Category: Comedy

India Sweets and Spices

Rated: MIndia Sweets and Spices

Directed and Written by: Geeta Malik

Produced by: John Penotti, Sidney Kimmel, Gigi Pritzker, Naomi Despres

Starring: Sophia Ali, Manisha Koirala, Rish Shah, Adil Hussain, Deepti Gupta, Anita Kalathara.

India Sweets and Spices presents a feast of Indian food and a glittering array of saris as the residents of Ruby Hill dress to the hilt for a weekly rotation of dinner parties during the holiday season. When Alia (Sophia Ali), the eldest daughter a successful heart surgeon (Adil Hussain), returns home from her first year away at university she is expected to play the role of demure Indian daughter looking to attract a suitable husband at these gatherings, but she has long ago outgrown her part. Now she cannot even pretend that she doesn’t find life in this bourgeois Indian enclave utterly stultifying. On the night before her departure she confides to a friend that it’s: ‘The place where brain cells go to die’.

During her time at UCLA, Alia has become heavily involved in social justice issues and takes it as her right that she is entitled to speak out and act upon what she believes in. Much to the horror of her mother. Sheila (Manisha Koirala) is not only a bored but devoted housewife and hostess extraordinaire, she is also the unofficial queen of the Ruby Hill social scene, and she is a woman with a past. It is a secret she has been keeping from her children and the community. In a community where everyone has a secret.

Once a haven for new arrivals looking to safely establish themselves in their adopted country, Ruby Hill has over time become a locked cage, where the corrosive tongues of ‘the aunties’ not only keep the residents in and in line but also keep new arrivals out. On the surface life is uncomplicated and easy in this enclave of backyard swimming pools, luxury vehicles and fantasy weddings where a groom might ride in on a tiger, but the entire community is being held hostage to the threat of exposure and embarrassment. It is a powerful deterrent, but the carefully manicured web of illusion this coterie has cultivated around themselves is impossible to maintain, even with the most watchful of blind eyes.

When Alia locks eyes with her new beau (Rish Shah) in the biscuit aisle of the local Indian grocery store and on impulse invites him and his family to a weekly dinner party, it will tug at a thread that will eventually unravel all of the secrets. Beginning with, possibly, the biggest secrets of all. The ones her own family have been keeping from her.

This feminist romantic comedy/ coming of age drama begins with a finely wrought script from Geeta Malik, with some precisely-calibrated lines for Alia to deploy against the ‘aunties’. Originally reading for the part of Alia’s best friend Neha (Anita Kalathara), Sophia Ali has been beautifully cast Alia Kapur as she tenaciously pursues the question, ‘What if we are who we are and then we don’t recognise ourselves anymore?’ It’s not only a question for Alia; the conundrum equally applies to Sheila and Ranjit when their secrets are finally revealed. As it is, perhaps, for many more in their circle.

Red Rocket

Rated: MA15+Red Rocket

Directed by: Sean Baker

Screenplay Written by: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch

Produced by: Sean Baker, Shih-Chihg Tsou, Alex Saks

Starring: Simon Rex, Bree Elrod, Suzanna Son, Shih-Ching Tsou, Parker Bigham, Brenda Deiss, Ethan Darbone, Brittany Rodriguez, Judy Hill, Marion Lambert.

‘Why are you here?’

Bruised and sleeping on a bus, Mikey Saber (Simon Rex) is back in Texas.

He fronts up at his ex’s mum’s house – ‘What are you doing here?’ asks Lexi (Bree Elrod).  Because she knows Mikey way too well.

But Mikey knows which buttons to press.  He’s a fast talking, ex-porn star who’s ‘been blessed’ with a decent package and good looks.  And no moral compass.

He’ll say and do anything to survive.

He’ll f*#k his ex-wife just to sleep in a bed, deal pot to make money.  And seduce a seventeen-year-old girl because she’s smoke’n hot.

Meet, Strawberry (Suzanna Son).  Sweet and not-so-innocent, she’s a young girl who ‘likes men not boys.’

She doesn’t stand a chance.  Because Mikey has decided he likes her.  He’s going to make her famous.

‘What did the donuts do on their first date?’ Mikey asks Strawberry – she works at a donut shop.

‘They glazed into each other’s eyes,’ he smiles.

I could kinda get behind this guy down-on-his-luck.  But when he starts to charm this young girl, I started to cringe.

