Blue-Grotto Reviews

A Road to a Village (2023)

"Education is the supreme wealth among all kinds of wealth."

[8/10 · 4 December 2023]

A newly built road is a blessing and curse for the inhabitants of a remote mountain village. All at once their dreams are satisfied and their troubles begin. Creative, independent, and seven-year-old Bindray once made toys from plants and discarded socks, but now desires soda, sunglasses, and most of all a television. The set is a few months' salary for his parents who are already unable to pay the electric bill and who piece together a meager living from selling bamboo mats. Dad heads to the city and mom sells her simple yet highly treasured jewelry to try to satisfy their suddenly unruly boy.

A Road to a Village is strikingly realistic without being raw and graphic. It contains a surprising twist that is not typical for such films. While it is distressing to see the parents pushed into a life over which they have little control, the matter of marginalized people being left behind in the developing world is an urgent matter for the world's attention.

"Change is essential for the survival of the village," said director Nabin Subba who was present at this world premiere screening at the Toronto International Film Festival. Yet change seems impossible to the characters in the film. "I'm of no use to anyone now," says the dejected dad when villagers favor plastic to his hand-woven goods. In his desperation he searches for a way forward. The film honors those who stay and follow traditional lifestyles, for they typically don't get their share of development money when it comes to the countryside.

The Peasants (2023)

"Every man is a pig. Always ready to put his snout in a new trough."

[9/10 · 3 December 2023]

Every man IS a pig, and every woman too, in this adaptation of Wladyslaw Reymont's Nobel Prize-winning novel about life in a 19th Century village. A young woman, Jagna, digs for gold when she marries a wealthy and much older widower. When she continues seeing the man's son on the side, she gets in trouble with both father and son. Jagna tries to chart her own path. "I don't need help from men," she says "I've had enough of their help already."

This resplendent and heart rending live-action film was created with 40,000 frames of oil paintings. It features revamped Polish folk songs, compelling dialogue, and raucous, energetic dance sequences. The detailed artwork adds contrast, light, color, and emotion to the performances of the actors. It was tough for the actors who had to perform before green screens sometimes, but they persevered.

The husband-and-wife team of directors were present for the world premiere screening at the Toronto International Film Festival. DK dedicated the film to her father who supported her, and to "all the women who are making difficult choices and standing for who they are." The directors explored the use of artificial intelligence but thought it lacked human touch, sensibility, and the element of surprise. The composer who did an incredible job of adapting Polish folk music to fit the film's format, jokingly told the directors, "I spent more time with you than with my wife, so sorry if she doesn't talk to you anymore." The film took four years to make.

About Dry Grasses (2023)

"Everything beautiful in the world gets stuck before it reaches us."

[10/10 · 3 December 2023]

Fresh fallen snow in a girl's sable hair, radiant mountains all along the horizon, flickering streetlights of a small town, ancient Roman columns, stunningly deep and beautiful artwork, ominous dark cliffs, mesmerizing photographic portraits, and ethereal colors of twilight. About Dry Grasses is worth seeing for the cinematography alone.

An art teacher in a remote mountain village, Samet, is the subject of a schoolgirl crush. Or so he believes. When Samet confiscates the love note of his pet, Sevim, a school-led investigation into favoritism ensues. How quickly the tables are turned. Sevim gives Samet a well-deserved schooling of his own.

Sevim's lesson to Samet is nowhere near the end of the film. Many times in About Dry Grasses the tables are turned like this; in lengthy back-and-forth conversations, twists in perspectives, harsh judgments walked-back, the landscape turning from deep snow to dry grass, and in the characters themselves. The film is delightfully deep (my mind is still turning). And long (over three hours). I am amazed at how the actors memorized the many, long, complex, and rapid-fire dialogues. The subjects of the talks are fascinating too (about the flicker of light beyond what is visible, following rules or not, and security forces taking people away in modern Turkey).

Even while these deep conversations are occurring and the actors are doing amazingly well, director Nuri Bilge Ceylan provides jaw-dropping backgrounds. There is a scene with the characters collecting spring water at a cliff side with spectacularly beautiful snow-covered mountains all around them. It is so beautiful I couldn't concentrate. My head is still spinning. His other films, Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, Winter Sleep, and The Wild Pear Tree, are like this too.

