Change Your Image
khrystiayavna
https://medium.com/@khrystiayavna
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Les misérables (2019)
The great anger of a little person
Les Misérables are the well-known Victor Hugo's The Miserables presented in a modern way. Ladj Ly's film once again shows that epochs change, but people do not. Nowadays, as well as in the distant past, on the outskirts of Paris, much like in any other place, human beings continue to hurt themselves and others. Yet, sooner or later, every crime will be punished.
At first, Ladj Ly made a short film 'testing' Les Misérables plot. The short film of the same name has earned a large number of nominations and awards, including the Best Film award in a national competition at the Clermont-Ferrand Festival. Two years later, the French director presented his feature film in the competition program at the Cannes Film Festival.
Les Misérables is a film about the impoverished Parisian suburbs inhabited by the people belonging to entirely different social groups: Muslims, who share progressive views, black representatives of the local gangs and settled Romani people, let alone opinioned police officers who are supposed to keep everything under control.
Strange though it may appear, all these people have got used to each other and learnt to co-exist.
Although there is a palpable tension among them, there is no direct confrontation or animosity. It seems to be feigned. In fact, no one really wants to get into big trouble.
Cops patrolling the area know how to bargain and intimidate, but have no idea how to protect.
At the beginning, everything resembles the police department featured in the famous Gérard Pirès and Luc Besson's Taxi - it is not very professional, but really vibrant. Still, as it often happens, the first impression is misleading.
In fact, Les Misérables is a chronicle of Stefan's first working day. He does not yet know that this day will turn into hell.
The man is assigned to the team of two police officers-long-timers. A lot of large corporations would envy their teamwork based on 'one for all and all for one' rule. However, they turn out to be nothing like three musketeers.
They do not apologize. They are the law. They believe themselves to be more important than others.
They threaten and break the phones of the local teenagers. They cannot be trusted, they should only be avoided and feared.
The plot of the movie is gaining speed every single minute. You rush from the chase to the heated negotiations. Les Misérables has no downturns. The tension is built up all throughout the film. If you get a feeling that at some point the events of the film have slowed down for a minute, in a few seconds the events will take you aback again. With each next scene it becomes clear that the worst is yet to come.
Endurance and self-control are not the strengths of the local police.
When the nerves are on the verge of being strung up, you are flustered and panicking, something irreversible can happen. In one day you can break the life of a little person.
At the most critical moment, Stefan's internal struggle begins. He has to choose the side - to support the arbitrary behaviour of his teammates or act remaining true to his conscience.
Since the moment he got acquainted with his mates he has got the growing feeling of disgust. At first, the man only watches; he seems timid and mediocre. Yet, Stefan quickly transforms into a hero - somewhat awkward and indecisive. Despite this, he is ready to be tough and deal with the riff-raff in the way they deserve it.
When this hell of a day is over, everyone is filled with different emotions - some with anger, others with helplessness or disgust. None of them, though (neither Stefan with the abused child nor anyone who has wanted to take advantage of the situation), will be able to forget the events which have taken place over the last few hours.
Ladj Ly's film appears to be totally implausible at times. One may just be unwilling to believe in the truth told by the director. Yet, it is what the truth and anger of a crippled child look like.
The epitome of Les Misérables is the triumph of the child rebellion against the cruelty of adults. It is a fight against a large parasite that takes away the ingenuousness of their childhood.
The truth is, those in need seek justice. They are jumping at a chance to stifle their despair, shame and fear.
As a result, children begin to stick to the laws
La Belle Époque (2019)
The time machine
Nicolas Bedos' La Belle Époque has distinctive French flavor and is somewhat old-fashioned.
The film is really light-hearted and is all about love.
And yet it is fascinating and can easily bring you to tears.
Many viewers may recognize Nicolas Bedos in the movies like Love Is in the Air (Amour et turbulences) or Love Lasts Three Years (L'Amour dure trois ans). Still, he is first and foremost a writer and a director, and he is as good at those crafts as in the romantic films being an actor.
His new film combines drama and comedy, restraint and passion, romance and real life.
The main characters of the film are Victor, an illustrator, and Marianne, a psychologist. Both of them are not young, but have completely different outlooks. Victor is stuck somewhere in the distant past, whereas his wife Marianne still wants to take more from life.
The film constantly maintains a fast emotional pace. The tension becomes palpable. The relationships of the couple are on the verge of collapse. They are drifting apart being constantly annoyed. It seems that they just do not want to be close any more, but they might as well not realize how much they really want to be together. Nobody wants to concede and they have to decide whether they are moving on together or separately.
Perhaps, when everything goes wrong it is worth recalling how it used to be. What were you like, what were you both like? In such a way you might revive some stimulating ideas, your love or just find yourself. The only thing you need is a small push.
Victor has got a chance to check it out. His son gave him a present - an incredible journey into the past. He can choose any era and the team of professionals will transfer him to the chosen place and time.
The puppeteer of the business which aims at bringing hope is Antoine (Guillaume Canet). He is a sheer perfectionist who creates authentic historical installations where you can meet Napoleon, Maupassant, or even your own deceased father.
Such an expert would surely have been welcomed in the Ridley Scott's crew when filming Gladiator or Quentin Tarantino's crew when making Inglourious Basterds. However, taken into account Antoine's temper, they would probably have not got along. Just like Antoine's team can hardly stand his annoying behavior.
