Series Review: "High Score" (2020).

From the producer of 8 Bit Legacy: The Curious History of Video Games comes High Score. This docuseries created by France Costrel. This documseries traces the history of classic video games, featuring insights from the innovators who brought these worlds and characters to life.

Costrel said that she was inspired to create the documentary as, growing up in France but having American friends, "[video games] are a universal language". She had worked as the showrunner for "8-Bit Legacy", a video game documentary for Great Big Story, but recognized it only covered a portion of the history of the industry. She developed a pitch for Netflix, getting help from her colleagues from the show Dark Net and Melissa Wood. Costrel had wanted to shift focus away from the games themselves as most video game documentaries, and instead to the developers behind the games and players to give insights into the creativity on video game development. Costrel decided not to try to tell a full history of video games but limit it to overarching and cohesive stories of certain periods in the industry. Costrel and Wood said it made sense to start at the onset of arcade and console games to bookend one side of their story, and opted to end with the transition into 3D computer graphics as it "make a natural ending, a new kind of stepping stone in the history of gaming". In researching their stories, Costrel said that most of the video game companies were open to working with them to showcase the case, while some of the creators had left the industry and were also ready to share their stories. While Costrel estimated they had material for about twenty hours of content they had to whittle this to the six episodes and focused more on those stories that would be of interest across all types of game players, not just hardcore gamers. One of the games featured in the series was GayBlade by Ryan Best who had created it in the 1990s. As explained in the show, while moving from Hawaii to California, all his own copies of the game were lost, and could not find any other copies elsewhere, which he had explained to the producers during production. The producers had researched online for the game to find any copies to use for the show; near the end of post-production, they had been contacted by the Schwules Museum in Berlin, who was able to supply them with a copy of the game who then returned the copy to Best. The game was added to the Internet Archive and playable there via emulation after its discovery.

The series is a vivid representation of marketing and audiovisual culture in the nineties. A concise, precise and joyful documentary about a mediatic war that shaped the imagination of millions around the globe. An entertaining history lesson about the conflicts between and the rise and fall of the world's video game giants.

Simon says High Score receives:

Series Review: "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." (2013-20).

"Not all heroes are super" in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. This television series created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen, based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D., and produced by ABC Studios and Marvel Television. The series was set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and it acknowledges the continuity of the franchise's films and other television series. Agent Phil Coulson from the film "The Avengers" returns to lead a small, highly skilled group of agents into the field.

In 2009, after The Walt Disney Company purchased Marvel Entertainment, they announced that a Marvel Television division was being formed under Jeph Loeb. In July 2012, Marvel Television entered into discussions with ABC to make a new series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In early August, Joss Whedon was announced to be involved in the series' development. Whedon had written and directed the successful MCU film The Avengers (2012). At the same time, Whedon, along with his brother Jed and sister-in-law Maurissa Tancharoen, met with Loeb to pitch him their idea for the series, with meetings in the following days with ABC Studios and ABC network. In late August, ABC ordered a pilot for a series called S.H.I.E.L.D., to be written and directed by Joss Whedon, with Jed Whedon and Tancharoen also writing. Disney CEO Bob Iger greenlit the series after watching the Marvel One-Shot short film Item 47. In April 2013, ABC announced that the series would be titled Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. In May 2013, it was officially picked up for a full season of twenty-two episodes. Jed Whedon, Tancharoen, and Jeffrey Bell served as the series' showrunners. Joss Whedon assisted them before he started work on the sequel Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). In May 2014, the series was renewed for a second season. In May 2015, the series was renewed for a third season. In March 2016, the series was renewed for a fourth season. In September 2016, discussing the eventual end of the series. In May 2017, the series was renewed for a fifth season. The writers intended for the final episode of the fifth season to serve as both a season and series finale, with some elements that could be adjusted based on whether the series was renewed for a sixth season or not. Despite this, in mid May 2018, the series was renewed for a sixth season. In November, the series was renewed for a final seventh season.

The series stars Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton, Chloe Bennet, Iain De Caestecker, Elizabeth Henstridge, Nick Blood, Adrianne Palicki, Henry Simmons, Luke Mitchell, John Hannah, Natalia Cordova-Buckley, Jeff Ward, David Conrad, Ruth Negga, Saffron Burrows, Bill Paxton, Patton Oswalt, Kyle MacLachlan, Dichen Lachman, Edward James Olmos, Spencer Treat Clark, and Powers Boothe. The performances were generally acceptable, and I even warmed a little to the rather obvious and predictable charms of Gregg and company, but there was no spark evident in anything that went on.

Even as the show sounds like other TV shows and movies, it is also utterly strange, its premise literally ridiculous and intriguingly metaphorical.

Simon says Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. receives:

Also, see my review for The Avengers and Agent Carter.

Film Review: "Peninsula" ("반도") (2020).

"Four years after Train to Busan" comes Peninsula (반도). This South Korean action horror film directed by Yeon Sang-ho and written by Yeon and Park Joo-Suk. It is a standalone sequel to Train to Busan (부산행) (2016). Four years after South Korea’s total decimation in Train to Busan comes the next nail-biting second chapter in this post-apocalyptic world. Jung-seok, a soldier who previously escaped the diseased wasteland, relives the horror when assigned to a covert operation with two simple objectives: retrieve and survive. When his team unexpectedly stumbles upon survivors, their lives will depend on whether the best - or worst - of human nature prevails in the direst of circumstances.

Immediately after the success of Train to Busan, an animated prequel, Seoul Station, also directed by Yeon, was released and a follow-up film was announced. Yeon has stated that, "Peninsula is not a sequel to Train to Busan because it's not a continuation of the story, but it happens in the same universe." The film was selected to be shown at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival, however, the festival was eventually cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The film stars Gang Dong-won, Lee Jung-hyun, Lee Re, Kwon Hae-hyo, Kim Min-jae and Koo Kyo-hwan. Though not as strong as the previous cast, the cast here also come to realize that selfish short-sighted attention is inherently inhuman. Metaphorically, it's what separates us from the zombies. During the harrowing ordeal, you're hunkered down with a likable group of survivors who jump resourcefully from one trap to the next, with the real monsters being the executive types.

