No. 30 (2018) Loveless April 9th.

Film No. 30 (2018) April 9th.  6:30 PM LUNA Paradiso Northbridge. 

"The school just called. He hasn't been there for two days" (Mother Zhenya phones Alyosha's father Boris to reveal a new stress about to unfold in their selfish lives).

This bleak film has plenty to say but a sense of optimism it does not have. Be warned, this film will leave you wrung out and exhausted  over man's (a couple, in the throes of divorce) inhumanity to man (their 12 year old son). It is an exquisitely crafted voice with a shrill tone. An unloved only child, Alyosha (Matey Novikov), is not the focus but he is the reason we are given a real sense of hopelessness in a society too caught up in its own uncaring nature to notice the significance of future generations. Co-writer and director Andrey Zvyagintsev is the most powerful cinematic voice shouting out from Russia. The brilliance of his Leviathan (2014) gave the western world a peek at
his insights, Loveless has us staring in disbelief at his new portrait of Russian society.  11GUMS.

             

No. 29 (2018) Unsane April 7th.

Film No 29 (2018) April 7th.  10:45 AM  LUNA PALACE Leederville . 

"Foy takes us on a new journey, a journey so foreign to her roles as a young Queen Elizabeth it will rock you". (Promotional blurb promoting Unsane).

Steven Soderberg continues to make films even after he swore off his addiction a couple of years ago. That's a good thing, don't get me wrong and his latest, Unsane, takes us on yet another unique, thrilling adventure. Shot entirely on an iPhone to capture the unsettling nature of the plight of Sawyer Valantini (Claire Foy), Unsane is an unnerving watch. Sawyer is committed to a hospital for the psychologically disrupted. It's hard to understand why but she meets an ally, Nate (Jay Pharaoh) who goes some way to explaining her involuntary incarceration. The major tension of Unsane comes via the revelation of the reasons for Sawyer's erratic behaviour. The repercussions of that chapter in her life is alive and well and testing her own sense of reality. Unsane will unsettle those who wish to be unsettled. I didn't like Unsane much but I was in a minority at the preview I attended so go see for yourself. 7GUMS.   

No. 28 (2018) Abracadabra April 5th.

Film No. 28 (2018) April 5th.  6:30 PM LUNA Paradiso Northbridge. 

"How do I know if the man I'm with is my husband or the other guy?" (Carmen asks Pepe's mentor for help in her marital matters).

This light, poignant morality tale on marriage has its moments. Some of those moments are laugh out loud scenes with smatterings of physical comedy. Our view of the marriage is told mostly through the eyes of Carmen (Maribel Verdu) as she suffers the abrasive and often uncaring behaviour of husband Carlos (Antonio de la Torre). Then at a wedding reception,during cousin Pepe's (Jose Mota) amateurish hypnotic act, Carlos is invaded by the ghost of a murderous waiter, the change in his personality is surprising for all. Carmen is treated gently and with great thoughtfulness but only sometimes; she decides to seek meaning behind her husbands transformation. Her journey becomes the core of the film. It's original and has a finale which leaves you thinking. But it loses its way at odd times along the way. 8GUMS.

  

No. 27 (2018) Aus dem Nichts (In The Fade) April 3rd.

Film No 27 (2018) April 3rd.  2:50 PM  LUNA PALACE Leederville . 

"If they had killed me and my son and my husband lived, he would have done something". (Katja tells her lawyer about an alternative scenario which might have occurred if the outcome of the trial concluded in the same way).

Diane Kruger plays lead character Katja Sekerci in such a mesmerizing fashion it's easy to see why she won best female actor at Cannes in 2017. In The Fade tells the story, in 3 chapters, of a mother so wracked with grief after the death of her son and husband in such a senseless and gruesome manner that she can hardly retain any motivation to live. Our journey, however bleak, is her journey as she tries to cope with heartbreaking grief. The chapters (Family, Justice and The Sea) play like her stages of emotional management. The justice scenes are particularly gripping. Experiencing the German judicial system in this manner was a lesson in law itself. Kruger shines in this gripping tale. Oh, and the final image offers up a puzzle, I'm still unsure its meaning. 10GUMS 

    

  

No. 26 (2018) A Quiet Place March 29th

Film No. 26 (2018) March 29th.  6:30 PM EVENT Cinemas Innaloo. 

"Those who survived live by one rule, never make a sound or die." (The Paramount quote accompanying all promotional paraphernalia attached to A Quiet Place).

This taut thriller will likely not create a quiet cinema space during your viewing. The concept of earth becoming a quiet place after an alien invasion is an original idea that adds to the intensity of select scenes and finally the climactic finale. John Kosinski (director, star and assistant writer) and real world wife Emily Blunt play on screen couple Lee and Evelyn adapting their home and surrounds so they and their children survive life on earth. The fact that aliens prowl the earth (without sight but with acute acoustic awareness) paralleled against a family (all individually brave) we root for from scene one, makes for a tight and often frightening 90 minutes. Yes, one of my pet loves, a standard length feature that doesn't waste a scene. If you like a good old fashioned fright in a dark cinema, then don't miss A Quiet Place, it should do the trick. 10GUMS.

   

No. 25 (2018) Early Man March 24th

Film No. 25 (2018) March 22nd.  2:30 PM EVENT Cinemas Innaloo. 

"You better go easy on the potato juice before you get .... chip faced." (A typical Dug comment in the lead up to the big game).

I love the works of Aardman especially when Nick Park is in control, thus my bias towards any new feature film from their stable will be obvious. With an aim to being more even handed about my review I invited a 12, a 10 and a 7 year old to a showing of Early Man so I might sit and observe the reactions of those who will be most entertained by E.M. The verdict; thumbs up on all counts. "It was fun, really fun" was the comment from the seven year old. The honesty of the young when it comes to cinema is most often uninhibited. For me, I think the simplicity of the storyline (the lower class winning a contest against all odds to gain back what is rightfully theirs) with a blend of sophisticated humour and uniquely brilliant stop-motion animation adds up to a fun 85 minutes. I predict mums, dads, grandparents alike will jostle for the right to host the kids to Early Man, maybe they'll compromise; they'll all go! 10GUMS. 
  

No. 24 (2018) The Endless March 19th

Film No. 24 (2018) March 19th.  6:30 PM LUNA Paradiso Northbridge. 

"They're all like in their forties, they just look young." (Jason describes the people of this Alien Cult to younger brother Aaron).

This puzzle of a horror, thriller film will have you thinking for days afterwards. That is, if the puzzle intrigues you in the first place. The idea of people trapped in uniquely different loops of time needs skilled attention to detail in blending the concepts seamlessly through 110 minutes of cinema story telling. Especially considering the audience will be exclaiming What The F*ck! for the first 65% of the time. Its worth holding tight because most will be revealed. Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead play the leads (brothers Justin and Aaron) but also co-write and direct. It's raw, low budget creative film-making. They may have earned a chance to work with a bigger budget next time; so long as their creative licence is not restricted. 9GUMS.