The Room Next Door.

I his first English language feature Director Pedro Almodovar in this slow (sometimes painstakingly so) meditation on death.

Ingrid is a successful author, played by Julian Moore who learns that Martha played byTilda Swinton, a friend with whom she once worked at the same magazine, has terminal cancer. They reconnect at the hospital where Martha is being treated, and Martha fills Ingrid in on details of her life story. Her early teenage affair resulting in her estranged daughter Michelle who knows very little about her mother, a war correspondent and nothing about her father. Somewhat guilt ridden, Martha tries to put the daughter in touch with her remarried father. The crux of the story is that Martha who after failed Chemo treatments has decided to end her life and after asking three other of her friends all of whom refuse to accompany her to a country house so that she doesn’t have to be alone in her final days. Finally asking Ingrid, who herself is terrified of death to fulfill the grim duty, despite the fact that they have only recently reconnected. Ingrid bravely sets about fulfilling Martha’s wishes with grace and kindness which includes denying any knowledge to the authorities of her intentions. At the same time giving Ingrid new insights into her own fears. Both accomplished actors do credit to their roles. I couldn’t help feeling that Swinton’s perennially weird skeletal features might have influenced Almodovar in giving her the role of the dying woman.
Tilda Swinton, a friend with whom she once worked at the same magazine, has terminal cancer. They reconnect at the hospital where Martha is being treated, and Martha fills Ingrid in on details of her life story. Her early teenage affair resulting in her estranged daughter Michelle who knows very little about her mother, a war correspondent and nothing about her father. Somewhat guilt ridden, Martha tries to put the daughter in touch with her remarried father. The crux of the story is that Martha who after failed Chemo treatments has decided to end her life and after asking three other of her friends all of whom refuse to accompany her to a country house so that she doesn’t have to be alone in her final days. Finally asking Ingrid, who herself is terrified of death to fulfill the grim duty, despite the fact that they have only recently reconnected. Ingrid bravely sets about fulfilling Martha’s wishes with grace and kindness which includes denying any knowledge to the authorities of Martha;s intentions. At the same time giving Ingrid new insights into her own fears on mortality. Both accomplished actors do credit to their roles. I couldn’t help feeling that Swinton’s perennially weird skeletal features might have influenced Almodovar in giving her the role of the dying woman.
295 stars

 Sixty two years ago a brilliant short film was released called the six sided triangle in which Using the eternal triangle as the main theme, the film shows how six countries might deal with the moment a husband returns home unexpectedly to find his wife with a lover, The film also parodies the well known styles of the prominent directors and stars of each country at the time the film was made.In the hilarious nordic version the Swedes are silent in their snow-bound house, as the ticking handless clock fails to tell the time in the pervading gloom, as they carry on with their infidelities even after poison and wild strawberries are consumed. 

In his first feature ‘Armand’ the director Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel hues closely to this nordic visual style. Long silent closeups interspersed with some surreal hysterical emotional outbursts. 

The film tells the story of a mother’s sudden visit to her son’s school, who has been accused of hurting a classmate. No one knows exactly what has happened, so the school management summons the parents to discuss the issue, triggering a heated conflict between them. Elizabeth  is a widowed mother who has been brought to her 6-year-old son Armand’s school after a report of an incident. When she arrives, she’s greeted by a junior teacher named Sunna, who is clearly about to get in over her head in a manner she doesn’t fully understand at first. Her superior advises her to handle the sensitive situation without any real concrete guidance, the first of many signs that this film is about people who reduce complex situations to talking points and how truth can shift in the wake of details. The administrators respond to every new piece of information as if it “explains it all”; there’s a sharp commentary buried here about the two-dimensional manner in which powerful people, especially men, handle three-dimensional situations.Elizabeth learns about the situation when his classmate Jon’s parents show up. Elizabeth knows Sarah  and Anders  well—Jon has even been at her house so Elizabeth could watch him after school. Jon has a  story about Armand, one involving abuse and at least the threat of sexual violence. From the beginning, the story doesn’t make sense: not only is Armand not that kind of child. His mother is understandably startled that everyone seems to believe Jon without hearing what Armand has to say, and it’s not accidental that she’s outnumbered on the other side of the room, as if the school is taking dual parents more seriously than the single one. Elizabeth (Reinsve) is excellent throughout, What the story reveals in the end is that the parents culpability in their children’s behavior is more of a factor than the behavior itself. The look and tone of the film while it has its own originality is more understandable once you realize (and this is not to belittle the directors own talent)  that he is the grandson of Ingmar Bergman. 

290 stars

 

 

 

 

 

 Vengeance Most Fowl.

What could possibly go wrong. The latest brilliant addition to the adventures the endlessly inventive Wallace and his faithful sometimes hard put upon companion Gromit. For twenty five years Nick Park and Aardman animation has released a stream of flawless animation adventures starring this intrepid duo. With Wallace forever coming up with ingenious inventions to save the world, (and his neighborhood) with mind boggling complex labor saving devices. All in the aid of keeping their needs (Mostly cheese, toast, marmalade and tea) in good supply.
In all the stories there is always a villain with nefarious intentions set on disrupting Wallaces good works. When things invariably go awry it always falls to Gromit to come to the rescue, with madcap chase scenes, hair raising stunts, (including rescuing maidens in need be) that only animation can convincingly provide. As well as catching the villains and setting Wallaces world to rights. In this latest adventure involving a stolen blue diamond, the perp a chicken named Feathers McGraw a squadron of reprogrammed evil gardening robot gnomes. A retiring  police chief more intent on his farewell speech and his junior lieutenant (who turns out to be right all along). The thing about Park, Aardman and their creations is the unrelenting good nature of their storytelling right down to the fate of the baddies. Nothing really bad happens for all the hair-raising adventures that are set in motion.The endings are always happy. Not a bad legacy to leave with everyone who sees these wonderful films.
690 stars

 

 

 

 

 

Babygirl.

Whenever sex is the main theme in a film especially when unaccompanied by romance and passion it is I think always a cheap shot. And when the lead actor is a renown performer with box office draw it is especially cynical move. Films are a storytelling device, art form and business. So the third point might be partially forgiven.
If the very accomplished Nicole Kidman who has moments of real acting in this buzz worthy film were not in it. It would be a grade B pot boiler that would appear online in a matter of weeks of its theatrical release. It is mostly a failure. Which is a shame. The responsibility has to laid at the doorstep of Halina Reijn who wrote, directed, and produced this very elaborate production. Which Ms Kidman has to carry single-handedly on her very capable shoulders. But even that is not enough to save the entire film. The main problem is the afore mentioned premise which we’ve all seen before. The successful couple the affair, followed by the discovery the rage the remorse. The difference here being the female protagonist, who is a hard driving CEO. (Kidman). Nothing seems authentic or genuine. There are only brief moments of authenticity in the passion of the affair and sex scenes. On the surface of their successful glam lives filled with the dinner parties club scenes and fancy houses is just boring. The opening sequence is pure titillation. The object of her dalliance a young initially disinterested intern she has hired, played by Harris Dickinson, who soon discovers her latent penchant for taking orders, which unleashes in her heretofore unfulfilled sexual desires. The remaining narrative is predictable and unfortunately peopled with mostly wooden performances, regretfully including Antonio Banderas as the cuckolded husband. In a brief fight scene with Samuel (Dickinson)  near the end of the film punches are pulled, both parties are superficially injured. I’m not going to give away the ending, but you know what it is. The the hands of a different director (I don’t know who that might be) This could have been a more worthwhile effort.
250 Stars (all for Kidman)