Separation City

Not often does a movie come along that is so thought provoking and sobering.  Promoted as a man flick, we follow Simon’s (Joel Edgerton) relationship with his wife Pam (Danielle Cormack) whilst he struggles with infidelity and what drives him to that place.

Similar to another film ‘Sideways’ the story has a unique storytelling perspective – the male perspective!  The story has a lot of humour that covers the sobering and often destructive behaviours.  This film covers a lot of adult material and unsuitable for young people.  The film is based in Wellington, New Zealand and the cinematography is stunning.

This film will deeply affect you 1) as the male perspective is so refreshing and because 2) nothing hurts more than betrayal and lost love.  It may not be a movie that you will love, but it will stir a lot of thought, respect and appreciation for your current loved one.

Steph’s rating: 8/10

Slumdog Millionaire

You must see this movie…soon!

A young boy grows up in the slums of India (and boy does India have slums!).  This slum/ shanty town is miles of tin shacks and insane poverty.  It’s fascinating yet really sad at the same time.  He goes on India’s version of ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire’ to reach the love of his life.

I was at the edge of my seat this whole movie.  It’s extremely well directed and the story is gripping.  The child actors who play the two brothers growing up, will win your heart!  The story unfolds as he answers each question, we learn about him and where he’s from.  One of my favourite scenes (and yes there were many) is when he’s working at a Call Centre for a Scottish company – very stereotyped but hilarious!  There are some very funny, light moments in between the agony.

Grand Torino

Clint Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski an old war veteran whose catholic wife has recently passed away.

Walt is frustrated at everything around him including his kids , their extended family, the neighborhood being overrun with immigrants, local gangs, and the local priest who promised he would try to get him to confession.

Clint’s character starts off grumpy, but by the end of the film you understand him.  This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time.  The character drama is intriguing and wonderful.  I hadn’t seen any previews about this film and its really a hidden masterpiece.  Worth seeking out.

Wayne’s rating: 9/10

Seven Pounds

When I think of the wording ‘Seven Pounds’, it reminds me of an old children’s fable about paying harshly for your sins/ mistakes.

The movie ‘Seven Pounds’ is about Ben Thomas a man tormented by a secret which provokes him into doing kind and generous acts.  But his motive for the kindness is driven by sadness and as a result leaves you feeling unsatisfied and questioning why?

For much of the film, I kept thinking ‘this is weird’ and wondering where the heck it was going.  The director has done this on purpose, with the end skillfully tying up all the loose ends.  But unfortunately this style of storytelling mostly felt really long and slow, if not boring in places.

The director is the same as ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ and unfortunately this film leaves you with that sad, unsatisfied feeling.

Steph’s rating: 6/10

Australia

After all the media poo pooo, I was expecting this film to be total yawn, but was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the story and amazing scenery.

Baz Luhrmann has an amazing track record of creating wonderful ‘escapism’.  I loved Moulin Rouge.  The story was gripping and I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t even know that the Japanese attacked Darwin.  Australia is awfully close to NZ and for the first time I realised how lucky NZ was.

This film is epic as it does cover a long period of time.  While I thought it was an half an hour longer than it needed to be, I still really loved the roughness of the Aussie outback characters and their way of life.  My hubby said that he didn’t mind the love story as there was plenty to distract him.  Yes there’s lots of adventure and topics of interest that you don’t expect.

Journey to the Center of the Earth – 3D

Like many of my generation I have not read the Jules Vern classic, so I really didn’t know anything about the plot.  Whilst this film is not a remake of that classic I refers to the classic and the adventures within it/

In 3D, this film was fantastic.  It made this film come alive, from been spat at to eaten!   It’s a real family friendly, exciting adventure, similar to early Indiana Jones or The Mummy.

Anita Briem plays Hannah the guide and for me, she was the star of this film.  She has some great witty lines and there is good chemistry between her and Brendon Fraser.

Professor Trev (Brendon Fraser) and his teenager nephew Sean travel to Iceland for clues of what’s happened to their missing brother.  Whilst climbing a mountain the get trapped in a cave which leads them to the center of the earth.

Due to the impressiveness of the 3D action and atmosphere that we were living the action I rate this film experience highly.

Steph’s rating: 8/10

The Duchess

This film is a visual treat.  The costumes, the hair and jewelry quite special.  Keira Knightly gives a wonderful portrayal of a naive young woman in an unhappy marriage.

The marriage is so unhappy, the Duchess if forced to accept her husbands mistress and illegitimate children as her own.

She conveys the intense sadness of the situation and the unfairness that woman endured in the 18th century.  This film makes you want to Wikipedia her and Charles Gray to understand the politics of the time and what they achieved.

More than a chick flick, an insightful look at womans’ rights of the past.

Edge of Love

A wartime relationship drama.  Keira Knightley plays a young singer in World War 2 who is re-united with first crush and poet  ‘Dylan’ played by Matthew Rhys.

Dylan justifies his immature and self-obsessed behaviour as a means to create poetry in the midst of war-time events.  After flirting with Keira we discover he has married (Sienna Miller) and has a son.  Keira’s disappointment leads her to William a young solider, a man of good character.    The story also follows Keira and Sienna’s friendship (which is sometimes uncomfortable) as they both have attachment to the same man.

He soon is forced to go to war and comes back a changed man finding Kiera and Dylan in a ‘questionable’ relationship.  Keira chooses William a war hero struggling to adjust to civilian life.  Dylan’s selfishness causes him to try and sabotage their relationship.

12 AND HOLDING

This week’s movie:
12 AND HOLDING

I used to be smart once.

