THE MISFITS (2021)

After being recruited by a group of unconventional thieves, renowned criminal Richard Pace finds himself caught up in an elaborate gold heist that promises to have far-reaching implications on his life and the lives of countless others.

There is something to be said about the art of marketing and the magnetism of recognizable names and faces in the cast list. One look at this film's trailer or poster and it brings the nostalgia flooding back, to the days when Pierce Brosnan was James Bond. Whether you liked his tenure as James Bond or not, the role is evocative and stands out enough to create an expectation and sell tickets when Brosnan returns to the big screen for another film in the heist/spy/secret mission genre. Unfortunately, The Misfits is as entertaining as a sack of potatoes. 

Beyond a reasonably quality appearance in production, there is little to praise about this film from Renny Harlin. The story is structured in a way that attempts to combine the exuberant character introductions of David Ayer's Suicide Squad, with the elaborate heists of the Oceans franchise, and the excessive action of the Fast & Furious franchise, but creates an unequivocal mess when the lifted elements contradict and conflict with one another.

Feeling more like a tickbox exercise than an attempt to tell a well-developed story, The Misfits is a film that revolves around a famous old white man and his attractive young daughter. Also part of the crew is a menagerie of diversity points in the form of ethnic characters that have no charisma, and little effect on the narrative of the story. The film relies on the acceptance that we are watching a group of highly skilled criminals and actually does a reasonable job at introducing them in the first act, but then fails to develop their characters any further, nor provide more than the token convenient opportunity for them to showcase their unique skill (some main characters aren't even lucky enough to be given a skill at all).

Aside from throwing a cavalcade of one-dimensional ethnic caricatures together for a heist, the overall pacing and structure of the film are sorely lacking. Spending over half of the film's runtime trying to recruit a single character who is given no reason to care, and does little to build a connection with the audience. With only the dogma of "stealing from the bad rich people to give to the poor", a belief that is practically abandoned by the end of the film anyway, The Misfits fails to provide any form of authentic character development, backstory, conflict, or challenges.

With unwanted narration that explains every single turn in the story before it happens, an over-reliance on physical and toilet humour, overly peppy music, and poorly constructed and edited action scenes, The Misfits falls flat at every turn. 

It's peculiar how nice the production looks, which would indicate a reasonable budget, and yet every other facet from the script to the editing is poorly conceived and disastrously executed. Reliant solely on the dry British wit of Pierce Brosnan, The Misfits fails to fire, never building up to anything worthy of note. Stuff just happens, and it works out for our team. A film that may have gone down better when I was a teenager in the 2000s when my taste in humour was more juvenile, but coming out in 2021, this film isn't retro and nostalgic, it's already outdated.

The Misfits is in cinemas from July 29, 2021

Originally posted to: https://djin.nz/Kr8896

WAITING FOR ANYA (2020)

 

During the harrows of WWII, Jo, a young shepherd along with the help of the widow Horcada, helps to smuggle Jewish children across the border from southern France into Spain.

Waiting for Anya is a drama genre war film, based on a real story. The actual content of the film, in which the entire runtime is devoted, is bookended on both sides with another subplot. The sophomore feature film from director, Ben Cookson, has some structure choices that prevent the film from having a full impact, due to the placement of certain elements in the screenplay (co-written with Toby Torlesse). This subplot shares a character with the main story and is a part of the theme of the main plot, but the set-up is poorly constructed in the first act. We are treated to an emotional sequence with no context, and then the plot thread is left dangling. This dangling thread is frequently referred to throughout the film's runtime but to the detriment of the main story, as the payoff occurs after the conclusion of the main arc.

It's an odd choice, to continually refer to something that isn't directly part of the main story arc, as it prevents the audience from fully engaging with the characters in the main story. Viewers are constantly being reminded that the titular character is still yet to arrive and relegates all other occurrences to set-up and development to a pay-off that doesn't meet expectations.

