Sidewalken

I’m always a little taken aback when I see religious guilt in a movie. Having, happily, escaped any kind of indoctrination when I was young I always find myself wondering if that’s a thing that actually motivates people’s actions. I guess it is. I think there are quite a few things that others feel that I don’t. The desire for revenge – the motivator of so much fiction – is another.

Even with the religious bits I loved this – amazingly well shot and acted. The exuberant foppishness of the first half gives way to sadness and regret in the second, but I found every moment so compelling.

I did think it was mean of Charles to lead poor Sebastian on like that. Did he truly not pick up on what was happening in his friend’s heart? Different times, I guess.

So it turns that The Mastermind is not showing in Perth at the same time as its general release around the rest of the country is because it’ll be playing as part of the Perth Festival from 1 December to 7 December at the outdoor cinema at UWA.

I’d have preferred to have seen it at a “proper” cinema, but super stoked that I’ll get the chance to see it with an audience. I had begun to despair.

The new Kelly Reichardt film with Josh O’Conner, The Mastermind, is coming out across Australia on 23 October. Yay!

Everywhere except Western Australia.

Wait — what — why?

Far stranger, funnier, and more emotional than I’d expected. Vicky Krieps as Alma is more than a match for Lewis’ Reynolds. Though always ready to stand up for herself, her move to dramatically alter the power balance is unexpected and frightening.

Such a delight to see Lewis get to play charming and funny in the early gush of attraction — a lovely change from the big fearsome man persona of so much of his later work.