Film No. 71 (2016) The Accountant November 21st.

Film No. 71 (2016) November 21st.  8.00 PM CINEMA CLYDE, Clyde New Zealand.

"I have difficulty socialising with other people, even though I want to". (Christian Wolfe (Ben Affleck) talks about one of life's frustrations to Dana Cummings (Anna Kendrick).

Right, so Ben Affleck gets to play a character with autism, an accountant who, because of his condition, possesses  extraordinary talents. Talents which are used for less than scrupulous purposes by very unscrupulous people, world wide. It sounds like the sort of 30 second pitch which may have pricked the ears of the money men of Hollywood. So The Accountant came to be, and reasonably entertaining it is.


Gavin O'Connor brought us Warrior (2011) where the depth of family bonding and hand to hand combat made for thought provoking viewing. Warrior had plenty of fans because the father/son relationship built tension. O'Connor brings similar themes to The Accountant. The life of Christian Wolfe (Affleck) takes a turn for the worse when his mother abandons the family. Christian's dad, a military man, takes on the parenting of his sons and teaching them hand to hand combat skills are key to his influence. This is important to the plot as we flick back and forth to unravel the reasons why Wolfe conducts himself in a manner that makes greater sense later in the movie.


The side story belongs to Ray King (J.K. Simmons) and Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson). As servants of the government King blackmails Medina into tracking Wolfe, for reasons, once again, made more obvious later. Both characters are under developed because Wolfe and Dana Cummings (Anna Kendrick) need to become a duo of substance. It's all a bit far fetched but it ties up pretty well and as I've mentioned, it's trivial entertainment.


Be warned however, The Accountant, is a violent, immoral movie which will soon be forgotten. Affleck adds another string to his bow if playing a smart but violent accountant with autism is a string. But what I do recommend is, if you are visiting south island New Zealand, find the small hamlet of Clyde, not far from Queenstown and catch a movie at the 42 seat Clyde Cinema (leather comfort). It's where I caught The Accountant.  9GUMS.

cinema.http://www.flicks.co.nz/cinema/clyde-cinema/

Unique cinemas can be difficult to find in these days of multiplexes. All hail Clyde Cinema, it's a small gem with a view to expand to a second cinema soon.  12GUMS.


    

Film No. 70 (2016) I, Daniel Blake November 14th.

Film No. 70 (2016) November 14th.  6.45 PM LUNA Paradiso, Northbridge.

"You've got nothing to be ashamed of, you're all alone with two kids, you're amazing" (Daniel (Dave Johns) reassures Katie (Hayley Squires) that she is skilled in her quest to make a life for herself and her kids).

Ken Loach turned eighty in June. Many thought he had directed his last film in Jimmy Hall, two years ago. Thank the heavens that this was not fact. If it were, he would not have delivered I, Daniel Blake to us in 2016.It won the Palme D'or and there were many tweets at the time that it was not deserving of this honour. I beg to differ, I, Daniel Blake is an outstanding film.  


Tis the season to be merry so, most films in the next month will depict a bunch of silly characters (either animated or as good as) in contrived pieces leading to a standard, predictable happy ending. So why recommend, I, Daniel Blake as a must see film just prior to Christmas? The reason; it will stir your conscience and the want to give to people and causes who don't have the same opportunity or money that we do, will be heightened. It's a hard-hearted, middle class westerner who walks from a screening of I, Daniel Blake not feeling deeply affected.


In the words of Ken Loach, Daniel Blake (Dave Johns) represents decency, a quality possessed by the vast majority of people. When decent people are restricted in the way they live their lives through no fault of their own, in a system which ceases to care, then film can serve a purpose to deliver a strong message. In I, Daniel Blake, Loach delivers that message in spades. It's the simple images of Blake on the phone, endlessly on hold or Katie, breaking down in a food bank and being reassured by Daniel that she is a skilled mother.


When the film starts, Daniel Blake has recently lost his wife, which may have aggravated a heart condition, rendering him unfit for work. To get a pension, he will need to prove to bureaucracy (The Decision Maker) that he is eligible and that is no easy task. Loach weaves a second family, Katie (Hayley Squires), Daisy (Briana Shann) and Dylan (Dylan McKiernan)into Dan's life simply and with heart. All are fighting for survival in the suburbs of North East England. The Decision Maker holds the key to their survival. Is this a moral system?  11GUMS. 






  


     

Film No. 69 (2016) The Golden Years November 11th.

Film No. 69 (2016) November 11th.  6.30 PM LUNA SX Fremantle.

"A Great British Comedy" (The words on a promotional poster for Golden Years ......... DON'T BE MISLEAD!)

There used to be so many of these "try hard", feel good, caper films coming out of the U.K. There probably still are but they have become T.V. fodder. People want more from a cinema experience.

Other than amongst those who have experienced a real hold-up, Golden Years will have some fans. Oldies getting revenge on The Banks because of their dwindling pensions is an easy theme to pursue to get a following. But Golden Years is light, wet, offensive, predictable and generally immoral. It has a quality cast all looking to be challenged. Golden Years does not fulfil their needs.

Look out for this strange little film on a streaming network one cold afternoon. The only thing wetter than the rain splattering against your window that sodden afternoon will be the script blaring from your flat screen's surround sound system! 5GUMS.     

Film No. 68 (2016) Hell or High Water November 5th.

Film No. 68 (2016) November 5th.  10.30 AM LUNA PALACE, Leederville. 

"All this was my ancestor's land, till these folk took it and now it's been taken from them, 'cept it ain't no army doin' it, it's those sons of bitches right there (pointing to a bank in the town's high street)" (Alberto summarizes the state of play historically in his home state of Texas)

It was hard to watch Hell or High Water and not reflect on the  dysfunctional political landscape surrounding this once great nation the U S of A. A scene late in the film depicts Toby and Tanner Howard (Chris Pine and Ben Foster) hurriedly rushing from a bank they'd just robbed into a hail of gunfire. Our immediate thought is the police had the bank surrounded; cut to local towns folk crouching behind their vehicles taking pot-shots. A bizarre scene but perhaps the norm in this remote Texas outpost.


Hell and High Water is an ironic comment on many aspects of life in contemporary U.S. society. It has all the ingredients of an old fashioned western. There are Toby and Tanner a couple of bank robbers with a humane edge. Then there's Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton (Geoff Bridges) and Mexican/Indian side-kick Alberto (Gil Birmingham) whose method it is to track these baddies "on foot" rather than via modern day methods using laptops or mobile phones. But there is a whole lot more to this film of simple themes.


Toby, the elder brother, has inherited the family property which possesses rich oil reserves. The bank holds the deeds and will foreclose if debts aren't paid within a strict timeframe. His only course of action is to steal from the bank keen to take over his property, or more importantly the property which is the inheritance of his children. The tension builds as Hamilton and Alberto track the brothers the old fashioned way; the bloodhound method. Each of the robberies by the brothers is more daring and violent than the last. Robin Hood, these guys ain't!  


The steamy, tense feel, coupled with the earthy soundtrack gives Hell and High Water the credibility it deserves. The relationships, key to ratifying the concluding scenes (e.g. the dysfunction in Toby's relationship with his ex-wife and kids) lack real development. The role of corporate banking and the irony of the brothers' quest wasn't fleshed out completely. But Geoff Bridges, Hamilton is all one would expect of this quality, character actor. The less he says, the harder it is to take our eyes off him. 9GUMS.