Welcome to my (MIFF) World
(above) Joanna Kulig as Zula in Cold War
(main photo) Diana Ross in Mahogany
Hi Everyone,
I'm already 11 films in to the Melbourne International Film Festival so I apologise for being a little late with this update.
What can I say? It's hours of work to fine tune the schedule according to work and life and then you're in the world. It's a strange world where you don't mind missing meals, you clap at the end of films, you become a film expert with complete strangers in the queues and in the seats next to you. You see films back to back, running from one cinema to another. It's behaviour that might not be normally included in your normal cinema routine but it's a film festival and you're running high. It's the stress of leisure.
I'm still adding and swapping sessions to this list depending on the day and also recommendations.
My favourites so far have been:
Cold War, a dark, haunting, war time love story which captures both a naive sentimentality of Polish culture and erotic passion through a destined love story. Beautifully shot in black and white by Pawel Pawlikowski (Ida, Summer of Love) who won Best Director at Cannes for this stunning piece.
McQueen is an extremely well executed documentary about Alexander McQueen. Directed by Ian Bonhôte with fabulous production quality, this film is out for general release in September and well worth seeing again.
Burning is a 2 and a half hour slow burn of character driven tension that explodes in to a head f**k. That is honestly the best way that I can describe it! It is beautifully shot by Korean director Lee Chang-Dong and it is still 'sitting' with me days later. Extremely well done.
Shoplifters is an incredibly beautiful happy, sad story of a group of strange misfit Japanese 'family' with secrets that unfold in to the film. Incredible performances by almost every character, this film won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and no surprise there. I found it very moving and memorable.
(above) Kim Gordon and Beth Ditto in Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far On Foot
Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far On Foot is Gus Van Sant's latest work based on true story about the alcoholic cartoonist John Callahan (Joaquin Phoenix) and his pathway to sobriety. The film is anchored by brilliant acting from Phoenix and Jonah Hill who plays his guide or 'sponsor' in Alcoholics Anonymous. Wonderful smaller roles as AA members played by Kim Gordon and Beth Ditto plus Carrie Brownstein and Rooney Mara further marking this film as unique piece for pop culture fans.
Here is my list as it stands.
Let me know if you have any recommendations!
Friday 3rd*6pm Cold War (84 mins) Regent*9:30pm McQueen (116 mins) ForumSaturday 4th
*9pm Bad Reputation (95 mins) Hoyts 3Sunday 5th*4:15 Burning (148 mins) The Regent
*4pm The Image Book (84 mins) Hoyts 10*6:30pm Mahogany (109 mins) Hoyts 3Monday 6th*11am Full Moon in Paris (102 mins) ForumTuesday 7th*6:30 Shoplifters (121 mins) Comedy TheatreWednesday 8th*9pm Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (113 mins) Comedy TheatreThursday 9th
*6:45 Paris is Burning (71 mins) ACMI 2*9pm Westwood (83 mins) Hoyts 11Friday 10th
*9:15 Now Sound: Melbourne's Listening (92 mins) ForumSaturday 11th*6:30pm That Summer (80 mins) Kino 2*9pm The Slits (86 mins) Kino 2Sunday 12th*3:45pm The Eulogy (103 mins) Comedy Theatre*6:30 Nico (93 mins) Hoyts 39:15pm Black Mother (77 mins ) ACMIMonday 13th*9pm Three Identical Strangers (96 mins) Comedy TheatreTuesday 14th*6:45pm Anne Charlotte Robertson 1 (77 mins) Acmi 1*9pm Girl (106 mins) ForumWednesday 15th*6:30 Happy as Lazzaro (125 mins) Comedy TheatreThursday 16th6:45pm Anne Charlotte Robertson 2 (81 mins) Acmi 19:00pm Let The Corpses Tan (92 mins) Hoyts 3Friday 17th6:30pm Kusama (78 mins) ForumSaturday 18th*6:30 Madeline's Madeline (94 mins) Hoyts 3*9:30pm Climax (95 mins) Comedy TheatreSunday 19th*10am Ex-Libris (197 mins!) ForumFor the full programme and ticket information, go here.Thea X
Thea Basiliou
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