Sunday, May 30, 2010

Animal Kingdom

Australian films have not been doing well lately. We got stuck in a rut where we were making some very similar and as some said, a bit depressing. But I think the tide is turning as we are now seeing a great run of quality film making. There is also this thing where Aussies will only see an Aussie film if it gets some overseas recognition first. 'Animal Kingdom' has been receiving lots of praise from other countries so hopefully more Aussies will see it.

When I first saw the trailer for this film I got really excited and knew I was going to see something special. I was not disappointed. Right from the opening scene you know you are in the hands of a skilled film maker. David Michod has taken an event from real life and used this as a stepping point to craft a story about a family in decline. They are not your average family but one comprised of criminals. Into this group comes an innocent who gets caught up in this group of colourful characters and their destructive personalities. The TV series 'Underbelly' has done a lot to make crime very entertaining at the moment and this film furthers that cause. Many have compared this film to 'Underbelly' because of the crime element. That's OK but 'Animal Kingdom' focuses more on one tiny element compared to the grand landscape 'Underbelly' looks at. I hate to say that 'Animal Kingdom' glamorises crime but it does give you an insight into a family whose lives revolve around it and how these people operate. They are still bad people and in some ways you come to understand how that is all they know. They are thieves and they steal, that's all they know how to do. They will then do all they can to protect that way of life. Even if that means taking a life, which they have not trouble doing considering their low morals. David has written a brilliant script which has assembled some of the most interesting characters you have seen in films in a long time. Each of them is cleverly crafted to be a living breathing person. You feel these people really exist. Then he has put them in a story which has so many tragic twists and turns that you are placed on an emotional roller coaster. David has made bad people human and goes dangerously close to making you care about them.


This is one of the best collections of Aussie talent you are ever likely to see. There is not one bad performance. Ben Mendelsohn is one of the best Australian actors working today. His performance here is a perfect example of his brilliance. He does not even need to speak for you to know what he is thinking. There is one scene which had me in tears over how good he was and all he did was give a look. Everything he is thinking is written all over his face. His character is a powder keg just waiting to explode and watching him makes you so nervous because your waiting for that explosion. I was one of the few people who did not like 'The Square' and so had gone off Joel Edgerton a little. That was all forgotten with this film. While he does bad things he is the only stable member of the family with a normal family. Luke Ford proved to all how great an actor he is with 'The Black Balloon' and continues that brilliance here. I love how some Australian actors who have a successful career overseas will return home to do work here. I can understand how Guy Pearce would have rushed home to be part of this great film and he returns the favour with a great performance. I sometimes get worried when actors give brilliant performances on their first film like James Frencheville does here. But then again he may not get a script as brilliant as this for a while. The real joy in this film is seeing an acting legend blowing all the young ones off the screen with her brilliance. Jacki Weaver has crafted such a multi-layered character that you are amazed at how brilliant she is. This would have to be one of the best mothers ever seen on screen. She will do what ever she can to protect her family and will sacrifice whatever she can to do it.


This film will win all the AFI awards this year and rightly so. The film is only getting a very limited release initially, so hopefully enough people will go see it and then it will get a bigger release. Please go see it now if you can so more Aussies will get the chance to see it and put a bit more faith in our film industry.

A Nightmare On Elm Street


My favourite horror villain from the 80's is Freddy Krueger. I liked that he was a lot more vibrant than other horror villains. While most of his one-liners were corny at least he spoke. The others were just boring and faceless.

Remakes are sadly a fact of life in Hollywood today. Studios are run by corporations who run them like a business and not an art form. There are remakes which are excellent and look like effort has been made to actually take the original idea and create something new and fresh. The exact opposite has been done here. I think Michael Bay is the worst director ever and he has brought this skill and creativity to producing a series of remakes of classic horror films. This remake is one of the perfect examples of lazy film making I've seen. I'm sure that writers Wesley Strick and Eric Heisserer were given the job of writing the film with a strict deadline and it shows. I don't think any care has been taken to create a new film experience based on an old idea. All they have done is use some characters from the original film then create a boring story around them with a few iconic moments to make it seem familiar and connect it to the original. Director Samuel Bayer has come along and taken this script and used a few ordinary visual elements to create the boring film it has turned out to be. I will say there was one 10 second bit in a dream sequence I liked but otherwise it was lazy stuff.

Despite the story and dialogue being so bad I think most of the actors do a fairly decent job with the bad material they are given. Jackie Earle Haley was a very obvious choice to play Freddy Krueger and does an excellent job. He is not as light hearted as his predecessor but is still able to get the right balance of menace and humour to the role. Rooney Mara is excellent as Nancy, even though the story does not focus as much on her like in the original.

