A new level of nerdiness

Missing: 1 Blogger

2011-06-29T15:38:00.000+10:00

Sometimes you just put too much on your plate - your eyes are bigger than your stomach as the saying goes. For the time being I'll be missing from here - writing on the Quickflix blog as well as over at Watch Out For.

A New Level of Nerdiness has been fun but for now it's au revoir!

You have to know who you are, and what you are. It's the only way to lead decent lives.

2011-04-05T10:32:00.000+10:00

Never Let Me Go
March 31, 2011

Dir: Mark Romanek

This review was written for Watch Out For

Based on the 2005 novel by Japanese-born, British writer Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go has been called a modern sci-fi classic. I’d be more reluctant to use the word ‘classic’, but the film adaptation of a, in my opinion, overrated book, proved meditative and visually impressive.

Directed by Mark Romanek (One Hour Photo), the film, like the book, is divided into three sections and follows Ruth (Keira Knightley), Tommy (Andrew Garfield) and Kathy (Carey Mulligan), who begin as students at Hailsham, a privileged boarding school with a secret.

Students are encouraged to look after their health above all else and as they grow to learn their destiny they, and the audience, are asked to question what it really means to be human. While the science fiction element is present, the real focus of the film is the relationships between our narrator Kathy and her friends, including a much longed for intimate relationship with Tommy.

The students also experience an emotional journey of self discovery as they come to terms with their imposed fates.

Continue reading at Watch Out For

The name's Rango

2011-03-18T09:08:00.000+11:00

Rango
Dir: Gore Verbinski
March 10, 2011

This review was written for Watch Out For

There are often advantages to seeing a film with its intended audience. In the case of new animated family film Rango, I would say actions spoke louder than words as I counted the number of children who roamed the cinema, started kicking seats and talked during the film. Though marketed as a family movie I would safely advise that parents with children under 10 need not bother.

Rango, who begins the film nameless, is a pet chameleon, voiced by the ever charismatic Johnny Depp. He considers himself a bit of an actor, staging plays with his “friends”, the torso of a Barbie doll, a wind up fish and a plastic palm tree – from the opening scene we can tell this isn’t your ordinary animated film and the humour operates on an entirely different level.

While en route with his owners Rango’s tank flies out the back of the car landing him in a foreign landscape – the desert. With the help of lady lizard Beans (Isla Fisher) Rango makes it into the town of Dirt, where he poses as a not-to-be-messed-with cowboy who took down seven brothers with one bullet.

Continue reading at Watch Out For

Marines Don't Quit

2011-03-18T09:05:00.000+11:00

Battle: Los Angeles
Dir: Jonathan Liebesman
March 17, 2011

This review was written for Watch Out For

I had the choice to see two films on Tuesday night. The first was a film about aliens invading Earth, the second a film about a writer who takes a wonder drug to increase his potential.

They both sounded ridiculous so it came down to the lead men; Aaron Eckhart or Bradley Cooper? As Cooper has never impressed me with his acting I decided to take myself along to Battle: Los Angeles and watch Aaron Eckhart kick some alien butt.

Battle: Los Angeles follows in the tradition of every invasion film you’ve likely ever seen, in fact the film contains so many clichés it becomes a joke and soon this action film resembles a comedy.

Continue reading at Watch Out For

Wasted on the Young

2011-03-09T14:56:00.000+11:00

Wasted on the Young
Dir: Ben C. Lucas
March 3, 2011

This review was written for Watch Out For

The latest Aussie teen film Wasted on the Young presents us with a bleak, unreserved look at the youth culture today. Mobile phones and the language of SMS, drugs, parties, bullying, revenge, sex – it doesn’t sound like your typical Australian high school – or does it?

Set in a privileged high school in Perth, the story centres on step brothers Darren (Oliver Ackland) and Zack (Alex Russell).

As would be expected these boys are polar opposites, though they both swim on the school team, Zack is the Captain and the token jock/bully while Darren is the quieter, more sensitive nerdy brother whose affections for the blonde beauty Xandrie (Adelaide Clemens) begin a chain of events that will forever alter these teenagers’ lives.

First time feature film director Ben C. Lucas has given us a slick, beautifully crafted film but one that lacks believability and heart. Cinematographer Dan Freene gives the film a polished and impressive façade that matches the pretentiousness of the teenagers on show.

Continue reading at Watch Out For

Three have been killed I am Number Four

2011-03-03T11:31:00.000+11:00

I Am Number Four
Dir: D.J.Caruso
February 2011

This review was written for Watch Out For

Why does Earth always seem to be the final destination for aliens when their home planet is destroyed? And why must friendly aliens always be chased by “bad” aliens wielding advanced weaponry?

I Am Number Four, the latest film from director D.J. Caruso (Disturbia), does little to challenge these long implemented stereotypes in science fiction, but then again it’s a faithful adaptation of the novel of the same name, so we should really be pointing the finger at James Frey and Jobie Hughes – collaborating under the pen name Pittacus Lore.

When their home planet of Lorien is destroyed, nine children (just what are alien children called?) are sent to Earth with their guardians. They are scattered to protect them from the Mogadorians, those responsible for killing their race, and are being hunted according to their number.

As they age each of them develops their legacies, powers ranging from invisibility to telekinesis, the use of which Number Four (our hero and protagonist) must harness to fight back. His human name is John Smith, he’s tired of running and is ready to fight, the only problem is he’s just fallen in love.

Continue reading at Watch Out For

I didn't forget everything.

2011-03-03T11:26:00.000+11:00

Unknown
Dir: Jaume Collet-Serra
February 2011

This review was written for Watch Out For

By all accounts Unknown should not be an enjoyable movie. The plot is thin; there are multiple implausible car chases and laughable narrow escapes. Yet I could not wipe the smile from my face for the entire film.

Liam Neeson plays Dr Martin Harris, botanist extraordinaire, attending a summit in Berlin with wife Liz (Betty Draper, I mean – January Jones). Through a series of unfortunate events, Martin and his taxi driver Gina (Diane Kruger) are involved in an accident as the car plunges into a river.

When Martin comes to he’s in a hospital with no identification and a scattered memory. As he begins to piece together his identity he makes the shocking discovery that an imposter, Aidan Quinn, has taken his name and his wife. As he attempts to prove he is the real Dr Harris he uncovers some truths he would perhaps have preferred not to.

Continue reading at Watch Out For

Rabbit Hole

2011-03-03T11:23:00.000+11:00

Rabbit Hole
Dir: John Cameron Mitchell
February 2011

This review was written for Watch Out For

Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning play by David-Lindsay Abaire, Rabbit Hole is a study in grief, in loss, in marriage and in family.

It’s eight months after the tragic death of their young son Danny, and Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie (Aaron Eckhart) Corbett are struggling to move forward. Dinners with friends are shrugged off; their son’s bedroom remains untouched, Becca easily snaps at her family; mother Nat (Dianne Weist) and sister Izzy (Tammy Blanchard), and Howie can barely kiss his wife without her retreating.

It isn’t long before Becca refuses to continue going to their couples’ therapy group, and husband and wife take separate paths to try healing their wounds. Becca begins meeting up with Jason (Miles Teller), the teenager who swerved his car from hitting the Corbett’s dog and instead hit their child. Howie takes comfort in a friendship formed through their therapy group, with Gaby (Sandra Oh) who, along with her husband, has been in therapy for eight years.

Continue reading at Watch Out For

What could possibly go wrong diving in caves?

2011-02-15T15:13:00.001+11:00

Sanctum (3D)
Dir: Alister Grierson

This review was written for Watch Out For

What could possibly go wrong caving? A character in Sanctum asks, or words to that effect. It’s just the beginning of a barrage of wooden, clichéd dialogue you’ll endure in the film, spoken by equally uninspiring characters that do little to push the genre boundaries. But that’s just it, Sanctum doesn’t attempt to be something it is not, it’s a genre film if ever you’ll see one; full of bad dialogue, disposable characters and underwater fun.

Based on a true story, and I think they use the word ‘based’ loosely, Sanctum tells of a group of cavers, adventurers, or just plain crazy people – however you want to look at it – on an expedition in Papua New Guinea to map one of the world’s largest unexplored cave systems.

Expert diver Frank (Richard Roxburgh), along with unwilling son Josh (Rhys Wakefield), wealthy adventurer – and funder of the expedition – Carl (Ioan Gruffudd), Victoria (Alice Parkinson) and “Crazy George” (Dan Wyllie), become trapped when a storm hits the island days before expected. As the caves begin to flood they must navigate their way underwater to find another way out.

Continue reading at Watch Out For

This city needs our help

2011-01-20T16:19:00.000+11:00

The Green Hornet (3D)
January 20, 2011
Dir: Michael Gondry

This review was written for Watch Out For

Okay so we’ve done Superman, Spider-Man, uh ... Batman, don’t forget Batman, hmm, the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man ... what can we spend $90 million on now?

The Green Hornet will divide audiences, this we can be certain of. There will be those who will laugh almost constantly, find the action thrilling, the dialogue cracking and will think Rogen the perfect fit for the lead. Then there are those that may find themselves experiencing the longest 2 hours of their lives. I would have to sway more to the latter.

The Green Hornet isn’t the most well known of the superhero franchises so here’s the rundown.

Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) is an often disappointing son to his billionaire father (Tom Wilkinson), the usual story - a cocktail of booze, parties and women, the whole not living up to his potential thing.

When his father dies unexpectedly Britt inherits The Daily Sentinel, a newspaper his father owned and operated. After meeting Kato (Jay Chou), the man responsible for maintaining his father’s cars and making the best cup of coffee Britt has ever tasted (yes, the coffee is actually used to bring the two leads together), the two decide to decapitate the memorial statue of Britt’s father. As would happen they stumble across a mugging and after Kato defeats the gang Britt decides they should become superheroes, as you do.

So The Green Hornet is created, a quasi-superhero whose real power lies in his sidekick Kato. The pair use newly appointed secretary Lenore (Cameron Diaz) to gather information about what moves to make next, that is, they have no idea what they’re doing. Using his own newspaper, Britt builds a negative public profile of The Green Hornet so people will think he’s dangerous when in reality he’s fighting crime and evil, including taking down the LA drug ring run by Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz).

The Green Hornet is a tough film to work out and raises a number of questions. Were the people who expected director Michael Gondry to revolutionise the superhero movie with some indie sensibilities being set up for disappointment from the very beginning? Is it fair to label a film ‘turn brain off and enjoy’? Can a film’s special effects supersede the lack of character motivation and overall plot?

Let’s start with the performances. There’s a delightful cameo from James Franco at the start of the film which instilled a bit of hope in me. Sadly his appearance was just that, a cameo, and with his character’s demise my little bit of hope died too. The two standout performances would have to be Jay Chou as Kato who saves, and steals, many scenes from Rogen. Christoph Waltz as the drug lord Chudnofsky, whose name no one can say, is mostly underutilised but decidedly brilliant whenever on screen.

Rogen, along with Cameron Diaz, could easily have been replaced in the film. Diaz’s character was completely unnecessary and obviously inserted for a token love interest as well as providing overly specific information to the two heroes. While Rogen penned the script with Evan Goldberg (Superbad) perhaps he should have shown some modesty and not taken the lead.

The plot is underdeveloped, this cannot be denied. How one goes from hating his father and decapitating a tribute statue, to becoming a masked vigilante known as The Green Hornet, is poorly swept over in the sea of a montage – Rogen drawing pictures of possible costumes while Kato does all the real work, building the cars and preparing the weapons. It’s a case of the sidekick being not only more talented but far more interesting than the superhero. In fact, Britt may just be one of the most annoying characters in recent memory. Coupled with more than a handful of failed jokes, it’s quite hard to rally for him as our hero.

Despite the lack of consistency The Green Hornet is a funny film – what, did I just say something positive about the film? For fans of Goldberg and Rogen’s previous romps together, including Pineapple Express, the humour will hit home and you’ll find the film entertaining. For others the comedy will be hit and miss, the jokes often going on too long and being too repetitive.

If it’s the action you’re going to see then rest assured there’s car chases, explosions and shoot em ups a plenty. The action aspect of the film is impressive and thanks to Jay Chou’s amazing martial arts skills, the fight scenes really shine. The 3D is underused in the film, offering little more than depth and wasting plenty of opportunities to use the tool for what it’s really intended – entertaining the audience who have to sit there with glasses on for two hours.

As with the film on the whole, the action scenes soon elevate to a ridiculous level. It’s over the top filmmaking which some will delight in. Here’s where we ask if it’s okay to label a film ‘turn brain off and enjoy’? I think absolutely. There’s no substance or hidden messages in The Green Hornet, what you see is what you get, so if you need to turn your brain off to enjoy it go ahead.

3 / 5

You were the pride of Lowell. You were my hero, Dickie.

2011-01-20T16:06:00.000+11:00

The Fighter
January 20, 2011 (Australian release date)
Dir: David O. Russell

This review was written for Watch Out For

The Fighter is a film that may take a few days to sink in. On the surface David O.Russell has given us a slick, extremely well crafted boxing film, but after contemplating the many layers and characters it’s pretty clear that The Fighter is a special film.

Telling the true story of brothers “Irish” Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and Dickie Eklund (Christian Bale), The Fighter is set in Lowell, Massachusetts circa 1993. Dickie was once the glory of his hometown, having beaten Sugar Ray Leonard in the ring, but he now fills his days and his hands with a crack pipe.
In the background HBO are making a documentary on him, and what he initially believes to be a comeback story turns into an assaulting expose.

Younger brother Micky has always lived in Dickie’s shadow, especially in the eyes of their mother Alice (Melissa Leo). He’s been used as a stepping stone, someone pushed into uneven fights to elevate other boxers, but when Dickie lands himself in prison again Micky decides, with the help of girlfriend Charlene (Amy Adams), that his time has finally come to fight for a championship.

This past week Christian Bale won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for this film and you can instantly see why. Bale literally steals the film from Wahlberg, who, despite playing the passive brother and character, really does lack the skills and screen presence for these more serious roles.

That’s not to say Wahlberg wasn’t dedicated to this film as both actor and producer; his four years of trying to get the film made and the physical training he endured for this role clearly paid off, and his boxing scenes are particularly strong. But it is Bale, with sunken eyes, hollow cheeks and a diminished colour on his face that drives the tension and drama that make The Fighter a solid and entertaining film.

Along with Bale’s exceptional performance, Melissa Leo (who also won for Best Supporting Actress at the Globes) plays an all too convincing middle aged, white trash woman who, surrounded by her bleached, permed daughters, casts judgements and claims hardships all with a constantly lit cigarette in her hand.

Amy Adams perhaps doesn’t fit in this film, she’s not entirely convincing as a college drop-out turned waitress who falls for Micky, but her performance is entertaining and humble.

What separates this film from so many sports movies is the family aspect. The Fighter is really the story of two brothers, their seemingly eternal struggle with each other, and their mother who despite her best intentions, never seems to make the right move.

The film delves into substance abuse, the effect this has on family members, and how hard it can be to turn your back on your family in order to help yourself. The more you look into The Fighter the more you will be rewarded.

The look of the film should also be noted. Director David O.Russell and Cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema utilise a faux televised effect for many of the fight scenes, making you feel as though you are watching actual archive footage of Micky in the ring. The contrast between these fight scenes and the everyday ones brings a renewed energy each time we return to the boxing ring, which could have otherwise felt tiresome and repetitive.

An enjoyable and worthwhile sports drama that focuses more on the family and less on the brawls, The Fighter is a crowd pleaser with some of the best ensemble acting of recent times. The story may be overused and tired but the direction is skilful and inspiring.

3.5 / 5

I just want to be perfect

2011-01-20T15:57:00.002+11:00

Black Swan
January 20, 2011 (Australian release date)
Dir: Darren Aronofsky

Black Swan is a classic example of style over substance. That is not to say Black Swan is a bad movie, to the contrary I think this is close to a masterpiece from Aronofsky, second only to his last film The Wrestler. But after the credits roll and your heart is still racing from the chilling, total perfection that is the film's climax, you start to acknowledge that the film isn't, perhaps, as perfect as it appeared on first inspection.

Natalie Portman plays ballerina Nina Sayers who snags the lead role of the Swan Queen in her New York ballet company's production of Swan Lake. Her Artistic Director Thomas (Vincent Cassel) is not convinced she can portray the darkness of the Black Swan as well as she embodies the purity of the White Swan, and prompts her to look inside herself and feel the role rather than act it. Standing in the wings ready to take the role of a lifetime from Nina is Lily (Mila Kunis), a ballerina more in touch with her dark side and the free spirit needed for a convincing Black Swan. As Nina goes through the rehearsal process she becomes increasingly consumed by the role and soon can't tell the difference between what is real and what is imagined. Her ex-ballerina mother (Barbara Hershey) holds a tight leash on her daughter but soon Nina is spiralling out of control and the Swan Queen might not only be the role of a lifetime but the role that changes her life.

It would be easy to look over the shortcomings because of how lush this film is; the dancing, the music, the choreography; it's a stunning film. But there are a few instances where, if you took away the "style" you would see the definite lack of original "substance". Notably the opening of the film sees Artistic Director Thomas relaying the story of Swan Lake - as though professional ballerinas wouldn't know this classic ballet by heart, and as though the audience watching the film needs to be told what they're about to watch before they actually watch it. It's unnecessary and messy and further added to my dislike of his character - he simply wasn't believable nor is he as inspiring as his dancers and this film want us to believe he is.

The female dancers, that is Nina, Lily and aging ballerina Beth (a brilliant comeback performance from Winona Ryder), are your stock standard females with no motivations, no sense of character history or connections with an outside world. Sure the world of dance is an all intensive, all consuming lifestyle, but placing a carefree spirit such as Lily next to a neurotic dancer like Nina is just screaming teen dance film Center Stage. In the world of ballet, bitchiness is sure to exist, but so is a level of professionalism and normality. Having Nina and Lily wear contrasting colours (Nina in white and Lily in black) is again condescending to the audience and completely unnecessary in an otherwise engaging story.

Further to this the character of Nina's mother, the sad and pathetic Erica, is again a cardboard cutout with over simplified and cliched reasons for being the way she is. Abandoning her own dancing career to have her daughter "naturally" makes you an over protective mother who pushes her daughter and aims to control her. It's awfully unoriginal.

Then there's the central idea behind Nina finding her inner Black Swan; essentially the message is to 'stop being so frigid and get some action already'. In order to fully embody the role Nina must discover herself sexually, because only sexually free women can achieve anything creatively. Or something along those lines. There's a definite debate in there if you had the time, or could be bothered, to get into it. One thing is for certain, it makes for a great lesbian scene and that's what gets buzz generating about a film isn't it - lesbians!

Despite these criticisms I can't help but adore this film. Absolutely adore it. It truly is a stunning and achieved performance from Portman who spent a year in training for the role.The dancing is captured beautifully, the music of course is mesmerising, and despite their cliched characters all performances are solid and memorable. Next to Portman I would have to say Ryder stood out as particularly illuminating as the ballerina being pushed out of the company to make way for the younger dancers. Without spoiling a key (and classic) scene, Ryder fully embodies the psychosis of a has-been star on her way out.

What surprised me about Black Swan was how dark it got. There are genuine moments where you begin to develop Nina's paranoia and question, with her, what is real and what is imagined, which makes the climax's pay off that much more rewarding.It also intensifies the dancing sequences as we feel the depth of the frustration and confusion felt by Nina. Amazing stuff.

At the core of Black Swan is a story that's been around, and has been told in various incarnations, for hundreds of years and while Aronofsky doesn't stray too far from the path, or as Thomas tells his company at the start of the film "do it my way, strip it down", it's an incredibly entertaining and involving film that begs for further viewings.

4 / 5

If you fall off the stage, legs extended and boobs up

2011-01-13T11:02:00.003+11:00

Burlesque
January 13, 2011 (Australian release date)
Dir: Steve Antin

Small town gal moves to the big smoke and becomes a star - yes it's really that easy to sum up this film.

Christina Aguilera plays Ali, a waitress who dreams of more to life than serving fries and being paid late. Cher plays Tess, a ballsy part owner of a down and out burlesque bar in Los Angeles. Rounding out the surprisingly star studded cast is Kristen Bell, the boozed up burlesque star with a fading light; Cam Gigandet, the hot bar tender/ love interest/ songwriter, Stanley Tucci as Sean, in charge of costumes and all things gay, and Eric Dane as the "evil property developer" Marcus whose plans for the burlesque bar involve tearing it down.

Burlesque is screenwriting 101 for cheap entertainment; the dialogue is cliched, cringe-worthy, laughable and all together fabulous. Yes, this girl was pulled hook, line and sinker into this trashy glitter-fest of a film.

There are two types of people in the world - those who love the business called show, and those who don't. Having given up my own attempts at a life on the stage, dropping out of jazz ballet at the tender age of 7, I developed a fascination and love for Hollywood musicals. Over the top dance and song sequences, outrageous and inspiring costumes, these are the building blocks for a great show. Sure there needs to be a good story in there somewhere but if you've got the glitz and glam you can usually make it through on a shoestring plot. Burlesque has a shoestring plot - it's got tinges of Coyote Ugly in there as well as and ode to Cabaret, and many have thrown Showgirls into the mix, though this reviewer is reluctant to admit she has never seen it. But wait until you see the numbers they pull out on stage! Plot, schmot - Burlesque is some of the best fun you'll have in a cinema unintentionally.

It's undeniable that Aguilera has one amazing set of pipes, though her range varies from 'belting' to 'extreme belting'. Her acting skills do leave a lot to be desired, this should come as no shock, but thankfully her stilted performance only adds to the enjoyment I had laughing at this film. Yes this is a case of laughing at, rather than laughing with. Although there is plenty of intentional humour sprinkled throughout the film the biggest laughs came from the unending clunky dialogue and awkward scenes.

While Aguilera carries the film vocally, Cher being the legend that she is, makes Burlesque more than a 90 minute Aguilera music video. While some may hastily, and all too easily, label her a train wreck, she is not only an icon but one hell of an entertaining performer for someone with limited facial movement. She gets the best lines in the film, "I held you while you threw up everything but your dreams" (I may be paraphrasing here), and even gets the most meaningful song in the film - though for pacing this should have been edited out.

Burlesque is something of a return to the old days of Hollywood where musicals were churned out by the "Dream Factory". The difference nowadays is the talent behind the films. Gone is the trifecta - actors or actresses who could sing, dance and act in equal measure. Instead we have musicians wanting to act, actors wanting to sing and every dance involving a chair! Yes if in doubt of ability and talent dance with a chair - we saw it in Chicago and in the disaster that was Nine - I must know who in Hollywood is giving their OK to this?

Burlesque also captures the innocence of Old Hollywood musicals where despite the debatable seediness of the setting, nothing is shown and everything is eluded to, not only in the club but also in Ali's personal relationships - the fact that despite Marcus' advances she doesn't physically commit speaks volumes for the type of film Steve Antin has created. This is an all singing, all dancing, sparkly, over the top musical which lays its cards on the table from the opening scene. It's not trying to be groundbreaking or revolutionary, it's not even trying to be a classic, it just is what it is.

It would be easy to instantly dismiss a film like Burlesque but for lovers of musical cinema, for lovers of pop music, for lovers of Cher (there must be some out there!) Burlesque is a giddy cinematic experience best shared with like minded friends. This is a film that demands after viewing discussions, repetition of lines, renewed laughter and the bold statement "We HAVE to see that again!"

