No. 82. (2020) THE HAPPIEST SEASON December 24th.

 

Film No. 82 (2020) December 24th.  11:00 AM  EVENT CINEMAS No. 6,  Innaloo.

"I can relate to it, being a lover. Someone who is too afraid to show who they are" (Harper's once lover Riley gives a view on what Abby might be experiencing).

The runaway Christmas hit of 2020 has been Happiest Season. It likely deserves the mantle because there hasn't been much else around this season and internationally there are only a modicum of cinemas operating. It's a shame because H.S. ticks all the feel-good boxes and shines a light on Kristin Stewart who is new to the Christmas market but excels never the less. Then there is the controversy surrounding Mackenzie Davis who plays Harper, Abby's (Stewart) lover and the fact Davis is straight. Who cares, I say, in fact Stewart a bona fide gay person has no issue with Davis's sexual preferences. Actors simply act is her common sensical view. 

So what's the schtick? Nothing ground breaking really. Harper and Abby are lovers in their anonymous city life. Abby is at a loose end over the festive season so Harper wants to show off her lover to family but only under the pretense that they are straight housemates. The time is not right to reveal the extent of their intimate relationship. What can go wrong in five days? Plenty of course, otherwise we wouldn't have the drama so important to Happiest Season. 

A highlight comes in the form of Dan Levy as John. He steals a few scenes as Abby's gay house sitter friend. But will it become the Love Actually, go to feature, lovers of the genre replay Christmas after Christmas? Maybe. Time will tell. 9GUMS.

Chris Greenwood

             

No. 81. (2020) DREAMLAND December 22nd.

 

Film No. 81 (2020)  Dec. 22nd.  1:30 PM  PALACE  Raine Square,  Perth City. 

"You know the worst thing about dying kid? It's being forgotten." (Allison talks to Eugene about another fear in her somewhat untethered life).

Margo Robbie is captivating in Dreamland. It's a testament to her star power that this arthouse film has opened in most mainstream cinemas, mind you, I am talking from an Australian view-point.

In the depression ravaged U.S. Allison (Robbie) is wounded, on the run from the law and hides out in a barn,  somewhere on the dusty, barren Texan plains. She has been wounded during her last bank robbery and the wound is gory. Finn Cole plays the naïve, teenage Eugene, who lives on the ranch housing the barn, and stumbles upon Allison. He removes the bullet from her thigh and soon becomes besotted by her wild spirited beauty. Robbie's performance has us guessing as to her true feelings for Eugene. After all there is much to be gained, freedom for one, by her attachment to this uncomplicated farm-boy.

The film is more about Bonnie working towards claiming a Clyde. The chances of this being a classic however is zero. The film looks beautiful. There is hardly a location out of place but there are plenty of scenes that are either predictable or irrelevant. There is however no denying the Cole/Robbie aesthetic. The sweeping backdrop is complemented by their chemistry and good looks. 

The last 10 minutes has us guessing to a point, but I have to admit I became ambivalent about the climax. But there may be a surprise in store for some. Let me reiterate the fact Margo Robbie is charismatic and will attract a crowd for Dreamland. She will not disappoint, but the film may. 7GUMS.

Chris Greenwood.

     

   

 

No. 80. (2020) THE FATHER December 20th.

 

Film No. 80 (2020) December 20th.  8:00 PM SOMERVILLE Outdoor U.W.A.                        

"Why do you keep looking at me as if there is something wrong? Everything is fine!" (Anthony asks his daughter a question she doesn't know how to answer).

It's rare that the creator of a play then directs an adaptation for the screen. The Father was created by Frenchman, Florian Zeller in 2014 for the stage. His deep desire to bring it to the screen (via a screenplay penned by Christopher Hampton) has now been fulfilled and it is deeply affecting audiences around the world.

Dementia is a topic dealt with effectively in Still Alice (2014) and The Savages (2007). Both are good films presenting a traditional third person view of the disease. The Father delivers a new dimension, it takes us into the mind of Anthony (Anthony Hopkins). The opening scene lulls us into a comfortable sense that we know where this narrative is headed. A caring daughter, Anne (Olivia Coleman) talks to her father about a change in her life which will alter the amount of time she she'll be around to care for him. 

When next we meet Anne, it's not the face of Olivia Coleman we see, it's Olivia Williams, which is very confusing, but it soon becomes obvious that we are viewing the world through the confused mind of Anthony. We aren't meant to understand this degenerative disease, but Zeller is delivering us a sense of how it might feel for someone grappling with their diminishing world. The power of drama, portrayed so uniquely here, will floor you. I imagine this may be an unbearable watch for those who have first hand experience.

