BROTHERS' NEST - film

Before I get to Brothers' Nest I want to start by saying that when people get all Debbie downer about Australian films, I say, but what about Muriel's Wedding?! Lion?! Animal Kingdom?! Lantana?! Crackerjack?! Strictly Ballroom?! Look, I'll stop now but you get the idea - Australia makes some really wonderful films and I make an effort to say so.

Sadly I don't think Brothers' Nest will be recalled in the same breath as any of those classics.

Brothers Jeff and Terry, played by real-life brothers Shane Jacobson and Clayton Jacobson, visit their old family home in country Victoria with a plot to make sure the estate of their dying mother (Lynette Curran) doesn't go to the step-father (Kim Gyngell) they hate. The complexities of their relationship play out as the plot unfolds.

For me, the film has an identity crisis. Promotional material describes it as a "tragic comedy" but it's not funny enough to be a comedy and not dramatic enough to be a drama. You can never be sure of their motivation but for what it's worth, four people from a crowd of about 25-30 in the screening I was at left before the film had finished.

I always walk into an Australian film desperate to love it so I can annoyingly sing it from the rooftops to the aforementioned Debbie downers so I'm really disappointed this one didn't get there for me. I know lots of Aussies love Shane Jacobson after his performance in the Australian film 'Kenny' but as Shane and Clayton have said themselves in promoting the film, if you come to this one looking for something like Kenny you will be disappointed. (You will see some blatant expectation-management around this if you watch the trailer.)

As some of the mainstream Australian media organisations share their reviews I will update this blog to include them. As regular readers will know, I'm always happy to share the counter-view in the interests of fairness, especially if lots of people disagree with me.

Brothers' Nest opens in cinemas on 21 June and is rated MA 15+. Trailer here. (If you watch this and wonder why I haven't mentioned Sarah Snook's role it's because it's so small, which you might not guess based on the trailer.)

PS. [added 22 June 2018] Other reviews as follows:

The Guardian 4 stars / Fairfax 3.5 stars / Herald Sun is behind a paywall so I'll just share the hint from the preview "BROTHERS’ NEST marks a big step down in quality, execution and direct audience appeal for the team that gave us the classic Australian crowd-pleaser Kenny."

PPS. I know the spelling is different but these two will always be my favourite on-screen Jeff and Terry!

Breath - film

Based on a Tim Winton novel, Breath is a lovely, gentle film set in Australia in the 1970s.

Filmed on the south coast of Western Australia, Breath captures the stunning beauty of Australia's bush and beaches, which feature heavily thanks to a storyline dominated by surfing.

The film tells the coming-of-age story of Pikelet (Samson Coulter) and Loonie (Ben Spence), young teenagers who learn to surf together, eventually under the tutelage of Sando (Simon Baker) who comes to be a father/older brother figure to them. All three give fantastic performances.

As in any decent coming-of-age tale, all is not always as it seems and the relationships between the three of them, Pikelet's parents (Rachael Blake and Richard Roxburgh) and Sando's partner (Elizabeth Debicki) all prove rich, complex and often subtle.

I happen to have just finished reading Tim Winton's newest novel and between that and this film I am reminded that he doesn't typically go in for a big crescendo. If you're waiting for one big knock-out punch, it won't come. Fine by me; like I said, this is a gentle film.

I hadn't read the book, read any reviews, or seen any interviews with Baker when I saw this film and it was a great way to go into it - everything was new and intriguing.

Here's a four star review in the Sydney Morning Herald if you do want to know more.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

LIFE OF THE PARTY - film

This comedy starring Melissa McCarthy is so bad it doesn't warrant any further effort in commenting on it. I saw it with a friend and she hated it too.

I find it hard to imagine, but in case this critique is unsatisfactory for you, read this one star review in The Guardian by a proper critic.

I FEEL PRETTY - film

I Feel Pretty is an American comedy starring Amy Schumer, who has a large and loyal following I count myself among, for not only her comedy but her brash, feminist, devil-may-care attitude to the world.

As a fan, I desperately wanted this film to be great. So is it?

