montreal's
2017 FANTASIA FILM FESTIVAL
RATINGS & REVIEWS
So
far, A & O film reviewer Oslavi Linares has seen
the following films. Here are his ratings, always
out of 4, reserving 2.5 or more for a noteworthy film,
3.5 for an exceptional film, 4 for a classic.
________________________
PREAMBLE:
From the poster commemorating Montreal’s
375 years, to the roster of politically charged
films, this 21st edition of Fantasia is ripe
with symbolism reflecting the challenges of
2017. Perhaps it is the nature of the films
themselves that turns many of the programs
into a fantastic collective unconscious; perhaps
it is the programmers’ decision to highlight
our world’s struggles through Fantasia’s
diverse categories; whichever the case, the
usual genres of horror, action, science fiction
and fantasy are anything but escapist.
Starting
with Tilt (Farahani, 2017), one of
this year’s openers, Fantasia acknowledges
the nefarious reality of the Trump era and
its turn towards violent right-wing ideologies
(a horror story in its own right). This trend
continues with other international films:
Spoor (Holland & Adamik), a Polish
ecological revenge thriller; the French Le
Serpent aux mille coupures (Valette,
2017), an action drama that mixes immigrant
and racial issues; M.F.A. (Leite,
2017) another revenge thriller but about and
against rape-culture; and the closing film,
A Taxi Driver (Jang Hoon, 2017),
an international premiere tragicomedy that
takes place in Korea (1980s) under military
rule.
All
this in addition to established sections like
Asian cinema (including Fantasia’s first
Cambodian action film, Jailbreak),
documentaries (from nuclear fusion to Tokyo
pop-stars), and animation (ranging from the
light-hearted anime Night is Short, Walk
on Girl (Yuasa, 2017) and the dark-comedy
Have a Nice Day (Liu Jian, 2017)).
Moreover, add the international premieres
and guest directors of the likes of Takashi
Miike and Larry Cohen, who will be receiving
the Lifetime Achievement Award as will Turkish
director Cüneyt Arkin. To this ecclectic
mix are genre films, old masters, unfinished
projects, women in film, and several networking
events, notably the Frontières International
Co-Production Market (in partnership with
Cannes Film Festival) and a section for women
filmmakers.
Among
the festivals many highlights are Canadian premieres
for Luc Besson’s latest blockbuster Valerian
and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)
and the official Cannes Selection The Villainess
(Jung Byung-Gil, 2017) and the action spectacle
Atomic Blonde (Leitch, 2017).
3.2
-- A TAXI DRIVER,
Director Jang Hoon
[reviewed
by Oslavi Linares]
Is it a statement of intent that Fantasia screened for its 2017
closure the socially charged, historical film A
Taxi Driver? Set in Korea during the actual Gwangju Uprising
of May 18 to 27 (1980) against the dictatorship, the film re-enacts
the perilous quest of taxi driver alias Kim Sa-bok (played by
Song Kang-ho) as he drove German reporter Hinzpeter (based on
reporter Jürgen Hinzpeter and played by Thomas Kretschmann)
to, through, and back from the besieged city of Gwangju where
democratic protesters faced off a brutal military repression
unknown to the rest of the country and the world.
Song Kang-ho delivers a moving performance as the widowed father
whose greedy opportunism leads him to steal a foreign client
from another driver, but whom he supposes is a rich tourist
is in fact an undercover reporter for the German press. Soon,
the initially apathetic Kim Sa-bok finds himself embroiled in
the social struggle. As he learns more of the injustice that
he carries in silence, the taxi driver's attitude serves as
a metaphor for the changing public opinion in Korea and abroad,
contrasting his former naïveté and selfishness with the state
violence and the solidarity and sacrifice of the people of Gwanju,
not least his fellow taxi drivers.
Taking liberties with the fictional aspect of the film, the
Gwanju taxi drivers that Kim Sa-bok gradually befriends help
drive the plot. This is especially true in respect to the Hinzpeter's
character who is initially somewhat passive, in part due to
the language barrier between him and his driver. However, much
of the comedy derives from this as does the partly sad ending.
The rest of the plot follows this transition. What begins as
a comedic road trip full of misunderstandings evolves into a
social and political thriller shown from the point of view of
the various participants, including the self-censored Korean
press and the political police who are hunting the reporter
and his driver. These narrative interventions help build the
story's social context without neglecting to give dimension
to most of its cast, even portraying some soldiers in a sympathetic
light.
