Film No. 93 (2022) November 20th. 7.35 PM APPLE TV, Mt. Hawthorn, West Australia.
"Hey look, if it gets dark now, you just ride it, okay?." (Lynsey listens to her new friend James who advises her on feeling low and working through those feelings).
Nominee : Gotham Ind Film Awards; Brian Tyree Henry (Best Supporting Role).
Jennifer Lawrence is a mega-star because of her blockbuster roles (THE HUNGER GAMES, AMERICAN HUSTLE) on screen, but to see her in CAUSEWAY is to appreciate what a talent she really is.
There is nothing new on offer in CAUSEWAY. On meeting Lynsey who is suffering a brain trauma after service in Afghanistan, we know the film is going to take us for the ride on her recuperation and recovery journey. She's back in the U.S., beginning her recovery in Nebraska, then drifting home to New Orleans. Once home, fragile and with only one thing on her mind (getting back into military service) Lynsey meets James (Brian Tyree Henry), her accidental mechanic, and a man with a big heart, and his own demons.
See, you've heard these setups before. So why would Jennifer Lawrence (producer) back this made for Apple streaming pic? Because she gets to play a complex character, so simply, but drawing on her prodigious talent. Lawrence has us in the palm of her hand from her first close up. And may I say, without her big screen make up, 32 year old JL could be an angelic eighteen year old in selected scenes here; we know she's not, but she has the ability to depict a fragile innocence we are totally invested in.
It is Lawrence's film; she is simply transfixing. Henry is good to. Their relationship legitimate and heartfelt. He must be pinching himself in snapping up this role. 10GUMS.
Film No. 91 (2022) November 3rd. 4:00 PM LUNA Essex Cinemas, Fremantle.
"You knew you were facing death, night after night after night, after night. It's just a thing you accepted" (A Lancaster pilot from WWII reflected on life as he knew it in the early 40's).
My father flew fighter planes during WWII. I remember him talk of his admiration for deeds carried out by his fellow compatriots, those who followed the orders of Bomber Command. The boys who flew Lancaster's. The boys who risked their lives on horrendous bombing missions over Germany. LANCASTER gave me an opportunity to truly understand the gravitas of my father's words. He often referred to them as, "those poor bastards".
After their compelling production, SPITFIRE (2018),David Fairhead and Ant Palmer have created, LANCASTER, a cinematic memorial to the plane, and those who flew her. And contrary to some beliefs, "The Lanc" had as much influence on the outcome of the war as the fighters. If you enjoyed SPITFIRE for it's diligent insight, then you'll enjoy LANCASTER equally.
The key to LANCASTER'S riveting story are the recollections, told to camera, from those who were there. A Lancaster flew with 7 on board. Pilots, equipment operators and gunners made up the crew. The first hand insights from the folk (all in their 90's) who recite stories as if they happened yesterday, link the film's narrative perfectly.
Sadly there has been bitterness about how these brave men and women were treated at war's conclusion. Because of the destruction and obliteration of German cities of the likes of Hamburg and Dresden, U.K. politicians spoke of their embarrassment at the senselessness of the Lancaster pushes across Europe. Brave war heroes carrying out the orders which ultimately gained the stamp of approval from the PM himself, Winston Churchill! They had a right to be miffed.
The story of 96 Lancaster's lost in one sorte over northern Holland (the launching site of theV2 rockets)in 1944 shocked me. Hundreds of air personnel sitting and eating together one day; empty chairs and a silent dining hall the next. The futility of war is once again highlighted in LANCASTER. 9GUMS.
Film No. 90 (2022) October 31st. 6:15 PM BACKLOT Private Cinema , West Perth.
"He'll have his dinner with kings if he plays his cards right".(Irving pinches his son's cheek light-heartedly but there is seriousness in his voice as he plans Paul's future).
Nominee : Palme D'Or (James Grey) Cannes Film Festival.
There is nothing formulaic about ARMAGEDDON TIME. If someone asked my opinion, along with the often repeated adjunct, "what film is it most like?" My simple answer would be" like none I can recall".