There’s a glib lightness to the film but underneath there’s a dark reality.

‘Your mother hates me.’

‘She hated you.  She died,’ says Lonnie (Ethan Darbone).  He’s the nextdoor neighbour.

It’s a sad place, with smoke stacks of oil refineries blowing pollution into the air virtually in the backyard.  The emergency test announcement can be heard in the bedroom.

It’s like this chancer brings light into the lives of these people because they have so little and he’s so nice and polite.  They don’t see what’s happening at first because he lifts them up, shines a light.  Until suddenly they see how much he takes.  When it’s too late.

I didn’t find the film funny or light.  Like Mikey, there’s a dark layer underneath shown in a-day-in-a-life style of filming that’s really about prostitution, drugs, sickness, poverty, betrayal, fake valour, selfishness and complete blindness and lack of empathy.

Not that Red Rocket is a badly made film.  The casting is brilliant.  But it was like it was up to the audience to decide how things were going to work out, depending if you’re an optimist, meaning, Strawberry will be OK.  She’ll be discovered as a musician.  Someone aside from Mikey will see her worth.  Or not, only the worst is to come.  And I lean towards the cynical these days making me see only bad things to then realise how dangerous and blind this character Mikey is as he continues to politely destroy.

It was disconcerting because the film is from the point of view of Mikey.  So I could see what he’s doing is wrong but he can’t see the damage, so I got angry at this douche bag and wanted to yell and kick him in the guts.  He turned up

He turned up with bruises and you get to know why, well pretty much straight away.

I get the layers of the film, but it annoyed me and in the end, I was left feeling angry.

Clifford the Big Red Dog

Rated: PGClifford the Big Red Dog

Directed by: Walt Becker

Story by: Justin Malen, Ellen Rapoport

Based on the Book Written by: Norman Bridwell

Music by: Justin Malen, Ellen Rapoport

Starring: Darby Camp, Jack Whitehall, Izaac Wang, David Alan Grier, John Cleese, Jessica Keenan Wynn, Sienna Guillory, Russell Wong.

Emily Elizabeth (Darby Camp) has just moved to New York with her mother, Maggie (Sienna Guillory).  Emily’s the new girl at a posh school.  On a scholarship.  The last thing she wants is to stand out.

When her mother has to leave town for work, she leaves Emily with her Uncle Casey (Jack Whitehall).  A happy-to-lucky individual now living out of his van who, ‘thinks green M&Ms are a vegetable.’

When uncle and niece see an Animal Rescue tent, Uncle Casey’s instinct is it’s a great idea to go in.  So they probably shouldn’t.

And that’s when the magical and lovely Mr. Bridwell (John Cleese) introduces Emily to a small red puppy.

He’s so cute and tiny.

But they’re not looking for a pet and Emily’s mum would not be happy.  And neither would the super of the building – No dogs!

To which Mr Bridwell replies, ‘Best time to find them is when you’re not looking for them.’

It’s all a bit lovely.

I didn’t think I’d be taken with this animated red dog.  But the way his tail keeps wagging happiness and those expressive brown eyes kinda got me.

Emily really needs a friend, but Uncle Casey is adamant, ‘I’m not going to fall for your little girl powers!’

But somehow, the little red dog makes it into their hearts.  And home.  Because it’s magic, right?

And with a single tear of love and a wish for the small red puppy to become big and strong so the world can’t hurt them, what was small and cute becomes enormous and, Clifford, The Big Red Dog.

This is a film about growing up, with a little magical help to stand up and be confident mixed in with the funny antics of a big red puppy knocking over everything, chasing large balls with people running inside them and the asides from Uncle Casey who sees the sloth as his spirit animal.

The film’s a blend of the animated dog with human characters in real world settings with, sneezes-in-the-face reactions and well-delivered lines that I found surprisingly funny.

I enjoyed, Clifford the Big Red Dog more than I thought I would, originally thinking the humour would be targeted at a much younger audience.  But there’s some ticklish humour here for the adults (the uncle saying he doesn’t wear deodorant because why mask our natural musk?!) and some mad, nasty sheep that’s just funny for everyone.

It’s not all rainbows and butterflies.  There’s a big corporation trying to invent big food to feed the world so of course they want to pull apart the magic that is Clifford to find out what makes him so big.

