MARY POPPINS RETURNS - film

A sequel to the fabulous original Mary Poppins film from 1964, Mary Poppins Returns doesn’t disappoint. As someone who watched the original over and over again in my childhood, this one was close to my heart so I was very relieved it didn’t go the way of Annie, my other childhood fav!

If you’re not familiar with the original SHAME ON YOU but also, quick précis, Mary (then Julie Andrews) is a magical nanny who lands with the Banks family to look after Jane and Michael and takes them on fantastical, musical adventures and the whole thing’s a toe-tapping good time.

Mary Poppins Returns, with Emily Blunt now in the all-singing, all-dancing shoes of Mary, is similar enough to the original to be a lovely tribute but different enough to be its own film and stand solidly among an audience not at all familiar with the ‘64 version. Mary Poppins is back to look after the three children of now grown up Michael Banks who is now a widower in tricky financial circumstances, with Aunt Jane living round the corner and a big presence in their lives.

Julie Andrews is of course a tough act to follow but Blunt is very good and she can definitely sing! Like Mary did in the original (Dick Van Dyke as Bert the chimney sweep), she has a fun offsider who this time around is Jack the lamp lighter, played by the fabulously talented Broadway star Lin-Manuel Miranda. Van Dyke makes a brief appearance in the film along with Meryl Streep and Angela Lansbury - there’s no shortage of talent here!

I’ve read some mixed reviews of Mary Poppins Returns but I reckon this four star one from The Guardian is fair. The film’s not perfect (the Royal Doulton product placement is yuck, for example, and at over two hours long it’s probably a stretch for some young kids) but it’s just damn good fun for people who are up for a musical and some fantasy.

Mary Poppins Returns is rated G and is in cinemas now. Trailer here.

THE FAVOURITE - film

I’m having one of those ‘everyone likes it except me’ moments you guys.

The Favourite is a comedy… or maybe it’s a dramatic comedy… or maybe it’s a dramady… or maybe it’s a comedy that’s a bit dramatic or a drama that’s quite comedic. WHY MUST WE LABEL EVERYTHING ETC ETC?!

Set in the early 1700s, the wonderful Olivia Colman is Queen Anne who is in the midst of strategising a war with France and bearing the pain caused by gout. Now, if this sounds like a boring bonnet drama, it really isn’t so do keep reading if they’re not your thing.

Rachel Weisz is also excellent as Lady Marlborough, the Queen’s confidant/assistant/advisor/something else I won’t spoil and Emma Stone is equally good as Lady Marlborough’s down and out cousin Abigail. Truly, the three women leads in this film are all incredibly skilled as they master both the dramatic and comedic turns of the film.

However for me this film is really compromised by its length. It goes for two hours and I looked at my watch at the 50 minute mark and thought, hoooo boy, we’re not even half way there. Not a good sign. The story is clever and funny but for me, The Favourite needed to be 30 minutes shorter to really be excellent.

I’m not going to tell you more about the storyline because there’s twists and turns I certainly didn’t predict and I think they’re part of the joy but there’s a hint in the name - who will be the Queen’s favourite?!

In the interests of fairness (remember how I said everyone liked it except me?!) here’s a five star review from news.com.au. (Contains numerous spoilers.) Needless to say I think it’s too generous - this is a three star film for me. I noted the length as an issue in a conversation on Twitter with a couple of people and one of them said “I really loved the first hour but it got long and sad in a dull way” which I think nails the issue.

There’s also, strangely, a fisheye lens used sometimes which created an unnecessary distraction, and also in some scenes people are filmed from below which I also didn’t dig. OK I will stop now.

The Favourite is in cinemas now, rated MA15+. Trailer here.

CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? - film

So you see the picture of Melissa McCarthy above and think this is a comedy, yes? Think again! McCarthy takes a turn in a dramatic role (albeit slightly comedic dramatic role) for Can You Ever Forgive Me? and nails it.

McCarthy plays author Lee Israel in this film based on Israel’s memoir of the same name. The film tells the story of Israel’s life following her success writing a number of biographies of famous women including Estee Lauder. The success has dried up and Israel is short on money and bankable ideas and is struggling with alcoholism and the fact her publisher won’t return her calls.

Scrambling for cash to pay her overdue rent, Israel sells a letter she received from Katharine Hepburn and before long is forging letters by actors and writers and selling them to make some coin. She enlists the help of her new friend Jack (Richard E Grant), who has some secrets of his own, when the authorities start closing in on her.

