Film No. 72 (2024) October 26th. 6:30 PM PALACE Raine Sq, Cinema 6, Perth City.
"Did anybody ask Edison what a lightbulb was before he harnessed electricity?" (Michaels retorts to the media pack after a question about what the audience could expect).
WINNER: Director Award (Jason Reitman) Savannah Film Festival. (2024).
Has Jason Reitman, in SATURDAY NIGHT, just made his best crafted film? Yes, I think so, but JUNOis still my favourite of his.
Reitman lives this showbiz nightmare; a fictional version of the very first airing of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, through its creator, Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle). A great move indeed. On October 11, 1975 NBC prepared to broadcast live a new comedy show, Saturday Night. For Lorne Michaels it's time for an out with the old, (Carson, Berle) and in with the new, entertainment idea. A Sketch show performed in front of a live audience, using the new wave of New York comedians. The film represents the 90 minutes of mayhem prior to LIGHTS UP!
Reitman knew most of the real-life performers. They were family friends. He has it on good authority that most of what's depicted did happen. It's a tight, brilliantly written rendition. I loved his theory! 10GUMS.
Film No. 74 (2024) November 1st. 4:00 PM LUNA CINEMA, Cinema 6, Leederville.
"Even if I hated you for telling me, I'd forget soon enough!" (Knox answers his doctor as best he can after receiving some very bad news).
NOMINEE: Local Team of the Year (Michael Keaton & Crew) California On Location Awards.
Are we seeing less and less of these concept yarns? Yarns like MEMENTOand KNOX GOES AWAY (KGA), which give us a challenge, a puzzle to solve? Certainly in cinemas', I think we are.
Michael Keaton directs his second feature. THE MERRY GENTLEMAN, his first, is an edgy drama. So too is KGA. Keaton should direct more often. The fact he also plays the lead in both, adds to the licence he seems to have in creating a moody grit in each scene. His Knox (Keaton) is a hitman. He is dying. Only weeks to live. His condition; dementia, his mind is in a rapid decline. He has a final job. A job which will give closure to a regretful past. Combining strict notetaking and a trusted confidant (Pacino) has Keaton juggling a recipe with an ingredient or two missing, but the dish is tasty.
Knox is a compelling character. Keaton and Pacino are a couple of stars who should work together more often. The yarn has a B grade aura, but it's A grade entertainment. 10GUMS.
Film No. 73 (2024) October 28th. 6:30 PM PALACE Raine Sq, Cinema 6, Perth City.
"I've been harassed by people all day. I'm sick to death of it!" (Pansy explodes at husband Curtley as he maintains his trance like silence).
NOMINEE: Best Film (Mike Leigh) San Sebastian Int. Film Festival. (2024).
Is Pansy (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) of HARD TRUTHS (HT) simply too hard on those around her (including us) to be taken seriously? Yes, but as the complexity of her mental state is revealed, we need to take her very seriously.
Mike Leigh (HAPPY GO LUCKY) is back. He has as much to say here, as he did in SECRETS AND LIES. But while the 1996 classic attracted 5 Oscar nominations, HT will not. Perhaps over 28 years, the questions Leigh asks about connection and chemistry within families, and his pessimistic approach, has meant that his cinematic genius has diluted. Or maybe there are so many other techniques for presenting hard hitting social drama. Pansy is a gusher of negative "bile". Early on, there is humour in her rants. Gradually Leigh reveals her core. We are sad for Pansy, and all around her. She demands our attention.
Mike Leigh, like Ken Loach (I, DANIEL BLAKE) has been wondrously transfixing for over 50 Years. Classically, Leigh's creations bear fruit in his final scenes. No dialogue, three static camera shots of Pansy, husband Curtley and brow-beaten son Moses. His question: Surely there is hope, even some happiness, for this family? Maybe. 9GUMS.
Film No. 71 (2024) October 24th. 3:45 PM EVENT CINEMAS, Cine 3, Innaloo.
"I believed in glasses half full and silver linings. Life was so full and so precious. (Grace explains in voice over how she saw life).
WINNER: Best Feature Feature Film (Adam Elliot) London Film Festival.
Can an artist using stop-motion technique, create a feature film to be compared with those of Aardman's,Nick Park? When it's Australian, Academy Award winner, Adam Elliot, he most certainly can.
