No. 16 (2021) LONG STORY SHORT February 24th.

Film No 16 (2021)  February  24th.  10:00 AM  EVENT CINEMAS Galleria ,  Morley.

"I've always done things backwards. I kissed you and then I met you" (Teddy relates his experiences, only he can relate to, justifying his next steps in life to Leanne).

There are a number of references to Groundhog Day in Long Story Short but this likeable concept film needn't have bothered, it stands up by itself. LSS is a romcom written and directed by talented Aussie Josh Lawson who impressed with The Little Death (2014). Acting has been his bread and butter since the late seventies; I hope he continues to take the challenges that the other side of the camera offers.

Our hero, Teddy (Rafe Spall), procrastinates about life in general. He needs to be taught a life lesson about commitment. Meeting "time-lord", mysterious Noni Hazlehurst in a cemetery, hitching to his life partner Leanne (Zarah Newman), and then finding time is disintegrating, literally (Groundhog Day style with a twist) has us rooting for him to get his act together.   

Spall and Newman carry the heaviest load here. Newman is particularly likable while Spall does his frustrating best to come to grips with the past year  and all that has happened without his knowledge ... even though he was there, he has no idea what happened. To describe the film's plot step by step detracts from the mystery of this cinematic adventure.   

The key to a pleasant rom-com is that we believe in the  players. They end up together because it makes sense and we like them. The script gives us a laugh or two along the way and the conclusion gives us a warm fuzzy feeling. Long Story Short ticks these boxes although the rushed conclusion could have been polished some. The predictable nature of the ending is not in question, the execution is. I love a film that appears in cinemas without fanfare, delivers entertainment simply and with  something to think about. Long Story Short will be enjoyed by many on streaming networks within weeks. 9GUMS.

 

          

  

No. 15 (2021) BLACKBIRD February 15th.

Film No 15 (2021)  February  15th.  6:30 PM  LUNA PALACE Windsor,  Nedlands .

"Anna, Chris are you up yet? I'm dead soon, are you coming down. That should get them going!" (Lilly calls to her daughter and daughter's partner to come down stairs for breakfast).

 

You know when you buy a next to new second hand car? You've done your research and from the outside it looks to be everything you'd hoped. Then you drive it. The steering is heavy, there's a shudder as you accelerate and it just doesn't quite feel right. Well, that was how I felt about Blackbird. Everything from the poster to the trailer looked right, but there was something missing.

Blackbird is a remake of the mediocrely reviewed Danish film Silent Heart. So why did four small production companies decide to reboot an already underwhelming screenplay? I'm not sure why, the star studded cast would attract an audience, but the script is so tepid the likes of Sam Neill and Kate Winslet, in particular, seem out of place.

Susan Sarandon is Lily and she wants to die on her terms. She has a highly debilitating motor neuron disease and wants to be surrounded by her family and friend, Liz (Lindsay Duncan) for the final two days of her life. Family (no surnames) is close. Each have their issues, hence the inevitable conflicts. Daughters Jennifer (Winslet), a control freak, and Anna (Mia Wasikowska), emotionally fragile, cause Lily most angst in her final hours. It unravels like a stage play, except that the wild, West Sussex coast forms the backdrop. The scenery is a highlight!   

If you love a good old tear jerker, no matter the manipulative measures a film uses, then Blackbird will tick those boxes. Don't miss it. But if you want something extra, especially if you have access to a cinema, then Blackbird may disappoint. Here in Australia where cinemas are open for business, I'm thinking Blackbird might get a 14 day run. It will, no doubt, touch more hearts once it is streaming.  7GUMS. 

             

                

  

No. 14 (2021) ANOTHER ROUND (DRUK) February 12th.

 

Film No. 14 (2021)  Feb. 12th.  5:45 PM  PALACE Premium Cinema 3,  Raine Square,  Perth City. 

"Maybe going a bit higher .... Let's change gears." (Martin makes the suggestion. They have improved in areas of life at the .05% level, why not take their alcohol blood levels higher!).