If you strip the book of its dust jacket, however, Waiting for Anya is a wonderfully balanced dramatic story. Never before have my eyes been privy to a war film that involves Nazi Germany but takes a human approach. These German soldiers are not all the irredeemable killers out to slaughter every person that isn't blonde and blue-eyed. They may be on the other side of the war, but they are still people with their own children, family, and friends, following the orders of their government. Thomas Kretschmann is an incredibly empathetic and charismatic choice as the Colonel opposite the cold and menacing Lieutenant Weissman (portrayed by Tómas Lemarquis).

It is this dichotomy within the ranks of the German soldiers that finally humanizes them. To see soldiers and officers that still have a clear understanding of morality ethics but are simply following orders to protect their own lives. Similarly, the hatred and anger that are often portrayed, come from both sides of the conflict putting forward a diverse mix of personality types; there is no black and white or good and bad, in war. 

From a visual sense, the film is adequate. There are several moments where it is incredibly obvious that the actors are standing in front of a computer-generated background (usually during the dialogue scenes in the mountains. It does stand out and can take you out of what is otherwise a very engaging and authentic film. The performance from the Noah Schnapp (who plays Jo) is well-executed as a young actor. Smart, resourceful, and curious enough with the need for precociousness and overexcitement. 

Simply put, the choice in title creates somewhat of a red herring and misdirection as to the narrative direction of the film. One expects Anya to have a greater significance is Waiting for Anya, but this is Jo's story of balancing friendships, evaluating trust, and being able to see the good in people, no matter the uniform that they wear. 

Waiting for Anya is in cinemas from July 22, 2021

Originally posted to: https://djin.nz/Kr8892

THE MATCH (JIFF 2021)

Inspired by true events from the spring of 1944 when the Nazis organized a football match between a team of camp inmates and an elite Nazi team on Adolf Hitler’s birthday. A match the prisoners are determined to win, no matter what happens. 

We all love a good underdog story, and what better underdog story is there than a sports game between those who have been imprisoned against their will in concentration camps and those who oppressed them and are living in the lap of luxury? Like a sports movie on steroids, the potential impact that The Match holds is impressive. What we end up with, in the end, is good but still falls below its potential.

The successful underdog sports films will usually have a team of misfits with no skills led by a single talented player, who through teamwork, hard work, and good tactics are able to overcome the obstacle of a superior team. The Match, unfortunately, fails to properly develop the entire sport that the movie bases itself around. The game choreography is poorly constructed and the training is haphazard and uncontrolled. It means the major plot device in the film lacks any form of skills build-up and challenges to overcome. We find talented players right off the bat, we are not shown their weaknesses or strengths, and we are not shown them grow as a team. The whole team is practically non-existent unless our main character Laszlo Horvath (portrayed by Andrej Dojkic) is in the same scene.

It's an unfortunate turn of events that has led to directors Dominik and Jakov Sedlar not placing focus on the team and their soccer practices, instead, putting all focus on Laszlo. Dojkic does a superb job at portraying the overconfident, selfish football star, a character narcissistic enough to not care about others enough to follow rules or keep his mouth shut. An exceptional rendition of a talented man whose popularity has shaped his personality, but in the situation of building teamwork and sportsmanship, the personality is not that of someone the audience can easily empathize with.

Sedlar attempts to gain sympathy with a few actions, but overall, the script lacks genuine emotion. We are shown a "work camp" where prisoners can leisurely work, and pause to stop and talk to each other. A place where letters can be sent, and where prisoners can make threats and demands to their wardens. It all reduces the reality of them being underdogs. Food withheld from them? They just grin and bear it. Need a practice area? Let's smile and sing and build an entire clubroom from scratch. There is no sense of struggle. No sense of conflict. And no real sense of what experience these men are trying to escape from.

It all culminates in a final act that lacks emotion and tension. The choreography is so poorly constructed and edited with quick cuts and slow-motion scenes that the viewer cannot understand the geography of the plays. There are no complicated plays, we never get to see any individuality from the opposition. Our protagonists are simply kicking a ball on a field with faceless opponents. The production sets are adequate, but Laszlo might as well be playing football around a bunch of cardboard cutouts.

