Film Review Round Up 29th September 2013

THIS WEEK'S PREVIEWS

There are only two reviews for you this week. I missed a few screenings. Well I saw five in a week this week, but they are not opening in Australia yet. One of this weeks is quite a masterpiece in film-making but not for everyone. And the other is the dreary opposite. Next week some really great films open. Until then…

(My movie Pick of the week)

The Turning★★★ ★

Opens in Australia: 26^th September 2013

Perth, Australia:      See at Luna Cinemas

Other Countries: Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

I respect this film because it’s experimental and is an experience as much as it is a film. Taking 17 short stories and turning them into a film is an interesting concept. It’s also a very long at 3 hours. There is an interval for those who are not as well-trained as reviewers. Some of the stories are more interesting than others and the second half definitely has the cream of the tales. I am told the screenings will also have a programme (which I think would really enhance the experience). If you are a cinema fanatic then go along and enjoy something different. If you are a blockbuster fan and like your films fast and furious, then…ah…no, this one is not for you. Still a marvelous piece for us cinephiles.

STUDIO BLURB

TIM WINTON'S THE TURNING, a film adaptation of Winton's best-selling novel 'The Turning', consists of 17 chapters that each features a different director and stellar cast. Under the guidance of curator Robert Connolly (Balibo), first time filmmakers Mia Wasikowska and David Wenham make their directorial debut amongst acclaimed directors such as Warwick Thornton and Justin Kurzel. 

Australian talent starring in the film includes Rose Byrne, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Miranda Otto, Brenna Harding, Richard Roxburgh, Callan Mulvey, Dan Wyllie, Oscar Redding, Robyn Nevin, Susie Porter, Wayne Blair, Mirrah Foulkes and numerous others. Many of the chapters were also shot right here in WA. 

Runner Runner★★

Opens in Australia: 26^th September, 2013

Other Countries: Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

Run, run, run as fast as you can away from this movie. It is so boring, you will sleep sleep. I made a vow not to see any more films with Justin Timberlake. He cannot act. It’s like he’s reading the script for the first time. But I thought how bad can it be with Ben Affleck?  The answer: Bad bad. He seems to have lowered his acting standards in this so as not to show up Timberlake or Jemma Arterton. I don’t even know why it is called Runner Runner. Maybe even the studio is trying to give you a heads up. Don’t even get it on DVD. But, at least on DVD you can turn it off. I am renaming it Rubbish Rubbish.

STUDIO BLURB

Richie, a Princeton college student who pays for school with on-line gambling, bottoms out and travels to Costa Rica to confront the on-line mastermind, Ivan, whom he believes has swindled him. Ivan sees a kindred spirit in Richie and brings the younger man into his operation. When the stakes get incredibly high and dangerous, and Richie comes to fully understand the deviousness of his new boss, he tries to turn the tables on him.

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Weekly Film Review Round Up 22nd September 2013

Its school holidays in Australia, so we have our usual release of “fill in a few hours of the day" fare.  Most are not too bad, but nothing is a stand out I am afraid. The only thing for the tweens is Percy Jackson but don’t discount the cutie Turbo 3D  for them.  My very harsh-critic children really enjoyed it.  If a film can get past the ten-year-old it’s pretty good.

(My movie Pick of the week)

Turbo 3D ★★★ ½

Opens in Australia: 19^th September, 2013

Other Countries: Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

Turbo 3D may seem like a goofy idea but in the hands of Dreamworks it works pretty well.  My harsh-critic children even enjoyed it; with the very tough ten-year-old turning to me after and saying how great it was—“surprisingly.”  It’s colourful, well-paced and has the obligatory life lessons in there, which is always helpful with the children exposed to so much negativity these days.

STUDIO BLURB

In Venice, California, Theo, a.k.a Turbo (Ryan Reynolds), is a garden snail who dreams of being the greatest racer in the world, just like his hero, 5-time indinapolis 500 champ, Guy Gagne. His obsession with speed and all things fast has made him an oddity and an outsider in the slow and cautions snail community, and a constant embarrassment to his cautious older brother, Chet (Paul Giamatti). Turbo desperately wishes he could escape the slow-paced life he's living, but his one chance to live proves a near fatal disaster.  When a freak accident gives him extraordinary speed, Turbo sets out to try to make his dream come true.

