Here are my top favourites at the Sydney Film Festival. Watch out for them when they get a mainstream release.
FILMWORKER… Not only a tribute to Stanley Kubrick but to all nameless film workers out there who devote their lives, whether paid or volunteer, to the film and entertainment industry just for the sheer love of it!
THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER… Suspicious of the lead’s motives, the film goes into interesting twists and turns that believably get resolved in the end… and what a great ending it is!
THE WIFE… Enjoyable drama… A must-see for Glenn Close’s exquisitely controlled and sublime performance, paired well with Jonathan Pryce.
OF FATHERS AND SONS… Imagine being transported into a world that is not only immersed in war and conflict but also of irony and moral fatalism. This is beyond a full-on experience.
LOTS OF KIDS, A MONKEY AND A CASTLE… Raw, funny, honest and bittersweet more-than-just-a-home movie tribute to a feisty and possession-loving mother. With the fulfilment and loss of her dreams, she endears both the audience and award bodies altogether.
WAJIB… Cleverly constructed comedy-drama that’s light on the surface but layered with strong flavours of social commentary within. Just like a great wedding cake!
KUSAMA – INFINITY… What a painstakingly arduous life as an artist, and with all those struggles and hardships, Kusama prevailed and luckily survived even death itself, to an age where she finally got recognition for her tenacity and talent. Bravo!
THE MARRIAGE… Excellent film, perfect casting and superbly acted, with a storyline that avoided cliché and embraced subtleties. With the Kosovo war as a backdrop, the internal struggles of the characters are just pulsatingly made more real.
YELLOW IS FORBIDDEN… Gorgeously filmed, beautifully edited and scored, the real success of this doco is the very affable subject Guo Pei and her haute couture journey… a story arc perfectly captured and presented.
AGA… Artfully filmed with the exquisite snowy landscape as a backdrop, great use of the Death-In-Venice soundtrack, with marvellous performances from the two leads, all held together by perfect editing and a taut script.
COLD BLOODED: THE CLUTTER FAMILY MURDERS… The quite comprehensive made-for-TV piece is a worthy accompaniment to Truman Capote’s classic In Cold Blood. No stone left unturned here.
Taiwan Film Festival is back in 2020 with this virtual edition streaming online from July 9 to 30, 2020. Check out the various feature films on offer including three eye-catching documentaries and three brilliant films from the master Hsiao Ya-Chuan.
THE ISLAND THAT ALL FLOW BY is an unconventional love story between a money-desperate toll booth collector and a puerile truck driver. This TV movie, written and directed by Chan Ching-lin, shines in all aspects with its delicate restrained scripting and excellent performances. It premiered on CTV and CTI Entertainment in April 2016.
