A world of cinematic wonders

Navnee Likhi

The recent Venice Film Festival saw the premiere of many high-profile movies. Of these, Alfonso Curaon’s Roma, Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite, Jacques Audiard’s The Sisters Brothers and Julian Schnubel’s At Eternity’s Gate went on to win top awards at the festival.

Of royal intrigue and betrayal

Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos’period comedy drama, The Favourite, received the Grand Jury Award. Set in the early 18th century, the story is based on behind-the-scenes politics between two cousins wanting to be court favourite during the reign of Queen Anne. The film is set in Queen Anne’s palace. The affairs of her country’s long war with France hold less interest to her. She suffers from gout and to relieve her agony, her legs are wrapped in slices of beef. Still she struggles out of her four-poster bed occasionally to talk to politicians and play with her pet rabbits. She isn’t sure if anyone genuinely loves her. The household and country estate is run by her childhood friend Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough. The inner workings of the palace are kept a secret for the fear of revolt. Sarah is the only person who has the guts to tell the Queen when her smudged eye shadow makes her look weird. Meanwhile, Sarah’s cousin Abigail is facing hard times. Abigail seeks Sarah’s help for job, who permits her to work in kitchens. An expert in herbs, Abigail knows which one will help Queen’s aches and pains. Due to her devotion and honesty, Abigail soon rises through the ranks of Queen’s servants and advisers. It appears that she could even replace Sarah as the favourite. The screenplay by Deobrah Davis and Tony McNamara excels in witty to blunt interactions between the characters. The three women are vulnerable in a man’s world. As a fragile, dotty person, Olivia Colman in the role of Queen Anne lends comic touch to her character.

Adventure of siblings

Another favourite was French director Jacques Audiard’s The Sisters Brothers which won the Silver Lion award for Best Director. Audiard’s debut English language western adventure drama film is based on Patrick Dewitt’s acclaimed novel of the same name. The story revolves around two assassin brothers — Eli and Charlie Sisters. The film is set in 1851 from Pacific northwest down to California. The notorious brothers are hired by their group leader Commodore to seek a secret formula which helps in finding gold in the riverbeds from a famous chemist Hermann Kiewit Warm. The story is packed with psychological complexities and humour. The film opens with a scene of gunfight from a distance lighting up the otherwise pitch-dark night. The brothers are asked to leave for the rendezvous with another employee John Morris, who has also been asked to track down the physicist Hermann. Morris’ job is to help the brothers to find his location and hang him over to the commodore. But nothing goes as per plan. John Morris stalks and nabs Hermann and keeps him prisoner till the brothers arrive. He is eventually swayed by Hermann’s ability and rhetoric and they both escape. The brothers have to now find Morris and Hermann before their boss raises any suspicion. The director succeeds in projecting their encounters and ordeals of their search for Morris and Hermann. Alexandre Displat’s background score lends a jangly spirit to a cowboy western movie. Jacques Phoenix in role of Charlie and John C. Reilly in role of Eli show a stirring chemistry as siblings.

An artist’s journey

The Volpi Cup award was given for the Best Actor to Willem Dafoe for At Eternity’s Gate. American painter and filmmaker Julian Schnabel’s biographical film is about Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh’s tumultuous and artistically imbued last days as a painter. The film, which stars Dafoe in the lead, unravels the inner depths of his mind and emotions. The story is based on Van Gogh’s letters, memorabilia and certain events in his life. The film opens in the late 1880s and Van Gogh is shown as an outsider among independent artists’ group in Paris. His brother, an art dealer, is unable to sell his work. Vincent’s young friend Paul Gauguin, too, has less appreciation for one or two of Vincent’s paintings. Vincent leaves for Arles and lives in a rented Yellow House and begins to like his surroundings. Looking at the landscape stretched in front of his house, he says, “I see nothing but eternity”. He creates unimaginable work of art. The scenes of his emotional outbursts and bouts of insecurity make him more attractive. The succeeding scenes show Van Gogh’s traumatised final years and the painter’s own persistent self-doubt and the mysterious circumstances of his death. Dafoe’s intense performance in the role of Vincent van Gogh makes the vulnerable persona of artist come alive.

A tribute to resilient women 

A sober autobiographical piece, Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma, which received the Golden Lion Award for Best Picture, is based on the director’s memories of growing up in Mexico city in the early 1970s.The film, which has been made in black and white, centres on the life of two women — Cleo and Aldela, who work as domestic help in an upper middle-class family in the neighbourhood of Roma. The gentle-natured Cleo cooks and cleans for the family of Dr Antonio and his wife Sofia and their four lively kids.

The film opens with a scene of puddle of soapy water spilled across the floor and a passenger jet crossing the sky is reflected in the puddle. The story reveals the relationships among family members. The children love Cleo and Sofia is affectionate towards her, but sometimes gets livid. Cleo enjoys active social life, along with her co-worker Aldela, and dates martial arts buff Ferman. At first, the lives of Cleo and Sophia run parallel but in a detached way.  Cleo is treated as a part of the family. Soon Cleo faces health issues and Ferman ditches her. Sofia’s husband leaves for work trip to Canada, which is extended for an indefinite time. The city is swept by social change, political agitation, influx of popular culture. The cinematography is crisp and meticulous. Yalitza Aparicio is convincing in Cleo’s role.