We Need To Talk About Kevin

Many people get nervous when they find out they are about to become parents. Will they be a good parents. But what if that feeling was justified.

Much like 'Burning Man', director Lynne Ramsay, has created a film that jumps around in time to tell its story. I think it is a clever way of telling the story because you do not know where it is going. You know it is building up to something big but you don't know what that is.

This is a clever story about the nature of evil and where it originates. Can someone be born evil or bad? This film proposes that theory. Kevin's evil nature is all directed at his mother and seems to be building up over his life time to completely ruin her life. Many films like to play up the very close bond that mothers have with their sons, but what if the opposite was the case. I don't think that Kevin could hate his mother even more. As I said his every move seems to be a calculated effort to ruin her mothers life. It is all building up to a major event. We see what Eva's life is like after the horrible things her son does and you really feel sorry for her. One of the problems I had with the film is why Eva is being blamed for the actions of her son. After what he does, Eva is really ostracised from the community and vilified. I don't get that. While she may have been Kevin's mother, I'm not sure there is much she could have done to prevent what he did. Kevin is very clever in displaying his evil tendencies and as a result his father is oblivious to what he does. So even if Eva spoke up I'm sure that no one would have believed her.

Tilda Swinton is simply an amazing actress. While she does come across as very cold most of the time, it does seem to work for the role she takes. Here she is excellent as a mother who is being held hostage emotionally by the one person in the world who is supposed to love her unconditionally. I love how John C. Reilly does these smaller independent films sometimes. He is great here. The greatest performances though are that of the three young men who play Kevin at his various stages of life. Rock Duer and Jasper Newell are brilliant as the younger stages. Their looks are all they need to give to display their intentions. They make great evil boys. Ezra Miller as the older Kevin is equally as brilliant. He can go from the nasty young man to the sweet guy so easily. His actions are so cold and calculated.

A film for all those parents who are worried they might be raising an evil child. Use this as a barometer and a way of telling if your child is truly evil. For everyone else go see it as another reason for not having children.

The Ides Of March

George Clooney has long been interested in politics. Many think that he would run for President. This film shows us what that might be like.

One of my favourite types of films are those that involve politics. I'm not sure what it is but they always seem to involve a lot of deal making and can be quite thrilling. That's certainly the case here. It is a fairly simple story but is told in a really entertaining way. There are lots of nice twists and turns to keep you interested. It also makes you wonder how little the general public are involved in the process. The process is quite cut throat too with the people involved willing to do anything to get ahead. Things that many of us would not agree with. It does not do any favours for people who work in politics. For a film that is based on a play there is a hint of its origins but still George has managed to open it up nicely to make it very cinematic.

George Clooney certainly has a very Presidential presence. I could easily imagine him taking on the top office one day. His role in minor here but being the centre of attention he still carries a great deal of weight. It helps when he is backed up by an excellent cast. Ryan Gosling once again does his usual brilliant job. His character goes through many emotional phases and Ryan handles them all so well. Philip Seymour Hoffman gives another blustery performance. His dialogue is mostly cliches but he's still excellent. Paul Giamatti as his opposite number is equally good. Nicely shifty. Rachel Evan Wood is wonderful as the only really 'nice' person in the film. Marisa Tomei has a great small role too.

Good political thrillers sadly do not come along very often so we need to take advantage of them while we can.

Burning Man

This is one of those films that you should know very little about before going to see it. I recommend that you do not read my review until after you see the film. Just know that it is a brilliant piece of film making that you must rush out and see.

Regular readers will know that I am trying to be a script writer. I love to go see films to study them and learn what to do and what not to do with my writing. Occasionally there will be a film that makes me want to give up because it is far too intimidating. This is one such film. Writer/director Jonathan Teplitzky has crafted a brilliant drama that while presenting a familiar story does it in a unique way. The first half of the film can be a bit confusing. Jonathan presents scenes and half scenes that do not really make much sense. Eventually though you begin to understand what is going on but even then once he reveals the true story your still surprised. A man going through the grief of loosing a loved one can be a powerful story and that certainly what we see here. Tom is a man who is doing some unusual things to try and get over the death of his wife, but we all deal with grief in different ways. We don't always know what is real and what is not. His emotional journey is one that we become so caught up in that we begin to share his grief. This is the skill of a good director that can make you become so involved in a film.

