Category: REVIEWS

Julien Elie’s new feature, Dark Suns, focuses on the thousands of disappearances that have taken place in Mexico since the 1970s, their links to organised crime and the impact on those brave souls fighting against it. 

Elie has sought as many stories as possible to fully get across the sheer scope of the problem. The film is divided into chapters, with each one offering us a variety of personal accounts and perspectives that cover several decades. 

At two-and-a-half hours long, Dark Suns is epic in scale. Its chapters cover all areas of Mexico, and the stories build in scope as the film progresses. We begin by hearing stories of many unsolved cases of femicide and move on to learn of further incidences involving journalists, activists and many others who made too much noise about the scale of corruption at the heart of it all. The film becomes truly shocking once this is all uncovered. 

It’s beautifully shot in black-and-white, bringing the various stories together neatly to create one bleak whole. It’s paced to perfection, and the score matches the tone superbly, riveting the viewer all the while keeping a clear level of uneasiness. 

It’s the film’s subjects that engage throughout. Their tales are brutally honest and often difficult to hear, but it’s Elie’s collation of these stories into one complete piece that gives the film its impact. Hearing such a wide variety of accounts from across the country really gives the impression that this issue is not small-scale but, in actual fact, widespread. 

Perhaps the saddest thing of all is the lack of hope or any kind of optimism presented by the film. So infested is Mexico with corruption and greed, that it is impossible to find a light at the end of the tunnel. This is simply the way things are and it appears to be something the country’s citizens have tacitly accepted. 

This is in no way a criticism of the picture. If anything, it’s Elie’s clear intention. The stories told in his film cover an extensive history of injustice that appears now to be too far gone. His message isn’t one of hope, but rather one of awareness. He is simply bringing significant problems to the attention of greater society the only way he knows how and, upsetting as it may be, that’s important. 

While the film is far from uplifting, the characters within are genuinely admirable. They show a great deal of strength in spite of their frustrating lack of progress and the constant hostility they’re faced with. They refuse to give up, sit still or lie down, and that, in spite of everything else, is hopeful. 

Dark Suns is epic in scope and gorgeously put-together, telling upsetting yet necessary tales to shed some light on an important issue that merits further discussion. It’s a film that will linger long after it finishes, delivering its messaging assertively yet with subtlety, all the while remaining a truly terrific piece of cinema in its own right. This is imperative viewing. 

Having previously impressed with his 2014 feature Elephant’s Dream, Kristof Bilsen’s latest picture, receiving its World Premiere at this year’s Sheffield Doc/Fest, is an emotional and intimate look at motherhood, selflessness and sacrifice. 

Based primarily in a care home in Thailand, Mother is a character study of Pomm, a woman who spends her days looking after European sufferers of Alzheimer’s. She offers personal care around the clock, be it by cleaning, feeding or simply by comforting her patients or making them laugh. 

Kristof Bilsen’s film is brought to life by its particularly likeable central character. Pomm is a commendable woman with a clear passion and drive for her work, in spite of the many conflicts she faces in her own life. 

Pomm is dedicated to properly caring for her patients, regardless of the uncertainty offered by a lack of any permanent contract, and the fact that her work clearly gets in the way of her time with her own children, despite paying the very bills that keep them going. They live far away, and Pomm considers herself lucky if she sees them once a month, but this never gets in the way of her professionalism and time for those who rely on her the most. 

Bilsen recently said that he made documentaries because he felt they had the potential to ‘widen our perspective on the world we live in’. This is certainly what he’s achieved with Mother, which puts care-work in a far more global context than other pictures have managed before. 

Kristof Bilsen’s film poses many questions surrounding care in difference classes. The patients come from relatively wealthy families in Western countries, and it presents a stark contrast to Pomm’s life in Thailand. At one point, Pomm questions what would happen if she were to grow up with the same disease, deeming it likely that her own children would have to take on that responsibility. 