Antoine is ready to fulfill any of Victor's whim. The latter has chosen to travel back in time into his own past, namely the day he met the love of his life. It was the time when he was breathing freely; he was drawing and was the person he wanted to be.
Someone might find such choice a bit weird. Nevertheless, the main hero has made a decision to live his life again, to make up for the lost time.
And the big game starts.
At first, Victor is amused by small inaccuracies of what is going on around him. However, in some time he becomes engrossed into this fictitious world. A completely innocent, at first glance, the game grows into something much bigger.
Victor changes. A fire lights up in his eyes again. He starts a struggle with himself without being fully conscious of that.
Leading this fight you need to stop in time and understand that whiskey is not as tasty as it could be because instead of it you are drinking water. Love is present not only in that one specific day, but it is also inside us.
In La Belle Époque, the characters quarrel and reconcile, love and hate, admire and despise. Despite that, love is prevalent in the given chain of emotions.
It is the key even if you need to create the whole new world to save or find it.
Sorry We Missed You (2019)
Inside-out life
It's a drama of one fictional family, but it's also a problem of plenty of real families all over the world. Nobody will write about struggling families in the news. Maybe that is why films need to be made about them.
Ken Loach won the Palme d'Or Award multiple times. At the 72nd Cannes Film Festival, he stunned the audience with a new feature film Sorry We Missed You.
The film resembles the director's previous work I, Daniel Blake. Both films address the issue of social distress and frailty of a person who faces personal and social challenges.
What do we know about Britain? In the news, we see Brexit announcements, royal weddings or the attempted poisoning in Salisbury.
In the new HBO series Years & Years, the populist politician directly states that she just wants her trash to be collected in time and she wishes nobody would park their cars on the sidewalks. Some might call such people narrow-minded. However, the truth is that the majority of people only care about what is going on around them, nothing more.
For example, the bankruptcy of a large bank or collapse of the economy resonates with people much more. Such news is going to immediately affect those who have taken out a loan or a mortgage as well as those who have kept all their savings in banks or lost their jobs.
In Ken Loach's film, we see an ordinary family who does not think about foreign policy or changes in the government much. They simply do not have time to track news; they are preoccupied with what is essential for their survival - money.
Poverty or financial instability can knock on anyone's door. Someone will cope with it. For someone, it will be a personal failure. Someone will find a sense of unity, whereas others will find themselves broken.
The latter holds true about Ricky and Abbie. There is nothing special about their family - children, home, family dinners and routine work. Still, they cannot recover from the financial crisis. They have to save money all the time and try to earn more to make ends meet.
They want to make the last dash to change their lives for the better. In order to do this, Ricky buys a van and gets a job at a delivery company.
When he starts his 12-hour shifts, the pace of life gets frantic leading to numerous arguments.
They have never thought it would be so difficult.
To be able to provide for ourselves and our family, we go to work and in most cases, it gradually becomes a burden. Sometimes even worse - it turns us into slaves.
Ricky has no protection. The only things he has are his duties and obligations. When he agreed to this, he did not think that he would lack time to spend with the loved ones, would not be able to take sick leave and would relieve himself into a bottle directly in the car.
Oddly enough, a large number of workers still face similar 'sanctions' at work. It was exactly the trap Ricky has fallen into.
Abbie's work conditions are also far from her expectations. She is a caregiver taking care of helpless and sick people. She is not paid for the extra time she spends with them as well as for the hours the woman spends on the way from one client to another.
As Ricky and Abbie are trying to cope with all the difficulties, the children are left alone.
Even when the parents put titanic efforts into providing for the family, children do not notice them. If there is no attention and support from the seniors, young people want to build their own lives without guidance.
Parents, on the contrary, just want their kids to follow the rules. They do not seek the root cause of the objections and rebellion.
Yet, neither adults nor teenagers or children are immune to the scumbags whose actions can destroy their lives. In the case of Ricky, the important thing is not to become a villain to his family.
Sorry We Missed You shows the despair of coexistence of one family.
There are no breathtaking scenes in the film, but there is black despair that can sneak up on you quietly and unexpectedly.
The integrity of the family is tested. Everyone makes mistakes; yet, people change as well. The main thing is reconciliation and dedication to oneself and the family.
Dolor y gloria (2019)
The triumph of melody
The premiere of the latest Pedro Almodóvar's film was really moving taking place in a homely atmosphere. The film crew walked the red carpet to the accompaniment of dreamy Come Sinfonia performed by Mina Mazzini. After that, they were welcomed by Thierry Frémaux, the director of the Cannes Film Festival. As soon as the showing was over, no one held back their emotions - there was a huge round of applause, a lot of tears, gratitude and recognition.
Pain and Glory (Dolor y Gloria) is a collection of the good old days, accumulation of the memories and words which were left unspoken. These are flashbacks, episodes from the life of Salvador, a director who no longer makes movies. He dives into the past in order to deal with all the painful problems that have been haunting him for years. He might as well have done that to save his present.
All throughout the film, we can see how Salvador revives forgotten memories of his childhood, former lovers and, most notably, some happy moments that instantly inspire him to get back to work.
Having been a successful director, Salvador has savored Glory to the fullest. His assistant still has to handle dozens of invitations to numerous festivals, shows and exhibitions. Without filming, though, his life has become purposeless.
