DVD Review: Piranhas

Piranhas is an exciting film about a group of teenage boys who join a mob family, and spend their days in the streets of Naples, taking money from people they’d at one time hoped to protect. The film sticks closely with the boys, particularly Nicola (Francesco Di Napoli), and we see the world mainly through their eyes. It is almost like a documentary crew followed them in order to show us this world without outside commentary or interference. And, as a result, the film really immerses us in their story, in their lives.

The film opens with a static shot of a tall Christmas tree with lights. After a few moments, two boys enter the frame, with the idea of claiming the tree before a rival gang of boys is able to. And from then on, the camera seems move with them. Is this a game they’re engaged in? Something more serious? Soon they have a bonfire going and are chanting “Quartieri, enemy number one!” It seems mostly like a bit of fun, boys letting off some steam and enjoying each other’s company. But you get a sense there is something much darker in the background of this sort of play. And you can’t help but wonder where the parents and authorities are. Then when Nicola goes to his mother’s shop to get a jacket, he witnesses two thugs shaking her down for a weekly payment. Nicola is clearly bothered by this scene, but can do nothing to stop it. Not yet.

When Nicola and his friends are kept from entering a club, and not because they are underage, which they are, but because they don’t have 500 euros to pay the doorman, they vow to get the money next time. They befriend Agostino, a member of a crime family that is no longer in power, and get a taste for what money can bring them. For some reason, this kids are particularly excited about wristwatches, and end up robbing a jewelry store with a fake gun in order to get their hands on some. But that ends up getting them into trouble with the ruling crime family. Relatively undaunted by their encounter, the kids ask to work for them, and begin by dealing drugs. They take their jobs quite seriously, even scaring off another guy who tries to sell in what they call their territory. And they use their money to get into that club. It’s hard to keep from thinking these kids are kind of pathetic. How important is it to get into clubs and to wear expensive sneakers? But that is their world, a world without positive role models, a world without much compassion, a world without school or structure, a world without bigger dreams. And soon these boys are acting tough, with Nicola doing it in part to impress a pretty girl named Letizia (Viviana Aprea), and then collecting payments from shop owners, and wanting to take over the neighborhood themselves. Yet, they are still children, and we see it when they act goofy, taking photos of themselves with their cell phones while posing with guns and so on.

The film moves at a fast pace, just as their lives seem to do, and we get caught up in this world, just as these kids do. A world than can be beautiful and enticing at moments, but also overwhelming, dangerous and ugly, and always interesting.

Special Features

The DVD contains a featurette on the making of the film, which includes interviews with director Claudio Giovanessi and cast member Francesco Di Napoli, as well as some footage shot during production. The special features also include a short interview with writer Roberto Saviano, who talks about the background of the story. And there is footage from a question and answer session at Berlinale, featuring the film’s director, writer, producers and some cast members. who talk about the reality behind the story of the film. The film’s trailer is also included.

Piranhas was directed by Claudio Glovannesi, and was released on DVD on January 14, 2020 through Music Box Films. It is presented in its original Italian, with English subtitles.

DVD Review: By The Grace Of God

By The Grace Of God is a powerful film about a group of men who work to get the Catholic Church to remove a priest who abused them as children. It stars Melvil Poupaud, Denis Menochet and Swann Arlaud, and was directed by François Ozon (who also directed Swimming  Pool and Young & Beautiful). While a title card at the beginning states it is a work of fiction, this film is based on real events, and takes place over a period of two and a half years.

When the film opens, we are introduced to Alexandre Guerin (Melvil Poupaud), a married man in his forties. And actually, he introduces himself to us in voice over, as we see his family preparing to go out. He tells us of running into a friend who asked him, “Did Father Preynat fondle you too?” And then he asks, “Did you know?” It is such an unsettling question, because it feels like he is addressing us, especially because at this point we don’t know to whom he has written his letter. It feels like we are complicit somehow, which is interesting, because as the movie progresses we learn how a lot of people did know – or at least suspected – without doing much, or anything, to stop it, and how some of them regret their inaction. We also hear the official response from Cardinal Barbarin, a response that seems to not brush off what happened, a response that seems to offer help.

And thus begins Alexandre’s journey, one of both hope and mounting frustration. A meeting is arranged between him and the priest, and while the priest does not deny anything, and even admits that he abused many other boys, he also does not ask for forgiveness or agree to Alexandre’s demand that he admit publicly what he has done. He puts concerns of his own safety over the welfare of his victims. While Alexandre wants the priest to ask for forgiveness, he isn’t certain he could give it. As he and the priest, along with a mediator, pray together, it is clear that this has not eased Alexandre’s suffering, or relieved him of his anger. It is an intense moment. And it is only the beginning of his quest for some justice, for some peace. And this quest soon involves other men, other families, and the film follows their stories as well. François Debord (Denis Menochet) and Emmanuel Thomassin (Swann Arlaud) take up the fight, and are able to actually press charges, since for them the statute of limitations has not yet expired.

As fascinating as their struggle is, I find the reactions of the various families react to the news of the abuse to be equally engaging. Alexandre’s wife and children are supportive, and his oldest sons even go to the cardinal on behalf of their father. His parents, on the other hand, are not at all supportive, and are actually quite dismissive, even awful, to him regarding the issue. And we see how the abuse has not only affected the men, but also their families. When Alexandre’s children are told, one of them asks, “Is that why we don’t go to scouts?” “Yes,” Alexandre answers.