In ARMAGEDDON TIME, James Gray (AD ASTRA, THE IMMIGRANT) has made a very personal coming of age film. Most of his films delve into the human condition and the stresses and challenges we overcome to be who we are. Here, he shoots long, theatrical scenes that give insight into his journey from childhood to adolescence. Paul Graff (Banks Pepeta) is Gray's alter-ego. We love Paul from the first scene.
Paul is angelic in looks and artistic of nature. He doesn't really fit in. His hard nosed Jewish upbringing requires him to not dream or imagine, but to work towards academia. A career in law or commerce is deemed suitable. But he has allies; allies who give him the strength to make his own path. Grandfather Aaron (Anthony Hopkins) tells stories and makes analogies reinforcing the importance of following dreams. Paul's black friend Johnny provides adventurous companionship, the sort that allows for some risk taking.
For some, ARMAGEDDON will be like watching paint dry. I'm of a generation where school and family life was indeed as Gray depicts it. It brought back memories for me. Not memories I wanted to linger on, but that's a part of the reason I love film.
Finally the work of Hopkins, Hathaway and Strong is worth the price of a ticket. These actors bring a power to the screen which surely has the thoughtful Gray infused with pride. Actors of this quality have captured, in truth, the moments so important to his story. 11GUMS.
Film No. 89 (2022) October 30th. 4.00 PM Cinema 8. LUNA, Leederville.
"We fight evil by writing reports". (Marceau dejectedly talks about the repetitive nature of his job; the job of solving crimes).
Nominee : Official Competition (Dominik Moll) Brussels and Cannes Film Festivals.
One of my favourite films of 2022, LA NUIT DU 12, takes cinema lovers into the world of policing and the people who solve crimes.
We follow a team of french detectives, led by Yohan Vives (moodily played by Bastien Bouillon) who work towards solving the cruel murder of Clara Royer, a vivacious young girl with the world at her feet. The backdrop is a large slightly tired French metropolis on the outskirts of Paris. The key to the film's captivating quality is the intimacy with which we are drawn to the characters. Yohan is easy to like and root for.
All the tropes of a good police procedural drama are in play here, even though we are told in the opening caption, the crime (fictional, based on an event) will remain unsolved. Don't let this reveal stop you from experiencing THE 12TH. Every scene leads us with precision towards understanding the toll a case like this has on people under stress.
I wondered why this atmospheric gem was in its 5th week at my local cinema. What film lasts more than 3 weeks on the big screen these days? Good films, via word-of-mouth, that rapidly gain a reputation, that's what! LA NUIT DU 12 is one such film. 11GUMS.
Film No. 88 (2022) October 26th. 3:35 PM PALACE Cinema 6, Raine Square, Perth City.
"You're not who you used to be. You're not the same person I married" (Sarah looks into Joe's vacant stare and cradles his face in her hands).
OFFICIAL SELECTION Best Film; Zurich Film Awards 2022.
The title, surely, must create some form of intrigue? Well, it did for me. I saw no trailers, read no reviews and was reasonably engaged with THE ALMOND AND THE SEAHORSE. Plus, the significance of the title is, indeed, intriguing.
Sarah (Rebel Wilson) and Toni (Charlotte Gainsbourg) don't know each other, but we meet them dealing with similar domestic challenges. Their partners are suffering brain trauma for different reasons, but the amnesia they suffer is similar in nature. The people who love them are essentially our focus because it is they who grapple with their own emotional trauma. They remain devoted to someone who remains the same in physical form, but is no longer the person they loved.
I'm not sure how SEAHORSE translates to film. I've not experienced the play. Reading reviews of the play suggests a highly emotionally charged stage show. Celyn Jones (Joe in both this film and the stage production) has been the driver of this project. He, along with the original playwright, Kaite O'Reilly have devised the screen play. Celyn hascomposed the soundtrack in its entirety. Some feat I must say. I'm not sure that he hasn't bitten off more that he should have. It's just that I would have liked to have loved SEAHORSE more than I did. As it is, I liked this film, and I'm full of admiration for both Jones' performance as Joe and his labour of love. But his casting of Wilson and the bombardment of the music diluted my enjoyment.