The film doesn't blaze any new trails, but it transcends the tricks and tropes of a genre that so often feels it has nothing more to offer. This South Korean thrill-ride doesn't quite feels as fresh -- not because it doesn't do anything new, but because it doesn't greases the wheels of the old machine, and delivers an unending series of emotional-less gut-punches at a tedious pace. In visual terms, the film is mesmerising. The actual horror scenes are not overly gory, and the chase scenes are excellently choreographed and filled with pure adrenaline, however, it leaves you waiting for the film to be over and leave with a tired yawn. The bad stuff can be ignored and the good stuff, if there is any, is good enough. The terror is nuanced and visceral enough, a gut reaction to the scale and speed of the attacks on screen. There is much to enjoy here, but is there ever really any justification for a two-hour long zombie movie? The film argues not. However, the amount of energy that director Yeon Sang-ho is able to infuse into the film is a welcome change from the stop and go nature of recent entries in the genre. Part horror and part satire, this is an exceptional movie that drags you screaming along at bullet-train speed. Extraordinary tension is counterbalanced with eerie calm, as survivors embark and disembark in quiet fear.

Simon says Peninsula (반도) receives:

Also, see my review for Train to Busan (부산행).

Series Review: "Wizards: Tales of Arcadia" (2020).

"From Guillermo del Toro" comes Wizards: Tales of Arcadia. This computer-animated fantasy limited series created by Guillermo del Toro, based on the characters created by del Toro and Daniel Kraus, and produced by DreamWorks Animation Television. It is the third and final installment of the Tales of Arcadia trilogy, following Trollhunters (2016–2018) and 3Below (2018–2019). Merlin’s apprentice joins Arcadia’s heroes on a time-bending adventure in Camelot, where conflict is brewing between the human, troll and magical worlds.

Following the release of Trollhunters and 3Below, it was announced the series would be the third and final series in the Tales of Arcadia trilogy. The series was initially set for a 2019 release date, but was postponed for an August 7, 2020 release date.

The series stars the voice talents of Colin O'Donoghue, David Bradley, Lena Headey, James Faulkner, Steven Yeun, Alfred Molina, John Rhys-Davies, Rupert Penry-Jones, Emile Hirsch, Kelsey Grammer, Mark Hamill, Stephanie Beatriz, Clancy Brown, Diego Luna, Tom Kenny and Brian Blessed. The cleverest thing about the show might be that the fate of the world is in the finicky hands of characters, whose voice talents have terrific performances.

The show probably won't be added to the surprising pantheon of kid's shows with dedicated adult followings, but it's a cute adventure epic with some wonderful lessons and truly gorgeous animation. The show is everything you might expect and then some -- overrun with weird creatures and sprinkled with offbeat humor and trippy action sequences. Though it relies heavily on slapstick and silliness without digging into the tough thematic material it introduces, it's still a fun fish-out-of-water adventure even if it's not quite out-of-this-world. The show is not terribly complicated, and perhaps that is what makes it endearing; it possesses the childlike wonder, and humor, of del Toro, and wears its heart on its sleeve. It's quite wonderful. That expert blend of humor and more serious themes, excitement and adventure, characters you love to spend time with. It stands as testament that even at twenty-six episodes long, the show never feels like it's overstaying its welcome. Del Toro is renowned for his striking visual style and wild imagination that's often on display in his live-action films, but in Netflix's animated series, del Toro's vivid storytelling comes to life in the most colorful way yet. They have made their series with brio and wit, as much majesty as the budget will allow, and enough suspense and mystery to make one invest in subsequent episodes as they arrive. This thoroughly enjoyable unlikely-hero tale is visually spectacular and delivers some familiar -- but always refreshing -- messages about heroism. However, the series never fully shakes off the rigid, by-the-numbers storytelling, or its underdeveloped characters, but the frequent moments of heart and humor elevate what would otherwise be a cold, slick thing of stone. Also, the show seeks to mine a new audience for del Toro's aesthetic, edging into the market of children and so compromises have been made that may not please those who prefer their del Toro productions messier and more obsessive. 

Simon says Wizards: Tales of Arcadia receives:

Also, see my review for 3Below: Tales of Arcadia.

Series Review: "Immigration Nation" (2020).

From the directors of Trophy comes Immigration Nation. This documentary web television miniseries directed by Christina Clusiau and Shaul Schwarz. With unprecedented access to ICE operations, as well as moving portraits of immigrants, this docuseries takes a deep look at US immigration today.

On March 1, 2003, the federal law enforcement agency, The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), was founded under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. ICE's stated mission is to protect the United States from the cross-border crime and illegal immigration that threaten national security and public safety. This mission is executed through the enforcement of more than 400 federal statutes and focuses on immigration enforcement, preventing terrorism and combating the illegal movement of people and goods. ICE has two primary components: Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). ICE maintains attachés at major U.S. diplomatic missions overseas. ICE does not patrol American borders; rather, that role is performed by the United States Border Patrol, a unit of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is a sister agency of ICE. The Acting Director is Tae Johnson. Since late January 2017, the agency has not had a Senate-confirmed director since Sarah Saldaña stepped down. In recent years, especially under the Trump Administration, the agency has been subject of criticism and several controversies, including allegations of sexual abuse, torture and wrongful arrest of US citizens. The series consists of footage filmed from 2017 to 2020 of ICE's work during the Trump era. Prior to release, the filmmakers were faced with legal threats; ICE sought to delay the release until after the 2020 United States elections.

