THE REVENANT - film

Based on the experiences of 19th-Century fur-trapper (Leonardo DiCaprio as Hugh Glass) and adapted from a Michael Punke novel about him, this thriller western is attracting a lot of positive reviews and awards. I'm talking Best Drama Motion Picture, Best Actor in a Drama Motion Picture for Leonardo, Best Director for Alejandro González Iñárritu and a bunch of Oscar nominations so, y'know, people are clearly into it. But I confess that even though it is in so many respects an excellent film, I found it gruelling to watch and bordering on pretentious.

So my personal take on this one is that if your taste skews a little toward the pretentious (time for some honest self reflection here, you guys), then you'll dig this. But if you like more of a, say, mindless rom com, then this isn't for you.

At about the hour and a half mark of this two and a half hour film I was so tense I actually thought to myself, 'I'm not sure I can take another hour of this'! Now, for some of you that will be the sign of an excellent film but I just found the whole thing a bit stressful! As my friend said at the end, "that wasn't a pleasant experience".

There can be no denying Leonardo DiCaprio is amazing in this and the supporting cast including Tom Hardy are also excellent.

In the interests of fairness I present this five star review in The Guardian but for me it's more along the lines of this three star review in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

SUFFRAGETTE - film

Suffragette is a film based in London in 1912 about female activists, known as Suffragettes, who were fighting for women to have the right to vote.

Carey Mulligan as Maud demonstrates the considerable price women fighting for this paid. I won't spoil it but she is at first a reluctant suffragette but comes to be a force to be reckoned with, inspired by the movement's hero and leader Emmeline Pankhurst (Meryl Streep) who appears fairly briefly in the film. Helena Bonham Carter is great, as usual, as one of the movement's leaders.

The critics are a little divided on this one. I mean, few hated it, but there are those that loved it and those who though it was just ok, I guess you could say. For example, a four star review here from The Telegraph UK and a less glowing review here from Variety magazine.

I thought this film was good, though perhaps not amazing. It made me overwhelming grateful, though. The rights and freedoms I have as a woman in 2016 came at a price for many women before me. I hope lots of women who don't know about the history of this issue, and those who could do with a reminder, see this one.

Trailer here.

JOY - film

Jennifer Lawrence stars as Joy Mangano, the woman who invented the self-wringing Miracle Mop in the early 1990s. In this "semi-biographical" film she plays the role well, you absolutely buy her desperation, her hustle, hustle, hustle to get the thing off the ground. Pardon the pun.

But there's a lot going on around her that didn't really support the story and arguably detracted from it.

I liked this but didn't love it. I concur with this three star review in The Guardian Australia.

Trailer here.

DADDY'S HOME - film

This comedy starring Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell is a bit meh.

Will plays conservative step-father Brad and Mark is fun rebel father Dusty. The two kids whose affection they're fighting for are in the background really on this one and that's good news because neither are great actors.

There's some laughs to be had but nowhere near enough to make it worth shelling out $20 to see this, for mine.

A 2.5 star review in the Sydney Morning Herald says it all, really.

Trailer here.

THE NIGHT BEFORE - film

URGH.

I thought this Christmas comedy movie starring Seth Rogan, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anthony Mackie was really ordinary. 

The storyline (three old school friends have a massive night with much drug taking, hijinx ensues) is just dumb & the characters are all pretty unlikeable. There was certainly a few laughs (more from others in the cinema than me) but nowhere near enough to make me recommend that you shell out $21 to see this. (I swear it wasn't that long ago that movie tickets were $18...)

To give credit where it's due, there was one thing I enjoyed about this film - the fact that Seth Rogan's character's wife was played by an average-size woman. You know, like a 12 or 14 maybe, rather than a rake-thin size 6. Her performance was good.

(I know she's pregnant in that photo!)

Mindy Kaling has a supporting role and I really like her but she wasn't central enough to help me like this film more. Miley Cyrus also makes an unexpected and amusing cameo, I must concede.


This Fairfax review gave it 2.5 stars which is more generous than I would have been and Leigh Paatsch from News Ltd even gave it 3 stars and a pretty glowing review. I AM CONCERNED FOR HIS WELLBEING YOU GUYS THIS IS NOT A THREE STAR FILM.

Anyway, watch the trailer if you want to get the gist of it. But if you see it and you think it's rubbish, don't say I didn't warn you.

SISTERS - film

When two of the funniest women on earth star in a film, it's bound to be funny, right?

With Amy Poehler and Tina Fey starring, Sisters IS funny but I'm sad to say, the storyline is really pretty ordinary. Like, actually just lame. It truly pains me to say that because I wanted to love this so bad.

