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Movie Train - FILM REVIEWS by Morgan Bell

 
Fresh critical film reviews by young Australian journalist Morgan Bell. A bight-sized opinionated analysis of popular movies and indie/art-house feature films. Explores plot, themes, characters, performances, soundtracks and film technique. Morgan Bell assesses movies in the context of what makes a successful cinema or DVD experience.

Movie Train - March 2008

REVIEW: Notes On A Scandal

March 31st 2008 04:16
Directed: Richard Eyre (Stage Beauty, Iris)

Written: Patrick Marber (Closer); screenplay adapted from the novel by Zoe Heller

Starring: Judi Dench (Shipping News, Iris, Mrs Brown), Cate Blanchett (The Aviator, Elizabeth, The Talented Mr Ripley, Shipping News)

Another great character study, Judi Dench is brilliant as Barbara Covett the lonely old busy-body who becomes strangely obsessed with co-worker Sheba Hart (Blanchett). Barbara and Sheba are teachers at a highschool. Sheba is young and beautiful and enchanting and struggling to discipline the students. Barbara is the captivated yet critical stern old spinster who takes Sheba under her wing. It is implied that Barbara is a closeted lesbian who has had these infatuations with female friends before, but whether she is actually a latent homosexual or just a very repressed lonely old lady is never made clear. For whatever reason she is drawn to Sheba and when she observes her having sex with one of the school students she uses it as an opportunity to hold it over her head . . . to blackmail her . . . not for money but for company. This is the story of abusing power and confusing morals. Both Barbara and Sheba are terribly unhappy characters who become embroiled in a scandal which will engulf them both. Barbara plays a dangerous game of manipulation and even she herself seems unaware of her motivation . . . and the flakey Sheba seems equally unaware of her motivation with the highschool boy. They are both deeply troubled and floundering personally . . . I was engrossed in their story until the very end . . . both Dench and Blanchett were nominated for Oscars as well tas the screenplay . . . so refreshing to see some fleshy three-dimensional roles for women.



Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench as Sheba Hart and Barbara Covett in Notes On A Scandal (Patrick Marber)

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REVIEW: The Pledge

March 29th 2008 17:05
Directed: Sean Penn (The Crossing Guard, The Indian Runner)

Written: Jerzy & Mary Olson Kromolowski (from the novel by Friedrich Durrenmatt)

Starring: Jack Nicholson (About Schmidt, A Few Good Men, The Witches of Eastwick), Robin Wright-Penn (Empire Falls, Forrest Gump, The Princess Bride), Benicio Del Toro (Traffic), Helen Mirren (The Queen, Gosford Park), Vanessa Redgrave (Girl Interrupted, Mrs Dalloway), Mickey Rourke (Sin City)

The Pledge is a film about the ethical dilemmas facing a police officer who promises the mother of a murdered girl that he will not rest until he finds the killer. The little girl is killed on the eve of Jerry's (Nicholson) retirement party and he continues to pursue the case unofficially in his retirement. A suspect is apprehended and the case closed but Jerry cannot move on. Jerry becomes obsessed with tracking down the truth of who the real child-killer is through clues from one of the little girls artworks and believes he has discovered a serial killer when it turns out there were disappearances of similar looking girls in nearby counties. He begins dating and eventually living with a woman (Wright-Penn) who has a similar looking daughter to the original victim, and then he starts allowing the daughter to be used as bait without the mothers knowledge. Jerry must decide whether it is right to endanger the life of a young girl who now considers him as a father figure. This is a thought-provoking film with a lot of tension and controversy. The Pledge asks the age old question of whether the ends justifies the means and we are left contemplating if Jerry is really in control of the situation, or even his own mind. It is hard to tell at times whether his motivation is to catch the killer or to simply know the truth or know that he was right to continue to pursue the case. This is about as slow-paced and arty as you would expect an independent film to be but Nicholson is superb and determined in this Captain Ahab style role and the ending is powerful. Strong performances from all supporting cast. If you enjoyed Capote you will not want to miss this film.

Jack Nicholson in The Pledge (2001, dir: Sean Penn)
The Pledge (2001)

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love, drugs, sexuality, murder . . . the must-see Australian films

March 28th 2008 05:56
I get a bit excited when it comes to Australian film . . . i think of authentic queers and addicts, gender studies, and quirky characters . . . after much deliberation i constructed a list of my TOP 15 AUSTRALIAN FILMS that i would recommend people watch if they want to get an idea of Australian culture and Australian film.

The Boys
1. The Boys (1998)
David Wenham, Toni Collette
adapted from the Australian play of the same name, loosely based on the Anita Cobby murder, examines the events leading up to three brothers attacking a random woman due to frustrations in their own lives. A masterpiece character examination which captures the sour relationships between men and women in western Sydney and the culture of violence that breeds random unthinkable attacks. Wenham is sinister, creepy, and extremely frightening, I have never looked at him the same way again, it was a truly terrifying performance.

Cosi
2. Cosi (1996)
Ben Mendelsohn, Toni Collette, Rachel Griffiths, Barry Otto, David Wenham, Colin Friels, Jacki Weaver
adapted from the Australian play of the same name (by Louis Nowra), a young amateur theatre director (Mendelsohn) is commissioned by a Sydney mental institute to direct a musical with the patients as actors. Each of the patients has a different mental problem, like pyromania (Wenham), addiction (Collette), delusional mania (Otto), anger and territorialism (Weaver, obsessive compulsive, social phobia, stuttering etc. Through trying to teach them to act the young director actually learns from them and relates to them. Many funny performances, very well written.



