Filmfestivalen 2016

The
animation is as if Hergé had drawn Jules Verne. The storyline is as if Jules
Verne had teamed up with JK Rowling and George Orwell. And Hergé. So basically,
a great way to perfect this film would have been to get a time machine and send
a copy to my 12 year old self. Unfortunately, that is not yet possible, but
seeing that the production, as well as the characters, the story, the animation
and the acting all adds up to a film as enjoyable for grownups as it is for
young adults, that’s quite allright.

Passed
the Bechdel test

5 Eiffel towers of 6

https://festival.giff.se/events/april-and-the-extraordinary-world

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3422078/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_1

Visually
and emotionally it takes a few leaves off Roy Andersson’s book, with long
scenes, steady shots and intense dialogue. Agüero, however, fails to catch interest in what could have been an
intriguing and slightly macabre story.

Failed
the Bechdel test

2 tombs of 6

https://festival.giff.se/events/eva-doesn-t-sleep

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2953182/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_1

As
dramas about teen pregnancies go, Petting Zoo isn’t bad. It isn’t good either.
It’s not overly dramatic, and while most actors, amateurs as they are, range
from questionable to meh, Devon Keller in the lead is actually quite convincing.

And the
director is nice in person.

Passed
the Bechdel test

3 landlines of 6

https://festival.giff.se/events/petting-zoo

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4368334/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_1

Nevada.
Since I’ve been there, the familiarity is, you know, familiar. But the
characters aren’t. I never understood why I should care for Diane Kruger’s
character. She’s completely blah. And the supposed male lead doesn’t even reach
level blah, he’s just slightly more annoying than that. So while reasonably
pretty, the film tells basically no story, involving characters that have no
character. So what’s the point?

Passed
the Bechdel test

2 bunnies of 6

https://festival.giff.se/events/sky

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4106306/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_lk2

With few
words, the feeling of unease is ever present, as a young mother and her teenage
son return to the Scottish island from whence she came.

We are
not sure what has happened, why she left, who the father is, but it slowly
unravels as the film proceeds. The drama is gripping, but never devastating,
the reveal is unexpected but not shocking, and all in all, it’s a
“meh” kind of drama.

Failed
the Bechdel test

3 dances of 6

https://festival.giff.se/events/iona

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4600312/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_1

It’s not
so much a documentary, insofar as it dwells on a certain phenomenon or event,
presenting facts and subjective views, making the audience more well dispersed
in the subject, as it is a bunch of old and contemporary musicians recording of
music on ancient equipment. That’s really all there is to this film, and that
makes it pretty awesome. While some musicians, like Beck, really thrive in
environments such as this, others, like some generic rapper, probably should
stick to more modern ways of recording sounds.

It’s fun
to watch Jack White’s unending enthusiasm for the techniques, and to witness
Steve Martin not talk, not even sing, just sit there playing awesome banjo
while Edie Brickell does the vocalising.

With few
exceptions, the music is brilliant (where can I buy the soundtrack?) and the
2.5 hours feels much shorter.

Passed
the Bechdel test

4 violins of 6

https://festival.giff.se/events/the-american-epic-sessions

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4587946/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_2

This is
essentially two films in one, one after the other. It’s hard to tell whether
each had worked on its own, but I for one think that the two halves compliment
each other, making their counterparts better for the experience. Claustrophobic
and intense, the opening act deals with the handling of despair and how to not
transfer that despair to the next generation, seeing that they have no way of
relating to the outside world.

The
closing act deals with transition and possible consequences, and an uncertainty
of the unknown. And both acts are brilliant on their own, but even moreso when
joined together. Abrahamson pulls just the right strings, balancing the
emotional tightrope without failing. The dialogue is spot on, the set design
praiseworthy and the supporting cast kicks arse (have Joan Allen and William H
Macy ever faltered?). But, due to the films central plot, it would have failed without convincing leads. Brie Larson
is nominated for a best actress Oscar, and rightfully so. But the real star is
actually 6 year old Jacob Tremblay. He’s simply terrific, and I don’t mean that
as in “he’s terrific, for a kid that age”. He’s simply terrific in
his own right.

Due to
inconvenient ferry traffic, I realised I wouldn’t make it to my intended film
across the river, and so swapped my ticket for this screening of Room instead.
I suppose I got lucky, and I hope Room will get distribution nationwide.

Failed
the Bechdel test

5 ponytails of 6

https://festival.giff.se/events/room

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3170832/?ref=acknowledge

A
collection of animated shorts, each with more cultural
subsidies than the last.

BLOOD MANIFESTO by
Theodore Usher: 3 transformations of 6

IF I WAS GOD by
Cordell Barker: 4 heresies of 6

LIFE WITH HERMAN H.
ROTT by Chintis Lundgren: 4 stereotypes of 6

SULEIMA by Jalal
Maghout: 3 pieces of coal of 6

NUGGETS by Andreas
Hykade: 3 kiwis of 6

AWA’S DREAM by Zéna
Zeidan, Yancouba Diémé 3 villages of 6

CARFACE by Claude
Cloutier: 4 Heathers of 6

WIENER BLUT by Pavao
Stalter, Zlatko Bourek: 2 throats of 6

THE MASTER by Riho
Unt: 3 syndromes of 6

None passed the Bechdel test

On average of: 3.22 cells of 6