Sunday, October 28, 2012

Mental

In 1994 Toni Collette and director PJ Hogan launched their careers with the film 'Muriel's Wedding'. They both return home for this new comedy.
'Mental' is supposed to be a partially autobiographical film. Apparently PJ Hogan's father hired a woman off the streets to look after him and his family. For me that is the problem with the film. 'Muriel's Wedding' is supposedly autobiographical too so both films have virtually the same characters and are set in roughly the same sort of place. Considering that 'Mental' is not a direct sequel to 'Muriel's Wedding' they feel like very similar films. That is not to say that film is not good. 'Mental' has an excellent story and some brilliantly written characters. PJ is able to balance the comedy and drama really well. The comedy is quite wacky and in some cases silly but that's what I quite liked about it.
I would like to take this opportunity to speak about Aussie films and their lack of success. 'Mental' received an MA15+ classification in Australia, I believe that this hindered the film's success at the box office. As someone who works in cinemas I've found that when you restrict the audience of your film you can limit its box office potential. There are some Australian films that should have that restrictive classification, but if you are going to make something that is meant for a mainstream audience then you need to try and reach as many people as possible. This means making the film in a certain way. I do not expect a writer or director to compromise their artistic vision but if you are trying to make a commercially viable film then something like the film's classification is something that needs to be considered. 'Mental' got its MA15+ classification for strong language and themes. The language part could have been changed slightly to fit a lower classification. The film is about mental illness so a slight tweak there could have adjusted the film's strong themes.
With such well written characters the cast of this film has given brilliant performances. Toni Collette is brilliant in everything she does. I don't think she can give a bad performance. I did however think that she put on the Aussie accent a little too strong at times. Anthony LaPaglia is mostly known for his serious roles so I loved to see him do some comedy. Liev Schreiber gives a nicely subtle performance as a shark expert. His Aussie accent is spot on too. All the girl's who play Anthony's daughters in the film are wonderful. But it is Lily Sullivan who stands out as the older daughter. The film's best performance though is by Rebecca Gibney. I was totally blown away by how good she is in this film. She normally plays regular sorts of people and not 'characters' so she really gets into the role.
Another excellent Aussie film that comes just short of greatness. If PJ Hogan had changed the setting and character slightly so they did not feel so much like those from 'Muriel's Wedding' then it would have been perfect.  

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Ruby Sparks

It seems actors like to write themselves a film role to get work. This would be the case for Zoe Kazan.
As a writer I love to see films about writers. They always have the most interesting problems because they are ones that I can relate to. I also love different romantic comedies. Which is why I loved this film so much. Calvin is a character much like me and so I found myself relating to him, not just as a writer but on a more personal level. We are often told as writers that we need to love the characters we write about. Regardless of whether they are good or evil we need to love them as it is this love which makes them fully formed characters which an audience can believe in. Zoe has taken that idea one step further with this film. She nicely presents some interesting moral issues as well for someone who has complete control over their creation, who happens to be a human. While there are a few bad thoughts that creep into Calvin's thinking, mostly put there by his brother, he is still a good enough character that he does not go too far. In some ways all people in relationships would like to have some control over their partner. This film proposes what would happen if that came true.
Paul Dano gives a wonderfully goofy performance as Calvin. Paul seems to be able to be uniquely different in every film he is in. He plays the nerdy type guy very well. Zoe Kazan is not only an excellent writer but a great actress too. She is utterly delightful as Ruby. Zoe manages to play the role at just the right level so you never feel sorry for that fact that she is being manipulated. There are a few lovely cameos from Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas and Steve Coogan.
A really delightful romantic comedy which might be a wish fulfilment for many men. But despite this slightly unsavoury theme it is very sweet.   

