Melbourne International Comedy Festival - part one

DILRUK JAYASINHA - Born and raised in Sri Lanka, Dilruk (pictured above) moved to Australia to study accounting at uni many years ago. He's abandoned the trade and is now working as a stand-up comic. I saw Dilruk last year and he was good but this year he's great! The additional year of experience has made a huge difference. I really laughed a lot, often as his expense, which will make sense if you see the show. (Word of warning if you plan to see this one... the room gets pretty stuffy!)

GERALDINE HICKEY: This Australian comic has a laconic style that is really endearing. The theme of the show is lotto but it strays a long way from that. Who cares though, I got a lot of laughs out of this. Happily recommend!

KARL CHANDLER: Another local comic, Karl does one liners with a unique added degree of difficulty - in each show he invites another comic in to be a professional heckler! The night I was there it was Danny McGinlay and together they were hilarious! The one liner style is not for everyone, but I really loved this. (Word of warning if you plan to go to Karl's show... dress light, the room is like a freakin' sauna.)

BECKY LUCAS - I saw Becky do her first MICF show last year and felt like she had a hell of a lot of potential. She's used the year wisely and has obviously done a lot of flying time on stage. It shows. She has a lovely charming style and I did laugh quite a bit. In five years time, this comic will be filling huge rooms, I reckon.

MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2 - film

Toula (Nia Vardalos) and Ian (John Corbett), whose marriage was the basis of the original My Big Fat Greek Wedding film from 2002, now have a teenage daughter in the mix of their wide web of annoying relatives as they prepare for the wedding of Toula's parents.

That's right, they aren't technically married! What fun! Oh boy.

Seriously though, this film is good enough fun. It's not going to win any awards for the story or performances but if you enjoyed the first one and would like to see more of the same, I think this one will give you what you want. (Be warned - like in the original, ethnic stereotypes & cheap gags abound.)

A two star review here from the Sydney Morning Herald if you want to know more.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

EYE IN THE SKY - film

Starring Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman (vale) in his last film, Eye In The Sky is a UK drama/thriller.

Mirren and Rickman (both excellent... surprise!) are high ranking members of the military working on a drone strike on terrorists in Kenya. It's fascinating watching how they weigh up the many factors that circulate a very delicate situation. I know, I know, it's fiction... but I'm going to assume there's some realism about it!

And when I say delicate, it's really, really delicate for reasons I won't give spoilers on!

I really, really liked this film and would happily recommend it, especially for people looking for a film that doesn't skew strongly to females or males. It's a general crowd-pleaser I think, though not a particularly cheerful one.

A four star review in The Guardian here, if you want to know more.

Trailer here. In cinemas from 24 March.

THE SECRET RIVER - theatre

The Secret River is a Sydney Theatre Company production currently on in Melbourne.

Adapted for the stage from the book of the same name by Australian author Kate Grenville, this is the story of a convict and his family arriving in NSW from London in the early 1800s and the ensuing clash with the local Aboriginal community over the land.

It is incredible & you should beg, borrow or steal to get yourself a ticket.

I cannot do justice to how well done this is. I laughed, cried and was incredibly moved. Same goes for the rest of the theatre full of people I think, as evidenced by the standing ovation. It also gave me a better insight into this time in Australia's history than anything I've ever read or seen.

The performances are all excellent, including from the children in the cast, and a special mention to the incredible musician who does a lot with a little on stage to provide a haunting soundtrack. There were moments that made the hair on my arms stand on end, not least the final act of the 2 hours and 50 minute performance.

It's only on 10-19 March in Melbourne so get in quickly & try to get a ticket.

For more details on the story & this production, check out this five star review in The Age and this five star review in the Herald Sun. Yes, two five star reviews. It's not cheap (my ticket was $108) but if you can afford it, don't miss this!

THE WILL TO FLY - film

This documentary follows the story of Australian aerial skiier Lydia Lassila.

It's pretty incredible. I went in not knowing what to expect and was surprised by just how emotionally engaged I was by the end. There were tears*!

At the beginning we learn about how Lydia and other young Aussies (including my old school friend, Liz Gardner!) even become involved in a sport as unique as aerial skiing and then the focus moved away from Lydia and onto the Australian aerial skiing scene. There was some really interesting insights here from Jacqui Cooper, Alisa Camplin, Kirstie Marshall and others.

I have followed the aerial skiing at the Winter Olympics a little over the years (mainly to cheer on Liz!) but it was a blessing that I forgot what had happened, as the thrills and (horrifying at times) spills of preparation for competition were quite gripping. I was totally engaged with Lydia's story and my God I was rooting for her to win!