Thus, the only thing left is Pain.
Salvador is laced with melancholy - not the one we tend to romanticize, but the one that has long been considered a disease. He is afflicted with plenty of ailments that people do not usually suffer from at the same time. It is his pain, perhaps of the psychosomatic nature, that prevents him from moving forward.
When Salvador gets addicted to heroin, it is difficult to condemn him. He just needs to put up with the suffering he has to endure every day. Salvador himself is not ashamed of his short-lived addiction - on the contrary, he does not hesitate to confess to a doctor that drugs, being pretty efficient kind of painkillers, have helped him to relieve pain for quite a while.
Quite expectedly, Almodóvar showed people who seem to be distinctly familiar to each of us. Whose pious grandmother, aunt or mother has not shown the clothes which they want to wear when being buried? Have they not told a story of how the late neighbor came to them in a dream and now death has to take their lives as well? Have they not just wanted their kids to be different?
In contrast to Salvador who most of the time appears to be a weak adult unmercifully beaten by life, the film features strong women. Salvador is gentle and impulsive, whereas his mother is a strong-willed and determined woman. She does not let her mother-in-law spit on her and manages to create a cozy dwelling even from the dugout; she deals with everything on her own while her husband drinks.
Watching the movie one can find many analogies between Almodóvar's and Salvador's lives. In childhood, their families were short of money. Both studied at catholic schools. Both of them are directors who have fallen in love with men.
It is not the first time Almodóvar refers to his own past in the films he directs. In Bad Education (La mala educación) Almodóvar elaborates on the time he spent at the church boarding school having restored to the image of a director looking for inspiration to launch a new project.
In the new movie, even more coincidences could be found. Consciously or subconsciously, Almodóvar makes a movie about himself, possibly about his doubts or lost ideas. He summarizes, hints and cheats.
Even if merely a tiny piece of personal experience is present in Salvador's story, the movie remains overwhelmingly intimate.
It might as well be due to music that creates a special feeling of intimacy. It brings more harmony and trust into the film. It brings us back to the protagonist's past. We see a little boy listening to his mom singing. Then he sings in a choir. After that, a man, who Salvador teaches literacy, sketches a portrait of him. When Salvador himself tells something to the viewers to the accompaniment of one of the skillfully selected songs, we understand the character even better. Music aims at heightening emotions, feelings and inner torture.
Not all the storylines are complete and unleashed at the end of the film. Sometimes it is better not to go back in time since we cannot change it. For sure, it should be remembered; yet, you must let it go - flush down the toilet like the drugs you have promised to stop using.
Pedro Almodóvar has never lacked frankness and Pain and Glory seems to be one of his deepest self-reflection.
Almodóvar needs to be loved and understood in order to fully embrace the Pain and Glory of his film.
Bik Eneich: Un fils (2019)
The pursuit of life
A Son (Bik Eneich/Un Fils) is a feature film debut from Tunisian filmmaker Mehdi M. Barsaoui. The film premiered in the Horizons (Orrizonti) section of the Venice Film Festival. During the year the film won a number of awards. Having been presented in Venice, it was also honored at the Cairo Film Festival, Hainan and Hamburg.
It is a story of the members of one family whose lives fall into pieces. However, it does not mean they cannot be rescued. In Japan, there is a special art of repairing broken pottery called Kintsugi. It is all about searching for excellence in imperfection. It teaches us that we do not need to disguise anything; on the contrary, we must learn to accept the flaws.
And this is exactly how the couple, Fares and Meriem, tries to come to terms with each other's imperfections and rebuild their own lives.
They look like an average family raising their son, vacationing in the city with friends and loving each other.
They are the representatives of the Tunisian middle class, Europeanized inhabitants of the Muslim country. They have been influenced by the progressive views of the Western countries, their cooperation with the foreigners and, in general, rather liberal views in their home country.
However, only time can show how much they cling to the traditions.
From the very first minutes of the film, the director gradually speeds up the action. Then he suddenly hits the brakes and the slow-paced life of the main characters is abruptly ended by the deafening shots of the rebel fighters.
They encounter them on their way back home. It has been safe... up until recently.
It becomes the starting point of the hardships that await them.
First of all, Meriem's infidelity is revealed. It mercilessly hurts the spouse, destroys the love and trust of the young couple.
It seems that there cannot be the 'right' moment to tell such bitter truth. Yet, the painful truth seeped into Fares' and Meriem's lives at the most inopportune moment.
Sometimes circumstances do everything instead of us. Fares finds out about his wife's affair from a doctor.
However, Aziz's parents have to put their argument on the back burner, as they have more serious reasons to be nervous - their young son needs a liver transplant.
The situation is getting worse each day. The days are getting darker and darker. Each person is left with their own fears, insults and remorse.
There is no donor, and, therefore, no rescue. At least, there is no morally right and legal way to find it.
The main heroes are desperate, outraged and petrified. Such feelings can pervade anybody who feels that they are unable to change anything. As a result, Fares and Meriem begin to fight for the life of their son and their family - each of them do it in their own manner.
Undoubtedly, miracles in real life hardy ever occur. However, no one would take their time trying to rescue their nearest and dearest. They are likely to seek opportunities and take risks.
While Meriem is desperately trying to find Aziz's biological father, Fares is unexpectedly offered the so-called 'help'.
