First-run films: French Golden Lion and horror Under the Volcano

Tickets were at very good levels last week, with the sequel to “Top Gun” winning the lion's share, as expected, and the quality films “Between Two Worlds” and “Miracle” doing unexpectedly well, as well as the animation “Icarus and Daedalus”. Of the eight films in cinemas tonight, six premieres and two re-releases, the French social drama “The Event”, which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, stands out, while noteworthy is the reappearance of veteran Dario Argento with the horror film “Black Glasses”. However, the films that cinephiles will enjoy with all their hearts come to us from the past. These are John Huston's drama “Under the Volcano”, with a stunning Albert Finney, and Milos Foreman's comic ethno film “The Loves of a Blonde”.

The Fact (L'événement).

Social drama, French production of 2021, directed by Audre Diwan, with Anamaria Bartolomei, Cassay Motet-Claine, Anna Muggallis, Luana Bazrami, Louise Ori Dicero, Louise Sevilot and others.

Although its subject matter seems outdated, it's easy to understand, even from the first few minutes, why this second film by Audre Diwan is still relevant and why it won the Golden Lion at last year's Venice Film Festival.

And if the award makes some people think that this is one of those ’festival“ films that is celebrated by a closed circuit and then you're looking for ”what the poet was trying to say“, again, Diwan's film will pleasantly contradict them. This is because it speaks simply, honestly and clearly about social illiteracy and especially about bourgeois hypocrisy, avoiding denunciation, puffery and over-dramatization, even though the story takes us back to the 1960s.

Thus, without embellishing the past or indulging in nostalgic touches, Diwan brings us the story (based on the book of the same name by Annie Hernot) about a literature student of popular origin who unwittingly becomes pregnant, at a time when this is punishable by imprisonment and, of course, accompanied by social outcry. What will the young girl do as the exams approach and her belly swells? Who decides her life?;

The agony of the heroine, in the face of harsh reality, of backs being turned - even by those who are ready to tear their clothes off for freedom or social rights - will give Dewan the opportunity to censure, not the 1960s, of course, but today, in a low-key yet militant manner. To finally deliver a shattering drama that, in addition to giving soul, also provides all the arguments for confronting all those who see everything from above, judging, judging and condemning. And of course speaking about the position of women, who the weaker they are, the more they are affected by social automatisms and models of competitiveness.

Diwan seems to have a future, even though she sometimes displays a narrative naivety, perhaps due to inexperience, but all of this is covered by her soulful direction, her fresh eye, and her need to awaken to the reality of millions of women who must endure a brutal daily life, for a living, for self-determination, even for the basics.

The protagonist, Anamaria Vartolomei, gives a heartbreaking performance, avoiding exaggerations and with a maturity impressive for her 23 years of age, simply and disarmingly captivates the eye and wins the difficult bet, reminding us of the real heroines of life, women who, if anything, deserve our respect.

In the 1960s in France abortion was illegal. The nightmarish consequences of this law are experienced by the 23-year-old heroine, a talented literature student, when she unexpectedly becomes pregnant. Her plans up to that point are upended and she must now decide whether to keep the child or risk her life for an illegal abortion.

18.

Dramatic film, Greek production of 2022, directed by Vassilis Doutβλη, with Joseph Gavriolatos, Nikolakis Zeguinoglou, Anastasis Laoulakos, Celia Andriolatou, Marina Anifanti, Vassilis Dharma, Stavros Tsoumanis, Georgia Anesti, Marina Aslanoglou, Antonis Tsamouras, Kimon Kouris etc.

Respectable effort by the Epirotic Vassilis Doutβλη to speak about a hot topic that has been preoccupying Greek society for at least 20 years, namely the problem of racism, the spread of fascist neo-Nazi ideas even in schools, violence and hatred.

A low budget film, shot in difficult conditions, because the problem of the pandemic had to be dealt with, as filming began during the Covid-19 season. Douwβλη chose to integrate the pandemic into the film's script, with a documentary approach, giving even more realism to what takes place in a popular neighbourhood of Athens.

A group of young people, in yet another period of crisis, take out their hatred on anyone who is different, acquire racist attitudes, become fascinated by the toxicity of neo-Nazism, believing that immigrants are even responsible for the pandemic, and persecute those who stand against them.

The film does not shout, does not patronize the viewer, but leaves room for the viewer to reflect on what he sees, to reevaluate his attitude or his indifference to what is happening next to us, by the children next door.

By using young, “old” actors, who to a large extent stand up well, Douwβλη refreshes the Greek cinematic microcosm, helping to a certain extent the film's vitality, in contrast to certain weaknesses, such as the scenes that will remind everyone of something, the well-known narrative problems of domestic cinema, and the not so successful attempt to balance between political correctness and unconventional discourse.

In a popular neighborhood in Athens, in a neighborhood of economic crisis, resurgence of fascism and pandemic, a group of eighteen-year-old students persecute immigrants, homosexuals, all those who are simply different and do not agree with their ideas. A classmate who makes no secret of his disgust for their actions will soon become their next target.

Black Glasses (Dark Glasses).

Horror film, Italian-French production of 2022, directed by Dario Argento, starring Ilenia Pastorelli, Asia Argento, Andrea Gherpelli, Andrea Zhang

The return, after a decade, of the now 80-year-old Dario Argento, who gained enormous fame and a huge following in the 70s and 80s as a ’master of horror’, with his “jalo” films -a cinematic genre born in Italy- in which blood or even guts flooded the theatres, combined with a peculiar intrigue, is more a reminder of times gone by.

