Posts Tagged ‘RVIFF’
RVIFF Reviews: Film About Film, Yakuza Vengeance, and Plenty of Soju
September 9th, 2023 | Robin
A Ken and Robin Consume Media Special Feature
For the second 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.
Hal [US, Amy Scott, 2018, 4] Documentary profiles Hal Ashby, the combative, instinct-driven director of seminal American New Wave films including Harold and Maude, The Last Detail, Coming Home and Shampoo. Moving portrait of an uncompromising artist who fought the system when it was weak enough to sometimes lose.
I Like Movies [Canada, Chandler Levack, 2022, 4] High school senior and aspiring filmmaker who masks his mental health issues with insufferable arrogance gets a shot of reality when he takes a job at a video store. Observational dramedy regards its protagonist with a rueful sympathy that cuts through the usual phony nostalgia of the coming-of-age genre.
The Novelist’s Film [South Korea, Hong Sang-soo, 2022, 4] A day of mostly chance encounters with past acquaintances leads an acclaimed novelist (Lee Hye-yeong) to try her hand at filmmaking. A strong entry in the prolific director’s career-long exploration of social awkwardness, metatextuality, and the revelatory permission granted by alcohol—in this case, makgeolli.
Alcarràs [Spain, Carla Simón, 2022, 4] Family of peach farmers face an uncertain future when their orchard, which they own only by an old verbal contract, is slated for replacement by a solar panel installation. Naturalistic ensemble drama portrays the 21st century version of the agrarian struggle, with a truthful look at familial conflicts.
Return to Seoul [France, Davy Chou, 2022, 5] Young French woman (Park Ji-min) initiates years of inner turmoil when, during an unexpected trip to Korea she ambivalently seeks her birth parents. Incisive writing and emotion-packed visuals brought into stunning focus by a searing, lucid performance from Park. And it’s her first movie role!
Outrage Coda [Japan, Takeshi Kitano, 2017, 4] A murder committed by a dimwitted mid-level yakuza on Jeju Island Korea brings the dangerous gangster Otomo (Beat Takeshi) back to Japan to unleash a final eruption of violent reprisal. After the nihilistic contempt of the first two installments, Kitano lets some of the elegiac wryness of his earlier crime films creep back into the trilogy’s conclusion.
Arab Blues [France/Tunisia, Manele Labidi, 2019, 4] Parisian psychoanalyst (Golshifteh Farahani) moves back to her childhood home in Tunis to open a practice, finding surprising demand for treatment and resistance from family and a handsome but rule-bound police officer. Comic drama takes on the clash between secular and Islamist worldviews with the subversive weapon of charm.
Due to moderate demand, the RVIFF shirts I made for the two of us are available in the Ken and Robin merch store.
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.
Titles Announced for Second Annual Robin and Valerie International Film Festival
August 17th, 2023 | Robin
The 2nd annual Robin and Valerie International Film Festival announces its 2023 line-up.
You may be wondering what the heck I’m talking about.
Two years ago at the end of the Toronto International Film Festival Valerie and I decided that distribution for foreign, art house and cult titles had reached a stage where we could have a better experience watching titles programmed at home. For a more detailed explanation of our switch from the rigors of an official fest to the affordable, stress-free homemade one, see last year’s announcement.
Once again I have selected from streaming subscription platforms and video on demand titles to assemble a list resembling the TIFFs of yore, hopefully with fewer duds and definitely with easier bathroom breaks and more pauses for naps.
I have favored newer titles wherever possible, in some case reaching back a few years to catch a film we missed from a TIFF fave auteur, or to fill in a particular category, like the doc about movies that ideally starts any fest.
This year I have reached way back into the old modus operandi of our once-favorite fest to program an Open Vault title—a restored and rediscovered film, in this case an American indie from 1961.
France really pulled ahead in the rankings this year, thanks in part to double headers from Claire Denis and François Ozon. I have programmed more films from Japan and South Korea than TIFF would in any given year, because now I am the boss.
Some of you may want to play along at home. Unbelievably, two of you ordered the shirts last year!