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Arbitrage

We have not seen much of Richard Gere on the big screen lately with most of his films going straight to DVD here.
With wealth comes power. For some rich people this power goes to their head and they feel they are indestructible. Such is the case for Robert Miller in this film. Writer/director Nicholas Jarecki has made a good little thriller about a man who think he can control everything. There are lots of good twists and turns to keep you interested. You are constantly on the edge of your seat wondering if Robert will get away with it. The only weak point is the ending which comes a little abruptly and with one loose end.
Richard Gere has played this type of role many times in his career so he can do it really well. He does show a slightly vulnerable side at times which give it a bit of an edge. This is not the first time that Susan Sarandon has played Richard's wife in a movie. Her role is not very big and only comes into effect at the end of the film. Tim Roth is pretty much playing the same role he does in the TV series 'Lie To Me' except he does not have the cool lie detector skills. Nate Parker is excellent as Robert's alibi.
It may not win any awards or be a huge success but this is a decent thriller that reminds us Richard Gere is still around.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Hotel Transylvania

The last time Adam Sandler did voice work for an animated film was 10 years ago for the film 'Eight Crazy Nights'. I think this film will be more successful for him.
A frustrating thing I find with lots of films is that they set up an interguing premise but then do not make it into an intreguing film. That is definately the case here. Having all of the classic movie monsters coming together is a very good idea. But sadly there is not a good story to bring them together. It seems some film makers think that animated films need a child character in them so as kids can relate to them. I don't think that is true. There is also the idea that all these monsters are so scared of humnas that they need a place to hide out. I'm willing to accept that humans can be bad, but the whole idea of these monsters is that they are worse and more scary. I also did not find the jokes or humour very funny. There were many obvious jokes that I did not find very clever.
Adam Sandler does a very good as Dracula. I think his accent was well done. As usual he has gathered all his friends to provide the voices for the other characters. They are not particularlly great but then they do not have all that much to work with.
Younger audiences might get a bit of a laugh out of this animated effort. While it does not make me hate Adam Sandler anymore it does not make me like him either.

Looper

Time travel can be a very tricky proposition. It can be incredibly complex and complicated. Travellers need to be careful or they could wipe themselvesout of existence.
Rian Johnson is a writer/director who I greatly admire. With the films he has made Rain has proven he can be very diverse in the tone and subject matter of the films he makes. It is this talent that makes him more than well qualified to tackle the tricky subject.
When you think about it, this film is about being forced to commit suicide in order to save your life. It is an intriguing premise and one that makes you think about what you would do if placed in that situation. Without revealing too much there is a reason the younger Joe must kill his older self than just saving his own life. Does that sentence make any sense? Time travel can be a complicated but Rain has managed to simplify things with the plot of this film. He also makes a little fun of the whole premise with a meeting of the younger and older self. Much like Christopher Nolan did with 'Inception', Rain has made an intelligent mainstream thriller. It makes you think and you have to pay attention to fully understand it. More than one viewing maybe required as well. I also liked the camera work of DOP Steve Yedlin. I loved the way the camera moves and the camera position for scenes is composed.
The casting of this film has caused a lot of discussion. Rain chose to use two different actors to play Joe rather than the same actor in make up. He chose to use make-up to make Joseph Gordon-Levitt to look like his older self played by Bruce Willis. This means that Joseph looks a little different and that has drawn people out of the movie because all they can think about is how different Joseph looks. I was quite surprised that Joseph not only looks like Bruce but acts like him too and not just inn obvious ways but subtly too. I have long been a fan of Joseph's and he just keeps getting better with each role. I think people do not give Bruce Willis much credit as an actor. He does quite a lot of films and not all of them are that great. But every so often he gets a brilliant role and more than excels in it. This is one of them. His character goes on an emotional rollercoaster in this film and Bruce is more than up for the challenge. Equally as good is Emily Blunt. She usually plays nice sweet girls in most of her previous roles but here she is more tough and determined. I was totally blown away by how good she is. All three leads though pale into insignificance by the performance of Pierce Gagnon who plays Emily's son in the film. This very young boy is simply stunning. He has so many subtleties to his performance I was amazed at how good he was at such a young age.
A clever and smart thriller that does not let the complications of time travel overwhelm the story. It also feature some amazing acting, young and old.  

