A while back -- though not from the start -- I began keeping a list of all the movies I've seen at the Melbourne International Film Festival, which includes the date and the venue. Once I started, it was easy to go back and fill in the ones I'd missed, thanks to other lists I keep. No star ratings, though I could probably go back and retroactively add them if I wanted, since they're all logged in Letterboxd.
And this was useful, because in my 11th MIFF, I have now hit triple digits.
My 100th MIFF movie was Ariane Labed's September Says, another scheduling-related convenience on Tuesday night -- and originally, a hoped for first 2024 MIFF film entirely in a language other than English. Of course, even though it is directed by a French actress who you'd know from such films as Assassin's Creed and Flux Gourmet, it's an English language film.
I didn't plan it this way, but my 100th film was at the Forum -- the same location as my first film back on August 2, 2014. That was White God, a film that left me a little flummoxed -- just like September Says left me a little flummoxed. (Not confused about what happened, but confused about what I assume is a fair amount of praise for the film.)
The Forum is a symbolic venue for my 100th film for other reasons. Although it is not my favorite MIFF venue -- that's the Capitol -- it is, in a way, the most iconic MIFF venue. If I were a better architecture student, I could tell you more about its design, but with my limited language, suffice it to say that it is an old theater that has some gothic stylings. The prior theater space has been subdivided into two spaces, but curiously, it's the upstairs portion of the previous audience that is the theater now, where the downstairs part hosts gala events, and has previously served as a festival hub where you can get cocktails and light food items. It's not doing that this year as this function has shifted to a bar at Federation Square, but I have lots of memories of coming here for a drink, sometimes meeting a friend.
To give you an idea of its grandeur, allow me to attach a couple photos.
No, Naomi Watts was not in my movie. (September Says does resemble a movie Watts appeared in, though I won't tell you which one because that would contain spoilers for September Says.) This was from the ads beforehand. I suspect you would know I would not have my phone out during the movie proper.
So before I get to reflecting on a hundred movies at MIFF, first a bit on #100.
September Says was actually my second movie of Wednesday night, though the first was not a MIFF movie. Just a week after saying I never had watched the bonus movie first and the MIFF movie second -- never to my recollection, in any case -- I did it again, catching a 6:15 show of Alien: Romulus before the 9:45 September Says. Quick thoughts on Alien: Really enjoyed, a few nitpicky plot reservations, and a couple standout scenes that felt really new within the context of a series that now consists of seven films.
After killing more than an hour between the two movies, I reported to the surprisingly sparsely attended September Says. It was so sparsely attended, in fact, that on approach I wasn't sure if I had the venue right. (The Forum also currently has scaffolding out front, contributing to its sense of desolation.) But no, it was the right place, and even though the available seating was less than a third full, we were given allocated (a.k.a. assigned) seats. That may have been the first time I've ever had that at MIFF. I could have of course moved from my assigning seating, but it turned out to be fine, quite central though farther back than I would have chosen. The way they have had to use this preexisting space, all the seats are quite far back from the screen.
The film focuses on a pair of teenage sisters, July (Mia Tharia) and September (Pascale Kann), with the third significant character being their mother (Rakhree Thakrar). The sisters are close enough in age that they were dressed in matching outfits and photographed by their artist mother when they were younger. However, they have subsequently become outcasts and are dealing with the bullying of fellow high school students in the film's rural Ireland setting. (One of the bullies is a girl in a wheelchair, which I thought was an interesting way to expand our ideas of which types can/should play which roles.)
In their personal relationship, September is domineering yet fiercely protective. She often gets her sister to do outrageous things (the title is a variation on Simon Says), but perhaps more problematically, gets her to promise to do other things as a means of proving her devotion. It's devotion July gladly gives to her, but agreeing to kill herself if her sister dies is, um, not healthy.
This film has some interesting moments and explorations of its central themes, but there are long slow patches between these moments, and then some tangents -- such as a one-night stand for the mother in which we randomly hear the mother's voiceover -- that didn't work for the thrust of the film at all. I was trending toward a marginal thumbs down but eventually ended up with a marginal thumbs up, committing a three-star rating to Letterboxd.
