Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Portrait de la jeune fille en feu)

 

Finally caught this 2019 French masterpiece on the big screen and it was fantastic! Absolutely a Romantic Tragic masterpiece by Céline Sciamma. Gorgeously shot, complexly written in its simplicity and emotionally resonant acting from its two leads. Sciamma told a love story that was so simple yet expressed so much of the complexity of human nature and emotions. The truth and the authenticity within these 120 minutes were unvarnished and honest, which made it so unapologetic brutal, heart wrenching but yet touching and even just a tad hopeful. 

Sciamma's direction was simple and the female point of view - and gaze - throughout the whole film allowed the film to standout for its fresh take on perhaps a trite, stereotypical genre - the period, lesbian film. The stark contrast between this and Frances Lee Ammonite was obvious. Where Lee's was cold and brooding, with Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan seemingly falling in love, Sciamma's Portrait was that of a slow simmering flame that eventually reached a feverish boil until it flowed over and extinguished the flame in a burst of steam and sizzle. 

Sciamma's decision not to employ any music throughout the film was a risky move in the beginning. Although its reason was thematically clear, it did not pay off till almost the end of the second act. But, boy, did it pay off huge. That moment brought tears. It felt like a lifetime of emotions were culminated and released. Brilliant, brilliant sequence and scene. Then we had the final scene, scored to - of  course - Vivaldi's Summer (the relevance to the film was simple yet touching) that just wrecked the soul.

Just like how Vivaldi's Summer was a beautiful example of how Sciamma's screenplay echoed back and forth, there were also many other instances of call-backs throughout the film. Foreshadowing were used simply and not heavy handedly, and loose-ends tied up neatly but never contrived. Even the oft over-used metaphor of the Greek legend Orpheus and Eurydice was given a gentle new spin and reading, that haunted and hurt.

Kudos to Noémie Meriant and Adèle Haenel for bringing Sciamma's two leads to life. Other than Sciamma's thoughtful direction and brilliant screenplay, this film truly hinged on their performances. The gradual development of their relationship felt genuine and organic, and even then it felt honest. Sciamma captured their moments with an honesty that was breath-taking and that really anchored the film, providing it with an emotional weight that pulled the audience in and down and over.

Their story was Romantic and Tragic but yet personal. 

The cinematography by Claire Mathon was gorgeous. Sumptuously candlelit rooms contrasted with the harsh sunlight by the beach; luscious bonfires and tender fireplaces illuminated the scenes and the characters. Softening and hardening as when necessary.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire should have been in the running with Parasite for a slew of Oscars and it would have surely given it a run for its money. I would watched this again before Parasite and I adored Parasite.

The Green Knight

A gorgeous and superbly directed medieval fantasy by David Lowery that retold the classic Arthurian legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in an elegantly allegorical and fantastical manner that was all moody and atmospheric, and heavy on the Judeo-Christian imageries and themes of Arthurian virtues of chivalry and honour, but without being excessively overhanded or preachy. Although its obtuse and indirect narrative, with long bouts of silence where Lowery allowed the visuals and score to breath and tell the story - very similar to his previous, equally outstanding and underrated, A Ghost Story - may turn off most viewers. However, for those who persist and allowed themselves to be immersed in the fable, the reward was an enriching and unique experience that we seldom get from Hollywood these days. This was an arthouse, indie film masquerading as a big budget, Hollywood fantasy epic.

Working together with frequent collaborators, cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo and musician/composer Daniel Hart, Lowery created a sumptuous cinematic experience that began from his haunting opening prologue to the silent, fifteen-minutes long ending sequence. Every sequence of every stage of Gawain's quest/journey was laden with symbolism and meaning, from the choice of colours that saturate the screen, the framing and the lighting of moments, the deliberate set and costume designs that echoed through the film, this was a carefully planned and immaculately designed film. Even the soundscape was crafted to complement the narrative and heightened the mood. That final sequence was outstanding as the sound design and score took over and effortlessly manipulated our feelings and ratcheted up the mystery and tension.

This was a film that truly deserved multiple viewings.

Perhaps the only things that did not really work were the the choice of font to punctuate each chapter of the story and the CGI fox - it just stood out for its trickery even in a film filled with magic, mysticism and legends. That being said, the CGI used for the titular green knight was subtly riveting.