There are attempts to create emotion but the script lacks depth, leaving the characters to feel like empty shells that must explain their feelings and motives via expositional dialogue, forced to play a sport that they are (in real-life) not great at. Perhaps it would be better to remember the events through Sylvester Stallone and Michael Caine's 1981 version, Victory; a film that actually used football players in the film to play football.   

The Match is part of the NZ Jewish International Film Festival from the 22nd of July to the 15th of August

WHEN HITLER STOLE PINK RABBIT (JIFF 2021)

In 1933 in Berlin. Anna is only nine years old when her life changes from the ground up. To escape the Nazis, her father Arthur Kemper, a well-known Jewish journalist, has to flee to Zurich. His family, Anna, her twelve-year-old brother Max and her mother Dorothea follow him shortly thereafter. Anna has to leave everything behind, including her beloved pink rabbit, and face a new life full of challenges and privations abroad.

Films based on the Jewish-Nazi confrontations, or just Nazi Germany in general, are very easy films to build drama and tension in. Like most war films, the life-or-death conflict quickly builds empathy from the audience towards the protagonists that are fighting for their life. Simply put, Nazi Germany has been so effectively demonized that even a hint of a swastika, or mention of Hitler or the Nazis, and history instantly fills in the necessary character development of the antagonists. 

I mention this as it is the one thing that is clearly missing from When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit. The story attempts to come from the perspective of a child, which would bring a unique perspective to the genre of film, however, the events of the film are so separated from the goings-on of the war, that the film entirely lacks any form of tension or suspense.

At no point does it actually feel like the family that we are following is ever in any danger. We move from Germany to Switzerland, France, and beyond, and yet the external forces that are causing them to constantly uproot themselves and live a refugee life are nowhere to be seen. They are mentioned in passing conversations, but the threat is never properly seen. Ironic, considering the original autobiography was written due to the misconception that real life was like The Sound of Music, while the film adaptation that comes from it is in reality far tamer.

To truly appreciate When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, it is near-necessary to separate the Nazi backstory, to recalibrate expectations. This is the story of a political writer who has gotten on the wrong side of a powerful person, whose persistence in speaking out about said person leads to him being unable to find work and having to relocate his family to foreign countries in an attempt to earn a living. This is not a story about Hitler and the Nazis, this is a story about a refugee family, and the effects of abandoning their home on the children, moving from upper-class Germany to rural Switzerland, and peasanthood in France. 

Portraying such a significant upheaval through the eyes of a child (whose hardest decision has been whether to take a stuffed toy rabbit or stuffed toy dog with her) was a unique opportunity to highlight how the same events can be perceived differently by an innocent, naive child. The frantic nature of potentially getting lost in a new town, the frustration and fear of being thrown into an environment where nobody speaks your language, the knowledge that somebody is offering money for capturing her father, the feeling of loss from leaving your nanny and all of your belongings behind. There are many scenarios that could revitalize the war genre, but director Caroline Link instead places a surprising amount of focus on the adults. A perspective that we already know and understand well enough.

As an adventure story, young Anna Kemper and her brother travelling around the world with minimal money, relying on the kindness of others, is a delightful story of the adaptability of young children. Learning to speak two new languages across the span of a couple of years, and experiencing wealth to poverty, it's the positivity and pluck of young Anna Kemper that carries the film. Riva Krymalowski and Marinus Hohmann do a superb job as the young Kemper children, building that empathetic bond with the audience through calmly delivered dialogue and actions. 

The film captures that feeling of longing and wants; wanting their friends, their nanny, their toys, their first edition books, their respect, and their integrity. As the film progresses and their priorities begin to change, their wants and longing become much more simple; a consistent home, a taste of meat, to be together. It's a family dynamic that works very well with behaviours, mannerisms, and outbursts that feel authentic.

There is a simple delight to When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, and as long as you go in with the right expectations, there is a humanizing story of what being a refugee can mean. In a day and age where refugees are looked down upon, ignored, or rejected from society, it is films like this that are important to remind us that the overwhelming majority of people who exist today are where they are because of ancestors who were refugees, and that refugees are people that deserve the same dignity and rights that the rest of us have.  

This is not another Jojo Rabbit, nor is it anything that would resemble action or thriller territory. But When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit is a pleasant reminder that there are other consequences beyond life and death when considering war.