I have this theory that we are all born knowing everything. All the mysteries of the universe – the sum total of human knowledge PLUS everything humans have yet to discover – is all there right in our heads from birth. But because the human brain has a limited volume, any acquired experience must ultimately push something else out. The upshot of this is that the older we get, the more we experience, the stupider we become. Ironically, babies are just not physically equipped to deal with omniscience. They might, for example, understand that quarks spontaneously decay in a degenerate spin field, but believe that this just a trivial matter that must be obvious to everybody – and instead, content themselves to totally dominating every other human surrounding them.

Humans tend to peak around 12 or 13 years old

Apron Strings

Apron Strings was directed by Sima Urale and is set in Otahuhu a multicultural town in Auckland, New Zealand. The movie focuses on a few families and individuals that are battling with events from the past, the resulting dysfunction, in a changing town with multiple cultures represented.

Our lives are greatly affected by our past often in negative ways that are not apparent. We all have various levels of dysfunction, some more obvious than others. We all struggle to embrace things outside our culture or comfort zone simply because they are new to us. There are many themes in the movie that we can all recognise and appreciate. One that particularly spoke to me was the Vietnamese shop owner stating “There is no Luck” going on to say that working 16 hours a day is how we got his break, not betting on the horses.

There is hope in the movie but you have to look at the progress made by individuals to see it, it’s not a happy movie and you could be excused for leaving a little down.

Sophie Scholl: The Final Days

Sometimes you just feel like watching a movie that makes you believe that one person can make a stand or even impact modern history.

This is the true story of a German university student who along with her brother Hans were apart of a secret movement called the ‘White Rose’ that distributed pamphlets’ speaking out against the Nazi regime. This movie covers her capture and interrogation over six days.

What I liked about this film is that the characters are simple yet powerful. Sophie could have been your neighbour, or just someone on the street, but it was her character under pressure that made her extraordinary.

This film is not like Schlinder’s List which is an emotional rollercoaster of the victims’ plight; in comparison this film is quite unemotional whilst still being powerful. There is no escape or tension filled action scenes it’s merely an individual’s expression of conviction through words and action.

Wanted

I wasn’t sure if I was going to bother and see this film.  I heard some good reviews from colleagues and I’m glad I did.  It wasn’t what I expected… it was better.  This film is surprisingly difficult to describe.  It has influences from The Matrix and Fight Club and its an interesting mix and even comes with the twist ending.

James McAvoy plays a guy frustrated with his job and life.  But life gets interesting when Angelina Jolie turns up transforming his world and turning him into a cold and talented assassin.

This film is over the top! but it’s good and it works.  Whilst James McAvoy is no Keanu Reeves, you follow his journey and his transformation.  There are some amazing ‘must see’ action scenes plus Angelina with ammunition is just too cool.

Great film, enjoyable watch.

Steph’s rating: 8.1/10

The Bank Job

I like a good heist movie (Italian Job, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrells, Oceans Eleven), the ordinary but brilliant crims doing over the system.

This story is supposedly based on a ‘true story’ but I’d have to argue – very loosely, if at all.  A group of english lads are encouraged by the beautiful Saffron Burrows (Boston Legal) take on Lloyds bank and get away with millions!

This film is R18 and there is some offense sexual content, but the storyline is interesting and you’ll find yourself cheering on the crims and hoping they get away with it.  I won’t spoil the ending for you – but at the end of the film you are wondering if the heist went right or wrong.

Steph’s rating: Undecided

THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT

We Love Movies – Video recommendation of the Week:

This movie gets the little old gray-haired lady seal of approval.

What is that, you ask? I first saw this movie years ago, shortly after it came out on video – certainly not in the theater, movies like this never never play in my town – or the next town over – or the one after that either. I rented several movies that day, and when I brought the tapes (Hey! Remember tapes?) up to the counter, the young girl girl singled this tape out of the pile and said, “Oh my god! This movie is sooooooooo good! You’re going to love it.” (No, she didn’t have gray hair – I’m getting to that.) So I took it home and watched it, and she was right. It was good.

I’ve recommended this film to lots of different people over the years without any bad reviews. It came up in conversation again just recently and I decided to feature it here. I wanted to watch it again to refresh my memory of it, so I went where I usually go to get instant movie gratification – the public library. I took my selections up to the circulation desk to check out (as usual, I found a handful of good stuff). The little old gray-haired lady, who had to be more than 80 years old, looked through my selection, which included some great old classics, and singled out PRISCILLA. She stared at it for a few seconds, her mind replaying bits of the movie. Finally, she tapped one bony finger on the DVD case, let out a long sigh, ” ……aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh. This film is won-der-ful! It’s so good, you’re really going to love it! It’s a beautiful film!” She assured me no less than 6 times before I left the library. And thus was created the “Little Old Gray-Haired Lady Seal of Approval.”

Oddly enough, this isn’t the sort of movie I would have expected to receive this status……..

A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT

We Love Movies – Video recommendation of the Week:

Most people know that World War I was no walk in the park. A few films even do a decent job of dealing with the horrors of trench warfare. Paths of Glory and All Quiet on the Western Front come to mind. As great as these two movies are, this week’s film is better.

A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT is not really meant to be about the war. It features the war, it graphically depicts the gruesome realities of the war, it even deals with the devastation that the war produced on the loved ones left behind – but it’s not about the war.

It’s about Mathilde……………….

TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY

We Love Movies – Video recommendation of the Week:

I can’t help it – but sometimes I just think about everything that’s wrong with the world.