Monday, October 8, 2012

My Fair Lady

There has been a question which has plagued man for some time. Does the rain in Spain stay mainly on the plain? I went on an investigation to find out.
It is such a same that musicals are not made as often as they once were. Back in the 1930's - 1960's, musicals were extremely popular and highly regarded. Now they are not made as often and don't always work. Which is a shame. Musicals in general though are a genre that should be seen on a big cinema screen. This one is no exception.
The original 'Pygmalion' story is one which has been told many times in movies in various forms. The upper classes seem to like having a go at trying to pass off someone from the lower classes as one of their own. A classic story of someone rising above their station in life. The most commonly known version of the story is 'My Fair Lady' a grand and delightful musical. The story is very light and quite predictable but it is the fun of the music that keeps you interested. The production design and costume design are also very grand so visually there is always something you can look at. I really enjoyed the songs and some I did not realise came from this musical. 
I did not, however, like the male characters in the films. Eliza's father only sees her when he wants money. Then when she becomes rich and passes on the money to him he becomes a bit ungrateful because his life has changed so much cause he's rich. Colonel Pickering comes across as a nice guy but does not really do much to stop the bad behaviour. The biggest one is Professor Henry Higgins. He is such a nasty guy. While he does treat everyone badly his venom is mostly directed at Eliza and he really treats her badly. In some ways you wonder why she goes back to him if he treats her so badly. While he is not physically violent to her he is verbally abusive which could be seen as just as bad.
Audrey Hepburn is one of the most charming and delightful actresses who ever lived. I've sadly not seen many of her films, which I'm ashamed about. Audrey has quite a big range in this film with the character that she plays. At the beginning I found Eliza incredibly annoying mostly because of her accent. The really thick cockney accent she speaks got so grating after a while. Rex Harrison has been criticised for not singing his songs in the film and just speaking the words. So I became conscious of this during his songs. That was a little distracting and perhaps if I did not know that I would have enjoyed it more. Rex still does a good job as Henry and makes a good nasty guy. Stanley Holloway is good as Eliza's father. He fits well into the cast of unsavoury male characters.
A truly delightful and fun movie musical on a grand scale. The plot and some of the characters are questionable morally speaking but if you can get past that then you can have fun with this film.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Hope Springs

The cinema is full of films about young people having sexual problems. They usually end happily with the couple over coming their problems. But what if later in life the problems return?
It is a very unpleasant experience for people to see or hear about an older couples sexual problems. Mostly because it reminds people of their parents and their sex lives which is an uncomfortable thought. But sex and intimacy problems is something that can arise with couples later in life. Couples become so comfortable with each other that they take each other for granted. That is the problem that befalls Kay and Arnold in this film. They are fairly stereotypical characters. I think we can recognize traits in them that feel familiar to either ourselves and/or our parents. That does make the story feel real and relatable but it is the way the film is told that it lacks. I think I was expecting a bit more comedy and a bit less drama with the story. The therapy sessions are not exactly very dynamic. What also does not help is Arnold and his annoying behaviour. We get that he is uncomfortable talking about sex with a stranger but he also seems completely oblivious to how much his inability to touch his wife lovingly is causing her pain. Then when he goes to the therapy sessions he is so withdrawn and unwilling to say much that it becomes so annoying. He always looks as though he is about to say something, reveal an emotion but then steps back from it. I became incredibly frustrated by this behaviour. I know husbands are always portrayed as frustrating people who do not understand their wives but their comes a point when it gets annoying. While he does get the hint towards the end of the film it still makes for tough going for most of the film.
This film is another example of the talent of Meryl Streep. In her last film she played a tough, forceful woman who ran a major country. Now she is playing a meek and mild housewife trying to put her marriage back together. She does both roles so incredibly well. It goes to show she can play a broad spectrum of characters. Tommy Lee Jones does a very good job of playing the annoying husband. Tommy has made a career out of playing gruff characters like this so it suits him very well. I was pleased to see Steve Carrell in this film as it shows he not only plays wacky comedy characters, that he can play straight serious ones as well. The only problem is that he has very little to do. His role is a very important one to the story, I just would have liked to see him have more to do.
It is refreshing to see a film that looks at an older couple and the problems they have with their relationship. There are issues which seem familiar and that people can relate to. But when one of them is incredibly annoying it dampens what could have been a great film.  