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit is part of the NZ Jewish International Film Festival from the 22nd of July to the 15th of August

THOU SHALT NOT HATE (JIFF 2021)

The son of a Holocaust survivor who lives in Trieste as a surgeon begins to doubt his actions of refusing to help a victim of a traffic accident that he encountered on his way home from work.

Mauro Mancini’s first full-length film is somewhat of an obtuse and hypocritical narrative journey. An emotional viewing that seeks to show love and understanding can overcome hate, through the consequences of a series of poor decisions. In a manner of speaking, these ill-judged actions help to put forth a real and flawed character yet, on the other hand, it undermines its own message through poorly constructed romantic elements.

The setup for the film comes in two heavy-handed strokes. Firstly, Simone Segre, our protagonist (as a child) is forced to pick a kitten and drown the remainder of the kittens in the kindle, at the behest of his father. Secondly, Segre (now an adult) alone from any outside influence, chooses to let a stranger in a car accident die.

Of course, one can immediately argue the bluntness of my summary, but pointing out the stranger was already suffering from blood loss and had a low chance of survival on his own, was involved in white supremacy groups, had several nazi tattoos, the protagonist's direct family was held prisoner in German concentration camps, and the protagonist himself was seemingly raised by a cruel father, but in the end, Segre provided first aid, increasing his chance of survival immensely, and then removed his first aid, guaranteeing the man's death. As far as the first five minutes of any film can be judged, this is an incredibly hard-hitting and polarizing narrative to be introduced to our main character with. From this point on, Segre is on the path of redemption as his guilt overpowers his self-preservation instinct. 

From a cinematography standpoint, the film is beautifully crafted. Set pieces and environments are well choreographed, with an interesting use of light as a means of highlighting the inequality between our characters. No matter the gorgeous visuals or the emotional strength of Alessandro Gassman's (Segre) acting, the motives and morals are far too muddled to effectively navigate through the narrative of this piece.

There are two main emotional arcs that run through Thou Shalt Not Hate, and as the film's name suggests, they both revolve around the concept of hate. One looks at the racial undertones of the Jew-Nazi pairing, putting an indoctrinated hatred of other ethnicities against anger for past atrocities against their people. The second arc looks more into the internal hate that stems from the influences of their fathers. There is a burgeoning plethora of conflicting emotions that Gassman is able to portray brilliantly as his guilt forces him to develop a relationship with the family of the man he killed.

The screenplay by Mauro Mancini and Davide Lisino provides several opportunities to develop its characters by placing them in a number of difficult situations and seeing how they react but fails to properly develop its antagonist to a point that is fruitful. The source of Marcello's rage is never identified and is never suitably resolved. Segre's redemption is muddied by a romantic element that again throws his ethics and morals into question yet again as his wealth turns any love interest into a manipulative power play. 

The reconciliation and overcoming of anger in light of redemption and second chances is a lovely thought. The underlying narrative that the ends justify the means is, however, unnerving. The justification of killing a father to end the hate and break the vicious cycle of racial abuse was unexpected. None of the film's shock-value events receive any consequence, and it loses some credibility because of that.

It's beautifully shot, and the emotions are raw and authentic (especially the spite and hatred from Marcello, portrayed by Luka Zunic), but the lack of consequence tells a tale that the screenplay did not mean to promote. The push for a romantic twist further draws our protagonist away from earning his redemption, and the indirect nature of Segre's meddling comes across as shallow and with an ulterior motive.

Thou Shalt Not Hate is part of the NZ Jewish International Film Festival from the 22nd of July to the 15th of August

THE GODMOTHER (2020)

 

Patience Portefeux, a middle-aged police interpreter who switches sides to become a wholesale narcotics trafficker. Armed with her insider knowledge of the law and a striking wardrobe of Hermès scarves, Patience reinvents herself as a drug lord.