This is the story of how I died.

2011-01-06T12:30:00.001+11:00

Tangled
January 6, 2010 (Australian release date)
Dir: Nathan Greno and Byron Howard

Rapunzel is born a princess but is kidnapped and raised by Mother Gothel as her own. Her magic golden hair has the ability to heal and to keep Mother Gothel young, so Rapunzel is warned to never leave the safety of the tower. On her eighteenth birthday Rapunzel sneaks out of the tower with the help of bandit Flynn Ryder to see the lanterns released into the sky every year on the missing princess' birthday. Rapunzel will soon learn not only of her true identity but of love.

"This is the story of how I died" isn't just one of the opening lines of Tangled, it's a statement about Disney animation and their "Princess films" in the year 2011 ... well, 2010 - thanks to the delayed Australian release.

Tangled is the 50th animated feature from Disney and will now be remembered as the last "Princess" movie to come from the Mouse Factory.

Originally titled Rapunzel, Tangled has been marketed to death as a unisex film, even the poster suggests a cunning adventure, when on screen the adventure takes a back seat to singing and falling in love. In other words, Tangled is classic Disney fairytale ... minus the classic songs.

I can't deny that Tangled is an immensely enjoyable film, heightened by seeing it in a cinema full of kids who can appreciate it on an entirely different level. I may be young at heart, but they're purely young and don't scoff at what my slowly shrivelling heart finds issues with.

Earlier in the year I fulfilled one of my lifelong dreams, I went to Disneyland. Having endured years of scorn and weird looks about my love for animated films, Disney in particular, it would all be worth it as I visited the happiest place on earth. And yet it wasn't the happiest place on earth at all, it was full of fat women pushing prams and screaming, spoilt kids. Sure the rides were fun, but where was this "magic" I had come to expect from Disney? I slowly came to the realisation that Disney "magic" was in the films that I could revisit and rediscover or find new things to enjoy. I'm hoping Tangled is a film that offers more on re-watching, because on the Magic Scale it's currently sitting on a 6.

While I previously said Tangled is "immensely enjoyable" I did have several moments in the film where I stopped watching and started thinking - sometimes a good sign, more often than not a bad sign. I wasn't completely lost in the film; I was aware of its flaws, how its bad songs stuck out (because all of the songs were average), the ending fell flat, the "evil" character Mother Gothel seemed extremely 2D in a 3D film ... the list could go on if I wanted to. And yet I don't, because I feel like I can be lenient when it comes to Disney.

Let's face it, Disney is the first born and Pixar is the new baby everyone fawns over. Disney can't help it if Pixar is cuter, but no matter what Pixar does Disney was always there first. It's like when you visit a favourite restaurant and there's a sign hanging in the window 'Under new management'. Suddenly the food doesn't taste as good as it once did. Disney films will never be as they once were and we just have to accept that. Tangled as a standalone animated film in 2010 (2011) is a great family film. It's funny, the animation is great, the majority of characters are fun - it hardly puts a foot wrong by today's standards. But Tangled as a Disney film when compared to the classics fails to measure up.

My review may read a bit bipolar; perhaps this is because I'm torn with the film. On the one hand I enjoyed it but on the other it failed to live up to expectations. I think Mandy Moore's voice work is the highlight of the film - the casting is spot on. The animation on Rapunzel must be admired and appreciated; all of that hair to animate is a feat in itself. If you get the chance (and live in Melbourne) you must go see the Tangled wing of the Dreams Come True exhibition at ACMI.

Tangled is the second most expensive film ever made, and at $260 million takes the title for the most expensive animated film ever made. Technologically this film is a triumph. The 3D is subtle but effective and you're right there in the thick of the action thanks to brilliant film making. However the story could have been stronger and the characters further developed - giving Flynn Ryder the real name Eugene hardly counts as character development given the film took six years to make. And yet I laughed almost constantly during the film - here comes that bipolar reviewer again!

If it's as simple as 'See it' or 'Don't see it' my vote is to most definitely see it! Yes there are flaws and shortcomings but it's still a great film with plenty to offer. I'm looking forward to seeing if I get more from it on a second viewing but will be leaving the 3D glasses at home and opting for the 2D. (Yes I reuse my 3D glasses - hey I'm not paying a dollar to get a new pair!)

Oz Film Blogathon: "So very tired"

2010-12-10T10:37:00.001+11:00

I am so very tired of the "Aussies don't support Australian films" discussion. Mostly I am tired because this discussion comes from Australian film critics. I don't want to go all Kevin Smith on you but there was a particular film this year that was unceremoniously yanked from cinemas due to poor box office results; a film that saw twitter ignite with calls to arms, Aussies go and see this Aussie film!

We finally saw the release of Sean Byrne's horror film The Loved Ones on November 4th, having played at the Melbourne International Film Festival in July of 2009 and at the Toronto International Film Festival shortly after. I'm not going to attempt to explain, or even to understand, film marketing but it took over 12 months from its MIFF showing to reach Australian cinemas. After only a few weeks it disappeared, apparently Aussie cinema goers just weren't interested. Whether it was the marketing; Wolf Creek meets Pretty in Pink might have deterred more than one, or whether it's the climate, who knows. But one thing was for sure, Australian critics were not happy!

You may interject at this point and say "Hey Lomas pipe down you book editing nerd" to which I'd reply "Hear me out!" Sure I may not be employed full time as a "film critic" nor do I actually get paid for any of the sites I write for, but I do try and see as many films in a year as I possibly can - Australian or otherwise. My commitment to cinema, whether or not you would call me a "critic" or even a "reviewer" is irrelevant to my ability to voice my opinion. And here's where I get to my fantastic Kevin Smith impersonation.

How many film critics went and saw The Loved Ones once it was released? How many paid for their ticket? Excluding when it played at MIFF, when the film was released November 4th and was, so to speak, murdered at the Australian box office, how many "critics" or "reviewers" went out and supported the film by buying a ticket? If you all come back to me and say, "Well Jess I did actually" I'll be happy to shove that in my pipe and smoke it ... or just accept that I am wrong. Perhaps Twitter has twisted my perception of things but I heard a lot of complaining that Australians weren't supporting an Aussie film, yet critics are Australians so how did they support this film beyond telling people to go see it?

I don't agree with Kevin Smith that critics should pay to see films just because they trashed his latest (Cop Out), I see the importance of having people review films, spread the word, make everyone else extremely jealous they saw a much anticipated film months earlier than everyone else, that's cool. What I don't agree with, or really understand, is, as I've said above, the drive to attack or question those who don't support or go see a film primarily because it's Australian. Pauline Hanson is Australian; it doesn't mean we have to support her.
My comments here are not meant to ostracise those I have come to know through Twitter, for without you I wouldn't be writing for such great sites as Watch Out For and the Quickflix blog (free plugs!), but I would like to hear someone explain why this occurs.

A film critic's job is an important and essential element in the business we call show, but it's mighty easy to sit back in your comfy cinema seat and question why the average Australian doesn't pay to see a film you've just watched for free.

Written for the Oz Film Blogathon hosted by Dark Habits

It's too late for me ...

2010-12-07T15:35:00.003+11:00

That's it, time's up, pens down! The competition has closed. It seems not too many of my Aussie twitter followers are keen on films of the French persuasion but that just means more of a chance for those who entered. As usual I've given those who entered (all 3 of you!) a number and used a random number generator to decide the winner.

And the winner is *drum roll* Claire Jarvis you've won an all expenses paid trip to New York! ... not quite, you've won a double pass to HeartBreaker! Congratulations!

HeartBreaker
December 26th 2010 (Australian release date)
Dir: Pascal Chaumeil

Alex (Romain Duris) runs a business with his sister, Melanie (Julie Ferrier) and brother in law Marc (Francois Damiens). Alex is a professional heartbreaker and he's just taken his latest assignment. He must break up Juliette (Vanessa Paradis) and her fiance Jonathan (Andrew Lincoln) before their wedding in 10 days time.

Alex has rules however, he only breaks up unhappy couples, that is, a relationship where the girl is unhappy but won't admit it, and Juliette seems pretty happy. But Alex has mounting debts and breaking up this couple is at the top of his to do list.

I love romantic comedies. There, I said it. I know they're cheesy and unrealistic but they're fun, and HeartBreaker is no exception. The premise is quite absurd but it's told in such a charming way that you can't help but fall for it. The film feels like Old Hollywood, there's not a Katherine Heigl in sight, although Juliette's "friend" comes dangerously close, the film maintains a certain level of class. The jokes are funny, the sentiment is honest and believable and all in all, this is a stand out romantic comedy for the year.

Romain Duris is the main reason this film succeeds, his sexy seductions work not only on the characters in the film but on the audience too. His performance has perfect comedic timing and he rounds himself out as the perfect leading man when he performs the main Dirty Dancing dance not once but three times, and he's even shirtless for one of those - hello ladies (and those men who are inclined)!

You do have to forgive the film for a few shortcomings, specifically towards the end. You don't have to be a genius to guess that while Alex is "working" on seducing Juliette he is actually falling for her, and like all Hollywood rom coms the girl discovers the truth. What happens between the discovery and the film's conclusion however, seems rushed and muddled. We're on board because we're come to like these characters and rally for them, but taking a step backwards it is a large oversight in pacing and storytelling.

Speaking of Hollywood, Working Title and Universal have picked up the English language remake rights. I am literally cringing as I write this. Another recent favourite French film is LOL (Laughing Out Loud) which has been remade by the Yanks starring Demi Moore and Miley Cyrus. While original screenwriter Jeremy Donor is on board there are just some things that can't be translated and more often than not an English language remake falls far short of the original.

This won't make many people's Top films of the year list but it's a great example of when romantic comedies can work; with the right director, screenplay, setting and actors - HeartBreakers is nothing short of delightful. I still get the tummy fuzzies just thinking about this film.

4 / 5

So now's your chance to see this film early - it's not out until Boxing Day but preview screenings are being held nationwide (Australia) over the coming 2 weekends. Leave a comment below with your name and email address (or @twitter name) and I'll draw one lucky person tomorrow (Wednesday Dec 8th) at 12pm (midday) so I'll have time to post out the pass. Good Luck or should I say Bonne Chance!

You do the Monster(s) Mash

2010-12-01T15:58:00.000+11:00

Monsters
November 25th 2010 (Australian release date)
Dir: Gareth Edwards

You do the Monster(s) Mash? It's like I'm not even trying anymore! Lift your game Lomas!

In what is being called 2010's District-9, the sole connection being that they both have aliens at the centre of their human stories, writer director Gareth Edwards gives us an often beautiful film that collapses on itself in the closing scene.

After a NASA space probe crashes, littering the alien space samples on board, the US-Mexico border is turned into an Infected Zone. Photo journalist Andrew Kaulder (Scoot McNairy) is charged with the duty of escorting his boss's daughter Samantha Wynden (Whitney Able) from Mexico back to the United States. When Kaulder's tryst with a local costs them their passports and money the pair must go directly through the Infected Zone and hilarity and hijinks ensue... no, wait - monsters ensue.

The 'monsters' of the film's title are arguably not the alien creatures that have infested the land, but the humans intent on destroying them. The aliens are rarely seen, perhaps a strategy to optimise the limited budget, a reported $500,000 - incredible! The message of humans as monsters is a bit hammy; there's even a scene where the two leads comment on an enormous wall the United States Government has erected in an attempt to keep the 'monsters' out. But overall this is an engaging film.

The score grabbed me in particular, and together with the beautiful cinematography as Andrew and Samantha make their way through the Infected Zone, I was convinced early on that this would make my 'Top10' list for 2010 ... if I ever do a Top 10 list that is. It wasn't until the closing scene that my opinion changed so radically that I was convinced the poor ending soured my opinion of the film as a whole.

By introducing two aliens at the conclusion of the film; up until now we only see glimpses of them, director Gareth Edwards turns up the cheese-o-meter to 'you've got to be kidding me' and destroys his film. The previous memorable scenes, haunting score, understated and beautiful acting between the two leads, are instantly covered in a gooey mess of liquified dairy. How disappointing.

If I could use all my powers of imagination I can pretend the final scene didn't happen and the film's "message" to the audience wasn't so in your face, and I could say Monsters is one of the best films of 2010. It's intense and beautiful, a love story set in unstable times. But the message was so blatant and unnecessary, the final scene DID happen and in hindsight my bitterness has tarnished my high initial opinion.

3.5 / 5

At the ... Copacabana

2010-11-25T10:10:00.001+11:00

Copacabana
November 25th 2010 (Limited Australian release)
Dir: Marc Fitoussi
Language: French

What do you do when your outlandish mother embarrasses you? In the case of Esmeralda (Lolita Chammah) you get engaged and tell your mother she's not invited to the wedding, that she is instead "in Brazil".

What do you do if your only daughter forbids you from coming to her wedding? In the case of Babou (Isabelle Huppert) you start a job selling time share apartments in Belgium to prove to your daughter that you can be responsible.

Mother-daughter relationships are constantly explored in film; usually the mother is the overbearing or "zany" one, a person who simply doesn't act their age, and the daughter is given the role of the girl too mature for her years, the role reversal if you will, she must mother her own mother. The reason these stories can work so well is reliant on the honest nature of the characters, and this is never so true as in Copacabana, the new film written and directed by Marc Fitoussi.

I often wait in the cinema as the lights come up and the credits roll to hear what other people thought, as they chatter away to their movie companions. Seeing this film on a Saturday afternoon in a half empty cinema for a preview screening, many dragged friends or partners into it blind. One woman prior to the film starting even had to ask what the film was called again. The comment I heard as people began filing out, however, was "it was a bit slow... but I liked it".

The film's pacing was inconsistent, that much I can say, but on the whole the vibrant and unusual characters, not only Babou but the people she encounters at her new job, made this film a pure joy to watch. Forgiving the final scene, the film carefully and wisely strays from sentimentality and instead serves us realism and subtle humour. Babou isn't an entirely likeable character but at the same time you don't easily side with Esmerelda. It's a carefully calculated balance that allows you to really get the characters in a short period of time and ultimately root for them in their journey to repair their relationship.

Showing in limited release this is a delightful film with endearing performances. The soundtrack must also be mentioned as one of the most fitting and playful of recent memory. The music so perfectly captures Babou's character and lights the film even when in dreary Belgium.

A film that can only be described as delightful and charming.

3.5 / 5

Water water everywhere but not a drop to drink

2010-11-18T10:53:00.000+11:00

GasLand
November 18 2010 (Australian release date)
Dir: Josh Fox

While you may consider being able to set fire to your tap water a nifty Jesus style party trick, after watching Josh Fox's documentary GasLand you'll be deliriously happy that you can even DRINK your tap water.

Fox is not a filmmaker, as he points out early. His shock that people would talk to him just because he had a video camera was instinctively regarded, by me, as evidence of the naivety of the common man. It was soon apparent, however, that it was not naivety but desperation to have their voice, and their plight, heard.

What would you do if you received a letter stating you'd be paid thousands of dollars by an energy company if you leased your land to them? Fracking hell, (sorry, couldn't resist) thousands of dollars just for leasing my land, what's the catch? Oh nothing big, they'll just drill down and tap into the "Saudi Arabia of natural gas" that lies waiting patiently for someone to make a profit from it. What they won't tell you, or the workers on these rigs, is what's in the chemical cocktail used in the process called hydraulic fracturing (or "fracking") and what those chemicals can do once they get into your water supply, and trust us, they'll get into your water supply! Fox receives such a letter, for a cool $100,000, and, intrigued, decides to play detective in what turns into a cross country investigation.

If your only experience with the David versus Goliath stories of corporate energy and the average tax payer is Steven Soderbergh's Erin Brockovich (2000) then you're in for a treat. Josh Fox doesn't parade around in skimpy outfits and use his breasts to get to the bottom of things - that would make for an entirely different sort of film. Nevertheless, Fox does get to the bottom of things in a very grass roots style, by connecting with people just like him; people that love the land and live off the land, people whose lives have been destroyed by the fracking capitalist monster.

GasLand is a very basic documentary made for minimal money; one might even ponder if Fox had additional funding, could he have bought a tripod? The message is clear however, and it's one everyone should listen to. While some say it's too late for America, in more ways than the environment, Australia is in the beginning stages of exploring similar processes so now's the time to get educated and have your voice heard.

This isn't a film you need to see in cinemas, though I don't know when you'll get the chance to watch it once it finishes its limited run, so you're better off checking those listings and finding one near you. The narration is at times grating, particularly for someone so passionate about the subject matter, but Fox's personality along with the people he meets on his journey make for an involving look at a devastating subject. It only scratches the surface but Fox's documentary is a great starting point.

3.5 / 5

Never ask for what ought to be offered

2010-11-12T08:56:00.000+11:00

Winter's Bone
November 11th 2010 (Australian release date)
Dir: Debra Granik

This review was written for Watch Out For

Winter’s Bone, based on Daniel Woodrell’s novel of the same name, and adapted to the screen by Anne Rosellini and director Debra Granik, has audiences divided. Is this 2010’s little independent film that could, or is this 2010’s hyped independent film that disappoints?

Set in The Ozarks (a highland region in Missouri, central America), Winter’s Bone follows Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence), a teenager tasked with raising her two younger siblings, along with her mentally ill mother, while her meth cooking father is MIA.

The discovery that her father used the family home as bond in his latest run in with the law sends Ree Dolly on a search to find him. What she will ultimately find, however, is the true underbelly of the close knit community in which she lives.

Continue reading this review at Watch Out For

Machete don't text

2010-11-10T17:37:00.000+11:00

Machete
November 11th 2010 (Australian release date)
Dir: Robert Rodriguez & Ethan Maniquis

Review for Watch Out For

Machete don’t text.”

Yes, that’s the quality of dialogue you can expect from directors Ethan Maniquis and Robert Rodriguez’s new film Machete, and I mean that in a positive way.

Machete Cortez (Danny Trejo) is an ex-Federale hired to assassinate Senator John McLaughlin (Robert De Niro), whose political platform involves erecting an electrified fence on the US-Mexico border.

When the people who hired Machete shoot him and attempt to frame him with an assassination attempt, he begins a revenge rampage unlike no other, in this ridiculous Mexploitation film.

Continue to read this article at Watch Out For

What's the matter? You don't recognise your own ugly face?

2010-11-04T14:13:00.001+11:00

Gainsbourg (Vie héroïque)
November 4th 2010 (Australian release date)
Dir: Joann Sfar

Will I lose a bit of street cred by admitting my lack of Gainsbourg knowledge prior to watching Sfar's directorial debut? What's that, I never had any street cred? Rightio then, on to the review.

This dramatic biography chronicles the life of French singer Serge Gainsbourg (Eric Elmosnino) through erratic glimpses; from a young boy in 1940s Nazi occupied Paris, through various lovers, including an affair with Brigitte Bardot (Laetitia Casta), to his final days before his early death at age 62. Constantly hovering in the background is Gainsbourg's alter ego, Ugly Face, a human form with a puppet head, large nose, hands and ghoulishly long fingers; representing the depiction of Jews in Nazi propaganda. Much of the film wavers between reality and Gainsbourg's own thoughts and imagination, manifested through Ugly Face and various other techniques.

This is an impressive film, even more so when you consider this is director Joann Sfar's feature debut, he also wrote [and illustrated] the graphic novel and the adapted screenplay. But it's a strange film, and not just because it incorporates the imaginary into the real life. The film relies on some minimal knowledge of Gainsbourg's career if not his life; should you be in the same position as I was, jumping into this film with no prior knowledge, you may find yourself completely lost on more than one occasion. The film moves around almost incomprehensibly, when did he marry his first wife? Where did all these groupies come from? How did he meet Bardot? How many kids does he have now? All these questions, and many more, were raised during the occasionally draining 2 hour run time, which has apparently been cut back since its premiere.

This is obviously a passion project of Sfar's, his admiration of Gainsbourg as an artist is apparent from the opening titles. This is perhaps why the focus of the film seems to be on the art of both Gainsbourg, first his painting and then his music, and also the art of the film itself, using cartoons for the opening credits and puppets throughout the film. While the musical numbers are performed wonderfully and Eric Elmosnino as Gainsbourg is inspiring, the lack of traditional structure to this biopic is at once refreshing but also distracting.

A curious though uneven portrait of a quintessential French artist, his many loves and personalities. The style of this film will irritate many but there's much to take in and admire if you're willing to fill in some gaps yourself.

3.5 / 5

Giveaway

2010-11-03T11:12:00.001+11:00

*Competition has now closed*

Thanks to all who entered. I gave you each a number in the order you posted a comment and the result is as follows...

Congratulations to writingjordi!

Again thanks to those who entered and thanks for reading my reviews - I'm sure there'll be another giveaway soon!

Yes you read right, my first giveaway, although try not to get too excited, I don't have any free tickets for new movies at the moment but thanks to a lapse in memory and the recent Madman DVD sale I have a Directors Suite copy of Otto Preminger's 1945 Film-Noir Fallen Angel, still sealed, to give to one lucky guy or gal.

A thrilling and absorbing drama from one of the leading lights of the film noir style, Otto Preminger!

When petty conman Eric Stanton meets the gorgeous waitress Stella, he falls instantly in love. However his lack of financial security means that Stella refuses to even entertain the idea of marriage. This leads Stanton to embark upon the con of a lifetime, marrying a moneyed local spinster after one date. But when Stella is murdered and Stanton is pinned as the prime suspect, he uses all available resources to investigate, and makes a shocking discovery...

Starring Dana Andrews ( Laura ) in an impeccably layered performance, Fallen Angel boasts the unique artistry of auteur Otto Preminger, distinguishing itself as one of the finest film noirs ever made.

I'm not going to ask you to do anything tricky to enter this competition, just leave me a comment below and hopefully there'll be at least one comment to choose from! I'll use some random number generator thingamajig to make things fair.

Leave a comment before 5pm Friday November 5th - competition is open to Australian and New Zealand residents only. DVD is Region 4.

Is it finger lickin' good?

2010-11-03T10:37:00.000+11:00

The Loved Ones (2009)
November 4th 2010 (Australian release date)
Dir: Sean Byrne

Sean Byrne's feature debut saw great reviews from those lucky individuals who managed to catch it at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) back in July 2009. From there this humble film went on to gain even greater praise when shown at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Since then we've been waiting and anticipating the general release of this edgy Australian horror and finally our wait is over.

Brent (Xavier Samuel) is your typical teenager, apart from the recent loss of his father and his newfound reliance on risk taking and cutting, he goes to school and hangs out with his girlfriend Holly (Victoria Thaine). When shy girl Lola (Robin McLeavy) asks him to the end of school dance he politely declines and in doing so invokes her rage. Along with her father (John Brumpton), Lola kidnaps Brent and begins a night of pleasure, for her, and pain, for him.

Billed as Pretty in Pink meets Wolf Creek, the marketing of this film as a horror the likes of Wolf Creek instantly had me packing a scarf in my bag. Thankfully the scarf didn't have to be used as this delightful mix of torture, gore and comedy had me squirming in my seat then laughing almost instantaneously. As a comparison, my experience with Wolf Creek involved a month long phobia of getting into my car without first checking the back seat and double checking in the review mirror. It must be noted though that the intensity and brutality of the torture scenes will not be laughed off as easily by everyone. I found the balance between the comedic dialogue and the torture scenes put me at ease and in a way detracted from the violence. While I still squirmed it was not scary merely uncomfortable.

