Ivi06

Agra is one of the most visited cities in India thanks to the famous Taj Mahal. It's a land full of contrasts, especially social; there are beautiful historical monuments, luxury shopping malls and restaurants, from which you can see a family of six with a newborn baby having dinner on the pavement – not something you’ll see in Bollywood. I was all the more interested in this film and the story of a young man, torn between fantasy and reality, who, like many men from lower castes, suffers from sexual frustration. This pushes him to absolutely desperate measures, whether it's attempting suicide or raping his cousin. He tries online dating, but fails, and eventually tries to succeed with a disadvantaged woman who doesn't have much chance of finding a suitable match herself. I think the film is successful at reflecting that sad reality, but a bit flawed at times (for example, the violent scenes where it is quite obvious that it is a fiction). What will stick in my mind forever is the opening "love scene" with the squirrel, and the fact that the cinema was brutally cold, which definitely spoiled the experience. But the film held my attention and I wanted to finish it. [Festival de Cannes 2023]

I'm incredibly happy that my internal assessment agreed with the main jury of this year's Cannes Film Festival, headed by Ruben Östlund (Triangle of Sadness, The Square), and that Anatomy of a Fall won the main prize, the Palme d'Or. I was incredibly surprised by Justine Triet because I found Sibyl, the last film she presented at Cannes, rather mediocre. On the other hand, it was the first time I saw Sandra Hüller and I was immediately attracted to her, her scenes are the best of the film. Anatomy of a Fall jumps to the top of my rating system and I consider it a masterpiece that I will definitely want to see again. Sandra, Samuel and their son Daniel live in the mountains, not far from Grenoble. The opening scene already suggests that Sandra and Samuel's relationship is likely to be strained, and a few minutes later, Samuel is found dead. The investigation into this mysterious death, which basically admits only two theories, and the subsequent trial, leads to a deep analysis of the couple's relationship. Daniel, who, despite his visual impairment, is a key witness, also has to take part in all this. So far, it doesn’t look like an original and innovative story, right? But Justine Triet manages to present this theme seen a thousand times before in a fresh and unusual way. I can say for myself that I loved every minute of the long running time, I wasn't bored for a second and I can't find a single dead spot. A lot of credit goes to all the actors, whose performances are breathtaking. Sandra Hüller is undoubtedly the queen, but Milo Machado Graner is equally fabulous, and I have to give credit to Antoine Reinartz as the prosecutor. The screenplay and the dialogues also deserve credit. The gradual unraveling of the relationship dynamics between Sandra and Samuel, the revelation of their pasts, problems and disputes to help reveal the truth, as well as Daniel's contradiction between his own memories and what he hears in court, which leads to his utter confusion, are absolutely brilliant. The figure of Daniel, tormented by uncertainty and doubt, is of crucial importance for the denouement, and at the same time it is a mirror of the viewers themselves, who also cannot say for sure how it all happened. A very important moment is the dialogue between Daniel and the social worker: When we are in doubt and unsure, we have no choice but to make a decision... and so, in the end, must we. [Festival de Cannes 2023]

I wasn’t sure how to rate this film, it took me a long time. It’s your typical Anderson oddity, and in this colourful oddity there’s also an even bigger oddity in black and white that I believe spoils the film a bit. Otherwise, the colour part of the film is funny, I liked the cinematography a lot, but it lacks something for a higher rating. And yet it's absolutely packed with Hollywood stars. Maybe my expectations were too high. [Festival de Cannes 2023]

Banel & Adama is the story of a couple trying to build a future together, but one that is at odds with their socially predetermined destiny. While Banel rejects her stereotypical female role and is authentic in every situation, fighting for the right to be herself, Adama tries to do what is right, even if it is not in line with his own wishes. Adama is the center of Banel's universe, and her uncompromising pursuit of her dreams is sympathetic only up to a point. She is possessive, she goes very hard after her own and is capable of anything to achieve her goal. I'll admit that I didn't find the characters very likeable, and Banel not at all, despite being able to fully understand her in some situations. Visually the film is gorgeous, with a very nice soundtrack, and the story itself is not bad at all, but I can't give it a higher rating, something was missing. [Festival de Cannes 2023]

