Brisbane International Film Festival 2024 Recap
Together, we saw 11 films; spent 20.8 hours in cinemas; ate an undisclosed amount of popcorn; and Alayna was asleep for approximately 1.5 hours across all films.
As a couple who love movies as much as the air we breathe, the annual Brisbane International Film Festival is our favourite time of the year. The excitement of seeing what films are showing, the stress of rushing from cinema to cinema, and even the exhaustion of seeing three movies a day, all of it is worth it when you see a film that moves you to feel the full range of human emotion (shoutout Anora).
We will upload full reviews of most of the films listed below closer to their Australian release date, so in the meantime here are some short reviews from the both of us. Enjoy!
Daddio Directed by Christy Hall
A woman gets into a taxi at New York airport and gradually tells the driver about her unfortunate decisions that led to an affair with a married man; the driver also reveals more and more about his life.
Blake - Two strong performances from Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn anchor this simple, yet effective chamber piece of two humans discussing their successes and shortcomings. Shot entirely within the confines of a taxi, Daddio is at times a claustrophobic and uncomfortable ride as the characters reveal pieces of their lives to one another. Rather successful in delivering its philosophies, the film unfortunately doesn’t do anything particularly special to stand out on its own and ultimately fades out of the mind rather quickly.
Alayna – A sincere and heartfelt film that uses the single location of a taxicab as a trap for the protagonists (Dakota Johnson as Girl, and Sean Penn as Clark) to open up and explore feelings they usually wouldn’t. Director Christy Hall showcases interesting conversations about gender stereotypes, human connection, and general ethical values. Beyond those aspects though, I was not all too invested.
Emilia Perez Directed by Jacques Audiard
A Mexican lawyer is offered an unusual job to help a notorious cartel boss retire and transition into living as a woman, fulfilling a long-held desire.
Alayna – I have to admire this film for its ambitions and big swings. Although not all these swings stick the landing. The camera work is intriguing, and the musical production adds a layer to what would’ve otherwise been lackluster dialogue. There is also an LGBTQ+ storyline that I imagine will be divisive and I’m interested to see the discourse around that when the film has a wide release. I can’t say too much about that without spoiling it so I will refrain from saying much more. Zoe Saldana might finally get her long-awaited Academy buzz, and Karla Sofia Gason is marvelous.
Blake - An interesting exercise with a lot of ideas, Emilia Perez is more successful as a character drama than it is as a cartel-infused musical. Zoe Saldana and Karla Sofia Gascón are both stellar in their respective roles, carrying the weight of the film's emotional turmoil better than the screenplay would seemingly allow them. With only a handful of impactful musical numbers and a challenging thematic core, the film is ultimately a mixed bag of good ideas and dwindling results.
Agent of Happiness Directed by Arun Bhattarai & Dorottya Zurbo
Happiness agent Amber Kumar Gurung travels the Bhutanese Himalayas surveying people's happiness. On his remote mountain journey, he searches for fulfillment.
Alayna – An insightful documentary about the often looked over culture of the Bhutanese people and how they enjoy their lives. Two happiness agents travel around the village and city to assess the population's Gross National Happiness. What I learnt was that people in the village who are largely disconnected from the wider world and only know what they have in front of them appear to be happier. They don’t have anything to compare their lifestyle to, so why wouldn’t they be content? In the western world, we have billionaires and celebrities on social media to compare ourselves to constantly. It affirms the idea that we would all be a little happier if we unsubscribed to the notion of meeting societal expectations.
Blake - Agent of Happiness follows Amber as he surveys people’s happiness levels through the Bhutanese Himalayas, in a documentary that quickly juxtaposes the public’s responses to the Gross National Happiness survey with Amber’s own emotional challenges. Simple in its delivery, the film is a straightforward and intimate documentary of both a nation's experience and one man’s personal journey. Doesn’t have a lot of staying power, but is still a kind and eye opening watch that is worth a look.
Anora Directed by Sean Baker
Anora, a sex worker from Brooklyn, gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.
Blake - Mikey Madison gives a career defining performance in Anora; Sean Baker’s latest, depicting a young sex worker who becomes entwined in the private life of her new husband; the son of a Russian oligarch. The film is an all encompassing journey of chaos, hilarity and heartache built up from Baker’s brilliant screenplay and enhanced by Madison’s committed and powerful performance. It’s beautiful, hilarious, stressful and dramatic and will prove to be one of the best films of 2024.
Alayna – I was absolutely blown away by the magnetism of Anora. This is a Cinderella story about the fleeting American dream and how easy it is to be sucked into a so-called fairytale. Anora is outrageously funny while also being gut-wrenching; a balance that Sean Baker knows exactly how to strike. Plus, the rumours are true, Mikey Madison as Anora is MAGIC. I can’t wait for this to be in cinemas so that I can see it again, and again … and again.
Grand Tour Directed by Miguel Gomes
Edward, civil servant, flees fiancee Molly on their wedding day in Rangoon, 1917. His travels replace panic with melancholy. Molly, set on marriage, amused by his escape, trails him across Asia.
Blake - Grand Tour feels eternal in its juxtaposition of traditional, screwball fable and almost documentarian footage of the present day as it depicts the power of culture and how it sets the course for life through and around it. The film has a gorgeous visual language with the performances to go toe to toe with it. It’s at times a meandering tour, but a wonderful one nonetheless.
