By Orla Smith.

At two points in Call Me by Your Name, when the central pair of lovers kiss, their faces fade out of focus like a memory strained to remember.

This is summer 1983, ‘somewhere in Northern Italy’. The life-changing summer romance between Elio (Timothée Chalamet) and Oliver (Armie Hammer) feels deliriously in-the-moment: wide shots saturate the world with sunshine; skin screams out with an urgent need to be touched. However, a barely detectable layer of hazy nostalgia rests overhead. While they’re in motion, the days that Elio and Oliver share seem nothing more than inconsequentially playful and fun ― until it becomes clear that both will remember them as the best days of their lives. This is ‘somewhere’, sometime, someone… a moment in time fondly recalled by a person longing to live in it forever.

“The usurper”: Elio Perlman labels Oliver in the first line of the film without realising how true his words will turn out to be. Unlike the previous guests who have stayed at the Perlman family’s Italian summer villa for each of Elio’s seventeen years, Oliver’s ‘usurping’ extends far beyond forcing Elio to vacate his bedroom. Elio is drawn irrepressibly to the enigma of the older, 24-year-old man, who is staying with the Perlman’s in order to study under Elio’s professor father (Michael Stuhlbarg). Oliver swaggers into the house with a magnetic self-assurance. His limbs are impossibly long, but unlike the gangly and impulsive Elio, Oliver has a mastery of his own body. He cuts every conversation short with a curt “Later!” and leaves before anyone has a chance to process his going. It’s brash, American rudeness, Elio decides ― or is he shy, as Mr. Perlman muses? The suggestion catches Elio off guard, and it deepens the agony of not having access to Oliver’s head. Elio longs to know if he cares at all ― about anything ― and if so, how much?

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAYeaXFb9w4

Chalamet gives a performance that fully utilises physicality in order to convey Elio’s restless energy.

He tosses and turns in his sleep, unable to sit still for even a moment. Oliver asks Elio how he passes the time on his yearly Italian holidays: “Wait for summer to end”. The six weeks of Oliver’s stay are long and languorous. Nothing is required of Elio, so he is constantly looking for ways to occupy himself: playing the piano with vigorous energy, listening to music, reading… soon all these things lead his thoughts to Oliver. He starts to play for Oliver; songs he hears feel like they’re speaking directly to him; a quote in a book ― “Is it better to speak or to die?” ― is what finally propels him to confess his feelings.

In the manner of an adolescent mind in the passionate throes of first love, the music in Call Me by Your Name is ever changing. We go where Elio’s head goes: the impeccably curated piano score is classical when Elio is able to luxuriate in his longing. When his desire excites him, the score bursts into a flurry of modern, staccato piano ― music brimming with possibility, like a flurry of birds released from their cage and tumbling out into the sky. Sufjan Stevens acts as the film’s narrator, using two original songs and a reworking of Futile Devices to give voice to Elio’s feelings in a way mere words never could.

While it becomes apparent that both Elio and Oliver developed feelings for each other almost immediately after meeting, Elio is the first to confess them. It gives him a newfound sense of power: before, he had simply idolised Oliver as an object of desire. As they expose more of themselves to each other though, Oliver’s insecurities are revealed. Elio comes to realise that Oliver’s easy confidence is the product of years of practice, and not a genuine expression of indifference. With the knowledge that Oliver wants him in the same way that he wants Oliver, Elio is given the confidence to take the lead.

In Call Me by Your Name, the only conflict is self-imposed. Unlike Luca Guadagnino’s previous film A Bigger Splash ― which was just as sensual but a lot more cunning in spirit ― the enjoyment comes from watching good people take joy in each other’s company. The heartbreak comes from knowing it has to end.

We’re told from the very start: six weeks is all they have. Elio and Oliver spend so much time tip-toeing around each other that when they finally both allow themselves to give in fully to their relationship, all they can do is lament: “We wasted so many days”. The film does not announce their farewell, simply cutting without warning to their final hug goodbye. They hold on to each other for as long as is reasonable, but still not long enough to satisfy. No words pass between them because no words could say what needs to be said. All they can give each other is one final, helpless look.