Grace (Sarah Snook) tells her story with such beauty here in MEMIOR OF ASNAIL. The overwhelming darkness in her life fades as her glass half full attitude gradually prevails. Elliot (MARY AND MAX) is notoriously dark in tone and narrative, but things are not always BLACK. With every shot there is a lighter reference to something. Melbourne's Bitter (a top, a pub) or Schnitz n'Tits (Pinky's workplace) examples of the smiles we get as we "slide" along with Grace. "Every film is a miracle", who said that? Shooting 5 to 10 seconds a day for 33 weeks, definitely qualifies MEMIOR for this category.
Maybe the narration is over played, but the pleasant tones of Sarah Snook are consistently sweet. Adam Elliot, you are a marvel. You place a mirror in front of us all. And while there is an anger here, you always leave us with HOPE! 10GUMS.
Film No. 70 (2024) October 23rd. 10:00 AM EVENT CINEMAS, Cine 6, Innaloo.
"The fact Superman was in a wheelchair, and prepared to go public with it was huge! If Chris was still here, I feel sure Robin (Williams) would also be. I'm sure of that. (Friend Glenn Close describes two strands to Reeves influence).
NOMINEE: Best Documentary Feature Film (Ian Bonhote, Peter Ettedgui) Critic's Choice Awards.
Where were you when you heard that Christopher Reeve had been thrown from a horse and critically injured? Okay, it's not quite JFK sphere, but I remember where I was.
The SUPERMAN (1978)feature filmcould not have been more perfectly cast. Classically trained Christopher Reeve (CR) was the embodiment of chiselled power and beauty. An innocuous horse-riding accident in May 1995 became the flashpoint for Reeve to become a real-life superman. CR left us 20 years ago. This immaculate production pieces together the breadth of his story, and the power his devoted family had, not just on Chris, but on the World. The film is about CR, but the stars are wife Dana, sons Matthew and Will and daughter Alexandra. But particularly 2nd wife Dana.
Most tribute documentaries pay terrific homage to their subjects. SUPER/MAN does this but also complements the man, his family and all they endured and created on all levels. If documentary is not your thing; watch this one anyway. 11GUMS.
Film No. 69 (2024) October 21st. 7:00 PM LUNA CINEMA, Cinema 2, Leederville.
"Mum, I know this looks crazy, but I feel like this might just work" (Jade explains to her mum that the situation she has created may be the answer).
NOMINEE: Official Selection (David Vincent Smith) Sydney Film Festival.
The cinema presents us with heroes of many kinds, so where should Leila George's, Jade, stand in the spectrum of heroes who shake our senses to the core? A hero we won't be able to forget for a time.
First time feature film director David Vincent Smith gathers all his courage here to tell a personal story about his own family. Jade being the embodiment of how he believed he should have acted in relation to his predicament. Having a sibling dealing with an addiction, tearing the heart from a family of substance, is on show in HE AIN'T HEAVY. Smith knows what Jade needs to do to prove to herself that she tried everything to save her brother and thus her family. Smith's film is very accomplished. It's a powerhouse of a film.
Gathering Gretta Scacchi, daughter Leila George and VIKINGS: VALHALLA, Sam Corlett together was the lucky break West Australian film-maker Smith needed to bring his story to the world. He has not wasted a second of their time, or ours; the ending in particular is classy! 11GUMS.
Film No. 68 (2024) Oct 18th. 10.10 AM TOHO Namba Complex, Cinema 11, Osaka, Japan.
"Unless you have to?" (Reenie answers Bernie's question about not leaving her alone, for a day or two).
WINNER: Best Actor (Michael Caine) Barcelona-Sant Jordi I.F.F.
Would the real Bernie Jordan and family have been "chuffed" that he and wife Reenie were played by British legends of the screen, Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson? Most definitely and with good reason; the film is a fine tribute piece.
In 2014, Bernie Jordon created headlineswhen he walked out ofhis Hove (UK) care facility and caught a ferry across the channel, aged 89, without official registration, to be a part of the 70th Anniversary celebrations of the D Day landings in Normandy. Wife Reenie (Irene) held the secret, as his carers made a public plea to find Bernie. Oliver Parker(AN IDEAL HUSBAND) creates a multi layered film celebrating love, care, compassion and aging with great dignity.
Caine and Jackson combine to work a magic only masterful performers can achieve. Sure, the story is based on real events, but creating a couple truly devoted to each other with such conviction takes rare skill. Jackson deserved such a film as her farewell to us all. 10GUMS.
Film No. 67 (2024) Oct 10th. 10.30 AM MIDLAND SQUARE Complex, Cinema 6, Nagoya, Japan.
"I've never seen that chick before in my life; or afterlife" (Beetlejuice answers a question related to the woman he made his wife, second time round).
WINNER: Fanheart3 Award (Tim Burton) Venice FF.
