Author: Joel Fisher

Colombia was a difficult time in the 1960’s because of a fierce conflict between the far right and the far left that waged for years. Héctor Abad Gómez (Javier Cámara) was a university professor at the time and during this sensitive era in Colombia’s history, even the slightest difference in opinion made you a target.

Gómez believed in healthcare for his people and founded the Colombian National School of Public Health. Which because of its promotion of equal human rights, caused many attacks from the far right on Gomez and his family, leading to his assassination in 1986.

Memories of My Father is a biopic of Hector Abad Gómez, taken from the novel written by his son, Héctor Abad Faciolince about his memories of growing up with his father. A biopic from the perspective of a child growing into a man, the film goes back and forth as the last days of his father’s life are played out in black and white while his childhood is shot in colour.

This gives Faciolince’s childhood a rose-tinted quality as he can’t remember the events of the time as well as he can his father. There are moments where the more serious repercussions of his father’s views and actions are seen, but as they often are with a child, they’re brushed over. Feeling like something half remembered without knowing the full impact that it had.

This means that it brings the audience along with Facionlince’s childhood, feeling like a warm and loving time in his life. Cámara mirrors this memory of his father by playing Gomez with all the warmth and kindness that he imagined.

A charming performance of a good man met through the eyes of a child, even when eventual resentment set in as his son got older.

That’s what makes Memories of My Father all the more shocking though, because unless you’re aware of what he meant to his people or have read the book, you may not fully realise his impact until Héctor Jr. does himself. Played as an episodic collection of memories throughout his childhood, the big screen adaptation of Facionlince’s book won’t fully hit you until you least expect it.

Paloma (Kika Sena) is a Brazilian transgender woman who lives with her husband Zé (Ridson Reis) and their adopted daughter. Her best friend is the only one who can really understand her though as she knows first-hand what it’s like to be a transgender woman and so they share a close bond.

Paloma’s other bond is with God, something that runs deeply through her and although she knows how she feels inside and is accepted by her family and friends, she doesn’t feel fully accepted by God.

So, Paloma sets out to try and see if she can be seen in the eyes of God just like any other woman and decides to write to the Pope to get his blessing. However, simply living as she is and wanting acceptance just isn’t enough.

Paloma is a Brazillian film directed by Marcelo Gomes and co-written by Gustavo Campos and Armando Praça. Inspired by a true story, it shows the life of a transgender woman as she wishes for acceptance and the film depicts her as such.

Showing Paloma’s life, throughout the film there are many moments where she is shown to have the same desires and wishes of any woman. The film also puts this alongside somebody living that same life that would be considered ‘normal’ if she were a cis woman. Coupling this with Sena’s understated, passionate and likeable performance, it shows a life full of potential.

However, Paloma does also show what it’s like to be a transgender woman and it is able to do so without shying away from the harsh realities. Although with the script being written by three men, it feels less authentic than the portrayal of its lead.

Also having been inspired by a true story and not going too far into the details of that, feels like a missed opportunity where something with more depth could have been explored. Paloma does start to feel like a film that’s trying to teach its audience about transgender women, but thankfully the realistic approach, Sena’s performance and the leisurely pace ensures that it’s not preaching to the choir.

Naima (Novera Rahman) lives in what you may call the slums in India. Her father is a rickshaw driver and is the breadwinner of the family, but Naima does her best to help with the responsibilities. She’s a very good artist and her passion lies in painting, but that doesn’t pay for the things that the family needs, so she tries to do what she can.

Then one day Naima’s father falls ill and Naima is thrust into the role of the provider. However, deep down she knows what she can do to make the most money, if only she was allowed.

Rickshaw Girl is a drama directed by Amitabh Reza Chowdhury from a script by Shabari Z. Ahmed, adapted from the novel by Mitali Perkins. A story as old as time which may evoke something like Twelfth Night in its summary, although Rickshaw Girl is not exactly the high concept comedy of errors that audiences may be expecting.

Instead, director Chowdhury takes his time in showing Naima’s life and the things around her which make it good. There’s so often a tendency to show India as a poverty-stricken country where danger lurks around every corner, but Rickshaw Girl shows a more softened version.