Muriels Wedding
3. Muriels Wedding (1994)
Toni Collette, Rachel Griffiths, Bill Hunter, Sophie Lee, Matt Day
Muriel Heslop (Collette) is a daggy over-weight girl who lives in Porpoise Spit on the Gold Coast and listens to Abba all day wishing her life was better. Muriel believes the only path to happiness is to be married and desperately desires a wedding (even more than a husband). Through a series of adventures she befriends the head-strong Rhonda (Griffiths) and learns to confront her family, her past and herself. A warm and touching journey of self discovery, with genuine Australian characters and well-timed situational comedy.

Wolf Creek
4. Wolf Creek (2005)
John Jarret
an Australian outback horror torture film based on backpacker murderers like Ivan Milat, or the abduction of Peter Falconio. Mick Taylor (Jarret) is an old-school bush eccentric living in the isolation of Wolf Creek in northern West Australia. It also turns out Mick Taylor is a sadistic and brutal killer, tormenting backpackers for sport. Jarret will scare the pants off you and you will never drive through remote Australian bush again. The violence is horrific, the chase is nerve-racking, Taylors deranged smile as he torments and hunts his victims is chilling. Australias answer to Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Little Fish
5. Little Fish (2005)
Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Noni Hazlehurst, Sam Neil, Lisa McCune, Martin Henderson, Susie Porter
about the drug culture in Cabramatta, Sydney and how a former heroin addicts keep getting drawn back into the scene due to lack of options and ease of social contacts. Blanchett gives a gritty and courageous performance where Weaving is just heartbreaking. A realistic look at the lies, manipulation and desperation of addicts, dealers, and the reformed who struggle to get their lives back on track.

The Sum of Us
6. The Sum Of Us (1994)
Russell Crowe, Jack Thompson
adapted from an Australian play, this is a story about love set in Sydney, a heterosexual father is looking for the right woman while his gay son is looking for the right man. The film shows their relationships with one another and the objects of their affection as tradgedy strikes. An optimistic queer film where the father is supportive of the son being gay and none of the gay characters commit suicide, overdose, or die of AIDS – very refreshing.

Thank God He Met Lizzie
7. Thank God He Met Lizzie (1997)
Richard Roxburgh, Cate Blanchette, Frances O’Connor
Guy (Roxburgh) is plagued by memories of his former girlfriend (O’Connor) on his wedding day to Lizzie (Blanchett). A powerful thought-provoking film about what makes a successful romantic relationship. Do people marry the love of their lives or do they marry whoever is convenient when the time is right?

Head On
8. Head On (1998)
Alex Dimitriades, Paul Capsis
set in inner city Melbourne this film follows the troubled Ari (Dimitriades), a 19 year old Greek boy struggling with his homosexuality and his culture. Includes confrontational sex and nudity scenes, addresses police abuse of a transgendered character (Capsis). This is a groundbreaking queer film, dark, moody, and at times unpleasant – very brave performances by a talented cast – Dimitriades is a long way from Heartbreak High

Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert
9. Adventures of Priscilla Queen of The Desert (1994)
Guy Pearce, Hugo Weaving, Terrance Stamp, Bill Hunter
two gay men and a transsexual take their Sydney drag show to outback Australia, we follow their adventures and their outrageous outfits to dust-bowl country towns where they are embraced, admired, rejected, and attacked by different locals. A cast of eccentric characters and costumes and a soundtrack of all the necessary drag classics. This is a film about valuing your relationships and accepting yourself as well as others

Love & Other Catastrophes
10. Love & Other Catastrophes (1996)
Matt Day, Frances O’Connor, Radha Mitchell, Kym Gyngell
a film about sharehousing and university (long before TVs The Secret Life of Us), set at Melbourne University, we see a lesbian relationship where commitment is an issue, we see a student obsessed with a lecturer, a student gigalo, a secret admirer, and the many stresses of making friends, finding your identity and decided who to love and where to live. Sincere comedy with satisfying outcomes.

One Perfect Day
11. One Perfect Day (2004)
Dan Spielman, Abbie Cornish, Kerry Armstrong
a gifted Australian musician studying in London is brought home by the drug overdose of his younger sister in Melbourne where he discovers his girlfriend and others in the Melbourne club scene are involved in the deadly drugs. Insightful and innovative, and a rare peek into the mind of a modern musician and the things in life that captivate him.

Holy Smoke
12. Holy Smoke (1999)
Kate Winslet, Harvey Keitel, Sophie Lee
directed by Jane Campion (The Piano) this is the story of a young Australian girl Ruth (Winslet) who falls under the influence of a charismatic guru while on holiday in India. Ruth is forced to return home to Sydney due to an asthma attack where her parents employ an American exit counselor who deprograms members of religious cults (Keitel). A revealing look at how men treat women in Australian culture compared to mystical India, and a sharp commentary on the power of sexuality.



Lantana
13. Lantana (2001)
Anthony LaPaglia, Kerry Armstrong, Barabara Hershey, Geoffrey Rush, Glen Robbins, Vince Colosimo, Peter Phelps
adapted from an Australian play and set in Sydney, this film examines how fragile trust is between married couples, affairs are suspected, sexuality is questioned, and the body of a woman is found dead in the bush, her identity not revealed until the end of the film. Lantana is an Australian weed and is a metaphor for how insidious and destructive a deception can be in a relationship, hiding the most important things.

The Bank
14. The Bank (2001)
David Wenham, Anthony LaPaglia
set in Melbourne, a large corporate bank takes on a young math genius (Wenham) who insists that with funds he can fully develop a theory that predicts the movements of the stock market. Somewhat predictable but plays to the Australian culture of disliking faceless corporations like banks and always supporting the underdog, this film captures Australian attitudes and economic history.

The Interview
15. The Interview (1998)
Hugo Weaving, Tony Martin, Michael Caton
a rare Australian psychological thriller where almost the entire film takes place in a police interrogation room, with some short flashback sequences. Eddie Rodney Fleming (Weaving) is a quiet, nervous type who recently lost his job and family who is seized from his apartment and interviewed relentlessly over a stolen car that may lead to a serial killer. Edgy performances from a small cast that capture paranoia and suspense in real time.





