Special Treatment (2010) Dir. Jeanne Labrune

Isabelle Huppert plays Alice, a forty-something high-class prostitute who has become tiresome and numbed from her unorthodox profession. She decides to start seeing a Psychoanalyst in an attempt to find the strength to change careers. Parallel to Alice’s story, the film follows Xavier, played by popular French cult actor, Bouli Lanners. He is a psychoanalyst in the midst of separation from his wife. The film is certainly not subtle in its mission of uniting prostitution and psychiatry. Alice and Xavier meet and the battle of the patient/client scenario begin.

We witness both of these characters at work- The variety of both of their clients; Alice has a client who enjoys childish fetishes so she dresses up as a youth for him. Xavier has a cross dressing foul-mouthed client, the list continues. The film lacks the sophistication we see in most French films; there is neither poetic realism here nor chic filming. However the film has a beautiful score – At times it seems random, more appropriate for a thriller / drama film but it is capturing never the less.

The most irritating part of this film is that it begins portraying Alice as a heroic, independent woman, saving these businessmen from their dull lives by making their fantasies a reality and remaining untouched through this process. However as the film progresses, this image of Alice suddenly alters. Alice appears to be fragile, the liberation of Alice has been crushed and it is unsettling to witness. Throughout the film the audience expects to get to know Alice more – We are told through her meeting with another psychoanalyst that she studied History of Art at college and we already understand she has a passion for antiques.

The film shies away from the lead female character; instead on focusing on getting to the core of Alice, the focus remains shallow and meaningless only giving us hints of her vulnerability. The humour is also very flat; Special Treatment lacks any solid substance. Having said this, Huppert does give a brilliant performance; her witty comments engage the audience even if it is for a little while. The theme of role-play in both Psychiatry and Prostitution is also tackled well however it does start to wear thin towards the end of the film.

The problem with Special Treatment is that the screenplay and characters have not been developed enough – There is no destination with these characters and themes, perhaps that was an attempt to develop the film’s charm? Error. It’s all very shallow despite dealing with serious and interesting issues.

Director: Jeanne Labrune
Writers: Richard Debuisne, Jeanne Labrune
Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Bouli Lanners, Sabila Moussadek, Richard Debuisne, Valérie Dréville
Runtime: 95 min
Country: France

Black Swan (2010) Dir. Darren Aronofsky

Intense, gripping, horrific, creative and moving. These are the words to describe Darren Aronofsky’s psychological thriller set in the world of New York ballet. Natalie Portman has certainly matured from previous mediocre performances; her lead role in Black Swan proves she is an immensely talented actress.

She plays Nina Sayers, a member of an elite ballet company – Hugely ambitious Nina lives with her overbearingly loving mother whom also used to practice as a ballerina. When creative director, Thomas (played by Vincent Cassell) lets lead Ballerina, Beth (played by the erratic but wonderful, Winona Ryder) go, he decides to give the leading role to Nina in Swan Lake. The entire film is seen through Nina’s perspective and we learn early on, she isn’t a reliable source for her reality.

Black Swan literally jolted me out of my seat on a number of occasions, the filming defiantly had a Aronofsky’s signature on it – Similar in style to Requiem for a Dream. Nina spirals into a world of paranoia and hallucinations. The arrival of Lily (played by Mila Kunis), a hedonistic member of the group intensifies Nina’s paranoia. The scene when Lily and Nina go out clubbing certainly wouldn’t mesh well with audiences whom suffer from epilepsy – The disco lights provide the audience with glimpses as to what is going on, it’s erratic and intensely hypnotic to endure.

Having seen The Wrestler, there are many similarities, primarily both films focus on the body and what it has to succumb to if one practices an art such as ballet and wrestling. The sheer horror of the Black Swan is it’s focus on the human body, scenes of Nina’s mother cutting her daughters nails to hearing Nina’s bones creek as she practices. Self-harm is also a huge theme of the film and is dealt with very sensitively.

Winona Ryder didn’t get much over twenty minutes of air time but her performance was perfection – Aronofsky’s casting is brilliant, Ryder is the ideal actress for the role of the retired, manic and self destructive Beth. The sequence when Nina visits Beth in hospital to return her possessions is one of the most horrific sequences of the film.
The film also focuses on growing up and sexuality, there is a steamy sequence between Lily and Nina but it’s not random or merely placed in to provide some cheap thrills for Hollywood audiences. Its appropriate and Portman’s performance will shock and move you beyond belief.

The character of Nina is so well composed and believable- The strive for the perfect performance is central to the film. The last act is the most powerful; we witness Swan Lake happening first hand. The shots of the cheering audience’s and the bright lights on stage make the audience come to understand Nina and her strive for the perfect performance.