Despite the caring person that Pomm clearly is, it’s hard to recall a single time in the film in which anybody asks her how she is or how she has been. She struggles to even get time off work. Pomm is an admirably selfless person, sacrificing every minute of her life for others and receiving little in return. 

Where Mother most excels is in its continuity, as Bilsen cleverly weaves together two stories from opposite sides of the world, in a manner that feels in no-way random, but instead rather natural. We are taken to the mountains of Switzerland and introduced to Maya, who will soon be sent to Thailand by her family. Maya has people around who adore her, but they feel the most selfless thing they can do is ensure she receives the proper care that she needs, even if that means moving her thousands of miles away.

Kristof Bilsen’s film is heartfelt and genuinely uplifting for the majority of its run-time, but it’s upon Maya’s arrival in Thailand that it develops into more than that. Watching her family keep it together when the affection they show is not reciprocated is tough viewing. Its relatability places the viewer in their shoes, and it suddenly becomes a profoundly moving experience. 

Mother is an intimate portrayal of the selflessness of mothers in all their forms, as well as the tragedy of Alzheimer’s and the tough decisions families have to make in order to do right by their loved ones. While the film poses questions, it never judges or holds any position of its own. It’s simply an observational piece that proves effective as a result of the clear trust its subjects have placed in Bilsen, allowing him into their lives in his heartfelt attempt to find meaning. Bilsen is clearly passionate about the story he’s telling, and he deserves a lot of credit for sticking with everyone as things get tough, as opposed to cutting away at the expense of his story. 

The themes this film tackles have certainly been studied before but never quite in this fashion. Mother is a terrific piece of work with a unique take on an issue that we can all understand, with poignant and surprisingly touching messages layered throughout. 

Midnight Traveler: Sheff Doc Fest Review

In this personal and riveting documentary, Afghan filmmaker Hassan Fazili and his family document life on the run after the Taliban place a bounty on his head. Shot entirely on three smartphones by Fazili, his wife Fatima, and their daughters Nargis and Zahra, the film offers a unique perspective into the lives of refugees desperately seeking asylum.

Midnight Traveler begins shortly after the family has their asylum application denied from Tajikistan and are being deported back to Afghanistan. Clearly aware that this is not a safe place for them to be, the decision is made to travel to the European Union and seek refuge there. This journey takes place over the course of nearly three years, as the family travel thousands of miles across various countries (including Iran, Turkey, Bulgaria and Serbia) and are met with a great deal of hostility along the way. 

While countless documentaries about the refugee experience are being made every day, it is genuinely refreshing to see one from the viewpoint of the people themselves. It’s this element that makes it far more valuable and significant viewing than most other films of its type. 

Along the way, we get an eye-opening view of the sheer misery and torment refugees have to deal with. They are met with grief everywhere they go, treated poorly, spoken to like dirt and often forced to sleep in inhumane conditions. At one point, we see the family lying their mattresses in a hallway, and on those special occasions in which they have somewhere to sleep, the refugee camps look and feel more like prisons than anything else. 

This is something that will hit home to a great many people, as hatred towards migrants, even those who are running from life-threatening conditions, is sadly all too familiar. The film should also dispel the myth that country’s accept migrants all too easily, as the Fazili family’s search for safe asylum is certainly not simple, and the civilians they meet are anything but hospitable. 

One of the film’s most shocking moments takes place in Bulgaria, in which the family, along with several other migrants, are brutally attacked by a mob. The phones don’t manage to capture this, but the aftermath, and particularly the children’s hysterical reactions to the incident, is quite gut-wrenching. 

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the film is its positive outlook. Given the family’s ongoing search for somewhere they can settle, there is a genuine feeling of hope surrounding the events; hope that this will all end and they will soon be able to live like the ordinary family they were not too long ago. Hassan and Fatima often play down the more traumatic experiences so as to relax their daughters, and Nargis in particular has a wonderful zest for life, often pointing out stunning views or cracking jokes. These elements help the film feel surprisingly optimistic in spite of the events it’s depicting. 