As you read the descriptive blurbs below, remember that I haven’t yet seen any of these films and am paraphrasing the promo text. Last year in a couple of cases I discovered that I had badly garbed some of the taglines. I’ve probably done it again; use at your own risk.
Availability will vary by territory; check your local version of JustWatch to see what might be playing on a service near you. I’m in Canada and have chosen titles from Crave, Criterion, Kanopy, Mubi, Prime, and Netflix. I’ll be renting from Amazon, Google, and Apple.
We’ll be mimicking the dates for TIFF, hitting the play button on Thursday, September 7th and wrapping up on Sunday September 20th.
As a sensible person, you may want to wait until I see them and review them before deciding which of them to check out. I’ll be posting capsule reviews and then collecting them in order of preference when RVIFF is done. I’ll also talk about the highlights on the podcast with Ken, focusing on the geek-forward items.
Hal [US, Amy Scott, 2018] Documentary profile of director Hal Ashby.
I Like Movies [Canada, Chandler Levack, 2022] Insufferable teen nurtures his filmmaking dreams.
The Novelist’s Film [South Korea, Hong Sang-soo, 2022] After being brushed off by an auteur director, a novelist decides to make a film.
Alcarràs [Spain, Carla Simón, 2022] A loving, chaotic family of peach farmers faces eviction.
Return to Seoul [France, Davy Chou, 2022] A French woman travels to Korea seeking her birth parents.
Outrage Coda [Japan, Takeshi Kitano, 2017] Gangster rivalries foment deadpan carnage.
Arab Blues [France/Tunisia, Manele Labidi, 2019] A therapist returns to her ancestral Tunisia and acquires a new clientele.
The Kings of the World [Colombia, Laura Mora Ortega, 2022] Medellin street kids undertake a journey.
The Five Devils [France, Léa Mysius, 2022] A bullied kid reveals uncanny powers when the release of her aunt from a psychiatric facility upsets her beloved mom.
By the Grace of God [France, François Ozon, 2019] Three men confront the priest who abused them as children, and the system that covered it up.
The Good Boss [Spain, Fernando León de Aranoa, 2021] Workplace satire with Javier Bardem.
Flux Gourmet [UK, Peter Strickland, 2022] Horror descends on a culinary institute.
The Balcony Movie [Poland, Pawel Lozinski, 2021] Documentary about people who come by the director’s window to chat.
Broker [South Korea, Hirokazu Koreeda, 2022] A baby theft spirals out of control. With Song Kang-Ho.
Stars at Noon [France, Claire Denis, 2022] Desperate love intertwines with political intrigue in Nicaragua. With Margaret Qualley and Joe Alwyn.
Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes [Japan, Junta Yamaguchi, 2020] Cafe owner discovers that his television broadcasts from two minutes in the future.
The Real Thing [Japan, Kôji Fukada, 2020] Epic misadventures ensue when a hapless toy salesman rescues a young woman whose car has stalled on railroad tracks.
How to Blow Up a Pipeline [US, Daniel Goldhaber, 2023] Ecoterrorists take on the oil industry.
Hatching [Finland, Hanna Bergholm, 2022] A young girl discovers a mysterious egg.
Girlfriends and Girlfriends [Spain, Zaida Carmona, 2022] Lesbian couples form and rearrange themselves.
You Won’t Be Alone [Australia/UK/Serbia, Goran Stolevski, 2022] An ancient witch possesses a girl in order to understand humanity. With Noomi Rapace.
Swan Song [US, Todd Stephens, 2021] Former hairdresser (Udo Kier) departs his care facility for one last mission.
Tori and Lokita [France, Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne, 2022] A pair of African kids roams Belgium alone.
Once Upon a Time In Ukraine [Ukraine, Roman Perfilyev, 2020] A serf and a samurai team up in a mythic reimagining of 19th Ukrainian history.
The Exiles [US, Kent Mackenzie, 1961] A native American family gets by in Los Angeles’ Bunker Hill neighborhood.
Master Gardener [US, Paul Schrader, 2022] A lone man is torn between redemption and violence. With Joel Edgerton and Sigourney Weaver.
