THE DEATH OF STALIN - film by Stephanie Puls

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This political satire comedy is directed and co-written by Armando Iannucci and stars Steve Buscemi, Jeffrey Tambor, Michael Palin and Jason Isaacs. The film is based on a French novel about the power struggles that followed the death of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin in 1953. I am now going to divide you, dear readers, into two categories. If you have no idea who Armando Iannucci is, head to section A and if you know and love him head to section B.

A. Iannucci is a Scottish writer, director and satirist with a cult following due to TV shows Veep and The Thick Of It and the character Alan Partridge. He brings this cutting satire to The Death of Stalin which is very, very funny. It's eccentric so if your taste is pretty mainstream you might find it a bit odd but if you've got an open mind and don't mind verging into highbrow-meets-slapstick, give this one a go.

B. Iannucci does not disappoint! All the things you love about his work are here; brutal one-liners, beautifully executed slapstick and punchy, clever dialogue. Get yourself to a cinema!

If you want to read a proper review with more details of the plot, check out this complimentary review in The New York Times.

In cinemas 29 March. Trailer here.

FINDING YOUR FEET - film by Stephanie Puls

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*wakes up groggily*

SORRY WHAT? I WAS ASLEEP BECAUSE THIS FILM WAS SO BORING.

To be fair, Finding Your Feet is not aimed at my age group. It's a story of 70-somethings finding their feet as life changes. Specifically, lead character Sandra whose husband has left her for another woman.

I wondered to myself whether my parents would like it - as 70-somethings they're presumably in the target audience. Ummm, nope. I reckon they'd find this dull too. Even a great cast (think Timothy Spall, Joanna Lumley and a host of others with very familiar  and talented faces with unfamiliar names) can't save this.

To be fair, the film isn't terrible, it's just a bit dull and not the kind of thing I'd dish out $20+ to see at the cinema.

I reckon this 2.5 star review in Fairfax press is fair, if you want to read more.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

PHANTOM THREAD - film by Stephanie Puls

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What a pretentious, boring snooze-fest. I mean, sure, it's nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars but what would the Academy know?!

You know how sometimes everyone seems to love something and you just don't get it? That's me and Phantom Thread.

This is a drama set in the London fashion world in the 1950s. Daniel Day Lewis (supposedly in his last role ever) plays renowned dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock. He's a very complex person. The kind of person I suspect fashion-types would think is a creative genius but that normal* people like me think is an insufferable wanker.

Reynolds meets an unassuming young woman Alma who becomes his muse/assistant/model and they wind up in a deeply messed up relationship. I mean, what man doesn't dream of a lover who would poison him to the point he's so sick he needs her but doesn't die? Twice!

I really can't summon the interest to say much more about the film but in the interests of fairness, I'll offer this... the buddy I saw it with liked it, saying she'd give it 3.5-4 stars. She loved the soundtrack and cinematography and I have to agree with the latter, representing about the only compliment I can offer. Phantom Thread is visually beautiful. Here's a five star review in The Guardian if you'd like to read more, of a slightly different tone.

Trailer here. In cinemas Thursday 1 February.

*debatable, sure.

I, TONYA - film by Stephanie Puls

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I, Tonya has been promoted heaps here in Australia so it's been hard to miss. But in case you're living under a rock, this is based on the true story of US figure skater Tonya Harding.

I think this film's fantastic & I really enjoyed it. Australian Margot Robbie stars as Tonya and I mean stars! She's up for Best Actress at the Oscars for this role and Allison Janney, who plays Tonya's mum LaVona, is up for Best Supporting Actress. I wouldn't be surprised if the latter takes the win as she is brilliant in this playing a really brutal character who pushed Tonya really hard and made few friends along the way.

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The film does examine Tonya's childhood to help set the scene but most of it is set in the 1990s when Tonya was battling to be the world's best figure skater, including beating her great rival Nancy Kerrigan. If you're about 30+ you may recall 'the incident', when Tonya's ex-husband conspired to injure Kerrigan. The case resulted in international headlines and career-ending consequences for Harding. The film is sympathetic to Harding but also not hugely flattering - I think it strikes a good balance that seems fair.

