Film Review Round-Up 20th June 2014

THIS WEEK'S PREVIEWS

My pick is a family film from Dreamworks. Parents have no fear you will enjoy How To Train Your Dragon 2. Who doesn’t love dragons? A clever drama arrives, Locke, with the most incredible performance from Tom Hardy. The Two Faces of January and Yves Saint Laurent, both limited releases, and both only for the diehard cinephiles. Go see the dragons. Really, I mean it.

And if you enjoy my reviews, as many lovely people keep telling me they do, please do share on your fave social media platform. That would make me a happy, little film critic. And as everyone knows, its good to keep the film critics happy.

(My movie Pick of the week)

How To Train Your Dragon 2 ✪✪✪✪½

Opens in Australia:               19^THJune 2014

USA: 13^thJune 2014             UK:1^th July 2014

Other Countries:                   Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

What a truly gorgeous animated film. It has everything: a wonderful resonant story, glorious animation, and never a dull moment. It’s not just for the children; parents you will love it, too. Dreamworks surely have another hit on their hands. I do believe this is even better than the first. I adore the different breeds of dragons, too (someone at Dreamworks has some amazing imagination). Now where’s the collector’s cards for this? I want to collect me some dragons.

 STUDIO BLURB

DreamWorks Animation returns to the world of dragons and Vikings in this sequel to their successful 2010 outing How to Train Your Dragon. The original film followed the exploits of a Viking chief's son, who must capture a dragon in order to mark his passage into manhood and prove his worthiness to the tribe. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Locke ✪✪✪✪

        

Showing at the Revelation Film Festival 3^rd – 13^th July Perth

Opens in Australia:               19^th June 2014

USA: 25^th April                      UK:    8^th April 2014

Other Countries:                   Release Information

Perth:                                   Luna Palace Cinemas

OUR THOUGHTS

I saw this as part of the launch of the Perth Revelation Film Festival 2014 which runs from 3rd - 13th July. (Great pick, guys.) I take my beanie off (it’s cold in Perth at the moment) to filmmakers and scriptwriters who can create such a dramatic piece filmed entirely in the cabin of a car with one lead actor behind the wheel and nothing else. He only interacts with the cast via his phone. Tom Hardy plays Ivan Locke, a man whose life spins out of control during a two-hour drive to London.

How can the filmmakers make such a great cinematic experience with such a constrained focus and minimal budget and filming time? The script, my friends, the script. Plus a top notch actor and a fine director. Hundreds of millions they spend on these rubbish sci-fi flicks we’ve endured this last year (all except Edge of Tomorrow, my fave) and all they needed was a good script. Producers of Transcendence and After Earth, go see Locke and learn. Please learn.

Click here for PERTH Revelation Film Festival Programme:

STUDIO BLURB

Ivan Locke (Hardy) has worked diligently to craft the life he has envisioned, dedicating himself to the job that he loves and the family he adores. On the eve of the biggest challenge of his career, Ivan receives a phone call that sets in motion a series of events that will unravel his family, job, and soul. All taking place over the course of one absolutely riveting car ride, LOCKE is an exploration of how one decision can lead to the complete collapse of a life. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Steven Knight (EASTERN PROMISES, DIRTY PRETTY THINGS) and driven by an unforgettable performance by Tom Hardy, LOCKE is a thrillingly unique cinematic experience of a man fighting to salvage all that is important to him.(C) a24

22 Jump Street ✪✪✪

Opens in Australia:               19^th June 2014

USA: 13^thJune 14                  UK: 6^th June2014

Other Countries:                   Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

There’s an over-abundance of jokes in this about sequels never being as good as the original. Funny that it should occur to the scriptwriters that sequels are usually below par to the point that they include it so often, but it did not spur them on to write a decent, funny script. I don’t know why they went back. Jonah Hill is his usual charismatic self, but Channing Tatum is losing his shine. It’s not dreadful; it’s just that, after the very good and very fresh 21 Jump Street, we do have high hopes, don't we? The joke end credit sequence showing posters and set-ups of the supposed follow-up sequels 23 Jump Street, 24 Jump Street, and so on to some ridiculous number, is the funniest part of the movie. The F-bomb  is out of control in this, too. Why don't they do a normal version for old-fashioned people like me and an X-version? 

