Shot mainly in French though set in the poorest regions of Africa.A trio of mercenaries navigate a mysterious region of Senegal, in Jean Luc Herbulot’s perhaps coolest film of the festival. His film demonstrates great ingenuity and spirit with lots going on in each layered scene that might be overlooked.Amidst Guinea-Bissau’s coup d’état of 2003, Bangui’s Hyenas, an elite trio of mercenaries, skillfully extract a drug dealer and his bricks — both gold and narcotic — from the chaos and make tracks for Dakar, Senegal.
Shot down while fleeing a coup in Guinea-Bissau, the legendary Bangui's Hyenas mercenaries - Chaka, Rafa and Midnight - have three goals: stash their stolen gold bounty, lay low long enough to repair and refuel, and escape to Dakar, Senegal. Taking refuge at a holiday camp in the coastal region of Sine-Saloum, they'll do all they can to blend in with their fellow guests, including deaf-mute Awa, with secrets of her own, an artist couple looking for inspiration and a policeman who may or may not be on their tail. But Chaka is hiding the deepest, darkest secret of them all, and unbeknownst to the Hyenas, he's brought them there for a reason. As his past catches up to him, his decisions will have devastating consequences, and threaten to quite literally unleash hell on them all…
The film is not perfect, as it is messy and occasionally confusing, but SALOUM is definite evidence that Herbulot has the best that is yet to come.
Taking West-African cinema to new genre heights, SALOUM is both an unexpected and unashamedly pulpy thrill-ride inspired by true-life mythology, and a meditation on the nature of "heroes". It's a film that questions the nature of 'heroes' and 'villains', selfishness vs sacrifice, and the consequences of choices good and bad.
SALOUM was unexpectedly selected for the Midnight Madness Section of last year’s Toronto International Film Festival.The filmmakers rushed to finish their final cut and have it ready for TIFF. SALOUM might not have been the best film at TIFF but it is one of the most energetic.
BOTH SIDES OF THE BLADE (Avec amour et acharnement)(France 2022) ***1/2
Directed by Claire Denis
BOTH SIDES OF THE BLADE (original English title: FIRE) follows a couple who have been together for 10 years and still very much in love.They go on holiday, are still pretty much into each other and show much affection and love.But there is trouble in paradise.Into the scene returns Jean’s old work colleague, Francois (Gregoire Colin) offering him a job that he clearly needs.Jean had been in prison for an undisclosed crime and has trouble getting work.But Francois is previously Sara's lover.
Nothing much happens during the first third of the film.It appears that director Denis is working beneath her abilities having tackled tricker subjects in the past with films like BEAU TRAVAIL and CHOCOLAT.But one has to be patient.What appears to be thematic melodrama turns out to be something quite different in the hands of French auteur Claire Denis, one of the most respected French directors living today.Denis is the no-nonsense type director as many journalists who have interviewed her in the past can attest.She is a difficult subject who says it as it is. BOTH SIDES OF THE BLADE is a sharp cutting look at the insides of a relationship, of how one can be torn cut open and torn apart.
Denis knows how to set up drama.The most moving segment is the one where a son rejects a father’s visit.Jean had cancelled an important meeting with Jean and drove 3 hours in heavy traffic to see his son Francois who is living with Jean’s mother.But Francois does not want to see him.Returning home, can cries and is comforted by Sara.This is one tremendously moving scene that will move one to tears. It also shows the strength of the couple's relationship in which sympathy is paramount.
It also helps that Denis’ film stars two of France’s finest actors - Juliette Binoche (Academy Award Winner for THE ENGLISH PATIENT) and Vincent Lindon.They also make the movie delivering superb performances.
BOTH SIDE OF THE BLADE opens at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, known to bring the best of world cinema to Toronto.BOTH SIDES OF THE BLADE is indeed one of the world’s best cinema.
MY DAUGHTER'S KILLER (L’ASSASSIN DE MA FILLE) (France 2022) ***1/2
Directed by Antoine Tassin
A father fights for decades to bring his daughter's killer to justice in France and Germany before taking extreme measures.
