LA LA LAND - film

La La Land, a musical starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, is getting lots of rave reviews and is nominated for a bunch of Golden Globes. So does it live up to the hype?

Not for this little black duck. I accept that I am in the minority, though certainly not alone, in finding this film really quite dull.

It's a boy-meets-girl love story (she's trying to make it as an actress in Hollywood, he as a jazz pianist) and despite having an unpredictable ending I found the storyline quite ho hum. It was only about half way through this two hour film that anything interesting happened! And even then it didn't last that long.

As a musical lover, I have to say that my primary objection to this film is that the stars, Stone and Gosling, can't actually sing very well. They're not terrible, but they're nowhere near good enough to lead a musical in my view. Neither are particularly good dancers either and the dance scenes aren't exactly electric. Also on the subject of it being a musical, I also felt like the film actually wasn't quite sure if it was a musical or not. There certainly weren't as many songs as I would have predicted for a film categorised as a musical. OK I'm going to stop saying the word musical now.

I saw this film with two friends and they both liked it and mounted a spirited defence (ie "she's wrong"... "Oh my God" etc) when I said I didn't. Here's how that conversation unfolded. (Be grateful - this is the short version.)

A five star review in The Guardian for your reference but this article, "La La Land is a terrible film, but it will win Best Picture at the Oscars anyway" in the Fairfax press is excellent and I completely agree! If you want to watch a great musical starring incredible triple threats, get yourself a copy of the 1952 hit Singin' in the Rain. Seriously.

La La Land is in cinemas now. Trailer here.

SING - film

This animated film for kids has a great cast of voices as an array of animal characters, including Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, John C Reilly and Jennifer Saunders.

The animals are united by a singing contest so they're an eclectic bunch united only by their vocal talent. I don't think there's much to be gained from giving you their back stories but just know there's heart to this film too. Nothing too soppy, just charming.

I really enjoyed Sing! It was probably about 15 minutes too long, but other than that no complaints from me.It was just damn good fun, the perfect thing for kids on school holidays.  Speaking of which, I took along three of my nieces and they all liked it too. Click play to hear their verdict... (Please ignore my awful nasal voice!)

Here's a 3.5 star review from the Herald Sun which I think is fair. This film won't rock your world, but it's just good fun!

Here's the trailer. In cinemas now.

JACKIE - film

This biopic stars Natalie Portman as Jackie Kennedy, wife of US President John F Kennedy, in the aftermath of his infamous assassination in the early 1960s.

Portman gives an excellent performance and has been nominated for Best Actress in a Drama in the 2017 Golden Globes for her trouble.

We see a little of their married life as President and First Lady in the film but for most of it Jackie is grieving in the spotlight while trying to console her two young children and define her husband's famous legacy.

This film is getting rave reviews and I can see why but I won't lie to you, dear readers... I got a bit bored. For me, this is one to catch when it comes out on DVD/digital, rather than rushing out to spend your hard earned at the cinema.

Here's a glowing review in Rolling Stone magazine if you'd like to read a bit more on the film.

Trailer here. In cinemas 12 January.

OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY

You know this type, guys. A Christmas comedy film with a few big names to lure you to the cinema in the holiday season.

So what's the verdict? It's not good news, I'm afraid.

For the first 20 minutes or so of this 105 minute film I was thinking, 'this is actually ok... not brilliant, but enjoyable, light, Christmas fun...' Unfortunately it went pretty steadily down hill from there. The laughs became less frequent, the storyline became more and more stupid and it was all just a bit ho hum.

Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman star in it and I bloody love Jason Bateman so I was a bit sad to see him be in this dud. He does what he can with the ordinary script and is pleasant to watch as always (#childofthe80s) and Jennifer Aniston is good to but it ain't enough. Kate McKinnon, who comedy nerds like me will know from SNL stardom, is funny in this as the wowser HR lady but again, it just ain't enough.

Quick plot outline - a fun & funny guy running a family tech business is threatened to be shut down by his sister (Aniston) who is the CEO of the business. Operation Save The Business commences and craziness ensues. Bet you can't guess how it ends! (Spoiler alert - he does save the business & it's happy ever after with him and the sister... So surprising, huh?!)

This 1.5 star review on news.com.au is pretty brutal but I have to say I agree with it.

In cinemas now. Trailer here.

