnue

• Print
• Email

Details

Category: Cinéma - Movies

Published: Wednesday, 19 February 2020 03:13

Written by Gilbert Seah

TERRA WILLY: PLANETE INCONNUE (France 2019) ***1/2

Directed by Eric Tosti

Note that the film also known as ASTRO KID is also known by its French title ‘Terra Willy: planète inconnue’.

French animator Eric Tosti who has helmed other children’s classics like SPIKE (2008) and THE JUNGLE BUNCH (2017) returns with an imaginative boy’s space adventure, that takes nods from the famous TV series LOST IN SPACE.

The film begins on the spaceship of an explorer space family.  The boy age-10, Will loves video games and has the nickname of Captain Arrowboard.  When the spaceship is hit by an asteroid storm, the boy and his trusty robot is hurled in a pod into outer space, landing on an unknown planet.  But there is more the meets the eye.  Upon closer examination, TERRA WILLY is actually the coming-of-age story of 10-year old Will as he matures from a kid playing video games to one understanding survival, friendship, loneliness and other human values.  “You are right, Buck.  I cannot keep doing what I want,” says Will at a key point during the film.

At this point, the film could be an episode (out of the total 84) taken from the LOST IS SPACE series that aired on TV from 1965 - 1968.  In LOST IN SPACE, the Robinson family (headed by actors Guy Williams and June Lockhart) travel through space with their son, also named Will played by child star Billy Mumy.  The family often land on unknown planets where adventures begin.  Will is also accompanied by a faithful robot.   One of the key lines in the movie is the robot warning the boy: “Danger, Will Robinson…… Danger, Will Robinson!!”   One would expect similar words coming out of Will’s robot as well.

Director/animator Tosti’s imagination is at its peak in TERRA WILLY.  The unknown planet with unknown creatures and vegetation allow Tosti to use his entire palette of colours to feed his imagination.  There are orange, blue heart-spotted like human companions like Flash similar to a dog (or even Toothless in the HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON films) but with two tails and 8 legs, pink butterflies, glow-flies and a myriad of colourful fruits that often have side effects when eaten, even after analyzed to be non-toxic by Buck, the robot.

The film might appear a bit too childish for the average adult but Tosti’s imagination more than makes up for it.  There is new wonder around very corner and in an unknown planet, any kind of animation can pop up.

The film is made in two versions in the French and English versions, with different actors (French and English) doing the characterizations.   Timothy Von Dorp and Edouard Baer voice Will and Buck in the French version while Landen Beattie and Jason Anthony do the English honours.  The film also contains a couple of songs (‘Everlasting Holiday’ and ‘Flash and I’).

Trailer: https://www.imdb.com/video/vi845265433?playlistId=tt8329148&ref_=tt_ov_vi

Film Review: Portrait de la Jeune Fille en Feu

• Print
• Email

Details

Category: Cinéma - Movies

Published: Thursday, 13 February 2020 07:43

Written by Gilbert Seah

PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE (Portrait de la jeune fille en feu) (France 2019) ****

Directed by Céline Sciamma

PORTRAIT OF A LADY begins with a segment that sets the tone and pace for the entire movie.  Amidst the opening credits are the chalk sketching of a painter.  When the camera pulls back, a class of painters is in progress.  One student asks the instructor, Marianne (Noémie Merlant) about a painting.  The painting, the class is told is called “Le Portrait de la Jeune Fille en Feu” and the film then goes into the past as the story is told of how this painting came about.

The film is set in France in the late 18th century, the film telling the story of a forbidden affair between an aristocrat and the painter commissioned to paint her portrait.

The story begins with Marianne arriving by boat on an isolated island in Bretagne (Brittany).  She had been commissioned to paint a portrait of a young woman named Héloïse (Adele Haenel), who is to be married off to a Milanese nobleman.  Marianne is informed that Héloïse has previously refused to pose for portraits as she does not want to be married. Marianne acts as Héloïse's hired companion to be able to paint her in secret, and accompanies her on daily walks by Bretagne’s gorgeous cliffs to memorize Héloïse's features.  Marianne finishes the portrait, but finds herself unable to betray Héloïse's trust and reveals her true reason for arriving.  The two begin a relationship.

