Time off the day job to spend most of the day in the cinema - good times! Three festival films crowded my afternoon including the debut feature of Mumbai's Ritesh Batra, The Lunchbox; Joanna Hogg's third feature Exhibition and Icelandic director Ragnar Bragason's Metalhead. And then for good measure I slipped in another regular release that I'll write up in my end of month reviews.
An interesting day really, which included my favourite and least favourite films of the festival so far.
The Lunchbox - a sweet and emotional tale about two people disillusioned by everyday life oh happen to come across each other thanks to a rogue lunchbox. Therapy via notes hidden in the lunchbox, both Rajeev and Ila become deeply connected, telling each other things that can not be said to anyone else. An interesting concept which can only be played out on the streets of India, with their unique lunchbox delivery system.
This was a warm-hearted love story of sorts, full of hope and curiousity and ultimately leaves you to decide the ending. The repetition of the phrase "the wrong train may get you to the right station", gives you a good feeling for the outcome. This is not a groundbreaker but nevertheless it was extremely enjoyable and builds a decent amount of tension about their meeting. Grounded and with no gloss or over-the-top coincidences, unlike its Hollywood counterparts, this ultimately makes this film relatable for most people, no matter what country they come from.
Exhibition - an intimate look into the private lives of an artist couple about to sell their home. Living and working together in their unusual London home, the sale invokes memories of the past and the cracks in their seemingly good relationship begin to show, slowly.
Middle class problems with a barely emotional couple means I found it quite hard to empathise with any of the goings on. The use of the house as a third person, their child in a way, is clever and the sound production was useful in trying to tell us what may be going on with their emotions, however the odd happenings that have no connection to the plot seem distracting and are there to simply fill a void. Maybe this film is just so deep and existential that it is above my understanding, but I did leave the cinema wondering if there was a point to it all?
Metalhead - grief is dealt with in many ways and this film deals with that subject masterfully. When young Hera sees her brother accidentally killed, she uses his love of metal music to find solace. Even going as far as playing his guitars and wearing his leather jacket. Her erratic behaviour troubles all around her though, including her parents who are also trying to deal with the loss of their son.
I found this to be a powerful look at the different ways of coping with the loss of a loved one. The need to find hope through a higher power, or try to get on with life or, at the very least, find a connection that will never allow you to forget - in the case of Hera, heavy metal music. The tone and pacing were spot on and the use of metal, firstly as a barrier but ultimately becoming the connection she needed to allow others to understand her. Thora Bjorg Helga was amazing as Hera - captivating, thoughtful and relatable. The strained relationships with everyone around her are perfectly sombre or angry when needed, especially when dealing with her parents Karl (Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson) and Droplaug (Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir), who are both coping with their emotions very differently. There is an optimism that shines through though and the happy, if somewhat open, ending is rewarding.
Perhaps my own love of metal music makes me biased but this has been my favourite film of the festival so far. Dealing with emotions that feel much closer and intimate than many other films for me. Now when does this come out on DVD?
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