BERLIN SYNDROME (2017)

Berlin Syndrome is one of those films that is intriguing, but also difficult to fully appreciate as a male. The prospect of being locked in a room after what was meant to be a one night stand seems like something I would personally put up a lot of fight about. I'd probably either find a way out or be snuffed out quickly due to being problematic. But I am a physically imposing male, with a lot of weight behind me. It is difficult to truly comprehend a situation where I could be completely physically dominated by someone else. 

This is what creates tension and suspense in the film; being in a position where you cannot overpower your captor, and being in a position where you weren't a spontaneous choice. You were planned. You were not the first. A situation where you are controlled to such an extent that the only time you can get new information is when your captor is present, and the only way to get your restrictions removed is to go along with his plans. 

As far as casting goes, it seems as if they chose one of the most European looking Australian actresses that they could find. Teresa Palmer is a naturally stunning woman, but with the de-saturation of colours throughout the film, she ends up looking more German than her co-star Max Riemelt who is German by birth. The film really struggled to get me to empathise with any of the characters. We never got to spend enough time with Teresa's character, Clare, before she gets into trouble, and thus there is no emotional investment in the character. Max Riemelt does well in his portrayal of Andi, a rather disturbed young man, who despite seeming to struggle at interpreting his own language, plays a compelling performance.

The layout of the film was a little bit odd. It felt more like a film about Andi, than a film about Clare, who I thought was the main protagonist. The film would have been much more emotionally investing if it had stuck with Clare throughout the film, rather than jumping between the two characters. While the way it has been done certainly helped to explain Andi's tics and accentuate his social oddities, at did little to highlight Clare's situation. I would have been much more convinced if I only knew as much as she did.

Berlin Syndrome is like watching a failing marriage; watching one partner purposefully antagonise the other in order to get a reaction. It feels awkward to watch, it feels weird, but it doesn't feel dangerous until the climax of the film. The climax did get my interest. There was finally something exciting going on, but it was too little too late. Not a film I would watch again.

Originally posted on: http://djin.nz/Kr7767

THE FLORIDA PROJECT (2017)

The Florida Project is a film for critics and film students. It exists to bring to light the lives of those of lower socioeconomic status and provides a litany of scenes to critique and discuss. For the regular movie crowd that has become accustomed to Hollywood "beautiful people and fast-paced action" films, this will fall short due to the lack of progress and direction of the film. Wikipedia is able to describe the plot in only one sentence; "Set during the summer, Moonee, a precocious 6-year-old girl, lives with her mother Halley in a community of extended-stay motel guests in Kissimmee, Florida." If that doesn't intrigue you, then this isn't the film for you, and you need not read any further.

The film provides a look at the disparity between the image that Disneyland portrays within its boundaries compared to the surrounding areas. Areas once full of potential accommodation lots to cater to incoming tourists, that have since fallen into disrepair, been abandoned, and reduced to low-income housing for those that struggle are one missed payment away from being homeless. Areas where arson, vandalism, drug use, alcoholism, and assault, are par for the course. But this is the area where the leading lady (our six-year-old Brooklyn Kimberly Prince, aka Moonee) thrives. She holds the innocence of a child, with the wisdom of a teenager. While she may not be able to comprehend the full context of every little play, she is a girl that has lived around a revolving door of people, and in turn has learned to recognise their quirks, and how to manipulate people to get her way. Whether it's trying to get free meals from a family friend, free ice cream by begging from strangers, or using peoples kindness to help her reach her own goals.

These are skills that she has picked up from Halley, her young, single mother, who embodies the respectfulness of a cream pie to the face. Disenfranchised about the world, she has long ago given up, in every manner but one (providing for her daughter), and we watch as doors close around her one by one and she spirals into a nosedive that she cannot escape. Portrayed by Bria Vinaite, Halley is a character that creates conflicting opinions.' she is both an absent mother, and a loving mother. We watch as she steals and scams tourists, undercuts larger companies, lies and manipulates people, and if she doesn't get her way we watch as she explodes in anger, with violence, coarse words, and spiteful actions. But we also watch her take every step that she can to keep a roof over her child's head, provides a level of habit and routine, and when she gets a windfall, all the spoils go to her daughter.

The film almost comes across as a documentary, as we watch Moonee corral her friends towards any adventures at any cost. They make do with the bare minimum of provisions and still enjoy every single day, whether it be spitting on a car from a balcony, or going on a rural safari to see some cows. Even if a friend gets grounded, Moonee fills that gap with another child from the neighbouring motel that she only just met. She's a child of opportunity and she takes every available one, no matter the consequence. 

Willem Dafoe is the anchor in this movie, affording the positive male influence that is missing from many of these children's lives. Portraying Bobby, the owner of the Magic Castle Motel that Halley and Moonee live in, Dafoe has a role that is sparse and injected into little bits throughout the film. But he is still connected to every piece and takes personal responsibility for many things that are above the call of duty because he has that spark of humanity in him. He is definitely the most endearing adult character in the film, and you can see the struggle that he goes through every day ensuring his tenants pay up, but being as accommodating as possible because he knows they have no alternatives.

The film is shot beautifully, with the colours giving a youthful nostalgic feel, while the use of shadows brings back the reality and drudgery. The film feels real; there is no real resolution, people don't talk about their problems, everything is a form of conflict, people act irrationally out of spite and anger, instead of a journey with a direction it's repeating habits day in day out, and it's all there on the screen. It serves as a great reminder that the world is not always what you see. There is darkness amongst the light, and light amongst the darkness. The Florida Project attempts to bring this to the forefront. But what am I meant to do with this information?

Originally posted on: http://djin.nz/Kr7771