WE'RE THE MILLERS - film

Sorry I'm a bit slow out of the blocks with 'We're the Millers'. If you haven't seen it already, don't bother.
This one is just ok. A handful of laugh out loud moments but by and large pretty ordinary. Even Jason Sudeikis who I rather like couldn't save this one. Jennifer Aniston is also in it and frankly all I thought of her in this was, she must be short on cash to have said yes to it.

Trailer here.

FRANCES HA - film

I have seen loads of four star reviews for this one which is usually a good sign. 
(eg this in The Age and this from David & Margaret on At the Movies on ABC TV)

But this isn't a four star film for me. 
It's fine. It's charming enough. 
But frankly, it didn't delight me. It was just a bit *meh*. Viewing companion agreed.

Can't say I'd encourage you to rush out and watch it. Maybe on DVD some time if the opportunity arises.

Trailer here  or the reviews about if you want a look at what it's about.

NOW YOU SEE ME - film

I wasn't sure I would, but I actually quite liked this. It's a film about four magicians (or maybe 'illusionist' is the correct term?!) who get caught up in a series of heists that become larger and more complex each time. It opens with an impressive magic trick that reminded me that magic really can be pretty cool. And there's a tricky ol' conclusion to the story which made me want to watch it all over again, armed with this fresh knowledge! That said, it's not the kind of film I'd pay to see twice but would happily watch it on DVD.

One of the four magicians is played by Jesse Eisenberg who you might remember from the film 'The Social Network'. He's fantastic in this, I'm now a big fan. It also stars Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Morgan Freeman, Isla Fisher and Michael Caine - an impressive line up.

Get along to this one if you have the luxury of being able to see a few films but if it's a rarity, perhaps wait for the DVD.

Official trailer here.

THE WAY, WAY BACK - film

This movie is such a delight. It’s a ‘coming of age’ kind of story about a young guy Duncan whose mum Pam (played by Toni Collette) has hooked up with a bit of a douche bag, Trent (played by Steve Carrell… I know, he’s never the bad guy!) and he’s struggling with the new family dynamic.

 

The blended family head to a seaside town for a summer holiday and the film starts with the car journey in which Trent asks Duncan to rate himself out of ten. The excruciating exchange really sets the tone beautifully but it’s interesting to note that this is based on the real life experience of one of the creators of the film! If you want that full story and a great background to the film and it’s makers who also wrote the screen play of The Descendants, read here. (Fans of the TV show Community, note that this is Jim Rash!)

 

Duncan finds his way to the local water park on one of his many solo excursions to escape the family holiday and that’s where the fun begins. Sam Rockwell plays the owner of the park Owen and his character is just so fantastic to watch, so quirky and full of good humour. Other staff at the park make great bit players including Maya Rudolph who you may know from Bridesmaids and Jim Rash mentioned earlier.

 

Allison Janney is also in this one as the always-tipsy neighbour at the beach house and her interactions with her own kids including a son with a literally not metaphorically wandering eye are pretty hilarious.

 

Go see this one, I really, really enjoyed it. You’ll walk out happy!

 

Preview screenings 26-28 July then opens Thursday 1 August.

 

Trailer here.

 

BEHIND THE CANDELABRA - film

Loved this film. Absolutely loved it.

It's all about Liberace, played by Michael Douglas (if you're too young to know who he is, have a quick squiz at his Wiki but the short version is that he was the campest of camp entertainers in America in the 1950s-70s) and his relationship with a guy called Scott Thorson, played by Matt Damon.

Michael Douglas is amazing in this. Absolutely amazing. Certainly the best I've ever seen him personally. And Matt Damon is pretty great too.

Scott grew up in a foster home and met Liberace as an adult and this film tracks that relationship which is fascinating. Sometimes the relationship of lovers, but more father/son at other times, the movie reveals the complexity of it and the demons of each of the men but in a way that's very easy to watch.

Special mention to Rob Lowe who plays the plastic surgeon employed by Liberace to make Scott look more like him. He is spectacular.

I completely agree with what Judith & Jason had to say about it on ABC TV's The Movie Show. You can see that here.

It opens on Thursday 25 July. Watch the trailer here.

THIS IS THE END - film

All I knew about this one before I saw it was what I saw on ABC TV's 'At the movies'. Given one star and two stars by stand-in presenters Judith Lucy and Jason Di Rosso, it was not looking good.