Special mention to Claudia Karvans romantic comedies, the gender bending Dating The Enemy (1996, with Guy Pearce) and the lovely Paperback Hero (1999, with Hugh Jackman) for being as entertaining as any Hollywood film from the same genre

Special recommendation: if you enjoyed UK industrial rust-belt films like Billy Elliot, Brassed Off, or The Full Monty, I would recommend Bootmen (2000, Adam Garcia, Sophie Lee, Susie Porter) as steelworkers from Newcastle, Australia make it big as a tap-dancing troupe – based on the true story of Dein Perrys TapDogs

This blog was inspired by other similar blogs on Orble
"Australian Films" by Jason King on Salty Popcorn
"John Does 23 Favourite Aussie Films" by John Doe on JD Film Reviews
"Top Twenty Beaut Aussie Movies" by Michaelie on Flick Wit

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REVIEW: Bobby

March 27th 2008 08:20
Directed & Written: Emilio Estevez (Men At Work, Wisdom)

Starring: Emilio Estevez, Heather Graham, Anthony Hopkins, Helen Hunt, Joshua Jackson, Ashton Kutcher, Lindsay Lohan, William H. Macy, Demi Moore, Martin Sheen, Christian Slater, Elijah Wood, Lawrence Fishburn

This film surrounds the people in the Ambassador Hotel the day that Senator Robert F. Kennedy wins the Democratic Presidential Primary in California in 1968 . . . strange movie . . . a lot of big stars, the acting credits is like a list to an Oscars after-party . . . but it was very long and seemed like it had too many unrelated characters, filmed really up close to the actors faces to the point of making u dizzy . . . but a good bit of history around the Robert Kennedy assassination, painting a portrait of society and values at the time . . . a little hard to follow as unless u lived thru that period of history and/or are American, but the film goes to lengths with original footage and dialogue to place the event in the time of the Vietnam war, Martin Luther King was assassinated earlier the same year, and Bobby's brother President John Kennedy (JFK) was assassinated five years earlier in 1963. All the characters are fictional and represent a diverse cross-section of the community, in race, age and class. Stand out performance is by Demi Moore playing the boozy singer, it was worth sitting through a disjointed film to watch her utter the line "People come to see ME! People LOVE me! So if I want to have a fucking drink, then I am going to have a fucking drink ... because I deserve it!"

Demi Moore in Bobby



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REVIEW: Georgia Rule

March 25th 2008 13:31
Directed: Garry Marshall (Beaches, Pretty Woman, Frankie & Johnny, The Other Sister)

Written: Mark Andrus (Life As A House, Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood)

Starring: Jane Fonda, Felicity Huffman, Lindsay Lohan

This is a film about child sexual abuse and how it affects the personalities and lives of its victims by looking at two mother-daughter relationships. Rachael (Lohan) is the teenage daughter, off the rails, promiscuous, deceitful, drug-taking and sent to her grandmothers (Fonda) for being out of control by her mother and step-father. Lilly (Huffman) is Rachaels mother, an alcoholic, estranged from the grandmother struggling to relate to her daughter or anyone really, she has issues with her parents that were left unresolved when her father died. The title "Georgia Rule" relates to the grandmothers name being Georgia and the setting of the film being at her routine home in a small mormon town, where everything in the household is subject to her strict unwavering rules. Georgia is a feisty likeable character who is like a rock trying to achieve the trust of her daughter and grand-daughter as the accusation of child sexual abuse is raised. The majority of the film is spent trying to figure out whether the accusation is true or not, who is lying, who has misunderstood, who is being manipulated, who is trying to shift blame. This is a far more palatable film then something intense and shocking like Hard Candy which deals with the same issues but aims to be disturbing. However Georgia Rule actually uses a similar plot technique of putting the viewer in the position of doubting child sex abuse claims . . . forcing the viewer to question why they have doubts . . . making you examine your own morals and beliefs with regards to sexuality and children. Georgia Rule is not focused on justice or punishment of the alledged abuser as in Hard Candy, but is instead taking a closer look at the healing process for the abused . . . there is a really positive message here about how having open communications improves the family dynamic even in the face of the most delicate and destructive adversity. Essentially Georgia Rule is a "skeletons in the closet" family drama which explores how childhood experiences determine an adults senses of right and wrong, and their ability to form relationships, to love and to trust.

Lindsay Lohan in Georgia Rule

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REVIEW: The Illusionist

March 24th 2008 06:10
Directed & Written: Neil Burger (based on short story by Steven Milhauser)

Starring: Edward Norton (Keeping the Faith, Fight Club, American History X), Paul Giamatti (Cinderella Man, The Truman Show), Rufus Sewell (Tristan & Isolde, A Knights Tale), Jessica Biel (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, TVs 7th Heaven)

As I watched this film I was distracted by how familiar the musical score was, it is almost identical to the music from The Hours . . . I later discovered both scores were composed by Philip Glass . . . I wonder if he offered the producers a discount rate for a recycled soundtrack? It was however effective music in both films, with all the determination of water running its natural course downhill, it suits an unraveling story, a mystery, something we know there is a twist to but we must follow with trepidation to discover. Just like The Hours, The Illusionist is a film about anticipation. Norton plays Eisenheim the Illusionist in 1900s Vienna, and Biel is his childhood love. He is separated from her due to wealth and class as children but meets her again as an adult only to discover she is betrothed to the corrupt Crown Prince (Sewell). Biel is a natural beauty whos devotion to Eisenheim never flails and Sewell is suitably detestable, violent and contolling. Norton is poker-faced and guarded . . . Eisenheim is a magician but he exists in the era of kerosene lamps and horses-and-carts which plants seeds of doubt that anyone could conjure such real-looking illusions and apparitions without an element of the mystical, the supernatural . . . Norton barely gives us a hint of Eisenheims true intellectual potential, remaining humble until the very end. The character of Eisenheim is a simple man who is simply driven by wanting the girl. There is a sense of fate about their paths crossing, and it seems there is a pre-defined purpose in our protagonist bettering himself and taking revenge against the upper-classes that prevent him from having a relationship with his one true love. Eisenheim is similar to the protagonists in films like Gattaga or A Knights Tale . . . reaching for the stars, not being limited by the roles they were born into . . . yet in those films acquiring the girl was a mere consequence and it was the ambition for power, fame, glory or self-achievement that motivated the men. In The Illusionist love is the motivating factor, it is a far more basic love story, a love conquers all, or true love never dies kind of tale. The love is the one thing we can count on to be true and the rest we can decide if it is an illusion . . . .

