The Lobster was one of my favourites from 2015. Wouldn't have dared to imagine it will come to this feeling of admiration after watching the first 15 minutes, which were frankly kind of annoying. It took me plenty of time to ease into the strange and uncomfortable dystopia Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou present us with. They have also co-written the obnoxious Kyodontas, which shocked and amazed us in 2009 and likewise displays a world of tremendous control.

For me, it was basically the most romantic movie I've seen in a while. The sign language, the caring, the sacrifice... It is clear that the film, in essence, is a dreamy and tender one. How much would you be willing to sacrifice to be with the one you love? How much would you change?

I particularly enjoyed the natural settings, the variety of animals randomly showing up (the pink flamingo was a delight), the detailed differentiation of the two worlds: the couple-based general society versus the cast-out single-people-society, both with its own restrictions and rules. Both so cruelly punishing those who do not obey or fit in. This imagined universe was maybe so hard to get used to because of the absurdity of some happenings, like the transformation concept, metamorphoses, transfiguration, reincarnation, which, taken this literally, stretched my boundaries of credibility. But fortunately acceptance and imagination took charge.

It is a philosophic work of art, which after the actual viewing, keeps lingering on, swimming around in the depth of your mind, sometimes surfacing. At random moments you can catch yourself focusing on some visual detail which got somehow remembered, or reflecting on a new analogy your neurons surprise you with. Definitely the kind of film that stays with you, haunting your unconscious long after the closing credits roll.





 

This is especially for those who I haven't (yet) forced to watch it ;)

I was looking at the latest movies of Jane Campion (The Piano) when I stumbled upon Top of the Lake. It is a mini-series and has become the favourite one, from what I watched so far, including Mildred Pierce and Angels in America.

It really has it all, from the directing to the acting, the unique New Zealand scenery and the meticulously portioned story-line... It is beautifully shot and as I come to think about it, no flaws come to mind. But it would be totally understandable if some would be bothered by its feminist sentiment: the majority of male characters are on the animalistic side, mostly presented as "villains", while women on the other hand are portrayed in a complex, more "positive" manner.

The rawness and wilderness of the series gives it a specific feeling, which, combined with the harmoniously and confusingly developing events, come together in this balanced and simply great narrative.

The association of these two movies seems quite random, and it actually is. I just happened to watch them one after the other, which is maybe why I found some (random) similarities and big differences.

Well of course I liked the French one much better, but actually succeeded in falling asleep by the end of Baz Luhrmann's last one. I can't call myself a true Xavier Dolan fan either, but Laurence Anyways I liked, really enjoyed it, even though it is almost 3 hours long. In general I would postpone a time-consuming movie like this until maybe it somehow gets lost and all those precious minutes don't get used up by a single film. But I had the luck of looking at the clock only towards the end, when it didn't really matter anyhow, because the longer it lasted, the more visually and emotionally delighted I felt.

Now Gatsby on the other hand is similarly bright and colourful, the soundtrack was also a pig part of the project and it is a love story as well, but in comparison it felt cold and it got me wondering what other more useful things they could have done with a large portion of the budget, I got the sense of too much for too little. Although I enjoyed the music of Moulin Rouge! and the intention of "modernisation" with contemporary songs, this time I was not impressed. Dolan did a much better job in my opinion and the soundtrack of Laurence is absolutely memorable.

Watching these two consecutively I just couldn't help but notice the enormous difference between the female characters (reference to the changing status of women throughout the century): while Daisy gives the impression of a powerless woman whose fate is written solely by the men in her life, Dolan's (by the way, he is only 24 and has directed three successful movies until now!!) leading ladies are strong and independent. I really liked the character of Fred played by Suzanne Clément and the struggle she experienced between trying to "be normal", conform to society's prescriptions, and staying true to the feelings she had for her (wo)man.

I could go on and on about Laurence Anyways, but instead I urge you to watch it. That is only if you are not a homophob. If you have those kind of reluctances, you would be better off sparing yourself the frustration.

Laurence Anyways

Stealing Beauty

Focusing on the impact and sometimes devastating outcome of seemingly harmless childhood experiences - hence the title (in a youthful and colourful cinematic rhythm). There is an interesting relationship between events and music, forcing a humorous reaction from the viewer while watching some unfortunate situations. And the actors take it away!

Written by a 19-year-old Harmony Korine, the film presents the day-to-day lives of an ethnically diverse group of New York teenagers. Chloë Sevigny and Rosario Dawson made their debuts in this. The movie (not surprisingly) was produced at the beginning by Gus Van Sant. Controversial at its time, it features alcohol, drug use and sexually explicit scenes of sometimes very young kids. Considering the experimental and the incipient nature of the production, it turned out pretty decent.