All jokes aside about finding Sean Byrne a good psychologist, he has confidently structured a stand out feature worthy of Australian audiences. Combining solid performances from the entire cast; hunky Xavier Samuel pre Twilight fame, funny side-kick Jamie (Richard Wilson), Robin McLeavy's disturbing turn as Lola and in particular John Brumpton's spine tingling portrayal of "Daddy" all contribute to one of the best Aussie films of recent times. The Loved Ones feels fresh and at its core is fun, despite the graphic and demented nature of some of its plot.

Where I felt the film faltered was in two particular instances; the fact that I clued in to one of the major "twists" very early on, and secondly, in the somewhat wimpy final scene, which took away from the impact of its predecessor. Not much can be said without flashing up a spoiler warning, but the film suffers from a need to tie some loose ends up neatly, to provide closure for its characters rather than go out with a bang for the audience. Perhaps a bit of Lola rubbed off on me during the film, but by the end of The Loved Ones I didn't care for sentimental and neat, I wanted the punchy ending!

Byrne takes some risks with his debut, combining humour and horror is a delicate balancing act, and whilst, as I mentioned before, the humour sometimes took the edge off the horror, overall the mix worked well for me. Byrne succeeds in creating the scary out of the ordinary - a teenage girl, while still maintaining some realism to ground the film. So, is it finger lickin' good? Lola asks Brent as she shoves a piece of chicken in his face. I say, absolutely.

3.5 / 5

We Want Sex... Equality!

2010-11-03T10:31:00.002+11:00

Made in Dagenham
October 28, 2010 (Australian release date)
Dir: Nigel Cole

1968. It's a man's world. But not for long...

In 1968 a group of female workers walked off the job at the Ford Dagenham car plant. Their demands were simple; end sexual discrimination and be given equal pay. Rita O'Grady (Sally Hawkins) leads the protest with the support of union rep Albert Passingham (Bob Hoskins). Rounding out this delightful cast is Miranda Richardson as First Secretary of State, Barbara Castle; the always charming Rosamund Pike as the wife of one of the Ford bosses, and Geraldine James as Connie, close friend and co-worker to Rita.

From the director of Calendar Girls is the line being pushed pretty hard and with reason, this film, despite detailing a monumental historic event, is handled with pink frilly gloves. This makes for a thoroughly entertaining film but one that lacks strength in many places. The characters have been created and not based on actual people, and the archival footage of the real women of the Ford Dagenham plant that plays over the film's closing credits feels at odds with the film we've just seen.

There's no denying Sally Hawkins makes this film, she's charming and funny and really nails the feisty underdog role. While women are known to be emotional creatures it was disappointing to see the female characters so often appear to be holding back tears or acting out of emotion when attempting to portray strong characters. The film is, however, consistently funny. There's a scene that comes to mind in the plant, when a young man enters the women's work room there's a delightful reversal of gender roles - this time it is the women clawing and wolf whistling at the man and you can't help but at least smile.

Made in Dagenham is a sweet treat of a film with great performances and a fun approach to a very meaningful moment in the women's liberation movement. The film captures the period perfectly with wonderful costumes and music and while it's not a film many will rush to see I would highly recommend this as at least a DVD rental, perfect for a Sunday afternoon.

3.5 / 5

You just got your ass handed to you by a Goddamn retiree

2010-10-28T10:37:00.000+11:00

RED
October 28th 2010 (Australian release date)
Dir: Robert Schwentke

RED, based on a graphic novel of the same name, tells the story of ex CIA black-ops agent Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) who is forced out of retirement when a hit squad attacks him. Taking love interest Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker) along for the ride he reassembles his old crew, or as Joe (Morgan Freeman) so unoriginally puts it, "we're getting the band back together". Marvin (John Malkovich), Victoria (Helen Mirren) and Ivan (Brian Cox) round out the team; William Cooper (Karl Urban) plays the naive up and comer in charge of bringing Moses down, and Alexander Dunning (Richard Dreyfus) plays the self confessed "bad" guy.

RED stands for Retired Extremely Dangerous, or it could stand for Really Easy Dollars... in that an action comedy is sure to put bums on seats. But that's just the thing, I didn't find RED to be consistently action packed or entirely funny. Sure the sight of Helen Mirren wielding a massive gun is highly entertaining, and John Malkovich knocks his deranged character out of the park, but the other performances left a lot to be desired. Bruce Willis plays... Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker plays a doe eyed door stop, Morgan Freeman really has little to do here, Richard Dreyfus makes the entire film more of a joke than it was probably intended to be with his "I'm the bad guy" speech straight out of a D grade cop show, and Karl Urban plays a cookie cutter agent who kills people by day then checks his kids have been tucked in okay by night.

The whole film is a bit of a sigh. There's plenty of shooting and explosions though nothing landmark; and for agents of a supposedly high calibre, why do they miss their targets so often? The idea that the CIA can be brought down by a group of retired agents is in itself absurd, as though the entire operation lived and died by the strength of this one agent and his team. But I get that this is all meant to be a bit of fun, except I wasn't having fun. I found RED to be a tiring film with wasted opportunities to play up the older cast angle; the dialogue was embarrassing and plodding, and save for Mirren and Malkovich, the performances were quite uninspiring. If you love action films you're sure to get something out of this but for me I would rather, as John Malkovich's character suggests, go and get some pancakes.

2 / 5

Drop the "the". Just "facebook". It's cleaner.

2010-10-27T13:37:00.002+11:00

The Social Network
October 28th 2010 (Australian release date)
Dir: David Fincher

Where the HELL are my wedges? I ordered them to be brought in at 7.30, it's 7.50! This was perhaps the only time during The Social Network's 2 hour run time where my mind drifted from the screen; of course that's a downfall of Gold Class and an empty stomach, and not a reflection of the film itself.

The other thought that kept popping up was that Mark Zuckerberg is 46 days younger than me... and he's the world's youngest billionaire. If that wasn't enough to make me hate the guy then David Fincher's fictionalised account of the creation of the social networking site facebook, was surely going to cement my distaste for this nerd. And yet on reflection I'm not sure how I feel about the Mark Zuckerberg represented in this film; is he a jerk? Was success thrust upon him too fast and too young? At the end of the day is he just a guy with a broken heart? Or is the Mark Zuckerberg, and his story, in this film completely detached from reality?

Australia suffers at times from the delayed release dates we have for most films, occasionally we'll luck out and snag a film a few days before its US release date, we actually got Kick-Ass a whole week before the Yanks, but in the case of The Social Network, which was originally to be released in November, the few weeks between international and local release had imprinted in my mind that this was the film of the year. To say I was disappointed would be to imply I didn't like this film, which isn't true, but to say this is my favourite film of the year or even the best film of the year would be stretching the truth, for me at least. I will go as far as to say this is up there with the top films and definitely the top screenplays of the year, there was no doubting Aaron Sorkin's abilities to translate this story from geek makes good to intriguing cinema.

The creators of facebook... not this good looking in real life

500 million people worldwide use facebook, apparently, and they all have Mark Zuckerberg to thank, or blame - however you choose to look at it. The Social Network follows Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) from getting dumped, seen by some as the start of the chain of events that would lead to the facebook site we know today, to creating Facemash - a no frills site for comparing and rating college girls based on looks, to creating the first site called The Facebook, available only to students with a Harvard email address.

Zuckerberg created the site with classmates Dustin Moscovitz (Joseph Mazzello), Chris Hughes (Patrick Mapel) and Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), but it's the relationship between Zuckerberg and Eduardo that proved most explosive and is in turn one of the main focuses of the film. The second main focus is between Zuckerbeg and the Winklevoss twins Cameron and Tyler (played brilliantly by the one actor - Armie Hammer) who along with Divya Narendra (Max Minghella) commissioned Zuckerberg to help them build a social networking site, Harvard Connection, exclusive to Harvard students.

When The Facebook site was launched Team Winklevoss cried foul and Mark Zuckerberg had his first lawsuit. His second lawsuit came courtesy of former friend and co-creator Eduardo Saverin. The Social Network tells the story of both the creation and attempt to destroy facebook (the Winklevoss case) through these lawsuits. Utilising flashbacks to move between the lawsuits and college scenes, The Social Network has a cracking pace thanks largely to some brilliant editing (Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall). Thrown at first between the shifts in time this narrative decision soon began to work for me as opposed to a chronologically structured story.

I'm six-five, 220 pounds, and there are two of me.

Amongst a rather large list of what The Social Network succeeds at is the way this film looks and in particular certain scenes which could literally have taken my breath away had my mouth not been full with the pre-mentioned Gold Class wedges that had finally arrived. The regatta scene (that's the fancy term for 'boat race') is perhaps my favourite scene of 2010, it's truly stunning and is one of the main reasons I stayed until the end of the credits. Most people stay until the end of the credits for comedies, to catch that extra "funny" clip they like to throw in, but I wanted to stay to the end to acknowledge how many people worked together to create this great film.

Of the handful of things I felt didn't work in the film, the relationship between Zuckerberg and Eduardo is the one that sits most uncomfortably with me post viewing. I acknowledge Garfield in particular for bringing a much needed strength to the scenes after Eduardo is pushed out of the company but didn't feel the friendship was explored or presented strongly enough during the college scenes. At 2 hours you can see why further character development might have been hard but I felt as though I had to put in a lot of extra leg work to feel Eduardo's disappointment and betrayal, and ultimately my reaction to the events were mostly heightened in adverse reaction to Zuckerberg's general arseholery... I presume that's a word.

The bottom line is, regardless of whether you use facebook, or perhaps more importantly, whether or not you like facebook, The Social Network is an intriguing and extremely well crafted film with solid performances. This is definitely one of the films you must see this year as a true reflection not of the real story of how facebook came to be, but of the society and of the time in which it was created. Don't like what you see in the characters in this film? Perhaps we better not look in the mirror then.

4.5 / 5

Note: Justin Timberlake is also in this film. He plays Sean Parker, the creator of Napster who helps Zuckerberg expand Facebook, he is also an arsehole, or so this films leads me to believe. According to IMDb he "lost 15-17 pounds for his role in this movie. He felt that making himself look skinnier would make him look younger."

Additional viewing: I highly recommend watching Stephen Colbert's interview with writer Aaron Sorkin, insightful and funny. Follow this link.

Scary Fact: Again from IMDB,
"In the very last scene of the film, Mark Zuckerberg is seen trying to friend Erica Albright on his own site. However, in real life, Zuckerberg has unfettered access to anyone's account on Facebook, and he cannot be "unfriended"."

You're going to be so unhappy...

2010-10-20T13:35:00.002+11:00

Life As We Know It
21 October 2010 (Australian release date)
Dir: Greg Berlanti

"You're going to be so unhappy," the unbelievably casual social worker tells our protagonist, Holly, after one of the most cliched scenes in the film, while eerily predicting how I felt sitting through this film. Yes, Life As We Know It has an airport dash scene, no - even in 2010 it hasn't occurred to screenwriters that nobody in real life drives like a maniac to stop a loved one boarding a plane, and the basic logic that even if you miss them you can always call and say, y'know what - I changed my mind, I love you, come back, is also missing in this film. In fact a lot of logic is missing in this film, but really, who here thought this was going to be a great, nay even a good film? The swarm of screaming teenage girls down the front can lower their hands, we all knew this was another grade A, straight from the mould Katherine Heigl train wreck.

Holly Berenson (Katherine Heigl) and Eric Messer (Josh Duhamel) are thrust unexpectedly into parenthood following the untimely death of their two best friends (a curious role choice by the ultra talented - and beautiful - Christina Hendricks). That Holly and Eric despise each other, even more so following a disaster date of epic proportions, can surely only add to the comedic hijinks this film delivers. Surely. What follows is another crushing instalment in the Katherine Heigl bad career choices handbook. I may be setting myself up for ridicule here but I don't actually dislike Heigl as an actress, trust me when I say that I hate her films and I hate her in those films, but I have a small flag flying in the hope that one day Heigl will be cast in something that doesn't require her to be a) neurotic, b) a perfectionist, c) a control freak, d) the "downer" girl or basically any role that portrays women negatively, i.e. give the girl something other than D-grade rom coms!

Poo is not funny... it's just gross

If you're looking for a film with montages aplenty look no further this coming weekend; Life As We Know It has a record bajillion montages (*number may not be accurate) to help demonstrate the passing of time from disaster date to congratulations it's a 1-year-old girl, along with the many crazy and wacky things that happen day to day when you're raising a little one. What is an extremely heart wrenching and emotional subject, the unexpected death of close friends, gets lost amongst all the baby poo on face, sleepless nights, bedroom escapades of man whore Messer and an extremely thin sub plot involving a secondary love interest for Holly.

Reminiscent of The Break-Up this film has a lot of yelling, a lot of arguing and a lot of crying - if you ever needed to be put off having a baby sit down to 10 minutes of this film and thank me later. Two annoying characters + 1 cute baby do not a good film make; that we are expected to actually care whether they end up together/raise this child together is extraordinary as we're given no reason to jump on their band wagon.

How did they mimic my expression while I watched this film? Amazing!

As the characters remove all the photos of their former friends from their house, in which they now live, along with everything else in the house they just plain don't like, any resemblance of a halfway decent romantic comedy are also lost. Sure there was the occasional chuckle, thanks mostly to Melissa McCarthy (of Gilmore Girls fame) as the buxom neighbour, but this film is devoid of anything charming or memorable.

Special shout out to the group of young ladies who expressed themselves throughout the film, applauding when Heigl and Duhamel kissed along with continually gasping, giggling and so on, you, ladies, were more entertaining than this film.

1 / 5

Eat some now. Save some for later.

2010-10-13T15:22:00.000+11:00

Let Me In
14th October 2010 (Australian release date)
Dir: Matt Reeves

12-year-old Oscar (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is struggling with his parent's divorce and the boys at school who bully him. When Abby (Chloe Moretz) moves in to his apartment building the two begin a cautious friendship as they attempt to cope with their hardships.

Chaos reigned the day it was announced Cloverfield director Matt Reeves was set to tackle the remake of popular Swedish vampire flick Let The Right One In. Once people realised that the world wasn't going to end some even got excited, hey it could even be good! Reeves said early on that he loved both the novel, written by John Ajvide Lindqvist, and the original film, screenplay also written by Lindqvist, and that in his approach to making Let Me In he wanted "to try and translate that story very thankfully but to an American landscape." Further, that his retelling was focused primarily on the coming of age aspect of the story, with the vampire character serving the main plot, that of Oscar's family and schoolyard plights and his friendship with Abby.

I suppose your reaction towards this film will depend on the following poorly constructed chart.

Okay so perhaps it's a bit more complex than the above. Matt Reeve's re-imagining of this childhood vampire story does have several elements in its favour but if you've seen, and enjoyed, the original film it's hard to take those blinkers off and fully enjoy this film. Constantly I was thinking, I've seen this before, yep this is where this happens, oh here we go now she's going to... and as such there is little to no tension in what should be a fairly tense film. The closing scenes are a prime example of this. I won't go into details for those who may not have seen the original, but the events that take place in the swimming pool should be shocking; instead, knowing what is about to happen, I shifted awkwardly in my seat for the fiftieth time.

What is good about this film are the performances; Chloe Moretz and Kodi Smit-McPhee are not only two of the most intriguing up and coming actors in Hollywood today, but they have brilliant chemistry. Richard Jenkins as 'The Father' is truly wonderful to watch, but then again, when isn't he? His scenes were my favourite in the entire film, both nerve wracking despite knowing the outcome, and touching. The overall atmosphere and tone of this film are accomplished, though beg one to question what the difference is between the two films apart from the language.

I had hoped Reeves wouldn't stick to his desire to present us the exact same story merely in a different setting; many of the pop culture and political references throughout the film should have had more of an impact than they did, causing me to again pose the question, why? Essentially the friendship exists regardless of nationality, political climate, language and so on, however Reeves could have tapped into present day insecurities to really solidify this film.

A seemingly unnecessary remake that offers some enjoyment for first time viewers to this story, or to those who have seen the original and who perhaps saw more in this film than my blinkers allowed me to.

3 / 5

Waiting on Wednesday

2010-10-13T10:43:00.000+11:00

Oh hai! Yes I've been a bit slack on the Trailer Trash Tuesday and Waiting on Wednesday posts but here we are at Hump Day once again and I saw something this morning which caught my eye. Not usually one to gravitate towards true crime, murder, and other such nasties the allure of a John Waters narrated documentary demanded my attention. Commonly joked about, Waters seems to pop up in the most unlikely places and seemingly in every talking heads documentary going around. "The forthcoming documentary film by Susan Marks and John Dehn, Of Dolls and Murder explores a haunting collection of dollhouses with a criminal element. From a wealthy heiress and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation to the modern day boom in forensics, and The Body Farm, Of Dolls and Murder promises to take you places you’ve never dreamed of." (www.wildestdreamsmovie.com)

A quick google search later and I'm reading about the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Deaths - a series of 18 dioramas depicting crime scenes made by Frances Glessner Lee - a millionaire heiress. "She designed detailed scenarios, based on composites of real criminal acts, and presented them physically in miniature. Students were instructed to study the scene and draw conclusions from the evidence presented." This comes from the ever reliable Wikipedia... moving on.

With shows like Dexter and the endless parade of CSI spin offs only growing in popularity the world seems fascinated and intrigued by crime, and in particular murder. Though anyone who has lived through such an ordeal will tell you it's definitely not entertaining, we continue to churn out these shows which say otherwise. Of course speak to someone in forensics and they'll tell you it's all a load of hogwash - truth sprinkled liberally with Hollywood dust. This documentary looks to explore this issue, the human fascination with death and the depiction of death so long as it's not our own.

Unfortunately I can't find a trace of a release date and this will most likely be a DVD viewing.

And I'll jump into a brand new skin and then you won't be able to box me in... don't box me in

2010-10-07T14:53:00.001+11:00

Buried
October 2010
Director: Rodrigo Cortés
Distributor: Icon

They say claustrophobics need not apply... and they'd be right. I wouldn't consider myself a claustrophobic person, I ride a sardine tin into work every day (also known as a Metro train), I'm not opposed to the idea of going caving and once spent several minutes zipped up in a suitcase to prove I could fit inside... and was subsequently abandoned in there as a joke. Yet I was so very, truly grateful to breathe some fresh air after leaving a screening of Rodrigo Cortés' latest thriller Buried. Set entirely in a box with nothing but the hunky Ryan Reynolds to entertain our eyeballs for an hour and a half, my initial scepticism soon wore off as I found myself sucked into this tense Hitchcockian MacGyver film.

Here's the rundown: Ryan Reynolds plays studly truck driver Paul Conroy on contract in Iraq during American occupation. I'd like to insert a side note here that never in my life have I seen a truck driver as sculpted and truly foxy as Mr Paul Conroy, Linfox please take note and alter your employment procedures stat. When his convoy is ambushed Conroy wakes up to discover he's been buried alive with nothing but a pen, a lighter, a knife, a mobile phone, his anxiety medication, a dodgy flashlight and some glow sticks - what do you do? What do you do? Oh and there's the small matter of getting a $5 million ransom to his captors for his release.

Paul realised now was not the time for a solo rave but the glow stick proved too tempting

What follows is, for lack of a more creative way of expressing it, one of the most tense film experiences of recent memory. I couldn't stop myself from thinking about the recently run contest in the States which saw winners treated to a preview screening of the film from the comfort of their very own coffin. Slowly I began to realise I wasn't breathing normally, as though my self imposed oxygen restrictions would somehow help the sexy Paul Conroy in his plight. Once I realised I was feeling faint I returned to my regular breathing patterns and stared on in pure fascination as Paul attempted to free himself from his underground prison.

What surprised me the most was how Cortés managed to maintain the tension and intrigue throughout the film despite the limited location and characters, how Reynolds kept up his level of intensity and perspiration, and how despite tiptoeing into delivering some sort of message the film managed to make me think without making me angry I was being preached to. Buried is a little hammy in that things are a little too convenient to be easily digested. When you think things couldn't get any worse a snake appears, I mean really, the guy is buried alive for Christmas sake, do we really need to throw a snake into the ring as well? His mobile phone has JUST enough battery power to get him through the run time, he loses the phone signal, picks it up by moving the phone around the coffin for a bit, then this signal problem magically fixes itself for the rest of the film, or for the majority of it at least. I kept thinking thank God he doesn't have an iPhone or the film would only run 45 minutes before the battery dies and he can't negotiate his own rescue.

Paul thought about his life and how he had ended up Buried

It goes without saying, this is a B-grade movie, there are some faults but it's a hell of an emotional ride and despite feeling close to exhausted during and after the film, in hindsight I remember it fondly. I wouldn't say this is an all out fun film, you won't come skipping out if it, but I tell you what, I'd rather spend 95 minutes in a coffin with Ryan Reynolds than 5 minutes with Julia Roberts in Eat, Pray, Love so I know what my choice would be this weekend at the movies!

3.5 / 5

Not with a Fizzle but with a Bang

2010-09-15T09:12:00.001+10:00

Movies have created and in turn killed the idea of romance. As a woman I am exposed to countless ideas and ideals of what romance should be and why I should have it in my life. I should have a partner who constantly sends me flowers, dotes on me, or in the world of John Hughes and Cameron Crowe, a man like Jake Ryan or even Lloyd Dobler who will stand outside my bedroom window holding a boom box over his head. This is the problem Olive Penderghast (Emma Stone) faces in Easy A, the latest film from director Will Gluck (Fired Up) except replace 'romance' with 'losing one's virginity' as Olive discovers life isn't exactly like a John Hughes film.

When Olive tells her perky friend Rhiannon (Alyson Michalka) that she lost her virginity over the weekend, a lie in itself, it soon spreads around the school thanks to the nosey, disapproving Christian girl Marianne (Amanda Bynes). As her reputation as the school slut grows Olive decides she may as well embrace it and offers her services to "fake rock your world" in exchange for a gift certificate. Soon the school's nerdiest and wimpiest boys are using Olive's services to gain cred, but Olive's reputation may be too damaged to repair.

It's easy to be turned off a movie simply because it falls into that teen comedy category. But I was looking forward to this film for one reason, Emma Stone. After great performances in Superbad and Zombieland you could call me something of a fan girl of this young lady, she's the perfect rom com lead; smart and sassy. Not being a huge fan of Gluck's previous film Fired Up I was hoping for something a little more solid this time round, and thankfully he has delivered.

This teen comedy is one of the best of recent times; it's consistently laugh out loud, it has that compulsory element of self discovery, the right guy for the girl, the wholesome though offbeat family, the fight with the best friend... all elements that are formulaic but work so well here thanks to a brilliant cast. Amanda Bynes as the overbearing God girl is a little too reminiscent of Mandy Moore's performance in 2004's Saved! but Bynes is such a great young comedic talent that you can still enjoy her performance here. In fact the whole film had a similar vibe to Saved!, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The definite stand outs, apart from the pre mentioned brilliant Stone, were Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson as Olive's parents, quirky yet loveable and not too caricature, they definitely provided the most laughs for me. Thomas Haden Church and Lisa Kudrow as Mr and Mrs Griffith, the less than perfect school teacher and counsellor respectively, are fun, though less can be said for Gossip Girl call inPenn Badgley.