About Dry Grasses first surfaced at Cannes. I watched the North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The Dead Don't Hurt (2023)

"There are moments we return to in time."

[9/10 · 3 December 2023]

Vivienne and Holger enjoy silences together and recognize in each other kindred souls. He is a carpenter and she is a fiercely independent flower seller and gardener. They support one another even though they do not always agree with what the other does. They get along so well with a mixture of humor, straightforwardness, and erotic pleasure. Settling in the wilderness of Nevada they enjoy life tending gardens, building homes, and swimming nude beneath waterfalls. This is until the Civil War starts and Holger enlists. Vivienne, alone, can stand up for herself better than most, but being left with a violent spoiled son of a rich rancher may be more than she can handle.

"There are moments we return to in time," said director, composer, writer, and lead actor Viggo Mortensen at the Toronto International Film Festival. He said that his mother was inspiration for this "feminist western." Little Viggo was fascinated by the stories and music of the movies his mom took him to. He didn't intend to take the lead part, but when the man originally hired to take the role stepped out, Viggo took the opportunity. Vicky Krieps (Vivienne) told him to take the part.

This compelling and cute western romance concentrates on select moments of the couple's relationship and jumps back and forth in time. While The Dead Don't Hurt seems rushed at times, I really enjoyed the story, the experienced actors, and the dreamy romance between two lovable characters. The filmmakers even got the birdsongs right (cactus wrens, native to Nevada, warble in the background).

Sunset at Chaopraya (1988)

"If you want to love someone, then do it, and you'll find that love will light up your heart."

[9/10 · 3 December 2023]

Ungsumalin comes close to marrying her childhood sweetheart, but school and war intervene. Instead, she falls for Kobori, a commander in the occupying Japanese forces. Cultural differences, public pressure, adverse circumstances, and competing allegiances conspire to keep the two apart, but the greatest obstacle is their own hardened hearts.

The structure of this romantic film is simple, yet its impact is immense. The unsophisticated scenes of fireflies, stars, and flowers aren't technically impressive as much as they are emotionally dazzling. Sunset at Chaopraya is as heartbreaking as it is uplifting.

It is touching and encouraging to see two gentle and passionate souls from different cultures coming together. The chemistry is good. While initially obstinate, resistant to emotion, and hesitant to bridge divides, Ungsumalin and Kobori can't help loving each other and putting their lover's needs ahead of their own. "I don't care about our countries" says Kobori "I only care about you." In every situation and whatever the cost to their public standing, they take the blame for bad things that happen rather than risk sharing the hurt. There is nothing Ungsumalin wouldn't do to comfort Kobori, and vice versa. "You can sleep now," she tells him in an injured state, "sleep happily in my arms." Anything to bring a smile to his face, despite the pain.

Shame on Dry Land (2023)

"You are who you are. Just accept it and make the most of it."

[8/10 · 30 November 2023]

Dimman is a conman who is adrift in more ways than one. Living on a boat, often inebriated, cheating others for a living, looking inside himself to ponder his wicked ways, and even now showing up to a former friend's wedding without an invitation, Dimman is thus without a home, mind, heart, soul, friend, and wedding invitation. Remarkably, Dimman's feckless frenemy Fredrik is in worse shape. "I can't hold onto anything," says Fredrik who, on the eve of his marriage, gambles away all the wedding funds. Dimman and Fredrik manage to join in a shaky alliance full of shifting allegiances, competing demands, boats, and booze, to try to patch things up before the nuptials begin.

Shame on Dry Land is a raw and thrilling bromance full of colorful characters and surprising twists. While the plot is sometimes confusing and unrealistic, the film overall is an intriguing and delightful cruise. The director and major actors were present for this world premiere screening at the Toronto International Film Festival. They mainly attempted to make sense in English of the Swedish film title "Syndabocken." In Swedish it means "a shame is so big it floods the land." The English title may make more sense in this respect.

The Beast (2023)

One vision of the future that AI has in store for us

[8/10 · 28 November 2023]

Dolls are made with neutral expressions to please everyone. Humans, with the help of Artificial Intelligence, may yet take after dolls.

In the future dominated by Artificial Intelligence, Gabrielle is encouraged to purge her character of negative emotions. She can do this by revisiting past lives in France (1904) and Los Angeles (2014), where she exhibited intense reactions. She is warned that at any time she will encounter a beast that intends to do her harm.

