Abou Leila
“We’ve all gone mad. All of us.”
Algeria in 1994 was a dangerous place. People were shot and knifed at every turn, and not even children were spared. It plays out like a Christopher Nolan film where everything is either a hallucination or a dream and nothing is for sure. It’s less sophisticated than that for sure, but the impenetrable layers will require rewatch upon rewatch to even begin to break it down. The audience greeted it with thunderous applause in Espace Miramar.
Vegan points:
A boy saves a sheep.
Vegan alerts:
-Sheep eat humans in one of the fantasy sequences.
-Man slices a whole room of sheep and blood is flung everywhere.
-Camels are used as a means of transport.
-A leopard is killed.
Note:
Intense violence toward humans is also shown.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
“Retournez-toi”
A tasty, little morsel, the film opens with stunning cinematography from Claire Mathon. Director Céline Sciamma reunites with actress Adèle Haenel (Water Lilies) to create an 18th century rendition of Carol. Heloïse (Haenel) and Marianne (Noémie Merlant) pick up on one another’s quirks in a masterful way. From the way Marianne notices Heloïse’s hands to Heloïse having a complete breakdown, each detail is so delicate, yet it has a powerful impact.
Noémie Merlant is like a Kristen Stewart or Rooney Mara, yet she fulfills the role in the way only she could, as Marianne, the independent painter who will inherit her father’s business one day.
Adèle Haenel’s Heloïse is not so lucky, being forced into a marriage she does not desire at all. Her character has less power, yet a resilience that runs deep. She is twice dressed in white at night, appearing and disappearing as a spectral figure.
There’s an already infamous choral scene that was pretty musically, but didn’t do it for me technically as the lips didn’t match the voices. Another critique is that Marianne painted portraits so fast (sometimes 5-6 days). Comparing it to the Alberto Giacometti movie (Final Portrait) where the painter would take several weeks/months, I had to wonder if Marianne was supposed to be a girl wonder or if Giacometti was just an irascible perfectionist (probably a bit of both). Another critique is that Marianne is telling the story as if it happened a long time ago, yet the future Marianne hasn’t aged at all.
The long take of Heloïse at the end showed her anguish, and also made me feel the weight of things that are too impossible to come to pass.
Adam
Samia is an unwed pregnant woman in Morocco who knows that her baby will be stigmatized and blamed for his mother’s sins. While homeless, she sends news to her family that she has lots of clients and is doing well.
The movie is brightened by the presence of a little girl, Warda, who is the only one who treats Samia like a human being. Her mother, Abla, is a callous human being whose conscience still weighs on her. Samia moves in and out of Abla and Warda’s lives. When she departs, Abla and Warda alone reminds me of the lobster scene in Annie Hall after the titular character has departed and the same things no longer bring any joy.
Samia’s desperation coupled with Abla’s complacency, is a recipe for success. Both women make traditional foods to sell. By the end of it, you’ll be eager to try the”rziza” and other delectable dishes.
There are nice flourishes such as Abla pulling back the skin on her face to make the wrinkles disappear and Samia breastfeeding her newborn baby.
Vegan alert:
-Women fight over a sheep, grabbing and shoving it.
-Samia’s orders a cheese and turkey sandwich.
-Foods are made with egg and butter.
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