Planes ★★★

Opens in Australia: 19^th September, 2013

Other Countries: Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

Cars was never my favourite Disney franchise.  And Cars 2 had me snoozing.  It’s not just me; the kids have never been great fans, either. We have the Cars DVD and it was never the one they pulled out for repeat viewing.  So Planes was never going to have my anticipation soaring (excuse the pun).  However, I found it charming, colourful and a lovely story. It’s very by the numbers and pretty much Cars all over again, but with planes.  This time round they’ve paced it up a little and dropped the long montage scenes that would see the kids out of their seats and running around the cinema.  It’s for the younger ones, but parents can still enjoy the simple but sweet story and plane and truck parody clichés.  We all love an underdog or, in this case, an under-plane.

STUDIO BLURB

Cars gets a spin-off with this Disney Toon Studios film starring the voice of Dane Cook as a vertically-challenged plane with high hopes of becoming an air racer.

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters ★★★

Opens in Australia: 19^th September, 2013

Other Countries:          Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

I wasn’t a real fan of the 2010 “Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.” In fact, my ten-year-old wouldn’t come to this, because he thought the first one was so boring (but he is a tough film veteran critic).  The twelve to thirteen-year-old children with me enjoyed this one, and so did some of the mothers who escorted them.  So, if you have a child in that age group, this should be a fun outing for you.  Fans of the Rick Riordan’s books should be pleased.

STUDIO BLURB

Percy Jackson, the son of Poseidon, continues his epic journey to fulfill his destiny, as he teams with his demigod friends to retrieve the Golden Fleece, which has the power to save their home and training ground, Camp Half-Blood.

Riddick ★★★

The Movie ★★ The dog thing★

Opens in Australia: 12^th September, 2013

Other Countries: Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

I expected very little from this film. Vin Diesel is so “blah” for me. If you want a muscle-mumbler give me Dwayne Johnson any day. I loved the origin film, the 2000 Pitch Black. Then, of course, they destroyed everything with the tragically boring follow-up Chronicles of Riddick. This one is pretty much a return to the original formula and is action all the way.  It’s not terrible but it’s not great, and it will probably win an award for most cliché characters in a sci-fi film. There have been so many disappointing sci-films this year that I sadly concede this is not the worst we’ve seen. I would have given it only two stars, but Riddick does pick up this cute hyena type dog and it gave the best performance. So it scored an extra star.  This one is purely for Vin Diesel fans. Other folk will think it is a tad “Riddick-uli.”

STUDIO BLURB

Riddick, the latest chapter of the groundbreaking saga that began with 2000's hit sci-fi film Pitch Black and 2004's The Chronicles of Riddick reunites writer/director David Twohy (A Perfect Getaway, The Fugitive) and star Vin Diesel (the Fast and Furious franchise, xXx). Diesel reprises his role as the antihero Riddick, a dangerous, escaped convict wanted by every bounty hunter in the known galaxy. The infamous Riddick has been left for dead on a sun-scorched planet that appears to be lifeless. Soon, however, he finds himself fighting for survival against alien predators more lethal than any human he's encountered. The only way off is for Riddick to activate an emergency beacon and alert mercenaries who rapidly descend to the planet in search of their bounty. The first ship to arrive carries a new breed of merc, more lethal and violent, while the second is captained by a man whose pursuit of Riddick is more personal. (c) Universal

R.I.P.D. ★½ 

Opens in Australia: 12^th  September, 2013

Other Countries:          Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

I am sure it seemed like a good idea. Take a popular graphic novel, a veteran Oscar winner, a charismatic romantic-comedy lead, a reasonably good action director, top notch writers, and viola!  You should have a blockbuster hit.

But sometimes the cake just doesn’t cook, no matter how many quality ingredients you use.  This is the case with R.I.P.D.  You can almost see the tinkering behind the scenes as the studio realises they’ve cooked up a flat soufflé.

