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Film: Twisted Romance
Release date: 13th September 2010
Certificate: 18
Running time: 103 mins
Director: José Campusano
Starring: Oscar Génova, Nehuén Zapata, Marisa Pajaro, Javier De la Vega, Olga Perezgel
Genre: Drama/Romance
Studio: TLA
Format: DVD
Country: Argentina
Shown at the BFI London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival this year, and now released on DVD, Argentinean director José Campusano’s film Twisted Romance (aka Vile Romance) is a disturbing drama about violent and dangerous relationships, set in the impoverished suburbs of Buenos Aires.
The film follows the relationship between a young man, Roberto, and his aggressive older lover. Roberto meets Raul in the streets and a fling immediately turns sexually violent. Despite the brutality of Raul’s actions, the need for Roberto to be away from his unstable home (the first glimpse of his mother and sister shows them both involved in casual prostitution in the living room) means he jumps at the opportunity to move in with him.
As time goes on, we begin to learn more about Raul’s dangerous behaviour - he becomes increasingly controlling over Roberto, monitoring his every movement, and Roberto soon finds himself trapped. He seeks solace with a man he meets online, but the situation escalates before reaching a tense, dramatic conclusion…
At this point, you would be forgiven for thinking that the film is indeed twisted, but without the romance. It is true that Raul has few redeeming qualities - particularly when you learn more about his estranged relationship with his family and involvement in weapons trade. Yet Roberto, though a little naïve, is incredibly kind natured. He has a good relationship with his family, and genuinely cares for Raul. Roberto essentially just wants to be loved, but finds himself being continually treated badly by his partners. Concern for Roberto is what drives the film forward.
Director José Campusano certainly doesn’t shy away from tackling difficult subjects, and his gritty portrayal of life on the streets of Argentina does have a raw quality which is admiral. Yet whilst it was compelling until the end, the director ultimately fails to achieve a solid, dramatic piece of work. The main problem is that it attempts to be a brave, serious movie and falls short due to a number of reasons.
For a start, a lot of the cinematography is noticeably bad, giving an amateur feel which detracts from the central performances. A dramatic shot of Raul can look hilarious due to the ropey camera work, which spoils the whole effect. If this character is to be taken seriously, there is also the small matter of his ridiculous appearance - he is hardly an intimidating figure, as he skulks around in his Matrix-style sunglasses, leather jacket and long straggly grey hair. Instead of appearing the angry villain, he bringst to mind an aging biker in the depths of a mid-life crisis.
Whilst Oscar Génova’s acting makes Raul a fairly convincing character overall, Marisa Pajaro’s performance as Alejandra (Roberto’s sister) is rather confused and over-dramatic, which means that lots of the moments which are intended to be serious don’t really work. There are many scenes which are incredibly difficult to watch - for instance, when characters have either been coerced into sex or it is being carried out completely without consent, but, due to the failings of the film, these scenes don’t really achieve anything apart from making the viewer feel uncomfortable.
All these things add up to a film which just couldn’t produce the atmosphere needed for a successful drama. On a less important note, fans of subtitled films may also be a little disappointed by the numerous mistakes in the translation, which turns a serious discussion about a gun (which should be a ‘piece’) into a discussion about harmony (or ‘peace’). Not meaning to be pedantic, but all these mistakes just help to undermine the serious tone, which is needed for the film to work.
Essentially this is a film which set out with brave, ambitious intentions, but couldn’t execute them with the tone and style required to make such a difficult subject work. The movie had good potential but its numerous shortcomings meant it never comes close to delivering. KB
Film: The Unpolished
Release date: 12th July 2010
Certificate: 18
Running time: 94 mins
Director: Pia Marais
Starring: Ceci Schmitz-Chuh, Birol Ünel, Pascale Schiller
Genre: Drama
Studio: Second Run
Format: DVD
Country: Germany
Despite what you might have learned from the ‘60s, the bohemian lifestyle isn’t for everyone. In a confident debut feature from director Pia Marais, The Unpolished takes an altogether different look at a broken home and teenager in crisis, when a parents’ hippie dream turns out to be a nightmare.
Ceci Chuh plays Stevie, a young teenage girl trying to find her way in life amongst the chaos and instability at home. Having spent time in Spain and Portugal, she has moved to a small German town with her bohemian mother. Here she is reintroduced to her father, who she has not seen since he went to prison for dealing drugs. Now Stevie hopes she can settle with her parents and lead a conventional lifestyle.
But her father Axel soon slips into his old ways, drug dealing and getting into trouble with the police.
Surrounded by drugs, sex and her parents’ vagrant friends, Stevie is frustrated and embarrassed - she lies to the people she meets about her family, claiming to be the daughter of a diplomat from Brazil. Instead of the freedom of the hippie lifestyle, she craves the structure and solidarity that other teenagers have. But being cunning and determined, Stevie refuses to be beaten - she gets herself enrolled at a local school, and begins to take control of her life…
Ceci Chuh really carries the film, with a fantastic performance as the central character. She brilliantly portrays the girl who, in many respects, has age and wisdom beyond her years, taking responsibility for both herself and others. She assumes the adult role in the family and makes sensible suggestions – such as for her father to get a job - which get laughed down. Yet what makes the characterisation so brilliant is that, whilst she comes across as mature and switched on, there are moments when you see her childish vulnerability, which remind you just how young she is. The scenes where she meets the other children in her area are brilliant examples of the awkwardness of youth, and the difficulties of forging friendships and trying to fit in.