He has received an offer to use illegally obtained liver transplant. After all, in the neighboring country due to the military confrontation people die like flies every day. The main thing is to transport the liver in time, so that Aziz can survive.
The father is torn between the desire to save his son and doubts concerning the ethics of such decision-making. He has to take on the responsibility and figure out whether he can carry on living having made such a choice.
In fact, not really far away from the point where doctors fight for Aziz's life, there is a base where children are 'dismantled' into organs.
When the given business appears to be under the threat of exposure, criminals simply flee with injured children to another place. They destroy all the documents and traces of their presence, in the same way as the SS-men did fleeing the Auschwitz and other death camps.
The place where the children are held is also a kind of a death camp. The deep scars on their bodies as well as the missing organs they gave to people who wanted to be alive at all costs remind us of that.
Despite his debut, Mehdi M. Barsaoui managed to show the tragedy of one family in the context of the Tunisian society. He brought to light important topics of their own identity, closed society, family values, confrontation of the rational and fanatical, and last but not least, the mistakes made as well as the punishment they can result in.
The director presents an integral, deep and complete story of struggle and hope.
Fares and Meriem together tackle the problems they encounter on their way, since it is impossible to fight separately against the disease that wants to take their son from them.
Even the disease itself can cure, but solely the hearts. The wounds will heal over time and everything will come full circle.
Parwareshghah (2019)
Bollywood heros
War in Afghanistan, lonely children and their hiding places - an orphanage and Hollywood movies where you can get away from the cruelty around.
Illustration by Christina CookThe Orphanage is the second film directed by Shahrbanoo Sadat. It was screened in the Directors' Fortnight section at the Cannes Film Festival. Last year's nominees for the European Film Awards including such films as And Then We Danced (directed by Levan Akin) and Oleg (directed by Juris Kursietis) were also featured in the above-mentioned Section at the 72nd Festival.
Shahrbanoo Sadat's works intend to create a chain which has to consist of 5 separate films. Undoubtedly, the films that have already been made appear to be interconnected. Despite this fact, they are not inseparable. Each film can be viewed as an independent and multifaceted work of art.
Qodrat, a young man who has lost his parents, is the protagonist of the film. He does not look like a tramp or an abandoned child trembling with fear. Qodrat is an entrepreneurial teenager who sells cheap key chains and, what is much more important, resells tickets for popular Bollywood movies at a triple price.
Watching Qodrat getting by, we also see war-ravaged Afghanistan where people sincerely love Indian movies.
When the Bollywood film is on, everyone is reverently watching yet another fight and even adult men dance to the beat of the vibrant music.
All of us associate Bollywood with different movies, be it a famous Seeta and Geeta comedy-drama film, or a modern musical drama film Gully boy. Yet, it is always bright, colorful and with a happy end.
All the turning points in The Orphanage are accompanied by the Bollywood movie excerpts, whose romantic nature not only helps to convey hopes and dreams of the heroes but also disguises their pain and frustration.
Being caught scalping the tickets, Qodrat is taken to an orphanage. There he meets the same children as he is. Children who were left alone; the ones who just want to live as the heroes of their favorite films being able to easily overcome obstacles, being strong and unpredictable.
However, the reality is different. The orphanage, as well as prison, has its own rules. There are different people who do not have much in common; people brought up cherishing different values.
Still, the boy manages to find real friends who he spends endless sunny days with. They have a roof above their heads and hot food. The residents of the orphanage do not think much about the outer world which exists outside their shelter. They live here and now - make friends, dream, learn and misbehave.
Director Anwar, both strict and just, maintain harmony and order in the orphanage.
Even if you are just raising children, you cannot isolate yourself from the authorities and the war. You have to fit in, as the ones in power set the rules and responsibilities; they may support as well as punish. It is a heavy burden that lies on Anwar's shoulders.
When the children are being taken care of by the Soviet Union, they learn Russian and even have a chance to visit Moscow. When the Mujahideen come to power, the rules in the orphanage change accordingly - new ideology, new textbooks, the new context of existence.
The Orphanage is a film about lonely children whose world is destroyed by the war. Someone dies on the battlefield, someone stays in order to survive or just surrender a bit later.
Even if you are a child, war can turn you into an adult in a split second.
Transit (2018)
Hypothetical dystopia
The film Transit directed by Christian Petzold competed in the Main Competition Section at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival. It is not the first time the festival has welcomed the director; more than once has he been the Berlinale nominee. In 2012, he won the Silver Bear for Best Director for the drama film Barbara.
Nazism and its consequences for Germany and the world is a deep German wound that has left an unmistakable imprint on Christian Petzold's work. In Phoenix, a horrific story of the Holocaust victim is shown, whereas the events in Barbara are set in Germany in the times of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Transit can be viewed as a kind of 'prequel' showing how it all might have begun.
What all of the above-mentioned films have in common is that the plots are constructed around lost people. However, Phoenix and Barbara are perceived by the viewers as something that has already happened, as the thing of the past (still not forgotten, though). On the other hand, in Transit everything seems to be too realistic and approachable.
The director showed us the threat of Nazism, something that is considered to be obvious and dangerous, from a different perspective. He has imposed it on the modern society.