My thirteen-year-old son did think it was “okay.”  And if I saw it in 1992 I would feel the same.  But this is 2013 and we’ve had “Men in Black,” “Ghost,” and “Ghostbusters,” so we don’t need a cynical mash up of those again.  It’s tired and stale, and even the song at the end is miserable and plodding.  Hopefully, this one will R.I.P at the back of a DVD store, unrented.   

STUDIO BLURB

Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds headline the 3D supernatural action-adventure R.I.P.D. as two cops dispatched by the otherworldly Rest In Peace Department to protect and serve the living from an increasingly destructive array of souls who refuse to move peacefully to the other side. Veteran sheriff Roy Pulsifer (Bridges) has spent his career with the legendary police force known as R.I.P.D. tracking monstrous spirits who are cleverly disguised as ordinary people. His mission? To arrest and bring to justice a special brand of criminals trying to escape final judgment by hiding among the unsuspecting on Earth. Once the wise-cracking Roy is assigned former rising-star detective Nick Walker (Reynolds) as his junior officer, the new partners have to turn grudging respect into top-notch teamwork. When they uncover a plot that could end life as we know it, two of R.I.P.D.'s finest must miraculously restore the cosmic balance...or watch the tunnel to the afterlife begin sending angry souls the very wrong way. (c) Universal

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Review Round Up 8th September 2013

THIS WEEK'S PREVIEWS

The release of a new Woody Allen is always good news for his fans. This one I love.  There are a couple of documentaries as well: one on a reclusive author and one on wine becoming reclusive for everywhere except China. There’s, also, an action flick where, yet again, they destroy… the White House.

(My movie Pick of the week)

Blue Jasmine★★★★

Opens in Australia: 5^th September, 2013

Perth, Australia:       See at Luna Cinemas 

Other Countries: Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

Cate Blanchett has my vote for the Best Actress Oscar.  And Woody Allen has it for Best Director.  Blue Jasmine is a very dark Woody Allen, and it’s a long way from Midnight in Paris. But I think it’s now one of my favourites. I don't have to say much about this film. If you are not a Woody fan then you may not love it.  My friends sitting with me were mixed on it.  I am a big Woody fan. For me, it’s a real gem and I will be watching it again.

STUDIO BLURB

After venturing to Europe for his last three films, Woody Allen is back in the United States with a drama about a Park Avenue high society wife (Blanchett) forced to slum it with her blue-collar sister (Hawkins) in San Francisco, when she loses everything.  Her husband, played by Alec Baldwin, gets embroiled in crooked financial dealings, leaving his wife to deal with the economic and emotional aftermath.  She struggles to build a new life without her husband’s illegally-obtained wealth. 

Blue Jasmine is an emotionally powerful drama – smart, tender and funny in equal measure – that harks back to Allen’s films such as Hannah and her sisters and Husbands and Wives.   Cate Blanchett delivers an exceptional performance that will put her in early running with Oscar buzz.

Salinger ★★★★

Opens in Australia: 6^th  September, 2013

Perth, Australia:                  See at Luna Cinemas 

Other Countries:          Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

In Australia I don’t think J.D. Salinger holds the same place in our literary history as he

does in the U.S.A.. I’ve never read “Catcher in the Rye,” but after watching this documentary I shall shortly remedy that. Many of the U.S. reviewers have rated this poorly, and most of the comments centred on a lack of depth and an over-dramatisation of segments.  However, since I knew nothing of this revered author, I actually found it enlightening, intriguing, and the dramatisation enthralling.  Salinger led an extraordinary life, and in the end he became such a recluse that if he was seen it became a news story. There is a revelation at the end which is quite incredible, and until the launch of the film it has been kept very secret.  This is a well made documentary and one I think most will thoroughly enjoy. All writers or aspiring writers will find it fascinating.

