FRANK - film /  by Cut to the chase

It's pretty easy to 'cut to the chase' on this film because it's so strange that I really don't know how to describe it!

 What I can say though, is that it's really quite charming and I did enjoy it.

 If you like unusual films straight out of left field, give this a go. If you have mainstream taste and don't get to the movies often, I can safely say you ought to give it a miss.

 Here's a nice four star review from The Guardian and here's a trailer. Even if you don't plan to see it, give the trailer a squiz - it's a fascinating concept!

 Stars (though, it's complicated - watch the trailer!) Michael Fassbender for those of you who are fans.

THE ROVER - film /  by Cut to the chase

I really try to support Australian films so I bought my ticket to this one blindly, having read no reviews and not knowing anything other than it is by the same director as 'Animal Kingdom', David Michod, and stars Guy Pearce, who I love, and Robert Pattinson, who many of you will know from his turn in the Twilight flicks. 

 At first I was enjoying this film, which is sort-of thriller/drama, I guess, set in the Australian outback. The story starts with Guy's character Eric's car being stolen and the film is a journey of his desperation to get it back but we don't find out the reason for it until those closing scene of the film and for me, that just made it hard to buy into that desperation. As the film went on I just couldn't help but feel we weren't really getting anywhere. And I was struck by the large amount of violence that doesn't sit comfortably with me personally.

 Regardless, Guy Pearce delivers an excellent performance and Robert was a pleasant surprise to this non-Twilight fan. On that note, any fans of Robert Pattinson's work from that franchise, you need to know that The Rover is a very very different film to those ones!

 If you have mainstream taste and if you don't get to the movies very often, I'd say you should give this a miss. For the smaller pool of people who like more arthouse stuff and who get to the movies regularly, this film will divide you, if the reviews are anything to go by. They are very mixed - a reminder that ultimately even critics using the same techniques to review a film can easily come to different conclusions.

 I've done the reading and broadly grouped them here for those looking for a little extra light reading. Leigh Paatsch's review is probably most in line with my own opinion of the film but I'm listing the positive reviews here too in the interests of balance.

 Positive:
Margaret & David on At The Movies ABC TV - 4 stars from both
Variety Magazine

 Middle of the road:
Paul Byrnes in Fairfax press - 3 stars (Includes a quote to which I actually said "yes!" out loud when I read it - "Michod has tried to take out everything extraneous, but he ends up with a plot that we have to construct ourselves, and a punchline finale that is more suited to a short film than a feature.")

 Not so positive:
Leigh Paatsch in News Ltd press - 2.5 stars
The Guardian - 2 stars
New York Times - 2.5 stars
The UK Telegraph - 2 stars

 Trailer here.




THE FAULT IN OUR STARS - film /  by Cut to the chase

This film is based on a young adult novel of the same name by John Green and you know what, this old "young adult" bloody loved it!

It's not perfect, artful cinema but it's a beautiful execution of a heart-breaking story. We know from the outset that there will be heartbreak on the horizon, after all, leading lady Hazel has a terminal illness, but it breaks you in a way that I for one never expected. 

You connect with the main characters Hazel and Gus straight away and you get swept away in their ultimately tragic young love story.

WARNING: You will cry and cry and cry. It takes a while for the weepy stuff to get started but by gee, when you get going you will wish you had a lot more tissues in your pockets than you probably do. Don't say you weren't warned.

So if you're up for a big ol' cry courtesy of a sweet heartbreaking love story, get thee to a screening of The Fault in Our Stars.

More on the story of the film in this review in The Age which I reckon is on the money.


MALEFICENT - film /  by Cut to the chase

Maleficent, starring Angelina Jolie, is described as a 'fantasy adventure' film, a genre which is not usually my cup of tea to be honest but I didn't mind this. Also described as a re-imagining of the film Sleeping Beauty, this time around it tells the story from the perspective of Maleficent. I don't remember the Sleeping Beauty story at all though so don't sweat that connection too much - the story stands alone just fine.
My mate who took me along to this is more into both fantasy and adventure than I and she really enjoyed it. To quote 'if you like fantasy, this one's for you!'.

 If you don't get to the movies often, I'd probably save this for a DVD viewing.

 Three stars from both Margaret and David on ABC TV's 'At the movies' and I reckon that's about right for me too.

 Trailer here.


THE TRIP TO ITALY - film /  by Cut to the chase

I thought this film was delightful but the reality is that it's not for everyone.

It's a follow up to 'The Trip' which was both a film and TV series. If you liked one of those, you'll enjoy this.

Rob Brydon (who I love) and Steve Coogan play versions of themselves and in this turn they're travelling through Italy eating amazing meals and visiting important sites from the lives of poets Byron and Shelley.

It's an unusual concept which I think many would probably just not particularly enjoy even though there's little you could really object to.

Here's a good review of the film from the Sydney Morning Herald with a trailer.

If you get to the movies pretty regularly and like things a little less mainstream, then check this one out. If you don't get the chance to see one very often and you like your flicks pretty middle-of-the-road then this probably isn't for you.