Loosely inspired by the director’s own upbringing, the film brilliantly shows what it is like to grow up in a chaotic lifestyle. Whilst the cinematography presents the beauty of the landscape, and some of the appeal of the bohemian lifestyle, the film also shows how a way of life based on freedom can ironically be very constrictive. In some ways, Stevie’s behaviour represents the typical dissent of a teenager, but she shows how feeling unsettled and being forced to live a lifestyle which isn’t for everyone can make a person really unhappy. Her dad says: “Who cares where we live?” to which she replies: “Maybe you don’t.” As she sees her mother smoking drugs and her dad having sex with a stranger, Stevie instead tries to construct her own elaborate stories about her family, and to cut and piece together photographs which present an altogether different picture of her life.
A lot of the time you are not sure which characters can be trusted and where the story is going, which adds to the sense of disorientation that is present throughout the movie. One of Stevie’s fantasies includes claiming that she has had a relationship with a friend of her parents, Ingmar. Whilst a relationship does not develop, Ingmar brings a caring, human quality which is missing from her life. At first Ingmar comes across as a complete creep, but as the film goes on you see a genuine, open person that she is able to turn to.
Whilst the appearance of the characters might reflect the film’s title, the look of the film itself is far from unpolished. The soft, almost dreamlike shots give an ethereal quality, with lens flare adding a sense of drama and realism. As the camera moves from one shot to the next, there is a feeling of drifting, which emphasises the feeling of uncertainty. The atmospheric music also creates a sense of unrest. When Stevie and her friend take photos of the chaotic scenes around them you get a feeling that they are removing themselves from the situation, and in many ways as a viewer you are left with the same feeling. Whilst a commendable piece of work, The Unpolished leaves you feeling strangely detached.
Much of the look and themes of the film are very art house, and it could be seen as ideal festival fodder- which is probably why it was received so well at Rotterdam in 2007. Whether it reaches an audience beyond that is in doubt, but the Unpolished is a well crafted drama which, whilst leaving you feeling strangely distant, is a good depiction of a teenage life in crisis. KB
Film: Volver
Release date: 13th August 2007
Certificate: 15
Running time: 116 mins
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Starring: Penélope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas, Blanca Portillo, Yohana Cobo
Genre: Comedy/Crime/Drama
Studio: Pathe
Format: DVD
Country: Spain
Penelope Cruz and director Pedro Almodovar come together once again, this time exploring the lives (and death) of six women in his acclaimed drama, which won Best Screenplay at Cannes in 2006.
Volver opens with a wonderful sweeping shot of women cleaning graves, where sisters Raimunda (played by Cruz) and Sole (Lola Dueñas), with Raimunda’s teenage daughter Paula (Yohana Cobo), attend to the grave of their parents, who died in a fire four years earlier. More is revealed about this later in the film, but in the meantime we begin to learn about the lives of these incredible female characters.
The sisters grew up in a village in La Mancha, where Almodovar himself spent his youth, and now live in Madrid. Raimunda is a hardworking mother, whom you immediately warm to when you meet her layabout boyfriend Paco (Antonio de la Torre), who sits in front of the TV recounting how he has lost his job, while she seethes in the kitchen. After Paco makes sexual advances towards her daughter, a threatened Paula reacts in self defence and Raimunda returns to the house to find Paco stabbed to death on the kitchen floor. Cue amusing shots of Raimunda attempting to clean up the mess with kitchen towel and a mop, then answering the door with a splash of blood on her chest (the problem? “Women’s troubles,” of course – and not entirely inaccurate). The cover-up operation follows as she works out what to do, all the time insisting that she will take the blame for the incident.
Divorced elder sister Sole, meanwhile, has had an unsettling vision of their mother as a ghost (an appearance by Carmen Maura after a long break from working with Almodovar) when the girls go to visit their wonderful, slightly senile aunt. The mother’s appearance will prove significant both for the sisters and the character Agustina, as she returns to reconcile issues from beyond the grave - fulfilling the title Volver, which literally means ‘to return’ in Spanish...
What carries this film are the outstanding performances by the lead actresses, an ensemble female cast that won a joint Best Actress prize at Cannes. United through family, friendship and love, the strength of these characters shines through. The sheer determination of Raimunda, who is ultimately the movie’s heroine, is eminent. She is clever and resourceful, opening up a neighbour’s restaurant to serve food to a nearby movie crew to earn much needed cash. Even in scenes where she is wrestling with Paco’s corpse to try and manoeuvre it into the freezer (where it stays for while as she runs the restaurant), you are completely rooting for her.