I thought this film was terrific and would happily recommend it. I feel compelled to tell you that the person I saw it with found the violence a bit much (it is definitely peppered with lots of violence), to the point it would mean she's not inclined to recommend it. Didn't hate it, just wouldn't recommend you rush out for it.

I reckon this 3.5 star review in the Sydney Morning Herald is fair, if you'd like to read more.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

MOLLY'S GAME - film by Stephanie Puls

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I really enjoyed Molly's Game a lot. It's an action-packed drama based on a true story starring Jessica Chastain as Molly Bloom, an ambitious woman who winds up running very high stakes poker games in Los Angeles and later New York.

Molly gets herself into legal trouble which is not entirely surprising giving the amounts of money and types of people involved in the poker. Enter Idris Elba as Molly's lawyer Charlie Jaffey. These two bounce of each other in a fabulous way and their scenes together are great to watch.

There's some flashbacks to Molly's former life as an Olympic skier and we discover her relationship with her father (Kevin Costner) has had a big impact on her. My one criticism of this film is that the complexity of this past combined with the dramas caused by the poker gig are all tied up in a very quick and relatively tidy way which was a bit hard to run with for me.

Regular readers may have noticed I don't talk much about the directors of the films I blog about but in the case of Molly's Game, it's worth noting in setting the scene as many of you would be familiar with his television work.

The director (and author of the screenplay) of Molly's Game is none other than Aaron Sorkin, the brains behind the hit TV series The West Wing and indeed the writer of seasons 1-4. If you've seen that or any of his other work you will know he writes rapid-fire dialogue and Molly's Game is no exception. The Sorkin thing is also evident in the length of the film... two hours and 20 minutes! GAH! But to be fair, it's pacey and I didn't feel that length as much as I typically do with a film that long.

Here's a 4.5 star review from The Guardian and a 3.5 star review in The Daily Review if you want to read more. If I were to give it a rating myself I'd say it's right in the middle of those at 4 for me.

Trailer here. In cinemas 1 February but I gather there's some advance screenings if you're keen.

THE POST - film by Stephanie Puls

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The Post is a political drama based on the true story of journalists from The Washington Post trying to break a massive story about the United States' political-military involvement in the Vietnam War.

Tom Hanks plays the editor Ben Bradlee and Meryl Streep the publisher and heiress Katharine Graham and I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear they both give great performances. Ben's team get access to some critical and compelling evidence but publishing it comes with the very real risk of Katharine losing the paper and much of her fortune, not to mention the fact Ben, Katharine and the journalists involved could wind up in the clink.

No more details... SPOILERS!

I really enjoyed The Post and would happily recommend it. I know some of my readers are, like me, media nerds and I reckon this cohort will especially love it. For a compelling second opinion, check out this four star review in Fairfax publications.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

LADY BIRD - film by Stephanie Puls

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*swoon*

Gosh I loved this film. For quite a while following its US release, Lady Bird was "the best reviewed movie of all time" on Rotten Tomatoes, a film review aggregate website. Meaning no other film ever had received more universally positive reviews... high praise indeed! It also recently won Best Picture (musical or comedy) at the Golden Globes. No pressure!

Lady Bird is a 'coming of age' story about teenager Christine McPherson (Saoirse Ronan - winner of Best Actress (musical or comedy) at the Golden Globes for this performance), who is determined to be known by the nickname Lady Bird as she's becoming an adult and navigating the crap that comes with it.

Amongst other things, the film explores the complex relationship she has with her anxious mother Marion (Laurie Metcalf) and when they're together on screen, the dynamic between them is wonderful and coveys one of those relationships where the love runs deep but there's plenty of hate in there too. Their chemistry is great but even better, I reckon, is the chemistry between Lady Bird and her on and off bestie Julie, played spectacularly by Beanie Feldstein. Truly, their relationship is such a pleasure to watch and you come to realise that as boyfriends come and go (and they do in this), Julie is in it for the long haul 'cause she's just a great chick.

Lady Bird is at school, dreaming of going to a fancy college when she graduates. It seems pretty clear that's a pipe dream and her grades, let alone finances, won't quite get her there. But she dreams through the highs and lows of adolescence nonetheless.

This film is funny, real, sad and poignant. Highly recommend! Here's a four star review in The Washington Post if you want to read more.

Trailer here. In cinemas 15 February 2018.