*SIGH*

Sadly, it is not.

Schumer plays Renee Bennett, a young woman with dreams of what she perceives as the success and happiness that comes with being "undeniably pretty". And for some, there's the rub. Is Amy Schumer not pretty as she is? What even is 'pretty'? Who decides what and who is pretty? You get the idea. For a comedy, this film actually opens Pandora's Box to some pretty complex stuff that it simply can't manage in a 110 minute film with rom-com brains behind it.

Unfairly short version of the plot... Renee feels bad about herself and lacks confidence. Renee hollers to the universe that she wants to be "undeniably pretty". Renee falls over, hits her head and suddenly believes she looks pretty. Renee lives life with confidence in the extreme and reaps the rewards - new job at a fancy cosmetics company and new boyfriend chief among them. Renee realises pretty people have problems too. Renee takes it too far and loses valued relationships. Renee falls over again, hits her head and goes back to seeing her real self. Renee learns that she has to love herself as she is. Of course a silly plot is forgivable if it's entertaining and/or funny. Alas...

I could probably forgive the unsuccessful attempt to turn this film into a "love your body" call-to-action if this film were really funny but it just isn't. I laughed a few times but nowhere as much as you would hope for from a film starring someone with the comedic reputation of Amy Schumer. I saw it in a cinema with about 40 people and there was a smattering of laughs but overall it just seemed to fall flat in the room time and time again.

The supporting cast bring some joy. Michelle Williams plays the boss of the cosmetics company in a strange, high pitched voice kinda way that's pretty amusing. Renee's besties are played by Busy Philipps and Saturday Night Live comic Aidy Bryant, whose talents are really wasted in this.

To be fair, I Feel Pretty is not terrible but if that's the best you can say of a film, it's not exactly a ringing endorsement. Maybe when it pops up on telly...? But for me, not worth $20+ at the cinema, sadly.

Fairfax critic Jake Wilson gave it three stars which I reckon is a bit too generous. The Guardian gave it two stars which is probably what I'd give it if I did that sort of thing. And last but not least, News Ltd critic Leigh Paatsch's review is currently behind a paywall but the preview says "I Feel Pretty is the third film to star Amy Schumer in her short career so far. She may not have too many left in her if she keeps pushin' duds like this"... OH DEAR.

I Feel Pretty is rated M and in cinemas now. Trailer here.

Damien Power "Violent Chaos Anyone?" - MICF

Damien is an Australian comedian from Brisbane and his show last year was my pick of the festival. Even though we're only one week into this year's festival, it looks like he could take that crown again. (There's no crown guys, I'm a blogger for crying out loud.)

"Violent Chaos Anyone?" is so, so funny. The humour is so searing it will make you think but not in that awful pretentious way, just in a bloody hilarious way. There's certainly a few uncomfortable not-sure-if-we-should-be-laughing-at-this moments but he's just so clever in how he manages the tension and releases in the room, calling out hypocrisies that we conveniently forget we even have.

Damien has a beautiful way with words even when the words are sweary and ranty. The image he conjures of his uncle from regional Queensland has stayed with me! He's a good actor and improvisor too, which also helps with the image conjuring. His delivery is confident bordering on arrogant but never slides too far into the latter.

This is a top notch show that I'd highly recommend. If you can only get one show in for the festival, this could be the one! Details here https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/damien-power-violent-chaos-anyone

Dave Thornton "So What Now?" - MICF

Dave Thornton has been part of the Australian comedy scene for a really long time and that's obvious when you watch him on stage. He's got a warm, natural style that brings the crowd along with him.

The comedy in "So What Now?" is enjoyable but it won't blow your socks off. Material about gentrified Brunswick and baby boomers being mystified by smart phones and Uber was enjoyed by the crowd, which unfortunately only filled about half the room.

Dave's comfort on stage was also evident when he interacted with the crowd. There was some fun had in these interactions but for me, it was too great a proportion of the overall show. Some of it went really well, some of it less so.