With Amy as 'the good sister' Maura and Tina as 'the wild sister' Kate, they really give it a red hot go as sisters returning to their home town in Orlando in their early 40s to reluctantly pack up their childhood bedrooms. They plan one last blow out party which does include many funny moments but the story and dialogue it's built on is just, well, meh. The party does showcase a funny supporting cast including Maya Rudolph as their snooty old school enemy.

Poehler and Fey riff off each other in a genuinely funny way at times and I certainly laughed a lot including in a dance scene that was right up my slapstick alley.

However if you are looking for comedy at Tina-in-30-Rock or Amy-in-Parks-and-Recreation level, I'm sorry to say you'll be disappointed. If you just want a few pretty mindless laughs, then sure, get along to this one.

The reviews are mixed from what I can see (there's not many around, it's not released in many places yet) so in the interests of balance here's a pretty poor one in US Magazine and here's a much better one in Variety magazine.

Trailer here. In cinemas January 7.

THE DANISH GIRL - film

This arthouse film is based on the true story of artists Lili Elbe (formerly Einar Wegener) and Gerda Wegener. Einar and Gerda were happily married and living as artists in Copenhagen in the early 1920s when Einar started to experiment and increasingly believe he was a woman in a man's body.

I won't say much more as I think this is a good one to go into not knowing the story. I found it very engaging and think this film is excellent and well worth seeing. It's not perfect, but still worth a look. (For example, I personally would prefer they were speaking Danish with subtitles than in English but hey, I'm a wowser like that.)

Eddie Redmayne (who you might recognise from his Oscar winning performance as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything) is Einar and Lili and is wonderful and utterly believable. His wife, who is obviously in a very complex situation indeed, is played by Alicia Vikander who is also excellent in this.

For more, check out this four star review in The Telegraph UK.

Trailer here.

In cinemas January 28.

99 HOMES - film

99 Homes is not a doco but based on true events around the US housing crisis. I don't really agree with the common description of "thriller" but boy this is a great film.

Starring Andrew Garfield (Dennis Nash), Laura Dern (Dennis' mother Lynn) and Michael Shannon (Rick Carver), we follow Dennis' transformation from man having his home possessed to man doing the possessing, with dodgy wheeler and dealer Rick as his boss.

It appeared at the Melbourne International Film Festival earlier and the year and has been widely well reviewed.

For more on the film, check out this four star review in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Trailer here.

THE DRESSMAKER - film

Based on a best-selling novel, this is an Australian comedy drama set in the outback in the 1950s.

It stars Kate Winslet (Tilly) with a near flawless Australian accent, as well many famous Australian faces. Liam Hemsworth (#hubbahubba), Hugo Weaving, Sarah Snook, Shane Borne, Judy Davis, Rebecca Gibney and Alison Whyte are all wonderful in significant support roles.

Tilly, a talented dressmaker, returns to her rural hometown to right some wrongs of her past. Those 'wrongs' mean that the eclectic bunch of characters in the town don't exactly welcome her return. This manifests in disturbing, menacing and amusing ways.

I loved this film and would happily recommend it to anyone, though it probably does skew a little toward women and a little older, if the session I was in was anything to go by.

Check out this four star review by Fairfax's Jake Wilson if you want to know more. 

Trailer here.

FREEHELD - film

Based on a true story, this is about New Jersey cop Laurel's (Julianne Moore) fight for her police pension to be transferred to her partner Stacie (Ellen Page) when she dies, in line with what is allowed when a partner in a heterosexual marriage dies. This fight begins when Laurel is diagnosed with cancer and her situation becomes increasingly grim. She's actually not all than enthusiastic in what becomes a battle for marriage equality (with a small role for Steve Carell as a marriage equality activist) but her love of Stacie drives the campaign.

It's a powerful love story and paints Laurel and Stacie as the compelling but unassuming advocates they seem to be in real life.

That said, this somehow comes across a more of a midday movie for TV than a hit motion picture for the big screen. It's good but not great, in that it never really swept me up into their fight. The ending seemed obvious which isn't necessarily a crime, but it just meant I was never hooked in, wondering how it would unfold.

Side note - the age difference between the women is acknowledged in the film and a reflection of the age difference of the real women on whose story this is based, but it was hard to not see them as a mum & daughter pairing rather than as an intimate relationship pairing. Probably a poor refection on me but hey, you can't help how your brain interprets things. Well, maybe you can. OK, you get it, enough babbling now.

Shout out to Julianne Moore, who is excellent in this.

More in this 3 star review from News Ltd's Leigh Paatsch if you want additional reading.

Trailer here.

BURNT - film

A film that brings together two of my great loves - amazing food and Bradley Cooper - Burnt does not disappoint.

