Cut Print Review » Opinion http://cutprintreview.com Australian Movie Reviews, Film News & Competitions Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:56:59 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Hakuna matata for The Lion King 3D http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/hakuna-matata-for-the-lion-king-3d/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/hakuna-matata-for-the-lion-king-3d/#comments Mon, 10 Oct 2011 02:01:54 +0000 Katina Vangopoulos http://cutprintreview.com/?p=18874 The opening cries of “Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba” to a rising sun still sends shivers down the spine almost 20 years after The Lion King’s initial release. Anyone lucky enough to attend a screening during the 2011 release will likely remember the revisit for the ambience as much as the film. Children of a new generation experiencing it for the first time, feeble singing coming from the person in the [...]]]> The opening cries of “Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba” to a rising sun still sends shivers down the spine almost 20 years after The Lion King’s initial release. Anyone lucky enough to attend a screening during the 2011 release will likely remember the revisit for the ambience as much as the film. Children of a new generation experiencing it for the first time, feeble singing coming from the person in the back row — and for some, male European tourists deciding to do a dance and sing-along to the credits on the open floor. The Disney Effect is still upon us all.

The endearing charm of Disney arguably peaked during the years many of us at Cut Print Review were experiencing cinema for the first time as young children. While the animation stalwart has gone in a different direction since that period, new technology enables all of us to experience that charm on the big screen once more. Bringing The Lion King to a new generation is one thing, but to bring it back for those growing up with it and those who gave their children the chance to see it is another point entirely.

Disney was always buying in on the 3D craze. What better way to keep the love for their most impressive films going (and cash-in once more) then a digital remastering? The chance of it going pear-shaped is always a worry – changed endings on Star Wars DVDs an example – but not overusing the technology is key. As the saying goes, keep it simple stupid. And they did. What many argue to be Disney’s best feature undeniably still stands as a masterpiece, with the 3D reworking enhancing the amazing array of colours – particularly doing wonders for characters Zazu and Rafiki.

lion king 50671 Hakuna matata for The Lion King 3D

Michael Wakelam, the manager of Reading Cinemas in Dubbo, first saw The Lion King as a 20 year old and appreciated its all-round humour. The excitement was undeniable as he described his disbelief at how good it came up on the big screen. As one of the last of the hand-drawn animations from Disney before the collaboration with Pixar, people still feel that sense of nostalgia as one of the great artistic crafts slowly wanes to this day. But The Lion King holds up because of its star power. Elton John and Tim Rice’s collaboration produced some of Disney’s best songs, characters Timon and Pumbaa were so lovable they sparked a long-running spin-off series, and vocal talents from Rowan Atkinson, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Nathan Lane, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons and Matthew Broderick are strong.

Perhaps the best way to sum it up is simply to imagine those Europeans attempting to sing ‘The Circle of Life’ with great gusto. In broken English, yes, but that just shows the reach that The Lion King, like most Disney films of the 90s, had and continue to have. They hadn’t seen the film for over a decade but the love and admiration for it was undeniably apparent. It’s a film that still manages to produce laughter and tears, with great innuendos and a beautiful story that stands as a reminder of the importance of family. US and UK audiences chose this over Brad Pitt’s Oscar-buzz performance in Moneyball, which speaks volumes.

Things may come and go, but The Lion King – whether in 3D or not – has already proved it stands the test of time. Hakuna matata!

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/hakuna-matata-for-the-lion-king-3d/feed/ 0 MIFF 2011 Diary: Days 13-16 http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/miff-2011-diary-days-13-16/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/miff-2011-diary-days-13-16/#comments Mon, 08 Aug 2011 03:29:38 +0000 Tom Clift http://cutprintreview.com/?p=18238 Furry red monsters.  Super-powered Zebra-men. The apocalypse.

No, I haven’t been driven mad by lack of sleep. These are all things that made appearances in the films I’ve been watching over the last four days, along with a butt-naked warlord, a disgraced New York politician and about half the population of Earth. And although the days have begun to blur together as the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) rapidly approaches its [...]]]> Furry red monsters.  Super-powered Zebra-men. The apocalypse.

No, I haven’t been driven mad by lack of sleep. These are all things that made appearances in the films I’ve been watching over the last four days, along with a butt-naked warlord, a disgraced New York politician and about half the population of Earth. And although the days have begun to blur together as the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) rapidly approaches its end, the films continue to alternatingly surprise, disappoint and delight.

Work and study have kept most of my MIFF screenings this week to the late afternoon and evening. Tuesday (Day 13) began very poorly, with the not-as-funny-as-the-name-suggests documentary The Redemption of General Butt Naked. The story of a murderous African warlord who reinvents himself as an evangelical preacher, I found the film to be preachy, exploitative and generally pretty vile .

I had a far better time with my next film: Jesse Peretz’s funny if rather by-the-numbers comedy Our Idiot Brother, a film elevated by its pitch-perfect cast. My reaction to the film may have been more positive because of the garbage I’d seen directly before, and is also definitely indicative of my tendency over the last two weeks to enjoy films with a lighter, more humorous touch (as opposed to those sombre dramatic films that might spring to mind when you hear the words “film festival”). Still, I don’t wish to discredit the film, which I very much enjoyed and can’t wait to see again. I didn’t stick around for a Q&A with the director though, as I had work early the next morning and desperately needed to get to bed.

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Jesse Peretz’s Our Idiot Brother.

Wednesday went the other way, starting well and ending… weird. Being Elmo was first, a fuzzy (pun absolutely intended) documentary about the man behind the world’s most popular red Muppet. Although by no means earth shattering, the movie was perfectly sweet and played the audience like a fiddle; not a dry eye in the house when Elmo meets with a Make-A-Wish child, while an off-hand reference to the puppeteer’s involvement in Dark Crystal provoked laughs of nostalgic delight.

Elmo was also very short, which meant I had plenty of time before my next screening in the same location. Wandering around the theatre lobby, I bumped into Simon Miraudo of Quickflix. Seeing a whopping sixty films (close to twice as many as I) at the festival as part of the MIFF 60th Anniversary Blog-a-thon, Simon was a little bleary eyed, but we still had a good chat about the festival, films, blogging and life in general as we waited in line for our next MIFF ’11 experience.

And what an experience it was. Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra City kicks off pretty much straight after Zebraman 1 — which would be fine, if anyone in the audience had actually seen Zebraman 1. Eventually the film transports us twenty-five years into the future, where Tokyo has been renamed Zebra City, and ruled over by a malevolent dictator and his sadistic pop-star daughter. Quite a contrast between director Takashi Miike’s other film at the festival, the straight faced Samurai epic 13 Assassins.

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Takashi Miike’s Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra City.

Now believe it or not, I thought there was a lot of promise in the first twenty-or-so minutes of this film. Over-the-top to be sure, but in between the giant farting alien and the fishnet-clad police officers, there was actually some stuff about government control and media influences that seemed to actually be going somewhere. But the absurdity of the film is just too…well…absurd, and it’s also way, way too long. Overall there were definitely some funny moments and a few smacks of social commentary, but mostly it was just dumb.

Thursday was a day for three slightly — or in some cases, extremely — self-indulgent projects that went from ‘Great’, to ‘Ok’, to ‘Pretty Bloody Awful’. ‘Great’ was Life in a Day, the documentary compiled from thousands of hours of footage submitted to YouTube that charts the path of a single day on earth. Broad, but also intimate and often very moving, the film is a definite highlight of the festival so far, and a unique and very memorable experience.

The ‘Ok’ film of the night was Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer, a documentary that basically plays like a smear campaign of everyone who isn’t Eliot Spitzer. Spitzer, by the way, was a high profile New York politician poised to become the next US President, until he was caught keeping the company of some very expensive escort girls. The subject matter is definitely interesting, but the blatant bias of the film got a little annoying (and this coming from someone who mostly agrees with Spitzer’s politics). Still, it played great to the clearly very liberal festival audience, and was sent off with an especially generous dose of applause.

client 91 e1312773509474 600x300 MIFF 2011 Diary: Days 13 16Alex Gibney’s Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer.

Last and certainly least was Sion Sono’s Guilty of Romance. Sono, I’ll admit, wasn’t a name I was familiar with before examining the MIFF programme in the weeks leading up to the festival, but a quick Wikipedia search revealed his reputation for making films with extreme and disturbing content. Guilty of Romance was one of two films he had the MIFF this year; I’m told Cold Fish, which I couldn’t make due to scheduling conflicts, was the considerably better of the two.

Guilty of Romance tells the story of a straight-laced Japanese housewife who slowly starts to experiment with her sexuality, first as a nude model, then a porn-star, before eventually taking the step into full-blown prostitution. Sono shoots the film beautifully, and there are plenty of memorable, bizarre and disturbing images peppered throughout. But as the story escalates it just gets dumber and dumber – dialogue goes around in circles, characters behave in ways that don’t make any sense and eventually even the sex and violence becomes kind of a bore. It’s by no means the worst film of MIFF’11, but it’s definitely amongst the stupidest.

