The Temptation Of St Tony - Veiko Õunpuu (2009 Estonia)

A mid-level manager who develops an aversion to being ''good'' finds himself confronting the mysteries of middle-age and morality as he loses grasp of what was once his quiet life.


BAM! A surrealist, black & white, existential, mid-life crisis gone mad. It's actually quite restrained in many ways, getting darker and darker towards the end. The film follows one man, a middle level manager and his outward-projected existential crisis in a series of revolving doors. Class guilt bubbles to the surface and this is truly original stuff, it even has a stage excerpt from Uncle Vanya. Superb photography and mesmerising sound design too. 4.5 stars

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Ovsyanki (Silent Souls) - Aleksei Fedorchenko (2010 Russia)

Present days. A man and his companion go on a journey to cremate the dead body of the former beloved wife, on a riverbank in the area where they spent their honeymoon.


The film follows two close friends delivering the recently deceased wife of one to the afterlife. A great, brooding, haunting and meditative look at tradition, ritual, grief and the passing of time in one particular part of Russia. Perfect cinematography and a solid, complimentary score that sounded like it would be right at home in the Melbourne music scene. Great stuff. 4 stars

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Un Homme Qui Crie (A Screaming Man) - Mahamat-Saleh Haroun (2010 France)

Present-day Chad. Adam, sixty something, a former swimming champion, is pool attendant at a smart N'Djamena hotel. When the hotel gets taken over by new Chinese owners, he is forced to give up his job to his son Abdel. Terribly resentful, he feels socially humiliated. The country is in the throes of a civil war. Rebel forces are attacking the government. The authorities demand that the population contribute to the "war effort", giving money or volunteers old enough to fight off the assailants. The District Chief constantly harasses Adam for his contribution. But Adam is penniless; he only has his son



I watched this one a while ago now but it's been resurfacing in my mind regularly. I can't quite put my finger on it, it's in the mood and tone. Quite an emotional story this one about a father and son pair working at a hotel as pool attendants in modern-day, corrupt and politically unstable Chad. The film deals with the frustration of getting old and the power shifts that occur in that process. It does this by reflecting on the shifts of power in the larger context of the country itself. I was a little unsatisfied by the end but incredibly moved in the middle and just loved the way it was shot. Virtually no sound scoring throughout as well. 4 stars

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Smukke mennesker (Nothings All Bad) - Mikkel Munch-Fals (2010 Denmark)

Follows the lives of four longing souls. Ingeborg who feels unattractive and young Jonas who is so attractive that he can literally sell some of what he's got. Anna, a young beautiful woman with a physical disability, and Anders, a tender man with a psychological disability. Four people yearning for love, four people, each hoping for a better tomorrow.


Kind of a Denmarkian take on the twisted world of Todd Solondz. This is a 4-way, intersecting tale about sexuality and loneliness. The recently widowed, the compulsive public masturbator who's wife abandoned him, the good looking kid turning tricks for fun and the isolated, recent recipient of a mastectomy. Quite a mix. The direction is a little off in parts, and the film certainly traverses some paths less travelled, but there are also some genuinely insightful moments.

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Bibliothèque Pascal - Szabolcs Hajdu (2010 Hungary)

In order to regain custody of her daughter, whom she left in the care of her fortune-telling aunt, Mona must tell a social worker her story.


Wow!! this is one of most gorgeous looking films I've seen in ages. The attention given to every shot and camera move is perfect. Impeccable art direction on a story that exists in that messed-up magical, realist realm. Essentially a film about the slave trade and the power of imagination to overcome. Great work!!

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Des Hommes et des Dieux (Of Gods and Men) - Xavier Beauvois (2010 France)

Under threat by fundamentalist terrorists, a group of Trappist monks stationed with an impoverished Algerian community must decide whether to leave or stay.


wow! winner of the grand prix at Cannes 2010, this is a really unique film. Not everyone's cup of tea however. The film concerns a group of French, Christian monks in Algiers during the 90's and their confrontation with Islamic militants who try to force them out. Heavy in parts, sparse in others, deeply religious yet completely human. At times it almost feels like an old western from the 50's yet managed to keep me riveted throughout.


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Last Train Home - Lixin Fan (2009 Canada)

A family embarks on an annual tormenting journey along with 200 other million peasant workers to reunite with their distant family, and to revive their love and dignity as China soars as the world's next super power.


