Göteborg Film Festival 2020 reviews and thoughts | ||
| Göteborg Film Festival 2020, according to me, Martin. Latest seen film pops up on top, earlier films can be found below.... | ||
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| Nominees (winners presented way further down): |
| Best supporting actor: Larissa Corriveau, Répertoire des villes disparues Gemma Arterton, My Zoe Andew Scott, 1917 Martine Chevallier, Deux |
| Best leading actor: Julie Delpy, My Zoe Barbara Sukowa, Deux Eva Green, Proxima Carol Duarte, A Vida Invisível |
| Best ensemble: Deux 1917 Little Joe Peanut butter falcon |
| Best director: Julie Delpy, My Zoe Sam Mendes, 1917 Karim Aďnouz, A Vida Invisível Filippo Meneghetti, Deux |
| Best film: My Zoe 1917 Deux Seules les bętes |
| And as per usual (it's a tradition, or an old charter, or something....), it seems proper to announce This year's..... |
| ….cinema: Draken ….low-point: none, really ….shortage: screenings at Draken ….best seat: Middle of VIP row, Biopalatset ….should be caught at the cinema: Dark waters ….cinematography: Michal Englert - The Other Lamb ….reading: Fool moon, by Jim Butcher ….most uneven: Rare beasts ….set/production design: Little Joe ….theme: Single parents struggling in somewhat sci-fi-ey settings ….vignette film: Anna standing on annoyingly hesitant Jan's head ….weather: OK ….screenplay: 1917 ….Bechdel spread: 35% ….transport: Bike, sneakers and tram ….Lost item: Photochromatic glasses ….Skarsgĺrd: None, that I could see ….documentary: Coup 53 ….dancing: Deux ….most GFF 1992-2004: Seules les bętes ….rising star: Zélie Boulant, Proxima |
And, who won? Well: |
| Best supporting actor: Andrew Scott Best leading actor: Carol Duarte Best ensemble: 1917 Best director: Sam Mendes Best film: 1917 |
Little Joe | ||
| Botanyscifidramedythriller by Jessica Hausner, GBR/AUT/GER | ||
| Points for best set design of the festival. Part campy 50's sci-fi, part social realism and part psychlogical
thriller-comedy, Little Joe places squarely in the ungenreable
category. Annoying music and unnerving performances and a nice, creepy
mood. | ||
| 4 pastel shirts of 6 | ||
  | ||
Proxima | ||
| Feminastronautdrama by Alice Winocour, FRA/GER | ||
| The
story doesn't seem to know where it's going at first. And in the end,
that matters little. The story is that of a woman's relationship with
her daughter, and the sacrifices they both have to make. And Eva Green
is the one carrying the story, with a lot of help from a real find,young Zélie Boulant
. It's beautiful and emotional, but perhaps not that exciting. Plus, I
think it's a law now, that in every narrative featuring astronauts in
training, they have to show the spinning G-force simulator. Bonus
points if the protagonist endures more than the staff thinks. | ||
| 4 languages of 6 | ||
| | ||
Light of My Life | ||
| Nativitydystopy by Casey Affleck, USA | ||
| The
beginning sets the tone; slow, building, and intense. The three
different encounters escalate organically. The main actors both excel,
and the setting, lighting and music all add up to a daunting tale. | ||
| 4 stories of 6 | ||
 | ||
Coup 53 | ||
| Docoupmentary by Taghi Amirani, USA/GBR | ||
| The
situation in the Middle East is, at least in parts, due to British and
USA:ian entanglements in the 1950's. As democracy seemed to be
emerging, oil companies wanted to keep the feudal state, as a few
rulers are easier to bribe than a whole population. As a result, the
shah remained in power until theocracy took over in 1979, and that's
where we are now. Amirani, a former physicist and Iranian in exile has
collected evidence for the British and American involvement, and
presents them in usual documentary fashion, other than with one key
person, whom they couldn't find, and who instead was portrayed by an
actor. Ralph Fiennes, no less. As with many documentaries, the subject itself was more gripping than the presentation. | ||
| 4 microfiches of 6 | ||
| | ||
Peanut butter falcon | ||
| Feelgoodroadwrestler by Tyler Nilson, Michael Schwartz, USA | ||
