The Souvenir Film Review

Joanna Hogg’s The Souvenir is a semi-autobiographical film about a young filmmaker who gets caught up in a fraught relationship with a charming older man.

Hogg shoots The Souvenir perfectly. It’s a visual delight of soft dreary colours and a grainy film texture.

Also, Interestingly, the apartment Julie lives in is actually a full reconstruction of Hogg’s apartment, and the views seen through the windows are old photos that Hogg had taken back in the 80s. Filmmaking doesn’t really get much more personal than that.

Furthermore, Hogg represents this with the use of close-ups and mirrors. There is a wall-length mirror that occupies Julie’s apartment, and it acts as a device that reflects the characters back to themselves unflinchingly. Then, when the mirror is broken, it distorts them and splinters their reflections.

On the other hand, to counteract this intimacy with the personal past, Hogg also shoots many moments from afar and in one particularly striking scene in Venice, we see the action from the reflection of a small mirror in a vast room, the complete antithesis of the mirror that occupies Julie’s apartment, yet it tells the same truth.

And while it’s a gorgeous film to behold, I did find The Souvenir to be just a little too slow in its unfolding of the plot; sure, it had a lot to say about class, relationships, gaslighting and art, but it said them all a little too slow for me. Which I was rather surprised about as I do love a slow-burn film where characters and mood take centre stage.

“Stop inviting me to torture you,”

The casting in this film is spot on; Honor Swinton Byrne becomes enmeshed with Julie, and Tom Burke plays Antony with the right balance of pretension and charm that is soon replaced with utter deplorability. Tilda Swinton as Julie’s Mother (who is also Swinton Byrne’s real Mother), who dances on the line between maternal love and being overbearing, and Richard Ayoade’s cameo as a patronising filmmaker and friend of Anthony is rather amusing.

While I struggled with the film due to its pacing I will definitely be watching The Souvenir Part II as I am intrigued to see where Julie’s story is heading. But above all else I loved the cinematography and casting (as I’ve mentioned earlier in this review) and to be honest that is enough for me.

French Cinema: Portrait de la jeune fille en feu (Portrait of a Lady on Fire) film review

Portrait de la jeune fille en feu is a historical drama directed by Céline Sciamma.

The film tells the story of a forbidden love affair between an aristocrat and a painter; being both women in 18th-century France, the romance between Marianne (Noémie Merlant) and Héloïse (Adèle Haenel) is deemed by society just as much a social taboo as it is a sexual one.

The film competed at Cannes for the Palme d'Or but instead won the Queer Palm, a significant achievement as Céline Sciamma is the first woman to win the prize.

I love how female-orientated this film is: Céline Sciamma, the director is a lesbian woman, the cast is literally just women (except a few male extras here and there), the cinematographer, yes, you guessed it is a woman, Claire Mathon, to be precise and I am fast becoming a fan of her work. And this shows big time in how the film feels. There is no male gaze, and there are difficult issues such as abortion present.

Moreover, through Marianne, a female artist, the art world and its restrictions on women are challenged; traditionally, the woman is the muse but here, she can play both roles, the painter and the muse.

And at the very crux of the story is the beautiful, passionate and poetic love that Marianne and Héloïse have for each other. It’s safe to say that the ending of the film broke my heart, I sobbed and ugly cried long after the credits rolled. Even thinking about page number 28 or the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice chokes me up, and ‘Summer’ from Vivaldi's Four Seasons will never be the same.

«Vous pensez que tous les amants ont le sentiment d'inventer quelque chose?»

‘Do all lovers feel they’re inventing something?’

This film is exquisitely shot, the cinematography feels like a painting and the stolen looks and glances between Marianne and Héloïse are shown in beautifully framed close-ups. Portrait de la jeune fille en feu feels like a love letter to love, to Queer love and to the poetry of the soulmate.

The symbolism in Orpheus and Eurydice is heartbreaking, and when Héloïse calls for Marianne to turn around and look at her one last time, you can’t help but feel a dagger in your heart. It’s almost criminal that this film did not get nominated for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars, as it quite clearly could have won.

Portrait de la jeune fille en feu is a masterpiece of cinema. And like Call Me By Your Name, Moonlight, and a plethora of other exquisitely shot LGBTQ+ films, Portrait de la jeune fille en feu proves that love outside of heteronormativity is beautiful and worthy of a place in cinema and should be celebrated all year round and not just in Pride Month.

