Friday, 23 October 2020

FILM REVIEW: International Films #4 - Bolton Film Festival


2 more films from the International categosry at tjis year's online Bolton Film Festival.

1. Butterflies - Israel - Dir: Yona Rozenkier


A beautifully simple and yet poignant and heartening look at a son as he shows real sympathy and compassion for his elderly and ill father as he drives him to the hospital.

Husband and wife (Avraham Selekar and Varda Ben Hur) are aging and trying to cope, but it is clear he needs medical attention. Their son (Yoel Rozenkier) takes them in his car but en route stops at a field to admire a huge swarm of yellow butterflies. 

Touching and realistic, telling the story without the real need for many words or explanations. Perfect in its clarity and unpretentiousness.

2. L'Escale - Belgium - Dir: Pieter de Crudde 


A bank robbery, a petrol station, and a case of mistaken identity involving an advertising slogan writer, the two robbers and the girl.

Slick, dynamic, and very comedic, this stylistic thriller had you hooked right from the start. What a shame it was only a short, it felt much more like the introduction or trailer to a full length film or comedy thriller TV series, and indeed would work excellently in either medium. And despite three of the four cast being either dead, seriously injured or unconscious by the end of this expose, it still managed to end on a cliffhanger.

A superb build of character dynamics and plot development, which simply could have continued for much longer. 

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 21/10/20

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