Film No. 21 (2015) That Sugar Film March 30th.

Film No. 21 (2015) March 30th. 5:00 PM LUNA SX Fremantle.

The Quote: "People on this planet are growing sicker every day. And many scientists now believe that fructose has a role to play". (Steven Fry describing his understanding of the damages that sugar is causing to the world's population).

That Sugar Film


I'm predicting that this cheaply made documentary feature may well be Australia's most popular film both here and overseas in 2015. While The Babadook certainly achieved the latter accolade it was avoided by the locals in 2014. My hope is that, That Sugar Film will be viewed by many Australians because there is information that may make people's blood boil, either that or it may make their teeth fall out.

In the same way that Morgan Spurlock made Super Size Me, Damon Gameau puts himself to the test by consuming the equivalent of 40 teaspoons of sugar per day for eight weeks. During this time he has various health experts monitoring the effects of this sugar consumption on his body. The foods he consumes are the foods we might mistake as having wholesome health qualities. He self monitors and is very articulate as he discusses the changes taking place both internally and externally. 

The highlight for me however is the clever way Gameau balances scientific information with home and family life and travel as he journeys to a remote aboriginal community and then to the US to mix it with the biggest and the best sugar consumers in the world. Cinema in the digital age allows a film like this to play with graphics and dimension. If there was some dry information to be conveyed it was portrayed creatively. Talking heads appeared on labels and Gameau was often shrunk so he might venture into a body.

That Sugar Film will make me think twice about some of the things I eat. If it helps me to reduce a small percentage of my sugar intake, I'm sure there will be some benefit for me. Perhaps if I think about the film on a regular basis I'll have slipped into a new eating habit thus the benefits will be long term. I can only hope. Gameau has created a thoughtful, intelligent, clever and important film. See it just to learn something new about the world world we live in. 9GUMS.     

    

Film No. 20 (2015) While We're Young March 28th.

Film No. 20 (2015) March 28th.  11.00 AM LUNA Leederville. 

   

"Maybe the point is that we have our freedom. What we do with it isn't that important" (Josh coming to terms with what he has discovered).

 

While We're Young

 

Noah Baumbach is a smart, middle aged film maker. He's smart because he both entertains and tests his audiences to think beyond the realms of what is accepted as normal. Even his trailer for While We're Young is clever because the film is more than the light, frothy, comic prelim that has inundated our screens for weeks leading up to the release. The trailer will attract an audience besides that of the normal disciples of Baumbach.

Ben Stiller teams with Baumbach once more after their collaboration on Greenberg. I wonder if in this film, Stiller (Josh)is drawing on some of Baumbach's own experiences. He's playing a middle aged film maker stuck in a rut navigating a loving relationship with wife Cordellia (Naomi Watts) while desperately trying to finish his documentary. A ten year project. I doubt Baumbach would procrastinate for 10 years over a project but he is 45 and I dare say he has a front row view of middle age and those around him.

While We're Young is a complex comedy. Not complex from a storyline point of view but rather because it is a multi-layered comic drama that sells us the idea of a middle aged couple who don't want to act their age anymore, opting instead to be mentored by new friends Jamie (Adam Driver) and Darby (Amanda Seyfried) who happen to be 20 years younger. There is an abundance of clever one-liners and slapstick early on. Then the film shifts gear as Josh discovers all is not what it seems.

Naomi Watts works the screen brilliantly. Baumbach has an eye for feisty woman who don't waste a word of dialogue. Charles Grodin (Lesley) is also excellent as both the 'father' of documentary film makers and Josh's father in law. He has a gentle way and brings the film back to its focal point as he helps both Josh and Jamie to understand what is real. The documentary isn't everything you think it might be in this clever film. 9GUMS    











   

Film No. 19 (2015) Shaun the Sheep March 26th.

Film No. 19 (2015) March 26th. 5:15 PM GARDEN CITY Booragoon.

Shaun the Sheep

 

Fifteen years on from Chicken Run, feature film number 3 is produced by Aardmann. Shaun the Sheep is one of Aardmann's favorite characters. He has a following world wide due to his 7 minute TV short, Shaun the Sheep; Off the Baa. Many a mum wished the short could be longer, so that a well earned break could be extended so there will be much support for this 85 minute feature.


