Berlinale Film Festival 73 review: A surprising coming-of-age story from Malene Choi, an adopted young man seeks a sense of belonging in ‘THE QUIET MIGRATION’

THE QUIET MIGRATION

Carl’s South Korean identity has eluded him since birth as he has been living and working on the farm of his adopted Danish parents. With the expectation that he will take over the farm, Carl slowly begins to break away from the traditions of his family in search of belonging. The Quiet Migration is a slow-burn coming-of-age story. Racist microaggressions compound while poor Carl silently sits in agony. Longing to escape tradition and familial expectations, his journey toward cultural enlightenment comes at the cost of everything he’s ever known. 

Bjarne Henriksen and Bodil Jorgensen play Carl’s parents, Hans and Karen. Sweet and supportive, each gives a lovely, grounded performance. Cornelius Won Riedel-Clausen plays Carl. A mostly soft-spoken demeanor captures the character’s inner turmoil perfectly. A spark of curiosity gleams in Won Riedel-Clausen’s eye, driving Carl toward his truth. He is thoroughly engaging.

As Carl’s chances for individualism seem to dwindle, augmented audio in transitional scenes complements visuals of deterioration. The primarily static 16mm camerawork gives the film a documentary feel, as does the often sparse dialogue and long takes. The intensely funny town gossip and local far-right ignorance come together to paint a picture of global tension. The Quiet Migration has an unexpected quirkiness that I wish appeared more often. The surreal elements shine within writer-director Malene Choi‘s already thoughtful drama. The beautiful ending between Carl and his parents feels just right. It is a unique entry for Berlinale 73 audiences.


Shudder capsule review: ‘Attachment’ dazzles with its smart script.

ATTACHMENT

New couple Maja and Leah battle terror and tradition when they move back into the same house as Leah’s Hasidic mother, Chana. Jewish mysticism takes center stage in this unique entry for Tribeca 2022 Midnight section. Is Chana an overprotective parent, or is something more sinister happening? Enter writer-director Gabriel Bier Gislason‘s ATTACHMENT.

The writing is perfectly genius, as it disguises the mystery within the secretive nature of the religion. I watch a lot of horror. ATTACHMENT had me on the ropes. I had no idea where this script would land. The language barrier raises the stakes, as important revelations become lost in translation, literally. Performances are spectacular and nuanced. The emotional journeys are lush. Their pasts slowly revealed creating a genuine and curious bond. I could not take my eyes off the screen while watching Attachment, fearing I’d miss the smallest detail. Audiences will be hypnotized.


*STREAMING EXCLUSIVELY ON SHUDDER*
FEBRUARY 9th, 2023


FEATURE | DENMARK | 105 MINUTES | DANISH, ENGLISH | ENGLISH SUBTITLES
DIRECTOR
Gabriel Bier Gislason
PRODUCER
Thomas Heinesen
SCREENWRITER
Gabriel Bier Gislason
CINEMATOGRAPHER
Valdemar Winge Leisner
EDITOR
Nikoline Løgstrup
US DISTRIBUTOR
Shudder
CAST
Josephine Park, Ellie Kendrick, Sofie Gråbøl, David Dencik


 

Sundance 2023 documentary review: ‘FANTASTIC MACHINE’ is a gasp-worthy watch.

FANTASTIC MACHINE

Memory preservation, emotional resonance, exploration, and exposure of truth, FANTASTIC MACHINE explores the history of capturing the first image to the deliberate curation of media content through the ages.

The swiftness of the manipulation of images shocked me. From the beginning, the film is ruthless in its takedown of perceived truth. It is what we don’t see changes everything. Fantastic Machine has outtakes from a 2017 ISIS propaganda video, Eurovision’s use of the green screen in their scoring reports, how-to YouTube videos, and viral video reactions. At one point, I exclaimed, “What The Fuck,” louder than I intended. 

The power of curated messaging in politics is something we know well. The film features a breathtaking 1993 interview with a filmmaker that changed the face of WW2 and modern-day filmmakers. In 1934, The Nazi Party hired Leni Reifenstahl to show the movement as powerful and attractive. She speaks about the entertainment factor, how a two-hour speech must be compressed to five minutes with a beginning, middle, and thrilling middle, despite the subject. As I witnessed the pride in her technical work, my mouth was agape. Juxtapose those images with the Sidney Bernstein footage from the final day of the war in 1945. Charged with proving the atrocities of war ever existed, Bernstein brings humanity, suffering, and truth. In the end, it is a product. In most cases, it is void of morality.