** ON HOLIDAYS **

Apologies for the break in usual programming! I've been out of town for all of November & not able to blog. Usual programming will return in December... perfect timing for the hit motion pictures of the holiday season!

THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS - film

A Hollywood love story based on a best-selling novel! The two lead actors fell in love during filming! Based on an Australian story by an Australian author, filmed in Australia! On paper there's a lot to love!

Alas... I thought this was a bit dull. There were times where it felt a bit soap opera-ish unfortunately.

Tom (Michael Fassbender) and Isabel (Alicia Vikander) fall in love and wind up living together on a remote island off the coast of Western Australia where Tom is the lighthouse keeper. The isolation of course becomes a problem but they are delighted when Isabel becomes pregnant. Things don't go to plan with the pregnancy but all is not lost when it comes to their dream of being parents. I won't say more on that for fear of spoiling. It's certainly an interesting twist!

But unfortunately despite the twist and the complexities of what unfolds, I just never bought into the characters and their situation enough to really care about what happened to them. In a group of, say, 30 people I saw this with, I only noticed one wipe away tears and let me tell you, this film is designed to be a tear-jerker!

I didn't hate this but I certainly didn't love it and can't say I'd suggest rushing out to see it. Maybe on DVD/digital for a girls night or something of that nature.

Here's a two star review from Rolling Stone magazine that I'm down with. In the interests of balance, it's also received this four star review in The Guardian but that's way too generous if you ask me.

Trailer here. In cinemas 3 November. 

NOCTURNAL ANIMALS - film

Despite the fact it's a poor reflection on me I confess that the fact this film is directed by a famous fashion designer, Tom Ford, meant my expectations were fairly low. (He has directed at least one other film but I haven't seen it.)

Why did I think a fashion designer wouldn't be a good director? Look, I don't know. I'm an idiot.

You know what, this film is fantastic. It's a psychological thriller and by crikey it's gripping!

It contains two stories, I guess you could say. Amy Adams plays the lead, Susan Morrow, so one story is hers, but she's reading a novel sent to her by her ex-husband and the plot of the novel also unfolds as the second story in the film. That novel is a (violet) thriller in itself. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Susan's ex-husband but is also in the novel storyline. IT'S A BIT HARD TO EXPLAIN YOU GUYS JUST GO WITH ME.

Michael Shannon is also in it and is perfect in the role of cranky cop. You might recognise his face but perhaps not his name. He's been in a few films I've seen lately & I'm a fan.

Obviously being a thriller I don't want to tell you too much about the plot but I'll say this much... the film is intense. Don't go and see if it you want some toe tapper designed to leave you on cloud nine!  

If you want to read more, check out this five star review in The Guardian. I loved this film, but perhaps not quite five stars for me, for what it's worth. Not all of the reviews are as glowing as the one in The Guardian but it's generally very positive.

HOOK UP FOR MELBOURNE READERS - Broadsheet are doing a preview at Palace Kino on 9 November & are giving away tickets. Check it out here.

Trailer here. In cinemas 10 November.

OUIJA : ORIGIN OF EVIL - film

Confession time. I’m a big ol’ scaredy cat. Horror, paranormal, supernatural… Can. Not. Deal. Well, more accurately… Can. Not. Sleep.

So when I got an invite to a preview of the film Ouija: Origin of Evil, I asked my mate Jo to attend in my place and tell you what she thinks. I know I’d hate it due to the scaredy cat thing so it wouldn’t be fair for me to blog it. Big thanks to Jo for stepping up and taking one for the team!

So here’s Jo’s verdict. FYI – she ain’t no scaredy cat.

“Horror fans, this movie is definitely not The Exorcist, Nightmare on Elm Street (the original), Hellraiser or Poltergeist, although it did try to reference most of them. The premise at its core is an interesting take on the old ghost/haunted house story and the young actors at the centre of the action did quite well within their roles, but ultimately its potential was unrealised. The movie appeared to be the next level horror story for Twilight series fans, although some of the horror may have been a bit adult for that age group.

There was some unintentional laughter amongst the preview audience, with the scary scenes and entities not enough for a true horror experience. The relationship between some benevolent and malevolent characters wasn’t fully explored or realised in my opinion, creating quite a bit of confusion, possibly because the movie had very slow build-up requiring a very rapid denouement.

