“Emilia Perez ★★★★☆
With Jacques Audiard at the helm and starring Zoë Saldaña, Karla Sofia Gascón, Adriana Paz, Selina Gomez, Edgar Ramirez, and Mark Ivanir, the 154-minute film cert 15A tackles a unique musical narrative. The story orbits around a Mexican drug lord (Gascón) who hires a morally torn attorney (Saldaña) to guide their transition from male to female. This narrative approach may not resonate with everyone due to apprehensions that gender-transition is merely an intriguing story structure, however, the actresses’ genuine dedication is destined to allay such doubts. This groundbreaking spectacle merges traditional genres and is energised by Gascón’s Joan Crawford-like charm and confidence. Complete review from DC.
The Room Next Door ★★★☆☆
“Directed by Pedro Almodóvar and starring Tilda Swinton, Julianne Moore, John Turturro, and Alessandro Nivola, The Room Next Door is a 107-minute film with a 15A certification. Swinton portrays a journalist battling terminal illness who persuades her friend (Moore) to aid in hastening her demise. Almodóvar’s English-language debut follows in the footsteps of Wim Wenders’s Hammett and Hirokazu Kore-eda’s The Truth that have faltered despite mesmerising performances, attractive visuals, and profound dialogues. The film struggles to retain the essence of an Almodóvar cinematic piece. It’s suspected that Almodóvar’s recent Golden Lion victory at Venice is more an acknowledgment of his overall career. Full review TB.
Cillian Murphy reflects on the ‘dark ages’ encompassing the Kerry babies, immobile statues, absence of abortion and divorce. Paddy Cosgrave’s friendships have gradually worsened to an unmanageable state. John Creedon recalls his tumultuous past marked by frequent relocations, not as signs of unlove, but inadequate coping mechanisms. In an understanding of her deteriorating relationship, a woman confides about her drug-addicted and abusive spouse. Dahomey ★★★★☆.”
Mati Diop’s work as the French-Senegalese director behind the celebrated movie, Atlantics, has been acknowledged once again. She adopts a distinct method in her newest work to scrutinise the reclamation of 26 historically significant artefacts, from the thousands, returned to Benin by French authorities. As the objects make their journey home, the film captures discussions by Beninese students around the ethical implications of the gesture. A note of the supernatural is added as Diop lends a voice to a statue. Although the film could be dubbed experimental, it is clear and succinct in presenting its points of view. It clinched the Golden Bear award in Berlin. Available via limited release and holds a G certificate [duration: 68 minutes]. It stars Makenzy Orcel.
Another film to watch is ‘A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things’. This work, directed by Mark Cousins and featuring Tilda Swinton, highlights the life and art of Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, familiarly known as Willie. She was a path-breaking Scottish artist who originated from the St Ives School, a creative collective that set their roots in Cornwall in the midst of the 20th century. Based on Cousins’ 24th oeuvre, hailed for the filmmaker’s distinctive narration style originating from Belfast, this film draws from the Barns-Graham’s diaries and photographs. The filmmaker fluidly examines and appreciates her life and work in this production adapted from Lynne Green’s biographical work on the artist. It’s no wonder that the film won the Karlovy Vary festival’s best film award, as it gleans an external perspective on the late artist’s life and work, a view that the artist herself, who painted till her 90s, might have enjoyed. The film is on limited release and runs for 88 mins.