@aislerite.bsky.social
A POET: Glorious shambolic mess of a film, perfectly mirroring the shambolic mess of the protagonist, shows Soto wielding (nearly) every tool cinema offers with virtuosic dexterity. The cutting alone is worth it. But why sabotage an otherwise masterful film by smearing it with non-actors? #MIFF2025
August 21, 2025 at 2:39 PM
A POET: Glorious shambolic mess of a film, perfectly mirroring the shambolic mess of the protagonist, shows Soto wielding (nearly) every tool cinema offers with virtuosic dexterity. The cutting alone is worth it. But why sabotage an otherwise masterful film by smearing it with non-actors? #MIFF2025
RESURRECTION: Sometimes a film is called a love letter to cinema. Bi is so horny for cinema that he fucks it in the face. While Buddha and Lacan watch on pleasuring each other at the spectacle. There are many kinds of love. And as long as all parties are actively consenting, I'm ok with it #MIFF2025
August 21, 2025 at 11:31 AM
RESURRECTION: Sometimes a film is called a love letter to cinema. Bi is so horny for cinema that he fucks it in the face. While Buddha and Lacan watch on pleasuring each other at the spectacle. There are many kinds of love. And as long as all parties are actively consenting, I'm ok with it #MIFF2025
APRIL: Amidst a #MIFF2025 so mediocre that I'd given up posting, some cinema seems to have unexpectedly broken out. DK hasn't shed some insecurities that made BEGINNING so enervatingly conceptual, but she gets what cinema is, in her bones. And that counts more than occasional directorial missteps
August 21, 2025 at 3:01 AM
APRIL: Amidst a #MIFF2025 so mediocre that I'd given up posting, some cinema seems to have unexpectedly broken out. DK hasn't shed some insecurities that made BEGINNING so enervatingly conceptual, but she gets what cinema is, in her bones. And that counts more than occasional directorial missteps
LURKER: Pellerin's already way out in front of his generation of actors, and he adds extra distance here, just by making yet another version of Rupert Pupkin plausible and palatable for nearly 3/4 of the runtime. But the entire film collapses by the end - into plain silliness, really #MIFF2025
August 13, 2025 at 2:21 PM
LURKER: Pellerin's already way out in front of his generation of actors, and he adds extra distance here, just by making yet another version of Rupert Pupkin plausible and palatable for nearly 3/4 of the runtime. But the entire film collapses by the end - into plain silliness, really #MIFF2025
DREAMS (FRANCO): Middle-aged narcissist bangs hot Mexican ballet dancer. And your point is what, exactly? Chastain could get anything off the ground but her co-star is cast for dancing cred and musculature, leaving her pretty much alone - emotionally speaking - in every scene #MIFF2025
August 13, 2025 at 2:17 PM
DREAMS (FRANCO): Middle-aged narcissist bangs hot Mexican ballet dancer. And your point is what, exactly? Chastain could get anything off the ground but her co-star is cast for dancing cred and musculature, leaving her pretty much alone - emotionally speaking - in every scene #MIFF2025
TWO PROSECUTORS: A couple of wonderful additions to what I'm gonna start calling the "Loznitsa train-ride rando catalogue", and an overarching control of atmosphere that had me a little awestruck. If only I hadn't slept through a good forty minutes, it might have been a new number one of #MIFF2025
August 13, 2025 at 2:14 PM
TWO PROSECUTORS: A couple of wonderful additions to what I'm gonna start calling the "Loznitsa train-ride rando catalogue", and an overarching control of atmosphere that had me a little awestruck. If only I hadn't slept through a good forty minutes, it might have been a new number one of #MIFF2025
LITTLE TROUBLE GIRLS: Speaking of films that Polanski would like... I mean, it's always fun to get on the jailbait express - sorry, emotionally resonant coming-of-age tale - but arthouse movies have trod this path once or twice before. Djukic doesn't offer a lot of reasons to do so again #MIFF2025
August 13, 2025 at 2:11 PM
LITTLE TROUBLE GIRLS: Speaking of films that Polanski would like... I mean, it's always fun to get on the jailbait express - sorry, emotionally resonant coming-of-age tale - but arthouse movies have trod this path once or twice before. Djukic doesn't offer a lot of reasons to do so again #MIFF2025
DEAF: Well-made, potentially fascinating character study undone by the obsession with identification. Lead character continually made choices that didn't wash with me. I'm very happy to watch a character do that, but if you try to situate me in her subjectivity, I instinctively disconnect #MIFF2025
