ASTEROID CITY - Review by Ewan Graf

Colorful, vast and sneakingly hilarious

Wes Anderson is back with a stacked cast and a story set in a desert town post-WWII at a convention for students and parents from all across the country that gets interrupted by world-changing events.

Quite an ominous logline for a film that tells you most of its story and mystery (maybe even its jokes) in the first few minutes of the movie.

Wes Anderson seems to be confident that this gigantic ensemble of very Wes Anderson-like characters will carry this movie enough to make it enjoyable. And for the most part, it is, even if there are quite a few Anderson stereotypes that I don´t particularly enjoy, like in insistence on an additional framing device for his stories.

Because Asteroid City could have cut its nameworthy cast in half, focused on the family dynamics a bit more, and made this one of his best films yet. Don´t get me wrong though, Asteroid City is very good. It's hilarious and had me laugh throughout the entire runtime. It started to lose me a bit more in the 2nd half after a very strong opening and Parts 1 and 2 but ultimately I believe that Wes Anderson fans are gonna be pleased. It's a definite step up from the mess in The French Dispatch, even if this film is still quite messy.

The cast is huge, with Jason Schwartzman and Scarlett Johansson as the most lead-like characters, followed by Schwartzman´s kid, played by Jake Ryan.

as for the rest of the cast, from Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton, Willem Dafoe, Liev Schreiber, Maya Hawke to Margot Robbie. There's no real need for them at all in this story and ultimately makes the most dense cameo-fest I have ever seen. A lot of them feel like caricatures of Wes Anderson characters, which can be funny if there's one or two of them, but works a bit less when there are like a dozen.

Regardless, the humor and look are probably the film´s strongest virtues and I personally got a bit annoyed by the beep-like repetitive score. He's certainly one of the few filmmakers where I can tolerate that kind of soundscape.

Some of the back and forth between the frame device story of the film was actually really funny, Bryan Cranston nails that role, and the younger triplet sister pack was hilarious each time they were on strong

FALLEN LEAVES - Review by Ewan Graf

Fallen Leaves comes from Aki Kaurismäki, a frequent feature here in Cannes, and tells the story of Ansa - and I have to read straight from the synopsis here because it's great: Ansa, a supermarket shelf-stocker on a zero-hour contract, later a recyclable plastic sorter, and Holappa, a sandblaster, an alcoholic, later an ex-alcoholic, whose paths have accidentally crossed and who, despite adversity and misunderstandings, try to build some kind of relationship on the harsher side of the welfare state.

Intrigued? Well, you should be because Kaurismäki tells these small-scale beautiful stories about everyday people that end up feeling like fairy tales.

There’s a ton of compassion for every character on screen that oozes through the screen. Each setback or miscommunication feels frustrating in the sense that you want them to succeed. Which is Kaurismäki's strong suit to make a heartwarming, funny, and narratively simple film.

Additionally, this film gets the runner-up award for best dog in a Cannes film in 2023, although the main prize still going to Snoop from Anatomy of a Fall.

Both leads do a great job as well, and even if the camera is rather bland in it (which somehow feels like another Kaurismäki trade) the movie pulls you along even in the slower moments.

Charming, lots of laughs, and with a good heart at its core

THE ZONE OF INTEREST - Review by Ewan Graf

Eyes glued to the screen watching horrible people be horrible

The Zone of Interest is Jonathan Glazer´s first film in 9 years after 2013's, A24 distributed Under The Skin made big waves.

Instead of an Alien roaming the streets of Scotland, The Zone of Interest tells the story of Rudolf Höff, who was the commandant of Auschwitz, set on building a great life for his family right next to the camp.
He’s also determined to make Auschwitz the most efficient it can be, by working on a furnace that will be able to run 24/7.

The framing of this story never takes us into Auschwitz specifically, but through a haunting soundscape, it is always present throughout the entire film. A low hum, a piercing score, and incredible performances make this a stunning piece of art.

There’s a certain looming presence of dread that creeps its way into every crevice of the Höff household. Their ignorance toward the suffering they are causing is irritating and if you expect to get your hand held through this experience you’ll soon notice that you’ll be left all alone in the dark. These despicably evil characters have ambition and a drive to live their best lives in the midst of war and genocide, without even considering to second guess their decisions.