The sound track accentuates the drama, though at times overdoing
what is already visually self-evident. The cinematography is
relatively conventional, providing some atmospherics for the
highly symbolic portrayals of protests and persecution amid
tear gas and the burning of a local TV station.
Despite the passage of time and relatively happy ending, the
film's events bear comparison with today's political climate,
from the USA to the Philippines, from Saudi Arabia to Venezuela,
and even South Korea itself. Despite his fame, Song Kang-ho
(a regular of director Bong Joon-ho (Memories of Murder
(2003), Snowpiercer (2013)) was added to an infamous
government black-list for his participation in this movie. Unsurprisingly,
the film received two standing ovations at its Fantasia premiere,
confirming that the festival and its audience are concerned
not only with films that appeal to the imagination but real
life truth and consequences.
3.1
-- LU OVER THE
WALL, Masaaki Yuasa
[reviewed
by Oslavi Linares]
With Lu
Over the Wall director Masaaki Yuasa offers another example
of his crazy animation style: line drawn characters with cartoonish
flexibility, an animated camera diving through drawn depths,
and flat textures with painterly qualities. These techniques
are used to humorously tell the story of Kai, a teenager in
the small fishing town of Hinashi, where there are few career
prospects other than fishing and tourism and where legends of
mermaids haunt the nearby waters. Kai's secret passion for music
draws Lu, the mermaid, who gets attached to him and leads Kai
to join his friends' indie-rock band, accidentally unleashing
a touristic fascination and a clash between land and sea. Filled
with fantastic creatures, absurd situations and youth romance,
this comedy feature can be praised more for its craft than its
plot. The themes of social media and fame provide an interesting
contemporary referent, but the story's momentum climbs without
much to add other than the scaling mermaid powers and Kai's
change from an introvert to a happier lad. The feature reminds
one of Studio Ghibli's Ponyo (2008) and My Neighbor
Totoro (1988), but somewhat lacks Yasuo's own irreverent
wit, as in his Mindgame (2004) and Night is Short,
Walk on Girl (2017, screened at Fantasia/reviewed below).
Despite this, there's enough humour to keep one entertained,
if not for the beauty and fluidity of the animation itself.
3.7--
NIGHT IS SHORT, WALK ON GIRL,
Masaaki Yuasa
[reviewed
by Oslavi Linares]
Enter the nightlife of Kyoto, a place of endless bars, legendary
substances, secret societies, used book fairs, and other festivities
cruised by the happy-go-lucky heroine 'the girl with black hair'
and her relentless but wacky suitor, 'sempai.' As he follows
and tries to get the courage or luck to meet his love interest,
they encounter all sorts of colourful characters and crowds:
the mischievous god of old used books, a villainous but lonely
loan shark, a romantic vowing to never change his underpants,
a guerrilla theatre troupe, a cross-dressing student director,
a pornography collector, a dubious second-hand seller, old and
young drunks, and many more socialites comically portrayed from
frame one. A well paced but labyrinthic story, Night
is Short, Walk on Girl's stylized anime narrates through
its very graphic quality. Its character design is both realist
and iconic, funny whether still or moving, morphing according
to the situation and status of the cast. Their city is equally
evocative, drawn with 2D patterns and textures that expertly
play with the flatness and depth typical of Japanese anime.
This flatness pays tribute to older media like woodblock prints,
picture scrolls, and evokes the animation of UPA and previous
Yuasa works, like Mindgame and the series Tatami
Galaxy. This last was written by the same author, Makoto
Ueda, but Yuasa's adaptation of Night is Short not
only gives life to the comedic romance but fuses it with Ueda's
idiosyncratic approach to animation, adding music, additional
plots, and a flexible use of animated space that is not shy
to simplify or render cartoonish when the situation demands
it. A mature auteur of anime, Yuasa will also have the North
American premiere of his Yu Over the Wall at Fantasia.
