Top 10 Films at 2017 Melbourne International Film Festival

So two and a half weeks of craziness come to an end yet again! With work and study commitments, I was only able to attend a dismal 34 films this year. Of those 34, I now present you my Top 10 movies from the 2017 Melbourne International Film Festival.

1. Call Me By Your Name

I will preface this by saying that while I am not 100% smitten by Armie Hammer, his charisma throughout this film and the intense chemistry between himself and Timothée Chalamet made watching Call Me By Your Name an incredibly emotive experience. James Ivory's screenplay of André Aciman's novel poignantly captures the intimacy and the heartbreak of these two lovers during the summer in Italy 1983.

Luca Guandagnino's direction creates some amazing aesthetics, although it's probably not hard to do that with the location but credit given where credit due. My only criticism would be the decision to have the final scene with the credits rolling by, as it really took away the powerfulness of that moment.

Top 10 Films at 2016 Melbourne International Film Festival

So two and a half weeks of craziness come to an end yet again! With work and study commitments, I was only able to attend a dismal 48 films this, one less than last year! So I now present you my Top 10 movies from the 2016 Melbourne International Film Festival.

1. The Neon Demon

Probably one of the most divisive films of the festival with strong opinions by all, and all with valid reasons, but I loved the way it was filmed, with some beautiful camera work and editing. The soundtrack by Cliff Martinez is incredible and I am still listening to it pretty much on a daily basis. The cast are great - especially Elle Fanning and Jena Malone - and direction by Nicolas Winding Refn is slick and effective.

My only criticism is that it could have ended a little sooner than when it did. People who've seen the film will probably be able to guess as to which scene should have been the final scene, as it is a very strong scene.

Top 10 Films at the 2015 Melbourne International Film Festival

So two and a half weeks of craziness come to an end, and after getting to watch a mere 50 films, I now present you my Top 10 movies from the 2015 Melbourne International Film Festival.

1. Mustang 

Admittedly, when I think of countries creating brilliant cinema, Turkey is not one of the first countries I think so, but this will change with Mustang. Similar to that of Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides, five sisters are locked inside their house by their uncle and grandmother after they are seen rubbing their legs against boys' necks in the beach. The girls are subjected to virginity tests and systematically married off to local boys with devastating results. 
The five females are incredible in this, and worth noting this is the first time any of them have acted in a movie. Gunes Nezihe Sensoy, who plays the youngest sister Lale, in particular has such a strong screen presence, that it would be a shame if we never saw her on the big screen again.
The suspense builds up in this tragic but uplifting story about the suppression of female sexuality by the patriarchy and how in many cultures women are still being seen as just a mother or wife. 
The film also boasts a beautiful score by Warren Ellis.
The trailer is in Turkish still but I think you can see the brilliance of the film beyond the language.

My top ten films at the 2014 Melbourne International Film Festival

Another year, another Melbourne International Film Festival. Bought myself a passport and managed to surpass last year's effort of 37 films to 51 films.
This included films from Spain, USA, Germany, Australia, France, Taiwan, Georgia, India, China, South Korea, UK, Japan, Norway, Brazil, Iran, Austria, Canada, Finland, Mongolia and Italy

These are my top ten:

1. Mommy

I don't think Xavier Dolan can do any wrong. He gets such amazing work from his actors - in this case Antoine-Olivier Pilon, Suzanne Clement and Anne Dorval, who just about steals every scene she is as the mother to Steve, a troubled, violent youth who returns home.
The writing is flawless and Dolan creates a story that demands your attention. Some beautifully shot scenes including the "dream sequence" and a soundtrack that supports the development of the story. Cleverly filmed aspect ratio comes into effect at pivotal moments of the film too.
It reminded me a little of I Killed My Mother but (and not wanting to take away from its greatness either) much stronger all round.

My top 10 films at the Melbourne International Film Festival

So two and a half weeks of craziness come to an end, and after getting to watch a mere 37 films, I now present you my Top 10 movies from the Melbourne International Film Festival.

1. Stranger By The Lake

This French thriller takes place at a quiet lake where men spend the day swimming naked and cruising the neighbouring forest. When Franck witnesses a murder at the lake, it turns into a deadly infatuation with the killer and from there the tension builds to an intense final few scenes.
At times quite Hitchcockian, the story is engrossing and the character development of the three leads was done quite well. I really enjoyed the lack of music on this film and how the natural sounds were used to really amplify the suspense.
Despite it's graphic gay sex scenes, it would be a shame to consider this film as a "gay" movie, as it really is just a film where the characters happen to be gay.