Film No. 93 (2015) Dark Horse December 28th.

Film No. 93 (2015) December 28th.  8.00 PM SOMERVILLE U.W.A. Nedlands.

 

"A decade ago, in a small village, they shared a dream. A dream so wild it couldn't be stopped. A dream that became a legend". (The opening voice-over to the British released trailer).

This wonderfully told tale about a bunch of charismatic townsfolk from a small Welsh village who bred a horse which went on to have success beyond their wildest dreams, may very well be the dark horse for this year's people's choice award at The Perth Film Festival. Australians' love an underdog story and Dark Horse wins in this category by 10 lengths.

Winner of the Audience award at Sundance this year, Dark Horse tells a story so wild that if it was devised as a piece of fiction, it could well be a straight to DVD production. The tale is so tall that someone telling it to you in a Welsh pub could well be banished to "liars corner". But every word and image revealed in Dark Horse is true. 

 

"When I look back now, I don't know how I did it" exclaims Janet, the instigator of the Dream Alliance syndicate. Janet, a cleaner in this small Welsh township also tended  bar at the local pub. One night she overhears a conversation about racehorse ownership (and how lucrative it isn't) and she decides, with no experience, she'll have a go at breeding a race horse, hoping to produce a horse her whole, reccession stuck, coal mining village can be proud of.

 

Film maker Louise Osmond has created a real crowd pleaser in Dark Horse. She has done nothing new but she has made great choices in how best to tell this story. While Dream Alliance is the star of the film, the colourful characters of the syndicate are the real headline acts. Osmond chooses to interview just a few. This has great impact as we grow to know them, cheer with them and share their jubilation. It's a film which unfolds like an Ascot Gold Cup Hurdle race. It's tense and there can only be one winner! I'm predicting another audience award, this time here in Perth Western Australia.  10GUMS.

 

 

 

  

Film No. 92 (2015) Tangerines December 20th.

Film No. 92 (2015) December 20th.  8.00 PM THE PINES Outdoor Cinema Joondalup.

"The Chechen will heal in a week, but the Georgian, I don't know, it will depend on his body" Ivo (Lembit Ulfsat) tells his business partner Margus (Elmo Nuganen) the state of the health of the two wounded soldiers he takes in and cares for).

This anti-war film, made on a shoestring budget from The Estonian Film Institute deserves all the accolades it has received. Tangerines has a heart the size of a watermelon but never overplays the message it sends.


The simple story of how two Georgian business partners Ivo and Margus take in a pair of soldiers (one Chechen and one Georgian) injured during a skirmish at the front gate of  Margus' Tangerine orchard unfolds with tenderness and brutality where both ingredients balance the other perfectly. It was a pleasure to be transported for a standard 95 minutes to a place where not an image or word is wasted.


The story unfolds in 1992 in Estonia on The Black Sea coast. The war is complicated because while the newly independent Georgian government rules, the separatist people of Abkhazia continue to fight for land they believe is theirs. Some of their fighters are contracted in from other regions so when a Georgian (Niko, Misha Meskhi)and a Chechen mercenary (Ahmed, Giorgi Nakashidze) fighting for the Abkhazian forces end up in the care of a carpenter Ivo and orchardist Margus a separate battle again threatens.


Tangerines gradually unfolds its story and at the same time we grow to know all four characters, Ivo, Margus, Ahmed (the Mercenary) and Niko (the Georgian). As we spend time with them, mostly in the confines of Ivo's cottage, we learn about history, loyalty, family, business but most of all we leave convinced about the futility of war. This film, through the eyes of Georgian film-maker(Urushadze)is a wonderful contribution to the anti-war genre. 10GUMS        












   

Film No. 91 (2015) Joy December 19th.

Film No. 91 (2015) December 19th.  10.45 AM LUNA Leederville. 

"You know what you are, you're like a gas leak, you're silently killing us all." (Rudy (Robert DeNiro) Tells his ex-wife Mimi (Diane Ladd) how he feels)

Joy Mangano is a real person who did in fact invent The Miracle Mop. Legend has it, she also has a family who could be described as somewhat unconventional, but hey, who hasn't. The real Joy is known to be a very private person who gives little away when it comes to personal matters. Which makes a tale about a mysterious but enterprising lady all the more intriguing.