STUDIO BLURB

After making their way through high school (twice), big changes are in store for officers Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) when they go deep undercover at a local college. But when Jenko meets a kindred spirit on the football team, and Schmidt infiltrates the bohemian art major scene, they begin to question their partnership. Now they don't have to just crack the case - they have to figure out if they can have a mature relationship. If these two overgrown adolescents can grow from freshmen into real men, college might be the best thing that ever happened to them. (c) Sony

The Two Faces of Eve ✪✪✪         

Opens in Australia:                        19^th June 2014

USA: 28^thAugust 2014                    UK:16^th May 2014

Other Countries:                            Release Information

Perth:                                            Luna Palace Cinemas

OUR THOUGHTS

Too noir for my taste. It just felt like a very slow Agatha Christie and a poor man’s Hitchcock. And Kirstin Dunst is just ordinary. However, I wasn’t a fan of The Talented Mr. Ripley and this is based on a book by the same author. The hubby didn’t mind it, and if you like this type of film you will probably enjoy. One look at the poster or the trailer shows you what to expect. I just thought it was trying to be all too intriguing and, in the end, I wasn't intrigued.  

STUDIO BLURB

The Two Faces of January is an international thriller, which marks the directorial debut of Drive screenwriter Hossein Amini and is based on a book from the writer of The Talented Mr. Ripley. The film centers on an American con artist and his wife who strike up a relationship with a stranger in 1960s Athens. Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst star as the couple, while Oscar Isaac(Inside Llewyn Davis) is onboard as the stranger.

Confident American tourist Chester and his glamorous younger wife Colette are holidaying in Athens during 1962. Encountering Greek-speaking American Rydal while sightseeing, the group decide to tour the city together. However, Chester is not who he seems and Rydal quickly becomes entangled in a plan to evade authorities and Chester's troubled past. A Hitchcockian thriller of uncommon sophistication and rather intriguing premise that’s reminiscent of The Talented Mr. Ripley , Oscar nominee Amini's feature directorial debut makes him a filmmaker to watch.       

If you’ve enjoyed these reviews, please share with your friends and followers on social media and I will be very grateful. I love new readers who love film.

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Weekly Review Round Up 15th June 2014

I missed writing up a review for The Fault In Our Stars when it released. I was busy writing a book in four weeks—just a little test I gave myself, which I’m happy to say I succeeded in. So its my pick of the week, even though it opened a week and half ago. It’s not just for teenagers, either. Blended, the new Adam Sandler comedy, is not the basket case reviewers are saying. If you liked Sandler’s previous films, this is more of the same. Then there is The Rover. I wish that I liked it. I hate panning Aussie films, but it was blah, really blah—and depressing. Just a reminder to see Edge of Tomorrow. It really is the pick at the moment. I haven’t been paid to say that, either.

(My movie Pick of the week)

The Fault In Our Stars ✪✪✪✪       

Opens in Australia:               5^th June 2014

USA: 6^th June                        UK:    19th 2014

Other Countries:                   Release Information

Perth:                                     Luna Palace Cinemas

OUR THOUGHTS

No, I haven’t read the John Green book.

“Have you read it?” That’s the first question you are asked when you say you have seen or are seeing this film. If the person asking you has read the book, the next words out of their mouth will be: “I cried all the way through,” followed by “I read it three times, four times, ten times.” Insert any number you like.

It is a young adult novel and the film is directly geared toward that audience. I expected to be unimpressed. Come on I’ve seen Love Story and the 1973 Sunshine when I was a YA, so I know how these films are formulated to tug at your heart strings with this ounce of pathos, and that drop of hope, and those strategically placed characters who will be left behind.

I’m not a teenager anymore, so you won’t get me, I thought. But this film is good, the script well constructed, and the leads are talented, so they did get me. Well done. Good to see we are moving on from vampire love triangles and children killing children in tournaments. There is hope for the future of literature and films yet.

STUDIO BLURB

Hazel and Gus are two extraordinary teenagers who share an acerbic wit, a disdain for the conventional, and a love that sweeps them - and us - on an unforgettable journey. Their relationship is all the more miraculous, given that they met and fell in love at a cancer support group. THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, based upon the number-one bestselling novel by John Green, explores the funny, thrilling and tragic business of being alive and in love.(C) Fox

The Rover ✪✪   

Opens in Australia:               12^th June 2014

USA: 20^th June                      UK:    15^th August 2014

Other Countries:                   Release Information

Perth:                                     Luna Palace Cinemas

OUR THOUGHTS

It’s hard to believe that Director David Michod of the highly acclaimed, and rightly so, Animal Kingdom directed this film. It has a slew of gritty characters just like his previous hit. And I’ll give him kudos that he shows great skill in eliciting from his actors a depth of nuance that creates credible and terrifying characters that we truly believe are capable of the worst.

