THE BEST OF FANTASIA

Commentary by Sergio Martinez

After the pause caused by the pandemic, the Fantasia International Film Festival, in its 26th edition, returned to its on-site format. In its origins, Fantasia was a festival dedicated to Asian productions, especially horror and martial arts films. Over time, and in an attempt to position itself as one of the central film events in Montreal, Fantasia has expanded into other genres, such as action, crime, animation and even some comedy. However, the horror genre still remains its main source of inspiration. Admittedly, it is also the main attraction for its audience.

As far as this columnist is concerned, horror films are not one of my favorite genres, although fantastic films are, which is also one of the main genres on the festival's billboard.

The following is a review of the films that, in this critic's opinion, were the best of the event:

1. Convenience Store - Dir. Satoshi Miki (Japan).

The fascinating thing about this film, is how it plays with different levels of reality, to the point that, at the end, the viewer may have certain doubts about the outcome of the story.

Kato (Ryo Narita) is a screenwriter, apparently not particularly successful or talented. He lives with Zizgag (Yuki Katayama), an aspiring actress. That morning Kato complains that the drug he had taken the night before hadn't left him feeling very well, and so he was in a bad mood. His discomfort is accentuated when Zigzag tells him that he has an audition that morning and therefore he must take care of his dog, Cerberus.

To make matters worse, the animal's food has run out and Kato must go to the neighborhood grocery store to buy him a bottle of the product.

From that moment on, a series of events unfolds, highlighting the director's play with the various levels of reality: there is an unexpected accident at the grocery store while Kato is shopping, but he is also surprised by what appears to be a human figure behind the glass of the refrigerated beverage shelf. At one point he decides to abandon Cerberus, for which he rents a van with which he goes to a secluded place. The vehicle, however, stops working and the only thing nearby is a store that, at first glance, seemed closed. The store, in fact, works and the one who attends it is Keiko (Atsuko Maeda), who offers to help Kato with his vehicle.

Convenience Store, directed by Satoshi Miki,
was—in our opinion—the best movie at Fantasia

A series of events follow in a somewhat unpredictable way: Kato has suddenly become very creative and the film script he sends from his laptop fascinates the production company. At the same time, Zigzag has impressed the producer during her audition and is immediately hired for the film.

Meanwhile, Kato and Keiko find themselves increasingly attracted to each other, even though the young woman is married and her husband is in the middle of the situation as well.

An unpredictable ending and an affirmation of the disturbing interplay of dream perceptions, drug-induced hallucinations and what might be called real life is what we are left with in this splendid film by Japanese director Satoshi Miki. Undoubtedly, in this reviewer's opinion, the best of Fantasia.

2. Seire - Dir. Park Kant (South Korea)

"Seire" is what South Korea calls a superstitious belief that when there is a newborn in a family, none of the members of that household should attend a funeral. Woo-Jin, who has recently become a father, decides to break the taboo and attends the funeral of a former college classmate, Se-young. There is a good reason for him to defy tradition: until recently, Woo-Jin and the girl had been in a relationship. The defiance is going to take its toll on Woo-Jin, in an involving story where the mythical and the multiple realities combine. Another great film at the Fantasia Festival.

3. What to do with a Dead Kaju? - Dir. Satoshi Miki (Japan)

It is unusual for there to be two films by the same director, and above all, for both to be among the best of the whole event. In this sort of satire of disaster and monster movies, director Satoshi Miki also takes the opportunity to take an ironic look at the opportunism of many politicians. The "kaju" is a monster that has plagued Japan, but finally, in a not entirely clear way, ends up dead, and with that the inhabitants of the country can return to normality. However, getting rid of the monster's huge corpse becomes a political problem and a race between the different ministers for profit and notoriety.

4. Incroyable mais vraie - Dir. Quentin Dupieux (France)

The purchase of a new house by the couple Alain (Alain Chabat) and Marie (Lea Drucker) leads to an unexpected outcome. It all begins when they learn that what looks like a sewer drain actually leads back to where they started. Even more intriguing, each time one goes down that passage, it will produce an important change that, especially for Marie, will provoke a special fascination.

   

5. We May As Well Be Dead - Dir. Natalia Sinelnikova (Germany-Romania)

A story that touches on several facets of modern life: the desire for one's own home, communal living in large buildings, and the tendency - even with the fascist aftertaste - to live a strictly regimented life. Anna (Ioanna Iacobi) is in charge of security in the communal building. Everything goes as expected, until the loss of a dog, and the sudden refusal of Anna's daughter to leave the bathroom, where she has confined herself because she claims to be possessed by an evil being, will change the whole environment and make everyone reflect on the meaning of life in this strange and oppressive environment.

Overall, we can conclude that the showcase offered by Fantasia this year was of great quality and effectively positions it as a major event in Montreal, at least as far as horror, fantasy and action films are concerned.