The main problem this film had is when it attempted to reference other films and in doing so highlighted its own weaknesses. The mistake made is when the John Hughes card is played; why aren't relationships like a John Hughes film? Why can't I have someone like ___ (fill in the blank)? There are even a few clips from his classic 80s teen films shown and the ending, well, it almost undoes all of the good things the film achieved, it's laughable and a tiny bit cringeworthy to be completely honest. The other problem with this is those who grew up watching John Hughes films are not likely to go and see this particular movie, and those young enough to fit the market for Easy A probably haven't seen many, if any, Hughes films themselves. Here's hoping this film inspires a new generation to seek out the teen comedy classics.

Overall this is a fun movie, it's witty, laugh out loud pure teen cinema indulgence. There won't be any Oscar nominations coming from this film but give me a bowl of popcorn, a room full of friends and a DVD line up with Easy A in it and I'll be one happy girl.

3.5 / 5

Easy A is in cinemas from September 16th.

"Twist after twist..."

2010-09-08T15:27:00.001+10:00

The Disappearance of Alice Creed
2009 (September 2010 Australian release)
Dir/writer: J Blakeson
Distributor: Icon

Twist after twist... though perhaps too many. It's safe to say the old adage, less is more, is pretty spot on. In the case of the twists in The Disappearance of Alice Creed more it seems is definitely too much.

The film has an interesting premise; a young woman, daughter of a wealthy man, is kidnapped and held for ransom, two million pounds. But not everything goes to plan, when does it ever seem to? The relationship between kidnappers Danny (Martin Compston) and Vic (Eddie Marsan) changes throughout the film, especially when the relationship between Danny and the kidnapped Alice (Gemma Arterton) is revealed to Vic.

What impressed me the most about this film was the opening, as Vic and Danny are preparing the apartment for the victim. It's done in a sort of how to style, very matter of fact and strategic, no frills, no emotion, no dialogue. It's a great way to be thrust into this film, and together with not revealing the kidnap victim until she's inside the apartment, was a clever move I felt.

As mentioned before this film is filled with seemingly endless plot twists, some which delighted and others which felt a bit like going around a round about one too many times. In the end the number of twists jeopardised the dramatic impact of the story for me; it was no longer an interesting angle on the tired kidnap story, it was the guess when this merry go round is going to end folks. And yet despite this I still enjoyed the film. This was only possible thanks to the performance of Eddie Marsan as Vic, who tiptoed the line between comedic, unknowing partner in crime and don't mess with me ringleader. The other two performances were both solid though forgettable, especially Arterton's painfully sweet British delivery of "Daddy" one too many times.

The self imposed limitations of the film seem to be both its hero and its downfall; limiting the cast to three characters and telling the story primarily in one location were at once delightfully non Hollywood and disappointingly off pace, it's hard to place Creed on the scale of good to bad, it seems to be sitting, for me, somewhere in the middle. I would still recommend this film to those who enjoy a good crime drama low on thrills but are looking for something a little less Mel Gibson in Ransom.

The Disappearance of Alice Creed is showing in Australian cinemas from Thursday September 9th.

Welcome to Hell

2010-09-07T10:14:00.001+10:00

Tomorrow When the War Began
2010
Dir: Stuart Beattie

Tomorrow When the War Began is a film that really needs little introduction; a group of teens go camping to a secluded area called Hell, when they return they discover the country has been invaded and they must, of course, fight back.

First off, if I hear one more person say how this film is a great achievement for the Australian film industry I think I'm going to scream; it's like telling the special kids at school they're improving, just to make them feel better. Had this not been a book (and book series) so deeply ingrained in the Australian subconscious this film would receive worse reviews than it has been getting. We're all being very kind to the special kid in the Australian film class; Tomorrow When the War Began borders on the embarrassing.

I feel it necessary to admit that I haven't read the book series, which is odd considering I grew up at the right time to read them. I did a writing camp with John Marsden in High School and for reasons I won't disclose I never read any of his work after that. But I understand how beloved this book series is to people and the challenge of adapting it to film was always going to be just that, a challenge. I can't speak of this film as an adaptation, but the weekend box office takings speak volumes; making in the ball park of $4 million.

It's not a new angle to say this film is like Neighbours or Home & Away, but there's a reason it keeps being brought up, it's true. While I will admit that I was surprised and at times impressed by Caitlin Stasey's acting, and Deniz Akdeniz as Homer was also a highlight, on the whole the rest of the young cast did little to inspire my patriotism or even raise my heart rate at their plight. The film is less than subtle when getting across its message to the audience, adding to my irritation at the very mediocre delivery of an interesting sounding plot. Some commented on the understated scene of Ellie contemplating a wall mural of the British invasion, but as "Shamu" in my screening shouted out, much to the amusement of myself and fellow cinema goers, "Just like the British!" - the message was as subtle as a hole in your head. A further scene which rubbed me the wrong way was the "loss of innocence/ leaving childhood" scene involving Robyn, the mousey Christian, taking arms, walking past a swing as she steps forward. There were few surprises when it came to direction, and it seems the budget caused character development to take a back seat to explosions from 3 different angles.

Many have commented on the race of the invaders, there's a great discussion going on at Cinema Autopsy's site, and to be honest I thought it made perfect sense that if we were to be invaded it would be by someone in the Asia Pacific region. What didn't make sense to me was why a country, or group of countries in the region, would invade Australia for resources, thereby implying they are short on resources, and yet rock up with so much artillery, gun power and cool moon buggy style vehicles. Also taking into consideration that the story is set in rural Australia, one would have to assume that metropolitan Australia must also be under attack, so in essence that's a lot of resources being used for an invader that is after... resources, but luckily this rural hostage situation provides our protagonists with a reason to be heroes so we don't question this.

While it is great to see an Australian film primarily aimed at teenagers, and the idea that there could be a franchise is something unheard of in this country, I don't think this is a great film. The level of action is entertaining and there are some humorous moments, the "wink wink" line about the book always being better than the film couldn't be more true, though they only further added to my awareness that rather than being a film an audience could become immersed in, Beattie was making an adaptation that he knew fans of the book could be forgiving towards.

It's not all bad news though, watching this film did make me wish I'd grown up in the country, that way I would have learnt to drive a tractor at 16 and in turn this would enable me to easily adapt to driving a garbage truck and a petrol tanker... or so this film would lead me to believe. Fans of the book will enjoy this film, and people who have never read the books might like it too, I just felt the action and drama were uneven, leading me, as a viewer, to feel complacent about the outcome for the characters. Despite this I'm actually interested to see the second film now, as the cinematography switched into "hero" mode in the closing scenes and the animated closing credits felt distinctly different to the film I had just sat through. I just hope the second film tones down on the amount of Australian wuss rock it pumps out.

3 / 5

Tomorrow When the War Began is in wide release now.

I've got a tip for you...

2010-09-03T13:21:00.000+10:00

Going the Distance
2010
Dir: Nannette Burstein

"I've got a tip for you..."
"Oh yeah, is it the tip of your penis?"

Or words to that effect. Needless to say the two older women who came in just before the film started and sat in the row behind us, didn't make it to the end of this film. In what is being called a Judd Apatowesque romantic comedy, Going the Distance tells the story of Erin (Drew Barrymore) and Garrett (Justin Long) who meet one night in a bar, 6 weeks before Erin finishes her summer internship at a New York newspaper and returns to San Francisco. Despite both agreeing to keep things casual when the departure date arrives they agree to keep seeing each other. What unfolds is a chronicle of the highs and lows of long distance relationships as Erin and Garrett discover if they can... um... go the distance.

Along for this fun, sassy romcom ride are a host of great supporting cast members. While Justin Long's performance really cemented this film for me, I also thought Christina Applegate was brilliant as Erin's bordering on obsessive compulsive older sister Corinne. Drew Barrymore can really light up any film she's in, but despite my respect for her as an actress her performance in this film was average. Lucky for her she's so delightful, an average performance is still entertaining, and I still believe she can act drunk better than most actresses out there today!

Garrett's two best friends, one who he lives with, are quite stereotypical for a film of this genre. In real life you'd have to question why someone as down to earth and sensitive as Garrett would hang out with two, how should I say this, losers. It doesn't make sense and because of this it's obvious best friend #1 and best friend #2 are inserted for "comedic value". Sure at times they spin off a few funny one liners but ultimately they're token characters.

The humour in this film is crude, and is not what I was led to believe from the trailer, but thanks to the aforementioned Apatow our palates have become accustomed to such vulgar dialogue. That the vulgar dialogue comes from the mouth of Drew Barrymore adds to the laughs and shocks to be had from this film. I was forewarned about dry humping before seeing this film and the closing scene does not disappoint.

Sure this isn't a fantastic film; the crude humour unhinges the drama and perhaps affects the overall consistency of tone in the film, but it's a hell of a lot of fun. Yes there are the token montage scenes, including plenty of frolicking, there are scenes that are all too painfully aware of themselves and trying to be funny; the ever present roommate playing music through the walls to DJ his friend's hook-up; it does border on lame several times. But there is undeniable chemistry between the two leads, which their real life relationship has no doubt helped with; and when this film is funny it's really funny. What really impressed me about this film was the character of Erin; finally a strong female lead, after having to endure the seemingly endless parade of Katherine Heigl vehicles for weak characters.

Going the Distance doesn't reinvent modern romcoms but it's a fun, breezy film and one that won't leave a bad taste in your mouth. It won't appeal to everyone but hey, no movie does.

3.5 / 5

Casting Couch

2010-09-02T12:45:00.000+10:00

Prepare to start hearing a lot more about the film adaptation of the bestselling Young Adult series The Hunger Games from now on. The third book in the series, Mockingjay, was released last week and was the cause of many an all nighter by avid fans. It went on to sell upwards of 300,000 copies in its first week which is, in any language, a massive success. I have yet to read the final book, thanks mostly to being a tight arse who would rather pay $6 for a copy from The Book Depository and wait than shell out $20.00 in Australian stores for a paperback copy. Before I make myself sound like I don't support authors or the industry, which I actually work in, I buy a hell of a lot of books, like more books than I can actually read, and sometimes I even pay the full price in bookstores; BUT so I can afford other luxuries, such as eating and keeping the electricity turned on, I do tend to opt for cheaper books.

Now back to the point of this; the film adaptation, and quite possibly the most important casting of a female book to film lead since Twilight (okay so perhaps the US remake of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo deserves a mention, but it all smells a bit too much like Dan Brown for me to be interested, so I shall simply specify the casting of a YA book to film). How do you cast someone that readers have come to love over the last 3 years? How do you capture the spirit of the character and the physical descriptions? With Bella in Twilight the character was created to be the every girl, so readers could imagine themselves in her place; being fawned over by two "hot" studs, apparently. The problem with The Hunger Games is that Katniss Everdeen is not your ordinary girl, and most readers probably wouldn't want to be in her shoes, apart from the token love triangle; Gale and Peeta in this instance; the boy she has grown up with, and the boy that she goes into the Hunger Games with. Whoever ends up playing Katniss will need to be strong minded, athletic, independent, kick ass... okay that was an easy segue.

Current favourite is none other than Kick-Ass's Hit-Girl Chloe Moretz. Sure she's got the attitude but the biggest problem, along with being too young for the role, is her ethnicity. Put frankly, she's just too damn white! Okay sure, with a little sprinkling of movie magic she can look different but again I go back to, she's too young for the role - mentally not just physically, and this, my friends, no amount of makeup can change. Now that I've said this of course, Chloe Moretz will go on to be cast in this role.

Next up we have everyone's favourite actress working today, the real life of the party; and the Miss Congeniality award goes to... Kristen Stewart! Okay, seriously, that Stewart's name is even mentioned is ridiculous. One teen franchise per person, don't be a hog, "let the other girls have their chance to exhibit..." as Mr Bennet would say. The funny thing is, and it's funny to me because I think Stewart is an extremely poor actress, had Stewart not taken the role of Bella in Twilight and had she been offered the role of Katniss in The Hunger Games I might just like the old cow, yes, I think Kristen Stewart could play this role well, I just don't think she should. I also think Stewart is a bit over the teen films by now, as shown by her role in Welcome to the Rileys, a.k.a Bella wears tape over her nipples.

Another name I've seen on a lot of fan forums is Nina Dobrev, the young lass on TV's teen vamp show The Vampire Diaries. Though this comment on a forum tends to make me think the fans don't really care if the leading lady can act, so long as she looks the part - and many feel Dobrev does indeed fit the bill, looks wise. "My favourite suggestion that I've heard is Nina Dobrev. I think she could pull it off. Well, based on looks. I've never seen her act." Despite the questionable quality of the TV show she now acts on, I believe she is a strong actress and could do Katniss justice.

Other names flying around are Alexandra Daddario (Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lighting Thief), Kaya Scodelario (Skins, soon to be in Wuthering Heights), Camilla Belle (take your pick of mediocre film titles), Willa Holland (The O.C., Gossip Girl) ... and basically any female actress who can pull of a teenager and has a bit of ethnicity in her appearance.

So, who do I think should play Katniss Everdeen? Well, as with many, I'm pulling for the unknown card. And who knows, maybe after Rooney Mara was cast as Lisbeth Sanders, the Hollywood casting gurus will follow suit with this film. Then there's the casting of Gale and Peeta... insert two hot, young, up and coming studs - I have a feeling this isn't too far from the truth.

Trailer Trash Tuesday

2010-08-31T12:16:00.001+10:00

It's that time of the week again - time to revel in the crapness of one very special trailer chosen out of a whole bunch of trailers for very questionable films. But first I have a question, would you date a party girl?

Here's the run down:

For Royer Adams, life started on the dancefloor, but it didn't really begin until she dropped her first record. DJ GIRL, a new feature length romanctic comedy, follows the adventures of this nightclub ingenue as she discovers an unexpected talent on the ones and twos. With a cheeky best friend on her side and a cute but reluctant teacher there for support, Royer dives headfirst into a boys-club that's not exactly open to a smiling girl simply out to have a good time. This journey weaves us through undercover ravers, a jealous ex with a headphone fetish, a bitchy club owner, the world's cattiest fashion designer and a man named Carrottop. By the end of it all one thing becomes abundantly clear - experience is overrated.

Wow, alert the press, we have a potential Oscar winner here folks. After watching the trailer it is "abundantly clear" that this film looks like neither a comedy nor a romance. Though my life, too, did not really begin until I dropped my first record, and I too have an ex with a headphone fetish and deal with bitchy club owners on a regular basis... this girl, Royer, is a steaming pile of unbelievable, stereotypical, university standard characterisation. The acting is wooden, the premise belongs back in 1998 and it would be my advise to director Marc Gottlieb to claim no knowledge of this film or his involvement in this film. Also, there's a character called Gunther in this film, Gunther... really!

But don't take my word for it, watch the trailer below.

Waiting on Wednesday

2010-08-25T13:31:00.003+10:00

127 Hours
2010 (No Australian release date yet)
Dir: Danny Boyle

You know when you hear those stories of people getting trapped and having to cut their own arm off? Then it's only a matter of time before you either ask yourself or someone else asks you, so... would you do it? Director Danny Boyle's new film 127 Hours tells the true story of Aron Ralston (James Franco), a mountain climber who becomes trapped under a boulder and must resort to desperate measures to survive... cue cutting arm off.

Now Mr Boyle's last film, I don't know if you've heard of it, a little film called Slumdog Millionaire, did little to excite me, especially after taking home the Best Picture Oscar; but I am quite excited for his upcoming moving picture, and not just because James Franco stars in it. Did someone say JAMES FRANCO?!

Okay now that we've all go that out of our systems, back to the film. What I'm most intrigued about is how Boyle will handle the inescapable flashback scenes as Ralston is stuck between a... um... rock and a hard place - sorry, couldn't resist*. Will he take the sentimental route or try and anchor this film with the edgy, action angle this trailer suggests. Sure the trailer only takes us up to the point where he falls, but it's vibrant, colourful and has this guy in it...

Oh I'm shameless! Anyway here's the trailer, what do you think?

*I just read that the film is actually based on the book Between a Rock and a Hard Place so I'm not the first to make that lame joke.

Trailer Trash Tuesday

2010-08-24T12:53:00.000+10:00

"You just have to follow your dreams no matter what"

Okay so this isn't a trailer for a real movie, but it brought a smile to my face on my most hated day of the week. Yep, while most loathe Mondays I can't stand Tuesdays! This isn't a brand new video so you may have seen it before. It's similar to the Oscar bait fake trailer that was around a few months ago and basically rips on all the cliches we see in movies today. The young guy is in a dead end job, is misundertood by his father, and wants to move away - to the far reaches of... Connecticut! It's all here and delivered perfectly, including the closing line 'Splashing into theatres this summer'.

I love the random slurp as the guy drinks from the can, the boom mike that drops into view, the bomb in the car, the overacting and the general cheesiness of the clip. It's what's called Champagne Comedy!

Boy

2010-08-18T13:10:00.001+10:00

Boy
2010
Dir: Taiki Waititi

Welcome to my interesting world...

Set in Waihau Bay, New Zealand, the year is 1984 and Boy (James Rolleston) is 11 years old. He lives on a farm with his gran, his younger brother Rocky and his goat, and he loves Michael Jackson. His mother died giving birth to Rocky, causing him to believe he has magic powers, which he doesn't.

Their dad, Alamein (Taiki Waititi), has been gone for years but returns one night when their gran is out of town. He's back with his gang, the Crazy Horses, and they've come in search of buried treasure; a bag of cash Alamein buried on the run from the cops. Boy has a great imagination, making up fun reasons for why his dad has been gone and what his dad is going to do when he returns. But when Boy really gets to know his dad it's an entirely different story.

This sweet, funny and honest film from New Zealand writer and director Taiki Waititi is a breath of fresh air and something Australian filmmakers should take note of. It not only captures the period of time beautifully, but the period in a boy's life when he realises his dad isn't the hero he thought him to be. What makes this film work so well is the honesty, Waititi doesn't weigh his film or its characters down with unnecessary or over the top details, everything is what it is, and this makes us feel for Boy and his family. The use of comedy and drama is handled expertly, interwoven in the film to avoid sentimentality but maintain heart. There's not a single moment in this film that feels redundant, and despite the short running time the audience can easily connect emotionally with this film.

The performances from the children were particularly striking and really cement the film. The use of cartoons to show Rocky imagining what his powers can do adds a childlike feel to the film and also lets us see the connection between Rocky and his deceased mother; her grave covered with his pictures. Not having seen Waititi's previous film Eagle vs Shark this is a brilliant introduction to his work and I look forward to seeing more from this Kiwi in the future.

4 Michael Jackson gloves out of 5

Waiting on Wednesday

2010-08-18T12:34:00.000+10:00

Black Swan
2010
Dir: Darren Aronofsky

Okay this was just TOO easy this week. At this point in the year there's not much left to pine for, film wise. Most people have checked off the big 2010 films from their lists as the US summer comes to an end. But Aronofsky's Black Swan has long been in the back of my mind as a highly anticipated film, and this morning we were treated to the trailer.

It looks just...amazing. Combining ballet with a thriller plot I cannot wait to see this film. Here's a quick run down thanks to The Tube Trailers.

BLACK SWAN follows the story of Nina (Portman), a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dance. She lives with her retired ballerina mother Erica (Barbara Hershey) who zealously supports her daughter's professional ambition. When artistic director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Winona Ryder) for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice. But Nina has competition: a new dancer, Lily (Kunis), who impresses Leroy as well. Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the White Swan with innocence and grace, and the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly but Lily is the personification of the Black Swan. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side with a recklessness that threatens to destroy her.

There are a few moments in the trailer that took my breath away, well not literally, but close enough. The scene where Nina's reflection in the mirror turns independently to her, and the closing shot of Nina pulling the beginnings of a black feather from her back, her eyes a bloody red, were truly exciting. This is clearly no Step Up 3D dance movie, this is going to be great... I hope!

No release date for Australians yet but with a US release date of December 1st, and an obvious Oscar campaign to follow, you can assume we will get this some time in the new year.

Trailer Trash Tuesday

2010-08-17T20:22:00.003+10:00

I'm Still Here

2010

Dir: Casey Affleck

This week I chose a teaser trailer for a film that does little to excite me, yet still leaves me wanting to see it. The teaser and the premise behind this "documentary" seems a tad wanky and too arty farty for my liking, but I'm hoping it will do something to surprise me.

Unless you've been living under a rock you'll no doubt be aware of the shenanigans one Joaquin Phoenix has been up to since "quitting acting". No he didn't pull an Amanda Bynes and retire via twitter, only to tweet the following week, kiddin y'all actress fer lyfe! Or something to that degree, I don't actually follow Ms Bynes.

Exhibit A - The Letterman interview

Exhibit B - Joaquin rapping

And finally... Exhibit C - The teaser trailer for I'm Still Here

Waiting On Wednesday

2010-08-11T13:04:00.003+10:00

Smash His Camera
2010
Dir: Leon Gast

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis sued him, and Marlon Brando broke his jaw.

Seeing this trailer makes me wish I had caught Teenage Paparazzo at this year's MIFF, what a great double bill that would make - the old and the new. Smash His Camera follows the life and work of notorious paparazzo Ron Galella, now 78. While the now ever present paparazzo is a given at any major Hollywood event, or can be spotten following hot on the heels of the rich and famous, Galella was a pioneer in his time and aimed to elevate his photographs from mere snapshots to works of art, often through capturing the celebrity unguarded.

What interests me with this film is the era primarily. I'm not interested in the escapades of Lindsay Lohan, or any other white trash starlette for that matter, Justin Bieber bores me and whether Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson are dating or not really doesn't concern me at all . But give me stories from the Old Hollywood, show me photos of some classic beauties and true cinema stars and you'll have my undivided attention. I've read some mediocre reviews of this film, after it showed at Sundance, but as a DVD flick it could be quite entertaining.

Trailer Trash Tuesday

2010-08-10T12:08:00.004+10:00

The Switch
2010
Dir: Josh Gordon & Will Speck

Trailer Trash Tuesday is back after a MIFF hiatus, and it's back with a doozy. Sure this may be an easy stab but really, this plot sounds absolutely ridiculous! Not that I would say I "expect better" from the two leads - Jason Bateman is funny but whether in the lead or supporting role he is not without his back list of bad films, and Jennifer Aniston is hardly an Oscar winning actress - but they have both provided a certain kind of fluff film that's fun to curl up on the couch with.

This year they team up in The Switch where, as the IMDb plot synopsis so eloquently puts it, An unmarried 40-year-old woman turns to a turkey baster in order to become pregnant. Seven years later, she reunites with her best friend, who has been living with a secret: he replaced her preferred sperm sample with his own.

Aniston plays the unmarried old wench who reaches that desperate age of 40 and turns to a cooking implement to impregnate her and "complete her life". The biggest and most obvious problem with this film's storyline is that a period of 7 years passes during the film, in which the characters don't look like they age - they don't even try to fool us by using that Hollywood trick of just changing their hair styles. The other issue I have is that in a 7 year time period none of the characters seem to have developed or moved on with their lives. Sure Aniston has a kid but then she moves back to the city, still single, and both her best friend (Bateman) and the thought to be sperm donor (Patrick Wilson) are after her - have they not met anyone else over the course of 7 years? We're not talking a few years here but 7 years! Add to that the best friend character who realises he loves her and *yawn* this movie looks bad. But hey, the kid looks cute at least!