In an effort to keep this review to a reasonable length, I’m limit myself to one thing – ghost stories. Ghost movies are inherently funny and not at all scary like they’re suppose to be. You might not notice it unless you actually think about it. If the movie isn’t scaring the beejesus out of me, my mind starts to wander and think about – well, logic. I start to ask too many questions, and then the movie is doomed. Ghosts just can’t stand up to logic. Try it yourself sometime – when you’re watching a ghost movie, see if one or more of the following questions don’t come to mind…….

LARS AND THE REAL GIRL

We Love Movies – Video recommendation of the Week:

When I think about it, I realize that it could have all gone terribly wrong!

I know that Stephanie recently reviewed this film but I thought it was time to add my recommendation to hers.

I never doubt the power of a film to reestablish faith in my fellow human beings ……especially those human beings in the film. Film people are so fascinating. When they’re well written, they lead fascinating lives, they experience perfect fascinating romances, they have exciting and fascinating adventures, and – and this is very important – always say just the right things – fascinating. They have problems – they resolve problems. They have conflicts – they resolve conflicts. They sometimes die, but you can always restart the DVD …….and there they are again! The Kinks’ song says, “I wish my life was a non-stop Hollywood movie show.” Maybe they were onto something.

BUT ………when a film is NOT well written or directed or produced, it could easily all go terribly wrong.

I live in small town USA. It’s not really that small. It’s not small enough for everybody to know everybody else – but it IS small enough for a lot of people to know a lot of other people, plus there are little sub-communities of families and neighbors who are very close-knit. But I can only imagine an entire town, even a small one, pulling together the way people do in this week’s film, LARS AND THE REAL GIRL.

Now here’s where this review can all go terribly wrong.

21

Is this a dream script or what? Something we all secretly wish we could do…taking Las Vegas for millions!

Likable student and maths genius Ben is recruited by Prof Micky (Kevin Spacey) into a secret team of MIT blackjack card counters. They hit Vegas in the weekends and win big. Ben (Jim Sturgess) just wants to earn enough to pay for Harvard Pre-Med… an ends to a means, however he is soon exposed to an exciting new life and experiences.

Kevin Spacey is excellent as the Prof/ mentor with a ‘dark side’. Lots of fluff, plenty to enjoy. Would watch again.

Steph’s rating: 7.2/10

No 2

A New Zealand film (2006) written and directed by Toa Fraser that received 2 nominations at the New Zealand Screen Awards and won the “Audience Award” at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival.

As a European Kiwi I appreciate the special aspects of island culture, the laughter, the importance of family, the love of FOOD, and I expected to see this in abundance, Instead we start from a place of dysfunction where the family has let life issues and culture build walls to the point where the main character and family matriarch Nana Maria (Ruby Dee) no longer has cordial contact with her children and she misses the family times of the past where laughter and life were center stage.

BUG (2006)

We Love Movies – Video recommendation of the Week:

Film makers have some nerve these days.

If you’re going to make a film called “BUG”, you should at least have the decency to make it about a government lab near an isolated rural community. The refuse from a secret experiment infects some cockroaches (movie rule #154: always use cockroaches for maximum “bug” effect), making them both super intelligent and super aggressive (plus they reproduce quickly – so they’re also super ……what? horny). They get out and head for toward town. Here’s where you can take time to introduce the main characters and give a little back-story. Cliff is a stranger in town. He’s just passing through, really – but he has a secret he’s not telling. Trevor, the sheriff, years ago had a relationship with Sally, the woman who owns the diner. Sally’s been widowed for four years now but has a teenage daughter who is dating (sort of) the smart kid at school – even though the football jock keeps hitting on her. Then, of course, there’s Professor Evans who, by coincidence, is an entomologist (he studies bugs). He will eventually find a way to destroy the bugs, but will be horribly killed before he can tell anybody. There’s the mayor who will refuse to contact the authorities or admit that there’s anything wrong. Then there are the Gladwells (Molly and Dan) who run their farm out on RFD 122, but don’t get too attached to them – they’re the first ones to get killed.

Untraceable

I love cybercrime stories and I really enjoyed the byline in Die Hard 4.0 about ‘Fire sale’, when all the computers in the country go down. Real conspiracy stuff.

So when I saw the trailer for Untraceable I was really keen to see this film. The plot is about a FBI agent who tries to shut down a live website showing people being tortured and murdered. I was very concerned when I bought my ticket and it has R18 on it. It’s pretty gruesome stuff.

However in the light of ‘cyber bullies’ and ‘humiliation by Youtube’ being a plague of the modern age, I was curious as what this film would depict.

I didn’t really enjoy this film, its not the kind of film you’d sit down and watch again, but it was a suspenseful thriller and it did make me think. Has technology gone to far, or is technology just reflecting society and all its woes as it currently is? Deep stuff.

PERFUME: THE STORY OF A MURDERER

We Love Movies – Video recommendation of the Week:

I’ve decided that I don’t read enough books.

This week’s movie, PERFUME: THE STORY OF A MURDERER, is the big screen adaptation of the highly acclaimed bestselling novel by Patrick Suskind. It has been translated from the original German into English and various other languages. It was long thought unfilmable as a movie because it’s about the sense of smell – which is difficult to convey in a visual medium like film ……..but I guess they were wrong!

Once

We Love Movies – Video recommendation of the Week:

Perfect!

It has occurred to me that, of late, my recommendations have been getting – shall we say – wordy. That is, long. I sometimes have a tendency, when I can’t think of what to write, to start off in an arbitrary direction (like now) and approach it from another angle. It also occurs to me that a lot of you don’t have time to waste and so, are not reading my post. I understand – you mainly want just enough information to decide whether or not this is a film you want to watch. So, I’ve decided to get this part over right at the beginning and let you go on with your day – and for anyone that wants to stay, I tell you WHY you should watch this film.

