“Bookworm”
11-year-old Mildred’s world is turned upside down when her estranged father, the washed-up magician Strawn Wise, comes to look after her and agrees to take her camping to find a mythological beast known as the Canterbury Panther.
Mildred (Nell Fisher) is a precocious, bookish 11-year-old. After her mother winds up in the hospital, her estranged American dad, Strawn (Elijah Wood), comes to New Zealand to keep an eye on her. Mildred convinces Strawn to take her into the New Zealand wilderness to track down an elusive panther, hoping to capture the animal on video for a significant cash prize.
Directed by Ant Timpson, “Bookworm” is an excellent family movie. It’s funny, moving, and heart-warming, with a touch of melancholia to keep it grounded. There are also some elements of danger for added tension. However, things never get too heavy and bogged down.
Fisher is fantastic as Mildred. Precociousness can become irritating, but she handles the material well, keeping the audience rooting for her and laughing with her throughout the movie. She’s got great chemistry with Wood, who is also excellent in his role as a failed magician (I mean, illusionist) attempting to fill the dad role after being absent for 11 years.
It has some problems. The effects work on the panther looks a little ridiculous at times, and one of the subplots feels unnecessary. This has probably been my favorite film at the festival so far. Keep an eye out for this movie.
“Bookworm” recently had its US Premiere on September 22nd at Fantastic Fest 2024
“What Happened to Dorothy Bell?”
Ozzie Gray’s video documents her investigation into the traumatic events from her early childhood, which involved her late grandmother, Dorothy Bell.
This was not a good follow-up choice to “Bookworm.” Director Danny Villanueva Jr.’s found footage horror movie has got to be my least favorite film of the festival. I’ve not been a fan of found footage movies, and this does little to change that. Performances from the cast are weak. They often come across like they are reading cue cards, making everything feel like the staging it is. Often, films like this rely on a slow, steady build-up to a final release, but everything in this movie stays fairly stagnant. The story isn’t too interesting, and the scares are nonexistent. Plus, some moments caught on tape feel silly, leaving you wondering why someone would have been recording that time. This is the only film I’ve seen that I’d tell viewers to avoid. Although, if found footage is your thing, you might get a kick out of it.
“What Happened to Dorothy Bell?” recently had its World Premiere
on September 22nd at Fantastic Fest 2024
“A Different Man”
After undergoing facial-reconstructive surgery, Edward becomes fixated on an actor in a stage production based on his former life.
I know I just said that “Bookworm” was my favorite of the fest, but I hadn’t seen “A Different Man” yet. Aaron Schimberg’s film is about the old adage, be careful what you wish for. The film follows actor Edward (Sebastian Stan), a man with neurofibromatosis who decides to take part in a trial medical experiment to transform his appearance. The experiment works, drastically changing Edward’s life. When Oswald (Adam Pearson), another man with neurofibromatosis, enters his life, Edward begins to rethink his decision, becoming jealously fixated on Oswald.
The performances from Stan and Pearson are fantastic. Stan’s meek, depressed demeanor as Edward before his transformation clashes with Pearson’s bubbly, outgoing optimism. Edward’s world feels like it is on the verge of implosion, while Oswald appears to have the world at his feet. The story has several time jumps, with the film chronicling years of these characters’ lives. Schimberg’s film has a good rhythm, gripping the viewer for the film’s entirety. The photography looks great. The score also stood out, creating a vibe that enhanced the tension. This is another film to keep an eye on.
“A Different Man” recently had its Texas Premiere on September 22nd at Fantastic Fest 2024
Secret Screening #2 — “The Apprentice”
This is the story of how a young Donald Trump started his real-estate business in 1970s and ‘80s New York with the help of infamous lawyer Roy Cohn.
The choice of “The Apprentice” for the secret screening tonight was a bit of a shock. Fantastic Fest is a genre festival, and this is a biopic following the rise of Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) under the mentorship of Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong).
It was interesting seeing two completely different performances from Stan back-to-back. Stan completely disappears into the role here, effectively becoming Trump. Strong is likewise excellent as Cohn, seen here as the devil incarnate. Both men are vile in this film.
I found the cinematography in this movie to be interesting. Jasper Tuxen gives each decade a unique look akin to the visual styles you’d see from that era. The ‘70s have a gritty film-like texture, and the ‘80s look like a television broadcast signal from that time period.
The story itself is a bit slow and a little dry. It’s not the most compelling watch, but director Ali Abbasi does enough to keep the viewer invested. This one is worth a watch for the performances alone, although I can’t imagine this being a movie I’d want to revisit.