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI - film by Stephanie Puls

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This American drama with a slightly cumbersome name has just won Best Picture (drama) at the Golden Globes and I heartily endorse this! I haven't seen absolutely everything but I've seen plenty and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, is my favourite of this awards season.

Frances McDormand is a knock-out lead in this film as Mildred, the grieving mother of a young woman who was raped and killed. Frustrated by the lack of action on the case some seven months after her daughter's death, Mildred rents three billboards to send a message to her local community that will have fascinating flow-on effects.

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Mildred has a real brutality and strength about her which seem to be sharpened by her anger. Frances McDormand is perfect in the role and took out Best Actress (drama) at the Golden Globes for her trouble.

Mildred's crusade against authority, including Chief Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) mentioned on the billboards, sets her on a collision course but there's so many unexpected twists and turns along the way that I never got comfortable watching this, I was constantly intrigued about what would happen next. Chief Willoughby is a great example of a character in this film who is full of surprises but so is fellow cop Jason Dixon who is played superbly* by Sam Rockwell who just won Best Supporting Actor (drama) at the Golden Globes.

It's not all serious drama though, there's actually some good chuckles in this film that help break up the otherwise serious nature of the story.

I reckon this four star review in News Ltd press is fair. Read it if you'd like to know more about the film but to be honest, I reckon this is actually one where it's good to go in not knowing much. I knew nothing about it when I saw it and was totally engrossed.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

*You know when an actor is SO good at the role you just reckon that deep down they must actually be like that themselves? I mean, consider Michala Banas in Upper Middle Bogan. She does bogan SO well that I reckon she just must have bogan heritage! Same goes for Sam Rockwell as dumb cop Jason Dixon. It's just hard to imagine him as anything other than completely dopey in real life now!

CALL ME BY YOUR NAME - film by Stephanie Puls

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Call Me By Your Name is a drama/coming of age/love story set in 1983 that has been receiving rave reviews. It's one of those ones where everyone I know and respect who has seen it has loved it, setting me expectations sky high. There's also that Best Picture (drama) Golden Globe nomination to consider!

I did enjoy this - you'd be made of stone if you didn't - but I confess I wasn't as moved by the love story as I expected to be. I think that's likely a reflection of my expectations rather than the film, which is really lovely.

The film is told through the eyes of Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet), a 17 year old American who is spending the summer of 1983 in a 17th Century villa in northern Italy with his French mother and American father who is researching Greco-Roman archaeology.

Elio's father invites an American student working on his own doctorate, Oliver (Armie Hammer), to join the family for the summer to help with his research and a beautiful relationship develops between Oliver and Elio. Both are having relationships with women in town at the time but it's clear theirs is the relationship that holds to the most meaning for them. It's complex, as you can imagine, but it's navigated by the film makers in a sensitive way and Elio and particularly Oliver as the older of the two, tread oh so carefully while acknowledging their feelings.

As the film was nearing conclusion and I was feeling very aware and a little disappointed that I had not been as moved by it as I expected, Oliver's father delivers a monologue that really stepped things up a gear and brought a tear to my eye. It was affecting in a way I didn't expect and had hoped the rest of the film would be.

No spoilers here about how the relationship unfolds but this is one I'd happily recommend so see it and let me know what you reckon!

Here's a five star review from News Ltd and a three star review from Fairfax but for what it's worth, my own view is somewhere in the middle, settling around four stars if we were giving them out.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD - film by Stephanie Puls

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Like many films out at this time of year, All The Money In The World is a Golden Globe nominee which is of course the  sign of a great film. It's up for Best Director (Ridley Scott), Best Actress (Michelle Williams) and Best Supporting Actor (Christopher Plummer) but interestingly didn't get a nomination in the Best Film category.

All The Money In The World is loosely based on a true story set in the 1970s. J. Paul Getty (Plummer) is literally the world's richest man and his grandson Paul is kidnapped with a $17 million ransom being asked. The dodgy Italians who have kidnapped him aren't experts in the game but do enough to put Paul's life genuinely on the line. Paul's mum Gail (Williams), who married into the Getty family but is now divorced from Paul's addict, estranged father, is caught up in the complex negotiations between the kidnappers and J.P. Getty who appears steadfast in his determination to not pay the ransom. (He has 17 grand children and figures they'll all be kidnapped if he starts paying ransoms.)

Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer and the young bloke who plays Paul (Charlie Plummer - no relation to Christopher) are all really terrific in this. Christopher was famously recruited to the role to replace Kevin Spacey, who had already filmed the whole thing when his sex abuse scandal hit the headlines.

So what did I think of the film? Cut to the chase, I hear your hollering!

I didn't love it. For me it's one of those ones where the pieces of the puzzle are there and you feel like you should like it and you just don't. It builds to a tense crescendo as you might expect but I didn't feel tense in a 'how will this story end?' kind of way, rather a 'I just want this film to be over' kind of way. I mean, of course it's not terrible, it just didn't do it for me. They didn't give me enough to like about the characters to care enough about how it ended.

For me personally, I enjoyed the performance of Mark Wahlberg who played an ex-CIA agent working for J.P. Getty to lead the negotiations with Gail. I reckon he's underestimated sometimes because of the beefcake thing but he's really very good. AND YES HE'S A HOT BEEFCAKE I AM ONLY HUMAN OK?!

Perhaps my feelings were impacted by the moronic bogan sitting next to me doing that annoying 'say what everyone's thinking' in full voice. For example, and I am not kidding, "Oh, don't trust that guy!" ... "As if she's gunna do that!" ... "What a dickhead!"... #ironic. Seriously folks, a cinema is not your lounge room. Shut up!

I reckon this 3.5 star review in News Ltd is fair.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

 

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN - film by Stephanie Puls

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The Greatest Showman, starring Hugh Jackman as said showman, is a musical. So if you don't like musicals you won't like this. There's no two ways about it - not everyone is up for people breaking into song for an otherwise run of the mill conversation.

So you're still reading because you do indeed enjoy a musical. Or perhaps you can just tolerate them? That should be enough.

The Greatest Showman is based, I gather very loosely, on the true story of P.T. Barnum's (Jackman) creation of the Barnum & Baily Circus in the late 1800s. I knew absolutely nothing of P.T. Barnum's story so for me, I had nothing to base any assessment of accuracy on - it was just a story. He started a circus of "freaks" so in this case, a bearded lady, an albino, conjoined twins etc.

Barnum's wife Charity is played by Michelle Williams and they have two adorable daughters. The three of them go from very few material possessions to having everything when the circus becomes hugely successful. But of course that alone would be a bit dull, so 'our Hugh' gets a bit distracted by another artist he discovers - a beautiful Swedish singer. No more for fear of spoilers but I guess the point is, this is total cheesy fantasy stuff. If you can roll with the cheesiness, then I reckon you'll enjoy this toe-tapper. But if cheesy camp singin' and dancin' turns you off then this one will stretch the friendship.

Zac Efron plays Barnum's business partner and you know what? I reckon he's really terrific in this. I mean, he can sure sing but he can also dance and has the face of a damn angel. Same with Hugh but I've always been a fan so it wouldn't take much to convince me on that front.

It's directed by an Aussie making his debut - Michael Gracey. He features in this video about the audition of the bearded lady role which gave me a bit of a tingle. Look out for the piano player, whose enthusiasm is quite mesmerizing.

This film is getting mixed reviews. It's nominated for Best Picture (musical/comedy) at the Golden Globes so plenty of people are digging it but then there's this scathing rant from The Daily Review. To be fair, lots of the reviews are in the 3-4 star range (eg 3 from Leigh Paatsch in the Herald Sun) and I reckon that's fair but a little low for a GG nominee. I mean, it won't win, but still it's nominated.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

DARKEST HOUR - film by Stephanie Puls

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Darkest Hour is a drama based on real events in the early days of World War II, when new British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was in the unenviable position of having to choose whether to negotiate with Hitler, with the threat of invasion imminent.

Now, if you paid attention in history class at school, I'm sure you're across all the finer details of this time but since I was too busy in history class laughing at how my teacher Mrs Kenny pronounced 'millions', I must confess some of the finer details presented in this film were, shall we say, a tad fresh to me*. 

Gary Oldman undergoes an incredible transformation to play Churchill and gives an almighty performance, which has already been touted as award-winning as we approach the Golden Globes and Oscars.