They can’t win though.  Because it’s love that makes him big.

It’s just one of those kind of movies.

And there’s a nice message there for the young kids as well, ‘The people who are unique?  They’re the ones who will change the world.’  Good fun.

Best Sellers

Rated: MBest Sellers

Directed by: Lina Roessler

Written by: Anthony Grieco

Director of Photography: Claudine Sauvé

Editor: Arthur Tarnowski

Produced by: Jonathan Vanger, Pierre Even, Cassian Elwes, Arielle Elwes, Wayne Marc Godfrey

Executive Produced by: Petr Jakl, Martin J Barab

Starring: Sir Michael Caine, Aubrey Plaza, Scott Speedman and Rachel Spence.

Best Sellers is a film about a crotchety recluse writer (he has, ‘Piss off’ taped to his front door), and a failing publisher, Lucy Skinner (Aubrey Plaza).

Lucy’s boutique publishing house is about to go under if she doesn’t find a relevant writer fast.

Enter, Harris Shaw (Sir Michael Caine).

The introduction of Harris Shaw, follows his ginger cat as it makes its way into his study to find him coughing and typing.   The phone rings, ‘He’s dead.  Bugger off,’ he says.

Harris is the classic Johnny Walker, Black Label, cigar smoking recluse writer Sir Michael Caine was made for.

Swipe to classical music: the city, a clean office and publisher Lucy Skinner getting the latest review of her recent Young Adult publication being read by side kick and assistant, Rachel Spence (Elle Wong).  It’s bad.

She needs a writer that will save the publishing house.

She needs Harris Shaw.

He could be dead,’ says Rachel.

Owing the publishing house a manuscript, on the proviso there’s no editing as long as he agrees to go on a book tour, Harris and Lucy set off in Shaw’s green Jag where he starts trending after introducing his book by reading an excerpt from Penthouse.

His favourite way to describe the book tour: ‘It’s all bullshite.’

‘Bullshite’ becomes a hash tag.

And of course the publisher and writer don’t get along, but along the journey bond while Lucy vomits in the toilet.

I like crotchety characters and movies about writers, so I enjoyed the banter between, ‘Silver spoon’ Lucy and, ‘It’s all Bullshite,’ Harris Shaw.

There’s tension and obstacles to overcome, getting to the heart of this abrasive yet brilliant man that got me cheering and quietly chuckling as Shaw declares his hatred for critics – it really does suck to be a critic sometimes.

But I have to say (speaking of being a critic) the soundtrack with that 70s jangle of music to try to lift the film into old-man-cheek, cheapened the sentiment.  Shaw’s like a Hemingway character with his ginger cat and cigar smoking from his mouth while typing the next, Best Seller.  The character deserved something more deliberate.  More… blunt.  Not, dandy grandfather music.

So there’s discord between the thoughtful and funny script writing from Anthony Grieco and the underlying tone built by the soundtrack.

The script includes snippets of poignant sentences like, ‘Art is not propaganda.  It’s an expression of truth,’ giving the usual drama of, I’m-here-because-this-happened, a little more.

So when the character asks the question, ‘Who put a collar on you?’  Dandy guitars aren’t going to reflect the truth of the character.

Best Sellers is a good movie.  Could be been a great movie.

Alien On Stage

Directed by: Danielle Kummer & Lucy HarveyAlien On Stage

Cinematography: Danielle Kummer

Produced by: Danielle Kummer, Lucy Harvey

Executive Producer: Adam F. Goldberg

Featuring: Dave Mitchell (director, Paranoid Dramatics), Luc Hayward (writer, sound, costume design), Raymond Hayward (set designer), Peter Lawford (creature designer, special effects artist), Amie Wells (crew costume design).

Cast of Play: Jason Hill (Captain Dallas), Lydia Hayward (Lieutenant Ripley), Jacqui Roe (Science Officer Ash), Susan Baird (Ash Stunt Double), Carolyn White (Lambert), John Elliot (Brett), Mike Rustici (Parker), Scott Douglas (Kane/Xenomorph) and Penny Thorne (Voice of Mother).

‘Anything can happen on the night.’

Every year around Christmas across Britain, amateur dramatics groups put on a pantomime to raise money for charity.