STUDIO BLURB

SALINGER features interviews with 150 subjects including Salinger's friends, colleagues and members of his inner circle who have never spoken on the record before as well as film footage, photographs and other material that has never been seen. Additionally, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Edward Norton, John Cusack, Danny DeVito, John Guare, Martin Sheen, David Milch, Robert Towne, Tom Wolfe, E.L. Doctorow, Gore Vidal and Pulitzer Prize winners A. Scott Berg and Elizabeth Frank talk about Salinger's influence on their lives, their work and the broader culture. The film is the first work to get beyond the Catcher in the Rye author's meticulously built up wall: his childhood, painstaking work methods, marriages, private world and the secrets he left behind after his death in 2010. (c) Weinstein

White House Down ★★★

Opens in Australia: 5^th September, 2013

Other Countries: Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

We enjoyed a treat while watching White House Down.  The wonderful people at Event Cinemas, Innaloo, Perth, invited me and hubby to enjoy their revamped Gold Class cinemas. They laid it on with yummy hot food, beautiful cup cakes, popcorn, and candy while we watched.  Plus there was champers and food before. 

So, I was going to enjoy White House Down no matter what.  It’s an absolute Die Hard rip off.  But it is miles better than the woeful Good Day to Die Hard inflicted upon us earlier this year.  You’ve got Channing Tatum in a singlet, Jamie Foxx doing his thing, and more action than you can poke a tank at.  Silly fun but, sometimes, turning the brain off makes for a perfect evening. You have been warned: Do not expect high brow. It’s simply a popcorn action flick.

STUDIO BLURB

In Columbia Pictures’ White House Down, Capitol Policeman John Cale (Channing Tatum) has just been denied his dream job with the Secret Service of protecting President James Sawyer (Jamie Foxx).  Not wanting to let down his little girl with the news, he takes her on a tour of the White House, when the complex is overtaken by a heavily armed paramilitary group.

Red Obsession ★★★ ½

Opens in Australia: 5^th September, 2013

Perth, Australia:      See at Luna Cinemas 

Other Countries: Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

Australian writers and directors David Roach and Warwick Ross last production was the quality Australian war film Beneath Hill 60. Now they turn their hand to a documentary on the Bordeaux region and the crisis in the wine industry. It sounds "ho-hum" to us non-wine connoisseurs but if you check out the trailer you will see it is a fascinating story. 

The photography is absolutely stunning. In fact, I suggest the French tourist bureau pay for it to be broadcast around the world, and they won’t have to worry about selling their wine because they will be inundated with tourist.

My only complaint is it seemed a tad repetitive (pointed out to me by my 10 year old but he was quite right), and there was a touch of anti-Chinese sentiment I thought.  Somebody in the film actually suggested that if the Chinese increased their per capita consumption by just a little there would be no wine left in the world. China has gone from taking jobs from other countries to now taking all the wine.  At least at the next "wineless" dinner party I can wax lyrical about the poor Bordeaux region being taken over by the Chinese. If anyone cares…

STUDIO BLURB

France’s Bordeaux region has long commanded respect for its coveted wine, but shifts in the global marketplace mean that a new, voracious consumer base in China is buying up this finite product. Narrated by Russell Crowe, Red Obsession is a fascinating look at our changing international economy and how an obsession in Shanghai affects the most illustrious vineyards in France.   This shift, fuelled by the East's obsession with these illustrious vineyards, created a perfect wine storm; co-director and vigneron Warwick Ross documented the upheaval.
Narrated by Russell Crowe, Red Obsession is an expertly told, delectable tale of a much-coveted global commodity in times of change.

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Film Review Roundup 31st August 2013

THIS WEEK'S PREVIEWS

Some good films to choose from this week, and all of them with mixed reviews I am afraid.  So it’s up to you whether you trust the critics.  Poor old Mortal Instruments really took a caning with 12% rating at Rotten Tomatoes Website, but it’s not aimed at middle-aged reviewers. I’ve taken a tempered view of it. Stoker and What Maisie Kneware very good indie flicks. Jobsproves Ashton Kutcher can act or at least walk like Steve Jobs.  And number two in a fun franchise is here with Red 2. 

(My movie Pick of the week)

Stoker★★★★

Opens in Australia: 29th^th August, 2013

Perth, Australia:      See at Luna Cinemas 

Other Countries:          Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

    We have here a very good, very creepy psychological thriller.  Mia Wasikowska is captivating to watch, and Nicole Kidman always does a good woman on the edge. This is Korean director Park Chan-Wook’s first English language film.  It’s interesting to learn that he actually doesn't speak English and required a translator.  Since this film has three Australian actors, (also Jackie Weaver), and English lead in Matthew Goode (and a Korean director), I just wonder if there are any Americans still working in Hollywood?