Then there is the power of the performances. Hopkins has honed his skills over 60 years to master the magic of this role. Coleman is calm, helpless and so deeply saddened by her father's plight. Olivia Williams plays multiple roles but the 10 minutes she spends as a nurse caring for Anthony are infused with compassion and take the brilliance of The Father to its rightful end-point. It's a brilliant film but it will test you emotionally. 11GUMS.

              

No. 79. (2020) DINNER IN AMERICA December 13th.

 

Film No. 79 (2020)  December 13th.  2:30 PM.  Cinema 2  LUNA SX Fremantle.

"Be careful who you recommend this movie to. Do you really know the cinematic tastes of that person?" (The question many critics are posing to those who loved Dinner In America).

The Revelation Film Festival, unique to Western Australia, does it again. It brings us films like Dinner In America, a raw, resourceful, energetic, original slice of U.S. cinema too risky to be shown as a mainstream release. 

Critics have described DIM as a sweet film, and it is, but the techniques director Adam Rehmeier uses to transport us to the sweetness of its message are anything but. Film lovers craving new adventures in the cinema are going to love DIM but be careful who you recommend it to.

So, how does a story about a nasty punk rocker like Adam (Kyle Gallner) meeting a shy, down-trodden pet shop assistant, Patty (Emily Skeggs) turn into a sweet love story? By accident mainly. Patty's love of head-banger music means she falls for petty criminal and small time drug peddler, Adam, in no time. Adam is on the run and Patty can help. The excitement of running with Adam gives her confidence and a sense of belonging. The simple scenes of them looking out for one another are touching and hilarious. 

Then there are the dinner scenes which illustrate the times America faces now. The attitudes, the care or lack of for one another, the food, the settings, the seating plans, the buzz words in conversation. It's all there in the dinners. To say I loved Dinner In America is an under-statement. To say I'd recommend it to people is something else. I have recommended it highly to those who would never dream of "taking it down a notch" when it comes to original cinema. 10GUMS. 

  

No. 78. (2020) BEE GEES; HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART November 30th.

 

Film No. 78 (2020)  Nov. 30th.  6:30 PM  LUNA  Windsor,  Nedlands. 

"Why don't we take a bar out of Night Fever and make a loop out of it?" (One of the group's sound engineers suggests a technique which would make Night Fever iconic).

The impact the Bee Gees had on pop culture through three decades (70's through 90's) meant a major feature documentary had to do justice to their legacy. Sadly only Barry Gibb lived to appreciate the brilliance of How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.

Frank Marshall is far better known as a producer, but as a director, has two major films. These films, Alive and Eight Below could not be more different to this stunning piece of real life story telling. Marshall does come with a great pedigree. Marshall's hand (production) in Boston (2017), The China Hustle (2017) and The Armstrong Lie (2013) (extremely good documentaries) cannot be underestimated. 

I came to How To Mend A Broken Heart with an appreciation of the music that has been so impactful on at least three phases of my life. How Deep Is Your Love takes me to my first job in a small country town in 1978 is an example of just one phase where my memories flow.

 

The story of how these British born Queensland boys found a magic in the harmony they could create, and the chapters of their journey, from stardom in the seventies followed by a bitter break-up, to then reforming and instigating the disco phenomenon and finally to writing music that other artists immortalized, is enthrallingly entertaining. 

Marshall never gets side tracked here. The doco gives audiences an insight into who the Bee Gees were, how each was integral to the sound they made, how they shone a light on younger brother Andy and the effect their deaths has had on Barry. The insights of band members, wives and sound wizards build the dimensions that make H.C.Y.M.A.B.H. a classic watch. One doesn't need to know or even like The Bee Gees to appreciate an interesting story well told. 11GUMS.

                    

No. 77. (2020) DAYS OF THE BAGNOLD SUMMER (British Film Festival; Perth) November 26th.

 

Film No. 77 (2020)  Nov. 26th.  7:30 PM  PALACE  Raine Square,  Perth City. 

"What you said earlier about why do we bother, we're still here aren't we? We can't have mucked things up too badly." (Sue, Daniel's mum, reflects on their recent arguments and takes a philosophical view at a time when her son seems slightly receptive).