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Darkest Hour is getting great reviews (eg four stars from The Guardian) and whilst I can see why, I confess I watched this film thinking, I know I *should* like this but I'm actually a bit bored. There. I said it.

That said, I must give a special shout out to Aussie actor Ben Mendelsohn who plays the King in this. I'm such a fan of Mendo and he's terrific in this.

So here's the thing. If you like a rousing drama and/or a bit of history then sure, I suspect you'll probably love this. But if you're a bit of a bogan like me, I reckon you might be a little bored too.

Trailer here. In cinemas 11 January 2018.

*Pay attention in school, kids.

 

PITCH PERFECT 3 by Stephanie Puls

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I'd be surprised if anyone who took the time to read this didn't already know what the Pitch Perfect franchise is all about but just in case, we're talking fun musical comedy starring a bevy of babes including Australia's own Rebel Wilson.

In a way the story doesn't really matter. I mean, this isn't going stimulate you intellectually but like PP 1 and 2, it's just mindless good fun. I don't think it's quite as good as the original or even the second one but I think fans will be happy enough with what's dished up here.

My friend who came along to the preview with me is a big fan of the PP franchise and she said "Perfectly predictable. Entertaining, light-hearted but will hit the right note for an easy viewing summer flick." She did note though, that there weren't as many musical mash-ups as in the previous two which she was a bit disappointed by.

The one thing I will say about the storyline is that Amy's (Rebel Wilson) Australian dad is in this film, played by American John Lithgow. Now, I'm as much of a fan of Lithgow as the next guy but his Australian accent in this film is so appalling that it's laughable. It actually left me wondering if that was meant to be a gag. I feel like it's so bad that that's the only possible explanation. But whatever the concept behind it, it's deeply cringeworthy to watch.

Speaking of Australian accents, Ruby Rose pops up in this one as the singer in a band who are the enemy of The Bellas. It's not a particularly noteworthy role but I thought it's worth mentioning since she's been front and centre in some of the promotion.

It's rated M but if you're, shall we say, flexible with these things, I reckon kids as young as 10 would be ok with this one. Indeed, I happen to know a 10 year old who was at the same preview as me and she loved it. And it only goes for 93 minutes which is the perfect length for this kind of light film.

If you do want to know more about the story, read this proper review (four stars!) in The Guardian.

Opens in cinemas 1 January 2018. Trailer here.

 

DOWNSIZING - film by Stephanie Puls

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The upcoming holiday season is when movie distributors release their biggest and best and Downsizing is part of that cohort.

The film stars Matt Damon and Kristin Wiig* as Paul and Audrey Safranek, a couple who decide to abandon their financially stressed lives for a truly unique experience when scientists discover how to shrink humans to manage population growth.

The idea is that regular people can choose to be shrunk down and live in a new miniature world, where their money is worth much more meaning they can live far more comfortably. But of course it's not all beer and skittles - as in all societies, some people inevitably get left behind as things change. This film is easily spoil-able so I won't say much more about the plot.

Downsizing is long at 135 minutes and in the last third or so I did really feel that. I reckon it labours a few points that could have been a bit sharper but that's my only criticism. Otherwise I think this is an excellent film that makes you think a little but in an interesting, rather than off-putting way.

Four stars from The Telegraph UK and I reckon that's bang on.

Trailer here. (Well worth a watch in this case to help understand this unusual story concept!) In cinemas Boxing Day.

*SPOILER ALERT - if you're a Wiig fan you maaaaay not get what you're looking for in this film!

 

WONDER WHEEL - film by Stephanie Puls

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Wonder Wheel is directed by Woody Allen and is pretty tedious.

Set in the 1950s in New York, it centres around a family living above an amusement park in New York. Kate Winslet plays the lead, bored and anxious Ginny, with Jim Belushi as her gruff husband Humpty. Local lifeguard Mickey, played by Justin Timberlake, enters Ginny's life and they start an affair. Her firebug son is a mildly interesting distraction in the story. Then Humpty's daughter, who is being chased by mobsters, arrives in town and gets the hots for Mickey... blah blah blah.

If you love Woody Allen's style and can get past the fact he's an alleged child abuser, then perhaps you'll like this but I just found it very tough going.

