Film No. 61 (2014) The Reckoning August 26th.

Film No. 61 (2014) August 26th. 10:30 AM THE JAFFA ROOM Claisebrook.

The Reckoning

Sitting next to the writer / director of this taut thriller at this screening was a great privilege. John Soto is a friendly, easy going chap who was viewing his film for the 40th time and was keen to get a feel for how yet another audience would react to his work. Having him so close, and knowing how keen he was for feedback, I was hoping the film would live up to it's high energy trailer and tight production notes. Well, it did and I was pleased to talk with him about how well he'd layered and paced The Reckoning.

More about our conversation later. The film itself tells the story of a young girl Rachel (Hanna Mangan Lawrence) who seeks retribution after her best friend Abbie (Chelsea Williamson)is killed in a hit and run accident. Now while the premise of this story has been used before it's the techniques Soto employs to unravel the layers of this sometimes violent film that leads to a thought provoking and satisfying experience. The streets of Perth have never looked more familiar and at the same time menacing. 

The Reckoning is layered because the investigation is told in real time, with another dimension added. An SD card (No.1) is found on a victim early in the film. The card is used to electronically transfer evidence to the detectives Robbie Green (Jonathan LaPaglia) and Jane Lambert (Viva Bianca) working in the field. Green is grappling emotionally with something, his closet drinking is a clue to something running deeply in his psyche. Of course we find out, with just the right amount of cleverness.

Once the credits began to roll I congratulated John Soto on the subtlety with which he allowed his story to unfold. Each scene gradually built on the next and he asked us to figure out some of the earlier issues which may have helped to shape the characters and their relationships. If I had a criticism it was that the initial incident which triggered the drama had a coincidental connection.I put this to Soto who responded that coincidental incidents happened in Perth all the time. I couldn't argue.  9GUMS. 



     





  

Film No. 60 (2014) Felony August 25th.

Film No. 60 (2014) August 25th. 6:30 PM LUNA Leederville.

Felony

The first 50 minutes of Felony is gripping. The premise that an up-standing, respected cop, only recently recognised for his bravery, is led into corrupt behaviour when he should know better is familiar crime thriller fodder. The methods Joel Edgerton and Matthew Saville use through their writing and direction techniques respectively is thoughtful, clever but then slightly disappointing. 

Edgerton plays Mal Toohey, a cop who overplays his hand when he accidentally knocks a young paper boy from his bike on a deserted suburban street in the early hours of one morning. Toohey is over-tired and has been drinking. Detective Carl Summer (Tom Wilkinson) and partner Jim Melic (Jai Courtney) arrive on the scene to investigate. Summer observes Toohey's fear and leads him by the nose through a maze of deception thus keeping intact his career and a family. Melic is purposely removed from the road side discussion thus becoming the view point for the audience, a technique which adds to that gripping 50 minutes I mentioned earlier.

To specifically reveal my disappointments would be to spoil some key elements of the movie. I won't do that, but for me, some of the plot twists did not add up. They all made sense but although the likes of Wilkinson, Edgerton and George build great belief for us through the early stages, some of the key confrontations which rear up later in the film don't work. There is a love interest for Melic which makes no sense, then George's Julie makes a behavioral shift which is puzzling.   Given these criticisms the film is still very good.

Techniques such as the car mounted camera, the interior to exterior car shots and the flashbacks all built tension in perfect doses. Edgerton was in attendance at the screening I viewed and gave a fantastic insight into his screenplay and the mental wrestle his character has when confronted with making the decision to behave morally or otherwise because of the stress of his consciousness and situation. So while I was a little disappointed, the film has much to say and it is a story well told. Look for the extra coffee cup in the final scene. Joel asked our saudience to make up our own mind about what it meant. 8GUMS





  

Film No. 59 (2014) Snowpiercer August 23rd.

Film No. 59 (2014) August 23rd. 4:30 PM LUNA Leederville.

Snowpiercer

The Snowpiercer is a train in constant motion. It circles the earth on tracks which can't be maintained because there is no one left alive on earth to care for them. So why has this train been raging around our planet at hundreds of kilometres an hour for 17 years? Because it forms the back drop to talented Korean film maker Joon-ho Bong's first English language film.

One has to forget the implausible situation I have described because Bong is no Ken Loach when it comes to film making. Like Loach however he does like to comment on the human condition and if you imagine the Snowpiercer in the same light as The Ark, minus the animals, then you have the premise for this movie.

