Spanish Cinema: Dolor y gloria (Pain and Glory) Review

Pain and Glory is cinema at its best, a feast for the eyes and a story that touches the heart. Directed by Pedro Almodóvar and starring Antonio Banderas in the lead role of Salvador Mallo, a troubled director, this film explores the very essence of life, the pain and the glory of existence, if you will.

This film has been on my watch list for far too long and I am also kind of ashamed to say that this is the first Almodóvar film I have seen (despite having a DVD of The Skin I Live In on my shelf for years!) The first thing that struck me was the use of colour (a well-known trademark of the filmmaker if I’m correct), in every frame, there is a perfect balance of rich jewel tones and paired back neutrals, making everything pop in such an aesthetically pleasing way.

Homes or interiors to be more precise play an important part in the film, and they are visually stunning too. From the striking whitewash walls of the cavern home of Mallo’s childhood to his chic and colourful apartment. Can I just say that the latter is perhaps one of the most gorgeously designed apartments I have ever seen (interior design inspo on a whole new level!) and interestingly it is a replica of Almodóvar’s own home. According to Antxón Gómez (Production designer and frequent collaborator) “For Pedro, interior design is a character in the movie,” [1]. And it truly feels like this is the case while watching the film, the eclectic decor speaks volumes about the characters and shows that they have a rich and complex history. It’s the same with fashion, and can I just say that I need a green jacket like the one Mallo rocks in my life. Fashion and Interior design are ways in which we can express ourselves, and then for Almodóvar, there is filmmaking as well. Creating art is a form of expression, its storytelling in it’s most visceral form.

“Las noches que coinciden varios dolores, esas noches creo en Dios y le rezo. Los días que solo padezco un tipo de dolor, soy ateo.”

“The nights that coincide several pains, those nights I believe in God and I pray to him. The days when I only suffer a type of pain I'm an atheist.”

Narratively, Pain and Glory is meandering, it flicks between the present and past childhood memories…or does it? When taking into account the final scene of the film, you must rethink everything you’ve seen throughout. Are all the flashbacks purely Mallo’s reconstruction of his memories on a film set, does this then mean that everything we have seen from his childhood has been moulded for cinematic storytelling. Having a film within a film that is only revealed to be a film at the end is a rather clever move from Almodóvar, and further cements the film’s theme of the craft of storytelling. It’s so meta it almost hurts!

Films like this make me fall even more in love with cinema and make me want to make movies. I say this all the time but it’s true, there’s something so special about watching a beautifully made film that has so much depth and substance to it, it’s like reading a novel that’s full of imagery and symbols. It’s powerful and utterly relatable.

[1] González. B (2020) All About the Vibrant Decor in Pedro Almodóvar’s Films, Available at: https://www.houzz.com/magazine/all-about-the-vibrant-decor-in-pedro-almodovars-films-stsetivw-vs~131255473 (Accessed: 8th February 2021).

French Cinema: Juste la fin du monde (It's Only the End of the World) Film Review

It’s Only the End of the World is a French-language film directed by Xavier Dolan. The film stars Gaspard Ulliel, Nathalie Baye, Marion Cotillard, Léa Seydoux, and Vincent Cassel who are arguably some of the biggest names in French cinema.

Based on the play of the same name by Jean-Luc Lagarce the narrative of the film follows Louis, a playwright on his trip home for the first time in 12 years wherein he plans to tell his family that he is dying.

It’s easy to see that this film is based on a play due to its intimate settings, small core cast and telling dialogue where what isn’t said is just as intriguing and important as what is said. I also love how there is so much ambiguity throughout the film as it’s never revealed why Louis left in the first place only that something triggered it. This for me adds to the realism of the film as the story is essentially about how important communication is and how we often fail to listen to each other which results in awkwardness and resentment especially when it comes to family. In some parts, it did feel a bit over the top, especially when Louis is in the company of his aggressive older brother Antoine, who just can’t help but be a complete prick to everyone around him, but for the most part, it was a compelling family drama.

This is the first film by Xavier Dolan that I have seen and I must say that I’m kind of annoyed that I haven’t watched any of his work sooner as I was really quite taken aback by the cinematography (claustrophobic close-ups, intense colour grading) and the use of soundtrack in the film. Especially the use of O-Zone’s Dragostea Din Tei (yes that so cheesy it’s kind of good song from 2003) and Exotica’s Une miss s’immisce and how they weave into moments from Louis’s memories. These scenes are a world away from the claustrophobia of the family home in the present. Running hopefully over a sun-drenched field as a kid or a sensually lit (oranges, pinks and greens dominate the colour palette here) teenage sexual encounter, these flashbacks are beautifully nostalgic and the music only helps to create the atmosphere for each one.