Matthew Goode's introduction in this film is one of the best in cinema. He is brilliant at capturing the nuances of his character as he does some wild things while his family look on. Matthew is great at both the darker and lighter moments of his character. He is backed up by some brilliant Aussie actors. Bonjana Novakovic gives a wonderfully powerful performance as Tom's dying wife. Their scene where they meet is so hilarious. It is also a great testament to her skill that despite the fact we know what is coming with her character we still feel the emotion of the moment when it comes. Essie Davis does a very good job as Tom's sister-in-law. Considering what Tom does she is very forgiving. Equally as brilliant as his adult co-stars is young Jack Heanly. His scenes With Matthew are wonderful. He is such a great young actor. Rachel Griffiths also has a nice minor role in the film. Don't let the fact that this film being Australian let you down. This is one of the reasons we produce some of the best film making talent in the world. Do what ever you can to go see it.

The Debt

Another film whose release was delayed due to the financial woes of Miramax. Gladly the delay was not due to a bad film as is often the case.

This is a remake of a film called 'Ha-Hov' which I have not seen. But it is an excellent story. My only problem with the film is that I felt there was no enough known about the characters. Why they were chosen for such an important mission. The man they are sent to capture sounds like an important thing and they seem like fairly young and inexperienced agents. However they are chosen to go on this important mission. I was however able to get over this small problem and really enjoy the film. It is an excellent thriller. The ending is set up nicely at the beginning but there is a neat little twist in the middle which changes your perspective. The way the story unfolds with the flashbacks also adds a great deal of drama.

Helen Mirren once again proves she is one of the greatest actresses working today. I don't think she can give a bad performance if she tried. As her younger self Jessica Chastain is wonderful. Such a young forceful actress who is establishing herself as one of the best. She moves so nicely from sweet and innocent to tough and angry so easily. Marton Csokas has played creepy so well before and does it nicely here too. Tom Wilkinson as his older self was good but lacked that creepiness of his younger days. I love to see Sam Worthington do something with a bit more meaning and depth. He lacks a bit in his performance but I like that he is trying to move away from the dumb action hero roles. Ciaran Hinds does a better job as the older version of his character. Nicely portraying the burden he has had to endure. Jesper Christensen plays their kidnap victim with enough evil that your so glad they want to get rid of him.

There are so many great adult dramas out there at the moment and this is just one of the best. A great thriller with wonderful performances.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1.

Following in the footsteps of the Harry Potter series, the producers of the Twilight saga have decided to split the final film into two parts..

Regular readers will know that I'm not a fan of this series. Stephenie Meyer has watered down vampires so much that she has taken all the fun out of them. Making me wonder why she used them to tell her story. Vampires need to be vicious and blood thirsty.

I'm not entirely sure why Bill Condon took on the duty of directing these films. I think the money might have been a factor. As previous directors have shown there is very little for them to do to make a unique film. When you look at each film I don't think you would something distinctive to say that director made that film. There is only one moment in this film in a flashback that made me think this film was directed by Bill Condon.

So far these films have been very ordinary, bordering on boring. The fleshing out of the final book is very noticeable in the first third of the film with the wedding and honeymoon. This sequence could have been cut significantly. I know it is there to make fans happy because they all love to see Bella and Edward in love. Even when the main story of Bella's pregnancy kicks in there is very little thrills. The films need to get a PG-13 rating in the USA and so the film's makers cannot have anything that might get it an R rating. As a result they have had to take all the fun out of the story. There was potential there to make things a bit more interesting but they have decided to make it boring instead. They don't even need to have more blood. But there are film making techniques that Bill and his team could have used to add more thrills. The other part of the problem for me is Bella's baby. I know that a human having a vampire baby is a bad thing, but I got no sense of a threat that this baby could be. The soothsayer is even silenced because she cannot see the babies future. Maybe if we had some foretelling of what this baby means then we might feel it is a bigger threat. I also think that Bella's father could have been a bigger threat. His daughter is sick and being a cop I would have thought that he could have done a better job of trying to track her down. Him turning up at the house would have been an interesting plot twist.