Dev Patel has always been on the cusps of a great breakout moment and his performance here will surely inch him nearer to greatness and recognition. It has been fourteen years since his debut in Slumdog Millionaire and we have seen his growth and maturity. Here, he was perfectly cast as a man that questioned his role and place in his society, young enough to be unsure of himself but old enough to fear that his chance for achievement has passed. We see his growth as he embarked on his quest. But we also saw his doubts and uncertainties. This was a multi-faceted portrayal by an actor who understood his character and was aptly able to convey all that to the screen.

The supporting cast were rounded up by the excellent Alicia Vikander, Sean Harris, Joel Edgerton, Sarita Choudhury, Ralph Ineson, Barry Keoghan, Erin Kellyman and Kate Dickie. They were all well-cast, with stalwarts like Choudhury, Dickie and Harris commanding their scenes, and upcomers Keoghan and Kellyman portending to more great things to come.

Stay for a surprise post-credits scene that will likely just add more mystery to the film's ending.

No Time to Die [IMAX]

What a send-off!! All the feels...brilliantly directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, beautifully lensed by Linus Sandgren and effortlessly manipulated by Hans Zimmer's score. This final instalment of Daniel Craig's James Bond was a highly satisfying conclusion to his five-films arc. 

It had great action (as expected and of course adrenaline-pumping car-chase scenes, although there were no singular, big standout sequences) but it was also emotionally resonant and genuinely funny (in that typical dry, wry British way with glimpses of Fleabag, no doubt thanks to Phoebe Waller-Bridge's involvement). However, surprisingly, it was also the most sexless of all the James Bond films. The Bond Girls were still there, but this time round they all had distinct characters (Ana de Armas and Lashana Lynch) and agency (Léa Seydoux). 

Running at 163 minutes long, it was inevitable that the film had some moments of sagginess and bloat. Thankfully, Fukunaga managed to keep that to the minimum and the film actually moved along at a good pace. Although, some of the dramatic moments in the second act felt too heavy-handed and excessively melodramatic. That will of course lead to comparison with Sam Mendes' more intimate approach (a tad surprising given Fukunaga's calling card was the small, intimate drama Jane Eyre). Also, Fukunaga and his co-writers may have gone a bit too much with the foreshadowing and the repetitive drumming in of the theme of "time" and "death" - it is in the damn title already!

But what Fukunaga really excelled in was crafting mood and atmosphere. Seriously, that cold open was fantastic! Creepy, tense, unsettling and absolutely reeled you into the film. Just with that scene, I wished we had gotten Fukunaga's version of It. Then, we also had the boat scene, the foggy forest scene and the finale set piece.

As aforementioned, there were the usual action sequences in the film. Although nothing big and flashy like Mendes' Dia de Muertos sequence in Spectre or the Istabul train sequence in Skyfall. Nonetheless, they were still exciting enough and Fukunaga seemed to rely more on practical stunts and effects rather than CGI. The hand-to-hand combat moments were also exceptional. Fukunaga and Sandgren's camera changed and put us right in the fight. All gritty and messy, yet clearly choreographed and shot.

The biggest problem with this film - and the franchise as a whole - was the villain. Firstly, Rami Malek added nothing to the role. He played the villain as he would a disfigured Elliot from Mr. Robot, flat with an undeterminable accent. Secondly, his villainy had no reason. His craziness was unfounded. There was no motivation to his reason for world domination. This was an antagonist that we could not care for nor be bothered about. Sure, they did explain a bit of his backstory, but what about his mid-story and current story? Why is he so angry? Why is he so crazy? In the end, he was just a face and a figure for Bond to go after.

At least, we could still take comfort in our usual roster of supporting players/actors. Ralph Fiennes, Rory Kinnear, Naomie Harris and Ben Whishaw. Uniquely in this final instalment, Bond did not work alone much. Team MI6 was there to support him throughout his final mission. 

The Americans, Jeffrey Wright and Billy Magnussen were great too. The former gave a gravitas to the role of Felix Leiter, and the latter had a couple of standout moments.

Armas had a brief but memorable scene. I could see Waller-Bridge's fingerprints over much of that sequence. She would be interesting to do a spin-off of.

For all the hype, Lynch's new 00 agent was given a rather short shrift. After her introduction, she was relegated to giving exposition and it appeared that her addition to the film was more symbolic (even in that final fight sequence) than a substantive change of inclusivity.

Seydoux and Craig had good - but not great - chemistry and her character actually drove much of the story. Here was not a damsel in distress, but an almost-equal to Bond. Some progress at least.

Craig has been Bond for 15 - 16 years now. His Bond had evolved through this time and has helped to usher in a new era for the British spy. More modern, more sensitive and less misogynistic. Craig's Bond had always bordered on moody and broody, but in this instalment, he got to display more emotional range and depth. Although the calls for some sort of award recognition may be a tad overblown.

