The Animal Kingdom

I'll begin this write-up with a little peek behind my waffle curtain. Sometimes I find it tricky to unearth the theme or underlying meaning of certain films, which often leads to a straight-up documentation of the movie and my feelings on it. Occasionally, it might lead to unfocussed word vomit, where I'm madly clutching at straws (or apples - I remember that blind alley). Sometimes it's just pointless to search. Then there are films like Thomas Cailley's The Animal Kingdom, where there are clearly perceptible nuggets in the loam.

So as not to be confused with David Michod's seminal Animal Kingdom, maybe we need to go with the French title, Le Règne Animal. Whatever the language, this is a wonderful little film. The topics touched on here include otherisation, palliative care, and kicking against the political system. There's so much going on here but it's mostly about the pain of letting someone go. At least, that's what I got from it. That's not to say that all the people mutating into animals is insignificant - this acts as an oddly intriguing framework for the themes explored.

The faces in the film include the always watchable Romain Duris and Adèle Exarchopoulos but the beating, evolving heart is Paul Kircher's Émile. Kircher is from French acting stock - his parents are Jerome Kircher and Irene Jacob - and his performance here is jerkily transfixing. On hearing the news that his infected mother is to be transferred from a Paris hospital to the south of France, Émile and dad, François (Duris) make a short term move to be near her. An accident occurs during transport, letting several 'critters' loose in the forested region. Some are recaptured but some....

The idea was apparently conceived pre-Covid but it has a bit of the quarantine feel of that time. It's ridiculous, obviously, but done with no hint of irony, even when Condorman swoops in. The CGI is unavoidably ropey, likely the budget didn't stretch that far, and Exarchopoulos doesn't have a hell of a lot to do (she's never far away from the action, though). Yet these are minor quibbles. The Cronenbergian body horror is suitably squirm-inducing, there's a great corn-field sequence, and the climax brings Truffaut's The 400 Blows to mind. And a couple of bits about François and his wife were proper emotional, not to mention the final action of the story. There's a quote in the film, attributed to the French poet, Rene Char:

That which comes into the world not to upset anything deserves neither respect nor patience.

The moment François eventually remembers this is quite a kick in the guts.

The Animal Kingdom is showing as part of the Alliance Française French Film Festival at Palace and Luna cinemas. (It might have finished its run by time of reading, but I'd encourage keeping an eye out for it, or seeking it on a streamer somewhere.)

See also:

Obviously, some transformation films to watch would be John Landis' An American Werewolf in London (1981) or Yorgos Lanthimos' The Lobster (2015). The 'letting go' angle is illustrated in Denis Villeneuve's brilliant Arrival (2016).

Io Capitano

Matteo Garrone directs this migrant drama about two lads trying to make their way from Senegal to Europe. Considering the bleak shit they go through on the trek, their life in Dakar doesn't seem as grim as might be expected. Garrone and co-writers Massimo Ceccherini, Massimo Gaudioso and Andrea Tagliaferri (along with a whole swag of collaborating writers) are posing a less stereotyped position here - what if a couple of young guys simply want to follow their dream and work in Europe? Do they necessarily have to be escaping a life of hardship and/or persecution? This premise shines a light on the broken system that forces people, for many reasons, to risk their lives in pursuit of a better option. Not being sure of legal standpoints here, I did a bit of reading on Amnesty International's website. The following explains the distinction between migrants, like the guys in this film, and refugees or asylum seekers:

It is important to understand that, just because migrants do not flee persecution, they are still entitled to have all their human rights protected and respected, regardless of the status they have in the country they moved to. Governments must protect all migrants from racist and xenophobic violence, exploitation and forced labour. Migrants should never be detained or forced to return to their countries without a legitimate reason.

Sadly, this directive is NOT upheld throughout the journey. Cousins Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Moussa (Moustapha Fall) are fantastic and it's the former that takes our focus. Sarr gives Seydou a sensitivity and a sweetness that feels natural - he's really softly spoken and genuinely helpful to others, starkly contrasting with the scummy human rights abusers at nearly every stage of the trip. I say nearly, because there are a couple of occasions that belie the rule - one fella in the market in Dakar angrily tells the boys to forget about the attempt, echoing Seydou's mother's despair when he tests the water with her. 

