This weeks sees Rialto run the full gamut of emotions, as you’d expect, beginning with the 2011 Oscar nominee Incendies (Tuesday 19th June, 8.30pm), a film from Quebec director Denis Villeneuve based on the play Scorched by Wajdi Mouawad. It’s the heart-wrenching story of 20-something Canadian twins Simon (Maxim Gau) and Jeanne (Melissa Desormeaux-Poulin) who discover when reading their mother’s will that their father is alive (they had been told he was dead) and they have a brother they didn’t know about.
This weeks sees Rialto run the full gamut of emotions, as you’d expect, beginning with the 2011 Oscar nominee Incendies (Tuesday 19th June, 8.30pm), a film from Quebec director Denis Villeneuve based on the play Scorched by Wajdi Mouawad. It’s the heart-wrenching story of 20-something Canadian twins Simon (Maxim Gau) and Jeanne (Melissa Desormeaux-Poulin) who discover when reading their mother’s will that their father is alive (they had been told he was dead) and they have a brother they didn’t know about.
Jeanne returns to her mother’s homeland in search of her father and in the process discovers disturbing details about her mother’s life during the 1970s’ Lebanese civil war. It’s a mammoth story to tell - it’s a war film, a family saga, a love story and a mystery - but it serves as a reminder that the influence of violence is passed down many generations.
It’s overly long, unnecessarily convoluted and strays into the melodramatic, but Incendies is also a powerful and emotive film filled with flawless performances that stay with you. It’s a must see this week.
Read my interview HERE with American director Michael Collins before you catch his debut documentary Give Up Tomorrow (Thursday 21st June, 8.30pm). It’s a remarkable documentary that follows the story of 19-year-old student Paco Larranaga who was arrested for the rape and murder of two sisters in the Philippines in 1997. Despite strong evidence of his innocence Paco was convicted, imprisoned and sentenced to death by a questionable judicial system. In his interview Collins talks about the challenges he faced making this award-winning documentary, and its impact on audiences around the world.
The week lightens up on Saturday with I Love You Philip Morris, premiering at 8.30pm. Based on a true story, this comedy stars Jim Carrey as Steven Russell, a Texas God-fearing family man and cop who after a car accident decides to live his life to the full - and to be himself. After declaring he’s gay, Russell launches into a new and extravagant lifestyle supported by insurance and credit card fraud.
In due course he finds himself incarcerated in the State Penitentiary, where he meets the love of his life, Philip Morris (Ewan McGregor). What unfolds is a remarkable tale of complicated cons, numerous arrests and extraordinary jail breaks - all in the name of love. Refreshingly, this is a romantic comedy that’s both funny and very sweet, and both Carrey and McGregor are convincing and charming as these real-life misfits.
Enjoy.