Zimmer's score was quintessentially Zimmer-esque. Exciting when it need to be, plaintive and emotional at other times. It accompanies the narrative, pushes and nudges it along and unabashedly used to manipulate - successfully - your emotions. But it will be his score for Dune that will get him an Oscar nomination. But who knows, he might get two.

Of course, Billie Ellish's theme song will also get a Best Original Song nod. It might even win too, following in Adele's and Sam Smith's footsteps.

Cinematography was by Sandgren who got an Oscar for his work in La La Land and may be poised to get another nomination for his gorgeous work here. Although we will see his work again later with Adam McKay's Don't Look Up.

No Time to Die was definitely a big-screen experience and IMAX was worth it for the few scenes that maximised the technology. Thankfully, it did not go straight to streaming. 

There was a post-credits placard of interest for those willing to sit through it all. 

Candyman

The updated Candyman was more a supernatural slasher-thriller rather than a straight up horror movie, or even a slasher flick. This was a direct sequel to the original 1992 film although foreknowledge was not required to enjoy it. Nia DeCosta, and her co-writers, smartly recapped the first film without bogging the narrative in exposition. In addition, the technique used - shadow-puppetry - was an effective device that linked to central theme of storytelling, urban legends and folklore. 

At a taut 91 minutes long, DeCosta's film was entertaining enough and delivered some tense moments and a few scares, with some well-staged kill scenes. Jordan Peele was a credited producer and co-writer and his DNA was evident throughout. Candyman - like most of Peele's projects - used the genre as a satirical mouthpiece. An of-the-moment film that mediated on Black history and racial justice, but in this case with a dose of Black folklore and generational trauma. 

DeCosta et al obviously also had too many ideas, but sadly not the canvas to adequately explore them. The film hinted at gender roles, gender inequality, familial trauma, etc, but most were only briefly hinted at or gleaned over without further resolution. Which then begged the question whether they should have even been mentioned at all or not, especially since on top of it all they had to tie this film in with the original 1992 for it all to really make sense.

Kudos to the two leads, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Teyonah Parris who were both fascinating to watch. The former as he explored his past and his identity, and the latter for not being a victim but a proactive agent of choice and change. Pity though that Parris could only really come into her own towards the end of the film.

Colman Domingo also stood out in a small but pivotal role.

Candyman was an entertaining film that felt like a pre-dessert rather than the main dessert. It lacked the depth of Peele's other films but at the same time it never took itself too seriously. Although, having now seen DeCosta's work, it will be interesting to watch her next team-up with Parris in the MCU's The Marvels.

Dune [IMAX]

First of all, Dune was a highly impressive film and the craftmanship was all-round outstanding. It should definitely be watched on a big screen and in IMAX if possible because the production value was astounding. It was gorgeously shot by Greig Fraser, the score by Hans Zimmer was peak-Zimmer, production design by Patrice Vermette was superb and the team of Costume Design and Hair & Make-up will definitely be in the running for Oscars too. 

However, and this is a big however, the story itself - screenplay credited to Jon Spaihts, Eric Roth and Denis Villeneuve - was an utter disaster. Messy, hollow, shallow and unnecessarily convoluted with none of the nuance and finesse of Frank Herbet's novel. Villeneuve's vision was a spectacle but Herbet's dense source material deserved a treatment similar to Lord of the Rings or even Game of Thrones. The story needs space to breath and the characters deserved to be humanised and fleshed out and given depth, instead of ending up as the one-dimensional archetypes/stereotypes that they were reduced in this film. 

Be warned, this film was Part One of a possible two-part epic, but Part Two has not even been filmed yet and writing as only just begun. It may not even be filmed if Dune crashes. That being said, this film should not be judged on what it could be - maybe great - but what it is - decidedly not good.

What Dune deserved was a commitment like LOTR for a set number of films to translate its story to the big screen. For all its fault, even the less successful The Hobbit gave its characters the time to develop and, like in LOTR, allowed Peter Jackson to really dive into the complexity of Tolkien's world. The politicking, the backstory, the world history and, most importantly, why it all mattered.

That was really what was wrong with Dune. Why did anything matter? What was the purpose? There was no tangible reason to root for anything or anyone. There was no heart and no soul in this gorgeously sumptuous space opera. Things happened, people moved, but no motives were illuminated. 