Jessica Biel (the lover) and Edward Norton (the magician) in The Illusionist (red hooded cape scene)

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REVIEW: No Reservations

March 22nd 2008 15:33
Directed: Scott Hicks (Snow Falling On Cedars, Shine)

Written: Carol Fuchs & Sandra Nettlebeck

Starring: Catherine Zeta Jones (Chicago, Entrapment, Americas Sweethearts, Intolerable Cruelty), Aaron Eckhart (Erin Brokovich, Thank You For Smoking)

No Reservations is the story of a talented chef called Kate (Zeta Jones) who unexpectedly gains custody of her niece Zoe and is forced to allow a little flexibility into a lifestyle which has been all about control. The concept is a little like Dianne Keating in Baby Boom. Kate is fastidious, particular and refined with her taste in food, and this crosses over into her personal life as she avoids closeness with people and partners. The challenge of caring for her new young charge brings out Kates warmth and empathy and leads her to reassess priorities she formerly felt certain of. Eckhart is gorgeous as the love-interest/workplace-rival Nick, always kind and gentle, his placid temper contrasts beautifully against Kates highly-strung nature. Eckhart played a similar character in Erin Brokovich as the lovable bearded bikie, great with the kids, patient, tolerant, adores difficult women (cue the *sigh*). This is a nice film with nice people and is fairly engaging. It is definitely more complex than the trailers indicate, the romance is more of an incidental sub-plot whereas the relationship with the child causing Kates character development is where the crux of the story is, and I don't think I even saw a little girl in the trailer, just cooking and sexual tension. Although with only a PG rating this film is refreshingly less complex than most films containing a sense of dread around young children placed into the homes of strangers and de-factos and nannys . . . it is a shame to say I was expecting a paedophile or some abuse or violence around every corner, but the story remained focussed on less melodramatic means of propelling the plot and left us with characters we could really relate to.

Aaron Eckhart and Catherine Zeta Jones in No Reservations
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REVIEW: The Last King Of Scotland

March 21st 2008 23:45
Directed: Kevin MacDonald

Written: Jeremy Brock (Mrs Brown, Charlotte Gray), Peter Morgan (The Queen) and Giles Foden

Starring: Forest Whitaker (Panic Room, Phenomenon, Phone Booth, Platoon), James McAvoy (Narnia, Wimbledon), Gillian Anderson, (TVs The X-Files), Kerry Washington (Save The Last Dance, Ray, Mr & Mrs Smith, Fantastic Four)

In 1977, Time magazine called Idi Amin a "killer and clown, big-hearted buffoon and strutting martinet" . . . he was regarded as a comical and eccentric character, but has also gone down in history as a ruthless tyrannical despot and dictator who was a serious threat to the Ugandan peoples human rights and civil liberties. Idi Amin took power of Uganda in a military coup in January 1971 with his regime killing between 80 000 and 500 000 people up until 1979. In the first week of the coup Amin declared himself President of Uganda, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Army Chief of Staff and Chief of Air Staff with his grandiose self-appointed title becoming:

"His Excellency President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Sea, and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular"

In The Last King of Scotland we see the rise of the crazy and frightening Idi Amin in his local Uganda from the vantage point of visitor Nicholas Garrigan (McAvoy), a doctor, freshly qualified from his schooling and upbringing in Scotland, a young white man seeking excitement, adventure and experience by volunteering his medical services to the poverty-stricken in Africa. Telling this story from the point of view of Nicholas is a stroke of genius as he is easy to identify with and makes an otherwise foreign story palatable to western viewers. Nicholas is naïve and optimistic and becomes personally involved with Idi Amin (Whitaker in his Oscar winning role) as his family doctor and advisor. This film shows how quickly and unpredictably the situation in Uganda escalated, the political pressures changing Amin from a charming and likeable General trying to help his people, to a paranoid and hysterical President desperately floundering and compounding bad decision with bad decision. Amins bad decisions are parallelled with Nicholas's bad decisions as be becomes more deeply embroiled in an impossible and explosive situation, accepting gifts and promotions from Amin whilst becoming increasingly involved in the plight of one of Amins wifes (Washington). Gillian Anderson is barely recognisable as his young blonde work colleague Sarah from the first half of the film, who is dedicated to treating the poor without becoming involved in politics . . . she looks younger than what she did at her peak of fame starring in X-Files . . . and her character provides a stark contrast to the somewhat self-motivated decisions of Nicholas. This film exposes an interesting piece of political history of a nation we mite not otherwise care to think about . . . and some of us are too young to remember . . . the characters are complex and well developed, and the plot is engaging, tension increases to the very end when Dr Nicholas Garrigan's fate is revealed . . . and how can we not be invested in McAvoys survival . . . he is after all Mr Tumnus the fawn in Narnia – The Lion The Witch & The Wardrobe . . . .awwww . . . versatile actors are the most valuable!