3.2
-- FASHIONISTA,
Simon Rumley
[reviewed
by Oslavi Linares]
Fashionista
strikes the viewer with a non-linear narrative of human desire
and obsession with fashion, where clothes take the form of fetishes
or wholly shape the protagonist's fate. The protagonist is April
(Amanda Fuller), a thrift shop owner in Austin, Texas, minding
her own and her husband's (Ethan Embry) business until jealousy
and cheating drive her to despair, perilous encounters, and
insanity. The film's editing quickly pushes the story to each
stage and beyond, as well as before in a collage of fragments
that appear as non-sequiturs, recurrent clothing motifs, and
parallel narratives which eventually add up to form a nightmarish
puzzle. This collage is held in place through the themes of
addiction to clothes and the diverse soundtrack accompanying
April's different attires and fortunes. Music overlays the film
to colour it, as does the lighting of ominous scenes; both add
to the unconventional camera angles, closeups, fast-forward
and overlay compositions, and jumps between present and future.
Nevertheless, these cuts often verge on the ridiculous, and
the viewer is left to wonder their place on the ongoing narratives.
Considering that the film was shot in 18 days and written in
less than a month, Fashionista stands out as an unconventional
art-house thriller.
2.8
-- COCOLORS,
SCARECROW ISLAND, VALLEY OF WHITE BIRDS, Yokoshima
Toshihisa, Park Hyemi, Cloud Yang
[reviewed
by Oslavi Linares]
Named after the longest of its animated shorts, this program
showed three remarkable examples of independent animation from
China, South Korea and Japan. Each bearing a different style,
nature and/or its demise ran as a common theme. The first, Valley
of the White Birds, from Chinese director Cloud Yang, was a
minimalist story of two sorcerers fighting for control over
nature. Rendered through rich watercolour compositions and 2D
cel-animation for its characters, the short makes up for its
obscure plot through the beauty of its visuals and the symbolism
of its elements, which evoke a blend of indigenous cultures.
This short was followed by Scarecrow Island, a post-apocalyptic
allegory by Korean director Park Hyemi. Although relying on
some limited animation and a bit over-dramatic in its plot,
Hyemi's piece addresses ecological devastation, nature's capacity
to regenerate and militaristic culture. This last topic is often
celebrated in anime, but Hyemi deviated it and rather showed
the de-humanizing target view of air forces and the possibility
to escape this perspective through an empathetic humane look.
Third and last, was the elaborate and equally metaphorical long-short
Cocolors, by Japanese director Yokoshima Toshihisa
from studio Kamikaze Douga. Set in the aftermath of a global
cataclysm, the short tells the story of a group of children
living in an underground city. Living their entire lives inside
steampunk-looking suits, the children dream and fear the outside
world, in particular Aki and his mute but creative friend Fuyu.
A science fiction drama, the short follows many of anime's narrative
conventions, including themes of personal relationships, death,
and dreams. Its world is intricately brought to life through
cel-shaded 3D-CG animation and dramatic music, sometimes a bit
redundant. Despite their limitations, all three works offer
animation lovers with alternatives to mainstream anime and,
likely unintentionally, touch of themes relevant to our present-day
crises.
2.8
-- LET THERE
BE LIGHT, Mila Aung-Thwin,
Van Royko
[reviewed
by Oslavi Linares]
In
this clear and informative documentary, the viewer receives
a crash course in the principles and history of nuclear fusion:
from the processes driving the sun to the scientists at the
International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) (and
a multitude of other labs) who are pursuing the dream and making
it happen. It is a decades old quest, funded by the major world
economies, with scientist from over 37 countries, and that,
like a cathedral, won't be seen by many of its contributors.
Told through interviews, archival footage, aerial takes and
animation, the film takes us from the leading physicists to
the construction workers, from the high-level government meetings
to Do-It-Yourself fusion labs. Its plot meshes nuclear fusion's
historical timeline with the present challenges facing ITER
and other projects, as also arguing for its importance in the
face of climate change. Accompanied by minimalist music, the
documentary is what it is -- well-crafted. This relative simplicity
allows it to focus on the message fusion proponents have for
the public, ". . . we have to prove that we have the intelligence
to prevent our own extinction."