The film contains a lot of silent drama, which would be more appreciated when discovering it on ones own.  One is the scene where Héloïse runs towards a cliff, when Marianne thinks what could have been a suicide.  Another has Marianne dive into the sea to retrieve her boxed canvas.

There is some but little humour.  Every character is quite serious.  At one point, Marianne is asked by the maid “Have you started painting her yet?”, to which she answers, “No.  I have not even seen her smile?’  “Have you tried to be funny?” the maid answers, in the film’s first and funniest moment.

The film is a slow watch.  But this does not mean it is any less riveting.  There is a beautifully crafted segment of a story involving Euridice where it is revealed that a choice made regarding death is the choice of the poet and not of the lover.  And an even more beautiful segment by a fire where women sing in a cappella. 

The same sex scenes are sufficient erotic without going into the extreme as in BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOUR.  The lovers’ first kiss occurs 90 minutes into the film.

The film has so far, garnished praise from critics wherever it was shown.  The film won the Queer Palm at Cannes, becoming the first film directed by a woman to win the award.. The director Sciamma also won the award for Best Screenplay at Cannes.  The film is to be appreciated akin to a painting - slow, pensive with it growing on multiple viewings.

Trailer: https://www.imdb.com/video/vi94879513?playlistId=tt8613070&ref_=tt_ov_vi

Film Review: Corpus Christi

• Print
• Email

Details

Category: Cinéma - Movies

Published: Wednesday, 19 February 2020 02:57

Written by Gilbert Seah

CORPUS CHRISTI (Boze Cialo) (Poland/France 2019) ****
Directed by Jan Komasa

In a tough year for foreign films, CORPUS CHRISTI, the Polish entry for the Best International feature at this year’s Oscars made the short list and now stands as a nominee.  It will be hard fight against the favourite PARASITE and underdog LES MISERABLES, but CORPUS CHRISTI has impressed critics everywhere it has been shown and is a very good film.

The film begins with a violent incident in which an inmate, assumed who have betrayed the others gets his due.  His trousers are pulled down in the workshop and balls crushed in a drawer.  The next scene shows the inmate who likely had orchestrated the previous incident preparing for a religious service.  The camera pauses showing the gleam in his eyes as if emphasizing the irony and hypocrisy of the religious service.  It is just then that the director surprises the audience with the priest’s speech.  “If you don’t want to be here, you can go outside to play football.  But remember this…Each of us is a priest for Christ.”  These words are soon to echo true for the young protagonist, Daniel.

The question that arises in the film is why Daniel survives?  The answer is shown that Daniel is born a survivor.  Daniel uses his common sense and adapts to the situation at hand.  He can can fool anyone as a priest offering solid advice, often fooling even himself in the process.  In contrast, he can live the other worldly life, fornicating, snorting coke and indulging in drunkenness. 

The film shows that there is some good in man despite outward appearances.  Daniel, the juvie has been bad most of his life but after pretending the be a priest learns that life offers him a chance to do good.  “When asked what penance should be given to her when a mother confuses to hitting her son for smoking cigarettes, “Father’ Daniel tells her her penance is to take the son for a bike tour.  Daniel also conducts mass in a comical manner, director Tan not offending the Catholic religion but executing the scene in good taste.  Daniel's sermon are also something else - even receiving an unanimous applause from the congregation.

Better still is the scene when Daniel who the youth still believes is a priest hangs out with them in civii’s.  So what is life all about?  It is the topic that they eventually discuss, which of course no one has an answer to.  But it is a lively session, which opens ones eyes to life.

The message that there is good in man and that one good deed follows another is a good one.  But CORPUS CHRISTI is not an entirely feel good film, and this is what marks the film’s difference.  It is grounded in reality.  It is likely the reason the Polish film got nominated and made the short list for Best International Film at this Year’s Oscars. 

Trailer: https://www.imdb.com/video/vi4006199065?playlistId=tt8649186&ref_=tt_ov_vi

TIFF Next Wave Film Festival 2020

• Print
• Email

Details

Category: Cinéma - Movies

Published: Monday, 10 February 2020 00:48

Written by Gilbert Seah

TIFF NEXT WAVE FILM FESTIVAL 2020 

The TIFF Next Wave Film Festival runs February 14–16, promising a jam-packed weekend with the always epic Battle of the Scores and Opening Night Party, In Conversation With... Kelvin Harrison Jr., the Growing Pains Movie Marathon, an Official Film Selection featuring some of the boldest new films from around the world.

