Film Review Roundup 27th April 2014

THIS WEEK'S PREVIEWS

Only one film that I’ve previewed opened this week and that was nothing to shout about.  There’s only one I’ve seen opening next week, too, and that one is, well, nothing to shout about. So I’ve stuck the two together for this week’s reviews. Lets just call this the seven days of very bad film releases. Its disappointing viewing and enough to make me run screaming to my television set. Thank goodness for iinet FetchTV. I suggest reading a book this week.

(Movie Pick of the week-which is not an endorsement this week)

Transcendence ✪✪ ½               

Opens in Australia:      24^TH April 2014

USA: 18^th April 2014    UK: 25^thApril2014

Other Countries:          Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

Imagine you’ve enjoyed great success as the director of photography for some very popular films (Batman Begins trilogy, Moneyball, Inception). You’ve never directed before, but film industry luminaries like director Chris Nolan and producer Dan Mintz come to you to direct their latest sci-fi flick. They’ve even managed to get Johnny Depp on board, along with Morgan Freeman, Paul Bettany and have a good-sized budget. You’d think it was a slam-dunk, wouldn’t you?

But, no, something goes horribly wrong, because you get some unknown scriptwriter, Jack Paglen, to create the story and leave you with, well, a bit of a mess. So you throw your hands up in there and sing la-la, la-la-la, lets hope they don’t notice that there are HUGE plot holes every ten minutes in the film.

Well we did notice, and we, also, noticed that you’ve copied a heck of a lot of other films, including parts of the TV series The Sara Connor Chronicles. Bad boys and bad work. It’s not totally a wash, but what we don’t like is that you thought we wouldn’t mind that you hadn’t thought it through and that when you couldn’t work out the ending, you just left it hanging there. We don’t mind you leaving it a little up in the air for us to ponder, but give us something to work with, will ya! For a film that’s about super intelligence, this certainly lacks, well… intelligence.

 STUDIO BLURB

Sci-Fi Thriller. Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp) is the foremost researcher in the field of Artificial Intelligence, working to create a sentient machine that combines the collective intelligence of everything ever known with the full range of human emotions. His highly controversial experiments have made him famous, but they have also made him the prime target of anti-technology extremists who will do whatever it takes to stop him. However, in their attempt to destroy Will, they inadvertently become the catalyst for him to succeed-to be a participant in his own transcendence. For his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) and best friend Max Waters (Paul Bettany), both fellow researchers, the question is not if they can...but if they should. Their worst fears are realized as Will's thirst for knowledge evolves into a seemingly omnipresent quest for power, to what end is unknown. The only thing that is becoming terrifyingly clear is there may be no way to stop him.(C) Warner

Fading Gigolo ✪ (It only gets this star for Woody Allen, he's great)   

Opens in Australia:      1^st May 2014

USA: 18^th April 2014    UK: 23^rd May 2014

Other Countries:          Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

Awful, boring, and utter rubbish! There, have I put you off seeing it. I hope so. Woody Allen is acting in it, and that is its only saving grace.

Written and directed by, and starring in the lead role of a middle-aged, decidedly unattractive Don Juan, is John Turturrow. He really needs to stick to his acting job. Seriously, how far-fetched can you get with his character supposedly hired by Sofia Vergarra and Sharon Stone (looking absolutely stunning) to service them in the bedroom? Do you really think any character that looks like Vergarra would need to pay someone to sleep with her? Give me a break.

This is just an excuse for a middle-aged character actor to live out every man’s and a few women’s fantasy. Either do it with a bit of style or do it on your own time, Turturro. If you are tempted to see it, do wait for the DVD and then fast-forward to the Woody Allen bits. Or you could just hire Hannah and Her Sisters, Annie Hall or the more recent To Rome With Love. Just don’t go see this horrible thing at the cinema.

P.S. Its kind of ridiculous, too, that they've copied part of the poster from American Beauty for theirs. The films have zero in common. Zero!

 STUDIO BLURB

Fioravante decides to become a professional Don Juan as a way of making money to help his cash-strapped friend, Murray. With Murray acting as his "manager", the duo quickly finds themselves caught up in the crosscurrents of love and money. (C) Milennium

What have you seen this week? Did you find our comments helpful or do you disagree? Share your thoughts with us.

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Win a double pass to see BELLE

OPEN TO AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTS
who love films!




UP FOR GRABS MY AUSTRALIAN FILM FRIENDS

5 double in season passes to BELLE 

ONLY AT THE MOVIES FROM MAY 8th

To celebrate the release of BELLE

An Adventure in Film, together with Icon Film Distribution, is offering you the chance to win 1 of 5 double passes to see BELLE.  Simply fill in your details below for your chance to win!