So I was pleasantly surprised that at first, this film presented a lot to laugh at and enjoy. It stars a bunch of Hollywood types playing versions of themselves and until the major plot line starts to unfold, I was actually enjoying it. Early scenes involving Michael Cera are actually really funny - the highlight of the film in fact.

But then bang, a stupid disaster struck and the story followed how the group (James Franco, Seth Rogan, Emma Watson, Jonah Hill etc) dealt with the fall out. I won't bore you with the details because they are dull, stupid and not funny.

And just when you think the film can't get worse, it does. And then worse again. And then worse again. In that sense at least, it's quite a triumph.

Definitely give it a miss.

Trailer here. But don't bother.

DESPICABLE ME 2 - film

So last night I went to a 4.45pm session of Despicable Me 2.

If you don’t know me, you won’t realise what a dilemma this created. I’m a bit of a politics and media nerd and the Gillard/Rudd spill was unfolding just as the lights went down and the movie started.

There wasn’t heaps of people in the cinema so I jumped up at sat in the back row in the far corner, the furthest I could be from anyone else in the cinema. I turned the brightness on my iPhone down to the lowest possible setting and figured I could keep an eye on how the spill was unfolding on Twitter by checking my phone under my coat.

So what did I think of the movie?

Nothing on account of the fact I barely watched it.

I pretty much just looked at Twitter the whole time to see the turmoil unfolding in Canberra.

I kept an eye on the other people in the cinema to make sure the light from my phone wasn’t disturbing anyone. I’m an ardent believer that if you can’t not look at your phone for two hours while you watch a movie YOU’RE A SELF-ABSORBED IDIOT.

Guilty, your honour.

With hindsight I should have just got up and left but if we all started living Kevin-Rudd-carpe-diem style the world would be a crazy place & Annabel Crabb and Leigh Sales would be exhausted.

For what it’s worth, as I left the cinema with the other patrons, adults and kids, they seemed to have enjoyed it.

Trailer here.

HELLENIC REPUBLIC - take away lunch special

My posts on here are usually about things in the entertainment world but I'm taking a break from usual programming to let you know about a great discovery I've made in the world of food. ('Cause there just isn't enough people blogging about food these days.)

I found out via Twitter that Hellenic Republic, a fantastic Greek restaurant owned by George Calombaris in East Brunswick, do a take away lunch special on weekends. It changes each week and they spread the word via Twitter what it is with a pic. A few recent examples...

• char-grilled swordfish and chips, grain salad and risogalo
• fasolatha soup, olive and feta bread and chocolate baklava
• braised lamb & onion pie with feta & mint, cucumber yoghurt salad & salted caramel risogalo
• chicken from the spit & chips, Hellenic slaw & salted caramel risogalo

I've only tried the lunch special once so I certainly haven't tasted all of the above but when I tried it I got chicken from the spit & chips, grain salad and the risogalo and it was all so delicious! I love the grain salad at Hellenic Republic so that was a no-brainer and the risogalo is an unbelievably tasty creamy rice pudding kind of thing with salted caramel, pistachios and yummy crumbly biscuit on top. And the chicken and chips are of course up to Hellenic Republic's usual excellent standard. Simple but fantastic.

The really great part is the value - all of that for just $12! As a sucker who can easily spend up to $30 on a weekend brunch, this is a truly great find.

You don't have to be on Twitter yourself to get the lowdown, just visit https://twitter.com/Hellenic434 and you can see it all there including the photos they post of the special. You call to order (their phone number is in the tweets) and then bam, it's yours on arrival to take home or wherever you like.

You. Are. Welcome.

MOVIES ON THE CHEAP - my tips

I’ve been meaning to write this for ages but finally got my act into gear after reading this by comedian Cal Wilson in The Age. It’d been a while between drinks for Cal and she was shocked to learn that a movie ticket these days is $19. A trip to the movies can be a bloody expensive outing! I’ve gathered up some tips to do it on the cheap and in a break from my usual style of posts, I thought I’d share them. They’re not rocket science and you’ll be familiar with many of them but can’t hurt to have them all here in the same place as a handy reminder...