As Gabrielle navigates the past she encounters Louis in both places. Gabrielle is simultaneously fearful of Louis and in love with him. He has similar feelings about her. To trust one another Gabrielle and Louis need to bridge generations, cultures, and the depths of their own hearts. Either that or become human dolls.

The Beast is cerebral, intense, complex, and mystifying. While the film is abnormally long, there are scenes that quicken the pulse and make it seem like no time passes at all. The nonlinear plot construction and deep conversations of The Beast make it into a intricate puzzle that I am still trying to figure out. I'd like the film more if it didn't paint American males with such a broad and negative brush (but perhaps I don't like this aspect because it is so uncomfortably true). The film is growing in my appreciation, perhaps as I accept this truth. The Beast is loosely based on The Beast in the Jungle by Henry James and the character of a real person. I love the thought of revisiting past lives and exploring the question about whether intense emotions do more harm than good.

The Royal Hotel (2023)

"You have to be okay with a little male attention."

[8/10 · 27 November 2023]

The line above is an understatement when two young women deep in the Outback run out of funds and get jobs in a tiny hotel dive bar to earn enough money to continue their travel. Liv and Hanna find good things that come with getting to know the locals, and bad things too. There are radiant stars like they've never seen before, jagged bear tooth shaped mountains, fantastic swimming holes and waterfalls known only to a few people, and surreal storms. Yet the threats to their safety are constant and unrelenting. With the hotel owner drunk half the time, Hanna and Liv are forced to navigate for themselves the entwined dangers and splendors of the Australian Outback.

Loosely based on real experiences, The Royal Hotel delves into the power dynamics between men and women. Hugo Weaving contributes his considerable acting talent with Julia Garner (The Assistant) and Jessica Henwick (Glass Onion). Director Kitty Green, present at this Canadian premiere screening at the Toronto International Film Festival, avoids telling people what to think with the music and plot structure. No one is "rescued" here. The girls figure things out for themselves. The Royal Hotel takes on the drinking culture that defines much of the Australian Outback. The film tests boundaries and ratchets up the tension between lonely and desperate men, and determined, independent, and resourceful women.

Shayda (2023)

You can change your appearance but not who you really are.

[8/10 · 25 November 2023]

Shayda and her six-year-old daughter, Mona, attempt to find their freedom and footing in the world after fleeing from Iran to Australia to escape Hossein, an abusive husband and father. Shayda and Mona live in a secret shelter for women as the divorce and visitation rights are worked out. Hossein doesn't give up easily though. He uses all the considerable powers at his disposal to lure the mother and daughter back. Tricks, false promises of change, violence, and threats are all on the table as Hossein journeys from Iran to bring the women back. He will lure Mona alone if needed.

Writer and director Noora Niasari, present at this Canadian premiere screening at the Toronto International Film Festival, draws upon her own childhood experiences to craft this heart-rending and captivating thriller. Zar Amir Ebrahimi (Shayda) won the Best Actress award at Cannes for last year's Holy Spider. As Shayda she plays a similar role as in Holy Spider; a lone woman fighting the might of an authoritarian and male-dominated society (if she tackles Australia, next she can battle Iran, LOL)! Again, Zar Amir Ebrahimi is spectacular.

I wish that Niasari was better able, through imagery and dialogue, to emphasize her themes of rebirth, the Persian new year, and the fires of joy and love that burn away pain, but the results are good enough. May we always recognize such scumbags as Hossein from the beginning so that we can avoid them before they sink their claws into us. The film helps us recognize them with their hollow promises and their disguised yet unempathetic nature.

Seven Veils (2023)

"You're worthy of being loved."

[8/10 · 23 October 2023]

There is an enthralling and haunting Hawthorne story where a father, a prominent avant garde physician, is fiercely protective of his daughter. As a child he gradually introduces her to a deadly poisonous plant. By the time she matures anyone who gets too close to her will suffer and die. The poison of the plant is infused in her life blood. The woman is beautiful, and terrible. "Don't you love," he asks "that no one can bring you down?" Her reply cuts to the bone. "Father, I would have preferred to love someone."

Jeanine is a theater director trying, like the woman in the Hawthorne story, to break free from the shadow of heartless people. Suffering abuse from her father, mentor, husband, and now an arrogant actor, - abuse that they call "love" - Jeanine attempts to heal and go beyond them without losing what is essential and good about herself. She struggles to break free from the traps set for her. To find something different.