McAvoy and Whitaker in The Last King Of Scotland


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Vampires mirror fears about sexuality

March 20th 2008 13:58
The vampire in film history directly represents society's fears about sexuality. The vampire is characterized as the deviant who thrives on close personal contact and the exchanging of bodily fluids. The vampire is the predator who corrupts innocents, luring and seducing victims, once bitten they are infected and become vampires themselves. This mirrors the idea of sexually active people in the real world coercing the virgin into engaging in sex and becoming part of the deviant or undesirable section of society.

Count Orlock in Nosferatu
In the 1920s German expressionist silent film "Nosferatu" (which was an unauthorized adaptation on Bram Stokers novel Dracula) presented us with our first film vampire Count Orlock. This film portrays the vampire as a grotesque outsider who is feared by the townsfolk and whose dirty practices lead to the spreading of disease (the plague). Orlock's freakish night-time escapades cause rumours in the community and he is ostracized. This is much the same way that promiscuous, adulterous, homosexual or otherwise sexually immoral people were considered in a time of ignorance and supersticion.

In the 1930s Bela Lugosi starred as a comical Count Dracula in the official US film adaptation of the Stoker novel simply titled "Dracula". The film-makers utilized a non-english-speaking star as his accent was considered frightening and eerie to audiences at the time. This took advantage of the common fear of the sexuality of foreigners and the common mistrust of people with ways different to our own. Lugosi's slow speaking did make him appear corpse-like also mimics the conduct of an alcoholic or someone with a mental disability, people with challenges that were misunderstood.

Chistopher Lee as
In the 1950s Christopher Lee starred as Count Dracula in the UK film version of "Dracula". Lee plays Dracula like a gentleman, stiff and brutal, an eccentric from the upper-class, a man with two different personalities. Culturally the times were changing in the west post-war and this film marks a shift in trust of authorities, wealth and power. Dracula looks more like a regular handsome white man but with motivations that are suspicious rather than solely outward appearances.





Rutger Hauer as




In the 1990s films like Buffy The Vampire Slayer portrayed vampires more like drug-addicts, they are driven to recruit and feed but they are more of a marginalized pack of pests than a solitary outsider. Culturally this is post-sexual revolution and women's-lib and the implications of STDs are beginning to permeate the social psyche. In Buffy the vampires are useless lowlifes and criminals who have gotten caught up in the wrong crowd led by Rutger Hauer's Lothos and the hero is a sexually empowered and outgoing young woman. The film-makers reflect ideas from safe sex marketing campaigns by telling us: you can have fun, just make it the right kind of clean fun.

Stephen Dorf as
An alternate take on the modern vampire is the direct and specific link to homosexuality as seen with Tom Cruise's Lestat in "Interview With a Vampire" or Stephen Dorf's Deacon Frost in "Blade". These vampires look and act stereotypically gay. In society at this time homosexuals are viewed as sexual deviants and there is a misconception that the queer community "recruits" as there became increased queer visibility and pride and more gay men coming out of the closet. They also look sick, reminiscent of the prominent media images we saw of gay men suffering from AIDS (the modern day plague) in the 90s.

For nearly a century film-makers have recognized that vampires epitomize "the outsider" and have allowed their vampires to encompass taboo traits in order to most frighten their audiences. As social values have progressed the vampire has morphed from being an inhuman monster to the being an attractive but unconventional person we can relate to, more kinky than depraved.

It is ironic that the vampire, the character supposedly unable to have their reflection seen in a mirror, has been such an important tool for film-makers in mirroring the change of values and fears in our society.
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REVIEW: 27 Dresses

March 19th 2008 09:57
Directed: Anne Fletcher (Step Up)

Written: Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada, Laws Of Attraction)

Starring: Katherine Heigl (Knocked Up, TVs Greys Anatomy), James Marsden (Enchanted, Hairspray, X-Men), Edward Burns (The Holiday, Life Or Something Like It)

Always the bridesmaid, never the bride! Poor Katherine Heigl has 27 hideous bridesmaid dresses in her closet and will probably have many many more if she doesn't start putting herself first. This story is extremely predictable and has all been done before in "How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days", "Failure To Launch", "Shes All That", "10 Things I Hate About You" or "Two Weeks Notice" where the reporter/hotty-with-an-alteri or-motive (Marsden) has to spend time with a seemingly hopeless person of the opposite sex (Heigl) and due to spending some quality time with them and interacting with their family and understanding their situation AND possibly having a few drinks and dancing/singing together (possibly to Benny & The Jets) they learn to love the hopeless person for their personality and all their faults and realize they simply cant live without them! Hey its not rocket science, and its not exactly realistic, but it's a well worn formula and in the case of 27 Dresses it is incredibly cute. Heigls character has had a longtime crush on her boss (Burns) but when her self-involved model sister sweeps into town she instantly snavels him for her very own . . . then to add insult to injury the sister asks Heigl to be her bridesmaid and organize the whole wedding . . . oh that bitch! I think Katherine Heigl is the new Meg Ryan radiating wholesome niceness, and ive never seen James Marsden looking so good, he smolders away throughout the whole film with charm and a cheeky grin while she somehow doesn't notice how ridiculously good-looking he is . . . its actually a lot of fun waiting for the inevitable to unfold . . . and the movie-montage of Heigl trying on the actual 27 dresses from her closet is a highlight.

