Saint Laurent

Oh my gosh.  The best part about the movie, was that it was  rather chilly outside, and it was nice to n be warm inside the cinema, although this was 2 and a half hours I would rather have back.

 The most reaction the audience had with the movie was a scene with a dog.  There just seemed to be no joy in this movie, it flittered from scene to scene, one more depressing than the next, with a few gay sex scenes thrown in which I guess were meant to be shocking, but just seemed a bit dull, and lots and lots of drug taking and lots of bad music that didn't seem to add to the movie, but made it more annoying.  A big old 1/5 from me.

The Second Mother

The Second Mother is a Brazilian film, which is centered around Val, a live in housekeeper in a wealthy Sao Paulo suburb.  She works hard for the trendy mother, layabout father and neglected teenage son, cooking and cleaning.  Things get changed up when her own daughter Jessica comes to stay.

The mostly grey haired lady audience enjoyed this little movie.  Especially in our society where people don't have maids or housekeepers, well some may have housekeepers but generally they only come in for an hour or two a week.  We were all a bit shocked when we heard on the movie, that the last time Val had seen her daughter was ten years ago.  It does seem to be the way many people in the world live, people whose domestic situation force them to work overseas to fund their families.

It was an extremely likable movie, especially Val, we all loved her and the devotion to the son she looked after, although one scene made me think she had taken it a bit too far.  So a 4/5.

Queen and Country

I remember seeing writer and director John Bormans earlier work, Hope and Glory many years ago.  His story was about a young boy growing up in London in the blitz.  In this follow up film, we get to meet Billy years later as he heads off to basic training for heading to Korea.

Here he gets up to mischief with his best mate Percy.  The chaps next to me at the cinema chuckled a fair bit throughout, and shamefully I must admit to nodding off a bit mid way through.  Damn those warm cinemas.  Although I enjoyed the story, I felt it more suited to a Sunday night TV special than a movie theatre, it seemed more suited to a more intimate viewing experience to appreciate its romance and comedic moments.  3/5

Banksy Does New York

Oh you little documentaries, you are quite the pleasure sometimes, both entertaining and informing.  In October 2013, the street artist Banksy started a month long showing of his street art in New York.  Every day and every morning, clues would pop up on Instagram detailing where the days art would be, and eager fans would search it out like a giant scavenger hunt, hoping to view it before it was often painted over or stolen.  You have to admire the artists humour, as many of the pieces were so very clever and witty and made you smile, or they sent a serious message and made you think. 

We walked away thinking it had been a great little programme, and wishing we had been the kiwi girl to pick up two original paintings for $60 each actually worth $250,000.  4/5

While We're Young

So the next movie was the dreaded Dromedy - you know the one.  Starts off as a funny comedy, then tries to become a deep and meaningful serious drama to get its point across, but instead just results in a bit of a bore during the second half.  Neither me or my bestie are excited by the thought of a Ben Stiller movie, although he is one of the more watchable manboys.  We do like Naomi Watts though, so it seemed like an ok pick.

Ben and Naomi are a middle aged couple who find themselves questioning how they live when the become friends with a couple of free spirited twenty five year olds.  We did laugh at lots of the situations, we totally get the slide into getting old.  Me and my bestie creak when we get up, and are pleased when an evening out is over by 7pm. 

I came out thinking that the writers had a lot of good ideas at the beginning of the movie, and a lot of good jokes, but not a concrete believable story to hold the movie together.  Like a lot of recent movies, it just feels like a lot of skits strung together, some of which work, but some are just there for cheesy effect.  3/5

Girlhood

Mmmm I am beginning to have reservations about French films.  So many I have seen have been kind of bland and abrupt, they seem to have a certain sensibility that I don't get.  Some I have been tempted to leave half way through, but always stay hoping they will get better.  They do some comedies very well, but the dramas can be a bit hit or miss.