Chris Evans is Curtis a strong young man who lives in the back end of the Snowpiercer with the rest of the lower class citizens. Gilliam (John Hurt) is the elder statesman of the group who mentors Curtis as our repressed hero becomes restless. A young child is snatched from the group by the upper class. Outraged by this Curtis and his troops decide to force their way through the train, comprised of one surreal carriage after another, to retrieve the child. With every carriage traveled, Curtis comes across occupants who are representative of where they are stationed in the "food chain".

Okay so I'm not making much sense so far in describing this comic book drama. I'm not sure that I need to. If you like your films to be so fantastic that you are always looking for new cinematic stimulation then this film is for you. Bong does what he usually does in his films, he depicts "man in a mess". This time the mess is a metaphor for life's inequalities and someone needing to be held to account. You'll either love the film or be disappointed, perhaps because of the hype. I loved my ride on the Snowpiercer  10GUMS       

Film No. 58 (2014) What We Do In The Shadows August 22nd.

Film No. 57 (2014) August 20th. 6:45 PM HOYTS Carousel Cannington.

What We Do In The Shadows

I nearly made a major mistake in my film going life recently. I very nearly wasn't bothered about going to see this small but very funny film What We Do In The Shadows. I'd seen the shorts so I knew it was another effort at the mockumentary genre; a genre which has had little success in recent years partially because of the standard set by This Is Spinal Tap all those years ago.

The film is even promoted under the guise of The New Zealand Documentary Board; a name they've added as part of their production company. Let me tell you, there is no official documentary funding body that would fund a "real life" depiction of how four vampire flatmates take their audience on a journey of murder, mayhem and blood sucking. All in jest of course, as we chuckle away at how difficult it is for the flatmates to get on if one or two are not pulling their weight around the house.

Vladislav (Jemaine Clement), Viago (Taika Waititi), Deacon (Jonathan Brugh) and Petyr (Ben Fransham) share a house in the suburbs of Wellington. We spend a good part of 48 hours with these "slackers" as they argue about house chores and how they are going to lure the next human into their lair. It's all silly but the lads are so loveable it doesn't matter. Using the camera as their tool, each tries to outperform the other using skills from erotic dance to levitation. Then there are the one liners like "That didn't go so great, I think I hit the main artery", as Viago's one night stand turns into a bloody mess.

The narrative is not strong and this is where the film has a weakness. One of their victims, Nick (Cori Gonzalez-Macuer) becomes one of their own but he has trouble abiding by their code of confidentiality. The idea is great but the execution doesn't quite work. This is a minor triviality however; this film is a hoot. Rhys Darby (Flight of the Concords) turns up as the rival Werewolf pack leader trying all the time to be as polite as possible. There is much to be said for this variety of New Zealand deadpan humour.    10GUMS.

     

Film No. 57 (2014) Predestination August 20th.

Film No. 57 (2014) August 20th. 6:45 PM HOYTS Carousel Cannington.

Predestination

It seems that with any film using time travel as the key device to tell its story, your mind needs to be prepared for a series of sessions of mind gymnastics. Looper was my last foray into this genre of fantasyland and I enjoyed the mental challenges of that film. I did figure Looper out I must admit. Predestination on the other hand has been harder to ponder but that's not the reason I like it less.

In many respects they are very different films but Looper tended to stay within the bounds of complication. Predestination begins brilliantly; we meet a bartender (Ethan Hawke) who in turn meets a very bitter and twisted drinking client played brilliantly by Australian new comer Sarah Snook. The wonderful story told by Snook's character sets the foundation for the puzzle which lies ahead. Put simply the bartender is a time traveler (violin case in hand)who is obliged to prevent a crime which devastated New York in 1975.

So there you have it; I know I sound evasive but there are too many opportunities to reveal spoilers in this review. Hawke's character is an employee of the government; called a Temporal Agent. He is overseen by a bloke in a hat (Noah Taylor) and its their task to find The Fizzle Bomber before the key moment in history. So what has the mixed up Sarah Snook character got in common with these two gentlemen. Well quite a deal as it turns out but it is all a puzzle. I'm short a few pieces and it's been 48 hours since I saw the film.

The film is a handsome fantasy told a little too longwindedly for me. Sarah Snook is nearly worth the ticket price in itself for her testing role as a gender bender but it is because of her character that the story becomes less plausible thus the puzzle becomes more complicated. Hawke and Taylor are both fine in their roles while the make up and effects are excellent. If you love movies where time is manipulated then don't miss this one. I bet you'll have the puzzle solved within minutes of the titles rolling. 7GUMS.     