Enter Joy the movie. David O'Russell teams up with Jennifer Lawrence (Joy) and Bradley Cooper (Neil Walker) once again (American Hustle and Silver Linings Playbook) to present for us an entertaining fairy-tale version of what it was, through his eyes to be Joy Mangano in the years where family life was tough and she seemed to be the only one "pulling her weight".


Who can resist a well told rags to riches story. Cinderella sets such a wonderful foundation for so many heartfelt narratives but in 2015 we have screen writers and actors who add sophistication to  story-telling. O'Russell may not perform on screen but his screenplay and subsequent direction of this film is a Joy to behold. He has created a colourful, funny, vibrant, classy, entertaining film. For me it tops both Hustle and Playbook which is high praise considering the awards bestowed upon both films.


I suggest you don't read anything about the real Joy Mangano before seeing Joy, save that until after you've taken in the O'Russell version. Most of all however luxuriate in the brilliant interplay between family members DeNiro (father), Rossillini (at times wicked step mother), Madsen (mean sister) and Ladd (mum). Cooper is not as significant as the trailer may suggest but Lawrence is excellent as Joy. It is hard to believe how far this young actor has come since A Winter's Bone, she is a wonderful talent. 9GUMS.       

Film No. 89 (2015) Mississippi Grind December 13th.

Film No. 89 (2015) December 13th.  10.30 AM LUNA Leederville. 

"I like women too much to get married." (Curtis (Reynolds) comments to a native of New Orleans about his marital status).

 

A buddy road movie staring Ryan Reynolds may not be an attractive prospect for many movie goers. Well, you'll be pleased to know that Ryan Reynolds brings a real quality to Mississippi Grind. And while rough around the edges at times, Mississippi Grind  is a well written drama which never tries to outsmart itself as it generates subtle character shifts.


Ben Mendleson's Gerry is a loser of the desperate kind. The film cleverly tricks us into quite liking Gerry until he drops in on his ex-wife Dorothy (Robin Weigert) under false pretenses. Then he quietly wins us back before the screen fades to black. It is Ryan Reynold's Curtis who we are unsure about til later on. And that is why Grind is more than its trailer and promotional blurb let on. It's a buddy/road movie with few new narrative ideas but with plenty of emotional twists and turns.


Gerry is the quintessential punter who's not very good at winning and never knows when to stop. Enter Curtis and Gerry's luck changes. Curtis has the right moves, he's sharp, charming and best of all, he's lucky. They team up and there's a chemistry in their union, this is the film's strength. We believe in their partnership for no good reason other than the fact that Reynolds and Mendleson gel. 


The drama of Grind unfolds as the buddies take to the road and head south. We gradually learn more about their past and their insecurities when it comes to matters of the heart. Anna Bowden and Ryan Fleck write and direct with great heart. There is always an earthy, indi feel to their work, as in It's Kind Of Funny Story, and their actors revel in the character driven scenes. There is nothing predictable about Curtis or Gerry and that is the jewel in this crown. Bowden and Fleck have created their own indi, morality tale where predicting an outcome is not important. 9GUMS.  








  

    

Film No. 88 (2015) Youth December 12th.

Film No. 88 (2015) December 12th.  10.45 AM LUNA Leederville. 

"It's a good friendship and in a good friendship you only tell each other the good things" (Mick (Keitel) explains to Lena (Weisz) the foundation of his friendship with her father Fred (Caine)) 

                                                 

My theory, for what it's worth, is that viewing Youth is the equivalent to being offered a quality box of chocolates so that one might enjoy a succulent treat for indulgence sake. It is visually stunning, totally self indulgent and makes no excuses to be any thing other than another excellent contribution for the viewing pleasure of masses of film loving baby boomers. But I found myself checking my watch more often than usual.

Director, Paolo Sorrentino has much of his talent on show in Youth. His sumptuous visuals and sharp dialogue are well up to standard, it's just that they don't add up to much. Ballinger (Michael Caine) and Boyle (Harvey Keitel) are self indulged artists who have been friends for 60 years. We meet them at a retreat for the extremely wealthy as they cleanse their body and mind. Boyle is working on the development of his new film and Ballenger is there under the auspices of his daughter Lena (Rachel Weisz).

We learn about Fred's brilliance as a composer and conductor from a series of vignettes, the main one involving Queen Elizabeth wanting him to return to London for a gala concert in her presence. Boyle on the other hand has his eggs in one basket when it comes to his next film. He needs Brenda Morel (Jane Fonda), his favourite actor of all time, to play the lead in his production. There is a touch of suspense as we head towards the concluding scenes, all the time wading through a variety of pretty images to reinforce the indulgence that is Youth.