However, this also means that Rickshaw Girl feels like a painting of India like in Naima’s works of art rather than something more substantial. The audience are told about the sexism that surrounds the workplace and Naima’s love of art is also talked about, but there really isn’t enough to make the audience believe in it.

What they get is a depiction of India which may as well have been made for the Indian tourist board. That’s because although India seems to have its problems, what is shown is that it’s not all that bad if you take time to smell the roses.

Not quite Slumdog Millionaire and thankfully not The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Rickshaw Girl still feels like a movie made for an audience intending to go to India but have never been. The story stays at surface level and there are very little attempts to really make the audience care for Naima. Perhaps a movie meant to hang on the wall rather than something to get your teeth into.

The Ark Of Lilburn: Review

Somewhere in Georgia, there lays a large boat that was built inside the building as a testament to what could be achieved. There are problems with its existence though, mainly those being that the boat is 200 miles from sea and Porter Steel Inc conducts its business in there and they’re running out of space.

So, the time has come to finally remove the ship from the bottle and to try and get it where it needs to be. It’s just a case of whose ideas will float best, Cole’s or his father Lowe’s.

The Ark of Lilburn is a documentary about a large boat built in the most unlikely of places that has had its time. Partnering father and son, the documentary is also about the relationship between Cole and his father and the many and varied differences that they have. Everything from personal issues to the generation gap is driving them apart, but their shared goal is what could bring them together.

There’s also the case of Pat, the owner of a house moving company that Cole employs in order to get the boat moving. Derisibly called ‘ponytail’ by some of the older members of the Porter Steel crew, he may turn out to be an even bigger wedge in the divide on how to make the impossible happen.

The documentary itself talks a little about the company and the hard times they’ve been through and the relationship between father and son. However, the bulk of it is taken up by actually moving the boat from its home.

This is something which may disappoint people looking for a heart-warming story of a father and son reaching a common goal. Although it may delight audiences who love watching those shows where moving large vehicles is the focus. Also, for those not too interested in how they are going to move the boat out of the building, there’s plenty of music to keep them entertained.

Unfortunately, this feels like a way to make it more interesting than it is though. A moment that’s particularly highlighted by copywrite friendly Mission: Impossible music being played over some men shooting explosives in a lake for some reason. At the end the family achieve their goal and there are some funny and warm moments along the way, but a little more balance between engineering and family moments would have helped.

Adam (Peter Mark Kendall) is about to embark on a weighty task of directing a production of Macbeth on the stage. A play filled with myth and mystery, not only within Shakespeare’s words, but because of the rumoured curse that supposedly surrounds the play. He doesn’t believe in all that though, so he gathers his cast and they begin rehearsals.

However, things start to happen to the cast such as people hurting themselves and actors suddenly getting sore throats and it doesn’t seem to be going well. This leaves Sydney (Tina Benko) who’s playing Lady Macbeth starting to think that there may be something in it, something which is made all the worse when she meets William Shakespeare (Will Brill) himself.

So, is Sydney’s anxiety becoming manifest, or has the bard really returned to help her on her journey?

The Scottish Play is a love letter to Shakespeare written and directed by Keith Boynton which may take a little suspension of disbelief to fully engage with. In any other hands, The Scottish Play would feel either like a high concept comedy or a highly pretentious story written by an American about England’s greatest writer. Not to mention the ambiguity of Shakespeare’s true nature within the film itself.

There’s a lot to absorb as well because there are many things that audiences will have to overcome. You either love Shakespeare or you hate him for one, secondly there’s the idea that an American has made a film about Shakespeare and dared to suggest that he could have done better. There’s also the supernatural element which is never truly explained. However, it seems that the combination does work.

Boynton’s script never feels too much of one thing or another though, so the audience may be expecting something more generic only to be surprised. Will Brill as the famous playwright also does a great job at bringing him to life, which is also thanks to Boynton’s script who manages to put together a voice for Shakespeare that even the most uncultured heathen may understand.

The careful and deliberate mismatch of genres seems to work rather well in the end. Although it may get a bit heavy for those less interested in centuries old theatre, those who love it will embrace it wholeheartedly.