film reviews, interviews, features | BRWC

Author: Hugues Porquier

  • Mandibles: The BRWC Review

    Mandibles: The BRWC Review

    “Mandibles” is a film by Quentin Dupieux that had its world premiere at the 77th Venice International Film Festival, and was released in French theaters on May 19, 2021. 

    Quentin Dupieux also known as Mr.Oizo for his musical career is a French director, screenwriter and musician. He is known for his particular universe and the omnipresence of the absurd in his films, to get an idea, we find as main character a serial killer tire in “Rubber” (2010) one of his first films. He is also known for his attachment to take care of the various aspects of his films, direction, writing, photography, music and editing. 

    This use of the absurd has earned him the appearance of fervent admirers who totally adhere to his universe, but also of people who are less receptive to his universe and who feel a certain rejection for his work. After a man possessed by his coat in “Deerskin” (2019) and the resolution of a police investigation in “Keep An Eye out” (2018) Quentin Dupieux returns for a third film in three years with “Mandibles”.

    “Two simple-minded friends discover a giant fly in the trunk of a car and decided to earn money with it.  

    The role of these two simple-minded friends is played by the comedy duo Gregoire Ludig and David Marsais, who have made themselves known on Youtube a few years ago with the Palmashow. The duo then burst onto the silver screen in several French comedy films including a few headliners like in “The Crazy Story of Max and Leon”, (2016). Recently, they made a really quick appearance in Albert Dupontel’s “Bye Bye Morons”.

    Manu (Grégoire Ludig) and Jean-Gab (David Marsais) will face a fantastic event, the appearance of a giant fly. This strange event, coupled with their “light” vision of life and their desire to make money will lead them to make various meetings. Their ultimate goal is to train the fly so that it can bring them money. The main interest of the film is the confrontation between the simple minds of Manu and Jean-Gab and the reality through a well-paced road movie.

    The bond of friendship that unites the actors of the two main characters in real life can be felt, we witness a real complicity that works very well on screen and allows us to fully enter in the story of these two simple guys.

    “Mandibles” remains one of the most accessible films of Quentin Dupieux, without moving away from his offbeat universe. We find a linear story, rather coherent despite the appearance of the giant fly and the writing of some characters that may confuse some. In particular the character of Agnès, played by Adèle Exarchopoulos. The humor, coming mainly from hazardous situations and surprising reactions from the characters, works very well.

    Quentin Dupieux will return soon with a new film “Strange but True” in which we will find French actors such as Alain Chabat, Léa Drucker and the very promising Anais Demoutiser. 

  • The Night Doctor: Review

    The Night Doctor: Review

    The Night Doctor is a French film from Elie Wajeman, present in the official selection of the festival of Cannes 2020. The film has been released in French theaters on June 16, 2021.  “Adoctor tries to extricate himself from the stressful work of treating drug addicts, the homeless and the destitute in difficult neighborhoods at night.”

    “The Night Doctor” is a film noir with a social drama background which presents a very dark vision of Parisian nights. Elie Wajeman is used to work with quality French actors, such as Adèle Exarchopoulos and Tahar Rahim in “The Anarchists” (2015) or Pio Marmaï and Adèle Haenel in “Aliyah” (2012). This time he gives the lead role to Vincent Macaigne, a French actor, greatly appreciated and respected. He played in “Two Friends” (2015) alongside Louis Garrel and Golshifteh Farahani or in “Chien” (2017) but also in many other films.

    “The Night Doctor” plunges us into an anxiety-inducing nocturnal journey during which Mikael’s naive kindness and ethics will lead him into various dangers. The writing of Agnès Feuvre and Elie Wajeman gives an excellent rhythm to the film and presents complex and well worked characters.  The film takes place over a single night, which allows us, as in the excellent “Good Time” (2017) by the Safdie Brothers, to witness a gradual rise in tension, linked to Mikael’s loss of  control.

    We witness at a moment in Mikael’s life, where everything can change in one night, the stakes are such that he will have to make choices, which may cost him dearly.  As Elie Wajeman explains in an interview for Le Petit Bulletin, “Mikael is a doctor of bodies but also a doctor of souls at night”. 

    The success of this film depends largely on the performance of Vincent Macaigne who interprets to perfection the different aspects of the character of Mikael. Mikael is a complete character, oscillating between a great sensitivity and an amazing physical strength. His desire to help is very touching but is also the reason why he can lose everything. He sees helping drug addicts as a necessity in a country where they are largely left behind. But he will have to face a very violent environment in which he will have to learn  how to be respected.

    “The Night Doctor” is a great success and allows to highlight the brilliant actor that Vincent Macaigne is, whom we hope to see at the head of many films in the years to come. 

  • Enjoy: Review

    Enjoy: Review

    “Progressive muscle relaxation, Lycra, spoken word. As Michael (Himesh Patel) seeks novel ways to halt his spiralling depression, a moment of hope arrives via an unexpected source.” Making its world premiere on June 15 at the to the Tribeca Film Festival and already available on Vimeo, “Enjoy” is an 18-minute short film directed by the half Finnish, half British, Saul Abraham and written by Callum Cameron. 

    Saul Abraham is the director of several short films such as “Breaking” (2016), “Baby” 2014 or in a documentary “Moses: Strongman”, one of 19 episodes from the Idris Takeover, a series of shorts created and curated by Idris Elba for BBC Three.  In “Enjoy”, we find Michael, played by Himesh Patel, one of the main actors of Yesterday (2019) by Danny Boyle and who also has a role in Tenet (2020) by Christopher Nolan. 

