Unfortunately no comedy options here, just brilliant film making to kick off 2021 except this one from 2017 and currently showing on SBS On Demand:
Foxtrot
This German/Israeli film is one that leaves you debating and pondering for days on end. It’s filmed in 2 x areas, a desolate checkpoint somewhere between Palestine and Israel where a young soldier Jonathan is posted, and a Tel Aviv apartment occupied by his parents. When the parents are visited by the army to notify them that Jonathan has been killed, all hell breaks loose as the parents try to come to terms with the news. Things only get confused and exasperating when several hours later they discover that the army got the name of the deceased wrong and that Johnathan is still alive but they don’t know where he is. This is where the focus shifts to Johnathan and his mates at the checkpoint. They live in an old shipping container which is sinking slowly into the mud and survive on canned food. The starkness of the region and the living conditions are beautifully captured and then tragedy strikes when a carload of innocent youngsters pulls up and an empty soft drink can is mistaken for a bomb. To say much more would give away the finale but the iconic clip below of Jonathan dancing with his rifle is worth watching alone. Foxtrot won the Grand Jury Prize Silver Lion at the 2017 Venice Film Festival. 9/10
The Dry
This slow burning mystery based on Jane Harper’s best-selling novel is authentically Australian set in Victoria’s Mallee region, full of flies and dust! The apparent murder-suicide of federal policeman Aaron Falk’s friend, takes him from the city to his home town 5 hours drive away. He decides to stay a bit longer as he discovers a few anomalies in the case and lots of skeletons come out of the local closet. Eric Bana as Faulk, does a good job of looking cool amidst the heat and the supporting cast is very convincing, including veteran John Polson. It was Polson who appeared in director Robert Connolly’s 1998 produced film The Boys, one of my all-time favourites and this film has Connolly’s trademark pacing and edginess to draw out the unexpected. My partner Lynda loved the book so I reached out for her opinion and she reckons its very faithful to the original story but as most films are, not quite as good as the book. Very entertaining and great to see the regional landscape used so effectively. 8/10.
Nomad
After being cooped up in lockdown for 6 months this film had us practically selling up and hitting the road a few years earlier than planned! Fern, played by the amazing Frances McDormand, is a middle aged widow who has hit the road in a converted van after the industrial town she lived and worked in with her husband, was annihilated by the GFC and literally wiped off the map, including its postcode. The film does a 12 month cycle as Fern finds seasonal jobs on the road and meets an extraordinary range of people, most of whom are elderly victims of the economic decline in the US. Chinese director Chloe Zhao has made something quite special here utilising McDormand’s fearless approach to acting and the generosity and natural performances of the wonderful supporting cast who are 95% non-actors! Visually, Zhao shifts the camera from intimate close ups to wide, expansive shots of America’s stunning wilderness as Fern ventures through Dakota, Arizona, California and Nebraska. This is a slow paced film with maximum authenticity. I’m an unabashed Frances McDormand fan and the reason why is that even after numerous quality performances and 2 x Oscars, she still insists on pushing the limits and putting her art first and foremost. She’s certainly well and truly stripped back bare in this superb film and winner of this year’s Gold Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival. 9/10.
As much as I’m enjoying the near-empty cinemas at the moment with no popcorn munching, no rattle of chip and lolly packets and slurping of industrial size buckets of Coke, it would be good to see more people supporting the theatres. There are various ways to get cheaper tickets these days and we need to keep the movie houses going. There’s nothing like the big screen. Happy New Year and good riddance 2020. Cheers