Another highlight is Seydou's meeting with Martin in a Libyan prison. The older bloke takes the young lad under his wing and, probably realising he'd be for the chop if he were to remain in jail, enlists Seydou to help him on a work assignment (basically modern slavery). Their eventual separation is a bit of an eye-moistener. Garrone attempts to defuse the horrors of human traffic by lending the story elements of magic realism, as well as tooling a reasonably upbeat climax. 

Overall, Io Capitano is a touching, humanist story which was Italy's nominee for Best International Film at the Oscars, losing out to The Zone of Interest. No shame in that.

[As a long-suffering Tottenham fan, I was chuffed to see a chink of light in the darkness. Moussa wears a Spurs strip for the Mediterranean crossing, just one of a myriad of football shirts in this film.]

Io Capitano opens Mar 28 at Luna and Palace cinemas.

See also:

Well, Garrone is also responsible for Gomorrah (2008) and Reality (2012), both fine films.

The Three Musketeers: Milady

I caught this second episode a couple of days after the first one, while the world of Dumas' Musketeers was still fresh in my mind. It picks up very close to the cliffhanger ending of the first, with D'Artagnan (François Civil) in a spot of bother after watching his fancy, Constance (Lyna Khoudri) possibly being abducted, and then taking a club to the head. As with the first episode, this is a fairly dense film, full of 'script' events and a near exhaustive roll call of characters to facilitate. Martin Bourboulon and his writers, Mathieu Delaporte and Alexandre de le Patellière pay their due respects to Dumas by trying to squeeze as much in as possible in a relatively short runtime. And mostly, it works. It's as entertaining as the previous film, albeit with a markedly different tone.

The story continues as King Louis XIII (Louis Garrel) has finally declared war on the Protestant terrorists, camped in La Rochelle on the west coast of France. The Musketeers make their way there, eventually D'Artagnan catches up with them, though his search for Constance is becoming more desperate. On his travails he runs into the nominal lead of this film, Milady (Eva Green), who attempts to seduce him but then abandons him when he's of no use to her. 

The balancing act of making a film with Green in the lead but still allowing time for the 3 + 1 Musketeers to enjoy enough screen time just about comes off, but I thought there probably could have been more of Milady. The first film was subtitled D'Artagnan, and he had the lion's share of screen time, whereas here Milady is off screen for an awfully long time. When she's on it though, she makes the most of it. Her story is one of abuse and hardship and a scene she has with Constance is pretty powerful stuff. In saying this, the centre point of the film is probably the battle at La Rochelle and the surrounding machinations. This is finely tuned action with one standout shot of the Musketeers on horseback galloping along a beach. Top lensing by Nicolas Buldoc (who worked with Denis Villeneuve on Enemy).

Now, depending on the box office (most likely solid), this won't be the last of this series. My hunch is the third will be subtitled Athos, focussing on Vincent Cassel and his...quest. I'd actually push for more of these, at least an episode for Romain Duris' Aramis, maybe as a buddy comedy with Pio Marmaï's Porthos. 

The Three Musketeers: Milady is still showing at the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival around the country (but will likely pop up after the fest finishes. In Perth, catch it at the Palace and Luna cinemas.

See also:

Definitely, the first in this series, The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan (2023 - with the same director) and, sure, Mathieu Kassovitz's La Haine (1995), for a young and hotheaded Cassel.

Kung Fu Panda 4 (Me) (Kids)

It's been eight years since the release of Kung Fu Panda 3, and that film may have felt like a nice way to wrap the series, what with Po, the Dragon Warrior, finding his 'pandas' and reuniting with his old pop. But when there's cash to be made, and a new crop of teeny tots to tweens (?) to be harvested for it, then here we are, at the fourth installment. This might sound cynical, and it is, but actually, I favour this 'franchise' (ugly word, I know) over any of the other DreamWorks fare.

