Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1204548
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 26 JANUARY 2020 9 FILM ENVIRONMENT Yes, a discordant set of con- cerns, but the very mix is red- olent of both an accurate rep- resentation of a damaged psyche and Eggers's own ability to squeeze in rare but clear dollops of black humour into an other- wise deliberate trip down the murky alleyways of a tortured psyche (or is that two)? Shot in gorgeous black and white with an aspect ratio that recalls the silent film era, Eggers succeeds in using these tricks to his favour without allow- ing himself to fall into the style over substance trap. Much like Quentin Tarantino's 'Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood' channelled the film-maker's ob- sessive nostalgia into something positive, helping to create a ful- ly immersive storyworld, so do Eggers's stylistic choices here contribute to a 'hand-made' ef- fect that increases the sense of fragility and threat that encom- passes the enclosed universe oc- cupied by Winslow and Wake. It feels like a tactile world, which then makes the ensuing weird- ness all the more disturbing when it does intrude. But of course, a two-hand- er is likely to sink or swim (no pun intended) on the strength of its central performances, and no sinking is allowed here. Defoe is reliably excellent as the grouchy old sea salt, speak- ing in a sometimes baffling but beautifully scripted period-ap- propriate dialogue, which he's sometimes allowed to expand upon with gloriously over-the- top monologues whose Shake- spearean gravity is undercut by an inherent absurdity that lies within. Meanwhile, Pattin- son continues his post-Twilight winning streak, taking on a role by turns tortured and repellent; an always-wobbly narrator who grows all but entirely unreliable towards the end. THE LIGHTHOUSE LIGHT MY WAY DARKNESS/LIGHT/DARKNESS SNUFFED OUT BLACKOUT ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ For most people, spiders are the stuff of nightmares, and statistically one of the things humans fear most. Pity, considering what silk-spin- ning marvels these animals are. We have hundreds of species in Malta, one of our largest being the banded argiope (M. brimba rrigata). First recorded at Għadira nature reserve in 2003, the species was subse- quently reported from several other areas. The female's body can grow to a respectable 25mm, not including the long spindly black-and-or- ange legs. They spin sturdy large orb webs – usually in gaps in leafy shrubs – wherein they trap insects and other bugs, their favourite prey appearing to be wasps. If winters are not too wild and windy, females can survive into the following spring. But just in case tragedy strikes, they wisely lay a couple of egg batches, which the mothers diligently enclose in neat sik pouches and suspend near their web. Text: Victor Falzon Photo: Desirée Falzon 696. BANDED ARGIOPE Land, ahoy? Willem Defoe and Robert Pattinson deliver blistering performances in Robert Eggers's follow-up feature to 2015's The Witch Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation - www.foemalta.org/donate GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 594 Find out more: www.foemalta.org/goodfood The verdict While it may not yield ob- vious pleasures for those looking for a relaxing time at the movies, Robert Eggers's second feature after the equally jolting and hypnot- ically beautiful 'The Witch' certainly stands as a fresh and much-needed balm against the plethora of made- to-measure franchise entries and remakes that plague our screens. The Lighthouse will be screen- ing at Spazju Kreattiv Cinema, Valletta February 16 (8.30pm), February 22 (6pm), February 25 (7.30pm), February 27 (7.30pm), March 1 (8.30pm), March 11 (7.30pm) and March 15 (6pm) ★ ★ ★ ★ THE LIGHTHOUSE (15+) Increasing population, Hunger and poverty in the world, Death of biodiversity, Illness related to unhealthy diet, Struggled farmers... Citizens, want to consume local and organic food. We are more and more aware of the link between qualitative food and good health, about the importance of the preservation of our environment and about the necessity of a fairer eco- nomic system. Because everybody waits for environmental, social and economic justice we demand politicians to take into account our growing demand and implement concrete actions to give an entire place to the local and organic food in all the agri-food and food systems. Support local farmers