Film reviews

Fjord Review

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Legalities are spotlighted in Fjord. Written and directed by Cristian Mungiu, the film has received tons of positive press at many festivals. It won the Palm d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, It screened in competition at the Sydney Film Festival, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the Hurtigruten Nordic Film Festival, the Sarajevo Film Festival, the San Sebastian International Film Festival, and the Atlantic International Film Festival. The film also had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and was selected for the Spotlight Gala section of the New York Film Festival. The film is set to screen at the Morelia International Film Festival and the Tokyo International Film Festival as well. All of this exposure at international film festivals will cause Fjord to be remembered for ages.The serious subject matter and realistic writing will matter to cinema-goers around the world.

The film focuses on a child abuse scenario. There is an investigation, and multiple moving parts involving a religious family. The father is Mihai Gheorghiu, played by Sebastian Stan. He is a Romanian father laying out the code of conduct with religious practices. His wife is Lisbet Gheorghiu, played by Renate Reinsve. Lisbet is Norwegian. Their daughter is Elia Gheorghiu, played by Vanessa Ceban. Their son is Emmaneul, played by Jonathan Ciprian Breazu. It is a big family that moves to a progressive yet remote Norwegian village. The strict rules and punishments impact the family when Elia shows up to school with bruises. From that point on there is a child custody battle. The story is a vivid ride that is emotional, breathtaking, and causes viewers to think. The religious practices and family-related activities are  part of a  pattern of devotion but also controversial. The audience realizes that not everyone can handle the strictness of the Gheorghiu family.

Clashes regarding norms of behavior are pushed to the limit in Fjord as religious practices take a turn for the worse. Breathtaking undertones are played out as the path to finding what is right for Elia is pursued. The writing and characterizations boil with family emotions particularly when it comes to traditional rituals and what is considered abusive. The complex parts of the legal system are polarizing and then things really go awry when the children are taken away by child protective services. They hired their friend, Mia, to be their attorney. She is played by Lisa Carlehed.  Mihai and Lisbet must deal with the consequences. Their religious norms may not be tolerated by the country they now are living in. 

What I found spellbinding was how family values get handled in this story. Mihai upholds time for prayers and limits technology usage. He is also physically violent, but not to the extreme. The children tell their story to the authorities through their own eyes,  and they believe they’ve been badly harmed. This is where reality clashes as their parents must now think about how their behaviors impacted them. They also must think about how the situation impacts their own lives. It is not a simple situation or an easy trial, but faith and resilience shine in sensitive and exhilarating ways.

There is a moment when Mihai says, “Beating is coming from heaven!” He says this to demonstrate his disciplinary beliefs to the authorities. He later says, “It’s a cultural thing!” His words may be controversial, but deep down he means them. The family dynamic is strong, yet issues are blown out of proportion. The reality of dealing with the case in Fjord causes sadness to linger due to the unsettling situation. I found the film breathtaking. Legal issues, emotional challenges, and the will to never give up by a family working together as a team creates cinematic power in Fjord. Four out of four stars.

 

Film reviews

Verity Review

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Based on the best-selling novel written by Colleen Hoover, Verity is an adaptation directed by Michael Showalter. I found the film compelling, especially given the performance of Anne Hathaway. She plays Verity Crawford, and starred in Showalter’s previous film The Idea of You. In that film, Hathaway’s performance was vibrant and positive, but this time her character has dark secrets. It is a vivid film about an author piecing together a story. What she figures out about actual events blindsides her. Verity is not an easy viewing experience, however, the realism is thought-provoking.

The film’s main character is Lowen Ashleigh, played by Dakota Johnson. She is a writer who is hired to do ghostwriting for Verity since she appears to be in a catatonic state following a tragic accident.  Verity’s husband is Jeremy Crawford  played by Josh Hartnett. Lowen is invited to stay at their huge home in the mountains of Vermont. She has access to the  manuscripts, autobiographical evidence, and the writings of Verity herself. Jeremy cares for his son Crew, played by Brady Wagner. As Lowen spends time pulling information together to begin writing, she discovers devastating evidence in her research. 