Cooper plays a messed up aggressive chef which in many respects makes him thoroughly unlikeable but I'll be frank: he's HOT and HE SPEAKS FRENCH. IN LIFE AND IN THIS FILM.

The story's probably a tad predictable but if that's it's worst crime, I think it's doing ok.

His pursuit of three Michelin stars in his culinary comeback has ups and downs and one or two surprises in spite of the aforementioned predictability.

I personally loved the food porn element of the film. I love to cook and love to watch others cook, though all the yelling of a professional kitchen depicted in this film is a tad scary! YES CHEF!

Here's a three star review by News Ltd's Leigh Paatsch if you want to know more. I agree with his positive sentiment but also his observation about the supporting cast - there's a lot going on there, probably a little too much.

Happily recommend this one.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

BRIDGE OF SPIES - film

Directed by Steven Spielberg, co-written by the Coen brothers and staring Tom Hanks, this film has a lot going for it on paper.

Based on a true story, Hanks plays an American insurance lawyer recruited by the CIA to negotiate the recue of a US pilot detained in the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

It's getting great reviews (this four star review in the Sydney Morning Herald, for example) but for me, it's a thriller than never actually got thrilling. It builds to a considerable crescendo but I never ever had that edge-of-your-seat, will-they-won't-they? feeling that comes with a good thriller.

Hanks is fantastic (der) but regardless, I didn't walk out of this film thinking it was amazing or even great. Just good.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

SLEEPING WITH OTHER PEOPLE - film

This rom com (or "raunch com" as Variety describes it) featuring Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis does have some funny lines and moments but ultimately it never gets off the ground to be really great.

Despite an admirable attempt to throw you off the scent, it's a predictable ending. I mean, when you throw two people together who are desperately trying to stay just friends in spite of an attraction the audience sees and even they concede, it's hard not to guess how it ends.

Pleasant enough, but can't say I'd suggest rushing to the cinema and laying down a lobster to see this.

Here's the New York Times' review if you want to know more. I think their view can be summarized as being about the same as mine. 

Trailer here. In cinemas Thursday 29 October.

THE INTERN - film

This Intern is light and charming film. Robert De Niro stars as Ben, a widowed retiree in need of intellectual stimulation, who signs up for a senior intern program at an online fashion start-up.

He gets the gig (surprise!) and winds up working for their young, stressed CEO Jules, played by Anne Hathaway.

I don't reckon you don't need to know much more than that. Just know that if you need some pleasant light relief that won't make you think too hard (ok, at all, really), then get along to this one.

Check out this three star review in the Sydney Morning Herald for more.

Trailer here.  In cinemas now.

MISS YOU ALREADY - film

This weep-fest starring Drew Barrymore and Toni Collette is getting quite mixed reviews.

Based on a book by Morwenna Banks which I can only assume is similarly devastatingly sad, this film did get to me (TAKE TISSUES UNLESS YOU ARE MADE OF STONE) but ultimately I didn't like it that much.

Drew and Toni play besties (Jess and Milly respectively) at very different forks in the road of life. Jess and her FIFO partner are desperate to have a baby and Milly and her husband have two primary school age kids when she is struck by a breast cancer diagnosis.

No more details for fear of spoiling but this isn't Drew or Toni's best work. 

I didn't hate it but I didn't like it much either so it's a 'don't rush out for this one' from me. Perhaps watch it on TV when it pops up in future if you're in need of a cathartic wail.

If you're interested in reading more, this is a pretty negative review and this is a pretty positive one. See, mixed!

Trailer here. In cinemas Thursday 8 October.

CUT SNAKE - film

This Australian crime drama set in the 1970s is really great. I didn't know much about it before I saw it and having read some reviews subsequently, I think that's best. There's a significant plot twist in the film which some film critics have seen fit to spoil in their reviews. Honestly!

Sullivan Stapleton plays the lead character Pommie just brilliantly. He is terrifyingly creepy - a truly excellent performance.

My own experience of this film was interrupted by a poorly executed fire evacuation at Cinema Nova unfortunately. "This is not a drill" are words you just don't want to hear. Thankfully it wasn't a big nasty fire because let me tell you, many people would have been in strife if it was. "Evacuate" and "this is not a drill" does not mean get up out of your seat and mill about in the entrance to Lygon Court blocking access for fire fighters. No one seemed to be in charge or giving people any instructions. Epic fail, Cinema Nova.

Anyway, if you enjoyed Animal Kingdom and other films in that genre, I think you'll love this. It's pretty heavy going (lots of violence, for example) but very, very well done.

More on the story in this 3 star review in The Guardian.

Trailer here.

 

ODDBALL - film

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.

EVEREST - film

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.

HOLDING THE MAN - film

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.
 

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON - film

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.