LOVELACE - film

I enjoyed this more than I expected to. It's a biopic about 'Linda Lovelace', star of the infamous p*rn film 'Deep Throat'.

I didn't know any background to this one which can be a blessing and a curse. Amanda Seyfried plays Lovelace and she's fantastic but almost outshone by co-stars Peter Sarsgaard who does creepy scarily well and Sharon Stone who is literally almost unrecognizable.

The film seems to be pretty widely getting 3 star reviews which I tend to agree with - a good but not brilliant film.

Trailer here.

THANKS FOR SHARING - film

I enjoyed this one. It's not amazing but it's a nice enough way to pass a couple of hours!
A great cast including familiar faces Mark Ruffalo, Tim Robbins and Gwyneth Paltrow as well as the singer Pink who is actually pretty good too.

There's a lot going on which results in some characters not being explored too deeply but there's some fun and some poignancy too so I can happily but not highly recommend this one.

Here's a review from Fairfax which also outlines the plot if you're after some more detail but to cut to the chase, this is a film about s-x addiction and it actually gave me some insight into something I'd never really thought about.

I did wince a little when I noticed that the 'hopeless guy' character had the same phone cover as me. IS THAT THE PHONE COVER OF HOPELESS PEOPLE?! 
He comes good though... phew.

Trailer here

THE TURNING - film

I saw this one at the Melbourne International Film Festival a few weeks back and excitement levels peaked early as Noni Hazelhurst joined the queue just behind me! This film is three hours long and was presented all in one hit at MIFF but I gather that in the general release it’s being shown in two parts with an interval. Phew, no restricting fluids for you! In a further break with tradition, this film includes a program with your (higher than usual) ticket price and if you’re anything like me, you will definitely need it. At my MIFF screening, in what can only be described as a major event fail, we were given the program AFTER the screening and with just a quick glance, the film suddenly made a lot more sense. I thought my lack of understanding was at least in part because I hadn’t read the book but speaking to my cousin’s wife recently I felt relieved – she’s read the book and said that was pretty confusing too! And she’s a very smart woman.

I’m confident that if I’d had the opportunity to read the program before the movie I’d have loved it a lot more but to be frank I spent too large a portion of the three hours trying to work out the connections between the characters in the 17 separate short films that make up this film overall. Yes, a highly unusual and ambitious format!

That said, some of the 17 segments are, in and of themselves, visually stunning to watch and include some amazing performances. For example you will see Rose Byrne like you never have before – she’s always excellent but this character is unlike anything I’ve seen her do before. It also features Hugo Weaving, Miranda Otto, Cate Blanchett, Dan Wyllie (who I always love & this is no exception), Susie Porter & Robyn Nevin.

This one isn’t for everyone but if you’re a bit of a film buff, lover of cinematography or of great Australian actors and directors, then check it out. It is unlike any cinema experience I’ve ever had and really quite beautiful. But, you know, read the flippin’ program. 

Trailer here and a couple of reviews here and here.

STORIES WE TELL - film

To my mind, this film can be summarised in one word: boring. I literally fell asleep. And I wasn't that tired.

I feel compelled to present a defense of some sort though... I saw a 4.5 star review in The Age yesterday and the friend I saw it with also enjoyed it.

Trailer here.

BLUE JASMINE - film

This Woody Allen film starring Cate Blanchett has definitely earned the hype it's getting. (It's getting hype, trust me! For example, this review in Crikey...)

Blanchett plays a socialite who's fallen on bad times and ends up living with her sister on 'the wrong side of town' while she gets back on her feet. She is fantastic, probably the best I've ever seen her.

Towards the end of the film it feels like it's heading in a certain tie-it-all-up-neatly-in-a-bow direction but then bam! Things take a different turn and the ending is strangely satisfying.

Loved this one. Go see it.

Trailer here.

JOBS - film

This biopic about the man behind the Apple computers empire, Steve Jobs, is disappointing.
Though interesting to know the story behind said empire, there's too many problems with this one. Ashton Kutcher plays Jobs and whilst I have a new appreciation for his beautiful face, the performance is ho hum. In dramatic moments you don't buy the shouty, angry dialogue and the moments where he's trying to emulate the real Jobs' unique walk made me giggle. It just came across as silly.
By the end of the film I think we're supposed to see him as more human and feel some sympathy for him but I just spent the entire film thinking 'this guy was a massive jerk'. 

