How Much Honesty Is The Best Policy?

What Marielle Knows

What Marielle Knows Rating

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What Marielle Knows is a part of Melbourne’s German Film Festival for 2025. It was selected and screened at the Berlinale this year and follows parents Julia and Tobias when they discover that their daughter can see and hear everything they do, whether she is with them or not. The film is advertised as a comedy, however I think it would be better suited to a dark comedy label, dabbling very closely with drama. The film centres on the married couple and how through discovering their daughter’s sudden telepathic abilities, the fragile foundations of their relationship start to crumble and teeter them dangerously close to divorce.

The film tackles a lot in its 86 minute run time, which makes for a really engaging watch. On the surface What Marielle Knows is looking at lying, where the line is, what does honesty mean when compared to truth, and how much of the truth we should share with the people in our lives. Underneath that, it interrogates family dynamics, how each parent has a distinctly different connection with the same child and how this can be manipulated by either parent. It looks at the plain and simple morality of a child and tries to apply those black and white notions to complicated, more mature feelings.

At the bottom of the iceberg, the film is an exploration of the lessons parents teach their kids, commenting on how although they don’t see every action their parents take, there will always be a follow through of emotional consequences. I enjoyed the way the film brought each of these themes up. It felt as though director Frédéric Hambalek thought carefully about each when embedding them into the film’s narrative.

What did divert this understanding for me, was little attention the film paid to Marielle herself. Her parents are the main characters and in many ways Marielle serves as the antagonist, so it was an interesting creative choice to only really examine her reactions through the slow motion, rainbow dyed frames of her that were inserted between moments like title cards. It didn’t do a disservice to the story, as it focused on parental guilt and the pressures of trying to be a good parent and what that even means, but it did make me itch for a version of events told from her eyes, how she’s reacting to some of the more intense moments Julia and Tobias experience.

The greatest highlight of the film to me was the performances. Julia Jentsch, who played Julia, Felix Kramer who portrayed Tobias and Laeni Geiseler who was Marielle, all really brought their characters to life in a way that really allowed me to empathise with all of them. Felix Kramer in particular really shone to me, he conveyed a man on the brink of a nervous breakdown with such careful restraint; the whole film I was waiting to watch the delicate wire he perched his character on snap. Together, the cast had fantastic chemistry, despite their differing physical appearances, they really felt like a believable family unit.

As equally empathetic each character felt to the audience, I thought it was an interesting choice to make Julia’s character into the villain towards the end of the film. The film and Marielle gave Tobias much more grace for his actions, but gave Julia the most work to overcome. I didn’t necessarily resonate with this aspect of the story, considering how much Tobias consistently abused her trust throughout the film, however I do think that beneath this is an interesting discussion of where the line is when it comes to telling the ‘truth’.

For a comedy, this film packs its themes in air tight and gives the viewer plenty to chew on through a unique and original concept.

To book tickets to What Marielle Knows, or any other films in the German Film Festival, please visit https://germanfilmfestival.com.au/.

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Ocean: With David Attenborough

OCEAN with DAVID ATTENBOROUGH

OCEAN with DAVID ATTENBOROUGH Rating

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8

UNMISSABLE. That was the first word shouting out loudly in my head when thinking about how I would tell people what I thought of ‘OCEAN with DAVID ATTENBOROUGH’.

This PHENOMENAL film is so much more than watching ‘nature’ and hearing the now 99 year old’s famous ‘voiceover’ we have grown to expect and appreciate in any of his documentaries.

The movie ‘OCEAN’ is, in parts, like a horror movie. Thankfully however, in other parts, a lifeline of information; a jaw-dropping visual learning experience that only the superpowers of David Attenborough and his team could present on big screens across the world.

You must see it on the big screen. It is a production piece like you have never seen before. It contains material never seen before. No matter how knowledgeable you are in ‘saving our planet’, you will undoubtedly learn things you did not know about in detail. You will be shocked. You will be hopeful. This movie will change your view of everything about our planet and our future. For sure, you will never look at the ocean in the same way again.

The legendary Sir Attenborough says himself that he would find it difficult to believe a dreaded fate was inevitable if it wasn’t for just one thing; the ocean can rebuild itself, if we let it. We must. We must protect it.

We must tell as many people as possible to go and see this movie. We must act. We must communicate to everyone in government who can help make the right decisions to make changes to laws worldwide and plead with them to act now. Hence my review – if just one more person sees this movie because they are curious – one more person may pray and tell another… and so on….. we all have to do something. We can at least all do something small to help something so big!

Next month in June, leaders across world nations will meet in France at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference and vote on whether or not to effectively protect 30% of our oceans. In the world currently that percentage is less than 3%!!! How can this be? How can we NOT be already adequately protecting the vast ecosystems our planet needs to thrive?

How can it be legal for huge 24/7 factory-like ships to trawl through and totally decimate stunningly beautiful underwater landscapes in minutes that have taken hundreds of years to grow, as if they were using a hoe over a garden bed to take out a few weeds in the backyard? This practice is, put simply, MADNESS!