"Take away one sense and others are heightened."

I love Egoyan films for their depth, surprising twists, and explorations of intriguing themes (passion, wrongful judgments, abuse, attempts to find a way forward after wrongs are done, love, perspectives different from my own, and more). In following a woman adrift after abuse, Seven Veils continues in the typical Egoyan veins. It is set in the Canadian Opera Company building a few blocks away from where I watched the film's world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. While Egoyan spent too much time inside the theater for my taste, I understand why it was done. Egoyan directed the opera company's real life production of Salome and molded much of it into Seven Veils. Even some of the actors in the actual opera are also in the film.

Jeanine is skillfully brought to life by Amanda Seyfried. Off topic - why did Seyfried have surgery? Not that she looks bad now, but she looks so much better in Egoyan's previous film, Chloe. (long sigh)

As I think about Seven Veils I like it more. Moving beyond the trauma of abuse is a fascinating subject. Someone who said they loved me hurt me very much. It is a struggle sometimes to see that I am worthy of love. In Jeanine's battles I see my own.

100 Yards (2023)

Stylish, whimsical, and a little sexy

[6/10 · 18 October 2023]

Upon the death of a martial arts master the man's top student and son fight each other in order to lead the organization and school into the future.

100 Yards is stylish, whimsical, a little sexy in the women's wardrobe department, and surprising with its slingshot gangs, odd weapons, and strange romance. One other thing that is unusual about the film is the plot. It weaved around to such an extent that I was genuinely confused.

The film is set in 1920s Tianjin. It includes impressive and well choreographed fight scenes and stylish costumes.

Speaking of a dazzling wardrobe one of the main actors, Jacky Heung, appeared at the international premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in a pink suit with a silver dragonfly and flowers on the back. According to the directors, musicians and dancers were used in the background of many of the scenes "because they have character."

The New Boy (2023)

Positive and uplifting

[4/10 · 17 October 2023]

An aboriginal boy is taken from his home and dumped at a remote church school in 1940s Australia. The new boy impresses his classmates and instructors by taking the adversity in stride, showing empathy, sharing instead of taking, and working some magic in order to heal others from their wounds.

I loved Warwick Thornton's previous film Sweet Country, and enjoyed the gorgeous images here of the wheat fields in the twilight, but even Cate Blanchett the nun can't resurrect such a weak script and thin plot line. The entire film should be compacted into five minutes and audiences will be thankful for it. I sympathize with the film's anticolonial theme and appreciate that it is generally uplifting and positive, but c'mon, let's have an interesting conversation somewhere along the line! North American premiere seen at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Naga (2023)

Irreverent and quirky

[5/10 · 16 October 2023]

A young woman, Sarah, ignores the nightly curfew set by her father and sets out for a party in a remote part of the desert. In addition to the expected arrogant and creepy men there is a bloodthirsty, rabid camel and other obstacles.

The plot for this irreverent and quirky film is interesting, but the execution is awful. Naga is disjointed, shallow, and lacking in depth and substance. The unstable camera work, meant to give the film a spur of the moment appeal, is just annoying. Still, it is an intriguing glimpse into a world so much unlike the regular one I inhabit.

World premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Sweet Dreams (II) (2023)

Witty, stylish, and darkly humorous genre twister

[9/10 · 15 October 2023]

When the Dutch boss of an Indonesian sugar cane plantation suddenly dies 150 years ago, his progeny travel from Holland to take over the enterprise. Upon their arrival a secret is revealed that upends the lives of everyone who lives there. Normal rules don't apply anymore and the place descends into chaos.

Everyone has a screw loose In this darkly humorous genre twister. It is quirky, irreverent, erotic, playful, and absolutely puts no one on a pedestal. The film crew spent five months in Indonesia and recorded some amazing shots of green mountain wilderness and waterfalls. The film is witty, stylish, and imaginative. It takes advantage of the natural light and adds some intriguing artistic touches to how the film flows. I loved that the characters were complex, not black and white, and did unexpected things.

"I wanted to learn more about the dark side of Dutch colonial history," said director Ena Sendijarevic who was present at this North American premier screening at the Toronto International Film Festival. "We didn't learn this at home or in school." Sendijarevic was influenced to go to Indonesia by Henri Rousseau. "Even though he never went there m, he painted the jungle."