STUDIO BLURB

When India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska) loses her beloved father and best friend Richard (Dermot Mulroney) in a tragic auto accident on her 18^th birthday, her quiet life on the family’s secluded estate is suddenly shattered. Exquisitely sensitive, India’s exhibits an impassive demeanor which masks the deep feelings and heightened senses that only her father understood. Thus acclaimed Korean filmmaker Park Chan-Wook’s (OLDBOY, LADY VENGEANCE, SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE) first English-language psychological thriller STOKER comes to life.

India finds herself drawn to her father’s long-lost brother, Charlie (Matthew Goode), who unexpectedly arrives for the funeral and decides to stay on with her and her emotionally unstable mother, Evie (Nicole Kidman). While India initially mistrusts her charming but mysterious uncle, he fascinates her as well, and she begins to realize how much they have in common.

As Charlie reveals himself to her little by little, India becomes increasingly infatuated with her charismatic relative and comes to realize that his arrival is no coincidence. With her uncle to guide her, she is about to fulfill her unusual destiny.

Jobs

★★★★

Opens in Australia: 29^th August 2013

Other Countries: Release Information

Perth, Australia: See at Luna Cinemas

OUR THOUGHTS

Ashton Kutcher gives a fine portrayal of Steve Jobs in this biopic. Say what?  Let me repeat that in case you thought you read wrong.  Ashton Kutcher can actually act! 

A few of the complaints may be that Jobs is portrayed as a real arrogant a-hole but I’ve read a few of the books on him, and it appears that really is him.  In his defence, if you are going to change the way the whole world operates you probably will, and should be allowed, to behave however you like.

Don’t be waiting through the whole film for the story of the development of the iPod.  It only tells the story leading up to the launch of the iMac.  But we mostly all know the iPod story by now don’t we?  (We’ve Googled it on our smart phones.)  However, it is still fascinating and well-paced and did I mention Ashton Kutcher does a good job?

STUDIO BLURB

It only takes one person to start a revolution. This is the extraordinary story of Steve Jobs, the original innovator and ground-breaking entrepreneur who let nothing stand in the way of greatness. The film tells the epic and turbulent story of Jobs as he blazed a trail that changed technology -- and the world - forever. (c) Official Site

Red 2

★★★^½

Opens in Australia: 29^th August 2013

Other Countries: Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

I couldn’t wait to see this film.  Our family really enjoyed the 2011 Red. And I know the critics didn’t like it but we still had fun.  Helen Mirren and John Malkovich play it up so well.  It’s a popcorn film and it does what it’s meant to do. Perhaps not as witty as the original Red, but we knew what to expect this time around. Die Hard and Bruce Willis fans I notice there is another Die Hard film slated for 2015, Die Hardest. I hope they leave the Red franchise at two. We don’t need a Red Redder or a Red Reddest. It would be enough to turn you pink.

STUDIO BLURB

In Red 2, the high-octane action-comedy sequel to the worldwide hit RED, the team of “Retired, Extremely Dangerous” CIA operatives are reunited as they use their old-school style to take on a new set of enemies across Europe.

Retired black ops CIA agent Frank Moses (Willis) reunites his unlikely team of elite operatives – including former colleague Marvin (Malkovich), ever deadly sharp-shooter Victoria (Mirren) and Frank’s beloved Sarah (Parker) – for a global quest to track down a missing portable nuclear device.  To succeed, they’ll need to survive an army of relentless assasins, ruthless terrorists and power-crazed government officials in a mission that takes them to London, Paris and Moscow.

