On April 30th 2009, three films are opening in cinemas across Australia: X-men Origins: Wolverine, Defiance and Paris 36.
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X-men Origins: Wolverine (M)
★★★
Hugh Jackman returns as Wolverine, a mutant who undertakes a dangerous chemical bonding operation to make him invincible; just the advantage he needs to take down his murderous brother Victor.
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Defiance (M)
★★★★
Jewish brothers in Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe escape into the Belarussian forests, where they join Russian resistance fighters and endeavor to build a village in order to protect themselves and about 1,000 Jewish non-combatants.
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Paris 36 (M)
A small theatre in working class 1936 Paris is on the verge of closing, leaving Pigoil without a means to achieve his dream of visiting the sea. But when a talented young woman takes a role in the theatre’s lastest production, all hope is not lost.
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Genre: Action / Drama / Thriller
Rating: M
Running Time: 103min
Director: Gavin Hood
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Ryan Reynolds, Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, will.i.am, Dominic Monaghan
Official Website: View
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Synopsis:
Leading up to the events of “X-Men,” “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” tells the story of Wolverine’s epically violent and romantic past, his complex relationship with Victor Creed, and the ominous Weapon X program. Along the way, Wolverine encounters many mutants, both familiar and new, including surprise appearances by several legends of the X-Men universe.
Worth seeing?
Review: ★ ★★
My verdict:
“Wolverine is about on par with X-men 1, not as good as X-men 2, but better than X-men 3.“
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Genre: Action / Drama / Thriller
Rating: M
Running Time: 136min
Director: Based on an extraordinary true story,
Cast: Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, Alexa Davalos, Allan Corduner,
Official Website: View
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Synopsis:
Based on an extraordinary true story, “Defiance” is an epic tale of family, honor, vengeance and salvation in World War II. The year is 1941 and the Jews of Eastern Europe are being massacred by the thousands. Managing to escape certain death, three brothers take refuge in the dense surrounding woods they have known since childhood. There they begin their desperate battle against the Nazis. Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell star as brothers who turn a primitive struggle to survive into something far more consequential – a way to avenge the deaths of their loved ones by saving thousands of others.
Worth seeing?
Review: ★ ★ ★ ★
My Verdict:
“Don’t count on a historically accurate war drama thanks to the Hollywood treated screenplay, but do count on an emotive, engaging and inspirational story about the spirit of survival, bravery and brotherhood.”
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Genre: Drama
Rating: M
Running Time: 120 minutes
Director: Christophe Barratier
Cast: Gérard Jugnot, Clovis Cornillac, Kad Merad, Maxence Perrin
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Synopsis:
Spring 1936 – in a working-class district in the north of Paris, a neighborhood that probably had a name once but that everyone now simply calls the Faubourg. At the top of the hill, a view over Paris to one side and, to the other, the burgeoning suburbs of the city. A small square, a few shops, lopsided buildings, cobbled streets and the peeling façade of the neighborhood music hall, the Chansonia.
In this blue-collar neighborhood, the triumphant election of the Popular Front government is greeted with enthusiasm and hopes for a brighter tomorrow, yet stirs up all kinds of extremism. Among the new government’s promises, the famous law on paid holidays that will allow numerous workers to see the sea for the first time.
In early May, three inhabitants of the Faubourg, show-business workers and close friends, do not share other people’s wild hopes, the Chansonia, the music hall that employed them, closed down four months earlier, leaving them all unemployed.
Pigoil (Gérard Jugnot), a stage-hand, thirty years with the Chansonia. Without a job, he could lose custody of his 12-year-old son, JOJO (Maxence Perrin)and have to give up his plans to take him to see the sea.
Worth seeing?
Just like sex, Paris sells. If you can find away to sneak the ‘P’ word into the title of your film, you’ll instantly gain an international audience that would never have existed otherwise. For this reason, Paris 36 looks to be a film that I sickly sugar coats the capitol of love to appeal to foreigners. This might be just your cup of tea, but it’s certainly not mine.
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