Dorset dramatics group, Paranoid Dramatics have previously put on a crowd pleasing show about Robin Hood.  But this time director, Dave Mitchell wants to try something different.  Something close to his heart and his family’s, who’s obsession with the film, Alien is shown with great pride.

This time, he wants, Alien on Stage.

The actors: local Dorset bus drivers.

Adam, manager at the bus depot says in an interview that he’s seen the movie Alien, but ‘can’t imagine how you convert that into a stage drama.’

And that just adds to the comedy of the show.

This is one of those feel good doco’s about everyday people doing something extraordinary while having a good laugh.

Everyone pitches in.

It’s great excuse for a catchup and gossip – eating together, drinking together (instead of learning their lines).  And in the end that’s what makes the film such a joy to watch.  To see the backstage shenanigans; to get to know the people.

There’s Karl, the stage manager: ‘the director is my dad.’

Dave the director is ex-army and admits, ‘I can be blunt.’

There’s Lydia his partner also part of the team as, Ripley.

And Granddad Ray as set designer.

All the work is from scratch with the script adaptation written by Luc Hayward who was told he’d never see his work on stage (unless he considered moving to L.A.).

Then there’s Jacqui (Ash on stage) – her drama teacher the only one who ever gave her a chance, who stood by her when her head teacher said she’d fail every exam at school.  All Jacqui wants to do is act.  Even if it’s for free.

All the cast and crew want to be there.  They want to do the work.

But then only twenty people turn up to watch the show.

It’s all disappointment then shrugged off with a smile.

Then the incredible happens when film makers Danielle Kummer & Lucy Harvey make contact (ha, ha), wanting to make this documentary.  To film the journey as the, Alien On Stage production gets a one night show in London.  At the Leicester Square Theatre.

The nerves.  The excitement.

The trying to learn the lines.

This is a cast that doesn’t take themselves too seriously.  And that’s part of the charm.

Just like the film Alien, it’s like two worlds colliding (well, the folk from Dorset a welcome visit, not eaten alive, even though they might feel it’s a distinct possibility) as the amateur theatre group gets thrust into the spotlight of the elite theatre district of London.

The incongruent adds that extra layer of wry humour which gives the documentary, as described by the filmaker Lucy Harvey, a touch of magic.

Kummer and Harvey follow all those involved in the project, replicating that square green font on computer screen (keeping in mind that Alienesque vibe), as the days count down to the big show.

It’s a behind the scenes documentary made up of interviews, rehearsals and Alien Cam – footage shot from the perspective of the Alien / Xenomorph while up on stage.

But any animation or finesse made by the documentary crew is background to the team that is, Alien on Stage.

I smiled through the entire film, seeing the genuine excitement and joy and so much laughter as the cast and crew pulled together to put on the best show they possibly could.

It’s absolutely nerve-racking.

‘My legs don’t work,’ says Lydia, just before walking on stage.

‘I’m going for a cigarette,’ says director Dave.

This is a lighthearted good fun documentary that delivers.  I’m still grinning.

The Suicide Squad

Rated: MA15+The Suicide Squad

Directed and Written by: James Gunn

Produced by: Charles Roven, Peter Safran

Starring: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, Joel Kinnaman, John Cena, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Michael Rooker, Flula Borg, David Dastmalchian and Taika Waititi.

‘Is that rat waving at me?’

The opening scene sees the death of a pretty yellow bird.

Birds feature a lot in, The Suicide Squad mark II.

To the extent I was wondering by the end – what’s with the birds?!  Is it because they represent freedom?  Could be something in that, the squad been given a chance at freedom, etc.

Like the first film, potential members of Task Force X are found languishing in Belle Reve: the prison with the highest mortality rate in America.

Languishing until Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) offers them a deal they can’t refuse: 10 years off their sentence in hell.  Or for those not tempted by the reduced sentence, the promise not to incarcerate a ten-year-old daughter (Storm Reid) that would more than likely mean death.

Sent on another impossible bloody mission, this time to the jungle of Corto Maltese, there’s the same antics from characters such as Captain Boomerang (Michael Rooker) with a whole new cast of villains with unique skills like: Peacemaker (John Cena) who loves to walk around in his y-fronts, Bloodsport (Idris Elba) who really does not get along with Peacemaker, King Shark (Sylvester Stallone)  – apparently a god who now has a taste for human and amongst other new characters, Polka-Dot (David Dastmalchian): the man has issues.  With leader Colonel Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) back to direct the chaos.