Many of the sequences of Black Swan paid homage to the classic film, The Red Shoes (1948), particularly the opening sequence of Nina dancing solo on a blacked out stage – The destructive relationship between Nina and Thomas is also similar to The Red Shoes.

The music of the film is exquisite and adds to an incredible build up towards the end of the film – Even though long shots were a favorite with Black Swan when dancing was concerned, one can’t ignore the sheer amount of practice that Portman has put into the film.

This will be a favorite at award ceremonies to come– Natalie Portman can expect a huge amount of success from her performance here. Black Swan is in many ways a flawless Aronofsky feature – It’s a must see. Just don’t expect an easy viewing experience.

The Peddler (2009) Dir. Eduardo de la Serna, Lucas Marcheggiano, Adriana Yurcovich

One of my favorite films from the London Film Festival so far has got to be The Peddler – Filmed mostly in documentary style, apart from the scenic long shots, this is a film about handcrafted filmmaking. Daniel Burmeister is a seventy something filmmaker who travels around remote villages in South America and offers to make a movie in less than a month, using local residents as his cast. Choosing one of the half-dozen trusty genre scripts he’s been using for years, Burmeister sets about scouting locations, recruiting “actors” and spreading the word about his project. An act of bringing the community together as much as a creative venture, the filmmaking process elicits varying degrees of curiosity, commitment and problem solving.

Burmeister has a genuine charm, which draws the audience in instantly – The Peddler is a reminder that filmmaking is accessible and budget is not everything – For Burmeister filmmaking is a way of life. He earns very little from his films but enjoys and embraces the unexpected nature of his future.

Throughout the film Burmeister discusses his childhood, his strict unsupportive father and how he feels this links in to why he is a filmmaker – He takes pride in his work, he doesn’t take it too seriously and he has a genuine, warm charm that enraptures the audience.

The most engaging sequence is during the screening of the film, the villagers gather around the modest venue and the camera takes a long shot of the screen – We witness the back of the audience’s heads and their facial expressions during the screening. The Peddler is a witty, charming and honest film that reminds all of us the importance of handcrafted filmmaking.

Click HERE to view The Peddler's website where they mention my name and review!

Never Let Me Go (2010) Dir. Mark Romanek

The London Film Festival opened with Never Let Me Go – Adapted into a film from Japanese-British born, Kazuo Ishiguro, the film is a remarkable display of British talent.

The story is told through the narration of Kathy H (Carey Mulligan) and the film follows the life of three students, Ruth (Keira Knightley), Kathy H and Tommy (Andrew Garfield) at Hailsham, an elite eerie English boarding school.

Ruth is attractive and intelligent, Kathy H is more caring and subdued and Tommy is awkward and sensitive. The film focuses on the love triangle that occurs between the three friends – The world in which they live is also problematic, sci-fi England in a way. The children of Hailsham are clones, merely existing to become donors for people with life threatening diseases.

The realization of their fate never prompts anger or protest amongst the three characters, instead, sadness and woe overcomes them. Carey Mulligan gives an exceptional performance; her eyes are beautifully emotive and ideal for her role.

Once the three friends reach eighteen they are sent to the ‘Cottages’, the film is divided into three sections but opens with the present day sequence. The ‘Cottages’ are an opportunity for Hailsham youths to intermingle with ‘ordinary’ life – It is here when Kathy H decided to apply to become a Carer.

One of the most amusing sequences is when they are venture to a coffee shop, their hesitation and confusion with the menu is extremely touching.

The three friends separate for a couple of years and we follow the life of Kathy H, who has become a carer for donors, a melancholy life where she is merely floating through till she has to become a donor herself.

Throughout the film the shots of the British countryside are stunning along with the film’s score – Andrew Garfield also gives a brilliant performance as the somewhat eccentric mannered youth. The child actors are also impressive.

Never Let Me Go is interesting as it focuses heavily on a love relationship and rather little on the issue of injustice – The director that gave us cult classic, One Hour Photo, Mark Romanek succeeds creating eerie sequences.

One in particular is Keira Knightly when she is lying on the operating bed for the last time and she ‘completes’ – This is a euphemism created by Ishiguro, which means death.

There is something particularly horrorific witnessing a thin Knightley during a donor operation – One has to wonder what she has left to give from her thin body. The lighting is eerie and it’s one of the most powerful sequences of the film which concentrates on the idea on an injustice world.

Never Let Me Go’s only flaw and possible strength could be how the characters are oddly accepting of their situation, Kathy H seems like a sort of character that would be take a stand. Perhaps the absence of the character’s fight for their life is what makes the film endearing? It encourages issues such as; powerless, emotional, love stricken youths which makes the film a definite tearjerker.

Never Let Me Go opens nationwide sometime in January 2011.

8/10

Director: Mark Romanek
Cast: Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley
Runtime: 103 mins
Country: UK