The films I’m watching this week…
Meek’s Cutoff
(Kelly Reichardt, 2010)
Continuing Kelly Riechardt’s filmography. I first saw this during Sydney Film Festival at the State Theatre. The final two shots have replayed in mind many times since. I dislike the tendency to label Kelly Riechardt’s westerns as “female western” or the like because to classify the film’s strengths down to the director’s gender diminishes her as a filmmaker (not to mention the hundreds of other people who made the film with her). But this and First Cow are certainly the most unique westerns I’ve seen.
Taste of Cherry
(Abbas Kiarostami, 1997)
I first saw this at the GoMA here. When the audience let out it was raining heavily, and some of us remained trapped under the building eaves. A couple of older women were grumbling that the ending didn’t make any sense. Naturally, I offered my interpretation of what I’d just seen. I had the wonderful experience of seeing their experience of the entire film transform in front of me. “Oh,” one said, “that’s actually beautiful.” I love when someone uses the word beautiful in earnest IRL. This is the first in a series of Kiarostami’s films.
The Double Life of Véronique
(Krzysztof Kieślowski, 1991)
Before internet streaming, half the value of a univerity degree was access to their library of films. Thanks to UQ I was able to view such colossal films/series as Shoah, Satantango, all of Tarkovsky's work, and of course Kieślowski’s The Decalogue and Three Colours trilogy. But Véronique has remained my white whale.