Excellent new documentary following the annual Chinese new year journey embarked on by millions of migrant workers as they leave the mega-cities to visit their families. Using this as a framework the doco paints a vivid canvas of wealth, poverty, west/east and forces us to take a hard look at what we value as quality of life.

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The Time That Remains - Elia Suleiman (2009 UK)

The final instalment in a trilogy that includes CHRONICLE OF A DISAPPEARANCE and DIVINE INTERVENTION, this is set among the Israeli Arab community and shot largely in homes and places in which Suleiman’s family once lived. Inspired by his father’s diaries, letters his mother sent to family members who had fled the Israeli occupation, and the director’s own recollections, the film spans from 1948 until the present, recounting the saga of Suleiman’s family in elegantly stylised episodes. Inserting himself as a silent observer reminiscent of Buster Keaton, Suleiman trains a keen eye on the absurdities of life in Nazareth.


Wonderful film making here. A colour palette to die for. An absurdist meditation on life, interconnectedness, loss and meaning. I will admit to having to pause and visit wikipedia a couple of times during this to fully understand the context and time-frame for the setting. That said I think there is more than enough universal appeal to make this enjoyable for anyone. Solid, theatrical performances. Subtle Coen-esque humour.

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Mal Dia Para Pescar (Bad Day To Go Fishing) - Alvaro Brechner (2009 Spain)

Jacob van Oppen, the former strongest man on earth, and his manager Orsini, who calls himself "the Prince", make a good living by traveling around small South American towns and organizing wrestling exhibitions. Arriving in Santa Maria, they are met with uncommon enthusiasm, the local newspaper wants to sponsor the fight, helping hands placard the town with posters, and an open call is made for a worthy adversary. Ever so resourceful, Orsini knows how to find the right combatant, but fishing in Santa Maria could lead to a bigger catch than he'd hoped for.


Most likely Spain's entry into the next Academy awards. This is a really well-crafted, designed and beautifully shot tale of an aging former wresting champion and his sleazy manager on the hustle through small country towns. It's also the fable about biting off more than you can chew. A little bit Cohen Bros, with a slightly darker, heavier heart. Different enough from 'the wrestler' to avoid comparisons.

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La Doppia Ora (The Double Hour) - Giuseppe Capotondi (2009 Italy)

A spark between a newly-met couple is snuffed out tragically


Excellent new Italian Psychological/mystery/crime thriller with a dash of the paranormal. For a first feature this film is staggeringly impressive. Stunning lead actress Kseniya Rappoport took out the Volpi Cup for best actress at Venice last year and you can see why. Best mystery I've seen in a long while. Sound design is superb with music from Godspeed and A Silver Mt Zion.

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Kynodontas (Dogtooth) - Giorgos Lanthimos (2009 Greece)

Three teenagers are confined to an isolated country estate that could very well be on another planet. The trio spend their days listening to endless homemade tapes that teach them a whole new vocabulary. Any word that comes from beyond their family abode is instantly assigned a new meaning. Hence 'the sea' refers to a large armchair and 'zombies' are little yellow flowers.

Beautifully demented social commentary here. Dark as the night in places too. Lanthimos coming from a commercials background really knows how to hone his storytelling and the visual imagery is mesmerising. More un-simulated sex here too.

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Die Fremde (When We Leave) - Feo Aladag (2010 Germany)

Umay is a young woman of Turkish descent, fighting for an independent and self-determined life in Germany against the resistance of her family. Her struggle initiates a dynamic, which results in a life-threatening situation.


HEAVY drama centering on a young Turkish woman who flees her abusive husband and heads to Germany where her family is unwilling to shelter her for the shame she has brought the family name by leaving. Some really tricky territory here and the Turkish male stereotype gets a heavy examination. Bleak, Heavy, Depressing, perfectly shot and with an excellent piano based score.

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Kak ya provyol etim letom (How I Ended This Summer) - Aleksei Popogrebsky (2010 Russia)

A polar station on a desolate island in the Arctic Ocean. Sergei, a seasoned meteorologist, and Pavel, a recent college graduate, are spending months in complete isolation on the once strategic research base. Pavel receives an important radio message and is still trying to find the right moment to tell Sergei, when fear, lies and suspicions start poisoning the atmosphere..


Quite a good, slow-paced, psychological thriller; a kind of Russian 'Moon' set on a meteorological station in the bleak and desolate Arctic circle. The story focuses on two men alone for months and the madness constantly on the creep. Impeccable cinematography. Location, location, location.

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