VERDICT: Yes! You should definitely see this film! You will love it! You will adore it! It will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside and make you want to call your best friend that you haven’t seen since high school. Go out and hire it or buy it today! It’s one of the best movies of the year (2007 not 2008)!

Lars and the Real Girl

This movie is extremely quirky and heart warming. If you only see 1 movie this year – make sure its this one.

This film has already won 2 awards with 12 nominations. Ryan Gosling plays an extraordinary man whose wounded and isolated after losing his parents and has become frightened by human touch, consequently he leads a lonely and solitary life unable to communicate comfortably with others. That is until ‘Bianca’ arrives.

Bianca is a ‘doll’. His ‘relationship’ with her allows him to communicate and interact with his community.

Please don’t let any misconceptions deter you from seeing this film – it will be nothing like you expect and you’ll be thankful you did. Gosling is amazing in this Oscar worthy role. He conveys the innocence and the genuineness of this character beautifully.

BLACK BOOK

We Love Movies – Video recommendation of the Week:

World War Two was not my fault! Honest!

They tell me my ancestors came from Germany – maybe three generations before me. That’s way before WW2, isn’t it? That’s even before WW1 (which, by the way, was also not my fault). But I still have the German name and when I give it, in certain circles, some people still say, “That’s German, isn’t it? The Nazis started WW2 you know.” To which I have to remind them – my name may be German but I am not. Besides, I wasn’t in Germany during the war, and I was pretty young – too young to fight. To which they’d ask, “Really? How old were you?”, and I’d say, “Approximately ……….oh – about minus ten.”

The Holocaust notwithstanding, Germans sometimes get a bad rap for the war. I know plenty of Germans and some of them – a few of them – one or two ……..er, three …….. half a dozen at least – are pretty decent people. Now, I’ll admit that these are not war-era Germans – these are ‘far removed from the war’-era Germans. Still …….. I imagine that, even during WW2, there were good Nazis as well as bad, evil Nazis. I know people who will hate me for saying this stuff, but it’s true. In fact, it’s true for virtually every ethnic group you can imagine.

Having said all that, it’s still pretty hard not to villainize Nazis in WW2 related movies. It’s pretty cut and dry in films like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Schindler’s List, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Blues Brothers, just to name a few. Now, movies where you don’t have a clear cut bad guy tend to make you think. Quite often this is good. But films where you do have a definite villain to oppose tend to be more pure entertainment – such as the movies mentioned above – and such as this week’s movie BLACK BOOK.

PARIS, TEXAS

We Love Movies – Video recommendation of the Week:

The tall man walked out of the desert.

When I was in junior high school, I wrote a short story that began with this sentence. When I wrote it, I thought it was pretty deep. The man later goes on to rob banks but I thought the opening was pretty good. Years later, in a college writing course, I wrote a short story that began with …..

A solitary robed figure emerged from the desert….

I thought the opening line was so good, that I wanted another shot at it. This time the man has amnesia. He can’t remember who he is, or why he was in the desert, and he robs only one bank. I’ve been thinking lately that I might try writing it again. Maybe this time, the man robs a bank THEN escapes INTO the desert. He wanders about for years – lost – until the statute of limitations runs out, then …….

Bearded and tattered, the solitary man emerges from the dessert.

There’s something compelling about this concept. It’s not just me. A few years back, reminiscing with an old high school friend, I brought up this story that I wrote. He told me about a story he wrote that started out almost exactly the same way. A year or so ago, talking to a friend about this film I just saw, PARIS, TEXAS. He hadn’t seen it but told me about a short story he’d written in which a man staggers out of the Sahara Desert and falls dead. The people in the village who find him try to fit clues together to figure out what happened to him. Why is this idea so universally compelling?

KUKUSHKA (THE CUCKOO)

We Love Movies – Video recommendation of the Week:

The Tower of Babel was a cruel joke ……………….funny though.

Here’s a question for you. If everybody in the world spoke the same language, would we fight less …..or more? I’ve been to other countries. Places where I neither understand nor speak the language – where I don’t know what anybody is saying, and where nobody knows what I’m saying. And yet – I’m still here. Contrary to what many people believe, one can survive this experience.  The same can be said for movies.

GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES

We Love Movies – Video recommendation of the Week:

I’m writing this recommendation because I’m a firm believer in symmetry.

 

 

During my many years of studying Physics, I’ve developed a deep appreciation of symmetry in nature – of balance. I don’t believe much in God – but if I did, Physics would be his play-book, His Bible. Physics describes the rules that God himself follows right down to the atomic level. You want to know how he created the universe? Physics tells you how. It describes the basic building blocks that form every rule and law of nature from the microscopic to the cosmological. For every particle there is an antiparticle. For every equation there is a symmetric (or antisymmetric) equation that link different phenomena. Balance is key. You eat a balanced diet for good physical health. You balance work and play for good mental health. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. For each heads there is a tails with equal probability. The only reason we tolerate evil is because we know there is also good to balance it. Wax on ………wax off.

 

 

What all this got to do with this week’s video recommendation? Nothing – except………..

Gone Baby Gone

Gone Baby Gone is based on a novel by Dennis Lahane. The plot is set in Dorchester Boston a rough area where dysfunctional individuals abound and centers on a little girls abduction.

The mothers Aunt hires two detectives Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) and his partner Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan) as they are familiar with the tough neighbourhood. At first they are unwilling to help but the pleas from the aunt have an effect and they start down an investigation that at first seems simple enough but in the end will endanger their lives and test their relationship. The movie is filled with morale decisions and justification of actions that will test all involved.