Cairo Conspiracy [Sweden/France/Finland/Denmark, Tarik Saleh, 2022] An Egyptian student is drawn into political intrigue when his student advisor, an influential imam, dies.
Piggy [Spain, Carlota Pereda, 2022] Fat girl conceals what she’s seen when the classmates who torment her are taken by a serial killer.
Bliss [Germany, Henrika Kull, 2021] Brothel workers fall in love.
Both Sides of the Blade [France, Claire Denis, 2022] Love triangle drama with Juliet Binoche, Vincent Lindon, and Grégoire Colin.
The Eternal Daughter [UK, Joanna Hogg, 2022] Filmmaker (Tilda Swinton) takes her mother (Tilda Swinton) to an inn hoping her recollections of the place will trigger material for a screenplay.
Thunivu [India, H. Vinoth, 2023] Heisters planning a bank job discover that another mastermind has designs on the same target.
Hit the Road [Iran, Panah Panahi, 2021] Chaotic family goes on road trip.
The Artifice Girl [US, Franklin Ritch, 2022] Chatbot designed to lure sexual predators gets ideas of its own.
Mascarade [France, Nicolas Bedos, 2022] Injured dancer falls for a woman who lives by the scam.
Project Wolf Hunting [South Korea, Hongsun Kim, 2022] Inmates take control of a prison ship only to discover another much worse presence lurks within.
The Gasoline Thieves [Mexico, Edgar Nito, 2019] Young man is drawn into a gas theft ring.
The Braves [France, Anaïs Volpé, 2021] Two actresses live a ride-or-die friendship.
The Crime Is Mine [France, François Ozon, 2023] Homage to 40s film noir with Isabelle Huppert.
Marry My Dead Body [Taiwan, Wei-Hao Cheng, 2023] Detective saddled with a ghost husband enlists him in her current case.
Inspector Ike [US, Graham Mason, 2020] Murder mystery spoof about an understudy who knocks off the lead to get the part, and the dogged detective who pursues the case.
Leonor Will Never Die [Philippines, Martika Ramirez Escobar, 2022] Comatose screenwriter must write her way back to consciousness.
Accident Man: Hitman’s Holiday [UK, George Kirby & Harry Kirby, 2022] Guilt-ridden hit man (Scott Adkins) reluctantly takes up the gun again.
Monster Seafood Wars [Japan, Minoru Kawasaki, 2020] Kaiju arise from seafood market.
Episode 517: Kinda Goopy
October 7th, 2022 | Robin
The first annual Robin and Valerie International Film Festival has come to an end, and just like TIFF before it, that means Robin has a list of movies to recommend to you in the Cinema Hut. The twist: this time you can find and watch them right away.
Then in The Business of Gaming we look at sudden tsunami of AI art, and the potential and pitfalls of using generated illustrations in gaming products.
Finally Ken’s Time Machine has some tsar-kicking to do as our hero introduces some late edits into Poland’s January Uprising.
Want to pose a question to the show? Get your priority question asking access with your support for the KARTAS Patreon!
Our Patreon-backed Letterboxd list of all films mentioned on the show is now up and running.
Also check out the Goodreads list of books mentioned on the show.
Snag Ken and Robin merchandise at TeePublic.
The PDF of Atlas Games’ prehistoric, dinosaur-approved 5E setting, Planegea, is ready to hurtle to your download folder like a theropod toward an sauropod. Order it now for immediate download!
Track down foul sorcerers in a corrupt city, clamber through underground ruins and investigate the intrigues of your decadent rivals in Swords of the Serpentine, the GUMSHOE game of swords, sorcery and mystery, now available from Pelgrane Press.
The treasures of Askfageln can be found at DriveThruRPG. Get all issues of FENIX since 2013 available in special English editions. Score metric oodles of Ken Hite gaming goodness, along with equally stellar pieces by Graeme Davis and Pete Nash. Warning: in English, not in Swedish. In English, not Swedish. While you’re at it, grab DICE and Freeway Warrior!
