Kinds of Kindness: Movie Review

Cast: Jesse Plemons, Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Hong Chau, Margaret Qualley, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie, Yorgos Stefanakos
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos

A triptych of fables that are supposedly rooted in black humour but just feel mean-spirited in parts, Poor Things director Yorgos Lanthimos' latest sees him reteaming with Emma Stone.

However, this trio of tales doesn't carry a narrative thread through, and has the distinction of retaining one character throughout yet all the same actors. It's an important distinction for a film that lasts nearly three hours and can occasionally seem like a rambling shaggy dog story.

And yet, at its core, all three of Lanthimos' tales have to do with power in some form or other.

From its opening tale which sees Jesse Plemons' Robert who does everything his boss Raymond (Defoe) tells him, to its concluding tale about a cult trying to find a woman who can reanimate the dead, there's the very loosest of threads to help you traverse proceedings.

But the tales aren't strong enough to fight off feelings of ennui throughout.

No matter how well constructed they are, the tapestry feels like it has been pulled together too tightly, and as a result, elements feel strained.

Fortunately, Plemons' performance throughout each singular tale (though to a lesser extent in the final one) gives it the dramatic in-point that's needed. Whether it's just losing a moustache from story to story, the chameleonic actor manages to make every single second count and every character beat hit when it needs to.

There are some dour moments in among the oddness, but much of Kinds of Kindness feels like a joke at the audience's expense and one perhaps that they're not all entirely comfortable with.

Perhaps that's some of the issue with Kinds of Kindness - at times, it feels muted and the warped humour not quite warped or dark enough for narrative purposes. Perhaps if some of the absurdities had been revelled in more, it would have progressed proceedings, but Lanthimos seems obsessed with his vision, almost to the detriment of the final product.

It may require Kinds of Kindness from audiences to persevere, and perhaps the arthouse crowd may be willing to forego the weaker vision here, but the utterly vicious Lanthimos who eviscerated the screen in The Killing of a Sacred Deer is sadly nowhere to be found in enough quantity within this release.

The Bikeriders: Movie Review

Cast: Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Mike Faist

Director: Jeff Nichols

More a vibe and a mood than an actual movie, Take Shelter director Jeff Nichols' The Bikeriders is an at times snoozefest.

Set against a framing device of Jodie Comer's Kathy being interviewed by an arts student (Challengers' star Faist), Nichols spins a 1960s-set tale of Midwestern motorcycle club the Vandals, and their enigmatic leader Johnny (Hardy, in broody and brutal form) and newcomer Benny (Butler in a clearl homage to James Dean.)

Simply ambling through the times, The Bikeriders charts a ramshackle descent into storytelling, with little to no depth outside brief moments within their world. 

It feels pulled from stereotype rather than anything more, despite starting promisingly with an intent to showcase its dramatic edges. Instead those edges are smoothed out and dropped in favour of a hangout movie that threatens to boil over in parts, but never actually does.

There's an irony that Johnny's desire to start a club comes from seeing a moment with Marlon Brando's The Wild One line, because Butler seems to want to channel that aesthetic and nothing more throughout the film, a frustratingly disappointing character that seems ripped from tropes rather than dramatic edges.

It may be an ode to bike riding in general, but in truth, The Bikeriders seems forever to be lost on its journey to find some kind of identity for itself. It's a double irony too that the film is framed around a photographer searching for clues about what it takes to be part of a club - too much of the movie is spent searching for its own form - and when it does finally come in a series of crackling moments toward the end, the Goodfellas-esque denouement feels emotionally void.

It's unfair to mention The Bikeriders and not to laud its cast. 

Hardy is excellent as the clearly internalising Johnny, who spends the entire film brooding ready to blow and whose quiet squeaky mid-Western drawl belies a menace that's forever oozing out of him.

But if Hardy is excellent, Comer is more than his equal (and in parts, excels further).