The series is most effective in its first three episodes. But, as mentioned previously, its greatest strength is in the way that it humanises those individuals that the system seeks to dehumanise. This series is most threatening to the present administration not because it employs a rhetoric too powerful to be ignored, but because it is fair, thorough, and true. The series transports viewers inside detention centers and ICE field offices across the country. But it's the stories of the victims, torn from their children and parents, that prove the most haunting. The series does pull back to show the institutional forces at play here: the farce of our current system of legal immigration, and the ways capitalism incentivizes the dehumanization of undocumented immigrants. Powerful and painful, this documentary digs into the backstory of the Trump administration's massive ICE expansion, the agents on the job, and the immigrants they apprehend, with damning results. A useful parable to enable the layman's understanding of, as human rights attorney Becca Heller eloquently explains, "the brilliance of any bureaucratic system whose net result is fear and trauma." The series offers a more complete picture than anything we've seen before on immigration in the Trump era. The series provides a damning indictment of the labyrinth systems that make ICE so powerful, and a wrenching examination of the human cost its policies have wrought. A searing dissection of Trump administration policies that's even-handed but emotionally devastating in highlighting the pain associated with them.

Simon says Immigration Nation receives:

Also, see my review for Trophy.

Film Review: "The Tax Collector" (2020).

"From the creator of Training Day and End of Watch" comes The Tax Collector. This action crime thriller film written and directed by David Ayer. David and Creeper, are "tax collectors" for the crime lord Wizard, collecting his cut from the profits of local gangs’ illicit dealings. But when Wizard’s old rival returns to Los Angeles from Mexico, the business is upended, and David finds himself desperate to protect what matters more to him than anything else: his family.

In late June 2018, it was announced that Ayer and Shia LaBeouf would collaborate again for a film entitled The Tax Collector. By mid July, George Lopez, Lana Parrilla, Elpidia Carrillo, Jimmy Smits and Bobby Soto rounded out the film's cast. In preparation for the role of Creeper, LaBeouf had his entire chest tattooed. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in mid August. Filming took place throughout Los Angeles, California.

The film stars LaBeouf, Lopez, Parrilla, Carrillo, Smits and Soto. As a character study it lacks characterization, and it's too predictable to be an effective cautionary tale. It's true that we don't need to like characters for a movie to work. We should, however, at least find them interesting. Creeper is such a psycho and David is such a patsy, we don't care about these guys. We've seen dozens of more interesting head cases in dozens of smarter films. It's an amazing performance, one of the best of the year, with LaBeouf truly making you believe in this over-the-top character. The reason to see the movie is LaBeouf who can play slow-burning psychosis about as well as any actor today and is outstanding again. Though LaBeouf has the presence of a young Pacino, and the same volatile edge, he's being asked here to fill out a role that doesn't ring true on any level.

A crazy little film, modest in its scope but grand in its ambition. It paints it's story in loud primary colors, with intense pressure cooker characterizations. It is a portrait of a male-dominated world and in LaBeouf's fierce performance, Ayer has found the perfect actor. It's just unfortunate that the screenplay feels like a left-over from an era that has passed. If more action propelled this water-treading plot, Ayer might have produced the mean streets classic that the film aspires to be. The movie's amusing moments are counterbalanced by a dark and dreary finale that effectively crushes the film's mood. Endless scenes of the two guys torturing people, venting and cursing and chugging beers play like acting-class exercises, badly written ones at that. Ayer goes back to his roots with this film, which is so relentlessly grim that it occasionally goes over the top and invites derision. It's the rare movie in which audience members will reverently wish for the main character's death from the very beginning. In the end, the film feels overwrought - Ayer holds too many guns to too many heads, and you can only keep viewers in that kind of suspense for so long.

Simon says The Tax Collector receives:

Also, see my review for Bright.

Film Review: "Where'd You Go, Bernadette" (2019).

"Bernadette Fox has it all. A loving husband, and a brilliant daughter. But the one thing missing, is her." This is Where'd You Go, Bernadette. This mystery comedy-drama film directed by Richard Linklater, adapted by Linklater, Holly Gent, and Vince Palmo, and based on the novel of the same name by Maria Semple. Based on the runaway bestseller, this inspiring comedy centres on Bernadette Fox, a loving mom who becomes compelled to reconnect with her creative passions after years of sacrificing herself for her family. Bernadette's leap of faith takes her on an epic adventure that jump-starts her life and leads to her triumphant rediscovery.

In January 2013, Annapurna Pictures and Color Force acquired the film rights to Semple's novel, with Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber to pen the adaptation. In February 2015, Linklater was announced to direct the adaptation. Linklater was attracted to the story because of the strong mother/daughter relationship, he being the father of three daughters and brother of two older sisters. In April 2016, It was announced that Linklater, Holly Palmo and Vince Palmo had taken over writing duties from Neustadter and Weber. By early July 2017, Billy Crudup, Emma Nelson, Kristen Wiig, Judy Greer, Laurence Fishburne, James Urbaniak, Troian Bellisario, Steve Zahn, and Megan Mullally. At the same time, principal photography commenced, and took place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Seattle, Washington; British Columbia, Canada; and Greenland. While on location in Greenland, the production was hampered by a hurricane that lasted for thirty-six hours. Rather than wait it out, the crew went ahead and filmed the hurricane and included it in the final cut.

The film stars Blanchett, Crudup, Nelson, Wiig, Greer, Fishburne, Urbaniak, Bellisario, Zahn, and Mullally. It's a spell-binding display of wonderful acting with what looks like occasional skilled improvisation. Linklater allows Blanchett and the cast to give performances of a richness and depth that you won't find in their more obviously crowd-pleasing movies. 

Where'd You Go, Bernadette balances raw drama against refreshing moments of humor in an impeccably cast film that wrestles with questions of patriotism, family, and grief. It's good fun and has a warm heart, but there's nothing of real substance on offer in the film. Blanchett is still immensely watchable, however, in one of his best film roles to date. Linklater can't protect them from all the script's potholes, including sentiment, contrivance and a galling mixed-message ending. But spending time in the company of Blanchett and cast? That truly is a pleasure. It is an uneven film, that succeeds best when it focuses on the spiritual journey of its protagonist. The film may feel like it is meandering at times, but once it gets to its destination it leaves you with a powerful final punch. The film may not be completely smart and challenging, but it contains great performances and writing that may tug hard at the heart. It's gently and marvellously unpacked for our viewing pleasure. It's as funny as it is moving.