But wouldn’t you know it; MIFF saved the worst for last. My Friday actually began great, as I got the chance to meet with long time blogging friend Andy Buckle of Andy Buckle’s Film Emporium, down from Sydney for the last few days of the festival. We were both pretty excited for our back-to-back evening screenings of two of the festivals most anticipated films: Lars von Trier’s Melancholia (pictured atop of this article) and Lena Dunham’s indie comedy Tiny Furniture. We were also joined in the former screening by Julian Buckeridge of At The Cinema.

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Lena Dunham’s Tiny Furniture.

Now, before I give my thoughts on either film, I should acknowledge up front that most of the other critics loved both of them; Julian loved Melancholia, while Glenn Dunks of Stale Popcorn counts both them amongst his very favourites of the festival (and the guy’s seen nearly sixty films!) Personally, however, I couldn’t stand either one. Melancholia, despite some beautiful imagery, was drawn out and tedious, and played like Antichrist with all the interesting and/or horrifying content removed. Tiny Furniture was better, but its selfish, annoying, “oh-aren’t-we-so-witty” characters drove me up the wall. Expect two extremely scathing reviews of both films in the coming days.

So now we’re into the home stretch. Saturday and Sunday are the last two days of the festival, but they’re also easily my busiest – I’m seeing nine films, including the highly raved about Martha Marcy May Marlene and the award winning Once Upon A Time In Anatolia. Let’s hope they’re an improvement on the last lot.

—

Tom Clift is a web-based film journalist from Melbourne, Australia. Visit his website here: http://reviewsbytom.blogspot.com.

You can read all of Tom Clift’s coverage of MIFF 2011 here.

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]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/miff-2011-diary-days-13-16/feed/ 2 MIFF 2011 Diary: Days 10-12 http://cutprintreview.com/festivals/miff-2011-diary-days-10-12/ http://cutprintreview.com/festivals/miff-2011-diary-days-10-12/#comments Mon, 01 Aug 2011 07:20:51 +0000 Tom Clift http://cutprintreview.com/?p=18055 Exhausting. That’s the word I’d use to describe my weekend. At this point I’m roughly half-way through my Melbourne International Film Festival experience, with the six festival films I saw over the past two days (five of them in the span of less than twelve hours!) bringing my grand total to an even sixteen overall. So without further adieu, let’s dive in to what I’ve been up to.

When you [...]]]> Exhausting. That’s the word I’d use to describe my weekend. At this point I’m roughly half-way through my Melbourne International Film Festival experience, with the six festival films I saw over the past two days (five of them in the span of less than twelve hours!) bringing my grand total to an even sixteen overall. So without further adieu, let’s dive in to what I’ve been up to.

When you last heard from me, it was in the extremely early hours of Saturday, and I had just gotten back from a late night screening of James Gunn’s Super. Collapsing into bed for what was meant to be just a few hours of precious sleep, I awoke at 10am and realised I was in serious danger of missing my first screening of the day – an 11am session of Errol Morris’ Tabloid. Bolting down some breakfast and forgoing my usual morning shower (apologies to anyone seated near me during the day), I threw myself onto a tram — nearly breaking my arm in a closing door — and headed into the city. Even with me cracking the whip over my tram-drivers head, I still arrived at the Greater Union cinema a good twenty minutes late, and had to quietly make my way in to the already darkened cinema.

tabloid1 e1312182624864 600x333 MIFF 2011 Diary: Days 10 12Errol Morris’ Tabloid

Coming into the movie while it was already well and truly underway was at first a little confusing, but I soon enough got a grip as to what was going on. The film documents the coverage of a high-profile tabloid story in England in the 1970s that of former beauty queen Joyce McKinney, who allegedly kidnapped, seduced and raped Kirk Anderson, a Utah man who just so happened to be a Mormon missionary. Unsurprisingly, the press had a field day, and through interviews with the now middle-aged but still gregarious McKinney – who still maintains that her “victim” left with her willingly – as well as journalists of the time, Morris demonstrates the enormous and amoral lengths tabloid reporters will go to get a story. Watching this at times outrageous and frequently bizarre story unfold, one couldn’t help but think of the recent ‘News of the World’ scandal that has just rocked the UK government, an it’s somewhat chilling to consider how much more insidious tabloid journalism has become since the case of Joyce McKinney.

Trading one lot of upsettingly cup holder-less Greater Union seats for another, I settled in to the theatre for my next screening – a Norwegian film entitled The Liverpool Goalie which I know almost nothing about. Turns out it was a charming little coming-of-age comedy about a thirteen year old boy named Jo who spends most of his time avoiding the attention of the school bully, attempting to woo a pretty new female student, and trying desperately to track down the elusive football card from which the film gets its name.

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Arild Andresen’s The Liverpool Goalie

Strolling down to ACMI (The Australian Centre for the Moving Image) in Federation Square, I had time to grab a quick coffee and have a brief chat with a fellow MIFFer in Darcy McCallum before adjoining to the theatre for my first Australian film of the festival so far: Ivan Sen’s Toomelah, a tale of a young boy living in an impoverished Aboriginal community. Despite its positive reception at Cannes, the depressing subject matter meant that I was not particularly looking forward to this film, and my expectations were pretty much lived up to. It’s not that the movie was bad – the acting is all excellent, the dialect (a broken form of English subtitled for the entirety of the film) is fascinating, and the lose narrative provided quite a few moments of tension and drama. But there are better films that deal with similar themes in more interesting ways, and ultimately I didn’t think Toomelah was compelling enough to recommend sitting through its uncompromising bleakness.

No time to wallow in misery however, because as soon as the lights came up I was off again, back to Greater Union for She Monkeys (pictured atop of this post), a Swedish film from first time director Lisa Aschan. A creepy mood-piece about female sexuality, it follows fifteen year old Emma, a nearly emotionless, possibly sociopathic girl who begins a sexually charged friendship with a rival girl from her horse riding club. The movie had a couple of pretty effective moments of atmosphere, but the rest of the time I found it to be muddled, unclear and at a certain point pretty uninteresting.

With Toomelah and She Monkeys dealing back to back blows to my normally cheerful outlook towards life, I was really hoping my final screening in this very long day would be a good one. Thankfully, although Morgan Spurlock’s POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold is far from the most impressive or important documentary at the festival, it’s irreverent and knowingly gimmicky approach to examining product placement in movies was exactly what I needed to reinvigorate myself. Just as entertaining as the film itself was the post-film Q&A with the director himself, who emerged wearing a suit covered in the films sponsors, and participated in the interview while drinking from a bottle of POM. Charismatic and very funny, he took questions from the audience and repeatedly made joking (or maybe they weren’t) plugs for the brands that appeared in the film.

the greatest movie ever sold1 MIFF 2011 Diary: Days 10 12Morgan Spurlock’s POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold.

Upon getting home I promptly melted into my bed, where I remained sleeping until the early hours of Sunday afternoon. I had only one MIFF film planned for that day, but it was never the less one of my most hotly anticipated movies of the fest: Jason Eisener’s Grindhouse spin-off Hobo With A Shotgun. By that standard, I think it was probably the biggest disappointment I’ve had at the festival so far. The film is a series of horrific, over the top and often hilariously violent money shots and filthy one-liners that would have been far more entertaining had they been woven together in a montage rather than spread throughout an otherwise boring and pretty tedious story.

The coming week will be a little quieter, what with me having to fit work and study in between screenings. Some of the more interesting upcoming titles for my next few days include Being Elmo, Life in a Day and the film that after the disappointment of Hobo has become my new hope for a wild and whacky cult film extravaganza: Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra City. After that I’ll be gearing up for another huge weekend, in which I’ll be squeezing in nine more films before the festival comes to a close.

As I said, exhausting.

—

Tom Clift is a web-based film journalist from Melbourne, Australia. Visit his website here: http://reviewsbytom.blogspot.com.

You can read all of Tom Clift’s coverage of MIFF 2011 here.

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]]> http://cutprintreview.com/festivals/miff-2011-diary-days-10-12/feed/ 2 MIFF 2011 Diary: Days 5-9 http://cutprintreview.com/festivals/miff-2011-diary-days-5-9/ http://cutprintreview.com/festivals/miff-2011-diary-days-5-9/#comments Sat, 30 Jul 2011 05:20:08 +0000 Tom Clift http://cutprintreview.com/?p=18010 Judging purely by the quality of the films I have seen, days five through nine at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) have been a marked improvement on my bumpy days one to four. With a combination of intriguing documentaries, moving dramas and one outrageous comedy, in the last five days I have seen six films, almost all of which have managed to live up to my [...]]]> Judging purely by the quality of the films I have seen, days five through nine at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) have been a marked improvement on my bumpy days one to four. With a combination of intriguing documentaries, moving dramas and one outrageous comedy, in the last five days I have seen six films, almost all of which have managed to live up to my increasingly high expectations for what the festival has to offer.

