lindfilm-1 Reviews

The White Tiger (2021)

Impressed by the film's objectivity

[8/10 · 10 February 2021]

I am an Englishman born in Calcutta.

I am so relieved and impressed by such an intelligent authentic portrayal of what it means to be rich or adversely to be desperately poor, both creating traditional psychological enslavement (being of service). The poor to the rich and the rich to corruption by seduction into identifying oneself with success according to ambitions in the arenas of power often but not necessarily dictated by Western capitalism.

The film itself written and directed by Ramin Bohrani is both highly convincing in its dialogue, characters, and settings sometimes almost poetic in its cinematic.metaphors.

I can't imagine who could have played the lead role better than Adarsh Gourav.

Hemel (2012)

Mesmering

[9/10 · 7 April 2019]

After a slow start that seems to offer superficial gratuitous sex the film deepens and deepens through the courageous and mesmeric performance by Hannah Hoekstra. The cinematography, naturalistic camerawork, pithily Dutch dialogue, uncontrived performances and minimalist sound track manifest Sacha Polak's unpretentious direction. Hans Dagelet seems to fit like a glove into his role as the wearily urbane father.

Peindre ou faire l'amour (2005)

Charming.

[7/10 · 2 February 2019]

As long as you don't take this film seriously it is charming to engage in the sensuousness of the setting and the encouragement for new adventures in the autumn of ones years.

Fire at Sea (2016)

Fascinating style but blatant omission.

[7/10 · 27 January 2017]

'Fire at Sea' is a languorous, almost surrealistic cinematic experience set on and around the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa, haven and staging post for approximately 400,000 refugees so far, risking drowning as they flee from the Libyan coast on this final leg of their epic journeys from distant war-torn lands.

It is the film's unexpected style that gradually won me over but I cannot give the film a higher rating than my 7 because of the blatant omission of their impact on the local Italian townsfolk who in this film seem oblivious to the drama (except the doctor and coastguard personnel).

As a matter of fact the refugees are not confined to holding camps as depicted in this film but are in reality allowed to swarm through the streets testing the patience of the locals, and yet this is excluded from the film. The small island of Lampedusa is actually their holding centre.

Otherwise - fascinatingly dreamlike, with comedy relief provided unintentionally by the young boy 'star' of the film.

When the Raven Flies (1984)

Television not Cinema

[7/10 · 11 July 2007]

I am confused by the magnanimous praise for this film. First of all, let me respect it for its unsensational style. It expressed the everyday unromantic experience of what it must have been like then. In this way, it avoided Hollywoodism, but when I consider how the film-makers could have incorporated vast vistas as a cinematic expression of the isolation of these communities I was dismayed. These people lived in immense isolation, but all we were given 90 percent of the time were tight shots, and landscapes were generally presented as one section of the pebbly beach with some stark rocky islands off shore. And let us consider the opening (of the version I saw). There was no attempt at establishing the historical context. Instead, we got close shots that could have been anywhere, and certainly shot in the style for 'straight to video". Come on! The script was clever, with the potential for a great dramatic experience, but the director must have been limited by a highly restrictive budget, because it ended up looking like 'made for TV'. The synthesized music was occasionally effective but surely deeper chords would have created an ominous atmosphere. The hero did not really have any tense challenges. He seemed to cruise through it all. While I sort of liked him, I never had a sense of his jeopardy. In short, there was no dramatic tension. In this sense, there was an echo of some of Clint Eastwood's movies, but without the stylishness. There was an assumption that we were on the protagonist's side, but why deprive us of his human vulnerability as he seeks revenge? I feel that the writers deserve a bigger budget to prove to us that they can create a truly cinematic experience rather than a small dimension TV drama. I have not seen the subsequent 2 parts of the trilogy.

Marie Antoinette (2006)

An excellent parallel between THEN and NOW.

[9/10 · 30 December 2006]

'Marie Antoinette' is an amazing accomplishment. It combines visual splendour with a surprisingly economic screenplay. It is CINEMATIC, in the sense that it is not dialogue driven. The images say it all from the wide canvas of grandeur to intimate moments. The film commences with a clear statement via the modern music track. This is not another conventional period piece film about THEN. This is about NOW. This is about a girl with a well meaning character and a fondness for gentle tactile things (like her pet) caught up in a non-tactile cynical world of politics, like a lamb to the slaughter. The rest is history. My point is that the film depicts any one of us living in a time of wealth and self-indulgence and designer labels, while three-quarters of the world are 'have-nots'. It is a surprisingly stylish and non-sensational film (by American standards), focusing on the cocoon life style of any privileged person who postpones the realities awaiting us, coming at our door from the 'have-nots', through no fault of our own, except through our denial of the reality outside our cocoon. Congrats to all involved, especially Kirsten Dunst who held the picture, and the uncompromising quality from the Production Design and Wardrobe departments. I ignored the awkward mix of accents, and applaud the casting of minor characters and extras who conveyed jaded vipers a la francaise.

Tom White (2004)

Another Aussie movie directed by someone who should stick to TV.

[4/10 · 30 October 2006]

'Tom White' is another example of an Aussie movie trying hard with a serious human story, but applying the worst of Television techniques. The reliably good principal actors did their best against a patchy script that intended to express a tragic human story but fell into the usual pitfalls of uncinematic scriptwriters and directors. There was little subtext. The characters tended to state the obvious. There was no convincing back-story to propel the central character onto his tragic path. The depth of field was generally bland, with considerable dead areas (common in TV studio shoots), and the framing was mainly executed in wide shots and mid shots. In Cinema, the choice of camera angles, and camera movements is a subtle and effective language in itself. Cinematography is intended to be a wonderful ally to both the screenplay and the emotional presence of the actors. Cinematography isn't simply a matter of recording what happens in front of the lens. Colin Friels was prepasred to give his all. He deserved to have been in a better film. Or was it the typical case in Australia of lack of funds, creating an impossibly stringent shooting schedule, depriving the director of the time to shoot it the way the director really wanted?

A Walk Through H (1979)

A ranting genius

[6/10 · 14 July 2006]

I am in no doubt that Peter Greenaway has the mind of a genius. But a genius can rant. The overall effect on me was that the film-maker was ranting to himself. This may be acceptable in shorter films, but over a certain length (15 to 20 minutes max.) the mind of the viewer expects a gear change. This is why the language of long format films is different from short films. Emotional and narrative turning points are necessary. Dramatic tension , assertive or subtle, is required to prevent disengagement. Connection with human energy encourages involvement. The only human connection was the formal voice devoid of any warmth. Therefore, even at only 40 minutes, the experience became tedious. Such a pity, as the initial sense of quest drew me in, and the graphics, and visual details were, mind blowing, literally. Halve the length, and even the ranting could become tolerable.