Every year, we wait with bated breath to see what the line-up for this year’s Chicago International Film Festival will be. Can they possibly outdo last year’s selections? What gems have they found for us to view? In its 52nd year, the Chicago International Film Festival shows no signs of stopping. This year, the festival is bookended by two films that have gotten so much buzz at festivals around the world, that there are probably Oscars in their future. The greatest thing about this longstanding film festival is that it isn’t just about the films like La La Land and Arrival, but the unbelievable films from around the world. Here is a preview of a few of my absolute favorites so far. Don’t forget to check out their entire programming and get tickets for all the film that catch your attention. They will likely sell out soon!
24 Weeks
This film is a completely moving piece of cinematic empathy. It deals with the hardships like having an unexpected pregnancy when, medically, it is considered a “geriatric” pregnancy. Then it deals with getting the prognosis that there is a very high chance that the child will be born with Down syndrome. Add to that the monumental stress of being presented the option for abortion. All of this is an overwhelming amount to deal with in private, but nothing is private when you are a public figure. Astrid is a comedian, so there are some comedic moments mixed into the tense atmosphere to create some levity between the dire drama. This film will take you on a moralistic roller coaster ride that will make you question your own choice if put in a similar situation. The film manages to walk the tightrope between pro-choice and pro-life views so well that each opposing side will be able to understand and empathize with the opposing sides.
Elle
I can only imagine that director Paul Verhoeven takes some sadistic pleasure in knowing that in a theater somewhere, the audience is squirming in their seats and laughing uncomfortably as their work their way through his wonderful character study. Remind me to that him for that next time I see him. Verhoeven ventures where few directors even dare to tread, bringing to life this story with a very taboo beginning and even odder developments still to come. This thriller has nostalgic elements that feel very Old Hollywood and Hitchcockian, but are used in an uncompromising and unconventional way. This film’s reach is only matched by its ambition, and its ambition reached peaks few films dare only dream of achieving. Armed with a focused vision, actress Isabelle Huppert takes command of the story and brings us a complex character that we can empathize with as much as we can judge harshly. Huppert delivers an amazing performance and provides an anchor for a film that could easily have drifted away.
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Paterson
Jim Jarmusch delivers this thoughtfully minimal, poetic piece of cinema that perfectly encapsulates the working class artist, using his art to navigate the repetitive mundanity of life. The visual style and story are bereft of any pomp or pretension, leaving it to rely on the naturalism of the characters and the interactions in their environment. Loosely based and slightly modeled around William Carlos Williams’ epic poem “Paterson”,the film uses its main character Paterson (Adam Driver), a bus driver, to explore the city through his prose, all while personalizing it. Driver delivers a honed and nuanced performance that compliments the film’s overall tone and adds a layer of honesty and authenticity.
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We Are The Flesh
Nothing is taboo or deemed too grotesque for this film to touch upon. It has an undeniably visceral visual style that will likely sear some images into your mind for days to come. I could describe, in gory detail, everything I liked, disliked and was utterly disgusted by while watching this, but this film is something that needs to be watched rather than talked about. Beware of all the awkward eye contact you will likely make with strangers as you’re leaving the theater having experienced everything this film has to offer.
Things to Come
Philosophy is something that has been argued for centuries. Postulating each other’s point through arguments and hypothetical situations. What happens when you are forced to practice what you preach? Writer/Director Mia Hansen-Love and actress Isabelle Huppert team up to deliver a ponderous film about the monumental changes that you never expect to come later in life. Through Huppert’s amazing performance we witness how a life-changing upheaval caused by divorce, death, and politics can shake someone out of complacency and make them re-examine what they actually believe in. Hansen-Love turns this philosophy-filled film about different points of view into an engaging character study that speaks to us on a level we can all painfully relate to.
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