Una donna che parla di emozioni ad un gatto. Forse.
Una ragazza che fa le fusa a sua madre come se fosse un gatto.
Alcune donne che si muovono su un palco con addosso delle teste di maiale finte, inquietanti come se fossero vere.
Queste alcune immagini mostrate nei primi cinque minuti del nuovo lungometraggio di Josephine Decker che torna al Torino Film Festival con il suo ultimo film. La confusione che ne deriva è l’unico elemento certo che è permesso percepire allo spettatore, e si afferma immediatamente come marca di quest’opera, conturbante tanto nei contenuti che nelle modalità di rappresentazione. Continua la lettura di “MADELINE’S MADELINE” DI JOSEPHINE DECKER
“MADELINE’S MADELINE” BY JOSEPHINE DECKER
Article by: Alessia Durante
Translation by: Letizia Bosello
A woman talking about emotions to a cat. Maybe. A girl purring to her mother as if she was a cat. Some women wandering on a stage with fake pork heads on, creepy as if they were real. These are some of the images shown in the first five minutes of Josephine Decker’s new feature film, presented at the Torino Film Festival. The resulting confusion is the only certain element perceived by the audience, and it immediately appears as the film’s main feature, which is disturbing both in contents and in representation. Continua la lettura di “MADELINE’S MADELINE” BY JOSEPHINE DECKER
“RELAXER” BY JOEL POTRYKUS
Article by: Cristian Viteritti
Translation by: Massimo Campostrini
There are films easy to review and others that are difficult. Relaxer, directed by the American director Joel Potrykus, deserves to enter the second category. The film is certainly one of the most singular and eccentric experiences of the Torino Film Festival: not only comedy and drama, but also science fiction and gore – shown in a totally unexpected way – come together in a mixture ready to explode in the most catastrophic event among all: the Apocalypse.
“RELAXER” DI JOEL POTRYKUS
Ci sono film facili da recensire e film difficili. Relaxer, dell’americano Joel Potrykus, si merita a pieno di entrare nella seconda categoria. Il film è sicuramente una delle esperienze più singolari ed eccentriche del Torino Film Festival: non solo commedia e dramma, ma anche fantascienza e gore – in maniera del tutto inaspettata – si uniscono in una miscela pronta a esplodere nell’evento più catastrofico fra tutti: l’Apocalisse. Continua la lettura di “RELAXER” DI JOEL POTRYKUS
“PROCESSO A CATERINA ROSS” DI GABRIELLA ROSALEVA
“Questo film è uno sguardo che guarda, non tutti gli sguardi guardano ma lui lo fa, è vivo, attento.
Non falsifica, non aggiunge, non ci sono effetti speciali.
Non vuole accalappiare lo sguardo del pubblico, mostra la realtà per com’è: dura e crudele.
Questa realtà non è piacevole ma va guardata, non bisogna mai abbassare la guardia”.
Continua la lettura di “PROCESSO A CATERINA ROSS” DI GABRIELLA ROSALEVA
“ZGODOVINA LJUBEZNI/HISTORY OF LOVE” DI SONJA PROSENC
Nella staticità e nel silenzio irrompe sullo schermo un brusco e improvviso fragore: si tratta del corpo della protagonista, Iva, che si immerge, tuffandovisi, in un corso d’acqua. È questo uno dei frammenti iniziali di History of Love, pochi secondi in cui sono anticipati elementi significativi e ricorrenti all’interno del film.
Si tratta dell’opera seconda di Sonja Prosenc, regista slovena che ha attirato su di sé l’attenzione della critica tramite il precedente The Tree.
Continua la lettura di “ZGODOVINA LJUBEZNI/HISTORY OF LOVE” DI SONJA PROSENC
“WILDLIFE” BY PAUL DANO
Article by: Giorgia Bertino
Translation by: Cecilia Facchin
Some people may remember him as the quiet and peevish guy hidden by his long black hair in Little Miss Sunshine, or as a writer on the verge of a crisis who falls in love with one of his characters in Ruby Sparks; for all the film-lovers, he is also an actor pushed down by the weight of a career born and dead in blockbusters in Youth, and, for the most curious ones, he is the best friend of a zombie with superpowers in the eccentric Swiss Army Man. It goes without saying: Paul Dano acted in many movies, working with directors such as Paul Thomas Anderson, Ang Lee, Steve McQueen, Paolo Sorrentino and Denis Villeneuve. It is important to keep that in mind if you are watching the first film directed by this 34-year-old man, who decided to take on the challenge of filmmaking after many years of acting at high levels.