• If you’re a Telstra customer you can get $10 movie tickets! Check with your own carrier to see if they have a deal or if you’re keen you could just buy a cheap Telstra SIM – a small investment for long term savings if you see a few movies.
• You know those member reward brochures they give you when you renew your health insurance, car insurance etc? They actually contain genuine discounts! For example, Bupa members can get 25% off movie ticket prices at Village and Hoyts and other companies are bound to have offers too so have a dig around on their website if you’re not sure.
• Cinemas usually have a cheap day where tickets are considerably discounted. For the big chains it’s Tuesday but some of the smaller joints do their own thing so check out their website. Go to the movies on cheap day!
• More and more movies are 3D these days and the cost of buying the stupid glasses every time is ridiculous so take them with you when you leave the cinema and leave them in your glove box or something for next time.
• Cinema Nova in Carlton have the best cheap day offer - $6 for sessions before 4pm and $9 for evening sessions.
• For the love of God, do not buy anything from the candy bar. If you do need to snack during the movie, swing by the supermarket on your way & boldly ignore the ‘request’ signs in the cinema asking you not to bring in food purchased outside. If you’re particularly nervous or self-conscious about it, bring along a bag of some kind to conceal it.
• Lots of workplaces, especially big ones with large numbers of employees, have special offers for staff including cheap movie tickets. If you hear someone mention getting cheap movie tickets through their work, ask them if they can buy them for friends... ie YOU.
• If you can afford a bigger initial outlay or have a bit of time to arrange going to the movies with a group, buy tickets in bulk. Chains often have deals such as this one from Village Cinemas where adult tickets are $13.90 if you buy a book of five and slightly less again if you buy a book of 10.

So there's my tips to save a few pennies... Happy movie-going, folks!

THE GREAT GATSBY - film

So much has been said and written about this film by Australian Baz Luhrmann, some of it pretty negative. Australians have a propensity to hate on Australian films and I think Baz attracts more than his share of the tall poppy syndrome.

So, is this film as much of a stinker as some of the critics are saying? (For example... here from Crikey and here from The New Yorker)

Whilst I wouldn't quite give it the 4.5 stars The Age did, I did really enjoy this film. It's bloody good fun and really easy to watch. You don't need to have read the book or know anything of the story, it stands alone well. It goes for almost 3 hours (including the ridiculously long trailer/ad part of the sessions these days) but you don't feel it, it all moves pretty quickly. I saw it in 3D but it wasn't overwhelming 3D like Avatar which managed to give me motion sickness!

The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio ('The Great Gatsby' himself), Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan as well as two Aussies in fairly large roles, Joel Edgerton and Isla Fisher, who are both excellent. The cast more broadly is full of familiar faces as it was filmed in Australia - Jack Thompson, Steve Bisley and that guy who played Stan on Hey Dad! who now does voiceover on Media Watch, to name a few. (Yes I've been tracking his career, what's it to you?)

The costumes are stunning - I gather Carey Mulligan's dresses are a result of a collaboration between the film's costume designer Catherine Martin (who is also Baz's wife) and Prada.

I was a bit disappointed that the dance and party scenes shown in the trailers weren't longer in the film. Considering how much work has clearly gone into them - they are spectacular - I wish there'd been more to watch. I was also disappointed that the soundtrack wasn't showcased more. The executive producer of the soundtrack is Jay Z and it looks amazing on paper. It's a shame it wasn't allowed to steal a little more of the show in the film.

There was a couple of super cheesy moments that had my sympathising with the Baz-is-too-over-the-top critics. For example, in one scene Gatsby (DiCaprio) points to the starry sky and says "my life has to go like this" and a shooting star flies through the air. Urgh. Too much. But in spite of my few criticisms, I loved seeing this and would happily watch it again. A 3.5-4 star film for me.

Plot summary here and trailer here.

THE COMPANY YOU KEEP - film

Went into this one knowing nothing at all about the film. (Hello, last minute freebie!)

It started out well and I was really enjoying it but it did start to drag and by the end it felt like it had gone for four hours! (It actually went for two.)

Robert Redford is the leading man in the film and while he's undeniably an excellent actor, it's absurd to me that he was cast, at the age of 77, as the father of an 11 year old girl. It just didn't work. But guess who the director of the film is, the person who made this silly choice?... Robert Redford. Yes, the man couldn't help but give himself the lead role. 

That aside, this is an interesting thriller of sorts with all sorts of underlying mysteries playing out as it goes along. (Plot summary here.) Susan Sarandon and Brendan Gleeson are great in the film which also stars Shia LaBoeuf (or Shia The Beef as I prefer to call him) and Nick Nolte whose voice is as weird as ever.

Margaret and David from The Movie Show both gave this four stars (it's always nice when mum and dad don't fight) but it wasn't quite up there for me, more like three or three and a half.

