Movie reviews

NUESTRO TIEMPO (OUR TIME)

Watchable. Plodding pace means the 173 minutes do drag. At some point I started wondering if it was the same season outside. What kept me watching, though, was mesmerising cinematography - all landscape views and several outdoor scenes: arid, fractured soil, verdant agaves, dust, twilight, colours, changing light, clouds, mist, composition and the absolutely breathtaking plane-view of Mexico City are the picture's saving grace. The family and friends' storyline is interwoven with art and nature. The drum performance is interesting in itself as are artworks and above mentioned nature vistas. But they create straight in your face scenes where art and nature mirror the protagonists' life nearly back-to-back. And one of the leads is connected with nature so badly in one scene he's smacking his lips disgustingly all the time. At times you are also bombed with the voluptuous shapes of Carlos Reygadas' wife who he - being the scriptwriter/director/actor - is clearly obsessed with. The main plot reveals itself after an hour or so. The affluent ranch owner is revolting, authoritarian, controlling but internally broken which rings true. But both the couple's relationship and the love triangle are terribly far-fetched and the ludicrous climax strains credibility to breaking point.

As for the current epidemic restrictions, it was exhausting having to wear a mask during the screening and the bus travel to the cinema felt hazardous too.

DEBOUT (STILL STANDING)

Watchable. The documentary starting with a man first alcoholic, then crippled in an accident who went on to train yoga astonished me with a truly cinematographic opening - colourful reflections on asphalt and buildings in the rain. Later it strikes you with the diversity of yoga trainees, again accompanied by picture perfect film postcards from around the world. People undergoing rehabilitation after serious accidents, prisoners (where the HIV-positive prisoners look healthier and happier than their guard), fashionistas, school children all benefit from the exercises. While yoga is quite static, based on stretching, it appears to require a lot of stamina and agility. But the most powerful impact is on kids - turning cheeky brats into friendly, amicable pupils. The film applies various filming techniques and varied music for different countries' sections. Still, it's a bit overlong at times, could do with better, catchier music throughout and the initial mention of the documentalist's problem with alcohol never recurs for some reason. Also, it could do with more factual information, I'd love to see statistics for instance. But the core message is vivid and lucid.

The dense crowd queuing to the entrance and most people in the audience without masks, even after asked by staff to put them on, clearly created a health hazard. I can only hope none was a Covid-19 carrier. The evening bus trip back was even worse. An unmasked person sat right to me.

METRI SHESH VA NIM (JUST 6.5) 

Watchable. It starts off as a regular crime drama - with a cop chasing a drug dealer. You quickly become aware of cultural differences between the West and Iran but for the most part that's it. OK, it is involving, you follow the investigation one lead after another. But it's only the finale that turns the tables and pushes the boundaries of the genre. The multi-angle approach to the topic elevates the crime drama to a powerful voice about the extent to which the addiction consumes Iranian society, the vicious circle of poverty and illicit activity and discovers not only several hazards of drugs but even its positive impact on destitute families. The latter constitutes an intrinsic fault within the crime fighting system: the punished ones, hanged under sharia law, are victims of the social system and misery. Clearly, the movie writes into the recent polemic with death penalty in Iranian cinematography. If it weren't for the multiple protagonists each with their own multiple issues, which overcomplicates the plot, the picture would be most admirable. Also having to read subtitles quickly doesn't make it easier if you don't happen to speak Persian.

The review's based on a screener, not a cinema viewing. White Polish subtitles were hard to read. Yellow(ish) ones would be better.