In a Better World - Make sure you see it

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the best films don't always win an Oscar.  Nor do they always screen for very long in cinemas.   In A Better World falls sadly into the latter category.  In Sydney it screened for about a week at limited cinemas.   I was lucky enough to see it at last year's Toronto International Film Festival, where the director Susanne Bier received a standing ovation at the post screening Q & A. An auteur in the true sense of the word. There is NO mistaking a Susanne Bier film.

She uses shots of the natural world as chapters or signposts for story shifts in her films. This was a stunning idea in After the Wedding and she reprises the technique again here. In this film, as in After the Wedding, Bier moves her central character between Africa & Denmark. This time the scenes in Africa are more developed and integral to the films story. And again she looks at themes around death and forgiveness.  But although there are similarities between After the Wedding and In A Better World the latter is a very different film, which at it's core comments on whether anything is really gained from revenge.

Anton played by Mikael Persbrandt returns home to Denmark from an African refugee camp ravaged by war. At home Anton's marriage is falling apart and his eldest Elias son is being bullied at school. When a new boy in school, Christian, defends Elias against the bullies a new friendship is formed, but Christian is secretly deeply scarred over the recent death of his mother.  He convinces quiet, sensitive Elias to join him in an act of sabotage and revenge which could ultimately have fatal consquences. The adults in the film, especially Anton are left to trying to help the boys understand the complexities of revenge and forgiveness.
A powerful film on many levels and another stunning effort from Susanne Bier. I should add by the way, that in fact on this occasion Oscar got it right and In A Better World won the 2011 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Heartbeats - A film pulsing with life

Heartbeats written, directed by, and starring Xavier Dolan opens this week at Dendy Cinemas, Newtown - http://www.dendy.com.au/index.asp. 

It's release is limited to one cinema in Sydney which is a shame because it is a beautiful visual feast from the opening shot through to the last line of the credits. For any film students seeking a deeper understanding of mise en scene every take of this film provides a perfect example.

The premise is that two friends become mutually infatuated with the same man, thus putting aside their friendship and becoming rivals for his affections.  The resulting heartache is palpable.  The narrative is lose and flowing, the colours are vivid and passionate, the soundtrack is vibrant and pulsing, very much in keeping with heartbeats and heartaches. Xavier is sparing with dialogue allowing the visuals to do the work. All this is made more extraordinary because Xavier was just 21 when the film was made.

I can't recommend this film highly enough. Run to Dendy Newtown, don't walk or you might miss it.