"You don't have to be somewhere to be from there."

In a similar manner Sweet Dreams took me into the Indonesian sugar cane fields and wilderness frontier from 150 years ago.

The Rye Horn (2023)

The beauty and pain of being a female living in a fascist regime

[9/10 · 15 October 2023]

The sun rising over a forest in Galicia, calves swimming across a river with their moms, and women singing lullabies, giving birth, picking blackberries, harvesting shellfish, running from the law, and having sex in the forest; the beauty and pain of being a female living in a fascist regime is on display.

When a young woman accidentally gets pregnant she seeks the help of an older woman, Maria, who may know how to get an abortion. This is illegal in fascist countries such as the one they are living in. The risks are immense and the women are in over their heads in danger.

"That life no longer exists. What exists now is this."

Set in the later years of the Franco regime (in my lifetime), The Rye Horn is a beautiful and terrifying exploration of what women go through living in a right wing world. The characters are intriguing, the acting is totally convincing, the cinematography is wondrous, and the story is enthralling. There are pleasing natural sounds of singing birds, flowing water, and women singing lullabies. While it is scary witnessing the awful realities of outlawing abortion, there is beauty and warmth in the help of kind people, in nature, and the rising sun.

City of Wind (2023)

Modern and ancient romance

[9/10 · 9 October 2023]

Frost sparkles in the moonlight, snow falls on the mountains and concrete towers of Ulaanbaatar, and wind sweeps through the city and into the hearts of its people. The wind carries spirits and messages both ancient and modern.

A teenager, Ze, has a gift for seeing hidden things and for communicating with the spirits. People appear to glow, or they are in trouble, it seems to him. They sometimes run away from Ze because they don't want to know the truth in their hearts and fates. One young woman, Maralaa, does not run away. She is skeptical of Ze, but gradually warms to him. The pair begin to etch their dreams in drawings as well as each other's hearts. Her dream is to live in the country with animals and his is to make dreams come true. Another future seems possible for them. Everything happens in its own time.

This authentic, beautiful, touching, and unique romance is brought to life by the real experiences and imagination of director Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir. Her character-driven film is full of resplendent shots of Ulaanbaatar and its outskirts. Ambient sounds of water, wind, barking dogs, and other local things capture the personality of the place. Even if Imogen Poots and Daniel Day-Lewis were cast in leading roles they could not outshine the local actors bringing the characters to life, for only locals can do it. Purev-Ochir was present at this North American premier screening at the Toronto International Film Festival. "Things are not black and white," she said. "It is possible to be both traditional and modern."

Wind is prevalent in this mostly treeless country so it has a special place in the hearts of the Mongolian people. It has spiritual power to transform. People fall down, rivers crumble, and we all make mistakes. The wind and spirits change the city, nature, and people.

City of Wind reveals that it is possible to be a modern human in touch with the ancient past and nature, and that together there is strength. Such amazing international films change me just like the winds that sweep through Ulaanbaatar.

Concrete Utopia (2023)

Power dynamics when earthquake strikes

[9/10 · 7 October 2023]

Seoul is reduced to rubble when a powerful earthquake strikes in the winter. One concrete apartment tower remains standing in the ruins. Violence breaks out as people realize that resources and shelters are extremely limited. The residents of the sole standing apartment tower divide into camps of those with empathy for other survivors and outsiders, and those who feel they are separate from everyone else and must beat others into submission to survive. A man and woman living in one of the apartments each picks a different side.

"I can look at a person and recognize if they are cheating me," says the man chosen as the apartment complex leader. In Korea each such complex has its own culture and rules, and this man - a former soldier - quickly assumes command. However, this chosen leader is hiding a dark side. Sparks fly between the couple as well as the complex as a whole as people line up behind the leader, or choose to disobey.

Director Um Tae-hwa said he is interested in how people are transformed during a crisis. The film is based on a Cheerful Neighbor web-comic story about a similar disaster where people become selfish bullies, or not. "There is no absolute evil or good," he said. The complex characters of the film reveal this truth. They are not black and white, and that is a good thing. Um Tae-hwa appeared at the North American premier at the Toronto International Film Festival. "If you post comments about the film on social media," he said "I will read them."