August 13, 2025 at 2:08 PM
DEAF: Well-made, potentially fascinating character study undone by the obsession with identification. Lead character continually made choices that didn't wash with me. I'm very happy to watch a character do that, but if you try to situate me in her subjectivity, I instinctively disconnect #MIFF2025
SAMSARA: Funnier than expected, & more beautiful to gaze at. Some MIFFs, that'd be enough. But my recent de-parenting has soured me on the cute and decorative. I'm craving some entrails and, as far as I could see, this was entrail-free cinema. Maybe dance enthusiasts can better decode it? #MIFF2025
August 12, 2025 at 2:11 PM
SAMSARA: Funnier than expected, & more beautiful to gaze at. Some MIFFs, that'd be enough. But my recent de-parenting has soured me on the cute and decorative. I'm craving some entrails and, as far as I could see, this was entrail-free cinema. Maybe dance enthusiasts can better decode it? #MIFF2025
FIRST LIGHT: Nuns doing nun-type shit. I amused myself re-imagining the scene at Armie's house in SORRY TO BOTHER YOU, except my version was a sold-out Capitol audience chanting "Nun shit! Nun shit! Nun shit!" Gotta remember, aisle seats at Capitol. Cos early escape is otherwise impossible #MIFF2025
August 12, 2025 at 1:58 PM
FIRST LIGHT: Nuns doing nun-type shit. I amused myself re-imagining the scene at Armie's house in SORRY TO BOTHER YOU, except my version was a sold-out Capitol audience chanting "Nun shit! Nun shit! Nun shit!" Gotta remember, aisle seats at Capitol. Cos early escape is otherwise impossible #MIFF2025
THINGS YOU KILL: I puzzled for a while over an Iranian director making a Turkish film with Polish money. But then it occurred to me that Polanski would love this Bunuelian provocation. I'm sure Kieslowski would've too. And Ceylan is all over it. So things make a kind of sense in the end #MIFF2025
August 12, 2025 at 1:51 PM
THINGS YOU KILL: I puzzled for a while over an Iranian director making a Turkish film with Polish money. But then it occurred to me that Polanski would love this Bunuelian provocation. I'm sure Kieslowski would've too. And Ceylan is all over it. So things make a kind of sense in the end #MIFF2025
LUCKY LU: Chang succumbs to precarious economic circumstances and starts stealing bikes. Edward Yang would be so disappointed. De Sica, on the other hand, would be chuffed to know his little conceit still has legs 70 years later. Or wheels #MIFF2025
August 12, 2025 at 1:44 PM
LUCKY LU: Chang succumbs to precarious economic circumstances and starts stealing bikes. Edward Yang would be so disappointed. De Sica, on the other hand, would be chuffed to know his little conceit still has legs 70 years later. Or wheels #MIFF2025
THE EXTRAORDINARY MISS FLOWER: More video album than film, probably more "loosely connected series of music videos" than video album. Would've worked better as a podcast. I shut my eyes and pretended it was. #MIFF2025
August 11, 2025 at 10:48 PM
THE EXTRAORDINARY MISS FLOWER: More video album than film, probably more "loosely connected series of music videos" than video album. Would've worked better as a podcast. I shut my eyes and pretended it was. #MIFF2025
LOVE LETTER: French lesbians an emerging theme at #MIFF2025 With this one funnier, richer and more substantial. Still waiting for my first earth shattering moment, but stuff like this fills the day nicely until then
August 11, 2025 at 8:01 AM
LOVE LETTER: French lesbians an emerging theme at #MIFF2025 With this one funnier, richer and more substantial. Still waiting for my first earth shattering moment, but stuff like this fills the day nicely until then
GREETINGS FROM MARS: Cute autism empowerment got the behavioural nuances pretty spot on, the evocation of autistic sensory subjectivity via "cinematic technique" was a little clunkier. Also, as an autist and cinephile, I find it deeply offensive to screen a film with the lights on #MIFF2025
August 11, 2025 at 7:56 AM
GREETINGS FROM MARS: Cute autism empowerment got the behavioural nuances pretty spot on, the evocation of autistic sensory subjectivity via "cinematic technique" was a little clunkier. Also, as an autist and cinephile, I find it deeply offensive to screen a film with the lights on #MIFF2025
ONE MORE SHOT: Switched into it because I prioritised Hoyts sessions over worrying about what actual film was playing - back, knees, claustrophobia and desire not to sweat out half my weight in the ACMI and Kino saunas trumping good sense. And I paid the price of that decision with this #MIFF2025