The story, as you can imagine, is compelling, and even the first section of the film, when much of the information is delivered in voice over, is completely riveting. The film contains brief flashbacks as certain characters remember events from their childhood, and these scenes are unsettling, infuriating and even heartbreaking. The performances are all excellent, including that by Bernard Verley as the priest who assaulted the boys. Because of the story, but also because of these performances, By The Grace Of God is a film that will stay with you.

Special Features

The DVD contains several special features, including a question and answer session with film director François Ozon, François Devaux, who was one of the victims, and Yves Baumgarten, a representative of the Catholic Church in Lyon, and actually the person who replaced Barbarin. François Ozon talks a bit about the project, and how he came to make a film addressing this subject, including his choice for keeping the real names of those involved. Yves Baumgarten is honest about the church’s failings. From the moment we get the first question from the audience, it is clear this will be no ordinary film Q&A. This question and answer session was held on April 6, 2019, and this feature is approximately thirty-seven minutes.

There are also several deleted scenes, including two flashbacks to the victims’ childhoods, and a scene in which Father Preynat receives a plate for his service to the parish and then presents the children of the parish each with a small statue. Also included are short pieces on recording the film’s score and the costume tests, as well as a photo gallery and the film’s trailer.

By The Grace Of God was released on DVD on March 3, 2020 through Music Box Films.

DVD Review: Seasons

While most of us are spending these days inside to avoid contracting the coronavirus, it seems a good time to enjoy a gorgeous film about wildlife, and the importance of preserving it. Seasons was directed by the filmmakers who gave us the incredible Winged Migration. Like that documentary, this film contains some absolutely astonishing footage of animals in their natural habitat, and allows us to get to know them as characters before introducing the intrusion of man.

Early in the film there are peaceful and beautiful shots of a world that we all fear is disappearing. It is magical and delightful, even comical, like the series of shots of birds talking to one another. Honestly, there are several shots that made me laugh out loud, such as those birds peeking out from the holes in the tree, making me think of a reclusive neighbor watching the world through her window. We can almost read the birds’ thoughts, as those shots are combined with shots of the birth of a deer. Another shot that made me laugh out loud is that of the bird poking its head out of the water. It caught me by surprise. That entire sequence is a joy to watch. One of the most delightful sequences is of young birds jumping down from their nest and then following their mother along the forest’s floor. There are several shots of animals with their young, feeding them, taking care of them, as well as looking for food and even playing. And the way the film is cut, it is almost like some animals are being entertained by others, and there is a sense of everything being connected.

The film is full of dramatic moments too, such as those wild horses. And there are even some action sequences, as when a pack of wolves chases down a wild boar. The shots during the heavy rain storm are wonderful. And yes, there many shots that left me wondering how they managed to place the camera in exactly the right spot. How did they manage to get those reverse shots? What is also striking is the soundtrack provided by the animals. There is a wonderful musical score too, but the sounds of the animals are so distinct and expressive, you’d swear they were actors following a script.

Every once in a while, the film shows us glimpses of a person. At first, it is someone hidden, who is watching the animals, just as we are. But then mankind creeps in more and more, and we see someone chopping wood. These moments, of course, are staged, and so at first pull me out of the film. The people feel intrusive in what is the real story of nature. But of course that is the very point. The people feel unwelcome, both in the world of the forest and the world of the film. Trees are chopped down, as the advance of man continues. And whereas once the horses were wild, now they are ridden by men. Particularly moving and distressing is the footage of the hedgehogs putting up their natural defense at the sign of danger, just as we’d seen them do successfully earlier in the film, not understanding this new threat is beyond their defenses. They curl up into sharp balls on a road, as a horse pulling a carriage comes barreling down on them. It seems that the carriage does run over one of them, but a credit at the end states, “No animals were harmed in the making of this film.” Some of these later scenes did make me wonder just how much of the animal footage was staged.

Seasons does contain some narration, but it is kept to a minimum, and most of the action is allowed to play out without comment. As mankind begins to take over, the narrator tells us, “The golden age of the forest is over.” The forests begin to disappear and large animals abandon their territory. The narrator says: “Man has become a climatological force. He modifies nature and the seasons.” The message is that if people can build magnificent cities, they should also be capable of preserving nature, and should apply their energy to that endeavor. And the film does offer hope at the end, with the narrator saying, “It’s not too late.” Let’s hope he’s right.

Special Features

The DVD contains several special features, including Through The Seasons: Behind The Scenes, a documentary on the making of the film. It opens with footage of them shooting one of the early scenes with a human character, showing us the way it was staged and directed. We also see that many of the birds that appear in this film were trained, or at least acquainted with the people involved before shooting began. The same goes for many of the other animals. Particularly interesting is how they raised a lynx and fawn together in order to get a certain chase scene. Also interesting is the machine they built in order to capture the footage of animals running through the forest. We learn how these filmmakers achieved many of those incredible shots. This documentary also contains interviews with Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud, and others involved in the making of the film, particularly those responsible for the animals. Cluzaud tells us, “We want the film to be like a fable.” This behind-the-scenes look is approximately fifty-three minutes, and is nearly as fascinating as the film itself.

The special features also include a filmmaker panel discussion, which is conducted in English. They talk about the precarious state of our natural world, and about the need to be close to the animals in order to tell the story they wished to tell. They also do talk about achieving the sound, something that wasn’t really addressed in the behind-the-scenes documentary. This is approximately sixteen and a half minutes. There is also a featurette on the film’s score, as well as a series of five short promotional featurettes whose footage seems to be taken from Through The Seasons. Also included are a photo gallery and the film’s trailer.

Seasons was directed by Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud, and was released on DVD on February 21, 2017 through Music Box Films. It is presented in its original French, with English subtitles.