andrewbunney

My recommendation from the Iranian FF of Australia 2023 is this sweet, inventive film, riffing off the French New Wave (Godard, Truffaut, Varda...). Set in a gorgeous port town just out of Tehran, an actor and actress are brought together during casting for a mainstream film. They don't get the roles, but decide to make their own film. The pair become a threesome when they meet cameraman and director, Ziya, and the enchanting adventure begins. There's a joyride with a heist and a celebration of friendship and film. The cinematography is always interesting and often magnificent, with the shipyards' decrepit, giant boats looming over the scenes. The soundtrack is provided by live performances on ukulele ("Shut that bloody bazouki up!"), harmonica, saxophone and recorded music from car stereos. Dark Matter is a highly contemporary piece; self-aware, nostalgic, anarchic, artful, often humourous (also pretentious and silly) but sweet, fun & sincere.

Hard Core Logo is a tough and witty rock'n'roll 'mockumentary' by brilliant Canadian director Bruce McDonald, known for the cult classics, 'Roadkill' and 'Highway 61'. This new film (1996) eclipses those fine achievements with a musical road movie as real as the Dylan doco 'Don't Look Back' and, when it wants to be, as funny as 'This is Spinal Tap'. It is also one of the best-looking movies I have ever seen.

Based on Michael Turner's book of the same name, the fictional, seminal, Canadian punk rock band, Hard Core Logo, reform for a five-date tour, and we are on the road with the band and a documentary film crew making the film within the film.

Lead singer, Joe Dick (Hugh Dillon) hopes to recapture and build on the band's legendary status but it's a four-way marriage that seems to have reached its use-by date. The lead guitarist (Callum Keith Rennie) is on the verge of selling-out by joining a successful mainstream band, the bassist (John Piper-Ferguson) has lost his Lithium prescription, and then of course there's a drummer (Bernie Coulson).

The film develops the individual characters through documentary devices such as one-on-one interviews, and then crashes these diverse personalities into one another in the claustrophobia of the tour van and in back-stage scenes. Packed with great music and strong performances all-round, Hard Core Logo on stage are believable as an explosively powerful rock'n'roll band.

Despite the grungy, adolescent appeal of the subject matter, this film is a mature and cleverly-told story about more universal themes such as the nature of intimate relationships, growing up, and notions of success. This film knows rock'n'roll touring like no other, but it knows life too, and has the depth to reward a second viewing. An ingenious interlude to the tour occurs when 'doco-director McDonald' is challenged to take an acid trip with the band and do something creative with the camera. The result is truly dark and weird but we are assured that no goats were harmed in the making of this movie.

Hard Core Logo frequently juxtaposes the comic and the tragic, but when you think you've seen it all, McDonald hits you with the most memorable final sequence since Truffaut's "400 Blows".

With a great script (Noel S. Baker), perfectly measured editing (Reginald Harkema) and a wonderful combination of cinematic styles (Danny Nowak), this is extreme, audacious and fun entertainment of the highest quality.

92 year-old Madeleine is leaving her suburban home to enter an aged-care facility on the other side of Paris. Charles, a taxi driver, knows it will be a good fare and comes to pick her up. She is in no hurry to reach her new home and asks him to go via various places which have been significant in her life. As the journey goes on, she shares some of the events of her incredible life with him, as well as wisdom that is useful for his rather jaded existence. There are some flashbacks which show the changing times, including some interesting courtroom scenes. Charles, the cabdriver, in turn becomes increasingly interested, kind and generous.

On this, Madeleine's last lap of Paris, naturally the city stars with its landmarks, restaurants and general life, including separated bikelanes... if they can do it there... And all of this is set to some great songs of the 1940s.

The famous actors are superb, of course, as Madeleine, Liné Renaud (who is 94 and whose film credits go back to the 1940s) and as the cabbie, French star, Dany Boon. The story is well-paced, nicely filmed and quite a touching little gem, somewhat reminiscent of the fine Australian taxi-ride drama, 'Damage' (2022).