The film starts with Po (Jack Black) opening his dads' new noodle shop, fresh from a scrap with a massive stingray. The Dragon Warrior fame sits well with him but Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) is on his case to choose a successor and head 'upstairs' to a more exalted position as spiritual leader of the valley. The news of a burgeoning threat in far-off Juniper City gives Po an excuse to avoid this duty, and so off he trots with a reluctant partner in miscreant Zhen (Awkwafina). 

It almost feels like a broom has been taken to the series - new characters appear and, more tellingly, the Furious Five are sidelined. This works in its favour, as I thought the city setting was a highlight and the newer creations freshened things up. Ke Huy Quan voices a Fagin pangolin (or armadillo?) in nominal charge of a bunch of ne'er-do-wells that live underground, including a trio of cute psychotic bunnies. The villain of the piece, The Chameleon (Viola Davis) is suitably nasty, and comes with shape-shifting magic. Her mafia movie introduction is fun and Davis plays it spot on. 

Director, Mike Mitchell has a bit of form with animation, though he's also responsible for Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, so maybe more credit needs to go to co-director, Stephanie Stine (her feature debut), and regular writers, Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, along with new to the franchise, Darren Lemke. There's some pretty funny writing in this and Black was inspired casting way back in 2008 for the first film. He lands the gags like a pro. I think I was the only person in the screening to giggle at his line, "And where do we find this....The Chameleon?" It's the deliberate use of the definite article that gets me.

Look, sure it's more of the same, even down to a welcome cameo return from Al Swearengen himself (or Lovejoy, if you're old enough), Ian McShane, as Tai Lung. But the animation is amazing, fight scenes and calm moments both. Some of the landscapes are beautifully rendered and there's something about the adventures of Po and his cohort that works for young and old alike.

Kung Fu Panda 4 opens March 28th.

See also:

One scene in a tavern is reminiscent of Drunken Master 2 (1994), directed by Chia-Liang Liu and Jackie Chan. Another fine wuxia film with a great cast is Zhang Yimou's Hero (2002).

(Film stills and trailer ©Universal, 2024)

The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan

Here's another version of the Alexandre Dumas classic, the latest in a long line of adaptations, possibly starting in 1903, but probably most famously directed by Richard Lester in the 70s (or the Douglas Fairbanks film in the 20s, if you want to go back that far). This one, directed by Martin Bourboulon, is given all bells and whistles - it was filmed together with its second part, The Three Musketeers: Milady and they had a pretty sizeable budget, apparently. I'm guessing a lot of those Euros went on the stellar cast - Vincent Cassel as Athos, Romain Duris as Aramis, Eva Green as Milady, and Vicki Krieps and Loius Garrel as the Queen and King. All on sterling form, though it's François Civil as the lead, D'Artagnan and Lyna Khoudri as Constance who must take the plaudits. The innocence of their burgeoning romance is the heart within the film that all the religious and political arteries feed into. 

The story is slightly convoluted but it all spins around the affairs of the court of King Louis XIII, where Cardinal de Richelieu (Eric Ruf) is scheming to start a war against the Protestants and their backers, the English. The Cardinal's troops are constantly butting heads (and swords) with the King's Guard (or Musketeers, to steer us away from King's Landing) and it's one of these occasions where D'Artagnan shows his mettle to the titular trio, Athos, Aramis and Porthos (Pio Marmaï), even though all three were originally lining up to duel him to the death anyway. The fight scenes are enacted with some aplomb, all swinging camera and frenetic energy. 

The film is stylishly grungy and full of verve, with equal servings of bucklers being swashed and skulls being duggeried. The tone is quite straight-edged, not too whimsical and dandy, but not at all arch or snide either. I imagine Monsieur Dumas' estate is very pleased with the treatment of his story and characters. One issue is that this is just the first part of the duology, therefore much of the story acts as a primer for the second coat. That aside, the setting up is pretty well handled, with enough posers to entice me to see the follow up.

There is a lot of intrigue in this, including a weak-willed but reasonable King, a Queen playing away from home with a Pommy Duke, an underground Protestant terror outfit and, in a nicely done final flourish, a wedding scene that was not quite 'red', as such, but near enough to a bloodbath as makes no mind.