Film No. 56 (2014) Magic in the Moonlight August 13th.

Film No. 56 (2014) August 13th. 6:30 PM THE WINDSOR Nedlands.

Magic in the Moonlight

In Magic in the Moonlight we get some of the same from Woody Allen; in fact the first 40 minutes is vintage Allen. His script is tight, clever and seemed to be heading towards the fulfilling conclusion he so often delivers. Unfortunately the magic fades as we are asked to believe in a non existent chemistry between the lead characters played by Colin Firth and Emma Stone.

Firth plays Stanley, better known on stage as Wei Ling Soo a legendary magician whose sideline is unmasking fake psychics making money from believers. His friend and colleague, Howard (Simon McBurney) talks him out of a well earned vacation and into debunking the psychic prowess of Sophie (Emma Stone). A clever scenario on the face of it with a sharp little twist to finish; there's just no magic on the flickering screen.

In years gone by Allen would write a script with only himself in mind for the lead role. Perhaps with the knowledge that he physically no longer fits the bill, his writing changes to fit the mold of other actors who line up for the privilege of working with Mr Allen. In this case Firth plays Stanley with a thread of arrogance which is not a trait a Woody Allen played character would have.

I'm loathed to suggest Woody is past it. His demise has been predicted so often and then gems like Midnight in Paris and Blue Jasmine appear. Match Point remains one of my favorites and it is not typically Allen. Magic in the Moonlight continues the Allen tradition of quirky characters and elegant costuming and introduces a new favourite in Emma Stone. It's an easy watch but a miss never the less.  6GUMS.  

Film No. 55 (2014) The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared. August 11th.

Film No. 55 (2014) August 11th. 6:30 PM PARADISO Northbridge.

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared.

I ask you; is not the most difficult film to find, in recent times, the film that makes you laugh; and when I say laugh I mean laugh out loud? Such a film remains the easiest film to recommend to friends. Well let me recommend The 100-Year-Old Man to you. If it's not making you laugh then you'll most definitely have a smile on your face.

The film is an adaptation of a book of the same name written by Jonas Jonasson. Because the book had people laughing on trains, busses and aeroplanes worldwide the bug to read it spread. Expectations were therefore very high when the film first opened in Europe mid last year. The film is not as expansive as the book but the essence of the underplayed, dry wit remains. I saw this film in a three quarter full cinema and the laughter was infectious.

The story revolves around Allan Karlsson who we meet on his 100th birthday. He's dreading the celebrations about to be bestowed upon him by the inhabitants of his aged care facility. To escape, he climbs out the window to who knows where and to meet who knows who. The adventures he has in real time are beyond belief from the time he wanders into the local bus station; but the adventures he's had from child hood, as told in flashback, are spectacularly outrageous.

Robert Gustafsson (Karlsson) a 49 year old Swedish born actor, is brilliant as the lead. He's depicted as a thirty year old through to a 100 year old. His make-up is authentic and adds to the dead pan characterisation that makes Allan so loveable. The book is a classic and there are changes and deletions to the storyline. It may be too much for some but not for me, my wife and friends (also devotees of the book) who accompanied us to the cinema. The laughs flowed as readily in the film as they did in the book.   10GUMS     

Film No. 54 (2014) 20,000 Days on Earth August 9th.

Film No. 54 (2014) August 9th. 11:00 AM LUNA Leederville.

20,000 Days on Earth.

Nick Cave is a very talented communicator. After all he works hard enough at his craft. In 20,000 Days on Earth he tells his audience that in a typical day he gets up, writes, watches television, writes some more then goes to bed and sleeps.

It is early in the film that we learn of his metronymic habits. The film, using fictional interludes, takes us through the 20,000th day of Mr Cave's life. A day which includes more than his initial summary and which was, quite obviously, shot over a period of weeks, perhaps even months.

I'm not a Nick Cave fanatic; but if you are then this film will quench much of your thirst for all things Cave. He sings a few of his latest works, he chats to a selection of his mates including Ray Winstone and Kylie Minogue while driving, as he reflects on his past. Kylie is particularly charismatic in her giggly, reflective way. Then finally, he brings us on stage as he performs in just one of his live concerts. 

