BAD MOMS - film

It might sound obvious, but make no mistake, this is a film for mums.

Starring Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn and Christina Applegate as varying degrees of 'bad' mums, this is a funny look at the day-to-day frustrations of motherhood, including a pretty terrifying look at school politics for parents.

I know it's just fiction but if this is in any way an accurate reflection of what motherhood is like, I'm patting myself on the back for not having had any kids! (Revelation for me - kids (American ones, at least) who are 10-14ish aren't making their own breakfast these days. WTF?!)

I didn't love this film. It wasn't dreadful, it just wasn't made for me. Like I said, it was made for mums. So I asked a friend, who is a mum of three and saw it with nine other school mums on opening night (#keen), what she thought of it and she said "LOVED it! So funny!" and apparently the big group all agreed and had lots of laughs.

Credit where it's due - there was a couple of slapstick-style montages that had me in stitches.

Here's a 2.5 star review from Leigh Paatsch in News Ltd which I agree with. BUT I beg of you - ignore what he says about the Ab Fab movie in there, he's got that totally wrong!

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS: THE MOVIE - film

Does it live up to the TV show? Is it funny? Has Ab Fab jumped the shark? IS IT ANY GOOD?!

HECK YES IT'S GOOD, YOU GUYS!

A follow-up piece to the hit UK comedy TV show Absolutely Fabulous (1992-1996, 2001-2004 & subsequent specials), Jennifer Saunders as Edina Monsoon and Joanna Lumley as Patsy Stone return for this follow-up piece in the form of a film. Edina's mother, daughter and bumbling assistant Bubble are all back too, along with a very long list of celebrity cameos including a few Aussies.

As a huge fan of the TV show, I desperately wanted to love this film. I think more than anything, I just wanted it to be funny. AND IT IS!

The storyline is of course totally silly (Eddy is accused of murdering supermodel Kate Moss and she and Pats go on the run... not a spoiler as it's in the trailer!) but there is lots of good laughs, including some call backs for big fans of the TV show who are still quoting lines from the film. (Guilty, your honour.)

It's getting lots of three star reviews (examples here) which is I guess what you'd expect from proper film critics but if you're a fan of the show and you just want to know if it's any good and if you should see it, it's a big fat YES from me!

Trailer here. In cinemas Thursday 4 August.

JASON BOURNE - film

I really enjoyed this!

Matt Damon (hubba hubba) is back as former CIA amnesiac assassin Jason Bourne and he has still got it!

This spy/action/thriller film is action-packed in the very literal sense and I was totally engrossed, including through a couple of rocking car chases. It's the next installment in a franchise that started with The Bourne Identity in 2002, followed by The Bourne Supremacy in 2004 the The Bourne Ultimatum in 2007.

Tommy Lee Jones and Alicia Vikander are good in support roles but I'm saving the biggest support act praise for Vincent Cassel who is off-the-charts good as Bourne's nemesis. It's got goodies, badies and are-they-good-or-are-they-bad-ies, as all good thrillers do.

The friend I saw it with, SH, is a big Matt Damon/Jason Bourne fan and her assessment is that it's better than The Bourne Ultimatum but not as good as The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy. That said, she also thinks that having Matt Damon naked on a screen for a few hours, standing there doing nothing, would make more money than this film will. Like I said, she's a *ahem* big fan.

Jason Bourne won't further your intellect but it'll entertain you for a couple of hours, that's for sure.

If you want to read more, check out this three star review in News Ltd press or this one in The Guardian, also three stars.

In cinemas Thursday 28 July. Trailer here.

STAR TREK BEYOND - film

I reckon if you're reading this you'll probably fall into one of two categories. There's the "so what's this Star Trek business all about?" camp (me). Then there's the "I love Star Trek and know lots and lots about it" camp (my friend Jo).

So here's a little from each of us, to cater to you appropriately.

First up, Star Trek fan Jo reports as follows:

With a great ensemble cast, amazing space sequences, some funny in-humour, interesting new characters and a bit of philosophy thrown in, my verdict would have to be a solid 4 to 4.5! Excellent balance of new and old, classic original references and new traditions. Bit sad knowing that Anton (Chekov) is gone too soon and Leonard (old Spock) gone after a long successful career. If you’re a fan, you’ll enjoy it, if not it might change your mind.

