Similar to Year in Review, MIFF in Review features a series of 'awards' that are less about the content of the actual films and more about my OCD-like attention to detail. If you're new to the blog you'll soon get the idea.
It's split into two parts with eighteen 'awards' total. Remember this is in no way a complete overview of the entire festival, so where it says 'Best' it could just as easily say 'Favourite'. Mild spoilers for most films mentioned (but especially THE HOUSEMAID).
Begin!
1. Most Badass Song
Winner: I KILLED MY MOTHER - Noir Desir by Vive la Fete
Runner up: THE JUCHE IDEA - Fucking USA
Click on the title for a link to a youtube video.
"Noir Desir" plays during the 'painting of the office - impromptu sex - Hubert has another tantrum' section (They played quite a bit of it). The song is very cool though it does get a little screechy. She reminds me of a French-Canadian Karen O. Which is a crazy big compliment.
Two versions of Popular Korean protest song "Fucking USA" play THE JUCHE IDEA. The one resembling the link above plays at the start of the film. The one over the ending credits is slower and quieter. Perhaps even a cappella? I can't quite remember.
2. Curious Subtitle Award
Winner: FILM SOCIALISME - Verbs
Runners up: STREET DAYS - "Principle". I KILLED MY MOTHER - "Particular". ENTER THE VOID - The whole damn thing.
Questionable subtitles are present at any film festival, sometimes you just have to ignore it. However it was a little impossible to ignore that Godard had all the verbs removed from FILM SOCIALISME. I am quite happy I skipped this.
STREET DAYS was a little simpler. They just had 'principle' when they meant 'principal'. Can't really hold it against them. Though "I gave it to the principle" was kinda odd/funny.
When Hubert is complaining that his Mother and her friends never say something is good or bad they just say it's 'spécial', the subtitle read 'particular'. I found this odd as 'special' would have been perfectly adequate. In all honesty the best translation is probably 'unique'. Splitting hairs.
Finally, ENTER THE VOID had French subtitles the whole way through. Seeing as the audio was so screwy and hard to hear for the first 30minutes or so, I found myself reading them to get the gist of what was being said, even though I only know very limited French...
3. WTF Moment
Winner: ENTER THE VOID - Sex from a different angle.
Runners up: SYMBOL - The dovetail. THE HOUSEMAID - Euny's revenge.
Just when you think you've seen every sort of camera angle possible to capture two people having sex, ENTER THE VOID kicks things up a notch by having the camera *inside* the vagina. Genius. Genius? Hmmn.
Though everyone expected the two distinct stories to collide in SYMBOL, I doubt *anyone* expected them to do so in the way that they did. Just bizarre.
Euny's revenge seemed fairly shocking but fairly straight forward... until she burst into god-damn flames! That was different.
4. Best Opening
Winner: RUBBER - "No Reason"
Runner up: ENTER THE VOID - Epileptic Credits.
RUBBER is the one film that has grown on me during the festival. I know I tore into it fairly early on, but I'm certainly keen to revisit it. The opening speech + chair destruction + glass of water remains awesome regardless.
I love these credits. Just when you think you have them figured out they completely lose their shit. For those who want to experience them without sitting through the whole catastra-fuck that is ENTER THE VOID, you can watch them here.
5. Best Ending
Winner: THE HOUSEMAID - English epilogue.
Runners up: INNERSPACE - Martin Short drives off into an 80s sunset. LEBANON - Bookend.
The ending of THE HOUSEMAID is already awesome, but then we have this bizarre epilogue at the end of the film where all the characters randomly speak English and the wife sings "Happy Birthday" in her best Marilyn Monroe voice. Widely open for interpretation...
I think all 80s spy comedy films should end the way INNERSPACE did. That is all.
The final shot of LEBANON was gorgeous, and explained the long lingering opening. I want a print of that to hang on my wall.
6. Biggest Laugh (quote-based)
Winner: RUBBER - "Hey come back, the tyre's been reincarnated as a tricycle."
Runner up: THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT - "I need your observations like I need a dick in my ass."
I don't think this needs commentary...
7. Biggest Laugh (other)
Winner: THE MOVIE ORGY - Andy Devine sings "Jesus Loves You" while a heavily sedated cat plays the piano and a mouse with sticks glued to its hands plays drums.
Runner up: CATFISH - Nev reads his text messages.
...but this probably does.
I wonder if finding that MOVIE ORGY clip on youtube and watching it now would generate quite the same response? Without sleep-deprivation and all the weird stuff that came before, I don't think you can properly experience the weird hallucinogenic quality of the clip. Quite possibly the most surreal thing I have ever seen. I laughed until it hurt.
The moment in CATFISH when Nev reads some of his more risqué correspondence with Megan is also hilarious due primarily to the context. It should have been mean, but it just wasn't. We'd been through some very tense moments in the previous scenes that to finally be allowed to laugh was heavily welcomed.
Winner: I KILLED MY MOTHER - Noir Desir by Vive la Fete
Runner up: THE JUCHE IDEA - Fucking USA
Click on the title for a link to a youtube video.
"Noir Desir" plays during the 'painting of the office - impromptu sex - Hubert has another tantrum' section (They played quite a bit of it). The song is very cool though it does get a little screechy. She reminds me of a French-Canadian Karen O. Which is a crazy big compliment.
