By Roger Costa
LIYANA
Through the imagination of orphan children living in a community shelter in Swaziland, the story of an infant heroine is created in directors Aaron and Amanda Kopp’s moving and heartbreaking multiple award-winning feature. As they narrate the girl’s tragic journey of losing her parents to HIV and running for survival, their stories merge and reflect the same levels of abuse and hopelessness. Mixing animation, dramatization and truthful testimonies from the children, the directors efficiently capture the beauty of both landscape and kids, in contrast with the despicable trauma and the uncertainty of the future they must deal with. (Abramorama. 10/10. Maysles Documentary Center.)
THE OLD MAN & THE GUN
Beloved veteran Robert Redford gets back on track as an audacious bank robber on the run in director David Lowery’s soft, delicate and insightful ensemble cast dramedy. Sissy Spacek gives a refreshing performance as a love interest, delivering fine dialogue and optimistic philosophies on the journey of living. Casey Affleck personifies melancholy in a knockout turn as the detective determined to capture the elderly, while Danny Glover, Gene Jones and Tom Waits shine in their satirical, key-roles. Based on real events, the screenplay smartly presents criminal facts and details of one of the most feared bank-robbers in history, the man who managed to escape prison more than a dozen times. At 82, Redford declared this to be his last film; simply a fine choice to wrap up a remarkable career. (Fox Searchlight. 10/5. Landmark at 57.)
LA FAMILIA
Director Gustavo Rondón Córdova’s acclaimed feature debut is a gripping drama set in the slums of Caracas, where a desperate father runs away with his son, trying to spare him from the consequences of his violent acts against another kid in the neighborhood. All part of a misunderstanding between rebel young children disputing “territory” and “reputation”, the film builds up tension and unpredictable circumstances, resulting in a compelling mirror of social and economic despairs. A nominee for both Critics’ Week Grand Prize and Golden Camera Prize at Cannes and Winner of the Best Film Prize at Miami and Lima Film Festivals, Córdova’s brilliantly illuminates the complicated relationship between father and son, with the same preciseness as he does on the clash of generations and the different perspectives on accepting violence. Venezuela’s official entry for next year’s Oscars, it’s a superbly acted, brutally haunting, promising directorial debut. (Film Movement. Available on DVD.)
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