Gasland

Many people ask me what my scariest movie is. I'd have to say that it is documentaries like this that frighten me more than most horror films. Issues they raise seem more real to me than say an axe wielding maniac.

There have been articles in newspapers recently that say the government is considering doing this form natural gas mining known a fracking in my local area. So the issues this film brings up could affect me and my family. Which makes it extremely scary. I could have my water affected by this nasty form of mining. I find it quite amusing that a company doing the mining sends out letters asking to use people's land and they just happen to send one out to a guy who is a film maker. This film maker then goes out and makes a damaging documentary about the mining. Josh Fox is is a theatre director so film making is not his main occupation so the film has a bit of an amateurish feel to it. The camera work and editing is not very good but you can not deny his passion. Josh also lacks some of the charm and personality that other documentary film makers have who put themselves in the film, like Michael Moore and Morgan Spurlock. At first I was not all that interested in seeing the film when I saw the trailer. It was a trailer that kind of gave everything away. But there was one moment that made me want to see the film and I'm sure it was this way for a lot of people. This is when we see a guy hold a lighter up to his running tap and see him light his water on fire. It is an amazing moment and is replayed several times in the film with many different people. It amazes me that companies are allowed to get away with this type of pollution. They do all they can to deny it but it is quite obvious what they are doing. Some of them even take a cheaper option of installing special water tanks for these people to use. It is just amazing.

An extremely powerful documentary that every Australian should see. This is something devastating that is happening in this country and could be coming to an area near you.

The American

George Clooney lives in Italy, so he has now decided to make a film nearer to home. This is certainly a more low key film than he is used to.

In 2007 photographer turned director Anton Corbijn made an excellent film about singer Ian Curtis. One of the best aspects of the film was the cinematography. Anton being a photographer he knows how to compose the screen to display the best shots. Once again Anton has made a very beautiful film. This is one of the best things I liked about it. The story is told in a very visual way and with very little dialogue. The story is not all that great and is quite predictable and cliched, but I did not mind that. It maybe a familiar story but it is told in a unique way. I also know that many think the film is not tense enough but once again I disagree. I don't think the film is meant to be very tense. It is very much a character study of a man who is nearing the end of his career and realising he is feeling lonely and wants some companionship but is unable to because of his career. It moves slowly but that suits the story.

George Clooney would have to be my favourite actor. He can do such a wide variety of roles from Comedy to drama. Plus he branches out into other areas like producing, writing and directing. Which is why I have a great deal of respect for him. This is certainly a less flashy role for him. He gives a very restrained portrait of a man who is trapped in his job and cannot escape. Even people he loves get caught up in the torment. George is supported by a couple of great actors in fairly cliched roles. Paolo Bonacelli is nicely supportive as the priest who becomes Jack's friend. Thekla Reuten is nicely cryptic as the client Jack must work with. Violante Placido does a good job in the pretty thankless role as the hooker with a heart of gold that must fall for Jack.

A nicely subdued adult drama. Not the high impact action style thriller that you may expect. But still a refreshingly different type of film that tells a familiar story in a nice way.

Red Hill

Aussie actor Ryan Kwanten has made a name for himself in Hollywood for his work on the TV series 'True Blood'. Now he returns home to make a movie.

Most Australian directors know that for their first film they need to make something simple and easy cause they may not get all that much money to make the movie. This is very true of Patrick Hughes with this film. He has managed to write a great script which sets everything in a small town and in one day and night. The greatest thing being that the film is all plot. Patrick moves the action along quite swiftly and does not leave much time to ponder things. He is also able to direct the action very well and make some tense shootouts. Patrick manages to make the film a western in a modern setting. The film is mostly populated with guys and it would have been nice to see a few more women especially Shane's wife. Please stop reading if you have not seen the film and don't want to spoil things. I have one problem with the film which is regards to the towns folk. The reason that Jimmy Conway is in town is because these guys raped and killed his wife then framed the murder on him. The problem I have is that I don't think these guys are capable of rape. They don't come across as that nasty. Maybe nasty enough to kill but not rape.