This is not a good example to further the cause for more remakes. Hopefully if they turn out as badly as this more people will maybe go get the original and see how it was supposed to have been done.

Food, Inc.


Over the years I have seen many documentaries which have had an impact on me. I love this genre for the way it is able to inform me about the world we live in.

One of the things we as a living being need to survive is food. But how often do we actually look at the food we are eating. I know some people read ingredients on labels, however for things like meat and vegetables what do we really know about what we are eating. This documentary is very informative about how most of the food we eat is produced and prepared. You may find it very disturbing to see how many common types of food is made. This is an American made documentary and focuses on that. So I'd be interested to know how similar Australia is. I think many of you will starve if you saw this documentary. Much of the information I already knew about but it was interesting to see the information presented this way. I saw a documentary a few years ago called 'The Corporation'. It made me feel that the only way to escape was to sell everything I own and go live on a self sustaining farm. This film made me think the same way. There is solutions to these problems but I'm a little pessimistic as to whether the little bit I do will have any impact.

While there is a lot of doom and gloom in this film it is still very important for you to see it. I hope enough people will see it and get something done to make a change.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Beneath Hill 60


After almost 100 years since the start of World War I you would have thought we'd have heard all the stories. Now along comes a new one about a group of unlikely Aussie diggers.

In 1916 a group of Australian miners were sent to Belgium and the front lines to dig beneath German troops and set off explosives. And one particular dig in which they must tunnel under Hill 60 and create the largest explosion the world had seen up to that time.

It must be said that despite being a war film there is very little action. The story is about what is going on below the war underground. But in saying that the film in very thrilling and has many tense sequences. My only real disappointment would be that it took a little too long to get to the main action at Hill 60. I understand that they had to do some set up and establish what these guys were doing but to me there needed to be a little less of that and a quicker journey to the main action. As well as telling us about the guys in the war, writer David Roach has blended in scenes of our hero Oliver Woodward, his life before the war and romance of his future wife Marjorie. This is a very good technique in breaking up the very blokey action of the war and bringing some colour to a brown setting. While good it would have been nice to see some of Oliver's work as a minor in Australia.

Brendan Cowell recently starred in a comedy, but a drama like this is where he excels. Brendan is excellent at giving us a lot of details about his character even in quiet scenes. Oliver does alot of thinking in the film and working out how to dig the right hole and Brendan is great at making these scenes interesting. His team is a mixed bunch of soldiers with some of the usual traits. The best is Steve La Marquand as the tough no nonsense soldier.

Despite a couple of minor quibbles this is quality Aussie film making. Telling a very uniquely Australian story that many do not know about. I encourage all Australians to see it.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

The Back-Up Plan


I've been watching quite a few romantic comedies lately and it has put me in a romantic mood. This is not necessarily a good thing.

It is interesting how things have changed in society these days where a woman can get herself pregnant without the use of a relationship with a man. I'm not saying this is a bad thing and I know for some woman this is their last resort. I do no think that the writers properly explain that Zoe is at her last resort. I felt we needed to see more of her failed relationships and how she got to this point. There is also the fact that Zoe is blind to the fact that Stan is so devoted to her that he does not mind that she is pregnant and that she uses a little slip of the tongue to break it off with him. That stretched the credibility a bit. I'm also not so sure the film works as a comedy. There are a few funny moments but as a whole I did not think it was all that great.

As a follow on to the part about the film not being funny is the major problem I had with the film and that is the casting. The potential seemed to be there for a comedy but director has not chosen funny leads. Jennifer Lopez has only made one decent film in her life. While she has made a few comedies she has done an OK job. However this film really needed a couple who were a lot funnier than Jennifer and Alex O'Loughlan to bring the meagre jokes to life. I felt the two of them lacked the comic timing to make this a comedy. This is made even more obvious by Melissa McCarthy who is a gifted comedic actress and is a lot funnier in her very small role. Even in the out-takes over the end credits she is much funnier.

An ordinary romantic comedy that may best be watched at home on DVD rather than in the cinema.

Monday, May 17, 2010

When In Rome


Every so often a film comes along that you hear so many terrible reviews about that you kind of get a bit curious as to how bad it is. I think it is just me though.

This film has lived up to my expectations. It is really terrible. One of the wort written films I've seen in a long time. I'm all for light and fluffy romantic comedies with a fantasy element but this one just can't make you believe in it. For a romantic comedy there is no romance either. Love is mentioned quite a lot but I did not feel any of it with any of the characters. If anything this film will turn you off romance.