Okay, so, 100 MIFF movies. Since I have it, I thought I would include the total list for you to either peruse carefully, or zip right through, barely glancing at a title.
1. White God – August 2, 2014 – The Forum
2. Black Coal, Thin Ice – August 8, 2014 – Hoyts Melbourne Central
3. Night Moves – August 11, 2014 – Capitol Theatre
4. Why Don’t You Play in Hell? – August 12, 2014 – Capitol Theatre
5. The Skeleton Twins – August 16, 2014 – Capitol Theatre
6. The Lobster – July 31, 2015 – The Forum
7. One Floor Below – August 7, 2015 – Cinema Kino
8. The End of the Tour – August 11, 2015 – Comedy Theatre
9. The Witch – August 14, 2015 – The Forum
10. The Salesman – July 30, 2016 – Comedy Theatre
11. Certain Women – July 31, 2016 – Comedy Theatre
12. Toni Erdmann – August 3, 2016 – The Forum
13. I, Olga Hepnarova – August 3, 2016 – ACMI
14. After the Storm – August 5, 2016 – The Forum
15. The Lure – August 5, 2016 – Hoyts Melbourne Central
16. Christine – August 6, 2016 – Hoyts Melbourne Central
17. Baskin – August 7, 2016 – ACMI
18. Seoul Station – August 9, 2016 – Cinema Kino
19. Paterson – August 10, 2016 – Comedy Theatre
20. Graduation – August 10, 2016 – The Forum
21. Ingrid Goes West – August 6, 2017 – Comedy Theatre
22. The Ornithologist – August 8, 2017 – ACMI
23. Fantastic Planet – August 10, 2017 – Comedy Theatre
24. My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea – August 10, 2017 – Cinema Kino
25. Let the Sunshine In – August 12, 2017 – Comedy Theatre
26. The Killing of a Sacred Deer – August 12, 2017 – Comedy Theatre
27. Golden Exits – August 16, 2017 – The Forum
28. The Square – August 17, 2017 – Comedy Theatre
29. The Lovers – August 19, 2017 – The Forum
30. Strange Days – August 19, 2017 – ACMI
31. Mandy – August 3, 2018 – Hoyts Melbourne Central
32. The Night Eats the World – August 4, 2018 – ACMI
33. Wildlife – August 4, 2018 – ACMI
34. Climax – August 4, 2018 – Comedy Theatre
35. Euthanizer – August 8, 2018 – Cinema Kino
36. Shoplifters – August 10, 2018 – Comedy Theatre
37. People’s Republic of Desire – August 10, 2018 – Cinema Kino
38. Cold War – August 12, 2018 – Comedy Theatre
39. Everybody Knows – August 14, 2018 – Comedy Theatre
40. Profile – August 14, 2018 – ACMI
41. Chris the Swiss – August 15, 2018 – The Forum
42. First Reformed – August 15, 2018 – The Forum
43. The Australian Dream – August 1, 2019 – The Plenary @ Melbourne Exhibition Centre
44. In Fabric – August 3, 2019 – The Plenary @ Melbourne Exhibition Centre
45. Deerskin – August 3, 2019 – Capitol Theatre
46. Vivarium – August 4, 2019 – Hoyts Melbourne Central
47. Matthias et Maxime – August 4, 2019 – The Plenary @ Melbourne Exhibition Centre
48. The Day Shall Come – August 6, 2019 – Capitol Theatre
49. Brittany Runs a Marathon – August 7, 2019 – Hoyts Melbourne Central
50. Berberian Sound Studio – August 7, 2019 – Hoyts Melbourne Central
51. A Family – August 8, 2019 – Hoyts Melbourne Central
52. Baby – August 10, 2019 – Hoyts Melbourne Central
53. Extra Ordinary – August 10, 2019 – Hoyts Melbourne Central
54. I Lost My Body – August 15, 2019 – Sofitel Theatre on Collins
55. The Lodge – August 15, 2019 – The Forum
56. First Cow – August 6, 2020 – Our living room
57. Marona’s Fantastic Tale – August 8, 2020 – Our living room
58. Kala Azar – August 9, 2020 – Our bedroom
59. Shiva Baby – August 12, 2020 – Our garage
60. Black Bear – August 12, 2020 – Our living room
61. The Killing of Two Lovers – August 15, 2020 – Our bedroom
62. Wendy – August 15, 2020 – Our living room
63. Prayer for a Lost Mitten – August 16, 2020 – Our bedroom
64. Just 6.5 – August 18, 2020 – Our living room
65. La Llorona – August 20, 2020 – Our living room
66. Freshman Year – August 8, 2021 – Our living room
67. Ballad of a White Cow – August 10, 2021 – Our bedroom
68. All Light, Everywhere – August 12, 2021 – Our living room