Ryan Kwanten is certainly an excellent actor. He has been doing amazing work on 'True Blood' and brings that here. He can play things more subdued here and seem more of an ordinary guy stuck in an extraordinary situation. Steve Bisley is a legend in Aussie films and brings great menace to his role here. Tom E. Lewis is even more menacing and he doesn't even say anything. You can get a great deal from him without anything even being said.

A great and nicely simple Aussie action thriller which proves you can do a great deal with very little.

Gainsbourg

The French have been looking to their history books lately to make films based on some of their most famous citizens. This is the latest.

Before seeing this film I knew next to nothing about Serge Gainsbourg. I knew his song 'Je T'aime...Moi Non Plus' but I did not know anything at all about him. So it was interesting to find out not only about all the other songs he played but his life as well. As presented here it is a fascinating life. There were not many problems in Serge's life. He seemed to possess a great deal of confidence and charisma that got him through life. It was not until his later life that the alcohol seemed to take over. Director Joann Sfar has presented his life in a unique way by implying that Serge had a sort of alter ego who gave him his confidence. This funny looking alter ego is based on a drawing he did of himself as a young man. This gives the film a strange feel but it is so different to most biopics about musicians that it comes as a nice surprise. Serge is not a terribly good looking guy. I think if this was an English film that Rowan Atkinson would have played him. Despite this he marries many beautiful women in his life. He has a great deal of charm that makes him irresistible. He also had a great relationship with his parents which is certainly unique to many films about musicians.

Eric Elmosino is excellent as Serge. He supposedly looks alot like the real thing, but Eric also gets right into his character and lets you see what all those around him find so likable. This is mostly Eric's film but the supporting cast are excellent in their roles.

We've had many Hollywood films in recent years about famous musicians, so it is nice to see someone we are not all that familiar with. A great story told in a unique way.

Winter's Bone

There is a lot of momentum building for actress Jennifer Lawrence to get an Academy Award for her work in this film. It is not hard to see why.

I know many people will come out of this film saying it is weird. To a certain extent that is true. While it obviously take place on Earth, it is almost like it is taking place on another planet. The people that live in this town in the Ozark Mountains have their own rules and situation going on that can seem very alien to most of us. Which is one of the great things about the film. We explore this place with no guide to explain whats going on and we're expected to get to know the people and the town. We do not understand how or why there people operate the way they do but they just do. The only really familiar thing is the police who are able to keep things from getting too out of control. The people of this area have lived in harsh conditions for all their lives and have built up a harsh existence. One which they are willing to protect at all costs. If there is even the slightest hint of insurrection then they close ranks and try to deter the trouble. They did not count on Ree Dolly. A young woman who will protect her family at any cost and do what ever she can. Even some pretty horrific stuff.

As you would expect to pull off a tough character like this you need a tough actress. Jennifer Lawrence certainly conveys that toughness. It is an amazing break through role that will no doubt get her plenty of attention. She is supported by some familiar faces like John Hawkes who certainly looks very tough. But is also able to bring a bit of softness to his role so his character is not completely heartless. Dale Dickey is another tough looking actress who suits her role.

The Ozark Mountains is not a terribly nice place to visit. But when it tells such a brilliant story of determination you don't mind a quick visit.

Machete

As part of his 'Grindhouse' double feature with Quentin Tarentino, Robert Rodriguez made a fake trailer for a film called 'Machete'. Now we get to see the real film.

As evidenced by 'Grindhouse', Robert Rodriguez knows that genre and can make a great fun horror film. This is more in the action territory but is not as good as 'Planet Terror'. It lacks a lot of the fun the earlier film had. I realise that he and co-director Ethan Maniquiz are trying to make a political statement with the film but the balance between fun and serious message seems to favour the serious message side. Some of the fights are very good and Machete certainly knows how to butcher his enemies to pieces, with lots of blood and guts. There are also heaps of Robert's trademark scenes and action hallmarks. Another problem is that he seem to want to cram too much into the film and so it is far too long and drags in a few places.

Danny Trejo has nicely played supporting characters in most of Robert Rodriguez's films. It is great to see him front and centre. It is not the type of role to stretch his acting talents too much but he is definitely suited to the role. Jessica Alba is very good but I can't see any chemistry with Danny. I admire Robert DeNiro for doing this film and he seems to be having a lot of fun doing it. The rest of the cast do a good job in their small roles. If the tabloids are to be believed then Lindsay Lohan is playing herself.