Mortal Instruments: The City of Bones

★★★^½  for fans

★★ if you are over 15

Opens in Australia: 22nd August 2013

Other Countries: Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

This film is an adaptation of a young adult series of books which were originally written as Harry Potter fan fiction (the author took the H.P. characters and made up her own story with them) which, when it became successful the character’s names were changed. The first half of it has a very Harry Potter feel until it comes horribly unstuck at a love scene.  There were many groans and much laughter in the audience from this point on. However, my 13 year-old-son really enjoyed it.  And I actually think kids between 10 and 15 will enjoy which is a good thing because there is not much for them at the cinema these days.  If you are over that age or have never heard of Mortal Instruments I fear this one is not for you. 

STUDIO BLURB

Lily Collins stars as a young girl whose life is upended when she realizes that she's part of a long line of demon-slayers in this Screen Gems adaptation of Cassandra Clare's first book in her series of best-selling novels. Lena Headey and Jonathan Rhys Meyers head up the rest of the starring cast.

What Maisie Knew

★★★

Opens in Australia: 29^th August 2013

Other Countries: Release Information

Perth, Australia: See at Luna Cinemas

OUR THOUGHTS

This is from the producers of 2010 top notch indie release The Kids are Alright.  What Maisie Knew is a pretty tough film to watch with two narcissistic parents ignoring this beautiful innocent child.  By the end of the film you will want to punch something.  I attended the preview with my cousin who works in education. Her first words after the film had ended, were that, sadly, she’d seen similar in real life. And that just made me even angrier. Onata Aprile, the little actress playing Maisie, is extraordinary. How gorgeous is she in this poster?  Caution: this film is still haunting me days later.

STUDIO BLURB

A contemporary reimagining of Henry James' novel, WHAT MAISIE KNEW tells the story of a captivating little girl's struggle for grace in the midst of her parents' bitter custody battle. Told through the eyes of the title's heroine, Maisie navigates this ever-widening turmoil with a six-year-olds innocence, charm and generosity of spirit.

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Film Review Round-up 18th August 2013

THIS WEEK'S PREVIEWS

Just two films this week I can review.  I saw more but they are not releasing yet. This week a highly anticipated film Elysium disappoints and We’re the Millers (that was not on my list of films to see) was actually very entertaining. 

(My movie Pick of the week)

We’re the Millers ★★★ ½  
Opens in Australia: 18^th August, 2013
Other Countries: Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

If you enjoy these irreverent, American comedies (Wedding Crashers, Hall Pass, This is 40, Horrible Bosses) you will enjoy this very much.  I don’t usually like them. However, this one had me chuckling.  Jennifer Aniston looks very pretty as well.  It’s fun and forgettable and is reasonably consistent all the way through.  What more can you ask for in a comedy?

STUDIO BLURB

David Burke (Jason Sudeikis) is a small-time pot dealer whose clientele includes chefs and soccer moms, but no kids-after all, he has his scruples. So what could go wrong? Plenty. Preferring to keep a low profile for obvious reasons, he learns the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished when he tries to help out some local teens and winds up getting jumped by a trio of gutter punks. Stealing his stash and his cash, they leave him in major debt to his supplier, Brad (Ed Helms). In order to wipe the slate clean-and maintain a clean bill of health-David must now become a big-time drug smuggler by bringing Brad's latest shipment in from Mexico. Twisting the arms of his neighbors, cynical stripper Rose (Jennifer Aniston) and wannabe customer Kenny (Will Poulter), and the tatted-and-pierced streetwise teen Casey (Emma Roberts), he devises a foolproof plan. One fake wife, two pretend kids and a huge, shiny RV later, the "Millers" are headed south of the border for a Fourth of July weekend that is sure to end with a bang. (c) WB

Funny interview below with Jennifer Aniston on We’re The Millers.

Elysium ★★★
Opens in Australia: 15^th August, 2013
Other Countries:          Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

After the very original science fiction flick District 9, all sci-fi fans were eagerly awaiting Director and writer Neil Blomkamp’s next venture.  Elysium is not the fabulous follow-up we had expected.  It’s riddled with more plot-holes than you can poke a crutch at (you’ll get the joke if you see the film) and the acting is very inconsistent.  I understand that science fiction is made up, however, there are certain physics rules you need to stick to, and if you break them you need to explain how.  So, when I see a ship crash land on  Elysium because it’s open to space, I question how the oxygen doesn’t escape, or why Elysium is always seen from the same spot on Earth, and why they have such good security against ships landing, and then they don’t just to suit the plot.

