Slow cinema doesn't come more divisive than this. We follow the soon-to-be-married Nica and Alex (Hani Furstenberg and Gael García Bernal as they backpack around Georgia. This is a happy couple, a playful couple and a couple whose future seems set. However, when they start trekking deep into the mountains with a guide, it seems as if everything is going their way. But, when they encounter another trio, something happens which shocks the foundations of their relationship and has repercussions for the three of them. Beautifully shot, with long still frame images of the group walking against the marvellous backdrop of nature, The Loneliest Planet is an interesting rumination of what it means to be a man, what it means to be in a relationship and how one single decision can have lasting implications. The emphasis here is on more shots of the landscape, local music and less on the dialogue which is sparse. But by hanging back, giving less, there's more of a sense of devastated frustration as the events unfold (even discussing them briefly would spoil the film's relatively only surprise) - you're lulled into a false sense of security as the trek goes on and when Bernal's Alex fails his betrothed Nica, by leaving things unsaid, director Loktev brings a level of intrigue which suggests frustration but hints at a deeply scarred psyche and an uncertainty that everything will be alright again.
Mixing Curb Your Enthusiasm sensibilities, awkwardness and plenty of laughs, Danish film, KLOWN (based on a sitcom of the same name)stars Frank Havm and Casper Christensen as accentuated versions of themselves. Frank's a bit of a square, a guy who's happily goaded by friends into hopeless situations - and best friend Casper's one of those who does the goading. When Casper decides the pair is off on a canoeing holiday with a remit to pursue women at a one night only brothel, Frank comes along too. However, he's forced to bring his young cousin Bo along for the trip as he wrestles with the possibility of becoming a father for the first time. As Casper gets hornier and determined to have his way, things spiral out of control and Frank's caught a little in the crossfire. Klown mixes that awkwardness we're used to from Larry David with situational comedy that never feels contrived but whose outcome is nothing less than excruciating - and excruciatingly funny. You get the feeling Frank's trying to do the right thing even if Casper's motivation is below the belt. But what emerges from KLOWN is the kind of warm fuzziness and sentiment of following an inept man as he tries to negotiate what it means to be a father and a man. Sure, in some ways, once a photo's taken on a cameraphone, you can see what's coming - but nothing can prepare you for the onslaught of laughter which hits at the end of Klown. The Hangover's pictorial ending has nothing on this...Eschewing the looks of Dominique Pinon and shades of Larry David's awkwardness mixed with raucous comedy, provides a winning formula for Klown.
Christian Petzold's Barbara - the director's 4th
NZFF inclusion - is a film with a very deliberate, measured cadence which
serves to both heighten the underlying tension in the piece and give space to
the beautifully framed visuals of the small pre-unification East german village
it inhabits. Patient shots of the eponymous Barbara (a pitch perfect Nina
Hoss) cycling along country lanes or peering out from between her lounge
curtains. Though the spy story elements of the film are never far off - the
local police frequently search Barbara's apartment and person, and she clearly
participates in underground activity - they are very much backgrounded by the
character study of this incredibly wary woman as she slowly adapts to
unfamiliar surroundings and the people in them - in particular fellow doctor
colleague Andre (Ronald Zehrfeld also in a strong performance). Petzold, Hoss
and team have delivered a visually and narratively fascinating feature spacious
enough for considered viewing.
Bonjour Tristesse
(Guest - Jacob Powell) 
Kubrick's snowbound psychological horror gets a big screen revamp for the film festival and the remastered version certainly looks impressive. You all know the story by now; caretaker brings his family to the Overlook Hotel to look after the hotel during the winter break - and then proceeds to try and murder them with an axe after going a bit mad (or being possessed by the spirits of the Indian burial ground that the hotel's built on). Jack Nicholson's as impressive as ever; starting out relatively grounded and then going totally ballistic at his wife Wendy (a goggle eyed and constantly hysterical Shelly DuVall) and moppet haired son, Danny. The thing is with the Shining is that even if you know the film backwards, it still manages to entertain and keep you enthralled as it spools out; it's also worth checking out Room 237 which is playing at the festival too and expands some of the hidden meanings in Kubrick's classic
Haneke's Palme D'Or winning film is a heartbreaking delve into a relationship and bond strengthened by years and devastated by illness.Geroges and Anne are in their 80s and living a life of retirement. But when Anne's struck by an illness which is debilitating, their lives are irrevocably changed as Georges is reduced to carer.You can't help but be moved by this tale which is poignantly and sensitively told with two compelling central performances.Subtly layered and shot beautifully, it really gets under your skin as it plays out.It's a haunting film, which leaves you wondering what you'd do if it happened to you-and the final act's shocking denouement elicited many a gasp from the audience.Haneke's on good form in this painful to watch film(which is only painful because it powerfully pushes emotional buttons)- Amour (aka Love) is about devotion and a bond - and it's a tragic and empathetic piece which will affect you more than you may realise.
The annual Studio Ghibli outing at the NZFF this times focuses on Japan in the 1960s with a group of Yokohama teens look to save their school's clubhouse from the wrecking ball in preparations for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. It also focuses on the attraction of Umi and Shun, a pair whose lives may be entwined in ways they could never imagine.As ever, FUOPH is gorgeously animated and recreates the era very well, but unfortunately this latest SG outing's story doesn't quite have the resonance of prior cinematic fare-the story's nicely told, quickly resolved and lacks some of the emotional core of others.Sure, there's heart aplenty and humour,but this latest is more of a nostalgic piece than a showcase of SG's best. Not a disaster by any stretch, and great to see whole families there but FUOPH doesn't have the longevity of the studio's previous output and while gorgeously presented and with a beautiful OST ,it's a little lacking, which is a crying shame.
Less sci-fi than lo-fi, Sound of My Voice
has lodged firmly in my brain. The debut feature from director Zal Batmanglij
(brother of Vampire Weekend guitarist/songwriter Rostam Batmanglij, who
incidentally scored the film) tracks the divergent responses of a sceptical
couple who infiltrate a cult with the intention of secretly filming an exposé
documentary. Cult leader 'Maggie' is played by magnetic co-writer Brit Marling
who is firmly stamping her mark on the current indie cinema scene. As well as
sharing subject matter with Sean Durkin's excellent Martha Marcy May
Marlene (2011) the filmmakers cleverly opt to leave key issues ambiguous,
letting the viewer's imagination take whichever path fancy or logic dictates.
Despite a few glaring missteps (e.g. a slightly weak premise + some terribly
written, exposition heavy scenes) Sound of My Voice
proves a succinct, smartly directed film with a compelling central performance
from Marling and enough dramatic exploration to make it a must see
Honest Thief: DVD Review In Honest Thief, a fairly competent story is given plenty of heart and soul before falling into old action genre tr...