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Delta Green Iconoclasts, a campaign of horrors modern and ancient, brings a team of Agents to a scene of horrors all too real: Mosul in 2016, held by the self-styled Islamic State in a reign of depraved brutality. From a small base at the Kirkuk airfield, the Agents must research the horrors to come and prepare for a harrowing infiltration. Terrors and new supplementary material await, now in PDF, hardback now in preorder.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
RVIFF Reviews: War Between Actors, Grounded Martial Arts Comedy and Hired Killer Meta-Narrative
September 19th, 2022 | Robin
A Ken and Robin Consume Media Special Feature
At the end of last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, my wife Valerie and I decided to break up with it, after decades of attendance. We have replaced it with RVIFF, the Robin and Valerie International Film Festival. It’s the festival you can play along with at home, with a curated roster of streaming titles I’m excited to see. 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.
The last day of RVIFF went off as scheduled yesterday. I hear that the Toronto International Film Festival wrapped up too, handing its coveted and Oscar-portending Peoples Choice Award to a scrappy newcomer named Steven Spielberg.
When attending actual TIFF I would always start with the final day in hopes of loading it up with lighter and more energetic fare. Sometimes this would be possible, ending with a midnight Gamera flick, for example. Other years the scheduling gods showed less consideration to movie-addled brains and the best choice to end on would be a solid but downbeat drama or something disturbing.
As RVIFF programmer finishing with fun was suddenly an easier matter.
Peace by Chocolate (Canada, Jonathan Keijser, 2021, 4) Syrian refugee relocated to the snowy small town of Antigonish Nova Scotia is torn between his desire to attend medical school and his father’s wish to rebuild the chocolate business that was destroyed back home. Thoughtfully crafted script does a good job of maintaining conflict the context of a light and affirming docudrama.
This is the RVIFF title you can take your mom to. Based on a true and celebrated story, with prominent tips of the hat to the Sobey’s grocery chain and Justin Trudeau. The best of its Canada jokes occurs when the protagonist is immediately issued a toque on arrival at the airport.
We meant to lay in a supply of Peace by Chocolate to eat during the film but somehow failed that logistical challenge. A strong word with festival organizers is called for.
Snowflake (Germany, Adolfo J. Kolmerer, 2017, 4) In a dystopian near future Berlin, bantering killers (Reza Brojerdi, Erkan Acar) discover that their actions are dictated by a screenplay written by a dentist. Meta cult hitman movie about vengeance and narrative inevitability.
The Paper Tigers (US, Quoc Bao Tran, 2020, 4) Insurance man struggling to keep up as a divorced dad (Alain Uy) reluctantly reunites with former fellow martial arts students (Mykel Shannon Jenkins, Ron Yuan) to investigate the death of their sifu. Mix of grounded, observational comedy and martial arts flick kept aloft by the winning leads.
Official Competition (Spain, Mariano Cohn & Gastón Duprat, 2021, 4) Eccentric director (Penelope Crus) presides over a clash of egos when she rehearses her next film with a pretentious theater actor (Oscar Martinez) and a temperamental movie star (Antonio Banderas.) Monumental wide shots in an empty modernist building counterpoint a hilarious satire of actorly insecurities.
And that’s a wrap. Unlike TIFF, we did not have to end it by walking down an escalator that has broken down for the second time this week, walk to the subway, and then stumble home bleary. Instead we are already at home, bleary.
Tomorrow I’ll post the roundup of all capsule reviews in rough order of preference.
Due to moderate demand, the RVIFF shirts I made for the two of us are now available in the Ken and Robin merch store.
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.
RVIFF Reviews: Dream Taxation, a Magic Realist Time Slip, and Korean Zombie Comedy
September 18th, 2022 | Robin
A Ken and Robin Consume Media Special Feature
At the end of last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, my wife Valerie and I decided to break up with it, after decades of attendance. We have replaced it with RVIFF, the Robin and Valerie International Film Festival. It’s the festival you can play along with at home, with a curated roster of streaming titles I’m excited to see. 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.