3.2
-- NOVEMBER,
Rainer Sarnet
[reviewed
by Oslavi Linares]
A dark fairy tale dealing with two lovers' unreciprocated feelings,
pacts with the devil, and human misery. Based on the best-selling
novel Rehepapp
by Estonian writer Andrus Kivirahk, November (an Estonian-Polish-Netherlands
co-production) is a melancholic, atmospheric film that adapts
and combines the original plot's paganism with poetic black
and white imagery. Almost every frame, every event and every
dialogue bears a tragic symbolism that overrides the ridiculousness
or grotesqueness of its circumstances. Through these images
and the mystical music, we enter an impoverished village where
the poor steal from each other, where superstition and magic
blur, where the dead walk among the living, and men sell their
souls to command hideous servants. But amidst this dreamlike
remoteness, the supernatural serves human desires, particularly
the love and jealousy of Liina (Rea Lest) for Hans (Jörgen Liik),
two young peasants whose predestined bond is compromised by
the indifferent daughter of the local baron. A love tale with
macabre undertones, the simple story's drawbacks are the frequent
stutter of its plot, which at times appears disconnected from
the main narrative. Moreover, the music is sometimes redundant,
overemphasizing what the cinematography already achieves (a
pity, because Michal Jacaszek electro-acoustic compositions
are a perfect fit for it). Nevertheless, November is
a delight to watch and to listen; it reminds one of Tarkovsky's
Andrei Rublev (1966) as well as of Kafka and Borges.
If you missed this gothic art-house fantasy, November will
be released in cinemas later this year.
3.2
-- ATOMIC BLONDE,
David Leitch
[reviewed
by Oslavi Linares]
Charlize Theron rivals James Bond as MI6 agent Lorraine Broughton,
pursuing an 'atomic bomb' of intelligence on the eve of the
Berlin wall's fall. Pairing with the dubious fellow agent David
Percival (James McAvoy) and meeting a host of enemies and allies,
including the sensual French operative Delphine Lasalle (Sophia
Boutella), Lorraine must play every trick in the spy book to
survive the ruthless quest, always with style. Undoubtedly,
the film's action sequences are masterly choreographed, including
the memorable single shot staircase fight. These action scenes
beat to the tune of synth-pop and post-punk bands like New Order,
Depeche Mode, and AuSSchlag, but also Queen and David Bowie.
Add to these the dynamic camera work, the vibrant cinematography
(coulored with neon lighting, dissolves, and play of mirrors),
and the non-linear narrative and one can pass over the limited
character development and predictability of the plot. Most of
the players are introduced in square one and the numerous trailers
already prepare the audience for one-liners, exhilarating fights
and lesbian sex. Nevertheless, underlying this graphic novel
adaptation (The
Coldest City, Johnston and Hart), this blockbuster features
feminist premises and Theron joins other female actresses taking
the lead in genre films. As an action film, Atomic Blonde
meets its purpose and its Canadian premiere at Fantasia is like
the agent to the MI6, a 'crown jewel' of this edition of the
festival.
3.5
--
KARMINA, Gabriel
Pelletier
[reviewed
by Oslavi Linares]
As part of the Fantasia festival, Karmina,
the classic Quebecois film, received a homage
screening last Monday, 24 of July. For
those unfamiliar with the Quebecois classic
(such as myself) the film is the story of
Karmina (Isabelle Cyr), an eastern European
vampire who flees her aristocratic family
and her fiancé, Vlad (Yves P. Pelletier),
for the freedom of Montreal. There she meets
her aunt Esmeralda (France Castel) and falls
in love with Phillipe (Robert Brouillette),
while her communist suitor tracks her down
and tries to find her, with ridiculous results.
A horror romantic-comedy (Polanski’s 1967
Dance of the Vampires comes to
mind), the film highlights its national
locale. Montreal and Quebec culture contrast
comically with the antiquated ways of the
vampires as they adapt to modern life and
being human. The humour is well paced, outmaneuvering
the drama of the plot while sustaining it;
the special effects have aged well, and
the story is easy to follow, offering a
few surprises. Screened to a faithful audience,
the film was shown through a restored copy,
the work of the preservation organization
Éléphant, and in presence of guests from
the cast and crew, notably director Gabriel
Pelletier, actor Yves P. Pelletier, and
producer Nicole Robert. Robert herself was
the subject of her own homage and was given
Fantasia’s Denis-Heroux award for her contributions
to Quebec cinema. With the award and this
screening of Karmina, Fantasia
proves that it is not only an international
but also a Quebecois festival.
3.1
--
ALMOST COMING, ALMOST DYING, Toshimasa
Kobayashi
[reviewed
by Oslavi Linares]
With dynamic editing and heart-warming humour,
Almost Coming, Almost Dying offers an alternative
to the mostly action films from Japan at
Fantasia. Set in Sapporo, the film introduces
us to Manabu Nakagawa (Misoo Nou), an unemployed
29-year-old living at his parents place.
After he lands a teaching job, Manabu celebrates
by going to a massage parlour but suffers
a brain hemorrhage in the mid of a blowjob.
