SAVE YOUR LEGS – film

Urgh.

As with most Australian films, I wanted to like this, I really did. But alas, even a great cast including Steven Curry, Brendan Cowell and Damon Gameau, it’s a dud. It’s about an amateur suburban cricket team who go on tour in India (you’re seeing a problem already, aren’t you?) and predictable Delhi belly ‘humour’ ensues. To be fair, there’s much more to the story than that but it’s just not very… interesting. There was only two other people in the cinema and they laughed a bit more than me but the woman in the pair ceased to be a credible witness when she cackled at a lame ‘sharting’ joke. One moment where I laughed out loud was when someone did some good old fashioned slapstick and face-planted some chairs but I suspect that says more about me than the film. Actually, the name ‘Marcus Cobbledick’ in the titles at the end made me smile so yes, it’s definitely me.

Maybe I’d have liked this more if I liked cricket but anything would have helped really.

Trailer here

 

AMOUR - film

Nominated for various Oscars and deservingly so. About an older couple where the wife is suddenly struck by illness and is faced with life in a dreadful deteriorating state. The lead actress Emmanuelle Riva is spectacular. Like, truly amazing. I love Jennifer Lawrence as much as the next guy but there’s no way she was better in Silver Linings Playbook than Emmanuelle is in this – they got ‘best actress’ at the Oscars wrong in my view. Really wrong.

A beautiful film but a bit harrowing, not one to see when you want to buck up!

Official trailer
 

SAFE HAVEN – film

*meh*

OK, to be fair, I was sufficiently engrossed at one point that when someone appeared unexpectedly from the shadows I yelped embarrassingly loudly but still this one’s all just very ho hum.

Sole highlight would be Josh Duhamel for those inclined to have a bit of a perve at the lads. He’s divine. To look at. Hubba hubba.

You know all those films that have won Oscars today? Go see them instead. Any of them will be better than this.

Official trailer here

Movie 43 - film

Absolute stinker. Not at the movies, not on DVD... no way, no how.

In the interests of fairness, there was a couple of laughs but this compilation of short sketches is, broadly speaking, a rotten mess. How it secured the cast it did (Kate Winslet, Naomi Watts, Richard Gere, Emma Stone, Jason Sudeikis, Gerard Butler, Uma Thurman, Stephen Merchant, Hugh Jackman... the list really does go on) is one of the great mysteries of modern cinema.

I overheard another patron in my session (there was six of us) say at the end “That movie was really confusing”… I felt like saying “Any time you spend on trying to understand it is precious minutes wasted, lady.”

PS. This film has been widely criticised but the Crikey film reviewer Luke Buckmaster mounted a defence which makes an interesting read.

Official trailer here

ANNA KARENINA - film

I read some pretty ordinary reviews of Anna Karenina so went in with low expectations. It was a bit better than I’d expected but definitely didn’t love it. I already didn’t much like Keira Knightley and this cemented those feelings. Felt like it went for about five hours when in reality it was just over two. A DVD kind of film (at best), not worth the $19.50 for mine.

The ordinary experience was rounded out by having a young couple sitting behind me who appeared to be embroiled in some sort of emotional crisis that meant that they sniffed (she), talked (mainly he) and cuddled (both) most of the way through. You're not in your lounge room, people!

Trailer here

ZERO DARK THIRTY - film

This is a fantastic film, no surprises it’s getting so many accolades. It follows the ten year hunt for Osama Bin Laden following the September 11 attacks in America. If you’re anything like me you followed that hunt to a degree through the media coverage but this fascinating film fills in the details of how an operation like that would work. It’s really very eye-opening. One of the stars is Jason Clarke and I was occasionally distracted by the fact that sometimes in the film he reminded me of Nudge from Hey Dad! and then at other times I thought he was hot. HOW COULD HE BE BOTH? I hear you ask. Well, I’m afraid that remains a mystery. When I looked him up on IMDB I discovered he was born in Australia. Nudge’s long-lost cousin? Yes, I think so too.

I digress.

Other actors in the flick include Jennifer Ehle who played Elizabeth Bennett in the BBC Pride & Prejudice series and Joel Edgerton, one of my favourite Aussie actors. Also very happy to see the cinematographer is Grieg Fraser, a talent Aussie whose sister I used to work with!

Really enjoyed this one, catch it before someone declares it too highbrow and it winds up only on at the usually-inconveniently-located arthouse joints.