Herbet's Dune predated George Lucas' Star Wars but the similarities were clear. However, Villeneuve's vision only served to modernise the production which allowed for an expansion of scope but without replicating any of the emotional complexities that made Star Wars such a beloved franchise/story. 

All of Villeneuve's prior projects seemed to have led to this film. There were echoes of all his p[revious English-language films littered throughout the film from the desert landscape and twilight shots of Sicario to the sci-fi realms of Blade Runner 2049  and Arrival, and the slow-burn drama and mystery box of Prisoners and Enemy. However, a common thread was the slow disintegration of human drama and emotions in his films through the years in exchange for large, visual spectacle. Somehow, he has lost the intimacy of Prisoners and Sicario (and even Arrival) with Blade Runner 2049 and now, Dune.

The only actor/character that rose above all that was surprisingly Rebecca Ferguson's Lady Jessica. Now, that was one character who was interesting. What were her motivations? What was her backstory? Why is she like this? Ferguson's portrayal easily conveyed all that nuances. Too bad, she was not the focus.

Other characters/actors that came close were acting stalwarts Charlotte Rampling as the terrifying Gaius Helen Mohiam and Stellan Skarsgard as the scheming Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (who thankfully had an appropriate modern update and ditched the homophobic backstory). Unfortunately, both of whom were given limited screen time, although they absolutely crushed it.

Everybody else seemed overwhelmed and dwarfed by the world-class, world-building that Villeneuve had done. Their characters seemingly swallowed by the self-grandeur of the story. Timothée Chalamet's Paul Atreides reduced to a Christ-saviour role with puppy dog looks of longing - but longing for what? Chalamet was definitely no Tony Leung. 

Zendaya's Chani was an over glorified cipher and personification of a vision quest, and when she finally entered the narrative proper, you wonder how she managed a Best Actress Emmy win.

Oscar Isaac tried his best, but he was not given the time or the luxury to delve into what was possibly an intriguing backstory. 

Both Josh Brolin and Jason Momoa were reduced to eye-rolling caricatures of the gruff mentor with ?possibly a good heart and the bro-ly subordinate who takes the role of the BFF but will always still be the loyal subject. 

Oh, also, this film was surprisingly racist and non-inclusive. True, granted that Herbet's novel was about imperialism and colonialism, but it would not have hurt for Villeneuve and co to do some updating. Instead, we were left with a white-saviour narrative, white ruling classes lording over indigenous POC who were portrayed as lower class, and of course a mis-used Chang Chen as Dr Yueh the healer of the mystic arts that just so happened to be Asian (three steps forwards and two steps back after Shang-Chi).

Fraser will surely get another Oscar nomination for his outstanding cinematography here. It really worked very well on an IMAX screen. That was a highlight - for me - of the whole film. The visuals were just gorgeous.

Zimmer will also get his perennial nomination. He has gotten this whole space operatic, epic scoring down pat. It worked really well and was exciting at all the right moments. However, it was kind of expected from Zimmer without any surprises.

I really do hope Part Two gets made. And maybe then franchise can be saved. That being said, this film, on its own and by its own merit, was only mildly entertaining. Gorgeous, beautiful and impressive, but shallow, hollow and uninvolving.

Drive My Car ドライブ・マイ・カー

Who would have thought that a three-hour Japanese movie, based off a Haruki Murakami (村上 春樹) short story, intertwined with copious amount of Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, that meditated on love, life, grief, guilt and letting go would so easily be one of the best films of the year so far. It was no wonder that Drive My Car won the Best Screenplay award at this year's Cannes Film Festival. This was an absolutely arresting, thoroughly engaging film that was well worth the three hours screen time. Admittedly, it did sag a bit in the Second Act, but the pay off in the end was worth it. 

Ryusuke Hamaguchi's (濱口 竜介) follow-up to the equally enigmatic Wife of a Spy, again employed a deceptively simple style of matter-of-fact storytelling but underlaid it with actors, characters, dialogue, mood, tone and atmosphere that was utterly rich in emotions with none of the histrionics. There were no big set pieces or moments of sparring emotions. Instead, Hamaguchi served us a subtle, elegant exploration of human emotion and human connection. It was minimalistically Japan-esque. 

Murakasami's words and themes were beautifully brought out and evolved from his much simpler short story of the same title. The addition of Chekhov to the script not only added a new layer of elegance but also served to smartly allow Hamaguchi to inform the audience and guide their experience without being overtly intrusive (a little tad heavy handed at the end, but the execution softened the blow).