If you are lucky to be a regular cinema-goer, check this one out but if it's a rare outing, I can recommend better flicks for your night out.

Trailer here.

THE HANGOVER PART III - film

If you saw and enjoyed the first two films, you'll enjoy this. Some really implausible plot twists but this is Hollywood, what's new?

It's good fun and plenty of laughs, mostly from Zach Galifianakis as hopeless Alan and Ken Jeong as crazy drug-addled Mr Chow. Also stars Bradley Cooper looking pretty damn hot... what can I say, I call it as I see it.

Important note: Stay for the credits!

Trailer here.

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES - film

Really enjoyed this one. Caught wind of it when I saw two film critics talking about it on Twitter, saying that they were surprised it wasn't released in 'awards season', meaning they thought it would've been in the running for Oscars, Golden Globes etc. High praise! Apart from an absolute clanger of a coincidence that the plot hangs on, the story is excellent.

The film stars Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes and Bradley Cooper & regular readers of this blog will know I'm very fond of the latter! He's great in this. The whole cast is actually with, for me, the exception of the young bloke who plays Cooper's son. Really wished they chosen someone with a remote resemblance, it just didn't quite work for me and others who I know who've seen it agree.

More of an art house one so look out at Nova, Palace and those kind of joints. Worth the trip.

Trailer here.

THE BIG WEDDING - film

Great cast that could never quite lift this out of firm *meh* territory.

I was the only one in the cinema and like everyone else seems to be, I'd say give this one a miss.

Trailer here.

MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL - various shows PART 4

Adam Rozenbachs in Eurodad - Plenty of laughs in this stand-up show which tells some hilarious tales about Adam's trip to Europe with his old man. My own old man travelled to Europe for the first time in his life at the age of 69 last year and even though I wasn't there, this all felt incredibly familiar. His dad actually steals the show with the closer - it's superb. This show is stand-up done well, a good combo of laughs and narrative but doesn't knock it out of the park like a few other shows I've seen.

Joel Creasey in The Drama Captain - this show is hilarious. Tales of a painful relationship break-up and school days as an overbearing drama captain somehow gel nicely to create this super funny show. Went with two friends to this one straight after Adam Rozenbachs and we all agreed that we preferred this one, definitely more laughs. This show got five stars in the Herald Sun & it is definitely great but maybe more like 4-4.5 for me.

Judith Lucy & Denise Scott in The Spiral - I'm a big Judith Lucy fan and I also love Denise Scott so this was a no brainer for me and I wasn't disappointed. It was an unusual format, a combination of random stand-up bits from each woman, some readings from their respective books and some dancing that words cannot describe. I'd pay $47 to see this again just for the dancing. I had tears streaming down my face. Spectacular!

MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL - various shows PART 3

Lessons with Luis in Famoucity! - Got my first dud of the Festival! I was baffled by this show and hardly laughed at all. To be fair, the woman next to me was cacking herself so something in it for some obviously, but nothing in it for me. It's an unusual style, check it out here if you want to make up your own mind whether it's for you. The person who posted this video to YouTube agrees with me if their caption on it is anything to go by!

David O'Doherty in Sieze the David O'Doherty (Carpe DO'Diem) - New favourite show of the Festival! I've seen David every year for the last 4 or 5 years I think it is now and there's a reason I keep coming back. Love, love, loved this show. Consistently laughed throughout, his style is just an absolute delight to watch. I enjoyed this even more than Wil Anderson which is interesting since the Herald Sun's reviewers gave Wil 5 stars and David 3.5 - a reminder that it's horses for courses with such things. Interestingly, I saw this show with two of the friends I also saw Wil with and they both preferred David's show too. The Herald Sun review of David's show notes the absence of narrative running through it and that's true but you know what, he made me cack myself again and again, more than any show I've seen so far, and that's why I go and see shows at the Festival.

MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL - various shows PART 2

Josh Thomas in Douchebag - Saw this off the back of Josh's TV show 'Please like me' which I really enjoyed. Thought I'd give his stand-up a go and I enjoyed this show. It jumped to and from a bunch of different topics but I don't mind that style. As long as the comedian is delivering good laughs, I can go with it. I've heard people mock Josh's (made up) accent but I generally find it pretty endearing. The exception to this though is that in a couple of places in the show I literally could not understand what he said! I heard mutterings along the lines from others around me so I wasn't the only one. The Herald Sun only gave it 2.5 stars which I think is a bit harsh, more like 3.5 or so for me.