    Michael is a struggling musician, plagued by self-doubt and depression, who has taken on a second job in which his role is to help a boy, Archibald (played by Tom Sweet).  Archibald seems to have difficulty to communicate with the world around him, he alternates between fits of anger and moments of nastiness. The link and the evolution of the relationship between Michael and Archibald will be the focus of the film. 

    The performances of Himesh Patel and Tom Sweet (who is very young), are very impressive and allow us to appreciate the accuracy of the dialogues and of the writing throughout the film.  The subject of “Enjoy” is depression. How it can alter our behavior, our vision of the things that surround us and that come into contact with us, but also how to get out of this hellish spiral. 

    We find the superb photography of Tasha Back, with a strong presence of the color blue that may remind us of Krysztof Kieslowki’s film “Three Colours: Blue” (1993), in which Julie (played by Juliette Binoche) must face the loss of her child and her husband, and plunges into a deep depression and a period of mourning.  Throughout the film, the music gives a very dreamy aspect to the film and makes it lighter and very pleasant. 

    Used to the short format, Saul Abraham delivers in only 18 minutes a light and hopeful film about depression, which works very well thanks to its rhythm, its photography and the quality of its actors. 

  • The Reason I Jump: The BRWC Review

    The Reason I Jump: The BRWC Review

    Presented at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival “The Reason I Jump” is a feature-length documentary, directed by Jerry Rothwell. The film is an adaptation of the best-selling book of the same name by Naoki Higashida. Written in 2005 when he was 13 years old, the book addresses how people with autism see the world, experience and communicate.

    The film was very well received by the critics and has accumulated 7 wins and 13 nominations in various festivals around the world, from Vancouver to Athens, including the United States and England.

    Naoki Higashida’s book, “The Reason I Jump: One Boy’s Voice from the silence of Autism” is a biographical book about the life and thoughts of a nonverbal autistic person from Japan. Released in 2007 in Japan, the book will be translated into English by David Mitchell (who we will see in the film), and published in 2013, a language in which it will also be very successful.

    The film is based on quotations from Naoki Higashida, but dives more precisely into the story of five nonverbal autistic young people, who come from different countries and cultures. From India to England, we will also pass by the United States or Sierra Leone.

    In an attempt to present to us the vision of the world of a nonverbal autistic child, Jerry Rothwell relies on light effects, sound mixes but especially on the superb photography proposed by Ruben Woodin Dechamps. Through this, the film tries to make us live a sensory and visual experience. In “The Reason I Jump”, cinema is used to try to expose an unknown and misunderstood world to the spectator.

    The main idea that emanates from this film, which is also found in the book, is that despite their difficulties in communicating and conversing, autistic people still have a lot to say and to share. The presence of some sequences too much focused on an “emotional” aspect and way too intimate is still regrettable, does not bring anything interesting to the film and may even bring moments of platitude.

    But apart from that, the film, through the daily life of these five people, draws us very different portraits, whether by their behavior, their culture or simply by their vision of the world. Each of these people has succeeded in developing their own way of communicating with people and with the world.

    “The Reason I Jump” remains an interesting attempt from a cinematographic point of view, but is partly doomed to failure. Indeed, according to David Mitchell, “it’s impossible for a neuro-typical mind to fully understand a neuro-atypical mind”.

  • Treasure City: Review

    Treasure City: Review

    “Treasure City” or “Békeidõ” is a Hungarian film directed and written by Szabolcs Hajdu. Mainly known for his films “Bibliotheque Pascal” and “Fehér Tenyér”, (White Palms in English), which have been nominated in many festivals around the world. White Palms was nominated at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival for the C.I.C.A.E. Award, which aims to support and promote arts cinema.

    “Treasure City” will be available in the UK on June 18.

    The film invites us into the intimate conversations of several characters, who, as the film progresses, turn out to be more or less related to each other. Through this film, we witness social and relational problems of everyday life.

    The main strength of the film lies in the fact that we are going to attend a moment of life of these characters, diving entirely into their problems, their doubts, their fear or their claim. In only an hour and a half, we go through several subjects and several themes such as education, conflicts in a couple, political claims, attempts of abuse and psychological domination, lies and conflict between humans in a more global way. So, most of the time, we witness the darkest sides of the human soul, full of doubts and conflicts and prey to the different social tensions that they undergo every day. 

    Szabolcs Hajdu depicts a very dark and hopeless aspect of Hungarian society, similar to Michael Haneke’s work on the Austrian society in his film “The seventh continent” (1989).

    But this strength of the film of realism and accuracy would not be one without a good writing from Szabolcs Hadju coupled with an excellent performance of the entire cast (Orsolya Török-Illyés, Szabolcs Hadju, Lilla Sárosdi, Domokos Szabó, Nóra Földeáki, Magdó Pálfi, Lujza Hajdu … to name a few).

    The film also benefits from a very neat and well worked photography. We find many night shots in cars, which works very well and make us enjoy the night lights of the city of Cluj-Napoca. This creates a special atmosphere that is very effective.

    This film deals with many social issues, in a very aesthetic way and with a very good rhythm between the different stories. But without directing the viewer to a particular direction. It leaves a reflection completely open to the spectator.