RVIFF Day 4: Adorable Killers, Soundstage Chaos, and a Courtroom Puzzle
September 9th, 2024 | Robin
A Ken and Robin Consume Media Special Feature
Before, Now & Then (Indonesia, Kamila Andini, 2022) Wife (Happy Salma) of a wealthy philanderer (Arswendy Bening Swara) strives to keep up appearances as her previous life, shattered by war, reasserts itself. Sinuous, compellingly acted drama parallels repressed domestic truths with the forgetting of the Suharto regime’s 65-66 mass killings.
From beautiful, multilayered dramas like this to its horror and action output, Indonesia is really establishing itself as a new fully emerged national cinema.
Saint Omer (France, Alice Diop, 2022,4) Author (Kayije Kagame) covering the infanticide trial of a Senegalese philosophy student (Guslagie Malanda) finds uncomfortable resonances with her own life. Observational courtroom drama about the mystery of motivation uses its reporter character not as a narrative device but as a source of emotional connection.
I wonder how many French courtroom dramas I’m going to watch before I stop being boggled about the differences in their procedure compared to the Anglo-American one.
Cobweb (South Korea, Kim Jee-woon, 2024, 3.5) Convinced they will turn his latest project into a masterpiece and overturn his reputation as a perennial second-rater, an obsessive director (Song Kang-ho) connives his way to an unauthorized reshoot hidden from 70s censors. Broad soundstage satire offers a jaundiced take on creative ambition and is presumably funnier if you really know the Korean film industry.
A line from this film is going to rattle around in my head for a good while to come: “Believing in yourself is a talent.” Granted, it’s spoken by the hallucinated ghost of the protagonist’s mentor. But there is a big chunk of truth in that not necessarily encouraging thought.
Baby Assassins: 2 Babies (Japan, Yugo Sakamoto, 2023, 4) Adorably flaky teen girl killers (Akari Takaishi, Saori Izawa) get suspended from the Assassins Guild and are targeted by wannabes. This upgrade from the original boasts funnier off-kilter comedy, better fights and a more consistent tone.
For the third year running, my wife Valerie and I are attending our own at-home film festival. It takes the place in our hearts and vacation plans formerly reserved by the Toronto International Film Festival. The Robin and Valerie International Film Festival is the cinema event you can play along with at home, with a roster of streaming service and SVOD titles. Its roster includes the foreign, independent and cult titles we used to love to see at TIFF, but cheaper, hassle-free, and on the comfort of our own couch. Daily capsule reviews roll out throughout the festival, with a complete list in order of preference dropping a day or two afterwards. Review ratings are out of 5.
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