Goldbeater

Death of a Rock Star is a provocative and dirty excursion into the life and death of an unnamed musician, loosely inspired by the death of The Doors singer Jim Morrison. It’s a kind of concentrated psychedelic blend of alcohol, drugs, sex, violence and rock ’n’ roll, deprived of any storyline – just accompanied with frantic music. A purely emotional picture. [KVIFF 2018]

Conceived as a tribute to silent films, this short relates a gangster assault against a makeshift jerry-built casino by a group of sisters. No dialogues, only slapstick action. Over the course of seven minutes, the viewer cannot reasonably be dragged into the storyline, but thanks to the very snappy tempo and the music, it’s at least catchy and fun. [KVIFF 2018]

A very obscure short that pays homage to invasion sci-fi films of the 1950s. For sure, there’s a hint of a storyline in it – young Virgil witnesses an invasion by some kind of aluminium people (that is, awkward characters wrapped in aluminium foil), ending up as the only survivor of the subsequent apocalypse. It is a whole lot of overcracked black-and-white nonsense with terrible acting performance and weird music. Hard to describe. [KVIFF 2018]

A seven-minute tribute to silent slapstick films, in which actress and director Lorrie Oshatz plays a woman (probably the title-role Leonardo, Jr.) who, in the middle of the woods, attempts at drawing some sketches, then finds out she has no talent and resolves to commit suicide. And there’s much more in store! Of course, the story is trivial, but some situations are really funny and the film imitates the style of silent comedies with utter perfection. [KVIFF 2018]

On a car trip through the American backcountry, an attractive woman accompanied by her little daughter finds herself in a merry-go-round of stressful situations caused by the strange behaviour of local inhabitants. Is there a link with the launch of the space shuttle or with eruptions on the Sun that frequently appear in the film? Who knows. In any case, the atmosphere of this flick is oppressive (largely thanks to the gloomy soundtrack) and, after watching it, I can assure you that you won’t be in the best of moods. [KVIFF 2018]

A twenty-minute black-and-white slasher which may seem like a short version of The Mask, except there’s no trace of Jim Carrey combating crime in the streets. Instead, a petty thief named Harry, enchanted by the mask of Sarnath, cuts the throats of innocent victims. Surprisingly, there’s plenty of blood and the atmosphere is decent (especially thanks to the inventive play of light and shadow). All of this is accompanied by vintage electronic music. A hidden treat for horror connoisseurs. [KVIFF 2018]

It’s nice to see that, once again, Czech filmmaking is making a step forward by breaking a taboo a little bit. I liked the well-thought editing and how the story is highlighted with small details (how the characters wither at the same time as the flowers in their flat, together with the rotting fruits in the bowl). Unfortunately, there’s not much happening and it feels lengthy. The characters are amorphous caricatures who haven’t evolved at the end compared to the beginning. What is supposed to make the viewer interested in their story? I must admit that, at times, my mind was totally elsewhere. Objectively, I find some value in this film – again, it’s something a bit different, which is welcome in our cinematic landscape, but unfortunately, it left me cold. [KVIFF 2018]

A minimalist drama almost exclusively centred around its main character, whom the viewer can’t take their eyes off for an hour and a half, and through whom all the storyline and dialogues of the secondary roles are conveyed. The story is based solely on the dialogues uttered by the main character via a telephone line, and entirely stands as such – no blood, no action, no effects (I can imagine how fast this film pays for itself). I definitely value the concept. However I can’t appreciate the film fully, the storyline suffering from some illogical gaps, and not a single reheated filmic cliché is left out in the final part. Still, I admire the creators for being able, once again, to come up with a project that follows the rule ‘a lot of bang for the buck’. [KVIFF 2018]

Clearly, this calls for a straight comparison to Captain Fantastic, which, however, was shot in a different mood and, above all, was more fun and playful. It has to be noted that Leave No Trace is really lengthy at times – though not boring either. Its plotline just lacks singularity. As a result, the film somehow flows from beginning to end at its own pace, then fades away relatively quickly at the end. That being said, all my appreciation goes to Thomasin McKenzie for taking on the main role with such grip and enthusiasm. All that is left for Ben Foster is to aptly support her. [KVIFF 2018]

After many years of waiting and anticipation characterised by a whole range of problems, Gilliam’s battered project is finally here, and practically stands as an anti-commercialism manifesto of sorts. Toby, the arrogant and pampered advert director, returns to the location where, years earlier, he had shot his student film, and, on top of a generous dose of nostalgia, he encounters a loony old man that Toby’s work had thrown into the grips of madness, making him believe to be Don Quixote. While boundaries between dream and reality as well as past and present crumble apart, our central duo ends up in a bunch of wacky situations, which don’t always lead to happy endings. Many people will find this typical Gilliam-style film hard to watch, but I’m confident the fanbase will appreciate it. [KVIFF 2018]