The planet, in some form, may ultimately survive, but we as a species may not. Unassumingly stated by an interviewee in the movie, this was what my daughter and I somberly took away from our time sitting together in awe at The Waverley Cinema in Pinewood. A lovely little local cinema (which I grew up visiting as a child and still with cheap tickets) delivered the most powerful message I have ever heard in a movie anywhere. I said that to the door attendant on the way out and he replied ‘that’s what everyone has said’.

Like everyone else, I don’t need any study background or a degree in marine biology to tell me that I want my children’s great-grandchildren to have a healthy planet to live on – don’t we all want that?

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIZAdCtKT_g

NOTE: The Waverley Cinema, 41 Centreway, Pinewood Shopping Centre, Mt. Waverley is part of the Showbiz group of cinemas and offers not only traditional movie viewing of all the latest and favourites on their four screens, but also group deals, fundraising opportunities and special events.

Check them out: https://waverley.showbizcinemas.com.au

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The Door-To-Door Bookstore: German Film Festival 2025

The Door-to-Door Bookstore

The Door-to-Door Bookstore Rating

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This heartwarming film is a beautiful reminder of the goodness in humanity and the power of unlikely friendships (and books!).

Based on the novel of the same name by Carston Henn, the story follows Carl, an older gentleman. Carl’s job involves walking around the town (in Aachen, Germany), delivering books to a variety of interesting people.

Carl is an awkward, shy, but kind man, drenched in loneliness, and obsessed by books. So much so, that he refers to his regular clients by the nicknames he has (sometimes not so secretly) ascribed to them; based on fictional book characters, who each have their own quirks.

Nine-year-old Schascha has just moved to the town. In dealing with her own sadness in losing her mother, she also finds solace in books and reading.

Schascha begins to follow Carl on his daily book delivery, and an unlikely friendship develops. The two main characters end up working together to make some big, positive changes in the lives of the people Carl delivers his books to. As well as for themselves.

This enchanting story is full of themes of friendship, community, and embracing differences. It highlights the importance of kindness in humanity and community, and is a great reminder of the power of books and reading.

This is a wonderful film that the whole family will enjoy! The acting is brilliant from the entire cast. The cinematography is stunning for what is in essence quite a simple but powerful story of humanity.

Note that the film is in German, with subtitles in English.

The German Film Festival runs from 30 April to 28 May. To book tickets to The Door-to-Door Bookstore, or to any other films in the festival, please visit https://germanfilmfestival.com.au/.

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Persian Film Festival: The Great Yawn of History

The Great Yawn of History

The Great Yawn of History Rating

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The Great Yawn of History is a multi-layered debut piece written and directed by Aliyar Rasti, featuring as part of the 11th Persian Film Festival, Australia. Opening in Sydney and then touring both Melbourne and Armidale from the 24th of April to the 11th of May 2025, the program includes an official competition of feature and short film categories, which culminates in the Festival Jury presenting the Golden Gazelle Award to the best film in each section.

Staring Mohammed Aghebati known for When There Were Trees (2023) A Hero (2021), They (2018) and as the Director for 1001 Frames (2025), and Amirhossein Hosseini, an Iranian actor and visual artist, known for his diverse performances in cinema and theatre, The Great Yawn of History follows the journey of Beitollah (Mohammed Aghebati), a religious man who experiences constant and vivid dreams of finding gold coins at the end of a dark cave.

His religious beliefs mean that recovery of this lost treasure is haram, or more specifically, ‘sinful’, and therefore religiously forbidden in Islam. Due to this, Beitollah engages the assistance of the agnostic Shoja (Amirhossein Hosseini) to travel with him as he grapples with his ethical, moral and religious beliefs.

Throughout their journey, both actors bring different energies to the roles as they unpack the complex and specific character types – Aghebati expertly delivers an overbearing, sharp and to-the-point performance while Hosseini’s burdened posture translates into a believable portrayal of the worn-out and sceptical companion.

Iran’s staggering unemployment is also reflected in the manner in which Shoja is chosen for the task as Beitollah drops fake $100 bills on the street knowing that only a non-believer would pick up money found in this way, leading to the paradox lying at the heart of the storytelling – a contrasting moral dilemma – just the thing needed to ensure a successful and purposeful outcome.

Rasti combines faith and superstition with visually engaging cinematography that effectively displays the harsh landscape of Iran, providing the viewer with insight into its reality. Some prior knowledge of the Muslim religious belief system may be advantageous for a deeper connection to this meditative journey; however, this is not a ‘must’ to be able to discern the conflict of the opposing beliefs that are portrayed in this partnership and journey.

The Great Yawn of History is a slow and steady burn full of multidimensional layers.

The Persian Film Festival will run from 24 April to 11 May 2025 in Sydney, Melbourne, and Armidale. For session details and to book tickets to this and other films, please visit https://www.persianfilmfestival.com.

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