The 2021 Glasgow Film Festival has officially begun and I am so excited for everyone to get a chance to see some of these amazing films. Even though the press embargo has altered since my last update, I still plan on keeping these reviews coming after their premiere. On the first day of the festival, there were two films that showed. One of them I saw before the festival began but I am excited in particular to share my review of it and get more people to appreciate what is to come. The other film that showed yesterday is a different story but nevertheless, it is time for my reviews of the films from Day 1 of GFF.
Minari
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Writer: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Steven Yeun, Yeri Han, Alan S. Kim
Synopsis: A Korean family starts a farm in 1980s Arkansas.
Drawing from his own experiences and his relationship with his father, Chung tells the story of a family of South Korean immigrants who are trying to make a living in America during the 1980s. Told through the eyes of David (Alan S. Kim), we see the relationship between him and the rest of his family, particularly his father (Steven Yeun) and his grandmother (Youn Yuh-jung).
It is so easy to fall in love with the aesthetics of the film. The cinematography is stunning, the score is so beautiful and the production design brings this world. It is such an easy and enjoyable watch, and that goes beyond the aesthetics of it. The story, which is half-autobiographical, is so compelling and every single character is fleshed out. They all feel like real people, and that is because of the tight script that gives them all personality and inner conflict within the larger narrative. Not only that, but every single performance in the film is strong – including the child actors.
There are moments that will make you laugh and there are moments that will make you cry. This is a beautiful tale of a universal subject matter and emphasises the hope of the American dream. Whilst we may not speak of it in the same way in this day and age, many of us still want a life that is filled with joy, as well as stability. This is a story that anyone can relate to, and one that once again shows the importance of embracing films not in the English language. As Parasite’s Bong Joon-ho said at the Golden Globes last year, “once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to many more amazing films”.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Creation Stories
Director: Nick Moran
Writers: Dean Cavanagh, Irvine Welsh
Starring: Jason Isaacs, Suki Waterhouse, Paul Kaye
Synopsis: Creation Stories tells the unforgettable tale of infamous Creation Records label head Alan McGee; and of how one written-off young Glaswegian upstart rose to irrevocably change the face of British culture.
I hate to say it, but my first official watch at Glasgow Film Festival was a mess from start to finish. I do want to say that I appreciate the nostalgia ride that Creation Stories explore, and there is the basis for a strong story within it. The montage clips near the end with Alan McGee’s biggest record signing, Oasis, will certainly have fans of the band excited, as the story does delve into the idea of their political beliefs and how they communicated through their music and award speeches.
A lot of the film is poorly made, with so many creative choices making the editing overbearing. The writing had a lack of focus, making it hard for me to connect with any character or to even care about the journey that the story was taking me on. The performances, whilst not horrible, did nothing to elevate the script or make me feel compelled about the story, and I actually preferred when real-life montage footage was edited into the film. It added some sort of weight and truth to this narrative and gave me something to refer back to, a thing that was lacking in the script.
It takes so long to develop that idea and the rest of the film struggles to have structure. I am not sure if there is much I could recommend outside of the production and for die-hard Alan McGee or Oasis fans. I do think there was potential here if the film stripped away from the over-the-top editing style and focused on a few focal points. Instead, this is what we ended up with and I have no intention of ever watching it again.
Rating: 2 out of 5.
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