MIFF Sunday August 8th

2010-08-09T11:32:00.010+10:00

Fare thee well MIFF 2010, it's been a ball though perhaps overall 2009 did provide me with some better pics, but I won't hold that against you, we all have off days - or in your case, years. I did love or quite enjoy in no particular order; Catfish, Please Give, Bill Cunningham New York, Summer Coda, I Killed My Mother, The Killer Inside Me, The Kids Are All Right, The Trotsky, Red Hill, Waking Sleeping Beauty, Scott Pilgrim Vs The World and The Illusionist... so I guess after listing all those you weren't as bad as I thought you were, yay you!

I didn't go for anything too left field, no Trash Humpers or Rubber pour moi I'm afraid, so I guess my safe picks gave me better odds. But let us not speak of HaHaHa ever again, for the mere mention of that film causes me to drift off.

The last day of the festival is bittersweet, sad to see it go but happy to get back to regular life, I can only imagine how those who saw in excess of 50 films are feeling today. I managed 24 films in 17 days, with full time work I'm quite happy with this and even better - I didn't get sick!

With our film festival over we can now concentrate on being insanely jealous of the amazing line up for the Toronto film festival and sink back into the comfort of proper cinema seats until 2011 brings up face to face again with the Greater-Union-lower-back-nightmare-chiropractor's-dream-poor-excuse-for-seats.

I'll close with these words - Long Live Team Choctop!

Waking Sleeping Beauty
2009
Dir: Don Hahn

Hi, My name is Jess and I'm a Disney tragic. Hence why I have to explain to people why at 26 years of age I still get excited about Disney (though in full disclosure more so Pixar these days) and anything Disney related. I literally had heart palpitations when I read ACMI were having a Disney exhibition once the Tim Burton retrospective closes up shop. The point to all of this jibber is that this was a must see film in my MIFF line up.

Perhaps because of my penchant for all things Disney my opinion on this documentary may be slightly skewed. I can see it has flaws, it may heighten the deaths of two Disney team members to create some dramatic tension, although the dramatic tension is already high thanks to the head butting between executives, and perhaps the opinions voiced are from a narrow stream of many possible people they could have spoken to. But at the end of this film I was smiling, it was an involving and above all darn right interesting documentary, flaws and all.

Waking Sleeping Beauty tells of the turbulent period at Disney studios, between 1984 and 1994, when animation would be changed forever; a period that would return Disney to its rightful place and see such classics as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King being produced, and would see the birth of Pixar following the use of computer technology in making the Disney flop The Rescuers Down Under.

Behind all great stories is an even greater story just waiting to be told, and whilst the success of the mentioned films and the stories about their production, troubled or otherwise, is interesting enough, what really gives this documentary its strength is the story of the power struggle between Jeffrey Katzenberg, Michael Eisner and Roy Disney. The doco draws on an extensive archive of footage and sound recordings capturing the moods and thoughts of those involved at the height of the chaos. It makes for truly compelling viewing, Disney fan or otherwise, and is a great stepping stone and merely the tip of the iceberg to discovering the many troubles behind everybody's favourite mouse.

Still to come - the final film of MIFF - Scott Pilgrim vs The World...

MIFF Saturday August 7th

2010-08-09T10:43:00.004+10:00

Catfish
2010
Dir: Henry Joost & Ariel Schulman

I have heard big things about this documentary since it screened at Sundance earlier this year, and after the comments following the first screening at MIFF on Thursday night I was happy I had secured my ticket earlier in the week.

Nev is a 24-year-old photographer living in New York. When a young girl named Abby begins painting Nev's photos they strike up an unlikely friendship via facebook and soon Nev is "friends" with Abby's entire family, including her older sister Megan.

The tagline for the film is "Don't let anyone tell you what it is" and this is very sound advice. The less said, and read, about this film the better - the fun lies in not knowing what lies ahead for these boys, although you can probably guess all is not as it seems, the climax will shock you.

Though I began to question the authenticity of the documentary, especially when comparing the closing third of the film to the opening third, it's undeniably fun and had the audience laughing one minute then holding their breaths the next. It's an intriguing look into the naivety people have when it comes to social media. As one of my favourites of the festival I highly recommend you see this film by any means you can!

HaHaHa
2010
Sang-Soo Hong

I don't know where to start with this film. I could, but won't, copy and paste a synopsis, but please don't ask me what this film was about; between the unreadable subtitles (a lovely yellow would have fixed this) and the general boring nature of the movie I felt myself dozing off several times. I won't tell you what this film is about because I wouldn't recommend this film to anyone, even if it was on SBS one night and all of the other stations were playing repeats of Tony Abbott and Julia Gillard debates.

There were a few funny moments or lines but not enough to rescue this film for me. You may say "Jess you just didn't GET it' and yes perhaps I didn't, but the bottom line is I just didn't find this film enjoyable in the slightest and I question what is what that I saw or read that made me book this film in the first place - damn you MIFF guide!! Oh well, you live and you learn I guess!

The Actresses
2009
Dir: Je-Yong Lee

After the painful film HaHaHa I was really hoping my final film for Saturday wasn't going to disappoint also. Add to this the 2.5 hour break I had in between sessions and had this film blown I would have been one ticked off MIFFster.

Thankfully this delightfully fluffy film pleased me and despite some issues with pacing towards the end of the film it was a great way to end the second last day of MIFF 2010.

Set on Christmas Eve six Korean actresses gather for a Vogue cover photoshoot. Ranging in age from their 20s to 60s egos will clash but ultimately a bond will be formed. The film is a mockumentary with six real life Korean stars, and while being scripted the actresses were obviously allowed to improvise. This makes for some fun banter between the ladies but I felt that at times it could have been controlled a bit better to tighten the film. The dinner table scene in particular feels like it drags on and some important character developments feel lost amongst the length of the scene.

The repartee between the ladies is the strength of the film, there's not much depth despite the conversation turning towards more serious issues, such as how women are perceived when they divorce their husbands, or the ever present body image issue - who's prettiest, skinniest etc, but this is a fun movie to watch. You can't help but wonder how long it will be until the Americans grab hold of this for a remake and for once I can't wait until they do! I would love to see this with an English speaking cast and will be eagerly awaiting the news that production is under way!

MIFF Wednesday August 4th

2010-08-09T09:35:00.007+10:00

Garbo the Spy
2009
Edmon Roch

A detailed and fascinating portrait of Juan Pujol - a Spanish secret double agent working for both Britain and Germany during WWII who changed the course of the war and in turn history.

Despite its short running time this documentary feels long, perhaps due to odd placements of certain information. At one point each of the talking heads in the film introduce themselves and what they do; the placement of these introductions feels odd and coupled with several other scenes led me to feeling the film was winding up, when it would in fact continue for another X minutes.

Apart from this, the subject of the documentary is extremely interesting, and this remarkable person and his story is enough to keep you watching. Coupled with the information given by the talking heads the filmmaker has cleverly, although at times desperately, used scenes from old movies, obviously due to lack of related video material.

Overall a fascinating insight into a man whose impact on the Second World War was inspiring and entertaining, although I would probably be more enthusiastic about this film should I have caught it on television rather than at the film festival.

Summer Coda
2010
Richard Gray

I was lucky enough to snap up one the much coveted tickets to the Australian/World/Universe premiere of Richard Gray's feature film debut Summer Coda at MIFF. I've already written a bit about the film in my Waiting on Wednesday section which you can read here so this will just be a quick summary of my reactions.

I don't really know what I was expecting going into this film, after having "followed" director Richard Gray, on Twitter, not in an obsessed stalker way! Summer Coda was one of my most anticipated films at MIFF this year, it was one of the first films I booked in and was in fact the first film of MIFF 2010 to sell out. That my response directly after seeing the film was "it's a real movie!" doesn't mean anything really. Perhaps I had the 2009 film Charlie and Boots in mind and thought an Australian film couldn't showcase our wonderful landscape without resorting to cliches and cringe worthy dialogue.

Needless to say, I really enjoyed this film - the relationships ring especially true. I absolutely loved the soundtrack, from the word go you're thrust into this film through the vibrant score and choice of recognisable tracks.

As for the performances there's not a sour grape - or should I say orange - in the bunch. Taylor is strong and Dimitriades shows his versatility playing a romantic lead. Unfortunately despite being promised that Alex would introduce the film shirtless, there was not a bare chest in sight on the night. Angus Sampson was another highlight for me, his mere presence on screen garnered the most laughs in the film that night and you can't help but feel a little sorry for his character in the end.

This is an outstanding debut from Gray. The script is solid, obviously refined over the 6 years it took to get this film made, and both Mildura and Nevada are shot stunningly - brilliant work from cinematographer Greg De Marigny. This is a breath of fresh air for Australian cinema, it's not conscious of what it is supposed to be and the Australianisms come through naturally as part of the landscape. I highly recommend catching this film when it releases around Australia on October 21st.

MIFF Tuesday August 3rd

2010-08-06T09:53:00.006+10:00

I Killed My Mother
2009
Xavier Dolan

After hearing the buzz this film created after showing at Cannes last year I was wondering when it would pop up on our shores. Seeing it in the MIFF program my heart literally skipped a beat and I began hoping it would live up to the hype, I'm happy to say it did.

The crowd was buzzing as we sat down to watch Dolan's writing and directorial debut and as the film finished there was an overwhelming applause. That a 19-year-old could accomplish such honesty and beauty in his first film is astounding, and he had more than a few people questioning what they themselves were doing when they were 19 years old!

Said to be semi-autobiographical I Killed My Mother tells the bittersweet story of the continually rocky relationship between Hubert (Xavier Dolan - yes he wrote, directed AND starred in the film!) and his mother Chantale (Anne Dorval). Hubert has a strange bond with his mother, one that is quite literally a love-hate relationship; he admits that should someone hurt her that he would in turn hurt that person, but that he could think of at least a hundred people he loves more than his mother. The film does little to explain why he feels this way, could it be the absence of his father? Could it be his sexuality and having his boyfriend's mum come out for him to his own mother? Or could it be something unexplainable; as he says that everyone hates their mother, be it for a second or for years, everyone has the capacity to hate the one that gave them life. Overall I got a sense that Hubert's immaturity and sense of insecurity with himself was the cause to all the friction, but one thing is for sure - his mum puts up with a lot of shit!

Beautifully shot although consistently a tad too dark for my liking, Dolan's first feature film marks him as a man to watch, this isn't a new revelation. I wish that MIFF had shown his second feature, which I believe showed at the Sydney Film Festival this year, Heartbeats - as I'm unsure when we'll get a chance to see this. Though the film is only 96 minutes long the length of some yelling matches between mother and son did make the film feel longer than it actually was, and at times I felt like yelling myself 'Enough with the yelling!'. That would be my main, if only, criticism, that whilst the arguments were funny and at times shocking or emotionally touching, they did little to drive the story or characters forward.

Overall this is a beautiful, dark and truthful account of a boy's relationship with his mother as he grows into his own skin. That my brother (who I saw the film with) said he identified with Hubert was a little unsettling but proves the power of Dolan's film in reaching its audience.

MIFF Monday August 2nd

2010-08-03T12:42:00.003+10:00

Wild Target
2010
Dir: Jonathan Lynn

"That's Ron Weasley, and the other guy was from The Office..." - that was the first thing I heard trying to escape from the Forum as soon as the film finished playing. The second was an older woman trying to explain the MIFF voting process to her friend, "You have to tear the piece of paper where you want to vote, I gave it 5 stars." I think I almost choked hearing that, but then again that's what MIFF is all about. I love this film, you hate that film, we all hate Greater Union - it's what makes the world turn really.

Having not seen the original film Cible émouvante I went blind into the remake Wild Target, I didn't even watch the trailer. I love Bill "feel it in my fingers" Nighy, don't mind a bit of Emily Blunt, and love Martin "the other guy is from The Office" Freeman. I've only ever seen the first Harry Potter movie so my feelings towards Ron Weasley... ah Rupert Grint, are nonexistent. Based on his performance here, my feelings remain.

Victor Maynard (Bill Nighy) is the top assassin in London. Raised in the family business he's been taught to kill from a young age. When he takes a job to kill young beauty Rose (Emily Blunt) after she scams Ferguson (Rupert Everett) out of £900,000 with a fake Rembrandt painting Maynard doesn't expect that he'll end up changing sides and protecting Rose, taking Tony (Rupert Grint) along for the ride as his apprentice.

This is essentially one of those bumbling crime comedy capers where the "bad guys" are stupid and ultimately don't win. The "good guys" are always one step ahead or if they're not they have the screenwriter's perfect timing on their side to avoid any nasty endings for them. This is a neat little film and one that is painfully aware of its "funny" lines. I say "funny" because the audience loved it, although I remember thinking more about what I was going to have for dinner than actually laughing. I get that there were some genuinely funny moments, but when the film is throwing something in your face going see what we did/said there? That's funny - ok laugh I have a reluctance to actually laugh.

The performances are all great, Bill Nighy in particular is worth watching this film for alone. He is hilarious - plain and simple. The French style soundtrack alludes to the original and something tells me a lot of the jokes would have worked better in that version. I for one will definitely be seeking the original out. I think most people will enjoy this film, it's very mainstream with guaranteed laughs and high speed chases, it's a good popcorn flick.

MIFF Sunday August 1st

2010-08-02T21:20:00.010+10:00

Please Give

2010

Dir: Nicole Holofcener

Thank God for films by Nicole Holofcener, and thank God for a Nicole Holofcener film at MIFF. I couldn't have asked for a better film to begin my Sunday and to mark the half way-ish mark of MIFF 2010.

Set in New York (there's that favourite city of mine again!) a husband - Alex (Oliver Platt) and wife - Kate (Catherine Keener) run a vintage furniture store, selling overpriced pieces bought cheap from the children of deceased people. While Alex can shrug this off as business the guilt begins to eat away at Kate and she continually searches for ways to help the less fortunate. In a city consumed with real estate Kate and Alex purchase the apartment next door to theirs with plans to expand, the only problem being they have to wait for its resident, Andra (the fabulous Ann Morgan Guilbert) to die. In the interim Kate, Alex and their daughter Abby (the extremely likeable Sarah Steele) form various relationships with Andra and her granddaughters Rebecca (Rebecca Hall) and Mary (Amanda Peet).

Holofcener has a certain style to her films and perhaps you either love them or you don't; I fall into the first category but have had many discussions (arguments) when people tell me how bad Friends With Money was, pfft whatever! (Please note the very mature reaction there.) What I love about her films and what's present in this film is her witty dialogue; the mention of various characters asking Rebecca 'Have you seen the leaves yet?' a perfect example. The first time is funny, the multiple times it is asked of her becomes a hilarious running joke, until at last Rebecca sees "the leaves" and in a way lets go of her past. Holofcener's characters are also realistic, though they may not always be likeable, Andra is a fabulously annoying old woman who continually complains and insults people, but is so much fun to watch on screen.

I feel like a fangirl when talking about Holofcener's films - it's hard not to gush and to actually write something with a bit of intelligence to it. I feel like I have failed, needless to say this is on my list of best films of MIFF 2010, if you enjoy comedy dramas of the highest quality add this to your list pronto!

Please Give opens nationally on September 9th.

The Woman With The 5 Elephants

2009

Dir: Vadim Jendreyko

I suppose like a middle child, my middle film of the day suffered a little from neglect of attention. I had scoffed down a thoroughly unhealthy snack in the time between movie #1 and this film and was unfortunately seated next to a man who smelt of mothballs. So the world was against me when it came to the documentary about a truly wonderful woman, Swetlana Geier.

Swetlana left the Ukraine with her mother following WWII and the death of her father after being imprisoned. Her mother told her she should learn a second language, German, and that this would be her ticket to freedom. Wiser words were never spoken as Swetlana's skills were used and ultimately aided her and her mother in their move. Throughout the years she taught at university but her latest work is perhaps the most interesting. She translates Russian literature into German, the main focus of this doco being Dostoyevsky. She calls his five major novels his ‘elephants’. Sixty-five years after leaving the Ukraine Swetlana returns for a visit - this documentary capturing the moments.

Swetlana is an amazing woman, her attitude, the stories she has to tell - she is a captivating woman to hear talk. My main interest in seeing this doco was that my family on my mother's side left the Ukraine following WWII also, but are no longer here to tell the story - and certainly could not tell their story with the grace Swetlana does - the way she describes things, her words truly belong in the pages of a Dostoyevsky novel. Perhaps the documentary gets weighed down in direction, the filmmaker being present in a voiceover didn't sit right with me and the lack of balance between Swetlana talking and actual footage of her return to the Ukraine at times slowed the film down. Swetlana's story is worth watching this doco for, but I understand why this was apparently a "sleeper" hit at the Vienna and Rotterdam film festivals. Wait for it on SBS.

The Woman with the 5 Elephants plays again at MIFF on Wednesday August 4th.

Little Sparrows
2010
Dir: Yu-Hsiu Camille Chen

Perhaps I was a little quick to call Little Sparrows the worst film I had seen at MIFF thus far, and perhaps by using the words 'worst film' that implies it's a bad movie. In truth, I've been quite fortunate with my picks this year and nothing has caused me to walk out of a session... yet.

This feature debut from Perth filmmaker Yu-Hsiu Camille Chen tells the story of Susan (the incredible Nicola Bartlett) and the impact her returning cancer has on her family; husband James, and daughters Nina (Nina Deasley), Anna (Melanie Hunt) and Christine (Arielle Gray).

What I wasn't expecting from this film was a faux documentary straight to camera style spliced with the traditional storytelling. Apart from distracting me from the action I felt it completely unnecessary to give the characters this direct voice to the audience. Couple this with some artistic though random shots of the ocean, a beautiful sunset, horses in a field and there were many instances where the fact that this is a feature debut was blaringly obvious.

My main problem with the direction of this film was the sharp editing in the scenes where we should have felt the most for characters; they were often cut short, blurred and messily handled in my opinion. In particular, the scene where Anna reveals something to her husband is laughable when the desired reaction was surely meant to be the opposite.

The acting is good, though Bartlett as the mother is clearly the glue holding this film together. Some of the supporting actors, Anna's husband Mark (Scott Jackson) in particular moved from convincing to caricature within seconds. The end result is a film exploring loss and growth as a child when losing a parent but is not a film that packs an emotional punch and perhaps wades into sentimentality through cliched dialogue between mother and daughters. A fine debut but it will be the next films from Yu-Hsiu Camille Chen I'm interested in.

LITTLE_SPARROWS_TEASER_XMAS from Camille Chen on Vimeo.

MIFF Saturday July 31st

2010-08-02T09:04:00.016+10:00

Bill Cunningham New York
2010
Dir: Richard Press

If I could hug a movie it would be Bill Cunningham New York. I hadn't heard of Bill before seeing this film, and to be honest the main reason I wanted to see it was because it takes place in New York - cue daydream montage of me running around New York... something like this, maybe minus the sailor suit. It was in fact the first of two New York based documentaries I would see that day - so you can see I have something of an interest in New York, let's just call it an obsession.

Bill Cunningham is an interesting man to say the least; an inspiration to all who encounter him, and according to one, 'the most important man in the world'. Known as the photographer on the bike, Bill roams the streets of New York taking photos of the fashion on the street for his New York Times column cleverly titled, uh, 'On the Street'. But this documentary is about so much more than the professional life of Bill Cunningham, it also explores the man behind the camera, the one who lives in the artist studios of Carnegie Hall, the man who admits to never having been in a romantic relationship because he just doesn't have the time, the man who goes to church every Sunday but tears up when questioned about it, the man who gets around in his cheap blue sanitation worker smock, the man whose small apartment consists of a fold out bed and filing cabinets, this doco is merely the tip of the iceberg in exploring the life of this extraordinary, simply fascinating man. Definitely a MIFF highlight for me!

Bill Cunningham New York plays one last time at MIFF - Tuesday August 3rd - see it!

Eleanor's Secret
2009
Dir: Dominique Monfery

The fairy tales of the world are under threat – and only one unlikely hero can save them.

So this line alone was what grabbed my attention, that and the animation style looked different and fun; there were in fact some truly stunning animated sequences, in particular as a storm is rolling in. That I was left with a feeling I can only describe as disappointment after watching this film reflects more on the first animated film I saw at MIFF, The Illusionist, than on this film individually. You see, while Pixar has set the benchmark post early 1990s Disney for stunning visuals and great storytelling and The Illusionist has met said benchmark, Eleanor's Secret, whilst being a charming film, failed to continually deliver in these areas.

When Aunt Eleanor dies she leaves Nathaniel her collection of books, which doesn't sit well with him as he still cannot read on his own. When a storm damages the seaside house Eleanor has left to his parents Nathaniel decides he will let his dad sell the books to raise some money, but he will keep one book to remember his Aunt by. What Nathaniel didn't bet on was the characters from the books coming to life, and that he may be the only hope for their survival. If he doesn't read the sacred words by midday they will cease to exist and children from then on will only be told true stories.

As I mentioned before this is a charming children's film with a different style of animation, the film's message is blatant but important, Eleanor's Secret is satisfying but not amazing.

Eleanor's Secret screens again at MIFF Friday August 6th and is also showing in September at ACMI as part of Kid's Flicks.

Blank City
2009
Dir: Celine Danhier

Having a Penchant for New York sometimes causes me to make presumptions, the main being - that everything made in, filmed in, from, concerning, discussing (you get the point) New York will be amazing! Enter the documentary Blank City, telling the story of a band of rogue filmmakers living in the Lower East Side of New York in the late 1970s. This "No Wave" era of filmmaker spawned filmmakers such as Jim Jarmusch, actors such as Steve Buscemi and musicians such as Deborah "Blondie" Harry... and also a hell of a lot of people I've never heard of before.

Where this documentary succeeds is when there's some structure relating the movement to the changing political and social climate of New York, unfortunately it only refers to this as a bookend to the film, and for a large section in the middle my butt grew increasingly aware of how uncomfortable the seats in GU3 are. Perhaps the endless parading of ultra weird experiments in film grew thin with me, perhaps I should have read more about this film before booking my ticket, but I thought it would document the change in New York during this era better than it did. An interesting doco about a period of time in independent filmmaking; but one that only diehards should seek out.

Blank City has already shown twice at MIFF, look out for it on DVD

MIFF Thursday July 29th

2010-07-30T09:08:00.007+10:00

Nobody has it coming, that's what nobody can see it coming

The Killer Inside Me
2010
Dir: Michael Winterbottom

I took an aisle seat for an easy escape; my scarf sitting in my lap, ready to place in front of my eyes for the gruesome scenes I had been expecting to see. When The Killer Inside Me played at Sundance word soon spread of the high level of violence in director Michael Winterbottom's latest film, and much like the majority reaction when Antichrist screened at Cannes I prepared myself for the worst with this film. Perhaps this is why I actually ended up enjoying it much more than I thought I would. But then to use the word enjoy when discussing a film about a small town Deputy Sheriff, Lou Ford (Casey Affleck), who exposes himself as a killer, seems wrong.

