damien-beaton Reviews

Only You (2018)

Sketchy and problematic

[5/10 · 29 August 2021]

On the surface, Only You is a tender love story about issues of infertility, with naturalistic performances from the co-leads. You don't need to dig much deeper to realise that there is nothing much else to this film, other than disturbing reinforcements of bourgeois values.

The film centres around Elena, an attractive Spanish woman in her mid-30s living in Glasgow, who embarks on a whirlwind romance with Jake, a man nearly 10 years younger than her. They awkwardly meet when trying to hail the same taxi and end up at Elena's house, flirting and making out. In a matter of days, Jake's moving in with her before she's had the chance to introduce him to her friends, declaring that he's hopelessly in love and proposing to have her baby. Alarm bells? This is not that kind of film. Elena doesn't question Jake's naive and clingy behaviour, going along with his romantic inclinations instead.

We then slowly discover that Elena probably can't have children and the film seems to get stuck in endless, mundane routines of pregnancy tests and IVF treatment, but Jake is unrelenting in his determination to have a child. The tension puts unbearable pressure on their relationship and leads to an inevitable breaking point. This may sound like the basis of good drama but plays out as a series of petty arguments and mind-numbingly boring inaction.

The director said she wanted to address the taboos around infertility and subvert stereotypes but she fails on both counts. Elena and Jake are hopelessly one-dimensional characters that seem almost completely incapable of dealing with their self-induced problem. Jake is portrayed as a sensitive, caring kind of guy, but he turns out to be an insecure man-child who sulks and throws his toys out of the pram when life doesn't meet his ideals. Elena seems desperate to keep up with all her friends who are getting hitched and having babies, appearing to believe that no man would want to be with her if she's barren. Neither character is explored outside of their relationship - because why would they need personal interests and ambitions when they've got each other? They come across as hollow shells. Jake initially introduces himself as a DJ, but his lack of charisma and posh naivety would suggest otherwise. His love of an Elvis Costello record is the sole supporting evidence of this unlikely pastime.

But the worst thing about this film is that Jake's questionable attitude towards infertility is condoned. He pushes Elena into having a baby, does not accept any other outcome, and becomes completely unsympathetic to what she's having to deal with. Having declared his undying love to her, it becomes quite clear that his love isn't unconditional. Yet when Elena breaks up with him her decision is framed as rash and impulsive. She soon grovels to him to come back, when surely he should be the one apologising and trying to make amends. For a film directed by a woman dealing with female taboos, it all feels strangely anti-feminist and sends out the wrong message. 'Only You' seems to take on an unintended meaning punctuated by a question mark. Ideas of adoption, or more pertinently, being single is unthinkable in this sketchy universe.

Even more unbelievable than the film's misguided story is the universal acclaim it's received. Glowing reviews across the board, including Mark Kermode and Peter Bradshaw and a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes is why it ended up on my watchlist. Its success seems to suggest that normie culture is alive and well because this film does more to establish conventional notions of the status quo than its director would like to believe.

Ema (2019)

Pretentious but beautiful

[6/10 · 1 June 2020]

I have mixed feelings about Ema - the film, and Ema - the main character. In both respects, there are great strengths and great weaknesses.

Ema is a young female dancer, who is married to her older, impotent choreographer (Gael Garcia Bernal). We learn early on that they adopted a boy called Polo, but gave him back after finding he had destructive tendencies. These tendencies are in Ema as well, and she is blamed by her husband and others for their failure at parenthood. So Ema decides to go on an anarchic rampage, literally blazing everything in her way. However, by the end of this story we realise that there is a method in her madness. She has worked out, in her own bizarre way, how to get exactly what she wants, and the plot quite cleverly ties up all the loose ends.

The cinematography will make your jaw drop at times, it's visually breathtaking and even the most ordinary scenes are beautifully framed and coloured. Nicolas Jaar's soundtrack is the sensual icing on the cake that draws you further in. The acting throughout is impressive, especially the lead played by Mariana Di Girólamo. She portrays the troubled but ultimately free spirit with a confident, seductive swagger. So far so good.

I think the main problem with the film is it's tone. It's confused. At no point do I know what to feel about any of the characters, and by the end I don't really care. This is particularly a problem with Ema. What are her intentions? Is she sympathetic, selfish, or unknowable? It seems that Larrain wants her to remain a mystery, but there's really not enough emotional depth to her character. She just comes across as impulsive and reckless. We find out what she really wants at the end, but it should have been obvious throughout. Then I might have believed that she actually cared about something. Gael Garcia Bernal is also wasted as a bitter but pathetic husband who contributes very little to the story.

Most of the film comes across as pretentious and showy. This is fine when it turns into a musical with extraordinary choreography, but it's lacking elsewhere. Likewise the cinematography often feels more like a music video or fashion promo, aesthetically spectacular but all surface value.

It's a shame, because if Larrain was more intent on guiding us through this story rather than shutting us out, it could have been a modern classic. Instead he decides to leave us lost and stranded along the way, without much clue of why anything is happening or where we are going. There's a big difference between mystery and confusion.

Having said that, there's still much to love about this film and I would recommend it to anyone. There's plenty to enjoy along the way, even if it is often irritating.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

A Landmark

[9/10 · 10 May 2020]

This film feels like a major statement. A statement that should be obvious to anyone, regardless of their gender. But the patriachy still needs a massive slap in the face in order to accept what is blatantly true, and this film - is - that slap in the face. It proves beyond doubt that women in cinema are, at the very least equal, if not greater than men. And before you judge me as a man-hating feminist, I'm actually just a regular male. It's a film made by women, about women, and executed with such brilliance that it should become a post-Weinstein landmark.

Céline Sciamma's Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a jaw-droppingly masterful work. I had almost zero expectations, I hadn't seen any of her other films. I hadn't read a synopsis of it, as I often like to watch a film without preconceptions.

The film is a romantic period drama (a genre I normally dislike), but, as the title suggests, it is a work of art rather than generic entertainment. It is a deceptively simple framework: in 18th century France, the artist Marianne is commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of Héloïse. The two young women form a connection that soon turns into a passionate affair, and this creates obvious complications. About 20 minutes into this film I could see where it was going and I wondered how it was going to hold my interest. Then I started to notice how well the narrative had been constructed, and how subtleties were woven into every step of the plot. It's brilliantly written. There is a sparingly minimal approach throughout, not a great deal happens and yet everything happens for a reason, there's no filler. The actresses all give strong performances, the cinematography uses a gorgeous, painterly colour palette, and the story ends with a simple yet breathtakingly-moving final shot that will stay with you. It's a film made with incredible poise and ease, and it's disarmingly powerful.