Film Review: Sorry to Bother You

Sorry to Bother You is a satirical masterpiece tackling capitalism and racism simultaneously. The film was directed by Boots Riley in his debut behind the camera and stars Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Danny Glover, Steven Yeun, Omari Hardwick and Armie Hammer.

This film is beyond wacky like it is a trip and a half. Yet it feels so relevant right now because of how linked it is with our current reality. Capitalism is critiqued through the adverts Cassius sees on TV and around his neighbourhood, the evil corporation ‘WorryFree’ is a modern incarnation of the slave trade and to truly escalate his career Cassius adopts a “White voice” as a telemarketer.

The concept of the “White Voice” is really quite terrifying, a white supremacist construct that serves to restrict black voices. Before adopting this voice, Cassius is unsuccessful in selling to a predominantly white public, but as soon as he uses this “White Voice”, he connects with them and starts racking up the sales!

Yeun’s character Squeeze also starts a union to protest against unfair working conditions and terrible pay, which also fits in with how 0-hour contracts, discrimination and dehumanisation occur in workplaces within our reality.

These critiques of society are so cleverly woven into the narrative, and the humour is just so brilliant, I think I could gush about how absolutely original and funny and important this film is for hours. It is definitely a new favourite, and I can’t wait to see what Riley does next as a Director!

The costume design and just the general aesthetics of this film really stand out, especially with the character Detroit, Cash’s girlfriend played by the always brilliant Tessa Thompson. She wears custom earrings and clothes with political and feminist messages, her hair is dyed several different colours and her makeup defies convention. She is an artist through and through and I love how expressive her costuming is, she is an iconic character and I loved how independent she is.

With the Black Lives Matter movement gaining massive traction this past month after the awful murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd this year, it is important for Black voices to be amplified and given a space to shine. One of the best places for this to happen to reach a wide range of people is in the film industry.

Movies are so influential; they can inspire, they can celebrate, and they can educate, and a film like Sorry to Bother You does all three. Riley, alongside other Black Directors like Spike Lee, Steve McQueen, Barry Jenkins, Ryan Coogler and Jordan Peele are making fantastic films right now that challenge how White Hollywood is, so get watching!

My next step is to seek out Black Female Directors, as the film industry, in general, is dominated by male voices. So far, I’ve added Ava DuVernay, Melina Matsoukas, Chinonye Chukwu, Wanuri Kahiu and Mati Diop to my list, but if you have a favourite Black Female Director, then feel free to share with everyone in the comments section.

French Cinema: Un prophète (A Prophet) film review

Un Prophète directed by Jacques Audiard is an award-winning French crime drama. It won the Grand Prix at Cannes, several César Awards, a Best Foreign Language Film BAFTA, Best Film at the BFI London Film Festival and was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 82nd Academy Awards. Quite the collection of accolades and there is most definietly a reason for that.

Tahar Rahim is exceptional as Malik El Djebena, an incarcerated small-time criminal who ascends up the prison hierarchy. Rahim commands the screen completely even though this was one of his first film roles, and we, the audience, follow his startling metamorphosis step by step.

One of the most visceral scenes comes early in the film, where Malik is tasked with the assassination of Reyeb, a fellow Muslim prison mate, by the all-powerful Corsican mob boss César Luciani (Niels Arestrup). It is a startling scene that is hard to watch but brilliantly depicts Malik’s desperation to survive. As a result of his violent and botched murder, he is thus haunted by the spectre of Reyeb throughout the rest of the film.

Impressively, Un prophète is not exactly an original tale, but its execution and exploration of race make it a compelling entry into the prison drama genre. Due to Malik El Djebena’s French-Algerian heritage, he is able to navigate the diverse cultures of the prison; he straddles the gap between the Corsican mobsters and the Muslims and cultivates his position within both groups to further his position in the prison’s hierarchy.

He also finds time to learn how to read and write through the prison school, arming himself for life outside when his six-year sentence is finally over. His journey is a complex and compelling one, and you feel yourself rooting for him throughout.

A familiar story made brilliant through execution and a star performance by Tahar Rahim, who is easily one of France’s most compelling actors working at the moment.

Best Films and TV Shows of 2019

It’s that time of year again, this is my list of the best of all the movies and tv shows I watched in 2019.

Films

All the films I am listing have had their wide release in the UK in 2019, so films like Burning which was released in Korea in 2018 still counts for 2019

Joker

Joker may have been the most buzzed-about film of 2019, well besides Avengers: Endgame that is. It’s the compelling proposition of Joaquin Phoenix as Joker that put the film on my radar when it was first announced.