Why is such a mish-mash of silliness and fun becoming the "run-away" Box Office phenomenon of 2024? I'm not sure. The 36 year wait for a sequel to a movie phenomenon may have something to do with it.
Devotees of the original won't be missing BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE (BB). That's a certainty. And perhaps they deserve the most attention when it comes to critical comment. Me, well I saw the original, and while I thoroughly enjoyed the mayhem caused by a younger Keeton in a far more structured story about ghostly cleansing in the suburbs, it hasn't left a lasting impression. BB comes with a whole lot less structure, but a myriad of brand new effects technology. It's here that the uninhibited Burton revels and releases his inhibitions.
That BB has become the most successful September release film in cinema history heaps great credit on the Burton/Keaton following. Keaton has said that the only sequel he might consider would be this. The devoted have remembered, perhaps. 7GUMS.
"Just keep bringin' money and helping your useless Ma!" (Husband Ivano makes a cutting demand of daughter, Marcella, around the family meal table).
WINNER: Best Film (Paola Cortellesi) Sydney Film Prize (2024).
Has there been a minor social/cultural revolution in Italian cinema since the release of actress/director Paola Cortellesi's THERE'S STILL TOMORROW? Revolution? No, but its popularity in Italy means it is the talk of the nation.
The film has been more popular in the city of Rome (the 1946 setting) in the last 12 months than BARBIE. Digest that! And while the film lacks subtlety, it more than makes up for this minor flaw with its powerful black and white pallet. The sharp images give Delia (Cortellesi) and daughter Marcella (Roma Maggiora) a beauty that belies their treatment by a male dominated household. 1946 is also the year women were first allowed to have their say (constitutional vote). Cortellesi uses this backdrop to give this story the sting it deserves.
DOMANI is a brilliant empowerment (female) drama, parallel in time with the highest grossing feminist film of all time; BARBIE. Outgrossing BARBIE, in Italy, says much about a nation celebrating a significant 70 year milestone. 10GUMS.
"I'm saving you for last!" (The words which will haunt a child who is key to this story).
NOMINEE: Best Film (Marco Martani) Raffaella Fioretta (2024).
Is BAMBINI a film to enjoy, but not a tale where knowing it's a pure figment of a creator's imagination is a relief? Yes, and the relief factor comes in the form of knowing this tale is more akin to waking from a nightmare!!
We return to the Calabrian coast for writer/director Marco Martani's (CEMENTO ARMATO) latest story. Is it me, or is the Calabrian setting a passport for a plethora dark tales? Martani is deft at building a web via the memories of childhood, showing how the repercussions occurring today were founded in the past. BAMBINI is a revenge drama built around a group of 30 somethings who saw something as children that needs to be cleansed. That cleansing is going to take teamwork and courage. In the hands of Martani this tall tale will hold your interest.
The award winning, THE MAFIA ONLY KILLS IN SUMMER (2013) was co-written by Martani. BAMBINI has MAFIA'S pedigree with a well timed feminist punch issued excellently by Lucrezia Guidone. It's a good flick. 9GUMS
"Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself?" (V.O. on repeat via Elisabeth's inward thinking about her future beyond her fifties).
WINNER: Best Screenplay (Coraliie Fargeat) Cannes FF (2024).
Should a film, so brilliantly conceived and performed have such a long and bizarre conclusion that its message flails? Probably not. It diluted my enjoyment of THE SUBSTANCE (TS), however.
"Careful what you wish for" has great gravitas in the world of film-making. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946), a post war classic, created a never forgotten life lesson. Well, don't expect themes of empathy from THE SUBSTANCE. When aging star, Elisabeth Sparkle, (Demi Moore) is offered the opportunity to transform herself into a reinvigorated 20's version of herself, via strange and bizarre chemical injections; buyer beware.
We know the answer, and so the Qualley/Moore chemistry is the key to TS. We know early on that we are about to witness a "car crash". And what a car-crash it is in this fantasy to salute to vanity!! 9GUMS.
Film No. 67 (2024) September 30th. 4:15 PM EVENT CINEMAS, VMax Cine 4, Innaloo.
"No it's not! I'm a very young adult" (The older Elliot justifies why her age should not be considered middle-age).
NOMINEE: Breakthrough Award (Megan Park) Variety and Golden Globe.
Could MY OLD ASS (MOA) be better titled and thus be more enticing as an education tool in schools? From where I'm sitting, most definitely!