Simon Bird exploded onto the small screen then graduated to the big screen with The Inbetweeners, playing nerdish, smart mouthed Will McKenzie. There was an original quality which appealed to audiences world wide, two feature films followed. Here, Bird directs Days Of The Bagnold Summer, his debut feature film and it's a very pleasant domestic drama full of the qualities he mastered during his T.V. career. The leads, Monica Dolan and Earl Cave play mother (Sue) and son (Daniel) Bagnold who are forced to spend a summer together because Daniel's estranged dad can no longer have him for his much anticipated Miami (U.S.A) long break. Bird has great sympathy for both his leads. Sue is simply lovely and Daniel is a teenager who doesn't want to be around or nagged by his mum. But things change when a sad thing happens in their household. They see the real goodness in one another. They learn much about themselves and each other along the way. We can relate to it. It works on screen. Rob Bryden's slightly slimy Douglas isn't really developed but Bryden is good and Sue's dignity remains  intact. I'm not sure Bagnold will have a long, big screen run but it will have its fans once it streams. I was pleased to see it in a cinema. I look forward to Simon Birds' next effort. 9GUMS.

         

 

No. 76. (2020) MISBEHAVIOUR (British Film Festival; Perth) November 23rd.

 

Film No. 76 (2020)  November 23rd.  6:30 PM.  Cinema 2  LUNA SX Fremantle.

"Last year one hundred million people tuned in live to the Miss World final, more viewers than for the moon landings or the World Cup final" (The voice-over from a T.V. promotion ).

After sitting through a trailer the likes of that for Misbehavior (a very tight, well cut trailer) for upward of ten times I'm often unsure whether the film itself will live up to expectations. Thankfully in this case the slick trailer wasn't as good as the film. 

I had no idea that the events which took place at the Miss World contest of 1970 marked the start of the Women's Liberation Movement. The film is based on the true events (with some dramatic license) of the time. The annual Miss World competition, once a British bikini parade in the fifties had become a huge, televised world event by 1970. Bob Hope was there to host the show, so it made sense for a group of driven women to make a stance. Misbehavior does a great job of recounting the story.

The real life women, Sally Alexander and Jo Robinson played brilliantly by Keira Knightley and Jessie Buckley respectively have all the cards stacked on their side. These costume dramas depicting such antiquated views on how society viewed women, in this case only 50 years ago, are a healthy reminder for all. The odd gasp of disbelief will be heard from audiences at some of the dialogue because of its inappropriateness now.

Most of all Misbehavior is entertaining. Eric Morley (Rhys Ifans) and wife Julia (Keeley Hawes), the instigators of the 1951 bikini contest must warrant a story in themselves. Miss World had become their event. And while the trailer, (yes that trailer again) gave the impression Bob Hope (Greg Kinnear) was a major focus, he definitely wasn't. The greatest fascination for me was the story of the small step the competition of 1970 took towards race equalization in beauty pageants. Film entertainment at it's best. 10GUMS. 

 

       

No. 75. (2020) PALM SPRINGS November 21st.

 

Film No. 75 (2020)  July 21st.  6:45 PM.  STAN  Living Room  Mt. Hawthorn. W.A. 

"One time I smoked a bunch of crystal and made it all the way to Equatorial Guinea, it was a huge waste of time". (Nyles recounts one of his days as he tried to escape the unending loop he and Sarah are caught in).

Groundhog Day has plenty to answer for since bursting on screen to create its own genre in 1985; the looped in time, prison narrative. Source Code, Looper, Happy Death Day are all worthy films from this stable. Palm Springs, the most recent addition may well be the brightest inductee of all. 

These GD genre films always create a puzzle for the viewer, the puzzle leaves one thinking about a scene where we have to think back to previous days and the effects of the present which is about to become insignificant once the next loop begins. People who know the genre know what I mean. Palm Springs, is all about Groundhog Day but with a more intriguing and polished love story. GD still out ranks it however. It's hard to beat a concept breaker!!

The cleverness of Palm Springs is etched in the first 15 minutes. The film begins with all the hallmarks of a seen it all before social comedy. Bored male, Nyles (Andy Samberg), in a boring relationship, serenades the brides sister, Sarah (Cristin Milioti). He does it during speech time where he hijacks the microphone. Will he make a fool of himself? After all he's dressed as if to spend a morning at the beach. Very soon the heart of this clever film is revealed.

Samberg and Milioti, but particularly Milioti, are the perfect duo here. Their reliance on one another as each plot darkens then thickens works, and the simmering romance does just that, it simmers. J.K. Simmons as Roy is perfectly placed to give Springs that third element. He enters with a bang and make sure you stay for the titles. His final grab is like placing that last small piece in the 1000 bit jigsaw puzzle! 11GUMS.      

