With his distinct, unmistakable English accent and his new found ability to be cast in anything, the rise and rise of British funnyman Russell Brand (Get Him to the Greek) has forced even the most cynical film fans to take notice. As the voice of Hop’s protagonist, E.B, Brand combines his high-pitched Briticisms with kid-friendly gags, bringing life to a character that embodies some of the world’s finest animation blended seamlessly [...]

I suppose such ugly subject matter deserves such an ugly film, but it’s disappointing nonetheless in the case of Snowtown, the unrelentingly grisly first-time feature from Australian director Justin Kurzel that struggles to build an emotional rapport with its audience.

True story or not, screenwriter Shaun Grant’s dramatic retelling of the famed “Body in Barrels” murders is in desperate need of a sympathetic character who can uphold a sense of humanity, [...]

We’ve seen plenty of films about high school shootings (most notoriously Gus Van Sant’s Elephant) and young students sacrificed by their own ruthless chain of command, from Lord of the Flies [1963] to Bully [2001]. In Wasted on the Young, the debut feature from Australian writer/director Ben C. Lucas, we get a modern take on this controversial subject — even the most ruthless of bullies is computer-literate these days.