All We Imagine as Light Directed by Payal Kapadia
Prabha, a nurse living in Mumbai, looks for a place in the city where Anu, her roommate, and her lover can finally make love. The two women travel to a coastal town that becomes a space of freedom for their desires.
Blake - All We Imagine as Light is a quiet and moving story of dreams versus reality and they both affect our desires. The film is subtle and kind in the way it delivers its story of two nurses varying experiences with their relationships and how their culture attempts to dictate how they should live. Both leads, Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha, give tender performances that allow the audience into their respective experiences in a way that allows them to broadcast their desires. Definitely one to watch out for!
Alayna – For the entire runtime of this film, my heart felt so full. Some of the themes are disheartening, but Kapadia manages to make those scenes beautiful and poetic. The lines between dream and reality are blurred in the touching story of two women who are trying to find their place. I was enamored at the use of cinematography and score to aid the storytelling, paired with its setting, they all act as a character guiding you along this wonderful narrative.
Nightbitch Directed by Marielle Heller
An artist who pauses her career to be a stay-at-home mum seeks a new chapter in her life and encounters just that, when her nightly routine takes a surreal turn and her maternal instincts begin to manifest in canine form.
Blake - Amy Adams returns in Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch; the tale of a woman stuck in the stay-at-home regime raising a toddler. As her days begin to descend into tiresome routines, she begins to embrace her more feral instincts and (perhaps) thinks she’s transforming into a dog. The film is filled with laughs and drama and although its messages can at times feel too direct, the construction of it all ends up making for a rather entertaining time at the movies.
Alayna – Don’t let the horrible trailer fool you, Nightbitch is sharp and has a hilarious yet profound performance at the center with Amy Adams. She conveys the message that mothers have a primal sense that mustn’t be ignored, but so often is. This film is more entertaining than I anticipated and I was pleasantly surprised.
Rumours Directed by Guy Maddin & Evan Johnson
Leaders of the world's wealthiest democracies gather for the annual G7 summit to draft a provisional statement regarding a global crisis. They soon become spectacles of incompetence, contending with increasingly surreal obstacles as night falls in the misty woods and they realize they are suddenly alone.
Blake - Rumours is an absurdist comedy that takes a stab at world politics as the fictional G7 summit descends in a strange global crisis. While its satire is rather toothless and its comedy quickly grows tiresome, the film's production and performances make for a rather fun journey of political ramblings and giant brains on fire. For every laugh, however, there is an equally potent sigh to go along with it. Worth a look if it seems interesting, but not one to rush to.
Alayna - I definitely enjoyed the first act where we see the seven world leaders interact and debrief, but I grew as tiresome as the U.S. president in the second act that dragged, a lot. Rumours is very silly and satirical but not enough to be anything above average.
Maria Directed by Pablo Larrain
Maria Callas, the world's greatest opera singer, lives the last days of her life in 1970s Paris, as she confronts her identity and life.
Alayna – Somehow Pablo Larrain, a man, has cracked the code on how to portray a tortured historic woman. I haven’t seen Jackie, but between Maria and Spencer, Larrain has managed to make me enamored by these women’s lives. Maria Callas was such a layered person; she was cast as a diva with no thought to the reasons why she might act that way. Her depression is heart wrenching, and Lorrain’s cinematic way of portraying her ailments was breathtaking. This film is anchored by a powerhouse performance by Angelina Jolie. I was blown away by it and would be very surprised if she didn’t get nominated for an Academy Awars (she’s my pick to win). You absolutely cannot miss Maria.
Blake - Pablo Larraín returns with another film about another historic woman, this time depicting the final week in the life of opera diva Maria Callas. Jumping between the present day and the traumatic past, as Maria shares her story with an imagined film crew, the film tends to feel a bit sparse at times. However, the film's gorgeous visuals and Angelina Jolie’s powerful performance are more than enough to enrapture its audience for two hours. Emotionally encompassing, Maria is a heartbreaking film that is well worth watching.
I Saw the TV Glow Directed by Jane Schoenbrun
A classmate introduces teenage Owen to a mysterious late-night TV show -- a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. In the pale glow of the television, Owen's view of reality begins to crack.
Blake - In one of the year's best films, Jane Schoenbrun manages to speak on a specific type of experience through a lens that is entirely universal; capturing the feeling of being stuck, lost & confused in this episode of life that many (if not most) often feel. An almost miraculous feat of filmmaking that reminds audiences that there are still filmmakers out there who are expressing themselves & their experience with the world through their art. A truly stunning work!
Alayna - Even after seeing I Saw the TV Glow once already, I was just as grief-stricken and absorbed as the first time. Schoenbrun showcases a universal experience of attaching oneself to a piece of media, and the balance of how it can connect us to others while at the same time being quite isolating. On top of this is a transgender allegory which adds a painfully sad element to this already devastating story. Go into this film with caution, but by all means do not miss it.
Inside Directed by Charles Williams
Transferred from juvenile to adult prison, Mel is taken under the wing of both Shepard, Australia's most despised criminal, and Warren, a soon-to-be-a-paroled inmate. The paternal triangle that forms between them becomes their undoing.
Blake - Inside tells the story of Mel, a criminal who is transferred from juvenile prison to an adult jail where he quickly forms a relationship with one of Australia’s worst criminals. A straightforward prison drama, the film tackles heavy topics of morality and right versus wrong. With three strong performances at its core, Guy Pearce, Cosmo Jarvis and debutant Vincent Miller do most of the heavy lifting in this otherwise familiar tale.
All reviews written by Alayna Petrou & Blake Ison