MULHOLLAND DR.

We Love Movies -Video recommendation of the Week:

People are strange, when you’re a stranger …….then again, ’strange’ is relative.

Last week I recommended a movie called The Straight Story by David Lynch (of Eraserhead and Twin Peaks fame). I said that the film was probably the most accessible of Lynch’s movies. Unlike most of his other movies, it has wide appeal. It’s played straight (no pun intended), without venturing into the Twilight Zone. It delivers a feel good pay-off. It promotes positive social values. In fact, it has been praised both by film critics and spiritual leaders for its life-affirming message.

MULHOLLAND DR. ………..is not like that.

3:10 to Yuma

I finally get the appeal of westerns! This movie worked.

Russell Crowe is magnificent as gang leader and robber Ben Wade. His messy good looks and squinty eyes are incredibly charming even for such a Bible quoting killer as he. Christian Bale plays the honourable farmer who brings him to justice in order to save his own family.

The Good:

Everything about this film is excellent. From the plot to the acting, to the scenery. An amazing modern western to say the least. The dialog was interesting and witty. Thankfully, it had amazing gun fight scenes without been too violent. It also didn’t really have any boring bits.

Vantage Point

This movie is a thriller, simply summarised as 8 different views of an assassination attempt on the US president at an anti-terrorism summit in Spain. But it is not as simple as that. There are different points of view which are cleverly interwoven to help the viewer see the connections between all the characters.

Without giving too much of the plot away, the story unfolds with some unexpected twists and turns along the way which keeps the viewer intrigued.

THE STRAIGHT STORY

We Love Movies -Video recommendation of the Week:

Let me tell you about my lawn mower.

I have a Honda self-propelled, super mulching push lawn mower. It’s the kind that doesn’t need a bag because it shreds the grass clippings so fine that they just disappear into the lawn. And you don’t really have to push it – it goes all by itself and I just have to walk behind it. It’s pretty slick and I’m pretty sure that I’m the only person in my neighborhood to have one. I proudly use it once a week to cut my grass and make my lawn all even and beautiful. However, this isn’t quite the status symbol of suburbia it used to be, since all my neighbors have riding tractor mowers. I, myself, am not allowed to have a riding lawn mower for exactly the same reason that I’m not allowed to own power tools. The logic being – the greater the power, the greater the potential for disaster.

The Other Boleyn Girl

Set in 15th century England the movie portrays the relationship between King Henry VIII who does not have a male heir and the two Boleyn daughters . The movie is full of romance, intrigue, and betrayal as the two sisters are driven by their families ambitions for power and status.

The Good

The movie flows well with plenty of atmosphere and the acting of the two sisters particularly Anne played by Natalie Portman was a highlight.

The Bad

A little investigation reveals big variances between the book, movie, and history, with the latter showing Mary as the older sister and little in common elsewhere. I thought Eric Bana was disappointing as Henry VIII.

We Own the Night

The Dad is a senior police officer, one brother has aways been good and has just been promoted to lieutenant and is now in charge of the drug squad, the other son is independent and fun loving and is the manager of the local club where all the drug deals are going down.When the police raid the club tensions run high in the family but this soon changes when the cop brother is almost killed in a retaliation shooting and his brother realises who did the killing and that they are now after the dad.

No Country for Old Men

A local deer hunter stumbles upon a crime/ drug scene in the middle of nowhere. He takes the $2m then finds himself being hunted by a psychotic killer.

The Good:

I really enjoyed the suspense and thrill of the chase scenes. The storyline flows at an enjoyable pace and I was engrossed in the characters. The most interesting character for me was the Sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones). I’m surprised that Javier Bardem’s performance has been recognised more then other characters played by Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones. Both of these performances were way underrated in my opinion.

There Will Be Blood

Loosely based on the fiction novel “Oil”

Movie is set in 1898 and stars Danial Day Lewis as Silver prospector Daniel Plainview who strikes it lucky by discovering Oil. His character is quite ingenious and designs equipment himself to enable the collecting of the oil, one of his crew dies early on and he adopts the young child himself. Plainview builds his wealth and starts approaching owners of land to fast track their wells as it takes many years to investigate and he has a team of men ready to start looking using his equipment.

Michael Clayton

This film is nominated for 7 Oscars so we thought we’d go and find out why.

It’s definitely a thinking movie. I was confused and lost in the first 1/2hr. George Clooney is a fix it guy for a law firm. He has no opinions, he just goes in and does what needs to be done to solve the problems of the law firms clients.

Interesting concept and had potential to be quite intriguing but personally I found it difficult to follow. Wayne said he didn’t have that problem…but it was definitely slow going. This film’s getting a lot of recognition, but I wasn’t really impressed by it. It was just OK. I hoped it would be like ‘Fracture’ but it didn’t really do it for me.

Steph’s rating: 5.5/10

Cloverfield

A realistic, home-vid inspired, disaster pic.

I thought it was really well done. The actors were really realistic and the action was depicted really well – you didn’t always know what you were afraid of it was upon you. Capturing the essence of reality style footage that you’d expect to see on ‘You Tube’ – the new millennium style of documentaries.

I loved the party scene! The movie achieved what it set out to do, a thriller that keeps you hooked throughout.

Steph’s rating: 8.5/10

American Gangster

The rise and fall of drug entrepreneur Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) by honest but deadbeat cop (Russell Crowe).

Interesting portrayal of drug industry, but personally not my kind of movie (graphic without being moving). The acting was great however 2 1/2 + hours was just a bit much for me.

Gritty in places.