Crikey's film reviewer Luke Buckmaster & I are on the same page about this one. Read his take-down of the film here.

And The Age's critic gave it one lonely star which I think is a tad harsh, maybe 1.5 or 2 for me. So, you know, still crap.

Definitely not worth getting yourself to the cinema for in my view.

Trailer here.

THE ROCKET - film

This Lao/Australian film is just superb. I absolutely loved it.

Some of you may know that I have a personal connection to Laos which I guess did heighten the warmth I felt towards this film (the fact I was drinking a Beerlao as I watched probably also helped) but even those with no interest in or knowledge of the country will enjoy this.

It's won awards at the Berlin International Film Festival, the Tribeca Film Festival, the Sydney Film Festival and the Melbourne International Film Festival which speaks volumes.
The film is about a young Lao boy Ahlo whose family believe he is cursed and his quest to break free from that. The kid who plays Ahlo, Sitthiphon Disamoe (a former 'street kid' I gather), is really delightful and his young female sidekick is also really great. The growth of their relationship on the screen feels really authentic, it's lovely to watch.

This really great article in The Guardian will give you some background on the film if you want to read more, including the insights of the Australian writer & director Kim Mordaunt. Mordaunt was also featured on At the Movies from ABC TV which you can see here.

Go and see this one, it's fantastic! Trailer here.

WE'RE THE MILLERS - film

Sorry I'm a bit slow out of the blocks with 'We're the Millers'. If you haven't seen it already, don't bother.
This one is just ok. A handful of laugh out loud moments but by and large pretty ordinary. Even Jason Sudeikis who I rather like couldn't save this one. Jennifer Aniston is also in it and frankly all I thought of her in this was, she must be short on cash to have said yes to it.

Trailer here.

FRANCES HA - film

I have seen loads of four star reviews for this one which is usually a good sign. 
(eg this in The Age and this from David & Margaret on At the Movies on ABC TV)

But this isn't a four star film for me. 
It's fine. It's charming enough. 
But frankly, it didn't delight me. It was just a bit *meh*. Viewing companion agreed.

Can't say I'd encourage you to rush out and watch it. Maybe on DVD some time if the opportunity arises.

Trailer here  or the reviews about if you want a look at what it's about.

NOW YOU SEE ME - film

I wasn't sure I would, but I actually quite liked this. It's a film about four magicians (or maybe 'illusionist' is the correct term?!) who get caught up in a series of heists that become larger and more complex each time. It opens with an impressive magic trick that reminded me that magic really can be pretty cool. And there's a tricky ol' conclusion to the story which made me want to watch it all over again, armed with this fresh knowledge! That said, it's not the kind of film I'd pay to see twice but would happily watch it on DVD.

One of the four magicians is played by Jesse Eisenberg who you might remember from the film 'The Social Network'. He's fantastic in this, I'm now a big fan. It also stars Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Morgan Freeman, Isla Fisher and Michael Caine - an impressive line up.

Get along to this one if you have the luxury of being able to see a few films but if it's a rarity, perhaps wait for the DVD.

Official trailer here.

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.

DESPICABLE ME 2 - film

So last night I went to a 4.45pm session of Despicable Me 2.

If you don’t know me, you won’t realise what a dilemma this created. I’m a bit of a politics and media nerd and the Gillard/Rudd spill was unfolding just as the lights went down and the movie started.

There wasn’t heaps of people in the cinema so I jumped up at sat in the back row in the far corner, the furthest I could be from anyone else in the cinema. I turned the brightness on my iPhone down to the lowest possible setting and figured I could keep an eye on how the spill was unfolding on Twitter by checking my phone under my coat.

So what did I think of the movie?

Nothing on account of the fact I barely watched it.

I pretty much just looked at Twitter the whole time to see the turmoil unfolding in Canberra.

I kept an eye on the other people in the cinema to make sure the light from my phone wasn’t disturbing anyone. I’m an ardent believer that if you can’t not look at your phone for two hours while you watch a movie YOU’RE A SELF-ABSORBED IDIOT.

Guilty, your honour.