  Girlhood started off ok, I liked the tough girls from the neighbourhood they formed a good strong friendship, although I didn't like them being bullies and picking on other females.  The second half of the movie felt a big disjointed to me.  The main character seems to change without a lot of supporting story, it just seemed to switch in its tone, and tried to be gritty, but seemed to fail.  I get that life is tough on the streets in France, for a young woman without a lot of support, the choices must be limited.  2/5

Iris

It seems the highlight of this film festival is the documentaries.  Iris is lets us meet 90 year old Iris Apfel, who has become a celebrity due to her unique fashion sense, particularly her addiction to wearing bold accessories.  This has resulted in museum shows, front pages of fashion magazines, articles, interviews, a movie and her own range of accessories selling out on the home shopping network.  With her trademark round circular glasses, an armful of bangles and bold designer clothing she is certainly no shy wallflower, but somehow I sensed a sadness, a little old lady who after rushing around from job to show, seemed tired and over it.

A fascinating watch - I think the whole audience enjoyed it immensely.  4/5

Our Little Sister

Our little sister is a gentle Japanese story about three older sisters, who after being left by their father and mother live alone in an old house, each living their own lives.  When they hear that their father has died, they attend his funeral, and meet their young half sister Suzu, who is 15 and living with her step mother. 

A sweet little film with a rather slow pace, it did make me want to go to Japan and eat pickles with the sisters.   They looked like they had a good time together.  3/5

Ex Machina

I guess a bit of burn out yesterday after 3 movies, so today just one was enough, and even though it was 4pm, it was still busy.  Ex Machina is a science fiction movie written and directed by Alex Garland who wrote The Beach. 

An employee wins the lottery to be taken to his bosses river side retreat to see the latest technology at work.  For a movie with only four main characters and not too much action it was interesting and clever, and you are never quite sure who knows what is going on.  I do like a movie that keeps you guessing.  4/5

Peggy Guggenheim - Art Addict

So the last of todays film festivals viewing was another documentary - Peggy Guggenheim - Art Addict.  Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, her world changed when her father died on the Titanic when she was 13.  Left with a mother she didn't get along with she had a bit of a rough time, having a breakdown.  After working at a bookshop and meeting a variety of artists she decided that this would be her future.

So off to Paris in the wild twenties where she spend time with artists an authors having a wild old time.  Then over to London for a brief marriage, a couple of children and an art gallery trying to sell modern art, before turning it into a museum. 

When the war intervenes, she heads back to Paris to buy as much modern art as she can before it is destroyed as degenerate by the Germans.  Escaping to New York, she sets up another gallery championing new artists and displaying modern art not seen before. 

In her middle age, an autobiography describing her numerous lovers scandalises American society, so she decamps to Venice to start anew. 

What an amazing lady with such an interesting life, one that people wouldn't blink an eyelid at nowdays, but I am sure was much frowned upon fifty years ago.   Not sure that I liked a lot of the modern art - not quite my thing.  A worthy 4/5.

Phoenix

So every year at the International Film Festival there are always a few odd ones, but that makes the good ones seem almost better.  So this one seemed to have a slightly odd plot.

 Nelly has been released from the camps after the end of the war.  It starts off with her having to have plastic surgery after having  facial injuries.  Then she heads off to find her husband, who fails to recognise her.  He does suggest that she pose as his wife, so that he can procure the money from the bank from her deceased family. 

I didn't quite get how he didn't know it was her.  Her face may have been different, but people usually talk or walk the same way, and their mannerisms don't change.  I just didn't buy it.  And the warm cinema had me nodding off, so maybe I lost sight of some of the plot line.  2/5

Sherpa

Hello International Film Festival nice to see you again.  Always a sign that winter is almost over, and is a nice break away from work.  So I started this afternoon by seeing this documentary called Sherpa.  Just amazing, the scenery was spectacular, you can understand the beauty and the majesty of the mountain, and see why people are compelled to climb Mt Everest. 

Each climber pays between 75-100K to climb the mountain, with the government taking 30% of the funds, without providing much in the way of insurance or support to the Nepalese who work for the climbing companies.  Doing most of the grunt work, these Sherpas carry the equipment up to base camp, and onto further camps up the mountain.  It was amazing to see the huge loads they carried, and how hard they worked.  I never knew that leaving base camp to climb higher, that they did much of this over night in the cold and dark, to avoid the melting ice during the day.

Anyway the whole sold out audience was gasping throughout and it was a movie that you could have carried on watching for another couple of hours, it was such a beautiful interesting watch.  5/5.