Trailer here.

DJANGO UNCHAINED - film

Not a big Tarantino fan but saw Django Unchained and the critics are bang on the money, this is a great film that I really enjoyed. It helps when you have virtually no expectations and I also had no idea what the film was about but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s an old school western with a big theme of slavery and whilst some scenes around that slavery were pretty disturbing it’s done well and all in a palatable context. There was one scene that I really hated, interestingly the one which Tarantino cast himself! He attempts an Australian accent but it just comes out as a weird mix of Australian, New Zealand, British and American. And when you combine that with John Jarratt playing a cringeful redneck Aussie, it really was pretty awful. But that was the only lowlight. The highlight for me was Leonardo DiCaprio as a plantation owner (& ‘owner’ of many slaves including the excellent Samuel L Jackson) who the main characters Django (Jamie Fox) and Dr King Schultz (Christoph Walz) find themselves negotiating with. It’s a spectacular delivery of a hideously slimey character & one that’s made me a much bigger fan of DiCaprio’s work. Also loved the performance of Christoph Walz who you might recognise from Water for Elephants – he won the best supporting actor at the Golden Globes for this performance when many expected it to go to DiCaprio).
 
 Warning for the sensitive… as is Tarantino’s custom, this is full of graphic violence. In a couple of places it’s so bad that you just have to laugh but it’s peppered throughout the movie and gets very gruesome though strangely it didn’t bother me as much as violence normally does and certainly didn’t bother me as much as Tarantino’s onscreen performance did.

A surprise winner for me and I add ‘me’ deliberately as this film has scored a couple of Golden Globes already & is likely to feature at the Oscars also so hardly a ‘surprise’ hit! A nice reminder that you can be well rewarded if you try a film that’s not what you’d usually go for.

Enjoyed the soundtrack too for what it’s worth.
Trailer here if you want some more detail on the storyline.

THE IMPOSSIBLE - film

This film is really well done. It's based on a true story about a family holidaying in Thailand in 2004 when the now infamous tsunami struck. Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor play parents of three sons and all the performances are great but Naomi's is a standout as the central character. The five of them, along with so many others, are literally swept away when the front of water storms toward their resort with no warning whatsoever. I won't spoil it by telling you who ends up where and in what state but it gives an amazing insight into what people really experienced in that natural disaster that seems like it happened only yesterday. I'm sure some creative licence has been taken but nonetheless, it's an incredible story.

The film was so compelling that I was totally engrossed and were I not fairly lazy, I'm sure I would have been on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed this film and think it's very good, but to be frank, not off-the-dial, 5 stars kind of good.

Trailer here

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK - film

All I knew about this film when I saw it in London back in November 2012 was that Jacki Weaver was in it. Enough to get me over the line since I was feeling patriotic seeing it with another Aussie on the other side of the world! Jacki was great but not the highlight I thought she'd be to be honest; I'd be surprised if she picks up an Oscar for it. Not because of her performance but just because of the size of the role. She plays the mother of the main character Pat, who is played by Bradley Cooper. (Hubba hubba! And as an aside, he speaks French... *swoon*)

Pat's trying to recover from an episode of mental illness and win back his wife Nikki, whom we discover has had an affair. I reckon it's probably a fairly realistic portrayal of a bloke in that situation (but hey, what would I know) but then Hollywood fantasy takes over and enter mysterious troubled woman, Tiffany, played by Jennifer Lawrence. Jennifer's great and there's a good chemistry between she and Bradley, which helped make this film really enjoyable. The story is generally good fun with some poignant moments too. 

Part comedy, part drama, this film delivers. Go see!

Official trailer here

ARGO - film

Argo is based on a true story from 1979 when the American embassy in Iran was invaded. The film follows the journey of six Americans who escaped the building and then had to find safe passage back to the USA. It’s directed by Ben Affleck who also stars as CIA guy Tony Mendez leading the escape operation.

The excellent news is that Affleck’s come good since the disastrous Gigli days - he's great in this. In Argo he rocks a 70s beard and shaggy hair do that are somehow quite attractive.

Alan Arkin and John Goodman steal some of the limelight as Hollywood hot shots who help Mendez create a fake feature film as part of a very unusual plan to free the six Americans. They get most of the funny lines and indeed, there’s quite a few so it’s not all nail-biting serious stuff.

