#hassan vawda film review

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Force Majeure (2015) Dir. Ruben Östlund

8/10

Working in that lens of precise realism – a fold on the world natural like documentary but too polished and lingering for true cinema verite, Ruben Ostlund has been introducing his Haneke-esque Swedish eye to modern human and social conditions slyly with his two previous features Play and Involuntary. In Force Majeure, his fourth feature film, he has found a speaker for his voice; it is the most accomplished of his works so far and has the nuance of a director that has found strong footsteps in the way he creates and with what he wants to create. It’s a sterile cocktail of poison in pleasentville, an unwinding of marital connection that will get your stomach in a knot and just keep it getting tighter and tighter as the film presents one uncomfortable confrontation after another, all with a wry smile tickling the side of your mouth.

Well to do Swedish businessman, Tomas (Johannes Kuhnke), his wife Ebba (Lisa Loven Kongsli) and their two children are on a skiing holiday at a luxury resort in the French Alps. The first day plays as they plan, basking in the wood walls of their fancy hotel, taking a family ski run on the mountains and falling exhausted to bed as a family. The only strain seems to be a constant buzz of Tomas’ mobile phone. On the second day, as they sit having breakfast, a ‘controled avalanche’ happens in the picturesque background and all look in awe in its beauty, soon turning to terror as it looks as if the snow is coming right at them. In the split second panic Ebba shrieks with her children, but Tomas runs – as it turns out, it was just snow smoke and Tomas walks back and they continue their morning. But his reaction of instinct in the face of disaster eats at Ebba and this spoil grows between them, affecting them as a couple, them as people and them as parents.

With a background in making ski films, Ostlund knows the landscape well and the glorious mountains and other worldly whiteness is shown in absolute beauty, but always within each establishing frame of the natural landscape, there is an artificial blip – the upper class kitsch of the ski resort and those who go – with rainbow shades, faux log cabins and wine and dine clean joints. With most of the film taking place within confined areas of the resort, these establishing shots of nature instantly puts insignificance on everyone and everything involved. This is the genius behind the drama – with this whiff of insignificance, Ostlund can take things in to unbearable territory but the desperate comedy that winks at you is how pointless their ordeal is in a greater picture.

However, that is not to say that there is no significance at all in what Ostlund is exploring – the creation of the ‘mainstream’ relationship within society is based on false lore – where men are maybe suppose to stand like action heroes and women to be saved and taken care for – and when this lore is challenged by reality, everything unwinds. Besides an ending that is to be interpreted – there is no remorse or release of air from the growing animosities amongst the characters, even the humour makes you wince – this is all down to the accurate construct of the film. Ostlund is known for his repeated takes and fluid on set altering of performances and it works – every minute glance, sigh and cry is captured elegantly and effectively and you find yourself letting the entire movie envelop you. The only issue with the film is that, sometimes, its distant clinical form and dry wit nature can detract from the poetry of emotion – maybe one flowing release, even if brief, disrupting the form of the movie could have made it hit the peaks of the real sublime.

Ostlund stated that he “wanted to make a movie that had the greatest avalanche in cinema and increase the statistics for divorce” – he has most definitely succeeded.

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The Grandmaster (2013) Dir. Wong Kar-wai

6/10

The Grandmaster, after almost a year and half of being released everywhere else, finally got its release in the UK this week.  The great romantic Hong Kong auteur, who makes poetry pop in all his works and in his best burns your senses into smoke you can never shake away, but here, Wong Kar-wai puts his cinematic alchemy into the confides of a biopic.

The story of renowned Chinese martial arts master, Ip Man, whose teachings set the stone rolling for the philosophy of martial arts to spread amongst everyone. Whilst influential in his own right, Ip Man is famous for being Bruce Lee’s teacher. Wong Kar-wai collaborator, the incredible Tony Leung steps in to the precise, powerful role as Ip Man as we shift through, in and out of his life throughout the 20th centaury.

Christopher Doyle is missing as cinematographer, however Philippe Le Sourd takes full credit for bringing elegance that Doyle might not have suited too. The cinematography is gorgeous, every frame feels like a considered painting, at its best reminding me of the seminal Gate of Hell. This with the choreographed fight sequences does elevate your senses to something profound. Time, sounds and movements seem to flow in their own respects, giving the entire picture a mystical feel – almost a fairy tale representation of history – it is here where the film finds feet…but only here.

It is a collage of poignancies but they never quite sync up to give any real weight of the heart or head to the punches and parries besides the initial impact on the senses. It speeds through moments with title cards and voiceovers, often describing things that are more interesting than what is visually shown. Tony Leung is one of the great actors of the world, especially in expressing so much through just his face, but even he couldn’t bring an emotional connection to this portrayal of Ip Man. In fact Zhang Ziyi is terrific as Gong Er, Ip Man’s love and talented fighter herself, trapped in world where a woman can’t find their place and a more emotionally connected character.

Even with the narrative in dust and dullness – there is enough of Wong Kar-wai’s cinematic alchemy to get you in haze when you walk away from the movie, a mythic haze of honour, respect, dedication and passion…