With hindsight I should have just got up and left but if we all started living Kevin-Rudd-carpe-diem style the world would be a crazy place & Annabel Crabb and Leigh Sales would be exhausted.

For what it’s worth, as I left the cinema with the other patrons, adults and kids, they seemed to have enjoyed it.

Trailer here.

HELLENIC REPUBLIC - take away lunch special

My posts on here are usually about things in the entertainment world but I'm taking a break from usual programming to let you know about a great discovery I've made in the world of food. ('Cause there just isn't enough people blogging about food these days.)

I found out via Twitter that Hellenic Republic, a fantastic Greek restaurant owned by George Calombaris in East Brunswick, do a take away lunch special on weekends. It changes each week and they spread the word via Twitter what it is with a pic. A few recent examples...

• char-grilled swordfish and chips, grain salad and risogalo
• fasolatha soup, olive and feta bread and chocolate baklava
• braised lamb & onion pie with feta & mint, cucumber yoghurt salad & salted caramel risogalo
• chicken from the spit & chips, Hellenic slaw & salted caramel risogalo

I've only tried the lunch special once so I certainly haven't tasted all of the above but when I tried it I got chicken from the spit & chips, grain salad and the risogalo and it was all so delicious! I love the grain salad at Hellenic Republic so that was a no-brainer and the risogalo is an unbelievably tasty creamy rice pudding kind of thing with salted caramel, pistachios and yummy crumbly biscuit on top. And the chicken and chips are of course up to Hellenic Republic's usual excellent standard. Simple but fantastic.

The really great part is the value - all of that for just $12! As a sucker who can easily spend up to $30 on a weekend brunch, this is a truly great find.

You don't have to be on Twitter yourself to get the lowdown, just visit https://twitter.com/Hellenic434 and you can see it all there including the photos they post of the special. You call to order (their phone number is in the tweets) and then bam, it's yours on arrival to take home or wherever you like.

You. Are. Welcome.

MOVIES ON THE CHEAP - my tips

I’ve been meaning to write this for ages but finally got my act into gear after reading this by comedian Cal Wilson in The Age. It’d been a while between drinks for Cal and she was shocked to learn that a movie ticket these days is $19. A trip to the movies can be a bloody expensive outing! I’ve gathered up some tips to do it on the cheap and in a break from my usual style of posts, I thought I’d share them. They’re not rocket science and you’ll be familiar with many of them but can’t hurt to have them all here in the same place as a handy reminder...

• If you’re a Telstra customer you can get $10 movie tickets! Check with your own carrier to see if they have a deal or if you’re keen you could just buy a cheap Telstra SIM – a small investment for long term savings if you see a few movies.
• You know those member reward brochures they give you when you renew your health insurance, car insurance etc? They actually contain genuine discounts! For example, Bupa members can get 25% off movie ticket prices at Village and Hoyts and other companies are bound to have offers too so have a dig around on their website if you’re not sure.
• Cinemas usually have a cheap day where tickets are considerably discounted. For the big chains it’s Tuesday but some of the smaller joints do their own thing so check out their website. Go to the movies on cheap day!
• More and more movies are 3D these days and the cost of buying the stupid glasses every time is ridiculous so take them with you when you leave the cinema and leave them in your glove box or something for next time.
• Cinema Nova in Carlton have the best cheap day offer - $6 for sessions before 4pm and $9 for evening sessions.
• For the love of God, do not buy anything from the candy bar. If you do need to snack during the movie, swing by the supermarket on your way & boldly ignore the ‘request’ signs in the cinema asking you not to bring in food purchased outside. If you’re particularly nervous or self-conscious about it, bring along a bag of some kind to conceal it.
• Lots of workplaces, especially big ones with large numbers of employees, have special offers for staff including cheap movie tickets. If you hear someone mention getting cheap movie tickets through their work, ask them if they can buy them for friends... ie YOU.
• If you can afford a bigger initial outlay or have a bit of time to arrange going to the movies with a group, buy tickets in bulk. Chains often have deals such as this one from Village Cinemas where adult tickets are $13.90 if you buy a book of five and slightly less again if you buy a book of 10.

So there's my tips to save a few pennies... Happy movie-going, folks!

THE GREAT GATSBY - film

So much has been said and written about this film by Australian Baz Luhrmann, some of it pretty negative. Australians have a propensity to hate on Australian films and I think Baz attracts more than his share of the tall poppy syndrome.