The lead character Ginny is so deeply anxious that it's actually unpleasant to watch. I couldn't find a clip of it online but if you happen to recall the The Late Show sketch in which radio & TV host/writer/comedian Tony Martin impersonates Woody Allen himself, you can imagine Ginny in this film. It's so painful that it's like a comedy parody. It's kind of that, meets Mrs Bennett from the BBC production of Pride & Prejudice in a weird way.

So my advice to you is to give this one a miss unless you happen to be in that very small group of people who are so committed to Woody Allen's 'art' that you'll love anything he does.

Rolling Stone has given it three stars which I think is very generous. Put me down for Team New York Times, which declared it one of Woody's "more unfortunate contributions to cinema".

Wonder Wheel opens in cinemas on Thursday 7 December. Trailer here.

WONDER - film by Stephanie Puls

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Wonder is based on a best-selling book of the same name for young adults, which a quick Google tells me means people aged about 12-18.

In light of this and despite my desperate desire to still be considered young, I assumed that since I'm not even close to 12-18 I wasn't the exact target market for this film but in the session I was at at least, it was mainly adult adults (ie old adults... gaaaarrrrrr!).

Wonder centres around the life of a 10 year old boy Auggie Pullman who is living with significant facial deformities caused by Treacher Collins syndrome. To cut to the chase on how the story unfolds, he starts school for the first time and, well, let's just say kids can be real little jerks.

His parents are played by Owen Wilson and Julia Roberts and they're both terrific, bringing irreverent light and protective shade to their respective roles. But I save the biggest acclaim for the actor who plays Auggie, Jacob Tremblay. Some of you might recall me raving about him (you remember everything I say about everyone, right?) about a year ago when he was in Room with Brie Larson and he's just as good in this. He wears make-up and prosthetics to portray the facial deformities which I imagine adds a degree of difficulty and he still delivers an excellent performance.

Whilst I'm perhaps not the primary target of this film (aforementioned 12-18 year olds and parents, I guess), I'd certainly be the secondary audience and by golly, they got me. I happened to have eight tissues in my bag and by the end of this film they were all scrunched up balls of gross-ness and all my eye makeup had gone AWOL. I mean, sure, this film is one of the most predictable I've ever seen but it kept me interested and certainly I was engaged with the lives of the characters, as evidenced by the river of tears.

Thankfully there's some kids who emerge from the crowd at Auggie's school to show some kindness (cue more tears) and renew faith in humanity. The neat bow it's all tied up in at the end is both predictable and not believable, but eight wet tissues speak for themselves, I think.

I'll finish by stepping up on my soap box to say that if you have kids, this film will show them in a way they can understand just how important it is to just be kind and to my mind that's much more important than whether they've learned how to say "Where is the toilet?" in Japanese. (Can you tell I don't know what happens in schools these days?!)

Here's a 3.5 star review from news.com.au which I reckon is fair, if you want to read more.

Trailer here. In cinemas Thursday 30 November.

THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS - film by Stephanie Puls

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The Man Who Invented Christmas is a look at the life of famous author Charles Dickens as he attempted to write what has become a classic novel, 'A Christmas Carol'.

Now, as is occasionally necessary on this blog, I need to start with a confession. I've not read A Christmas Carol. In fact, I've not read any Dickens. (Shout out to my girl Leigh Sales who also hasn't and any Chat 10 Looks 3 podcast listeners reading this who appreciate the significance.) I've never even seen any of the film adaptations. Shame on me, right? Whatever you guys, these are the facts.

So from my no-Dickens perspective, I offer this observation re the film about the great man... it's quite charming and I really enjoyed it.

Dickens is struck with writer's block after some early writing successes followed by more recent duds. (You know to not bother asking me about them, right?) His wife, children and staff, including a housekeeper played by the fabulous Miriam Margolyes, are suffering under the strain of his increasingly desperate need to come up with a hit and frankly, some cashola. His mother and father come to visit and the complex relationship and history he has with his father adds even further strain. A number of flashbacks to Charles' childhood help us understand this.

To cut to the chase, he comes up with his hit idea and the characters in the book become characters in the film, visiting Charles as they come to life on the pages of the novel, helping shape the story. Chief among them is Ebenezer Scrooge, an anti-Christmas & generally grouchy bloke, for fellow non-Dickens readers/watchers... I know you're out there! Scrooge is played by an old fav of mine, Christopher Plummer, perhaps best known for his turn as Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music. He was hubba-hubba-hot back in those days but a tad less so now*.