However The Rover feels more like a film he would have made in his early career. The pace goes from full-on action in the first few minutes to a dreary walk very quickly. This has all been done before in Mad Max 2 and with more money spent on the sets. I will say, though, that Guy Pearce gives a tremendous portrayal of a man determined on recovering his property at all costs. And who knew that Robert Pattinson could act? Wow. He delivers, too. Unfortunately, there is not much to deliver but a depressing and soulless imagining that fails on many levels.

P.S. I do love this poster, though. 

STUDIO BLURB

THE ROVER, David Michod's highly anticipated follow-up to ANIMAL KINGDOM, is set in a world 10 years following the collapse of society. The rule of the law has disintegrated and life is cheap. The film follows hardened loner Eric (Pearce) as he travels the desolate towns and roads of the outback. When a gang of thieves steals his car they leave behind a wounded Rey (Pattinson) in their wake. Forcing Rey to help track the gang, Eric will go to any lengths to take back the one thing that still matters to him. Michod also wrote the film based on a story he conceived with Joel Edgerton. (c) A24

Blended ✪✪✪ ½

Opens in Australia:               12^thJune 2014

USA: 23^rd May June 14          UK: 23^rdMay 2014

Other Countries:                   Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

You will read terrible reviews about every one of Adam Sandler’s films. He is not liked at all by the critics. I can understand why. For the most part, his films are formulaic and pretty silly. However, ever since Bridesmaids, with its edgy humor, became such a hit, all the romantic comedies these days revolve around the F-bomb, talking about sex as if you’re talking about drinking a glass of water, and copious drug-taking like it’s a common place occurrence in every home. I do enjoy these types of films. It’s comedy for grown-ups.

But what about the family films—that aren’t animated—that we used to take the kids to see? They’ve disappeared. Adam Sandler is about the only person making these family-type films, and my family, with pre-teen and an early teen, like them. I can’t take my kids to see A Million Ways To Die In The West (and it seems a lot of people didn’t take themselves either, it bombed—beyond the boundaries of bad taste, I fear). So Sandler is all that is left.

A fellow reviewer lamented on Twitter: When will Adam Sandler stop making movies? My hope is that its not until someone else starts making rom-coms minus the swearing and gratuitous sex. Don’t believe the reviews. There are some solid laughs and my whole family—who are hard to please because they’re veterans—enjoyed it a lot.

STUDIO BLURB

After a disastrous blind date, single parents Lauren and Jim agree on only one thing: they never want to see each other again. But when they each sign up separately for a fabulous family vacation with their kids, they are all stuck sharing a suite at a luxurious African safari resort for a week in "Blended," the third comedy collaboration between stars Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore.(c) Warner Bros

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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REVELATION PERTH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2014 PROGRAM

3-13 JULY 2014

LUNA LEEDERVILLE – CINEMA PARADISO – LUNA ON SX

PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Yesterday, I attended the launch of the Revelation Film Festival at Luna Cinemas.  We were treated to a sneak peak of a fascinating, powerful, and dramatic film from the U.K., Locke. With this quality of film, my recommendation is to not miss the festival. I'll use my favourite cliche: there is something for everyone, especially with their expanded program for this year.

After a record breaking 2013, Revelation Perth International Film Festival has announced its expanded 2014 program.

Revelation is acclaimed as Western Australia’s leading international film festival and annual screen culture event and firmly established as Australia’s filmmakers’ festival. It is dedicated to presenting independent cinema from around the globe in a context that explores film’s great traditions, its contemporary movements and its future directions.

Curated once again by Jack Sargeant, the Revelation Perth International Film Festival sees a diverse selection of films drawn from across the world. Boasting Revelation's commitment to signature works, independent cinema, genre film, world cinema, and unique breathtaking movies, this year is no exception with a program drawn from Australia, Iceland, Israel, France, Taiwan, Mexico and all points in between. Featuring award-winning movies, world, international and local premieres, new Australian works and live performances, Revelation is a celebration of the strength of all aspects of film culture.