In the opening scenes of the film the viewer sees the streets of the modern city. The streets are patrolled by the representatives of special forces who are wearing black uniforms. They protect themselves from unarmed people with the help of automatic guns and bulletproof vests, check passers'-by documents and even arrest some of them. For some reason, they are called the Nazis.
At first, you get the impression that you are watching one more dystopia which shows the Hitler supporters' deeds on the territory of Europe in the 21st century. However, it is next to impossible to determine the time when the events of the film Transit take place. Some people may find it confusing. Anyway, there are no doubts that the director successfully depicted the world of the Second World War 'preserving' it in the entourage of the modern society.
We see Paris and Marseille which look so familiar; yet, people who roam the streets are wearing the clothes of the 1950s. Cities carry on with their lives, but some of the residents are simply stuck in the interiors of the 1940s.
All these people are old refugees in the new world.
The world created in Transit is not particularly different from the one the characters of the film used to live in or the world we live in now. We see people dining in a quiet cafeteria, people waiting in the line for a visa... some of them are fleeing the country to escape from terror and death.
In fact, there is one thing that makes the film similar to Caruso's or Orwell's novels - an incomprehensible sense of irreversibility.
The protagonist of the film, simply Georg, is a man with no surname and no past. Trying to free himself from the trap he was caught in by the hostile city, he inadvertently adopts the name of another person. Georg, a young German man, finds the papers and the latest manuscript of the writer who the Mexican Embassy offers asylum to. He jumps at such a great (yet not really clear-cut) chance to escape.
We cannot neither approve nor condemn Georg's deeds as well as the actions taken by the other characters of the film. Georg steals someone else's name. Marie, a late writer's wife, is trying to find her husband only for the sake of saving herself. People around do not notice other people who need help.
The characters of the film often feel distressed. They are embarrassed about their actions as well as their inaction; they are ashamed of their choice and the things they cannot change.
Nevertheless, the director does not judge the decisions made by the heroes. He simply helps the viewers identify themselves with the characters and think what they would do under the given circumstances.
Also, Transit features a narrator who helps us understand Georg's story better. Sometimes his thoughts are too obvious. The director deliberately defuses dramatic tension the viewer expects to see. Still, it does the trick - due impersonality of the narrator's monologues, the plot of the film seems to be more plausible. When the emotions experienced by the protagonist are revealed, the viewers start to believe in what they see even more sincerely.
All throughout the film, we feel considerable tension generated by people who clash with each other and try to come to terms with themselves. At the same time, we can observe a strange reaction to the tension. People are too calm about things that should drive them crazy. Even their own death or deaths of the others as well as defeats and disappointments are perceived unemotionally.
While watching the film, one may several times get the feeling that the movie is about to end. You guess that it is the ultimate happy end or expected dramatic ending. On the screen you see hasty decisions, self-sacrifice, love, but the end of the film really comes very slowly and softly.
Transit is filled with extraordinarily plausible details and might even look prophetic. It is all about confrontations which are intertwined in the past and the present, horrendous wars, cruelty, fear and people who suffer from it, i.e. refugees.
Will the heroes be able to escape the vicious circle? When will their transit be completed? What will be the next transfer point? Is there a destination at all?
Touch Me Not (2018)
What a savagery it is to be yourself
In Touch Me Not the line between art and documentary is barely noticeable. The events that are often presented by the director herself are devoid of any cinematic effects and look all too real on camera. Obviously, professional actors were involved in the creation of Touch Me Not. However, many of the actors play themselves in the movie, which makes you believe them, empathize, understand and accept.
The given film is deservedly scandalous. Adina Pintilie shows us the things we would like to neither notice nor see. The film reveals that sometimes even lying next to each other is a challenge.
The main character of the film, Laura, cannot tolerate it when other people touch her. We do not know if it is inborn or there was something that made her become withdrawn. Gradually, Adina Pintilie pulls back the curtains adding new details that let us guess the reason behind Laura's vulnerability.
It appears to be an old man she visits at the hospital. He is the heart of the problem. Every time Laura meets him, she is reserved. It is only after some time has passed she finds the courage to show her anger and frailty in the face of the bitter hatred she feels towards the man.
All throughout the film, Laura seeks the answer to the question of how to develop intimacy after being abused.
Genuine intimacy is to reconcile with yourself. At the same time, though, we need other people to understand ourselves better. The woman associates herself with those who surround her, with what they do and how they do that. Their bodies become her body.
However, Laura is not always able to achieve what she is striving for. As a rule, everything happens the other way around. There is no closeness, no physical intimacy, let alone mental intimacy.
Watching a gigolo taking a shower, Laura wants to talk to him, to learn more about him. She is willing to find out what it is like to be in a relationship with someone. What she gets instead is the man who shamelessly undresses and leaves the woman alone. The only thing left, though, is the man's smell on the tumbled sheets.
On her way, Laura encounters different partners and mentors. Among them, she is looking for somebody who she could show her true self to. She is in search of her container of warmth, emotions and feelings.
It seems that all the people around Laura might release her from the prison of her own body. Yet, besides being afraid of physical intimacy, she is even more afraid of her reaction to being touched. When someone crosses the line, she shouts reminding the person of WHAT they have done. She screams as if she wants to get rid of her anger, but, in fact, she dives in it deeper and deeper.
In Touch Me Not everybody is brutally honest. You might get the feeling that you have entered the world without lies. All the characters, often in the form of a confession-like interview, say what they feel, how they live and what they suffer from.
