{ London Film Fest 2011: Miranda July Masterclass. }

Miranda July Masterclass

"I find time for all forms of procrastination."

It was a shame that I had to leave Miranda July's masterclass before it has ended because I was enjoying it immensely. Whilst her nerves presented as continual self-deprecation, and her speech was littered with "you know, I don't know", she gained confidence as the session went on, and I found I was very interested in her vision, if not also her process.

( Miranda July. )

{ London Film Fest 2011: Martha Marcy May Marlene. }

Martha Marcy May Marlene
Director: Sean Durkin
Writer: Sean Durkin
Cast: Elizabeth Olsen, John Hawkes, Sarah Paulson, Hugh Dancy
Trailer

"You're my favourite. I won't lose you."

Martha Marcy May Marlene is the story of a young woman who escapes from a cult and finds temporary respite in her sister's holiday home. Through a series of flashbacks, we learn about her experiences, whilst in the present day we see how her past has changed her, and how adjusting to the modern world is going to prove difficult.

( Martha Marcy May Marlene. )

{ London Film Fest 2011: Trishna. }

Trishna
Director: Michael Winterbottom
Writer: Thomas Hardy (book)
Cast: Freida Pinto, Riz Ahmed
Trailer

"Thank you, Sir."

Confession: I have not read Tess of the D'Urbervilles. I have, however, read enough literature from the period to know that modern day India is a good setting for the book. I have been telling people for years that being an Indian today is much like living in that period, what with the industrial and technological boom, and the sociological transformation that the subcontinent is undergoing. That's part of the reason why I think the film could have been much better than it was. I didn't think Trishna committed to its subject enough.

Trishna is about a young Indian woman from a family of poor means who falls in love with a British-born Indian, Jay, the son of a hotelier. Her entanglement with Jay leads her on a not-so-merry chase, in and out of financial and personal straits, and across Rajasthan to Mumbai and back. By the story's end she has returned home, wretched in heart, and a disappointment to her father. Suffice to say, it does not end well for her.

( Trishna. )