Argento, of the now cult films “The Bird with Golden Wings”, “Suspiria”, “Tenebre”, etc., without having lost, it seems, his spirit, delivers another slasher, with his own characteristics, but it is obvious that he has also entered the international glossary of the genre, the standards, the usual clichés, in avoiding the extreme oblique images, which may have had flaws, but had a special charm and, most importantly, a lot of fun.

Here, we're dealing with a serial killer who beats up prostitutes, targets a luxury escort who escapes his clutches but loses her sight. However, her adventure will continue and with the help of an orphaned chinese boy (there's political correctness!) she will fight for her life.

As one can easily understand, the film is addressed to the remaining fans of the veteran Italian director, but also to the fans of the genre. It stars Ilenia Pastorelli and Argento's daughter, Asia.

In so many words... Rome. An eclipse obscures the sun and the skies of a hot summer day turn black, while “darkness” envelops Diana when a serial killer chooses her as his prey. Trying to evade her pursuer, the woman crashes her car and loses her sight. She recovers from the initial shock determined to fight for her life, only she is no longer alone. Chin, a young boy who survived the car accident, protects her and becomes her eyes. But the killer will not abandon his victim. Who will be saved?;

Men.

Horror film, British and American production of 2022, directed by Alex Garland, starring Jesse Buckley, Rory Kiniar, Paapa Esientou and others.

The second horror film of the week. This time from the Anglo-Saxon “school” and signed by Alex Garland, a writer, screenwriter and, in recent years, director, who is clearly drawn to horror stories.

The film starts off encouragingly, but very quickly starts to lose oil. Garland, pulling out his literary influences while simultaneously seeking to present something much bigger and more challenging than what his film is, unsuccessfully trying to elevate it, without either the foundation or the competence or cinematic talent to fill in the holes in his story and the mania it ends up in.

His heroine, a young widow who has seen her husband commit suicide, will retreat to the idyllic English countryside to calm down, until she realises she is being stalked by a madman.

Psychological horror, which keeps its interest until the weird, supernatural and gruesome stuff begins, which is very little convincing, despite the remarkable performances of Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear, who steals the show with the three characters he plays.

IN SOFT WORDS... After a personal tragedy, Harper retreats to the beautiful English countryside to heal her trauma. But something or someone from the forest appears and harasses her. What begins as an invisible fear turns into a universal nightmare, harboring her darkest memories.

Elcano and Magellan: The First Circumnavigation of the Earth

(Elcano & Magellan: The First Voyage Around the World). Children's animated film, produced in Spain in 2022, directed by José Antonio and Garbine Losada.

Fantastic children's adventure, a sophisticated animation from Spain, about the story of two intrepid Portuguese navigators, Magellan and Elcano, who against all odds, managed to change history by making the first circumnavigation of the globe.

Of course, behind the film's charming and adventurously interesting story, there is also the reality, from which the filmmakers stay away, recycling the stereotypes of barbaric natives who got in the way of the daring and ’inspired“ seafarers, but also the well-hidden spirit of colonialism, which still seems to haunt the West.

The film will be dubbed in Greek, with the voices of Harry Aristideous, Markos Droussiotis, Menios Sotirellis, Anthony Papamichael, Maria Kanther, Maria Mahlamouzi, Loukas Zikou and others.

IN SOFT WORDS... A journey into the unknown that began with the famous Ferdinand Magellan and ended with Juan Sebastian Elcano. Storms, famine, hostile tribes... Five ships set sail from Seville. Three years later, only one returns, makes the full circumnavigation and proves that the Earth is round.

The films are still being shown:

Dirty Paradise (After Blue). Bertrand Mantico's new hallucinogenic sci-fi film after the intriguing Wild Boys we saw four years ago. With avant-garde direction, hurtful images and delirious language, as is Manticore's wont, it will take us into the distant future and to a planet far from earth that “is sick” and populated entirely by women. From there on, the unlikely happens, but it's terrifying to see that it could be possible. A peculiar film, interesting, but for those, truth be told, who can stand Bertrand Mandico's cinema.

Under the Volcano (Under The Volcano). The extraordinary, now classic, existential drama, filmed in his final days by the famous John Houston, starring, perhaps in the role of a lifetime, the incomparable Albert Finney. The story, based on Malcolm Lowry's novel of the same name, concerns the last days of a down-and-out alcoholic British diplomat in Mexico when World War II breaks out and he is visited by his partner, regretting her infidelity. The opening sequence is one of those that have gone down in history, with Finney wandering, in search of another drink, among the fair the Mexicans have set up for the Day of the Living Dead, and it closes with a wonderful scene when the diplomat goes head-to-head against a gang that has taken on the German Nazis. This is essentially a breathless man's descent into hell, as not even the sincere repentance of the love of his life can keep him alive. Finney is stunning, while Jacqueline Bisset and Anthony Andrews go almost unnoticed in front of the imposing protagonist. A cinematic gem, shown in a restored print, this is a film that is well worth enjoying for fans of good cinema.

The Loves of a Blondie (Loves of a Blonde). Wonderful comic ethnography from 1965, the Czechoslovakian period of the great Milos Foreman (“In the Cuckoo's Nest”). A light-hearted yet penetrating look at the romantic pursuits of youth, in particular of a young working-class girl who thinks she has found the love of her life, but when she realises that this is impossible she takes matters into her own hands. Another film for cinephiles, uniquely starring Hannah Brechkova.