Plaza Catedral (Panama, Abner Benaim, 2021, 4) Grief-stricken, closed-off architect (Ilse Salas) takes in a street kid (Fernando Xavier De Casta) suffering from a gunshot wound. Benaim shows an eye for composition and control of the cinematic palette in this taut character drama.
Strawberry Mansion (US, Kentucker Audley & Albert Birney, 2021, 4) Suggestible taxman (Kentucker Audley) arrives at elderly artist’s house to assess overdue taxes on her backlog of dreams, only to find that they are stored on tape, not the now-required airstick method. Quirky romantic dreamquest with adorable handcrafted creatures and effects.
Petite Maman (France, Céline Sciamma, 2021, 5) While at her late grandmother’s house for the last time, an eight year old finds a time slip allowing her to make a new playmate—her mother, at the same age. Still, poised, deeply felt drama finds the magic in elusive everyday moments, even before the magical realism kicks in.
Zombie for Sale (South Korea, Lee Min-jae, 2020, 4) Family of scammers and losers who own a decrepit gas station try to cash in when they capture a cabbage-loving zombie with a rejuvenating bite. Lovably dysfunctional underdogs unite in this fun zomcom.
Due to moderate demand, the RVIFF shirts I made for the two of us are now available in the Ken and Robin merch store.
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.
RVIFF Reviews: A Space Age Housing Project, Finnish Metalheads, and Secrets Revealed in a Saab 900
September 16th, 2022 | Robin
A Ken and Robin Consume Media Special Feature
At the end of last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, my wife Valerie and I decided to break up with it, after decades of attendance. We have replaced it with RVIFF, the Robin and Valerie International Film Festival. It’s the festival you can play along with at home, with a curated roster of streaming titles I’m excited to see. 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.
The Trouble with You (France, Pierre Salvadori, 2018, 4) Guilt-ridden police chief (Adèle Haenel) tries to help an embittered ex-con (Pio Marmaï) her husband and predecessor framed for a jewel robbery. Haenel shows how star power works by investing this irreverent cop comedy with a performance of simmering emotion.
Gagarine (France, Fanny Liatard & Jérémy Trouilh, 2020, 4) Soulful high school student stays behind in his housing project, which like him is named after Yuri Gargarin, after it is slated for demolition. Mix of lyricism and social realism laced with elegiac imagery of a vanished space age.
Heavy Trip (Finland, Juuso Laatio & Jukka Vidgren, 2018, 4) After twelve years of practice and the completion of one original song, a metal band that practices in the guitarist’s parents’ basement sets its sights on the Northern Damnation music festival in Norway. Good-natured broad comedy with SCA Vikings and a wolverine punch-up, powered by the screams of a thousand reindeer on their way to reindeer hell.
Drive My Car (Japan, Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, 2021, 5) A theater director (Hidetoshi Nishijima) marked by a tragic event finds a kindred spirit in the taciturn young woman hired to drive him around during a production in Hiroshima. Long, strange journey into the mysteries of what we chose to hide and what we must eventually reveal.
Based on a Haruki Murakami story.
Due to moderate demand, the RVIFF shirts I made for the two of us are now available in the Ken and Robin merch store.
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.
RVIFF Reviews: Directionless in Oslo, Hitchcockian Cronenbergism, and a Rousing Epic of the Kazakh Steppe Tribes
September 15th, 2022 | Robin
A Ken and Robin Consume Media Special Feature
At the end of last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, my wife Valerie and I decided to break up with it, after decades of attendance. We have replaced it with RVIFF, the Robin and Valerie International Film Festival. It’s the festival you can play along with at home, with a curated roster of streaming titles I’m excited to see. 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.
Alone with Her Dreams (Italy, Paolo Licata, 2019, 1) In early 60s Sicily a preteen girl chafes at the authority of her tyrannical grandmother after her parents emigrate to France, leaving her temporarily behind. Syrupy, then harshly manipulative, coming of age drama.
Had I spotted it before today, the pull quote from Oliver Stone praising the film might have served as a warning that I was entering heavy-handed waters.
Unlike TIFF, at RVIFF it has taken until Wednesday to hit a film I fully disliked. This shows a remarkable unity between my taste and that of the programmer.