It all got off to a rather ignominious start however. Monday was my first day back at University, the first of a strenuous two day week (one of the perks of being an Arts student). Because of this, I was unfortunately unable to attend any screenings. Tuesday evening however brought two quality films – a Filipino documentary entitled Give Up Tomorrow, as well as Takashi Miike’s highly buzzed-about Samurai epic 13 Assassins.

Give Up Tomorrow was a gob-smacking watch, about a young man sentenced to death for rape, kidnapping and murder, despite being able to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was on the other side of the country at the time of the killings. A devastating indictment of corruption at the highest levels of the Filipino government, the perversion of justice seen in this film was so bald-faced and extreme that it sometimes seemed to stretch credibility. I and two friends who attended the screening with me even commented on this fact after the film ended, only for a girl in the row in front to turn around and start talking to us. Apparently she is from the same village as the unfortunate young man in the film and recognized many of the faces who appeared on the screen. As for the corruption, in her own words: “it really is that bad”. The conversation was only very brief, but it was also pretty incredible, and a real indication of the kind of memorable experiences one can have at a film festival.

5650809554 e35b7c0984 b1 e1312002773245 600x292 MIFF 2011 Diary: Days 5 9
Michael Collins and Marty Syjuco’s Give Up Tomorrow.

Exiting the dark greater union cinema, I then got immediately back into the already rapidly growing line for 13 Assassins. After the first MIFF screening several days before generated plenty of positive reactions, mostly in the form of tweets reading “that was totally awesome!” it was clear this film was amongst the hottest tickets in town. Thankfully, unlike other MIFF queues I’ve been placed in, I got to spend a majority of the forty minute wait inside, and my seats were actually in a pretty good spot.

As for the film itself, I’ll agree with many of the tweets I read after the previous screening: it was totally awesome. Although not as action heavy as you might have expected, the combination of dramatic dialogue throughout and some sensational sword-play in the non-stop final act made 13 Assassins one hell of a good time.

Wednesday and Thursday represented quieter days in my festival schedule due to a whole range of “real world” issues far less fun and not all that interesting. I did however manage to attend one screening on Wednesday morning, of Project Nim, director James Marsh’s follow up to the amazing documentary Man on Wire. Sadly, I wasn’t nearly as endeared by this tale of a chimpanzee raised by humans as many were (both Simon and Jess of the Quickflix Blog admitted to being brought to tears by the film). Look for my full review coming soon – in the mean time I’ll just say that in my opinion, this scientific experiment seemed doomed from the beginning, and that most of the people involved were just a bit too naïve to garner much sympathy from me.

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James Marsh’s Project Nim.

Thursday went by without any trips to the cinema. But after a long day of work on Friday, what better way to unwind in the evening with a trio of strong although very different films.

First up, at 6:30, was Ken Loach’s Route Irish. A story of a private military contractor murdered in Iraq, and the subsequent investigation by his best friend and his wife, like most Loach films it was well acted, filled with realism, politically to the point and very, very depressing. Worth seeing though, especially for a couple of really suspenseful sequences peppered throughout.

Then at 9pm I squeezed into the sold out session of Mike Mills’ Beginners, also the first screening I’ve attended at MIFF so far where the director himself was present. The film stars Ewan McGregor as Oliver, a man whose father (Christopher Plummer) comes out of the closet at the age of 75, and not too long after is diagnosed with terminal cancer. At the same time, Oliver must juggle a fledgling relationship with the beautiful Anna (Melanie Laurent). Mostly avoiding the clichés and irritating quirks of the independent relationship dramedy that the film very clearly is, Beginners is a sweet, subtle, emotional little picture that I highly recommend. I also stuck around for part of the Q&A with the charming director after the film, where he gave one lucky audience member a book of artwork from the film. Unfortunately I had to dash off to catch my final screening of the night.

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Mike Mills’ Beginners.

That final screening was of James Gunn’s Super, a violent, pitch-black superhero comedy that, after a double dosage of heartbreaking verisimilitude and social important what-not, was a very welcome change indeed. Starring Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler and Kevin Bacon (plus a hilarious cameo from Firefly’s Nathan Fillion), this film is Kick-Ass with bigger balls. Unflinching, brutal, completely inappropriate and hilarious in an oh-so-wrong-its-right kind of way, Super elicited more laughs and groans from the audience than any other film of the festival so far. That said, while I loved the first 95% of the film, I did have rather series problems with the ending, where the violence went from shockingly comedic to just plain unpleasant. It was a real downer, and made me question how much I liked everything that came before.

So now I’m back where I was at the beginning of last week – sitting at my computer in the wee hours of the morning. After a few hours sleep, today (Saturday) will kick off my biggest day at MIFF so far: five films, starting at eleven o’clock in the morning and running through to that same time at night. Look forward to plenty more from me in the very near future.

—

Tom Clift is a web-based film journalist from Melbourne, Australia. Visit his website here: http://reviewsbytom.blogspot.com.

You can read all of Tom Clift’s coverage of MIFF 2011 here.

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]]> http://cutprintreview.com/festivals/miff-2011-diary-days-5-9/feed/ 6 MIFF 2011 Diary: Days 1-4 http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/miff-2011-diary-days-1-4/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/miff-2011-diary-days-1-4/#comments Mon, 25 Jul 2011 22:30:53 +0000 Tom Clift http://cutprintreview.com/?p=17959 Missed screenings and faulty projectors have ensured that my first few days at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) have gotten off to a bit of a rough start. Yet as I wearily type this at quarter-to-one in the morning, in full awareness that I have to get up in six hours so I can be on time to University, I rest assured in the knowledge that it [...]]]> Missed screenings and faulty projectors have ensured that my first few days at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) have gotten off to a bit of a rough start. Yet as I wearily type this at quarter-to-one in the morning, in full awareness that I have to get up in six hours so I can be on time to University, I rest assured in the knowledge that it only takes one great film to turn it all around.

But I’ll get to that in a minute.

While the festival festivities technically kicked off on Thursday night with the opening film and after-party, for plebs/cheapskates like me the festival doesn’t really begin until Friday. Unfortunately, this didn’t exactly work out either. I was meant to be attending a screening of the award-winning documentary Tears of Gaza on Friday afternoon, only to discover the day before that I was rostered on to work my “real” job. With an 8pm, non-MIFF screening of The Blues Brothers to attend in the evening, it seems my 2011 MIFF experience was not fated to begin until Saturday.

Still, on Saturday morning I set off bright and early with my girlfriend into Melbourne’s CBD for my first film at The Australian Centre for the Movie Image (ACMI) in Federation Square. Arriving in the city just after 10 for an 11 o’clock screening, we had a chance to check out the Stella Artois MIFF Lounge and MIFF Box Office (both located in the Forum Theatre right across the road from ACMI). It was there I bumped into Simon Miraudo of the Quickflix blog. Simon, with whom I have been Twitter friends for some time, and have even podcasted with on one occasion, is taking part in the MIFF 60-films-in-17-days blog-a-thon, so we only had the chance to chat for a moment before he had to rush off. Still, it’s always nice to meet fellow bloggers, and I hope it will be the first of many such chance encounters.

After grabbing a quick coffee, we settled into the rather rigid seats for our very first film: Mohamad Rasoulof’s Good Bye [Bé omid é didar], an Iranian film about a pregnant woman trying to flee from the country that is persecuting her and her fugitive husband. I’d selected the film with my girlfriend in mind – she, like me, is in the midst of her liberal arts education, and is always down for commiserating about the plights of oppressed minorities from any and all corners of the globe. Good Bye certainly had this in spades, but it also had a tendency to keep the audience at arm’s length, both emotionally and in terms of communicating the gravity of the situation the protagonists find themselves in. Many of the scenes in the film are intentionally mundane, and while it was effective way of demonstrating the marginalised position of women in Iranian society, it was also occasionally quite dull.

0400191 e1311593912611 600x286 MIFF 2011 Diary: Days 1 4Mohamad Rasoulof’s Good Bye [Bé omid é didar].

Frustratingly, whatever quiet qualities the film did possess were undercut by the first of many technical faults that seemed to follow me wherever I went. Coming from the bottom right hand corner of the theatre, for the entire two hours, was a high pitched whistling noise that was impossible to ignore. Afterwards we theorised what the noise might have been – perhaps the breathing apparatus of an elderly patron, or an ACMI employee making cup after cup of tea?

(I reached out to the ACMI Twitter account, and eventually discovered it was a faulty air conditioner… I think our explanations were more interesting. Either way, it has apparently been fixed).

Good Bye was preceded by a short Iranian film called The Accordion. It was a rather sweet little story, but unfortunately for me it also meant that by the time the lights came up, I was already a couple of minutes late for my 1pm showing of Werner Herzog’s Cave of Forgotten Dreams, which was playing up the other end of Swanston St at the Hoyts Multiplex in Melbourne Central (presumably because the arthouse theatres MIFF usually commandeers don’t have the capacity to project 3D films).

By the time I arrived at Melbourne Central I was 20 minutes late. But as luck would have it, there were apparently major faults with the sound system, and after the crowd starting shouting and stamping their feet (which I’m actually extremely sorry I missed), the projectionist decided to just restart the whole thing. So by the time I rushed into the theatre, the film had just begun… for the second time. Not so luckily, because I was amongst the last people in, I was seated in the very front row, and spent most of the movie craning my neck trying to make out the screen.

cave of forgotten dreams movie stills 51 e1311560697723 MIFF 2011 Diary: Days 1 4Werner Herzog’s Cave of Forgotten Dreams.

In retrospect, this less-than-ideal seating position may have impacted on my rather negative review of the film, and particularly of its 3D elements. As it stands, I’m thoroughly convinced the movie would have been far better and more informative (although probably not as unique) if it had been directed by someone – anyone – other than Werner Herzog.

The films ludicrous epilogue was considerably heightened by the fact that those technical faults reared up again, as the movie came grinding to a halt right in the middle of one of the inexplicable moments of voice-over narration. The lights came up and down a few time, and a poor young MIFF volunteer girl tried timidly to inform the restless audience that the film would be up and running again soon. It was. And then it froze, again. By this time a good half the audience had left, including Glenn Dunks of Stale Popcorn and Paul Nelson of Cinema Viscera. I myself stuck it out, only to learn once the film eventually got going that it was only about a minute from the end. Damn.

The rest of my Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning was taken up by various personal commitments including my brother’s eighteenth birthday. But by 6pm on Sunday evening, I was in line at the Greater Union Cinema in Russell Street for my third film of the festival, the British/American/Indian documentary The Bengali Detective. Going in, that was about all I knew. As it turns out, the film follows a team of private detectives in Kolkata as they manage three cases: tracking an adulterous husband, thwarting a ring of shampoo counterfeiters, and solving a grizzly triple homicide.

1128828 the bengali detective1 e1311593608939 MIFF 2011 Diary: Days 1 4Brian Cox’s The Bengali Detective.

In short, I thought this film was absurd — and not in a charming or interesting kind of way. Interspersed throughout the movie is footage of the detectives training to audition for – of all things – a TV dance program. These ludicrous moments strike sharp and jarring contrast with the otherwise serious subject matter, including the frequent references to the ever worsening health problems of the lead detective’s wife. Director Brian Cox also pays some small lip service to the greater social issues of law enforcement and corruption in India; issues that, had they taken any kind of central focus, would have made for a far better film.

By the film’s end, I sorely regretting not choosing to see the schedule-clashing Martha Marcy May Marlene instead, as positive reviews began littering my Twitter feed. Next, I headed down to the Forum for the screening of Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation [Jodaeiye Nader az Simin] – a film I hoped would be, at last, truly excellent. But first I had to conquer the enormous queue that was beginning to engulf the entire block. Clearly I wasn’t the only one who had heard the buzz for the film out of the Venice and later the Sydney Film Festival (where the picture took home the Golden Bear and Sydney Film Prize, respectively). So there I was, queuing in the freezing cold for 45 minutes whilst busting for a pee. It’s safe to say, by the time I got inside, the movie needed to be pretty bloody good.

jodaeiye nader az simin original1 e1311593653112 600x270 MIFF 2011 Diary: Days 1 4Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation [Jodaeiye Nader az Simin].

Blessedly, it was sublime.  An achingly real, stunningly acted, morally complex and emotionally gripping family and legal drama, it is hard to imagine many films for the remainder of the festival coming close to this one. Look for my full length review in the next day or two, and do everything in your power to catch up with it if you can. (The second session at MIFF, unfortunately, is already sold out.) Yet another massive technical stuff-up – a projection error that meant we couldn’t read the subtitles for a good two minutes in one of the films climactic final scenes – couldn’t detract from this amazing film.

As I left the Forum and jumped straight on the tram that would take me home, I felt both relieved and reinvigorated. The next few days bring screenings of films that have already received much critical attention, including Takashi Miike’s 13 Assassins and James Marsh’s documentary Project Nim. So despite a bumpy beginning, I am ready and eager for more.

—

Tom Clift is a web-based film journalist from Melbourne, Australia. Visit his website here: http://reviewsbytom.blogspot.com.

You can read all of Tom Clift’s coverage of MIFF 2011 here.

miff 20111 MIFF 2011 Diary: Days 1 4

 

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/miff-2011-diary-days-1-4/feed/ 3 Pixar’s BRAVE features a fairytale, a female lead AND a female director! http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/pixars-brave-features-a-fairytale-a-female-lead-and-a-female-director/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/pixars-brave-features-a-fairytale-a-female-lead-and-a-female-director/#comments Tue, 26 Apr 2011 21:18:51 +0000 Amy Killin http://cutprintreview.com/?p=17152 After twelve incredible feature films, the movies of Pixar are beloved the world over for their dazzling animation, heart-warming stories and their perseverant heroes; not once, however, has Pixar told a story with a female lead character or called upon the talents of a female director to call the shots…until now. Upon the release of promotional screenshots, all eyes have been captured by Pixar once again, this [...]]]> After twelve incredible feature films, the movies of Pixar are beloved the world over for their dazzling animation, heart-warming stories and their perseverant heroes; not once, however, has Pixar told a story with a female lead character or called upon the talents of a female director to call the shots…until now. Upon the release of promotional screenshots, all eyes have been captured by Pixar once again, this time by a promising young heroine with a mop of fiery red hair, Princess Merida, and the work of talented co-director Brenda Chapman (The Prince of Egypt).

In Brave, Merida is a sassy Scottish lass with a penchant for Archery and a habit of breaking all the rules, which ultimately leads her to defy a sacred custom of the land, nearly destroy her kingdom and thus, set out on an adventure to restore order and save the day. There has also been no current mention of a sidetracking Prince so for once, it appears, a princess finally becomes a heroine based on her own wits and baddassery.

Whilst the animation will no doubt be impeccable, the reported cast list is another major drawcard; Boardwalk Empire’s Kelly MacDonald is Princess Merida, Emma Thompson and Billy Connelly as her regal parents, Julie Walters as the Wise-Old Woman and even Robby Coltrane is along for the ride as one of three Lords of the Kingdom.

The filmmaking masterminds at Pixar have made our cinematic seasons memorable time and time again by telling stories with action, drama and plenty of humour, unearthed from the most unimaginable sources of storytelling in the universe: From adventurous bugs and afraid monsters to talking toys, cars and fish, from a culinary rat to an emotive robot, Pixar has ensured entertainment for the entire (superhero) family.

After proving again with Up that adventure and entertainment is for people of all ages and not just the young, fans from all backgrounds, ages and mindsets have been eagerly anticipating confirmation and details of Brave. The princess may be a tomboy and whole-heartedly not blonde, and the entire bevy of Scottish characters may never have even heard of America, but quite clearly, Brave is shaping up to be the next thoughtful ground-breaker from a studio already decorated with Academy Awards, Golden Globes and Grammy accolades.

Here at last, Pixar is gift-wrapping us a fairytale that departs from traditional Disney cliché, offers a strong female lead and will showcase the creativity of a female co-director…

Or, is this too much expectation to place on a film that is, for the most part, targeting its audience in 3-12 year-olds?

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/pixars-brave-features-a-fairytale-a-female-lead-and-a-female-director/feed/ 2 2011 Academy Award Predictions: The King’s Social Network http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/2011-academy-award-predictions-the-kings-social-network/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/2011-academy-award-predictions-the-kings-social-network/#comments Mon, 21 Feb 2011 06:14:27 +0000 Anders Wotzke http://cutprintreview.com/?p=16057 For film journalists and bloggers, the year 2010 doesn’t really come to an end until the night of February 27th in the US — or the morning of February 28th in Australia — where anybody who’s somebody in Hollywood will be seen walking the red carpet for the 83rd Academy Awards.  Usually, though, the winners are dictated by the dozen or so award ceremonies that preceded the Oscars, which makes [...]]]> For film journalists and bloggers, the year 2010 doesn’t really come to an end until the night of February 27th in the US — or the morning of February 28th in Australia — where anybody who’s somebody in Hollywood will be seen walking the red carpet for the 83rd Academy Awards.  Usually, though, the winners are dictated by the dozen or so award ceremonies that preceded the Oscars, which makes for a fairly dull watch for those of us playing at home beyond the occasional drunken speech and wardrobe malfunction. This year, however, I’m shocked to admit that I’m not as sure as I usually would be with my predictions. Perhaps that’s because I’ve been paying less attention than I usually would to the award season, but it’s more likely a result of just how exemplary 2010 was for cinema. In any case, I’m more excited this year for the Oscars than I’ve been in a long, long time as February 27th doesn’t look like it will be just another Groundhog Day.

Last year, the title for Best Picture was a David vs. Goliath duel between Kathryn Bigelow’s indie Iraq war movie The Hurt Locker and James Cameron’s 3D blockbuster Avatar. Rather predictably, that battle panned out much like it did in the Bible, with The Hurt Locker trumping Avatar in all the key categories. This year, the front-runners for Best Picture are David Fincher’s The Social Network and Tom Hooper’s The King’s Speech. Unlike last year’s favourites, these two films are quite similar; they’re both character-driven biopics, a category the Academy loves, about miscommunication in a communicative age. The two biggest differences? One is set in the past, the other is set in the present. And more crucially, one is British, the other is American.

These differences are key to why I believe The Social Network will take home gold, despite my personal preference of The King’s Speech. As a biopic about Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook and one of the most influential figures still living today, The Social Network has a considerable degree of relevance that The King’s Speech cannot match. Fincher’s film is a unique product of its time, which is why the Academy will probably try and cement its place in history as the film of the year. Furthermore, The Social Network was made in America, which means there’s a greater chance that those involved in the production are in similar circles to the voting members of the Academy, most of whom (but certainly not all) are US citizens. My point? Well, as they often say, it’s not about what you know, but who you know. That’s why Fincher, who has been a staple in Hollywood for nearly two decades, has the upper hand over Hooper, who is only now making his first splash from across the pond. Yes, it’s an ugly way of looking at it, but why do you think British films tend to dominate the British Film and Television Awards (BAFTA’s) and American films tend to dominate the Academy Awards? Bias is unavoidable.

2010 the kings speech 0031 600x450 2011 Academy Award Predictions: The Kings Social Network 2010 the social network 0201 e1298268634753 600x476 2011 Academy Award Predictions: The Kings Social Network

Of course, what’s exciting about this year’s Oscars is that there is a definite possibility that neither The Social Network nor The King’s Speech will win. Other contenders such as Black Swan, The Fighter and True Grit are all in with a chance, as each have demonstrated bursts of momentum throughout the awards season.  Sure, they’re all underdogs in the race for Best Picture, but as the saying goes, every dog has its day. Time will tell if that day is February 28th, 2011.

—

Below is a list of all the nominees for the 83rd Academy Awards, with my predictions highlighted in red:

Best Motion Picture of the Year

Black Swan

The Fighter

Inception

The Kids are All Right

The King’s Speech

The Social Network

127 Hours

Toy Story 3

True Grit

Winter’s Bone

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Annette Bening (The Kids are All Right)

Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole)

Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone)

Natalie Portman (Black Swan)

Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine)

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Javier Bardem (Biutiful)

Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network)

Colin Firth (The King’s Speech)

James Franco (127 Hours)

Jeff Bridges (True Grit)

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Christian Bale (The Fighter)

John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone)

Jeremy Renner (The Town)

Mark Ruffalo (The Kids are All Right)

Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech)

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Amy Adams (The Fighter)

Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech)

Melissa Leo (The Fighter)

Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)

Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

How to Train Your Dragon

The Illusionist

Toy Story 3

Best Documentary Short Subject

Killing in the Name

Poster Girl

Strangers No More

Sun Come Up

The Warriors of Qiugang

Best Short Film (Animated)

Day & Night Teddy Newton

The Gruffalo Jakob Schuh and Max Lang

Let’s Pollute Geefwee Boedoe

The Lost Thing Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann

Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary) Bastien Dubois

Best Short Film (Live Action)

The Confession Tanel Toom

The Crush Michael Creagh

God of Love Luke Matheny

Na Wewe Ivan Goldschmidt

Wish 143 Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite

Achievement in Art Direction

Alice in Wonderland

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

Inception

The King’s Speech

True Grit

Achievement in Cinematography

Black Swan (Matthew Libatique)

Inception (Wally Pfister)

The King’s Speech (Danny Cohen)

The Social Network (Jeff Cronenweth)

True Grit (Roger Deakins)

Achievement in Costume Design

Alice in Wonderland (Colleen Atwood)

I Am Love (Antonella Cannarozzi)

The King’s Speech (Jenny Beaven)

The Tempest (Sandy Powell)

True Grit (Mary Zophres)

Achievement in Directing

Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan)

David O. Russell (The Fighter)

Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech)

David Fincher (The Social Network)

Joel and Ethan Coen (True Grit)

Best Documentary Feature

Exit through the Gift Shop Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures)

Gasland Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC)

Inside Job Charles Ferguson, director (Representational Pictures)

Restrepo Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger, directors (Outpost Films)

Waste Land Lucy Walker, director (Almega Projects)

Achievement in Makeup

Barney’s Version

The Way Back

The Wolfman

Achievement in Film Editing

Black Swan (Andrew Weisblum)

The Fighter (Pamela Martin)

The King’s Speech (Tariq Anwar)

127 Hours (Jon Harris)

The Social Network (Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall)

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

Biutiful (Mexico)

Dogtooth (Greece)

In a Better World (Denmark)

Incendies (Canada)

Hors la Loi (Algeria)

Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)

How to Train Your Dragon (John Powell)

Inception (Hans Zimmer)

The King’s Speech (Alexandre Desplat)

127 Hours (A.R. Rahman)

The Social Network (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross)

Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)

“Coming Home” from Country Strong Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey

“I See the Light” from Tangled Music and Lyric by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater

“If I Rise” from 127 Hours Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong

“We Belong Together” from Toy Story 3 Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

Achievement in Sound Editing

Inception

Toy Story 3

TRON: Legacy

True Grit

Unstoppable

Achievement in Sound Mixing

Inception

The King’s Speech

Salt

The Social Network

True Grit

Achievement in Visual Effects

Alice in Wonderland

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Hereafter

Inception

Iron Man 2

Adapted Screenplay

127 Hours (Simon Beaufoy and Danny Boyle)

The Social Network (Aaron Sorkin)

Toy Story 3 (Michael Arndt, story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich)

True Grit (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen)

Winter’s Bone (Debra Granik and Anne Rossellini)

Original Screenplay

Another Year (Mike Leigh)

The Fighter (Paul Attanasio, Lewis Colich, Eric Johnson, Scott Silverand Paul Tamasy)

Inception (Christopher Nolan)

The Kids are All Right (Stuart Blumberg and Lisa Cholodenko)

The King’s Speech (David Seidler)

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/2011-academy-award-predictions-the-kings-social-network/feed/ 2 Revisited: True Grit (the John Wayne one) http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/revisited-true-grit-the-john-wayne-one/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/revisited-true-grit-the-john-wayne-one/#comments Tue, 01 Feb 2011 02:00:53 +0000 Rebecca Mery http://cutprintreview.com/?p=15154 No one can deny the sheer film nerd excitement and anticipation surrounding the release of the Coen brothers’ take on True Grit, which rode into Australian cinemas last week. To have Joel and Ethan at the helm of a (Western) project starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin, it’s a nigh-on pants wetting excitement. Wondering what filmic magic the Coen brothers have in store for [...]]]> No one can deny the sheer film nerd excitement and anticipation surrounding the release of the Coen brothers’ take on True Grit, which rode into Australian cinemas last week. To have Joel and Ethan at the helm of a (Western) project starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin, it’s a nigh-on pants wetting excitement. Wondering what filmic magic the Coen brothers have in store for us, and for what might be in store for Mattie Ross and Rooster Cogburn’s story, it seemed only natural then, to revisit the 1969 release of True Grit.

For those not in the know (or those who have been hiding in a cave with limited film news capabilities), the film follows teenage Mattie Ross’ quest to avenge her father’s death. During a post-barroom argument, he drunkenly shot and killed by “the coward Tom Chaney”, and she is doggedly determined to find him and have him brought to justice. She enlists the help of grizzled and drunken US Marshall Rooster Cogburn – who she is convinced has “true grit” – and the younger Texas Ranger LeBoeuf. Originally published as a novel by Charles Portis, one can expect that the plots of the two subsequent film adaptations have warped somewhat from the source material. However, as I haven’t read the novel, nor have I seen the Coen brothers’ take on it, I can really only hazard an educated guess at how they differ exactly. That, and get swept up in the first filmic interpretation of the story. That’s quite easily done, I’m happy to report.

The first thing that becomes clear as True Grit winds its way through the Colorado Rockies and Mattie’s story is that the role of Reuben “Rooster” Cogburn may just have been the role John Wayne was born to play. Perhaps perfect casting? Could have the filmic planets aligned just so he could have put on the eye-patch in the year of nineteen-and-sixty-nine? I don’t know, but it’s a goshdarn pleasure to watch, Pilgrim. Rooster’s closing line of “Come see a fat old man sometime!” is truly heartwarming, and smile-inducing. It’s therefore not a surprise in the slightest to read that he campaigned endlessly to have this film made, and with him in the lead. Aged 62 at the time of the film’s production, he truly epitomises the rugged masculinity of the character. Moreover, there’s a kindness and an essential goodness in his performance hidden under the tough exterior, as well as a world-weariness necessary of a character like Cogburn, something often belied by the frequent humour of the script (more about that later). The Duke’s drawl, his toughness, and his cheeky grin are all pitch-perfect for inhabiting Rooster’s jacket and eye-patch.

Revisited: True Grit (the John Wayne one)

Of course, True Grit wouldn’t be considered a “classic Western” (I got many a disapproving look when I admitted I hadn’t seen it until just now) without a cast that shines equally as bright as the Duke’s. I was somewhat surprised to see the faces of Dennis Hopper and Robert Duvall onscreen, and similarly was pleasantly surprised that Glenn Campbell proved himself to be a fine actor. However, he pales in comparison to Kim Darby, playing Mattie Ross. Defiant, headstrong, determined, she holds her own against both John Wayne and Rooster Cogburn. As her family farm’s bookkeeper, Mattie spends her time onscreen bargaining with men twice her size and age, refuses to have her view of a hanging shielded (“I’m here, I may as well see it all”, she says), refuses to be left behind by Cogburn and LeBoeuf. It would have been all to perilously easy for Mattie to have ended up as quite an annoying character (in my eyes anyway), so one really has to tip their cowboy hat to Kim Darby for injecting just the right amounts of vulnerability and feistiness to the young woman.

One of the real pleasures of True Grit is the interactions between Mattie and Rooster. After all, the film is really just as much about the relationship between the members of the mix-matched posse as it is about bringing Tom Chaney to justice. Their exchanges crackle and spark, aided to no end by a similarly cracking script by Marguerite Roberts. Not only is the dialogue mercifully written in an old-timey Western fashion (as opposed to, say, a 1960s rhythm with 1960s vocabulary), but it’s actually genuinely light and funny in parts. I suppose that was one of the genuine surprises, given how dark the trailer for the Coen version seems. There are some laugh-out-loud moments between the three leads, and also between the so-called bad guys that are being tracked. For instance, Tom Chaney tells Mattie how to make her old-fashioned gun fire before she shoots him, then complains loudly that “everything happens to me!”. One has to give credit where credit’s due, and certainly Roberts paints an intriguing picture of Tom, as well as Ned Pepper (Robert Duvall), the leader of the gang he’s riding with. Pepper doesn’t seem like a bad guy, just another man riding, trying to make a living for himself. Much like Rooster, or Mattie herself. He doesn’t quite seem bad enough at times, and it seems as though this darn shoot-out he’s found himself in with old Rooster is just a matter of the wrong place at the irritatingly wrong time. Each character, regardless of the time spent on-screen, ended up being not only interesting but also (even just a little bit) slightly redeemable. That, I think, is refreshing and admirable.

If I were to name a couple things that did irritate me about the film, it’d be Elmer Bernstein’s over-the-top score (it’s pretty ham-fisted). I suppose that’s the way Westerns were back then, but this was almost to the point of distraction. Secondly, it’d be the overly bright and vibrant scenery. Again, that’s probably just a matter of preference. I like my Westerns a little grittier, but that’s me. I read recently with some interest that the Coens instructed Jeff Bridges, who plays the role of Rooster in this year’s version of the film, to disregard John Wayne’s performance. Of course, I couldn’t imagine a Wayne impersonation cutting it for the Coens, but it does intrigue me as to how Bridges has decided to approach the role. Similarly, I look forward to a grittier LeBoeuf from Matt Damon than what Glenn Campbell (solid, but outshone by his co-stars) offered. In fact, I’m expecting — hoping — for something altogether grittier. Now, that’s not to say that Henry Hathaway’s take on the story isn’t a tremendously entertaining and interesting journey; I know for a fact that watching the first interpretation of the source novel has only served to make me  more excited about finally watching the Coens’ latest. Like I said, it’s a nigh-on pants wetting excitement, Pilgrim.

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/revisited-true-grit-the-john-wayne-one/feed/ 0 Oscar Noms: Some Thrive, Others Are Buried… http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/oscar-noms-some-thrive-others-are-buried/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/oscar-noms-some-thrive-others-are-buried/#comments Thu, 27 Jan 2011 11:12:59 +0000 Amy Killin http://cutprintreview.com/?p=15293 Nice and early yesterday morning, the movie world welcomed the official release of the 52nd Oscar nominations, but not everyone has been left to thank the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

As the nominations reflect the work of this past year’s films and filmmakers, Oscar buzz has certainly left a sour lump in the back of Buried Screenwriter Chris Sparling’s throat. Unfortunately for Sparling, [...]]]> Nice and early yesterday morning, the movie world welcomed the official release of the 52nd Oscar nominations, but not everyone has been left to thank the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

As the nominations reflect the work of this past year’s films and filmmakers, Oscar buzz has certainly left a sour lump in the back of Buried Screenwriter Chris Sparling’s throat. Unfortunately for Sparling, no one passed along the memo that said shameless self-promotion to those with voting power is against Academy rules, or at least they didn’t before he sent an email to each of the members asking for their vote. As a result, one of last year’s best original screenplays was effectively rendered disqualified from the trophy race. And while The King’s Speech was rightly awarded twelve nominations and the Coen Brothers’ True Grit gathered an exceptional ten, Buried was left with its head in the sand. Bad luck, if you’re Spanish director Rodrigo Cortez and Buried was to be the film to break it into Hollywood. Quite entrapping, if you’re Ryan Reynolds and gave the performance of your career. And simply disappointing, if you’re a movie lover who recognises a great film when you see one — a thriller of such ingenuity and depth,  it’s on par with Hitchcock’s best.

Anyone like Sparling with the patience to write a feature length screenplay that depicts one on-screen character, in only one location, with little to no hope of a happy ending, does deserve a little bit of credit. Despite no chance at taking a little golden man home, Sparling can take heed from the fact that the press took note of Buried’s “disqualification”, which hopefully will be enough to see an influx of intrigued and/or equally outraged viewers to catch the film when it lands on DVD in Australia on Feb 23rd.

At the end of the day, it’s important to remember the Oscars are not the be all and end all; Cortez, Sparling and Reynolds should be proud with what their little film has already achieved, from an impressive 85% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, to the 2010 Melies d’Or Award for best film at the European Fantastic Film Festival. And let’s be perfectly honest, Buried was never going to win an Oscar when competing against films backed by million dollar campaigns, such as The Social Network and The King’s Speech. Still, the thought does count.

Let’s get chatting: do you agree with the disqualification of Buried from the Oscar nominations? And of those successfully nominated, who do you think will walk away with the Oscar?

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/oscar-noms-some-thrive-others-are-buried/feed/ 4 Are Teen Readers Granted More Blood, Guts and Sex than Moviegoers? http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/readers-granted-blood-guts-sex-moviegoers/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/readers-granted-blood-guts-sex-moviegoers/#comments Wed, 12 Jan 2011 03:03:46 +0000 Amy Killin http://cutprintreview.com/?p=14983 A weekend or school holiday trip to the movies has long been a staple occurrence to the coming of age of millions of teenagers the world over. Catching a flick without Mummy or Daddy for the first time is a monumental right of passage: more-so if you’re daring enough to let them buy you a ticket to something they want you to see and then sneak into a [...]]]> A weekend or school holiday trip to the movies has long been a staple occurrence to the coming of age of millions of teenagers the world over. Catching a flick without Mummy or Daddy for the first time is a monumental right of passage: more-so if you’re daring enough to let them buy you a ticket to something they want you to see and then sneak into a movie they would be horrified to know you have seen. When you’re fourteen-and-a-half and really, really want to see Not Another Teen Movie because all those in your class who are just old enough highly recommend it, the reality of that little MA15+ rating can feel like such a biaaaatch. Encouraged by the folks at the Aussie Classifications Board and exercised by the pimply kids usually also too young to buy a ticket to the films they are selling, the right to refuse younger teenagers access to certain movies has always let parents feel in control. In hindsight, keeping underage kids out of MA15+ movies exists for a reason and I can see why my folks still think it is a bad idea to watch Not Another Teen Movie, regardless of age.

On the other hand, when a kid drags their folks into a bookstore and heads for the teenage fiction section, no warning labels discourage the parents with their cash at the ready: “Thank God, after so many years of school, Little Johnny knows how to read!”. And while literature classification most certainly does exist, many teenage fiction novels appear to get away with a lot more when it comes to heavy themes such as sex and violence.

As Katey Rich writes for Cinema Blend, the highly anticipated teenage fiction trilogy The Hunger Games is set to tone down the violence when it is adapted into film by director Garry Ross later this year. Violent depictions of a world where teenagers are forced to fight each other to death, as ordered by an over-zealous government intent on distracting the masses with life-and-death reality entertainment, are to be edited to keep the movie within the grasp of its 14-21 readership demographic. Funny thing is, fans of the books in this demographic have already been exposed to such explicit content, so what’s the big deal?

Are words on a page any less impacting than combinations of sight and sound?

The issue here lies in that if these kids have already read books depicting such scenes, why should they be denied a cinematic translation? Is this a double standard lost in the translation of two different mediums of entertainment or is there validity in supporting what can be read but not what can be seen and heard?

On the other hand, Ramascreen reports Twilight fans are salivating at the thought of a faithful Breaking Dawn adaptation: “Vampire-Human Sex” …”Mixed Marriage Spawn”…

In reality, does anyone really want to see that?

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/readers-granted-blood-guts-sex-moviegoers/feed/ 3 WTF: ‘The Fast and the Furious’ Set to Outlive Religion… http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/wtf-the-fast-furious-set-outlive-religion%e2%80%a6/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/wtf-the-fast-furious-set-outlive-religion%e2%80%a6/#comments Wed, 05 Jan 2011 03:37:32 +0000 Amy Killin http://cutprintreview.com/?p=14866 Welcome to 2011… this year, the Gods of cinema have a gift they’re sure you’ll love, but nevertheless cannot exchange or refund! In the wake of franchise returns for Meet the Parents: Little Fockers, The Chronicles of Narnia: the Voyage of the Dawn Treader and Pirates of the Caribbean: [...]]]> Welcome to 2011… this year, the Gods of cinema have a gift they’re sure you’ll love, but nevertheless cannot exchange or refund! In the wake of franchise returns for Meet the Parents: Little Fockers, The Chronicles of Narnia: the Voyage of the Dawn Treader and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Hollywood has wrapped up a few surprises in the forthcoming releases: Another stint for Martin Lawrence in a fat suit in Big Mommas: Like Father, like son and because high performance petrol fumes have clearly affected too many brains,  Paul Walker and Vin Diesel are back with the Fifth flick to spawn from 2001’s The Fast and The Furious, lazily entitled Fast Five.

Initial cognition recognises that this title could have been penned by Enid Blyton, leaving Fast Five solely reliant on a few racy promo shots of fancy cars and the release of a cast list that includes nearly every recognisable actor from the previous four films. In terms of story it seems we have already seen Vin and Paul outrun a drug lord and an unrelenting cop, only this time around they race through the streets of Rio de Janeiro instead of Mexico. Another movie, another venture further south to avoid American jurisdiction.

Undoubtedly, every remotely car crazy person out there will be thrashing their Excel from suburbia to the Cinema… just try not to crash into the Neanderthal dialogue or Dwayne ‘Tooth Fairy‘ Johnson himself. Distraction by Jordana Brewster a definite plus.

You know what they say, same sh*t, different label… it just so happens that these labels keep raking in the cash. Evidently, if they love anything more than a remake in Hollywood, it has to be a re-hash of stale characters and lucky-dip storylines we’re sure we’ve seen before.

After the green lights were flashed at productions for Big Mommas: Like Father, like Son and Fast Five, is it possible to consider any franchise returns that could be worse? Are there any worthy candidates? Let your imagination run wild.

My money is on Roland Emmerich getting around to a 2012 sequel. Once the year has passed, naturally.

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/wtf-the-fast-furious-set-outlive-religion%e2%80%a6/feed/ 2 WTF: Angelina gives Brad directions? http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/wtf-angelina-gives-brad-directions/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/wtf-angelina-gives-brad-directions/#comments Wed, 24 Nov 2010 23:51:39 +0000 Amy Killin http://cutprintreview.com/?p=14081 This week, Angelina Jolie became blog fodder once again when pictures from the set of her unnamed directorial debut surfaced, but were eclipsed by speculation that her Hollywood husband Brad Pitt has an acting part in the politically-charged Bosnian love story.

Given Jolie’s infatuation with politics and humanitarianism beyond the bright lights of Hollywood, her directorial debut has potential to produce an intelligent drama with [...]]]> This week, Angelina Jolie became blog fodder once again when pictures from the set of her unnamed directorial debut surfaced, but were eclipsed by speculation that her Hollywood husband Brad Pitt has an acting part in the politically-charged Bosnian love story.

Given Jolie’s infatuation with politics and humanitarianism beyond the bright lights of Hollywood, her directorial debut has potential to produce an intelligent drama with real emotion, possibly similar to her role in 2007’s A Mighty Heart or her work for Eastwood’s 2008 film Changeling and hopefully as confident as this year’s SALT . On the other hand, we still remember the last time Brangelina burned up the big screen together in 2005 and subjected us all to the “mediocre-but-tolerable” Mr.&Mrs. Smith…

If you have been to the movies in the last ten years, chances are you’ve seen an Angelina Jolie film: she is the spawn of actor John Voight who out-cheesed Nicholas Cage in Gone in 60 Seconds, who really married-then-divorced Bad Santa himself, and who then went on to become both the best AND worst female character adapted-to-film-from-a-video-game with Tomb Raider and Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, respectively…imagine the ride we might take given Jolie in the director’s chair. WTF?!

So I’ll just put it out there, is Angelina Jolie ready for a directorial debut? And, do we even care if Brad Pitt is in her movie or not?

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/wtf-angelina-gives-brad-directions/feed/ 2 I survived a Harry Potter 7 midnight screening http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/i-survived-a-harry-potter-7-midnight-screening/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/i-survived-a-harry-potter-7-midnight-screening/#comments Fri, 19 Nov 2010 23:23:14 +0000 Rebecca Mery http://cutprintreview.com/?p=13817 “Hey man. Do you … have a cape I could borrow?”

That phrase was uttered, texted, Facebooked all day on Wednesday. As a person who isn’t a superhero and who doesn’t engage in Viking metal type escapades, I don’t generally have a need for a cape. As such, I was not sure how to obtain one. The reason, on that fine Wednesday afternoon of frantically trying to [...]]]> “Hey man. Do you … have a cape I could borrow?”

That phrase was uttered, texted, Facebooked all day on Wednesday. As a person who isn’t a superhero and who doesn’t engage in Viking metal type escapades, I don’t generally have a need for a cape. As such, I was not sure how to obtain one. The reason, on that fine Wednesday afternoon of frantically trying to get my paws on a cape (or a stripy scarf, guys!) was that I was going to attend a midnight screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 … or HP7Pt1.

The reason for my choosing to go to a midnight screening, the stomping ground of the die-hard fan, was thus: I thought it would be completely fascinating, and that the atmosphere would be absolutely infectious. Simple as that. I’ve been to midnight screenings before, namely for the Star Wars prequels, resplendent in Jedi tshirts and about to burst with excitement. Harry Potter and I however, have a rather less intense relationship. I have read a grand total of two and a half of the books, and my excitement for the films’ release was minimal at best until the last couple (which, in my opinion, have been a vast improvement of the earliest few). As such, a large part of me was worried about being a fraud, surrounded by people in Dumbledore beards and hoards of lightning bolt’d fans. The rest of me was merely excited about the prospect of most likely being swept up in the excitement of the night. After all, I enjoy attending an event film as much as the next person.

I arrived armed with a wand (read: stick), and a friend who was dressed as a fashion-forward Dementor (a baggy hooded top). Throughout the car trip Brian attempted to fill me in on necessary plot-points I’d probably need to remember for the film. I obviously hadn’t read the thickest of the books (so thick that it warrants two films), and my memory of the last film had nearly faded into a cloud of Voldemort smoke. Apparently Harry has to go find some Horcruxes? Voldemort’s getting stronger? Ron’s getting hotter? Okay. At that point I resigned myself to the fact that I was going to be confused, with my brain scrambling to catch up throughout much of the film.

Upon saying hello to another friend who was in attendance, I let slip that I hadn’t read past halfway through The Prisinor of Azkaban. His eyes widened in horror.

“I don’t understand how ANYONE of our generation could have NOT read ALL of the books!” he exclaimed very loudly, as I inwardly cringed. Feeling like a fraud? Check.

Almost everyone at the cinema was dressed up. Lightning bolts on foreheads, glasses, scarves. Prom dresses with cloaks over the top of them. Wizards everywhere. Everyone eagerly talking, hands gesticulating crazily. People rushing around, admiring costumes. And this was at about 11pm, an hour until the film was due to start. Brian, actually being a huge fan, was getting more and more excited as the minutes ticked towards midnight. I will say this, the atmosphere in the cinema was definitely contagious, infectious.  I had been excited to see Deathly Hallows throughout the day, but now I absolutely could not wait.

Finally, we entered the cinema. It was full, needless to say. As the trailers played, most people continued to whisper to each other excitedly. The trailers finished, and silence descended. Cries of “ONYA, HARRY!” “WHOO! HARRY!!” and whoops of joy peppered the theatre, and the film began.

While Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 has been reviewed endlessly by now, I’ll keep my musings to a minimum. I’ll say this though, I wasn’t wrong when I resigned myself to probably spending much of the film being confused. I found myself trying to remember what happened in the last film, who was in the last film, then only realising about twenty minutes in that “Oh! They’re not going back to Hogwarts!”. As far as the film’s plot and structure itself goes, I found myself split into two minds. The first is aware that the book is dense. Very dense. There’s a lot to cover, and as a result, certain scenes go by without the context and detail that they’d obviously been given in the book. Certain characters I found myself wondering about, wishing I’d read the book, so I’d know a little bit more about them. Or so I’d know a bit more about why exactly Harry, Ron and Hermione were doing what they were doing. At the same time however, the film is over two hours long. Obviously, because there’s so much to cover. The film is narratively quite complex, scenes seem to whizz by, yet the second act seems to get somewhat bogged down. This is a little puzzling.

These thoughts however, only occurred to me on the drive home. While in the theatre surrounded by adoring Potter fans, I was still well and truly enjoying the ride. Given the atmosphere, and the obviously young crowd, there were hollers of approval when Ginny asked Harry to zip her dress up, even more so when George – or was it Fred? – walked in on their quick make out session. Choruses of “Awww!” when Ron would gaze longingly at Hermione (and my, hasn’t Ron grown into himself nicely?). Any moment of awkward teenage sexual tension, now that I think about it, was met with claps and giggles. Throughout the film there was applause, shouts, and collective Harry-love. How could one not get swept up in that? A superb British cast, lots of action, some great humorous moments, and improved acting from the three leads. I tip my hat to this latest installment. Next to a scene of [SPOILER ALERT?] Harry dancing, the biggest audience reaction was undoubtedly left for the end scene. It arrived after a particularly moving scene without much in the way of lead up, but it soon became clear that it marked the beginning of a nine month wait for any sort of filmic closure. And believe me, closure is needed. A lot happens in Part 1, but at the same time, not nearly enough. The end credits rolled, and as one, the audience groaned in pain. Brian flailed in the seat next to me. “But I WOULD watch a five hour film! I want it NOW!”

I have to admit, I felt exactly the same. For this fan however, it means I have nine months to read all seven books, to get up to speed. I’ll be damned if I go into the last instalment as confused as I did this one. Harry Potter really is the franchise of our generation, with readers having grown up with the characters and becoming emotionally involved in the journey. More so than Twilight, HP is something that every Gen Y-er can embrace, with a global event every year for the past seven years making our connection to the story that much stronger. I suppose in part thanks to Deathly Hallows, this writer will be one more fan by the release of Part 2. Let’s hope there’s buckets of closure in that film. We’re going to need it.

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/i-survived-a-harry-potter-7-midnight-screening/feed/ 0 WTF: Is Voldemort Harry Potter’s tamest villain? http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/wtf-is-voldemort-harry-potters-tamest-villain/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/wtf-is-voldemort-harry-potters-tamest-villain/#comments Thu, 18 Nov 2010 09:09:47 +0000 Amy Killin http://cutprintreview.com/?p=13799 As the latest Harry Potter instalment hits Aussie cinemas today, I’ll keep this week’s WTF short and simple so y’all can rush out to see it. As you would imagine, we here at CPR enjoy talking about HP season profusely every time it comes around again, so check out or latest review and commentary.

With the series drawing nearer and nearer to a close, and with the [...]]]> As the latest Harry Potter instalment hits Aussie cinemas today, I’ll keep this week’s WTF short and simple so y’all can rush out to see it. As you would imagine, we here at CPR enjoy talking about HP season profusely every time it comes around again, so check out or latest review and commentary.

With the series drawing nearer and nearer to a close, and with the ending already written in ink, turning deeper into the source material and the cinematic translations they have produced is the only way we fans – like junkies afraid of losing the high – can make the most out of knowing what is coming. Now despite the love, there are also many things from The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 which could be deemed WTF worthy: the lack of Snape, the cliff-hanger that wasn’t and geeky Rupert Grint’s  weirdly muscular man-shoulders.

But the one thing that really caught me off guard, and has provoked an great list from Mack Rawden over at Cinema Blend, is the startling realisation that LORD VOLDEMORT – yeah, I said his name; yelled it even – is not the scariest dude in the movie. Sure, he murdered Harry’s parents and stole his childhood, psychotically craves the power to rule the wizarding world and condemns all oblivious muggles to the next life, but Voldey is overshadowed by a number of other J.K Rowling creations. Looking back, this isn’t a phenomenon restricted to the latest release either…

So I ask: who from the HP movies gives you the biggest creeps?
Let us know in the comments section below.

I know for me I’d rather eat slugs and face a stinging charm while riding a giant beneath the Whomping Willow than spend a minute alone with that crazy lady in pink, Dolores Umbridge…

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/wtf-is-voldemort-harry-potters-tamest-villain/feed/ 1 Why Harry Potter is pop culture’s “chosen one” http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/why-harry-potter-is-pop-cultures-chosen-one/ http://cutprintreview.com/features/opinion/why-harry-potter-is-pop-cultures-chosen-one/#comments Wed, 17 Nov 2010 06:07:19 +0000 Alex Lindsey Jones http://cutprintreview.com/?p=13718 With Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 opening this week and with “Potter-Mania” about to hit fever pitch again, I thought I would pose the big question…why Harry?

Why has the bespectacled boy-wizard become the biggest cultural phenomenon this side of the microwave oven?

The Potter books have sold in excess of 400 million copies (I didn’t even know that many people could read) [...]]]> With Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 opening this week and with “Potter-Mania” about to hit fever pitch again, I thought I would pose the big question…why Harry?

Why has the bespectacled boy-wizard become the biggest cultural phenomenon this side of the microwave oven?

The Potter books have sold in excess of 400 million copies (I didn’t even know that many people could read) and the Warner Brothers movie franchise currently has a worldwide take of 5.5 billion dollars, soon to add another billion give or take, making it the most successful film franchise of all time. Yes, even more successful than Star Wars.

I’ll admit you’ll never catch me reading Prisoner of Azkaban on the train or queuing for a midnight session of the latest installment dressed in my Hogwarts best, but I find it fascinating and also encouraging that in this day and age of disposable entertainment a character or story can still connect so broadly with an audience and endure for more than the usual five minutes.

While much critical acclaim has been heaped on author J.K. Rowling since the release of the Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone book all the way back in 1997, few seemed to suggest the book was high art or even necessarily ground breaking. Rather it was heralded as an absolute page-turner, and perhaps that’s the greatest acclaim a book could ever get.

However the idea to set the wizarding world and fantastical elements alongside that of the “real world” is clearly a stroke of genius. This grounds the story in a heightened reality which is partly responsible for breaking down the barriers of uncool usually associated with the fantasy genre.

The Potter books have also been highly praised for turning children back to reading books, an especially impressive feat in this “Xbox Generation” but while initially billed as strictly for youngsters, the books also quickly became adult favorites. Turning adults back to reading is also quite the achievement.

harryfans Why Harry Potter is pop cultures chosen one

One reason Harry may have more resonance with the audience than usual is the decision in both the books and films to let him grow up as his story unfolds resulting in a deeper emotional connection with the character which may make him somewhat more three dimensional. Boy-wizard or not he also seems to have a lot of the normal problems encountered by the average teenager as he progresses towards adulthood and the greater story told is as much a coming of age tale as it is that of good vs evil. Audiences not only love flawed heroes but ones that have real moral and emotional dilemmas and like Bruce Wayne or Luke Skywalker before him this kid’s got to be a little messed up due to his mummy and daddy issues.

I’m sure it also doesn’t hurt that Harry Potter was introduced to the world in the internet age, making it much easier for the flames of fandom to be stoked and for enthusiasts to be able to unite in numbers and share their love of the series in all sorts of endearing and embarrassing manner (fan fiction, poetry or tattoos anyone?).

As unlikely as it may have seemed almost ten years ago when the first film broke out as a bona fide blockbuster, its seems as Harry is truly positioned to be a hero for the ages. There’s more than a chance that years from now his name will be as enduring and ingrained in popular culture as such other iconic characters like Sherlock Holmes, Superman or even Peter Pan.

Photos: [1] [2] [3]

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