In its closing scenes, Call Me by Your Name puts the agonising ecstasy of a fleeting first love into the kind of perspective that can last a lifetime. Stuhlbarg delivers a father-to-son monologue of immense wisdom, preceding an epilogue set six months later. Elio holds himself high once again, spinning around the house and draping himself over furniture. We are granted a sigh of relief as the film recognises that Elio has managed to recover ― that life will, indeed, go on. When he is then reminded of Oliver, he is also reminded of his heartbreak and the wound briefly reopens ― but replaying that perfect summer in his mind brings not only sadness, but joy too. Call Me by Your Name transcends because it dares to not only ask, but also answer the question posed by so many love stories throughout history: was the love worth the pain? Yes. Without a doubt, it was.

Another year, another fourth superhero film. And people wonder why there’s superhero fatigue going around, I know I have that. But, best to keep an open mind on these things – you may be surprised one day. I certainly was with the first Thor. Fun fact, I had actually skipped on seeing the MCU films released before it. So, what had initially got me into the MCU was Thor. By no means a great film and not that memorable looking back on it, Thor was good. It was fun, a nice Shakespearian-inspired story, well directed by Kenneth Branagh and Asgard still looks amazing. But I do understand why people don’t enjoy the fish-out-of-water Earth side of the story and the non-existent chemistry between Hemsworth and Portman, so I get why things were changed for the sequel. Thor: The Dark World is easily the worst MCU film I have ever seen. I don’t exaggerate when I say that I thought that film was pointless, ugly and just all around awful. I liked Loki, and there’s a fun portal-based action scene at the end – I just hated everything else about it.

Lucky for me that Thor Ragnarok appears to be an apology for The Dark World – they even have a whole scene taking the mic out of it. What’s the story?

Loki has unwittingly released his and Thor’s older sibling Hela, the goddess of death, from her imprisonment. Thor quickly finds himself lost on a junk planet where he is forced into fights to the death in a gladiatorial arena. There he meet’s the Hulk, and together they forge a team to take back Asgard from the evils of Hela. There’s death, destruction and action in this fast-paced, high octane, visually striking…wait! This is a comedy?

Yes, Thor Ragnarok is directed by Taika Waititi – who gave us The Hunt for the Wilder People and What WE Do in the Shadows – and is therefore a comedy. Not only is it that, it’s easily the funniest thing that Marvel has ever produced. I couldn’t stop laughing. I don’t think I could if was actively trying. There’s something very different about Ragnarok. It feels like they hired Waititi and just let him do his thing. Making this film very Australian and New Zealandia in nature, and I don’t just mean the cast. I have seen a lot of films from that part of the world – not only do I tend to love them but I find that they tend to have a very witty, juxtaposing and often dry and satirical sense of humour. Ragnarok is almost entirely made of this humour, playing with bending the rules of tone and audience expectance to deliver its laughs. It very rarely fails to deliver on that front. I think only one ‘big’ joke failed on me, and it was in a beginning scene with Doctor Strange. It feels just like a big budget film from Waititi, and after The Dark World, and this years earlier Spider-man Homecoming it was a more than welcome change.

Before I go further, I must say that Thor Ragnarok is not perfect.

After a pretty entertaining opening scene, where Thor must fight a demon voiced by Clancy Brown, and a hilarious parody scene of The Dark World with some hilarious big-star cameo’s, the film becomes very rapid and disjointed for about ten or so minutes. It’s like they are trying to get the MCU stuff out of the way very quickly so that the story can just begin. It’s a shame when the fact that a film is in a franchise actively hurts the overall film for a time. I also thought that, while the effects are great throughout the rest of it, this ten-minute block had some very poor green-screen effects and some dodgy CGI.

The only other issues I have heard of are the tone and certain character deaths. The characters do die rather unceremoniously, but they weren’t characters I had any emotional connection with so I didn’t mind this. And the only character who I did care for that died was done in a respectful way. As for the tone, the film has two tones. Dark, where people are dying and destruction is imminent, and an over-the-top, colourful comedy. Jarring at times, but these tones were locked to Thor and Hela and changed only when perspectives of the film did. So, again, it didn’t bother me as much as I feared it would. And, as mentioned above, juxtaposition is one of the themes this film works with when it comes to humour and drama.