The acting has not really improved over the series. Robert, Kristen and Taylor are pretty much the same. It was however nice to see Robert smile for once. The rest of the cast are nothing special and do the best they can with the weak material.

I realise that my opinion does not matter when it comes to this film. By now you know either love it or hate it and you know what you in for.

Anonymous

An interesting thing about human nature is that incredible events get analysed so much and questioned for their authenticity. One such incredible event is the amazing writings of William Shakespeare.

I am one of the millions of people who love the works of William Shakespeare. I studied a few of his plays at school, which was not much fun, but I do love to see his plays performed. I do not see them performed on stage, as they were intended, but I do see many of the films. He is truly one of the greatest writers who has ever lived. I can understand that this greatness will be analysed a lot. People have researched Shakespeare himself and his life but cannot understand how this man wrote what is attributed to him. If this film is an accurate portrayal he is an illiterate fool and more than likely not have written all those plays and poems and sonnets.

Writer John Orloff has created a brilliant story that incorporates the conspiracy theory about Shakespeare and weaving that into the story of British royalty at the time. I have always been a fan of this period in time and so have seen many films about Queen Elizabeth. So it was wonderful to see a different take on the period and the monarch. There are so many lovely twists and turns in the plot that you are kept interested the whole time. As you would expect there are some great references to Shakespeare's plays woven into the plot as well. After blowing up the world several times over it is great to see Roland Emmerich make a film that kind of creates a new world. His direction is excellent here and proves he is not just the master of action blockbusters. The production design and costumes are so lovely as well.

Roland has assembled an excellent cast of British actors. Rhys Ifans is one of those actors who has been lurking in the background of films for ages and doing excellent work. Now he steps into the spotlight. He is brilliant in this role. We always knew he was great but now that he gets a leading role that just emphasises it. Sebastian Armesto is very good as the man originally chosen to be the 'ghost writer'. Vanessa Redgrave and her daughter Joely Richardson are brilliant as the young and older Queen Elizabeth. Rafe Spall is excellent as Shakespeare. For a film about the 'writer' he has a nice supporting role. Edward Hogg is wonderfully slimy and evil as the Earl Of Oxford's main rival.

It does not matter if you believe the story or not, this is an excellent story. Full of wonderful political intrigue and mystery that is very entertaining.

I Don't Know How She Does It

For many years now women have had to contend with one of life's biggest balancing acts. Juggling work and family. This film explores the balance that women try to contend with.

I had my doubts going into this film about whether a film like this could pull off what it was trying to say. To me a person or family like the one portrayed complaining about not having enough hours in the day to do stuff just seems ridiculous. Especially when there are millions of families with little or no money trying to do the same thing and for less pay. It means we have less sympathy for our lead character because their struggle does not seem as worthy as someone you might meet in real life. What makes it more pretentious is that they want average people to see this film.

Despite my initial misgivings I did end up enjoying the film a lot more than I expected. Kate's struggle to balance her work and home life does feel legitimate. She is rich enough to be able to employ a nanny to help look after her children. But she also loves her job so much which is why she still works. The main problem I had though was that Kate tries to do everything herself. I'm not sure why she doesn't get her husband, Richard, to do some of the work for her. While he seems just as busy as she does, I'm not sure why he does not volunteer to help her out. I did like the unique approach the film makes in telling the story by making it like a documentary. Kate breaks the fourth wall and talks to the audience and supporting characters talk to the audience in interview situations. Writer Aline Brosh McKenna has adapted the book in a different way to conventional storytelling. It was a nice touch that made the storytelling feel different. Sarah Jessica Parker can be a bit hit and miss with me. I'm not a fan of 'Sex And The City' so lately she has not done anything exciting for me. To me she used to do more daring roles but now seems content to placate to her fan based and not breakout. That is the case here. She is a very good comedic actress and is good here but does not do anything terribly special. Pierce Brosnan does a serviceable job as the man Kate works closely with. Greg Kinnear does very little except fight with Sarah a lot and complain that she's never around. I did like Olivia Munn as Kate's assistant. She is very funny even if her character's plot is a bit obvious.