Perhaps the greatest praise must be given to editor Emelie Mahdavian, who has taken what one can only assume is hundreds of hours of sporadic footage and pieced it together to create a cohesive and fully-formed narrative. She’s also cleverly included the lighter moments the family share along the way, so as to compliment the themes of hope and love conquering all. 

Ultimately, that is the feeling that Midnight Traveler leaves you with. We are told that love, family, hope, desire and loyalty are enough for any of us to battle through any hurdles life may throw at us. This works perfectly due to the sheer authenticity on display.

One could argue that the footage is a little jolty and difficult at times, but the manner in which it’s shot is precisely what makes it the vital viewing that it is. The smartphone footage creates a film that feels closer to a home-video, and it’s this perspective we’re offered that creates such a refreshing and powerful picture. 

Midnight Traveler is simply an unforgettable experience, that draws attention to refugees around the world as people, as opposed to statistics and news stories. Despite its limitations visually, Hassan Fazili and Emelie Mahdavian’s collaboration has created something truly special, documenting a journey from certain danger filled with a high level of tension and suspense, while presenting positive themes of love, family and hope. It’s a film with a lot to say, but it’s not one that lectures or demonstrates any kind of self-importance. It is unique, authentic and extremely important. It is, quite simply, one of the best refugee documentaries ever made. 

Tim Travers Hawkins’ XY Chelsea focuses on whistle-blower Chelsea Manning, initially imprisoned for 35 years in 2010, as her sentence is commuted and she attempts to integrate back into society, all the while trying to re-establish her own identity as a trans woman.

It’s pleasantly surprising to see just how ‘up close and personal’ Hawkins is able to get to Manning. He has unrivalled access and the interviews with his subject are frequent, so it’s all the more disappointing to see it amount to very little. 

The film is sadly very imbalanced, with Hawkins devoting the majority of the film’s run-time to the elements surrounding Manning’s identity, at the expense of venturing into greater detail with regards to the leaks that first brought her to the public eye.

This is not to say that Manning’s gender identity is not interesting. Quite the opposite, in fact. The issue isn’t an absence of intrigue, but rather the lack of depth you can go into with the subject when Manning herself is still figuring out who she is. 

At 92 minutes, Hawkins has plenty of time to tackle the two most fascinating aspects of Manning’s life: the leaks and her gender identity. Sadly, so much time is spent with Manning discussing one, that we never delve into much detail with the other. 

It’s clear that XY Chelsea is not intended as a political documentary, but rather a character study of someone who risked everything to do what she felt was right. However, it is genuinely surprising just how little detail we explore. The film does not need to risk becoming a politically-charged documentary simply to inform the audience why we should care about Manning in the first place, and yet it’s likely most people will finish the film having learned little more about what she did than they already knew and, like it or not, that’s a problem. 

The film absolutely needs to discuss Manning’s gender, but not at the expense of other significant aspects of her story, and it sadly brushes over so many other details that it stops being overly informative and simply winds up feeling rather slow.

This is not to say that the film doesn’t have its strong moments. Manning’s discussions around her identity and her time in prison are very open and personal, and the archival footage (when shown) is genuinely shocking and thought-provoking. Hawkins does pose questions for his audience to ponder, and one of the strongest sequences in the picture involves Manning being interviewed by The New York Times, in which we see just how passionately Manning felt about what she saw and what she did. 

Sadly, the film overall feels very wasteful with an otherwise fascinating story. Unlike Citizenfour, in which we come away with a far greater understanding of Edward Snowden’s actions, XY Chelsea isn’t as successful in that regard. We learn very little in terms of detail, all in service of an aspect of Manning’s personality which can only be delved into so much in and of itself. Given the fact that Manning doesn’t even fully know herself yet, the film sadly winds up feeling a little inconclusive.

XY Chelsea feels like a brief summary of Chelsea Manning’s life so far, that’s open to further research and interpretation, with plenty to still be told. She is a fascinating individual but the film does not do her justice, opting for a very superficial study of a person who is anything but. 