CHEF - film /  by Cut to the chase

This feel good flick is written and directed by and stars Jon Favreau who will be familiar to many of you. He plays a chef whose creativity and temper see him suddenly looking for a new gig. Hellooo, food truck revolution!

 I don't use 'feel good' as a throw-away cliche, it genuinely does leave you with that 'well that was nice' feeling at the end.

Is it an amazing 5 star kind of film? No. But if you're looking for a movie to see that's easy to watch and just good fun, then check this one out.

There's an unusual incorporation of Twitter which I haven't seen a film before. Again, just good fun. 

 There was a funny line in the film about American reality TV star Honey Boo Boo which was lost on everyone in the cinema if their reaction (*crickets*) was anything to go by. I guess I should be embarrassed that I got it.

 I tend to agree with this review from the Washington Post. Check it out for more on the storyline, cast etc.

Trailer here.


THE OTHER WOMAN - film /  by Cut to the chase

This chick flick with Cameron Diaz at the helm is predictable and lame.

 As the woman sitting next to me said as she left the cinema... "What a pile of crap".

 Couldn't have said it better myself.



Tegan Higginbotham in 'Game changer' - MICF show /  by Cut to the chase

Tegan's a young Aussie comic, this is her third MICF show. I saw her first show as there was a bit of buzz around how good it was and I thought she was great that year. Unfortunately this show doesn't live up to that for me. It's not without laughs and she has a commanding stage presence with great capacity for physical comedy and amusing facial expressions but her show last night just didn't fire. There was quite a few jokes that were a bit niche and clearly went over heads. I got the Harry Potter stuff but jokes that required knowledge of Star Wars, Dr Who and even some about AFL passed me by. I felt for her, it was a small and tough crowd including one rather unhelpful guy who kept checking his phone even after she'd called him out on it who also chimed in with a couple of attempts at humour of his own. She didn't let it derail her too much but I think it just added to the awkward feel of the show. At $24 for a ticket, I'm afraid I'll have to file this under 'give it a miss' this time around but I'm confident she'll be back with great shows in future.

Justin Hamilton in 'Johnny loves Mary forever 1994' - MICF show /  by Cut to the chase

This show is beautifully done. Justin in an Australian comic who, though not overly well know, has been at it for about 20 years. You don't have a career that long if you're not any good at your craft! This show is in large part about Justin's experience performing comedy for soldiers in Afganistan. A review of it that I read made the observation that though it's a nicely crafted show, the subject matter just isn't actually that funny so I actually went in not expecting to laugh all that much but I was pleasantly surprised - there's plenty of laughs.
Happily recommend this but it's probably not quite up there with my favourite shows this year such as David O'Doherty and Celia Pacquola.

Tommy Little in 'Middle class gangster' - MICF show /  by Cut to the chase

Tommy is just delightful. I challenge any of you to see this show and not like him. The show got funnier and funnier as it went along. Chatter with the audience is high risk territory but he does it effortlessly. Some material on sheet thread counts really tickled my funny bone in particular. Middle class indeed. 

 The pedant in me couldn't help but be a teeny bit disappointed by a joke at the expense of the older people in the crowd referring to them going home to watch The Bill. The Bill hasn't been on TV for almost four years! It's such a small thing it seems silly to even mention it but it just took the sting out of that little bit of the show for me. Doctor Blake or Foreign Correspondent or something would've worked better. 

 With a 4.5 star review from the Herald Sun, I doubt you'd be disappointed by this.

David O'Doherty in 'David O'Doherty will try to fix everything' - MICF show /  by Cut to the chase

David is an Irish comedian who's been visiting the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for many years now and I think this is about my fifth year in a row seeing him. I try to mix it up when the festival rolls around and see different people but the fact that I see this guy year after year speaks volumes. He's one of my favorite comedians, I would never hesitate to recommend him as he is reliably damn funny. Traditional stand-up mixed with some really witty songs where he accompanies himself on a small plastic keyboard make a killer and unique combination. This show has received a 5 star review in the Herald Sun.

 What more do you need?! Go see this guy.

Em Rusciano in 'Divorce the musical' - MICF show /  by Cut to the chase

Loved this. As the name makes clear, it's not a stand-up comedy show, it's a very funny musical show chronicling Em's journey to divorce and ultimately the show she's performing before you.

Some of you might remember Em from an early series of Australian Idol. I'm not an Idol watcher so I hadn't seen her sing before this and HOLY MOLY, the girl can hit those notes! That alone is worth the ticket price. She's accompanied by her dad who's a handy little guitarist and back-up vocalist. If they were ever to release an album, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

If you love a good show, the bells and whistles kind with OTT costumes, fun songs, high kicks and plenty of laughs, then this is for you.


Celia Pacquola in 'Let me know how it all works out' - MIFC show /  by Cut to the chase

Best show I've seen so far this festival! It has everything. Fabulous delivery and belly laugh after belly laugh.

 This show is masterfully crafted, clearly honed over many stand-up gigs in the lead up to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

 After Celia's show I felt just like I did after Wil Anderson's show last year - that I'd just seen one of the best in the biz. I hope Celia's performing to crowds as big as Wil's soon, she deserves it.