Steph’s rating: 5/10 (I doubt we’d watch again)

Into the Wild

This movie is just amazing!

If you are an adventurer at heart you will love this film. It made me want to leave it all and become a hippy (with Wayne of course).

The characters he meets along the way are as exciting as his adventure. I got alot out of the movie – there’s something for everyone here “pearls of wisdom”.

Beautifully filmed – extraordinary picturesque. Sean Pean is the director and you can tell this movie is a project of love. The film is based on a true story which makes it more extraordinary.

Steph’s review: 8/10

INTO THE WILD is based on a true story and the bestselling book by Jon Krakauer. After graduating from Emory University in 1992, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless (Hirsch) abandons his possessions, gave his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life. Written by Lisa Kelley

One Night with the King

The Old Testament story of Esther as never seen before.

I really enjoyed this movie. The first 10 minutes with the voice over and prelude was a bit cheesy but then it all develops from there.

Esther is at first a carefree young women before she is captured and taken into the Kings Harem. But there she finds love – and the political intrigue begins.

I really loved this film. It was moving and genuine (except for the Kings haircut, what was with that!)

Steph’s rating: 8/10

[Hoyts] One Night With the King is an epic motion picture set in an ancient and exotic world of adventure, intrigue and romance, that follows a young Jewish orphan who rises from peasant to Queen of Persia only to face the annihilation of her people.

Elizabeth – The Golden Age

I’d read reviews that said that this film was slow moving, so I prepared myself with low expectations. The reviewers got it right. It was slow moving and without much interest.

The costume jewelery was amazing, but Cate Blanchett and Clive Owen were not enough to make the film pop for me. I would have appreciated a prologue of historical events – for those of us who didn’t take history at school. Instead found myself lost in the film makers meandering plot. Consequently I’m none the wiser and will have to research it up myself (but at least I’m now interested enough to do so).

However a highlight was being encouraged by Mel and Richard to tap into our bad side and sit in the premiere seats (cozy and oh so luxurious leather seats) when we’d only paid for the cheap seats! Great fun! Such rebellion…

Steph’s rating: 6/10 (Seats: 10/10)

Fracture

Anthony Hopkins plays the psychopathic, evil mastermind that kills his adulterous wife. Anthony is brilliant in acting the cold and emotionless killer.

Slow at times, but enjoyable thriller as the young lawyer (Gosling) plays into his hands.

Steph’s rating: 6/10

Atonement

I liked it. Its certainly a different film. I liken it to Pride & Prejudice mixed with The Notebook. However unlike those its quite slow moving in parts.

Kiera Knightley is amazing in it – she does period pieces so well.

Steph’s rating: 7/10

IMDB: In the summer of 1935, 13-year-old Briony Tallis observes a flirtation between a servant’s son, Robbie, and her older sister, Cecilia, that she childishly misconstrues. Briony’s misunderstanding leads to a terrible crime whose consequences follow them through World War II.

Amazing Grace

We joined a large group of good friends at Rialto Newmarket to watch Amazing Grace. This definitely added to the atmosphere and expectation for this film.

Beforehand I knew it was going to be about a man who’s faith in God, changed British Parliament and ultimately the world through the abolition of Slavery. But I was a bit nervous, what if it was slow and boring?

Thankfully, I shouldn’t have worried – it was Wonderful! Really inspiring and even funny in places! This is a real story of perseverance and accomplishment. I enjoyed the clothes, the scenery and the humour, especially the witty debate in the House of Commons. There was even a sweet love interest story laced throughout which was really enjoyable.

Excellent movie, highly recommend.

Steph’s Rating: 8/10

Click on picture to view trailer.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Wayne put his foot down and said no more Chick Flicks! (so the review of ‘Knocked Up’ is postponed – apologies).

So it was Wayne’s pick and off to Harry Potter we went. The story telling style and characters reminds me alot of a modern day version of Enid Byton’s ‘Famous Five’. The characters are likable, their adventures exciting.

However, I’m really not the target market, so while it was enjoyable, I wouldn’t rave about. Good watch, but probably wouldn’t be bothered seeing again.

Steph’s rating: 6/10
(P.S. went to Hoyts Sylvia Park for the first time. The cinemas were amazing! They even have a movie club that you sign up too, for only $25 and you get 3 tickets and pay only $9 per movie for 12 mths. We signed up immediately!!!)

Ocean’s Thirteen

This movie was everything that you’d expect or hope from the last two.

One of the things I enjoy most about this franchise is always the cleverness of the team’s characters, plus I always love the visual treat of all the 60’s retro decor and set styling that they use (of course for most people this probably goes over shadowed by the cast).

The movie itself is enjoyable, light, high rolling fun. There are are a couple of funny statements thrown in that play on real life…George Clooney says to Brad Pitt ‘Go have a couple of kids!’ and the ‘Oprah’ scenes – you’ll know what I mean when you see them – very funny!
Steph’s rating: 7/10

The Illusionist

Quite a surprisingly cool movie… it had a really sweet romantic theme and the suspense of a ‘who dun nit’!

This is the first movie I’ve seen with Jessica Biel as romantic lead and she was very good. Edward Norton is brilliant as the brooding, deep entertainer/ illusionist.

Nominated for Best Screenplay and Cinematography, this movie is enjoyable, light escapism (excuse the pun).

Steph’s rating: 6.5/10

IMDB’s plot outline: A young boy falls in love with a girl that is way above his social standards along with the art of magic. Although the parents forbid them of seeing each other they cannot be split apart. Until one day they were found together and the boy was sent off. He becomes an illusionist and travels the world. She falls in love with another man, the Crown Prince. The two get engaged but the boy, Eisenheim, finally meets back up with the girl and uses his powers of illusion to free her from the royal house in Vienna.