James Marsden and Katherine Heigl in 27 Dresses (always the bridesmaid never the bide)

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REVIEW: Good Luck Chuck

March 18th 2008 13:26
Directed: Mark Helfrich (debut)

Written: Josh Stolberg (screenplay from story by Steve Glenn)

Starring: Dane Cook (Employee Of The Month, MySpace comedian), Jessica Alba (Into The Blue, Fantastic Four, Sin City), Lonny Ross

OK firstly this is a pretty stupid movie . . . similar mentality to Shallow Hal, Deuce Bigalo, or American Pie . . . and secondly there is an outrageous amount of tits in this movie with an extremely gratuitous movie montage fuck-a-thon showing Dane Cook acting out the karma sutra simultaneously with multiple women each in their own separate brady bunch multiscreen. This film (and I use the term loosely) is clearly aimed at 14 year old boys who have ambitions of becoming rohypnol toting keg-party frat boys at an American college, and it really isn't that funny . . . but I guess when a film features a Myspace comedian, Dane Cook, who has 2.1 million friends but isn't actually all that funny himself we know the appeal is going to be mostly looks . . . Dane Cook is handsome, it just seems hes based his whole career on getting by on his looks and the occassional lame joke. Apart from Dane Cook playing the title role of Chuck we also have another typically goodlooking but moderately talented actor as the female lead, the gorgeous Ms Alba as Cam. Basically the story goes: when Chuck was a little boy he refused to kiss a scary gothic witch girl during a round of spin the bottle at a party, she put a hex on him that he would never find anyone to love him and that anyone who has sex with him will find their true love in the person they date immediately after him. Somehow Chuck and his grotesque short fat randy little best friend go through medical school together, Chuck becoming a dentist and the grotty blob becoming . . . u guessed it . . . a cosmetic surgeon specializing in breast implants! Haha! This is where half of the tit shots come in . . . the other half come from Chuck becoming an urban legend as a lucky charm and hundreds of barbie-esque women ripping their shirts off and revealing their perky cleave (no doubt installed by mr disgusto the best friend) in a desperate attempt to convince Chuck to shag them so they can find happiness (which as we all know can only be found in a husband). I obviously don't have a lot of respect for this movie but at least it worked through the convoluted plot at a fast pace a wrapped up nice and neatly. There were some genuinely funny moments provided by comments from Cams stoner brother Joe (Ross) in the penguin enclosure they worked in, and there was a lot of slapstick comedy some of which worked and provided a laugh . . . I particularly liked seeing the dangerously clumsy Cam slip in the dental surgery flicking up a tray of medical instruments causing three sharp scalpels to be lodged in Chucks back . . . apt revenge for all the breast implants I was made to watch while Dane Cook falls unexplainably in love with Jessica Alba and tries to break his curse so she will be able to love him back . . . Chuck stalking Cam and acting like a deranged mental patient is funny because it is absurd and there are a few quotable quotes and unique physical comedy that im sure will be talked about, its just a shame u have to wade through a million bare breasts and revolting sex jokes to get to it.

Lonny Ross, Jessica Alba, and Dane Cook in Good Luck Chuck

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Top Ten Film Soundtracks

March 17th 2008 15:32
Inspired by fellow orble blogger Bianca S on cinemavoyage.com Best Music Moments on Film made me think about my favourite film soundtracks . . .

TOP TEN FILM SOUNDTRACKS

Matt Dillon as grunge musician in Singles (Cameron Crow)
1. Singles (1992)
Directed: Cameron Crow; Starring: Matt Dillon, Bridget Fonda, Kyra Sedgewick
This film had cameos by Chris Cornell (Soundgarden), Eddie Vedder and Jeff Ahmet (Pearl Jam), and stage scenes of Soundgarden and Alice In Chains. This film really was the essential 90s seattle grunge scene flick and the sountrack is a historic must-have for grunge junkies. The soundtrack includes tracks by Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Chris Cornell, Screaming Trees, Smashing Pumpkins, Mudhoney, Mother Love Bone, and Paul Westerberg. It is a fantastic soulful listen all the way through with some rare tracks unavailable elsewhere - a soundtrack all about brooding masculinity and fierce integrity.



2. Tombraider (2001)
Directed: Simon West; Starring: Angelina Jolie, Ian Glen, Daniel Craig, Noah Taylor, Jon Voight
This computer game film had the perfect electro soundtrack to match. There is the andrenaline rushing techno-dub and rnb of Missy Elliot (Get Ur Freak On), Basement Jax, Fatboy Slim, Moby, Outkast, and Chemical Brothers. There is also the electro anthem of U2 (Elevation), the industrial sleaze of Nine Inch Nails (Deep), and the chill out vibes of Groove Armada. A perfect cyber collection which starts out strong, gets hectic and then finishes meditative.

3. Romeo & Juliet (1996)
Directed: Baz Luhrmann; Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes
A soundtrack of quirky love songs to compliment the modernisation of this age old Shakespearian tale. Featuring the sweetness of The Cardigans (Lovefool), the intensity of Garbage (No. 1 Crush), the celebration of Kym Mazelle (Young Hearts Run Free), as well as the immensely popular Desree, Quindon Taver, Radiohead, Everclear, Butthole Surfers, and One Inch Punch. This soundtrack is cool and edgy alternative pop and tragic ballads in the mix. A refreshing take on the theme of love.

4. The Big Chill (1983)
Directed: Lawrence Kasden; Starring: Kevin Kline, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, Tom Berenger, William Hurt, Meg Tilly
A collection of groovy 60s hits that accompany the characters in the film reminscing about the simplicity of their college days. Features Marvin Gaye (I Heard It through The Grapevine), Aretha Franklin (Natural Woman), The Temptations (My Girl, Aint To Proud To Beg) and my personal favourite Procol Harum (A Whiter Shade Of Pale). feel good, toe tapping tunes that capture the essence of the era. For classic american hits of the 70s see the Forredt Gump soundtrack.