 Highly recommend this show (der)... go and see it!

Karl Chandler in 'Karl Chandler's got talent' - MICF show /  by Cut to the chase

This show documents Karl's ill-fated audition on a talent show and if any of the judges from that show who made his life difficult saw this stand-up, I reckon they'd be feeling pretty stupid because it shows he's a bloody hilarious comic. I laughed heaps and heaps - arguably the most accurate measure of how good a comedy show is. He makes a living from comedy (performing and writing for TV etc) but without a huge following, the tickets to his show are damn cheap. You won't regret what you spend on seeing this.

Lawrence Mooney in 'A stupid liar' - MICF show /  by Cut to the chase

I'd read the Herald Sun's review of this show before I saw it so I went in with low expectations - they gave it 2.5 stars. But I already had the ticket so away I went and you know what, I bloody loved this.
It's a bit smutty and crass in places but I laughed a lot and loud and what better measure of a comedy festival show can there be than that?
I was surprised by how many empty seats there were (especially given it was tightar5e Tuesday)... what's wrong with you, Melbourne?! Get amongst it!

Adam Richard in 'Gaypocalypse' - MICF show /  by Cut to the chase

Adam Richard has been doing stand-up for 15+ years and it shows. He's smooth as thanks to the years of practice. (As a side note, can I also just say he looks a million bucks, I suspect has lost a bunch of weight.)
Like Cal Wilson, I saw Adam this year because he's on of those ones who's been around for yonks and I'd never quite got there. I watched this and enjoyed what he delivered (some of it a bit odd and some of it definitely GROSS!) but it wasn't until I went straight into another show and was cacking myself laughing in it that I realised that was what had been missing from Adam's show. Laughs. I enjoyed listening to him, it was well-crafted and well-delivered but I just didn't actually laugh that much.

Luke McGregor in 'I worry that I worry too much' - MICF show /  by Cut to the chase

I loved this. Every awkward, unprepared, hilarious moment of it. And it was unprepared - he referred to notes many times and it seemed a bit all over the place! But this is what happens when you're so nerdish and lovable... people can see past it or forgive you for it.
For those unfamiliar with Luke, he has OCD and comes across as very awkward and nervous. As I observed when I saw him for the first time last year, somehow it just works.
Go and see this guy. His star is on the rise!

 PS. The one complaint I do have about this show was that the room he was in was so cramped it was utterly ridiculous and it was so hot in there I really thought someone might pass out. I have since read on Twitter that he's moved to a bigger venue - thank goodness.

Cal Wilson in 'It could have been me' - MICF show /  by Cut to the chase

For years I've been meaning to see Cal Wilson do stand up comedy. She always seems so damn funny, lovely and smart when I see her on TV, read her writing in The Age or hear her on the radio. I decided this was the year and bought a ticket without so much as reading the name of her MICF show, let alone what it's about. Now, that was a bit of an error because her show involves playing characters which isn't really my kind of thing. I also missed the first 10 minutes of the show (was 5 minutes late and had to wait a further 5 (totally fair) before being let in) so I missed what seemed to be the critical set up.
So all in all, I'm sad to say I didn't love this. It's not without laughs and clever moments, but just didn't love it and nor did I laugh all that much. Others in the crowd did, in the interest of balanced reporting!
I've never been late to a MICF show and won't be again, I promise! I also promise, for what it's worth, to see her do comedy again some time when she's doing straight up stand up.

THE DAY OF THE BROKEN - film /  by Cut to the chase

Simon Dutton, writer and director of this thriller, has said of it "''We wanted to make something that was an assault on the senses" and I can assure you, he's done that in spades.

 An independent Australian production, this was done on a shoe-string and whilst you can tell in the practical sense, it doesn't take anything away from the story.

 It's about a woman whose two children were kidnapped and assaulted before one was murdered. She summons the help of her dead husband's brother to punish the remaining perpetrator who has evaded it through traditional means like police.

 Set in St Kilda, Melbourne, the film then weaves through the story of a bunch of people as he tries to put the pieces of the puzzle together to track down the perpetrator and punish him. Most of these characters will be unfamiliar acting faces to you but there's some superb performances. Lead actor Greg Fleet will be recognized by many for his stand-up comedy work but his acting credentials are well & truly proven in this. The film is produced by someone who may be familiar to many of you, broadcaster and journalist, Angela Pippos, who is also Dutton's wife.

 It's fairly violent though it's sometimes implied rather than actually demonstrated and I fear some of the complexity of the plot was lost on me as I was confused at a few points. There was also two or three moments where the script felt a bit forced, moments where I thought to myself 'people don't actually talk like that', but overall I think this is really well done and I'd happily watch it again.

 The sad thing for independent Australian films like this is that it's so damn hard to get your film in cinemas for people to actually see it. This one is on at just one cinema, for now at least, in Melbourne - the Classic Cinema in Elsternwick. If you're in that neck of the woods, I'd recommend dropping in to catch it.

 More on the film in this story in the Sydney Morning Herald and trailer here via The Age.