While uneven in structure, MOA is wonderfully heartfelt and surprisingly, tugs on our emotions. Surprising, because, Megan Park (THE FALL OUT), uses interesting ideas to bring a selfish seventeen year old, Elliot (Maisy Stella), into a zone of self reflection. How many of us live with a regret or two about how we bulldozed through our late teens, without appreciating those who got us there?
But its the performances that parcel MOA up. Aubery Plaza is the next "big thing" (if she isn't already) on any screen. The brilliant Stella could not have gained her third dimension without Plaza. Something special here. 9GUMS.
"For the first session you have all the house to yourself. You have books. You have everything you need" (Pietro outlines his plan for Teresa's study regime in the confines of his apartment).
WINNER: Best Screenplay (Danielle Luchetti) Italian Golden Globes (2024).
Why did CONFIDENZA, after promising so much, fall short as a thrilling psychological drama? By spending too much time fanning one concept which didn't ignite, maybe?
Danielle Luchetti makes good films. LACCI (2021) was a fascinating study of family. In CONFIDENZA, he takes us into the life of Pietro (Elio Germano), a teacher loved by his students. Does he cross the line when he falls for one of his students, Teresa (Federica Rosellini)? Probably not; it's not the point. He crosses his own line when he falls for one of Teresa's games. The game of revealing to your partner your worst secret. He does, which leads to the end of the relationship, and for him, a lifetime of stress. He no longer controls his secret. When will his life be destroyed once it's out? See, a clever idea, yeah?
Luchetti wants to build a tension with every scene. Will we find out the secret ourselves? We are led to believe a couple of violent deaths are real, but are they? Lots of good ideas here, but with 25 minutes to go, I'd lost interest. 8GUMS.
Film No. 62 (2024) September 12th. 10:00 AM EVENT CINEMAS, Cine 8, Innaloo.
"Winx, an Australian icon. The greatest of all time. Winx - thirty three in a row?" (A race caller describes the moment, seconds after Winx has crossed the line in his last race).
Is this Australian story, about a phenomenal racehorse (International Horse of the Year 2018) a worthy document to celebrate a champion? Is it what! This true story is better than fiction and like the horse, it's to be enjoyed by all.
There are three stars of this story. A horse, a trainer and a jockey. Janine Hosking's feature documentary brings us Chris Waller (trainer) and Hugh Bowman (jockey), at the top of their craft. The drama of how Winx won 33 consecutive races in the prestigious Australian circuit, over a 5 years period (2015 -'19) is captivating. Like all good documentaries there is drama - but would this horse have achieved greatness without the tender hands of Waller (in particular), Bowman, the owners, the strappers, the vets, the track workers etc,? Not in a million years.
What more to say? Author Andrew Rule wrote the book, 'Winx'. His narration and front of camera work give the polish fitting for a champion. You do not need to be a racing fan to love this film. 11GUMS.
Film No. 61 (2024) September 10th. 6:30 PM BACKLOT Cine Theatre, West Perth.
"You'll have to come to visit, Yeh?" (Paddy extends an invitation to Ben and Louise in a tone where he won't take no for an answer).
Was it director, James Watkins' intention to have audience's giggling through some of the tensest scenes in his latest feature, SPEAK NO EVIL (SNE)? Well, I assume it must have been. It doesn't distil the film's intent.
SNE is good entertainment. It is a nasty little film, but the dialogue, and a typical James McEvoy aura keeps us grounded in the world of the ridiculous, fully aware that our buttons are being pushed at the right times to ratchet up the tension. The trope of a safe, middle-class London family (Americans) being lured into a weekend away, by a couple (and non-verbal son), living off-grid in remote, rural west country, is not new. We are soon wondering how these "nice" people are going to survive their impending nightmare. The uneasiness of McEvoy's Paddy, soon takes us to where we need to be. He's good.
The Danish original (2022), created by Chris and Mads Tafdrup is a tenser film. Interestingly, director Watkins collaborated with the brothers to write this Blumhouse production. It's a marginally different take. It works. 9GUMS.
Film No. 60 (2024) September 5th. 11:45 AM PALACE Raine Square, Platinum 4, Perth City.
"So, do you think the human sacrifice is before or after the dinner?" (Jess makes fun to bestie, Frida, about the what comes next, in this fun, paradise island they have landed on).
Has actor Zoe Kravitz just marked her card as a director (debut) to be sought by big studios for their event films? Yes, most definitely yes. Jordan Peel has competition.
BLINK TWICE (BT) is a razor sharp film. In the same vein as any Jordan Peel flick. Here Kravitz uses design, editing, script (humour), character study and surprise without wasting a moment of the 105 minute running time. I couldn't help but think Frida (Naomi Ackie) was the character Kravitz has held deep within, and now BT represents her opportunity to unleash. She then creates an ending so clever that maybe a BLINK TWICE II will have us barracking for men!!