 

No. 74. (2020) LET HIM GO November 19th.

 

Film No. 74 (2020)  November 19th.  6:30 PM.  HOYTS Garden City Cinema 6.

"You let it be known that you're looking for a Weboy, then they'll find you. (A cousin of the Nth Dakota Weboys' let George and Margaret know how things work in them, there parts).

Let Him Go is simply, and let me say, effectively shot western depicting the 60's. It's about two grieving, aging parents/grand-parents feeling morally obligated to right a wrong. A wrong that involves their own flesh and blood. So who better to have as our hero's than Kevin Costner and Diane Lane? Who indeed.

Like some of the great westerns, High Noon, Rio Bravo; Kevin and Diane as George and Margaret Blackledge are out numbered but they know that unless they stand up to a North Dakota family of bullies, the Weboys', they won't get to see their grandson Jimmy, again. And the Weboys, overseen by the queen of all things nasty, matriarch Blanche (Lesley Manville), always get their way; or have done in the past.

Manville and Lane play motherly nurturers of the worst and best kind. They provide the pulse for Let Him Go. You just know the climax is all about Blanche and Margaret facing off. The violence is slightly disturbing but if we are to feel rage on behalf of the Blackledges then blood has to be spilt.

Let Him Go will definitely sell some popcorn, it's a genre film done right. The Costner/Lane combination will definitely be on screen again soon. It's their film and they've done plenty here to maintain their solid reputations. 9GUMS.

    

          

No. 73. (2020) THE NEST (British Film Festival) November 19th.

 

Film No. 73 (2020)  November 19th.  1:00 PM.  Cinema 2  LUNA SX Fremantle.

"Rory, stop!" (Allison utters the final words of the film in a manner that sums up the journey the O'Hara family have taken, as expressed in The Nest).

At last, here is Sean Durkin's (Martha Marcy May Marlene) second feature, eight years after his first. So, has it been worth the wait? Yes and no, but I'm probably not as bullish about The Nest as many other critics. Martha, for me, is Durkin's better feature.

The star performer in The Nest is Carrie Coon in her first starring feature film role. She plays Allison, the wife  of narcissistic, financial, wonder-boy Rory O'Hara, played by Jude Law. Together they are a couple living beyond their means in a world Rory has created as he chases the elusive deal that will make them rich beyond comprehension. But will it provide the happiness he thinks great wealth will bring?

Durkin is a director who sets every scene like an artist arranges the colours on a palate. The silences are as effective as the sounds. Like knitting, every stitch of every scene is building to a product. In The Nest the intrigue comes from wondering what the dramatic conclusion will be? He does it well but I wasn't as intrigued or convinced as I would have liked to have been. However, given the reviews, I'm in the minority.

Expectations can be a handicap as a film goer. But often the test of a good film is the time it stays with you. Thinking about The Nest has been nourishing. It's a film about an era America depicted on film in raw Gordon Ghekko terms. Here in a U.K./Canadian production, a new light is shone on the greed culture of the eighties. It's a costume drama depicting a family caught in the time. I was left pondering what effects the "greed is good" culture would have on the O'Haras'. 9GUMS.          

 

No. 72. (2020) STARFISH November 15th.

 

Film No. 72 (2020)  November 15th.  1:00 PM.  Cinema 5  LUNA Leederville.

"They just grow them back again".(Tom explains to daughter Grace what happens to a Starfish if it loses its arms).

I haven't seen a project film of the likes of Starfish for a good while. And while the earnestness of the film's script makes for a very, made for T.V. product, the aim of Starfish is to bring an awareness to the wider community of a condition called sepsis.

 

Using the true story of Tom Ray and his family, writer/director Bill Clarke, has created a very moving story about how normal people, living normal lives are suddenly dealt a crushing hand. Joanne Froggatt, (also an executive producer) plays Tom's wife, Nicola. A wife who never stops loving her husband through all his physical and emotional challenges, as his body fights sepsis. The Ray family story must certainly have struck a chord with both Clarke and Froggatt. The unique technique of morphing aspects of Ray's actual face into Riley's for reasons that become obvious, is mesmerizing. Earnest this film may be, but it highlights the fact that what we worry about day to day can become insignificant when we are blindsided by something we never imagined happening to us. 