It's fitting really to be writing this on International Women's Day, as Lydia is a remarkable role model for young women with obstacles to face on the way to achieving their dreams. For example, given Australia's climate, much of Lydia's training was done on a wooden ramp, landing into water. I mean, imagine asking an AFL player to do a large portion of their training on snow! OK so it's a terrible analogy, but you get my point.

What these women do with their bodies while flying through the air is incredible in any case, but without ideal facilities and sufficient funding, frankly it's a miracle they're still in one piece, let alone winning medals!

This film is definitely best seen on the big screen, so get along to see it while it's in cinemas! Go!

A four star review in the Fairfax press here.  Trailer here. In cinemas from Thursday 10 March.

* I am a notoriously light touch, but still!

A BIGGER SPLASH - film

This arthouse film starring Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Dakota Johnson and Matthias Schoenaerts felt longer than its actual running time of two hours. About two thirds of the way in I was thinking, ok, something interesting needs to happen very soon!

Swinton is an ageing Bowie-type rock star who is taking a break in the Mediterranean to recover her voice, Schoenaerts her boyfriend with his own demons to run away from. Fiennes is her former producer and lover, who comes to visit their beautiful holiday locale with his daughter, played by Johnson. Or is she his daughter?

My need for something interesting to happen was indeed satisfied which certainly helped reignite my interest in the story and its characters but ultimately I didn't love this. Definitely didn't hate it, but can't say I'd recommend you rush out for it. If you have arthouse-y taste, you will probably like it more than a once-or-twice-a-year-blockbuster-watching punter.

A three star review from The Daily Mail here.

Trailer here. In cinemas 24 March.

THE DAUGHTER - film

Inspired by a play called The Wild Duck by Henrik Ibsen, The Daughter stars big Australian names Geoffrey Rush, Miranda Otto and Sam Neill as well as younger Aussie actors Ewen Leslie and Odessa Young and American Paul Schneider. They all give brilliant performances.

This film is incredible.

Based in a regional NSW town whose economy is sustained by the local mill run by Rush's character Henry Neilson, there's something very authentic about this film. I completely bought the relationships, the tensions, the love, the complexities.

Henry's estranged son Christian (Schneider) returns to town for his father's wedding to a much younger woman. Old local connections are re-established and friendships rekindled, including Christian with his childhood friend Oliver (Ewen Leslie). Oliver's teenage daughter Hedvig is 'The Daughter', played by Odessa Young, so you know she's central to the story.

I went into this film knowing nothing of the story and I found it gripping and haunting, so I'll leave it at that as far as the plot. When I say haunting, I do mean it. I thought about this film for many hours after it finished.

I wholeheartedly agree with this four star review in The Guardian, if you do want further reading. Definitely recommend this one.

Trailer here. In cinemas 17 March.

HAIL, CAESAR! - film

I liked this new film from the Coen brothers starring George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton and Channing Tatum but I wouldn't say I loved it.

The brains behind films such as Fargo, No Country For Old Men and Inside Llewyn Davis have turned their hand to a fun and kooky look behind the scenes at the Hollywood film industry in the 1950s here.

I caught this one with a friend and she said "I liked it... however if there was supposed to be an underlying message I missed it". Same here but I'm not sure there is one, I tend to think it's just light and fun.

I particularly enjoyed the work of Channing Tatum, who gets to camp it up as a sailor and dance like a demon!

Here's a four star review in the Fairfax press and a 3.5 one in News Ltd which is probably about right for mine.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

ROOM - film

This Oscars Best Picture nominee is so great!

The two leads, Brie Larson as Joy and Jacob Tremblay as Joy's 5 year old son Jack, are both excellent but full credit to young Tremblay who gives the best performance from a child actor I have ever seen. Truly, he's incredible.

Joy and Jack are trapped in a room and the circumstances behind this trapping, and indeed Jack's arrival in the world, become clear but I won't spoil them. Their captor Nick is a regular visitor, bringing supplies and unwanted attention.

Brie Larson won the Best Actress in a Drama at the Golden Globes and I reckon she's a very good shot at the Best Actress Oscar too.

Room is gripping in exactly the right way. It shifts gears at exactly the right moments when you are starting to wonder how much longer situation X, Y or Z can last.

If you're thinking that a film about two people trapped in a room sounds a tad grim, you're right in a sense but don't underestimate the potential for this to end in an uplifting way.

A five star review here from The Guardian if you want to read more but warning - it contains far more on the plot than this blog post.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

45 Years - film

I found this film boring and pretentious.