All in all, I reckon I'll wait on the second installment to fully judge the pair, but as an opening episode, this has a lot of merit, leaving us with a cliffhanger to go home with. À bientôt, Milady.

The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan is screening as part of the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival around Australia. In Perth, it's on at Palace and Luna cinemas.

See also:

I'll always direct folk to Jacques Audiard's The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005), starring a superb Romain Duris (Aramis). Also, a film from last years FFF, directed by, co-written by, AND starring Louis Garrel (Louis XIII), The Innocent (2022) was a little charmer.

20 Days in Mariupol

This harrowing documentary follows a group of war correspondents in the besieged city of Mariupol in south-east Ukraine. It starts as the Russian invasion gets underway and creeps towards devastation as the frontline gets ever closer. It's an extremely tough watch. The writer/director, Mstyslav Chernov, doesn't shy away from showing us children dead from shelling, parents absolutely bereft from grief, and the complete loss of hope that's riddled through the doctors and nurses.

It almost feels redundant to talk about technique here but this film holds a straightforward doco structure that opens with a hint of the 'big moment', then a diary style unfolds (the 20 days), before returning to the beginning to show us how it all panned out. That focal point is an impending attack on a hospital that the crew are holed up in, followed by a frantic dash to find a Red Cross convoy rumoured to be leaving the city.

Some of the most striking detail in the film is that if you've kept an eye on the conflict, you've likely seen some of the footage, as these guys are responsible for much of the vision that found its way out of the war zone. One bit that sparked a memory for me was the attack on a maternity hospital that the Russians claimed was set up by actors and influencers. 

The film is not quite as one-sided as it could (or maybe even should) be. We see residents looting shops and being reprimanded by store owners and soldiers. At one point, a group of desperate folk round on the film crew, suggesting the Ukraine military is bombing them. 

As the end credits started to roll in the Luna cinema there was a shout of "Slavia Ukraina!" from the back, followed by a round of applause. As this stage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine enters its second year, this film is timely reminder that the 'status quo' is a horrific place. The Oscar nomination for best doco might bring more exposure.

20 Days in Mariupol is an incredible document of a murky moment in history. A tough watch but a vitally important film.

*This screening was organised by DocPlay, where 20 Days in Mariupol can be seen from March 7th 2024.

See also:

More recent Putin infamy seeps through the excellent doco, Navalny (2022), directed by Daniel Roher. Gillo Pontecorvo's seminal war film, The Battle of Algiers (1966) shows that bombing civilians is nothing new.

Dune: Part Two

Dune: Part Two picks up very close to the end of the first film - Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother, Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) are embedded with the Fremen following the attack on house Atreides from Dune: Part One. The first scene of some Harkonnen foot soldiers getting dealt with is neatly done but not quite the opener that I was expecting. This ties into my major issue with the film - it takes an awfully long time to get going. I'd say the whole first hour is spent developing Paul's relationship with Chani (Zendaya) and Jessica's rise to Reverend Mother of the Fremen, blue worm juice ingesting and all. There's also an extended 'rites of passage' angle where Paul must show his mettle to be accepted by the tribes. All important stuff, granted, but I'd have preferred a bit more back and forth with the other camps - Harkonnen, Emperor & Bene Gesserit. When this does eventually happen, the film really finds its groove.

Christopher Nolan said that this is director Denis Villeneuve's Empire Strikes Back. Probably not far wide of the mark. Of course, there's no guarantee the third film will reach the standards of the first two, but if Villeneuve directs, I'd have some money on it. No mistaking, this is a technical marvel. Greig Fraser returns behind the camera, Joe Walker edits again, and Hans Zimmer is back on scoring duties. Crucially, Patrice Vermette is back as production designer - this might be the biggest card in Dune's deck. The sets and paraphernalia of the Dune-iverse are outstanding.