This might be more relate able and more enjoyable for women who have to struggle each day with the kind of situation that's depicted in the film. For everyone else there is some mild amusement to be had.

Moneyball

Australia has cricket and the Americans have baseball. Long boring games that involve the hitting of balls and running around.

Despite some similarities to cricket, Aussies have not shown much interest in baseball. Movies about baseball usually don't do too well here. Thankfully this film, while about baseball is more concerned with behind the scenes politics of the game rather than the game itself. Regular readers will know that I'm a huge fan of writer Aaron Sorkin and as he is a co-writer of this film then I was bound to enjoy it. Aaron loves to write films about behind the scenes of things, which is why he is so well suited to work on this film. I'm not a sports fan but I seem to enjoy most films about sports. I think because they edit the games so they feel more tense than they really are. I do know a little bit about baseball which comes from my endlessly watching 'The Naked Gun'. Using statistics to create a sports team seems like a good idea in theory but as is always the case the human element gets in the way. People don't always behave statistically. But Billy Beane managed to get the system working. The film is full of dialogue and analysing statistics, so it is a real testament to writers Steven Zallian, Aaron Sorkin and director Bennett Miller that they manage to make this story really interesting and compelling. While there is only one game of baseball shown in the film, you really root for these characters and their team and want to see them succeed. It is truly a David and Goliath story. The one game that is shown in the film is one of the most tense games I've seen played. It also has one of the best game climaxes your ever likely to see.

Brad Pitt proves once again that he is truly a brilliant actor. His portrayal of Billy Beane in this film is amazing. He is a man that despite being let down by the system that created him still wants to see it succeed. Billy does not let anything get him down and even lets other people take the credit. I loved how the film gave us some background to Billy's baseball career. Brad has some wonderful scenes with Kerris Dorsey who plays his daughter. These are some really emotional scenes. Jonah Hill is mostly know for his crude humour, so it is great to see him do something more serious. And he does a brilliant job of it. He is perfect as the nerdy type guy who helps Billy in his quest. Philip Seymour Hoffman is nicely gruff as the teams coach who resists Billy's new scheme.

Don't let the fact the film is about baseball put you off. This is one of the best films I've seen this year and is well worth seeing. No doubt it will be rewarded come award season.

In Time

Everyone always complains about not having enough time to do things. What if that was really the case and you earned your time alive.

I have this problem when I'm watching certain films that I over analyse the premise too much and it can ruin my enjoyment of the film. That was the case with this movie. So the premise is that humans have been genetically engineered to not age after 25 and that you have to earn any further time you live with work. My question is: how did the world come to be like this? Although some of the characters have been alive for more than a hundred years, this version of the future does not look that much different to ours as far as technology is concerned (such as cars). This means that at some stage soon scientists will engineer people to be this way. Forgetting the fact that we allowed genetic engineering to take place, how did we allow it to be done so that the rich live much longer than the poor? I think there must have been a gene added that makes people complacent to their lifestyle, because I can't imagine people letting this happen without protest. It was these questions I kept thinking about that made me not be able to fully enjoy the film.

Putting all that aside, the film is not all that thrilling considering the life and death struggle that these people must go through in their daily lives. As mentioned above, the poorer people seem to have accepted their situation and don't seem to try to improve themselves. When Will and Sylvia start robbing banks it seems quite easy to do and you wonder why no one had thought of it before. I would have expected Will and Sylvia to come across an underground revolutionary movement to steal back time. This means that while there is enough interest to keep you watching it does not have any lasting impact. It was quite funny though to hear what people's real ages are. Everyone looks 25 so you don't know if the person you meet is old enough to be your parent or grandparent.