Maximilien Van Aertryck narrates with a profound statement: “A lack of perspective can distort what the world looks like.” There is such a fine line between propaganda and truth. We are all too familiar with this tactic. The results of media manipulation are monumentally dangerous but immensely lucrative. Instagram is rewiring young brains in a similar manner fashion magazines impacted our self-esteem in the 90s. It, quite literally, changes brain chemistry. The editing from Mikel Cee Karlsson and writer-directors Axel Danielson and Maximilien Van Aertryck is award-worthy. As the saying goes, they understood the assignment.

FANTASTIC MACHINE is ceaselessly fascinating and undeniably disturbing to experience. As a commentary on entertainment, it is both a celebration and a condemnation. Sundance 2023 audiences are in for something absolutely brilliant. 


Screening Times

In Person

  • PREMIERE

    Jan. 23 3:00PM MST

    Prospector Square Theatre

    PARK CITY

  • SECOND SCREENING

    Jan. 24 6:55PM MST

    Broadway Centre Cinemas – 3

    SALT LAKE CITY

  • SECOND SCREENING

    Jan. 25 2:45PM MST

    Egyptian Theatre

    PARK CITY

  • SECOND SCREENING

    Jan. 26 3:00PM MST

    Park Avenue Theatre

    PARK CITY

  • SECOND SCREENING

    Jan. 27 9:30AM MST

    Redstone Cinemas – 1

    PARK CITY

Online

  • SECOND SCREENING

    Jan. 24 8:00AM MST

    Available Until Jan. 29  11:55PM MST


Tribeca Film Festival 2022 review: Perfectly titled, ‘A Matter Of Trust’ is one of this year’s best films.

A Matter Of Trust

A young man outed by a classmate takes solace in his English teacher. 

A doctor honors her Hippocratic oath on a repatriation flight to Afghanistan. 

A mother and her daughter have a beach day. 

A newlywed couple attends a funeral. 

An Airbnb triste is interrupted by the owner of the home. 

We are humble witnesses to these tales. Tribeca 2022 film A Matter Of Trust will enthrall audiences. The film is challenging to describe because I want you to see it. Aptly titled, I want to you take my word that what you’ll see is extraordinary filmmaking. The multiple narrative structure keeps you engaged, but the writing and performances capture your full attention. The cinematography has an intrusive intimacy you cannot escape. The script burns itself into your brain with unexpected moments. Loaded with nuance, director Annette K Olesen and co-writer Maren Louise Käehne, present a shockingly honest portrait of humanity through five stories. A Matter Of Trust is undoubtedly one of the best films from this year’s festival. 


FEATURE | DENMARK | 105 MINUTES | DANISH | ENGLISH SUBTITLES
DIRECTOR
Annette K Olesen
PRODUCER
Jonas Frederiksen
SCREENWRITER
Annette K Olesen, Maren Louise Käehne
CINEMATOGRAPHER
Anders Nydam
COMPOSER
Kåre Bjerkø
EDITOR
Denniz Göl Bertelsen
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Bo Ehrhardt, Birgitte Hald
SOUND DESIGN
Mick Raaschou
ADD’L CREDIT 1
Mick Raaschou
LINE PRODUCER
Julie Carla Mortensen
ADD’L CREDIT 2
Julie Carla Mortensen
ADD’L CREDIT 3
Heidi Plugge Gustav Pontoppidan
PRODUCTION DESIGNER
Gustav Pontoppidan
CAST
Trine Dyrholm, Jakob Cedergreen, Sofie Juul Blinkenberg, Ellen Rovsing Knudsen, Morten Hee Andersen, Emil Aron Dorph


Tribeca Film Festival 2022 capsule review: Midnight section ‘Attachment’ dazzles with its smart script.