The doc opens with an emergency call about a man in really bad shape with his head smashed in who says he had been kidnapped from Germany. The doc then moves back 3 decades when the doc informs through voiceover when a 14-year old girl had been killed. The audience is posed the question about a father who knows who had killed his daughter. What would you do? What would you do for your daughter?
Netflix and otters streaming services have promoted the genre of true crime documentaries. Just last week saw Netflix;’s debut of another true crime doc, also an excellent compelling watch GIRL IN THE PICTURE. Both films deal with pedophile sex predators that have been brought to justice or rather get their comeuppance.
In MY DAUGHTER”S KILLER, the opening suggests that the daughter’s killer is the one who had his head smashed in and what follows are the incidents that continue. The film reaches that initial starting point two thirds through.
The investigative thriller takes the audience across France and Germany and through the period of 30 years.It is hard to believe that this incredible story is true.The child predator is a wealthy influential well-respected doctor in the city who has used his wealth and practice to drug children in order to rape them.The truth eventually comes out in what must be one of the most harrowing cases in human history.Yet this doctor, who is completely evil, vehemently insists on his innocence.Director Tassin masterfully connects all the pieces of information, footage and interviewstogether to create acompelling mystery worthy of Hitchcock.
MY DAUGHTER'S KILLER (L’ASSASSIN DE MA FILLE) is a French (filmed in French, German and english) compelling drama with a story that would delight Hitchcock fans is a compelling watch from start to end.
LES PASSAGERS DE LA NUIT (Passengers of the Night ) (France 2021) ***12
Directed ny Mikhael Hers
The film begins withcelebration on the streets of Paris.The date May 10, 1981 flashes on the screen.To those unfamiliar with that, it is election might and the Parisiennes are celebrating a new air of hope and change.
But it is a different change in store for the film’s protagonist.For Elisabeth (Charlotte Gainsbourg), her marriage is coming to an end and she will now have to support herself and her two teenage children. As she tells her father, she now has to look for work.She (not too tech-savvy) is first hired and fired on the same day because she forgets to save a file after entering all the inventory data.Her daughter tells her that she should have remembered what she taught her - using autosave.There is a slight problem in timing of this scenario, as in 1984 there were little or no PC’s around.How could the daughter be familiar with computers and most data entry were done on main frames.The auto-save feature in 1984 was unlikely to be invented yet.But other props like the older looking television set look authentic for the year 1984.
At the time, radio talks shows were still popular.She finds work at a late-night radio show and encounters a troubled teenager (interviewed for the program PASSENGERS OF THE NIGHT, named Talulah whom she invites into her home. With them, Talulah experiences the warmth of a family for the first time.Although she suddenly disappears, her free spirit has a lasting influence. Elisabeth and her children grow in confidence and begin to mature.
Emmanuelle Baert who rose to fame after MANON DES SOURCES has an important supporting role as Vanda, Elisabeth’s chain smoking radio boss.Vanda shows strength and vulnerability, often controlled by her moods affected by forces beyond her control.Beart is a pleasure to watch, especially when she is delivering her performance demonstrating strong screen presence, especially stealing the club scene where she is seen still with a cigarette in her mouth while grooving on the dance floor.
Cinema plays a big part in the film’s narrative.The first instance he two teenage children learn about independence is when they go for an evening at the cinema.They’re taught and shown how to sneak into the theatre after not being allowed in, after being more than 5 minutes late.Talulah also tells them that he loves the cinema and it makes her forget who she is.
Director Hers moves his film at a casual pace, allowing his audienceto let the events of the story of the action and behaviours of the characters sink in.
Major classics stories include a stranger that comes into the lives of a family, then disappears while making a distinct impact.Among these are of course MARY POPPINS and the stranger in George Stevens’ classic SHANE.In this film, Talulah is the stranger who disappears right after having a sexual encounter with Elisabeth’s son.
PASSENGERS OF THE NIGHT is an easy flowing yet effective family drama in which a family hears and grows from a stranger in their lives.
MISERICORDE (MISERICORDIA) (France 2024) **** Directed by Alain Giuraudie
Returning to Saint-Martial for his late boss's funeral, Jérémie's stay with widow Martine becomes entangled in a...