I loved the theme of the film; people choosing to bully others or to be kind to them, when a crisis hits. There are people who choose rules, violence, and other forms of separation, and those who choose kindness, love, and sharing. The characters are intriguing as well, the acting is solid, and commentary interesting. The film isn't using computer generated imagery as a crutch and pleasantly relies on more traditional forms of film making. Thought is given to each situation as well as human warmth and humor.

So, see what prevails, love or the fist.

Shadow of Fire (2023)

Living in the shadow of war

[9/10 · 7 October 2023]

Piercing calls of Japanese hawks, nightmares of the fire bombings, dark alleys filled with the sick and nearly dead, and desperate people struggling to survive in the rubble, ruins of cities, and aftermath of the world war. Cruelty and addiction come back to bite you if such are your practices. The resourceful and clever survive. Just a little bit of kindness means the world to someone. Live your best life.

Natural light and movement flood the beautiful frames in Shinya Tsukamoto's trilogy focusing on a few individuals living in the shadow and fear of war. Tsukamoto answered questions following the North American premier of the film at the Toronto International Film Festival. Just looking into his eyes close by I could see he was thoughtful and imaginative. The form of the film combines with the themes in striking, heartfelt ways. It is a meditation on beauty, darkness, and living.

Boy Kills World (2023)

stylish, fresh, funny, deep, refreshingly new, and full of surprises

[9/10 · 27 September 2023]

In a cruel and unjust society of the future a shaman of the forest raises an orphaned city boy who he snatched from a murderous female dictator. The boy is trained for one thing: revenge. The shaman and the boy both are similarly motivated in this task as they each lost their families to the same gang of ruthless thugs.

Inspired by a smattering of graphic novels, Boy Kills World is stylish, fresh, funny, deep, refreshingly new, and full of surprises. The fight scenes are kinetic, realistic, and authentic. Novel action sequences include a shredding with a cheese grater and an anvil to the face. The characters are multi-dimensional and intriguing. They are portrayed by wonderful actors including Yayan Ruhian (shaman), Bill Skarsgard (boy), and Jessica Rothe (June 27).

Interestingly, the film combines American, Asian, and European action preferences, and was shot in Africa. I needed the director, Moritz Mohr, to point this out to me and could not recognize this myself. Mohr attended the question-and-answer session after the world premiere screening at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The story and themes were extremely compelling. The film really made me think about how the media influences national narratives and cult followings. Media influencers make a crazy and malevolent person seem like a hero (just look around today). I loved this film. We even received delicious macaroons as we exited the theater (boy has a soft spot for macaroons).

Aggro Dr1ft (2023)

"Every half star and walk out is a compliment to him."

[1/10 · 26 September 2023]

Chalk up another "compliment" to the man toasted as a visionary and the 'future of cinema." I walked out of the theater after 30 minutes. I've never done that in my life until now.

I love shocking, next-level cinema like Titane, Enter the Void, The Tribe, and more, but Agrro Dr1ft is just dull, senseless, and irritating to the eyes. It is a low-grade video of blurry people walking around a room in disturbing three tone neon colors with a few royal palm trees and sports cars thrown in to give you the "Miami experience." Dialogue is sparse and idiotic. Characters like "Bo the Assassin" dressed head to toe in soccer knee pads, socks, and swim goggles (shout out to the innovative costume designer) are so pathetic and ridiculous that I wanted nothing more than to punch them in their faces, hard and immediately.

The theater experience wasn't any better. It was hot, stuffy, and complete with a cramped seat next to an obnoxious, insensibly screeching, drunk frat boy moron with a full beer that he placed, with a shaky hand, on the uplifted floor just behind my head.

Bargain (2022–2023)

Raw, violent, dark, and funny

[7/10 · 25 September 2023]

A man believes he is buying sex with a virgin but ends up strapped to a table for the public auction of his own internal organs. The tables are constantly being turned in this raw, irreverent, quirky, offbeat, and violent K-television series. Almost as soon as the organ auction starts there is an earthquake and the pecking order is thrown into chaos again. People fall through a hole in the hotel floor to an underground butcher room inhabited by a pair of dimwitted and murderous psychos. Don't get too attached to any character for each of them is a villain in their own way.