The Legend of Tomiris (Kazakhstan, Akan Satayev, 2019, 5) After a treacherous rival tribe murders her father, a Massagetae chieftain, the clever and brave Tomiris trains as a warrior and rises to power in time to defend the steppes from Cyrus the Great. Massive historical epic with thrilling fight choreography, impressive production values and one of the best blood-spattered proposal scenes in cinema.
Admittedly I am as much in the target demographic for this as anyone not from Kazakhstan, but if you are reading this, chances are so are you.
The last time I checked in on Kazahk cinema I saw a kinda slow emerging world verite drama about a man who drives around and has an epiphany at a school. Now comes this, with huge battle sequences and a CGI fire manticore. (Which appears strictly in dream sequences. This is not that kind of movie. If it was a mainland Chinese film the fire manticore would show up in the main action.)
Double Lover (France, Francois Ozon, 2017, 4) After moving in with her former psychotherapist (Jérémie Renier), a young woman (Marine Vacth) discovers that he has a secret twin, also a psychotherapist. Coolly controlled erotic thriller is Hitchcock homage with a Cronenberg homage growing parasitically inside it.
Plus allusions to Sisters and Eyes Wide Shut thrown in for extra seasoning. Based on a Joyce Carol Oates novel.
The Worst Person in the World (Norway, Joachim Trier, 2021, 4) Directionless woman in her late twenties (Renate Reinsve) struggles to find fulfilling love, and herself. Observant and moving character-driven dramedy with perfectly calibrated performances from Reinsve and Anders Danielsen Lie as her overly analytical cartoonist boyfriend.
Due to moderate demand, the RVIFF shirts I made for the two of us are now available in the Ken and Robin merch store.
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.
RVIFF Reviews: Sublimely Gorgeous Japanese Period Drama, Twilight of the Yakuza, and a Cat and Cat and Other Cat Crime Thriller
September 14th, 2022 | Robin
A Ken and Robin Consume Media Special Feature
At the end of last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, my wife Valerie and I decided to break up with it, after decades of attendance. We have replaced it with RVIFF, the Robin and Valerie International Film Festival. It’s the festival you can play along with at home, with a curated roster of streaming titles I’m excited to see. 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.
Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn (Romania, Radu Jude, 2021, 4) Middle school teacher faces parent and administration backlash when a sex video she made with her husband appears online. Three-sectioned satire updates Makavejev’s WR: Mystery of the Organism to COVID-era Romania.
A Family (Japan, Michihito Fujii, 2020, 4) After the death of his junkie father, a stubbornly focused young man finds a substitute in the person of an old-school gang boss. Instead of briefly handwaving to it and then continuing on with the usual genre tropes, this handsomely mounted yakuza drama takes as its main subject matter the recent death spiral of the yakuza in the wake of comprehensive anti-crime statutes.
The strong production values on this one represent another example of Netflix spending more on the Japanese film industry than any of its established players do these days.
They Say Nothing Stays the Same (Japan, Joe Odagiri, 2019, 4) In Meiji Japan, an elderly boatman facing the end of his trade due to bridge construction rescues an injured girl from the river. Visually stunning fable of relationship to nature and community with a ghost story on the periphery.
If when you read “visually stunning” you inferred “cinematography by Christopher Doyle,” why yes that was exactly what I was implying.
The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil (South Korea, Lee Won-tae, 2019, 4) When a brutal gang lord (Ma Dong-seok) survives the random attack of a serial killer, a maverick cop (Mu-Yeol Kim) persuades him to join the hunt to track him down. Investigative crime drama makes the most of a juicy premise, in which cat and mouse becomes cat and cat and other cat.
The Other Side of Hope (Finland, Aki Kaurismaki, 2019, 4) Syrian refugee claimant bonds with the staff of a floundering restaurant run by a taciturn former shirt salesman. Stoic deadpan camaraderie results when an urgent contemporary crisis enters Kaurismaki’s distinctive world of down-at-the-heels retro cool.
Due to moderate demand, the RVIFF shirts I made for the two of us are now available in the Ken and Robin merch store.
