November Review Roundup

Anatomy of a Fall – Novelist Sandra (Sandra Hüller) lives a reclusive life in the French alps with her husband Samuel (Samual Maleski) and son Daniel (Milo Machado Garner), who was blinded in an accident years before. One morning a student comes to interview Sandra, but the two are quickly disrupted by Sam’s construction and deafening, looping music. The interview is cut short, and Daniel too vacates to take his guide dog for a walk. Upon his return, the snow is now red, and his father lies dead. Three questions now remain: was this an accident, a suicide, or a murder? Anatomy of a Fall was this year’s Palm dor winner at the Cannes film festival – and rightfully so. This is an enthralling piece about the complexities of relationships and the myriad of ways in which we are perceived by the outside world. Sharply penned by director Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, their story grows more complex with every passing scene, as revelations lead to engaging courtroom clashes. Sandra Hüller ignites as the imperfect widow. Her performance is instilled with misjudged self-assurance as her emotions unravel in the realisation of what her life appears to the public. Milo Machado Graner plays the tortured son Daniel, caught between two narratives of his mother’s life. He carries much of the film’s emotional weight, giving a remarkably powerful turn that stands out as one of the year’s best supporting performances. Every member of the ensemble is pitch perfect, making each line of dialogue all the more riveting, having you on the edge of your seat to see what they deliver next. With primarily only two locations and coming in at 2 hours and 30 minutes, Triet has made movie magic as all that time slips away through a captivating tale filled with secrecy and the realisation that even your own memory and perceptions may not in fact be the truth at all. Anatomy of a Fall is an instant courtroom thriller classic, layered, enthralling, unforgettable; Anatomy of a Fall is one of the year’s best films.

Score - 10/10

Bottoms - PJ (Rachel Sennot) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri), are two queer students in their final year of high school. They are deeply unpopular and fantasise about losing their virginity to two of the most popular girls in school, Isabel (Havana Rose Liu) and Brittany (Kaia Gerber). However, it just so happens that Isabel goes out with the moronic quarterback and High School hero, Jeff (Nicholas Galitzine). Yet, after an over-exaggerated incident with Jeff, the school now believe PJ and Josie are dangerous fighters, resulting in the creation of a female self-defence class. The club is deemed a place for female empowerment by PJ and Josie, but it is secretly a ploy for the two to sleep with Isabel and Kaia. At first, Bottoms is hard to dial into. Its style seems quite haphazard and from the offset feels like a fairly typical High school comedy - however, Bottoms is anything but. This is an absurdist world, a circus almost, with every character being an over-the-top caricature of the typical High School stereotypes. It is a film that exists outside of time, kids use flip phones and phonebooks, listen to 80s songs on CD players, yet speak in modern diction and play the PS5? This is a twisted rendition of High School comedies of yesteryear, pointing out the absurdity and dangers of celebrating hyper-masculinity. Sennot and Edebiri are terrific leads. Of the pair, Sennot brings the more unhinged, chaotic energy, while Edebiri plays the more level-headed, comedy straight person, which in turn makes her one of the more rational people in this bizarre world. They are a dynamic duo, whose energies jive and clash at perfect points. While Bottoms goes through all the classic romcom clichés, this very typical rom com structure goes in its favour, setting you up for a third act finale that goes completely off the rails. There is rarely a dull moment, with the film always firing jokes and filled with hilarious side characters (Mr G and Sylvie being particular standouts) that keep you engaged with the club. Leo Birenberg and Charli XCX also provide an energetic, dreamy score that heighten the film’s romance and ferocity, making it one of the year’s most exciting film scores. Bottoms is, without a doubt, the funniest film of the year. Even in its whacky, wild and violent ways, it packs real heart, making you truly care for this band of misfits.

Score - 9/10

The Eternal Daughter – On a misty winter’s night, Julie (Tilda Swinton) and her mother, Rosalind (also played by Tilda Swinton), travel to an old hotel in the north of England; a Manor that used to be her mother’s home. Upon arrival they are greeted by a cold receptionist who tells them they cannot switch rooms as the hotel is full – yet not one key has been taken out? Every night as her mother sleeps soundly, Julie is kept up by the howls of the wind and a pervasive banging around the hotel. There is something present in the hotel, something that must be uncovered. Writer and Director Joanna Hogg has always made deeply personal films (look no further than The Souvenir Parts 1 & 2) and now utilising a supernatural genre, Hogg conveys a deeply emotional story of regret, guilt, and the power of memory. Using the structure of a ghost story, Hogg manages to make the idea of memory feel like a roaming presence, something that always surrounds us, pervading the physical world. Tilda Swinton has always been one of the most fascinating performers to watch. Within her dual roles she brings a nuanced, naturalistic, performance enriched with small, humanistic details, bringing these two to life amidst the presence of the dead. Impeccably shot by Ed Rutherford who manages to instil an eerie, unsettling atmosphere with his use of space and shadows, which is also aided by the ghostly cooing that brings old fashioned chills to a surprising, even tender tale.