The whole saviour theme was wearing thin on me but we'll see where this goes in the third installment. At least Chani's scepticism acts as a bulwark to all the pious guff. I haven't read any of the books - it seems this film has completed the first book and part three will apparently go into Frank Herbert's sequel, Dune: Messiah. A fairly messy religious war is brewing (among other things) for the next film, unless Paul (now AKA Muad'Dib) can get his house in order. Without going into detail, it's not looking too rosy for our new prophet.

Just on that finale, the climactic attack on Arakeen is one of the most tense, perfectly set up and executed battle sequences in many a year, equalling, possibly even eclipsing the reverse Harkonnen ambush from the first film. And while I wanted some more political skullduggery early on, the film really gets moving when Josh Brolin's Gurney Halleck reappears, especially with his 'atomics' proposal.

The cast bring it in spades, whether it's Christopher Walken underplaying his Emperor, or Stellan Skarsgård overplaying Baron Harkonnen. Those mentioned above are fine but the standout for me would have to be Austin Butler for his wacko Feyd-Rautha, with his Baron uncle's accent on point. Unfortunately, and unlike the first film, I didn't have much time for Javier Bardem's Stilgar - he's too flip, too broadly in thrall to Paul's supposed 'messiah'. A word for Lea Seydoux and Florence Pugh, as they're great additions. They don't have lot to do here but hopefully they'll be given more in the next film.

Reservations aside, this is a spectacular sci-fi film, with very impressive world-building and confident direction by one of the best helmers going around. Though I have the first as marginally superior, there's not much in it, and don't be surprised if Villeneuve blows us away with the third.

Dune: Part Two is showing everywhere right now.

See also:

Villeneuve hasn't really put a foot wrong since Prisoners and Enemy (both 2013), though I'm ashamed to admit I haven't seen Incendies (2010) yet. He's on a supreme streak at the moment.

(Film stills and trailer ©Warner Bros, 2024)

The Promised Land

Mads Mikkelsen stars in this 18th century historical drama with epic overtones. He plays Ludvig Kahlen, an ex-soldier with a strong urge to cultivate the Jutland heath in Denmark. The Royal Treasury toffs think he's mad but, as the King wants the heath developed, Kahlen is given permission to try (and probably fail). So, unto the wild.

It sets out its stall early when Kahlen musket balls an outlaw's chin. The bloodlust doesn't return for a while, but when it does, it's pretty shocking. In the meantime, Kahlen has to deal with farming a virtually barren landscape with very little help. A local priest, Anton (Gutsav Lindh) leads him to a couple, Ann Barbara and Johannes (Morten Hee Andersen and Amanda Collin), who will work for next to nothing, as they are on the run from a malicious land-owner. We meet said richo, Frederik de Schinkel (Simon Bennebjerg) soon enough when he invites Kahlen to dinner to dissuade him from his attempts to settle - more folk on the land would limit his ownership claims.

The original Danish title for this is Bastarden (or The Bastard), which relates to Kahlen's background and explains his desire to become a 'somebody' in society. His arc is quite wide ranging - he goes from a single-minded battler with mild OCD to a loyal family man, with responsibility for a young wildling, Anmai Mus (a great debut from Melina Hagberg).

Mikkelsen is almost peerless these days, not many people can do what he does. He exudes a kind of ingenuous vulnerability, while, at the same time, leaving no doubt that he could rip out a throat if required. His scenes with Hagberg and Collin show one of these sides; a sneak attack on some murderous crims the other. 

Overall, this is a reasonably functional tale of endeavour and stoicism on the inhospitable Danish heath, lifted appreciably by the performances and the brutality of frontier life. The whole film flirts with melodrama at times, gets very close in fact, but the bursts of violence have a way of diverting the mind. Co-writer/director Nikolaj Arcel has worked with Mikkelsen previously, directing A Royal Affair and co-writing Riders of Justice. Long may this creative partnership continue.

The Promised Land is screening at UWA Somerville from Mar 4-10 as part of the Perth Festival.

See also:

There are similarities to Hlynur Pálmason's Godland (2022). And the above-mentioned Riders of Justice (2020), directed by Anders Thomas Jensen, is high level Mads.