Bergman Island (Mia Hansen-Løve, 2021) wr. Mia Hansen-Løve; Tim Roth, Vicki Krieps, Mia Wasikowski
Perfect film for someone like me who has a long-standing interest in narrative and also owns a copy of every film made by Ingmar Bergman.
The narrative interest is in the nesting arrangement of Chris's film inside Mia's film about film-maker Chris, outside of which is her Mia's own real life as a film-maker (who has lived with not just one but two male film-makers [Olivier Assayas and Laurent Perreau] as does Chris (Krieps) with Tony (Roth). Both leads in Chris's film turn up at the end of Mia's film, as by then Chris's film has been completed. This is not logical, but it not meant to be, as the film is 'about' the creative process etc. which involves fantasy and imagination.
It's additionally weird that two female lead actresses's names are Mia (Hansen-Løve's own name) and Vicky (her daughter's name). The name thing reminds me (somewhat irrelevantly) of Altman's Images (1972) in which characters have actors' names and vice versa.
The Bergman interest is signalled in the title - which flagrantly sells the film to every would-be cineaste (in the English language sense of the word) - as none of us could possibly resist the desire to see a film set on Farö, where Bergman lived and died, and even in his own house, ditto.
As well as all that, it's also very nice to look at the scenery and beautiful young naked bodies.
What's to not like?
McKibbin, Anthony, 'Respecting the Lives of Others: Bergman Island, Hommage and Anaïs in Love', Sight & Sound, August 2022.
reviews | Garry Gillard | New: 25 January, 2022 | Now: 6 August, 2022