So, is this film as much of a stinker as some of the critics are saying? (For example... here from Crikey and here from The New Yorker)

Whilst I wouldn't quite give it the 4.5 stars The Age did, I did really enjoy this film. It's bloody good fun and really easy to watch. You don't need to have read the book or know anything of the story, it stands alone well. It goes for almost 3 hours (including the ridiculously long trailer/ad part of the sessions these days) but you don't feel it, it all moves pretty quickly. I saw it in 3D but it wasn't overwhelming 3D like Avatar which managed to give me motion sickness!

The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio ('The Great Gatsby' himself), Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan as well as two Aussies in fairly large roles, Joel Edgerton and Isla Fisher, who are both excellent. The cast more broadly is full of familiar faces as it was filmed in Australia - Jack Thompson, Steve Bisley and that guy who played Stan on Hey Dad! who now does voiceover on Media Watch, to name a few. (Yes I've been tracking his career, what's it to you?)

The costumes are stunning - I gather Carey Mulligan's dresses are a result of a collaboration between the film's costume designer Catherine Martin (who is also Baz's wife) and Prada.

I was a bit disappointed that the dance and party scenes shown in the trailers weren't longer in the film. Considering how much work has clearly gone into them - they are spectacular - I wish there'd been more to watch. I was also disappointed that the soundtrack wasn't showcased more. The executive producer of the soundtrack is Jay Z and it looks amazing on paper. It's a shame it wasn't allowed to steal a little more of the show in the film.

There was a couple of super cheesy moments that had my sympathising with the Baz-is-too-over-the-top critics. For example, in one scene Gatsby (DiCaprio) points to the starry sky and says "my life has to go like this" and a shooting star flies through the air. Urgh. Too much. But in spite of my few criticisms, I loved seeing this and would happily watch it again. A 3.5-4 star film for me.

Plot summary here and trailer here.

THE COMPANY YOU KEEP - film

Went into this one knowing nothing at all about the film. (Hello, last minute freebie!)

It started out well and I was really enjoying it but it did start to drag and by the end it felt like it had gone for four hours! (It actually went for two.)

Robert Redford is the leading man in the film and while he's undeniably an excellent actor, it's absurd to me that he was cast, at the age of 77, as the father of an 11 year old girl. It just didn't work. But guess who the director of the film is, the person who made this silly choice?... Robert Redford. Yes, the man couldn't help but give himself the lead role. 

That aside, this is an interesting thriller of sorts with all sorts of underlying mysteries playing out as it goes along. (Plot summary here.) Susan Sarandon and Brendan Gleeson are great in the film which also stars Shia LaBoeuf (or Shia The Beef as I prefer to call him) and Nick Nolte whose voice is as weird as ever.

Margaret and David from The Movie Show both gave this four stars (it's always nice when mum and dad don't fight) but it wasn't quite up there for me, more like three or three and a half.

If you are lucky to be a regular cinema-goer, check this one out but if it's a rare outing, I can recommend better flicks for your night out.

Trailer here.

THE HANGOVER PART III - film

If you saw and enjoyed the first two films, you'll enjoy this. Some really implausible plot twists but this is Hollywood, what's new?

It's good fun and plenty of laughs, mostly from Zach Galifianakis as hopeless Alan and Ken Jeong as crazy drug-addled Mr Chow. Also stars Bradley Cooper looking pretty damn hot... what can I say, I call it as I see it.

Important note: Stay for the credits!

Trailer here.

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES - film

Really enjoyed this one. Caught wind of it when I saw two film critics talking about it on Twitter, saying that they were surprised it wasn't released in 'awards season', meaning they thought it would've been in the running for Oscars, Golden Globes etc. High praise! Apart from an absolute clanger of a coincidence that the plot hangs on, the story is excellent.

The film stars Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes and Bradley Cooper & regular readers of this blog will know I'm very fond of the latter! He's great in this. The whole cast is actually with, for me, the exception of the young bloke who plays Cooper's son. Really wished they chosen someone with a remote resemblance, it just didn't quite work for me and others who I know who've seen it agree.

More of an art house one so look out at Nova, Palace and those kind of joints. Worth the trip.

Trailer here.