Sydney Film Festival 2025 - Film Review - It was just an accident

It was an accident film still

Iranian director and screenwriter, Jafar Panahi has brought an Iranian style road movie to the screen broaching a subject with an intense moral dilemma but one which many people in many conflict zones must confront. What does the a victim of torture do, if the opportunity to take revenge against their tormentor inadvertantly becomes possible ?

This moral dilemma is presented clearly in this film with the story commencing late one night when a worker recognises the owner of a broken down car as being the intelligence agent who had tortured him many years previously when he was arrested for a protest. The worker takes it upon himself to track down the agent and kidnap him with the intention of exacting revenge. Having completed the abduction, the worker finds self doubt creeps into his actions and he then seeks out other victims of the agent (including a soon-to-be-married bride) to verify he has abducted the correct man and then to resolve what to do. The reactions of the different victims who are now confronted with this situation forms the bulk of the film.

Panahi adds some comedic relief to the film in parts which lessens the intensity of the storyline, nevertheless the choice between forgiveness and retribution remains the central focus. As a film maker Panahi has also experienced the power of the Iranian state having his films banned and being imprisoned himself.

'It was just an accident' was awarded the Sydney Prize by the festival jury at the 2025 Sydney Film Festival. The film also won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2025.

Evaluation:

Production values: 9/10

Narrative and direction: 10/10

Cast: 8/10

Sydney Film Festival 2025 - Film Review - Orwell 2+2=5

Orwell 2+2=5 still slide

George Orwell's writings, particularly his diary and his acclaimed books, Animal Farm and 1984 are the focus of this film which seeks to apply the Orwellian observations to current international events. Documentary director and producer, Raoul Peck traverses Orwell's life from childhood to his experiences in Burma (as a colonial policeman), his participation in the Spanish Civil War and the progress of his writing. Current illustrations and examples which support Orwell's warnings (Trump, Musk, Putin and the war on Ukraine etc) are interspersed with quotations. 

The chief weakenss of this film is the seemingly random nature of drawing quotes from different Orwell sources then connecting with a variety of film clips from multiple sources including feature films with no direct Orwell connection. Constantly jumping from his diary to book quotes to film scripts often blurs the examples of the messages being conveyed.  The film has very high production values and has been carefully researched but it lacks a discipline in structural continuity to assist with easy viewing and comprehension.

Nonetheless the central message conveyed is that Orwell's warnings about totalitarianism and authoritarianism was very prescient and remains as relevant today as when he was first published.

Evaluation:

Production values: 10/10

Narrative and direction: 5/10

Cast: 7/10

Sydney Film Festival 2025 - Film Review - The Blue Trail

The Blue Trail - Rodrigo Santoro and Denise Weinberg

 

Screenwriter and Director, Gabriel Mascaro has provided a dystopian alternate fate for older citizens in this Amazon River 'road' movie set only a few years into the future. In this world, older citizens are relocated to a housing colony by the Government upon reaching old age (around 75). Failure to comply with the edict leads to be rounded up by civil authorities and detained before being given care backpacks and loaded onto buses. Wearing of adult diapers is mandatory before departing on the buses. 

Against this reality,  77 year old Tereza (Denise Weinberg) decides she will not be left to this fate and does a runner. She cannot buy any transport tickets for air or boat without the approval of an authorised family member who is designated her guardian (in this case her daughter) so she resorts to finding her own transport. She begins her journey through the Amazon's rivers and tributaries meeting a colourful cast of characters from a skipper (Rodrigo Santoro) of an Amazon smuggling boat (who introduces her to a psychedelic blue liguid from a snail and shows her how to run the boat) to a digital bible-selling woman running her own floating pulpit along the river.   

Mascaro's story is innovative with the stunning imagery of the Amazon as the backdrop. The anti-authoritarion theme is balanced with various playful surprises as Tereza makes good her escape.

Evaluation:

Production values: 10/10

Narrative and direction: 7/10

Cast: 8/10

Sydney Film Festival 2025 - Film Review - Vie Privee

Still from Vie Privee - Jodie Foster 

Described as a "gently comic murder mystery", Vie Privee is more absurdist than funny and somewhat muddled in the construction of the parts that form the storyline. With the well established and experienced principal actors (being Jodie Foster, Daniel Auteuil, Mathieu Almaric and Virginie Elfira) and a half decent story idea, it's surprising the film comes across as patently serious and misses most of the comedic elements, if there are any.  

In terms of the story, psychiatrist Lilian Steiner (Jodie Foster) is annoyed that her patient of the past nine years, Paula (Virginie Efira) has failed to appear for her sessions. She is horrified to learn her patient is dead and becomes convinced that Paula's husband (Mathieu Almaric) has murdered Paula. She seeks guidance from a hypnotist and engages her ex-husband (Daniel Auteil) to help investigate her theory.  

Jodie Foster is a very experienced French speaker although she has appeared in a very small number of French language films. Her intensity of presence however is not one that lends itself easily to comedy. Likewise the script does not provide much in the way of comedic relief and only Daniel Auteuil's character has softer dialogue. In general the characters appear more neurotic than amusing throughout the film.

Recommended viewing when perservance is possible.

Evaluation:

Production values: 9/10

Narrative and direction: 6/10

Cast: 8/10

Sydney Film Festival 2025 - Film Review - Mr Nobody Against Putin

Mr Nobody against Putin -  Pavel Talakin

Russian school teacher, Pavel "Pasha" Talakin enjoyed his job teaching at a primary school in the small Russian town of Karabash, famous only for its polluting copper smelter, the largest in Russia. Everything changed when Russia invaded Ukraine and the war began. The Russian state started to increasingly intervene into the curriculum and classrooms promoting nationalism and the war to the dismay of Talakin. Determined to ensure this situation was both documented and opposed, Talakin filmed the events as they occured eventually leading to police surveillance of his activities until he was forced to flee his country. 

His film documents the progressive requirements placed on teachers to recite propaganda against the West and Ukraine, the institution of military training for children and the shock appearance of uniformed Wagner mercenaries to provide weapons instruction to the school children. As the timeline of the film progresses, the sadness of former school graduates being killed in action in the war emerges. This is a heartfelt, sentimental and personal voyage documented by Talakin and serves again to reinforce the tragedy that authoritarian regimes can inflict on their communities.

Often filmed using a handheld camera, the documentary had post production assistance including historical footage added once Talakin reached the West.

Evaluation:

Production values: 9/10

Narrative and direction: 8/10

Cast: 9/10

Sydney Film Festival 2025 - Film Review - The Golden Spurtle

Still from The Golden Spurtle 

An Australian documentary team led by director and screenwriter, Constantine Conti travelled to the Scottish highlands community of Carrbridge to film the annual World Porridge Making Championship and what a charming film has emerged. This is a well-paced, nicely constructed documentary with a clear narrative and progressive action as contestants prepare and then engage in the contest to win the trophy of the Golden Spurtle. Context and background information are neatly woven into the interviews with a collection of colourful eccentric personalities from both the local organising committee and the participants. This documentary is uplifting, funny and a joy to watch.

Evaluation:

Production values: 10/10

Narrative and direction: 10/10

Cast: 10/10

Sydney Film Festival 2025

 
The Sydney Film Festival is currently running in Sydney from the 4th to the 15th June 2025. Now in its 72nd year, the festival has continued to develop and consolidate as a multi-venue event and at various times has between 13 and 18 venues screening films simultaneously. Traversing across various genres, the films are mainly recent and new releases with additional retrospective programs focussed on one particular film director (this year its American director, Elaine May) and specialist restoration films (this year, "Classics Restored").

The festival website: Sydney Film Festival