‘Perfect Days’, ‘The Promised Land’ and 'Anora'
Recommending three excellent international movies.
‘Perfect Days’
A toilet janitor in Japan drives between jobs listening to rock music. It’s utterly sublime, hypnotic for the patient viewer, and one of my favourite movies in several years. It’s made by Wim Wenders, the now 78-year-old German director responsible for the Eighties philosophical ‘Wings of Desire’ (which was remade into ‘City of Angels’, Meg Ryan’s romantic mega-hit). This is love and a lesson.
‘The Promised Land’
A historical romance without gossip and fancy dresses. It’s an imagining of a true Dutch story of a man who wanted to grow potatoes but met a sadistic overlord. Stars Mads Mikkelsen (‘The Hunt’) and Kristine Kujath Thorp (‘Ninjababy’). Director Nikolaj Arcel is previously famed for 'A Royal Affair' with actress Alicia Vikander (‘Ex-Machina’), and as the screenwriter of ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’, the Swedish original with actress Noomi Rapace.
‘Anora’
Director/writer Sean Baker's indie class is perfectly impressive. I was wowed by 'Tangerine', 'The Florida Project' and 'Red Rocket’, but he's outdone himself with his latest. 'Anora' may also be about bringing humanity to society's underdogs but it's his longest, dances with multi-genre, and so polished that the production feels mainstream.