No. 19 (2019) Hotel Mumbai. March 1st.

Film No 19 (2019) March 1st.  10:45 AM  LUNA PALACE Leederville. 

"I have been here thirty five years, this is my home". (The response from a humble footman when asked if there are employees keen to leave through a back entrance).

Knowing the death-toll of this dastardly act of terrorism means your cinematic experience on deciding to attend Hotel Mumbai is going to be excruciating at times. This was a terrorist attack of the most frightening kind. Hide and seek, knowing that if found the consequence would be both brutal and likely fatal. Co Writer and director Anthony Maras has devised a thoroughly tense depiction of this 2008 drama. The real importance of H.M. is that it pays tribute to the bravery shown by the dedicated employees. Arjun (Dev Patel) and Hermant (Anupam Kher) represent the many loyal, humble heroes who lived in the slums close by, earned a pittance at H.M. then risked everything to save the guests they served. Hotel Mumbai is equivalent to taking a stomach punch but you appreciate why. It's tense but far from fun! 8GUMS.

     

No. 18 (2019) Fighting With My Family. Feb 27th.

Film No. 18 (2018) February 27th.  6:40 PM EVENT Cinemas Innaloo.                        

"Do you know what it's like to want one thing in life and then your own sister takes it away from you." (Zak pleased his case for coach to re-consider hoping to be selected to try-out in the U.S. big league).

If you've never heard the real life story of Saraya-Jade Bevis AKA Paige of WWE wrestling fame then resist Google and go see Wrestling With My Family. This engaging, heartfelt comedy, takes us on the real life (with fairytale short cuts) ride of Saraya-Jade as she, with the help of her wrestling family, stretches (literally) to reach a dream. The script in the hands of Stephen Merchant (Extras, Life's Too Short) begins with a series of belly laughs before being bogged down in predictable sentimentality to finally rise again into a rowdy, raucous, rollicking, fist pumping yarn. The Rock (Producer) is not as pivotal as the poster would suggest but money talks so The Rock does as he wishes. "A comedy about a family that fights a little differently" is a promo catch-phrase that sums WWMF perfectly. It's a crowd pleaser; so much so, I predict small wrestling associations world wide are about to be inundated with new members.  P.S. Stay for the credits. 9GUMS.

      

No. 16 (2019) The Guilty. Feb 23rd.

Film No 16 (2019) Feb. 23rd.  10:45 AM  LUNA PALACE Leederville. 

"Does the person you are with know you have called us?". (Asger shapes his questions so the answers won't raise suspicion of the person Iben is with).

In the vain of Locke (2013), The Guilty takes us on an 88 minute real-time, fly on the wall, journey with the very complicated Asger Holm (Jakob Cedergren) sitting, under sufferance, in the Copenhagen police emergency call centre. The power of imagination can be forgotten in modern day film making but not in The Guilty. We begin our journey with Asger, there's something on his mind, he receives a distress call; suddenly he's a pivotal player in a kidnapping. From the outset we make similar assumptions to Asger in our interpretation of what's happened. The voices, brilliantly mixed, give us a picture of the melstrom swirling through the ears of Asger. Every minute that passes, every tight close-up, every subtle pause in conversation, The Guilty is not everything it seems. Could this 88 minute interlude into Asger's already complicated life represent a point at which the recalibration of his moral compass is inevitable? Will we ever know? 10GUMS.   

       

No. 15 (2019) John McEnroe: The Realm of Perfection. Feb 21st.

Film No 15 (2019) Feb. 21st.  8:00 AM  LUNA OUTDOOR Leederville. 

"The image we have of ourselves is rarely the image others have of us". (An introductory statement made in the narration to exemplify images of McEnroe arguing with a court referee).