The story evolves around this incident,
going through Manabu's risky recovery from
surgery as he deals with his family's queries
into the actual location of his stroke.
A tale that mixes surrealism with everyday
reality, the film was adapted from the autobiographical
manga Kumoman, named after the ominous teddy
bear that beats the author in the head.
To adapt this graphic novel, director Toshimasa
Kobayashi inventively uses music and its
interruption, fast forward montages, animation,
and special effects to deal with the awkward
subjects of sex and bodily functions and
to join these with a cozy family story.
As Manabu's father admits, ". . . no man
lives without embarrassing himself."
4.0
--
SANTO VS THE MUMMIES OF GUANAJUATO,
Federico Curiel
[reviewed
by Oslavi Linares]
Among the cult films that Fantasia has this
year is the beloved el Santo
vs. The Mummies of Guanajuato (Federico
Curiel, 1970), a film so bad it's not only
good but a classic. Filled with absurd coincidences,
ridiculous legends and the colourfulness
of Mexico, the best-known luchador film
verges on Commedia dell'arte. The simple
plot has the three famous luchadores
(Mil Mascaras, Blue Demon, and El Santo-playing
themselves) fighting the evil-dead in the
provincial city of Guanajuato. More than
seeking coherence or continuity, the narrative
showcases the wrestling prowess of the fighters
and Mexican culture; meanwhile, the exaggerated
camera shots, poor music editing, and self-conscious
dialogues carry a certain naivete that along
with the absurd premise give the film an
unintentional humour.
2.0
--
AZTEC REVENGE, Aaron
Crozier
[reviewed
by Oslavi Linares]
To what extent does Aztec
Revenge live up to its ancestor (Santo
vs. The Mummies)? It would be tempting
to call the newest film by director Aaron
Crozier another update on the genre; after
all, the story features the original Mil
Mascaras luchador fighting a supernatural
and ancient foe, but the film is not so
much larger-than-life as overdone. The expositional
dialogues, predictability, and dubbed voice
of Mil Mascaras become a bit too self-conscious
and formulaic. Nonetheless, there are some
funny aspects, like luchadores
fighting ninjas or a robot with an Aztec
head. However, the film's location and cast
prevent any of this from taking hold. Besides
the already ridiculous premise, the story
occurs in the Columbia University campus
and all the main characters, except Mil
Mascaras, are European-American. This makes
the film feel unhinged, as disconnected
as the Aztec head of its plot. Perhaps those
more friendly to B-movies and luchador
films might differ from this judgement.
2.8
--
LOWLIFE, Ryan
Prows
[reviewed
by Oslavi Linares]
A twisted tale of redemption bearing the
realities faced by Latino immigrants, substance
addicts and former felons. Lowlife's
dark humour and action stunts allegorize
real social problems and the horrors of
human trafficking. The story centers around
former wrestler 'El Monstruo' (Ricardo Adam
Zarate), a Mexican luchador obsessed
with continuing his father's larger-than-life
legacy, and his pregnant wife Kaylee (Santana
Dempsey) as they deal with mobster boss
Teddy (Mark Bunrham) and encounter other
social outcasts, Crystal (Nicki Micheaux),
and two former gangsters (Jon Oswald, Shaye
Ogbonna). The films divides its narration
according to each set of characters and
their aptly titling sections, each of of
which are as engaging as they are probing.
The scenery itself is subject to examination.
Set in Californian suburbia, the film suggests
the nefarious underbelly of the American
Dream. The camera (often hand-held) mimics
the horizontality of the landscape, avoiding
aerial long shots and panoramic takes, opting
instead to follow the different movements
of the cast. The very apropos script and
dialogue reveal the characters' social origins
and the effects of their immediate environment,
with Spanish and slang being strategically
used. The music and sound effects in a similar
fashion, often diegetic or used as accents
for El Monstruo's rage . . . rage against
living a lie, against ICE's raids, against
corruption, against inner weaknesses. Ryan
Prow's directorial debut is set to please
fans of luchador and low-profile
crime films, and socially concerned cinephiles.
3.5
--
FREE AND EASY, Geng
Jun
[reviewed
by Oslavi Linares]
Minimalist but hilarious, a tale of too
many con-men trying to fool each other and
falling prey to their situations. Rogue
soap salesman Gang Ge walks into a deserted
industrial town to prowl its frozen streets
in search of unaware victims; nearby, travelling
monk Yong Ge offers divine favour in exchange
for a donation; the police are unable, and
rather unwilling, to track either crook,
but as the wandering leads to odd encounters
it becomes unclear who the real fools are.