Her Kathy, while denied the emotional depth and centre that would have anchored this film more into the dramatic realms it aspires to, brings the light, the heart and the sparkle the movie needed.

Ultimately though, The Bikeriders spends too much of its time spinning its wheels.

The Iron Claw: Blu Ray Review

Cast: Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Lily James, Maura Tierney, Harris Dickinson, Holt McCallany
Director: Sean Durkin

An oddly emotionally muted movie despite its descent into tragedy, Sean Durkin's passion project about US wrestling family the Von Erichs feels less like the sum of its parts as it plays out.

A story about the rise and downfall of the Von Erich wrestling dynasty from the US in the 70s and the 80s, Martha Marcy May Marlene's director has his eye on the prize with The Iron Claw, but much of what befalls the family begins to feel like a dour, almost aloof distressing story that isn't quite matched by any signs of emotional toll onscreen.

What's interesting about this tale of the Iron Claw is just how many meanings it can have for the Von Erich clan.

The Iron claw is the patriarch's signature wrestling move, but it can also be applied to the hand of fate pressing down upon the family as well as the depression that forces Efron's Kevin into an almost catatonic state during the film. 

While Efron's outfitting leaves him looking like Lou Ferrigno on a bad day (complete with haircut), much will be made of his muscular stature and less on the mental state of his spiralling character. As Kevin begins to be beaten down by events in the wrestling ring, as well as the cruelty of his father's way of parenting, Efron does much behind the eyes to convey the distress and the doubt with equal aplomb.

From his father revealing to all the siblings they can all rank differently in his favourite stakes from their efforts to Kevin's frustration that no one will look after his brothers, Efron gets across both the stark pressure of fraternal responsibility and the desire to break free from a perceived curse.

Equally, The Bear's Jeremy Allen White provides solid support as the athlete forced to divert when the Olympics are canned; and Dickinson brings a quiet desperation to the sensitive Mike who's more interested in music than jackhammering his opposition.

Less successful in The Iron Claw though is some of the characterisation. From a woefully underused Lily James who goes from Texas rose love interest to putupon mum with depressing speed to the sidelined Tierney who delivers utter devastation in her role as the God-fearing mother who constantly has to grieve, The Iron Claw's script is less interested in tag teaming them in in favour of the male contingent of the story.

But perhaps that's the intention here - the unravelling of the Von Erich dynasty comes at the hands of the males. From the patriarch whose singular obsession to be the best has carried onto his progeny whether they want it or not to the brothers' bond, The Iron Claw is an examination in male bonding. 

It's a little heavy handed in the signposting as tragedy begins to bite (one scene sees someone warned to be careful just moments before something goes disastrously wrong) but Durkin's assured hand on proceedings makes the wrestling come to life (even with its fakeout trickery) and the era is evocatively captured.

Maybe the muted edges work better for The Iron Claw on reflection, but during its post 2 hour 10 runtime, it starts to feel like a dirge that's lacking an emotional heft while watching - certainly, given the speed in which some moments are summarily dismissed, it feels almost trite in its handling of tragedy. Its dramatic grip may not be as strong as its lead characters' signature move, but its tale of sadness and coping does give an emotional wrench when it needs to.

How To Have Sex: DVD Review

Director Molly Manning Walker's shocking debut mixes up teen hedonism, plenty of booze and stirs up much debate with its storyline.

But central to all of it is an absolutely stunning performance by Mia McKenna-Bruce as Tara, a girl whose life changes forever on what should be the "best holiday ever."

The story follows a trio of BFFs (McKenna-Bruce, Lara Peake and Enva Lewis) as they head abroad on their first-ever unaccompanied holiday. Striking up a partying relationship with the boys in an apartment near theirs, everything seems to be going swimmingly - until it's not.

While How To Have Sex is at heart a cautionary tale, there's also a resounding sense of hope in the film as well - and most of that is due to McKenna-Bruce's acting. Simple adjustments of mood and reactions for her Tara add much to the movie where exploitation would have ruined it.