McCarthy and Grant are both glorious in this. McCarthy for the understated way she brings dour Israel to life and Grant for the fun charm he so often brings to the big screen. They’ve been nominated for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Globes for their trouble and I think both are in with a good shot at the win.

Here’s a four star review from news.com.au if you’d like to know more about the film. I concur with the four stars, for what it’s worth.

Can You Ever Forgive Me? is rated M and showing in cinemas now. Trailer here.

VICE - film

Vice is an American drama/comedy about US Vice President Dick Cheney with Christian Bale in the lead role, having undergone quite the physical transformation.

I wrote the sentence above a good few days before coming back to this to try to get my thoughts down about this film. It’s a hard one and it took a while to understand why I couldn’t just write this bloody thing! You see, this Best Picture (musical/comedy) Golden Globe-nominated film didn’t really float my boat as you might expect a Best Picture nominee to, to be honest but that’s not to say there’s nothing good about it. Bale as Cheney and Sam Rockwell as President George W Bush in particular are superb and Amy Adams as Cheney’s wife Lynne and Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfeld are also good.

The film is directed by Adam McKay who also directed Anchorman and The Big Short which was in the running for four Golden Globes and five Oscars but as this article in The Guardian notes, converted them to only one win. If I had to guess I’d say Vice will follow a similar trajectory. (If I was giving it one award I’d give Best Supporting Actor to Sam Rockwell. It’s a small role but by crikey he does George W well.) There’s a lot of buzz but is it actually among the very best films of the year?!

If you take a keen interest in US politics then sure, this is probably worth a look for you but if not, I’d leave this one for when it pops up on Netflix. As someone who doesn’t follow US politics super closely it was interesting to learn about the role of Vice President and how Cheney made it his own (and then some) but the film does this in a slightly unique way that I personally didn’t love. It’s a bit too pretentious for me.

Here’s a collection of excerpts of what the proper critics are saying about the film. It’s a mixed bag and hopefully you can tell why based on reading my own thoughts.

In cinemas 26 December. Trailer here. (If you do see it, stay for the credits.)

THE CHILDREN ACT - film

The Children Act is a drama based on a novel of the same name by Ian McEwan starring Emma Thompson and Stanley Tucci.

Thompson is Fiona Maye, a judge who presides over deeply complex cases which consume her to the detriment of her marriage to Jack Maye (Tucci). Both Thompson and Tucci are fabulous in this and it really cemented Tucci’s place on my list of favourite actors.

Fiona hears a case about a 17 year old Jehovah’s Witness boy Adam who requires a blood transfusion in order to fight leukemia - something which his religious beliefs prohibit. I incorrectly assumed the case would be the bulk of the film when I saw the trailer but it’s in fact almost a jumping-off point for both Fiona’s and Adam’s stories, both of which are rich and complex. The story doesn’t head in a direction I ever would have predicted. No spoilers!

I think this is a really compelling drama and I’d happily recommend it to you. It’s not five-stars-perfect but three-and-a-half-stars-solid for me.

This news.com.au review also gives it 3.5 stars and is worth a read if you want to know more about the plot.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

THE GRINCH - film

I was lucky enough to take my 11 year old niece to a preview of The Grinch and we both loved it!

An animation from the same people who brought us the Despicable Me series, The Grinch is based on the Dr Seuss book “How The Grinch Stole Christmas!”

Benedict Cumberbatch is the voice of The Grinch but fans won’t necessarily recognise the voice with an American accent. I think he strikes the right tone for kids, a bit menacing but nothing that’s actually scary.

The Grinch sets about ruining Christmas in Whoville by stealing gifts and Christmas decorations. We get a little of his back-story that speaks to why he’s so damn grinchy and it’s a bit grim but there’s a good message in the film for kids about why presents aren’t what it’s all about. If you reckon your kids are a bit caught up in all the commercial crap, this might be a nice one to take them along to.

I thought my 11 year old niece was probably at the upper end of the age group this is suited to and when I asked her about it, she thought it was suited to kids aged 5-13. Speaking of her, here’s what she said:

“It was very fun and had lots of funny bits. I think it was a heartwarming movie. My favourite bit was seeing everyone together having fun.”

The Grinch has had mixed reviews (eg this two star review in The Guardian and this glowing one on ABC News Breakfast) but I think this is a classic good time film for primary school kids. Enjoy!

Trailer here. It opens on 29 November.