Nick Park, the father of all things Aardmann, says "two weeks of hard work adds up to 2 minutes of footage". Is it any wonder that this is only the third feature since Chicken Run? Hard to believe I know but after this cute sheep has done his stuff I'm even more in awe of the Aardmann process. Every scene has at lease three sub plots unfolding in the background of the prime scene.

Put simply, Shaun and his flock are sick of the hum drum of their life on the farm. Motivated by a billboard on the side of a bus, Shaun decides he needs a day off. He gets his wish but due to complications in the unfolding of his elaborate plan, his day is turned upside down and he and his flock find themselves in The Big City. In short, you won't be shocked the hear Shaun saves the day and his beloved farmer and compatriot sheep dog.

The best laugh I've had for season 2015 came during the restaurant scene as the flock, heavily disguised as human beings, battled to understand the correct decorum for public eating. Played like a Jaques Tati film, Shaun the Sheep is laden with sight gags. The dialogue in the film comes via grunts, screams and gurgles easily understood as language. Kids will love Shaun but more importantly the mums and dads of the world will be beside themselves with joy at this new babysitting tool.  9GUMS     

 

   

Film No. 18 (2015) Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter March 21st.

Film No. 18 (2015) March 21st.  7.30 PM SOMERVILLE U.W.A. Nedlands.

 

Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter

This very quaint but sad tale has a wonderful atmosphere as it allows us to experience two very contrasting cultures through the eyes of a very confused young lady, Kumiko (Rinko Kikuchi).

Kumiko lives a dreary life in Tokyo. Her shoebox of an apartment, her tyrannical boss and her mental limitations, lead her to a loneliness beautifully contrasted against a city of 22 million people. We meet her early in the story as she uncovers a VHS tape of the  classic Coen brothers film Fargo. The discovery gives us a hint of the surreal nature of what is to come.

Using her archaic VHS player Kumiko becomes obsessed with a scene from Fargo depicting Steve Buscemi's character Carl burying a leather case full of $100 bills in thick, icy snow on the outskirts of Brainerd near Fargo, North Dakota. So obsessed is Kumiko that she decides  to escape her life of dreariness by undertaking a quest to retrieve  this fictional treasure . There is a clever juxtaposition between the official Fargo poster and the embroidery Kumiko produces to recreate the exact positioning of the treasure.

And so it goes. Kumiko travels to North Dakota and in the vein of Forrest Gump meets a variety of eccentric people who take her under their collective wings and point her in a direction which leads to her final destination. There are flashes of Altman in the character driven scenes. Finally, while the film unfolds whimsically, the undertones of Kumiko's mental state enfold us in sadness as the curtain is drawn on our innocent adventurer. I love films that shed new and different lights on subjects often depicted on film. 8GUMS    








    

Film No. 17 (2015) A Little Chaos March 19th.

Film No. 17 (2015) March 19th. 6:30 PM THE WINDSOR Nedlands.

"Patience, care and a little warmth from the sun are our best hope" (Sabine philosophizing with The King as she reflects on life paralleled with the growth of a rose).

A Little Chaos


Lavish costume drama's have always been important screen fodder and now that production companies spend less on film stock in this digital age, the gussets and flowing gowns are on show more often. 
A Little Chaos tells the story of Sabine …… (Kate Winslet)a landscape gardener who applies for and wins a position as a project landscaper for the grand gardens of Versailles. It's an original premise and if it wasn't for the clunky ending Chaos is a polished piece of escapism.

Alan Rickman (King Louis XIV) dons his frocks and works in a genre suited to his style both as an actor and as the film's director. It's a story he's been keen on for some time and he has been painstaking with his casting, costuming and setting. He takes us to France in the late 17th century where Versailles is the king's home and his garden is his pride and joy. Enter Andre Le Notre (Matthias Schoenaerts), his master landscaper who invites Sabine to oversee a project which becomes the main backdrop for the film.