I don't like any of the themes that BT raises. It's a nasty low(ish) budget feature film. The men are despicable - one in particular. And, given the fact that Geena Davis is an advocate for equality for women in film, her role in BT is significant. But it is a smart film. 9GUMS.
Film No. 59 (2024) August 31st. 3:40 PM EVENT CINEMAS, Cine 11 Vmax, Innaloo.
"One day you'll have a daughter. What will you say to her?" (Lily asks husband Ryle the question he will answer, to legitimize who he really is).
Will IT ENDS WITH US (IEWU) be a wake-up call for some who may be living in an abusive relationship? Given it's box-office figures, I'm sure there will be "triggers" for a few. A good thing indeed!
This is a very slick, middle-class, Hollywood take on what is regarded as a silent epidemic going on behind closed doors, in seemingly blissful domestic lives, worldwide. The film wouldn't have seen the light of day without the romance novel by Coleen Hoover. Hoover, co-wrote the screen play. Her romance, with a sharp edge, is now a part of so many more lives. Blake Lively as Lily Bloom takes us on a fairy tale ride as manipulative as PRETTY WOMAN, but with undertones more akin to Snow White.
The film is clever. The supposed rift between Director/Lead, Justin Baldoni and team Lively (and husband Reynolds) fuels the promotive air that surrounds IEWU andhas contributed to its runaway success ($300m so far). 8GUMS.
Film No. 58 (2024) August 26th. 6:30 PM WINDSOR Luna, Cinema 1, Nedlands.
"How hard can it be? Idiots use them all the time" (Thelma makes her point to her friend Ben about why she'd be very capable when it came to gun use).
WINNER: Audience Award (Josh Margolin) Calgary (Underground) Film Festival.
Howin awe should we be of 93 year old veteran actor June Squibb in this sweet, heist drama, THELMA? In absolute AWE in my estimation. And what a great tribute piece for Richard Rowntree (SHAFT), in his final role.
The very serious subjects of scam criminality, and old age, are the focus of a series of set pieces here. Director Josh Margolin, better known for writing and acting for TV, uses Squibb and the late Richard Rowntree to express a series of thought bubbles based on his experiences caring for his own grandmother, named, wait for it - Thelma. THELMA is light, it's fun, and best taken with some warm milk and a biscuit on a streaming service.
The performances of Squibb, Rowntree and Annie O'Donnell make this fluffy film worth the time. O'Donnell (TWO LIVES IN PITTSBURGH) cuts to the bone as Grace. She lives alone in her home; the world has forgotten her. 8GUMS.
Film No. 56 (2024) August 24th. 10:30 AM LUNA CINEMA, Cinema 2, Leederville.
"What kind of butler are you Mr Blake?" (Asks Madame Beauvillier of her newly found "breath of fresh air").
NOMINEE: Official Selection (Gilles Legardinier) Sonoma Int. FF.
What's better on a cold, wet afternoon, than an earnest French morality tale designed and performed exquisitely? COMPLETEMENT CRAME will certainly warm your cockles on all fronts.
Malkovich and Fanny Ardent give first time feature writer/director GillesLegardinier an armchair ride here. His script is light and a smidge "wet" but in the hands of acting royalty, he must surely have been pinching himself! 9GUMS.
Film No. 56 (2024) August19th. 7:00 PM LUNA CINEMA, Cinema 5, Leederville.
"You could have played nice with me. But you didn't. And that is the reason for all of this" (Our perpetrator narrates a possible reason for all the pain he is inflicting on all his victims).
Did I miss something when I read that LONGLEGS (LL) ranks with SILENCE OF THE LAMBS as an iconic film of "the hunt the serial killer genre" type? I must have, I suppose. That's not to say LONGLEGS doesn't have oodles of style.
Maika Monroe certainly impresses on screen as Agent Lee Harker. As with Jodie Foster's Clarice Starling, she is our vehicle to instigating the downfall of the preposterously odd Longlegs (Nicholas Cage). But like a meal splattered on a plate in front of me, in no order, LL's narrative expects us to pick the scenes that might have particular relevance as we sprint to the finish. And then there's the ending; a blood splattering finish, far too contrived to be edgily unnerving.
Maybe director Oz Perkins is paying homage to films of the ilk of CARRIE, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, and THE EXORCIST via his grainy horror palate. Well done Oz, if that's the case. But, I was hoping for a tighter, edge of my seat experience. 8GUMS.
