Archives: Films

Synopsis

Set in post-WWI Copenhagen, The Girl With The Needle follows Karoline (Vic Carmen Sonne), a young factory worker who finds herself unemployed, pregnant, and alone. She is drawn into the orbit of Dagmar (Trine Dyrholm), a charismatic woman who runs an underground adoption agency. As Karoline becomes a wet nurse for Dagmar’s clients, a disturbing truth begins to unravel. Inspired by a real-life case that shocked Danish society, the film explores the fragile line between care and exploitation, culminating in a chilling revelation that reshapes Karoline’s understanding of motherhood, trust, and survival.

Context and Craft

Magnus von Horn (Sweat, The Here After) crafts a Gothic psychological horror rooted in historical trauma. Co-written with Line Langebek, the screenplay avoids sensationalism, instead focusing on Karoline’s emotional collapse. Michał Dymek’s cinematography evokes a bleak, claustrophobic Copenhagen, with muted tones and shadowy interiors that mirror Karoline’s isolation, which is further heightened by Frederikke Hoffmeier’s haunting score. Drawing thematic parallels to The Piano Teacher, the film interrogates systemic cruelty and moral ambiguity.

Critical Reception

Premiering in competition at Cannes 2024, The Girl With The Needle was Denmark’s submission for Best International Feature at the 97th Academy Awards. It received widespread acclaim for its performances and direction, though some found its subject matter overwhelming:

• “A masterclass in sustained dread, anchored by Vic Carmen Sonne’s devastating performance.” — RogerEbert.com
• “Von Horn’s refusal to center the killer makes this a story about complicity, not monstrosity.” — TIME
• “A film that numbs with its brutality, yet lingers with its moral complexity.” — Cahiers du Cinéma

Conclusion

The Girl With The Needle is a harrowing meditation on vulnerability, power, and historical violence. By centring Karoline rather than the infamous Dagmar Overbye, von Horn reframes the narrative as one of systemic failure and personal reckoning. The film’s austere style and emotional restraint challenge viewers to confront the horror not in spectacle, but in silence. As with our last film Misericordia, this is cinema that refuses easy catharsis, instead offering a stark portrait of human darkness shaped by circumstance

Audience Comments:

• Excellent – how much can one woman endure?
• Harrowing, amazing, acting.
• Gripping and disturbing.
• Black and white very effective.
• Interesting. Shocking twist
• Frightening
• Beautifully made.
• Pretty bleak subject matter!

Synopsis

Set in the fictional village of Saint-Martial, Misericordia follows Jérémie (Félix Kysyl), who returns to his hometown for his former boss’s funeral. Staying with the widow Martine (Catherine Frot), tensions rise with her son Vincent, culminating in a fatal altercation. With the unexpected help of the village priest, Jérémie conceals the crime, sparking a darkly comic and unsettling chain of events. Blending thriller and black comedy, the film explores guilt, desire, and the complex alliances that form in small communities.

Context and Craft

Alain Guiraudie (Stranger by the Lake, Staying Vertical) continues his exploration of desire and moral ambiguity in rural France. Shot in southern Aveyron, the film uses the rugged landscapes of Sauclières and the Dourbie gorges to evoke isolation and tension. Cinematographer Claire Mathon (Portrait of a Lady on Fire) brings a stark, naturalistic palette that contrasts with the film’s surreal undertones. Marc Verdaguer’s sparse score heightens the discomfort, while Guiraudie’s script draws inspiration from Pasolini’s Théorème, infusing homoeroticism and absurdity into a deceptively simple narrative.

Critical Reception

Misericordia premiered in the Cannes Premiere section and was nominated for the Queer Palm. Although it received eight César nominations, including Best Film, it left empty-handed. Critics have noted:

• “A visually striking drama that veers between psychological tension and farce.” —
  DeepFocusReview
• “Guiraudie’s refusal to offer character empathy makes the viewer complicit in the film’s
  moral murk.” — Cahiers du Cinéma
• The priest’s final monologues push the film into exploitation territory—perhaps
  deliberately.” — Le Monde
•  Misericorida is another superb foray into the dangers of desire” (Rotten Tomatoes)

Conclusion

Misericordia is a bold, unsettling meditation on secrecy, power, and desire. Guiraudie’s refusal to moralize or sentimentalize his characters forces viewers to confront the absurdity and darkness of human behavior. The film’s rural setting and minimalist style amplify its themes, making it a provocative entry in contemporary French cinema. Guiraudie is known for playing with genre and tone, so this might be a deliberate provocation, using B-movie aesthetics to challenge the viewers’ expectations or to underscore the film’s moral ambiguity.

