TRANSATLANTYK FILM FESTIVAL
MY SON
Watchable. Scottish remake of "Mon garçon" set in grim, misty Highlands. The mountains physically close, appear permanently distant and unscalable through the foggy haze. Their unreachable beauty, though dark, gives respite from the heavy action. While the plot of the thriller is not very original, you follow the action without batting an eyelid because of the atmosphere: solitude, a riddle to solve, the feeling of entrapment. In this respect the remake is better than the French original which, most importantly, failed to thrill and was more like a budget drama, without the vistas.
A curious fact from the distributor is James Mc Avoy didn't know the script and ad-libbed.
ليكن صباحا (LET IT BE MORNING)
Watchable. The Israeli Oscar candidate is a Palestinian drama based on the novel by Sayed Kashua. It successfully conveys the helplessness of the occupied nation but doesn't bring much to the subject matter, especially now that the whole world has learnt how a lockdown turns your life around. No wonder it didn't even make it to the short list. Both Jews and Palestinians are presented as ordinary folk, with the Arabs sometimes being worse to their compatriots than the occupiers. Arabic music is a plus in the film.
VORTEX
Walked out. Like Haneke in "Amour", this time Gaspar Noé bores you to death with old people, suffering from Alzheimer's in addition, in this snail-paced drama. It's Gaspar Noé like I have never seen before: dull.
LES CHOSES HUMAINES (THE ACCUSATION)
Watchable. The pedestrian pace and philosophical analysis typical for French dramas actually work here as a rape accusation is looked at at all angles. I felt envy seeing the amount of understanding and compassion for the victim in the French society and institutions. But even that much progressive and liberal country is not free from prejudice. Film-wise, it drags and overphilosophises minutia the French way.
PER TUTTA LA VITA
Recommended. Paolo Costella's new drama follows his tried and tested formula: a few couples - in theory 4 but depends how you count - with secrets that come to play in an extraordinary situation. His previous "Perfetti sconosciuti" ("Perfect Strangers") had many remakes. This one is a perfect remake material too. My Polish association was that the events could take place a few years on from "Boże ciało" ("Corpus Christi"), had the false priest not been caught, with the difference Costella's film has the flavour of frivolity of a romantic comedy and ends so cheerfully you leave the cinema with a broad smile. Perfected formula, new movie.
MAYA THE BEE: THE GOLDEN ORB
Watchable. Maya and Willi embark on a quest in this run-of-the-mill adventure in the insect world created from basic colours and a handful of forgettable songs.
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