The film has gone by a lot of names (i.e. La Daronne, Mama Weed) and has done remarkably well in European markets. Hitting New Zealand shores this July, The Godmother is an inter-niche crime-comedy-drama-satire. In a similar vein to Lucky Grandma, The Godmother brings a quizzically elegant yet basic fast-paced thriller. I use thriller in the loosest of terms here, with the mere speed at which the film accelerates absolutely boggling. 

Isabelle Huppert is the shining beacon that makes this film watchable. She manages to put on an empathetic and sympathetic performance that feels comfortable and homely, then switches to an elegant and wily hustler, more than capable of mucking in and getting the work done but having a preference to keep her hands clean and use brains over brawn. It's this confounding but refreshing, near-schizophrenic amalgamation of personalities that Huppert manages to portray with little issue. It's also the element that gives The Godmother its awkward inter-genre placement; the tone of the film is all over the place.

Unable to decide on whether the flick is meant to be gritty and tense, or light and jovial, there is a great deal of flipping and flopping from one to the other. Characters are introduced and then ignored for most of the film purely serving as a plot device (or MacGuffin) to drive the story forward or add some conflict at that point in time, and events happen largely without consequence but occur at a faster and faster pace to create a fast pace, but all without an ounce of tension or suspense, leading to a final act that is rushed and fails to give the satisfying payoff.

Despite all of these issues in the writing, however, Huppert manages to salvage the film into something above average. With a jovial positive attitude that overflows with female empowerment, individuality, and self-reliance, Huppert creates a similar atmosphere to that of Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries or Agatha Raisin but with more youth and energy injected into it. The initial premise of working as an Arabic-to-French translator for a squad of Paris narcotics officers is an enticingly unique plot device, that could have formed a stronger story if only the screenplay and the runtime would have allowed for it.

The number of conveniences that save our Mama Weed from being caught is dizzying and certainly makes things feel much more like a caper than building a criminal drug empire, but the basic solutions and conveniences that really keep things light-hearted and low stakes, despite the stings, car chases, and brutal off-screen violence. Jovial and positive are far away from the levels of humour you would traditionally expect from a comedy.

Plagued by a short runtime and one too many "antagonists" The Godmother has aimed for the moon and missed, but thanks to a brilliant performance from Isabelle Huppert, the flick has still landed among the stars. 

The Godmother is in cinemas from July 15, 2021

Originally posted to: https://djin.nz/Kr8889

INCITEMENT (JIFF 2021)

A psychological thriller, Incitement follows the year leading to the assassination of Israel’s Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, from the point of view of the assassin.  It is a psychological portrait of a political assassin seeking to kill democracy. It is also a portrait of a torn society on the brink of civil war.

This is heavy. A look through the eyes of a cold-blooded killer, made that way by the expectations put in place by religion. It is a widely stated fact that religion is the biggest cause of wars, with differing ideologies leading to hate and domination of one religion over another. It is not often that we are treated to a more explorative look into specific religions and the facets that spark extremism and terrorism, such as has been done here. Incitement is a damning display of the superiority complex ingrained in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish people. 

Devoid of humour and positivity, Incitement is a heavy, burden of a film to watch. The audience is provided with no reprieve during the film's runtime, and neither are they provided with a likeable protagonist to bond with. Revolving around Yigal Amir (portrayed by Yehuda Nahari Halevi), an already active out-spoken activist, who has already committed questionable violent acts against the Palestinians. Not specifically because Amir is a bad person, but because he has been told his entire life that the ancient scripture specifies the land that the Palestinians are living on is the Jewish people's God-appointed land, that the killing of someone that takes or gives away the Jewish land can be allowed under Jewish law, that Jewish laws are above all secular laws, and that his name anoints him as the one to redeem his people. 

It's a combination that highlights the reality that the source of this act of terrorism comes directly from religious teachings. Indoctrination and brainwashing to value a certain set of principles above the value of human life. It brings a spotlight to the Israel-Palestine conflict and identifies why there will never be a solution. Why there will never be peace. While there are of course less orthodox populations that are left-leaning and support an end to the bloodshed, this is not the focus of Incitement. The intrinsic duality between the two perspectives brings an eternal conflict and represents the two big powers of the state that control the people.

