My first film at this year's Leeds International Film Festival (LIFF), and there is plenty to discuss.
Rumours is a black comedy and a satire about the Group of Seven (G7), where leaders of the world's wealthiest democracies, such as Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the US, gather for the annual meeting. However, as night falls, they all get abandoned and lost in the woods, soon encountering odd findings in the misty and dark woods.
There is a brilliant movie somewhere in Rumours. The premise alone should make a clever and hilarious apocalyptic political satire where all the leaders of the world get reduced to buffoons. One reviewer compared this to Night of the Living Dead meets Dr. Strangelove.
There are parts in Rumours that work well. Whereas most of it does not.
Firstly, the movie looks excellent. The cinematographer helps give the film an otherworldly look/feel, especially in the nighttime sequences in the woods, and that is by adding glowing colours that you don't usually see in the woods at night.
The movie is littered with commentary, both metaphorical and literal speaking. All the world leaders brainstorm a draft statement in response to a global crisis. All different minds from different kinds of countries. Speaking of minds, later in the film, where things hit the fan, they discover a giant brain sitting in the woods; yep, for real. So, here we have all the brains of world leaders in one place, but when it comes to making the world a better place, the brain power suddenly stops working.
Charles Dances plays the American president in the film, even though he never changes his British accent. I am guessing this is an intentional choice for comedy. This president is lazy and elderly and not fit to be running the country (sound familiar). He falls asleep most of the time, so the others have written the statement for him, and most of his words are taken from his sleep talking. He even uses an American flag napkin.
Some of the humour worked, and I got a chuckle from it. All the actors do a fine job in their roles. Sadly, it is the script that lets them down.
As I said earlier, there is a good movie somewhere here, but the writing needed to be sharper and more work. I did not find most of the humour funny, and after a while, I felt disconnected. Every premise has the potential to be a solid movie. It is the execution that is key.
I eavesdropped on a couple of people's conversations after it was over, where one guy mentioned how there would probably be a film analysis of it on YouTube shortly, and probably right. I can see Ryan Hollinger making a video of it.
Despite not loving it, I still admire how unusual it is.