And from me, who knows NOTHING about Star Trek:

I enjoyed this more than I expected to! Sure, there was plenty that was lost on me (as evidenced by the crowd cacking themselves laughing at some things that I did not understand at all), and I can't honestly say I'd recommend paying $20+ to see it in the cinema, but I wasn't as bored and confused as I expected to be. There was plenty of action to keep me entertained. If you are going to see it, make it 3D on a big screen for the full impact of the effects.

If you want to know more about the film, check out this 3.5 star review from News Ltd I'm down with.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

GHOSTBUSTERS - film

I think it's probably useful to start this blog by telling you that whilst I did see the original Ghostbusters film (1984) once in my childhood (shout out to my five male cousins for the screening in their lounge room), I really didn't remember it so I was basically coming into this film without the need or capacity to draw any connections to the original.

When the team behind this reboot announced that the four Ghostbusters would be women (Kristin Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones & Kate McKinnon), there was some outrage online from numpty trolls saying that they were ruining the franchise, women can't bust ghosts etc. OK they didn't say that exactly but you know what I mean. What bollocks.

I didn't love or hate this film and it had nothing to do with the gender of the cast. DER.

At first I thought they were pitching this at kids (lots of characters talking to themselves to explain what's going on, the kind of cues kids need) but then there was some bits that I thought would be way to scary for kids.

There was a group of guys who looked to be in their early 40s in my session and on a handful of occasions they and no one else laughed - gag gifts for fans of the original film I guess.

Kristin Wiig wasn't given enough gags to work with, Melissa McCarthy was given plenty & did them well, Leslie Jones was fun (the non-scientist in the group, required so they had to explain things to someone for the benefit of the audience) but Kate McKinnon was a stand-out star for me. She does the wacky professor vibe very well indeed. Chris Hemsworth as their hot receptionist was also good fun. And, you know, hot as hell.

Leigh Paatsch in News Ltd press gave it 2.5 stars and I agree. The Guardian gave it 4 stars, at least a whole star too generous for mine.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

ME BEFORE YOU - film

I took my 13 year old niece to see this film because she's read the book and told me she wanted to see it. And because I'm THE BEST AUNTY EVER.

It's about a paraplegic hot guy Will (Sam Claflin) who falls for his stunning, wacky, home help assistant Lou (Emilia Clarke, best known as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones TV series). Once she twigs how crap her boyfriend Patrick (Matthew Lewis, best known as Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter flicks) is, she falls for him too. But there's a twist. I won't be so miserable as to spoil it.

Just how good an aunty I am became crystal clear as the film unfolded. It really wasn't my cup of tea. It wasn't terrible, just predictable middle-of-the-road meh.

Miss 13, however, liked it. On questioning, she said it was as good as the book (which she liked), she would recommend people pay money to see it, and would give it 4.5 stars out of 5.

She also said she thinks people aged 12-25 would be the audience that liked it most. For me, more like 12-17... you know the type... hormonal teenage girls who want to believe in luuuurve.

But I get the last say because this is my blog, ok?! I'm on board with this 2.5 star review by Leigh Paatsch in the News Ltd press, if you want to read more. You can read about the criticism the film has attracted from the disabled community here.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

FINDING DORY - film

The much-anticipated follow-up to the brilliant 2003 film Finding Nemo is here!

But is it any good? Heck yes! ... Is it as good as Finding Nemo? Not quite!

After a trip down memory lane at the start for context on Dory's childhood (baby-fish-hood?), this film follows her search for her parents. It's charming, funny, visually beautiful and just good fun. Ellen DeGeneres remains the voice of Dory and does it beautifully. I creepily listened to parents and young kids after the session I was in, as well as late teens who were enchanted by Finding Nemo 13 years ago and the verdict was all positive from what I could hear. It doesn't quite live up to the quality of Finding Nemo for mine but that was such a revelation for many that I think it's a hell of an ask to live up to or better.

If you would like evidence of how fun it is, read this not-very-positive review by David Stratton. Honestly, that guy is such a wowser. But here is a long and positive review in The New York Times if you want to know about the film and how lovely it is!

For those wondering if you need to have seen Finding Nemo to understand and enjoy Finding Dory - definitely not in my view, it stands alone well.

Warning to parents of little ones - the film is 105 minutes. Add a six minute short film to the start of that plus TWENTY FIVE MINUTES of ads and trailers before the films starts and you've got a pretty long time to be in the cinema. Some littlies in my session got very restless towards the end.