It’s also just a little bit repetitive on the apartheid theme Blomkamp handled so well in District 9. Hopefully, he will take heed of the mixed reviews and try something new next time.  I will say this, the spaceships look very real even if the acting doesn’t

I would probably give this a lower rating but everyone in my family enjoyed it, as did a sci-fi  friend, so maybe it was just me.

STUDIO BLURB

In the year 2154, two classes of people exist: the very wealthy, who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. The people of Earth are desperate to escape the planet's crime and poverty, and they critically need the state-of-the-art medical care available on Elysium - but some in Elysium will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve their citizens' luxurious lifestyle. The only man with the chance bring equality to these worlds is Max (Matt Damon), an ordinary guy in desperate need to get to Elysium. With his life hanging in the balance, he reluctantly takes on a dangerous mission - one that pits him against Elysium's Secretary Delacourt (Jodie Foster) and her hard-line forces - but if he succeeds, he could save not only his own life, but millions of people on Earth as well. -- (C) Sony

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Review Round Up 10th August 2013

There was some entertaining films released this week and last.  A little something for everyone and a couple of true life stories that seem too bizarre to be true—but they are.  You could see any of these films I’ve reviewed and enjoy yourself.  Next week my calendar is filled with previews.  If you see a square-eyed woman slumped in a cinema seat that could be me.

(My movie Pick of the week)

Pain and Gain ★★★ ¾
Opens in Australia: 8^th August, 2013
Other Countries: Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

Michael Bay (Transformers, The Rock, Bad Boys) channels the Coen Brothers ‘Fargo’ in a true story of three good reasons (Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie) not to take steroids, do drugs or boast about your wealth to your fitness trainer. It’s such a bizarre story that in certain scenes they had to splash across the screen, “This is a true story” and later, “This is still a true story”.  It’s politically incorrect and the characters are so awful, you feel no sympathy for any of them and yet I liked it a lot.  It’s classified as a black comedy but it’s a tad short of the brilliance of a Tarantino or Coen Brothers ‘black’.  You will definitely walk out thinking what the heck did I just witness and it’s fun enough and certainly crazy enough to justify a watch.  “Hands down” (you’ll get this pun if you see the film) one of the most outrageous true stories you will see.

STUDIO BLURB

From acclaimed director Michael Bay comes "Pain and Gain," a new action comedy starring Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson and Anthony Mackie. Based on the unbelievable TRUE story of a group of personal trainers in 1990s Miami who, in pursuit of the American Dream, get caught up in a criminal enterprise that goes horribly wrong. (c) Official Site

The Bling Ring  ★★★
Opens in Australia: 8^th August 2013
Other Countries: Release Information
Perth, Australia: See at Luna Cinemas

OUR THOUGHTS

Okay, I admit I have a slight fascination with Hollywood and all the gossip—not enough to break into the houses of anyone famous, mind you.  Based on a Vanity Fair article, this true story is of a bunch of High School kids who actually did take that extra stalking step.  And not just once!   Over and over again, they snuck into Paris Hilton’s digs (she left her key under the mat, so some might say she invited them in).  Other celebs hit big time were Megan Fox, Orland Bloom and Miranda Kerr, Lindsay Lohan (as if the girl hasn’t got enough on her plate) and more.

It’s reasonably engaging, although, the thieves are portrayed as soulless characters and I do wonder if it was as simple as that.  And as this is, supposdedly, Director Sofia Coppola’s study on the dark side of our fascination with celebrity, it is quite a shallow and sensational view.

The main question on my lips is: Does Paris Hilton really have self-portrait photos and paintings all over her house and dozens throw pillows with her image? If so, I think she may have more problems than the ‘Bling Ring’ kids.