Walker's use of the mundanities of the partying life (the girls obsess over getting chips) sits alongside the worries of impending exam results, the peer pressures from friends and the obligatory push to grow up. Peake also deserves credit for her chilling portrayal of a friend who swings violently and quickly from compassion to burning jealousy on the turn of a dime.

There may be improvisational elements at work here, but most of what plays out follows a familiar (and somewhat depressing) route - but not once does Walker ever turn her characters into caricatures or victims, preferring instead to instil nuance in the relationships in the fallout.

Subtlety is the key here, despite the neon-drenched clothing, the excesses and the relentless partying. Consent issues have been tackled many-a time, but with this, Walker extends care and compassion into a depressingly familiar message - and as a result, churns out something powerful and important for the younger generations to both identify with and work on.

Whānau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival unveils full 2024 programme

Whānau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) has tonight unveiled the 105 films, including 19 shorts, in the 2024 line-up. The event opens in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington on 31 July, before touring nine other centres across the country until 4 September.

The 2024 programme includes 12 New Zealand feature-length films, with four short film collections and a special 30th Anniversary screening of Peter Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures.

NZIFF 2024 Artistic Director Paolo Bertolin says, “This year’s programme is a celebration of the diversity and plurality of contemporary cinema. Our audiences will be able to enjoy the entertainment of films that move them, thrill them and keep them on the edge of their seats. At the same time, they will have the opportunity to experience films that open conversations on the reality of the world today, asking necessary questions and probing into uncomfortable truths. And of course, cinephiles will rejoice with the latest efforts from world-class masters, as well as with discoveries that signal the new talents of tomorrow.

 

“At the forefront of this rich mosaic is the contingent of Aotearoa productions, showcasing a vibrant vitality equally present in features, documentaries and shorts. And it makes us incredibly glad and humbled that we have the opportunity to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Peter Jackson’s masterpiece Heavenly Creatures. Jackson’s classic had its world premiere as the Opening Film of the 1994 festival. Then Festival Director Bill Gosden hailed it as a ‘landmark in New Zealand cinema’, and soon after it was awarded a Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival by Jury President David Lynch, making it ‘the sensational new movie from New Zealand in cinemas around the world’. This anniversary screening is a testament to the historical role of the festival in supporting and promoting the best of domestic cinema. A role that the festival still pursues and is committed to. That is why we can’t wait to share the films we selected with our audiences!”

 

Films come from 20 different countries including Bhutan, Iran, Somalia, Nepal and Vietnam, as well as China, Japan, the UK, Ireland, USA, France, Germany, Portugal and Australia.

Executive Director Sally Woodfield says that NZIFF 2024 not only brings together a programme of diverse films screening at 15 cinemas and venues nationwide, but also features opportunities to enhance the film-going experience with Q&As, masterclasses, workshops, panel discussions and special events including costume parties and a gig.

“NZIFF 2024 provides a window to the world, connecting us through film with diverse cultures, lifestyles and stories,” Woodfield says. “We invite you to immerse yourself in the festival and celebrate the best in global cinema on screens right here in Aotearoa New Zealand.”

Seven international guests, together with New Zealand filmmakers, will present their films at more than 60 NZIFF 2024 sessions across the motu. These include Adam Kamien and Luke Rynderman (The Speedway Murders), Christine Jeffs (A Mistake), Gints Zilbalodis (Flow), Lin Jianjie (Brief History of a Family), Jonathan Ogilvie (Head South), Josephine Stewart Te-Whiu (We Were Dangerous), Joshua Prendeville (The House Within), Katie Wolfe (The Haka Party Incident), Kent Belcher (Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Ara), Lucy Lawless (Never Look Away), Min Bahadur Bham (Shambhala), Mo Harawe (The Village Next to Paradise), Neo Sora (Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus), Paul Wolffram (Marimari), and Whetū Fala (Taki Rua Theatre – Breaking Barriers).