There is a clear similarity to films such as Joker and Taxi Driver, with external forces pushing our main character (I am hesitant to refer to him as a protagonist) in a dark direction, but the difference here is that Amir isn't an innocent player to start with. An activist already, and immediately showing anger and resentment, his journey is not from good to bad, but from already warped to the breaking point. It's a critical difference that greatly affects the impact of the film but prevents his character from being likeable. Charming and driven, yes, but not somebody that a Western audience would consider trustworthy. A charm that clearly demonstrates the manipulation that Amir himself has been subject to.

It's the single perspective that keeps the film from gaining more impact and dramatics, with all external information being fed through the media on his family's television. Every news piece sends him deeper into his destructive thoughts; it's an unmistakable one-note narrative structure choice.

Incitement is an informative peek behind the curtain of Israel's antiquated belief systems. A belief system that is resistant to any form of change. There is no real attempt to make the audience sympathize with our main character, Amir, and very little light is shone on the more open-minded Jewish communities. His father is the only real attempt to provide a differing point of view, which leaves the film trapped in the negativity of an ongoing problem that has no solution.

Despite the peculiar decision to base a dramatic film around someone who is being vilified, with no intention of changing that perspective, Yehuda Nahari Halevi is a very effective actor in the role of Amir. His stares do wonders at building depth to the character, conveying the building anger and frustration, as well as the emotional separation from anyone who isn't a loyal ultra-Orthodox Jew.

Incitement is an insightful look into Jewish laws that can incite, and the Rabbis that fail to quell violent leanings, but lacks the pacing and narrative exploration needed to create a fully engaging viewing experience. It's informative, but it's heavy, and it takes effort to get through.

Incitement is part of the NZ Jewish International Film Festival from the 22nd of July to the 15th of August

DATING AMBER (2020)

Set in Ireland during the mid-'90s, two teenagers, Eddie and Amber, fake a relationship in order to stop everyone from speculating about their sexuality. 

With so many LGBT+ films being released in recent times it's easy to switch off, to end up focusing on the similarities rather than focusing on the differences, and losing interest in an entire genre of brilliant films, simply because of an oversaturation of the market. The reality is that the historical repression of LGBT+ has had some devastating consequences on the mental health of the LGBT+ community over the decades, and this deluge of films for that specific demographic is pivotal in changing that trend.

That all being said, films can't just base themselves around LGBT characters or LGBT issues and consider themselves successes. It's an issue with Hollywood simply adding LGBT characters or genderbending for the sake of capitalizing on the "woke" culture and greater acceptance of the community to try and make more money through adding token characters whose personality only consists of "I am not straight", with no connection or relevance to the narrative.

None of this is a concern when it comes to Dating Amber. Semi-autobiographical for director David Freyne, the flick is based around two non-straight protagonists, deeply in the closet, but still bullied and picked on. Fitting into both the coming-of-age and coming-out genres, the entire film revolves around Eddie and Amber as they deal with the concept of exploring their sexuality through the oppressive framing of societal pressures.

Set in mid-'90s Ireland, it's an important distinction to note that this is set immediately after divorce and homosexuality have been legalized. No longer considered a crime, but still widely chastised with generations of bigotry and learned behaviours that society has engrained. A world where words like "lezzer" and "fagg*t" are thrown around with the intent of causing hurt and isolation, and anything short of a happy marriage between a man and a woman is treated like a disease.

Freyne navigates this world with a sense of sensitivity towards both homosexual and heterosexual sides. With a surprisingly unbiased perspective. Displaying differing behaviours and differing responses without a sense of judgement to any of them, leaving the audience to make their own minds up as to what is acceptable or unacceptable behaviour. Main protagonists make poor decisions, and minor supporting characters can make wholesome decisions. It's not the black-and-white that Freyne is interested in portraying. It is the various shades of grey; exploring the options that were open for dealing with a hostile work, home, and school environment. An analysis into the potential effects of each option; a learning module of sorts for those in a similar situation, coming from someone who has survived it themselves.

