I would say that cinema can’t change anything, that it can bring no answers. But cinema is here with us, it’s here with us in the way poetry is, and many other kinds of art.
—Rithy Panh
Had the chance to talk with Rithy Panh this morning about his new film Everything Will Be OK. As with The Missing Picture, this utilizes clay figurines, though Panh's aiming for something more universal and large-scale here. He constructs a dystopian world in…
Even in beautiful moments of my life I’m aware that they’re going to pass soon. It’s a sadness, and in a way I wish I didn’t have this affliction—I’m certainly not unique in having it. But in a way, it’s the way life is. You have to accept that everything is impermanent, and it’s difficult to grapple with.
I seem to have this strong need in my life to have stability but also uncertainty and chaos, which comes from my…
For me, the apotheosis of Bernard’s career is found here: a montage of Brakhagian water rushes and a dog rolling around in the sand. At his best, Bernard knows how to marry techniques from older avant-garde directors (think of his three films with Maya Deren references, the title of this short, etc.) with diaristic filmmaking. Here, this intermingling leads to a synchronized, ecstatic appreciation of life and art, and really reminds you that both can and should enrich each other.
If you watch Larose’s other films it’s obvious that he’s skilled and ambitious but has extremely terrible taste. This is my first time rewatching this in a couple years and it’s hard to shake how corny the rest of his filmography is and how it cheapens this work as a result. While some of his films have a decent soundtrack, they can be too mannered or obvious, reducing the strength of his images. Thankfully, this is silent.
In the film’s emotional climax, a young influencer starts crying and confesses, “Being a beatboxer, it was so hard for me to be accepted.”
Loved this movie when I first watched it but the 4K restoration is bad. Even worse is that everyone in Chicago loves to incessantly laugh at every single Lynch film, absolutely killing the atmosphere. Literally who are you people.