Wildlife – one of the nominees for the TFF36 contest – tells the slow and transparent story of the implosion of a family which moves to Montana.
“WILDLIFE” di PAUL DANO
C’è chi se lo ricorda silenzioso e imbronciato, nascosto dietro un folto ciuffo di capelli neri in Little Miss Sunshine, o nei panni di uno scrittore in crisi che s’innamora di uno dei suoi personaggi in Ruby Sparks; per i più cinefili, è anche un attore soffocato dal peso di una carriera nata e finita nei blockbuster in Youth – La giovinezza e, per i più curiosi, il migliore amico di un cadavere con i super poteri nell’eccentrico Swiss Army Man. Insomma, di film Paul Dano ne ha fatti parecchi, lavorando con registi del calibro di Paul Thomas Anderson, Ang Lee, Steve McQueen, Paolo Sorrentino, Denis Villeneuve. Ed è importante tenerne conto se si ha davanti l’opera prima di un trentaquattrenne che, dopo anni di recitazione di un certo livello, decide di misurarsi con la regia.
Wildlife – in concorso al TFF36 – è il racconto lento e trasparente dell’implosione di una famiglia americana trasferitasi in Montana.
“LAND” BY BABAK JALALI
Article by: Annagiulia Zoccarato
Translation by: Emiliana Freiria
The contemporary history of Native Americans is sad and scarcely talked about, but the Torino Film Festival seems to hold those who tell it in high regard. After Avant les rues, competing in Torino 34, and the excellent Wind River by Taylor Sheridan, previewed last year, the next one is Land by the Iranian film director Babak Jalali, made with the support of Torino Film Lab.
“LAND” di BABAK JALALI
La storia contemporanea dei nativi americani è una storia triste di cui si parla poco, ma il Torino Film Festival sembra in un certo senso avere un occhio di riguardo per chi la racconta. Dopo Avants les rues in concorso a Torino 34 e l’ottimo Wind River di Taylor Sheridan presentato in anteprima lo scorso anno, adesso tocca a Land dell’iraniano Babak Jalali, realizzato con il sostegno di Torino Film Lab.
“DREAM OF A CITY” DI MANFRED KIRCHHEIMER
Manfred Kirchheimer, classe 1931, ha recentemente dichiarato che non è mai, nella sua lunga carriera da regista, riuscito a coprire i costi dei suoi film con gli incassi. Ed è a questo punto che un vero cinefilo drizza le orecchie e si segna il nome sul taccuino, perché le alternative sono due: il regista tedesco, adottato newyorkese, è frainteso ma testardo, oppure è completamente dislocato dalle logiche di introito che tanto guastano l’arte cinematografica. Per quanto riguarda Dream Of A City, è la seconda. L’attitudine veritiera con cui viene analizzata e scomposta la vita urbana nella Grande Mela, rende questa pellicola di 39 minuti un gioiello del cinema d’essai. Continua la lettura di “DREAM OF A CITY” DI MANFRED KIRCHHEIMER
“TREVICO-TORINO” BY ETTORE SCOLA
Article by: Elia Ariel Diamond
Translation by: Melania Petricola
“But you are going to school…you went to school. If not, how can you say that books are like skylarks? I want to understand that. Then, I can criticise it. But only after understanding, and not just because you say so.”
“TREVICO-TORINO” DI ETTORE SCOLA
“Però voi studiate… avete studiato! Se no come fate a dire che i libri sono cucciardi? Ma io questo lo voglio capire. Poi potrò criticare. Ma dopo, e non soltanto perché lo dite voi.” Continua la lettura di “TREVICO-TORINO” DI ETTORE SCOLA
“HAPPY NEW YEAR, COLIN BURSTEAD” BY BEN WHEATLEY
Article by: Elisabetta Vannelli
Translated by: Alice Marchi
“If they don’t dance, they fight”. With these words Colin, the oldest son, tries to keep his relatives from fighting. The Bursteads are a disfunctional family, who decides to spend New Year’s Eve in a country villa in Dorset. Colin tries to keep everything under control but the sudden comeback of his brother David – reckless womanizer who abandoned his wife and kids – brings back his old deep resentment against him. Continua la lettura di “HAPPY NEW YEAR, COLIN BURSTEAD” BY BEN WHEATLEY
“HAPPY NEW YEAR, COLIN BURSTEAD” DI BEN WHEATLEY
“Se non ballano, si picchiano”. Con queste parole Colin, il figlio maggiore, cerca di prevenire possibili scontri tra i suoi parenti. I Burstead sono una famiglia disfunzionale che decide di trascorrere la serata di Capodanno in una villa di campagna del Dorset. Colin cerca di tenere le redini ma il ritorno improvviso del fratello David – donnaiolo incallito che, abbandonati moglie e figli, torna dopo cinque anni per redimersi – fa riemergere in lui un profondo risentimento nei confronti del fratello. Continua la lettura di “HAPPY NEW YEAR, COLIN BURSTEAD” DI BEN WHEATLEY
“HEVI REISSU/HEAVY TRIP” BY JUUSO LAATIO AND JUKKA VIDGREN
Article by: Maria Cagnazzo
Translation by: Cristiana Manni
The real essence of humour is very difficult to understand and, very often, many movies with humorous purposes seem to be unable to reach their goals. Telling a simple story, making it meaningful only with humour is a particularly complex operation.