Justin Timberlake seems to have taken a long break from music and has gotten into movies with this being his third film this year. He does a competent job here but is not required to do anything that will extend his range. So too is Amanda Seyfried. She is rather bland I find in this role.Cillian Murphy brings some credibility to proceedings but looks much older than the 25 years he is supposed to be. Alex Pettyfer does a very good job as a mobster.

Most people will no doubt enjoy this more than I did. As long as you don't think too much about the premise then you should have some fun with it.

Meet Me In St. Louis

Margaret & David on their TV show have a segment where they review an old film. A couple of months ago they did a review of 'Meet Me In St. Louis'. So when the chance came to see it on the big screen I just had to see it.

There are older films which have that nature of being 'of the time'. You could imagine them only being made when they did. This is a very sweet good natured film. I think if released today as it is, it would not appeal to modern audiences because people would find it far too sweet and good natured. The story is very much like a musical version of a Jane Austin novel. A group of young women looking to meet a man to spend the rest of their lives with. I can see a lot of similarities with 'Pride & Prejudice'. The film does give off a great deal of charm which means you can't help but like it. The songs are very familiar so you know what your getting. Vincent Minnelli directs them really well too so you can't help but love them. The film does have a dark moment though. There is a Halloween sequence involving the families youngest daughter Tootie going trick-or-treating with the neighbourhood children. They do some very strange things which is stands out a bit to the rest of the film.

I'm ashamed to say that the only other Judy Garland film I've seen is 'The Wizard Of Oz'. She is an excellent musical performer who can also act when required. Judy can definitely play the sassy rebel type nicely. Lucy Bremer is wonderful as her sister. Margaret O'Brien is very cute as the young sister. She pretty much steals the show from everyone. While the men play secondary characters a few like Harry Davenport as Grandpa being the most delightful.

It is always nice to go back in time cinematically speaking and see how they used to make films. It makes a refreshing change to some of the films we get these days.

Our Idiot Brother

Another popular theme in movies is that of a families one member who does not fit in. Commonly known as the black sheep.

There are some people in this world who are too trusting. They always think the best of people. But not everyone is nice and so they get taken advantage of. It also means they are honest to the people around them and it can get them into trouble. That is the problem for Ned in this film. He lives a kind of 'hippy' lifestyle and gets into trouble with the law. As a result he must rely on his sisters for help but ends up causing bigger problems in their lives. It is an excellent comedic premise where you get a character who enters the lives of a group of people and shakes things up. So this film is really funny. Ned can come across as a little bit too trusting and naive but you still believe he is real. There are some scenes where he does things where you cringe because you think people are going to take advantage of his trusting nature and they do but not all the time. He is also incredibly sweet. The story of Ned and his dog Willie Nelson is very cute and makes Ned a more likable character.

You would think that with a cast like this, the film would have been a more mainstream film. Paul Rudd is certainly an excellent comedic actor and he brings that excellence to the character of Ned. As mentioned above the character must tread a very fine line of coming across as dumb. Paul manages to never cross the line. The actresses who play the sisters are all excellent. But I do think that their casting is a little bit obvious. You kind of expect those actresses to play those roles. That's not to say they are bad in them but it would have been nice to see the mix it up a bit.

One of the years best comedies. A top notch comedy cast in a story that while familiar is still really funny.

Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark

A couple of years ago Guillermo Del Toro was working on 'The Hobbit' in New Zealand. While that was happening he also co-produced a horror film that he co-wrote in Australia.