This is a great looking film. Branagh’s version may be grander, but this was just amazing to look at. The colours. The designs. The effects. It was all a treat for the eyes. Just as much was the action. Thor fighting Hulk was the highlight, but every single action scene was pretty awesome. It honestly feels like a love letter to John Carpenter, from direction, to action, to tone, right down to the music. I could see Carpenter directing this back in the ‘80’s. It certainly feels like Escape From New York, They Live and, of course, Big Trouble in Little China. It was very refreshing, even if it did have a pang of Guardians of the Galaxy to it. It quickly makes you forgive what shortcomings it has. Nobody can see this and not think ‘That was fun’. It’s not possible.

All that’s really left is the cast. Returning to us is Chris Hemsworth as Thor. A man who should do more comedy because his comedic timing was perfect. He improved in his dramatic moments because of this too. Sure, the strong script helps too, but credit where it’s due – I don’t think I have seen a better performance from the guy. With him come back Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Anthony Hopkins, Idris Elba and Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk. All great, all fun, all giving their all. In particular, I loved the Hulk. What they did with him was different from anything I have ever seen from the Hulk before. Newcomers include Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, Waititi himself and Jeff Goldblum. I don’t know how they did it, but I couldn’t be happier with this cast. I loved all of them. Goldblum has not been this good since Jurassic Park and I loved every minute of his scene chewing.

Then we have Cate Blanchett as Hela. Marvel has outdone themselves on villains this year. Ego was fun, Vulture was good, Hela is a great villain. She’s cold, calculating and loves every minute of torment she causes. She is not without her humour, which is as sick and twisted as herself. She’s not particularly deep, but she proves a more than worthy adversary for the God of Thunder and provides us with some interesting and dark history to Thor’s world. Of course, it helps that she is played by Cate Blanchett. She’s one of those actresses who couldn’t do a bad performance if she tried. Every line oozes malice. Every move feels calculated. She’s pure evil and she is loving it, having fun and looking good while doing it. I don’t know why Thor gets the best villains of the MCU, but I am not complaining.

You can forgive a film a lot if it’s fun. A slightly jarred tone and a dodgy ten minutes at the start do not hurt Thor Ragnarok enough to remove the fun.

Truth be told it has been years since I last saw a MCU film and loved it. Last time it was called Guardians of the Galaxy- and before that it was Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Iron Man. I would have to see Ragnarok again to be sure – and I plan to very soon – but it’s definitely a strong contender for being the best film of the MCU so far. Waititi appears to be thinking about making a Thor 4 (and should just call it that for fun) and I honestly hope he does. If more films like this were made, different and fun, then people would stop complaining about the MCU once and for all.

By Last Caress.

The Unraveling opens on a heroin addict going through the process of injecting his drug of choice. That heroin addict is Michael (Zack Gold), and he’s servicing his addiction in a flophouse full of similarly addicted folk, almost all of whom are presently off inside themselves, far from reality. In the act of procuring a blanket for a poor wretch having a bad experience, Michael uncovers a dealer’s stash of drugs, cash and a firearm, with which he takes off, sharpish. Michael’s got to get home.

At home is Michael’s pregnant fiancée Jess (Cooper Harris). She knows Michael is a former addict but Michael hasn’t told her that he’s backsliding into his old habit once more, although she certainly suspects as much. When he slips out to get high, he tells her he’s picking up night shifts at work. Of course, there’s never any extra money from these extra “shifts” but, lookey here! Michael’s got $6,000 tucked inside an envelope. Why, he must have been back-paid for his hard graft, right? Yeah, right. The sudden appearance of an overly fat wad of cash does nothing to assuage Jess’s concerns but, well, there’s a baby on the way and money’s tight, and she wants to believe Michael. She tells him she just doesn’t like him being out there and he promises her that once the baby comes, he’ll quit. They’re talking about the extra shifts at work, but of course they’re not talking about the extra shifts at work at all.