The Last King of Scotland

The movie follows the story of a young, naive Scottish doctor, Nicholas who moves to Uganda to escape working alongside his father (also a Doctor) to find adventure and experience his independence. He eventually becomes President Amin’s person physician and then advisor.

Forest Whitaker’s portrayal of Idi Amin is so chilling and psychopathic, at one point you are almost wishing for the Scottish doctor to kill him as we see Amin transform from a ‘leader of the people’ to a corrupt and murderous dictator.

The acting in this movie is so amazing and the shooting locations were just extraordinary. There was so much suspense in this film, that at times I was on the edge of my seat. Sad to think that so many people lost their lives under his dictatorship. He was truly a cruel leader… corrupted by power and fear. His peoples suffering was horrific.

Deeply startling movie.

Steph’s Rating: 9/10

Blood Diamond

This (for me) is why movies exist…to take you to a time or part of the world that you would never otherwise experience.

In this film, it’s a world that’s full of danger caused by civil war that’s erupted out of greed – a world that as a New Zealander I could never, ever image. This film was so moving. The performances of Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly and Dijimon Houson were so real, heartfelt and passionate.

Everything about the directing and acting made me forget that I was in a cinema, I was transported to this African country and into these characters lives.The most shocking realisation for me was that this is real life for many people! I broke down seeing the families killed by their own countrymen, fatherless/ orphaned children being raised up by rebels, to become the Monsters, inflicting the same torture and pain that had destroyed their own lives earlier, now on others.

It gave me a small glimpse of what life as a refugee must feel like and what they might have been through. Anyone who has a heart for these people (like Jennifer Connelly’s character) are heroes.

Wow, wow, wow! is all I can say about this film. Horrific yet powerful. I think this movie is the best drama of 2006.

Steph’s rating: 10/10

Hollywoodland

Really pleased to finally see a decent movie. There has been some slim pickings over the last few weeks. However, Hollywoodland offers an intriguing story, fantastic acting by Ben Affleck and Adrien Brody and some good laughs.

A murder, mystery set in the 50’s L.A., with all the trappings of unknown actors desperate for their big break. Very enjoyable watch. My favourite scene is Ben Affleck, in character as Superman – doing a live show for the kids! You’ll know what I mean when you see it, so funny – fabulous retro scene (took me back).

In parts the movie did drag along, however I liked this movie. In reflection this flick is for those of us, who enjoy movies about the movies/tv!

Steph’s rating: 7/10

The Pursuit of Happyness

This is a really, sad movie. Maybe too sad…

It has some wonderfully moving scenes, but I was hoping for more inspiration and hope. At the end of the movie I just felt like crying, the struggle was just too heartbreaking and painful to watch.

Will Smith’s acting was realistic and heartfelt. Although this is not your typical, feel good, inspirational, ‘overcome the odds’, type movie; it was insightful into human struggle and suffering to a level I had not imagined before. At the end of the movie, I came out thinking how important it is to look out for signs that friends and family need support and to act quickly. No one should have to carry the burdens of life alone.

A heavy movie, slow in places. But worthwhile seeing.

Steph’s rating: 6.7/10

Dreamgirls

I really liked this film. It’s a visual feast of 60’s and 70’s style and fashion! Eddie Murphy is amazing as the sleazy, but good natured ‘Star’. He has some really funny scenes – but oh, his hair was so bad! Definitely worst wig ever!

Hollywood (i.e. ‘Golden Globes’, E TV) are raving about Jennifer Hudson, but I thought Beyonce Knowles was just as fabulous, if not more!

Not a movie for everyone – especially if you don’t like musicals! But I really enjoyed the dancing and singing – very cool! This film makes the music industry seem brutal and Jamie Fox nails the part as the nasty manager/ producer. This movie has a great story line and the clothes and costume design were outstanding!

Steph’s rating: 7/10

The Queen

I was expecting this film to ENHANCE my opinion of the Royal Family and the Queen, but instead it was the exact opposite. This movie reinforced my opinion that the Royal Family and the Queen were out of touch with modern society. In fact this movie really had a different star – Tony Blair!

It was very interesting to see this movie, not long after last weeks movie ‘Marie Antoinette’. Both Queens lost touch with their people and the times; Marie Antoinette (Queen of France – 17th Century) loses touch due to lack of good polictical advisers and guidance, along with an excessively privileged lifestyle. Whilst Queen Elizabeth II seems trapped in her perception of duty, traditions and ‘rules’.

I wonder what the Queen thought of this movie?

I personally thought that it didn’t show her in a very good light. Sure, at the end of the film they try and soften her by showing her as a survivor and trying to adapt to the changing world (and I guess that’s something). The portray her as a somewhat ‘rugged, outdoorsy’ lady who drives the Range rover 4 wheel drive through the Scottish countryside, but it didn’t really do it for me.

This movie, whilst not what I’d call entertaining, does offer some interesting insights into a monarch’s lifestyle which is insightful to say the least! The actress who plays the Queen does a great job, but couldn’t they have found someone better to play Charles!

Steph’s Rating: 6/10

Marie Antoinette

This movie was a visual feast of 17th Century French fashion. Stunning! Kirsten Dunst does an amazing job of portraying the naive but likable Marie Antoinette (MA). This movie is very entertaining and moves with the grandeur and wit of Jane Austin novel or other classic period dramas.

There were so many fabulous and memorable scenes, like MA having to endure being clothed each morning by many maids, or suffering the shock of discovering that is it French Culture for family members to watch over their bed on the wedding night!