A bleak and unforgiving look at how society and mental illness can warp a man. This is the darkest incarnation of the iconic Batman villain yet. Of course Joaquin Phoenix doesn’t surprise with his unflinching portrayal as a man at rock bottom. The film also rejuvenated my faith in DC as the Justice League Movie was underwhelming and while Aquaman was fun I do like a dark brooding superhero story. So this feels like a hark back to the Nolan trilogy in the best way possible.

Burning

A Korean film based on a Haruki Murakami short story. A winning combination if you ask me and if you add into the mix Director Lee Chang-dong and actors Yoo Ah-in and Steven Yeun, then you have one of the best thrillers in recent memory. It’s a poetically shot film with a powerful underlying sense of dread that builds and builds until it all comes to a crescendo at the end. I reviewed the film back at the beginning of last year so have a read if you want a full unpacking of my thoughts on the film here.

Midsommar

This film is more than just a film it’s an experience, a WTF am I watching experience that just keeps giving you weirdness after weirdness. It’s also one of the best experiences I’ve ever had watching a film at the cinema as the audience was audibly cringing and gasping together at the craziest parts of the film. My sister kept leaning over and whispering in my ear ‘what are you making me watch?’, well dear only one of the best movies of the year!

Ad Astra

James Grey’s Ad Astra is a slow study on loneliness and emotional wounds that is beautifully complemented by a symbolic journey into the furthest parts of our galaxy. Existential and awe-inspiring, Ad Astra also feels so thoroughly human and personal. Family is at the heart of the film which challenges the audience to take a closer look at what is just in front of them rather than miles and miles away.

Exit

Thanks to the London East Asia Film Festival, I won tickets to the European premiere to see this rather hilarious and smart film from Korea. Exit is a disaster action-comedy, yes that is a thing, and yes this film balances all of these genres tremendously well. The film follows Yong-nam a talented but unemployed rock climber as he tries to save his whole family and his crush from a deadly gas that has been unleashed in downtown Seoul.

Knives Out

Funny, clever and thoroughly entertaining. Knives Out is an all-star comedy whodunnit in the style of Agatha Christie but for the modern age. Ana de Armas stole the film as Marta a nurse caught up in the mystery, and Chris Evan’s first post-Captain America role as Ranson the spoiled playboy of the family was a refreshing and thoroughly un-typecasted role for the actor. Twists and turns abound and no more can be said so go watch it!

TV Shows

Watchmen

HBO’s Watchmen is a fresh and compelling entry in the myriad of superhero centric stories out there at the moment. Rather than be a retelling of the graphic novel, the Watchmen series is its own thing with a storyline that centres around race rather than the cold war. Regina King as Angela Abar/Sister Night is one of the best black female characters I have ever seen on TV. I also think the show was absolutely fantastic, exciting and kept you guessing and in wonder, as the plot twists unfolded.

The Witcher

While Game of Thrones was epic, brilliant, groundbreaking TV it lost its way towards the end due to rather strange creative ideas regarding the plotting of events and the most lacklustre ending of Bran being the one to claim the iron throne. But not to fear Netflix swoops in with the exact remedy we all were seeking, an exciting new fantasy series in the form of The Witcher. This series is so much fun, Henry Cavill is amazing in the role of Geralt of Rivia, not just because he is mind-blowingly handsome but because he inhabits the role so convincingly. Also, the crisscrossing timelines create an interesting jigsaw puzzle of events that you have to slot together to make sense of the story which makes for an enjoyable watch. Love it: the humour, the cinematography, the world-building, the character development, everything.

Chocolate

Heartwarming, tragic, life-affirming are a few ways to describe the Korean language drama Chocolate. The drama follows Lee Kang and Moon Cha-young, a neurosurgeon and a chef as they fall in love while working at a hospice together. They have a complex history that adds another layer of intensity to the story, but the magic of the show is in the way everyone’s lives at the hospice intersect and everyone ends up teaching each other a valuable lesson about life, from the patients with limited time to the cold Lee Kang who softens over time. And at the heart of the show is food, the characters eat according to feelings and elevate food to more than just sustenance, its a way of bonding, of remembrance and of recovery. I wept my eyes out at most episodes because the story touched my heart so much and it became a cathartic and heartwarming moment each week for me, and the soundtrack is beautiful and it’s the only one I’ve listened to on repeat since One Spring Day and Something in the Rain. I will hands down say that this is one of my favourite Korean dramas to date, and I have watched an awful lot of them so that definitely says something about this one.