New Zealand film will be celebrated at a special Aotearoa Film Focus Weekend (AFFW), supported by the University of Auckland Faculty of Arts and taking place from 15 to 18 August at Auckland’s ASB Waterfront Theatre. Across four days and nights, audiences can enjoy films, a new exhibition by the New Zealand Cinematographers Society – Still Stories, panel discussions, a workshop, a masterclass, and filmmaker Q&A events. Exclusive to AFFW will also be a tribute to iconoclastic director Garth Maxwell, showcasing his film Naughty Little Peeptoe, which has recently been acquired by MoMA, plus the remastered version of his earlier work, Come With Us.

Bertolin says, “The aim of our Aotearoa Film Focus Weekend is to give a full spotlight on the vivid resurgence of local cinema, thanks to an exciting new generation of filmmakers, but also through the work of more established directors. We wish to engage audiences, especially young people, with New Zealand cinema, creating a dialogue that goes beyond the sheer screening of films. And we hope that this connection will last beyond the festival, truly benefiting both filmmakers and audiences.”

Tickets for Wellington will be on sale from 10am Friday 12 July and tickets for Auckland will be on sale from 10am Friday 19 July, with tickets for all other centres going on sale in late July.

For all the films playing at the 2024 festival, head to nziff.co.nz.

NZIFF 2024 programme

Big Nights

The 2024 opening and closing films.

We Were Dangerous, directed by Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu (Opening Night all regions except Christchurch)

Head South, directed by Jonathan Ogilvie (Christchurch Opening Night)

The Substance, directed by Coralie Fargeat (Closing Night all regions)

 

Māhutonga
While Matariki ushers the sun to its dawn rising, Māhutonga – the Southern Cross, stands sentinel in the evening sky, shining the way to our storytellers from Aotearoa, both narrative and documentary, including three short film programmes, Short Connections 2024, Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts 2024 and New Zealand’s Best 2024.

30th Anniversary Screening of Heavenly Creatures, directed by Peter Jackson

Alien Weaponry: Kupu Te Ara, directed by Kent Belcher

Grafted, directed by Sasha Rainbow

The Haka Party Incident, directed by Katie Wolfe

The House Within, directed by Joshua Prendeville

Marimari, directed by Paul Wolffram

A Mistake, directed by Christine Jeffs

Never Look Away, directed by Lucy Lawless

Taki Rua Theatre – Breaking Barriers, directed by Whetū Fala

Exclusive to the Aotearoa Film Focus Weekend
New Zealand film will be celebrated at a special Aotearoa Film Focus Weekend, 15 to 18 August at Auckland’s ASB Waterfront Theatre.

 

I Am a Dark River, directed by Tessa Mitchell

Night Piece, directed by Bridget Sutherland

Naughty Little Peeptoe, directed by Garth Maxwell and Peter Wells

Fresh Competition
A newly minted competition comprising 10 must-see features lining up some of the best narrative debuts of the last 12 months. Discover the most exciting and promising new voices in international cinema.

Birdeater, directed by Jim Weir & Jack Clark

Brief History of a Family, directed by Lin Jianjie

Dormitory, directed by Nehir Tuna

Good One, directed by India Donaldson

Janet Planet, directed by Annie Baker

Oceans are the Real Continents, directed by Tommaso Santambrogio

The Village Next to Paradise, directed by Mo Harawe

To A Land Unknown, directed by Mahdi Fleifel

Viet and Nam, directed by Trương Minh Quý

Wild Diamond, directed by Agathe Riedinger

Frames Competition
A competitive collection of remarkable works that explore and expand the language of documentary filmmaking. Eight films that interrogate reality, experience and facts in engaging and unexpected ways.