Simon says Where'd You Go, Bernadette receives:

Also, see my review for Last Flag Flying.

NZIFF Film Review: "The Perfect Candidate" ("المرشحة المثالية") (2019).

From the trailblazing director of Wadida (وجدة) comes The Perfect Candidate (المرشحة المثالية). This Saudi Arabian drama film directed by Haifaa al-Mansour and written by al-Mansour and Brad Niemann. A determined young Saudi doctor’s surprise run for office in the local city elections sweeps up her family and community as they struggle to accept their town's first female candidate.

Like the film's central heroine, al-Mansour's journey to becoming Saudi Arabia's first female filmmaker, on top of being one of the country's best-known and controversial directors, was a long and arduous one. Born on August 10, 1974, al-Mansour was born as the eighth (out of twelve) children to poet Abdul Rahman Mansour, who introduced her to films by video, there being no movie theaters in Saudi Arabia between 1983 and 2018. With her father's encouragement, she studied comparative literature at The American University in Cairo. She later completed a master's degree in Film Studies from University of Sydney, Australia. She began her filmmaking career with three shorts, Who?, The Bitter Journey and The Only Way Out. The latter won prizes in the United Arab Emirates and in the Netherlands. She followed these with the documentary Women Without Shadows, which deals with the hidden lives of women in Arab States of the Persian Gulf. It was shown at seventeen international festivals. The film received the Golden Dagger for Best Documentary in the Muscat Film Festival and a special jury mention in the fourth Arab Film Festival in Rotterdam. Her feature debut, Wadjda, which she wrote as well as directed, made its world premiere at the 2012 Venice Film Festival; it is the first full-length feature to be shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and as of 2013, the only feature-length film made in Saudi Arabia by a female director. The film tells the story of a ten-year-old girl growing up in the suburbs of Riyadh, who dreams of owning and riding a green bicycle. The film was selected as the Saudi Arabian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards, which is the first time Saudi Arabia has submitted a film for the Best Foreign Language Oscar. In 2014 it was reported that Al-Mansour was to direct A Storm in the Stars, an upcoming romantic drama film about the early life of writer Mary Shelley. The film was later retitled Mary Shelley and premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. Al-Mansour next film was Nappily Ever After, a Netflix adaptation of the book of the same name by Trisha R. Thomas. In April of 2020 it was announced that she would direct another Netflix film The Selection, based on the first entry in Kiera Cass’ popular book series.

The film stars Mila Al Zahrani, Dae Al Hilali, Nora Al Awad, Khalid Abdulraheem, Shafi Alharthy, Tareq Al Khaldi, and Khadeeja Mua'th. Al Zahrani as the protagonist gives a great performance. She's uncompromising and compassionate depending on what the situation calls for.

In presenting political agenda whilst focusing on her character, Al-Mansour has created a 'perfect' little film that just happens to be set against an imperfect and deeply misogynistic society.

Simon says The Perfect Candidate (المرشحة المثالية) receives:

Also, see my reviews for Nappily Ever After and Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band.

NZIFF Film Review: "Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band" (2019).

From executive producers Martin Scorsese, Brian Grazer and Ron Howard comes Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band. This Canadian documentary film, directed by Daniel Roher and based in part on Robertson's 2017 memoir Testimony. The film is a confessional, cautionary, and occasionally humorous tale of Robertson's young life and the creation of one of the most enduring groups in the history of popular music, The Band.

Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm would go on to form the roots rock group, The Band. Between 1958 and 1963, they originally formed as The Hawks, a backing band for rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins. In 1964, they separated from Hawkins, after which they toured and released a few singles as Levon and the Hawks and the Canadian Squires. In the mid-1960s they gained recognition backing Bob Dylan, and the 1966 tour was notable as Dylan’s first with an electric band. After leaving Dylan and changing their name to the Band, and with help from Dylan and his manager, they moved to Saugerties, New York and released several albums to critical and popular acclaim. Their influence on several generations of musicians has been substantial. Dylan continued to collaborate with the Band over the course of their career, including a joint 1974 tour. In 1976, the original configuration of The Band ended its touring career with an elaborate performance at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, California, that featured numerous musical celebrities of the era. This performance was filmed for Scorsese's 1978 documentary The Last Waltz. Although the members of the group intended to continue working on studio projects, they drifted apart after the release of Islands in March 1977. The Band resumed touring in 1983 without Robertson, who had found success with a solo career and as a Hollywood music producer. As a result of their diminished popularity, they performed in theaters and clubs as headliners and took support slots in larger venues for onetime peers such as the Grateful Dead and Crosby, Stills and Nash. Following a 1986 concert, Manuel committed suicide in his hotel room. The remaining three members continued to tour and record albums with a succession of musicians filling Manuel's and Robertson's roles. The final configuration of the group included Richard Bell, Randy Ciarlante, and Jim Weider. In 1999, Danko died of heart failure, after which the group broke up for good. In 1998, Helm was diagnosed with throat cancer and was unable to sing for several years but he eventually regained the use of his voice. He continued to perform and released several albums until he died in 2012.

The great thing about Once Were Brothers is that the documentary enables a new-found respect and regard for an incredibly energetic and creative band that recognize their strength as the sum of their talented parts. Conveying information and insight without artifice, the film uses every frame to wittily and touchingly convey a story that had yet to be properly told -- about a band and their tumultuous journey.

Simon says Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band receives:

Also, see my NZIFF review for The Last Wave.

NZIFF Classic Film Review: "The Last Wave" (1977).

"Hasn't the weather been strange... Could it be a warning? From the makers of 'Picnic at Hanging Rock' comes another terrifying and disturbing story" comes The Last Wave. This Australian mystery drama film directed by Peter Weir and written by Weir, Tony Morphett and Petru Popescu. A lawyer whose seemingly normal life is turned upside-down when he takes on a murder case and discovers that he shares a strange and unexplained mystical connection to the Australian aboriginals.