The Herald Sun have reviewed this show and given it three stars which I reckon is just right. You can get the details of the show here https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/dave-thornton-so-what-now

Danielle Walker "Bush Rat" - MICF

OK so we have our festival surprise package, folks. Danielle Walker's show Bush Rat is absolute bonkers hilarity. I laughed so hard and so much! I took my 22 year old nephew along (I am WAY younger than that implies) and he laughed so much I feared he might stop breathing.

In her first hour-long stand-up comedy show, this young gun from Townsville draws beautifully on what she knows - growing up in rural Australia surrounded by wacky characters, mainly members of her eccentric family.

Her lack of experience is revealed only in the way she jumps a bit awkwardly between topics but truly she's so charming you just go with it.

Danielle is performing in a pretty small room (a feeble air conditioner by the entrance set to 18 degrees did nothing to bring down the steamy temperature of it, sadly) but I daresay that won't last and you can expect her to be filling bigger and bigger ones as the years go by.

Get along to this show so that in 10 years time when she's filling the Comedy Theatre like Celia Pacquola does, you can say you got behind her back when she was performing in a broom cupboard.

Details for Danielle's show are here https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/danielle-walker-bush-rat

Cal Wilson "Hindsight" - MICF

As I was watching this show and occasionally turning my mind to how I would describe it on this blog, the word pleasant kept coming to mind. It's not a word I've ever used to describe comedy, I don't think, but it seems just right for this show.

In "Hindsight", Cal reflects a lot on parenting an eight year old, living with anxiety and the #metoo movement with the skill of someone who has spent many hours on stage. She mixes a kind of girl-next-door charm with very brief moments of sweary aggression that reminds us she's more than just pleasant.

After chuckling and grinning more than laughing out loud for the first half or so of the show, it built up to some much bigger laugh-out-loud moments in the second half or so.

I don't think this show will blow anyone's socks off but I reckon it's pitched perfectly at people with mainstream taste, especially those who are parents of young kids.

Get the details of Cal's show here https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/cal-wilson-hindsight

ADDED 5-4-18 (later): The Herald Sun has given Cal's show 3.5 stars. You can read their review here.

Rhys Nicholson "Seminal" - MICF

Hooooo boy, this is a killer show! I've seen and loved Rhys' comedy festival shows in the past and he's never disappointed but I think this is probably his best yet.

Maybe it's that the subject matter is a bit more universal than in past years, when he's strayed into some pretty crass territory that isn't for everyone. That's not to say he plays it safe in this show. There was one gag especially which I won't spoil but it definitely produced that 'eeek we don't know if we should laugh at that' reaction from the crowd. If you're highly sensitive this might not be the show for you but otherwise, I'd definitely recommend it!

Rhys' razor-sharp wit made light work of anti-vaccers and his material about getting older and your interests changing (eg how great are cancelled plans?!) was definitely relatable. When he got a bit serious and told a true story about being threatened on a train it felt like the oxygen was momentarily zapped from the room but it was in a good way that showed he had the whole room in the palm of his hand. The laughs quickly returned following the pause for thought.

There was a few stumbles along the way when the words didn't come out quite right but I suspect that will be ironed out as the festival continues and he delivers the material night after night. They were nothing major but enough for him to call it out and it make me think, if this is you when you're not nailing it, I can only imagine how cracking this show will be when you do. (Though given how funny the improvised recoveries were, I'd almost prefer he stuck with the less polished version!)

I've recommended Rhys is previous years and happily do so again this year. Practical tip if you do plan to go - dress for an arctic cold room. Get the details on Seminal here https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/seminal

Dilruk Jayasinha "Bundle of Joy" - MICF

I'm a big fan of Dilruk, primarily due to his appearances on a comedy podcast I love, "The Little Dum Dum Club". He's had commercial success of late, regularly popping up on TV shows like "Have You Been Paying Attention" and "Cram".