Items that sit on a shelf for longer than they are supposed to tend to go off. Studio politics have kept this film off screens for a little bit longer than expected. Usually when this happens it is because there is very little faith in the film. While it is by no means the best film ever made, it is still a pretty decent horror film. I think the involvement of Guillermo has helped make it more reputable than you may expect. Because he has worked on the script there is a good story. In typical Guillermo fashion it involves a young girl discovering a new work. And also features evil pixies or fairy like creatures. Director Troy Nixey has managed to create a nicely spooky atmosphere with the film. But is could have been a bit more scary. The fact the creatures like children's teeth is an element I was disappointed that was not fully explored.

Katie Holmes has proven to be a good actress when given good direction. While she gives a decent performance she is saddled with the cliched role of a step mother trying to get to know her husbands daughter. Guy Pearce is very good but again his role is a little cliched. The work-a-holic father who has little time for his daughter and her problems. I was really impressed with Bailee Madison. She is a very good young actress who gives an effective performance. The Aussie support cast of Jack Thompson and Garry McDonald give some quality support.

Not the dismal failure of a film that you might expect. A good decent horror film that lacks the blood and guts of most of its ilk these days which is a good thing.

Psycho

The run of classic films continues with this Halloween screening of one of the greatest horror movies of all time.

There are some classic films that will remain that way for all time. They have a timeless quality despite being made in another time. Alfred Hitchcock has long been regarded as one of the best directors and this film is further proof of that. Hitchcock is highly skilled at creating tension in a film so the audience is always on edge. He has made some of the greatest thrillers on film. This film is really cleverly written and directed. In the script writing classes I've done this film is used as an example of how to build up tension. It starts off fairly simply with a woman, Marion Crane, stealing some money and escaping. The scene where Marion meets the cop on the highway is so brilliantly constructed and created that while not much goes on you still feel really tense. It is also true of Norman Bates. When you first meet him he comes across as just a normal guy who runs a rundown motel. But as the film progresses you learn about Norman and his true Psyche. This one is one of Hitchcock's bloodiest films and so to soften the blow for audiences he chose to film it in black and white. I do not find the film very scary but I don't normally find knife wielding maniacs scary. I'm sure that today it would not be found to be scary for modern audiences as they require more blood. It is just an excellent story told brilliantly.

Poor Anthony Perkins got stereotyped for playing this role. He went on to be in the three sequels of this film so maybe he realised that was the only way he could make money and just accept it. He is brilliant in this role. He plays the nerdy guy so well. At the beginning you don't think much of him and he plays his innocence really well. As the film progresses you begin to see cracks in his persona and his true intentions are revealed. Janet Leigh certainly makes a good victim. As Marion she does a good job of playing a woman who has not committed a crime before. Marion acts nervously so much that its always so obvious she is up to no good. Vera Miles gives an excellent performance as Marion's determined sister Lila. She comes across as very brave. The other males roles like Martin Balsam as the detective and John Gavin as Marion's boyfriend Sam are also great.

One of the greatest horror/thrillers ever made. While you may not find it very scary compared to films today, you can still admire the skill of master film maker.

Drive

Ryan Gosling is having a run of films in cinemas at the moment. We've just had 'Crazy, Stupid, Love.' and now get 'Drive'.

This is the first film I've seen that was directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. He has certainly crafted a very stylish film. It is obviously set today but has been made to look like it was made in the 1980's. The music and titles especially set up this tone. The rest of the film is very well filmed with excellent editing and camera work. The story is pretty familiar. A criminal who falls in love and that relationship leads to his downfall. But in cases like this, while you know where the story is going it is whether or not the journey is any good. This is an excellent journey. Nicolas tells the story really well and there are some interesting twists. I must warn the squeamish though that the film is quite violent and bloody.

Ryan is probably the greatest actor working today. He is proving to be so versatile in his choices for roles. Here he plays a really cool, calm and smooth operator. He has barely any lines to say in the film so most of the emotion of the character you must try to interpret in his face. His driving driving skills are quite exceptional too. Carey Mulligan play the object of Ryan's affection very well. She is mostly just a plot point but brings some nice vulnerability to her performance. Bryan Cranston makes a nice friend for Ryan's character. The biggest surprise though is Albert Brooks. He is mostly known for his comedic roles but is excellent at playing a mob boss in this film. He plays nasty really well.

