Cut Print Review

From Paris With Love (Review)

Plots are for pussies and characters are for target practice.

That’s the mentality French writer/producer Luc Besson must swear by, if going by his back catalogue of supremely stupid, but undeniably exhilarating action movies such as The Transporter, Kiss of the Dragon and Taken. In other words, he specialises in making the kind of movies you don’t ever admit to enjoying.

Rip open From Paris With Love, the latest delivery from the Besson canon, [...]

Valentine’s Day (Review)

The interrelation between a group of people and the happenings for them on this marketing and consumer bonanza of a day tie a complicated knot, untangled throughout an entertaining romantic comedy.

Valentine’s Day involves a cleverly constructed plot, using simple but relatable life situations including adultery, virginity, single life, work, sexuality, national service and how can we forget, love. It’s a wonder how all of these themes are engaged without an equally busy screenplay, but a [...]

Precious: Based on the Novel ‘PUSH’ by Sapphire...

“The other day I cried”, mumbles Claireece “Precious” Jones (Gabourey Sidibe) to the audience.

Fair enough, too. Precious is a morbidly obese, illiterate and pregnant African-American teen living in 1987 Harlem, surviving off the welfare collected by her disgustingly abusive mother. On occasion, her drug-addicted father drops in to rape her.  He is also the father of both her children, the first of whom has Down Syndrome. If there were a checklist of all the issues [...]

In the Loop (Review)

It’s in the natural order to see politicians lead journalists and the public in circles. Their job serves as spin to make the public feel good about who is representing them, and they are excellent in making us feel that we need whatever they provide. At the time of writing Adelaide sets a good example with their stadium debate: two parties promising different versions of the same outcome. Many think it’s the greatest prospect for the city yet; [...]

Bran Nue Dae (Review)

If most have the idea that an Australian musical isn’t plausible, then most wouldn’t know what they’re talking about. After all, Muriel’s Wedding is arguably a loose musical; with the ABBA soundtrack used as an emotional outlet. You can throw Priscilla: Queen of the Desert in there too. But since Chicago, Hairspray and Mamma Mia! making the successful transition from Broadway to Hollywood, the musical has stepped up a notch to become a potential powerhouse genre. Look at [...]

Sherlock Holmes (Review)

Robert Downey Jr is a very busy man. He has a lot to uphold amongst his Hollywood comeback, first donning the Iron Man suit and now almost certainly entering a second franchise with one of fiction’s most beloved characters. It’s funny then that the character of Sherlock Holmes hasn’t been a favourite in cinema; the bumbling detective now has one of the most known falsely quoted lines in history. Sadly but rightly so, said line fails to actually [...]