Competition closes Midnight WA Time Wednesday 7th May

Winners will be notified by email by Thursday 8th May

The Blurb

BELLE is  the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), who was the illegitimate daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral and a negress slave. Belle was a remarkable figure in 18^th century society, being the first mixed-race woman to be raised as an aristocrat. Being in the care of her great-uncle, Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson) Belle's lineage affords her certain privileges, yet the colour of her skin prevents her from fully participating in the traditions of her social standing. Left to wonder what her future will hold, Belle falls for an idealistic young vicar's son bent on change who, with her help, shapes Lord Mansfield's role as Lord Chief Justice to end slavery in England.

 

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Film Review Round Up 19th April 2014

THIS WEEK'S PREVIEWS

Something for everyone this Easter week… An indie vampire film for adults which I absolutely adored; a wonderful biopic of Charles Dickens; a chic-flick that is actually entertaining—mostly thanks to Leslie Mann; and a Marvel superhero flick that gets tangled in its own web of sub-plots. Enjoy your Easter and I won’t say don’t eat too much chocolate, because I certainly intend to eat more than my share.

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Film reviews frm @susanmaywriter Last Lovers Left Alive, Spiderman 2, The Invisible Woman, The Other Woman http://buff.ly/1f7p2Tg

(My movie Pick of the week)

Only Lovers Left Alive ✪✪✪✪ ½

Opens in Australia:      17th April  2014

USA: 11^th April 2014    UK: 21st February 2014

Other Countries:          Release Information

Perth:                          Luna Palace Cinemas

OUR THOUGHTS

Finally, there is a vampire film for us grownups. Forget Twilight’ perfectly coiffed Edward and the insecure, drab Bella, there are new undead in town and they are deliciously cool and sexy.

Indie director Jim Jarmusch, who also wrote this tale, provides a window into the world of the mature bloodsuckers so loaded with atmosphere that it practically floats from the screen. His scenes are beautifully staged and his lead actors Tilda Swinton as Eve and Tom Hiddleston as Adam are perhaps the most perfect casting as vampires there will ever be.

Adam lives as a reclusive, tormented musician whose melancholia has become so overwhelming that he contemplates suicide. Ian (Anton Yelchin) is his only human friend while Adam remains cloistered in his isolated house working on his music. He survives by purchasing his blood from a doctor at the local hospital.

Eve, his wife, lives a bohemian lifestyle in Tangier. Her blood supply—the good stuff—comes via the world weary Christopher Marlowe (John Hurt). When Adam appears severely depressed during a phone call, Eve flies to him (on a plane). They hang out enjoying each other’s company and haunting the streets of Detroit while ruminating on the misguided stupidity and ignorance of the human race (zombies as Adam calls them). All seems wonderful and romantic until Eva’s sister, Ava (Mia Wasikowska) interrupts their reunion—she’s trouble with fangs.

Think of this film as a glimpse into an alternative culture as opposed to a film about vampires. All the vampire memes are there, but this film is more a languid drop-in on the world rather than an adventure, horror thriller. It’s sexy, dark, funny, romantic, and will be one of my favorite films of the year. These are vampires with whom you can fall in love. I certainly did.

STUDIO BLURB

Noted indie director Jim Jarmusch directs the vampire story Only Lovers Left Alive. Tom Hiddleston stars as Adam, a bloodsucker who makes a living as a reclusive musician. He reunites with the love of his life, Eve (Tilda Swinton) a fellow vampire who leaves her home overseas to be with him in the downtrodden Motor City. They eventually get a visit from Eve's irresponsible sister (Mia Wasikowska) who irritates Adam and eventually causes trouble with the one human - the vampires refer to the living as zombies -- with whom the depressed music hero gets along.

The Invisible Woman ✪✪✪✪

        

Opens in Australia: 17^thApril 2014

USA: 25^th December 2014    UK: 21^st February 2014

Other Countries:          Release Information

Perth:                          Luna Palace Cinemas

OUR THOUGHTS

Having just been absolutely enthralled with Ralph Fiennes character portrayal in The Grand Budapest Hotel and then seen him play Charles Dickens in this, he is the man of the moment for me.

This is a fascinating portrait of one of the greatest influences in literature, Charles Dickens and his unknown mistress. Dickens writes such dark characters that it was surprising to see what a personable and gregarious personality he was—that’s if this film is a true representation. All lovers of his work will enjoy this. It’s a very good period piece. Both my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Ralph Fiennes is a fabulous actor, and Felicity Jones as his secret lover does a very good job, too.