Two versions of Popular Korean protest song "Fucking USA" play THE JUCHE IDEA. The one resembling the link above plays at the start of the film. The one over the ending credits is slower and quieter. Perhaps even a cappella? I can't quite remember.
2. Curious Subtitle AwardWinner: FILM SOCIALISME - Verbs
Runners up: STREET DAYS - "Principle". I KILLED MY MOTHER - "Particular". ENTER THE VOID - The whole damn thing.
Questionable subtitles are present at any film festival, sometimes you just have to ignore it. However it was a little impossible to ignore that Godard had all the verbs removed from FILM SOCIALISME. I am quite happy I skipped this.
STREET DAYS was a little simpler. They just had 'principle' when they meant 'principal'. Can't really hold it against them. Though "I gave it to the principle" was kinda odd/funny.
When Hubert is complaining that his Mother and her friends never say something is good or bad they just say it's 'spécial', the subtitle read 'particular'. I found this odd as 'special' would have been perfectly adequate. In all honesty the best translation is probably 'unique'. Splitting hairs.
Finally, ENTER THE VOID had French subtitles the whole way through. Seeing as the audio was so screwy and hard to hear for the first 30minutes or so, I found myself reading them to get the gist of what was being said, even though I only know very limited French...
3. WTF Moment
Winner: ENTER THE VOID - Sex from a different angle.
Runners up: SYMBOL - The dovetail. THE HOUSEMAID - Euny's revenge.
Just when you think you've seen every sort of camera angle possible to capture two people having sex, ENTER THE VOID kicks things up a notch by having the camera *inside* the vagina. Genius. Genius? Hmmn.
Though everyone expected the two distinct stories to collide in SYMBOL, I doubt *anyone* expected them to do so in the way that they did. Just bizarre.
Euny's revenge seemed fairly shocking but fairly straight forward... until she burst into god-damn flames! That was different.
4. Best Opening
Winner: RUBBER - "No Reason"
Runner up: ENTER THE VOID - Epileptic Credits.
RUBBER is the one film that has grown on me during the festival. I know I tore into it fairly early on, but I'm certainly keen to revisit it. The opening speech + chair destruction + glass of water remains awesome regardless.
I love these credits. Just when you think you have them figured out they completely lose their shit. For those who want to experience them without sitting through the whole catastra-fuck that is ENTER THE VOID, you can watch them here.
5. Best EndingWinner: THE HOUSEMAID - English epilogue.
Runners up: INNERSPACE - Martin Short drives off into an 80s sunset. LEBANON - Bookend.
The ending of THE HOUSEMAID is already awesome, but then we have this bizarre epilogue at the end of the film where all the characters randomly speak English and the wife sings "Happy Birthday" in her best Marilyn Monroe voice. Widely open for interpretation...
I think all 80s spy comedy films should end the way INNERSPACE did. That is all.
The final shot of LEBANON was gorgeous, and explained the long lingering opening. I want a print of that to hang on my wall.
6. Biggest Laugh (quote-based)
Winner: RUBBER - "Hey come back, the tyre's been reincarnated as a tricycle."
Runner up: THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT - "I need your observations like I need a dick in my ass."
I don't think this needs commentary...
7. Biggest Laugh (other)
Winner: THE MOVIE ORGY - Andy Devine sings "Jesus Loves You" while a heavily sedated cat plays the piano and a mouse with sticks glued to its hands plays drums.
Runner up: CATFISH - Nev reads his text messages.
...but this probably does.
I wonder if finding that MOVIE ORGY clip on youtube and watching it now would generate quite the same response? Without sleep-deprivation and all the weird stuff that came before, I don't think you can properly experience the weird hallucinogenic quality of the clip. Quite possibly the most surreal thing I have ever seen. I laughed until it hurt.
The moment in CATFISH when Nev reads some of his more risqué correspondence with Megan is also hilarious due primarily to the context. It should have been mean, but it just wasn't. We'd been through some very tense moments in the previous scenes that to finally be allowed to laugh was heavily welcomed.
8. Best Film I'd Seen Prior To The Festival Starting
Winner: BOY
Runner up: WORLD'S GREATEST DAD
I saw BOY in general release while still in New Zealand before shifting to Melbourne. It really is the film that restores my faith in NZ film-making. Too bad I've already bailed from the country.
For legal reasons, I can't say how I saw WORLD'S GREATEST DAD but I loved every second of it. A true Hidden Gem. Please seek it out on DVD if you missed it.
Winner: BOY
Runner up: WORLD'S GREATEST DAD
I saw BOY in general release while still in New Zealand before shifting to Melbourne. It really is the film that restores my faith in NZ film-making. Too bad I've already bailed from the country.
For legal reasons, I can't say how I saw WORLD'S GREATEST DAD but I loved every second of it. A true Hidden Gem. Please seek it out on DVD if you missed it.
9. Top Five Films I Missed
5. THE HOUSEMAID (1960)
4. FOUR LIONS
3. MONSTERS
2. A SOMEWHAT GENTLE MAN
1. SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD
In about 24hours I'll post the second half containing nine more 'awards' including Best Review, Biggest Fright, and My Overall Top Five Films...