69. Zola – August 13, 2021 – Our living room
70. La Veronica – August 14, 2021 – Our living room
71. The Nowhere Inn – August 15, 2021 – Our living room
72. We Are the Thousand – August 17, 2021 – Our living room
73. Ninjababy – August 17, 2021 – Our living room
74. Night of the Kings – August 18, 2021 – Our living room
75. Riders of Justice – August 19, 2021 – Our living room
76. The Night – August 20, 2021 – Our living room
77. Language Lessons – August 21, 2021 – Our living room
78. Hit the Road – August 21, 2022 – Our living room
79. Plan 75 – August 24, 2022 – Our living room
80. My Sunny Maad – August 25, 2022 – Our living room
81. The Integrity of Joseph Chambers – August 26, 2022 – Our living room
82. Neptune Frost – August 27, 2022 – Our living room
83. Past Lives – August 5, 2023 – Comedy Theatre
84. The Bird With the Crystal Plumage – August 5, 2023 – Cinema Kino
85. It Lives Inside – August 6, 2023 – ACMI
86. Anselm – August 11, 2023 – Hoyts
87. Shut Eye – August 11, 2023 – Cinema Kino
88. Bad Behaviour – August 16, 2023 – Comedy Theatre
89. Banel & Adama – August 18, 2023 – Capitol Theatre
90. Monster – August 19, 2023 – Hoyts
91. Art Talent Show – August 21, 2023 – Our living room
92. The Face of the Jellyfish – August 22, 2023 – Our living room
93. Sorcery – August 24, 2023 – Our living room
94. Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman – August 27, 2023 – Our living room/our garage
95. La Cocina – August 9, 2024 – Capitol Theatre
96. I Saw the TV Glow – August 9, 2024 – IMAX Melbourne
97. My Old Ass – August 10, 2024 – Hoyts Melbourne Central
98. Grand Theft Hamlet – August 10, 2024 – Capitol Theatre
99. Matt and Mara – August 13, 2024 – Cinema Kino
100. September Says – August 21, 2024 – The Forum
You'll note that the venue for the films where MIFF was streaming, or at least had a streaming portion, are listed as the room in my house where I watched them.
You'll also note that some of the films are films that were not released in the year I saw them, and some of them are actually repeat viewings for me. So the hundred viewings does not include all new or new-to-me viewings. I've excluded these films from the top and bottom five I'll be including in just a moment.
A few stats about these viewings:
Venue I've seen the most films: The Comedy Theatre (15). The funny thing about this is that the Comedy Theatre has not actually been a venue in operation for a number of these years, including this year. It regularly has a stage production playing, and I think they've decided it is just too disruptive to try to factor MIFF viewings into the stage schedule -- to say nothing of a lot less financially rewarding. It also has legendarily uncomfortable seats, which did not prevent a large number of movies I wanted to see from playing there. I guess technically I saw more than 15 films at my previous house in North Melbourne, but I hardly think that counts.
Year I saw the most films: 2018 and 2021 (12). Twenty sixteen was the year I expanded my MIFF viewings from three or four each year to as many as I could reasonably see, and I saw double digits in each of those first three years, capped off with the most in 2018. However, given that streaming from home can be done virtually any night, even if it isn't quite the same experience, I did get up to 12 again in 2021.
Year I saw the least films: 2015 (4). In part because I had a friend visiting that year, though he did attend one screening (The Witch) with me.
Films seen in a public venue with other people: 69
Films seen at home: 31
Now on to my top and bottom five.
I struggled with whether to make this a top five of all films, or just films that I was not likely to see unless I'd picked them up at MIFF. However, I decided that for this landmark, hidden gems was not really what I was going for -- and then I decided maybe I'd just include five hidden gems as well.
