Bad Apples - BFI London Film Festival

 

Teachers and students, stories that can turn into sordid affairs, or lead down inspirational paths. But when the story is about how teachers are meant to handle difficult students, they can easily end in chaos. Thankfully, Bad Apples is a dark comedy and is able to show harsh realities as well bizarre events, all without taking itself too seriously.

Primary school teacher Maria is overwhelmed. Her class is constantly disrupted by one pupil, a bully with a violent streak. But when she takes drastic and desperate measures to fix the problem, everything escalates to the point of no return.

First and foremost, we all know teachers are underpaid and often overwhelmed, especially if their class is facing important exams that will affect a child’s future. Immediately, we all understand and can sympathise with Maria as she tries her best to deal with Danny, the ‘difficult child’. Everything seems to hit harder for Maria as the teacher of a Year 6 class. Not only does she need to prep the students for SATS exams (important in the UK), but she’s been left alone by her colleague and ex-boyfriend who she moved to the town to be with. She’s been left with a house, but her existence seems pathetic as she plays a tractor simulator every night. The head teacher is losing faith, her ex is too and even her class mock her to her face. You can understand why, to an extent, she does what she does with Danny. 

Director Jonatan Etzler, manages to keep the balance of between feeling sympathy for Maria as questioning how she thinks things will play out. We also end up in a similar situation with Danny. At first, we believe him to be nothing but a violent bully, until its revealed, he can’t actually write. The boy has got to Year 6 (approx. 11 years old) and he’s unable to write. In this moment, we can see his frustration, he’s been written off by previous teachers, his over worked father hasn’t even noticed. But at the same time, we see Danny’s default response is to smash anything in sight when he’s cornered. We are able to get points of view from both Maria and Danny, each played superbly by Saoirse Ronan and newcomer Eddie Waller. However, for all the merit that can admired, there is very much a sense that the film is not pushed to the realms of absolute shock. We teeter on the edge of something very serious, especially during a Parents Evening meeting where terrible truths are revealed, we witness how far parents will go for ‘the greater good’. But in truth, there are no truly shocking moments.

Things do start to feel uneasy and verge on unhinged with the inclusion of Pauline, the creepy wannabe teacher’s pet who invites herself to Maria’s house. But even then, nothing of note happens, just an awkward fallout where Pauline subtly blackmails Maria and stirs up trouble at school. In all honesty, Pauline is probably the real villain of the film, with her parents even expressing that she’s weird and not in an interesting way. Its just a shame that the bar is not pushed, especially with such an great set up and lead into a third act. Bad Apples holds the promise of repressed carnage but it would have been great to see absolute chaos.

Alpha - BFI London Film Festival

 

We had all been waiting with bated breath to see what Julie Ducournau would create next. Beginning with her cannibalistic Raw and her unhinged Titane, her next film took a slightly different turn. Alpha is, like Ducournau’s previous films, a blend of genres. The body horror elements are truly disturbing, the coming of age and exploration of unbreakable bonds are blended into this relentless drama, as that is what the film is at its core, a drama.

When 13-year-old Alpha returns home after a party with a tattoo on her arm, her mother, a doctor becomes concerned that she may have contracted a blood born virus where its victims gradually turn to marble.

It has already been widely discussed that the virus in Alpha is reminiscent of the AIDS crisis and it is in no way subtle. From the cracked dust laid ground to the disturbing sandstorms that rage in the finale, there are meanings layered into this story. There are three key performances, with each relationship explored, sometimes even just through a devasting emotional scene where two characters embrace and breakdown crying, or through flashbacks which provide greater context and a better insight. There is the bond between brother and sister, one trying to desperately save the other, the strained relationship of a mother and daughter and the confusingly laid out story between uncle and niece. These isolated pairings, are harrowing and filled with pain and yes, to a point love. Each of the three leads are outstanding, packing in the emotional punches. But as a whole, the film crumbles with confusion and lack of understanding what we’re meant to be grasping at.

To call this a film a body horror cheapens the entire film, but to focus on the tragic elements would be the better focus and fairer way to describe it. Those suffering from the virus and seeing those care for loved ones without being able to do anything is as devasting as any other story featuring a horrific incurable disease. But while we watch Maman try to save Uncle Amin over and over, the film starts to slip past into stagnated territory. Thankfully the scenes with Alpha dealing with school, whether it’s the prejudice about her bleeding tattoo or her and her classmate sneaking away to make out in the toilets, the film takes a break from the confusing timeline Ducournau has created.

Though the emotional and devasting moments are the ones that stick with you, as well as the sight of someone’s crumbling back breaking, Alpha is feels like a very tone and overarching subject that Ducournau’s previous. Don’t go in expecting anything her previous films as you may be disappointed.