In an interview on the Criterion Collection DVD release, Weir explained that the film explores the question, "What if someone with a very pragmatic approach to life experienced a premonition?" By late February 1977, Richard Chamberlain, Olivia Hamnett, David Gulpilil, Fred Parslow, Vivean Gray, Peter Carroll, Wallas Eaton and Nandjiwarra Amagula were cast. Prior to Chamberlain's casting, two Australian actors were considered. One was rejected and the other wasn't available. A short-list was made of six actors who had international recognition. Chamberlain was sent the script which he thought interesting but was at first cautious about making a film in a foreign country and with a director he was unfamiliar with. Peter Weir visited Chamberlain at the Broadway Theatre where he was starring in Night of the Iguana and the two clicked. Chamberlain was then screened Weir's previous film Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) where the film had yet to be shown at all in the USA. Chamberlain liked this film and at some time soon after this, Chamberlain was signed. Weir asked Gulpilil and Amagula about the script and incorporated their reactions to the finished dialogue. At the same time, principal photography commenced and took place in Sydney and Adelaide. During filming, Sydney experienced harsh weather conditions with constant heavy rain. The production then moved to Adelaide which doubled for Sydney. Ironically, the weather in Sydney had to be recreated in Adelaide, which was sunny and pleasant during filming. The dark and black, stormy and rainy weather conditions were created by using wind machines and gigantic hoses, the latter being operated from a number of fire engines. Finance was provided by the Australian Film Commission ($120,000), the South Australian Film Corporation ($120,000), Janus Films (US$50,000) and United Artists ($350,000). Reportedly, producers Hal McElroy and Jim McElroy mortgaged their homes and their business interests in Picnic at Hanging Rock so this picture could maintain its cash flow and continue production.

The film stars Chamberlain, Hamnett, Gulpilil, Parslow, Gray, Carroll, Eaton and Amagula. Skilfully enigmatic, reserved and raw performances were given by the cast, especially by Chamberlain, Gulpilil and Amagula.

Technically well shot and edited, as well as carefully paced, Weir's The Last Wave has a dreamlike quality that sets it apart even among his fellow Australian New Wavers. The film's slow pacing can detract from and defuse what is in other respects, one of the more interesting screen imaginations at work today. However, the film works at various levels and certainly sparks discussion, as people attempt to figure out what they've just seen.

Simon says The Last Wave receives:

Also, see my NZIFF review for Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist.

Series Review: "The Last Narc" (2020).

"You can't kill the truth" in The Last Narc. This documentary series directed by Tiller Russell. In 1985, American DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered by Mexico’s notorious drug lords. Thirty-five years later, three former cartel insiders share unprecedented details. This is the story of Camarena, the drug cartel he infiltrated, and the narc who risked everything to discover the truth.

In early February 1985, American intelligence officer for the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Enrique "Kiki" Camarena Salazar, was kidnapped by drug traffickers in Guadalajara, Mexico. He was interrogated under torture until he was murdered on February 9. Three leaders of the Guadalajara drug cartel were eventually convicted in Mexico for Camarena's murder. The U.S. investigation into Camarena's murder led to three more trials in Los Angeles for other Mexican nationals involved in the crime. The case continues to trouble U.S.-Mexican relations, most recently when one of the three convicted traffickers, Rafael Caro Quintero, was released from Mexican prison in 2013. Russell, researched Camarena's murder for fourteen years, and then shot and edited the series for two years. Russell has kept his location a secret, fearing for his safety. He said that after he asked Jorge Godoy one interview question, Godoy drew a pistol.

The unsolved 1985 kidnapping, torture and murder of thirty-seven-year-old American DEA agent Camarena generated a tidal wave of tabloid garbage; this documentary by Russell surfs atop it, exploiting the crime no less but giving it an art-film respectability. Even if this crime is truly solved someday, the series will remain relevant because of how it processes the psychological experience of death, grief and uncertainty. Where Russell and company get extremely strong footage is when they let the interviewees dive into their own backstories. Some of them are actually close to the events of the murder. Russell's film is difficult and challenging, but it is not lazy. And in a world where these kinds of stories so often are the source of hysterical sensationalism, a degree of thoughtfulness and introspection is long overdue. The construction of the story, thus raised, continues having more and more intrigue. Not only to know who will personify the real characters, but to try to clarify what really happened in early February 1985. Over an expertly paced and constructed three hours, we come to be more fascinated by these strangers than by their shared obsession: the dead American DEA agent who, for whatever reason, has triggered their on-camera confessions. The factual combines with the first steps towards fictionalisation to create something new, and something arguably all the more powerful than a feature about Camarena made in either mode. By setting aside an objective notion of the truth, Russell's work is simultaneously more fantastical and closer to the truth than anything made with traditional documentary techniques. The strangest, most unnerving and, indeed, thoughtful approach to the case is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. That's the series, which is neither ghoulish nor exploitive.

Simon says The Last Narc receives:

NZIFF Film Review: "Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist" (2019).

From the director of Memory: The Origins of Alien comes Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist. This documentary film directed by Alexandre O. Philippe. The film is a lyrical and spiritual cinematic essay on The Exorcist, it explores the uncharted depths of William Friedkin’s mind’s eye, the nuances of his filmmaking process, and the mysteries of faith and fate that have shaped his life and filmography.