This is a dark film about alcohol and its influence on people, with not a cliche in sight. Another Round is being advertised as being much lighter than it is and of possessing a comedic tone. I'm not sure why, and although it has black comic moments, Druk is serious, dark theatre. 

Director Vinterberg (The Hunt) talks of taking the seed of an idea for Druk from a play depicting four women experimenting with alcohol as a stimulant for making life better both professionally and domestically. According to Norwegian psychiatrist Finn Skarderud the adult being, functions better with 0.05% in the blood. It's a bloody good premise for a film when you think about it, so did Vinterberg succeed in his interpretation? Yes, no doubt in my view.

Mads Mikkelsen's Martin is our central focus in AR. He is a failing teacher and husband. He's become a bore to both his students and his wife Anika (Maria Bonnevie). 

He has teacher mates Nikolaj (Magnus Milang), Peter (Lars Ranthe) and Tommy (Thomas Bo Larsen), all are looking for an invigoration of their dulling lives. The Skarderud theory might be worth testing. So they do. But don't get mislead by the upbeat trailer, Druk is definitely something different. Something better, in my view.

For Australian me, an ex-teacher, living in a country with alcohol issues not dissimilar to those exemplified by Vinterberg of Denmark, the film made relevant comment on many levels. The formalities of the young (graduates), entering adulthood, consuming alcohol to excess, top and tail Druk. Could Vinterberg be asking a question of his country's acceptance of such a tradition. Maybe, but one thing is certain, with 800k tickets sold alone in Denmark, so far, the film is popular. Druk is going to be discussed at length by the natives of Denmark.  11GUMS.

      

No. 13 (2021) THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS February 8th.

Film No. 13 (2020)  Feb. 8th.  6:30 PM  Cinema 5  LUNA,  Leederville. 

"Carlo, Carlo, Carlo." (The call of Carlo Gondola's wife that can be heard each evening after his  fossick for Truffle, she worries about her husband disappearing into the forest).

Last year it was Honeyland, this year it will most  definitely be The Truffle Hunters. Both films tell, in less than 90 minutes, separate tales about ancient traditions of gathering much sought after resources (honey and truffle) using simple methods by likeable, earthy people lacking any form of swagger. And yes, it's the people plus their dogs parallelling their simple lives that holds our attention.

We meet Piero, Sergio, Aurelio, Enrico and Carlo. All are heavily invested in the world wide truffle industry. So, what heavyweight technology will they need to extract the highly sought after White Alba Truffle from the Piedmont Forest region of Italy; their home surrounds? None. Their dogs are their tools of trade and as loveable on screen as their owners. The film is delightfully meditative.

Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw made The Last Race, a brilliant fly on the wall doco on Long Island's last stock car track and the pressure being placed on the proprietors to give in to the circling sharks (Real Estate developers)! They have a perceptive eye for capturing the human spirit in all its resilience. But if you're the type who craves a voiceover to explain, in linear terms, what's happening, then Truffle may not be for you. Then again if you are willing to give the "fly on the wall" style a chance then you won't do better than The Truffle Hunters. 10GUMS.

   

No. 12 (2021) MINARI February 6th.

 

Film No. 12  (2021)  February 6th.  11:00 AM.  Cinema 1  LUNA Leederville.

"They need to see me succeed at something for once"(Jacob discusses their plight with Monica as she questions their decision to persist against the odds).

It must be a gratifying experience to make a movie of the quality of Minari. So when the movie is also a profound memory of childhood, that gratification must be magnified. Lee Isaac Chung has created a small masterpiece here and it is all about the small moments. After all it's the small moments which often mean the most to people as they recall their childhood.

Jacob (Steven Yeun) is seeking a simpler, but at the same time more fulfilling, life for his family. It's the eighties. The Reagan years, where greed is good and Americans craved wealth. Creating a farm out of the fields of Arkansas, living in a house standing on blocks and wheels, finding water then growing food is all a part of Jacob's dream. 

