As I was watching this 'mockumentary' about four housemate vampires, I was thinking 'this is one of the strangest movies I've ever seen' and by the time it had finished I think it had cemented it's place as THE strangest movie I've ever seen.
It was made in New Zealand by Jermaine Clement, who many will know and love from TV show 'Flight of the Conchords', and Taika Waititi. It's strange but bloody (pardon the pun!... They're vampires! Get it? Oh, nevermind...) funny!
There's something quite mundane and 'human' about much of the way they live, arguing over doing the dishes and the like. Their interactions with humans are all pretty funny and for me, it's even funnier simply because of their New Zealand accents - the funniest accent of them all. The absurdity of it all is the joy of it.
There's a scene where they encounter a 'werewolf' pack, whose head honcho is played by NZ actor & comic Rhys Darby, and I laughed so hard I thought I might choke. Happily the rest of the cinema was cacking themselves too so it went unnoticed.
If you can escape and enjoy this madness for what it is, there's a lot to love. I laughed and laughed and that's a big tick from me. Oh, and bonus points for a mention of a Bedazzler.
Read about it in The Hollywood Reporter, who reviewed it following it's appearance at Sundance.
Trailer here.
" An exceptional one-man show for Tom Hardy, this ingeniously executed study in cinematic minimalism has depth, beauty and poise." - Variety Magazine
"Part of the brilliance of this utterly brilliant film by Steven Knight ... is the way it turns mundanity in modernity." - Sydney Morning Herald.
You know that feeling you get sometimes, where you feel like you're swimming against the tide of public opinion? (For me it's always when people rave about the ABC TV show 'The Time Of Our Lives'... Really?! Everyone loves that terrible show?!...)
Well I feel a bit like that about this film 'Locke'. The reviews are almost universally positive. Really positive. And yet I didn't really enjoy it. If I'm honest, I looked at my watch numerous times and the film only runs for a tiny 84 minutes! I was a bit bored.
The entire film is set in a car with Tom Hardy, the sole occupant, driving and making many phone calls. He's taking a long car journey to be with a woman he barely knows who is having his baby, the product of a one night stand. En route, he not only has to call his wife and confess but also has to continue to organise a large scale, high profile building project.
I have a handful of friends who enjoy more highbrow movies and they might like this but to be blunt, I think if I recommended it to people who don't get to the movies very often, they'd be wishing they hadn't bothered paying for a babysitter.
Trailer here.
This film is quite lovely. Touching enough to make my dear friend cry five times*. I'm a pretty light touch when it comes to crying (think, Kleenex commercials, montages of athletes excelling at the Olympics set to Eva Cassidy's Fields of Gold** etc) but I confess this one didn't get to me in that way. It is lovely but ultimately a bit cheesy and predictable.
It's about an Indian family who head to Europe for a better life and wind up opening a restaurant in a quiet village in the south of France. Their lively restaurant is opposite an uptight French restaurant ran by an uptight French lady, played by Helen Mirren. Things of course get off to a rocky start but lead to a very happy conclusion.
So if you like a happy crowd-pleaser (certainly skews female but perhaps not entirely a chick flick) you could definitely give this a go but if you like your stories surprising or challenging, this probably won't satisfy you.
This review from Variety gives a great outline of the story and echoes my feelings about the film, if you're keen to know more.
Trailer here.
* She is emotionally unstable on account of usually running on about 2 hours sleep
** If you think that's a strangely specific example, well... umm... yep...
I thought this movie was delightful. A feel good film that I would happily recommend to a pretty broad range of people.
Keira Knightley plays the lead female and I'm not much of a fan of hers so it's testament to what a lovely film this is that I could get past that. And she even sings in it! And can actually sing! Adam Levine from band Maroon 5 is also in it (they both play singer/songwriters) so together, it's a really great soundtrack too. It probably also helps that it also stars Mark Ruffalo and James Corden - love them both!
Though not groundbreaking cinema, it's a damn nice way to spend 105 minutes! And special shout out to the Sun Theatre in Yarraville where I saw this one, a beautiful old cinema I haven't been to in about ten years. If I lived closer, I'd be there all the time.
For more on the story and a great four star review, check out this piece from The Guardian.
I'll be honest, I didn't know a thing about The Four Seasons or Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons for that matter. If you don't either (I'm too young, I hear you cry! Me too - yay us!) don't let that stop you. This Clint Eastwood film is a great with brilliant music throughout. So I guess it'd be a no if you don't like musicals but otherwise this is just a jolly good time!
Here's a four star review from the Fairfax press, check it out for some nice praise and more details on the flick if you're thinking of seeing it.
Trailer here.
I'd read this 1.5 star review in the Fairfax press so I had low expectations. The first little while was actually ok and I was thinking that the review was pretty harsh.
And then it all went down hill.
Given the title, I'm sure you're all clever enough to know that this is about a couple who make a sex tape and then... surprise! It gets out! Hijinx ensues!
I'd say give this a miss. Maybe on DVD at a stretch. And to anyone who's heard Cameron Diaz is naked in this and wants to perve on her, just Google it & save yourself a lobster. (It's not full frontal or anything!)
Trailer here.
"A mistaken delivery in Mumbai's famously efficient lunchbox delivery system connects a young housewife to an older man."
This got four stars from both Judith and Jason on At The Movies (filling in for Mum and Dad... I mean, Margaret and David) so I had pretty high hopes for this film and it didn't disappoint. It's poignant, subtle and funny. My one criticism would be that it felt long - longer than it was at a reasonable 101 minutes. There was a few sneaky peeks at my watch which is a sign things are moving slowly for me.
It's a more arthousey kind of flick (Indian) than mainstream, with some of it subtitled. If that's not your thing, you probably won't love this but if you like more contemplative kind of stuff, go for it.
More on the lovely and unusual storyline in the At The Movies review here and trailer here.
