18 October 2024.
By Neptune
THE APPRENTICE ***1/2
More controversial and timely than this, you cannot get! And yet, and yet…
Despite revealing all his warts and characteristic ambitions, this biopic of Donald Trump’s early years rising in the New York business world feels so honest, so well written and strongly acted that it may not dissuade his supporters. Pictured as an overly-driven golden boy, this film might even make him some new admirers. That is what made my blood run cold as I left the theatre.
The film, first released at the Cannes film festival (where Trump threatened to sue the whole production without having seen the film), was written by Gabriel Sherman and directed by the Iranian/Danish Ali Abbasi (maker of “Border” and “Holy Spider”). With razor-sharp performances by Sebastian Stan as Trump and Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn, his mentor and corrupt, ruthless lawyer, it is a gripping, balanced look at their relationship. Both their portrayals are Oscar-worthy.
Spanning from the 1970s through the 80s, it shows how Cohn took the young Trump under his wing and taught him three crucial rules for success: 1- always attack, attack; 2 – admit nothing, deny everything; and 3 – always claim victory and never admit defeat. Methods the world has witnessed as Trump went from real estate tycoon to president of the United States.
This is a courageous, extraordinary film that lays it all out – his family relations, the courtship of his first wife, the dubious real estate ventures that went too far. It has now been released in the U.S. just weeks before the presidential election. The question is: will it affect the outcome, and how?
SAUVAGES *** (vo French)
Claude Barras, the Swiss director of excellent stop-motion animation is back after his multi-award winning “Ma vie de courgettes”. He charms us once again with this ecological tale which takes us to Borneo where a little urban girl has just adopted an orphaned orangutan. Her father is not sure if they can keep the baby ape, but she wants it badly.
In the meantime, a far-off cousin from the jungle shows up as his family is having troubles with a conglomerate which has come to deforest their lands.
This touching film is a highly entertaining story for the whole family to share and learn about other cultures with similar problems of integration, acceptance while facing ecological disasters.
C’EST LE MONDE À L’ENVERS **1/2 (vo French)
This allegory is about our dependence on the worldwide web – computers, cell phones, with billions of us on constant wifi…
This film by Nicolas Vanier starts off with an ambitious trader celebrating a multi-million dollar deal. His work is everything to him, his family trailing somewhat behind in all the financial success. Then it all stops. Literally. The whole world comes to a halt as lights go out, the internet dies, TVs are gone, all becomes silent. No connection anywhere, to anyone. Now what?
That’s the interesting part – going back to nature to survive. But how and where? See the film to find out. An interesting French comedy to warn us of crazy possibilities.
(And a film which will probably end up being (badly) copied by Hollywood.)
L’AMOUR OUF (Beating Hearts) ** (vo French)
Gilles Lellouche, the talented French actor turned successful director, has gone somewhat overboard this time. This overly passionate romance which is actually a violent gangster spectacle does not let up with the coming-of-age melodrama.
At an exhausting 165 minutes, it’s a new Romeo and Juliet, or even a French “West Side Story” in its decades-long love story between a good girl and a bad boy, who go their different ways but can never forget each other. Adèle Exarchopoulos and François Civil heat up the screen with their ‘beating hearts’ and almost make one forget the dark, violent backdrop.
With an oversized budget and media hype, it will open wide. To each his own…
10 LIVES *
After seeing its trailer, I thought this kitty animation would be another delight like the last “Garfield” caper, but alas, it was an utter disappointment. Slow-going, charmless characters, a few useless thrills, predictable outcome…
Take the kids to “Sauvages” or “The Wild Robot” instead.
Superb **** Very Good *** Good ** Mediocre * Miserable – no stars
By Neptune
Neptune Ravar Ingwersen reviews film extensively for publications in Switzerland. She views 4 to 8 films a week and her aim is to sort the wheat from the chaff for readers.
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