KinoTopia 046 - Boxing Day Special (Poor Things & Coup de Chance)
There is something for everyone on cinemas biggest day of the year. From Venice we have two very different films from two very different men, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Golden Lion winner Poor Things and Woody Allen’s 50th film and supposed return to form, Coup de Chance. For those who prefer that big screen experience, multiplex’s are offering the Sydney-set raunchy comedy starring Americans Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, Anyone But You and return of Atlantis in Aquaman 2. Lastly, for those seeking something slightly more docile (British), look no further than Anthony Hopkins starrer One Life.
At KinoTopia we aimed to watch as many of these titles as possible, but only managed to get to the new Yorgos and for our sins, the new Woody. Unfortunately Hollywood Correspondent Bruno Slonek’s invitation to the preview of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom got lost in the mail but he will endeavour to cover the film as soon as possible.
And as always, scroll down for listings.
Coup de Chance (Stroke of Luck)
Woody Allen, 2023
DCP Courtesy: Sharmill Films
Classification: PG
Screening at most arthouse / independent screens from Boxing Day
Words by Andrew Tabacco
For better or (definitely) worse, 2023 has seen the public return of a number of problematic men to the mainstream. A bloated Johnny Depp opened Cannes in Maïwenn’s Jeanne Du Barry (Coming to Australia in 2024 via Palace Films), Channel 4’s gonzo internet documentarian Andrew Callaghan returned less than a year after multiple sexual harassment allegations came to light and in August, to literally no one’s surprise, Venice’s artistic director Alberto Barbera announced the premieres of three troubled auteur’s new films.
The first of the three films to premiere was Luc Besson’s baroque noir about a drag queen who has control of an army of stray dogs. Starring Caleb Landry Jones, Dogman opened to a bemused reaction from critics and buyers alike. Then at the halfway mark of the 10-day festival, it was Roman Polanski’s turn. Fortunately for Polanski, who elected to not make the trip to the Lido due to Italy’s extradition treaty with the States, he was not there to see the public’s remarkably negative reaction to the film. Written by Polanski and (disappointingly) the writing team behind EO, Jerzy Skolimowski and Ewa Piaskowska, The Palace is a deeply unfunny mish-mash of 70s screw-ball comedy, Weekend at Bernies and an Ostlund-style ‘eat the rich’ film starring none other than John Cleese in what hopefully will be his last on screen role. After the two universally agreed duds, it was the bucket-hat wearing, 87-year-old director Woody Allen’s turn to light up the Lido with his 50th feature film and French language debut Coup de Chance.
The general word on the canal was that it was Woody’s return to form. After a lean decade for the polarising director, which saw a renewed interest in his sexual assault case during the Me-Too movement and a string of six both critical and commercial failures, some of which were disowned by their cast. It seemed that not for the first time in his decades-long career, Allen had again found his filmmaking touch, with even Variety’s Owen Glieberman calling it his best since 2014’s Blue Jasmine.
Watching the film in a public screening in Venice’s 1760 seat Palabiennale full of excited Italians, I too felt that this was Woody’s return to form. The film breaks no new ground for the director but it was a mostly smart, sometimes funny crime-caper set in Parisian high society filled with murderous twists and turns. The crowd, who admittedly loudly cheered when his name came up on the opening credits, were lapping it up and at that point, so was I. With the film building nicely, the Pala rocking with cackling Italians and a shock twist imminent, I realised I had to be somewhere else and had to leave, depriving myself of what was surely to be an ingenious ‘Woody Allen ending’. Whilst briskly walking from one side of the Lido to the other, seemingly instantly forgetting the weird colour grade, how improbable the whole story is, or the fact that Woody’s essentially been banished from the English speaking world. I announced via FB Messenger to the few interested friends that it was ‘honestly pretty good’.
Fast forward a few months and replacing Veneto with Naarm, I spotted the poster in Cinema Nova foyer. The new Woody Allen was not only en route to Australia, but was landing on Boxing Day. Although thinking it was slightly tone deaf to be playing the film, my desire to not be stuck in an Allen ‘art or artist’ conversation outweighed my desire to openly question any programming decisions. Despite cinemas skirting around the mostly tarnished Allen name in their online marketing of the film, savvy audiences needed only look at the font of the poster, which Allen has seemingly used for all 50 of his features, to work out his return, resulting in some but not much online backlash.