The landscape is everything you would see while following The Tour de France but better because of the size of the screen. The bodies of the young and the beautiful mostly brown, wet and perfect are hard to ignore. Then there are a couple of monologues delivered with perfect tone and rhythm by Weisz which gives us a better insight into why she is not that chuffed with Ballenger. Finally the vaguely suspenseful moments are revealed and I can stop looking at my watch. Youth is pretty, but a bit boring. 6GUMS.     

 

Film No. 90 (2015) Spotlight. December 15th.

Film No. 90 (2015) December 15th.  6.30 PM GREATER UNION Innaloo.

 

"When a priest pays attention to you, you feel special. How do you say no to God?" (The words of Phil Saviano (victim) as he explains the thoughts he had as a child in the presence of a priest). 

A film which brings to light the story behind the story of a travesty of justice is more often than not,riveting. I was a young student when I first saw All The President's Men and it influenced my thinking. After seeing Spotlight I felt the same sorts of emotions but over a different issue; the influence of the Catholic Church over issues it would much prefer to see swept under the carpet.

Spotlight is a relatively complicated tale. Director Tom McCarthy has done a wonderful job in processing copious amounts of research into a coherent piece of investigative cinema. It does a better job of delivering its emotionally charged message than All The Presidents Men but doesn't quite match the intrigue of its counterpart. But they are different films depicting ground breaking revelations, and in the case of Spotlight, revelations which were right under our noses for some years.


The cast could not have been more competent. For me however, it was the smallest role of the core cast, which captured my attention most, that of Leiv Schreiber as Marty Baron the editor in chief. Schreiber captures the legend that is Baron brilliantly then convinces us that he could instil confidence in his co-workers so they could complete their task thoroughly, never forgetting where their real focus needed to be; on the church and its hierarchy.


The deal with this film is, it must be seen. What happened in parishes throughout Boston for many years is frightening but consider that the same things were going on in parishes all throughout the world. The most dramatic scenes from Spotlight come when new numbers are revealed as to the scale of the blatant abuse of trust. Then there is the final scene which deadens our hearts because the Spotlight team have only just scratched the surface. Don't miss Spotlight, it has earned the right to be seen and it must be seen. 11GUMS.     

     

Film No. 86 (2015) Looking For Grace December 1st.

Film No. 86 (2015) December 1st.  6.00 PM LUNA Leederville. 

"I don't think we'll need to be checking the dental records on this one". (Tom (Terry Norris) jokes to Grace's parents as he assists them in the search for their daughter).

                                                  

                                                   

 

I was looking forward to the Western Australian premiere of Looking for Grace on two fronts. Firstly, I'm a W.A. boy so I love seeing the countryside so familiar from my childhood, depiced on the big screen in all it's golden glory. Secondly, after Japanese Story I was keen to see Writer, Director Sue Brooke's next project.

 

Unfortunately, Looking for Grace doesn't match Japanese Story in it's ability to satisfy as a quality example of story telling. Brookes likes to take everyday people and place them in classic "man in a mess" real life situations. Looking for Grace is not told in traditional fashion, it is told in chapters, each chapter told from a key character's POV with familiar scenes revisited. While directors such as Jarmusch (Mystery Train) and Altman (Short Cuts) have explored this technique successfully Brookes efforts are only partially rewarded in Grace. 

 

Looking for Grace is a puzzle of a film. Each chapter presents a few pieces of that puzzle as we learn new facts about why Grace has left home without consulting her parents. Where is she headed? Who are these people she's with? We begin to feel more secure in the chase for clues when each new chapter starts refocusing the mission of finding Grace through the eyes of another of the film's key characters. The quirkiness of film lies in the script. Norris's dental records quip is either ill judged or down right black, and the film gives me no way of categorizing it.

 

Like a new car running on standard unleaded petrol when it should be running on premium, Looking for Grace splutters then surges. I'm not sure the actors know exactly how they should feel during the closing scenes; they certainly aren't convincing. But the film has a unique feel and I'm glad to have spent some premium moments in the Western Australian wheatbelt, a place I know so well. Sue Brookes has a great eye for the Australian landscape, I hope she continues to "push that envelope". 6GUMS.