« la prochaine fois nous serons préparés »

“We'll be better prepared next time…”

The film’s ending is also quite visually striking with severe fiery oranges that take over the colour palette due to the sun setting. It is also a fitting symbol for how intense and fraught the whole day has been for Louis and that perhaps like the setting sun signals the end of a day, this sunset is the end of his connection with his family. Bird imagery is also dispersed throughout the film but most notably at the end with a surreal moment where a small cuckoo escapes the cuckoo clock and flies frantically around the house searching for a way out. Almost certainly a metaphor for Louis himself, he flew the coup and should not have returned and as it lies dying on the floor at the close of the film, he too is on his journey towards death, alone.

French Cinema: La Haine (Hate) Review

La Haine follows three young men in the banlieues (suburbs) of Paris for almost 24 hours as they navigate the aftermath of a riot wherein a friend has been shot. Directed by Matthew Kassovitz and starring Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé and Saïd Taghmaoui, this hard-hitting French film from 1995 still feels just as relevant in 2021. How is that possible?!

Presented in a stark but beautiful monochrome palette, La Haine holds nothing back. The narrative explores a wealth of topics including race, masculinity, police brutality, poverty, the aimlessness of youth and societal expectations. In most cases, this would be too much material to cover coherently in a film; however, the simplicity of the 24h timeline makes it possible.

« C'est l'histoire d'un homme qui tombe d'un immeuble de 50 étages. Le mec, au fur et à mesure de sa chute, il se répète sans cesse pour se rassurer: Jusqu'ici tout va bien. Jusqu'ici tout va bien. Jusqu'ici tout va bien. Mais l'important, c'est pas la chute, c'est l'atterrissage. »

“Heard about the guy who fell off a skyscraper? On his way down past each floor, he kept saying to reassure himself: So far so good... so far so good... so far so good. How you fall doesn't matter. It's how you land!”

The story of the falling man is repeated throughout the film. This is an obvious metaphor for the three central characters and society as a whole (which Cassel’s character notes later on). It’s also interesting that graffiti and billboards have ironic messages throughout the film such as ‘L'avenir c'est nous’ (We are the future) and ‘Le Monde est à vous’ (The world is yours) which Saïd changes to ‘Le Monde est à nous’ (The World is ours). Escaping the poverty of the banlieues is impossible for these young men because society doesn’t allow them the chance to better themselves.

Another motif that drives the plot, perhaps just as much as the falling man story is the gun. Vinz carries the police revolver for most of the film, its always present but hidden from sight. Another metaphor, but for violence this time. It’s also a device that builds tension and is a literal use of the narrative technique Chekov’s Gun. “If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it’s not going to be fired, it shouldn’t be hanging there.“ (Chekov, 1911). We are anxious throughout the film because we know that this gun will be used, but up until the very last moment of the film, we don’t know how or when!

« Je me sens comme une petite fourmi perdue dans un univers intergalactique »

“I feel like a little ant lost in an intergalactic universe.”

Normally films become less and less relevant as the year’s pass, or they become offensive because of how backwards their representations were (Hello, Mickey Rooney as Mr Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Laurence Olivier in blackface as Othello!). Unfortunately, La Haine is feeling more and more relevant, especially in the last year with the Black Lives Matter marches around the world.

Best Films of 2020

In a year of unparalleled weirdness and chaos, at least we had movies. I find that films are the best kind of distraction and while I didn’t get to see many films in the Cinema I did still get to watch a few new releases thanks to services like Mubi, BFI Player and of course Netflix. So here are my top films of 2020.

My Top 5 Films of 2020

Parasite directed by Bong Joon-ho

Yes, I am fully aware that this film came out in 2019 for most people, but here in the UK, we got Parasite in cinemas at the beginning of 2020 before the world went to shit. And it’s literally a masterpiece. Hilariously dark and with a biting social commentary Parasite is Bong at his best. If you haven’t seen this film yet you most definitely should, it broke records and has made people think twice about subtitle prejudice finally! Look out for a full review on here soon.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire directed by Céline Sciamma

Portrait of a Lady on Fire may be the most beautiful and heartfelt love story I have seen in ages, I was sobbing throughout the last 20 or so minutes, and I can’t stop thinking about it. I even wrote a gushing review earlier this year because I loved it so much. Read the full review: Portrait of a Lady on Fire Review

Emma. directed by Autumn de Wilde

Stylish, aesthetic and thoroughly good fun Autumn de Wilde’s Emma. is a delight to behold. I found myself just utterly enamoured by this whole film, and I think a rewatch may be on the horizon as it’s buoyancy and frivolity would be the most welcome distraction from lockdown 3.0.

The Woman Who Ran directed by Hong Sang-soo

Hong Sang-soo's latest film is a smart and witty look at female relationships and troublesome men. The thing I absolutely love about Hong’s films is that they always feel like the lives on display exist in reality, that if the camera weren’t rolling, everything would happen that way regardless. Read the full film review: The Woman Who Ran Review.

