Typically during the autumn season, most of the year’s greatest films begin queuing for release, cramming our theatres and making it difficult to catch them all. This week once again two films deservedly share our pick for film of the week.
First of them is “The Master” ★★★★½, Paul Thomas Anderson’s follow-up to “There Will Be Blood” which during the recent Venice film festival scooped the gongs for best director and actor (shared by both its leads) but controversially lost best picture, due to the festival’s rules not to reward the same film with all major prizes, to Korean author Kim Ki-Duk ‘s not so well received ‘Pieta’.
“The Master” is another portentous recreation of American history, loosely based in the origins of L Ron Hubbard’s Scientology, a subject that was always going to generate an extra amount of public interest , told through the relationship of two opposite characters: a drunk ex-sailor – superb physical performance by Joaquin Phoenix- irreparably traumatized after World War II , drifting from job to job until he meets the leader of a new philosophy – Hoffman, who also nails his role’s inner debate between charismatic grandeur and doubtful hoax – claiming to relieve all mental afflictions, who rapidly welcomes him as a perfect case to put teachings into practice. Technically impressive; shot to be projected in 70mm; boasting fantastic cinematography and a disturbing score composed by Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood, repeating his collaboration on musical duties. Anderson raises many questions about the opposite, yet mutually feeding natures of master and disciple; religion versus cult and the way psychology and self-help theories have helped shaping our lives, but leaves most of them unanswered, which if doesn’t help The Master on its ambition to be the best movie of the year, certainly makes it one of the most thought-provoking.
Our second film of the week is another festival circuit favourite, recently won the best film award at the LFF, making his director Jacques Audiard the first on winning the accolade twice in the short story of the event’s competition – his former masterpiece ‘A Prophet’ granted him the first victory. ‘Rust & Bone’ ★★★★ freely adapts Canadian writer Craig Davidson’s short stories and allows Audiard to keep on exploring the marginal worlds of modern society, this time through the brutal love story of a security guard, father of a five year old kid, trying to get out of a rough patch in life by reviving his career as a fighter, with the whale trainer in a sea world resort who loses both legs in a work accident shortly after they met. The sleazy underworld of illegal combats juxtaposes with the depressing one of hospitals and coping with disability, adding a dose of terrible realism to the couple’s against the odds loving bond, brought to life by Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenarts’ deeply affecting performances.
Other interesting new releases this week are the British classic ‘It always rains on Sunday”, heralding BFI’s “Ealing: Light & Dark” season dedicated to the history of the much loved British film studio and life-affirming documentary “Call Me Kuchu”, raising awareness against Uganda’s draconian laws prosecuting gay people and paying tribute to the tragic, yet inspiring life of the country’s first openly gay activist, David Kato.
Check our Top 20 recommended films here.