However, this three-hour film would not have been tolerable if not for its cast, especially lead actor Hidetoshi Nishijima (西島 秀俊), Nishijima was practically there from the start to the end and in almost every scene (maybe even all the scenes). He has an enigmatic presence with a face that was sincere yet consistently hard to read. He and his character were equally guarded and unfathomable, but every time we get a new morsel of insight it was a whole new revelation. The quintessential Murakami protagonist.

But, like all good Murakami stories, the central male figure will need equally enigmatic and magnetic females. And, lucky us, we get three shining examples here. Reika Kirishima (霧島れいか), as Nishijima's character's metaphorically mysterious wife who dominated the First Act and was an ever present specter throughout; Toko Miura (三浦透子) as the wise beyond her years eponymous driver of the car with a backstory the slowly unfurled and magically, like in all Murakami stories, tied in with Nishijima's story; and Park Yoo-rim (박유림) as a mute-Korean actress in the play-within-the-movie who as Chekhov's Sonya personified the heart and emotional core of the film.

A little shout out to Masaki Okada (岡田 将生) who was the sort-of antagonist but in the end delivered a beautiful monologue that was piercing in its honesty and truth, and kind of redeemed him as a character.

And also to Eiko Ishibashi (石橋英子) for a lovely score to accompany the narrative.

Oscar season has now started! I hope this will be Japan's entry for the Best International Film Oscar.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings [IMAX]

Shang-Chi was a well-paced, highly entertaining and exhilarating film to watch that was well punctuated with great comedic moments (mostly courtesy of Awkwafina - finally in a role that daftly balanced her comedic and dramatic chops) and viscerally exciting, mostly-kung fu, fight scenes. But, most importantly, it gave us perhaps the MCU's best villain since Tom Hiddleston's Loki with the infinitely charismatic Tony Leung's updated Mandarin - now known as Xu Wenwu. Leung owned the screen and essentially the whole movie with his presence, his acting and those ever-emoting eyes. 

Also, kudos to the rest of the great supporting cast, especially the equally charismatic Michelle Yeoh, an enigmatic Zhang Meng'er, surprise comedic relief Benedict Wong in what was essentially an extended cameo and scene stealers Sir Ben Kingsley and Morris.

With such an arresting supporting cast, Liu Simu, ostensibly the lead actor in his own superhero origin story, was unfortunately relegated to a seemingly peripheral role. He had great chemistry with Awkwafina and the early scenes with them both were immensely fun. However, once Liu met up with Leung in the Second Act, the gulf between the two actors was obvious and the latter effortlessly dominated the screen and the narrative. Even when Leung was off-screen, Liu's dramatic efforts of emoting loss and regret only served to highlight the disparity between a screen legend like Leung and a relative newbie like Liu. 

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, an Asian-American, we finally got an Asian superhero movie that broke down Asian stereotypes. Cretton and fellow co-writers, David Callaham and Andrew Lanham, subtly inserted racial politics into the screenplay and also not-so subtly broke down Orientalism with its normalisation of Asian martial arts, and religious and cultural beliefs. Some of it may have gone over the head of most Western audience, but to an Asian audience, the nods to Qing Ming festival, ancestral worship, Asian-millennial/Gen X angst, etc were well appreciated.

It was also refreshing to watch an MCU/big Hollywood film that started in Mandarin and with at least 20% of the on-screen dialogue also in Mandarin. Although it was rather annoying that there seemed to be no consistency in when the characters spoke English and when they spoke Mandarin - except for Awkwafina's character which was clearly - and authentically - an American who barely spoke her mother tongue. 

The action sequences were a major highlight up till the final climatic battle. Most of the early fight scenes were kung-fu based and the action choreography was strong. The fights were visceral but also graceful in their violence. Although it was a wasted opportunity not to have Leung and Yeoh have a spar-and-talk scene together. That would have been awesome! Instead, Leung's big fight was inevitably with Liu, and thankfully Leung was capable of acting solely with his eyes to imbue the fight with the significance and emotion that it deserved.

Unfortunately, in the end, the film succumbed to the MCU-mandatory CGI final battle that verged on messiness. It only got by because the larger and brighter IMAX screen allowed the action to be more easily discerned and distinguished. Not sure how it would look like on a smaller screen. 

Bill Pope was the cinematographer and music was by Joel P. West. Both of which were distinctive but also not entirely standouts. The IMAX experience really benefitted the film, especially with regards to the final battle. 

As usual, stay on for the standard MCU mid-credits and end-credits stingers which nicely set up future movies and/or Disney+ series.