Fast forward again and I’m watching the film for a second time. Instead of nearly 2000 Italians, I was in a half full preview screening surrounded by mostly older cinemagoers. With the gulf between the two experiences indescribable, I again watched the film. Again I found it mostly smart and sometimes funny, but with an audience mostly devoid of the Mediterranean zest for life, I was this time able to notice the film’s flaws. The colour grade was too sepia heavy, the plot was again very thin, and the ending, which admittedly got some laughs, felt rushed and lazy, especially for a director often referred to as one of cinema's great comedic minds.
With the much more subdued second having an almost sobering effect on my perception of the film, I was able to re-evaluate. Coup de Chance isn’t bad and compared to recent efforts like Rifkin’s Festival, Irrational Man or any post - Blue Jasmine Woody, the film honestly is pretty good. But when you compare it to any seminal Allen works, its competition (Poor Things), watch it anywhere other than sunny Venice or even for a moment just think of what Allen is accused of, the film doesn’t really stack up to anything.
Poor Things
Yorgos Lanthimos, 2023
DCP Courtesy: Disney
Classification: MA15+
Screening at both multiplex and all arthouse / independent screens around Melbourne from Boxing Day
Words by Harrison Leech
Having just won the Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival, Poor Things directed by Yorgos Lanthimos presents: “Barbie with a libido” in a nuanced humanist vision. Adapted by screenwriter and RMIT alumni Tony McNamara from Scottish author Alasdair Gray’s novel of the same name, the film’s setup is uniquely absurd. In the backdrop of a whimsically surreal vision of 19th century Europe, Goodwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe), a scientist reminiscent of Frankenstein conducts a kooky experiment. Baxter takes the brain of an unborn child and surgically inserts it into the cranium of their recently deceased mother, bringing to life the film's distinctive protagonist—Bella Baxter (Emma Stone). Bella begins her journey as an adult baby, speaking in jumbled syntax and stumbling around like an overgrown toddler. Unrestricted by prior socialisation, Bella’s worldview is unmediated and radically new. She takes pleasure in stabbing out the eyes of cadavers, indulging in Portuguese tarts, baby punching, and importantly, her own sexuality.
Earlier this year, cinemas were taken by storm by the pink-blockbuster that was Barbie. One pillar of the marketing phenomenon of the portmanteau slogan—“Barbenheimer”. On the surface, Barbie and Poor Things share many similarities; both protagonists begin in a form of ignorant bliss before being thrust into the realities of their respective patriarchal paradigms; both can be viewed as feminist films filled with fallible funny men. But while Barbie gives us a plastic simulacrum—a Mattel backed production that’s self-reflexive critique disguises its contradictory nature—Poor Things has a refreshing vitality. The absurd brain-swap premise creates an interesting flattening of the temporality of adolescence and adulthood. Bella’s ignorance to the customs of polite society reveal their necessities and anachronisms to humorous effect. The men around Bella try to take advantage of her ignorance, but Bella proves unwieldy and unfazed.
One major difference that lies between the two films is their handling of sexuality. Stereotypical Barbie and her male counterpart Ken are seemingly asexual—possessing no genitalia. They inhabit a sexless “Barbieland”, an artificial fantasy in which sex is seemingly superfluous to human relations. In contrast, Poor Things confronts sexuality openly and without shame. Upon discovery of her erogenous zones, Bella is obsessed by the desire to pleasure herself and perform “furious jumping” with (but not excluding) philanderer Duncan Wedderbur (Mark Ruffalo). Wedderbur’s attempts to control Bella are increasingly threatened by her blossoming autonomy as she outgrows him. Their relationship reaches a breaking point when Bella gains employment in a Parisian brothel. Her experiences in the brothel prove formative; unthreatened by her gentlemen callers she reveals the vulnerabilities in their nakedness. Bella also discovers a loving tenderness with a fellow sex-worker Toinette (Suzy Bemba), and finds an unlikely mentor in the brothel’s madame. Lathimos shows the sexual act without passing any final judgement.Conversely, Barbie, like the plethora of contemporary superhero films, chooses to ignore any such confrontation with the realities of sex.
Beginning to understand the world, Bella undergoes a healthy sublimation of her libidinal energy. Self-proclaimed cynic Harry Astley (Jerrod Carmichael) exposes her to the poverty and privation that lie at the fringes of her bourgeois adventures. While Toniette introduces her to socialist notions of class consciousness. Bella discovers an interest in books, stimulating conversations and scientific inquiry. She becomes adamant on improving the world and steering her own path towards emancipation. Culminating in her decision to pursue a career as a doctor. Bellas maturation is masterfully reified in Holly Waddington’s ornate costumes and Jerskin Fendrix’s discordant, orchestral distortions blossom into more cohesive melodies. The meticulously detailed production design paired with the ultra-wide angle cinematography and vibrant Kodak Ektachrome colour all serve to reflect her evolving, individual perspective.
