Shadows on the Wall | Arthouse Films

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On this page: CIELO | JANE AUSTEN WRECKED MY LIFE | THE OLD WOMAN WITH THE KNIFE

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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL | Last update 11.Jun.25

Cielo
Review by Rich Cline | 4/5

MUST SEE

Cielo
dir-scr Alberto Sciamma
prd John Dunton-Downer, Alexa Waugh, Bettina Kadoorie, Alberto Sciamma, Paola Gosalvez
with Fernanda Gutierrez Aranda, Fernando Arze Echalar, Sasha Salaverry, Carla Arana, Luis Bredow, Cristian Mercado, Juan Carlos Aduviri, Rosa Paye, Fanny Poma, Tania Quiroz, Sonia Mariela Averanga, Mercedes Sinani
release UK Jun.25 sxl
25/Bolivia 1h48

Is it streaming?

Gorgeously shot in spectacular mountain landscapes populated by lively characters, this spirited Bolivian drama opens with a beautiful but disturbing sequence that unfolds after a young girl swallows a fish. So where the story goes is constantly surprising. With vibrant colours, writer-director Alberto Sciamma infuses this fable with offbeat magical realism, pulling us into an odyssey that is packed with moments that are touching, provocative and wonderfully funny.

From her home on the Altiplano, 8-year-old Santa (Gutierrez Aranda) sets off on a quest to take her mother (Arana) to a better life in heaven, as promised. First, she borrows a pickup from Father Jaime (Bredow) so they can travel faster, following the stars. When the truck breaks down, she joins a boisterous team of cholita wrestlers led by La Reina (Salaverry). Soon they run afoul of grouchy police chief Gustavo (Arze Echalar), who sees something unexpected in Santa. As they take a winding mountain road to La Paz, their reality changes around them.

Endlessly resourceful, Santa is a compelling protagonist, a true believer on a divine mission. She expects everyone she encounters to help her along, and she knows that she has special powers that will get her where she needs to be. Plus some fabulous dance moves. Along the way there are flashbacks to her birth and life with her cruel fisherman father (Aduviri). And while Santa has no doubt about her future, we can't imagine where she'll end up.

Gutierrez Aranda has a larger-than-life screen presence as the feisty Santa. She more than holds her own in cheeky interaction with a variety of hilariously sparky adults, played with soulful verve by a terrific supporting cast. Arze Echalar is especially enjoyably as the spiky cop who takes his own epic journey. And Salaverry has a superbly playful approach as she invites Santa onto her team's bus, and into their hearts.

Everyone who encounters this strong-willed, seemingly miraculous little girl has his or her own crisis of faith as a result. And at the same time, Santa is seeking a life with her mother that's far removed from poverty and pain. It's pointed that the Spanish word "cielo" means both sky and heaven. So while the film is charming and whimsical, it also takes several dark and downright heartbreaking turns along the way. And the ending is a similar mix of nerve-wracking intensity and pure joy.

themes, language, violence 4.Jun.25

Jane Austen Wrecked My Life Jane Austen a Gâché Ma Vie
Review by Rich Cline | 3.5/5

dir-scr Laura Piani
prd Gabrielle Dumon
with Camille Rutherford, Pablo Pauly, Charlie Anson, Annabelle Lengronne, Liz Crowther, Alan Fairbairn, Lola Peploe, Alice Butaud, Roman Angel, Laurence Pierre, Rodrigue Pouvin, Frederick Wiseman
release Fr 22.Jan.25,
US 23.May.25, UK 13.Jun.25
25/France 1h38

TORONTO FILM FEST

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From France, this relaxed romantic comedy is laced with literary references as it sends a lovelorn writer on a witty odyssey in rural Britain. Writer-director Laura Piani keeps the tone warm, maintaining a low-key and sometimes hushed vibe, even though the humour has a bite to it. There are plenty of complications in the narrative to keep us wondering where it's going, and the characters are complex and likeable.

Lost in her own literary fantasy, Paris bookseller Agathe (Rutherford) knows she's unrealistic about waiting for her dream man, knowing that she needs to get in tune with the present-day. While her sister (Butaud) meets various guys, her coworker Felix (Pauly) gets her a place on a Jane Austen writing residency in England. She's collected on arrival by surly literature professor Oliver (Anson), son of the residency's coordinator Beth (Crowther). Then as her strained friendship with Oliver begins to turn into something else, Felix drops in for a visit, just before the annual writers' ball.