A general sense of distance from the atrocious violence runs throughout the whole film. Be it the chosen benevolent ignorance by the characters in the story or us as the audience through time and ultimately the framing of the movie that restrains itself from showing us that side.

The cinematography, blocking, and staging are all done masterfully. Most shots are static and locked off with the characters moving through the frame. As I previously mentioned, the sound design is incredible and might be one of the best I’ve heard in years. Sandra Hüller and Christian Friedel are great and it’s hard to not call this movie one of the best of its decade already.

CLUB ZERO - Review by Ewan Graf

Didn't know they allowed student films to compete for the Palme d'Or

Club Zero comes from Austrian director Jessica Hausner and stars Mia Wasikowska as Miss Novak, a new addition to the staff of an international boarding school who teaches a ´conscious eating class´ that leads to the aforementioned Club Zero, in which eating less is the mantra above all else.

Now I really don’t want to waste more of your or my time with this movie and mention at the top of this review, that Club Zero is trash.

It fails on every level imaginable and certainly didn’t deserve to be a part of this year’s competition at Cannes. It resembles a regurgitated, thrown-up, abandoned Wes Anderson look-a-like project with stilted, over-the-top characters that never get anywhere even if the movie seems convinced of its own self-importance.

The performances are rough to watch, if this is intentional or not isn’t even relevant, but I couldn’t stand any of it. The repetition of similar story beats and sets got tiring and resembled a film student production.

Even if you cut this movie in half or make it a 30-minute short, you’d still have an abundance of problems at hand, but at least you’d have wasted less of your time for this story that ultimately never really gets anywhere interesting.

A premise like this can be quite captivating and thought-provoking, just look at the German film Die Welle, which captured this notion of indoctrinating teens with toxic and harmful ideologies masterfully.

ANATOMY OF A FALL - Review by Lachlan Thiele

INT. THE ANATOMY OF ANATOMY OF A FALL - DAY

Anatomy of a Fall is an excellent film crafted from the mind of Justine Triet. It’s beautifully acted, shot, scored and edited together. So let’s look at the Anatomy of Anatomy of a Fall. 

Story:
The story revolves around the unconfirmed cause of death of Samuel, who has fallen out of his attic window. The only person in the house was his wife Sandra, Sandra Hüller, the prime suspect. Their son Daniel, blind from an unfortunate event, is the only witness. The story is from the perspective of Sandra, and just like any courtroom drama, details are revealed over time. Fortunately, it’s at a steady pace, never announcing too much or too little, giving us the correct information at the right time. While I’m mostly positive about the story, some moments slow right down, and we come to a standstill; overall, thanks to the following few components, they considerably make up for the story's flaws. 

Performance: 
Anatomy of a Fall’s greatest asset is its lead, Sandra Hüller. She is tremendous, pulling no punches in the role of Sandra, the deceased's wife. For the rest of the cast, no one is ever greater than Sandra, well, except the dog! 

Cinematography: 
The camera in this film is on a swivel, always moving, keeping us engaged. Visual humour is used quite a bit with the camera, which is always great to see too. Finally, the colour grade felt natural and, at times, warm, giving a homely vibe. 

Score:
There is a simple piano piece that plays throughout the film; it is excellent. 

Finally, the editing:
This was a stand-out for me. It was cleverly cutting at points to hide us from the horrors but holding onto moments before it became too much.  

There’s a lot of love about this film. A highlight of the Cannes 2023 run. 

FADE OUT.

BANEL & ADAMA - Review by Lachlan Thiele

EXT. DESTINY - DAY

Banel and Adamas is a story about destiny, loss and sacrifice. Luckily Banel and Adama doesn’t sacrifice anything to present us with this story. 

Narratively it flows, opening on the love of our two protagonists: Banel, a woman who recently lost her partner and Adama, who has recently lost both father and brother (FYI, his brother was Banel's partner). With that recent loss, they are brought together out of, at least at the beginning, love and responsibility within the community and religion. 