Yes, you guessed it, Winslet and Schoenaerts have a slow burn chemistry which simmers then bubbles and burns as their combined efforts  create an outdoor performance arena through thick and thin. The thick comes in the form of Le Notre's evil, two timing wife,Madame Le Notre (Helen McCrory); thin, coming in the form of Sabine's tragic past.

Rickman takes us to another time and another place with skill. His use of flora as a theme to show growth alongside a cast made to fit so perfectly into the costumes and the time is seamless and successful. IF this were set in modern times it could easily fit as a reality TV segment with the tension coming in the form of a project so difficult to complete there are bound to be dramas. Watch for the clunky final sequences, there is definitely some evidence of a little chaos. Oh, and check your shoes for mud before you leave the cinema. 8GUMS.     

Film No. 16 (2015) X + Y March 16th.

Film No. 16 (2015) March 16th. 6:30 PM PARADISO Northbridge.

X + Y

This is simply an up-lifting fairytale which has so many faults one just needs to simply ignore the implausible narrative. Let me vent my spleen first. Nathan (Asa Butterfield) is diagnosed with Aspergers (a diagnosis on the autism spectrum), we meet him in an early scene as his parents come to terms with his behaviors. Nathan rarely communicates but is fixated with his dad's antics. So why does this film find it necessary to do the impossible and "cure" his Aspergers?

  Despite my query, I like the core ideas of X + Y. The story does ramble along but the idea of a smart young boy trapped in his own world because of a combination of circumstances (all the while fulfilling his potential as a brilliant mathematician) is original. Butterfield is highly convincing as the quiet lad who we just know is going to break out at any moment and cover new mathematical ground on a world scale.

Then there are all the side stories. Sally Hawkins as Nathan's mum is her nervous self but does not quite convince as being unloved. Rafe Spall plays Humphreys who brings his baggage to the the story as Nathan's coach and forms a bond with mum as well. Then there's Richard (Eddie Marsan), who dedicates his teaching life to the World Maths Olympics whilst constantly reminding Humphreys of the potential he once had. I told you, it rambles a little and there is a disjointed quality.

Morgan Matthews directing his first feature was given his idea by the inspirational documentary Beautiful Young Minds based around the competitors at the International Mathematics Olympiad. Moving from doco to feature takes courage and I dare say it's the reason for the flaws. Writer James Graham has built a story with a big heart and spreads and international spirit. See, I've nearly forgotten my reservations. Although the dumbing down of the Australian contestants by the film makers lost them ratings.   7GUMS. 

















   

Film No. 15 (2015) Manny Lewis March 11th.

Film No. 15 (2015) March 11th. 6:30 PM VMAX Innaloo.

"Can you be normal tonight, is that possible? Don't tell her about your colonic, you know what, don't even talk about your arse, just leave your arse out of the conversation." (Manny talking in front of his mirror prior to meeting Maria on their first date).

Manny Lewis

 

Another Australian Stand Up makes a movie, it sounds like the opening line for a Carl Barron joke. This time however it's Barron who's making and starring in a film. And despite the light, forgettable content he makes a good fist of it.

 Carl Barron is a very popular comic. His self mocking laid back style endears him to his public. I've never seen more than snippets of his work but after spending a night in the cinema with him I understand why he's so popular. In the same way that he jokes about himself and his life in a routine, in Manny Lewis he takes us on an autobiographical tour of a part of his life on the road and he has us genuinely engaged in his antics in exactly the same way he has built his stand up following. Manny Lewis is every bit as charismatic as Carl Barron.

 Manny Lewis, the film, doesn't pretend to be anything other than a romantic comedy with a hard to believe sub plot (to do with a fantasy hotline) and an under developed father/son fractured relationship. This might add up to a disaster of a film but because there is some real on-screen chemistry between the two leads (Barron and Leeanna Walsman) the film is entertaining and we genuinely hope they'll work through their differences.

 Manny refers to himself as a wingnut because of the size of his ears on his small head. It is all a part of Barron's charisma and his uncomplicated delivery style. While Manny Lewis will likely get mixed reviews there will be one constant. Carl Barron has screen presence and this could be a vehicle for him to sign a real deal; perhaps not to tour the U.S. but the offer of a role in another film or two.  7GUMS