Unsurprisingly Charlotte Rampling gives an amazing performance but for me it couldn't save 45 Years and make it enjoyable. Now, I know a film doesn't have to be enjoyable to be good but frankly, I like them to be enjoyable!

Charlotte and Tom Courtenay are Kate and Geoff Mercer, a couple approaching their 45th wedding anniversary. Just in case you see it, which I can't say I'd recommend, I won't spoil it but the gist is that a previous partner of Tom comes to be a significant weight on the shoulders of their relationship.

Since I saw 45 Years I've read a bunch of reviews of it and by and large they don't agree with me. For example, 5 stars here from The Telegraph UK. This 3.5 star review in the Fairfax press in Australia is a little less complimentary.

It's only 95 minutes long but felt a lot longer to me. As the woman next to me said when she left the cinema, "How miserable!" (Her husband slept through a lot of it.)

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

BROOKLYN - film

This film is wonderful. It's a beautifully crafted love story but not a one-dimensional weep-fest like some love stories are.

This drama stars Saoirse Ronan as Eilis Lacey, a young woman living in Ireland in the 1950s. She is one of the lucky ones given the opportunity to move to New York for a more prosperous life. After a rocky start she falls for a local gent and they make plans to build a life together. No spoilers here, but as in life, matters of the heart are seldom simple!

This film is nominated for Best Picture in the Oscars and Saoirse Ronan for Best Actress which speaks volumes. Happily recommend this one, it's a gem.

Four and a half stars from News Ltd's Leigh Paatsch. I'm with him on this one.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

TRUMBO - film

This biopic about Dalton Trumbo, a screenwriter in the 1940s, was good but not amazing for mine.

Bryan Cranston plays Trumbo, a man brimming with eccentricities who was blacklisted in Hollywood for being a Communist. After spending time in the clink for his troubles, he emerges unable to work but desperate to keep writing and make a living. He finds a creative way to do this which I won't spoil.

Helen Mirren is predictably excellent as famous gossip columnist at the time, Hedda Hopper.

If you get to the movies a lot, you could certainly put this in the mix, but otherwise maybe just catch it when it comes out online/on DVD.

It's getting mixed reviews. From this glowing one in the Boston Globe to this not so hot one in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Trailer here. In cinemas Thursday 18 February.

RIDE ALONG 2 - film

I took my 16 year old nephew along to the preview of this action comedy, figuring it'd be more his kind of movie than mine. As we sat waiting for it to start, this genius said, "let's look up some reviews!" The first one that popped up, from Variety Magazine, read as follows:

"Another tired, witless and potentially lucrative attempt to spin an exhausted buddy-cop template into action-comedy gold."

We laughed in that, 'oh dear, this will be a long two hours' kind of way.

And so it was.

Ice Cube plays a detective and comedian Kevin Hart plays his hopeless offsider/soon-to-be brother-in-law. Crime fighting ensues.

For me, there was an occasional chuckle but nowhere near enough to warrant recommending you go and see this. 16 year old nephew said he enjoyed it a little more than he expected to, courtesy of fast cars and hot babes I presume, but he didn't particularly like it either.

Trailer here. In cinemas Thursday 18 February.

ZOOLANDER 2 - film

Confession time... I haven't seen the first Zoolander film.

It's popular enough though that I get the general gist so I guess I wasn't going into this completely blind.

And you know what? I really enjoyed this. It's silly, mindless, funny fun. I laughed a lot, in that way you can when something is not requiring you to think at all, just lighten up and have a good laugh.

You don't need to know the storyline. It's dumb. But if you know you're a Zoolander kinda person, then you know this is for you.

It's not getting great reviews, more middle-of-the-road three stars type of stuff, but I just think that if all you want is to completely switch off and laugh for a couple of hours, go for it.

This three star review in The Guardian makes some fair points but this is not a movie that high brow critics will enjoy. It knows who it's audience is and gives them what they want.

STEVE JOBS - film

Didn't love this, didn't hate it.

This biopic about Apple co-founder Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender) is interesting if, like me, you didn't follow the story of Apple in the '80s and '90s, and Jobs' role in it.

The constant as we see him launching three different products over about 14 years, is that the guy is a real jerk and certainly a nightmare to work for. This point, no matter how accurate, is laboured and by the end of this two hour film I was thinking 'We get it! Let's wrap this up!'

There's a little of his personal life which did help paint the (unattractive) picture of the man.