Black Box Diaries, directed by Shiori Ito

Grand Theft Hamlet, directed by Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane

Hollywoodgate, directed by Ibrahim Nash’at

My First Film, directed by Zia Anger

Seeking Mavis Beacon, directed by Jazmin Renée Jones

Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat, directed by Johan Grimonprez

The Mother of All Lies, directed by Asmae El Moudir

The Speedway Murders, directed by Luke Rynderman and Adam Kamien

Portraits
A gallery of character-driven narrative and documentary films that draw us into the lives of ordinary and extraordinary people. Hilarious and moving, these films will reconcile you with the beauty and complexity of being human.

A Different Man, directed by Aaron Schimberg
Dìdi, directed by Sean Wang
Dying, directed by Matthias Glasner
Explanation for Everything, directed by Gábor Reisz
My Favourite Cake, directed by Maryam Moghaddam
Sons, directed by Gustav Möller
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, directed by Peter Ettedgui
The Outrun, directed by Nora Fingscheidt

Widescreen
A diverse and engaging panorama of narrative and documentary films that provide snapshots of reality from different corners of the globe; these are films that will spark vibrant conversations about the world we live in.

Black Dog, directed by Guan Hu

Crossing, directed by Levan Akin

Green Border, directed by Agnieszka Holland

No Other Land, directed by Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor

Problemista, directed by Julio Torres

Tatami, directed by Guy Nattiv, Zar Amir Ebrahimi

The Seed of the Sacred Fig, directed by Mohammad Rasoulof

The Story of Souleymane, directed by Boris Lojkine

The Teacher’s Lounge, directed by Ilker Çatak

When the Light Breaks, directed by Rúnar Rúnarsson

Nocturnal
A strand devoted to the kind of cinema flourishing out of dreams – and nightmares. Irreverent genre and out-of- the-box films bound to take you on exhilarating journeys of amusement, fear and awe.

Cuckoo, directed by Tilman Singer

Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person, directed by Ariane Louis-Seize

I Saw The TV Glow, directed by Jane Schoenbrun

Sasquatch Sunset, directed by David Zellner & Nathan Zellner

Sleep, directed by Jason Yu

The People’s Joker, directed by Vera Drew

The Sweet East, directed by Sean Price Williams

Rhythms
Six narrative and documentary films focused on music and its many forms and styles. This selection highlights the power of music, be it rap or classical, as a tool of enlightenment and liberation.

Eno, directed by Gary Hustwit

Gloria!, directed by Margherita Vicario

In Restless Dreams: the Music of Paul Simon, directed by Alex Gibney

Kneecap, directed by Rich Peppiatt

Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line, directed by Paul Clarke

Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus, directed by Neo Sora

Visions
Critically acclaimed films and contemporary masterpieces gathered for the joy of cinephiles.

All We Imagine is Light, directed by Payal Kapadia

The Beast, directed by Bertrand Bonello

Dahomey, directed by Mati Diop

Evil Does Not Exist, directed by Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
Flow, directed by Gints Zilbalodis

Grand Tour, directed by Miguel Gomes

Menu-Plaisirs – Les Troigros, directed by Frederick Wiseman

Pepe, directed by Nelson Carlos de los Santos

The Universal Theory, directed by Timm Kröger

Journeys
A special focus on countries and regions whose films emerged as groundbreaking and topical. This year, we zero in on endearing works showing the reality of life in the Himalayas and the thought-provoking and irreverent films out of Norway.

Agent of Happiness, directed by Arun Bhattarai, Dorottya Zurbó
The Monk and the Gun, directed by Pawo Choyning Dorji

Shambhala, directed by Min Bahadur Bham

Armand, directed by Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel

The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, directed by Benjamin Ree

Sex, directed by Dag Johan Haugerud

Treasures

A selection of hand-picked classics and recently restored films.

American Stories: Food, Family and Philosophy, directed by Chantal Akerman

Anguish, directed by Bigas Luna

Days of Heaven, directed by Terrence Malick

Paris, Texas, directed by Wim Wenders

Peeping Tom, directed by Michael Powell