Filmfestivalen 2016

With
a total disregard for political correctness tells Caviglia the all but true story of Leonardo Zulliani, the boy who grew up to become the face of antisemiphobia.

It’s a
nice idea, to flip perspective and suggesting that bigotry against bigots is
somehow also bigotry. Of course, it isn’t, and the film makes this clear by
it’s sheer audacity.

However,
some of the jokes are dragged out too long, and many are puns in Italian
(hilarious, I do not doubt, but not easily, or cleverly, translated).

Still, a
good romp.

Failed
the Bechdel test

3 bow
ties of 6

https://festival.giff.se/events/burning-love

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4944906/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_1

As
lighthearted French comedies go, I’m all yours is the darkest ever, as we
slowly and painfully get to realise. Though the tone is light and there are
chuckles aplenty, the darkness creeps in. It’s not a dark comedy, it’s more of
a mood dissonance thing, and as such is difficult to judge. The leads are
brilliant, as is the mother. It’s obvious how environment sometimes trumps
genetics when shaping a person. I just can’t seem to be as moved as I should.

Failed
the Bechdel test

3
miniskirts of 6

https://festival.giff.se/events/i-m-all-yours

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4025194/?ref_=nm_flmg_wr_3

I’m not
sure if the overture was supposed to be that earspiercingly shrill, or just
that the machinist was too old to hear the higher frequencies, but the beginning is way too loud for
comfort. Perhaps intentionally done, though: it’s not supposed to be comforting
as this is a film about a child who grows up to become a dictator.

I have a
hard time empathising with the main characters. Even Bérénice Bejo fails to
fill me with awe, and the only decent one around is the boy’s tutor.

An absent
father and a less than understanding mother surely shouldn’t be enough to turn
a child into a ruthless despot, and we definitely never find out how neglecting
the boy helps him become a competent, if albeit evil, leader.

It’s
eerie, though, and it has its moments. I just had hoped for the film to reach
its full potential.

Passed
the Bechdel test

2 dresses
of 6

https://festival.giff.se/events/the-childhood-of-a-leader

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2815902/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_5

It’s all
very good looking. Cinematography, costumes, set design. And while it’s often
interesting to watch the silly antics of medieval priesthood, and the two
temporal planes (present and the middle ages) is a nice gesture.

However,
there’s not much narrative. Pretty much nothing happens, making the film quite
forgettable. In fact, what I’ll remember will be having to stop myself from
commenting out loud: “But… if she
weighs the same as a duck, she’s made of wood. And therefore….” hoping
to get an audience response.

The
promised vampires eventually show up, if you were wondering. It’s just that
they might as well hadn’t.

Failed
the Bechdel test

2 keys of 6

https://festival.giff.se/events/blood-of-my-blood

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2922590/?ref_=nm_flmg_wr_1

The film starts with
a greeting from the director and the main actors to the audience. Well, not the
actual film, but at least this particular screening. The filmed greeting sets
the tone, though: it’s personal, it’s easygoing and it’s joyful.

The actual movie
also sets the tone right from the get-go. Fastpaced, humorous and innovative,
yet familiar in a sort of comforting way.

Some films are
predictable, and that can make the viewers feel that their intelligence is
being underestimated. Other predictable films can instead evoke a sense of
smartness. Requisitos…. is predictable, but in a good way. It is a romcom,
after all, the most formulaic genre there is. It’s fine for a romcom to be as
expected; the trick is to make the journey to the inevitable finale (where the
two obvious lovebirds finally kiss after some grand gesture) as enjoyable as
possible. And that, RPSUPN does. The disposable romantic foil is not a douche,
just… disposable. The little quirks the protagonist have are fun and unique,
not just there for the sake of quirkiness. There’s laughter and tears, some
Swedish (which is always good fun to come across in a foreign film) and a
general feelgood feel.

When Hollywood
attempts a remake, they will cast Anna Kendrick, Jason Segel and Paul Rudd in
the leads. But as always, there’s no need for that: the original is better!

Passed the Bechdel
test

5 ovens of 6

https://festival.giff.se/events/requirements-to-be-a-normal-person

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3720724/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_6

The RCC is guilty of
many things, and one of the less serious one is systematically inflating their
number of adherents, partially by means of making it really difficult to leave.

Gonzalo tries to,
and gets to experience the bureaucracy involved. Parallel to his dealings with
the church, he has some emotional problems, involving one one hand his cousin
and on the other his neighbour. At first, those stories seems unrelated to the A-plot,
but they tie in nicely toward the end.

Decent acting and a
lighthearted tone, but ultimately rather forgettable.

Failed the Bechdel
test

3 dictionaries of 6

https://festival.giff.se/events/the-apostate

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4156152/?ref_=nm_knf_t3

A collection of
shortfilms, eligible for the short film award ‘Startsladden’ (roughly
translated The jump cable) in a feature length package. As usual, some films
are better than others.

HOPPTORNET
– Axel Danielson, Maximilien Van Aertryck: 5 meters of 6
FRAGMENT AV ETT LIV I
FYRA SCENER – David Aronowitsch: 4 cookies of 6
MAMMA VET BÄST – Mikael Bundsen: 4 closets of 6
CIRKLAR – Frida Kempff: 2 situations of 6
JAG VAR EN VINNARE – Jonas Odell: 4 levels of 6
INFANTILE – Vera Sjunnesson: 2 noseclamps of 6
TAXI TBILISI – Johanna Bernhardson: 2 mobiles of 6
MOMS ON FIRE – Joanna Rytel: 3 cats of 6

5 failed, 3 passed the Bechdel test

On average: 3.125 sockets of 6

In the norternmost
parts of India, fairytale tradition still lives on, and Hazarika has filmed
some of those folk tales as a commentary on today’s situation for some girls in
the area. While the stories ranges from weird to gruesome, the symbolism is somewhat
lost on this troper. What does a vegetable (in which there apperently is an
albino baby) following a woman around mean? Is the tale where a girl is married
off to a python, believed to be an angel in disguise, an allegory on how
marrige consumes everything?

The four folktales
are told intertwined, which is a nice move, and done quite well. The evil
stepmom is Carrie’s mum caliber nasty, and the burial of the firstborn is a
ritual that still goes on in some places in India.

Sadly, the
production doesn’t really hold water. The acting is subpar, the special effects
unintentionally laughable and whomever was in charge of audio should be sent
back to school.

Passed the Bechdel
test

3 sticks of 6

https://festival.giff.se/events/the-river-of-fables
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4577388/?ref_=nm_flmg_wr_1