BOY ERASED - film

Boy Erased is based on the true story of a young American man raised in a fundamentalist Christian family and forced into conversion therapy having told his parents he’s attracted to men. It’s the best film I’ve seen in ages.

Hedges is excellent as Jared Eamons, the teen at the centre of the story. Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe play his parents Nancy and Marshall and despite the fact Kidman still hasn’t worked out how to nail an American accent, she too delivers a good performance. But it was Russell Crowe who surprised me most and I had many ‘oh that’s right, Russell Crowe is an excellent actor’ moments.

Exploring the themes of this film would have been easy to get wrong but director Joel Edgerton has nailed the sensitivity required to tell this story respectfully. The three key players in this story all fight complex internal battles where love that ought to be unconditional conflicts with deeply-held religious beliefs. I won’t labour the point - it’s too complicated for ‘cut to the chase’ - but I think the film does justice to the complexity to the extent it can in a two hour film.

I concur with this four star review in the News Ltd press. It hasn’t been universally praised (it received a two star review in The Guardian, for example) but it’s getting some awards season buzz so don’t be surprised if you hear Boy Erased mentioned when the Oscars roll around.

Boy Erased is in cinemas now and rated MA 15+. Trailer here.

LEAN ON PETE - film

Lean on Pete is an American drama about a teenage boy Charley (Charlie Plummer) who doesn’t have much in the way of money or family support and gets a job helping out a local horse trainer Del (Steve Buscemi). Buscemi and Plummer both give excellent performances in this film, along with Chloë Sevigny as jockey Bonnie.

I can’t recall another film where I’ve gone from enjoying it so much to not enjoying it so much by the end. It’s about two hours long and around the 70 minute mark I looked at my watch and though ‘Oh god, there’s still nearly an hour to go’ … and it had started so well!

The first half or so is, I think, I really realistic portrayal of the difficult life of a teenager being raised in poverty by a single father and we were starting to see an interesting relationship develop between Charley and Del. It was compelling. They’d lured me in. But then Charley winds up on the run (no spoilers re why/how) and the run was just way too long for me. I think I would have enjoyed this more if it was a 100 minute film rather than a 120 minute film but as regular readers know, I’m a firm believer that 90-100 minutes is the sweet spot!

As far as I can tell, proper critics are enjoying the film more than me. Here’s a four-star review from The Guardian and a three-star review in Rolling Stone magazine if you’d like to read more.

Lean On Pete opens in cinemas on 29 November and is rated M. Trailer here.

BEAUTIFUL BOY - film

Based on a true story, Beautiful Boy is an American drama starring Steve Carrell and Timothée Chalamet as father and son David and Nic Sheff. I really liked this film and found it a moving story about complex relationships and addiction.

Nic’s experimentation with drugs as a teenager starts off innocently enough. Well, predictably enough. But his addiction comes to run deep leading him to a path of destruction including his relationship with his dad. Much of the story is told through dad David’s eyes and whilst I did enjoy this film very much, I don’t think it’s Steve Carrell’s best work. He can certainly do drama (I loved him in The Way Way Back in 2013) but something about his performance here didn’t quite hit the nail on the head for me. The same cannot be said of Timothée Chalamet, who really does nail the complexity of addiction in his performance.

For more about the film, here’s a three star review from The Guardian which I think is fair, though I’d perhaps tip it up a little to 3.5 stars. I’d happily recommend this but particularly to parents and really particularly (is that a thing?!) to parents of teenagers.

Beautiful Boy is in cinemas now, rated MA15+. Trailer here.

FIRST MAN - film

I’m going to level with you, dear readers. I struggled a bit to write this one. This film is getting lots of really positive reviews but to be honest, I just didn’t feel it.

First Man is a biopic based on the life of Neil Armstrong and his journey to being the first man to walk on the moon. And you know what the problem with the movie was for me? I knew he made it to the moon. We all know he made it to the moon. I mean, I barely paid attention in history class or geography class or science class or frankly any class where this could conceivably been taught and even I know he made it to the moon. “One giant leap for mankind” and all that… yep, got it. So ultimately there was just no tension, no ‘will he or won’t he’ edge of your seat moments. I’ll admit it - I got a bit bored.*

Ryan Gosling is Armstrong and assuming Armstrong was genuinely a pretty understated guy (how would I know, I’m flat out trying to remember what school subject they teach you about the moon in!) Gosling does it well. Claire Foy who many will recognise from her break-out role as the Queen in the Netflix TV series The Crown, is also very good. She portrayed the impact of having a moon-landing husband very well; I can honestly say I hadn’t thought much about the lives of the families left behind, often through failed missions. Corey Stoll plays Buzz Aldrin and I dare say his family are pretty unhappy - he’s portrayed as an annoying goose!