Banel and Adama have a great score matching fantastic cinematography a the start and end, relying upon the story to keep you engaged throughout. Thankfully that story unfolds truths about their relationship and forces them to fulfil birthrights and responsibilities. 

Unfortunately, the believability of their relationship is thin, and what’s even harder to believe is the twist of how they came together, which is so quickly thrown in with minimal set-up and then so forgotten to make it seem like it’s a plot line that was pulled last minute. 

The first and final 20 minutes are its most
outstanding moments, visually, narratively and audibly. Making it worth your time. 

FADE OUT.

MAY DECEMBER - Review by Lachlan Thiele

INT. MOCKING-MOORE - DAY 

May December is an excellent satire with incredibly dark themes at times. Portman's Elizabeth is an actress tasked with researching her next role, a movie based on the massively dramatised life of Julianne Moore's character. Moore and Portman shine in their roles, and both can create believable characters whilst still pushing the unbelievable humour and situations they are put in. Portman, mainly with her fascination with making an actual 'true-to-life' performance as Gracie, copies her quirks and tendencies, providing the audience with laughs. 

Primarily the humour lies in the dark aspects of the film. The funniest, without spoiling, Gracie’s relationship with her husband. It continuously evolves over the film, and we finally reach a satisfying conclusion. It’s interesting how out of all of the dramas that premiered at Cannes, the comedy-drama has the best character arcs. 

Overall, May December lands on both feet, standing tall against the competition. Satirical, well-acted and entertaining. 

FADE OUT

STRANGE WAY OF LIFE - Review by Lachlan Thiele

EXT. STRANGE INDEED - DAY

Indeed a film worth seeing. Don't take it seriously, as at its core; it's just a lot of fun. I can see Pedro and Ethan having the time of their lives with this short. Think of this film as a more campy Brokeback, where the humour grows on you, like our protagonists budding love. 

It would work as a YouTube video. The internet would go wild, especially with the current 'Daddy' love for Pascal. 

FADE OUT.

ONLY THE RIVER FLOWS - Review by Lachlan Thiele

EXT. WHERE DOES THE RIVER STOP - DAY 

Only The River Flows is my first Wei Shujun film, and it is now someone I'd like to explore as there were many elements to this film that I absolutely adored. 

First, it's shot on film 😍 which builds a beautiful atmosphere solidified through noir-style lightning and heavy smoking. I'm already on board any time a film noir style is present; only The River Flows is solid throughout the first 80 minutes of the film, as it's fully engulfed in that Crime Noir storytelling. A Cop hunts down a killer, and when an arrest is made and the case can be shut, a thought of 'why' lingers on the officer's mind. 

The plot intrigued me as it flowed into a psychological thriller, sometimes reminding me of Twin Peaks, which is a tremendous compliment for me. However, there is a literal 'BANG' at the minute 80 mark, and the final 20 minutes start going all over the place. I love where the film went during the final moments, involving a 'Twin Peaks' style dream sequence, but the apparent lack of cohesiveness in this last act ultimately disappoints. Pulling my review from a solid 4 stars into a 3. 

FADE OUT.

HOW TO HAVE SEX - Review by Lachlan Thiele

INT. HOLIDAY HORRORS - NIGHT

Tara, Em and Skye have all come to party, and party HARD. The story consists of these 3 friends on holiday that are down to fuck; Tara, in particular, will be her first time. This coming-of-age story is entirely a downer, but with some of the most exciting dance and party scenes with music that goes hard, it's impossible to look away. With Em and Skye, Tara has an Angel and Devil on her shoulders telling her what to do, think and feel. Badger, her love interest, starts as a rave-head looking to bang but grows into a compassionate friend amongst these horny young adults. 

Hats off to the performances of Tara (Mia McKenna-Bruce) and Badger (Shaun Thomas), and the wicked soundtrack. 

FADE OUT.

THE ZONE OF INTEREST - Review by Lachlan Thiele

INT. GARDEN OF EDEN - NIGHT

Auschwitz is the location of the world's most unforgivable crime. A place where humanity lost itself. An area forever marked with the horrors of xenophobia and a story that filmmakers continuously attempt to display on the screen. While holocaust cinema isn’t being worked into the ground like other genres, there hasn’t been a breath of fresh air for a while. 