Jacob and Monica (Veri Han) are immigrants. They are new to a traditional U.S. rural lifestyle so the thought of prejudices and alienation might become key elements to a drama like this. Chung's memories, seen through the eyes of David (Alan Kim), are pure, thoughtful and uncomplicated. Key characters, like grandma Soonja (Yuh Jung Yong) fill Minari with the small moments so important in Chung's memories.

In a recent interview Chung speaks of his father's relationship with a worker the family grew close to. Will Patton plays Paul, Jacobs trusted assistant in Minari and despite the eccentricities of Paul's religious beliefs the loyalty that binds Paul to Jacob over time is life affirming. 

Could Minari be the sleeper for a Best Picture award just like Parasite of only a year ago? Maybe, especially in a year when the world is looking for a gentle pleasure with not a nasty person in view! Personally, I enjoyed Minari more than I did Parasite. 11GUMS. 

     

      

   

No. 10 (2021) PALMER . February 1st.

 

Film No. 10 (2021)  Feb. 1st.  4:40 PM   APPLE+TV,  Mt. Hawthorn, West Australia. 

"Listen to me son. Kids are mean, especially when they are seeing something that they aren't used to seeing." (Palmer offers up some serious advice to his young friend Sam about how other kids may be viewing him).

I've never rated Justin Timberlake as a convincing character actor. Is it the wooden look? Or is it simply a ploy by film-makers to attract a crowd because of his pop-star (NSYNC) quality. So while there are definitely wooden moments for Justin here in Palmer, he's totally suited to this role. Sam played by a young Ryder Allen steals the show however.

We meet Palmer on a bus travelling through the rural deep south. He's headed home after a stint in jail. We learn a little about his chequered past and the reason he paid a price, he makes no excuses, he's determined to move on. He returns to his grandma Vivian (June Squibb). She brought him up. His mother ran off when he was five and his much loved dad died before Palmer had completed school. We are ready for a ride with Palmer as he seeks his new start.

This new start, surprisingly, takes the form of Sam, a boy living in a trailer next door, who often comes under the care of Vivian due to the neglectful social habits of his mother Shelly (Juno Temple). The formula of a drama like Palmer soon kicks in. Palmer takes time to warm to Sam. Sam does not play the same way as most boys. He prefers the company of girls and loves dolls as toys. Palmer soon realizes Sam is mapping out his own path in life and he is a unique likable individual. But he's young, alone and gradually his isolation magnifies as inevitable story twists unfold. 

Palmer inherits guardianship of Sam, and while the usual tropes of discomfort are played out he becomes a loving mentor. But then there are the complications of custody, over protecting, falling in love and fighting for what's right. It's all a part of this made for T.V. formula drama. Does Palmer work the formula well enough? Yes it does, and I'll be less critical of Timberlake's ability as an actor from now on.  8GUMS.

       

  

 

No. 11 (2021) DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD February 3rd.

 

Film No. 11 (2021)  Feb. 3rd.  8:00 PM   NETFLIX,  Mt. Hawthorn, West Australia. 

"Just the idea that I might ever lose this man is just too much to bear." (The voiceover of Kirsten Johnson during the opening credits).

This unique film has stolen the hearts of many in 2020. I'm not sure there could have been a better year for a film like Dick Johnson Is Dead. The fact that it is another Netflix original, making it so accessible for so many, has to be a good thing.

So what do you need to know? Well, to begin with, it is a documentary, but it is laced with fantasy, and that is what makes it so original. Our subject, Dick Johnson is filmed over a period of time from his mid eighties through to his late eighties. The film is a project of his daughter, Kirsten, with the premise that Dick is going to die. There are many staged  enactments of his coming death, and they are very inventive. Have I convinced you yet?

