Reviews

This is my film of the year so far, and is one of the best new films I've seen for a long, long time.

But it feels like the Director is asking the viewer to ask ourselves about the entire existence of the human race and our planet, what makes humans what they are, does our society need religion, violence and misery etc etc - and he does it successfully as it's such an intriguing, beguiling film.

It's also (sickeningly) the Director's feature debut (Laura Wandel), and you'd be forgiven for thinking this is a film made by a more accomplished director like fellow Belgians the Dardenne brothers for instance.

Julie's struggles at film school are delved into even more in part 2 and the meta becomes even more meta as we see director Joanna Hogg dissect her own past in ways that just leave the viewer jaw dropped (it takes the film within a film vibe to the extreme).

'Finding a way to find yourself' - the message is clear, the film is great.

Very interesting film from Joachim Trier.

Several characters could literally be excluded from the film and it would be the same film.

Chon's talent does shine through and he is a tiny rung on the ladder below great independent filmmakers like Sean Baker and Eliza Hittman (this film also has one of the most stunningly gorgeous opening shots I've seen in a long time).

In other ways it's a mystery, and if you pay attention to detail there are possible ways to analyse the film as having a ray of hope right up until the end image.

Zhao's films have an almost spiritual feel to them, there's a strange connection to the landscape, community and characters that we see on screen.