There was the woman in the USA who wants to sue the makers of 'Drive' for deceptive marketing. From the trailer she expected a film like 'The Fast & The Furious' series. This is very true and a good way of making a case for how good the film is. It is a clever and well made thriller with excellent car chases.

Contagion

A couple of years ago director Stephen Soderbergh had 4 films come out in one year but he has been a bit quiet since then. Now he's back with an all star thriller.

The type of films that scare me are those that feature people dying by a deadly virus. Regular horror films with death and mutilation by a homicidal maniac, I don't find terribly scary. I feel I will have a better chance of dying from a virus than from a knife wielding maniac, so they seem more scary. In saying that I'm not a germaphobe.

Soderbergh and writer Scott Burns have crafted and excellent thriller which looks at how we would react if a deadly virus broke out. From an organisational view point it is fascinating to see what would happen. How the various organisations around the world would handle things. They also look at the types of situations that could develop. What some people will resort to when placed in a deadly situation. How some will take advantage of it and profit by it. The film does however lack a bit of emotional involvement. Most of the characters are people from government or medicine who are looking to control the virus. There is one character, Mitch, who is an average person. We see how he reacts so we see the more 'human' side of the situation. I would have liked a bit more of that average person viewpoint.

Soderbergh has assembled a top notch all-star cast for this film. As mentioned above, most of their role involves reacting to news and solving problems. Not much emotional skill. So while they are excellent as you would expect, it is not that much of a challenge performance wise. Matt Damon is the one who gets to emote more and does an excellent job. His scene when he finds out his wife dies from the virus is brilliant. I did also like Jude Law and is arrogant blogger character. A perfect amalgamation of all the bloggers you would see on the internet. I was a bit baffled by his character having a fake front tooth. I did not understand why he had it so my constant staring at it was a bit distracting.

A cleverly made virus outbreak thriller. Stephen Soderbergh once again displays his great skills as a film maker. It would have been better though with some more emotional involvement of the characters.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

I remember doing The Time Warp. Drinking those moments when the blackness would hit me and the void would be calling. Let's do The Time Warp again.

To celebrate Halloween Event cinemas have brought back this classic musical. I attended a screening which had the full interactive experience with actors reenacting the film and comments being shouted out during the film. It is something I've been wanting to experience for a while now and glad I finally got to see it.

My history with 'Rocky Horror' is a little weird. I remember growing up and seeing the video at the video shop and always being fascinated by it. I did now know what it was about or anything. I may have heard the song 'The Time Warp' but that was about it. I even thought it was an actual horror film. In my early teens (I think) I stayed up one night to watch the film on TV. I got the biggest shock of my life. While the film was not sexually explicit, all the frank sex talk was a real surprise to me. But the biggest surprise was the names of the two lead characters. My name is Brad and my mother's name is Janet. So that was always a little weird to me. I also got to see the stage show about 20 years ago which was amazing. I have since become a real fan of the show and the music.

To say this film is strange is putting it mildly. The basic plot is similar to that of a horror film and it is a satire on the horror conventions. But the film is far from conventional. So many strange things happen that your never sure what is going on. The ending is the strangest part. Characters come and go without any reason and all the characters are pretty weird. Frank-N-Furter and his gang all come from another planet which is weird too. I never understood why they come from another planet. There are many clever references to other sci-fi and horror films which are woven into the craziness. I think you have to be able to get into the craziness of it all and have a very open mind.

The live interactive experience is excellent. People act out the movie underneath the screen while others shout comments throughout to various lines in the movie. The audience shout at certain times too and throw things. I've been meaning to go to one of these screenings for a while and I'm glad I got to experience it. The comments they make are very funny. You would think the recreation is distracting but I didn't think it was.