STUDIO BLURB

In THE BLING RING, Oscar Winning filmmaker Sofia Coppola takes us inside the world of these teens, where their youthful naivete and excitement is amplified by today's culture of celebrity and luxury brand obsession. The members of the Bling Ring introduce us to temptations that any teenager would find hard to resist. And what starts out as youthful fun spins out of control, revealing a sobering view of our modern culture. (c) A24

NOW YOU SEE ME ★★★ ½
Opens in Australia: 8^th August, 2013
Other Countries: Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

There is a stellar cast here and I really enjoyed this film.  It’s a little different and there is a bit of fun to be had trying to guess who the magician’s have on the inside of the FBI that allows them to be one step ahead. 

It moves along at a cracking pace and you will be wondering how the heck they do all those tricks.  All the actors play to type. So, if you like Mark Ruffalo as the unkempt, frustrated guy, Morgan Freeman as the wise, smooth know-it-all, Jesse Eisenberg as the unemotional, disrespectful guy, Woody Harrelson as the untrustworthy dude nobody likes, and Isla Fisher as the throw-in girl causing friction, then you will enjoy this film.  It’s a solid three and a half star, good date night film.

STUDIO BLURB

NOW YOU SEE ME pits an elite FBI squad in a game of cat and mouse against "The Four Horsemen", a magic super-team of the world's greatest illusionists. The Four Horsemen pull off a series of daring heists against corrupt business leaders during their performances, and then funnel the millions of stolen profits into their audiences bank accounts, while staying one step ahead of the law.

FBI Special Agent Dylan (Ruffalo) is determined to make the magicians pay for their crimes—and to stop them before they pull off what promises to be an even more audacious heist. But he’s forced to partner with Alma (Laurent), an Interpol detective about whom he is instantly suspicious. Out of desperation he turns to Thaddeus (Freeman), a famed magic debunker, who claims the bank heist was accomplished using disguises and video trickery. One thing Dylan and Alma agree on is that the Horsemen must have an outside point person, and that finding him (or her) is key to ending the magicians’ crime spree. Could it be Thaddeus? Or Alma? Or could it really be… magic?

The World’s End ★★★ ½
 Opens in Australia: 1st August, 2013
Other Countries: Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

As coincidences go this is a quasi-English version of Seth Rogan’s film ‘This Is The End’ currently in cinemas. Same set up; a group of friends partying and drinking to excess only to discover that it’s the world which will succumb to a bad hangover.

Director Edgar Wright adds the final film to what he’s labeled his "Cornetto Trilogy”— the first two being ‘Shaun of the Dead’ (2004) and ‘Hot Fuzz’ (2007)—starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost who are also co-collaborators.

Gary King (Simon Pegg) has not done well for himself and we meet him in rehab. He believes by rounding up the old school gang and reattempting the challenge of drinking their way around a home town pub circuit ending at ‘The World’s End’ pub, he will somehow put things right in his life.

He gathers his childhood pals, now well settled into middle-age, Andy (Nick Frost), Peter (Eddie Marsan), Oliver (Martin Freeman) and Steven (Paddy Considine), who reluctantly agree to join him in his booze goal.

The further into the pub crawl they go, though, the more they realize things are not quite right in the village; people who should know them don’t remember them and the behaviour of some of the inhabitants is beyond unusual. Amidst this there is an unresolved love triangle with Oliver's sister Sam (Rosamund Pike).

Pegg fabulously portrays an off-the-rails but somehow loveable misfit with some darker moments hinting at his ability to take on deep, dramatic roles. There are some solid laughs, along with introspection on living life in the past and the value of our humanness. It’s also a great advertisement for not drinking to excess.

However, it didn't give me the “Hot Fuzzies” like Pegg & crew’s previous collaborations. My husband found this film far more amusing than me. It could be a guy thing or it could be the other two films raised my expectations a tad too high. It’s still fun and, somehow, the end of the world does go down better with a drink. 
STUDIO BLURB

20 years after attempting an epic pub crawl, five childhood friends reunite when one of them becomes hellbent on trying the drinking marathon again. They are convinced to stage an encore by mate Gary King, a 40-year old man trapped at the cigarette end of his teens, who drags his reluctant pals to their hometown and once again attempts to reach the fabled pub – The World’s End. As they attempt to reconcile the past and present, they realize the real struggle is for the future, not just theirs but humankind’s. Reaching The World’s End is the least of their worries.

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