| Funny, charming and just a tad predictable. Mark Twainy and with enjoyable acting from all involved, even Shia LeBouef. | ||
| 4 rafts of 6 | ||
| | ||
Rare beasts | ||
| Romcomblam by Billie Piper, GBR | ||
| I
have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, the pacing, the direction,
the dialogue, and first and foremost the characters, are unlike
anything ever seen before. On the other hand, those very same qualities
make it incomprehensible and pretentious at times. Piper tries to
balance, but falters ever so often. Of course, it is never boring. | ||
| 3 tantrums of 6 | ||
 | ||
Adam | ||
| Romcomdram by Rhys Ernst, USA | ||
| Unevenly acted, but entertainingly told. The reputed controversy must be an American thing. | ||
| 4 shirts of 6 | ||
| | ||
A Vida Invisível (The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao) | ||
| Separationsorority by Karim Aďnouz, BRA | ||
| Well
told, well acted and well executed. There is a lack of highlights, and
I have a hard time caring too much for one of the sisters. All in all,
a good film, that doesn't feel as long as it is. | ||
| 4 potted plants of 6 | ||
| | ||
Seules les bętes (Only the Animals) | ||
| Nestedrama by Dominik Moll, FRA | ||
| Somewhere
between GFF 1993-2001 style interconnected-stories-woven-together and Rashomon
style the mystery ravels, unravels and reravels. Most of the narratives are
well executed, and all adds to the sum. | ||
| 5 secrets of 6 | ||
 | ||
Deux (Two of us) | ||
| Gerontology by Filippo Meneghetti, BEL | ||
| The
feelings between the two protagonists are genuine and beautifully
conveyed. Every decision the characters make makes sense,
yet things keep getting worse. But the power of love persists, without
it getting too saccharine, and not without massive contributions from
Barbara Sukowa and Martine Chevallier. | ||
| 5 ashtrays of 6 | ||
| | ||
1917 | ||
| Wartake
by Sam Mendes, GBR | ||
| Perfectly
paced, Mendes' Great War flick manages to keep the interest up throughout.
Impressive scenography, perfect score, believable characters and a technical
triumph. It's sometimes difficult to suspend disbelief, but evenso, it's
entertaining in most of the emotional spectrum. | ||
| 5 trenches with not so much rat in them of 6 | ||
| | ||
My Zoe | ||
| Customdy by Julie Delpy, FRA | ||
| Fine acting and real emotions. The promised Sci-Fi spin was
not out of place, nor was it really that Sci-fi-ey. Julie Delpy is
brilliant, and Gemma Arterton convinces as well | ||
| 5 tries of 6 | ||
| | ||
Cook F**k Kill | ||
| Timelooparthouse by Mira Fornay, CZE | ||
| Weird,
but not delightully so. Time-loopey, but not thought-provokingly so.
Good use of setups and pay-offs regarding parallel narratives, tough. | ||
| 3 frogs of 6 | ||
| | ||
De dřdes tjern (Lake of Death) | ||
| Splasherfilm by Nini Bull Robsahm, NOR | ||
| It
tries so hard to pay homage to the horror and slasher genre, but it
adds nothing new. It's very beautiful, and tense enough, but it's not
really entertaining, nor intelligent. And, which is the most cardinal
fault in any horror flick: it's just not scary. | ||
| 3 clichés of 6 | ||
| | ||
School of Seduction
| ||
| Donnadocumentary by Alina Rudnitskaya, RUS | ||
| Gender roles are still being enforced in Russia. Some women try to make the best of the situation, and the three different women we follow tell increasingly interesting stories. Oddly enough, it's the young son of one of the portrayed women who sees the clearest truth. | ||
| 4 douchey teachers of 6 | ||
| | ||
Répertoire des villes disparues (Ghost town anthology)
| ||
| Phantomology by Denis Côté, CAN | ||
| Weird and slightly off, but decently engaging. | ||
|
3 masques of 6 | ||
| | ||
The other lamb | ||
| Cult movie by Malgorzata Szumowska, IRE | ||
| Slow and tense, with a rather non-original take on sect oppression and indoctrination. Well acted, exceptional cinematography, but kind of boring. | ||
| 2 colour codes of 6 | ||
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Winners 