I liked this show but confess I didn't love it as much as I hoped to. To my mind this show was a bit up and down. There was funny material the crowd really seemed to love about stuff like expensive candles and bladder infections (or not, as the case may be) but the candle gear was the first time the crowd really laughed hard and that wasn't until about 20-25 minutes into the one hour show. There was lots of other material that was good but didn't seem to soar as you might hope, generating more a chuckle from the crowd than a big collective cackle. The art of balancing introspection with gags is really hard to master and whilst this show takes a good shot at it at various points along the way, overall it doesn't quite nail it for me.

I've seen Dilruk at MICF in previous years and there's no doubt his delivery gets slicker and slicker as the years go by and his time spent on stage increases.

In the interests of fairness I'll keep an eye out for professional reviews of his show and post them here, especially if they have a markedly different view to me. As yet, I can't see any on the Herald Sun, Age or Chortle, a UK comedy site who send their main reviewer to Melbourne for this festival. 

ADDED 5-4-18: The Herald Sun has given Dilruk's show four stars. You can read their review here.

You can get the details of Dilruk's show here https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/dilruk-jayasinha-bundle-of-joy If you are going, wear warm clothing because the room is crazy cold!

Helen Bidou (Anne Edmonds) "Enter the Spinnaker Lounge" - MICF

You know who Helen Bidou is, right? She's the beauty expert on the ABC TV show Get Krack!n which is a spoof of breakfast TV shows, of course!

Anne Edmonds is the real Helen and if you don't know her from Get Krack!n you might recognise her face from her own stand-up comedy as well as recent appearances on TV shows like Have You Been Paying Attention. Anne is hilarious so I was bang up for a whole show of bonkers Helen Bidou.

AND BONKERS IT WAS!

It's a show that's difficult to describe but essentially Helen is trying her hand at stand-up comedy for the first time and she's taking a cabaret-style approach by including a bunch of original songs in the show. Helen's side-kick for the show is her son Connor who helps give the show enough tangents and distractions that the intensity of Helen never gets too much. Though a warning - festival management have recently put an 18+ restriction on her show because, well, you'll see!

I'm not sure if this is the case in every show but in the one I was at, fellow comedian Greg Larsen was a guest. It's no reflection on him but I confess that when Helen said, at what must have been the 45-50 minute-mark of the show, "let's bring on a guest!" I wondered if it might be better to start wrapping up. Not because it wasn't going well but just because I desperately didn't want the craziness of what was going on to jump the shark. (A saying which has probably jumped the shark. Sorry.)

I needn't have worried - the show definitely didn't go down hill and I did enjoy every crazy minute. And crazy, it was. I can't emphasize that enough. If you want a tidy, rehearsed, pleasant show, Helen Bidou is not for you. But if you want madness and crazy laugh upon laugh where you start to lose a sense of what you're even laughing at, go for your life! Helen will bring you loads of joy.

And just if you need any more affirmation for how funny this is, I saw the likes of Wil Anderson, Tom Ballard and Nath Valvo the night I was there - people who I trust to know where to find the quality laughs!

I think Helen's shows are selling fast as she has a cult following so I wouldn't drag your feet with getting tickets to this one. Details here https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/anne-edmonds-helen-bidou

Tim Key "Megadate" - MICF

Tim Key is an English comedian (also actor & writer) who has done the Melbourne International Comedy Festival before but this is the first time I'd seen him.

He won best show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2009 (as he reminds us many times with comic effect in Megadate) and whilst that was a while ago, it gives you a sense that we're dealing with a fairly heavy hitter. He lives up to that in this wacky show that tells a story of an epic first date in London, where he and his date visit famous landmarks such as Madame Tussauds. There's videos dotted throughout the show that are really slick and make a great contrast to what he's doing on stage. It's cleverly and amusingly done.

Tim's delivery involves lots of yelling which, for me, added to the laughs, but I wonder if it would be off-putting for some people. It took some getting used to! The whole show is quite the ride, with moments of mania and moments of introspection. It reminded me a bit of some Sam Simmons shows in that regard, so if you know and love Sam's work, this show might be right up your alley.

Megadate also involves some costume changes and Tim popping up in places around the room other than the stage. Certainly no big deal but I guess what I'm saying is, if your taste is someone standing at a microphone just shooting the breeze, you might find Tim Key a bit too strange for your taste.