Marie Antoinette’s relationship with her mother is very humorous and interesting and gives an impression of the duty and stress she was under as Queen. This movie very cleverly makes comparisons to Marie Antoinette’s lifestyle and modern young Hollywood.

However, in the end history remembers MA as someone who was oblivious to her nation’s poverty and suffering. This movie attempts to help us understand why.

Steph’s rating: 8/10

Children of Men

This is a movie I really enjoyed. Close to the best movie of the year.

Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, the movie is set in Britain, the year is 2027, and the worlds youngest person is killed by a mob wanting an autograph. He is 18 years old and viewers around the world are stunned watching the news, which again highlights the trouble mankind is in, with no hope and no future.

‘Theo’ (Clive Owen) plays a depressed worker, who on hearing the news of the death uses it to get the afternoon off work, he is dragged into the story by his ex-wife who is a resistance leader, he helps partially for the money however their are obvious relationship reasons as well.

The task starts easy, get some papers via his brother to enable a woman across the border, as they are bringing her back they are intercepted by your typical mad max outcasts where the ex wife dies while escaping. As he gets ready to leave the group he discovers the woman is actually pregnant with the first child in 18 years, and finds himself protecting her from resistance and government alike who all have political agenda’s to use the child for their own purposes.

Throughout the movie the setting and technology are believable, “Theo’s” character is extremely well portrayed, never the hero, just doing what needs to be done, gradually changing, overcoming the past, and finding hope in getting the mother and child to safety.

Wayne’s rating 8.5/10

The Departed

This is certainly a different movie, and I’m still stunned from it and trying to decide if I liked it.

The acting is excellent, however heaps of violence and bad language! Maybe too much for me. This movie has lots of twists and turns and a Scorsese ending. I quite like how they did something different with that, but not sure if I feel satisfied with it.

On the whole, OK. Wouldn’t see again, but Leonardo DiCaprio and the ‘psychologist’ girlfriend were brilliant. We enjoyed this movie with good friends and uncertain if they would go to the movies with us again – based on this pick! Definitely a ‘blood & guts’ movie.

Steph’s rating: 5/10 P.S. This movie is also just shy of 3hrs!

Flags of our Fathers

Let me say up front that I do not enjoy war movies so my comments should be evaluated with this in mind.

The movie achieves it’s objectives fairly well, creating an insight into the realities of war, how it effects individuals, how the image of victory and the heroes war creates are mostly illusion, and how those who have fought in wars have a vastly different perspective then the casual observer.

Clint Eastwood (director) uses a lot of timed sequencing where you see the “heroes” back in the USA being applauded for their great deeds, followed by footage of the often contrasting reality out in the battlefield , this occurs thoughout the movie and is perhaps overdone.

Personally, I got the message of the realities of war the first time I watched a movie in this genre (Saving Private Ryan etc). I really thought this movie added very little new, was slow, predictable, and frankly boring in places. Of course it’s not as boring as the all time worst war movie “The Thin Red Line” which I actually walked out of. If you liked that movie (which many people do) you should justifiably ignore my opinions altogether!

I guess I prefer to watch movies for entertainment, as I stated at the outset I do not enjoy war movies, frankly I cannot recall one I would buy and watch again.

4/10

Reviewed by Wayne Beasley

Fast Food Nation

This is not a movie that you ‘enjoy’. It is more of an insight and education.

A marketing exec for ‘Mickey Burgers’ heads to its national meat plant on the US Border with Mexico, to investigate how ‘poo’ is getting into its meat patties! There we learn the story of Mexican immigrants, illegally crossing the border in secrecy, trying to escape their home town poverty. The only place of employment is at the local meat plant that produces meat patties nationwide for the Fast Food Chain. Working conditions are unpleasant and unsafe, with the migrants being taken advantage of to ensure greater profits.

There is nothing that surprising in the movie, it is a very sad, horrible depiction that the American Fast Food industry is not interested in its customer or the its employees. It also looks at how the end product is a far cry from the marketing image.

Not a movie I would recommend, there is nothing new, entertaining or funny, but it is certainly thought provoking, and a sad portrayal of the fast food industry.

There were an amazing amount of celebrity appearances, including Wilmer Valderrama, Avril Lavigne, Ethan Hawke, Bruce Wills, and Kris Kristofferson, all adding their weight to the cause.

Not a movie I would watch again, once was enough. 4/10

Out Of The Blue

This movie really captured the essence of a rural NZ town in the 1990’s. The setting was so beautiful and they really captured the ‘Kiwi’ way of life. I enjoyed how they captured the simpleness of NZ rural life, similar to aspects in the ‘Fastest Indian’.

That’s what made this movie so moving, that such a horrible event could happen in such a small, caring community. I loved the way the director focused on the heroes…the 73yr old granny, the local police man (Karl Urban).

Excellent acting and cinematography.

Steph’s rating: 9/10

Syriana

Very thought provoking movie.

Slow in places, but pulls all pieces together at the end to give the movie meaning and depth.

Best movie of the year so far for me. Syriana Movie Link

Walk the Line

Wonderful story, amazing acting.

Reese Witherspoon never disappoints! Never knew Johnny Cash’s story and was touched.

Munich

Horrible – the point of this movie was that it was all pointless!I found it very graphic and disturbing. Don’t think I could recommend this movie to anyone.

Eric Bana really impressed me in this movie – sorry that the movie was so stink though!

King Kong

Saw twice – loved the first hour in which they create all the character development. I went to the movie knowing nothing about the King Kong story – was surprised that there was a great story in it.

Enjoyed all the action and special effects on the Island.

Great movie.