Filmfestivalen 2017

A series of mildly annoying events befalls (ficticious) Nobel laureate author Daniel as he returns to his home town in Argentina after 40 years in Europe. Wonky citizens, old resentments and unresolved sexual tension ensues, and it’s sometimes funny, sometimes boring and sometimes a bit dramatic. It’s also very predictable. Anybody who has ever seen a film (or read a book, or met someone who has) could see the ‘twist’ an hour before it happened. Pretty pointless.

Failed the Bechdel test

3 limes of 6

https://festival.giff.se/events/the-distinguished-citizen

www.imdb.com/title/tt4562518/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_2

There’s a very indie feel to Donald cried. Placed in the comedy section of the programme, it fails to deliver as such. The laughs are few and far between. That doesn’t mean that the film is bad, it’s qualities lies more on the downplayed drama. It’s just not that funny.

Failed the Bechdel test

3 snowballs of 6

https://festival.giff.se/events/donald-cried

www.imdb.com/title/tt4442604/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_1

It’s of course refreshing that the physical fights between the titular combatants are actual fisticuffs rather than, as is usually par for so called catfights in film and tv, bites, scratches, name calling and hairpulling. Not that I care; seldom has a group of characters been so despicable, annoying and all out nasty. At least in It’s always sunny in Philadelphia, to name another venue with unpleasent leads, we, the audience, can laugh at the gang, we can root for their comeuppance, but in Catfight they kind of forgot to make it funny and/or give the antagonists any redeeming qualities.

The film does have some moments, though. The assistant, one of the few likeable characters, makes a cutesy comic book starring happy blue bunnies, and her preferred choice for director for the Hollywood adaptation had me in stitches.

Passed the Bechdel test

2 years in a coma of 6

https://festival.giff.se/events/catfight

www.imdb.com/title/tt5294198/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_1