The friend I saw First Man with felt the same about it as me but as I mentioned, the reviews are generally pretty positive so maybe it’s just us. It goes for 2 hours and 20 minutes so that definitely didn’t help.

We both gave it 2.5/5 when 4 star reviews are common including this one in The Guardian.

First Man opens on 11 October. If you see it, let me know what you reckon. Trailer here.

*Is it possible for a film based on a true story where you know what’s going to happen to build tension? I asked this on the socials and people suggested films like Sully, Dunkirk, 127 Hours, The Impossible, Spotlight, Titanic, The Sapphires, King of Kong and Argo as having done so. So yes, it’s clearly possible.

THE SEAGULL - film

The Seagull is based on the Anton Chekov play of the same name written in 1895. Now if you’re a modern kid who didn’t dig literature or history at school, don’t quit reading now. I mean, do what you want guys but you’re here now so you might as well finish what you’ve started.

I hadn’t read the play when I saw the film and didn’t know the story at all. No knowledge, no dramas! Annette Bening is the leading lady in this in every sense - she plays Irina who is a vain and selfish actress who is awful to her son Konstantin (Billy Howle), a tortured young man trying to make a future as a writer. Various connections of Irina and Kostantin feature including Saoirse Ronan as Konstatin’s love interest Nina, Corey Stoll as Irina’s much younger love interest Boris and Elizabeth Moss as Masha, the daughter of the housekeepers. Masha’s melancholy provides some light relief throughout, ironically.

I liked The Seagull but didn’t love it. It’s a good story, as you’d expect from a piece of work that’s stood the test of time since 1895 (!), and Annette Bening and Elizabeth Moss both give terrific performances that provide light relief. If you’re familiar with the play or dug history and/or literature at school you’re probably best placed to enjoy this one. I tend to agree with this review in The Guardian which gives it 3 stars from 5.

Trailer here. In cinemas 4 October.

CRAZY RICH ASIANS - film

Crazy Rich Asians is a jolly good fun rom com. It won't change your life or win an Oscar but it's exactly the kind of light entertainment I'm up for when I go to the movies with friends.

Based on a popular novel of the same name by Kevin Kwan (which I haven't read so had no clues about what was coming), Crazy Rich Asians tells the story of bright Chinese American economics professor Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) and her boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding), who is also Chinese Singaporean and living in the States but with a British accent that hints at his privileged, or at least worldly, background.

It's not really a spoiler to tell you that Nick is crazy rich because it's revealed fairly early in the film. The rest of it is spent exploring what Rachel encounters when she goes to Singapore to meet Nick's family and the influence that extended family have on their relationship. (Hint - a lot. At first.)

This film is being lauded for its representation of Asian people on the big screen and whilst I appreciate the significance of that, this alone is not enough to recommend a film to you. The fact is that Crazy Rich Asians is a good fun film so quite apart from the good it does for multicultural representation, this one is worth a look if you want some light fun that will make you think a little but not a lot.

Here's a great review on ABC online if you'd like to read more. And if you'd like more on what the film means to Asian people, read this great piece by Michelle Law in the Fairfax press.

Crazy Rich Asians is in cinemas now. Trailer here.

THE MERGER - film

I'd put this Australian film up there with classics The Castle and Crackerjack. It's an absolute gem.

The Merger is set in a fictional regional town called Bodgy Creek, home to Troy Carrington (Damian Callinan), a bloke who locals hate for his 'greeny' views that contributed to the local timber mill being shut down. As regular readers will know, this blog is not a place for long plot descriptions but this one is hard to condense into a sentence or two! Just know that Troy's history as the town's once loved footy hero is rediscovered with a bunch of eclectic local players, including a number of refugees who have settled into the town to mixed local reaction.

Damian Callinan, who is wonderfully understated as Troy, wrote this film based on a one man show he's performed in comedy festivals around Australia so it's got solid comedic bones but is also not without heart and soul. I was really surprised that I found myself crying in this film more than once! But the comedy is of course solid, with stand-up comedian Nick Cody delivering a fantastic performance as Roosters captain, Goober and Aaron Gocs in a smaller but very funny role too. I mean, Aaron's hair alone makes me laugh so that's a good start.