Above all, Poor Things celebrates experiences, both good and bad as necessary on any individual's path towards self-liberation. Emma Stone's portrayal of Bella is kinetic, fearless and career defining. Lanthimos embraces sex and sexuality as important to the story and more than simply objectification. Hopeful and hilarious, Poor Things oozes creativity and excess.
WEEKLY FILM LISTINGS
December 26 - January 01
ACMI
Best of 2023
The Dark Emu Story
Allan Clarke, 2023
Screening Wed 27 Dec
Past Lives
Celine Song, 2023
Screening Thurs 28 Dec
Killers of the Flower Moon
Marin Scorcese, 2023
Screening Fri 29 Dec
The New Boy
Wawrick Thornton, 2023
Screening Sat 30 Dec
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
Laura Poitras, 2023
Screening Sat 30 Dec
Matinees
Time Bomb Y2K
Brian Becker & Marley Mcdonald, 2023
Screening Sat 30 - Sun 31 Dec
Artificial Eye
River
Jennifer Peedom, Joseph Nizeti, 2021
Screening Sat 30 Dec
No screening this week
The Boy and the Heron
Hayao Miyazaki, 2023
Screening Daily
Poor Things
Yorgos Lanthimos, 2023
Screening Daily / Check Astor’s site for specific 4K or 35MM times)
Priscilla
Sophia Coppola, 2023
Screening Sun 31 Dec
BBBC CINEMA (GALLERYGALLERY BRUNSWICK)
Returning in Feb
No screening this week
CHINATOWN CINEMA
Endless Journey
Dai Mo, 2023
Screening from 26-29 Dec
The Invisible Guest
Chen Zhuo, 2023
Screening from 27-29 Dec
Shining for One Thing
Xiaoming Chen, Pan Zhang, 2023
Screening from 30 Dec - Jan 1
CINÉ-CLUB (Carlton)
Shut over the Christmas break
Returning in Feb
New Releases
Poor Things
Yorgos Lanthimos, 2023
Screening Daily
Coup de Chance
Woody Allen, 2023
Screening Daily
One Life
James Hawes, 2023
Screening Daily
Two Tickets to Greece
Marc Fitoussi, 2022
Screening Daily
-
Wonka
Paul Knight, 2023
Screening Daily
Beyond Utopia
Madeleine Gavin, 2023
Screening Daily
Master Gardner
Paul Schrader, 2022
Screening Daily
Maestro
Bradley Cooper, 2023
Screening Daily
The Boy and the Heron
Hayao Miyazaki, 2023
Screening Daily
Dicks: The Musical
Larry Charles, 2023
Screening Daily
Napoleon
Ridley Scott, 2023
Screening Daily
Saltburn
Emerald Fennell, 2023
Screening Daily
Godzilla Minus One
Takashi Yamazaki, 2023
Screening Daily
Bottoms
Emma Seligman, 2023
Screening Daily
The Old Oak
Ken Loach, 2023
Screening Dily
The Eight Mountains
Felix Van Groeningen, Charlotte Vandermeersch, 2023
Screening Daily
Uproar
Hamish Bennett, Paul Middleditch, 2023
Screening Daily
Renaissance: A film by Beyonce
James B. Merryman, 2023
Screening Daily
The Royal Hotel
Kitty Green, 2023
Screening Daily
Bromley: Light After Dark
Sean McDonald, 2023
Limited Screenings
Stop Making Sense
Jonathan Demme, 1983
Limited Screenings
Mutiny in Heaven: The Birthday Party
Ian White, 2023
Screening Daily
Sick of Myself
Kristoffer Borgli, 2022
Limited
Past Lives
Celine Song, 2023
Limited
Theater Camp
Molly Gordon & Nick Lieberman, 2023
Limited
Barbie
Greta Gerwig, 2023
Limited
Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan, 2023
Limited
DOGMILK DEGUSTATIONS: @ Miscellania
Season 3 coming soon!