In the Ray's, case, sepsis is one very cruel blindsiding. The Ray family's bravery is anything but ordinary. 9GUMS.

 

         

No. 71. (2020) FREAKY November 11th.

 

Film No. 71 (2020)  November 11th.  6:45 PM.  Cinema 9  GRAND CINEMAS Warwick.

"Honestly, if this were a horror movie, I'd be one of the first ones to be killed".(Millie's voice-over sets the scene for what comes next).

The idea of Freaky Friday meets Friday the 13th is a good one. Suddenly a beautiful young girl is transformed into a serial killing butcher and visa versa. Director Christopher Landon of Happy Death Day is in charge. The writing needs, however, to be fresh and fun. Especially if the cast has the talent and the looks. Unfortunately Freaky is lacking the freshness it screams out for. Vince Vaughn (The Butcher) and Kathryn Newton (Millie) recite their prose competently and the visuals, highlighted by blood and violence, keep a large group of artists plying their trade with gusto. It must be a fun and ever expanding skill in our modern film industry. Okay, it's not my genre; there will be plenty of popcorn lovers to lap up the "tick the boxes" competency of Freaky. Good luck to them and the distributors, the more people flocking back to the cinemas the better. Freaky may be just the tonic! 7GUMS.

      

No. 70. (2020) THE IRON BRIDGE (Zelazny most) Polish Film Festival (Perth W.A.) November 6th.

 

Film No. 70 (2020)  November 6th.  6:45 PM.  Cinema 1  LUNA Leederville.

"Does it matter how you die? One moment, and it's over!".(Oskar utters these profound words under the influence of strong drink in response to wife Magda's more reflective view on death).

A dark drama from Poland; so dark it takes us on an emotional roller-coaster where you're pleased that the nightmare unfolding is not one you are living.

Director/writer Monika Jordan-Mlodzianowska takes us underground into a Polish coal mine where the emotional drama unfolding on the surface between lovers Magda (Julia Kijowska) and Kacper (Bartlomiej Topa) is nothing compared to what her husband, and his best friend, Oskar (Lukasz Simlat), is enduring 300 feet beneath the surface.

The opening scene takes us halfway into the drama. A scantly clad Magda opens the door of her and Oskar's apartment, to her lover, but Kacper has company, a mining executive and they have bad news. Rewind to the story behind the love triangle and soon you'll understand why Oskar has been truly duped. We rejoin the opening scene mid film and Jordan-Mlodzianowski has brilliantly set us up for a most powerful conclusion. I do not use the term, powerful, lightly here.

Kacper controls Oskar's underground shifts. Does Magda know where her true emotional loyalties rest, or does it take a crisis of the worst kind to reveal this? Has Kacper weighed up what real friendship is? Especially when he takes advantage of his position of authority. And, what is the price each will pay? Feel good this is not. A brilliantly perceived social drama it is. 10GUMS.

  

 

No. 69. (2020) THE CLIMB November 5th.

 

Film No. 69 (2020)  November 5th.  10:40 PM.  Cinema 3  LUNA Leederville.

"No one likes you Mike, I'm the only one who likes you and do you want to know why? You're loud and obnoxious and you're an asshole".(Kyle expresses his feelings towards his friend during yet another emotional exchange).

The Climb is a remarkable, low key independent U.S. film. I'm not sure if Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin are re-enacting a key era of their relationship as thirty somethings, or if they have created a piece of pure fiction. I suspect the latter. They did after all co-write, produce and star in The Climb. But maybe there are some real life incidents along the way.

Together Covino and Marvin created a short, 8 minute film, in 2018, of two guys cycling up a hill, one in better shape than the other. Mike, the mate in better shape, reveals that he has slept with Kyle's wife to be. Kyle becomes furious but can't catch his best-man to be (or maybe not), he's too unfit. It's a great concept ... but even better is the fact these two artists decided to make a feature showing what happens next, in 6 chapters, over the next thirteen years.

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There are many truths to this depiction of a turbulent friendship. One can imagine a couple of close mates watching this feature together, nudging one another as a chapter, or better still scene, sparked common threads. The Climb is very much a fun, at times, laugh out loud social comedy. Some themes are quite serious, but you get a sense Covino and Marvin ask the question, is life better lived when sharing common experiences with a mate?

The Climb is a quirky, unique comedy. There is no big studio money involved, just a heart felt script which gives life and soul to every character (mainly Kyle's family/lovers), each with their own opinion of our central players' relationship. The Climb is fresh and very enjoyable. 10GUMS.