MIFF 2013: Fruitvale Station (2013)
byFruitvale Station begins with some blurry footage. Taken with a camera phone it’s difficult to make out faces, but what’s clear is that there’s…
Festivals
MIFF 2013: The New World (2013)
byIn a world characterized by rapid globalization there is also an increasing effort by countries to enforce and protect boundaries. Dutch film The New…
MIFF 2013: The Spectacular Now (2013)
byThe Spectacular Now is one of the better recent entries into the coming-of-age film genre, and its success is largely due to its commitment to depicting a believable portrait of teenage relationships and anxieties.
MIFF 2013: A Quiet Place In The Country (1968)
byScreening alongside classics like Dario Argento’s Deep Red (a masterpiece, and still arguably the high point of the genre) and Tenebrae, as well as Lucio Fulci’s seminal early work Don’t Torture A Duckling, are more obscure items like The Pyjama Case (set in Sydney of all places and starring Ray Milland) and A Quiet Place In The Country.
MIFF 2013: Harmony Lessons (2013)
byUltimately this haunting Darwinian tale of violence and morality is a social commentary on the normality of violence and crime in the region. One can only hope the extreme brutalisation against children from the police force is an exaggeration of current times in Kazakhstan, rather than a reality.
MIFF 2013: Death For Sale (2011)
byThe audience knows where the film is headed long before it gets there, very much like watching a trail slowly derail. As the title indicates, Death For Sale doesn’t provide any happy endings. These men are a product of their society, which unfortunately doesn’t elevate them to fulfil any kind of potential.
MIFF 2013: The Weight of Elephants (2013)
byBeautifully filmed by Sophia Olsson, with a clear Scandinavian influence, the aesthetics might obscure the story a little at times but this is a minor trifle. Adrian’s life is anything but straightforward (I’ll say it again; it’s just very bleak) and so the plot can be forgiven for swaying every now and then.
MIFF 2013: A World Not Ours (2012)
byA World Not Ours gives us a unique look at a corner of the world we would be unlikely to encounter otherwise, adding a jazzy score and humour throughout to perk up an otherwise grim subject. Informative and grounding, this film shows us how frequently we take identity for granted.
MIFF 2013: First Cousin Once Removed (2012)
byOne can deduce First Cousin Once Removed is deliberately disjointed and fragmented, much like Honig’s thoughts and feelings. Through photos and old letters as well as interviews with family and friends, Berliner shows us, and Honig, the man he used to be.
MIFF 2013: Patrick (2013)
byA remake of Richard Franklin’s seminal ozploitation favourite, Patrick is a visually assured fictional feature debut for director Mark Hartley, who previously examined the ozploitation subgenre with his exceptional documentary, Not Quite Hollywood.