While we're talking about the end, here's my hot tip... stay to the VERY end of the credits.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE - film

Loved, loved, loved this film!

Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a New Zealand film and I personally think that anything funny said with a New Zealand accent is 15% funnier because of said accent.

Sam Neill is excellent as 'Uncle Hector', foster father to "bad egg" kid Ricky Baker. Ricky is played by Julian Dennison and he is just off the charts! He's brilliant and funny and just a fabulous pairing with Sam Neill.

They wind up on the run in the NZ bush together (prepare for an emotional hit that leads to this - this film isn't just laughs!) meaning they spend most of the film bouncing off each other. The chemistry between them is critical and never disappoints.

My one and only let down in this film is that they couldn't resist the temptation to make fun of a mentally ill person for laughs. Rhys Darby, a New Zealand comic actor who I adore, plays a conspiracy theorist living rough in the bush that they encounter while on the run. I think his comic chops could have been used just as well, without such a strong 'freak show' element.

That's a relatively minor thing in the overall film though, certainly not problematic enough to prevent me from recommending this to you. It's bloody good fun and you should definitely get yourself to a cinema to see it!

The Sydney Morning Herald gave it 3.5 stars which is a bit stiff and News.com.au gave it 5 stars which is probably a fraction too much... somewhere in the middle for me!

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

NOW YOU SEE ME 2 - film

This not-at-all-needed sequel to Now You See Me is, well, meh.

Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and Lizzy Caplan as the 'Four Horsemen' magicians who stage a huge heist to expose the bad guys, this film didn't do it for me.

I'll cut to the chase - if you saw the first one and liked it, sure, get along to this one. If you haven't seen the first one, you definitely don't need to see this one.

I'm puzzled by how such big names wound up in such a mediocre film. In addition to the previously mentioned names, we're talking Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo, Daniel Radcliffe and Michael Caine.

A two star review in the Fairfax press here, if you want to know more. I concur on the two stars.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

EDDIE THE EAGLE - film

Sometimes when I see a movie after it's been out for a while, I don't bother blogging about it. Just because it's often when there's not many session times left and it seems less likely people will be interested.

However, I caught Eddie the Eagle this week using a free pass I was given that was about to expire! And I'm so glad! This film is completely charming and lovely and I would happily recommend it. For some reason I think I thought it was a kids film and even though I think older kids would enjoy it, it's definitely not not for adults.

It's based on a true story about a British ski jumper, who was determined to become an Olympian against the odds. Taron Egerton plays said ski jumper and based on the real life pics at the end of the film, does a good imitation. Hugh Jackman plays Bronson Peary, a former ski jumping bad boy Yank lured in to help Eddie. (Jackman as spunky bad boy - HUBBA HUBBA) Christopher Walken has a small role and is, of course, great.

Sure it's not a flawless film but I enjoyed it a lot. Laughed and cried and all that jazz. Here's a three star review from the Sydney Morning Herald if you want to know more.

Trailer here. In cinemas now!

X-MEN: APOCALYPSE - film

Disclaimer: I've never seen an X-Men film before. Well if I have I don't remember it. I really don't think I have.

I figured there was a good chance that seeing a film that's ninth in a series without seeing installments one - eight would leave me utterly confused and whilst there was definitely some things that were lost of me (perhaps because of that, perhaps because of my intellectual shortcomings) I actually enjoyed this more than I expected to!

If you're an X-Men purist / Marvel comics fan, I'm sure my thoughts will not much of much interest to you, but for the rest of you, all you need to know is that this is an action, action, action superhero crazy silly fantasy movie with a cast full of hotties.

The critics are divided. One and a half stars here from Sydney Morning Herald and a more generous three stars here from The Guardian. (When three stars is the more generous review, you know we're not talking brilliant stuff.)

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

WHISKY TANGO FOXTROT - film

Loosely based on a novel by a US war zone correspondent, this film stars Tina Fey as said correspondent Kim Baker who escapes her mundane journalism job in the States to take up a TV reporter gig in Afghanistan.

I'm a big fan of Fey and frankly I'd watch her read the dictionary, but this film is only good and not great.

Whisky Tango Foxtrot doesn't know if it's a comedy or a drama and this confusion means it never quite lands well in either camp. There's a few moments that I think are meant to be poignant but some people in the preview I was at laughed. The jaunty soundtrack also contributes to the uncertainty.