5. Labyrinth (1986)
Directed: Jim Henson; Starring: David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly
Its all about David Bowie! A must for David Bowie fans, he sings all the catchy tunes from this teen fantasy adventure and plays Jareth the evil Goblin King with extremely big ice blond 80s hair and extremely revealing spandex tights. He sing "you remind me of the babe" in the poppy Magic Dance and then captivates with the fairytale crystal ball song As The World Falls Down. Bowies mock devastation in Within You is topped only by the theme song Underground (from the opening and closing titles/credits). David Bowie is charming and funny, even in song, and this soundtract is the feather in his cap . . . or the sock in his stockings

David Bowie as Jareth the Goblin King in Labyrinth (Jim Henson)




6. Hedwig & The Angry Inch (2001)
Directed: John Cameron Mitchell; Starring: John Cameron Mitchell, Miriam Shor, Michael Pitt
The songs that tell the story of a transexual punk rockers journey to self discovery are fresh poignant and catchy. All the songs from this rock musical are originals written by Stephen Trask and Performed by John Cameron Mitchell as his bitter and twisted female persona Hedwig. Favourite tracks include The Origin Of Love, Sugar Daddy, Wig In A Box, and Wicked Little Town. Beutiful lyrics from Trask and beautifully sung by Cameron Mitchell sweetening the punk rock sensibilities of the overall theme - a soundtrack about surviving and learning from life.

7. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Director: Jim Sharman Starring: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O'Brian, Meat Loaf
"its just a jump to the left . . ." ahh Time Warp, that is of course the gimmick song but the whole soundtrack is solidly entertaining and great to sing along to. Features include Sweet Transvestite, I Can Make You A Man, and Im Going Home. Tim Curry should have had a recording career if he wasnt such a fine actor. This soundtrack is alot of fun with alot of hilarious, queer, and queeny lyrics, a sountrack about breaking down the barriers - way ahead of its time!

8. Run Lola Run (1998)
Directed: Tom Tykwer (subtitled foreign language - German); Starring: Franka Potente
This is a pumping trance techno soundtrack that actually really made the film. Run Lola Run is a speedy trip of a film which depicts a young flame-haired woman desperately running throught the streets of Berlin in an effort to save her doomed lover. Much the same themes as the mainstream Sliding Doors with multiple paths or versions of the same story exploring the possibilities etc but Run Lola Run kicks is injected with grave urgency with the rush being maintained throughout using this soundtrack as a strong resounding pulse. Should come with a warning: do not play while operating a motor vehicle or you will exceed the speed limit!

Franka Potente as Lola in Run Lola Run (German foreign language)


9. Broken Flowers (2005)
Directed: Jim Jarmusch; Starring: Bill Murray, Julie Delpy, Tilda Swinton, Sharon Stone, Jessica Lange, Chloe Sevigny
This is a quirky story of a man revisting his old girlfriends to investigate the possible existance of a teenage son and along the way discover where he goes wrong in love and life. So it makes sense that it have an extremely quirky soundtrack, the music in this film really is its feature as it is primarily the hypnotic snake charming music of ethiopian goove artist Mulatu Astatke. It is entirely captivating and reflects Bill Murrys character brilliant. A great chill out collection that makes you curiouser and curiouser

10. Mean Girls (2004)
Directed: Mark Walters; Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Tina Fey, Lacey Chabert
A cool bitchy film really only works with a cutting edge cool bitchy soundtrack for the immaculate "popular" girls at the modern highschool to swan and mince around to. The characters in Mean Girls know how to make an entrance and these are the songs they make an entrance to. Featuring Pink (God Is A DJ), Blondie (One Way Or Another), The Donnas (Dancing With Myself), Peaches (Operate), and Kelis (Milkshake). This is a girl power trip, cutting edge, arrogant and very very female
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REVIEW: Shortbus

March 15th 2008 14:49
Directed & Written: John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig)

Starring: Sook-Yin Lee (Hedwig), Paul Dawson, Lindsay Beamish, Jay Brannan, Miriam Shor (Hedwig)

This is a film I heard a lot about before watching it, friends telling me of how graphic and bizarre the sex scenes are, reviewers describing it as gratuitous and thin on plot, a vehicle for displaying shocking sex . . . noone could articulate what this film was actually about as they were too busy gasping in awe at how hardcore the sex was . . . so I presumed it was going to be porn . . . but its not . . . it is so much more substantial. Yes this film opens with a very full-on and seemingly unnecessary sequence of sexual scenes. Our protagonist Sofia is an asian lady who we see having sex, all kinds of sex, in multiple positions, hard and fast sex, karma sutra sex that she seems to be enjoying . . . but only after she puts her clothes on an we enter the story behind the sex do we really see her naked and exposed. We learn that Sofia is a couples-counsellor/sex-therap ist who has never experienced an orgasm, the man in her opening scene sex is her husband, and she is extremely unhappy as she feels a failure as a woman, wife, human being for not being able to orgasm, it shames her personally and distracts her professionally, she doesn't feel like a complete person. This is essentially what this film is about, that looks are deceiving. The opening scenes may appear erotic and sensuous and titillating but as we explore the characters behind them we realise none of them were actually enjoying doing the sexual things they were engaged in, and we learn about the myriad of different reasons people are motivated to participate in sex other than pure "pleasure". Other characters include James and Jamie a long-term gay couple deciding to make their relationship open and look for a third, and Severin the dominatrix who is unable to connect with others emotionally . . . as fulfilling as all these raunchy situations may seem, it is remarkable how miserable all of the characters are . . . a lot of their despair stemming from a growing anxiety that the magnitude of their sexual feelings and experiences are not "normal", they worry that they are desensitised, they fear that they are inadequate because they are different . . . this film is essentially questioning why we inherently associate sex with closeness and joy . . . and also examines the role of the voyeur in sexual culture . . . this film is a multi-layered, rich, deep and thoughtful . . . but do be warned: the nudity and sex scenes are extremely explicit not for the feint hearted!


