RVIFF Day 9: Dreams of Mars, Neo-Giallo in Venice, and a Writer Messing Everything Up
September 14th, 2024 | Robin
A Ken and Robin Consume Media Special Feature
Mars One (Brazil, Gabriel Martins, 2023, 4) Working class mom (Rejane Faria) and dad (Carlos Francisco) take it hard when their college student daughter (Camilla Damião) announces plans to move in with her girlfriend and their younger son (Cícero Lucas) dreams of setting aside his football talents for a career in space science. Affirming, socially conscious family drama.
The Quiet Girl (Ireland, Colm Bairéad, 2022, 4) A young girl, neglected in her own chaotic household, thrives when sent to live for a summer at her mom’s cousin’s dairy farm. Idyllic character drama builds to an intensely poetic conclusion.
Subtitled, because it is in the two great Irish acting languages, Gaelic and mumbling.
Afire (Germany, Christian Petzold, 2023) As doom looms in the background, a writer staying at a summer house to flail at his sophomore novel (Thomas Schubert) lets his insecurities get the better of him, especially around an unexpected fellow guest (Paula Beer.) Rohmeresque dramedy of emotional self-sabotage in the shadow of disaster.
Venicephrenia (Spain, Álex de la Iglesia, 2022, 3) A group of partying Spaniards are targeted by murderous anti-tourism conspiracy in Venice. Topical neo-giallo with script structure issues that prevent de la Iglesia from sustaining his usual momentum.
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.
If you enjoy this special text feature of the Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff podcast and don’t already support our Patreon, consider tossing a few bucks in the tip jar. Or check out my book on action films and their roleplaying applications, Blowing Up the Movies. Or the roleplaying game inspired by the Hong Kong films I first encountered at TIFF, Feng Shui 2.
