FESTIVAL GEMS
discovered by Tomasz Raczkowski
The 72nd Berlin International Film Festival wrapped a month ago. Let me recollect impressions from this intense event. With time, movies settle in our heads and we gain perspective whether something stayed with us after the screening, or not. For me, longevity marks the quality of a movie.
During my 7 days attendance at the festival I watched 22 films. About half I would classify as genuinely good/enjoyable. From that group I picked five that made the biggest impression.
Infinity Pool (Berlinale Special). Brandon Cronenberg’s third movie was something that I anticipated the most at Berlinale’s 72nd edition. I loved his previous twisted flick, Possessor, so I expected the next one to be at least on the same level. While I think I still would rate Possessor higher than the most recent Brandon Cronenberg film, I cannot say it disappointed me. Given that unlike its predecessor, Infinity Pool did not offer mind-blowing conclusions, it proved to be an original movie with superb composition and production value. This weird thriller, that plays on the motives of doppelgangers and fatal attraction, provides not only the chill, but also quite interesting reflections on neocolonialism and class. The characters are spending days on vacation somewhere in a fictional, seemingly Asian/Pacific, exotic postcolonial country, enjoying a restricted and guarded luxurious hotel complex. They are driven by vanity and boredom, tempted by the transgressions offered by going out, into the unprotected world outside. Themes of wealth and impunity arise from their encounters and adventures, providing a gripping watch. This movie is also a spectacular clash of actors’ splendid performances. Model-like, apathic and derived from charisma Alexander Skarsgård meets absolutely wild and unpredictably erotic Mia Goth. Their relationship drives us through this movie to somewhat unexpected conclusions (which I will not disclose nor spoil). Overall, Infinity Pool is a movie that stayed in my head for a long time after I finished watching and it is something I would like to watch another time, or maybe more. A movie does not need any better recommendation.
Passages (Panorama). Over the decades, we have seen multiple on-screen love triangles. So, what can be still offered in this regard? Passages with the sparkling trio of Franz Rogowski, Ben Wishaw and Adele Exarchopoulos proves, that there definitely is something yet to be added. This fundamentally sad and complicated, but also brilliantly funny tale of a man who loves to love and jumps between two lovers, brings pure joy of watching young people living their lives like an erotic dream. While the story of a gay couple broken by the arrival of an attractive girl could turn out to be somewhat cliché or full of gay stereotypes, it is not the case at all with Passages. Ira Sachs’ film is light, devoid of artsy bombast and flows like a good soap opera. Yet, it offers interesting character arcs and seductive sequences that among other things, prove that Franz Rogowski is a creature from another dimension and can perform virtually anything and anyone.
Femme (Panorama). Another pleasant surprise of this year’s festival also happened to me at Kino International (it may be argued that it is no coincidence that International is one of my favorite Berlin cinemas). It is rare to see such a strong, well-though debut feature like this. Developed from their 2021 short, Sam H. Freeman’s and Ng Choon Ping’s movie offers a uniquely complex portrayal of a destructive violence spiral. Beginning with a suggestive beating up scene, the screenwriters offer us a sympathetic look into the struggles of a queer man, trying to cope with his shame. This unexpectedly progresses into an ambiguous revenge story that offers no payoff for the characters – but for the viewers it results in a powerful and tragic narrative of aggression, victimhood and being fatally trapped in resentments. While the movie is itself very well-balanced and skillfully crafted, what really makes it so great is spectacular George MacKay’s performance as a conflicted thug, whom we meet as a plain villain and who progressively earns our sympathy, to make the whole story less obvious.
Reality (Panorama). Speaking of tension, few movies play better with it than Tina Satter’s Reality (another debut). The premise couldn’t be any simpler – a young woman named Reality is approached on her driveway by two males, who present themselves as FBI agents. They engage her in a weird, yet friendly conversation and kindly ask a series of questions, through which the actual reason why they came there eventually emerges. Notably, all dialogues in Reality are directly taken from the actual transcription of the encounter which took place in real life back in 2017. If you want to know, what happened and what it was all about, you can search for Reality Winner in the web. But what I would recommend is to experience the movie without any deeper knowledge about its titular protagonist. This way, you may allow yourself to be puzzled by those strange men questioning this girl and be bewildered by where the story is leading. Whether you know what is happening or not, Reality provides a fantastic, gipping narrative. It amazed me how much of almost thriller-like suspense and tension the director was able to extract from simple talk without any spectacular interruptions. Much credit is due to Sydney Sweeney, who portrays Reality. The actress known mainly from Euphoria proves here that she is very capable, with a skill range way beyond being typecast as hot and dumb teenager.
*
You may notice that in my picks from 2023 Berlinale no films from the competition appear. While it is not necessarily the case of the absolute lack of quality in the main section (in fact, I can strongly recommend A24’s Past Lives, the new Christian Petzold piece Afire and Chinese psychological drama Shadowless Tower), it is somewhat typical for this festival (at least in my experience) that the gems of the program can be found in side sections. The main competition retains a solid, but unspectacular level of filmmaking. For me, that is the strange beauty of Berlinale – that special challenge to find unexpected wonder aside from the red carpet. Even though it may be not the best for the festival’s position in the industry overall, I feel that the strength of Berlinale lies in diversity and the audience's ability to create a unique path across different sections, venues, and neighborhoods.
