POMO

Though Pain & Glory is a too typically Almodóvar for my taste, his fans would be more appreciative. A retired film director portrayed by Banderas is going through physical suffering while remembering his childhood with his mother Penélope (the most beautiful, poetic part of the film) and meeting people who are important in his later life. The film offers nice colours in the Almodóvar style, autobiographical emotional bits, another interesting role for Antonio, and yet it still left me cold, despite its idea that movies are the nicest thing in life. [Cannes]

Featuring a noir LA cop who at night cleanses the world of the ugliest things, Too Old to Die Young is gloomy, atmospheric and harsh, while fleetingly recalling Lost Highway and 8MM, with titillating revelation of the darkest sexual taboos. It’s not a mini-series, but a seamless 15-hour film, an ultimate Refn work for the curious and callous. No skimming over the pretty surface like in The Neon Demon, but smooth development of disturbing storylines that you want or must witness – if you have the nerve and stomach for it. The fourth and fifth episodes were screened at Cannes with great fanfare. The former introduced the key characters, while the latter sucked the audience into a cinematically absorbing state of ecstasy built on atmosphere, shock and suspense. With unpredictable development and humorous nuances, Too Old uncovers the perversion and wickedness of the world of bad guys, while the audience lusts for bloody revenge. The eccentric Cliff Martinez and the master Khondji of Se7en fame behind the camera. Chilly warehouses, dim bars, dry deserts, LA back alleys. Brightly coloured neon lights. Fascists, Satanists, sadists and rapists. Best of Refn!

Lux Æterna offers a look behind the scenes of a smallish film production where everyone is shouting at each other, not knowing what’s going on and totally losing it. The more famous actors and actresses play themselves. In the film’s climax, Gaspar delivers a more-or-less meaningful closure followed by unforgettable closing credits, but as a whole, it’s horseshit, relying solely on the involvement of famous actors. [Cannes]

These indie relationship dramas from New York all look the same, just addressing slightly different conflicts and hurts. Here, a hetero boy falls in love with a trans girl and “must” lie to her in many ways, “cannot” introduce her to his intolerant acquaintances, etc. The moments of their first meeting and the deepening of the feelings between them are well portrayed, and Leyna Bloom has true feminine charm and knows how to act, but Port Authority is otherwise not a very memorable film. [Cannes]

The Wild Goose Lake is visually outstanding, the constant rain is heavily noir, and the very first shot of the movie is simply delicious. In general, however, it is a chaotic yawn fest with many scenes and details that are supposed to make the narrative original or even artsy, but instead just draw the focus away from the things that are important to the storyline. As a result, it lacks dramatic drive and its runtime seems to be needlessly inflated. [Cannes]

The yakuza versus the Chinese versus whoever. And a young, unsuccessful boxer, who is accidentally drawn into the scheme and is protecting a drug-addled yet important teenage prostitute against everything and everyone. The boxer’s storyline showing his transformation into a warrior is pleasant, but First Love pays more attention to the clan war, which is more grotesque than riveting, and its Miike-esque indie visuals do not add much. [Cannes]

Little Joe is an example of wasted potential despite its engaging futuristic style corresponding to its sterile setting and interesting theme that could have been developed in X ways with Y possible outcomes. The problem is not that it remained intimate and low-budget, or that it did not fit into the indicated genre categories. The problem is rather that in the second half, it is two steps behind the viewer in terms of wits and turns the main character, who is the viewer’s connection to the rising threat in the story, into a blind fool. [Cannes]

Is this how authentically and with so much sincerity Ken Loach can tell stories of “ordinary people” and their problems? And how wonderfully he can work with actors? Sorry We Missed You is a beautiful, sober drama in which people really care about each other, even though they are going through perhaps their biggest family crisis. Actually, I don’t know when I last saw such tangible understanding and support between two people in a movie as I did here between Hitchen and the novice actress Honeywood. It’s all about communication and dialogue. [Cannes]

With its complicated relationships, Beanpole presents an admirably difficult topic for its 28-year-old creator. In addition, the visuals perfectly convey the atmosphere of place and time, as well as the mood of the story and its characters. Although this type of depressing drama with a historical setting in old Russia is not exactly my cup of tea, I have to recognise Balagov’s artistic talent. What is he going to shoot when he becomes a seasoned master? The performances of both actresses are brilliant. However, the question is how much of that they had to act. The next day I raised my eyes from my cell phone while quickly walking in the city and, for a moment, I met the gaze of the passing Miroshnichenko (the actress who played the very complicated main character). It was precisely that look, and within it the reaction to a creature entering her comfort zone, which she was throwing at everyone in the film. It was chilling. [Cannes]

A Brother’s Love is a chatty wannabe Woody Allen-style film about a desperate, mentally immature girl that irritates with its mood and sitcom humour. All of the other characters are about as deep as a birdbath, but they have plenty of reasons to sweat over all sorts of things during their supposedly authentic “moments of everyday life”. All of this is interspersed with short montages, reminiscent of women’s selective partial perception of escalating situations without overall context and logic. A comedy for a girls’ night out, I guess. For me, suffering. Some viewers walked out and others applauded at the end. [Cannes]