On December 26, 1973, the supernatural horror film was unleashed to audiences and went on to gross $441.3 million (adjusted for inflation). The film was directed by Friedkin and produced and adapted by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1971 novel of the same name. The film stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran (in his final film role), Jason Miller, and Linda Blair. The film follows the demonic possession of a twelve-year-old girl and her mother's attempt to rescue her through an exorcism conducted by two priests. Although the book had been a bestseller, Blatty, his choice for director, had difficulty casting the film. After turning down, or being turned down, by major stars of the era, they cast in the lead roles the relatively little-known Burstyn, the unknown Blair, and Miller, the author of a hit play who had never acted in movies before, casting choices that were vigorously opposed by Warner Bros. executives. Principal photography was also difficult. Most of the set burned down, and Blair and Burstyn suffered long-term injuries in accidents. Ultimately the film took twice as long to shoot as scheduled and cost more than twice its initial budget. The film was released in twenty-four theaters throughout the United States and Canada. Audiences flocked to it. Some viewers had adverse physical reactions, often fainting or vomiting. There were reports of heart attacks and miscarriages; a psychiatric journal carried a paper on "cinematic neurosis" triggered by the film. Many children were taken to see the film, leading to charges that the MPAA ratings board had accommodated Warner Bros. by giving the film an R-rating instead of the X they thought it deserved in order to ensure its commercial success. The cultural conversation around the film, which also encompassed its treatment of Roman Catholicism, helped it become the first horror film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, one of ten Academy Awards it was nominated for, winning for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound Mixing. The Exorcist has had a significant influence on popular culture and has received critical acclaim, with several publications having regarded it as one of the greatest horror films of all time. In 2010, the Library of Congress selected the film to be preserved as part of its National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Amid the steady outpouring of Exorcistmania, the 105-minute-long Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist may be the least exotic, but it still gives any Exorcist fan a heady share of morsels to chew on.

Simon says Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist receives:

Also, see my NZIFF review for Martin Eden.

NZIFF Film Review: "Martin Eden" (2019).

From the director of Lost and Beautiful (Bella e perduta) comes Martin Eden. This Italian-French historical romance drama film directed by Pietro Marcello, adapted by Marcello and Maurizio Braucci, and loosely based on the 1909 novel of the same nameby Jack London. When Martin falls in love with wealthy and well educated Elena, he is caught between his dreams of rising above his humble origins to become a writer, his love for the woman he hopes to marry and his political reawakening that leads to conflicts with her bourgeois family.

Published in 1909, American author Jack London's novel follows a young proletarian autodidact struggling to become a writer. It was first serialized in The Pacific Monthly magazine from September 1908 to September 1909 and then published in book form by Macmillan in September 1909. The central theme of Eden's developing artistic sensibilities places the novel in the tradition of the Künstlerroman, in which is narrated the formation and development of an artist. Eden differs from London in that Eden rejects socialism, attacking it as "slave morality" and relies on a Nietzschean individualism. Nevertheless, in the copy of the novel which he inscribed for Upton Sinclair, London wrote, "One of my motifs, in this book, was an attack on individualism (in the person of the hero). I must have bungled it, for not a single reviewer has discovered it." 

By May 2018, Luca Marinelli, Carlo Cecchi, Marco Leonardi, Jessica Cressy, Vincenzo Nemolato, Denise Sardisco, Carmen Pommella, Autilia Ranieri, Savino Paparella, Elisabetta Valgoi, Pietro Ragusa, Maurizio Donadoni, Chiara Francini, and Giordano Bruno Guerri were cast. At the same time, with a budget of EUR3,800,000, principal photography commenced, filming took place in Naples, Italy, and was shot on Super 16mm.

The film stars Marinelli, Cecchi, Leonardi, Cressy, Nemolato, Sardisco, Pommella, Ranieri, Paparella, Valgoi, Ragusa, Donadoni, Francini, and Guerri. Where the film occasionally goes fuzzy, Marinelli's performance gives the movie its backbone as it tells the story of a provocateur who loses his grip when society becomes used to him.

Pietro Marcello's film is a tale of meteoric rises and spectacular falls, just not in the way most people imagine them. A sweep of cinematic history earned by the film's aspirations. No film could replicate the tragic weight of London's work, but this comes awfully close. It suffers from a lack of clear direction, leading to its many excellent pieces never quite fitting together. Despite that, as a love letter to Italy's past and a unique historical drama, the film does have something to offer audiences. By weaving Martin's ideological journey and Italy's political and social trajectory as it heads toward fascism, Marcello captures the spirit of London's novel as he crafts an ambitious and haunting film. The writing is tight, the acting is solid, and the cinematography from Alessandro Abate and Francesco Di Giacomo is lush: rich colors, deep blacks, grainy texture from the Super 16mm. In his mostly successful filmic adaptation of London's novel, Marcello transposes with ease London's Oakland novel to the seaport of Naples.

Simon says Martin Eden receives:

Also, see my reviews for Lost and Beautiful (Bella e perduta) and While at War (Mientras dure la guerra).

NZIFF Film Review: "While at War" ("Mientras dure la guerra") (2019).

"Sometimes silence is the worst lie" in While at War (Mientras dure la guerra). This Spanish historical drama film directed by Alejandro Amenábar and co-written by Amenábar and

Alejandro Hernández. Set in the first months of the Spanish Civil War, this riveting and timely chamber drama tracks the country’s slide into nearly four decades of fascism under dictator Francisco Franco.

By late May 2018, Karra Elejalde, Eduard Fernández, Santi Prego, Nathalie Poza, Luis Bermejo, Mireia Rey, Tito Valverde, Luis Callejo, Pep Tosar, and Miquel García Borda were cast. At the same, principal photography commenced and took place in Castilla y León, Biscay and Madrid, Spain. An important part of the movie is set in the town of Salamanca, being the Main or Major Square (Plaza Mayor) widely relevant. It was actually shot in that very square, although the vegetation shown had to be added as in the moment of shooting the square had none. On September 6, 2019, the film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The Plataforma Patriótica Millán-Astray, an organization of veterans of the Spanish Legion, accused the script writers of plagiarism of the 1941 work Unamuno's Last Lecture by Luis Portillo, a text the organization claims is defamatory towards José Millán-Astray, founder of the Spanish Legion. The accusation was based on the content of the official trailers. The organization demanded the public funds received for the making of the film be returned.

The film stars Elejalde, Fernández, Prego, Poza, Bermejo, Rey, Valverde, Callejo, Tosar, and Borda. The acting in the film is superb, especially by Elejalde, who richly deserved the notoriety that he has received.