John Howard, Kate Mulvany, Fayssal Bazzi and Penny Cook (yes, Vicki from A Country Practice!) all add their own more nuanced performances too, rounding out a wonderfully talented cast.

I love an Australian comedy and I really hope Australian audiences get behind this film, not for any reason other than how great it is. See it soon, love it, tell your friends.

Trailer here*. In cinemas 6 September.

* I re-watched the trailer when I wrote this blog and thought to myself, I might go and see this one again. That rarely happens!

WAYNE - film

As a colleague said when I mentioned I was seeing a film called Wayne, "How Australian!" And if you pay any attention at all to the narrative around Australian films you'll know that Australians often have an aversion to seeing them. I'm afraid this doco is not a white knight that will turn that around.

A documentary about Australian motorcycle rider Wayne Gardner, to my mind this is a story that probably should have been told in 30 minute episode of Australian Story. He seems like a lovely, driven bloke and his wife at the time features heavily and adds a little interest but for me, this just isn't the stuff of a feature film.

To cut to the chase, if you know and love Wayne Gardner (a small cohort of my readers I suspect but who knows, I guess) then sure, his life story in film form is for you. But unfortunately this wasn't one where a fascinating story rose above my lack of interest in the motorcycles and racing to make it worth rushing to the cinema for.

Trailer here. Opens 6 September 2018.

BLACKKKLANSMAN - film

Based on an autobiographic novel, BlacKkKlansman is hailed by some as a dark comedy but for me it's more of a drama with some fantastic funny moments. It's well worth a look and I mention the comedy/drama thing because I think if I'd gone into it expecting a comedy I'd have been disappointed, or perhaps just a bit puzzled, but if you go in thinking it's a drama with many moments of amusing light relief, I think you'll dig it.

Based in the 1970s, Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) becomes the first African American detective in the Colorado Springs Police Force. He faces the kind of discrimination I dare say you can imagine but he makes a name for himself an earns the respect of his colleagues when he takes on infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan. (Him by phone, a colleague (Adam Driver) for face-to-face meetings...!) Topher Grace plays the enigmatic leader of the KKK very well, matching the excellent performances of others in the cast including Washington and Driver.

For those of you who care about such things, this is the latest film from acclaimed director Spike Lee, responsible for iconic films such as Malcolm X.

If you want to know more about the plot, check out this three star review in The Guardian. For me, it's more like 3.5 or 4, though - well worth your time.

Opens 16 August. Trailer here.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT - film

Mission Impossible - Fallout and indeed all of its MI predecessors and the whole action genre in general is not really my cup of tea. But you know what? I enjoyed this in spite of myself!

I mean, sure, like most action films, the plot was utterly implausible and often predictable but the action was so good that it was easy enough to look past it. I'm talking car and motorbike chases, martial arts and even a helicopter chase. They all had me pretty engrossed! This film is two and a half hours long but it doesn't feel it - I didn't look at my watch once.

Tom Cruise is of course back as special agent Ethan Hunt and despite the fact the guy is a complete kook, he continues to deliver. Others back from previous MI films include Simon Pegg, Michelle Monaghan and Alec Baldwin who I love. They're joined by faces new to the MI franchise such as Henry Cavill and Vanessa Kirby (who gives good villain) who many will recognise as Princess Margaret from the TV show The Crown.

I'm actually not even going to tell you about the plot - it's not important. The thing is, there's been so many Mission Impossible films before this one that you know if they're your thing. If they're your thing, I reckon you'll love this and if, like me, they're not your thing, it's actually pretty good fun so by all means give it a go.

If you do want to know more about the plot, read this three star review in The Guardian which I reckon is fair.

THE BREAKER UPPERERS - film

This movie is bloody hilarious. Go see it.

The end.

OK I guess I should at least tell you a teeny bit more. But not much more given this is #cuttothechase after all.

The Breaker Upperers is a comedy out of New Zealand stacked full of funny women. Jackie van Beek and Madeleine Sami are Jen and Mel - best friends running a business that breaks up relationships for people without the courage to sort it out themselves. It's a unique and silly premise that delivers LOL after LOL.

Australians will likely recognise comedian and actress Celia Pacquola who is of course also funny as a woman they break up with her on behalf of her gutless partner.

If you've seen and loves NZ comedies such as Hunt For The Wilderpeople and What We Do In The Shadows, there's little doubt you'll love The Breaker Upperers too. All are directed by Taika Waititi who is currently taking Hollywood by storm, most recently directing Thor: Ragnarok. If you haven't seen and loved NZ comedies, let this be your introduction. The Breaker Upperers is well worth your time and hard-earned.