All in all 20,000 Days can best be described as an unconventional music documentary. Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard have been well rewarded for their well shot, well edited feature. Me, well I found it to be a little dull, fractionally long and a touch self indulgent. But then again I'm not a Nick Cave fanatic!   7GUMS.  

Film No. 53 (2014) These Final Hours August 6th .

Film No. 53 (2014) August 6th. 06:50 PM HOYTS Garden City Booragoon.

These Final Hours.

I'm always keen to catch a film which captures my home town (Perth) on screen. I'd have to say it often clouds my view of a film because I'm so busy watching for the familiar landmarks I loose focus on other important ingredients like story, script development and the performances.

These Final Hours certainly captures the hot suburban landscape of Perth, Western Australia with great authenticity. I could feel the heat of our familiar summer sun with every washed out golden shot as we follow James (Nathan Phillips) in his quest to come to terms with his final hours on earth. Zak Hilditch has done a very serviceable job in his first feature.

These Final Hours asks the question, what would you do if you only had hours left to live? James becomes the vehicle for our thoughts as he makes hast through the stark urban streets, confused as to which girlfriend he should be with when Armageddon descends. By chance he saves a girl, Rose (Angourie Rice), from an indignity beyond belief; he becomes her guardian. A task which helps him to understand what real responsibility is.

The premise and idea that a dire situation may just be the spark for real change in a person is a good one. The fact that the script failed to offer the characters real depth denied the film a chance to reach its full potential. So These Final Hours is not great but it is certainly worth a look. I'm still thinking about those final hours but I'm no closer to knowing how I would spend them.  7GUMS.  

Film No. 52 (2014) Palo Alto August 2nd.

Film No. 52 (2014) August 2nd. 11:00 AM LUNA Leederville.

Palo Alto

Gia Coppola is the grand daughter of Francis Ford and at the tender age of 26 I commend her on this smartly directed film, Palo Alto. She is intuitive as only a director could be who has recently, herself, experienced life as a teenager, a Gen Y teenager. The Gen Y teenagers depicted in Palo Alto, excepting April (Emma Roberts), are not very likeable and our journey with them is more frustrating than revealing.

James Franco who plays April's sleazy soccer coach is also the author of the Palo Alto short stories which form the basis for the characters and scenes in this film. A film about the uncertainty of youth. Coppola wrote the screenplay with a good deal of help from Franco. I've not read the stories but I imagine them to be popular tales amongst adolescents.

Perhaps it is because the film's narrative is derived from short stories that there was a lack of reward for this viewer. Sure the film is a series of observations about five key characters April, Teddy, Freddy, Chrissy and Shauna but I craved for something to happen to give those observations a common storyline.

Perhaps if I'd read the short stories and they had impacted on me, then my selfish requirements of Palo Alto would be non existent. I saw this film with no preconceptions so maybe that was my mistake. The film is well made and brilliantly acted by the young cast. I'm keen to discuss it with young film buffs who are familiar with the short stories; perhaps then I will get a better appreciation of what I missed.    7GUMS  

Film No. 51 (2014) The Lunchbox July 28th .

Film No. 51 (2014) July 28th. 8.50 PM LUNA SX Fremantle. 

The Lunchbox

Mumbai is one of the largest, most chaotic cities in our modern world. The Lunchbox takes us into the hustle and bustle of that chaos then cleverly channels us into the hearts of two gentle citizens who meet in a Sliding Doors moment as they conduct an unconventional relationship.

The beautiful Ila (Minrat Kaur) wishes to spice up her marriage. She prepares lunch for her inattentive husband using the recipes conveyed to her via her faceless auntie who shouts advice from the floor above Ila's kitchen. The freshly prepared lunches are delivered daily, usually, as legend would have it, in a meticulous fashion. You guessed it, on this occasion Ila's lunch is mistakenly delivered to Saajan (Irrfan Khan), a widower, working in an insurance claims office.

The relationship begins when Ila and Saajan exchange letters using the lunchbox as a postal service. Their exchanges are both revealing and gentle. It's a clever director who can make two characters charismatic in equal proportions despite them rarely sharing a scene together. It helps when Ritesh Batra writes the screenplay, his first feature length film as both a writer and director.

While many explanations go unanswered; ie how the mixup could happen or what the true feelings of Ila's husband are, we rarely care. Even if you don't like film but love to travel, see The Lunchbox for a sense of urban India. If someone asks me if I've been to Mumbai my answer will be " No, but I've seen The Lunchbox".  9GUMS