The Zone of Interest is that breath.

From the get-go, you're engulfed back into Auschwitz, except in this film, there is a gorgeous house bordering the concentration camp. Immediately this large grey wall hiding the atrocities is juxtaposed with the family's beautiful garden, which their mother wishes to continue improving, never mind the continuous screaming and low rumbling furnace present within the area. What Johnathan Glazer does with the sound design of this film is incredible; through audio alone, you're left with a sense of dread; how could you sleep when all you can hear are screams? The film opens with a black screen and an audio scape immediately setting the tone. 

The Zone of Interest layers many elements to create a narrative worth seeing. A narrative we know but in a brand new presentation. 

FADE OUT.

INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Lachlan Thiele

EXT. INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF THE LOST DIALS SKULL – DAY

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is more closely related to its recent sequel than its distant cousins of the original trilogy. It attempts to take the franchise's formula and shake it up; it throws in cameos, call-backs and references but suffers the same issue every recent Lucasfilm movie has. 

It's another modern Disney reboot sequel with legacy characters left in the dirt, and a 'quirky & quippy' new character is presented to us. You know this character type when in the face of fear, they will make fun of the villain's Lactose Intolerance or something random because this character is flawlessly confident. They are knowledgeable on every subject relevant to the plot, smartasses because they are always correct, sassy when held hostage and always have an escape plan. This is Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridges), and she might be the only consistent character in the film. For the rest of the ensemble, Boyd Holbrooks Klaber speaks once in the movie and then chases after Jones in each scene; Mads Mikkelsens Jürgen Voller is the most forgettable antagonist of the franchise, Antonio Banderas is out of the film faster than he's in it and finally, Harrison Ford as Dr Jones is unfortunately back for what seems like a pretty good paycheck.

I have nothing against the performances themselves. The cast is incredibly talented, but this skilled team cannot hide the terrible dialogue reinforcing the rather forgettable story. Ultimately, Indiana Jones has one of the greatest trilogies of films with a distance spin-off universe of sequels. Lucasfilm, post-2008, has not been your era.

FADE OUT.

INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Ewan Graf

Driving Miss Burkhart

Scorsese better live till 120 to make so more 'pictures'

Killers of the Flower Moon comes from legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese and is based on a 2017 nonfiction book of the same name. It stars familiar Scorsese collaborators Leonardo DiCaprio as a dimwitted ex-military cook that falls in love with Lily Gladstone’s Mollie. There’s also Robert De Niro and Jesse Plemons to round out the most notable supporting cast.

Having read the book this is based on there is quite a bit of difference between those two versions. The Novel was non-fiction, of course, so it mostly detailed the uncovering of the murders and framed Jesse Plemons’ FBI agent Tom White as a bigger player. Additionally, Gladstone’s Mollie is really not in this film that much. Which I don’t remember being the case in the book.

At the front end center - in very typical Scorsese fashion - is the rise and fall of some sort of crime collective that pulls a scheme. Additionally, the looming threat of greedy white businessmen hungry for black gold creates all sorts of troubles for the Osage people.
As more and more of them turn up dead, often in very suspicious circumstances, there is no one actually investigating these murders.

For the majority of the film, we get to see these horrible acts of violence being committed in the most casual, pragmatic way imaginable. 

There are some great supporting performances that especially shine in the comedic beats of the story - there’s actually way more of them than you’d expect. Because the dialogue is incredibly well put together and brought to life by the great talent in front of the camera.

DiCaprio gets A LOT to do here and he’s giving it his all, which sometimes felt a bit too much for his character, but I can’t go into that further without giving spoilers away. De Niro is great as a charismatic authority and Jesse Plemons is honestly not given many moments to shine by himself. There seems to be a very positive response to Lily Gladstone after the premiere here in Cannes, but I wasn’t really a fan of her performance.
There’s a Brendan Fraser cameo that is quite bad but ultimately there’s not a ton to complain about on that level.