The film has the same foundation as the first instalment, a squad of anti-heroes sent on a covert mission by the government – but way more extreme.

There’s still that manic fun tone, with the likes of Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) shooting her way to freedom with a demented smile, but I don’t remember the first instalment being so brutal.

Not that nasty is necessarily a bad thing.

I’m a big fan of gallows humour, and there were a lot of funny moments that tickled, sometimes unexpectedly like seeing the back view of Milton (Julio Cesar Ruiz), the bus driver, as he runs after the squad to ‘help out’ in his shorts and Crocs.

And making light of a trained rat, friend of Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior), 2 because the first Ratcatcher was her father (Taika Waititi, yep Taika’s in it!):

‘Is that rat waving at me?

‘It appears it is’

…’Why?’

But sometimes the humour was just that bit too off-kilter – see above about the birds.

It was about 50/50 for me.  But when the humour hit, it tickled A LOT.

The narrative goes back and forth in time, highlighted by the inclusion of text in scene – leaves falling to write, ‘Now’.

There’s more clever with relief from the blood and guts when blood’s replaced with an explosion of flowers.

And that blending of scene continues with music played in the bus becoming the soundtrack, the, Pixies track, ‘Hey’ backing the squad as they walk into their next suicide mission.  Gold.

The attention to detail is impressive as director James Gunn pushes the boundaries so the humour’s darker, the violence more bloody, with an added extra tilt towards the demented.

Tending towards horror and comedy rather than action, there’s a lot of entertainment here but brace yourself, it gets twisted.

The Mole Agent

Rated: GThe Mole Agent

Directed by: Maite Alberdi

Produced by: Marcela Santibáñez

Executive Producer: Christopher Clements, Carolyn Hepburn, Julie Goldman

Featuring as Themselves: Sergio as the Spy, Romulo as the Private Detective, and the Residents of the Nursing Home: Berta “Bertita” Ureta, Marta Olivares, Petronila “Petita” Abarca, Rubira Olivares, Zoila González.

Spanish (Chilean) with English subtitles.

“Elderly man needed. Between 80-90 years old.”

Job: spying on old folks and staff in a nursing home for three months.

Well, to report back about target, Sophia Perez because her daughter is concerned that Sophia’s being mistreated.

It took me a moment to realise the film was a documentary as, The Mole Agent begins with this light-hearted tone of jazzy soundtrack featuring classic moments of eighty-plus-year-olds being taught to work mobile phones; the successful candidate, 83-year-old Sergio being shown how to call via Facetime, leave voicemail messages via WhatsApp to make his, ‘Deliveries’ or pass information to private investigator Romulo to then translate back to the client.

The older generation tying to figure mobile phones always leads to some amusing moments.

But Sergio gets it, kinda.

It was when the cameras filming the documentary were shown via a mobile camera as Sergio’s being taught to use the device that the film turns from comedy spy-movie to documentary.

Then we see Sergio enter the nursing home, one resident seen holding her walker with one hand, a hose to water the garden in the other and I realise this is a different kind of documentary.

Sergio begins his mission:

‘Did you meet the new man?’ One resident asks another.

Sergio causes quite a stir.  He’s lucid.  And a gentleman.

Director Maite Alberdi states that the team got authorisation from the nursing home with the understanding that the film was a documentary about the elderly (not following an unknown ‘spy’ reporting back to a private detective everyday while being filmed by the crew).

The production team were given permission to film for three months with 300 hours of material captured, plus the material filmed by Sergio himself using a spy pen – very clever, if not a little obvious.  Particularly when other residents try to take the pen from his shirt pocket.

So the cameras are seen in the film and explained to the residents with the line about a documentary about the elderly so when new resident Sergio enters, it’s only natural the crew would take interest in the most recent addition.

At one point a resident sitting out in the sun points out to another gran, ‘They’re supposed to be filming a movie, not spying on us.’

But Sergio manages to continue his investigation about the treatment of Mrs Perez without getting busted.

There are many sweet moments: the thieving Marta with her quick hands, always asking when her mother’s going to take her home; there’s the poet Petita reciting her beautiful thoughts, the random resident cats and the surprise birthday celebrations.

There’s Berta who has a crush on Sergio saying she would consider giving God her virginity.  Through her future husband (Sergio).