It also stars Martin Freeman and Margot Robbie as other journalists in the 'Kabubble' - what they call the expat bubble they inhabit in Kabul. Margot Robbie plays a British TV journalist and I don't know why they didn't just make her Australian since she didn't really nail the accent.

Billy Bob Thornton is perfect as a US military commander, Aussie Stephen Peakcocke is good as a security hunk but in a curious piece of casting American actor Christopher Abbott, best known from playing Marnie's boyfriend in the first season or two of the TV show Girls, plays Fahim, Kim's Afghani fixer. It's not that his performance was bad, just that I kept being distracted by what a strange choice it was.

More on the story in this three and a half star review in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

BAD NEIGHBOURS 2 - film

This comedy starring Seth Rogan, Zac Efron, Rose Byrne and Chloe Grace Moretz is pretty funny but...

It's a big but...

The storyline is so lame. Like, really terrible.

So if you're after a mindless laugh with absolutely no intellectual stimulation, then sure, go see this. But don't say you weren't warned!

Smaller roles performed by Billy Eichner and Ike Barinholtz help with the LOLZ, I'm a fan of them both.

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

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS - film

Starring Meryl Streep in the title role, Florence Foster Jenkins is the story of a wealthy American woman who dreams of being an opera singer, and indeed is an opera singer, despite having a very ordinary voice.

I didn't realise until the end of this film that it's actually based on a true story. I can see why someone saw fit to take the story to film... it's charming and funny!

It also stars Hugh Grant as her husband (more to this than meets the eye, of course) and Simon Helberg who many will know for his long-term role as Howard Wolowitz in TV's The Big Bang Theory. (Don't pretend you haven't seen any TBBT, you big ol' comedy snob!) His comic chops are well utilised here as he plays her pianist who fears damaging his reputation by working with her but is lured by the regular coin.

Though not five-star-amazing, this is three-stars-good-fun for mine, so check it out if you're looking for something to catch at the cinema.

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

In cinemas Thursday 5 May. Trailer here.

A MONTH OF SUNDAYS - film

Regular readers of this blog will know that it pains me to sink the boots into an Australian film. But alas, here we are.

A Month Of Sundays stars Anthony LaPaglia as a sad and grumpy real estate agent in Adelaide.

You know what happens when you watch someone be sad and grumpy for 109 minutes? You get sad and grumpy.

Even the glorious Julia Blake, whose face you will recognise from every second film and TV show in Australia in the last forty years, can't save this. She, like LaPaglia, is of course a brilliant actor, but her character just brings more SAD! Giggles from John Clarke's character and warmth from Justine Clarke's also weren't enough to help.

I suspect it's a film that intellectual types will happily deconstruct as they sit in their Carlton townhouses eating goats curd and Maggie Beer quince paste, but I don't think this film has mainstream appeal. I'm sure it has merit in some ways, but I just didn't enjoy watching it.

Neither did the bloke near me in the cinema who said at the end, "That was pretty dull. I could have been watching AFL 360!"

It pains me to say this of a local film, but I just didn't enjoy it enough to recommend you hand over a lobster to see it.

Two stars from The Guardian Australia here & that's in keeping with what I reckon.

Trailer here. In cinemas 28 April.

THE BOSS - film

The Boss stars and is co-written by the fabulous Melissa McCarthy, a comic actress who many know from her hilarious performance in the hit comedy film Bridesmaids.

This is funny, but it ain't no Bridesmaids.

McCarthy stars as a wealthy entrepreneur who suddenly loses her fortune and leans on her assistant, a kind single mother (Kristen Bell), to keep her going. But this entrepeneur isn't taking this loss lying down and comes up with a new idea to get rich.

Her nemesis is played by Peter Dinklage who flounders a bit with the fairly blunt script.

Speaking of the script, I doubt this is McCarthy's best work and it certainly won't win any awards but this film is certainly not devoid of laughs. I'd say The Boss is for you if you just want a bit of a mindless chuckle.

Fairfax critic Jake Wilson gave it 2.5 stars which is pretty fair I think. News Ltd critic Leigh Paatsch, on the other hand, gave it 1.5 stars. Tough!