They honestly claim that you can love yourself despite the flaws. For instance, disability is sometimes viewed by society as a weakness or defect. There is a stereotype that if you live with severe disability, your sexuality is asleep, you cannot give and get sensual pleasure.
Laura accidentally finds the place where sessions of physical contact are conducted for such people, as they lack tactual sensations in their lives. Their eyes are closed and their fingers are touching someone else's face. They do have a craving for intimacy and it is not unexpected.
Things that one might perceive as deviations are the norm for others. After all, we choose what is the norm and what is not, labelling it as 'unacceptable'.
There are a lot of things in the film that may seem wrong or absurd - it can be a man who feels like a woman and caresses his breasts or a secret sex club where you can see a real BDSM party (far not like the one in 50 Shades of Gray or paperback romantic books) where there are pure dominance and the rope that tightly clasps around all the bones of a fragile girl.
There are many invisible people in the film. Like shadows, they follow others as well as one another. These people are lost and want to be invisible.
Perhaps, it is the reason why there are so few words in the film. People simply do not want to attract attention by being different, by their far from ideal bodies, unusual behavior, non-trivial problems. They seem to be restrained in their thoughts and actions.
Touch Me Not is a dizzyingly nonuniform film. It does not have a single center of gravity. There is closeness, alienation, escape acceptance of oneself and a great deal of life. In such life, you have nothing left to do but be yourself.
Bull (2019)
The outlook for the future
Bull is the debut feature film of Annie Silverstein. She has come a long way from being a youth program coordinator to a Cannes Film Festival nominee. In 2014, she presented her short film Skunk in Cannes. The director has now returned with the premiere of her new movie in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival.
In the movie Bull, Annie Silverstein once again shows us provincial America where everything is too straightforward, too obvious and too cruel. The film is set on the outskirts of Houston, in a small town with its weirdos and losers. The town itself conforms to all our stereotypes, as we see dilapidated ranchos, outdated entertainment and people who can't give up their habits.
The given film is not about overwhelming victories or frantic attempts to reach ambitious goals. It is about the world where there are no prospects, but people are stubbornly trying to find them.
Kris, a teenager whose mother serves her sentence in prison, does not have any future expectations. She lives with a sick, authoritative grandmother, a little sister and a dog that strangles chickens in the neighborhood.
The girl is not like her peers, her thoughts are too mature. Even when she tries to blend in, it turns out to be a disaster, as she becomes the person she does not want to be.
She has no life she could dream of. Kris sees no way out of her mother's confinement and her own helplessness. At the age of 14 she strives to be better and older looking for the opportunities to earn money to provide for herself.
And the girl does grow older, but performing the deeds she is ashamed of, doing something that makes her get out of her comfort zone.
On the other hand, we see Abe, a former rodeo cowboy. He cannot quit his job, as it is a job of his life; even after giving up his career he keeps distracting bulls from other cowboys. He is the man who the life of a jockey depends on after an angry bull has flung its rider off.
Bull or horse rodeos are common pastime in the east of the United States. Entrance fee to such events ranges from $ 5 to $ 20 and the events themselves attract crowds of people. Modern animal rights activists have many arguments against holding the rodeos. Yet, what else can you do to enjoy yourself in a small town where the only thing you look out for is the lives of others?
How can you stop participating in rodeos if they mean the world to you, they have become your universe? As soon as you go beyond it, you will die. Therefore, it is much easier to endure financial hardship, suffer from pain and fatigue than change something.
Abe's body resembles the body of a martyr. The way he treats it reminds us of unconscious self-torture. He does not seem to have enough willpower or motivation to start all over again.
At first glance, it may appear that the characters of the film are held hostage by the situation. In order to get out of the gulf of doubts, they have to make the right choice answering a number of questions - what, when, why... do we have to do anything at all?
All throughout the film, every single choice the characters make changes them dramatically. What is better - to get into a juvenile colony or apologize? Win your love back or persist in self-destruction?
Kris and Abe, seemingly incompatible people (at first sight), are drawn to each other like magnets. In the films, as well as in real life, it is not infrequent to encounter plots which revolve around people who find each other, 'break' each other and then 'mend'. The story which unfolds in Bull is a vivid example.
In the beginning, you would not dare to say that these two can have something in common; you would not consider them to be capable of teaching each other, giving and receiving something in return.
Unexpectedly, though, the main heroes realize that there is somebody they can count on. The care they take of each other is manifested either in loyal support or complete inaction - unassuming and silent, but at the same time firm in spite of the mistakes and insults which were made either by themselves or others.
The characters bombard others with their problems, hurt everybody around while trying to assert themselves. Being indifferent, they rarely think about the people who surround them. Under such circumstances true friends are found and great trust is gained.
Despite the disappointment (be it with life, with yourself or each other), Kris and Abe have found people who do care. For them rodeo is not just about money. It is the desire to start everything from scratch or support the existing tradition. It turns into the confrontation, the struggle against the circumstances and themselves.
There are no goodies or baddies in the given movie. As a result, we do not feel too much sympathy for the heroes. The setting of the film does not allow us to forget that we are told the story of people who could live at any time and in any society. They are lonely, lost and rejected by others. Some might even call them narrow-minded. Still, together they are able to build a real life. The sense of unity empowers them so that they can sail against the wind.