The following day whilst out by the skips at work, Michael is grabbed, bound, gagged and thrown into the boot of a Chevy SS by a quartet of hockey mask-wearing goons. I guess this is what you get for taking off with a significant quantity of somebody else’s illegal product, right? Wrong; many miles out into the wilderness, the four “goons” let Michael out of the trunk and reveal themselves to be his buddies Alan (Jason Tobias), Louie (Bennett Viso), John (Jake Crumbine) and Shane (Bob Turton). Turns out Michael, in a drug-bound stupor, neglected to show up for his own stag party, arranged by these gentlemen in Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada. Well, you know the saying: What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. What also stays in Vegas is the cash they spent on their Sin City sojourn, so now they’re “treating” Michael to a more immediate – and far cheaper – stag option: an enforced camping trip out in the woods with his buds. Of course, they don’t know about Michael’s continuing habit (except that, like Jess, they kind-of do, really) and Michael’s quietly pissed because, having been snatched in the manner that he has, he only has a small quantity of gear on him. How’s he going to power through this “fun” experience?

The fun peters out quickly enough anyway as John, suspicious of Michael’s constant need to nip off for a wee, goes through his bag and confiscates the last of Michael’s stash which brings tensions over Michael’s habit to the fore. Still, that’s a picnic compared to the downturn the guys experience next when John vanishes only to be found suffocated in the car, which has been tampered with and rendered useless, stranding the remaining foursome out in the middle of nowhere. What is happening? Who has killed John, and why? Is Michael’s hasty snatch-and-run catching up with him for real this time? The last forty minutes of The Unraveling are a big old game of cat-and-mouse interspersed with flashbacks of Michael’s descent back into the drug scene; but this game mightn’t play out as one would expect…

Man. With a title like that, I was smugly half-hoping for The Unraveling to start well before dissolving into tired cliché just so’s I could say that it “unravels” as it goes, ha-bloody-ha. But it does nothing of the sort. First-time director Thomas Jakobsen keeps The Unraveling as tight as a drum throughout the entirety of its brisk eighty-minute runtime, and whilst each of the five principal characters are initially painted quite broadly (one’s funny, one’s an asshole etc etc), they’re all distinct, relatable and, crucially, likeable. Lead Zack Gold plays Michael with a touch of Aaron Paul about him; a sweet guy who simply wasn’t paying attention when the tide of addiction swept him out to sea.

All in all then, The Unraveling is a well-written, beautifully staged independent thriller featuring a terrific cast and a satisfying conclusion to the proceedings. Recommended.

The Unraveling official site

By Orla Smith.

“When it hurts it means it’s working”. Those words, spoken by The Wound‘s withdrawn protagonist Xolani (Nakhane Touré), neatly summarises the cultural attitude the film depicts ― and rallies against.

Director John Tengrove examines a South African tradition in the Xhosa community, designed to celebrate burgeoning manhood. Annually, teenage boys travel to the Eastern Cape mountains and are violently circumcised, followed by a two week process of healing in which displays of toxic masculinity are encouraged, and showing signs of physical or emotional pain is not an option.

Xolani was one of those boys many years ago. Now he is a quiet, worn-down and closeted factory worker who returns to the mountains each year in order to train one of the teenage initiates. This year, that’s Kwanda (Niza Jay), a head-strong teen who is mocked by the other initiates for being a rich boy from Joburg. The ritual that the boys participate in is brutal and archaic; the film takes place away from technology, so you’d be forgiven for thinking these things happened in another time. However, the brief appearance of cell phones, and Kwanda retreating to his car to listen to pop music, remind us that these practices take place in the modern world.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubSlj-G4P6I

The Wound screened as part of the Cambridge Film Festival’s African Film strand, as well as recently winning the Sutherland Award for best debut feature at the BFI London Film Festival.

While not as precise an artistic vision as some other films up for the award ― Ava, Summer 1993 ― it’s unsurprising that The Wound is connecting with audiences. It deals unflinchingly with toxic masculinity and how it suppresses queer desire, themes that are ever relevant and ripe for awarding when handled correctly. The Wound has something to say, and it says it directly.

While The Wound hits many of the right notes, a more considered approach may have made it more effective. It almost runs too smoothly, hitting all the expected narrative and emotional beats and therefore not never becoming challenging or confrontational enough to be truly vital. The film comments aggressively on the way that marginalised people internalise oppression, but I found the note it ends on to be unnecessarily sadistic and untrue to the nature of the characters as depicted up until that point. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth after a film that is generally worthwhile.