I’m making this introduction because Heavy Trip, Finnish movie presented in the After Hours section at the Torino Film Festival, first of all, gave me the impression of being totally and happily focused on humour. On a cold morning in Turin, together with a laughing and clapping audience in theatre 1 at Cinema Massimo, I grasped an irony that preceded any other possible reasoning on the film.
On the screen, in a close-up, we can see a reindeer crossing the road and, in the distance, out of focus, the main character walking and dragging his rusty bike. The premises are pretty clear: the protagonists of this odd story will be Finland, its distinctive landscape, its animals and the people who live there.
A Heavy Metal band tries to make a name for itself in a small village far away from us, where “loud” music is not common, where people who have long hair are considered “homo”, and, more importantly, where the stereotype tends to creep into everyday life. Heavy Trip has all the hallmarks of a road movie: the band follows the dream of doing a concert in Norway and will be willing to do anything to reach its destination, finding itself in very unlikely situations.
The irony of the film is simple and irreverent at the same time, and the spectator finds himself laughing at situations that he probably would not perceive in the same way in real life. The screenplay makes constant reference to the stereotypes about Heavy Metal and aims to make the main characters look funny and ridiculous, dispelling all the still persistent myths about this kind of music. Therefore, there is a reversal of positions: those who feel superior and in the position of ridiculing the others are shown here in a comic and farcical way. Thus, a comedy of misinterpretations takes place, where the misunderstanding becomes the element which provokes the laughter. The prejudice and the stereotype turn the characters into caricatures. So, for example, it may happen that the police mistake a group of masked boys who are celebrating a hen party for terrorists.
The sequences in which the band plays in the basement are assembled like a real metal videoclip, with details of the fingers moving on the bass and close- ups of a caged doll hanging from the ceiling. When the spectator is involved in a visual and auditory climax, the myth is going to crumble, as soon as the mother tells the boys that the reindeer dinner is ready. The idea of tough-looking “metalheads”, that frighten those who met them, is constantly overturned by the mild-mannered and almost compliant character of the protagonists who, overwhelmed by the events, carry out accidentally rebellious actions.
Each character is characterized to the point of becoming grotesque, and the spectator has to immediately distinguish the “good” from the “bad” guys. A narrative structure that may almost appear ordinary, but that never looks obvious thanks to the humour that supports the entire story in an excellent manner. Everything is the opposite of what it seems: the authors of Heavy Trip have taken literally the meaning of “irony”, understood as concealment, “feeling of the opposite”, giving to the audience a simple and funny comedy that is able to leave you with a smile even after the ending credits.
Continua la lettura di “HEVI REISSU/HEAVY TRIP” BY JUUSO LAATIO AND JUKKA VIDGREN
“HEVI REISSU/HEAVY TRIP” DI JUUSO LAATIO E JUKKA VIDGREN
Spesso la vera essenza dell’umorismo è difficile da cogliere, e altrettanto spesso molti film che si propongono obiettivi umoristici risultano manchevoli nei loro propositi. Raccontare una storia semplice, rendendola pregnante solo grazie alla comicità è un’operazione particolarmente complessa.
Faccio questa premessa in quanto Heavy Trip, film finlandese presentato nella sezione After Hours del Torino Film Festival, mi ha dato, prima di tutte, l’impressione di essere totalmente e felicemente improntato sull’umorismo; ho captato, insieme agli altri spettatori che nella Sala 1 del Cinema Massimo ridevano ed applaudivano in un freddo mattino torinese, un’ironia che ha preceduto tutti gli altri possibili ragionamenti sul film.
