#TIFF23: “MONSTER” REVIEW

By George Kozera

MONSTER opens very straightforwardly as we see single mother, Saori (Sakura Ando) and her pre-teen son Minato (Soya Kurasawa) watch a raging fire from their balcony as the building collapses. It is rumoured that the building housed a sleazy hostess-bar and a teacher from Minato’s school Mr. Hori (Eita Nagayama) was spotted leaving the establishment. In explaining his recent bout of sullenness, Minato tells his mother that Mr. Hori not only physically assaulted him but also humiliated him in class by calling him “pig brain”. Infuriated, Saori confronts the school principal, who is still grieving the death of her grandson, and gets an insincere apology from the teacher, principal and other school administrators until it is alleged that Minato is, in fact, a bully tormenting young Hoshikawa (Hinata Hiiragi) incessantly. With deft use of flashbacks and differing points of view, the mystery driven nature of MONSTER is truly an astonishing achievement.

Other than Steven Spielberg, there are few Filmmakers who triumphantly draw amazing, naturalistic performances from children than Japanese Director Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters). Here, not only does he excel, he keeps the audience intrigued throughout as he tackles topics as diverse as bullying, lying, the fragility of youth and deceptions by adults. MONSTER is a masterpiece of tones, non-linear storytelling as well as being visually arresting. It may be one the most lyrical, poignant and compassionate movies of the year and I will savour this Movie again and again.

MONSTER screens at TIFF ’23:

Sunday, September 10, TIFF Bell Lightbox. 9:30PM

Monday, September 11. Scotiabank, 3:00PM

#CANNES22: “BROKER” REVIEW

By Amanda Gilmore

Coming off the success of Shoplifters, Writer-Director Hirokazu Kore-eda is back with another beautiful depiction of a chosen family.

So-young (Ji-eun Lee) makes the tough choice to leave her newborn at the Baby Box facility. It’s a place where people can leave their children in the hopes of them being adopted. However, Brokers Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho) and Dong-soo (Dong-won Gang) make the decision to take the baby home with them in order to sell it to a loving family. To their surprise, So-young returns for her baby. When the two men tell her their plan, she joins them on their journey to find suitable parents.

Kore-eda has a keen eye for what makes a family. Just like Shoplifters, this is a story of making your own family. However, it’s also about knowing when to say goodbye. The premise doesn’t sound like it will be a heartbreaker, but Kore-eda’s empathetic eye makes this story a tender, emotional journey about belonging.

Just like the best Tearjerkers, Broker is laced with relatable Comedy. This humour comes from the relationship that flourishes between these characters. It all comes together once the three realize that a young boy from the orphanage they visited has snuck into their van. This is the start of their own quirky family beginning to grow. He’s a cute addition to this bunch and they fall into sync quickly.

Broker’s steady pacing allows audiences to get to know each character. We empathize with So-young, a woman on the run searching for a way out. What she finds instead, is a family that she didn’t know was possible. Lee stuns, giving depth to the textured So-young. One scene she shares with Gang takes place on a Ferris Wheel. The authenticity and chemistry between them is spellbinding. There won’t be a dry eye in the audience. While Kang-ho shines bright as the pseudo-father of this lovable dysfunctional family. He evokes the nostalgia for being the patriarch after his first family has cut ties.

Broker connects universally.

Broker screens at Cannes ’22:

Thu, May 26 at 7:00 PM at GRAND THÉÂTRE LUMIÈRE

Fri, May 27 at 8:30 AM at GRAND THÉÂTRE LUMIÈRE

Fri, May 27 at 9:30 PM at LICORNE

Sat, May 28 at 12:00 PM at CINEUM SCREEN X

Sat, May 28 at 7:15 PM at SALLE BAZIN