A humourless historical political drama that fascinates with its intelligence and its abhorrence of the birth of Spanish nationalist culture. The film is intelligent, stirring and, as the cultural devastation wrought by political zealots plays out on screen, heartbreaking. Ambitious, sprawling and melodramatic, this historical political drama lacks subtlety and struggles to provide much charm - ultimately dissolving into a rather obvious morality tale about the rise of Spanish nationalism. The film could have been a powerfully subversive political film, but while it does have its moments it never truly lives up to its ambitious potential. Amenábar creates a palpable sense of place and never strays too far from his duty to stage big, sense-filling set pieces. Well researched, and anchored by Elejalde's impressive lead performance, this is a fascinating film that avoids the Hollywood route. A contentious piece of history in which we see how the most primitive aspects of fundamental religious beliefs drove public life and generated hatreds. Although the film's history is spotty, its dialogue is sometimes clunky, and time frames are telescoped, its overall impact packs a powerful punch. An interesting but often frustrating effort by the director of The Sea Inside, who proves that ambition and talent aren't enough to ensure a compelling drama. It's still more than watchable thanks to the ministrations of talented Spanish director Amenábar, but the politics seem to have brought out the stiff, declamatory earnestness in everyone.

Simon says While at War (Mientras dure la guerra) receives:

Also, see my NZIFF review for Kubrick by Kubrick.

NZIFF Film Review: "Kubrick by Kubrick" (2020).

From the director of Monsieur de Funès and Racing Through Life: Toulouse-Lautrec, and based on Michel Ciment's interviews comes Kubrick by Kubrick. This documentary film directed by Gregory Monro. The film is a rare and transcendent journey into the life and films of the legendary Stanley Kubrick like we've never seen before, featuring a treasure trove of unearthed interview recordings from the master himself.

"A film is - or should be - more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what's behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later." These are the words of a photographer, a filmmaker and an artist. On July 26, 1928, the renowned American filmmaker and photographer was born, and has been frequently cited as one of the most influential filmmakers in cinematic history. Born and raised in the Bronx, New York City, he attended William Howard Taft High School from 1941 to 1945. He received average grades, but displayed a keen interest in literature, photography, and film from a young age, and taught himself all aspects of film production and directing after graduating from high school. From the late 1940s to the early 1950s, he worked as a photographer for Look Magazine. Afterwards, he began making short and feature films on shoestring budgets, such as Day of the Fight (1951), Flying Padre (1951), Fear and Desire (1953), The Seafarers (1953) and Killer's Kiss (1955), and made his first major Hollywood film, The Killing (1956). This was followed by Paths of Glory (1957) and Spartacus (1960). In 1961, after creative differences arising from his work with Kirk Douglas and the film studios, a dislike of the Hollywood industry, and a growing concern about crime in America prompted Kubrick to move to the United Kingdom, where he spent most of the remainder of his life and career. His home at Childwickbury Manor in Hertfordshire became his workplace, where he did his writing, research, editing, and management of production details on top of his personal home with his wife Christiane and their three children, Katharina, Anya and Vivian. This allowed him to have almost complete artistic control over his films, but with the rare advantage of having financial support from major Hollywood studios. His latter productions in Britain consisted of Lolita (1962), Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learn to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), A Clockwork Orange (1971), Barry Lyndon (1975), The Shining (1980), Full Metal Jacket (1987) and Eyes Wide Shut (1999). Though mostly adaptations of novels or short stories, his cinematic body of work cover a wide range of genres, and are noted for their realism, dark humour, unique cinematography, extensive set designs, and evocative use of music. A demanding perfectionist, Kubrick assumed control over most aspects of the filmmaking process, from direction and writing to editing, and took painstaking care with researching his films and staging scenes, working in close coordination with his actors and other collaborators. He often asked for several dozen retakes of the same shot in a movie, which resulted in many conflicts with his casts. Despite the resulting notoriety among actors, many of Kubrick's films broke new ground in cinematography. The scientific realism and innovative special effects of 2001: A Space Odyssey were without precedent in the history of cinema, and the film earned him his only personal Oscar, for Best Visual Effects. The film is regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. For Barry Lyndon, Kubrick obtained lenses developed by Zeiss for NASA, to film scenes under natural candlelight. With The Shining, he became one of the first directors to make use of a Steadicam for stabilized and fluid tracking shots. While many of Kubrick's films were controversial and initially received mixed reviews upon release—particularly A Clockwork Orange, which Kubrick pulled from circulation in the UK following a mass media frenzy—most were nominated for Oscars, Golden Globes, or BAFTA Awards, and underwent critical reevaluations. On March 7, 1999, at the age of seventy and shortly after the completion of his last film Eyes Wide Shut, Kubrick died.

The real reason to watch it is to observe a filmmaker examining one of the most popular and one of the most enigmatic filmmakers of all time, and to see what he's learned in the intervening years between Kubrick and Ciment. Notable French critic and author, Michel Ciment, is in a fine position to have the inside skinnny on the enigmatic director. Monro alternates theory with production specifics to give a fully rounded and fleshed-out account of the singular achievements that is Kubrick's filmography. Not influenced by ego or career, Kubrick is sincere and matter of fact as he gives the definitive oral history of his entire body of work. While some of the stories have been told elsewhere from other people, you get the feeling here that Kubrick's truly an open book and relishing the opportunity to dig into his work between 1975 and 1987. Insightful, thought-provoking, and candid in a matter that's befitting of Kubrick's own enigmatic personality, the film is a must-see for anyone who loves Kubrick. Monro gives us a Kubrick master class on the creative process of film and a set of expertly told stories that thrill and inform. It just doesn't get better than this. Not lacking any presentational flash whatsoever, the film also proves the show-stopping power of a transfixing interview subject. These are not astonishing anecdotes, but they are, by and large, entertaining ones: Kubrick is as deft a storyteller on record as he is behind the camera. Monro believes that the only thing more fascinating than a Stanley Kubrick film is Stanley Kubrick himself and the legendary filmmaker is a great documentary. The legendary filmmaker remains an articulate and forceful presence on record, refreshingly unburdened by modesty and clearly keen to display his highbrow cultural smarts. While hardcore fans of the auteur will be au fait with pretty much all the topics on the discussion here, the film is still a riveting masterclass from a great filmmaker.