Meanwhile, questions about life and "cards dealt" to good people is on show here. Life challenges will always be the subject matter of good story telling. T.A.A.T.S. takes an original strand to engage its audience.Jones, Gainsbourg and Meera Syal as Dr Falmer are all actors who do just that, engage. The camera likes Wilson and I'm sure many will disagree with my comments re her casting. I'm hoping most people will like her as Sarah! The final twist, while not surprising, is very satisfying. 8GUMS.
Film No. 86 (2022) October 21st. 4:00 PM LUNA Cinema 2 Essex Cinemas, Fremantle.
"You're going to come with me and help look after the baby! In return, I won't press charges." (Joy gives Mully an ultimatum that sets the road trip to hell (or maybe from hell) in motion).
What was Olivia Colman thinking? Was this an example of "Lockdown Syndrome"? An actor, not sure when or even if cinema would hold up after COVID? Could it be her last chance to work? Surely one reading of the script might have issued warning signs.
Before I describe why I was so disappointed in JOYRIDE, I think it important to point out that director, Emer Reynolds (THE FARTHEST, HERE WAS CUBA) does make good films; documentary films. She is also a talented editor. JOYRIDE is her first fictional feature. Let it also be said that the highlight of JOYRIDE is the depiction of coastal southern Ireland. An aspect of the film that reaps the reward of her documentary film-making prowess no doubt.
So why is JOYRIDE the antithesis of its title? Well, when it comes to films like these which are supposed to become endearing as the characters gradually feel each other out, antagonise each other, and ultimately realise they each have lessons to learn from the other, the script needs to have rhythm and a delivery pattern. JOYRIDE simply does not. So while Colman's character, Joy, is unlikeable to begin with, her continued lack of compassion for all around her, including her baby, leaves her audience disconnected.
Then, more importantly, Mully (competently played by Charlie Reid) never becomes the lovable teenager, of reasonable moral standards, we are supposed to believe in because he too is yelling expletives and running off for no apparent reason. His relationship with his father James (LochlannO'Mearain) is never reconciled, and down right confusing.
Writer Ailbhe Keogan (BAD SISTERS, 2 eps) is an up and comer. Her work on RUN & JUMP 2013 (Co Writer) is worthwhile. Here she goes it alone with only Screen Ireland there to back the script. I can't put my finger on why JOYRIDE lacks charisma. Legendary screenwriter William Goldman once said "Not one person in the entire motion picture field knows for a certainty what's going to work."
Film No. 85 (2022) October 20th. 7.35 PM APPLE TV, Mt. Hawthorn, West Australia.
"I could not play that! It wasn't me." (Poitier responding to Hollywood's notion that black performers played roles that depicted their race disrespectfully).
This "tick all the boxes" documentary on one of the most influential actors in history, both in theatre and on the screen, is an important historical tribute. But the true greatness of Sidney Poitier is expressed through the words of the actors we might believe to be the black performers of most influence over time; Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Halle Berry, Morgan Freeman, Oprah Winfrey etc etc.
A true appreciation of who Sidney was is given though his recollections of arriving in Miami in the late 40's, a shy young man fresh from the Bahamas who had never before experienced racism. He never once accepted whites treating him as an inferior being. His stories (told to camera) of his introduction to racism are riveting. Sidney travelled to the U.S. for a better life, this documentary shows how he achieved that better life, but more importantly, how he achieved that life on his terms.
Sidney became an actor, responding to a call from a black actors theatre company. He began with small roles, never compromising on the fact he'd only play characters of substance. He was spotted by Joseph Mankiewicz in 1949 and cast as Dr Luther Brooks in NO WAY OUT (1950). His star was on the rise. Sidney was the first black male to win an Academy Award, for LILLIES OF THE FIELD (1963). He cut more than a path for the likes of Lee, Washington and Freeman ... it was more a freeway.
For the moment, SIDNEY is only available on Apple TV. Be sure to stream it if you are a subscriber. This icon of the screen has a story to tell. Director Reginald Hudlin (known more as a producer) has done what Oprah (the lady with the money) requested of him. She wished for her hero to be recognised with the dignity he deserved. This story of Sidney Poitier's adventures in Hollywood is well told. 9GUMS.