It's been pretty universally well received, for example these glowing reviews on news.com.au and the ABC.

In cinemas now. Trailer here. (FWIW, I think the trailer emphasizes the 'love story' too much and the doesn't do justice to how funny the film is. #armchairexpert)

WHITNEY - film

I really enjoyed this documentary about singer & actress Whitney Houston. Well, as much as you can enjoy the story of someone on a path to sad self-destruction.

I suspect I'm at the younger end of audience spectrum for this one. I am, afterall, very young indeed. This film made me realise that I know the lyrics to many of her hit songs (How will I know, I wanna dance with somebody, Greatest love of all, I will always love you etc), I guess because even though I wasn't consciously a big fan, they were part of the soundtrack to my childhood. I mean, what's a spin on your roller skates around the Roller Rink without one of her bangers blaring?!

I did know she married Bobby Brown and tragically died from drug abuse but nothing much of what filled the significant gaps around those things. This doco interviews loads of people (almost too many to keep up with to be honest - I mean, her first manager's son?!) to paint a fullsome picture of a woman with incredible talent who couldn't stay on a clean path to enjoy it, or at least live it fully and happily. And if you think her life started to go off the rails when she hooked up with Bobby, think again. There's some real pieces of work in her family who took advantage of her terribly, well before he came along.

As I hadn't followed her story in much depth as it actually unfolded, I was unsure as I watched this if things that seemed revelatory were so just for me or for everyone. Turns out in some cases it was for everyone.

I think if you have a passing clue who she was (eg spun around the Roller Rink with one of her songs in the background) through to being a fan who followed her story closely, you'll find this documentary a really terrific watch. One of the many interview subjects said that when she was young she was encouraged to create legacy music not fad music and this film shows that she lived up to that.

At this risk of sounding curmudgeonly, could I just ask that you keep the singing for the car on the way home if you feel inclined to sing along? Everyone's there to hear Whitney, not you!

Whitney opens 26 July and is rated M. Trailer here.

MARY SHELLEY - film

There's nothing terribly wrong with this film about the author of the iconic novel Frankenstein, but there's nothing terribly right about it either.

Mary Shelley is played by Elle Fanning, who does a good job surrounded by a decent support cast. But see that's the thing - they're decent but not amazing. It's all just a bit ho hum for me.

I didn't know anything about Shelley or any of the other now-well-known authors who surround her so the story line was vaguely interesting to me but to be honest, it felt quite long (2 hours, feels like 2.5, as the Bureau of Meteorology might say) and the third quarter or so nearly sent me off to sleep.

I guess in summary I'd say if you love a bonnet drama, loved history and/or literature at school or love just passing a rainy day in a cinema without much care for what you watch, then this might be for you. But even then I fear you won't love it but perhaps just like it. Gosh, it's not exactly a ringing endorsement.

Mary Shelley has attracted some mixed reviews. If you're considering seeing it, have a look at this three star review in The Guardian and this less positive (un-starred) review from the ABC.

Mary Shelley is in cinemas now. Rated PG. Trailer here.

THE LEISURE SEEKER

Ella and John Spencer (Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland) have kicked up their heels and headed off on a road trip in an old campervan called 'The Leisure Seeker', despite the grave concerns of their children. (The West Wing fans, the actress who plays Donna Moss is the daughter here and the son, well, he's pretty forgettable.)

Ella and John are battling cancer and dementia respectively and though it's not said explicitly, this is their last hurrah. They encounter various hiccups along the way, as you might expect. None of them are overly compelling and I confess I spent a lot of this film thinking it is definitely too long. Mirren's southern American accent disappears occasionally, leading me to wonder why she'd say yes to a film like this. I mean, she's Helen flippin' Mirren. I also couldn't shake the thought that she looks a bit like Dustin Hoffman as Tootsie in this...

The target audience of this film is more my parents than me but when I think about whether they'd like it, I suspect not.

The Leisure Seeker isn't terrible but it's also not great. Maybe 'watch at home on telly' good but not 'get a babysitter and drop $80 on a night out' good. To be fair, despite thinking it was a bit dull right throughout, I did shed a few tears at the end so it obviously drew me in to some degree!

The Sydney Morning Herald gave it 3.5 stars which is a bit too generous for me. I reckon it's more like 2 stars, as it was given by The Guardian.

Trailer here. In cinemas 14 June 2018. Rated M.