Based on a true story, this is a remarkable family film about an otherwise naughty dog coming good when he finds his niche guarding penguins in Warrnambool.
It's delightful - highly recommend for school holiday viewing with the kids.
For more on the film, check out this three star review in The Guardian.
Trailer here.
Based on a true story, this film follows a group attempting to trek to the peak of Mt Everest.
It did have a bit of a 'gents climb the mountain while the ladies fret at home' vibe but since it's based on a true story, I guess I shouldn't quibble.
It certainly paints a clear picture of how incredibly challenging the expedition is. I spent most of the time thinking to myself WHY ARE YOU PEOPLE DOING THIS?! But then, I'm not exactly known for a desire to push myself to the brink physically so I guess I can't relate!
The cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, Robin Wright, Keira Knightly (whose attempt at a New Zealand accent is dreadful), Sam Worthington and more. I was totally invested in their journey, much more so than I expected to be.
No spoilers here, just see it if adventure thriller is your thing. If it's not, you can probably give this a miss. I guess I'm saying it's good and I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected, but I can't say I'd encourage you to race out for it.
Four stars from The Independent UK and two stars from The Guardian. Probably somewhere in the middle for me.
Trailer here. In cinemas now.
This is one of the best Australian films I've seen, certainly in recent memory.
Based on a 1995 memoir about growing up gay in Australia in the 1970s by Timothy Conigrave, it's a spectacularly beautiful love story.
Ryan Corr as Timothy and Craig Stott as the love of his life John, both give stunning performances. There's a few laughs but this is no comedy. It's a very sad film and I'd urge you to take tissues!
There's an impressive supporting cast too - Anthony La Paglia, Sarah Snook, Guy Pierce, Geoffrey Rush and young Melbourne comedian Tegan Higginbotham with a small role.
This review in The Age gives it 3.5 stars but it's more like 4 for me. (More on the film & story in this review also if you want further reading.)
Trailer here.
Allow me to start with a confession.
What I know about Compton can be summarised by this picture:
Yes they're cheerleaders, but they're financially challenged cheerleaders.
Anyway the point is, the film Straight Outta Compton, which chronicles the rise of hip hop group NWA, is arguably not my cup of tea. I may or may not have told someone it was about The Beastie Boys before I'd really read up on it.
I really thought I wouldn't enjoy it at all but the great joy of low expectation is the potential for it to be exceeded, as it was when I watched this film. Same can be said of the friend I saw it with. Double endorsement!
I enjoyed watching the dramatisation of how this group of young guys fought to make their musical dreams come true in the face of considerable adversity. That said, at 2.5 hours long it was 1 hour too long.
It's going gangbusters at the US box office which is a great sign. And The Guardian's Mark Kermode gave it 3 out of 5 stars which is about right for me.
Trailer here.