The film is based on a famous pulp crime novel by Jim Thompson and has already been adapted to the screen back in 1976. It tells the story of Lou Ford, a Deputy Sheriff born and raised in a small Texas town. Set in the 1950s Lou is sent to drive prostitute Joyce (Jessica Alba) out of town but instead begins a torrid affair with her while maintaining his existing relationship with Amy (Kate Hudson). When Lou kills both Joyce and her client Elmer Conway (Jay R Ferguson), son of the town's tycoon Chester Conway (Ned Beatty) it begins his downward spiral as he continually attempts to cover his tracks.

This film is extremely violent as reports have indicated - but only in a couple of scenes, and while most people are somewhat desensitised these days it was the reaction of the man sitting next to me mumbling 'Oh my God' and my realisation that I was holding my breath during Joyce's murder scene that reminded me how violence is in no way a form of entertainment. But Winterbottom does not glorify the violence in a way that perhaps Tarantino might, the violence is shocking, it is brutal and clumsy and as an audience you feel this. That this film relies on violence towards women to propel the story forward is what will turn most people off, it is difficult to see a woman being punched, kicked and beaten but as the abusive upbringing of Lou is brought to light his actions become understandable, though of course not easier to watch.

Take away the violence in this film and you're left with an intriguing character study of the affects of abuse on the individual. Lou is stone faced and in denial about many of the things in his past but his preference for rough sex and his treatment of women are not without cause. Casey Affleck's performance here is nothing short of amazing, yes his voice still grates me the wrong way but I was completely immersed in this film purely because of him. Hudson and Alba's performances were fine, Alba being surprisingly good, but their characters are ultimately props in Lou's film.

It's hard to put my finger on why I loved this film as much as I did, and to justify liking a movie where a woman's head becomes partially caved in. The 1950s setting surely contributed to this, this film captures the era beautifully and the mannerisms and etiquette of the time contribute to understanding the characters' actions and reactions. Some will call misogyny and to an extent yes this is true but in the battered mind of this man everything he does makes absolute sense - as written on the book cover You see - I HAD to destroy them.

I am wary to recommend this film in a general sense, it's not one that I think you should take your grandma to see - but that's pretty obvious. My recommendation would be - be prepared. In preparation for the violent scenes it meant that when they did happen I wasn't thrown for a loop and I could focus on what should be taken from this film; not disgust at the excessive violence but an appreciation for an extremely well made film.

Of course I know there are many who feel the complete opposite to me about this film but as the MIFF promo says It's A Matter Of Taste!

The Killer Inside Me plays again at MIFF on Monday August 2nd and has it's national release on August 26th.

Don't ask me I'm just a girl!

2010-07-28T14:34:00.006+10:00

Killers
2010
Dir: Robert Luketic

That an Australian is part responsible for this horrid, horrid film is very sad - but I guess Legally Blonde indicated back in 2001 where Luketic wanted to go with his career. Luketic worked with Heigl only last year in the stunning(ly bad) The Ugly Truth and they've reunited on Killers just in case we'd forgotten within the space of 12 months that women are maladjusted creatures that can't even hold a gun properly.

You can already tell I didn't enjoy this movie; this is a poor excuse for entertainment, recycling a well used idea without even giving it a quick spritz with some air freshener. The characters are stupid, there's no other word for them. The film is not funny, plain and simple. The catalyst for the film's events is stretched and thin. When the film wraps up it's so neat and tidy you may as well tie a bow around it, there's no pay off for having sat through this crap for the last 93 minutes, the film literally laughs at you for being so stupid as to waste your time with it.

This shouldn't be seen as a harsh review, or news to you really - just look at the poster - we were warned from the start!

1 / 5

Killers is in Australian cinemas from July 29th 2010

MIFF Tuesday July 27th

2010-07-28T12:02:00.005+10:00

The Kids Are All Right
2010
Dir: Lisa Cholodenko

"That was so fu**ing cliche... but it was so funny!"

That's the comment I heard upon leaving Scummy Union cinemas after seeing Cholodenko's comedy The Kids Are All Right. The fact that it was said by a lesbian (not a guestimate, she was with her girlfriend) about a film about a lesbian couple who raise two kids, was really interesting to me. Often when watching straight romcoms that's something that we find ourselves saying, that's so cliche, as if that would happen like that, she's not a believable ___ fill in the blank. As a straight female watching a film about lesbians I have no idea whether or not their relationship rings true, hearing this opinion from someone else opens my eyes to the possibility that these characters may not be authentic but yes, the girl was right, this is one funny movie! I hesitate to call it a funny drama, as I felt a distinct lack of drama in this film, sure dramatic things happen but ultimately there's no tension, and the big reveal has little to no consequences after a teary apology. Comedy is this film's strength and I'm sticking to that.

Long term partners Jules (Julianne Moore) and Nic (Annette Bening) use a sperm donor to each have a child. The children Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson), now 18 and 15 respectively, seek out their donor father and a relationship soon follows. It seems as soon as donor dad Paul (Mark Ruffalo) is on the scene things fall into place for each character save for Nic, as the matriarch of her family she feels somewhat threatened by Paul's appearance. The Kids Are All Right is a geniunely funny glimpse into a non traditional family with a mother consumed with the ideal of being normal.

I'd heard a lot of buzz about this film and despite a general release date just around the corner it went straight on my 'definite' list for MIFF. I'm happy to watch some random, weird, serious etc films at MIFF but on a weeknight during full time work I prefer to go for something a bit more mainstream or something that doesn't leave me scratching my head. The Kids Are All Right was the perfect choice, it was much funnier than I had expected it to be and overall a thoroughly enjoyable movie.

Annette Bening steals the show as the uptight doctor/mum while Julianne Moore plays the more relaxed, hippy-ish mum and they play off each other delightfully. Ruffalo is charming on screen as the self loving donor dad, and Wasikowska and Hutcherson suffice as the two teenage kids. Their performances are good it's just that their characters are not given much depth, despite the title of the film this movie really is about the grownups, and whilst the kids provide the catalyst for the film's action by getting in contact with Paul it is again the adults that really drive this story home.

An honest, hilarious film with sprinklings of awkwardness, self discovery and growth and above all the true to life representation of the unconditional love a family has for one another. Definitely check this film out.

The Kids Are All Right has shown twice at MIFF but will be released in Australian cinemas on September 2nd 2010.

MIFF Monday July 26th

2010-07-28T10:10:00.007+10:00

Welcome to the Rileys
2010
Dir: Jake Scott

After losing their 15-year-old daughter in a car accident Doug (James Gandolfini) and Lois (Melissa Leo) Riley's marriage begins splitting at the seams. After four years Lois has confined herself to the house, afraid to venture out, as her husband continues an affair with a waitress at the restaurant he eats waffles at every Thurday night. When the waitress dies suddenly of a heart attack Doug is completely lost but on a trip to New Orleans for a work conference he meets a young stripper, 16-year-old runaway "Mallory" (Kristen Stewart) who will not only change him, but his marriage too.

Welcome to the Rileys, Jake Scott's (son of Ridley) second feature, has a cliche ridden screenplay that's only saving grace is the heartfelt and memorable performances from the entire cast - yes even KStew!

Couple who lose teenage daughter in car accident? Check!
After accident couple drifts apart, with one spouse taking up an extramarital affair? Check!
Troubled teen who resembles deceased daughter enters the couple's lives? Check!

... and the list goes on. There is nothing fresh about this screenplay, written by Ken Hixon, it sticks to a formula and feels flat as a result.

As I mentioned the performances are faultless - Melissa Leo again proves she's a formidable actress (fans of Leo must check her out in the HBO series Treme), Gandolfini, whilst unable to shrug his Tony Soprano character in the minds of many, portrays a heartbroken man without over sentimentalising the character, and Kristen Stewart as the teenage stripper was impressive, although perhaps lacking the attitude the character needed at times. I know KStew is known for her attitude, off the screen that is. On screen her delivery at times is forced and washes her character out; although her stripper outfit - complete with tape over her nipples - certainly garnered a few gasps from the audience. This is definitely a performance from Stewart we haven't seen before, and one that Twilight fans should not see unless they are prepared to see Bella spreading her legs and referring to her nether regions constantly.

There is some emotional pay off from Welcome to the Rileys but again the dull screenplay zaps any connection the audience might make with the characters. As an exploration of relationships the film is satisfying but again does not push the boundaries of the genre and with an uneven tone swaying between comedy and drama it rarely accomplishes either solidly. Watch for the performances but don't rush to see it.

Welcome to the Rileys is screening for the last time at MIFF on Saturday July 31st

MIFF - Sunday July 25th

2010-07-26T12:56:00.007+10:00

My Joy
2010
Dir: Sergei Loznitsa

Day 3 of the film festival and after a late night out and a long sleep in it was very tempting to skip the 2 sessions I had booked in, especially the first film - My Joy - a joint production from Germany, the Ukraine and the Netherlands about the harsh realities of life in contemporary Russia. Whoa. But as is usually always the case I was happy I dragged myself into the city to catch both this film and later that night, The Trotsky - a Canadian film about a high schooler who believes he's the reincarnation of Leon Trotsky.

But first, My Joy. The film follows Georgy, a truck driver en route with his cargo of flour. Along the road he meets various characters, from an old man who appears and disappears in the blink of an eye, to a young prostitute, it is a band of thieves that are Georgy's eventual undoing. When they knock him unconscious only to discover his cargo is useless to them Georgy is changed forever. Taken in by a stranger and learning to walk again, he never speaks for the remainder of the film. His battle continues and the film's ending demonstrates what a man pushed to the edge is truly capable of.

This is an intense and violent film; not only is the landscape harsh and unforgiving but so too are the people. My Joy is a bleak film that may wash over an audience; the narrative is at times disjointed as we flash back and forth through time, location and characters. The stories pieced together here by filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa are based on his time making documentaries in Europe; My Joy is his first dramatic feature. An intriguing and startling portrait of the brutality of the Russian people and land you best have a light hearted pick me up film on standby to watch afterwards but I definitely recommend this film.

My Joy plays again at MIFF Friday July 30th

The Trotsky
2009
Dir: Jacob Tierney

And now for something completely different, The Trotsky. A 2009 Canadian film that was a bit of a gamble for me, Sunday night 9.15pm session - will it be worth staying up late for? To add further to this gamble the session before this film, The Ghost Writer, ended up running a further 20 minutes later than MIFF thought it did, who knew something like this could happen at a film festival? So by the time we filed in for our session it was almost 10pm. But I'm happy to report it was worth the late night!

Leon Bronstein (Jay Buruchel) is a high schooler who believes he is the reincarnation of Leon Trotsky, the Russian revolutionary. He also believes he will live his life out exactly as Trotsky did, even down to marrying an older woman named Alexandra. After organising a hunger strike at his father's company Leon is taken out of private school and thrust into the public education system where he attempts to establish a student union.

This movie isn't the best comedy you'll ever see, or the best comedy of the year for that matter, but it's pretty damn likeable thanks in large part to Baruchel's strong performance and comedic delivery. The entire cast is in fact strong and coupled with a smart screenplay that perfectly blends humour, heart and issues the end result is a film that had the audience laughing almost constantly. My knowledge of Trotsky relies on a very patchy memory of high school political studies but there's plenty here to enjoy even if you know nothing about the political agenda behind the protagonist. Sure my opinion may be swayed slightly by my geek crush on Baruchel but this is definitely worth a watch, even if it's on DVD.

The Trotsky plays again at MIFF Wednesday July 28th

MIFF Saturday 24th July

2010-07-26T10:38:00.005+10:00

The Myth Of The American Sleepover
2009
Dir: David Robert Mitchell

My third film of the festival was meant to be a pleasant break from baking 54 cupcakes and a chocolate Nemesis cake for my friend's birthday party that night - it ended up being my first semi-disappointment of MIFF.

“They trick you into giving up your childhood with all these promises of adventure. Once you realise what you’ve lost, it’s too late. You can’t get it back.”

The Myth of the American Sleepover wasn't a horrible film, at no point did I want to stand up and leave, but it lacked something I can't put my finger on. I think it was after reading that this film was "several years in the making" that my expectations were raised; perhaps this was going to show the development or at least physical growth (perhaps 7 Up style) of the characters, what I got was one night in these characters' lives. It's the end of summer, that time when as a teenager you realise you didn't do as much, or a particular thing, that you wanted to do on the holidays. One night left, multiple sleepovers, what will these teens get up to?

With a sprinkling of humour this film is more drama than teenage comedy and despite a few painful line deliveries the majority of the cast is strong. What the film captures well is that time in your life when days seemed to be endless, the afternoon bled into twilight and the night went on forever, when you could squeeze so much into a day and you didn't have to worry about that pesky thing called a job. In this respect the film worked for me, it didn't glorify the teen years as a glossy ad with bright colours and a hip soundtrack, if anything I was immediately aware of the dull tones used until the final parade scene. Teenage life isn't bright and glossy for most people, teenagers are complex, their friendships are complex and David Robert Mitchell has shown this.

An understated exploration into teenage life, perhaps this film doesn't deliver on all beats but it's enjoyable enough to watch especially as a comparison film to 2008's American Teen - one a documentary, one a feature film - but which is closer to the actual truth?

The Myth of the American Sleepover is playing again at MIFF on Tuesday August 3rd.

MIFF - Friday July 23rd

2010-07-25T19:15:00.009+10:00

Melbourne International Film Festival - Friday July 23rd

The first weekend of MIFF has come and gone and it's only now, on Monday, that I'm finding the time to jot down some mini reviews of what I've seen so far. Having already taken holidays from work this year to head to the States I am attempting a lean 22 films amid full time work and other social commitments - why do people have to have their birthdays while MIFF is on!? This past weekend I managed 5 films, 1 Chocolate Nemesis cake and 54 chocolate mud cupcakes - baked that is, not eaten!

The Illusionist
2010
Dir: Sylvain Chomet

I started my MIFF adventure on Friday with The Illusionist and it was love at first frame. Before seeing this film Toy Story 3 was ranked as my favourite animated film of 2010 - well move over Woody and Buzz, L'illusionniste is in town! (The second and final screening at MIFF is this coming Saturday - July 31st) Sylvain Chomet's 2003 The Triplets of Belleville was a well known and loved hit and I hope the same can be said for his latest. The Illusionist is based on an unproduced script by Jacques Tati - who makes a cameo thanks to some footage playing in a cinema scene, and who the main character is an animated form of, bowing to everyone he passes, a signature Hulot move. The Illusionist tells the story of a form of entertainer that has long since been replaced; magicians, ventriloquists, clowns and circus performers; they are a dying breed as the latest young, hot bands move from town to town. Set mostly in Scotland and with minimal dialogue the Illusionist's chance encounter with a young girl who truly believes he can do magic keeps his hope and spirit alive. The story is bittersweet, the animation is divine, the audience was constantly laughing and all together sat in stunned silence at the end - I cannot speak highly enough of this film.

Red Hill
2010
Dir: Patrick Hughes

To follow The Illusionist on Friday night was upcoming Aussie genre bender Red Hill, part crime, part thriller, part Western with a sprinkling of comedy this was a film I knew little about going into it. While I didn't adore it as I did the previous film it was a fun movie, a really fun movie, that demands a repeat viewing (the general release is early December). It is ultimately flawed, as with a formulaic slasher flick the characters often do things that have you screaming to yourself WHY!?, but it's easy to forgive some of its shortcomings and just enjoy the ride. It did alert me to how desensitised I can be to violence on screen as a man is bludgeoned with a boomerang and we found ourselves laughing. Red Hill is a revenge film at its core, an escaped prisoner returns to Red Hill to seek revenge on those who locked him away. A young cop, Shane Cooper (Ryan Kwanten), has just transferred to Red Hill and he's going to have one hell of a first day! I would definitely recommend seeing this film on general release, unfortunately there was only one screening at MIFF.

Life is wasted on people

2010-07-22T08:24:00.005+10:00

Greenberg
2010

Dir: Noah Baumbach

Noah Baumbach's films have a tendency to divide people; while The Squid and the Whale was widely loved, 2007's Margot at the wedding was less applauded. My favourite of Baumbach's to date is still 1995's Kicking and Screaming - a title on the DVD spine that my sister confused with 2005's Kicking & Screaming, a Will Ferrell movie she said was "absolutely hilarious". I'll take Baumbach's any day thank you very much.

This year Baumbach gives us Greenberg, a tale of an LA native (Ben Stiller) who lives in New York but returns home to Tinseltown after a stint in a mental hospital. While his brother and his family holiday in Vietnam, Greenberg house (and dog) sits and strikes up an unlikely relationship with his brother's personal assistant Florence (a breath of fresh air - Greta Gerwig). Having once been in a band but blowing their record deal at the time, Greenberg now works as a carpenter, though he admits this is just for the money. On his return visit he reconnects with old friend Ivan, played brilliantly by Rhys Ifans, and old girlfriend Beth, a performance called in by Jennifer Jason Leigh from her dressing room.

To call Greenberg a high strung character is an understatement and more than a few viewers will surely be turned off by his manic personality. But this is one of the reasons I loved this film, and overall I enjoyed it so much more than I expected to. We're used to seeing Stiller in dishwater weak comedies with the occasional hit (I still consider Zoolander one of the best comedies of the last decade) but in this film he plays a much darker character while giving him a loveable edge. There are plenty of laughs, and plenty of times you'll want to throw something at the screen and despite the last third of the film losing some steam there's much to enjoy here.

Ultimately Baumbach allows you to connect with these unlikely lovers who struggle within themselves to make it through each day. They're awkward, often say the wrong thing and have a heavy reliance on alcohol, but they're characters the audience can become invested in and that's what makes this film worth your time. It's not conventional, and sure going to see the latest Hollywood blockbuster is guaranteed turn your mind off entertainment, but after watching Greenberg you'll definitely have more to talk about.

3.5 / 5

Waiting on Wednesday

2010-07-21T12:49:00.003+10:00

It's Wednesday again, where does the time go? I was a little preoccupied yesterday frantically proofing a Kylie Minogue book and in my somewhat brain dead state forgot to do a Trailer Trash Tuesday post. But Kylie is off to the printers and Waiting on Wednesday will be done!

In order to explain this week's movie perhaps a little background information might be in order. At the tender age of fourteen and nine months I started working at my first (legal) job (I did have several cash in hand jobs prior to this). In my interview I was asked if I was a vegetarian and upon answering 'no' I began my life as a "deli chick" at my local Safeway. As anyone who has worked in retail can tell you there are horror stories aplenty, but the people who work in supermarkets are a breed of their own. Which brings me to this trailer. Ready, Set, Bag! is an American documentary about competitive grocery baggers from across the country who meet up every February in Las Vegas to compete for the title of "National Best Bagger". To win this competition it's all about speed, structure and weight - and these baggers aren't mucking around, this is serious business!

Having worked in a supermarket for 8 odd years the initial attraction was that I would find this amusing, something that was "funny cos it's true". But after watching the trailer I am even more interested in this doco because these people are crazy hilarious! The parents are into it, the kids are into it, it brings the community together, and the trophy has a little paper bag on it! - only in America!

Waiting on Wednesday

2010-07-14T09:24:00.006+10:00

Welcome to another new spot on the blog - Waiting on Wednesday. In true Hollywood fashion I have ripped this idea off someone else; Waiting on Wednesday is in fact a very popular weekly event in the YA book blogging world. Every Wednesday I'll blog about a film that has done more than just caught my eye, a film that I am excited or truly hanging to see. Seeing as yesterday's Trailer Trash Tuesday was a MIFF special I thought I'd continue the theme today.

As one of the first (if not the first) films to sell out at MIFF 2010, Richard Gray's Summer Coda is one of this year's most anticipated Australian releases. With an involved online presence, including Ricky's Free Pie Friday (show me another director who will do this only weeks out from the premiere!), Richard has gone above and beyond many to connect with film enthusiasts and promote his film.

Contrary to some reports, Summer Coda is not just a film about two orange pickers who fall in love, it is indeed much more. Closure is just the beginning as Heidi (Rachael Taylor) returns to Australia from Nevada, haunted by the memory of her father, a man she hasn't seen or spoken to since she was 7 years old. Busking on the street her violin playing catches the attention of Michael (Alex Dimitriades - ex Heartbreak High hunk... okay he's done a lot since then... like The Heartbreak Kid) and a connection between the two of them undeniably blossoms. It's picking season in Mildura and along with the varying personalities of the fruit pickers arriving for work Heidi and Michael's relationship develops as they discover that their lives and secrets are better shared.

After a deluge of, shall I just say it, dark and perhaps at times depressing Aussie films of late it's not just that the poster for Summer Coda is bright and glorious in this less than bright and glorious Australian winter. The cast is a who's who of Aussie actors; both the revered and the up and coming ones to watch. I'm particularly interested to see Jacki Weaver after her stellar performance in the recent Australian hit Animal Kingdom, and Angus Sampson needs to do little more than appear on screen to bring a smile to my face.

Check out the trailer below and if you're one of the lucky Melburnians who snapped up a ticket to the premiere at MIFF on August 4th your wait for this film will be a short one. For everyone else the film has a national release date of October 21st.

Follow director Richard Gray (@Ricky_Hollywood) on twitter or head over to the official Summer Coda website. And of course check back here for my review after August 4th!

Summer Coda - official trailer from Summer Coda on Vimeo.

Trailer Trash Tuesday

2010-07-13T12:03:00.006+10:00

Welcome to the special MIFF edition of Trailer Trash Tuesday! Last week the full MIFF program was released and all around Melbourne film enthusiasts began the panic inducing task of scheduling. When does ___ get a theatrical release? was a question I asked on Twitter on more than one occasion, as I attempted to squeeze as many films as possible into my calendar.

There were several films which caused me to raise an eyebrow - a film about a killer tyre? Really? I'm not a very adventurous film goer, in that a film about a killer tyre doesn't really excite me - call me crazy. There are a lot of people however who I'm sure booked their tickets for that straight away. This week's trailer is another such film, a trailer which leaves me at a loss for words. Really, I don't know what to say except this trailer, and in turn this movie, fall into the category of WTF!? I'm sure there's more to this movie than the trailer implies (or is there?) but rather than go into more detail I'll just say watch the trailer below and join me in a big group WTF!?

Trash Humpers
2009
Dir: Harmony Korine

lo sono l'amoure

2010-07-13T10:19:00.006+10:00

I Am Love
2009 (June 2010 Australian release)

Dir: Luca Guadagnino

Being a massive fan of Douglas Sirk and what I suppose you could call the Sirk style of melodrama I Am Love excited me from the moment I saw the trailer. And in this respect this film did not disappoint as I got lost in the lush cinematography, there's no denying this film is beautiful, stunning even. But it was this ability to get lost amongst the scenery that saw me lost in general and having to snap to attention on more than one occasion and ask myself, what the hell is going on?

Set in Milan in the early 2000s, we meet the Recchi family as they gather for the grandfather's, Edoardo Sr, birthday dinner; an over the top, by your average person's standards, multiple course dinner delivered to the table by servents. It is at this dinner that he hands the family textiles business down to his son and one of his grandsons, Edoardo Jr (Flavio Parenti). But you'd be mistaken for thinking the focus of the film will be on the men of the family. The real story lies with Emma (Tilda Swinton) and her relationship with her son, Edoardo Jr and his friend Antonio (Edoardo Gabbriellini) as the two men set about starting up a restaurant together. In fact the real theme explored in this film, as I saw it, was of Emma breaking free from the family structure, and, quite like her daughter Elisabetta, learning to love again in an entirely different way.