A good but not terribly great action film. Lots of blood to keep you interested but the story gets a little too preachy and takes some of the fun away.

Eat Pray Love

Actress Julia Roberts has not been in many films of late. Choosing instead to concentrate on her family. This is her first film in a long time where she is the sole lead.

Before the film was released I was only vaguely aware of the book on which the film was based. I have seen it at bookshops but not been too interested. So I did not know much about the film before seeing it. The only thing I had to go on were the not very favourable reviews from other people. Which may explain why I liked the film more than I thought I would. While it is not the best film in the world I found it to be a reasonably entertaining story. I know that the reason for Elizabeth's trip had some people upset because she basically leaves her husband to do it. I don't know what her husband is really like but they have made an effort to make him less than favourable so we as an audience understand why she left him. The only big problem I had with the film was her relationship with David Piccolo. I know that the writers would have to stick to the story to please the book's fans. But as someone who has not read the book and can only judge the story based on the film, I felt he was not necessary to the story. His only reason for being there is to introduce Liz to a guru which could have been done by someone else or in another way.

I really like Julia Roberts as an actress. While she has not always done the best films, I quite like her performances. Here she does a decent job but nothing too spectacular. To me it is the type of performance you expect from her and does not stretch her range too much. Billy Crudup is good in his role but as mentioned above your really expect to like his character. James Franco is also good in an unnecessary role. Richard Jenkins is excellent and give one of the films best performances. But you expect that from him. Javier Bardem is also excellent as you expect.

A decent film that I found a lot better than I expected. It does drag in a few places but has certainly made me think about making a major change in my life.

Made In Dagenham

Over the years we have had numerous films about strong willed women who are fighting for a particular cause. We now have another.

It amazes me that after all these years woman are still fighting for equal pay rights. I think many women take it for granted that both sexes are equal and respected equally in the work force. But I'm still seeing articles in the newspaper to the contrary. Which is why films like this are incredibly important. Women need to know that this struggle has been going on for many years and that they need to be strong and fight hard if they are going to get equality. That is the problem with this film. I don't think it has been made in the right tone. The makers should have possibly tried to aim this film at a younger audience. Younger women who can take up the cause that the women in this film started and continue the fight. As it is the film is made for older people who lived through this event and so only see it as a piece of nostalgia. That aside the film is quite good as showing the struggle Rita O'Grady and her friends had to go through. There are still the typical cliches of Rita's husband coming to resent her because he has to make sacrifices too. The wonderful thing about the film are the sub plots employed to flesh out some of the supporting characters. It is not all about Rita but how her friends are affected too.

Sally Hawkins is fast becoming a very distinguished actress. I've sadly not seen 'Happy Go Lucky' so this is the first film I've seen her in. She is excellent and plays the role really well with a great deal of confidence. Bob Hoskins once again plays a rather cheeky support character to a feisty woman. Miranda Richardson once again proves she is one of the best actresses working today.

Hopefully more younger woman will go see this film and see how things were not always this good for them. They need to know that the fight is not completely over and that it is a story that's still very relevant today.

Red

The comic book world is being mined for all sorts of material. This one is a lesser known book and is from a lesser known studio.

Film makers these days need to look of unique ways to make action films these days. There not only has to be a good story but great sequences. This film certainly has both. Director Robert Schwentke has certainly made some very diverse films. He now tackles the action genre and does a great job. I was pleasantly surprised by the action in the film and at how clever some of the sequences were handled. The film is also very funny and has some really wacky characters that are hilarious.

The cast are the real stand out of this film. I'm the first to admit that not all of Bruce Willis's films are the greatest but he does hit the mark sometimes. I think the material he has to work with has a lot to do with it and this is a great script with some funny scenes for him. Morgan Freeman is the great older statesman of acting and is great. John Malkovich is perfectly cast as the crazy former agent. He has some of the best moments in the film. I love how the brilliant Karl Urban is getting some bigger roles. He plays the cool, calm and collected villain really well. The real star of the film though is Helen Mirren. Seeing this very regal and posh like lady doing action is a thing of beauty. Just proves she can do pretty much anything.

There are so many action films that try too hard to please. This one takes it nice and casual approach to things and is all the better for it.