ATTACHMENT

New couple Maja and Leah battle terror and tradition when they move back into the same house as Leah’s Hasidic mother, Chana. Jewish mysticism takes center stage in this unique entry for Tribeca 2022 Midnight section. Is Chana an overprotective parent, or is something more sinister happening? Enter writer-director Gabriel Bier Gislason‘s Attachment

The writing is perfectly genius, as it disguises the mystery within the secretive nature of the religion. I watch a lot of horror, and Attachment had me on the ropes. I had no idea where this script would land. The language barrier raises the stakes, as important revelations become lost in translation, literally. Performances are spectacular and nuanced. The emotional journeys are lush. Their pasts slowly revealed create a genuine and curious bond. I could not take my eyes off the screen while watching Attachment, fearing I’d miss the smallest detail. Audiences will be hypnotized. 


FEATURE | DENMARK | 105 MINUTES | DANISH, ENGLISH | ENGLISH SUBTITLES
DIRECTOR
Gabriel Bier Gislason
PRODUCER
Thomas Heinesen
SCREENWRITER
Gabriel Bier Gislason
CINEMATOGRAPHER
Valdemar Winge Leisner
EDITOR
Nikoline Løgstrup
KEY CAST
David Dencik
US DISTRIBUTOR
Shudder
CAST
Josephine Park, Ellie Kendrick, Sofie Gråbøl, David Dencik

Review: Based on the True Story of Author Karen Blixen (Out of Africa) ‘THE PACT’ is brimming with manipulation and artistry.

THE PACT

It’s 1948 and 63-year-old “Out of Africa” author Karen Blixen (pen name: Isak Dinesen) is a lonely literary sensation devastated by syphilis and mourning her lost love, until she meets talented 30-year-old poet Thorkild Bjørnvig. She offers him a Faustian bargain and promises him stardom if he will obey her unconditionally. As her demands become more and more pernicious, Thorkild must choose between Blixen’s promise of fame or his family. From director Bille August (PELLE THE CONQUEROR) comes this sterling adaptation of Bjørnvig’s bestselling memoir.


The Pact is a study of the eccentricity of art and artist. The Baroness plays emotional chess with the carefully curated people chosen as part of her inner circle. Under the guise of nurturing the artist to greatness, she overtly steers the decisions of each individual, whether they know it or not. Is she some sort of creative seer? Or is this a game of power? Playing with the hearts and minds of people is a dangerous endeavor.

The sets and costumes are sumptuous. The dialogue is delicious and poetic, possessing a gravitational pull that is undeniable. The film’s intentionally steady and emotional momentum works its magic on you. The Pact has a mysterious morality that falls somewhere between manipulation and genius. It’s a surprising debate between free will and the lies we tell ourselves. The Pact is ceaselessly complex and brilliantly acted. As a writer, it’s a piece that will sit with me for quite some time. 


Opening in New York on February 11, 2022
Opening in Los Angeles and San Francisco on February 18, 2022

PLAYDATES
Quad Cinema in New York, NY
Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles, CA
Landmark’s Opera Plaza in San Francisco, CA
Smith San Rafael in San Rafael, CA


Directed by Bille August (Pelle the ConquerorThe Best Intentions)
Produced by Jesper Morthorst and Karin Trolle
Starring Birthe Neumann and Simon Bennebjerg


** Official Selection – 2022 Palm Springs International Film Festival **
** Official Selection – 2021 AFI European Union Films Showcase **


Sundance (2022) Midnight review: ‘SPEAK NO EVIL’ annihilates the notion of a gracious host.

SPEAK NO EVIL

A Danish family visits a Dutch family they met on a holiday. What was supposed to be an idyllic weekend slowly starts unraveling as the Danes try to stay polite in the face of unpleasantness.


After meeting on an Italian holiday, two young families spend a weekend together in the Dutch countryside. Cultural misunderstanding and language barriers aren’t the only things creating tension, as guests become increasingly uncomfortable with their host family. 

The ominous score puts your frame of mind into peril immediately. Performances across the board will have you hanging on every word. The sly dialogue combined with increasingly cringe-worthy behavior keeps your skin crawling and your pulse elevated every second of the film. You are humming with anticipation of something terrible. Speak No Evil is the epitome of psychological horror. 

These people are not unfamiliar; the manipulation, the overly opinionated, the inappropriate, and overtly abusive. Boundaries are crossed and outright obliterated. As if that weren’t enough, the ultimate reveal of this odd couple will absolutely terrify you. Speak No Evil’s final third had me digging my nails into my palms so hard they almost drew blood. If that is not an endorsement, I don’t know what is.



To find out more about the entire Sundance 2022 lineup, click here!