THE WAY, WAY BACK - film

This movie is such a delight. It’s a ‘coming of age’ kind of story about a young guy Duncan whose mum Pam (played by Toni Collette) has hooked up with a bit of a douche bag, Trent (played by Steve Carrell… I know, he’s never the bad guy!) and he’s struggling with the new family dynamic.

 

The blended family head to a seaside town for a summer holiday and the film starts with the car journey in which Trent asks Duncan to rate himself out of ten. The excruciating exchange really sets the tone beautifully but it’s interesting to note that this is based on the real life experience of one of the creators of the film! If you want that full story and a great background to the film and it’s makers who also wrote the screen play of The Descendants, read here. (Fans of the TV show Community, note that this is Jim Rash!)

 

Duncan finds his way to the local water park on one of his many solo excursions to escape the family holiday and that’s where the fun begins. Sam Rockwell plays the owner of the park Owen and his character is just so fantastic to watch, so quirky and full of good humour. Other staff at the park make great bit players including Maya Rudolph who you may know from Bridesmaids and Jim Rash mentioned earlier.

 

Allison Janney is also in this one as the always-tipsy neighbour at the beach house and her interactions with her own kids including a son with a literally not metaphorically wandering eye are pretty hilarious.

 

Go see this one, I really, really enjoyed it. You’ll walk out happy!

 

Preview screenings 26-28 July then opens Thursday 1 August.

 

Trailer here.

 

BEHIND THE CANDELABRA - film

Loved this film. Absolutely loved it.

It's all about Liberace, played by Michael Douglas (if you're too young to know who he is, have a quick squiz at his Wiki but the short version is that he was the campest of camp entertainers in America in the 1950s-70s) and his relationship with a guy called Scott Thorson, played by Matt Damon.

Michael Douglas is amazing in this. Absolutely amazing. Certainly the best I've ever seen him personally. And Matt Damon is pretty great too.

Scott grew up in a foster home and met Liberace as an adult and this film tracks that relationship which is fascinating. Sometimes the relationship of lovers, but more father/son at other times, the movie reveals the complexity of it and the demons of each of the men but in a way that's very easy to watch.

Special mention to Rob Lowe who plays the plastic surgeon employed by Liberace to make Scott look more like him. He is spectacular.

I completely agree with what Judith & Jason had to say about it on ABC TV's The Movie Show. You can see that here.

It opens on Thursday 25 July. Watch the trailer here.

THIS IS THE END - film

All I knew about this one before I saw it was what I saw on ABC TV's 'At the movies'. Given one star and two stars by stand-in presenters Judith Lucy and Jason Di Rosso, it was not looking good.

So I was pleasantly surprised that at first, this film presented a lot to laugh at and enjoy. It stars a bunch of Hollywood types playing versions of themselves and until the major plot line starts to unfold, I was actually enjoying it. Early scenes involving Michael Cera are actually really funny - the highlight of the film in fact.

But then bang, a stupid disaster struck and the story followed how the group (James Franco, Seth Rogan, Emma Watson, Jonah Hill etc) dealt with the fall out. I won't bore you with the details because they are dull, stupid and not funny.

And just when you think the film can't get worse, it does. And then worse again. And then worse again. In that sense at least, it's quite a triumph.

Definitely give it a miss.

Trailer here. But don't bother.