The Ice Tower

When watching a Lucille Hadzihalilovic film, even when you have no idea what the story is, you can expect something very different each and every time. Though there are stories to play out, full of mystery and existential dread, the atmosphere is set, the tone is understated and you can bet there will be a memorable character and an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of your stomach. The Ice Tower, slightly different from Hadzihalilovic’s previous offerings, in that the setting feels more definitive. Starting in the mountains, then travelling to a city and finally a studio where a film is being made. But this is not a story about the film industry, this is about infatuation and desire.

Teenage orphan Jeanne decides to run away from the current home she is in. Ending up in a city she recognises from an old postcard, she takes refuge in a studio. A film adaptation of The Snow Queen is currently being shot, starring the enigmatic actress, Cristina. As Jeanne slowly becomes infatuated with Cristina, she finds her way to being part of the production. Cristina equally is fascinated by Jeanne, though her motives become more and more unclear as the film nears its end.

Full review over at Filmhounds.

Pearl

 

Some may say that Pearl is the most beloved, if that word can even be used, film in Ti West’s trilogy. The villain from X has own story to tell and it is as dark as her soul. Thankfully we can now enjoy it in 4K. Second Sight’s releases of Pearl (and MaXXXine) are fantastic as always. Complete with extras on disc, art cards, booklet with various essays all presented in rigid case with brand new artwork and the film itself on 4K. Whether you’re a die-hard fan for the film or new to Pearl’s bloody beginnings, this is a release that worth having on your shelf.

Waiting for her husband to return from war, Pearl dreams of becoming a star, dancing on stage or in movies. But as her dreams are stifled by her overbearing mother, her sick father and her duties on the family farm, Pearl’s inner thoughts and desires start to break through with violent and bloody consequences.

Full review over at Filmhounds. 

Edwards Scissorhands

 

As Tim Burton’s previous masterpieces are being released in 4K, it was only a matter of time before one of his most beloved, now considered classics, made its way to our small screens in all its 4K glory. Edward Scissorhands, a character synonymous with director and actor alike, the film won us over with its bizarre charm and stylised design, one that could never really truly be replicated, except by the creator itself. Though we did get some version of this in a car advert during the Superbowl a few years back with Timothee Chalamet donning the scissorhands. The character made famous by Burton and Johnny Depp as the man himself, has been parodied, idolised by gothic millennial teens everywhere, especially at Halloween, but looking back at the film on its release on 4K, there is much more to be explored.

Full review over at Filmhounds.

The Testament of Ann Lee - BFI London Film Festival

 

Though there have been biographies that try to offer another way to tell a story, biographical films end up in the drama or comedy arenas with fair to middling results. But add in the founding of religion, a lot of choral singing and chanting and most importantly, dancing that will keep you captivated from start to finish and you have the making of something completely different. Directed by Mona Fastvold and co-written with Brady Corbet, The Testament Ann Lee is unlike anything you’ve seen in a very long time. 

This is the story of Ann Lee, or Mother Ann as she was eventually known as. From her harsh beginnings to her going on to becoming a founder of the Shakers religious sect in the 18th Century, starting in Manchester, UK and taking her followers to America.

Full review over at Late Night Picture Show

No Other Choice - BFI London Film Festival

 

What would you be pushed to do if you felt you had no other choice? The latest from Park Chan-wook poses this question and quite literally answers it, at least in the case of the main character in No Other Choice. Unemployment can be soul destroying. Being without a means to earn an income prevents you from functioning, how society sees it, normally. With unemployment being discussed every day, with jobs being scarce and having to deal with companies ignoring applicants, it is a subject that will trigger many. No Other Choice, Based on the novel, The Ax by Donald Westlake, delves into this deep well of desperation mixed with one of the darkest comedies in recent years.

After working in the paper industry for 15 years, Yoo Man-soo finds himself unemployed. After trying and failing to find a job after a several months, desperate to provide for his family, he places an advert for a fake job. Examining the applicants, Man-soo decides to kill those who are more qualified than he is in order secure a job opening, that he will also create for himself.

Known for his dark comedies and violent revenge filled plots, No Other Choice does, at times, feel lighter than his previous film. Though the subject is dark and the solution even worse, the snippets of charm and tenderness feel quite natural when embedded within the story. This satirical approach at the state of current situations that many face is above all, bleak. Throughout, you are meant to be hoping that Man-soo succeeds in his plan to murder people because it means he will secure a job and will be able to fix all the myriad of problems that have happened because he lost his job. But as we learn a little bit about his intended victims, there is absolutely no way to justify these crimes, yet we still hope he succeeds. Its difficult to suspend your morals for the 2 hours 30 minutes as after each murder there is a sense of dread, not that he may get caught but that he has maybe got away with it.

Aside from these internal dilemmas that you may experience throughout, the dark comedic tone does off set most of the issues that the story brings. Man-soo and his family’s other problems that need solving; the cellist genius daughter who won’t play for her family, the son who contemplates stealing, Mi-ri (his wife) taking a job working for an attractive younger dentist. Man-soo’s previous issues are also brought to the surface, his previous drinking problem most prominent, something that could destroy him completely, if unemployment doesn’t first. There are comedic moments to be found throughout but these unfortunately don’t out-weigh the sickening violence planned and executed.

Lee Byung-hun as Man-soo gives a fantastic eclectic and emotional performance, balancing the comedic and menacing side of the character. However, as a whole, No Other Choice, feels like some other choices could have been made but discomfort and shock were more favourable.

Rose of Nevada - BFI London Film Festival

 Curses, ghosts and time travel can all feel very similar laid out on screen. What might be a story set in the present but through an object, place or person, the present soon becomes the past, with ghosts from present now haunting the place. This may seem disjointed but that’s to be expected with a Mark Jenkin’s film. Returning to BFI with his third feature, Rose of Nevada is a slightly different tale than his previous (Bait, Enys Men). Those themes of the past and the present colliding are still the backbone of the story, Rose of Nevada takes the idea of time travel and turns it into a haunting story of grief, resilience and what feels like most definitely a curse.

After it had been missing for 30 years, the fishing boat, Rose of Nevada appears in the harbour of a run-down fishing village in Cornwall. The boat sets out again, this time with two new crew members, but when it returns to harbour once more, the crew members are welcomed back as those who went missing as it is now, 30 years ago.

Full review over at Filmhounds