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.
RVIFF Reviews: Gay Hong Kong Seniors, A Trainwreck of a Dude Returns Home, and a Rapid-Fire Korean Pursuit Thriller
September 13th, 2022 | Robin
A Ken and Robin Consume Media Special Feature
At the end of last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, my wife Valerie and I decided to break up with it, after decades of attendance. We have replaced it with RVIFF, the Robin and Valerie International Film Festival. It’s the festival you can play along with at home, with a curated roster of streaming titles I’m excited to see. 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.
Twilight’s Kiss (Hong Kong, Ray Yeung, 2019, 4) Closeted retirement-age cab driver (Tai-Bo) strikes up a relationship with a contemporary (Ben Yuen) who is likewise not out to his family but yearns for a closer connection. Restrained character drama honors and regrets the stoic resignation of its characters.
Zero Fucks Given (Belgium, Julie Lecoustre & Emmanuel Marre, 2019) Despite her desires to lose herself in distractions, a young flight attendant for a budget airline is forced to seek promotion. Realist character study at first appears to be a working person’s film for the service industry era, then goes deeper.
Every TIFF there was at least one film whose program book description led me to expect a wrong different tone and premise. The tradition continues at RVIFF, but I still very much liked what Zero Fucks Given turned out to be.
Red Rocket (US, Sean Baker, 2021, 4) Fast-talking hasbeen adult performer (Simon Rex) returns to his small Texas hometown to wheedle his way back into the life of his ex-wife / ex-co-star (Bree Elrod) and set his sights on a not-so-innocent 18-year old (Susanna Son.) Satirical character drama where the suspense lies in the exact manner of the lead character’s foreordained flame-out.
Midnight (South Korea, Oh-Seung Kwon, 2021, 4) After witnessing a serial killer (Wi Ha-joon) with his latest victim, a deaf customer service rep (Ki-joo Jin) flees for her life. Unity-of-time thriller keeps the inventive, surprising suspense beats coming fast.
Due to moderate demand, the RVIFF shirts I made for the two of us are now available in the Ken and Robin merch store.
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.
RVIFF Reviews: Love and Screenwriting, Miraculous Healing, and Teen Girl Assassin Roommate Troubles
September 12th, 2022 | Robin
A Ken and Robin Consume Media Special Feature
At the end of last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, my wife Valerie and I decided to break up with it, after decades of attendance. We have replaced it with RVIFF, the Robin and Valerie International Film Festival. It’s the festival you can play along with at home, with a curated roster of streaming titles I’m excited to see. 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.
Holy Emy (Greece, Araceli Lemos, 2021, 4) As she manifests miraculous healing abilities, a young woman (Abigael Loma) in Ahens’ Filipino community faces a choice between her devout sister and the ex-employer who exploited her mother’s similar powers. Magic realist drama heightened by a strong sense for imagery.
Eyimofe (This is My Desire) (Nigeria, Arie Esiri & Chuko Esiri, 2020, 4) A Lagos mechanic and hairdresser a degree of separation from one another struggle to raise money needed to emigrate. Energetic slice of life drama of life in a touch city where every interaction by necessity devolves into a transaction.
Bergman Island (France, Mia Hansen-Løve, 2021, 4) Undertaking a residency on Ingmar Bergman’s retreat at Faroe, a filmmaker (Vicky Krieps) struggles with a script as her more celebrated, prolific husband (Tim Roth) breezes through his; she describes to him its rekindled affair at a wedding on Faroe, casting it with Mia Wasikowksa and Anders Danielsen Lie. Serenely beautiful puzzle film about the parallel mysteries of love and the creative process.
Baby Assassins (Japan, Yugo Sakamoto, 2021, 3.5) Two teen girl killers, one outgoing, the other withdrawn, have trouble meshing when the oddly bureaucratic enterprise they work for requires them to live together and get part-time jobs. Offbeat cult comedy bookended by fun fight sequences.
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.
Due to moderate demand, the RVIFF shirts I made for the two of us are now available in the Ken and Robin merch store.