Audience Comments:

• Didn’t like the violence, but an intruguing film with unexpected turn to the plot.
• Well cast. Good camera work.
• The fungi did it!
• Could only be a French film!
• Very weird, but very French!
• Enjoyable
• Truly bizarre!!

Synopsis

Set in 1970s Rio de Janeiro, I’m Still Here follows the Paiva family—led by Eunice (Fernanda Torres) and Rubens (Selton Mello)—as they navigate the creeping terror of Brazil’s military dictatorship. When Rubens, a former congressman secretly aiding the opposition, is abducted by government agents, Eunice must protect her five children while searching for answers in a climate of fear and silence. Based on Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s memoir Ainda Estou Aqui, the film dramatizes a true story of resilience, loss, and quiet defiance.

Context and Craft

Walter Salles (Central Station, The Motorcycle Diaries) returns to narrative filmmaking with a deeply personal lens—he was childhood friends with the Paiva children and a frequent guest in their home. The film’s rich period detail is enhanced by Adrian Teijido’s warm 35mm cinematography and a soundtrack featuring Brazilian icons like Caetano Veloso and Gal Costa. The result evokes a vibrant family life slowly eclipsed by authoritarian violence.

Critical Reception

Critics have praised I’m Still Here for its emotional depth and restrained storytelling:

• “Fernanda Torres delivers a “masterful” performance as Eunice, earning an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of quiet strength under pressure.” The Independent
• “The film has drawn comparisons to Roma (2018) for its intimate family focus and historical backdrop, though Salles opts for vivid colour and personal memory over monochrome nostalgia.” BFI
• “While some may feel the film’s minimal political exposition is minimal, its choice to center the victims’ experience, makes the trauma feel immediate and human.” DeepFocusReview
• “Carried along by Fernanda Torres’ superb performance, I’m Still Here poignantly explores a nation’s upheaval through one family’s search for answers.” Rotten Tomatoes

Conclusion

A brave film portraying resistance, not through action, but through endurance. Parallels can be drawn between Brazil’s former dictatorship and its contemporary political climate. The film’s use of Super 8 footage and music shapes our emotional connection to the family and their search for the truth.

Audience Comments:

• Excellent; Beautiful film; Powerful; Well acted; Soundtrack good; Sad; Incredible
• Good and Great choice
• A beautiful film well portrayed by the amazing characters and well acted
• A story to be known by all; Emotional but an incredible film

Click here to read PDF film notes.

Audience Comments:

• Brilliant
• Took time to develop.
• An insufferable character!
• Was going to give it 9 but on balance an 8 was right (ha ha!)
• Gracias!
• Javier superb
• Clever dialogue
• Extremely witty but heavy handed
• Predictable!
• Loved the security guard!
• Bit long
• Desperate lives
• Couldn’t keep up with plot but great music
• Great performances loved the use of lighting for dramatic effect
• Raced along from one excruciating scene to the next

There are no PDF notes for this film.

Audience Comments:

• Demanding, delightful
• Loved the physical adornment especially the shells
• Muddled plot fell asleep at important moments
• Shambling narrative
• Slow, odd too much sea
• Great to see film from West Africa
• Terrifying
• No to guns yes to beautiful photography
• Very atmospheric. Glad women won in the end!
• Great special effects at the end

Click here to read PDF film notes.

Audience Comments:

• Worst soundtrack ever.
• Great film and soundtrack.
• Thought provoking.
• Great Halloween choice
• Too much rain!!
• Disjointed and poor ending
• Slow and unpredictable
• Profound , powerful, ponderous.
• Don’t mess with the locals!!
• No laughs, brutal.
• Grey palette of rain and music.
• Eerie and atmospheric.
• Glad I don’t live there
• Spellbinding but puzzling
• I love magical realism!
• PRIMAL!
• Wonderful cinematography