Expanding across the city and wider community, Revelation plays a central role not just in the Perth calendar but also nationally and internationally. Featuring dedicated programs from the Iranian Film Festival, Revel8 and ScreenWest, once again Revelation will entertain and inspire audiences, while RevCon will feature some of the festival's many guests exploring key aspects of the industry at dedicated panels and workshops. Meanwhile Revelation Academic sees scholars - both those from academic institutions and independent researchers - delivering papers and exploring cinema and visual culture, in the second instalment of this critical platform that remains utterly unique to any Australian film festival.

According to Program Director, Jack Sargeant "at this point Revelation seems uniquely positioned. As a festival we have a lot of Australian premieres, whether the larger budget indie movies or low budget works – these are films that come to Perth before screening elsewhere. This year’s selection ranges from comedies to genre movies, from animations to documentaries, experimental works to cult movies to world cinema. I hope that, as ever, Revelation continues to satisfy all of those who demand something more from cinema.”

"The expanded program exhibits extraordinary diversity and is at point on reflecting the current creative mood internationally" says festival founder and Chairman Richard Sowada. “As a community we should all be proud of being part of the lives of these films as they break”.

Highlights of Revelation 2014 will also include industry guests and speakers, seminars and masterclasses; Under The Skin - a breathtaking sci-fi film featuring Scarlett Johansson; Sight/Unseen – a live musical and visual arts performance by Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo and Leah Singer; ScreenWest’s annual showcase of emerging WA filmmaking talent in Get Your Shorts On!; the return of hugely popular Iranian Film Festival; the Revel-8 super 8 short film festival and the WA Screen Awards.

Attracting audiences of over 10,000 people annually, Revelation continues to grow and has become the “go-to” event for independent filmmakers, distributors and discerning audiences. 2014 will feature 116 films, 8 world and international premieres and 35 Australian premieres.

Revelation is proudly supported by the Australian and West Australian governments through ScreenWest, Eventscorp and Screen Australia.

The complete program is now online and tickets are on sale now from the Revelation website at www.revelationfilmfest.org

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Edge of Tomorrow ✪✪✪✪½

Watch. Enjoy. Repeat.

Opens in Australia:               5^TH June 2014

USA: 6^th June 2014                UK: 30^thMay 2014

Other Countries:                   Release Information

Science Fiction films have been a real disappointment over the past few years. The trailers look so good, and we can’t wait, and then we sit there in the cinema really excited, thinking this is going to be fun, oh please take me where I haven’t been before. Repeatedly the film is a big fail, clichéd, and dull, even when they star A-listers like Johnny Depp, Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, and Matt Damon.

Then along comes Tom Cruise’s Edge of Tomorrow, and we’re not expecting much. The poster is schlock; it’s Tom Cruise (although I don’t dislike him, like everyone else seems to); Emily Blunt as a kick-ass soldier (what?), and it dives into the genre of “time slip” that is difficult to make work. It shouldn’t be amazingly good. But it is.

Edge of Tomorrow is one of the best sci-fi films in the past few years, and a lot of it has to do with a snappy script, thoughtful casting, and director Doug Liman’s (The Bourne Ultimatum) ability to balance character development, humor, and action.

Earth is losing the war against an alien invasion and Cage (Tom Cruise), a cowardly officer, finds himself at the front-line in a full-metal fighting suit that he doesn’t know how to use. Within minutes he dies on the beach battlefield and finds himself reset, back to the beginning of the day. Several more deaths, and he comes into contact with Rita (Emily Blunt), a tough as nails heroine with the nickname 'Heavy Metal Bitch.' She tells him, “Come back and find me, when you wake up.” That he does, and learns why he is continually repeating the day, and how he is the only one who can win the war for humanity.

It’s big. It’s daring. It’s a popcorn film that pays out with buckets of humor, excitement, and a clever angle on the well-tread time slip trope. Tom Cruise plays his role with wit and depth, and cross-cast Emily Blunt is his perfect match. Even though the story is about repeating a day, it doesn’t become, well… repetitive. The film is based on Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s 2004 book, All You Need Is Kill. It’s success proves that all you need for an enjoyable film is a good script, good casting, and good direction. Can Hollywood please take notice, and try just repeating this formula.

