This is a drama about a British soldier caught behind enemy lines in Belfast in 1971, during what's known as 'the troubles' - the violent conflict in Northern Ireland.
The film is fantastic. The tension is just so real, I could feel it physically in my body as it built. The soldier is accidentally left behind by his unit when they're caught up in a riot and the story follows his dramatic attempt to escape to safety.
Highly recommend this one and for what it's worth, it doesn't skew particularly to either gender - a general crowd pleaser I think.
For more on the story, check out this four star review in The Guardian.
Trailer here.
I wanted to love this. I really did. A comedy written and directed by a world-famous comedian should be amazing, right?! (I'd also read this rave review in the LA Times so went in with really high expectations which seldom works out well...)
Alas, this film from Chris Rock, also starring Chris Rock, is a liked-but-not-loved kind of scenario for me.
He plays stand-up comedian Andre Allen in this film and Andre is trying to break the mould he finds himself in after appearing as Hammy the bear in a trilogy of action comedy movies. He's also in a loveless relationship with a reality TV star - think Kardashian.
It's hard to escape the fact that the storyline is just so predictable. I did laugh a bit (the scenes where Andre goes back to hang out with his family who don't cop his 'rich & famous guy' thing are very funny and Chris Rock/Andre Allen doing stand-up was also great) but nowhere near as much as I hoped I would in a film from someone with this comedy pedigree.
In the interests of fairness though, I present this very positive review in Rolling Stone magazine, also good if you'd like to read more on the story.
Here's the trailer.
I'll declare from the outset that fantasy films aren't really my taste so Seventh Son, an 'epic fantasy' was always going to struggle to please me.
But to my mind even if you like fantasy, you won't like this pile of excrement. Honestly, I just found it a total bore.
It stars Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore so I guess I hoped that even though it wasn't really my genre that it would still be ok. I mean, Julianne Moore just won the Oscar for best actress for crying out loud! Alas, she is let down by a terrible script. And as for Jeff Bridges, his character speaks like he has a mouth full of marbles, with an affectation fit for a leading man in a suburban theatre company Shakespeare production. (The kind of guy who can't quite work out why he isn't starring opposite Cate Blanchett in an Melbourne Theatre Company production... you know the type.)
Anyway, give this one a wide berth I reckon. DVD/digital at home, at best.
This review of it in Variety is pretty funny, if you're interested in reading more about the story and what a proper critic thinks. (eg. "Here, it’s downright uncomfortable to watch an actor as good as Bridges fumbling lame one-liners")
Trailer here.
Knew nothing about this film when I walked in and quickly realised we would not get along.
Hand. Held. Camera.
I am a very light touch when it comes to motion sickness so this was a disaster for me. I really tried hard to stick it out FOR YOU GUYS. SEE WHAT I DO FOR YOU!?
But at the 50 minute mark, my stomach could take it no longer and I had to swiftly dash out the cinema. You can guess the rest, though I wouldn't recommend it.
The last time this happened to me was with the film Kenny. Urgh.
For what it's worth, the film is about three high school nerds, a cute sister and a hot popular girl from school who manage to invent a way to time travel. But (surprise!) they don't think through all the consequences of this. I wish I could tell you how that aspect of the film unfolds but I didn't return after my aforementioned exit. What I did get through I wasn't particularly impressed by, so if you're willing to take the word of someone who only got through 50 minutes of a movie, I'd say give this a miss.
Here's a two star review in the UK Telegraph for you if you want the full picture, more on the story etc. And trailer here.
This film is based on the international best-selling book 'Fifty Shades of Grey' by author E.L James. (Note that I haven't read the book so this is just a regular film blog to me.)
If you've been living under a rock you might not know that the book is famous for some pretty raunchy s&m sex between main characters Christian Grey (young rich 'business man') and Anastasia Steele (young innocent English Lit student).
In the film adaptation we have Jamie Dornan as Christian and Dakota Johnson as Anastasia. Anastasia meets Christian and he gradually tries to compel her get involved in his s&m world. Both give an ok performance in a film I found to be total rubbish.
Honestly, it was just tedious. Some of the dialogue, I gather taken directly from the book, just made me wonder how on earth it was so popular.
For example (FRUITY LANGUAGE WARNING):
Anastasia to Christian: "Are you going to make love to me now?"
Christian: "I don't make love, I fuck. Hard."
I actually heard someone in the cinema mutter "Oh please" at that bit.
OK that was me who muttered that.
The film is attracting some controversy as to whether it glamorizes domestic violence. Obviously that's not something that can be examined within the confines of my short 'cut to the chase' style, but if you do want to read more about that, try this article.
But quite apart from any of that, I think this is just a really ordinary film and I'd be disappointed if I'd paid $20 to see it. If you're looking for titillation it would be way too soft for you (it's not even R-rated, it's MA 15+) and if you're not into that you'd probably have no interest in the film anyway.
Fairfax film critic Phillipa Hawker didn't hate it as much as me, for the record. Here's her 3 star review if you're interested in that perspective and more on the story. The Today Show's Lisa Wilkinson hated it and gave it a big ol' serve on her show, which you can watch here.
Trailer here.
Imagine a friend is a gambling addict and you have to watch them dig themselves deeper and deeper into debt and crisis, making bad decision after bad decision. That would be pretty awful to watch, wouldn't it?
Welcome to The Gambler.
Mark Wahlberg is our gambler and I never really became invested in him and his plight, nor the mediocre mini love story in this.
All in all, it was just pretty *meh* and definitely not worth laying down a lobster (and then some) to see at the cinema.
The one thing I did enjoy though is John Goodman as one of the blokes owed money. I'd forgotten how great that guy is.
(Side note: thumbs down to any film maker who makes Mark Wahlberg look as unattractive as he does in this.)
Trailer here.
This is the story of famous theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking's life, based on a memoir by his ex-wife Jane. Hawking was diagnosed with motor neurone disease at the age of 21 and went on to defy expectation and make amazing discoveries in physics. (That's my layman's take on it but I'm not a a physicist so leave me alone, ok?!)
As you would imagine, the role of Hawking is challenging to play but actor Eddie Redmayne is amazing. He won the Best Actor Golden Globe and may well go on to win the Oscar also.
I personally found this film pleasant enough viewing but not amazing. Redmayne's performance aside, my friend I agreed that it was a bit dull. If the opportunity arises, sure, watch away, but I can't say I'd suggest rushing out for it. Especially during award season when the market is flooded with great films.
For more on the story, check out this three star review in The Telegraph (UK). Three stars sits about right with me - good but not great.
Trailer here.