At 105 minutes the film isn't crazily long but I reckon it would have benefited from a little shaving down to 95 or so. Nonetheless,  this is a lovely film I would happily recommend, regardless of where you stand on Charles Dickens.

Trailer here. In cinemas 30 November.

*not in any way hot now.

 

BAD MOMS 2 - film by Stephanie Puls

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I could almost copy and paste my blog about the original Bad Moms film here and it would be accurate for Bad Moms 2 too. The second time 'round, the film makers still know exactly who their audience is and have catered this film directly to them.

In this film we still have three mums of school-aged kids played by Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn who once again brings the LOLZ. Their mothers all come to town for Christmas and as we all know, forced family time at Christmas can be tricky*.

Spoiler alert - after said tricky-ness (they declare war on Christmas being such bloody hard work for mums), the women all come to a happy place with their mums resulting in a happy Christmas. (C'mon, that's not really a spoiler... you could have guessed!)

This film is not made for me (no kids) but nonetheless, I did enjoy some laughs especially at some of the slapstick humour. Based on the reaction of people around me (lots of groups of women who definitely have kids), this film gives them exactly what they want - laughs at the familiar challenges of motherhood, making them feel better about their own chaos waiting at home!

So if you're a mum with pretty mainstream taste, heck yes this one's for you. If you don't have kids and/or if your taste skews more toward arthouse films, then you should definitely give this one a miss.

Just as he gave the original Bad Moms a 2.5 star review, Leigh Paatsch has given this one 2.5 stars and just like I did with the first one, I reckon that assessment is fair.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

* a f**king nightmare.

 

DADDY'S HOME 2 - film by Stephanie Puls

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A sequel to the forgettable Daddy's Home, Daddy's Home 2 (PG)  has been more thought-provoking that I could have predicted. (Seeking your forgiveness now for this being much longer than my usual cut-to-the-chase style.)

I won't labour telling you about the plot but the quick version is that it's about a blended family featuring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg as dads trying to negotiate the tricky situations many family face co-parenting. Ferrell is the loving, innocent, nerdy dad and by amusing contrast Wahlberg is the tough, masculine one. In this film, their dads (John Lithgow as Ferrell's nerdy dad and Mel Gibson as Wahlberg's tough dad) come to town for Christmas and hilarity ensues.

So in truth, I laughed quite a bit (there's a fair bit of slap stick humour and that's right up my alley) when I watched Daddy's Home 2 with three of my nieces aged 10, 13 and nearly 15.  They certainly laughed quite a bit. Here's their verdict:

So as you can hear, it's all positive from them.

But this film sits uncomfortably with me and it's mainly due to Mel Gibson; both the man and the character he plays in this film. Regarding the man, we're talking about someone proven to be sexist, racist, abusive and anti-Semitic. Need I remind you that a recording revealed he said to his then wife, "... if you get raped by a pack of niggers, it'll be your fault, all right? Because you provoked it."? Read this article "Here's how family-friendly Mel Gibson is" if you want to explore that more.

So now to the character he plays. As the tough, chauvinistic lousy dad and now granddad character, Mel Gibson does seem remarkably well cast. The crappy things he does in this film (take a young child out to buy a gun, treat women like objects and generally be a sexist pig... yuck and topical given the USA's gun crisis and the abuse scandal sweeping showbiz) aren't painted with enough negativity for me. I mean, sure he's the 'bad guy' in the film but only relative to the super nerds and the picture is absolutely one of a loveable bad guy. We're clearly supposed to forgive him for being sexist etc because by the end of the film he has gone some way to acknowledging he wasn't a great dad. I'm sorry, but NO.

So as you can see, I'm having all the feels about this film. It's mindless and at times pretty funny but if I knew the story before I went, would I have taken three young girls to see it? Probably not. Is the PG rating fair? Probably. Is it in line with my personal sensibilities? Not really. Am I being a wowser? I don't reckon.

The film opened in the US last weekend and had a good financial result but the critics have savaged it. More info here.

I'm always interested to hear what readers of this blog think about films but especially with this one. If you do see it, pop by our Facebook page and let's know what you think.

In cinemas 23 November. Trailer here.