Monsieur Lazhar

Most of us have had a teacher who we found inspirational and we credit with teaching us some valuable life lessons. Film makers love to explore this relationship in film.
Films about school teachers are all pretty much the same. You have a classroom full of troubled kids who need guidance. In walks a teacher who is different to all the others and and becomes an inspiration to the kids. 'Monsieur Lazhar' has all these elements but takes a unique perspective on them. The children are troubled because of a tragic event. They are essentially good kids but just a little bit upset. Then into their lives comes a man who is also upset over a tragic event in his life. It is through this relationship that both teacher and students learn to overcome their grief.
A story like this is unique not just because of the tragic event the kids witness but also in the way the film is made. Many teacher/student films are cliched and predictable but 'Monsieur Lazhar' gives this genre a very fresh perspective. Director Philippe Falardeau has made the film in a documentary like way which makes it more emotional and real. You come to really care for these characters and what they are going through. It also explores an issue which haunts many teachers, the one of physical contact with children. There is an emotional bond which naturally develops with teachers and students so it is inevitable that some physical contact will occur. But in this day and age that sort of thing is considered out of bounds. I know it is a privilege which can be abused by some people but it also leads to a great deal of anxiety by the teachers.
Mohamed Fellag gives a nicely understated performance as our title character Mr. Lazhar. While he does not do much Mohamed manages to bring a great deal of emotion to this character. He is obviously hiding a secret, so not only dealing with that issue but also helping this group of troubled kids get over their grief. While all of the child actors in the film are brilliant the film focuses on two who give brilliant performances. Emilien Neron is a very talented young actor whose character holds the biggest amount of emotion and Emilien handles that so well. Equally as good is his friend in the film Sophie Nelisse. Her character is the 'smarty-pants' of the class but it is her relationship with Emilien's character which drives most of the film and they two of them work so well together.
An important film that all school teachers should go see. But not just school teachers. Everyone needs to see this emotionally uplifting film.
      

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Beasts Of The Southern Wild

One regret I had from my recent trip to the USA was that I did not get to see 'Beasts Of The Southern Wild' while I was there. Luckily I got to see it here at home.
Co-writer and director Ben Zeitlin has done something fairly unique in this day and age. He has taken a familiar story and made a movie that is fresh and different. The setting is this place called The Bathtub. It is supposed to be on the southern coast of America and we can see civilization in the distance, but this place looks and feels like no where you have ever been before. It looks like a huge junk yard on the edge of a swamp but that just adds to the charm. The place is then populated by a quirky bunch of inhabitants as well. A part of this bunch is six year-old Hushpuppy and her father Wink. As you can see from this description this film is not very conventional. I think that is because the film is told from the perspective of Hushpuppy. Being a six year-old girl she sees the world in a very different way. She is prone to flights of fantasy so the film is full of very strange imagery. Hushpuppy will hear about something and then incorporate that into her imagination. This can be a bit off putting to some people and so the film is not told in the more conventional way that you are used to. One unusual aspect which might put people off is how Wink treats Hushpuppy. It is not always very nice but she seems like a very resilient young girl and does not seem worse off because of it. As the film goes on you learn why he is behaving the way he does and you come to understand it better. 
Every so often you see a performance by an actor which will totally blow you away. When that performance comes from a six year-old girl then it seems even more special. Quvenzhane Wallis is an amazing young actress who delivers a very powerful performance as Hushpuppy. Quvenzhane makes Hushpuppy a believably strong character to such an extent that you forget she is an actress and your watching a real girl. Dwight Henry is equally as good as her father, Wink. He may not always be the best father in the world but you know he truly loves his daughter. Dwight manages to convince you he is not all bad.
The strong and powerful story set in a place you have never been before. It also contains one of the best performances you are likely to see this year.