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Weekly Review Round Up 1st June 2014

THIS WEEK'S PREVIEWS

This week we have a gross out film, courtesy of Seth McFarlane. Disney unleashes the dark fairytale Maleficent, and for those who love art house, quirky films The Double is your film and my pick of the week.

(My movie Pick of the week)

The Double ✪✪✪✪  

Opens in Australia:               29^thMay 2014

USA: 15^th May 14 (festivals) UK: 4^thApril 2014

Other Countries:                   Release Information

Perth:                                   Luna Palace Cinemas

OUR THOUGHTS

This is a great example of an art house film that works. When I say art house, I mean it’s not a blockbuster by a big studio, but a small film with a small budget but filled with big ideas. Jesse Eisenberg and Mia Wasikowska are such extraordinary talents that if they walked back and forth across a screen for an hour I would probably still enjoy watching.

In The Double, you are drawn into more than a film, but the mood of insanity and hopelessness. These are not wonderful places to visit, but the screenplay is so clever and the direction so deft that I’m happy to go there. It will have you thinking. There is no definitive answer at the end, but it’s not a film you will forget in a hurry. It’s interesting that the film is adapted from a book by Fyodor Dostoevsky, a Russian author who died in 1881. It makes me grateful that I live in Australia in this lifetime. The world of The Double is a fascinating place to visit for two hours, but you wouldn’t want to live there.

STUDIO BLURB

Eisenberg plays Simon, a timid, isolated man who's overlooked at work, scorned by his mother, and ignored by the woman of his dreams (Wasikowska). The arrival of a new co-worker, James (also played by Eisenberg), serves to upset the balance. James is both Simon's exact physical double and his opposite - confident, charismatic and good with women. To Simon's horror, James slowly starts taking over his life. (c) Magnolia

A Million Ways To Die In The West ✪✪✪

Opens in Australia:               29th May 2014

USA: 30^th May June 14          UK: 30^thMay 2014

Other Countries:                   Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

After getting off to a shaky start that elicited more groans than laughs from the audience and this reviewer, A Million Ways To Die In The West’s comedy finally arrives via some quite funny slapstick.

Nothing is sacred in this film, and Seth MacFarlane doesn’t hold back from anything that may offend, bouncing from sexual jokes to racial slurs to scenes with penises and graphic descriptions of vaginas. There are moments of hilarity along with several priceless cameos—including one that had the audience applauding.

It could have been a lot funnier if they hadn’t been going for total gross-out. I liked it a lot better than Ted, which I didn’t find funny at all, so I’m not certain if that is great praise. If you did find Ted funny, then you will certainly enjoy this. If you have to choose between Bad Neighbours and dying in The West, I would visit with the Neighbours.

STUDIO BLURB

Seth MacFarlane directs, produces, co-writes and plays the role of the cowardly sheep farmer Albert in A Million Ways to Die in the West. After Albert backs out of a gunfight, his fickle girlfriend leaves him for another man. When a mysterious and beautiful woman rides into town, she helps him find his courage and they begin to fall in love. But when her husband, a notorious outlaw, arrives seeking revenge, the farmer must put his newfound courage to the test. Starring alongside MacFarlane are Oscar (R) winner Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried, Giovanni Ribisi, Sarah Silverman and Neil Patrick Harris. MacFarlane reunites many of the filmmakers behind Universal and MRC's hit film Ted including Scott Stuber (Bluegrass Films) and Jason Clark who produce, and Wellesley Wild and Alec Sulkin who co-wrote the script. (c)Universal

Maleficent ✪✪✪½    

Opens in Australia:               29^th May 2014

USA: 30^th May 2014               UK: 28^thMay 2014

Other Countries:                   Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

This film is very dark, not only in colour palette, but also in its theme. Angeline Jolie is beautifully made-up, cheek prosthetics and all, and she really pulls off a great English accent. In fact, she is quite mesmerising to watch. The antagonist, her childhood friend who grows up to become Maleficent’s enemy, on the other hand is woefully miscast, which spoiled it a little for me. However, the special effects are extraordinary, and the twist on the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty is kind of cool. It’s definitely much better than Oz The Great and Powerful, but I wouldn’t take little ones to see this. There will be very little sleeping that night if you do.

STUDIO BLURB

"Maleficent" explores the untold story of Disney's most iconic villain from the classic "Sleeping Beauty" and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king's newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realizes that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever. (c) Walt Disney Pictures

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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