Simon says Kubrick by Kubrick receives:

Also, see my NZIFF review for State Funeral.

NZIFF Film Review: "State Funeral" ("Прощание со Сталиным") (2019).

From the director of Donbass (Донбас) comes State Funeral (Прощание со Сталиным). This Russian documentary film directed by Sergei Loznitsa. This Unique, mostly unseen before, archive footage from March 1953, presents the funeral of Joseph Stalin as the culmination of the dictator's personality cult. The news of Stalin's death on March 5, 1953, shocked the entire Soviet Union. The burial ceremony was attended by tens of thousands of mourners. We observe every stage of the funeral spectacle, described by Pravda newspaper, as the Great Farewell, and receive an unprecedented access to the dramatic and absurd experience of life and death under Stalin's reign. The film addresses the issue of Stalin's personality cult as a form of terror-induced delusion. It gives an insight into the nature of the regime and its legacy, still haunting the contemporary world.

In early March 1953, after three decades of tyranny and terror, Stalin's staff found him semi-conscious on the bedroom floor of his Volynskoe dacha. He had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. He was moved onto a couch and remained there for three days. On March 5, 1953, Stalin died. An autopsy revealed that he had died of a cerebral hemorrhage and that he also suffered from severe damage to his cerebral arteries due to atherosclerosis. It was rumoured that Stalin was murdered. On March 6, Stalin's death was announced. The body was embalmed, and then placed on display in Moscow's House of Unions for three days. Crowds were such that a crush killed around a hundred people. On March 9, the funeral culminated in the body being laid to rest in Lenin's Mausoleum in Red Square; hundreds of thousands attended. That month featured a surge in arrests for "anti-Soviet agitation" as those celebrating Stalin's death came to police attention. The Chinese government instituted a period of official mourning for Stalin's death.

The film is relatively silent - there is no added commentary, no titles, no extra sound - capturing an emotional detachment that is hard to shake, all the more so because of its prevalence. It is precisely the director's economy and calm before this loaded historical subject that makes Austerlitz all the more powerful. The film's visual and spatial incongruities impose tacit condemnation-a kind of guilt-by-participation determination-but, more plaintively, the contrasts allow for a sustained contemplation of the elegiac, of memorialization. Exhibiting a simplicity and intellectual acuity that is far too rare in the field of documentary, Loznitsa has created a film whose cumulative impact will stay with you long after you watch it. Prepare to draw plenty of conclusions about and insights into human nature from their ordinary exploits, including many that you won't expect. What one collects by the end is a rounded portrait of humanity, and, somehow, one of hope, despite the ghastliness of the controversial ideology and the need to revisit them. The present-day worth of preserved Soviet relics is tacitly addressed in Sergei Loznitsa's brilliant observational doc. While the film explores an important thesis, its presentation is all but enticing.

Simon says State Funeral (Прощание со Сталиным) receives:

Also, see my reviews for Donbass (Донбас) and Ema.

NZIFF Film Review: "Ema" (2019).

From the director of Jackie comes Ema. This Chilean drama film directed by Pablo Larraín, and written by Guillermo Calderón and Alejandro Moreno. The film centres on a couple who deal with the aftermath of an adoption that goes awry as their household falls apart.

By August 2018, Mariana di Girolamo, Gael García Bernal, Santiago Cabrera, and Catalina Saavedra were cast in a film with Larraín as director. In preparation for the role, di Girolamo took dancing lessons. She also went to ballet and pilates classes to improve her posture and make her look like a professional dancer. At the same time, principal photography commenced and took place throughout Valparaíso, Región de Valparaíso, Chile.

The film stars di Girolamo, Bernal, Cabrera, and Saavedra. The performances are ones that don't quite transcend. I never felt like I was watching them become their characters, but more of they just played their characters, but they were still stirring in their own right. Di Girolamo gave a virtuoso performance as Ema, capturing her breathy feminine tones and the fashion-plate image that hides inner devastation, hinting at a contained breakdown in the privacy of her own empty household.

A uniquely constructed psychological character study, Chilean director Pablo Larrain tackles it all with unconventional aesthetics and non-sequential editing. A complex portrait of a personality drowning in personal turmoil can be very speculative. The portrait that Chilean director Pablo Larraín painted with Ema has so much color and life and emotion that it may be one of the intriguing dramas ever committed to film. The film has a note worthy performance from di Girolamo and a truly unconventional score but it's a series of well done events that doesn't form a cohesive whole. It's enlightening and insightful, using unusually creative filming, to experience Ema's life and perspective firsthand. While many small details are profoundly beautiful, Larraín's attempt feels weighed down by self-importance, as if history were a wet blanket of one's own making that is ultimately inescapable. Although the film suffers from complacency, it is still a visual spectacle, full of emotions, great performances, an impressive production design and above all, much intimacy within the pain. And yet, for every element in the film that's obvious and overplayed, there are stray, marginal details that manage to resonate, moments during which the pretense falls away and its amorphous stew of ideas finally coalesce. The film is a self-serious affair, and despite its dedication to getting under the skin of its titular character, it remains largely on the surface of things - glossy, sleek, and to a certain extent oddly detached. Larraín's drama is soaked in atmosphere, bleeding emotion, life, death, happiness, sadness and anxiety. It's easy to recognize some of the shared elements between Ema and Jackie. But it's still striking to see Larraín tackle such quintessentially Chilean material and managing to hit the mark so cleanly once again. Not your typical biopic, the film is an extraordinary exploration of a complex woman navigating her loss.

Simon says Ema receives:

Also, see my review for Jackie.