Missing people and trees, unusual friendships
and striking moods enhance a satire that,
like its characters, strays into the empty
streets and twists in unforeseen corners.
It is a voyage enabled by a cinematography
championing the desolation of the town and
by camera shots concealing a sucker punch,
a gun, or the character's shifting attitudes.
Yet, for all its jokes Free
and Easy is a tale of spirituality.
With a nod to Jim Jarmusch, Geng Jun's drowsy
characters and their pathetic actions evoke
Herzog's Heart of Glass (1976),
but not only for the acting but because
the poignancy often turns into poetry and
the absurd foregrounds a sense of tragedy.
Jun's film is also comparable to other crime
tales set in modern China, like A Touch
of Sin (Jia Zhangke, 2013) or Have
a Nice Day (another Fantasia screener
reviewed below); however, Free and
Easy's minimal take on action and décor
set it as an art-house crime comedy, rightfully
earning it a Special Jury Award for Cinematic
Vision at Sundance this year.
3.2
--
HAVE A NICE DAY, Hao
Ji Le
[reviewed
by Oslavi Linares]
"What's going on today? Everything is fucked
up." Asks mob boss Uncle Liu as he tries
to recover a bag full of chairman bills
that can make dreams come true in a nameless
city where every low-life and treacherous
looser has a dream, tacky or not. An anti-morality
tale of greed and confusion full of anti-heroes,
from the unlucky thief, Xiao Zhang, to the
impassive hitman Skinny, to an odd inventor
or a murderous couple. Have
a Nice Day is as ironic as its name
promises, providing mordant commentary on
modern Chinese society but also current
world developments, from Trump to spirituality
seeping through the radio or the casual
conversation of the characters. Indeed,
the feature's soundscape contributes to
populate the decaying urban environment
already rendered with intricate realism,
down to the last stain. The mundane scenery,
from an Internet Café to a passing hotel,
offers constant crossroads for unexpected
and bizarre encounters. Unfortunately, the
animation is limited and often reduced to
still vignettes, but Hao Ji Le's story more
than makes up for these constraints. Along
the lines of A Touch of Sin (Jia
Zhangke, 2013) and Free and Easy (Geng
Jun, 2017), another Fantasia screener,
Have a Nice Day addresses modern China's
ugly side, while also exemplifying emerging
Chinese independent animation.
Fantasia
has been one of the few spaces where new animated shorts
receive a public viewing. The festival happily continued
this tradition with Au-Delà De l’Animation,
featuring a variety of politically engaged international
animations from fantasy to documentary, with an emphasis
on the state of the world in 2017.
Perhaps most notorious was the world premiere of Skin
For Skin by NFB animators Carol Beecher and Kevin
D.A. Kurytnik. This work of seven years in the making
reflects in the painterly 3D characters in a partly
historical and partly fictional fable based on Canada’s
fur trade. While its tale of ecological devastation,
human pride and redemption evokes indigenous lore, it
is actually based on the Celtic culture of its protagonist.
But this is an after the film fact, and the directors’
message that, “We [Canadians] have always been
out of balance, our culture is a commercial culture
. . . ” can easily transpose to other mythologies
and to today’s ecological dilemma.
Equally critical of current capitalist society and likewise
historically fed, was the collection of Belgian shorts
in Inhibitum, by Atelier Collectif. The compilation
used different animation techniques to tell the histories
of discarded inventions and scientific developments
which were decommissioned by corporate interests. This
critique continued in the satire La Bite, by
the French Jérôme Leroy and Pierre Tolmer,
speaking on the dynamics of oppression, social change,
and repetition propelled through the joke of a graffiti
dick. Though concerned with other social issues, Quebecois
animator Lori Malépart-Traversy’s Le Clitoris
and Birdy Wouaf Wouaf by the French Ayce Kartal, addressed
female sexuality and (gender?) non-conformity.
Other less socially concerned but dazzling animations
completed the program. French animation had additional
presence with the party tale Décibels
by Léo Verrier, the childish aesthetics of Il
Était 3 Fois by Julie Rembourille and Nicolas
Bianco-Levrin, and Sébastien Laudenbach proved
that animated movement can be erotic with Vibrato.