One of the fascinating story lines involves Lowen becoming envious of the type of life Verity had. Since Lowen has some personal history of  making mistakes, experiencing  career success, and having regrets, she reminisces about those moments as she reads the manuscripts she uncovers. Verity feels like the audience is diving into the mind of an author living through another author. Verity is now on the sidelines—but is she truly incapacitated? Is she faking it? What made Verity have so much hatred? The questions linger as revelations spiral in Verity.

The angle of misbelief makes Verity attention-grabbing. Verity appears to have hated many components of her seemingly charmed life. As she narrates her story during moments in the film, she talks about her  unhappiness and what elements of her life she finds exhausting. Lowen finds Verity’s story hard to believe. At the same time, she sees how Jeremy and Crew are suffering as slaves in their home. In spite of their luxurious life, no one is thriving since Verity’s condition keeps them trapped..

Lowen and Jeremy start falling for each other. This complicates matters and makes getting to the truth even more important. The dynamics are daring, and Johnson’s and Hartnett’s performances  are spellbinding due to their intense chemistry. While Hathaway’s character is bedridden, there is plenty of action in Verity’s home and revealed via flashbacks. 

As the story evolves, Verity follows the tracks of more lies unearthed through Lowen’s digging. She realizes that some incidents may have not been accidental and others may have been staged. The horrific findings create the psychological vibes. Verity is disturbing yet decent. For those who love to see how a book plays out on film, this film offers an adequate dose of  suspense. Three out of four stars for Verity.

Film reviews

Digger Review

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There is that full-throttle mode that everyone expects from Tom Cruise. The tycoon characteristics, the buffoonery, and all the money in the world. Those elements are all present in Digger, but this time his character is not jumping out of airplanes and buildings like he does in the Mission Impossible franchise. He is still frantic with power, only now he is oblivious to his disasters. Of course, in true Cruise style, there are party-going ways and political views in his characterization. Digger delves into political mode in a mixed way.

From the director of Amores Perros, Babel, and The Revenant, this is Digger, another project in which Alejandro G. Inarritu goes deep with his characters. The film is very focused and chock full of disasters. At times the approach seems like Babel, but in this film audiences can laugh at particular moments whereas Babel was a surreal rollercoaster ride of vivid sadness.

Inarritu always does well with one-point perception because of the way he hones in on the kings or the enemies with his camera angles. I appreciated this in both Babel and The Revenant. This element is utilized at times in Digger, though there are more crazy transitions between various actions. Much of the film is dominated by the repeated wild takes of Cruise and his ego modality. I find it surprising that Inarritu and Cruise were able to work together on Digger.

Before going into the plot, it is important to outline the key characters in the film. Tom Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, a wealthy oil tycoon. Riz Ahmed plays Ganish, a scientist and an assistant to the U.S. President. John Goodman plays President Compson, the dictatorial President of the United States. Sandra Huller plays Emma Rockwell, Digger’s half-sister and business partner. Michael Stuhlbarg plays the Vice President. Finally, Jesse Plemmons plays Kenny. Each of the characters play a vital role in fueling the dynamics with  Digger. Even though the film is uneven in the way it evolves, audiences can expect to have their minds twisted by the array of  surprises in Digger.

Digger controls oil fields throughout the world, and he is given news that a disaster has sparked attention. Apparently, there is a pending disaster where an iceberg could hit Europe and put many lives at risk. Digger is free-spirited and believes his ways are always how it goes. Ganish is the one with the scientific facts. President Compson and Digger have some commonalities—both are hierarchical and confident that they have the answers. While Tom Cruise looks old and gray in this film, he still rules like a hungry emperor. His character puts jobs on the line. No matter the consequences, shifts caused by global warming are at the epicenter of the film.

Even though the film is creative and has mind-boggling characterization, there is a twist to it. The film breaks the fourth wall in a dimension that is unexpected. Still, it was not enough to make this a spectacular movie. Yes, there are a lot of interesting issues related to science, politics, and egos. The twist, however, comes from a hidden element beneath the surface. In the end, I rate Digger two out of four stars.

Treating cinema in many forms of art!