They learn not to rush to battle, but play a waiting game. In life, as in bull rodeo, you have to take a break once in a while. After fate has taken its hand in your life rewarding you with numerous bruises, it thinks it has won as you are too weak to fight. Yet, the very moment it loses vigilance, we know who the game will be finally won by.
After all, everyone deserves a little happiness.
Mr. Jones (2019)
(UN)Forgotten Truth
Mr. Jones (Obywatel Jones) is a film directed by Agnieszka Holland, which premiered at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival. It is a story of a young journalist, Gareth Jones, who was one of the first to tell the world about the famine in Soviet Ukraine.
It is not the first time the Polish director has taken up filming a drama about Ukraine. For example, the movie In Darkness (W ciemnosci) is set in Lviv during the Second World War. The issue of genocide is common for both films. In Darkness explores the topic of the Holocaust, whereas Mr. Jones focuses on the Holodomor.
Agnieszka Holland's movie is distinctly different from Oles Yanchuk's seminal film Famine-33 or George Mendeluk's Bitter Harvest. The director shows the Soviet Union, including the Ukrainian SSR, through the eyes of a foreigner who himself witnesses and the major Ukrainian tragedy.
Gareth Jones' story is devoid of pseudo-documentary features and ridiculous romanticism. A young man, the former advisor to Lloyd George, a well-known political figure, wants to interview Joseph Stalin. He is willing to understand where the money the USSR uses to implement all its projects are coming from.
The gentleman is confident that having talked to Hitler and having obtained the recommendation from the former British prime minister, he will be able to achieve his goal.
Upon the journalist's arrival in Moscow, his focus shifts from the leader of the state to his 'gold', i.e. the fertile Ukrainian black soil. Gareth Jones embarks on a journey after which his ordinary life will never be the same again.
Mr. Jones is ambitious and brutally honest. He is not afraid to disclose his point of view even at the risk of losing recognition or ruining his career. In spite of being ridiculed by the experienced politicians, despite being oppressed by the unjust system, he firmly stands by his convictions.
Mr. Jones' image is a combination of idealism and slight naivety. Would any other foreigner win such trust of the Soviet Union's officials that they send one single warden to accompany him, the warden who could be easily escaped from?
The idealism of the protagonist sharply contrasts with the dark-mindedness of Walter Duranty, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for the New York Times, the so-called 'inside man in Moscow.' He is one of those who conceal the crimes of the USSR.
The film does not fully explain Duranty's motives. We can only guess what has happened. Has he been bribed? Has he given in to pressure? Or has he tried to protect his family?
In contrast, Gareth is the one who dares to find out the truth and tell it to others.
Mr. Jones faces the famine right after he has escaped from the warden. The encounter is set against the backdrop of a dark carriage which the journalist has managed to jump into. It is full of exhausted, weary people and it is a bright colored orange Gareth takes out of his bag that brings the given place to life.
At first he is surprised that he so easily manages to exchange a loaf of bread for a warm coat. However, the further he goes, the worse things happen around him.
There are a few scenes in Mr. Jones you might want to look away from. That is what the bitter truth is like. Even though it may seem to be on the verge of sheer madness.
There are starving people everywhere; a baby who is still alive is thrown on the cart to the dead mother; cannibalism appears to be closer than ever. It is worth mentioning that all the events depicted in the film are accompanied by the authentic songs of the times of the famine. They convey both hope and hopelessness of the people who are singing them.
The Holodomor in the life of a young Welsh journalist has grown into a personal tragedy. The tragedy of helplessness and vulnerability.
Gareth simply faces the barrier he is not able to break through, which is the AUTHORITY. He looks for other levers of influence and succeeds in finding them. Yet, people who can make a difference remain unconcerned with the problems of some distant, strategically unimportant people.
The piercing cold winter in the empty streets as well as the characters are far from being hyperbolized; the images appear to be plausible and true-to-fact.
The life of the people of that time in the large USSR machine is shown in great detail. It is the reality where the propaganda is stronger than the truth and all the people are 'happy' moving towards the bright communist future, while the deaths of millions of people are wrapped in catchy slogans of progress and hidden in a deep drawer, away from other people's eyes.
A number of topics covered in Agnieszka Holland's film are still relevant today.
Some media bombard people with populism and propaganda. Even the leading media sometimes neglect fact-checking and share unreliable information.
So, has the situation changed since Gareth Jones tried to get at the truth? It seems so. Is the objective truth established everywhere and every time? Apparently, the answer to the latter question is debatable.
Understatement, manipulation and the issue of common humanity are critical to modern society as well. Therefore, the given film should be considered not only as a tour into the past, but also as a mirror reflecting the problems we are facing today (yet, the difficulties we experience nowadays might appear slightly different).
It is hard to realize that Mr. Jones is not just a movie, it is a part of people's lives, real lives. Somebody passed away too early, someone stayed in that earthly hell a bit longer and very few managed to escape.
Agnieszka Holland's film itself should be experienced as a small life, during which you sympathize, fight, hate and forgive.
And Then We Danced (2019)
Love has no shame
And Then We Danced is a story of first love. You know that nothing will come of it, but you savor every precious moment of sheer happiness. Also, the film shows that man-man relationship is not only about friendship - being in love should not be a cause for shame.