The story builds to a tense crescendo and, not knowing the story at all, I was totally engrossed and desperate for a happy ending.

This film opens Thursday 15 October. Loved it, go see it!

Official trailer here.

MENTAL - film

This Australian film was given a one star review by Leigh Paatsch (News Ltd) and a four star review by Margaret Pomeranz (At the Movies, ABC TV).

I'm with Leigh.

The mate I saw it with agreed. There was only two people in the cinema other than us and with the word of mouth I'm expecting this to attract, it won't be around for long. No great shame there for mine. 

And as for Margaret's four stars... well, I can't begin to explain that...

Trailer here.

KATH & KIMDERELLA - film

I’m a big fan of the TV show that this is based on, Kath & Kim, but I went into the film with pretty low expectations because, amongst other things, the last time they went feature-length we got ‘Da Kath & Kim Code’ which was a big ol’ let-down.

The first, probably 20-30 minutes or so, was actually pretty good! They were setting up the story, which involved Kath, Kim & Sharon going to Italy, back in Fountain Lakes. There were loads of laughs, even if some of the jokes were things that fans of the show would have heard before.

The trouble started really once the ladies hit Italy because that’s when the weak story really started to unfold. The laughs subsided pretty quickly and by the time we got to the cameo by Dame Edna, well, the 25 or so people in the cinema mostly just looked at each other or the screen pretty baffled. It was the ‘jump the shark’ moment we’d all feared.

All that said, for Kath & Kim fans, it’s still worth a look I reckon. There’s laughs there and it’s still good fun to see what all our old mates, including Prue & Trude, are up to. If you don’t catch it at the cinemas (just how long it will remain in them will be very interesting as it did very well on opening day) do catch it on DVD. I can’t imagine you’d be considering it if you’re not a fan, but if you are, give it a miss. Baffled wouldn’t even begin to cover it.

Official full length trailer here.

THE CAMPAIGN - film

This film stars Will Ferrell and Zach Galafianakis & if you like their stuff generally, get on board this offering. There's plenty of laughs to be had, belly-laughs even, as their characters campaign for a place as a Republican Congressman. It doesn't break any new ground and the ending is pretty naff but if you want a good laugh and a bit of escapism, go for it as this is good fun.

Trailer here

THE SAPPHIRES - film

What an exciting treat to be able to see this at the opening night of the Melbourne International Film Festival! The film didn’t disappoint the huge crowd – I don’t think I heard a bad word uttered about it as we left the cinema and joined the party at the Regent Ballroom.

I love a film that’s based on a true story, and this one is a gem. It’s based in the late 60s when, in the most unlikely circumstances, a group of Aboriginal women travelled to Vietnam to sing for the troops. This backdrop allows the film to touch briefly on some more serious issues like the Vietnam War and the stolen generation in Australia but they’re not overriding parts of the story by any means, it generally stays up-beat and bloody good fun. Jessica Mauboy plays the lead singer and she certainly isn’t a one trick pony; her acting’s almost as good as her off-the-dial good singing. I also loved Chris O’Dowd (the Irish guy in Bridesmaids & The IT Crowd) as the group’s manager, his comic timing and delivery is just beautiful. Kudos also to Deborah Mailman who was subtly gorgeous as always and to my favourite Australian comedian Judith Lucy who also delivers nicely in her small role as a racist pub owner.

This film is that fantastic combination of being both a lovely story that’s fun to watch and one that’s delivered in a beautifully crafted way. I was so engrossed in it that when a lovely plot line reached a crescendo, I actually gave a little yelp and tugged on the arm of the mate I went with who was polite enough to indulge my excitement with a grin that said ‘yes that really happened’ and a bit of ‘wow, you’re like a nine year old right now, this is embarrassing’.

This film has pretty broad appeal and I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes the way of Red Dog where the audience builds and builds for a long run in cinemas on the back of positive word of mouth. If you see it and enjoy it, tell someone.

Check out the trailer here… it’s in cinemas from this Thursday, 9 August.

About this blog

'Cut to the chase' is where I write about anything from TV shows to films to stand-up comedy routines but in a quick and hopefully fun way. If you're wondering who the director of a film is and what awards their previous offerings have won at Cannes, you've come to the wrong place. This is where you'll find a quick round-up of my opinion on stuff. It's for time-poor people who ultimately just want to know stuff like 'Is 'Beauty and the Geek' as funny as it looks on the ads?'
So yep, highly intellectual stuff. (The answer to that question is a resounding yes, by the way.)

NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN - film

Thank you Twitter, for connecting me to the film Not Suitable For Children. I follow Michael Lucas who wrote the screen play for this ace film and who is also part of the team behind two of my favourite TV shows, Offspring and Tangle.

The film is just what you’d expect if you’ve seen those shows – believable, watchable, fun and with a great cast to carry the nicely crafted dialogue.

I reckon it’s an excellent sign when you aren’t inclined to look at your watch during a film and the time never even crossed my mind in this one.

I was surprised how much I loved the lead actor in the film, Ryan Kwanten, given he’s been on Home and Away, something I’ve historically not been able to get past. (Think Indiana Evans as Tatum in the ABC TV drama ‘Crownies’… Actually, don’t.) However, he’s just lovely in this role, understated but charming to watch.

Kwanten’s character is diagnosed with cancer and told he won’t be able to have children after his surgery to treat it. We then follow him for about three weeks until the operation in which he realises he wants kids and tries to find a way to make it happen. As you’d imagine, there’s some complex issues and relationships that emerge that are all a pleasure to watch. Thought-provoking but fun and gently delivered.

Sarah Snook is also excellent in this film as the flat mate of Kwanten’s character. I’ve read comparisons to Emma Stone and there’s certainly a resemblance that goes beyond the red hair. To borrow a line from Molly Meldrum, Dicky Wilkins and just about every other person who’s watched and then talked about a film, I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of her!

I was one of just four people in the cinema when I saw this on opening day which made me really sad. I desperately hope that it gets some Red Dog-esque word of mouth and the cinemas fill in the coming weeks because this is an absolute cracker. Go see it!

Trailer here

FRIENDS WITH KIDS - film

Went into this one with the vague memory of having seen a mediocre review but I also knew it had an impressive cast, so I figured it’d be ok, at least. Turns out it was ok, at best.

The theme is relatable for both couples with kids (I think) and single people with friends who are having kids and all the ‘fun’ that comes with that. But that feeling of being in a social situation with a couple who pick at each other like a festering sore is, it turns out, just as uncomfortable to watch on the big screen as it is in real life.

As I was watching I couldn’t help but think of the lead woman (Jennifer Westfeldt), how on earth did she get this gig? Her face was distracting in a sharp and scrunchy way that seems mean to have noticed but the friends I saw it with did too. Her delivery was just a bit *meh*, I couldn’t warm to her. I also couldn’t stop wondering how this ok-but-not-great script had secured such a talented cast, a number of whom starred in Bridesmaids (Chris O’Dowd, Maya Rudolph & Kristen Wiig). It all made sense though, when I discovered that leading woman Jennifer also wrote and directed the film and that her husband who also features in it (though with not enough screen time for his character to develop much) is Jon Hamm, star of the smash TV series Mad Men.

Call me a cynic (you wouldn’t be the first), but the pieces all fit together now.

I saw this film with four other women, all of whom had kids. Two of them were with me and found the whole thing a bit tiresome and the other two enjoyed it.

On balance, I’d say wait for the DVD. At best.

Trailer here...

WISH YOU WERE HERE - film

I can't remember the last time I saw a film at the cinema twice. I don't know I ever have. Until this week. I loved the Aussie film Wish You Were Here so much that I decided to go back for a second viewing. It was partly motivated by the fact that the film builds to such a crescendo that to take in all the intricacies of the last 15 minutes or so, I wanted to see it again. But that's not to say you need to see it twice, I'm confident you're much smarter than me.

The story is complex but relatable - most of us have taken some dumb risks or acted like a bit of a douche in a foreign country. That's a simplistic take on what the film is based on, but still, as I say, a relatable theme. The performances are great, Joel Edgerton excellent as always and newbie (to me, anyway), Felicity Price as the leading woman was just terrific. She also co-wrote the film, just to make me love her even more.

Finally, this film is proof that you can tell a compelling and intricate story that engrosses you in an hour and a half. There's no need for films to be longer than that!

