So I watched more than 30 movies in August, in my defence some were short films so… but tbh I had a blast so I don’t really need to excuse myself. Cinema is one of my biggest passions and from time to time I’ll get completely consumed by it and thats kind of what happened this past month.
Find out what films and books I read in August:
Directed by Jessica Hausner Little Joe is an indie sci-fi horror that explores genetic modification and motherhood. Emily Beecham stars as Alice Woodard, a plant breeder who has created a new species that gives its owners intense joy…but at what price?
Narratively Little Joe is interesting, there is a clear exploration of deep themes: the mood altering effects of pharmaceuticals, the trials of motherhood and the bastardization of nature through genetic modification just to name a few. But, I would be inclined to say that what really makes this film quite special is the symbolism displayed through visuals and audio.
The colour design of this film is one of its most striking features. The lab and uniforms are a pale montone green which are directly juxtaposed with the vibrant red plumage of the Little Joe plant. This use of complementary colours creates a sort of visual symbiosis between the scientists and the plants, but as the film progresses it is clear that this visual harmony is indeed superficial and something far more nefarious is at work. Elsewhere, the colour design sticks to a closer palette of greens, oranges and yellows or the intense mixing of purple and red, the former displaying order and familiarity and the letter another expression of danger.
The camera moves very methodically to create a sense of control and sterileness which soon becomes creepy as it is too perfect. Moreover, this precision of the camera movement also acts as a parallel to what is happening within the lab, the modification of nature has morphed the characters into automatons, they become focused on one singular goal the propagation of the plant as it can’t reproduce on its own.
Another way in which Little Joe creates unease is through its erratic soundtrack. There is an eerie exoticness to the sounds and irregular rhythms which no doubt was used to mirror the strangeness of the plant. And while it can become a little distracting at times for the most part this soundtrack added a curious texture to the film and enhanced the mood.
Overall, Little Joe is a peculiar little film that will leave you reeling long after the credits, it’s full of beautiful visuals, uncanny commentaries on society and a really fantastic central performance by Emily Beecham who quite rightly won the Best Actress Award at Cannes last year.
Joanna Hogg’s The Souvenir is a semi-autobiographical film about a young filmmaker who gets caught up in a fraught relationship with a charming older man.
Hogg shoots The Souvenir perfectly. It’s a visual delight of soft dreary colours and a grainy film texture.
Also, Interestingly, the apartment Julie lives in is actually a full reconstruction of Hogg’s apartment, and the views seen through the windows are old photos that Hogg had taken back in the 80s. Filmmaking doesn’t really get much more personal than that.
Furthermore, Hogg represents this with the use of close-ups and mirrors. There is a wall-length mirror that occupies Julie’s apartment, and it acts as a device that reflects the characters back to themselves unflinchingly. Then, when the mirror is broken, it distorts them and splinters their reflections.
On the other hand, to counteract this intimacy with the personal past, Hogg also shoots many moments from afar and in one particularly striking scene in Venice, we see the action from the reflection of a small mirror in a vast room, the complete antithesis of the mirror that occupies Julie’s apartment, yet it tells the same truth.
And while it’s a gorgeous film to behold, I did find The Souvenir to be just a little too slow in its unfolding of the plot; sure, it had a lot to say about class, relationships, gaslighting and art, but it said them all a little too slow for me. Which I was rather surprised about as I do love a slow-burn film where characters and mood take centre stage.
The casting in this film is spot on; Honor Swinton Byrne becomes enmeshed with Julie, and Tom Burke plays Antony with the right balance of pretension and charm that is soon replaced with utter deplorability. Tilda Swinton as Julie’s Mother (who is also Swinton Byrne’s real Mother), who dances on the line between maternal love and being overbearing, and Richard Ayoade’s cameo as a patronising filmmaker and friend of Anthony is rather amusing.
While I struggled with the film due to its pacing I will definitely be watching The Souvenir Part II as I am intrigued to see where Julie’s story is heading. But above all else I loved the cinematography and casting (as I’ve mentioned earlier in this review) and to be honest that is enough for me.