When you think of 'Rocky Horror' I think Tim Curry's name is the first one you think of. He has become the iconic Frank that all others must live up to. Everyone copies his performance and accent when they play the role. This is one of Susan Sarandon's first roles and she shows her excellence as an actress early on. I'm not sure why she has not done a musical since. Barry Bostwick is also perfect as the straight laced Brad. Creator of 'Rocky Horror' Richard O'Brien makes a perfect Riff Raff and is wonderfully assisted by Patricia Quinn as Magenta.

One of the greatest musicals ever made. I love the weird craziness of the story and especially the great songs. Make sure you are open minded because this is not a film for everyone.

What's Your Number?

As a fan of romantic comedies and the fact that I'm trying to write one as well, I like to see as many as I can for research.

Some romantic comedies these days have some pretty flimsy premises. This one is based on the idea of a statistic. I'm not sure if the study is true but if a woman has more than 20 lovers then they are less likely to find a long term partner. This would be OK if the writers were able to create something funny out of it. Ally visiting past boyfriends could potentially have been funny but Gabrielle Allan and Jennifer Crittenden have managed to leave out the laughs from the situation. The other annoying aspect is this fixation writers have at the moment for having a wedding be part of the plot. The lead character seems to always be about to attend the wedding of a friend or relative which is why they have become so fixated on getting a partner. It is becoming very boring and they need to think of something more original.

Anna Faris is one of those actresses that frustrates me. While she has not always been in the best movies, she has shown some potential in being a great actress. But she insists on doing bad movies. I'm not sure if that is her fault or the way Hollywood perceives her. This is one of those films where she is not very good but that is largely due to the poor material. Chris Evans does a decent job in a role where he is mainly there for eye candy. There are some good cameos from actors who play Alley's old boyfriends but there are not enough of them.

A poor romantic comedy that has no comedy. While the premise is slim there looks to be some potential there for funny moments but they were never realised.

Midnight In Paris

Writer/director Woody Allen has a very prolific career and makes a movie a year. A bigger output than most of his younger contemporaries. However this is the first time in a long while where his film has gotten a wide release here in Australia.

I have been a fan of Woody Allen for a while now but have come to appreciate him more in the last few months. My regular readers will know that I went to see several of his earlier film at the beginning of this year. As a result I've come to love him more. The most interesting thing about this film for me is why this film, of all his previous releases, has been so popular overseas and as a result got a wide release here. It is not all that different from some of his other films and has an all star cast. Perhaps it is the story. Woody has been making several of his more recent films in Europe because they are more popular there so a return on their investment is more likely. This film is his tribute to Paris.

It begins much like his tribute to New York film 'Manhattan', with a series of romantic shots of the city set to jazz. It is a great way to introduce the film and the city in which it is set. This is very much a romantic version of the city. It is beautiful, sweet and delightful. The modern version though is not what excites Woody. He prefers the old 1920's version with its collection of writers and artists. Which is why he has his hero transported back to this era. I'm sure this is what Woody would like to do. The film is delightful in this respect, showing what it would be like if we could visit a time we have dreamed about. Woody is however good at pointing out the folly of having such dreams. There is a problem with the central relationship of the film. Cal and Inez don't seem like the perfect couple despite the fact they are engage to be married. You wonder how they got together. Perhaps this trip to Paris has unearthed some deeper emotions in the relationship.

I don't know what it is but on several occasions when Woody has chosen an actor as his lead they tend to act like him. Owen Wilson does that here. He plays Cal like you would imagine Woody would have if he played the part. This is not a bad thing, just an interesting observation. This is one of Owen's best performances and proves he needs a skilled director to work with. Rachel McAdams is good but is stuck with the thankless role of Cal's fiance who does not like his midnight walks. It would have been nice of she did not fight him so much. Marion Cotillard plays one of the 1920's characters Cal meets and is wonderful. The rest of the cast make good cameo appearances as famous people from that time.

Many of Woody Allen's films do not get a cinema release here so you should take the opportunity while you can. Especially when it is showing in so many cinemas. A nice, light little fantasy if you don't want something heavy and that will make you feel good.