Dating Amber is split quite decidedly into three different acts. The first act is the fun, quirky portion that endears you to the protagonists and creates those initial emotional bonds between Eddie and the audience. The naivety and innocence in his appearance and mannerisms create a need to protect him and quickly generate empathy and sympathy towards the character. The musical compositions and cinematography come together to create an almost slapstick comedy that is guaranteed to bring in laughs and put smiles on your face. The humour is blue enough and portrayed with such nonchalance that it effectively stands out.

It is this well-executed character development in the first act that makes the rest of the film work as the whimsical nature of the first act makes way for the darker acts that follow. As events change, the Dating Amber loses most of its comedy preface for a more dramatic act with impactful gravitas, until it reaches a breaking point and the final act deals with the consequences of accepting or denying oneself. Conformity versus individuality. Defiance versus submission. 

Dating Amber is a soul-searching plight for freedom and acceptance that effectively gets you hooked on a light-hearted introduction and holds you through the turbulent aftermath. There are certainly secondary plots that don't complete their arc, many characters are one-dimensional, and Amber's arc is marginalized when compared to that of Eddie, but Dating Amber gets more right than it does wrong.

Dating Amber is in cinemas from July 8, 2021

Originally posted to: https://djin.nz/Kr8886

ASIA (JIFF 2021)

Becoming a mother at a very early age has shaped Asia’s relationship with her teenage daughter Vika. Despite living together, Asia and Vika barely interact with one another. Their routine is shaken when Vika’s health deteriorates rapidly. Asia must step in and become the mother Vika so desperately needs. 

One of the biggest realizations, when I started reviewing films, was the reality that, despite my own thoughts, action and adventure were not necessarily my favourite genre of film. There came a point in time where Hollywood's need to explode everything and have every single person be the absolute peak of physical fitness at all times...well it grew tiresome. I began to recognize it as what it was; not a thought-provoking story, but a loud distraction. It took the statistical approach of ranking the trends of my reviews according to the genre to realize that a well-made drama would consistently rank much higher than the best action and adventure had to offer.

Asia is a surprising offering, being the feature film debut of director, Ruthy Pribar. This dramatic affair is simple in its premise, and at first, seems almost haphazardly put together from a series of disconnected events, but pulls together exceptional performances from Shira Haas and Alena Yiv to create a lasting impression. The simple premise explores a mother-daughter relationship during a tragic period of time; the rapid decline in the health of the daughter, who suffers from a degenerative motor disease (it's never specifically identified, but symptoms appear similar to that of cerebral palsy).

Asia makes the most of its two protagonists forming personalities that parallel in many ways but ultimately contrast, creating a rich source of conflict. The 17-year-old wants to be a normal teenager, to try smoking, drinking, and sex, versus the mother who wants to protect her child from the world's vices, whilst wanting to partake in the vices herself as her own pregnancy prevented her from appreciating them earlier. Conflict around practicing what you preach, and the merits of worrying about the legalities and health issues around vices when you have an impending death in the not-too-distant future. The young age at which the mother had her child also means at the start the girls are more like fighting sisters than mother and daughter. All elements slowly forge a strong emotional bond.

Pribar's direction, along with Shira Haas' acting performance are what make this film unique. Brilliantly using the "show, don't tell" mentality, the audience experiences a wealth of emotions that are earned. There are no emotions being described in dialogue that are swiftly forgotten. The audience can see the pain, frustration, anger, disbelief, resignation, lust, and disgust, all in Haas' eyes. Her gaze (and the directing that utilizes it) carries the film. 

What makes this such a surprising film, is the authenticity of emotion. The film has a minimal cast (two major characters, two minor characters, and a bunch of extras here are there) yet at no time does it feel like the world is not real. Nothing is overly lit, or oversaturated. There is no unnecessary dialogue explaining what is going on. There are no plot points that feel unnecessary or inorganic. The environments and sets feel lived in and loved. The clothing is worn and within budget. Asia nearly comes across as a documentary with superior audio and cinematography.

The realism is what draws you in and keeps you hooked. The story in itself is not overly complicated, and something that we have seen in other films, but the authenticity and gravitas, the emotional weight of Asia will make you feel.

Asia is part of the NZ Jewish International Film Festival from the 22nd of July to the 15th of August