I have to admit it was quite an experience watching the "detailed" scenes between Emma and Antonio whilst wedged between a group of 60+ (aged that is) ladies in the cinema. There were quite a few gasps and hushed comments between the women which brought a smile to my face. The relationship between Emma and Antonio is actually quite sweet at its core, as we see the change in Emma between her two lives; rigid in one and relaxed in the other. What happens when her son discovers the affair is nothing short of tragedy but ultimately provides the catalyst for the close of the film, an ending that had me sitting there as the lights came on, thinking no, no, that can't be it, what am I missing?

It's fair to say I feel I missed a few key parts of the film, I was left feeling as though I was trying to piece everything together and some of it just didn't make sense. Whether or not this was the film or as I said before, my fault after being mesmerised, I will have to discover after a repeat viewing. I also wanted to make mention, albeit a brief mention, of the use of doors in this film and how they constantly appear, especially in the family home; how to get anywhere in this home you have to go through several doors, but perhaps more importantly, what exactly lies behind these doors?

Overall I Am Love is a visually stunning film that explores some interesting ideas about love and family, and perhaps more importantly one's own happiness. With a solid lead performance from Swinton at its core this film is worth your time and consideration.

3.5 / 5

In between hope and despair is a place of joy...

2010-07-12T10:38:00.006+10:00

The Waiting City
2010

Dir: Claire McCarthy
Starring: Radha Mitchell, Joel Edgerton

This review was written for Watch Out For

Fiona (Radha Mitchell) and Ben (Joel Edgerton) Simmons have a rocky marriage, what with one being a highly strung lawyer unable to detach herself from her work, and the other being a has been musician now drifting through life after a battle with depression. They travel to India to collect their adopted daughter but on arrival discover the paperwork is yet to be finalised. While waiting in this foreign city old issues rise to the surface and each must come to terms with their demons from the past, using this colourful land and its people to help heal.

Written and directed by Claire McCarthy The Waiting City is a satisfying drama but one that fails to push the boundaries of the genre. The protagnosists are a nealty caricatured couple, the lawyer who is addicted to work and is perhaps using it to hide from the real reasons her marriage is failing; and the far too relaxed musician play against each other like in a Hollywood romantic comedy. The saving grace is the solid and endearing performances from Mitchell and Edgerton who bring a warmth to the screen.

I was ultimately left asking myself, though, as the credits rolled, do I even care about these characters? Do I care about how it all ended for them? Perhaps not. Their story takes a while to get into, to figure out who they are and how they came to be in this situation; travelling to India to adopt a young girl, a two year ordeal we're constantly reminded about. Their plan to adopt a baby to bring their family together seems wrong from the very beginning, it's the number one lesson girls are taught after stay away from bad boys, a baby will not fix a relationship. Yet we sit by and watch Fiona and Ben battle it out to discover this for themselves, and I suppose when they finally do realise this it is gratifying, or at least pleasing.

The star of the film is undeniably the Indian setting, the bright colours and people make for a truly stunning, albeit cliche, backdrop. By now the use of a foreign country as a means for a person's self discovery is a bit well worn. What makes this more unbearable is the visual representation of Fiona coming to terms with her past and present situation, manifesting itself in her wardrobe until she is finally walking around in traditional saris high-fiving the locals in the market place, okay I made that last bit up. It's interesting at first to see the couple embrace the culture of their adopted daughter's heritage but begins to feel sentimental, forced and unecessary.

As a relationship drama dealing with a marriage in crisis there are several moments that stand out in this film, and more than a few scenes to enjoy thanks largely to Edgerton's blokey delivery. A sweet and honest story at its core there are perhaps some issues with the screenplay that limit this film from truly standing out.

3 / 5

The Waiting City begins its Australian theatrical run on July 22nd.

Note: I wish someone had warned me of this before I saw the film, so it is my duty to warn you now that yes, Isabel Lucas is in this film, yes she is shocking, yes she plays a wannabe hippy musician, but thank your lucky stars her role is minimal.

Trailer Trash Tuesday

2010-07-06T12:51:00.002+10:00

Well it's Tuesday again, so time for another instalment of Trailer Trash Tuesday. This week it came down to two trailers which caught my eye. The first was a trailer for a film marketed at tween girls, but it was so bad it hurt to watch. I was going to go for the retarded Rock Eisteddfod angle - as it's about a bunch of girls in some sort of singing, dancing competition - using their "inner strength" and "friendships" to win - and was possibly going to go off on some moral crusade about the state of entertainment for young girls today. But then I saw the trailer for Chain Letter and I knew this had to be the one.

I'm not much of a fan of horror films today, I can clearly trace my fear of birds back to watching Hitchcock's The Birds at a sleepover in grade four, but there was a time - at the start of high school - where I'd devour every Christopher Pike book I could get my hands on, and to a lesser extent R.L Stine's Fear Street series. Chain Letter was a particular favourite of mine and at the time I remember receiving chain letters in the mail, perhaps this is why it thrilled me so much. So now we have a film coming out called Chain Letter and I have to admit I got a little excited, could this be the first horror type film I venture to the cinema to see? Well my excitement was short lived as this Chain Letter appears to have nothing in common with the Pike novel from the late 80s. Sigh.

I'm not only put off seeing this film because it falls into that horror category but because it just looks plain awful. My first question was, do people even send chain letters anymore? Sure I get chain emails but letters? No. So the filmmakers have gone for a modern tech-savy version, I see people getting SMS chain letters in the trailer, and perhaps there will also be some emails, this doesn't sound too thrilling to me. There was always something creepy about getting a letter in the actual post to your actual house from someone you didn't know, these days I get emails from people I don't know every day offering to make my penis bigger (if I had one) or informing me I've been chosen to inherit some large fortune should I just provide the sender with my bank account details. I even get random text messages from strangers who have mistyped a digit, but there's nothing scary about that. Not even the mention of "break the chain and someone dies" in the trailer was creepy.

It all just reminds me of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, well of a particular scene in that film where Kristen Bell's character - Sarah Marshall - is talking about her direct to DVD movie where mobile phones begin killing people and everyone else at the table laughs at how ridiculous it sounds. This movie just looks ridiculous and with that horrible deep throat voiceover appears as just another straight to DVD formulaic horror film. There's nothing wrong with that of course if that's what you're into, which I'm not, so it gets my Trailer Trash Tuesday nomination and a small yawn.

After a few decades, everyone you know will be dead.

2010-07-05T10:20:00.005+10:00

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
2010

Cast: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner

Dir: David Slade

After a few decades, everyone you know will be dead. It's an attractive reason in Bella's mind to be transformed into a vampire I'm sure, after all life without Edward is no life at all apparently. Despite the obligatory scenes with her mum (mom) and Charlie (dad) where we're told rather than shown that she really does loves them despite her moodiness, it's a well known fact that Bella Swan has been crowned the most sour, pathetic, self-isolated, self-deprecating female literary heroine of recent times. And yet the numbers don't lie, and the hoards of obsessed fans lining up (for up to 5 days!) at the recent LA premiere further prove how much people love this story and its characters, in all their morally criminal glory!

The third installment in the Twilight franchise is perhaps the strongest of the four novels in that the love triangle is defined, there's less of the 'I can't live without you - no I can't live without YOU' speeches between Edward and Bella, and there is genuinely a decent amount of action to raise it above a sloppy love story. How does this translate to the screen, especially under the directorial hand of David Slade, best known for his 2007 vampire film 30 Days of Night, and his 2005 stunner Hard Candy? Well, it's better than New Moon if that's any indication.

Simply put, this film is bad, but still enjoyable. Yes the acting is wooden, the dialogue is atrocious and reeks of mouldy cheese, the idea of a girl giving up everything for her vampire boyfriend still makes me want to scream, and they still haven't replaced Jackson Rathbone despite his shocking performance in all three movies to date, but there's something about watching the Twilight films that guarantees I'll be back for the next instalment, call me crazy. Perhaps it's because I have read the novels, perhaps it is my fascination with this phenomenon or perhaps it's because I just get a laugh out of watching this disaster unfold in front of my eyes.

I've learnt two important lessons so far from films in 2010:

1. Thanks to Carrie Bradshaw-Preston I've learnt that I can cheat on my husband (or boyfriend) with an ex and in return I'll get a beautiful black diamond ring.

2. Thanks to Bella Swan I've learnt that I can let (or try to let) a man pay for an expensive car and college course if he'll sleep with me.

So as you can see, only half way through this year and cinema's leading ladies have shown me the light! Thanks guys!

One of the main problems with this film is its attempt to appear as more than it actually is. For me there was no tension, the supposed Vampire army is laughable at best, with the term 'army' having been used very loosely I assure you. What Meyer conveyed in her novels has not translated to the screen well at all. In attempts to be both a romance and action film Eclipse ends up sitting lazily in between. It misses the mark on all occasions and it is only through the ability to view it as an unintentional comedy that some satisfaction can be had.

The bottom line is this, you can't polish a turd. Stephenie Meyer's novels are below mediocre, but have struck a chord with a large group of people. The films has thus far been entertaining, if not painful for many to watch, but have remained faithful to their source material. Don't expect the final two films to deliver if the first three have left you disappointed. It's formulaic and of its time, and as they say - this too shall pass.

3 / 5

I'd like to give a special mention to Vampire Victoria's red wig and am making an early prediction for Best Supporting Actress nominations. It truly is a glorious wig and doesn't look ridiculous at all... much like the boy's makeup in the film.

"I don't know WHO the joke is on"

2010-06-30T15:35:00.005+10:00

Exit Through The Gift Shop
2010
Director: Banksy

This review was written for Watch Out For

Thierry Guetta was obsessed with filming everything. A Frenchman based in Los Angeles he would take his camera everywhere; when he went to the toilet he recorded it, as his children were growing up he captured every moment, and when his cousin ‘Space Invader’ visited LA he tagged along to capture his street art on film.

From this Thierry’s passion for street art grew and soon he was granted access to some of LA’s well known street artists at work. A vintage clothing store owner by day, Thierry soon took to calling himself a film-maker and after months of following one artist in particular, Shepard Fairey, he was asked the question – what was he filming for?

So with hundreds of hours of footage and seemingly unlimited access to the movement’s biggest names Thierry let the idea of making a documentary both sink in with himself and spread amongst the community.

Banksy : Exit Through The Gift Shop

Essentially Thierry was creating the world’s first all access street art documentary and fuelled by this he sought out the one name missing from his star studded call sheet; Banksy.

Banksy is one of the best known street artists around today, a camera shy (for a very good, and legal, reason) Brit whose art has been seen in many streets and on famous landmarks around the world, but who took the movement to a whole new level when his art appeared on the separation barrier on the Palestinian West Bank.

Through a miracle too fortunate to perhaps even be believable, the notorious Banksy contacted Thierry and from there the relationship developed.

It was after Banksy requested to see some of the footage that he realised Thierry was in fact not a filmmaker and compared his film Life Remote Control – The Movie to someone flicking through channels on a television. Banksy then decided that Thierry was the more interesting subject; his obsession with filming stemming from losing his mother at a very young age, and took the directorial reins while suggesting Thierry get more involved in the art on the street level.

What Banksy didn’t expect is how deep Thierry was willing to go as he adopted the name ‘Mr Brainwash’ and set about holding his own exhibition… with the help of a paid team of artists.

Exit Through The Gift Shop is a thoroughly entertaining and amusing documentary that thoughtfully explores the idea of firstly, what is art and who decides what is and isn’t? Secondly, can manufactured art be “good” art? The final third of this film follows Thierry “Mr Brainwash” as he employs staff to create his works of art, all of which resemble or draw heavily on other street or pop art, including Andy Warhol’s Campbell Soup tins.

Thierry’s art exhibition went on to earn him approximately one million dollars, and instantly saw his name added to the list of street artist greats, despite having the ideas but essentially not creating the art himself. Thierry is the perfect documentary subject, he is funny – though not always intentionally, and doesn’t do things by halves; his commitment to his exhibition is extraordinary and makes for compelling viewing.

This is a great introduction to street art for the uninitiated and is a great insight for those who are already fans.

The big question is; is this a real documentary or simply a hoax? There is debate as to the legitimacy of the film, and if that is the case then the legitimacy of Mr Brainwash’s art. Is this all a PR stunt controlled by Banksy?

Keep this in mind when watching and form your opinion at the end, it’s not likely we’ll find out for some time if this is indeed just an elaborate prank.

4 / 5

Trailer Trash Tuesday

2010-06-29T11:36:00.009+10:00

Welcome to the first of three new regular posts on this here blog. The other two newbies will be introduced in due course, but for now I welcome you to Trailer Trash Tuesday where perhaps weekly, if I am inspired, I will highlight a movie trailer that has left me asking WTF? Or has inspired fits of laughter, perhaps a few tears (highly unlikely) or just generally stood out from the rest of the herd.

Logan
2010
Cast: Leo Howard, Booboo Stewart and Patrick Probst
Director: Kyle Lawrence

This week I'd like to introduce you to Logan, a 13-year-old boy with a dream to make his own film. Logan faces several challenges in making his dream a reality; unsupportive parents who tell him to do something a bit more "obtainable", a brother who supports him then tells his him he lied and his script sucks (way harsh), and possibly even death - as the end of this trailer and fans on the facebook page are perhaps suggesting. It seems everywhere poor Logan turns he has wads of paper thrown in his face or in the air, teachers backing down on promises to show his script to relatives in Hollywood, and only 3 votes when he runs for Seventh grade Class President. But there's always a silver lining, or in Logan's case, a BooBoo Stewart to save the day with a 'There's always someone going through what you're going through - don't give up' kind of speech.

What made me watch this trailer over and over and eventually decide to open Trailer Trash Tuesday with it? It's brilliant and is also the worst looking movie all at once. I love the bad acting, the fat guy in the school hall just after the 1 minute mark is amazing, the fake tears almost all the boys shed at some point in the trailer, Logan's brother's "fit of rage" as he pushes a lamp aside and flicks his bedcover up - whoa, don't mess with him! I also appreciate the short performance by unidentified female at around the 1.30 minute mark, "I am your friend Tyler I just can't go" - truly moving work right there! I also like the random shots of a conductor and orchestra, what's going on there? How can a 13-year-old afford to hire their services for his film which apparently "sucks". Am I going to have to watch the film to find this out or do I really not care? I can assure you it's the latter unless I was to watch the film as part of some "bad acting" drinking game in which case I might need to be rushed to the hospital before the film has even finished.

So of course my first reaction after seeing this trailer was, is this a joke? A quick google search later and I discovered this is not a joke and it has 2,281 people on facebook to prove it, along with 22,266 views of the trailer on YouTube - of which I swear I only account for about 10! What makes this trailer, and in turn the movie, look so poor is the team behind the film - the director alone is only 23 and his credentials include another film called The Scarf about two girls and a UFO... after reading the synopsis I have no idea why a film about UFOs would be called The Scarf. Taking into account age and experience I suppose I'd be a pretty mean human being for making fun of this trailer more than I already have... so instead I will offer my congratualtions to Kyle Lawrence for getting his trailer on the apple home page next to the big boys.

Should we be HYSTERICAL?

2010-06-21T13:28:00.007+10:00

Toy Story 3 - in 3D
June 2010

Dir: Lee Unkrich - also known as Genius

It's no surprise people are already raving about the last film in the Toy Story trilogy. Toy Story 3 has barely begun its theatrical run (in fact it doesn't open for a few more days here in Australia) yet the critics are shouting from the rooftops, they've done it again! Perhaps in the next edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (or whatever dictionary you happen to prefer to use) under the word perfection the first meaning should read: Pixar animation. I would be happy with this description of the studio's undeniable streak of successful and touching films, and would even forget about that silly hiccup called Cars. Toy Story 3 is everything we have been waiting, hoping, and perhaps some, praying, for.

It was 15 years ago that we were introduced to a young boy named Andy, a Sheriff called Woody and a space ranger called Buzz Lightyear; 15 years since we heard the catch phrases To infinity and beyond! and my personal and entirely random favourite, There's a snake in my boot! Of course being the biggest Tom Hanks fan ever (or possibly just in my family) Woody is my favourite character. I was 12 years old when I saw the first Toy Story and like so many others have grown up with Pixar; that's why this film is even more special to me. As Andy goes off to College and has to decide what to do with his toys it marks the end of a chapter in his life, and in a way, the end of a chapter in all of ours lives. Without getting corny, though that last sentence probably tipped me over the edge, I am a massive sentimentalist and seeing the end of something you grew up with can be hard, just as it is for Andy. But enough of that schmoopy cheese; on to the movie.

A lot has changed in 15 years, most noticeably the animation and the re-introduction of 3D to cinemas and movies. I'm always wondering if I don't experiecne the full 3D because I'm one those people who wear glasses and subsequently get the giggle from their movie going companion and the question - Do you have to wear the 3D glasses over the top of your normal glasses? Yes, yes I do. The 3D in Toy Story 3 is great, right up there with what we saw last year in Up. I'm still not sure which side of the 3D debate I'm on, but thanks to wonderful storytelling I wouldn't mind re-watching Toy Story 1, 2, or 3 in 2 or 3D.

So now onto the actual film. We all knew there was no way in Hades this film was going to stink, no way! I was, however, a little underwhelmed with the plot and some similarities to Toy Story 2. No major spoilers I assure you but my main problem was one of the new characters; Lots-O-Huggin Bear and his uncanny resemblance to the villain in Toy Story 2 - Stinky Pete the Prospector. Am I taking crazy pills, was I alone in thinking this? Lotso was forgotten by his owner and hence becomes the dictator of the Sunnyside daycare centre, but not before fooling the toys into thinking he's much nicer than he actually is. *Snore* Really, at this stage in the game I expected a little bit more from Pixar. But that is the main, if only, problem that I had. On the flip side, my favourite new character was without a doubt Ken, voiced by Michael Keaton. Sure they may be cheap gags based on Ken's sexuality but they work so well, and Keaton's voice work really excels.

On the whole this film delivers everything you expect from a Pixar film, but still has a few tricks hidden up its sleeve! What surprised and excited me the most is how dark this latest installment is. Think Return to Oz in comparison to The Wizard of Oz; Toy Story 3 takes viewers to a whole new level this time and really explores what a toy faces when it is forgotten, on both an emotional and physical level. It sounds silly to write that, or say it, but it's true. You can draw conclusions on what this means in terms of actual people or what have you, I guess it depends on how deep you really want to go into the films, but for me the bottom line is; we were all kids once, and we've all experienced growing up, so on some level you should be able to understand the importance of a seemingly inanimate object feeling hurt and rejected.

What I also adore about Pixar films is the near on endless number of Easter Eggs to spot. A quick google search will equip you with a starting point for spotting clever inclusions from the Pixar team, both big and small - like so small you'd have to watch the film hundreds of times to pick them up on your own! Needless to say I was so swept away by Toy Story 3 that I didn't spot any Easter Eggs on my first viewing.

It's also worth mentioning the animated short before the actual film, something that is equally worth anticipating with each annual Pixar release. This year gave us Day & Night, a sweet tale of learning to appreciate and even love the differences between us. Day gives us sunbathing on sunny beaches, Night gives us fireworks and so on. The animation style is also unique, reminding me of old Looney Tunes cartoons and it was a great way to ease the audience into the feature.

Toy Story 3 doesn't need a PR campaign, it doesn't need positive reviews from critics, papers, blogs or TV shows, this film will succeed because people know what to expect from a Pixar film and Pixar always delivers; quality storytelling and exceptional visuals, a film that's fun for both young and old, and a film with heart and humour.

Two very enthusiastic thumbs up!

4.5 / 5

TV rots your brain!

2010-06-15T13:05:00.011+10:00

Another day, another Hollywood remake. It's pointless to argue against remakes of old television shows, old movies, games, and what have you - clearly there's enough people in the world who'll pay to see this recycled tripe that the studios will keep on churning them out. The latest to be added to the ever growing list is the 90s teen flick Don't tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead.

I was only 7 years old when this film was released - although most likely around 10 by the time it was released on VHS and my mum hired it from the video store. I still remember thinking it an odd choice for mum to pick out, it was no doubt watched in a double feature along with Ghost Dad a film we thought was hilarious when we were younger. Yes I own both of these films now on DVD and have watched them both several times since - I probably wouldn't have much trouble defending Don't tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead but know I am opening myself up to ridicule for admitting I still laugh in Ghost Dad - please don't hate me!

I think the reason my skin crawls when I see or hear the word remake is that seeing a film jazzed and spiffed up for today's kids makes me feel old, and using the words 'today's kids' makes me feel even older. The word remake may also strike fear into my heart as the name 'Miley Cyrus' gets thrown around far too often. When I heard rumblings that Beyonce was slated to play the Vicki/Esther character in the remake of A Star is Born I almost cried, literally, I know - how sad am I! In many cases, it's not just a remake's ability to make me feel old but the fact that I truly believe if a film is good in its time it doesn't need to be remade. Sure today's kids (there I go again) like different things, have shorter attention spans, want their vampires sparkly and whatever other stereotypes I can label them with - but surely not everything must be revamped to suit the decade we're in. There are plenty of older movies I enjoy and plenty I don't enjoy;

if it isn't broken don't fix it, and if it is broken - well, come up with your own ideas!

On the flip side, for a movie like this I suppose it lends itself to a modern retelling more so than a classic but so much of what made this film great lies in the period it was made it. It's the perfect scenario for a kid, the parents (or in this case parent) go away, the old lady babysitter dies (this part of the story never appealed to me) and the kids are left to fend for themselves. At first it's just one big party but soon the oldest (Christina Applegate) has to work to provide for her siblings until their mum gets back. She miraculously lands a job in the fashion industry after writing a fake resume and the rest writes itself! Throw in a love interest, a couple of slimy characters up to no good, some big shoulder pads and power suits and voila a great early 90s family film.

Plus there were some great one liners to boot! The one quoted most often is probably "The dishes are DONE man" after Kenny uses the plates as clay pigeons. Applegate's Sue Ellen's one liner was "I'm right on top of that Rose" as she juggles the fashion industry at only 17 years of age! What's funny is how over the course of the summer without realising it the kids start acting as adults in their own special ways. This results in a favourite scene between Applegate and Keith Coogan where the comedic timing is perfect:

Sue Ellen: Did you burn something?
Kenny: Yeah, well, maybe if you'd called and told me you were gonna be, like... three-and-a-half hours late, I could've planned my dinner better.
Sue Ellen: I had to work late, OK?
Kenny: You still should've called. I sat and I waited. I went ahead and I fed the kids. I worked all day on that casserole.
Sue Ellen: Sorry.
Kenny: You haven't even said how nice the house looks. You're off at the office all day doing interesting office things. I'm stuck here cooking and cleaning and mowing the lawn, helping Melissa with her fastball, being a role model for Zach, spending quality time with Walter, doing your party shit! You've got the car and you don't even take me anywhere anymore. And when was the last time we went out to dinner together, huh? You know what, I'm sick and tired of not being appreciated!
Sue Ellen: I appreciate you.
Kenny: Eat shit!
Sue Ellen: I don't believe this! I have to get up at 5:30 every morning so I can beat rush hour traffic into the city and go sit behind a desk for eight hours a day and miss Oprah Winfrey everyday on my summer vacation. And then, I get to drive home in gridlock IN A VOLVO with no air conditioning just so I can take care of you guys and put food on the damn table! It's a rat race and it sucks, Kenny. So what do you want, a medal? Oh come on, you don't have to do all this. I mean, I never asked you to whisk the couch.
Kenny: Well, it needed it.