But realising the film is documentary and not a spy comedy, although there are some funny moments, makes the film that much sadder.

The Mole Agent is like a homage to the isolated and lonely elderly, left and abandoned by their families.

And the depth of sadness felt by these old folks as they try to buck-up and be positive but are really grieving about their lives lost in sacrifice to children who never visit them…  It’s a bit of a heart-breaker.

Over time, instead of spying on the old folks, Sergio befriends them.  And they absolutely love him for it: ‘Thank-you for the company you give us,’ says Zoila.

Even the camera crew were missed, ‘and we missed them!’  The crew reports.

The audience is shown how life is lived in these homes, getting to see behind the closed doors as the cameras become part of the landscape.

The Mole Agent is sweet and very sad; completely different to what I was expecting and truly unique.

When Alberdi was asked, “What do you hope audiences take away and learn from The Mole Agent?”

Alberdi replies, “I would like people who watch this movie to leave the movie theatre wanting to call their parents or grandparents. It is an invitation to look within yourself and ask what you can do better.”

La Daronne (Mama Weed – The Godmother)

Rated: MLa Daronne (Mama Weed - The Godmother)

Directed by: Jean-Paul Salomé

Based on the Book by: Hannelore Cayre

Script Written by: Hannelore Cayre, Antoine Salomé

Produced by: Jean-Baptiste Dupont, Kristina Larsen

Starring: Isabelle Huppert, Iris Bry, Hippolyte Girardot, Kamel Guenfoud, Liliane Rovére, Rebecca Marder, Farida Ouchani, Yasin Houicha, Rachid Guellaz.

French / Arabic with English subtitles

Patience Portefeux (Isabelle Huppert) is having an existential crisis.

She’s working for the narc squad, translating Arabic to French, where she spends a lot of time listening to small-time dealers talk crap as they incriminate themselves and end up being put away for 3kg of hash.

But this one’s a big one: 1.5 ton.

So when the stash is lost, Patience sees an opportunity to finally make some money.  To look after her mother in care (Liliane Rovére) and her two daughters.

To live the good life.

It’s like watching Patience evolve backwards in time.  Back to the carefree girl in her father’s boat, fireworks patterning the sky ahead.

The film starts as a recording of voice like an electronic expression, Patience like those little green bars rising up and down as she turns one sound into another.

Her neighbour and building manager say the other tenants call her the ghost.  Or they used to.

As Patience seizes her opportunity, she lifts, her colour rising with her confidence.  She starts to wear red lipstick.  Philippe (Hippolyte Girardot) her boyfriend and now chief of the narc squad comments that she might look like a small fragile woman, but her new confidence and strength makes him see her like the dealers he puts away.  Little does he know.

La Daronne, AKA Mama Weed is a character study without getting too deep, more a message of, ‘I just like it when life finds its path.’

There’s a sweetness and I can relate to that disillusion when life suddenly reveals itself.

There’s some humour – Patience named because, as her mother says, she stayed in the womb for ten months.  That requires patience.  And there’re some thrills as, Mama Weed goes about trying to off-load 1.5 ton of hash.  But it’s light-hearted as she deals with guys nick-named Scotch and Cocopuff.

And that consistent light-heartedness gets trying with the, I’m-an-older-lady-with-a-sharp-tongue, so these small-time dealers do whatever she wants?

But more than anything, La Daronne is a movie about a hardworking lady with a past, doing what she can because in the end, you can’t escape who you are.  Or you can try.  Patience?  She turns around and embraces it.

Wishlist

Directed by: Álvaro Díaz LorenzoWishlist

Produced by: Álvaro Díaz Lorenzo

Starring: Victoria Abril, María León, Silvia Alonzo

It’s time for the curtains to open on the Australian premiere of Wishlist: La Lista De Los Deseos, the off the wall comedy headlining the 2021 Spanish Film Festival.

When Eva (María León), a twenty something vet, and Carmen (Victoria Abril), a woman in her early middle age, develop a strong bond during a series of chemotherapy sessions, it lays the groundwork for a madcap road trip heading south from Seville to Morocco via Cadiz while the women await the results of their treatment. Joining them is Eva’s best friend Mar (Silvia Alonzo), a teacher nursing a broken heart and feeling utterly disillusioned by love following the breakup of a long term relationship.

