The Fire Within You [Il Fuoco che Ti Porti Dentro]
dir Edoardo De Angelis; with Elena Radonicich, Vanessa Scalera 26/It ***.
So full-on that it's exhausting from the first frame, this Neapolitan family drama bristles with abrasive rants so vicious that it seems impossible that there's actual love among these people. Director Edoardo De Angelis shoots it largely in handheld closeup, so the film also feels harshly claustrophobic. But it's finely acted and full of powerful moments. And thankfully there are some quieter interludes as well.
Place to Be
dir Kornel Mundruczo; with Ellen Burstyn, Taika Waititi 26/Aus ***.
Unlikely to ruffle any feathers, this bright and easy comedy-drama follows an elderly woman as she takes a stand against giving up her independence. It helps hugely that she's played by the radiantly gifted Ellen Burstyn, because the film's plot is fairly simplistic, and it doesn't seem to have a clue where it's headed. Filming in Australia, Hungarian director Kornel Mundruczo keeps everything sunny and amusing.
dir-scr Ilya Khrzhanovsky; with Teodor Currentzis, Radmila Shchogolieva 26/Ger ****
Russian director Ilya Khrzhanovsky has spent two decades making this unruly, wildly entertaining epic, which spans the 20th century through the eyes of a theoretical physicist. This is one of the most dazzling pieces of cinema in recent memory, with a scale that's beyond comparison. It also helps that the intricacies of the story are riveting, and the themes that run through each scene are urgent and powerful.
dir Stephane Brize; with Alba Rohrwacher, Vincent Lindon 26/Fr ****.
Fiendishly clever, this bracingly kinetic comedy-drama has echoes of The Office with its often hilariously absurd depiction of corporate culture. But underneath that, director Stephane Brize carefully weaves a lacerating attack on current global politics, in which yes-men play power games with what they know is right or wrong. So while the film is very funny, it's also sometimes staggeringly painful to watch.
dir Levan Koguashvili; with Kakhaber Tcholadze, Vamekh Jangidze 26/Geo ****
Shot in a black-and-white style that looks timeless, this wry comedy-drama from Georgia is set in the messy years following the breakup of the Soviet Union, during which the nation suffered through years of political and military violence. With that in the distant background, director-cowriter Levan Koguashvili takes a slice-of-life approach in the rural Guria region, honing in on a lively community and a key friendship.
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