   

STUDIO BLURB

Nelly (Felicity Jones), a happily-married mother and schoolteacher, is haunted by her past. Her memories, provoked by remorse and guilt, take us back in time to follow the story of her relationship with Charles Dickens (Ralph Fiennes) with whom she discovered an exciting but fragile complicity. Dickens - famous, controlling and emotionally isolated within his success - falls for Nelly, who comes from a family of actors. The theatre is a vital arena for Dickens - a brilliant amateur actor - a man more emotionally coherent on the page or on stage, than in life. As Nelly becomes the focus of Dickens' passion and his muse, for both of them secrecy is the price, and for Nelly a life of "invisibility".(c) Sony Classics

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 ✪✪ ½                 

Opens in Australia:      17^TH April 2014

USA: 2^nd May 2014        UK: 16^thApril2014

Other Countries:          Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

When you reboot a film franchise less than ten years after its inception and five years after the last installment, you’d better come up with something more to differentiate it than sticking “Amazing” in the title. Unless, of course, it’s just a money grab and you think it might be a good way to sell more spidey costumes and film soundtracks.

Sitting through numero due of this retreaded series, I wonder why it seemed a good idea to have another go at a perfectly decent franchise at a time when The Avengers’ and their individual characters’ films are setting the bar so high. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has so many stunted subplots the audience is left feeling as if they’ve had everything except the kitchen sink thrown at them in a desperate attempt to make the film “amazing.”

There’s barely anything new added here to the original Spider-man story except a glimpse at Peter Parker’s parents’ fate as they desperately try to upload data to somewhere unknown. By the end of the film I still don’t know what it was they were doing and why it was so important.

Jamie Foxx plays Electro the new villain who becomes electrified thanks to the lax safety protocols at mega-evil corporation Oscorp. Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is still having trouble balancing his life as Spiderman and Gwen’s (Emma Stone) boyfriend. Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan) finally enters the picture, arriving to take over Oscorp after the death of his nasty father.

Here’s where subplots go wild. Harry’s dying from the same genetic disease as dad, so he’s after Spiderman’s blood; Electro’s mad at Spiderman for not being his friend; Gwen’s annoyed because he’s always late, and Aunt May (Sally Field) is hiding a terrible secret—she’s studying to be a nurse.

In between this, there’s actually quite a nice love story going on and a few good Spidey fight scenes. What stretches the film to two and half hours are the repeated drawn-out paused shots and the tedious animated scenes of Spiderman swinging between buildings. We know he can do that, so just show us a couple of times, and then move on.

We could go on about “amazing” plot holes like Gwen being the only person in the city to come up with the idea to turn on the power grid again when Electro fries it, or why an electrical engineer thinks it’s prudent to climb on a many story’s high railing, grab two electrical cables and hold them together, or even how Aunt May or anyone in the city hasn’t worked out that Peter Parker is Spiderman.

You may not notice any of these shortcomings, and you might think this film is better than the recently released Captain America: The Winter Soldier. If you do, then that surely would be the reason for “Amazing” in the title. It certainly can’t be descriptive of the film.

 STUDIO BLURB

We've always known that Spider-Man's most important battle has been within himself: the struggle between the ordinary obligations of Peter Parker and the extraordinary responsibilities of Spider-Man. But in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker finds that a greater conflict lies ahead. It's great to be Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield). For Peter Parker, there's no feeling quite like swinging between skyscrapers, embracing being the hero, and spending time with Gwen (Emma Stone). But being Spider-Man comes at a price: only Spider-Man can protect his fellow New Yorkers from the formidable villains that threaten the city. With the emergence of Electro (Jamie Foxx), Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than he. And as his old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, Peter comes to realize that all of his enemies have one thing in common: OsCorp. (c) Columbia

The Other Woman ✪✪✪

Opens in Australia:               17^TH April 2014

USA: 25^th April 2014             UK:23^rd April 2014

Other Countries:                   Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

The Other Woman is a pleasant surprise. I went along expecting it to be an ugly mess but, in fact, it was quite a fun chic-flick. Cameron Diaz, who normally grates on me, was very good. She can be a good comedic actor occasionally. Kate Upton, as another other woman, is pretty average or is she a good actress playing a dumb woman so well that she seems like a dumb woman?  

What gives the film its extra star and swings it into entertaining fare is Leslie Mann as the aggrieved none-too-smart wife. She really is sensational. I love her. She was also brilliant in This Is 40.  A pal of mine has interviewed her and assures me she is a lovely person, too. So all hail Leslie.

Grab your girlfriends and enjoy a night out with this one. It’s good value and there’s some laugh out loud moments.

 STUDIO BLURB

After discovering her boyfriend is married, a woman (Cameron Diaz) tries to get her ruined life back on track. But when she accidentally meets the wife he's been cheating on (Leslie Mann), she realizes they have much in common, and her sworn enemy becomes her greatest friend. When yet another affair is discovered (Kate Upton), all three women team up to plot mutual revenge on their cheating, lying, three-timing SOB. (c) Sony

What have you seen this week? Did you find our comments helpful or do you disagree? Share your thoughts with us.

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