Kate Winslet is a main player as Apple's marketing director & Jobs' right hand woman, Joanna Hoffman. In a strange turn of events, the strength of her eastern European accent dials up about 10 notches about a third of the way through the film. Okkaaaay then.

It's written by Aaron Sorkin, well known for his writing of TV series The West Wing. Fans will recognise and enjoy his style here.

If you don't get to the movies often, I reckon you could save this one for when it's released on DVD. (Or online or whatever you cool kids are doing.)

A three and a half star review from the Sydney Morning Herald here and a three star review from the Herald Sun here if you want to read more.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

DIRTY GRANDPA - film

Think of the worst film you've seen in ages.

This tedious, unfunny film starring Zac Efron, Robert De Niro & Parks & Rec legend Aubrey Plaza is worse than that. What were they thinking?!

Avoid.

Leigh Paatsch from News Ltd gave it ZERO stars.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

SPOTLIGHT - film

This Oscars Best Picture nominee is so brilliant. I absolutely loved it. The subject matter is utterly sickening but the film treats it sensitively and compellingly.

It's based in 2001 on a true story of The Boston Globe's Spotlight (investigative journalism) team's pursuit of the story of child sex abuse by Catholic priests.

You'd have to be living under a rock to have not heard about this despicable abuse of power that occurred in the USA, Australia and many, many other locations, but this film is an interesting look at how the lid was lifted on the scandal and just how many people with power swept it under the rug.

The cast, including well known names Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber and Billy Crudup, are all superb but a special shout out for mine to Michael Keaton and Stanley Tucci who are both stand outs in this. 

While I'm offering shout outs, an extra special one to the bogan who listened to her voicemail in the middle of the cinema in the middle of the film. Stay classy!

A four star review here from The Guardian if you want to know more. Trailer here.

THE BELIER FAMILY - film

This subtitled French film is part comedy, part drama, part musical, about a family of four where the parents and son are all deaf and have come to rely on their daughter/sister Paula to help them navigate the challenges they face.

Quite by accident, 16 year old Paula discovers she has a beautiful singing voice which of course her family cannot enjoy in the way most can. You don't need to know much more than that. Just know that I absolutely loved this film and it's getting universally positive reviews. I laughed, cried, and walked out with a spring in my step!

There's a lot of excellent films out at this time of year but none of them will make you feel as good as this one will. It's been out in Australia for quite a while but the positive reviews and word-of-mouth mean there's still quite a few session times. (Don't drag your feet, though.) It's only at arthouse cinemas though; you won't find this one on at your local Hoyts!

Note: If in reading this you have thought either "I don't like subtitled films" or "I don't like musicals", get over it and see this anyway!

Here's a four star review in the Sydney Morning Herald if you want more on the story or just reinforcement that this is a wonderful film.

Trailer here.

THE BIG SHORT - film

Loved this! A bit kooky at times but in a good rather than unpleasant way.

This US film is based on a book of the same name about the financial crisis of 2007-08 and what was going on in the finance sector as the housing sector collapsed.

The stellar cast of Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, Steve Carell and more are all fantastic in this Oscars Best Picture-nominated film.

It tracks the story of four 'outsiders' who predicted and bet on the collapse and what happened when their predictions were realised. If you'd like a slightly depressing look at just how arrogant and corrupt the giant banks were at the time, this is just the ticket.

This film was written (and directed) by Adam McKay, the man behind Anchorman (and the slightly less popular Anchorman 2) so whilst it's not pure comedy, there's definitely some funny lines throughout.

I'm not going to lie to you, despite the genuinely helpful asides to explain the more complex aspects of the story delivered through celebrity cameos (think Margot Robbie, Selina Gomez and Anthony Bourdain) there was still moments I was a bit confused by how complex the finance sector is! I would benefit from a second viewing some time I think, and certainly enjoy it.

Happily recommend this. More in this glowing review from Time Magazine.  In the interests of balance, two Australian critics, Leigh Paatsch from News Ltd and Jake Wilson from Fairfax, both liked it a little less and gave it 3.5 stars.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

CAROL - film

This drama set in New York in the 1950s, starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, is so fantastic.

Blanchett is Carol, an unhappy woman in the process of separating from her husband. While Christmas shopping she meets shop assistant Therese, played with big dopey eyes by Mara. Both are discontent with their lives and a complex love affair unfolds.

Cate Blanchett is at her best in this and if you've seen her in anything at all before you will know that must mean she's superb. Indeed, she is nominated for the Best Actress Oscar. Mara is also great and has a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her trouble.

A five star review here from The Telegraph UK for those interested in further reading.

I really enjoyed this one and would happily recommend it. Trailer here.