Terrified of riding in cars due to a childhood accident, Agathe has colourfully sexy fantasies that fuel the cheesy romance novels she writes, but she's trying to create something more serious. Throughout the story, little comical adventures create both connections and awkwardness with Felix and Oliver. The residency also features heated discussions about the nature and purpose of literature. Enjoyably, when the costume ball rolls around, it's played out just like a period scene from a Jane Austen adaptation, complete with messy layers of attraction between the characters.

Because these people are all grappling with their own deeply internalised issues, the performances are skilfully understated. Rutherford plays Agathe as a woman who keeps her feelings private, making everyone wonder what she's thinking. She's caught between an unexpected attraction for Pauly's utterly adorable Felix and Anson's prickly but amusingly observant Oliver. Other characters remain in the margins, dropping little bombs of dialog here and there.

Never pushing its themes, the film centres on Agathe's lightly comical journey towards romance, or at least towards being willing to consider it in the real world. Intriguingly, neither of her amorous options is particularly compelling, more like friends than lovers. But because she finally decides to see if they are something else, there's hope that maybe she is on her way to discovering that spark she has always dreamt about.

themes, language 10.Jun.25

The Old Woman With the Knife
Review by Rich Cline | 3/5

dir Min Kyu-dong
prd Min Jin-soo
scr Kim Dong-wan, Min Kyu-dong
with Lee Hye-yeong, Kim Sung-cheol, Yeon Woo-jin, Kim Mu-yeol, Shin Si-ah, Kim Kang-woo, Yoon Chae-Na, Ok Ja-yeon, Choi Moo-sung, Jo Han-Chul, Hyun Bong-Sik, Choi Min-Chul
release Kor 30.Apr.25, ∫UK Jun.25 sxl
25/Korea 2h11

BERLIN FILM FEST

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A messy swirl of revenge and regret, this blackly comical Korean thriller is packed with vivid characters and superb set-pieces. The plot is loose on connective tissue, leaving several questions unanswered. So character motivation begins to feel somewhat blurry, which makes it tricky to fully invest in the story. That said, the action and drama are sharply directed by Min Kyu-dong and played with plenty of emotional spark.

After being rescued as a lost teen in 1975, Hornclaw (Shin) begins working for Ryu (Kim Mu-yeol) to rid the city of human vermin who escape the law. Some 50 years later, the ageing legend Hornclaw (now Lee) still isn't ready to retire, with her work now managed by Sohn (Kim Kang-woo). When he hires young thug Bullfight (Kim Sung-cheol) to join the team, Hornclaw is annoyed by his hotheaded attitude. Then an unexpected connection between them spirals into an increasingly edgy rivalry. And it begins to centre around Hornclaw's friendship with veterinarian Kang (Yeon).

For Hornclaw, Kang creates a weakness because he and his cheeky daughter Haeni (Yoon) are people she needs to protect. And Bullfight uses them mercilessly to get to Hornclaw in a variety of ways. This intensity pulls the audience into the story, helping us overlook some nagging issues such as exactly who is funding this firm when their clients don't seem to be wealthy. We're distracted from these thoughts by a flurry of flashbacks and slickly staged action sequences that turn urgent and nasty as they progress.

Shin remains tightly contained as Hornclaw, a woman with a weakness for helping injured innocents (including a stray dog she adopts) even as she efficiently kills baddies. Se may be getting old, hiding a slight tremor in her hand, but she can still dive into full-on action when needed, as she does in this cat-and-mouse game with Bullfight, whom Kim invests with a terrific undercurrent of both emotion and deranged sadism.

An enormously blood-soaked final confrontation feels implausible on a few levels, but even the craziest of stunts and stabbiest of fights are staged with a riveting sense of vicious energy. And it leads to a surprising sense of underlying tragedy. As Hornclaw says, if you treat people like insects, you become an insect yourself. So even if the movie ultimately feels a bit pointless, the mayhem will keep fans cheering.

themes, language, violence 7.Jun.25 sxl

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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL