THE HOUSE - film

The House is a US comedy starring legends Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler, who I rate highly. With two big names like this, I wanted to love this but my hopes were tempered considerably by many grim reviews.

Ferrell and Poehler are a cash-strapped husband and wife who wind up partners in a clandestine casino with a mate. Everything that happens in their quest to make enough cash to send their vanilla daughter to college is just silly, as you might expect. Ultimately I do agree with the reviewers - this film is pretty ordinary - but to be fair, there is a few good chuckles.

In a funny coincidence, there's a little sequence of laughs related to the 1995 film Casino which I happened to watch for the first time a week ago because my colleague Nick was so horrified I hadn't seen it that a copy of it appeared on my desk the very next day!

I definitely wouldn't recommend you rush out and see this at the cinema but if it pops up on the telly or the like, it's harmless enough to pass the time away.

If you want to know more about the film, here's a proper verdict from Fairfax that gives it 1.5 stars and a rather more generous one from News Ltd where it scores 3 stars.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT - film

I've thought a lot about what to say about this one. It's funny really, given that is completely at odds with how much I care about this film.

Here's my emphatic declaration to you, dear readers. Transformers: The Last Knight is really, really not my cup of tea so you'll need to read this through that lens.

It's just a pile of silly nonsense. Like... stupid, dumb, nonsense.

On the plus side (YES I FOUND ONE FOR YOU!), Mark Wahlberg and Josh Duhamel are in it so at least there's something nice to look at, for those of us that way inclined.

I'm actually not even going to attempt to tell you anything about the 'storyline' (a generous description) because it's just so not relevant. If ridiculous action films are your cup of tea and you don't care about the storyline, well I guess this might be your thing. If that sounds bad to you then you know full well you need to give this one a wide berth.

Leigh Paatsch from News Ltd gave it 1 star (OUCH) and ever so slightly better was Jake Wilson's 2 star review for Fairfax.

In cinemas now. Trailer here.

DESPICABLE ME 3 - film

Despicable Me 3 is the third (der) in the Despicable Me series of animated films, aimed at kids but not without fun for adults too.

This film is joyful good fun for kids and adults alike. Truly, I just loved it and so did my sister and two nieces who are 10 and 14. Miss 10 is quite the Despicable Me fan so I take her view seriously & she really loved it. I got them to give you a quick lowdown that you can listen to here:

If you're familiar with the franchise, you will be happy to hear your old favourites Gru, Lucy, Margo, Edith & Agnes are back, as well as those giggle-inducing Minions. Don't sweat it if you haven't seen the first two films though and that means nothing to you. I had seen the first one, and maybe the second one, but I didn't remember much and Despicable Me 3 stands alone just fine. In this installment, Gru is in battle with evil '80s star Balthazar Bratt, voiced by Trey Parker of South Park fame. The '80s angle brings some great laughs for the adults and contributes to the rockin' soundtrack.

Reviews of the film are embargoed til release day so I can't tell you what proper critics think of this one but if they didn't enjoy this, they're morons. It's just damn good fun. Highly recommend!

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

THE MUMMY - film

The Mummy is a US action film starring Tom Cruise as Nick Morton, a soldier who pinches ancient artifacts from all around the world and sells them online. Some of you may remember the 1999 version of the same film starring Brendan Fraser. I confess I haven't seen that one so it was all new to me and I went in with an open mind.

Unfortunately said open mind was filled with a big ol' pile of stupid when I watched this one. But I will say it was more watchable stupid than I expected. Not many proper critics are with me on that front; the film is being pretty universally panned. In fact, news.com.au have amused themselves by collating the best lines from the bad reviews here, if you're interested.

It's a complex and silly plot and therefore difficult to sum up 'cut to the chase' style so I'll take the description from the distributor for you: " Though safely entombed in a crypt deep beneath the unforgiving desert, an ancient princess, whose destiny was unjustly taken from her, is awakened in our current day bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia, and terrors that defy human comprehension. "

Along with Tom Cruise, whose lame doe-eyed 'I'm puzzled face' is only partially offset by his bangin' 54 year old rig, the film also stars Russell Crowe (who ain't the hottie leading man he once was, I'll say that much) in a wise professor-type role and Sofia Boutella as The Mummy.

The friend I saw the film with gave me specific instructions to quote her in this blog. Her thoughts? "I was embarrassed for Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe. People were laughing and it is not a comedy."

So in summary, I wasn't a fan of this one but in the interests of fairness, here's a three star review from The Telegraph (UK) which manages to find more positives than most other critics.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

20th CENTURY WOMEN - film

Set in American in 1979, this indy comedy drama was nominated for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes this year so I had high hopes.

I didn't hate it but I also didn't love it. It was just all a bit too pretentious for this bogan.

Annette Benning is in the lead as Dorothea, a fifty-something year old single mum of Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann) living in a large home in Southern California with boarders William (Billy Crudup), Abbie (Greta Gerwig) and Julie (Elle Fanning). Well, Julie isn't quite a boarder but she's Jamie's best friend who often stays the night.

This film is sort of a coming-of-age story based on Jamie but our 20th Century Women are of course Dorothea, Abbie and Julie, who all have a unique influence on Jamie's life and these are the stories that shape the film.

There's some good performances but a special shout out for Elle Fanning who is excellent and at just 19 years old is destined for lots more great roles.

It speaks volumes that when I looked up some reviews of the film, I saw two separate ones in The Guardian, one gave it two stars and the other gave it four. I get it. I'm more in the two camp. About half way through this two hour film I looked at my watch thinking, this feels long and like it's not really going anywhere. But like I said, I didn't hate it... just didn't love it.

Trailer here. In cinemas Thursday 1 June.

GET OUT - film

With special thanks to guest blogger Jo, who is far from a scaredy cat like me, here's the Cut To The Chase verdict on Get Out...

“What an interesting, unpretentious movie Get Out is. Made on a relative shoestring budget it works on so many levels that a viewing will not disappoint. What starts out as a “meet-the-family” weekend for the main characters, a very appealing interracial dating couple slowly builds step-by-step into an intriguing thriller. Initial first questions (is Rose’s family too good to be true, are they hidden racists, are they just douchebag wannabees) are cleverly crafted to mask the real intent of the movie - what appears to be boringly normal, may not be so “normal” after all. There are some moments of suspenseful shocks, balanced nicely by a wry humour (and some genuinely funny dialogue). It’s not really possible to discuss much else without giving away some major plot surprises, so suffice to say it’s worth a ticket. This reviewer didn’t find it particularly scary, however one of my viewing companions did mention a racing heart and holding of breath. It’s probably somewhere in between.

I would give it a solid 4 out of 5 – and friends keep that teaspoon and willow-pattern teacup away from me........”

In cinemas now. Trailer here.

SNATCHED - film

I love Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn too actually so I had high hopes for Snatched, the new comedy they're in, and that Amy is an executive producer of.

Alas, Snatched was a big ol' let down.

Goldie Hawn is a great actress and Amy Schumer is a good actress but neither are good enough to lift this into really enjoyable territory. To be fair, there is definitely some good laughs. I laughed out loud quite a few times but the storyline... oh boy. They play mother (Linda) and daughter (Emily) on holiday in Ecuador after Emily's boyfriend dumps her and she's fired from her job. They wind up victims of a kidnap plot and madness ensues. At various times through the jungle-based madness Goldie's hair get a spruce up, annoyingly.

Plenty of comedies have dumb plots and somehow survive that (Anchorman, for example) but this just doesn't. I'm not sure why. There was a group of six women sitting near me and listening to them discuss it afterwards I felt vindicated. They thought it was really ordinary.

news.com.au gave it just two stars so I feel further vindicated. There's some reviews that are a little more positive but I haven't seen any that are glowing. I guess my view is that it's pleasant enough to watch if it pops up on TV or something, but that I can't say I'd recommend rushing out to the cinema to pay $20+ to see it.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

PORK PIE - film

Pork Pie is a New Zealand comedy which bodes well as far as I'm concerned because anything funny is at least 15% funnier when delivered with that glorious NZ accent.

It's a remake of a 1981 film Goodbye Pork Pie which I haven't seen. You haven't either, have you?

Anyway, it's what you might call a 'road comedy' where a couple of guys Jon and Luke (Dean O'Gorman and James Rolleston who you will recognise if you have seen Boy) are thrown together in unlikely circumstances and wind up escaping various troubles on a road trip, eventually joined by a young woman Kiera (Australian Ashleigh Cummings).

I was enjoying it at first, finding it quite charming but it does get very silly. Like, hard to go with kind of silly. Ultimately I didn't dislike it but I can't honestly recommend you rush out and spend a lobster on seeing it.

I saw it with a friend and her verdict is as follows: "Strong open, some funny moments but not strong enough Kiwi accents to carry it. The three main characters were all good actors but the story just didn't mesh. It was a good reminder of how beautiful NZ is, though." I concur.

New Ltd film critic Leigh Paatsch enjoyed it a bit more than us, giving it three stars. Read his thoughts for more on the film if you're keen.

Trailer here. In cinemas now.

BERLIN SYNDROME - film

Based on a novel of the same name by Melburnian Melanie Joosten, this thriller Australian film is filmed partly in Berlin, partly in Melbourne.

Starring Aussie Teresa Palmer as backpacker Clare, we follow her seemingly spontaneous journey to Berlin where she meets local charmer Andi, played by Max Riemelt. Andi turns out to be a big ol' kook with issues to boot.

Despite a middle patch that made me wish it would hurry along a bit, I ended up enjoying this one. Well, certainly finding it as thrilling as intended. I don't want to include too much on the plot but suffice to say, when Clare finds herself captive by Andi, the complexities of their relationship demonstrate why the film draws on the notion of Stockholm syndrome.

The resolution stretched the friendship a little, though only a little, and it wrapped up a bit too quickly and with lots unresolved but with a running time at almost two hours, any more would have really tested my patience!

It's not five stars, rush out and see it kind of good but I'd happy put it at 3 or 3.5 stars and recommend if especially if you like a thriller. Here's a 3.5 star review in News Ltd if you want to read more.

Trailer here. Opens 20 April 2017.

LOVING - film

Loving is a drama based on a true story from America's south in the 1950s. Mildred (Ethiopian Irish actress Ruth Negga) and Richard (Australian Joel Edgerton) are fighting for the right to live as a mixed race couple in conservative home town of Virginia. They marry in Washington but on returning to Virginia face increasingly awful discrimination and even wind up jailed for this 'crime' for a time.

Loving didn't get any best picture nominations in the recent US 'awards season' but Ruth Negga was nominated for best actress at both the Oscars and Golden Globes and Joel Edgerton for best actor in the Golden Globes. Both give excellent performances that I would describe as understated. I guess it's just the nature of the characters they're playing but this style of performance and indeed characters did mean that my reactions to them were also understated. Whilst it's a story that is at times very sad and at times very uplifting, it didn't bring me to tears once. I literally had the tissues out of my bag ready! (It's important for you to know that I cry at the lamest of things... you know, emotional Kleenex ads and the like.)

So to summarise, I do think this film is a great one but it didn't illicit a strong reaction in me. I left just thinking it was great but not with any particular enthusiasm. I was interested to stumble on this three star review from The Guardian after I saw the film in which the critic says "there might be something a little reticent and even occasionally underpowered about it". Words better crafted than my own to describe my feelings!

Trailer here. In cinemas from Thursday 16 March.

THE BOOK OF MORMON - musical theatre

Have you ever wondered what happens if there's a medical emergency in the audience in the middle of a musical theatre show? Read on to find out.

The Book of Mormon is a satirical musical theatre production currently playing in Melbourne off the back of award-winning seasons on Broadway (US) and the West End (UK). It's written by the blokes behind the controversial animated TV show South Park and, surprise, takes the piss out of the Mormon religion.

We follow Elder Cunningham and Elder Price (American Mormons) on their missionary journey to Uganda where their resolve is tested in all kinds of amusing ways.

This show is hilarious and so, so well done! I heard lots of reviews saying that it's very offensive and not for the faint-hearted and that's certainly true but I think I was expecting it to be even worse than it was! 

Going to the theatre in Australia is an expensive undertaking but if you can afford it, definitely scrape together the cash to see this one. You will have a fantastic night!

Now back to that medical emergency question... in the middle of one of the big musical numbers, suddenly a big group in the audience right near the front of the stage stood up and there was yelling. Due to the volume of the song being performed it was hard to tell what exactly was being said. At first I thought it was part of the show and they had planted protesters or something in the crowd but it soon became clear that wasn't what was going on and someone was in strife. Staff cottoned on and came running but the seats are all so close together at The Princess Theatre that they couldn't get to the person right away. So people were standing up trying to get out of the way and many trying to help etc. It turns out the old saying "the show must go on" is true, because the performers just kept going but it was clear that some of them at least were understandably distracted. They did stop the show at the end of that musical number but by then the unwell person had been taken outside of the theatre anyway, so it was only a brief pause. So there you go. It was a bit hot in the theatre (dress light if you go) so if you were feeling faint that might have done you in... here's hoping that's all it was and the person has fully recovered.

If you'd like to read more, in the form of a proper critique, check out this five star review in The Age.

* Photo from artsreview.com.au by Jeff Busby

JASPER JONES - film

Based on a popular novel of the same name, Jasper Jones is an Australian film that's part coming of age and part murder mystery.

I thought it was fantastic and would definitely recommend it.

Charlie Bucktin (Levi Miller) is a 14 year old boy living in a small WA town and one night a tap on his bedroom window from Jasper Jones (Aaron McGrath) sets him on a strange path of helping to solve a local mystery. All eyes are on "Mad Jack Lionel" (Hugo Weaving) as the guilty party but of course things are never that simple. Some of you may have seen Weaving on the publicity for this trail for this film so I'll warn you, if you're expecting to see a lot of him you'll be disappointed. He's great of course but actually doesn't have that much screen time.

Charlie's friend Jeffery Lu (Kevin Long) gets a bit more screen time and every moment of it is a pleasure to watch. Well, HE is a pleasure to watch - his storyline in unfortunately one that reminds us how racist a place Australia can be. Charlie's parents are played by Toni Collette and Dan Wylie and they're both superb in this. Collette's storyline is a bit more meaty than Wylie's and gives her the chance to knock it out the ballpark.

Given the whole mystery thing I won't elaborate on the story but to summarise, I really enjoyed this film and would happily recommend it.

Here's a four star review from Daily Review if you'd like to read more. I don't do star ratings but this is probably what I'd give it too.

Big thanks to Kris and the team at the beautiful Sun Theatre in Yarraville for having me at their special preview screening with Q&A. You should definitely catch Jasper Jones at The Sun if you're in the western part of Melbourne!

Trailer here. In cinemas Thursday 2 March.

HIDDEN FIGURES - film

This American drama is based on a true story and a book of the same name. It's about three female African American mathematicians who work at NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) in the 1960s, a time when black people and especially black women faced significant discrimination.

I really enjoyed this film a lot. Despite there being some uncomfortable racism and sexism on display (some dished up by a head engineer played by Jim Parsons of Big Bang Theory fame... Noooooo, Sheldon!) this is ultimately a heartwarming, feel good film.

The actresses who play the three women, Taraji P Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae, all give wonderful performances, with Spencer nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her trouble. Hidden Figures is also nominated in the Best Picture category of the Oscars. For what it's worth, I'd be really surprised if it wins but the fact that it's a nominee speaks volumes.

The friend I saw it with said she "really liked it but didn't love, love, love it". She described it as "sweet" and noted that she cried three or four times but said it's "no comparison to Manchester By The Sea" which she loved and is also nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. She also thought it was no comparison to La La Land but I think La La Land is completely overrated so let's just ignore that bit.

I'd happily recommend Hidden Figures, it's completely lovely. Here's a good four star review from The Guardian if you want to read more.

Trailer here. In cinemas Thursday 16 February but there is preview screenings 10-12 February if you're keen.

MANCHESTER BY THE SEA - film

Manchester by the Sea, an American drama starring Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams and Kyle Chandler, is a very good film. At 2 hours 17 minutes it's about half an hour too long, but it's a very good film in spite of that.

Affleck plays Lee Chandler, a complex man struggling to keep afloat in his own grief. I'll let you discover what caused much of that grief but part of it is that his brother Joe (Kyle Chandler) has died and he finds himself the guardian of Joe's teenage son Patrick.

Sometimes when the characters in a film are grieving I find it makes the film unpleasant to watch, just because you get caught up in the grief and it drags you down. Now whilst this film is not what I'd call a toe-tapper, it doesn't drag you down. It just makes you really care about the characters.

The film jumps between times when Lee is married to Randi, Michelle Williams, and to a later time when they are no longer together. I usually prefer a more linear structure (I'm just a simple gal with simple tastes) but this is actually fine and Michelle Williams gives a very good performance; probably the best I've seen her. But speaking of very good performances, brace yourself for Casey Affleck. If you've ever wanted evidence that he's a superior actor to his brother Ben (#lowbar) you'll find it here. He's brilliant. (It made me ponder why he hasn't had more work and a mate basically said DER and outlined this to me. I'd forgotten.)

There's some sad moments that made me reach for a tissue but there's also some unexpected laughs. If they shaved 25-30 minutes off the first hour of the film which is a little slow, it would be top notch but as it is, it's excellent and still worth a look.

Here's a four star review in the Sydney Morning Herald if you want to read more. Opens in cinemas on Thursday 2 February.  Trailer here.

LION - film

This film is based on the true biographical story of Indian Australian, Saroo Brierley. It is a brilliant film that I absolutely loved. My favourite film in ages.

Saroo was born in India and through a sad chain of events was separated from his family. He winds up at an orphanage and subsequently adopted, along with another Indian boy, by Australian couple Sue and John, played in the film by Nicole Kidman and David Wenham. Saroo then goes to incredible lengths to try to reconnect with his family, despite having very little to go on to help find them.

There are so many twists and turns in this story and I wouldn't dare spoil them but I will say this - if this story were written by a Hollywood script writer you probably wouldn't buy it. I was lucky to attend a preview screening of this film at which the real Saroo (now in his 30s) and Sue spoke and answered questions. I was struck by the fact they said that in the making of the film, they insisted the film makers stuck pretty faithfully to the true story and some of it is a bit grim. But ultimately this story will make your heart soar. Truly, it's so great that I just can't recommend it highly enough. It was nominated for Best Picture (drama) at the Golden Globes as well as bunch of other awards and deservedly so.

Have a listen to this quick babble from me on the film... (For now I have a one-take policy on these audio recordings but for what it's worth, I'll try to say "umm" less in future!)

Hearty thanks to The Sun Theatre in Yarraville, Melbourne, for having me along to the preview. It was so great to hear from Saroo and Sue as well as see the film in such a beautiful setting.

Trailer here. In cinemas Thursday 19 January 2017. Do take some tissues!

MONSTER TRUCKS - film

Monster Trucks is a live action/animated film for kids and unfortunately I was unable to attend the preview. Happily my friends Mel and Jamie were able to take their kids Alannah and James along and give us their verdict from the perspective of kids and parents. Thanks, guys!

Here's what Mel had to say:

"Tripp, a high school senior, is tired of the life and the town he was born into. With no way out of town, he starts to build a monster truck out of scrapped cars from the local wrecking yard he works at. After an accident at a local oil-drilling site, a creature is unearthed that might just be they key to getting him out of town. That is the synopsis in a nutshell, there is another storyline kind of playing out, but it is all about Creech, the strange creature that suddenly appears.

I must admit, I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. Given the title, I was not quite sure what to expect, however there was lots of action, a bit of humour and even a touch of romance. It wouldn't be a movie I would go and see myself but I think it's a great movie to see with children. Both of mine loved the action and though Creech was cute."

And here's what six year old James had to say:

It hasn't received any glowing reviews that I can find but here is Film Ink's not-terrible-but-not-brilliant review if you'd like to read more.

Big thank you to Mel, Jamie, James and Alannah for covering this one!

Trailer here. Opens in cinemas on Thursday 12 January.

LA LA LAND - film

La La Land, a musical starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, is getting lots of rave reviews and is nominated for a bunch of Golden Globes. So does it live up to the hype?

Not for this little black duck. I accept that I am in the minority, though certainly not alone, in finding this film really quite dull.

It's a boy-meets-girl love story (she's trying to make it as an actress in Hollywood, he as a jazz pianist) and despite having an unpredictable ending I found the storyline quite ho hum. It was only about half way through this two hour film that anything interesting happened! And even then it didn't last that long.

As a musical lover, I have to say that my primary objection to this film is that the stars, Stone and Gosling, can't actually sing very well. They're not terrible, but they're nowhere near good enough to lead a musical in my view. Neither are particularly good dancers either and the dance scenes aren't exactly electric. Also on the subject of it being a musical, I also felt like the film actually wasn't quite sure if it was a musical or not. There certainly weren't as many songs as I would have predicted for a film categorised as a musical. OK I'm going to stop saying the word musical now.

I saw this film with two friends and they both liked it and mounted a spirited defence (ie "she's wrong"... "Oh my God" etc) when I said I didn't. Here's how that conversation unfolded. (Be grateful - this is the short version.)

A five star review in The Guardian for your reference but this article, "La La Land is a terrible film, but it will win Best Picture at the Oscars anyway" in the Fairfax press is excellent and I completely agree! If you want to watch a great musical starring incredible triple threats, get yourself a copy of the 1952 hit Singin' in the Rain. Seriously.

La La Land is in cinemas now. Trailer here.

SING - film

This animated film for kids has a great cast of voices as an array of animal characters, including Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, John C Reilly and Jennifer Saunders.

The animals are united by a singing contest so they're an eclectic bunch united only by their vocal talent. I don't think there's much to be gained from giving you their back stories but just know there's heart to this film too. Nothing too soppy, just charming.

I really enjoyed Sing! It was probably about 15 minutes too long, but other than that no complaints from me.It was just damn good fun, the perfect thing for kids on school holidays.  Speaking of which, I took along three of my nieces and they all liked it too. Click play to hear their verdict... (Please ignore my awful nasal voice!)

Here's a 3.5 star review from the Herald Sun which I think is fair. This film won't rock your world, but it's just good fun!

Here's the trailer. In cinemas now.

JACKIE - film

This biopic stars Natalie Portman as Jackie Kennedy, wife of US President John F Kennedy, in the aftermath of his infamous assassination in the early 1960s.

Portman gives an excellent performance and has been nominated for Best Actress in a Drama in the 2017 Golden Globes for her trouble.

We see a little of their married life as President and First Lady in the film but for most of it Jackie is grieving in the spotlight while trying to console her two young children and define her husband's famous legacy.

This film is getting rave reviews and I can see why but I won't lie to you, dear readers... I got a bit bored. For me, this is one to catch when it comes out on DVD/digital, rather than rushing out to spend your hard earned at the cinema.

Here's a glowing review in Rolling Stone magazine if you'd like to read a bit more on the film.

Trailer here. In cinemas 12 January.

OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY

You know this type, guys. A Christmas comedy film with a few big names to lure you to the cinema in the holiday season.

So what's the verdict? It's not good news, I'm afraid.

For the first 20 minutes or so of this 105 minute film I was thinking, 'this is actually ok... not brilliant, but enjoyable, light, Christmas fun...' Unfortunately it went pretty steadily down hill from there. The laughs became less frequent, the storyline became more and more stupid and it was all just a bit ho hum.

Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman star in it and I bloody love Jason Bateman so I was a bit sad to see him be in this dud. He does what he can with the ordinary script and is pleasant to watch as always (#childofthe80s) and Jennifer Aniston is good to but it ain't enough. Kate McKinnon, who comedy nerds like me will know from SNL stardom, is funny in this as the wowser HR lady but again, it just ain't enough.

Quick plot outline - a fun & funny guy running a family tech business is threatened to be shut down by his sister (Aniston) who is the CEO of the business. Operation Save The Business commences and craziness ensues. Bet you can't guess how it ends! (Spoiler alert - he does save the business & it's happy ever after with him and the sister... So surprising, huh?!)

This 1.5 star review on news.com.au is pretty brutal but I have to say I agree with it.

In cinemas now. Trailer here.