My assessment is probably 1.5 stars, upgraded to 2 because it brought back memories of playing with a ouija board many years ago, resulting in hilarious attempts at trying to spell out different messages at the same time and for the attempt at 60s authenticity, featuring some particularly cool cars and a truly heinous 60s crocheted vest!”

Here's a three star review from The Guardian if you'd like to read up some more on this one.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

CAFE SOCIETY - film

Cafe Society is the latest film by director Woody Allen. Some people hear a film is by Woody Allen and feel excited. Others hear a film is by Woody Allen and feel dread. I tend to be the latter but for my dear readers I go into these things with an open mind.

Jesse Eisenberg plays a young man from New York, Bobby Dorfman, with ambitions of being a mover and shaker in Hollywood. His one connection there is his uncle Phil, played by Steve Carell, who is a Hollywood movie industry power broker. Both perform really well in this film, along with leading ladies Kristen Stewart and Blake Lively.

Bobby makes his way to Hollywood and eventually uncle Phil starts to throw him a bone and he makes some progress in being a player in the film industry himself. But these things are never straight forward, in work and in lurve. Won't say more in the interests of not spoiling.

For me, this film isn't tortured and dull Woody Allen, but it's also not excellent and at-his-best Woody Allen. I enjoyed this more than I expected to but the storyline is just nice, not fascinating or clever or funny.

So in summary, Cafe Society is pleasant enough, but can't say I'd recommend you race out for it. Perhaps one for a night in on DVD/digital.

Here's a New York Times review I'm down with, if you want to read more. Trailer here.

In cinemas Thursday 20 October.

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN - film

This adaptation of the best-selling book by the same name is a mystery/thriller/drama starring Emily Blunt.

I hadn't read the book so I had no idea what was coming with the twists and whilst they were pretty good (ie not predictable) I can't honestly say I was on the edge of my seat.

I won't tell you anything much about the plot as of course with a film of this nature you don't want to know what's coming. But to give you just a little idea, Emily Blunt plays Rachel, who is grappling with having lost some things dear to her due to alcoholism. BUT DID SHE REALLY LOSE THEM BECAUSE OF THE BOOZE?!

I didn't dislike this but I didn't love it. It was a bit like the film wanted to be a thriller but the thrilling elements just aren't strong enough. I wasn't very invested in the story which meant I wasn't all that interested in solving the 'but who is the baddie?' thing.

Emily Blunt is very good in this but she could only carry it so far. Justin Theroux and Allison Janney are two other faces you might recognise in the film and both are good but like Blunt, not given the chance to really shine.

Critics are divided on this one, skewing more to the negative & you can read about that here. The Sydney Morning Herald gave it 3 stars, which is probably half a star or so more generous that I would be.

Finally, a shout out to the numptie who kept checking Facebook on her phone during the film. DO NOT BE THAT GUY, YOU GUYS. Nothing will happen on Facebook in about two hours that can't wait. I PROMISE!

BRIDGET JONES'S BABY

Bridget Jones is a character from British fiction novels released in the 1990s 'Bridget Jones's Diary' and 'Bridget Jones; Edge of Reason'. These two books were made into films in 2001 and 2004 with Renee Zellweger in the staring role.

This is a film for people who have seen the previous films or read the books or at least know the general Bridget Jones Vibe (BJV). I had seen the two previous films and I think I enjoyed them enough though they didn't rock my world. All these years later I had completely forgotten what actually happened in them but I recalled the BJV and that was enough.

So in this film, Bridget is single (again... you get it if you get the BJV), things are going well in her career and she's skinny. (BJV-ers get the significance of the skinny thing.)

She winds up preggers with two possible fathers on the scene; Mark Darcy (previous flame BJV-ers will know, played by Colin Firth) and new guy Jack Qwant (played by Patrick Dempsey who has STILL GOT IT HUBBA HUBBA ETC).

After enjoying the first third or so of the film, it became clear that the 'which one is the father?' thing is really the extent of this story. I wished there was more. It just got a bit dull. I really didn't like this film much and nor did my mate. That said, others in the cinema at the preview seemed to enjoy it and when I asked two strangers in the car park who had been in the screening what they thought, they both said they loved it.

The reviews for this are pretty good. I mean, they're not five stars, but they're pretty positive. The Guardian gave it three stars - give it a read if you want more on the storyline. Three stars a little generous for me, more like 2-2.5ish I reckon.