In the opening scene, the trio have managed to land themselves behind bars and the police are at a loss as to how to handle them. It’s the culmination of the women’s time away. ‘A week to fit an entire life into,’ with each ticking off, ‘The three things they always wished they could do and couldn’t,’ from their communal chalkboard. Although, for all three to be locked up together, it did require some ingenuity and a nicely timed dropping of undies. The two strapping officers in charge of the arrest thought they had things under control. They had no idea.

In its advance billing, Wishlist has been frequently compared with the 1990’s hit movie, Thelma and Louise and, while both films feature women resolutely staring down their fate, in some ways, this film is more a mirror image of the earlier one. Thelma and Louise are two friends taking some time away to party as they set out on a fishing trip together. What begins as a light hearted excursion soon descends into darkness as the pair find themselves trapped in the grimy underbelly of small town America.

On the other hand, the women in Wishlist, already facing a dark reality, decide to retaliate. Each feels that they have nothing to lose, so there is absolutely no filter on their behaviour. And that means mayhem. Do not be the one to cross these wayward women and definitely do not steal their parking spot if they happen to be holding a container of chocolate milk. Unless a decent splash of chocolate is the one thing that has missing from your attire. That was Mar’s gleeful contribution to the ‘Me Too!’ movement.

For me, Wishlist is more akin to Pedro Almodovar’s runaway success of the early 90s, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown with its fast pace and delightfully absurd humour.  While this film at its core takes on a tough subject and doesn’t underplay the experience, it handles it with warmth and lashings of misbehaviour.

By the time the end credits were rolling the audience were applauding and I had the feeling that the last 103 minutes of my time was very well spent. Not in spite of the subject matter, but because of the sensitive but utterly mischievous way it had been presented.

Body Swap

Rated: not rated in AustraliaBody Swap

Directed by: Timothy Morton                

Written by: Jimmy Kustes

Produced by: Jimmy Kustes

Starring: Ella Jordan, Jimmy Kustes, Gunner Willis, Joseph Tino, Kayte Giralt, Erica Manni.

‘Pump the brakes lady. I don’t swap bodies every day.’

When Casey (Jimmy Kustes) an unemployed video gamer and highly-evolved couch potato takes the company motto to ‘be yourself’ to heart during an interview, he not only blows any chance he might have had to get the job, but the interviewer (Ella Jordan) is so incensed at his bare-faced honesty that she tries to feed his résumé to the paper shredder. As the pair jostle, Casey’s drink spills and the device short circuits, knocking them both out.

On regaining consciousness, each discovers that they have swapped into the last body in the world they would choose to live in.

Even worse, it’s a critical time in C.J.s career, she has been tasked with steering a billion dollar merger for her firm and her boss has made it clear that she is to do nothing that might jeopardise the process. Under the circumstances, C.J. feels as if she has no choice but to let the job applicant reject appear in her place while she navigates a body that can keep an M&M hidden under its boobs.

This is a gentle comedy rather than a roll around on the floor romp but, for me, there was great delight in delving into the meta-levels of this thoughtful offering. Throughout the film, interview footage of a more relaxed and socially adept C.J. and Casey, as they sit sprawled across a couch discussing the intimate mechanics of body swapping, is inserted into the flow of the narrative as if the whole thing were actually a documentary.

With this meta-level intrusion serving as an ongoing reminder, I was very conscious that each character was at once themselves inside another’s body, at the same time as they were attempting to take on the identity of the other, while never being able to fully shrug off the traits of the person they had once been.

Such a kaleidoscope of competing agendas kept my mind in a whirl. In a good way.

When C.J. and Casey swap bodies, they step into lives so far apart on the career and social spectrum that they might have been living in separate universes. Ostensibly the film is about what the two can learn about themselves on their paths to becoming less dysfunctional human beings, but this is also where this movie so nicely defies convention. Despite the strangeness of the situation, each finds themselves in an unexpectedly powerful position in their new life. C.J. knows exactly how to shower Casey’s girlfriend with romance, that is until she runs into mechanical problems, while Casey has been longing for an opportunity to unleash his gamer superpowers onto the real world and it doesn’t take him long to see the huge potential in his new corporate role as well as the possibilities of life as a lesbian.

While this indie flic might demand some effort on the part of the audience, much of the humour lies in the subtleties, there are some deliciously absurd moments with two thoroughly amusing and likable leads.

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