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By Roger Costa
LOST IN PARIS
A clueless Canadian librarian goes to Paris to locate her missing octogenarian aunt and finds herself in a lot of trouble in this smart and hilarious French-Belgian comedy directed by Dominique Abel and Fiona Gordon. Structured with elements that demonstrate a lovely blend of influences coming from Wes Anderson and Billy Wilder, the couple of writers-directors also star as the protagonists of the exhilarating confusions. After receiving a call for help from Martha, her estranged aunt (played by the late Emmanuelle Riva), Fiona arrives in Paris completely distracted and not speaking much French, carrying a gigantic backpack stamped with her nation’s flag with nowhere to go. Unable to find her aunt, she meets a bump with whom she explores the town and the bohemian/homeless lifestyle in a flirtatious behavior. Meanwhile, the former elderly dancer is deliriously running away from the agents who want to take her to a senior home facility. Utterly sarcastic and creative, the film is divided into three segments that explore its main characters, Fiona, Dom and Martha, brilliantly joined by the circumstances and coincidental mess they share. They all give fabulously irreverent performances, with delightful tricky facial expressions as well as in total control of the continuously extravagant humor. Offering lots of debauchery, the directors also prove their talent when it comes to exploring the beauty of cinematic techniques with several elements of pure magical cinema: Dom’s imagination and his authentic way of getting dinner out of trash; guests of a restaurant being contaminated by the beats of a DJ that make them dance along; Fiona’s nocturnal quest around Statue of Liberty; musical numbers, especially Martha’s and Norman’s tap-dancing, and the thrilling climax at the Eiffel Tower. An outstanding, sophisticated and sincerely funny comedy. (An Oscilloscope Laboratories Release. Opens Friday, June 16th at Sunshine Cinema NYC)
MOKA
Director Frédéric Mermoud’s second feature is an efficient exercise of suspense and voyeurism set in a claustrophobic atmosphere. A woman parks her car outside a couple’s house and carefully observes their moves. Diane is going through some harsh time, as she just escaped from recovering at the hospital, trying to avoid the memories of her son, who died in an unsolved fatal crash. Back home her grieving and anxiety intensify, and she must solve the mystery and learn the identity of the driver. Refusing her ex-husband’s advice to settle down, she engages into an investigation of her own. She gradually invades the glamorous life of the main suspect, a liberal hairdresser, with whom she develops a thrilling connection. Emmanuelle Devos gives a life-changing performance as Diane, a woman carrying a high load of vulnerability, loss, suffering, abandonment, rage and uncertainty, all expressed through silent, deeply observational and heart-pounding dramatic techniques. Nathalie Baye is also ravishing as the wealthy stylist. Elegant, provocative and precisely structured with a sense that something is about to explode, Mermoud’s psychological thriller brilliantly redefines the femme fatale genre. (A Film Movement Release. Now Playing exclusively at Film Forum NYC.)
DAWSON CITY: FROZEN TIME
A fascinating collage of all 533 reels of film from the 1910s to 1920s found in the Canadian city of the title, back then the largest site of gold miners, Bill Morrison’s feature documentary blends silent films (including Chaplin), newsreels, archival footage, interviews and historical photographs, creating an accurate portrait of capitalism and the history of cinema. (A Kino Lorber Release. Now playing at IFC Center NYC. Opens June 16 at Landmark’s Nuart Theatre in L.A., Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago, and at Digital Gym in San Diego.)
HARMONIUM
In this profound study on a family crisis, Japanese director Kôji Fukada develops an impressive intensity as he depicts the consequences a man and his family will have to face, as he shelters an old friend, recently released from prison, carrying with him dark secrets and mixed feelings. The stranger becomes useful, working for the family at their small factory, developing an influence over the protestant wife, and a tender connection to the little daughter, a student preparing a piano concert for a special celebration. As conflicts surge and their relations intensify, an unpredictable incident turns their lives upside down, and the film moves forward a few years ahead where the family is struggling to maintain themselves together. Awarded in Cannes, it’s a delicate, moving and superbly performed piece of art that confirms Fukada (“Hospitalite”) as one of Japan’s best. (A Film Movement Release. Opens Friday June 16th at Film Society of Lincoln Center NYC.)
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