The key to this project is the fact DJID is a love letter from a daughter to her father. Kirsten knows she will lose her father eventually, so she may as well have fun with him while she still can. Dick is genuinely a beautiful man. We are all in love with him by 20 minutes in. We just love hanging out with Dick. The films concluding scenes have us sad, delighted and finally invigorated. I bloody well loved Dick Johnson Is Dead. Give it a go, I don't think you'll be disappointed.  11GUMS.

   

No. 9 (2021) ONLY THE ANIMALS (SELULES LES BETES) January 29th.

 

Film No. 9 (2021)  January 29th.  10:50 PM.  Cinema 7  LUNA Leederville.

"Love, is giving what you don't have. Will you give what you don't have?"(Armand is asked a deep question about his commitment to a future in a fraudulent life).

This thrilling French puzzle of a film has been described as a French, FARGO. Other than the frosty landscape and an accumulation of vulnerable, lonely characters there is little to compare ANIMALS to FARGO. Besides FARGO is based on a real event and ANIMALS is, while entertainingly gripping, pure fiction and downright ridiculous. Oh, sorry, maybe the most appropriate comparison is, if you loved FARGO, then it is highly likely you're going to like ONLY THE ANIMALS.

This review will be short. To give a story outline would be cutting too close to the spoiler bone so my best bet is to discuss the reason why ANIMALS works as a piece of escapism of the highest order. 

For starters, Dominik Moll (THE MONK 2011, LEMMING 2005) who, by the way, makes way too few feature films for my liking, has a great feel for character study. When we meet Alice (Laure Calamy), Michel (Denis Menochet), Marion (Nadia Tereszkiewicz) and Joseph (Damien Bonnard) each headlined as a chapter. A reminder of Tarantino's Jackie Brown incorporating split POV to help with the suspense systemic with puzzle narratives. Themes of internet scamming, infidelity, murder, suicide, loneliness amongst the animals of rural France form just some of the themes.

Ok, those themes won't fill you with joy and happiness but it's not that kind of film. In fact there is next to no uplifting fun on show here. There is however a rollicking good yarn on offer. It all finishes predictably but it has to; the dark irony that proceeds the final scene is inevitable. Gilles Marchand and Moll must have had much fun adapting this Colin Niel trilogy, Selules Les Betes. Far fetched fun, done well, is always worth a cinema visit. 9GUMS.      

 

     

           

 

No. 8 (2021) CORPUS CHRISTI (BOZE CIALO) January 28th.

 

Film No. 8 (2021)  January 28th.  6:45 PM.  Cinema 8  LUNA Leederville.

"Sometimes we think; this can't be God's plan".(Daniel's prison mentor talks to Daniel of the small lessons to be learned in committing to faith in God).

In a very few years Bartosz Bielenia has become one of Poland's leading actors. His performance as "lay-preacher" Daniel in the Academy Award nominated Corpus Christi in no small way enhances his current standing. In this powerful comment on violence, religion, untruths, hypocrisy and ultimately the power of respect for human kind, Bielenia leaves an indelible impression.

 

A series of sliding door moments lead a small Polish rural town, grieving the recent deaths of several locals in a tragic accident, to inherit a new "priest". Daniel has deceived the town but given his dedication to the Catholic  faith he makes his mark. His empathetic actions towards the marginalized in this town asks questions about belief and man's care for fellow man. He gains a following.

His test comes when the prejudices of others rear. Rumour and innuendo over the accident has people believing a fact that isn't necessarily true. Daniel is committed to lead this community towards righteousness. Daniel has made an impact but the ultimate irony is that he is a fraud. He is betrayed by an adversary, his cover is blown, he is not qualified to preach. Which begs the question Corpus Christi asks; is he?

Corpus Christi is based on real events. What story of substance isn't these days? Is there a happy ending to this powerful social drama or does the human spirit get a lift through Daniel's passion to show how people should live with one another? Back to Bielenia; cinema has the power to impress a message via aesthetics. The angelic force Bartosz brings to Daniel is unforgettable. 10GUMS.