Trailer here. Opens in Australian cinemas on Thursday 15 September.

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC - film

This is a tricky film to 'cut to the chase' on. It's complex. I'll try!

We have Viggo Mortensen playing a father of six, Ben Cash. Ben and his (absent) wife have chosen to raise their children in the wilderness, away from the extravagance of the modern world.

At times I was thinking, 'wow, how admirable' and other times I was thinking 'stop being so cruel and get your kids into the real world so they don't grow up as freaks'... well played, director Matt Ross.

Captain Fantastic is a comedy/drama (shout out to the cranky-pants critic who literally told people in the media screening of this film to "shut up" when they laughed!) and I saw it described as akin to Little Miss Sunshine, a film I absolutely love. The same cannot be said for this film. It's just so damn pretentious. Not terrible, but just not something I particularly rate and certainly not something I'd suggest you book a babysitter for for your occasional night out at considerable expense! Maybe one for when it's out on DVD/digital.

Heads up for Viggo fans - he appears fully naked at one stage. Yessss.

Here's a review in the LA Times with which I agree and here's a more glowing one from the Sydney Morning Herald.

Trailer here. In cinemas Thursday 8 September.

BEN-HUR - film

At the last minute I was unable to attend the Ben-Hur preview so my dear friend AC has taken the blogging reins on this one. Here's her thoughts...

"I went into this film knowing that the update wouldn’t have the intense 50s drama acting and kitschy camp overtones that I love in the original but I did expect a shiny new version with the same substance. There wasn’t and I was disappointed. It’s a good story and well told in the original but it got lost felt and rushed in this version. The story is of Judah Ben-Hur a Jewish prince who has a Roman adopted brother, Massala who never feels accepted by his adopted family or by the Romans and goes about trying to prove himself worthy by joining the Roman legions. Judah is accused of treachery to the invading Romans which puts Massala in a pickle and he chooses the Romans, sending Judah to the slave galleys hoping he will die which he nearly does several times. Cue Judah surviving to return to home hell bent on vengeance and finding his loved ones.

Plot aside I knew there were going to be some action coming with the galley ships and the chariot race and while the galley part was good it was over too soon and therefore didn’t make the impression it needed to. But the chariot race was excellent! Everything you want in a chariot race; speed, strategy, blood lust, horrible deaths, wheels smashing everywhere. It was awesome, I loved it. And it will make you want to buy a white horse, 4 of them in fact.

Then there is the matter of the Christian story which runs alongside Ben Hur’s story. The scenes with carpenter Jesus felt like they were jammed in and some were comical, I actually laughed at one which I felt really guilty about, thank you Catholic upbringing. In the 1950s version the presence of Jesus was more subtle with the audience never actually seeing his face. The Christian scenes felt like one of those biblical re-enactments you had to watch at school around Easter.

The overall theme is of the struggle between revenge and forgiveness and redemption however, there were plot changes made to the original I felt changed the message and one in particular ruined the redemption message a bit and also decreased the amount of leprosy and if you are going to do a movie in Jerusalem in 33AD you need a few more lepers.

All in all, if you haven’t seen the original or haven’t seen it lately then this may be worth it for the chariot race.

I agree with this New York Times review except they wanted more Jesus and I wanted less."

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

DAVID BRENT: LIFE ON THE ROAD - film

In this film, UK comic Ricky Gervais brings back his well-known character from the TV series The Office, David Brent. David is still a salesman but now he's trying to live his dream of being the lead singer of a band.

I'm sad to report that 'David Brent: Life on the road' is nowhere near as enjoyable as The Office was. I wanted it to be. I SO wanted it to be.

Fellow fans of the TV series will know what I mean when I say the show was both hilarious and excruciating. With the film, imagine taking out some of the hilariousness, taking out the characters you love (Gareth, Dawn, Tim etc) and watching five or six episodes in a row. Thumbs down.

The first third or so of the film is when it's at its best with some good laugh out loud moments but it wears very thin as David hits the road with his band (read - session musicians he's paying a fortune to help live his dream) to go on tour (read - do a handful of gigs in pubs and clubs not all that far from home).

It's getting mixed reviews - one star from The Age vs three and a half in the Herald Sun and the friend I took to the preview, who also loved the TV show, said she'd give it four stars. Now, I love her dearly, but that's bonkers.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

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.