Some of Tim's material didn't land because of UK references that Aussies don't get. For example, a gag where the punchline required the audience to know British journalist John Craven got crickets. His response? "Yeah, that one doesn't work here." I suspect it'll be cut from the show.

That said, I really liked Megadate even with it's craziness, probably actually because of it. He's performing in a fairly large room and on the night I was there it was only a third or so full which is a shame. I think his is the kind of comedy that would benefit from a big full room of people egging each other on.

So if you're into trying something a bit different, get yourself some tickets to Tim Key! The Herald Sun have reviewed him giving four stars. Details on the show here https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/tim-key

Geraldine Hickey "Plucky" - MICF

My dad once said of a relative of ours, "if he were any more laid back he'd be dead" - a description that reminds me a bit of Geraldine Hickey, whose show Plucky was bloody good fun.

Geraldine's laconic style is a real pleasure to watch and her wit is sharp. This show is full of wry and hilarious observations about fears that many of us have in life making the show full of really relatable stuff.

Her material about the range of ways people feel about being naked had the crowd killing themselves laughing in that 'eek that's me' kind of way. Same goes for her observations about group holidays and the need for a leader to make the plans, which had the blogger cackling but squirming with 'eek that's DEFINITELY me' discomfort. It was in sharing stories about her father's diagnosis with dementia though, that Geraldine showed just how deft she is at balancing the serious with the funny.

Unfortunately the rooms at the Imperial Hotel where she is performing have paper thin walls which means sound bleeds in from surrounding rooms where concurrent performances are taking place. Geraldine has been around the block enough times to know she needed to call it out and did. On a practical note, if you plan to see her, wear warm clothes because the room is arctic cold!

I loved Geraldine's show - get along and see it to support a really witty woman who has nailed it with this show. Details here https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/geraldine-hickey-plucky

ADDED 5-4-18: The Herald Sun has given Geraldine's show 4 stars. You can read their review here.

Murphy McLachlan "McLachlan O'Clocklan" - MICF

Murphy McLachlan is an up & coming Melbourne-based comedian who delivered a pretty good show to a pretty empty room.

I don't envy up & comers. I mean, stand-up comedy would be incredibly hard at the best of times, let alone in a room with only a dozen or so people in the audience. It's like when you see a comedy film and you laugh more when you're in a cinema packed with lots of other people laughing than you would at home by yourself. Murphy didn't get the benefit of a big group boosting each other's reactions, which were generally positive in his show.

He had 10-15 minutes (a large proportion of a 40 minute show) of material on Looney Tunes which was a risk that didn't really pay off. I chuckled at a few things based on vague childhood memories but I just didn't know the source material well enough to get on board. There was a mixed reaction amongst the small crowd which did seem to contain a few LT fans but not enough for it to ever really take off.

Murphy's delivery was confident and polished and he does have some genuinely funny gags in his show drawing on topics such as his daggy dad, free chocolate at work (he has a 9-5 job) and Australianisms. It's early in the festival so he might take the opportunity to sharpen it across the next three weeks or so. That and bigger crowds who egg each other on to laugh more heartily will help boost his shows, I think.

On a practical note, he has the misfortune of performing in a room which seems to have paper thin walls which bleed terribly. Hearing people roar laughing from adjoining rooms wasn't a great backdrop for his performance. Investing in an easel to hold up some illustrations dotted throughout the show would be wise, too.

I reckon Murphy has good foundations to build something really great, even if that's not quite what we get from this show. If you're up for a cheap and cheerful chancer, give Murphy a go!

Details here https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/mclachlan-oclocklan

Joel Creasey "Blonde Bombshell" - MICF

If you have even a passing knowledge of Joel Creasey, I reckon this show will live up to your expectations. He's cutting, unkind a times and very, very funny.

He draws material from his career in showbiz, giving insights into life behind the scenes of the Mardi Gras (he co-hosted SBS's coverage) where he met Cher - his impersonation of her is hilarious. I have no idea if it's accurate, but it's hilarious! There's also some great material based on his trip to Kiev to co-host the Australian coverage of Eurovision with Myf Warhurst which draws plenty of laughs.