I also decided not to rank them from best to fifth best, or worst to fifth worst. I'll just list the five best and five worst in alphabetical order. And because I've been consistent about writing about them, I might as well link to when they were discussed on The Audient.
Top five:
Climax (2018, Gaspar Noe) - A film subdivided into a joyous celebration of dance and a Boschian nightmare. I've seen it twice more in the six years since then. Audient link here.
First Reformed (2018, Paul Schraeder) - The first (alphabetically in this list, not chronologically) of two MIFF films that have gone on to be my #1 of the year -- so far. Audient link here.
The Killing of Two Lovers (2020, Robert Machoian) - This could have easily fallen into the aforementioned hidden gems category, but I have such fond memories of it had that I had to include it in the regular top five. Only one of the top five I saw on streaming. Audient link here.
Toni Erdmann (2016, Maren Ade) - The first time at MIFF my mind was truly blown, and also the hardest I have ever heard any audience laugh at a movie (nude brunch). The other MIFF movie that was my #1 for its year. Audient link here.
Vivarium (2019, Lorcan Finnegan) - I have also watched this twice more since seeing it and it's been out for three fewer years than Climax. Chef's kiss for head trip movies with an undercurrent of social satire. Audient link here.
Honorable mentions: Ingrid Goes West, Shoplifters, The Skeleton Twins
Now, the five that I really did not like:
Bad Behaviour (2023, Alice Englert) - It's the right adjective for this misanthropic story of a former child star behaving badly at a wellness retreat. Audient link here.
La Cocina (2024, Alonso Ruizpalacios) - Yes, one of the five most irritated I've been at MIFF came just a couple weeks ago with this pretentious black-and-white movie about kitchen workers in a Times Square restaurant. Audient link here.
Shithouse (2020, Cooper Raiff) - You'll see this listed as Freshman Year in the list above, because that's how it was released in Australia, but most people know it is as Shithouse, and it is. Audient link here.
Shut Eye (2023, Tom Levesque) - If I had ranked these movies, this would have been the least bad in the bottom five, and there were about four other candidates that could have taken its place. This New Zealand movie about a woman who becomes obsessed with an AMSR star just wasn't well made, nor did it deliver on examining that distinct world. Audient link here.
Wildlife (2018, Paul Dano) - I have no idea how this movie was selected as the opening night film that year, because it somehow manages to be both overwrought and inert at the same time. Just a misfire. Audient link here.
Dishonorable mentions: Baskin, The Lodge, Wendy
And now five hidden gems. These are all movies I hadn't heard of before I saw them in the program, nor was I familiar with the talent involved. Some of them may have gone on to acclaim, but they were hidden from me at the time I selected them for viewing:
Grand Theft Hamlet (2024, Sam Crane & Pinny Grylls) - I loved the concept of Shakespeare performed within the world of Grand Theft Auto, but until I saw it I couldn't have guessed that it would be profound in addition to funny. (I have since learned it won a big award at SXSW, but that doesn't mean I'd ever heard of it.) Audient link here.
I Lost My Body (2019, Jeremy Clapin) - Another one that became acclaimed, but after MIFF, as this went on to be nominated for an Oscar. But at the time I picked it, it was just an animated French movie about a disembodied hand trying to find its owner again. Audient link here.
La Llorona (2019, Jayro Bustamante) - There was a bad Hollywood movie about La Llorona. This was not it. Blew me away with its filmmaking. Audient link here.
The Lure (2016, Agnieszka Smoczynska) - Who knew the Poles could make a movie about murderous mermaids in the 1980s? I certainly didn't when I picked this. Audient link here.
La Veronica (2021, Leonardo Madel) - In perhaps the most formally intriguing film I've ever seen at MIFF (or almost anywhere else), a soccer wife and social media star is at the center of every single frame of the film, with only her background changing. A real deep dive into navel gazing and encroaching personality dissolution. Audient link here.
Honorable mentions: The Face of the Jellyfish, Seoul Station, Shiva Baby
Okay, that's enough of that.
But it's not quite enough of MIFF 2024. I will finish with at least one more film, but probably two more films, on Saturday.
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