Closed for the semester
No screening this week
HITLIST (9 Gertrude St, Fitzroy)
No screening this week
Poor Things
Yorgos Lanthimos, 2023
Screening Daily
Coup de Chance
Woody Allen, 2023
Screening Daily
One Life
James Hawes, 2023
Screening Daily
Anyone but You
Will Gluck, 2023
Screening Daily
Wonka
Paul Knight, 2023
Screening Daily
Master Gardner
Paul Schrader, 2022
Screening Daily
Maestro
Bradley Cooper, 2023
Screening Daily
The Boy and the Heron
Hayao Miyazaki, 2023
Screening Daily
Dicks: The Musical
Larry Charles, 2023
Screening Daily
Renaissance: A film by Beyonce
James B. Merryman, 2023
Screening Daily
Napoleon
Ridley Scott, 2023
Screening Daily
Saltburn
Emerald Fennell, 2023
Screening Daily
Bottoms
Emma Seligman, 2023
Screening Daily
The Old Oak
Ken Loach, 2023
Screening Daily
Uproar
Hamish Bennett, Paul Middleditch, 2023
Screening Daily
The Royal Hotel
Kitty Green, 2023
Screening Daily
Trolls Band Together
Walt Dohrn, 2023
Limited Screenings
Killers of the Flower Moon
Martin Scorsese, 2023
Limited Screenings
Past Lives
Celine Song, 2023
Limited Screenings
THE MELBOURNE CINÉMATHÈQUE (ACMI)
2024 season returns in Feb
TOP OF THE HEAP (Tramway Hotel)
No screening this week
No screening this week
MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY: SCREENING IDEAS
No screening this week
PALACE BALWYN / BRIGHTON / COMO / KINO / PENTRIDGE / WESTGARTH
Priscilla
Sophia Coppola, 2023
Preview Screening Sun 31 Dec
Poor Things
Yorgos Lanthimos, 2023
Screening Daily
Coup de Chance
Woody Allen, 2023
Screening Daily
One Life
James Hawes, 2023
Screening Daily
Two Tickets to Greece
Marc Fitoussi, 2022
Screening Daily
Anyone But You
Will Gluck, 2023
Screening Daily
Wonka
Paul Knight, 2023
Screening Daily
Maestro
Bradley Cooper, 2023
Screening Daily
The Boy and the Heron
Hayao Miyazaki, 2023
Screening Daily
Napoleon
Ridley Scott, 2023
Screening Daily
Saltburn
Emerald Fennell, 2023
Screening Daily
Bottoms
Emma Seligman, 2023
Screening Daily
The Old Oak
Ken Loach, 2023
Screening Dily
The Eight Mountains
Felix Van Groeningen, Charlotte Vandermeersch, 2023
Screening Daily
No screening this week
Poor Things
Yorgos Lanthimos, 2023
Screening Daily
Coup de Chance
Woody Allen, 2023
Screening Daily
One Life
James Hawes, 2023
Screening Daily
Anyone But You
Will Gluck, 2023
Screening Daily
Two Tickets to Greece
Marc Fitoussi, 2022
Screening Daily
Wonka
Paul Knight, 2023
Screening Daily
Maestro
Bradley Cooper, 2023
Screening Daily
The Boy and the Heron
Hayao Miyazaki, 2023
Screening Daily
Dicks: The Musical
Larry Charles, 2023
Screening Daily
Napoleon
Ridley Scott, 2023
Screening Daily
Saltburn
Emerald Fennell, 2023
Screening Daily
Godzilla Minus One
Takashi Yamazaki, 2023
Screening Daily
Bottoms
Emma Seligman, 2023
Screening Daily
Poor Things
Yorgos Lanthimos, 2023
Screening Daily
Coup de Chance
Woody Allen, 2023
Screening Daily
One Life
James Hawes, 2023
Screening Daily
Two Tickets to Greece
Marc Fitoussi, 2022
Screening Daily
Anyone But You
Will Gluck, 2023
Screening Daily
Wonka
Paul Knight, 2023
Screening Daily
Maestro
Bradley Cooper, 2023
Screening Daily
The Boy and the Heron
Hayao Miyazaki, 2023
Screening Daily
Napoleon
Ridley Scott, 2023
Screening Daily
Saltburn
Emerald Fennell, 2023
Screening Daily
Bottoms
Emma Seligman, 2023
Screening Daily
The Old Oak
Ken Loach, 2023
Screening Dily
The Eight Mountains
Felix Van Groeningen, Charlotte Vandermeersch, 2023
Screening Daily
No screening this week
Poor Things
Yorgos Lanthimos, 2023
Screening Daily
Migration
Benjamin Renner, 2023
Screening Daily
Dream Scenario
Kristoffer Borgli, 2023
Screening Wed 27 Dec
The Boy and the Heron
Hayao Miyazaki, 2023
Screening 26 & 27 Dec
Past Lives
Celine Song, 2023
Screening Sat 30 Dec
UNKNOWN PLEASURES (BILL MOUSOULIS + CHRIS LUSCRI)
No screening this week