Former stars of Australian Idol don't escape his attention and they provide plenty of fodder, that's for sure. There's the low-hanging fruit presented by Paulini but there's others who have gotten up to stuff I had no idea about and it's pure gold in Joel's capable hands. From a little further up the showbiz chain, Nicole Kidman also gets a quick swipe that made me laugh way louder than anyone else in the crowd, embarrassingly!

Joel weaves funny interactions he has with haters on social media throughout the show to great effect. He knows he's delivered some brutal zingers so why not recycle them here for a fresh, live audience? Clever.

So if you like your comedy with loud (literally - they have the mic on the 'deafen' setting, I think), cutting pizzazz, Joel's your guy.

Get the details on his shows during the Melbourne International Comedy Festival here. It runs 28 March - 22 April.

Wil Anderson "Wilegal" - MICF

This is a guy who is at the top of his game. Wilegal is hilarious!

Wil Anderson's show this year fills in the gaps between the bits and pieces we heard through the media about him getting arrested following an 'incident' on a plane to Wagga Wagga. I knew that was the bones of the show but I confess I wondered how it would fill a whole hour. (More, as it turns out - good value show!)

The answer is that Wil masterfully weaves the details of the incidents through other stories and tangents about pets, family and KFC to name a few. His material about injuries and getting older was sadly right in my hitting zone! Honestly, this show is a charming masterclass in storytelling that just delivers laugh after laugh after laugh.

The only downside for me was absolutely nothing to do with Wil - some pretty poor crowd behaviour. Seriously, if you're at a show just be quiet and don't use your phone, it's not that hard!

There's a reason Wil fills big theatres doing stand-up, is on our TVs and radios and has a huge following for his four (!) podcasts (my fav here) and Wilegal showcases it beautifully. Go and see this show if you just want to sit back and let someone in complete control take you on a hilarious ride!

His shows typically sell out I think so get onto this one quickly. The Festival runs 28 March - 22 April. Details here.

MICF 2018 begins!

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival has officially started for 2018. What a brilliant time to be in this cracking city!

I've had a few people ask me for recommendations of which acts to book tickets for and since I haven't seen a single show yet, I'm afraid I can't give you any intel on 2018 shows.

However what I can do at this juncture is tell you about some comics who I rate based on past shows, podcast appearances and the like and try to give a shout out to some great women especially. These are all Aussies as I don't have much intel on international acts. So here goes!...

• Anne Edmonds
• Celia Paquola
• Mel Buttle
• Alice Fraser
• Rhys Nicholson
• Becky Lucas
• Nath Valvo
• Damien Power
• Geraldine Hickey

The Herald Sun has already posted this preview/mini review of a gala special so it's also worth a read if you're looking for recommendations - http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/comedy-festival/lano-woodley-david-odoherty-and-fiona-oloughlin-open-micf-with-comedy-allstars-supershow/news-story/c10b509083e1ea6506a5463ea7fcb051

Before I do start blogging about 2018 shows I see, I also want to take this opportunity to remind readers about the principles I use when blogging. Firstly, I'm not a critic. Critiquing the arts is in itself an artform and I don't profess to be an professional. This blog gives you my opinion on the shows (and movies) I see but I also canvass other opinions if they're available in the public domain, especially if I think mine isn't the commonly held view. If I don't like a show but everyone else seems to be laughing, or critics are saying it's great, I'll tell you that and vice versa if it's a show I do like but others don't seem to agree. I try to be fair and I think that's the fair thing to do.

We're so lucky to have this festival in Melbourne - just get out and see something! Details on shows, bookings etc here https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018

LOVE, SIMON - film

Love, Simon is based on a young adult novel but if you're a not-so-young* adult, do not let that put you off. This film is so great!