Continua la lettura di “HEVI REISSU/HEAVY TRIP” DI JUUSO LAATIO E JUKKA VIDGREN
“LA NUIT A DÉVORÉ LE MONDE” BY DOMINIQUE ROCHER
Article by: Gianluca Tana
Translation by: Gianmarco Caniglia
In 2018 the image of the zombie is so ubiquitous in our media that it partly lost both its critical strength and its ability to scare us. Cinema, television, comics and video games exploited the figure of the living dead so much that it has become difficult to create something new. Dominique Rocher gives it a try by relegating this figure to the sidelines of his horror story. Of course, zombies are abundant in his movie, but they seem to be just a pretext to isolate the protagonist, Sam (Anders Danielsen Lie), in a lonesome captivity inside a Parisian apartment. It is the solitude, in fact, the real co-protagonist of the film. Overwhelming and empty silences that freeze the heart will accompany the last human during the long months of his survival, forcing him to find new ways to fill time and more importantly to stay sane, because spending too much time alone all by ourselves, we are all destined to go crazy. Unable to distinguish between reality and hallucination, Sam becomes his worst enemy, adopting a series of increasingly self-destructive attitudes, always trying to find new ways to remember himself he is still alive and is different from the creatures that surround him.
Continua la lettura di “LA NUIT A DÉVORÉ LE MONDE” BY DOMINIQUE ROCHER
“LA NUIT A DÉVORÉ LE MONDE” DI DOMINIQUE ROCHER
Nel 2018 la figura dello zombie è così onnipresente nei nostri media da aver perso in parte sia la sua forza critica, sia la sua capacità di far paura. Cinema, televisione, fumetti e videogiochi hanno sfruttato talmente tanto l’immagine dei morti viventi che risulta difficile creare qualcosa di nuovo. Dominique Rocher ci prova relegando questa figura al margine della sua storia horror. Ovviamente nel suo film gli zombie sono presenti in grande quantità, ma sembrano soltanto un pretesto per isolare il protagonista Sam (Anders Danielsen Lie) in una prigionia solitaria all’interno di un appartamento parigino. Continua la lettura di “LA NUIT A DÉVORÉ LE MONDE” DI DOMINIQUE ROCHER
“FIGURAS” BY EUGENIO CANEVARI
Article by: Beatrice Ceravolo
Translation by: Luca Bassani
“Do you like black and white films? No? Neither do I”. This is the question Valeria asks her mother Stella, and she does so in a documentary which is shot entirely in black and white. As stated by director Eugenio Canevari during his Q&A at Cinema Massimo, this film comes from an urgent need. After meeting Valeria and getting to know her difficult situation, Canevari felt that he had to do something for this family of three that was struggling with an ailment such as ALS, with no help from any institution whatsoever. The footage was collected through daily, thorough observation of Stella’s reality. Once a very dynamic woman, she ended up having to rely on her daughter and her boyfriend Paco, who also struggles with health issues, to help her in her daily life. Therefore, there was no script during the shooting: the director had to join different elements in order to create an accessible story for the audience.
In this sense, Canevari’s work is indeed praiseworthy: the director’s camera follows the three figuras discretely and respectfully, daring to show each and every part of this sickness without blaming the daughter, who finds it difficult to handle her mother’s profound change. The shots often reflect every character’s claustrophobia by showing the oppressive spaces inside Stella’s flat and enclosing them in frames which consist of doors, door frames and narrow hallways. The main narrative is also punctuated by the parties Valeria goes to in the evening, which represent the passing of days.
Stella cannot speak anymore, but her gentle and alert presence is audible as it is visible: Stella can be heard anywhere, with her breath, the tablet on which she continuously plays with interactive figuras of animals in order to keep her mind active, her loud western films, her old-fashioned songs and the Argentinian tango she dances with Paco, with the help of her medical walker. The overt choice of the black and white aesthetic fits this vision: Stella was living in another time and in another space, watching western films all day long, and Canevari managed to represent this distance through such technique.
The film does not dwell solely on the tragic aspects of the story, as explicitly wanted by the director, but it sometimes alternates impotence with humour, especially from Paco’s character. Canevari and Valeria stated that elements of fiction were added to the real facts in order to tell Stella’s story in the best way, considering that the film is dedicated to her.
At the end of the screening, some members of the audience went to hug Valeria and Canevari, who told them: “The film is for you”. And we thank him.