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

Melbourne International Comedy Festival - part 3

RHYS NICHOLSON - Easily my favourite show of the festival so far. Just rapid-fire laugh after laugh after laugh from this Sydney-based comic. Crappy venue (Roxanne, tucked in near Chinatown) but that doesn't detract from what a brilliant show this is. Highly recommend! Herald Sun's Mikey Cahill gave it 4.5 stars, to add weight to my claim!

DAMIEN POWER - I've heard a bit of hype about Brisbane-based Damien during previous festivals and was determined to catch him this time round. There was certainly plenty of laughs but said hype did mean my expectations were really high and this show didn't quite get there for me. It's an interesting style, some really blokey quite bogan stuff which seemed to be well-received but then some stuff on Karl Marx and Pompeii just didn't land, which he acknowledged in the show in a way that was funnier than the material. Interestingly, Mikey Cahill from Herald Sun gave this show 4.5 stars too. We'll have to agree to disagree on this one, more like a 3 star show for me.

WIDE OPEN SKY - film

This Aussie doco is about a children's choir in a remote regional area corner of Australia.

It is so beautiful! Honestly, I laughed and cried and really enjoyed this. The project leader and choir master Michelle is an incredible woman who hits the road each year to audition kids in isolated areas, most of them in families where money is tight including some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. They eventually come together for a choir camp and concert which is just so uplifting.

There's loads of passionate and interesting kids involved but to mention just one, we have Mack from Lightning Ridge who loves to dance and sing unlike most of the other boys at school who love to play rugby. At one point, reflecting on his experience in the choir, Mack says something like "You think you've got to lie to have friends but the choir means you can connect with other people like you"... cue tears!

The choir is obviously hugely significant for these kids and it made me so happy that opportunities like this exist for these kids and that I had the opportunity to enjoy this story.

In cinemas from 14 April. (Limited release, look for it at arthouse joints.) Trailer here.

WHERE TO INVADE NEXT - film

The latest doco from Michael Moore (the man behind films such as Farenheit 9/11 and Bowling for Columbine), this film looks at a bunch of different issues such as work, education, social equality and more.

Moore travels to numerous countries to look at what they do well and how it compares to USA. (The overall tone being, 'there's lots of stuff we do poorly back home') It paints an interesting picture and certainly one that reveals the US to not be quite the paradise some think it to be. For example, it opens with an interview with two Italians who outline their holiday and salary entitlements & it's unbelievable how generous it is! He tells them that there is no legislated holidays for US workers and they are horrified. In fact, I suspect they don't believe him.

The things other countries are doing are interesting in some cases but I'll be totally honest - I actually fell asleep briefly in this film! I'd like to be able to mount a defense of it and say I do that all the time and it was unrelated to the content but that would be a lie. I never fall asleep in cinemas! And I hadn't had a particularly long day. This film is too long and too woe-is-us for me. Not without any joy, but not something I'd suggest you rush out and see.

A 3.5 star review in the Fairfax press here. In cinemas 7 April. Trailer here.

Melbourne International Comedy Festival - part 2

BRIDGET EVERETT - Known to some Australians as Amy Schumer's bestie (she appears regularly on Amy's TV show, films and photos on social media), this US cabaret comic was, well, I'm actually not even sure how to explain it. It was shocking (as in, I was shocked, not that it was terrible), bold, R-rated, terrifying and hilarious. I honestly spent a large portion of the show with my hand over my face in that "oh my God, is this really happening?" kind of way. Definitely not for the faint-hearted but if you can cope with FULL ON material (much of it in song - she has an incredible voice - and nudity, she could well be for you. Unfortunately I only caught her at the end of her run at MICF (last show Sunday 3 April) so there's no point recommending it to you. Instead, if you're curious, check her out on YouTube here. (This is a portion of the same show she did in Melbourne.)

ANNE EDMONDS - This Melbourne-based comic is hilarious and I loved this show. Most of the material is easy for punters to relate to and just damn good fun. I really laughed out loud a lot and would definitely recommend this show.

MEL BUTTLE - Some of you may know this comic from Brisbane as co-host of The Great Australian Bake Off on Foxtel recently but she's been on the stand-up scene in Australia for many years now. The crowd was a little tough the night I saw her (there was one woman in the audience who was laughing noticeably loudly & she admonished the rest of us for not being more like her at one stage) but there was still plenty of laughs in this show. Mel has spoken about her eccentric parents in many shows previously and this year is no exception and this stuff really made me laugh a lot.