Sofia (Sook-Yin Lee) observing the Sex-Not-Bombs room in Shortbus (dir: John Cameron Mitchell)

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REVIEW: Friends With Money

March 14th 2008 12:43
Starring Jennifer Aniston, Francis McDormand (Fargo, Wonder Boys, North Country), Joan Cusack (High Fidelity, In & Out) and Catherine Keener (Capote, Being John Malkovitch)

Brilliant film! Im glad i convinced my friend to hire this film as we were browsing the dvd store. Despite being apprehensive of Jennifer Anniston i remembered it was a stand-out at last years Sydney film festival and we ended up thoroughly enjoying it! Such a great character study of a group of four female friends, showing that no level of wealth or success (or lack of it) can buy happiness or contentment. The characters are incredibly flawed and troubled, their relationships with each other and their husbands are both amusing and heart-wrenching . . . it is very real, very easy to relate to. Aniston plays the single friend who works as a maid and is unlucky in love, she is going through a confusing time in her life and turns to her female friends for advice and companionship. Her friends are three successful intelligent women who are all married and have varying degrees of wealth (from upper-class suburban to stinking rich millionaire) and they enjoy using her as a project and someone to talk about as well as to talk with . . . she is set up with one of their personal trainers at one point with hilarious results . . . but ironically they all spend as much time talking about each other to distract from their own problems. I was particularly drawn to the character of Jane (McDormand) who is a successful fashion designer with a questionably gay husband who has become depressed and completely lost motivation to maintain her appearance, she refuses to wash her hair stating "whats the point it will just get dirty again", and becomes increasing irritable and neurotic about more and more trivial things having outbursts at sales assistants, waiters and the parents of her children's friends . . . this is one of the best portrayals of depression I have seen since Toni Collette in "About A Boy". Complex and original . . . there a few comedies about women made this open and meaty . . . this is a must see!

Joan Cusack, Jennifer Aniston, Frances McDorman & Catherine Keener in Friends With Money

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REVIEW: Marie Antoinette

March 12th 2008 15:13
Directed & Written: Sofia Coppola (The Virgin Suicides, Lost In Translation)

Starring: Kirsten Dunst (The Virgin Suicides, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Wimbledon, Spider Man), Jason Schwartzman (Spun, Rushmore), Judy Davis (Life With Judy Garland, The Man Who Sued God)

I like Sofia Coppola's style, it is an unabashed female style of story-telling that is delicate and simple and lovely to watch. There seems to be a pattern emerging with Coppola choosing stories of rich, bored young girls struggling with the roles imposed on them . . . perhaps a reflection of her being such a girl herself . . . a lot is expected of a girl who is the daughter of someone famous or successful or important, and living up to those expectations can be daunting. Coppola interpretation of the Marie Antoinette story depicts Antoinette as vulnerable, young and naïve, as opposed to the notoriously vain and cold monarch that history has caricaturised her as. In Coppolas vision Antoinette is a scapegoat, misquoted by the media and demonised for being a foreigner, the little wasteful Austrian girl sitting on the throne of France as her husband pours funding into the American civil war and the people of France starve and suffer. This film is taken entirely from Antoinette's point of view, and we are asked to see her sympathetically as the victim of her circumstances. We see that her main crime was being disinterested and insular, but being largely unaware of the world outside her palace and privilege was the result of leading a sheltered existence. This film won the Oscar for costumes which is well-deserved as it is a continuous fashion parade of wigs and gowns, in amazingly ornate interior settings, showing the extravagance of the aristocracy in that era (an era where a princess needs a hundred people overseeing her standing in the nude waiting to be dressed but must take baths in her nightgown!). My only real criticism is that the modern soundtrack of bubblegum girl punk and power ballads that would usually effectively litter a movie like Mean Girls, Clueless, Romy & Michelle or Ten Things I Hate About You . . . but here I did not find it enjoyable as it is just loud and distracting. But check out newcomer model/actor Jamie Dornan as the military man-beauty that Antoinette has a sweet and passionate affair with before he is deployed to the war . . . he is stunning and sincere, and im glad such a pretty film contained at least one pretty boy!

Jamie Dornan and Kirsten Dunst in Marie Antoinette (dir: Sopia Coppola)

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REVIEW: In The Cut

March 11th 2008 15:33
Directed & Written: Jane Campion (Holy Smoke, Portrait of a Lady, The Piano); screenplay adapted from the novel by Susanna Moore

Starring: Meg Ryan (Proof of Life, City of Angels, When A Man Loves A Woman, Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally), Mark Ruffalo (Suddenly 30, View From The Top, The Last Castle), Jennifer Jason Leigh (Road To Perdition, A Thousand Acres, Single White Female, The Hitcher)

Meg Ryan is barely recognizable and very brave in this disturbing psychological thiller. Frannie (Ryan) is a writer and teacher who has a close relationship with her half-sister Pauline (Jason Leigh). A brutal murder occurs in their neighbourhood and Detective Malloy (Ruffalo) is sent to investigate. Frannie suspects Detective Malloy may have been sexually involved with the victim prior to her death yet she herself is unable to refuse entertaining him sexually due to his forward nature . . . she is compelled to submit to him when he expresses an interest in her . . . perhaps out of curiousity, perhaps out of her own sexual desires . . . she fears him yet trusts him at the same time. This film is full of intimidating and volatile males, they have frustrated unpredictable outbursts, they yell, they say degrading things, and they are violent . . . Campion is showing us the link between sex and violence in relationships between men and women . . . she is also showing us the instinctual desire of women to preserve this time-honoured link between sex and violence . . . and this I found frightening. Does Frannie find the threat of violence sexually exciting? Does Frannie seek out violent men or are they simply impossible to avoid? This film keeps you guessing plot-wise yet is elegant and visually stunning as any of Campions other work. It has a dreamy surreal atmosphere which turns nightmarish wih graphic blood-drenched crimes scenes. The sex scenes between Ryan and Ruffalo are confronting and open, as is their pillow-talk. I was surprised to see full-frontal nudity from our sweet little Meg, but she is so taken over by this character you forget it is even her. This is a shocking film that really needs to be watched twice to be appreciated for its subtleties and artistic direction.

Meg Ryan & Mark Ruffalo in a Jane Campion film In The Cut

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