AppleTV+ is known for its clean look and Killers of the Flower Moon is no exception here as well. The Production & Costume design is great as well paired with equally excellent editing that made this film seems shorter than it is. Which is almost 3.5 hours that, yes, you can feel but is ultimately worth the stay.

Scorsese recently said in an interview: “I’m Old. I Want to Tell Stories, But There’s No More Time” and I really hope this man gets to tell a couple more stories and make some pictures.
Because this film proves he still has got it just like he did 40 years ago.

INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY - Review by Ewan Graf

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is the fifth outing in the series led by Harrison Ford and doesn’t have Steven Spielberg in the directing chair for our grumpy adventurer, but instead got James Mangold, of Logan, Ford v Ferrari, Walk the Line and more.

Taking on a continuing or potentially ending franchise (which let’s be real is never gonna happen with a popular ‘property’ like this) is never an easy task for any director.
But Indiana Jones 5 fumbles the bag in many ways that are hard to wrap around your head.

Fundamentally, it does have a big screenplay problem that not even Phoebe Waller Bridge’s quippy Helena can save. Rather than giving us a story about these two or focusing on Ford as the elderly protagonist, the MacGuffin object everyone is chasing after takes over the film in a not-so-great way.
Often the movie seems it could care less if there’s no actual interesting conflict happening between the characters.
They escape in Scooby-Doo-like fashion and solve riddles without any process, solely waiting for the audience to clap for cheer-worthy moments and cameos.

The opening action scene with a de-aged Harrison Ford is probably the best sequence in the movie, even if it ends with a very unfortunate mistimed beat. There are a few issues with eyelines in some scenes but other than that it’s fairly solid and I guess not affected by the lackluster writing yet.

Mads Mikkelson’s is alright and Boyd Holbrook is quite one-noted.

It might be enough for popcorn entertainment but it is way closer to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull than the Original Trilogy.

OCCUPIED CITY - Review by Ewan Graf

Occupied City comes from British director Steve McQueen known for his films Shame, 12 Years a Slave, Widows, and more. He returns to Cannes after winning the Golden Camera for Hunger - an award for best 1st feature - with a 4hr long documentary about the Occupying forces of the Nazi regime in Amsterdam over the span of World War 2. As a 20+ year-long resident of the city himself, he manages to frame these morbid stories of WWII with present-day Amsterdam, literally all over the town.

The movie’s visuals consist of shots during the COVID lockdown in 2020 with a VO narrative detailing countless stories of terror during the Occupation.

Starting with a name, their story, and - in most cases - their death.

Closing each location is a short statement that lets you know if the building has since been ‘demolished’ and rebuilt or still standing. Regardless, McQueen makes a point that these stories a deeply a part of Amsterdam but the city has recovered, and rebuild. It’s become a home again.

Narratively, this is done in segments that focus on a location shown to us in the current day (roughly 2020-22) and is somewhat loosely connected to what the narrator says. More often than not, this is an effective contrast to the harsh and morbid nature of the ethnic cleansing Amsterdam was undergoing and the film is overall a very detailed history lesson that manages to give the victims a place to be remembered. In art. Which I admire, but I also believe works better in an Art gallery or museum setting. Hopefully, this film, broken down into dozens of smaller bits, and continually looped at an exhibition, will play out a bit better than its pretty rough 4hr+ runtime allows it for.

Without driving an overarching narrative across, the doc often feels like a stream lacking a flow. It has stunning individual sequences, a stand-out moment comes to mind where we zoom across the streets of Amsterdam as the camera rolls around and turns the world on its head. The sky blends into the water and reflects Amsterdam's nightscape of narrow houses.

The moments from the 2020s sometimes feel out of place, even if I get what McQueen goes for it doesn’t always come together

Ultimately, this is a very personal love letter addressed to the city of Amsterdam handwritten by the one and only Steve McQueen. I wouldn’t recommend a theatre watch, but break it apart into pieces over a few nights and you’ll be fine and hopefully not too bored with the very repetitive storytelling.

My rating for Occupied City is a 7/10, and a warm recommendation to visit Amsterdam yourself. It’s a great town that evidentially has a lot of history.

Demolished.