Greg Fleet in The Boy Who Cried Sober - Greg Fleet has been doing stand-up for so long that I decided this was the time to finally go and see his work for the first time. He is a masterful story teller and has beautiful diction but I have to say, just not enough big laughs in this for me. I enjoyed the experience of listening to the show but didn't laugh as much as I hoped or expected. I wonder what people who've seen a lot of his work would make of it, whether perhaps being sober after so many years of performing under the influence has taken the edge off? The Herald Sun has given the show four stars so maybe it's just that my expectations were too high. It's more like a 2.5 or 3 stars for me.

Wil Anderson in Goodwil - One of the best stand-up shows I've seen. There's a reason this guy gets all the gigs; he's superb. The laughs just kept coming and coming. Go and see this show, especially if you don't get the chance to see much comedy, as there's just no chance you'll be disappointed. Five stars from the Herald Sun and I agree.

MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL - various shows

So I've packed in a few MICF shows this weekend because all the shows are cheaper for the Easter preview weekend. For what it's worth, my opinions on comedy shows are basically about how much they made me laugh - a pretty fair measure in my view. Here's what I've seen so far...

Melinda Buttle in 'How Embarrassment' - Saw this one because I listen to Mel's podcast 'The Minutes' (with The Grates singer Patience Hodgson) and really like her humour. I enjoyed the show but there wasn't as many laughs as I'd hoped and she was a bit unprepared, using an audience member to help her along by prompting from a list as to what story was up next. A Herald Sun reviewer has given the show 4.5 stars which surprises me. I don't really do 'stars' but if I had to for this show, I'd have put it at more like 3.5. Funny but not side-splitting, tell-all-your-friends funny for me.

Dave O'Neil in '33 things I should have said no to' - Dave O'Neil is a bit of a stalwart but I've never seen him do a stand-up show, only enjoyed his work on TV and radio. It was really his appearance on 'The Agony of Life' that made me go and see this one, he's just so funny on that show. He didn't quite live up to the expectation I had based on that but I guess that's an unfair comparison when his moments on 'The Agony of Life' are edited down so we just get the real zingers. Enjoyed this but would put it at about the same level as Mel Buttle in that I wouldn't encourage you to race out and buy tickets if you're only going to see one or two shows.

Rhys Nicholson in 'Dawn of a new error' - This show is very, very funny though not for the faint hearted. He covers ground that will make the conservative among you squirm so don't see it if you know you'll be offended when things vere into murky territory. Like, graphic sexual territory. Amongst other things. He tells a story about his mother that is as hilarious as it is alarming and it certainly explains a few things about the man before us. So many laughs, I loved this show. The Herald Sun gave it four stars, for what it's worth.

Matt Okine in 'Broken Diamond House' - Hilarious. Loved this show, my favourite so far. Beautifully crafted narrative and the laughs just kept coming. The narrative came to a bit of a crescendo and that was when I realised just how deeply he'd lured me in - I HAD to know what happened at the end of the story. His popularity is catching on and his shows are selling out so book yourself some tickets soon. Highly recommend!

Luke McGregor in 'My soulmate is out of my league' - This is a fascinating experience of stand-up comedy. This guy, who I saw because I love his appearances on one of my favourite podcasts, 'The Little Dum Dum Club', is probably the most unusual comedian I've ever seen perform. He seems so nervous and uncomfortable (indeed, he refers to his OCD and anxieties throughout the show) and yet somehow it just works. It's hilarious. It's hard to explain, but it's hilarious. He's performing in a tiny room at the Portland Hotel which was so hot I thought I was going to faint but other than that, a pleasure to watch. (And for the record, I reckon this guy is going places. You mark my words.)

I GIVE IT A YEAR - film

Not dreadful but ho hum and not worth a $19 admission for me.
This comedy delivered a few laughs but it's telling that the only moment I really cacked myself was when, following a character drooling over Justin Bieber, a woman sitting behind me said to her companion in a loud voice "Ha, it's funny because Bieber's disgusting"... She was wrong about the moment (it wasn't funny) but searingly accurate about Bieber so well done, loud-talker.

Trailer here

GREAT EXPECTATIONS - film

Worth seeing just for Helena Bonham Carter's turn as Miss Havisham! This adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel isn't a five star film for me but HBC is brilliant in it making it worth a look, at least on DVD. I haven't read the book (quelle horreur!) so I found it really interesting to just get to know the story too.

Trailer here