Now here this a sports film offering up a new experience. It's like no other sporting documentary I've ever seen and it won't be to everyone's liking, I'm certain of that. During the period of McEnroe's domination of world tennis (1983 - 85), film shot at high speed (extreme slow motion) while he competed at numerous French Open events became a tool for demonstration purposes, to highlight his great technical skill. French film director Julien Faraut unearthed the archival footage in the hope of bringing off an art piece paralleling the mastery of McEnroe with  classic cinema. A deep and admirable aim but boring subject matter in this case. Some time into the editing process it would seem Faraut decided that the film should focus on an event, the epic final of 1984. McEnroe remains predominantly in the lense but the drama of his tense struggle with Ivan Lendl is epic. The film, quite suddenly, is captivating. The Realm of Perfection is the ultimate miss and then hit documentary. I think I'm glad I saw it. 7GUMS.

      

No. 17 (2019) Stan and Ollie. Feb 25th.

Film No 17 (2019) Feb. 25th.  3.50PM  PALACE CINEMAS Raine Square,  Perth City . 

"You don't still carry that around do you? Because I went ahead and did a picture with someone else sixteen years ago?" (Ollie asks his partner why such a long face in a key scene).

If ever a pair of comedians deserved to be immortalized on the big screen for the decent gentlemen and performers they were, then Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy surely stand at the front of the line. This decent and highly  entertaining tribute film, Stan and Ollie, definitely does these world renowned comic genius' proud. Made to appeal to the older demographic, Stan (Steve Coogan) and Ollie (John C. Reilly) simply gives a snapshot of their final tour; a series of slightly demeaning performances in 2nd rate theatres and halls across England and Ireland in 1953. But it's the performances of Coogan, Reilly and wives, played by Nina Arianda and Shirley Henderson respectively that gives this modest film an almighty lift. Arianda (Master of None) in particular is strong, self assured and has great comic timing. Maybe the real story of Stan and Ollie is in the true love each found later in life as their careers faded. 9GUMS.         

  

No. 14 (2019) The Front Runner. Feb 19th.

Film No 14 (2019) Feb. 19th.  9:15 AM  LUNA PALACE Leederville. 

"This campaign is about the future not rumours, not sleaze, and I care about the sanctity of this process, WHETHER YOU DO OR NOT". (Gary Hart addresses the press in the days immediately after the story broke of his alleged meetings with Donna Rice).

This insightful film throws light on why the U.S. media and public have gone so lightly on Clinton and Trump in terms of their moral codes of behaviour, with particular reference to their philandering as elected politicians. Gary Hart was the front runner as the Democratic candidate in the lead up to the 1988 election. Many believed he was the President in waiting, if not for an incident on a party boat off Miami, where he met Donna Rice and began an alleged affair. Hugh Jackman plays Hart as professionally as Hart himself carried out his duties as a budding, charismatic presidential candidate. The box office is treating Front Runner as old news which is a shame because this watershed moment in U.S. politics quite possibly saved Clinton's skin and certainly allowed Trump to literally prosper. The Front Runner is as thorough as it is enlightening and will have you shaking your head as to the triviality of his alleged, I repeat, alleged, behaviour in the light of events in U.S. political history post Gary Hart. 9GUMS.

         

      

No. 13 (2019) Arctic. Feb 8th.

Film No 13 (2019) Feb. 8th.  10:15 PM Private Preview Screening @ Home via Vimeo link . 

"This is not on the map. It's not on the map".(Overgard looks above then back to his map as he meets yet another life threatening challenge on his trek to escape death).

Mads Mikkelsen does what Robert Redford did in All Is Lost (2013) only Mads is stranded on the Arctic ice. Mikkelsen is a star in the mould of Jackman, there seems no acting challenge he can't master. We meet Overgard (Mikkelsen) on the ice, scratching the finishing touches into the ice of a call for help which will hopefully be spotted from above. Ov is alone, his plight is obvious. The remnants of his plane have been home for him for weeks. Does he stay, using the ingenious resources he's created in the hope he'll be rescued? Or does he trek out into the unknown? Then something happens, saving another life forces his hand. A couple of polar bear scenes keep Mads, and indeed us, on edge. Done well, this "man against the elements" genre is a winner. Arctic nearly matches All Is Lost for tension, but not quite. Mikkelsen fans are going to revel in his latest challenge.   8GUMS.