Okay so it's not a classic film, most would argue it's a pretty darn average one, but for me it reminds me of being a kid and the news of the remake does little to thrill me. Still, with the right script and the right young actors, anything is possible.

I am woman hear me whore

2010-06-04T12:58:00.005+10:00

Sex and the City 2
2010

Dir: Michael Patrick King (Writer & Producer)

Let me start by saying I am not calling any of the characters in this film whores, even Samantha who many feel deserves the title in my opinon does not. I am woman hear me whore refers to the prostitution of this once beloved series and its characters for the sake of studio profits and stretching a franchise to within an inch of its life. Note the previews we had before the film commenced, a fairly safe looking rom com starring Drew Barrymore and Justin Long, but more importantly the next installment in the Twilight series - Total Eclipse of the heart, a very subtle reminder that we're playing into the studio's hands and in doing so are encouraging the continuation of shit movies.

Many people thought the first Sex and the City movie was bad, I actually enjoyed it. Sure it was far too long and felt like a few episodes stapled back to back but at its core the characters were true to the ones we came to love in the TV series, there was genuine DRAMA (I will never forget a sold out-all female-cinema audience gasping in unision as Steve dropped the affair bombshell - this is the cinema going experience women hope for with these movies) and Carrie and Big were finally together! This sequel feels so alien to what I had come to love in the HBO series that I wondered whether it was solely the writing, or whether our female leads had just plum forgot how to emobdy these women!

It has to be said, the writing is down right awful, which doesn't make sense to me. How could Michael Patrick King go so wrong only two years after the last movie? The dialogue felt clunky coming from these women's mouths, it lacked a general spark or zing that was present in the series and an overall lack of wit and heart contribute to this mediocre film. I won't go into the anti Muslim issues people have with this film, but needless to say whilst the intention is obvious, the execution is, well, entirely that - an execution. I think at the core the message that was trying to be conveyed about Muslim women was innocent enough, but has been delivered like a bitchy girl in the schoolyard, How DOES she eat chips with a veil? Those POOR women not being able to walk around with their breasts hanging out! It's all very superficial and disheartening. Our Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda have always been superficial when it comes to the clothes they wear and the apartments they live in, but never has it reached such a bitchy, high school level where an audience can feel the negativity.

And what makes it worse is that there really was no need for it. Why take the girls out of the city to begin with? What is the point of making them travel to the (New) Middle East? So that Samantha can attempt to have sex on a beach and get kicked out of the country? So Carrie can be tempted by an old flame - Aidan? It just doesn't make sense and that's the biggest problem,

the film is inconsistent both within itself and in relationship to the series.

How can the girls get up to sing 'I am Woman' and then the next scene sit around bitching and generally doing everything opposite to the song's lyrics? It's insulting to think these once strong female characters have been whittled down to shells of their former selves in this drama free film. Where's the drama of Carrie kissing Aidan (not a spoiler because, come on what did you think was going to happen?!) when she admits this to Big and his punishment is buying her a diamond ring that she HAS to wear so she remembers she's a married woman? The closest the film comes to coveying an honest and sincere moment is between Charlotte and Miranda, discussing the trials of motherhood. But even this is spoiled by the fact that both have live in nannies who share the work load, so what's your beef ladies?

I think another problem exists in the structure of the film, we're expected to care about these character's situations; Miranda bullied at work, Charlotte not coping with the children, Carrie scared Big and her are turning into a boring old couple, and Samantha battling with menopause, but the majority of the film is spent showing off some exotic location and hotel and not dealing with the issues - as what would have been done in the series. Sure it's nice to ooh and ahh over the life of the extremely rich but it will never be satisfying and any attempt at emotion will be wasted.

It's not all doom and gloom however. Sure the movie stinks but the movie going experience is just as fun as ever. It may sound a tad trite to call a film like this the ultimate girls' night out, but it really is. A glass or two of wine beforehand, sitting next to your girlfriends laughing at bits in the movie that I'm sure weren't intended to be funny; these are the reasons why this film didn't completely bite the big one. I saw this film with the same friends who I would watch episodes with, we all gathered together to watch the last episode ever, back when we would wait to see a show actually air on Australian TV, and two years ago we saw the first movie together in the very cinema we saw the sequel in last night. There's something to be said for these experiences, so that it doesn't matter that I never want to watch this film again (seriously I never want to watch this film again in my entire life) the night was fun and we had some laughs.

There are rumblings of a third film in the series but I am pretty sure the gals are ready to hang their heels up after this one. Had they left the series and our favourite foursome alone after the first movie I'd be content, but this second film feels like a dirty stain on a prized piece of clothing (which would be enough to make Charlotte cry).

I feel like Sex and the City is a friend who I am trying to defend for something they did wrong

but I can't defend them for this film. In the film Carrie is told by both Big and Aidan that she's different to other girls, she's not like the others. In this film Carrie is exactly like the others. More heart and this could have been a fitting farewell to an otherwise brilliant series.

2.5 / 5

You've done some bad things sweetie

2010-06-04T12:03:00.006+10:00

Animal Kingdom
2010

Dir: David Michôd

Australians seem to have gone crime mad in the last few years, in large due to the Underbelly TV series. But the truth is, as a convict nation we've always been a bit crime obsessed.

In David Michôd's feature debut, inspired by the 1988 Walsh St murder of two policemen, young Joshua 'J' Cody (newcomer James Frecheville) discovers a side to his family he never knew existed after his mother overdoses and he goes to live with his grandmother Janine (Jacki Weaver). Janine's three sons (Andrew "Pope" Cody - Ben Mendelsohn, Darren Cody - Luke Ford, and Craig Cody - Sullivan Stapleton) and close family friend Barry Brown (Joel Edgerton) induct young J into their schemes and soon J must decide on which side of the law his loyalties lie.

It seems 'Australian film' are dirty words amongst the more serious critics, in that to call this a great Australian film does it some sort of disservice. The fact is, this IS an Australian film, but it is also a great film in general. I think people have come to expect a certain something when they go to see an Aussie film. Lately tagging a film as Australian has conjured up negative expectations and in my opinion, negative results and reviews. Australians seem to excel at hard hitting dramas, and occasionally strike comedy gold. What Animal Kingdom does well is provide a gripping crime drama with unintentional humour that reminds you there's hope for the Australian film industry after all.

That's not to say I thought this film was perfect, or the best Australian crime film ever made - to make or even agree with this statement I'd have to see a hell of a lot more Australian films. Firstly, what the film did right. The performances are without a doubt all solid, with Jacki Weaver and of course Ben Mendelsohn being the stand outs for me. Secondly, Michôd's film, whilst incredibly violent, avoids disgusting the audience or pushing the boundaries. It is what it is, and until the final act manages to avoid glorifying the acts of these criminals or swaying into safe territory.

For the majority of the film Michôd creates tension and unease, especially when Mendelsohn's Pope is around. There were some scenes, however, where the tension ceased and the drama felt flat. Many have commented on the "excellent" scene where J's girlfriend's father, played by Clatyon Jacobson, is backing out of the driveway. We know Pope is on his way over, the scene is shot in such a way that you know he is going to catch J, and in the end, the scene plays out exactly as I thought it would, so where is the tension in that? Combined with a few similar scenes this contributed to my opinion that this is a great, though not mind blowing, film.

What reinforced this opinion even more, was the Q&A after the screening with writer/Director David Michôd and some of the cast - Mendelsohn and Weaver included. Michôd made a special point of mentioning the casting of J and how he had originally written him as a Larry Clark or Gus Van Sant type of character; long hair, skateboard under one arm, slouching - in David's own words - a stereotype. So when he saw Frecheville audition for the role he ended up changing the character - he said he didn't want to do stereotype at all. This surprised me as in general the film is written and directed well; is tight, has a powerful and haunting score, has outstanding performances, but verges on that stereotypical that Michôd admits wanting to avoid.

I can't discuss the final scene without spoiling the film, so all I will say is that in my opinion it was a disappointing and somewhat predictable ending that did little to expand the crime genre but merely repeat the standing structure. This could be said of much of the film, whilst solid it did little to push the boundaries of crime films; it didn't create anything new.

Despite some flaws Animal Kingdom is a solid and rewarding drama and well worth the price of admission. David Michôd has proven he is a writer/director to watch and I look forward to seeing what he has to offer next.

3.5 / 5

(Truth be told, I keep going between 3.5 and 4 out of 5 - can't seem to make up my mind!)

Spanish Film Festival: Three Days With The Family

2010-05-18T11:05:00.002+10:00

Published on the Spanish Film Festival Blog

Nothing brings a family together like a funeral. In Three Days With The Family, Léa (Nausicaa Bonnin) returns to Spain for her grandfather’s funeral, a man we soon learn wasn’t liked by everyone. Léa has been living in France, has failed in her engineering course and plans to ditch her studies to open a bar with boyfriend Seb; that was the plan until he won’t take her calls. Léa’s parents have been separated for two years but maintain a happy façade. Her mother Joëlle (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu) seems to come and go as she pleases, though Léa is far from pleased with her. Her father Josep Maria (Eduard Fernández) is a pushover when it comes to his family and is emotionally stunted when dealing with his separation and in reacting to his daughter’s moods. One thing is for certain, the charades will end after spending three days with the family, and the truth will come out.

In director Mar Coll’s acclaimed, although disappointingly short, film, screening as part of the All by Women category at the festival, we are given a snapshot of one dysfunctional family who realise that no matter what past issues or arguments have been fought, being family means you’re in it together until the end. The film’s run time of 85 minutes limits the depth of detail we’re given about the characters and possibly limits the emotional connection one may have, but I still found the film delivered a satisfying story boosted by some solid acting. In particular the character of Léa, who at first irritated me to no end, had me battling a lump in my throat in the closing scenes. This highlights the minimalist yet powerful filmmaking of Mar Coll and it’s fitting to see her win Best New Director at the 2010 GOYA Awards.

The strength of the film was clearly the relationship between Léa and her cousins; each performance standing on its own as entirely natural, playful and meaningful. These scenes were refreshing compared to the at times heavy handed scenes between Léa and her parents, and between Josep Maria and his siblings; in particular his sister Virginia (Amalia Sancho) who is to have written a controversial novel about their father which has upset her brothers, the problem for the audience is that her story is not given enough time for us to know enough or possibly even care. Despite the very few shortcomings Three Days With The Family is an honest exploration into family expectations and relationships which rewards its audience repeatedly.

Spanish Film Festival: Nora's Will

2010-05-18T11:00:00.004+10:00

Published on the Spanish Film Festival Blog

Nora’s Will tells the bittersweet story of Nora (Silvia Mariscal), a woman in her sixties who throughout her life has continually attempted to commit suicide. When Nora succeeds it is her ex husband Jose (Fernando Luján) who makes the discovery. What follows is a slow moving drama with occasional but solid moments of comedy about the days after Nora’s death, her family’s reactions and the ordeal they face in burying her.

Whilst the film is driven by Nora’s death, we initially don’t know that much about her. With her death occurring within the first few minutes we do not even see her face until Jose finds her body. It is through Nora’s meticulous planning, some would call it scheming, that we learn more about her. She has planned her death to coincide with Passover, both bringing her family together and creating difficulties concerning the funeral; if Nora is not buried on the same day she died they will have to wait until after Passover, a whole five days, to perform the ceremony. This proves the catalyst for the majority of the film’s tension and comedy, as Jose struggles with the rigidness of the religion and the uncompromising Rabbi, exhibited brilliantly when he orders a pork laden pizza and attempts to thrust it in the face of every Orthodox person who enters his ex wife’s apartment.

The spanner is really thrown into the works when Jose finds a lone photograph under Nora’s bed, the single hitch in her elaborate plan. In the photo a younger Nora appears with a man who is not Jose. Enter the mystery, who is this man and did Nora cheat on her husband of thirty years?

Most of the film takes place in Nora’s apartment, the host of eccentric characters providing the colour in an otherwise drab setting. The film uses flashbacks to highlight Nora and Jose’s relationship and they are generally used well if at times slightly distracting. Overall this is a subtle family drama with some heartfelt moments but the dashes of dry humour elevate the film to a touching and honest portrayal of a family’s reaction to a sudden death.

Nora’s Will is the feature film debut of writer/director Marianna Chenillo and is showing under the ‘All by Women’ category at the festival.

No, not the movie... the city

2010-05-17T12:16:00.005+10:00

Yes I have seen the movie, no I did not love it - or even really like it, but it sure makes a nice visual for this blog post. You see I am back Down Under after a well earnt holiday in the good ol' U S of A. Two weeks in New York was sublime, 4 days in LA felt something akin to Chinese water torture (I'm guessing it might be a Sydney-Melbourne situation between New York and LA, although I am sure there are people who love both places equally) and finally finishing up with 4 delightful days in sunny San Francisco. Whilst I nervously went to bed each night praying there wouldn't be an earthquake the trip certainly reignited the idea of living abroad... and perhaps I will entertain this idea once (if) I pay off this trip.

So now I am home and it's right back into things, no time to get over the jet lag. This last week I had the opportunity to review two films for the Spanish Film Festiva l which I'll repost here en un minuto. The Melbourne International Film Festival is appearing on the horizon and ACMI is playing host to the Tim Burton exhibition fresh from the MoMa in New York (where we attempted to see it, alas the crowds were too big!). Basically it's a great time to be a film lover in Melbourne.

I also shipped back (at great expense and stress thanks to FedEx) a nice collection (52 in all) of classic films on DVD I picked up on my American adventure, so bring on the chilly winter weather! I also learnt the harsh lesson of region locked Criterion collection Blu Rays *sigh* when I excitedly put in a copy of Bigger Than Life and was greeted with a nasty message. We shall put this behind us but each time I see a new Criterion release of a beloved movie on Blu Ray perhaps I'll weep a little on the inside for not being able to see it...

Thank you for nothing, you useless reptile

2010-04-06T15:27:00.004+10:00

How to Train Your Dragon
2010

Dir: Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders

Hiccup is a young Viking who doesn't quite fit in. You see Vikings are large, have beards and speak with Scottish accents, oh and they kill dragons. Hiccup is scrawny, no muscles or beard to speak off, speaks with an American accent and has a pet dragon who he really doesn't want to kill. In a classic tale of being true to yourself and following your heart Dreamworks has delivered another fun, family friendly film that has a lot of heart.

It took me a few weeks to catch up with this film at the cinema, not because I wasn't interested, and certainly not because of reviews I'd read - all of which were glowing by the way, but because the film is in 3D. I know by now we're all sick of reading about 2D versus 3D, when will this trend end, is it necessary and so on, my issue was - I'm leaving on an overseas holiday in under a few weeks (now under 1 week) and can I really justify spending $20 on the ridiculous ticket price for 3D films in Australia? Even if you bring back a pair of 3D glasses with you you're only saving $1, and so not to harp on like a tight arse grandma but I was secretly thinking it wouldn't be worth my hard earned cash. I am happy to report that it was worth my money (although I think we can all agree ticket prices in Australia are absurd!) and I'm happy I did catch it in the cinema, if only for the flying scenes which were nothing short of amazing.

The film itself is enjoyable though not spectacular, let's be honest and say Dreamworks is the poor man's Pixar, I don't think that's being too harsh. Dreamworks consistently produces good family films but ones that ultimately lack the magic touch Pixar has. Shrek is undeniably their greatest franchise but I for one am not a fan and have only seen the first film and half of the second. The animation is never quite, in my opinion, up to the level of Pixar and such is often the case with the story, hello Shark Tale anyone? But not to spend this whole post bashing Dreamworks' inferiority when placed next to Pixar, I have to say they have succeeded with How to Train Your Dragon in giving us not only an interesting and heart warming story but one that is visually pleasing.

I think the true test of a family film is of course the reaction of the youngest audience, and lucky for me I had three 6-year-old girls sitting in the row in front of me with their mothers. At first captivated by the action of the film, and enchanted by Toothless the dragon it was touching to hear two of the girls start bawling their eyes out when Toothless is captured (of course temporarily before the big climactic ending!). There's a great mix of humour and heart here and despite some annoying caricatures, the two Viking twins amongst the most irritating for me, the film is really fun.

There are a few unexplainable things, namely why the adults talk in Scottish accents and the teenagers don't, and why Astrid, the female love interest for Hiccup, is some sort of Viking cross Emo. Of course looking at this film as a child would none of this matters and I suppose it really doesn't. For an hour and a half I was transported and yes, I like many would love a pet dragon after seeing this movie.

3.5 / 5

With no power comes no responsibility

2010-04-02T15:40:00.005+11:00

Kick-Ass
2010

Dir: Matthew Vaughn

Based on a comic series Kick-Ass is the story of high school average-man Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) who one day invents the superhero Kick-Ass. He has no special skills or powers but stands for justice against evil-doers and wears an internet ordered wetsuit as a disguise. What Dave doesn't know is that he's not alone, Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and his daughter Hit Girl (the incredible Chloe Moretz) are already on the scene working on a revenge plot to bring down Frank D'Amico who framed Big Daddy, which saw him land in jail inadvertently killing his wife in the process. It all looks good on a nice diagram linking them all together, because you see Dave initially attempts to befriend D'Amico's son Chris (Christopher 'McLovin' Mintz-Plasse) who towards the end of the film becomes 'Red Mist' in a plot to help his father kill Kick-Ass.

I'm not a huge superhero kind of gal, I usually see the first film in a franchise then somehow manage to avoid all of the sequels - don't ask me to tell you what Spiderman 3 is about or who the hell the Fantastic Four are because I really have no idea. But something about this film appealed to me, perhaps it's because it sets out to turn superhero movies on their head, as a sort of anti-superhero film. No one here has special powers, there are no special spiders, magic rocks that cause weaknesses... um see that's all I can come up with! What is present in Kick-Ass is some amazingly choreographed fight scenes. Hit Girl and Big Daddy are highly trained in fighting, weapons - basically all of the cool stuff. Kick-Ass has two batons he throws around in front of him in a girly manner. Red Mist has an awesome car - but little else. Together they add up to make an amusing collage of varied skills and uneven fights.

The real story belongs to Hit Girl, it's undeniable and Chloe Moretz has well and truly taken this role to town and won a lot of hearts. She's sassy, skilled, ruthless and adorable all at the same time. After seeing her in this film I cannot wait to see her portrayal of the vampire girl Abby in Matt Reeves remake Let Me In. There has been some controversy about her role in this film, and I can understand why - apart from the obscene language (If I ever have a 13-year-old daughter I sure as hell won't be letting her say the 'C' word in real life let alone in a movie) there is quite a lot of violence, which in my opinion was kind of cool. This is obviously not a film for kids, despite the child actress. It's funny to look at Moretz's filmography and her last credited role prior to Kick-Ass being Tigger & Pooh and a musical too - it really is a stark contrast and serves to remind us she is still very young. There's a scene where bad guy Frank D'Amico is punching her in the face, I can handle seeing a young girl being the one to inflict the pain or violence on others, but struggled to watch the situation reversed, something still felt very wrong about it despite knowing it was 'just a movie'.

Overall this is a fun movie, and there's no doubt that it's going to win a large cult following. It's great to look at, has a catchy soundtrack, plenty of laughs and action, what more could a superhero or comic book geek want? Well I don't know, as I said before. From my point of view even if you don't like superhero movies you can enjoy this one, I had a really good time watching it despite a feeling of a drawn out ending (funny I felt this way when the end events were quite thrilling, it's just the lead up felt a bit prolonged). Definitely worth a second viewing!

3.5 / 5

This has nothing to do with the movie - but is awesome none the less!

Go shit in your hand

2010-03-29T15:28:00.004+11:00

She's Out of My League
2010

Dir: Jim Field Smith

Kirk (Jay Baruchel) works in airport security. Molly (Alice Eve) is your token hot chick who also happens to be a fully qualified lawyer but chooses to instead work as an event organiser, you know just a typical gal! The two meet when Molly accidentally leaves her iPhone (not so subtle product placement) in a tray at a security check point, of course Kirk finds said phone when Molly's oh so snarky bestie (Krysten Ritter playing her typical supporting best friend role - someone give this girl a lead already!) calls to find out who has it. After a rendezvous to give the phone back Kirk and Molly begin dating as everyone around them wonders - why the hell is a 10 (Molly) slumming it with a 5 (Kirk)? In the background we also have the story of Kirk's ex-girlfriend Marnie, played wonderfully (and annoyingly) by Lindsay Sloane. He's been trying to win her back for two years, so how will his new relationship with Molly change things? The ultimate question posed here though is - can a relationship between Beauty and the Beast really last?

Well, in the world of Hollywood of course it can - you don't need the smarts of a lawyer like Molly to realise when you see this film it's going to be happily ever after for all involved. The trouble occurs when Kirk discovers Molly started dating him after a bad break up with a fellow stud muffin - and surely a relationship with a fugly, or in this case wimpy, guy means there's no chance of getting hurt right - ahh yeah. That's how paper thin this plot and screenplay are, it's like weak tea - you'll drink it if someone serves it to you, but you really won't enjoy it.

I've been a big fan of Baruchel for a while, I loved him as the... well the same sort of character he plays in this film, the wimpy freshman in Judd Apatow's criminally short series Undeclared. I even watched I'm Reed Fish just to see his performance, and his bit parts in various Hollywood comedies of late. Basically he plays this role perfectly, because perhaps he IS this character, he nails the bumbly, nervous and cute geek and so I really had no problem with him in this film. The same can be said for Alice Eve who is nothing short of delightful to watch on screen and who caught my eye in 2006's Starter for 10 with James McAvoy. Baruchel and Eve have a great chemistry and it's fun to watch them interact on screen, but ultimately with a screenplay that is as thin as a well worn pair of underwear their charm only gets this film so far.

There's definitely a hint of Apatow wannabe here, the 4 friends (who really wouldn't be friends in real life at all), the "witty" or "snappy" dialogue that attempts to be crude but comes off lame - 'Go shit in your hand' being a fine example. Perhaps delivered by Apatow favourite Seth Rogen this would have garnered a few laughs, here it seems too unsophisticated for what is essentially a sweet story. Writers Sean Anders and John Morris continue to collaborate after 2008's Sex Drive which again had its moments but was ultimately lacking. Up next for the duo is 2010's Hot Tub Time Machine which I'm looking forward to despite some mixed reviews from the States.

Those going into She's Out of My League wanting a romance will find a sweet story doused in lame attempts to be funny and shock the audience. Yes the shaving scene is amusing, but it's not going down in history like that famous There's Something about Mary scene. Those wanting an Apatow, boys only, frat type comedy may find a little more here for them, but it ultimately tries to be two things (super sweet and super crude) at once and in doing so fails. There are some enjoyable moments and solid performances particularly from Kirk's heftier friend Devon (the rather amusing Nate Torrence) who compares most situations to a Disney movie - it's hard not to crack a smile when he calls Molly Princess Jasmine in a hushed yet excited breath.

Worth checking out on DVD but save your $17 in my opinion.

2.5 / 5