DNA directed by Maïwenn

DNA explores the void left by losing a loved one and how grief can bring out the worst in you or bring you back in touch with your roots. Neige clings to her grandfather through the things he left behind and her connection to Algeria through him. Filled with drama and some necessary injection of humour, this is a compelling film that will leave you questioning the fabric of your own familial bonds.

Honourable mentions: Swallow, Little Joe, The Lighthouse.

Films I should have watched but didn’t (for some unknown reason)

Small Axe Anthology directed by Steve McQueen

I love Steve McQueen’s work, but his films are emotionally brutal. Small Axe is an anthology series that focuses on Black lives in moments in modern British history and looks to be some of his most powerful work yet. I will be watching these important films imminently.

The Wild Goose Lake directed by Diao Yinan

I missed this film at the 2019 London East Asian Film Festival to my annoyance, and then the film became available on MUBI, and I missed it again. I really should have watched it when I had the chance.

Les Misérables directed by Ladj Ly

I am learning French, love social realism films, and films loosely inspired by literary works…don’t even get me started! As to why I haven’t watched this film yet, I don’t know the answer. I keep going to put it on, and then I decide to watch something else, I think it’s because there is just too much choice. Also, on some platforms like Mubi or All4, you only have a limited time to watch certain movies, whereas Netflix seems to keep titles in its library for much longer. But as I am trying to get fluent in French by the end of 2020, I will most definitely be watching this one ASAP!

Most disappointing film of 2020

Tenet directed by Christopher Nolan

I was so excited about this film, the trailers looked great, the cast is phenomenal, and normally, Nolan delivers a smart and intelligent blockbuster. But with Tenet I think Nolan tried to be clever for the sake of being clever. If you strip away all the time stuff then it’s a just another spy movie, complete with a bad caricature villain and the usual underdeveloped female character. But what made this film the most infuriating to watch was the sound engineering! I like to hear what characters say, especially in a film when 90% of the dialogue is exposition! For anyone in a non-English speaking country, they undoubtedly benefited from the inclusion of subtitles so perhaps after a re-watch (with subtitles) I might go a little easier on this film. But then again probably not.

Korean Cinema: 도망친 여자 (The Woman Who Ran) Review

It’s safe to say that if a Hong Sang-soo film becomes available to watch in the UK I will jump at the chance to see it. Thankfully the London Korea Film Festival went digital this year as I was seriously weighing up whether it was worth risking a trip to the cinema to see his latest film.

The Woman Who Ran stars Hong’s long time muse Kim Min-hee who once again gives a fantastically understated performance as Gam-hee a woman we follow through three encounters with three different friends. Something I absolutely love about Hong’s films is that they always feel like the lives on display exist in reality, that if the camera wasn’t rolling everything would happen that way regardless.

In the first segment, Gam-hee visits a friend at their semi-rural apartment complex. Here the characters discuss a variety of topics which randomly involve animals, from the prettiness of cow’s eyes that cause the two women to consider becoming vegetarian briefly (while eating meat) to the aggressive dominance a Cockerel has over the neighbour’s chickens and another neighbour who ardently wants the apartments stray cat community to be cut off from being fed, dubbing them ‘robber cats’.

What struck me with these conversations is that there is always more to them than what meets the eye, especially with the conversation about the Cockerel, which could easily be a metaphor for sexual harassment and abuse women face when a man aggressively expresses his dominance.

The Cat Man, on the other hand, can be seen as a symbol of the human ego; he declares that the people of the apartment complex are more important than the stray cats, while Young-soon’s roommate insists that the cats have every right to survive. Is Hong weaving a conversation on the climate crisis into the film? Perhaps, that’s the impression I got anyway.

‘People in love should always stick to each other’

It soon becomes apparent that conversations with men are shot from behind; why does Hong make the men mainly faceless? Exposing them just for a few mere moments as they arrive or depart the destination of the conversation.

Another thing to consider is that each man is causing problems for the women they are conversing with. Cat Man tells Gam-hee’s hosts that they need to stop feeding stray cats, a young poet stalks Gam-hee’s second friend after a drunken one-night stand and Gam-hee herself is confronted by her self-important ex.

Gam-hee’s husband is mentioned several times and is actually faceless as he never appears in the film, but his view that ‘people in love should always stick to each other’ dominates Gam-hee’s life (as she is only now away from him after five years of marriage).

In this way, it feels like Hong is showcasing women’s lives with a very obvious #metoo sentiment; he is revealing how some men behave towards women and how things are made far more complicated for them because of the men they encounter.

This is all done with an obvious sense of humour, the women are all smart and engage in varied conversations whereas the men all come off rather foolish. And of course, this wouldn’t be a Hong Sang-soo film if he didn’t manage to weave in his usual musings of art and artists which is always a pleasure to watch.