This cathartic and cheeky series first appeared in Cannes. I am not a fan of the unsteady camera work and long takes (the three episodes actually contain 53 cuts, but it is made to look like one long and continuous take). Despite this, the series is a great deal of fun and I never knew what to expect next. I enjoyed the dark humor.

Director Jeon Woo-sung was present for this North American premiere screening in Toronto of the first three episodes in the series. "As you watch the series you might wonder if you should laugh," he said "you should."

Death of a Whistleblower (2023)

If you step in front of a freight train, did the conductor kill you?!

[8/10 · 25 September 2023]

A journalist, Luyanda, steps in front of the train as she investigates misdeeds by corrupt politicians, corporations, and military officers. Friends are hauled away or killed, and she is threatened with harm, but Luyanda is stubborn, fit, resourceful, and motivated to reveal the truth. She does not intend to help bury the past and allow the same crimes to be committed again.

Death of a Whistleblower is a captivating and authentic political thriller that encapsulates a real crisis in the world. All the characters of the film, evil and good, exist elsewhere in the world and especially in Africa with the Wagner group moving in and a fledgling democracy only 30 years old. "We are still trying to figure out who we are," said the film's director who appeared with the major actors at the world premiere screening in Toronto. The film is a little confusing and disjointed but it reveals a truth that every country in the world is struggling to deal with. Corporations and the elite are teaming together to enrich themselves at the expense of average citizens. "We need to rely on each other," said Gabriel "to move forward."

Shoshana (2023)

Emotions simmer in the shadows of city streets as well as the human heart

[8/10 · 24 September 2023]

"Sometimes you don't know who the spider is and who is the fly."

In the shadows of city streets as well as the human heart, deep and conflicting emotions simmer beneath the surface of Palestine under British authority in the 1930s. Predators become prey for the crime of loving too little, loving too much, or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. A Zionist girl (Shoshana) and British boy (Timothy), equally well-connected, navigate these dark spaces together and apart. Alliances and relationships form and crumble like shifting winds. You think you know someone until their knife is in your back.

Based on real events and people, Shoshana is a thrilling look at how idealism breaks people and nations apart and brings them together. Shot along the seacoast of rural Italy which in certain ways resembles Tel Aviv of the 1930s, Shoshana tells the story of two lovers that parallels the simultaneous dissolution and formation of Israel. The director and main actors were present at the second showing of the film the day after the world premiere. Irina Starshenbaum (Shoshana) said it was hard to stay in great shape when there was such good Italian food available all the time. While I wish the chemistry was better between the actors and that the main theme was clearer, the film highlighted an important truth in relationships between people as well as countries; it matters what sort of thing is being built.

Kill (I) (2023)

Inspired by real life train robberies

[8/10 · 24 September 2023]

A pair of elite soldiers boards a train that is attacked by a ruthless gang. Combat is at close quarters. Deaths happen in gruesome and extreme ways, including by fire extinguisher. Armed forces, police, and gangs engage in combat against each other.

Director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat experienced a train attack in real life and brings the experience to film audiences around the globe. While the film is shallow and women are treated poorly, there are unexpected twists and turn and it is enthralling for its action sequences. The world premiere in Toronto with the midnight madness crowd was a great deal of fun.

The Reeds (2023)

Ali feels closest to his wife Aysel in dreams

[10/10 · 22 September 2023]

Ali feels closest to his wife Aysel in dreams. Their village in Anatolia is picturesque like a dream with its serene lake, snow-capped mountains along the horizon, mysterious mists, moonlight reflected on the water, and colorful clouds. Yet life here is harsh. Locals make a meagre living by collecting reeds and making them into mats. Brutal gangsters take what profits the villagers make and rough up whoever gets in their way. Lately this is Ali. With Aysel longing for more from life, Ali grows desperate and impulsive with the men who attempt to control him. In a local legend the lake is bottomless and at times it swallows people. It begins swallowing them now.

The Reeds is full of gorgeous cinematography and soothing ambient sounds of bird song, waves, and wind. The beautiful photography captures the brooding moods of the characters and the increasing tension. "We are full of surprises," said director Agacikoglu at the world premiere screening in Toronto. "Personalities can change in an instant, especially when we are desperate and in danger." With the help of an intriguing female writer and good performances from the actors, Agacikoglu captures the unpredictability of human nature and the constant war between evil and good. The story is based on a real village in Anatolia and central Turkey.