I'd love to know what original drafts for this film were like. There is quite a decent cast here who I think must have been tricked into being in the film if the final result is anything to go by. I've long been a fan of Kristen Bell, ever since she came into the spotlight in the brilliant TV series 'Veronica Mars'. Here she is trying to do her best with an awful script and not succeeding. Josh Duhamel has made a decent living with terrible stuff like this so he is decent. Will Arnet, Jon Heder, Dax Shepard and Danny DeVito as the guys pursuing Kristen's character are quite bad but that I think is how they're meant to be. Angelica Houston looks like she is getting paid heaps to look icy and deliver really bad dialogue.

There are movies that you take your partner to in order to get in a romantic mood. This film is the opposite. If you want your partner to leave you and quite possibly beat you up, then go see this film.

I Love You Too


Australia does not make very many romantic comedies, which is a shame as it is one of my favourite genres. I've written one myself so hopefully if this film is successful enough I can get mine made.

This film is about a guy who has been going out with a girl for 3 years. One night she has had enough and breaks up with him. He naturally spends the rest of the film trying to get her back. While I can understand and appreciate there are some guys out there who are emotionally stunted and have trouble opening up about their feelings. I had trouble believing anyone would wait 3 years for it to happen. I asked some friends and they agree. I'm not too sure which is worse, the fact that Jim did not realise he had not said 'I love you' or the fact that his girlfriend, Alic waited so long before pointing it out that he has not said it. We do find out why he can't say it but it still bothered me a bit. Not too much though as I did quite enjoy the film. I'm not that big a fan of comedian Peter Hellier. While I find him mostly funny he is not someone who I actively seek out to see. He does a really good job with writing this script. Surprisingly though it is not as funny as you might expect and that's a good thing. I was really surprised by the number of nice, touching and dramatic moments in the films. Many of the jokes and funny lines fall flat, however there are a few funny moments that come from everyday type things the characters do. The publicity for the film portrays it more as a Judd-Apatow-like 'bromance' but I think that is deceptive. While Jim and his friend Blake come across as having a 'bromance' relationship it is not made a big deal of in the film.

Brendan Cowell is becoming a popular actor in Australia at the moment with two films in cinemas right now. He is known more for his dramatic roles so this is kind of his first comedy. Brendan does a very good job and does well with his character but it is not the type of role that expands his comedy skills. I did not know that Yvonne Strahovski was an established actress before this film. She is very good as the love interest but does not have an awful lot to do. Peter Hellier naturally has given himself most of the funny stuff in the film and does an excellent job with it. I can see him playing the best friend role in a lot more films. Peter Dinklage is excellent as always. He is a great dramatic actor and has some wonderful moments in the film. A big deal has been made of Megan Gale in the film but I did not think she was all that great. In the big scene she is in, Peter Dinklage does most of the work and comes off better.

A good Australian comedy that we do not see much of these days. While not the greatest I still think it is well worth checking out and supporting.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Date Night


Steve Carell and Tina Fey are two of the best comedians working today. Steve has been in films for a few years now but Tina is starting to make a mark after gaining popularity with an impression and a brilliant TV series.

Shawn Levy is a director that has not really impressed me so far. I think the comedies he has made were good but nothing spectacular. I was however very impressed with this film. With the cast you have you would expect a hilarious comedy but I did not get as many laughs as I was expecting. But that did not worry me. I was really impressed with the story and plot. I suppose that is more to do with the writer Josh Klausner. Looking up his writing credits he has been part of the team behind a couple of 'Shrek' movies which is not a terribly impressive thing considering the films but here he has crafted a believable plot and characters that you can relate to. While most of the situations are wild and crazy they come as part of a story that you believe could really happen. You think that Phil and Claire Foster are a real couple with the same problems real couples have. Generally in films the leads are a little too good to be true but here they feel like ordinary people. As I said it may not be as hilarious as you might expect but you don't mind that.

Steve Carell is one of the funniest actors working today. But what I love most about him is that the is a very versatile actor and can do drama as well. Like most of the world I did not discover Tina Fey until she did '30 Rock', one of the best TV shows currently running. Together they make one of the best film couples. They have an excellent chemistry and make you really believe they are a married couple. The domestic situations they have at the start of the film are wonderfully played. They can also be very funny when needs be as well. There are also some great cameo appearances in the film as well.