Animators from other parts of Europe and the US were
present with the bizarre The Absence of Eddy Table
from Norwegian Rune Spaans; Sam Chou’s nostalgic
He-Man: First Snowfall; Yin by
the Belgian Nicolas Fong drew on M.C. Escher’s
impossible geometries; U.K.’s Sophie Marsh’s
Untamed Truths revealed the odd facts of animals,
while Richard Twice by Matthew Salton from
the USA offered tribute to 1960s folk-singer Richard
Atkin.
Somewhat disappointing was the absence of the Mexican
The Garden of Delights by Alejandro Garcia
Caballero, offered in the Festival’s program.
This missing work would have been the only one outside
of Europe, Canada, and the US – in a festival
seeking international scope and politically engaged
representation.
3.2
--
TOKYO IDOLS, Kyoko
Miyake
[reviewed
by Oslavi Linares]
A look into the uncanny world of young Japanese girl
performers, 'idols,' and the middle-aged men that adore
them; Tokyo
Idols offers a critical but highly empathetic look
into an unusual fan culture. Director Kyoko Miyake takes
no side on her comprehensive documentary but rather
lets the idols, fans, and critics speak on the billion-dollar
industry where cuteness and innocence are the most valued
attributes. The film follows the steps of aging idol
Ryo (Ryo Hiiragi, at 19 already old) and her fan base,
or 'brothers,' to address the dynamics behind the idol
phenomenon. From the economic recession and social male
fantasies, to sexual grey zones and the need for human
contact, Miyake conjoins the opinion of critics and
experts with those of the men abandoning everything
to follow their ideal of the feminine. It is a story
of co-dependence and gender conformity that is shown
through interviews, pre-performance rehearsals, autographed
merchandise and music videos. But while Miyake aims
for a neutral point of view, her camera can't help to
note the age gap between the ever-younger performers
(some starting at 13) and the older men who 'want to
feel childish.' Evocative of Satoshi Kon's Perfect
Blue and of Japanese anime's sexualized depiction
of young girls, Tokyo Idol's presence at Fantasia could
be considered self-conscious. A staple of the genre
festival are films about fan cultures, usually fictions
with nerdy protagonists or documentaries celebrating
a certain filmmaker or landmark picture, less often
a self-reflective look at the fandoms themselves-Tokyo
Idols is one such film.
3.6
--
A GHOST STORY, David
Lowery
[reviewed
by Oslavi Linares]
A
Ghost Story is a melancholic tale of loss and remembrance
but also an inventive essay on the metaphysics of cinema,
on seeing and being unseen. The film's subtle but swift
start introduces the main protagonists and plot elements
within the first quarter of the film, illuminated by
atmospheric daylight and centered by a 4:3 screen ratio
-- all of which renders the fantastic story on the plane
of the everyday. C (Casey Affleck) and M (Rooney Mara)
are an enamoured young couple living in a suburban house.
Without great drama, their lives are interrupted by
C's unexpected death, which turns out to be not the
end but the start of C's contemplative afterlife. Manifest
under a simple but iconic ghost shape, unseen to M,
C's ghost returns to their house and observes M mourn
him and then carry on with her life, leaving the house
that haunts her with memories and leaving C's ghost
behind. Although his lover is gone, C continues to be
a presence in the house, watching the succession of
tenants, haunting them or just listening, until even
the house is gone, too, and C's spirit is confronted
with time itself. The passage of time is inventively
presented and serves to illustrate C's spectral subjectivity
but mimics the audience's relation to cinema. The ghost's
point of view is akin to the narrative time experienced
by the audience and its limitation to observe. As days
turn into years, C's experience is divided by singular
events and encounters, invisible to the living yet susceptible
to their doings. Director and writer David Lowery paces
the story through these visits and interventions in
C's haunted house, drawing from its inhabitants' beliefs
to speak for the spectre and for the audience. The minimal
dialogue is expertly aided by the selective use of music
(diegetic and non-diegetic), camera positions, and even
subtitles which blend to convey a surreal but quotidian
experience. A surprising turn from his last feature
(Pete's Dragon (2016)), A Ghost Story
retakes the romanticism and talent from Ain't
Them Bodies Saints (2013);
however, while Lowery's phantasmagoria departs from
the action of his two other films, his minimalistic
style attains a new transcendence and universality.
2016
Fantasia
Film Festival Ratings
2015
Fantasia Film Festival Ratings
|