17 year old Simon is grappling with the fact he's gay. He doesn't know who to tell or how to tell them but in an online school forum he and another male student who hasn't told anyone he is gay either chat anonymously about their shared experiences. It's way more charming than I have made that sound! I won't spoil the plot and frankly you don't need to know any more anyway.

Simon's family are pretty lovely and well-adjusted. Mum (Jennifer Garner) is a sympathetic psychologist and Dad (Josh Duhamel... HOT as hell*) is a bit rough around the edges but generally a kind father. They both give great performances and so does Tony Hale, the slightly unhinged deputy principal of Simon's school. He brings the LOLZ which won't surprise you if you're familiar with his other work such as Veep and Arrested Development.

I literally laughed and cried when I watched this film. It's completely charming and lovely and I would very happily recommend it for anyone from teenagers to, well, dead I guess. Enjoy!

In cinemas 29 March. Trailer here.

* You know you're getting old when you're getting your feathers up over the DAD in the film. (And I saw this film and had this realisation on the same day a younger colleague told me she wouldn't know the tune of You're The Voice by John Farnham! Might as well start shopping for coffins at Costco!)

GAME NIGHT - film

I'm up for any film with Jason Bateman at the helm. Hello, Game Night!

Bateman is middle class nice guy Max, with Rachel McAdams as his wife Annie. The recently married couple host regular game nights with their friends and occasional attendee Brooks, Max's successful brother played by Kyle Chandler.

Brooks makes an appearance at game night, announcing that he wants them to do a special real life adventure game night like a murder mystery party on steroids where 'you don't know what's real and what's not'. Winner takes his new beautiful red Corvette.

I won't go into detail of the madness that ensues (think home invasions, car chases, guns etc) but there was certainly some good laughs. In my case I was reminded of the power of seeing a film with a crowd - there weren't many people in my session and they weren't laughing much so I was very self-conscious when I did which probably made me laugh less than I otherwise would have.

For me personally, it's not a film I'd rush out for at $21 a pop but definitely one you could happily watch with a partner or friends at home on a lazy Saturday night.

It's had some complimentary reviews to be fair - three stars (about what I'd give it) from Leigh Paatsch from News Ltd and four from Sandra Hall from Fairfax.

Game Night is in cinemas now. Trailer here.

BLOCKERS - film

Blockers is a US comedy with a coming-of-age kind of vibe but in a crass and trashy way, rather than that charming way of, say, Juno or Ladybird.

The film follows the attempts of three parents, Lisa (Leslie Mann), Mitchell (John Cena - an underestimated actor in my view) and Hunter (Ike Barinholtz) to 'c**k block' their three daughters who are hurtling towards prom night with plans to lose their virginity. Cue slapstick gags involving alcohol, genitalia etc.

I had seen the trailer a few times before I saw this film and figured it probably wasn't for me. In light of that, I put a caveat on my invitation to a friend to come along to the preview with me. "It looks s**t" or something along those lines, if memory serves. It was actually so bad that I leaned over to her during the film and said "I'm so sorry".  She didn't like it either.*

To be fair, there was definitely some laughs - I'm not too proud to admit I don't mind slapstick. But the story was just so lame, it was hard to go with it. There's no issues with the performances of the three main parents or the three daughters, all unfamiliar faces.

I guess the only other thing I could muster in its defense is that the three teenage girls are all portrayed as powerful, with a significant degree of control over their bodies and decisions.

I've wondered if it's just that I'm not in the target audience but I suspect there's too much emphasis on the annoying parents for this to be popular with teenagers and too much bodily fluid-based 'humour' for it to appeal to parents.

Maybe when it pops up on Netflix if you fall into one of those categories...? I certainly wouldn't pay $21 to see it at a cinema.

Here's a complimentary (3 stars) review from The Guardian if you want to know more about the film from someone who enjoyed it more than me.

Blockers is in cinemas from 29 March. Trailer here.

*Regular readers will know I don't use a star system but I often ask people I take along to previews how many stars they'd give a film out of five to help me understand how much they enjoyed it. In this case I said I'd give it about 2 and my friend said it'd only be 1 or 1.5 for her. So, y'know, we both thought it was really ordinary.