Many of Almodovar’s movies deal with tough issues, such as death, illness and torn relationships, which could make a film downbeat and depressing in the hands of other directors. But it is the warm-hearted friendships, family ties and, most importantly, humour which resonates in Almodovar’s work. This is illustrated in his earlier film All About My Mother, where Penelope Cruz plays a nun who becomes both pregnant and HIV positive after a relationship with a transsexual. Yet despite the subject matter, the film is surprisingly uplifting, and the same can be said for Volver, arguably even more so. Watching Volver leaves you feeling that these characters could conquer the world.
Penelope Cruz, in particular, really stands out in the film, and not just because of her stunning looks and prosthetic bottom. Cruz and Pedro Almodovar really seem to bring out the best in each other. She has starred in four of his films to date, and has been widely quoted saying Almodovar inspired her to start acting. Besides great performances, the strength of the film also lies in the intricate plot, which gradually unfolds as the movie draws on. The director rarely reveals too much of the plot at once, instead giving you hints of a narrative, and then cleverly pulling it all together at the end - usually with some kind of unexpected twist.
It’s gripping stuff, as well as warm, funny and genuinely uplifting. A highlight from an incredibly talented director who just seems to get better and better with each release. KB
Film: The Piano Teacher
Release date: 27th May 2002
Certificate: 18
Running time: 129 mins
Director: Michael Haneke
Starring: Isabelle Huppert, Annie Girardot, Benoît Magimel, Susanne Lothar, Udo Samel
Genre: Drama
Studio: Artificial Eye
Format: DVD
Country: Austria/France/Germany
Austrian director Michael Haneke wants to provoke you. Having challenged his viewers about the morality of horror movies in his 1997 film Funny Games, Haneke tackles the subject of repressed sexual desires and sadomasochism in The Piano Teacher (or La Pianiste), based on the novel by Elfriede Jelinek.
Isabelle Huppert plays Erika Kohut, a stern and abrasive woman in her early forties, who teaches piano and still lives – and shares a bed - with her overbearing mother, played by Annie Girardot, in their suffocating apartment. The opening scene shows the two characters in violent conflict with one another when Erika is scorned by her mother for returning home late.
Initially Erika appears cold and socially isolated, with little outside her musical interests – she is nothing more than a loner, if a formidable one. We learn that her father went mad, yet as the film continues there are glimpses into what is clearly a darker story. She goes to a peep show in a sex shop and, in an even more uncomfortable scene in the bathroom; she cuts herself between the legs whilst her mother calls out from the other room to tell her that dinner is ready. Beneath the strict composure lays inner torment and repressed longing. She is also fiercely jealous and resentful; at one point crushing a glass and pouring it into the coat pocket of one of her pupils.
The protagonist is introduced to a self-assured young student Walter Klemmer, who takes a shine to Erika, and auditions to join her music class. After much resistance on her part, he is accepted onto the course, where he pursues his teacher’s affections, and a relationship starts to develop. But Kohut only wants this on her terms and intends to list all her sexual desires in a letter to Klemmer for him to peruse at his leisure. The way he reacts, and the actions taken after, plunges the film into even more disturbing territories…
Isabelle Huppert is magnificent in the role of Kohut, portraying all the tortuous complexities of this character with real conviction. There is a wonderful scene where she watches Klemmer play during his audition - you see her trying to maintain her composure, yet little twitches in her facial expressions give away all the anguish and emotion raging inside her. There is great chemistry with Benoit Magimel, also strong in the role of Klemmer, who is convincing as the young man who is frustrated and frankly baffled by this perplexing woman. Both lead actor and actress received awards at Cannes.
Haneke always seems to cause a stir at Cannes, audiences famously walked out of the screening of Funny Games and this later, though equally controversial, film won the Grand Prix prize. The director seems to enjoy provoking a reaction from his audiences, testing their moral boundaries, but perhaps trying a little too hard to do so at times. He also leaves films widely open for interpretation, allowing audiences to make up their own minds, but also leaving them frustratingly lost for answers. Watching a Michael Haneke film can sometimes feel like being repeatedly prodded in the arm for two hours without explanation.
There is a lot which should be credited to this film, such as the fascinating development of relationships between the characters, and the classical soundtrack which binds the whole thing together. The use of music, particularly composers such as Schubert, is essential to the film, and communicates the mood as brilliantly as Isabelle Huppert’s facial expressions.
But, at one point, when Erika rolls on top of her mother in bed, it was hard to see how much further the film could push the boundaries. In fact, after the initial shock, the next reaction it provokes is laughter – and a hysterical kind of laughter. There is a truly hilarious moment when Klemmer picks up the letter detailing all of Kohut’s sexual requests to which he responds, “Heavy.” It may ease the discomfort, but the comedy found during even the film’s darkest moments seems out of place.
The Piano Teacher really is a powerful piece of work, as collectively interesting and disturbing as Erika Kohut’s toolkit. It’s just a shame that Haneke feels he has to hammer away at the audience to such an extent. KB