This is one big caress to the soul. A beautiful ode to French cuisine, the French language and to love itself. The opening twenty minute or so cooking scene is a masterpiece, so be warned, don't watch it hungry :D In this film, food is the main character, it's either prepared or consumed, or it's very colourfully and poetically assessed and described, in a way that perhaps only the French can do. The production design is amazingly detailed and it wasn't until the end of the film that I noticed that there was no music; the soundtrack is the sounds of the kitchen: the bubbling of boiling water, the sizzling of oil in the pan, the shuffling of pots on the stove, a wooden spoon sliding on a skillet, the crackling of the fire in the fireplace, the clinking of cutlery on plates. Cooking here is not just a tool to fill the stomach and satisfy the appetite, cooking is portrayed as a very important way of communication, to express love and feelings where words are not enough. Similarly, the relationship between Eugenie and Dodin is beautifully and delicately portrayed. They love each other, admire each other, cook for each other with love. This film is like a dream. And rightfully won the Best Director award at Cannes. [Festival de Cannes 2023]

Jessica Hausner presented Little Joe at Cannes 2019, and Emily Beecham won Best Actress. Club Zero left Cannes this year without an award at Cannes, and yet for me it's a more accomplished film. But it's true that maybe it could have been a bit more extreme, like The Wave. Here we follow a group of students who sign up for a "mindful eating" course that ultimately leads to no eating at all. Under Ms. Novak's manipulative influence, the students are very passionate, even sectarian, about their project, and we can observe the reactions of their families. The film opens up many themes: nutrition trends, eating disorders, escalating beliefs (thoughts shape our reality, I can do anything if I think it – best portrayed in a disturbing, absurd yet brilliant vomiting scene). The film is funny, but at the same time tragic and especially brilliantly acted by the young cast. [Festival de Cannes 2023]

I'm pretty clear about the kind of place and time in the past I would never want to live in: the bloodthirsty American Wild West and the court of Henry VIII, with all the intrigue and the paranoia, I like my peace and I really wouldn't have the nerve for that. Anyway, I've always been utterly fascinated by Henry VIII and his women, I loved watching the The Tudors, so I'm always happy to watch any film treatment of that era, and this one is very good. It's very intimate, understated, and kept me entertained the entire time, thanks to the lead acting duo of Alicia Vikander and Jude Law. We have already seen Alicia once in the great historical drama A Royal Affair; she was great there, but here she is even better, the role suits her beautifully. It's quite a turnaround for Jude, though, from a likable pretty boy to a chubby, grumpy, paranoid curmudgeon, I don't think many people will even recognize him! I must also highlight the beautiful sets and costumes, they were a feast for the eyes. I can surely recommend it for lovers of historical dramas. [Festival de Cannes 2023]

My first screening at the Cannes Film Festival and quite a powerful experience. We follow the day-to-day practices of emergency responders in New York City, and how this work affects their mental health and personal lives. The protagonists Ollie (Tye Sheridan) and Gene (Sean Penn) go on all sorts of cases, so we can get a rich idea of the variety and complexity of their calls (from homeless trouble, domestic violence, unwanted help with drug addicts, to street shootings and many more). What rescue workers everywhere have to deal with inspires great admiration in me in general (even on home soil, of course), but I feel like America is on a whole other level. On the one hand, this film is a tribute to these people, but at the same time it shows how terribly unrewarding this work is and how much of a toll it increasingly takes. And then there is the question of the "divine" decision of whether or not it makes sense to save a life in some cases? I don't want to give anything more away, this film is challenging but definitely worth it. I was very impressed by the music by Nicolas Becker and Quentin Sirjacq; and as for the acting performances, Sean Penn is classically very good, but Tye Sheridan leads the way, I found him incredibly good here. [Festival de Cannes 2023]

Bonnard, Pierre and Marthe left me with a very similar impression to Along Came Love, also from the Cannes Première 2023 category: a well-made, likeable, visually beautiful, convincingly acted film, but still forgettable and mediocre. [Festival de Cannes 2023]

The new Indiana Jones left me with very similar feelings to the previous outing, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, I love seeing this iconic character on the big screen again, but you live mostly on nostalgia. It's not what it used to be anymore. Not because Indy is getting wrinkles and losing muscle, the new sequels just don't have the same charm. But Indiana Jones still remains popular and in my opinion the filmmakers are pretty cynical with it. And they also count on the fact that the viewer will forgive a lot of stupid things and will turn a blind eye to crazy action scenes that defy the laws of physics, because it's Indiana Jones. The characters are otherwise likeable, and I always welcome Mads Mikkelsen as a bad guy, but it's a long way from Cipher 😊 It was also nice to see Thomas Kretschmann as a Nazi again, how else could it be? To sum up, for me it was a nostalgic respite where I appreciated a few references to past films, but otherwise it's all so B-ish and forgettable, it doesn't offend, but it doesn't excite either. The glory days of Indiana Jones are long gone, and the last two films have only benefited from that popularity, something that is unfortunately quite common nowadays... [Festival de Cannes 2023]