Child’s Play (2019)

Horror remakes always face juggling on an impossible tightrope of expectation. Stick too close to the source material and people will wonder why the filmmakers even bothered. Deviate too far from the source and fans will be similarly vexed. In the past decade or so Michael Myers has been reimagined as a product of his abusive, white-trash upbringing, Jason Vorhees now has mad trapper skills and underground tunnels to get around Camp Crystal Lake, Freddy Kruger has added sexual predatory to his child murderer status, and through the black magic of cinema, The Fog became profoundly terrible. 

Director, Lars Klevberg and writer, Tyler Burton Smith have an almost unique conundrum to solve with their reimagining of Child’s Play. Unlike most Horror franchises that are remade, Child’s Play required no resurrection. Franchise creator and director of the most recent three Chucky outings, Don Mancini is currently producing a sequel TV series to the original franchise, separate from this remake. Gone is Brad Dourif’s maniacal serial killer, Charles Lee Ray immortalised within a Good Guy doll via the power of ancient Voodoo. In this retelling, a Buddi doll (basically a smart doll that connects to your other household gadgets) is transformed into a killing machine after suffering a system failure. Picture Teddy Ruxpin by way of Short Circuit with a dash of Small Soldiers and Steve Norrington’s Death Machine.

One of the many strengths of the Child’s Play movies is the tonal balance of horror and humour. Child’s Play 2019 is no exception. The film chips merrily along, building to the murderous mischief. By the rules of Slasher lore, the movie goes a long way to show that the initial victims “deserve” their fate, which makes their eviscerations all the more satisfying. There’s a playfulness, evoking the later Mancini sequels that permits the audience to revel in the timely demise of Chucky’s victims, right up until the point where innocent people get hurt.

Another big switch-up from the original is that young Andy isn’t so young anymore. Part of the alchemy that made the original so impressive was that Alex Vincent who portrayed Andy was six years old. Gabriel Bateman (you may have seen him in a lesser, killer doll movie, Annabelle) delivers an older Andy in the reimagining. There’s a definite E.T. / Stranger Things / It vibe as Andy and his new friends face off against the murderous, malfunctioning Buddi doll. Bateman is great in the role, more than holding his own with (the ever-brilliant) Aubrey Plaza and Brian Tyree Henry. I sincerely hope we see a lot more of him in years to come.

Bolstering the tone and aesthetics is Bear McCreary’s excellent score that utilises actual children’s toys to create a freakishly jaunty soundscape. Unlike the current swathe of quiet, quiet, BANG horrors, Child’s Play is still a Slasher with comedic elements. This is reflected within the movie’s motifs and infectious “friendship” song.

There are some aspects of this reimagining that may not sit well with fans of the original. The Chucky design itself isn’t the iconic, deranged Cabbage Patch Kid from the 1988 movie. Ultimately, this is a Buddi doll, not a Good Guy Doll. Very much like the remake as a whole, this is a different take on the concept. This isn’t a serial killer’s soul stuck in a cutesy dolly. This is a learning computer gone awry. An artificial intelligence that lacks inhibitions, who flouts Asimov’s First Law of Robotics and curses like a sailor. There is one scene that feels like a direct affront to the ignorance of the “Video Nasty” era of censorship that may seem a little on-the-nose but works within the context of this new Chucky’s origins.

With so many alterations to the original recipe you may ask yourself, “Why is this a Child’s Play movie and not its own thing”? This reimagining keeps a respectful distance to what has come before but is very much its own beast, and can totally be enjoyed as a separate thing, on its own terms. Has it tarnished the Don Mancini franchise in any way? Absolutely not. If anything, it reignited my interest in finally catching up with the latter sequels I’ve not seen. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for both versions of Chucky. While I’m stoked to see the Dourif and Tilly’centric TV series but also hoping we get a bunch of Hamill sequels too.

If there is such a thing as having, “Too much of a good thing”, we’re not there just yet!

Child’s Play hits cinemas Friday 21^st