MONSTER - Review by Ewan Graf

Hirokazu Kore-eda might be my favorite filmmaker alive and after last year’s very enjoyable BROKER, which also played in Competition here in Cannes, he returns with MONSTER. A story told from different points of view, a mother, a teacher, and a child.

Monster brings some of his greatest strengths to the forefront. His directing and staging in addition to the performances that he brings out of everyone single actor is mesmerizing as always, even if the three-part perspective shift doesn’t work as holistically as I would want it to work. 

Perspective-shift stories are always tricky because they rely on bringing in enough new things to uncover and answer the questions you have left from the previous part. But ultimately it feels like Kore-eda ‘over-answers’ some parts of the story.

What fascinated me the most about the film is that it reeled me into to perspective of every character without manipulating me too obviously. So, I was always rooting for the main perspective I was given at the time and if you’ve seen any Kore-eda film before, then it’s no surprise that the answer to who is right and wrong is gonna be more complex and layered than you expect.

As always the typical awkward humor and overall theme of death and reincarnation run throughout this film as well.
Still, I find it frustrating that there was an odd need for closures and answers, even when there we no need for them.

Regardless, Monster is beautiful and had candid little light-hearted, and heartwarming moments that brought a few tears to my eyes.

It’s not gonna be at the top of my list from Kore-eda - which is a very high bar - but it’s very much worth seeing.

LE RETOUR (Homecoming) - Review by Lachlan Thiele

EXT. HOW TO MAKE A CANNES MOVIE – NIGHT

Homecoming (Le Retour) was my final screening on the second day at Cannes 2023, and I had yet to be blown away by a film, but Homecoming had a premise that interested me. A woman flees her home due to 'tragic circumstances' but returns many years later with her two daughters. This 'circumstance' intrigued me; the film opens with that moment, Kheídidja and her two daughters leave Corsica, but the reason isn't presented to us; this motive was to be developed and revealed over the 2-hour run time.

Homecoming's most significant strength is the relationship between the two daughters, Jessica and Farah, and their mother. While I thought this film would be a character piece focusing on Kheídidja' tragic circumstance' for leaving, the film moves on from that very quickly, completely losing focus on the mother and fixating on the coming-of-age tropes for her two daughters. The film isn't about Kheídidja coming to terms with her loss and reason for initially leaving it all behind. Instead, it's about two young adults navigating the island to discover who they are. The trio of actors who play these characters do an excellent job of building a beautiful relationship. However, under that immensely incredible bond is a story that doesn't know where it wants to go. Still, somehow these performers have created something from that mess and formed a believable family dynamic.

Remember the first paragraph about the 'tragic circumstance'? Yeah, just like the film, I will entirely skip over it and forget that was the mystery we set up in the first place. Let's talk more about the girls. This review is titled 'How to Make a Cannes Movie' because all the elements are there, French (tick), LGBTQIA+ (tick), minority (tick), and societal issues (tick); all the boxes are there, and it's a stock-standard Coming-of-Age film for Cannes. But no matter, this film had massive strengths but some hard weaknesses. Leaving me with a clean 2.5-star film. Stay for the performances; ignore the plot. 

FADE OUT.

Lachlan's Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/thiele/

MONSTER - Review by Lachlan Thiele

INT. COOKIE MONSTER – NIGHT

Monster is the latest entry in the Kore-eda filmography (a filmography I still need to dive deeper into). Still, just like his previous films, It's a deeply personal look into a character, their motives but most importantly, how that motive affects those around them.

Monster is a multi-layered beast; it retells one story from multiple perspectives giving us the whole cookie instead of just the crumbs. Usually, I'm a crumb kinda guy; I like to figure things out myself, putting them all together to get my cookie. Still, Kore-eda gives me the cookie; at points, he just hands the cookie over when instead I would have preferred the traditional 'show, don't tell' filmmaker mentality. Yet, without that one little critique Monster would have shot right up to a 4-star thanks to its standout performances from Sakura Ando as the mother and excellent direction (especially when it comes to blocking actors within a scene, yeah, I know a weird thing to point out but something I wrote down while watching) 

Anyway, please head out and see this one. It's worth the spoon-feeding.

FADE OUT.

Lachlan's Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/thiele/