- ‘THE WOLFPACK’
What and where: the debutante Crystal Moselle surprised us with this unspeakable documentary seen in January at the snowy summits of Utah (USA), where the Sundance Festival, the capital of indie cinema, is held, among tons of snow and stars adorned with mountain fashion.
The soul:’ The Wolfpack ‘ tells the story of the Angulo brothers, who grew up isolated from the world on a floor on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. They learned everything about life through their favorite movies, which they reinterpreted with a camera to walk around the house. Unbreakable.
- ‘LIZA, THE FOX FAIRY’
What and where: in Porto and the middle of winter, the best refuge in the cinema where Fantasporto is celebrated, a small Fantastic Film festival. There we discover ‘Liza, The Fox-Fairy,’ by Hungarian Károly Ujjj Mészáros, a very bizarre rom-com, like an’ Amélie ‘ for freaks.
The soul: let’s take hold of the protagonist (Monica Balsai), a misfit in the care of an older woman who doesn’t know what love is, and becomes friends with the ghost of a Japanese pop star! Some musical numbers. Delirious.
- ‘CAROL’
What and where: it was the ultimate feeling of the Cannes Film Festival, although some did not know much about it, like the jury, which only awarded a prize to that Rooney Mara who remembers both Audrey Hepburn and Jean Simmons in this masterpiece where she falls in love with Cate Blanchett
The soul: the perfect fusion of classicism and Modernity, The Todd Haynes film is like a poisoned Christmas tale, with the background of the intolerant America of the 1950s and based on Patricia Highsmith’s autobiographical novel, which starts in a department store. Rooney’s picking up his Christmas hat. Then Cate appears, wrapped in mink, jewelry, and French perfume.
- ‘AVRIL ET LE MONDE TRUQUÉ’
What and where: some ski in the French Alps, we went in June, when Annecy becomes the capital of World Animation. It was the occasion to enjoy ‘Avril et le monde truqué,’ the first film created from the drawings of Tardi, the creator of Adèle Blanc-Sec.
The soul: the film moves us to a Paris saw in steampunk code. In other words, retro-futurists, as if the world had evolved with a technology imagined since the dawn of the 19th century, with steam-powered cable cars, double Eiffel Towers, and all sorts of useless junk.
- ‘BOB AND THE TREES’
What and where: in July we relax in the spa town of Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic), where we alternate baths and movies because there is also a festival. This time we agreed very much with the jury, which awarded the crystal globe to ‘Bob and the Trees’ by Diego Ongaro.
The soul: another documentary, another debutante and a protagonist, Bob, Massachusetts Lumberjack, where he takes care of his animals, the dream of golf, and pray for the end of the month. There was also Bob in Karlovy Vary, alternating bathrooms and movies, like us: he deserves it!
- ‘MUSTANG’
What and where: 21 years ago, in a city ruined by bombs, a festival was born with the vocation of restoring the illusion in life and cinema. And festival gave her heart, so-called the trophy, to the debut of the Turkish Deniz Gamze Ergüven who, Things of the production, represents France in the Oscar race to the best non-English-speaking film.
Soul: there are five nymphs, who are the prettiest, who are condemned by their family to a life marked by Islamic fundamentalism. They want to be free, but they organize marriages of convenience. Some critics compare them with’ suicidal virgins ‘ (Sofia Coppola, 1999) and are not disappointed. So things are still in Turkey.
- ‘A BIGGER SPLASH’
What and where: Venice sounds like the city of the canals, but it shows it, the oldest festival in Europe, takes place in the Lido, which is more like the classic beach town. As it was boiling, we turned on ‘a Bigger Splash,’ by Luca Guadagnino, a remake of’ la piscina ‘ (Jacques Deray, 1969), with Alain Delon, Romy Schneider, Maurice Ronet and Jane Birkin.
The soul: the most conservative criticism received it with Beeps. Not what we understood. It is a very actors film in which, in addition to the presence of Matthias Schoenaerts, Tilda Swinton, and Dakota Johnson, Ralph Fiennes sidesteps one of the great performances of the year.
- ‘L’OMBRE DES FEMMES’
What and where: end of the journey at the European Film Festival in Seville, where we taste the most exquisite author cinema. Days after the opening, which was run by Louis Garrel with his film ‘Les Deux Amis,’ we were seduced by the latest black-and-white romantic drama by his legendary father, Philippe Garrel.
The soul: Philippe Garrel does not distinguish between life and cinema. His films have transparent autobiographical dyes, and, as he is French, he often speaks of love. How complicated couples are, and more so when he meets another girl, although in the end everything could be arranged with a long and meaningful hug, which heals all wounds. Ah, l’amour!