Score - 8/10

 May December – Twenty years ago, Gracie (Julian Moore) was charged with sexually assaulting thirteen-year-old, Joe (Charles Melton). Now, in 2015, the two live together, have a family of three kids and are beloved by their neighbours. This twisted relationship soon comes under scrutiny when Elizabeth (Natalie Portman) arrives to study Gracie for her upcoming movie about the case. May December is a strange, understated psychological thriller of obsession, denial, and metamorphosis. Natalie Portman delivers her most interesting performance to date as the self-absorbed, disingenuous Elizabeth. The lengths she is willing to go and the moral line she is willing to cross in order to immerse herself in this role is perverse; it is a performance within a performance, with truth seeping through the cracks in her mask only briefly throughout. Julian Moore’s, Gillian, is a woman completely lost in the fort of her own delusion. Her childish voice and narcissistic tantrums allude to something deeply wrong in her psyche or even a want to be perceived as innocent. There is a creepy, passive aggressive edge to her character bringing an air of the uncomfortable whenever she is on screen. Charles Melton is absolutely terrific as the broken Joe. He walks in an ape like slouch with the weight of the world on his shoulders – gloomy, giving the expression that something has been lost. Joe has the most intriguing and sorrowful arc, but Melton successfully delivers on the emotion, providing (another) one of the best supporting performances of the year. What is vital here is that director Todd Haynes handles the film’s subject matter with respect, looking at the multiple facets of such a tragedy and, most importantly, how it effects Joe and his family.

Score - 8/10

Dream Scenario – In Toronto, people are beginning to dream about the awkward and passive professor Paul (Nicholas Cage). Soon these dreams spread like a virus and suddenly Paul is thrown into the spotlight, becoming a huge viral sensation. However, as the dreams begin to morph into something ominous, Paul’s life begins to spiral. Where Dream Scenario strives is in its central character Paul. Nicholas Cage slips away under the pitiful, narcissistic, meekly mannered man, with his awkward persona providing the film’s biggest laughs. Yet, even when Paul is at his most unbearable, Cage manages to instil empathy within someone so self-centred. The predicament he finds himself in may have been fuelled by his own egotistical desires, but it begs the question if the punishment fit the crime? Its commentary on the swift rise and fall of viral celebrities and the rush to capitalise on them is astute. Props go to Michael Cerra who plays the marketing head desperate to use Paul for dream advertisement; his Weaselly incline propels the film’s ideas and too makes for an excellent scene in a New York boardroom. Dream Scenario does have a slight horror element to it, but these could have been taken further for Paul’s actions to feel even more disturbing than them just being told to us. Other characters, mainly Paul’s wife Janet (Julianne Nicholson), could have done with more fleshing out too, especially when it comes to the importance of the film’s ending.

Score 7/10

Saltburn – Oliver (Barry Keoghan), a boy from Preston, moves to study at oxford in 2006. He is lonely, deemed a loser by the rest of his college and even one of his teachers. Upon his arrival, Oliver is drawn to the exceedingly wealthy student named Felix (Jacob Elordi), Oliver’s complete counterpart, a man everyone adores and wants. Yet, after a lucky happenstance, the two bond, which subsequently results in Oliver being invited to stay at the Saltburn Manor over the summer break. Firstly, Saltbrun is a gorgeous looking film. Lensed by Linus Sandgren, he gives the film a glamorously duplicitous look, beautiful on the surface, but rotten to its core. Keoghan is intriguing to watch, his fixation on Felix makes for the most enticing drama and watching it all unravel is where the film is at its best. Jacob Elordi has a true, magnetic star persona, his charming, naïve quality makes it very believable as to why others would be drawn to him. Yet, it is Rosamund Pike and Richard E. Grant as Felix and Ventia’s parents steal the show whenever they are on screen. Their complete ignorance to the outside world and lack of emotional depth provides the film’s funniest moments. Saltburn is entertaining, but there is something missing to the overall idea here. There is a parasitical theme going on: a story of a man spoiled by riches and desire to maintain it; Yet the film does not really have anything more to say. The ending itself, leaving no room from interpretation, also lacks the bite that director, Emerald Fennel, might think it does. Saltbrun has fabulous production value and its characters are fun to watch, but its story is just lacking that focus to make for a truly meaningful experience.

Score - 7/10

Napoleon – Spanning decades of Napoleon Bonaparte’s life, the film opens with the final days of the French revolution. France is in a state of political disarray and a young officer, Napoleon Bonaparte (Joaquin Phoenix) sees a void in which he can fill. In his rise to power, he meets Josephine de Beauharnais (Vanessa Kirby), a widowed socialite wanting to regain the power she lost in the revolution. Ridley Scott’s intention with Napoleon is quite ingenious. It would be simply impossible to successfully cover Napoleon’s story in one feature film – it would always come up short. Instead, Scott focusses on the emotional side of the character, his relationship with Josephine and how that plays on his behaviour and choices. The execution, however, is lacking. Coming in at 2 hours and 30 minutes the film feels oddly imbalanced, rushing through Napoleon’s rise in the first act, leaving you lost as to how he suddenly is in a position to overthrow the Directory. The focus may be on his relationship, but his successes feel muddled, as important parts of his progress are quickly glossed over. We are constantly told how great Napoleon is - but we never actually see it. Phoenix plays Napoleon with the temperament and impulses of a randy rottweiler. His portrayal as a petulant, emotionally insecure creature is entertaining, while his perverted actions and line delivery provide some levity to the dour epic. Napoleon may be the feared general, but it is Josephine who commands the power here as Napoleon’s muse. The control she has over Napoleon’s wellbeing makes for an interesting dance of power between the two. The much-marketed battle sequences are grand, grim, and grizzly, providing exhilarating spectacle in a story about a dysfunctional relationship. Napoleon is a strange picture though. Looking at one of the world’s most notorious conquerors through the lens of his love is an admirable approach, but subsequently so much gets lost in the shuffle. It wants to cover his biggest battles but simultaneously focus on his relationship which makes the film rush and drag at certain points. It is just too ambitious for one film. Now, many of these issues may be fixed when Scott’s four hour cut releases on Apple TV in the coming spring; as it stands however, Napoleon remains as flawed as the titular man himself.

Score 6/10