Watch the trailer but more importantly, go and see the film. I can't imagine anyone not appreciating it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVw1f43xF2M

Melbourne International Comedy Festival - various shows part 2

I saw Judith Lucy's show on Monday night, my favourite of the Festival. I have a soft spot for Judith, she's probably my favourite Australian comedian, but truly this show is gold. The laughs just come at you constantly and she somehow even turned a punch line ruined by a dud microphone into something hilarious. Warning, lots of audience participation for folks in the front row. One of my cousins I went with enjoyed it but wasn't quite as convinced as me because she 'doesn't like sexual comedy'. Judith's not afraid of working blue, certainly a fair but of that but all very funny.

Last night, in what I think will be my last night attending the Festival, was an interesting one. Saw Kate McLennan who was given a 4.5 star review in the Herald Sun (like Judith Lucy) and Geraldine Hickey who was given 3 by the same publication (different reviewer, a favourite of mine). Kate was up first in front of an audience of about 25. Intimate, you might say, especially on tight-ar5e Tuesday. I enjoyed the show, the story, the journey she took us on yada yada, but to be frank I didn’t actually laugh out loud that much. I trotted off to Geraldine next mainly because the time and location suited after Kate’s show. I had no expectations or interest beyond having heard her a few times on a favourite old radio show (Get This on Triple M, 2007-2009 approx). Her room was even smaller than Kate’s and had about 20 in the audience. Despite some of the material being a bit, umm, graphic, I really did laugh out loud quite a lot, as did most of the crowd. Her style is very droll which I guess does appeal to me personally but the whole room did seem to be cacking themselves a lot, certainly a lot more than in Kate’s show.

The juxtaposition of the two shows reminded me that a) comedy is so very subjective and b) expectations or lack thereof can be a huge factor.

I’m totes insightful, right?

The Festival finishes this Sunday. For (insert name of figure you worship)’s sake, go see something. http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2012/season/

Melbourne International Comedy Festival - various shows

I've seen a bunch of shows at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in the last few weeks. Thought I'd give you a bunch of quick reviews while the Festival still has a week to go. Get out and see something!

JUSTIN HAMILTON (Aus) - Great show by an Australian comedian who's been on the scene a long time. Very clever, works on a few levels, meaning if you've seen him before you might get a bit of extra bang for your buck but first-timers will enjoy just as much. Nice story-telling (even shed a tear or two at one point) combined with great laughs. He's said it's the last Festival show he'll do for the forseeable future, so get along while you can.

TOMMY DASSALO (Aus) - A young Aussie comedian, I think this is his first MICF show. Like Justin, he's a good story teller with lots of laughs and a few tears. The show is about his battle with cancer as a child, surprisingly funny stuff! Tickets are cheap because he's relatively unknown, easily worth the money.

ANNE EDMONDS (Aus) - A good show with a musical bent but not a stand out to be honest. Enjoyed it but have seen other shows that gave more laughs.

FELICITY WARD (Aus) - Definitely one of my favourites, excellent bang-for-buck when it comes to laughs. Go see her!

TOM BALLARD (Aus) - Saw him this year because I found his show hilarious last year. This year was not up to that standard & some of the material was really pretty gross. At the end of the show he was recommending another show to see and said something along the lines of "it's hilarious, like the last 10 minutes of this show"... an admission he hadn't nailed it, I think.

DAVID O'DOHERTY (Ireland) - I've seen David perform at MICF for I think 4 or 5 years in a row now. He's a reliable favourite and didn't let me down this year. His annual 'My beefs...' song is just hilarious.

MARK WATSON (England) - Have enjoyed his work in a few podcasts I've come across but the show was a let down. Definitely not worth $38 for mine.

NATH VALVO (Aus) - Was one of my favourites of the Festival last year, laughed constantly through his show and hoped for the same this year. Not quite as good the second time round but still really funny. (Friends who were there for the second time said they enjoyed it more than last year so, horses for courses.) Does an uncanny Judith Lucy impression which was gold. Beware of seats in the front row and aisle - audience participation is rife and he can be a real bitch!

SAM SIMMONS (Aus) - Went with trepidation to be honest (taking my nephew for his birthday - Sam was his choice) but found it really funny. Not everyone's cup of tea, his style is really pretty odd but if you like a bit of slightly physical, definitely absurd comedy, give him a shot. And bonus points for being totally lovely to my nephew when he came out after the show to say hi.

Got myself booked for Judith Lucy tomorrow night, first stand-up show she's done in a few years. Can't wait, she's one of my all time favourites. Fingers crossed she doesn't let me down. 'Cause it's about me, right?