August 10, 2025 at 2:14 PM
ONE MORE SHOT: Switched into it because I prioritised Hoyts sessions over worrying about what actual film was playing - back, knees, claustrophobia and desire not to sweat out half my weight in the ACMI and Kino saunas trumping good sense. And I paid the price of that decision with this #MIFF2025
SORRY, BABY: God. Such writing. The jury selection scene, the sandwich scene - I'd give a digit or two to be able to write like that. But if I could, I would hand the script to a filmmaker who could make a movie out of it. And cast someone who'd give a performance worthy of the character #MIFF2025
August 10, 2025 at 8:29 AM
SORRY, BABY: God. Such writing. The jury selection scene, the sandwich scene - I'd give a digit or two to be able to write like that. But if I could, I would hand the script to a filmmaker who could make a movie out of it. And cast someone who'd give a performance worthy of the character #MIFF2025
EDDINGTON: It's a great film, but not a Great Film. And it so clearly, desperately wants to be Great, the final word on the state of the nation, that it's hard not to be disappointed on its behalf. Phoenix sux, as always, but not quite as much as expected #MIFF2025
August 10, 2025 at 8:25 AM
EDDINGTON: It's a great film, but not a Great Film. And it so clearly, desperately wants to be Great, the final word on the state of the nation, that it's hard not to be disappointed on its behalf. Phoenix sux, as always, but not quite as much as expected #MIFF2025
KONTINENTAL 25: I have a lot of time for Jude, and he used most of it up on this one. Not hard to watch, and I'm happy to hear from anyone who might want to sway me, but he's set a high bar for himself that he didn't seem to be trying to reach. Felt like offcuts from an abandoned project #miff2025
August 9, 2025 at 2:54 PM
KONTINENTAL 25: I have a lot of time for Jude, and he used most of it up on this one. Not hard to watch, and I'm happy to hear from anyone who might want to sway me, but he's set a high bar for himself that he didn't seem to be trying to reach. Felt like offcuts from an abandoned project #miff2025
LITTLE SISTER: Starts out winningly, soon devolves, atmosphere spiralling downwards into the vacuum of Melitti's absent performance. Best Actress at Cannes for this? In a jury featuring Binoche, Rohrwacher and Strong? There must literally have been no other actresses in that festival #miff2025
August 9, 2025 at 2:50 PM
LITTLE SISTER: Starts out winningly, soon devolves, atmosphere spiralling downwards into the vacuum of Melitti's absent performance. Best Actress at Cannes for this? In a jury featuring Binoche, Rohrwacher and Strong? There must literally have been no other actresses in that festival #miff2025
BLUE MOON: Hawke's fastidious performance is essentially the show, which is a big part of the reason the film ends up so underwhelming. Hard to resist noting that Linklater gets older, but his films stay the same age. #miff2025
August 9, 2025 at 2:43 PM
BLUE MOON: Hawke's fastidious performance is essentially the show, which is a big part of the reason the film ends up so underwhelming. Hard to resist noting that Linklater gets older, but his films stay the same age. #miff2025
LEGEND OF OCHI: Kid rebels against Boomer dad and runs off to the Romanian forest with a kind of Mogwai/Ewok hybrid. Not quite eco-feminist, but enjoyably anti-patriarchal fantasy puts Willem Dafoe in a costume straight out of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Enough for me at 10.45am #miff2025
August 9, 2025 at 2:38 PM
LEGEND OF OCHI: Kid rebels against Boomer dad and runs off to the Romanian forest with a kind of Mogwai/Ewok hybrid. Not quite eco-feminist, but enjoyably anti-patriarchal fantasy puts Willem Dafoe in a costume straight out of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Enough for me at 10.45am #miff2025
THE MASTERMIND: Reichardt's trademark removal of all traces of drama results in what French critics might call Le Slog. Haim's complete inability to feel anything makes her the perfect Reichardtian heroine, so, you know, at least the future holds promise that this shit might get even worse #MIFF2025
August 8, 2025 at 3:34 PM
THE MASTERMIND: Reichardt's trademark removal of all traces of drama results in what French critics might call Le Slog. Haim's complete inability to feel anything makes her the perfect Reichardtian heroine, so, you know, at least the future holds promise that this shit might get even worse #MIFF2025