While not as hilariously funny as you might expect, this is still an excellent comedy with a story and characters you can relate to. An excellent date movie for married couples having their own date night.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Triangle


Aussie actress Melissa George has been making a lot of horror films lately. This is her latest and she comes back home to make it.

However you would not know it was an Australian film. Much like 'Accidents Happen' an Australian film has been made in Australia but all the characters and settings are meant to be American. In this film is it particularly puzzling as there is no reason for it to be set in the USA. Actually I think there is a reason, which I won't tell you about as it might spoil the film. The other interesting thing is that they have chosen the most Australian looking locations to film the movie. Aside from that though this is an excellent horror/thriller. It takes a little while to get into and your not always too sure where things are going. But once more information is revealed you can really get into. It's one of those films you need to pay attention to and does rely a lot on its many twists to get you hooked.

As I said Melissa George does many horror films. So while she is good at it, I would like to see here do something else. Here she is very good as a woman in distress who must unravel a weird mystery. Once you find out the twist at the end it makes you understand her performance better. This will probably be the last Aussie film we'll see Liam Hemsworth in. Here he is very good and shows he can be a bit more than a pretty face. Michael Dorman is very good as well.

A really great horror/thriller that many of you will be able to catch on DVD soon as it's only getting a small cinema release. Well worth catching.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Micmacs


I have been a fan of French director Jean-Pierre Juenet since I saw 'The City Of Lost Children'. He is an excellent director with a stunningly visual style. As evidenced with this film.

Juenet has a very visual style and creates a version of France that while looks real is really more a fairytale style version of France. He uses a soft focus to make it all look sweet. This film is a brilliant visual comedy. The story is very simple with a guy getting revenge on people for ruining his life and it is done in a very funny way. It is reminiscent of a silent film comedy with there being very little use for dialogue in the film. The Juenet and is co-writers have created many hilarious situations for the hero Bazil and his new found team of friends, to get themselves into. They are well constructed to get lots of laughs out of them.

I first saw French actor Dany Boon in the film 'Welcome To The Sticks' a couple of years ago. It was one of those films that lost something in the translation. A very French film that you needed to be French to understand better. However the comedy he is doing here is more universal. As a result he is excellent. His looks and performance remind me a lot of American actor Jason Segal. I could easily imagine them playing brothers in a film one day. The rest of the cast are excellent too with some great moments from each of them.

Do not let the fact that this is a French film put you off seeing it. There is very little dialogue as most of the humour is visual so you don't have to worry about reading the subtitles to understand the story.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Iron Man 2


Marvel continues to turn out films based on their comics. One character from the Avengers teams has already had 2 films before others have even had their first.

Before 2008 I don't think there were many people who had heard of Iron Man. Other than comic book fans. Now with the first 'Iron Man' film he is becoming very popular. I'm not a comic book fan so I do not know what the original source material is like, but the films are certainly a lot of fun. While there are serious themes involved they are done in a very fun sort of way. Plus with the way of the world at the moment they are very relevant.

I really enjoyed the first 'Iron Man' film. I have long been a fan of Jon Favreau as a director and was glad he got the chance to direct a big blockbuster film. He certainly did an excellent job. But I think he does a better job here. I think I'm going to be the only person to say that I liked this film more than the first film. I felt the story was more interesting in this film and helped to develop the characters more. The first film set things up nicely, now in the second film we get a chance to explore the characters more and see how their relationships develop. I particularly enjoyed Tony Stark's character arc. My only major problem with the film was a minor lack of action. There was a section of the film about half way through were there were no action scenes and I felt the film needed more. I should warn you though I did see this film in Imax and everything looks really spectacular in Imax.

I'm so glad Robert Downey Jnr. is as popular as he is. He may have had some trouble in his past but he is a brilliant actor. As mentioned above I loved his character arc in this film and Robert does a great job with it. I don't even mind the fact that the characters he has played lately seem very much the same. I was one of the many people who turned off Gwyneth Paltrow after she won her Oscar. I was however pleased when she did these films. Gwyneth seems to have a lot more to do int this film and she is awesome at it. Even getting involved in some of the action as well. The rest of the cast are excellent as well. Sam Rockwell once again plays the smarmy bastard nicely. Don Cheadle makes an excellent replacement for Terence Howard. Mickey Rourke does a nicely subdued performance. Scarlett Johansson was very subdued as well. Except for a big action scene at the end she has very little to do. I expect we will see more of her in the future. I especially loved the cameo by Garry Schandling.

As with the first film we get a really cool hint at another Marvel character after the end credits. There is also a great hint during the film as well. All this adds up to a great action film and a good way to begin the blockbuster film season.