This is the festival’s 9th year, almost half the age of the festival’s organizers.  Best of all, the festival is totally FREE for youth under 25.   There is also a chance to learn from industry pros at the Young Creators Co-Lab: a full day of panels, workshops, and film inspiration.

For those above 25, it is clear that a few of the films will not relate, so one has to be accommodating.  Below are capsule reviews of selected films to be screened.

For complete information and program of films please click on the link below:-

https://www.tiff.net/nextwave

CAPSULE REVIEWS of Selected Films:

CHILDREN OF THE SEA (Japan 2019) ***

Directed by Ayumu Wantanabe

Ruka is a young girl whose parents are separated and whose father works in an aquarium. When two boys, UmiSora (the CHILDREN OF THE SEA), who were raised in the sea by dugongs, are brought to the aquarium, Ruka feels drawn to them and begins to realize that she has the same sort of supernatural connection to the ocean that they do.  Umi and Sora's special power seems to be connected to strange events that have been occurring more and more frequently, such as the appearance of sea creatures far from their home territory and the disappearance of aquarium animals around the world.  If all of these sound interesting, it is less so on screen.  It is hard to relate with a young girl who has fondness for two weird sea creatures.  For one, it does not make much sense.  The sea animals are supposed to be having this big sea party here the Dolphin song are supposed to attract the party-goers.  The animation in CHILDREN OFTHE SEA is commendable, with fluid drawings amidst stunning colour.  But is is hard to connect with the story.

Trailer: (unavailable)

HOUSE OF HUMMINGBIRD (SOUTH KOREA 2018) ***1/2
Directed by Bora Kim

HOUSE OF HUMMINGBIRD is a quiet South Korean film about a female teen Eunhee who undergoes the typical problems faced by a schoolgirl of that age.  The film is set in Seoul 1994, the year the Seongsu Bridge collapsed, with 14-year-old Eunhee (a convincing performance from newcomer Ji-hu Park) wandering the city searching for love.  Eunhee has a slightly dysfunctional family with her brother beating her up and parents arguing; a boyfriend with a curious relationship; a best friend and a teacher, Miss Youngji who appears to understand her.  She also has a lump behind her ear, causing some worry.  All the events that place in and around school which is interesting for western audiences to see what life is like (even for a teen) in South Korea.  Unpretentious, real and occasionally moving, HOUSE OF HUMMINGBIRD, runs a bit long at 2 and 1/4 hours but nevertheless is a worthy watch.  The film has won more than 330 international awards from screening in festivals around the world.

Trailer: (unavailable)

SEQUIN IN A BLUE ROOM (Australia 2019) ***

Directed by Samuel Van Grinsven

Written by director Van Grinsven and Jory Anast, though the film is quite sparse in dialogue, this is the kind of gay film that will shock straight audiences but for gay people in the know, what transpires on screen is quite commonplace or at least well known.  Casual sex, sex parries saunas, abuse are all part and parcel of growing up gay.  So for SEQUIN IN A BLUE ROOM (Sequin is the name of the gay twink and the blue room is code name for the place where the sex parties occur).  After a chance encounter at an anonymous sex party, a sixteen year old boy hunts through the world of a hook-up app to track down the mystery man.  The search turns out to be a dangerous one as he encounters a sadistic stalker.  Sequin’s father is of course, unaware of his son’s activities.  Though occasionally erotic, the film does not reveal anything really new to the gay audience who frequently attend club parties and such.  The rather cop-out happy ending does not help much either.

Trailer: (unavailable)

TAKE ME SOMEWHERE NICE (Netherlands/Bosnia 2019) ***

Directed by Ena Sendijarević

Cool-looking film in which nothing appears on the surface to be going on.  The story centres on Dutch girl, Alma who leaves her mother in the Netherlands to visit her father in hospital in Bosnia.  Things turn out more complicated than expected.  She is met by her lazy loutish cousin Emir.  She has sex with Emir’s partner-in-crime.  Just as director Sendijarević loves playing with weird camera angles, her characters are equally as weird.  But the is Ama’s coming-of-age story, done with the director’s odd sense of humour and aplomb.  The joinery is quite an entertaining watch.

Trailer: (unavailable)