It is the third film made by Swedish director Levan Akin. The events unfold against the backdrop of the intense rehearsals of the National Georgian Ensemble.
At the very beginning of the film, we learn that there is no room for tenderness in the Georgian dance. If you are a man who is not masculine enough, your dance will never be flawless.
However, the dance is not only about the technique, but it is also about the inner sense of oneself. Being homosexual does not mean that you cannot dance better than anyone else.
In the film (And Then We Danced) the dance itself serves as a magnificent setting for the life of Merab and Irakli, two handsome young men in love.
Merab is a man who, at a young age, has to take care of himself and his family. He is the only one who is ready to take responsibility for the whole family. Despite the daily part-time work and severe fatigue, he finds joy in dancing, he is selfless and relentless.
His usual routine is broken by Irakli, a new dancer who becomes Merab's main competitor. The newcomer is courageous, adamant and easy-going at the same time. Before meeting Irakli, Merab has never felt anything so overwhelming - he has simply lost himself in Irakli.
Both young men are willing to share their feelings. Yet, they do not know if they can, as they have no idea what is waiting for them. Will they be accepted or pushed away, kicked out or protected? Will people embrace them or spit into their faces?
Their first intimate encounter is a bit awkward, careless and rather provocative. Still, each minute they have spent together inspires confidence in what they feel.
We see how Merab's personality and self-awareness are transforming. He is growing bolder. At first, he smiles and sees the world through the rose-colored glasses. And then comes the despair, Merab breaks down and wants to escape.
Experiencing difficulties, Merab finds refuge in dancing. He dances enjoying his freedom when the tribute to traditions is replaced by lightheadedness when nobody gives him reproachful scornful glances. It is the moment when the world around becomes the music to his dance.
Unfortunately, the society the main characters live in does not accept such courage. It is hypocritical, it is all a showcase. It is the society where people marry without love, where obsolete traditions are in favor. People pretend to be someone else putting every effort to disguise who they really are, living an unhappy but rightful life.
There is a hidden tension all throughout the film. Someone tells scare stories about a homosexual acquaintance who was sent to a monastery. Someone is silent, somebody feels sorry, others hurt or do harm.
At the Cannes Film Festival, after the premiere, the film received a round of thunderous applause. Because the courage must be rewarded and love must never die. It cannot be the other way round.
Atlantique (2019)
The land of loose sand
For the first time in the history of the Cannes Film Festival, in 2019, a film directed by a black woman was featured in the festival's main competition. It was Atlantics (Atlantique) directed by Mati Diop, a story of cold dark water.
Ten years ago, the French-Senegalese director made a short film of the same name. In the feature film, the idea has transformed and evolved successfully. Mati Diop ended up winning the 72nd Cannes Film Festival's Grand Prize of the Jury.
The first thing we see in Atlantics (Atlantique) is the land of dirt, dust and sand.
The whole city of Dakar acquires an orange hue. The air itself is of a bold bright yellow color that dries up everything around. It seems that as soon as you breathe in the thick air will waft directly into the cinema hall penetrating the screen.
It is not just a special effect that reminds us of the Mad Max film. It is what the 'undistorted reality' is like.
Mati Diop depicts Africa avoiding the extremes. There are no stunning landscapes of the pristine nature or, on the contrary, 'semitransparent' people who are blown down by the gust of the wind. The director puts emphasis on everyday life which gradually turns into something apparently supernatural.
Ada and Souleiman, a happy couple, are the main characters of the film. Their love is quiet, it looks as if they are afraid to show their passion trying to hide it from other people's eyes. Indeed, the feelings have to be concealed as Ada prepares for the wedding with another man. Only 10 days are left to the wedding ceremony, so Ada jumps at the chance to love Souleiman hic et nunc.
Such an act of rebellion is unacceptable to the Senegalese society which is shown in the film as superstitious, somewhat archaic and closed. Ada's parents arrange her marriage thinking about profit and stability but failing to take into account mutual love and affection.
Having encountered difficulties on the way, the girl seeks support of her parents, but the only thing she finds is condemnation. The truth is that parents have never known the world of their children; yet, they cannot be blamed for this. They were brought up in different times and want to raise their daughter following the traditions they are familiar with.
Ada is taught how to behave with her husband - how to be sweet, how to please him. However, the given role is extremely difficult to play. She is indifferent to gifts and displays of affection. The young lady can endure marriage without love, but what she cannot come to terms with is the loss of her lover.
Souleiman works hard at the grand Atlantics skyscraper building site. He has not been paid for several months. It has made the young man look for opportunities somewhere else, on the other side of the ocean. As a result, he has to leave Ada.
Souleiman comes to his beloved one only at night. Either in a dream or in reality.
In the afternoons his voice drowns in the noise of other people's lives being suppressed by their consciousness, but at night he may approach a girl who he simply cannot live without.
It is at night that he comes to his abusers appealing to their conscience. He wants everybody to get a taste of their own medicine, he wants them to be honest with others as well as with themselves so that the past will not bother them from beyond.
Despite being mystical and mysterious, the film Atlantics (Atlantique) brings you hope. No matter what, the glimmer of hope is still kept alive in the hearts of deprived people. Ada does not give up hope to see her beloved one again. The young men who work really hard are eager to find a better life. People do not abandon the hope that things will get better.
Hope evokes the feeling that nothing is impossible and such feelings are sure to pass through space and time.