On May 7th 2009, four films are opening in cinemas across Australia: Star Trek, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, A Film With Me In It and The Baader Meinhof Complex .
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Star Trek (M)
★★★★
A chronicle of the early days of James T. Kirk and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members.
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Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (M)
★★★
A bachelor is haunted by the ghosts of his past girlfriends at his younger brother’s wedding.
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A Film With Me In It (M)
★★★★
A screenwriter gets caught up in the middle of a chain of bizarre events to which he calls on the help of his alcoholic friend to resolve.
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The Baader Meinhof Complex (MA 15+)
A look at Germany’s terrorist group, The Red Army Faction (RAF), which organized bombings, robberies, kidnappings and assassinations in the late 1960s and ’70s.
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Genre: Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi
Rating: M
Running Time: 122min
Director: J.J. Abrams
Cast: John Cho, Ben Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Winona Ryder, Zoe Saldana
Official Website: View
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Synopsis:
The film explores the origins of James T. Kirk, Spock and the crew of the USS Enterprise from the original “Star Trek” series and how these iconic characters came together. According to rumors, the story involves an elder Spock (Nimoy) and a group of Romulans (led by Nero, played by Bana) being transplanted into the past where Spock must prevent the Romulans from irreparably damaging the timeline. To do so, he will have to enlist the assistance of his younger self (Quinto).
Worth seeing?
Review: ★★★★
My verdict:
“An endlessly exhilarating and engaging ride regardless of its narrative flaws, Star Trek sits proudly as one of the best sci-fi films of the last decade, and that’s coming from someone who has never Trekked before.”
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Genre: Comedy/Romance
Rating: M
Running Time: 100min
Director: Mark Waters
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Breckin Meyer, Lacey Chabert, Anne Archer, Amanda Walsh
Official Website: View
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Synopsis:
Celebrity photographer Connor Mead loves freedom, fun and women…in that order. A committed bachelor who thinks nothing of breaking up with multiple women on a conference call, Connor’s mockery of romance proves a real buzz-kill for his kid brother, Paul, and a houseful of well wishers on the eve of Paul’s wedding. Just when it looks like Connor may single-handedly ruin the wedding, he is visited by the ghosts of his former jilted girlfriends, who take him on a revealing and hilarious odyssey through his failed relationships–past, present and future. Together they attempt to find out what turned Connor into such an insensitive jerk and whether there is still hope for him to find true love…or if he really is the lost cause everyone thinks he is.
Worth seeing?
Review: ★ ★ ★
Elise’s Verdict:
“Predictable but entertaining; Ghosts of Girlfriends Past has just enough laughter and love to fill the requirements of the rom-com genre. “
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Genre: Comedy/Thriller
Rating: M
Running Time: 97 minutes
Director: Ian Fitzgibbon
Cast: Dylan Moran, Mark Doherty, Keith Allen.
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Synopsis:
Pierce (Dylan Moran of Black Books fame) is an aspiring screenwriter who spends most of his time at the pub with his pal, unemployed actor Mark (Mark Doherty, who also wrote the script). Their incessant conversations about the film they will make, starring Mark, are played out against a backdrop of failing relationships, financial chaos and crumbling dwellings. Their inept bumblings take them on a rollercoaster ride from small aggravations into a tsunami of accidental homicides veering between slapstick and black humour. “At the outset, A Film with Me In It appears to be an enjoyable low-key comedy. However just as we are lured in a comfortable sense of security by its initial tone the film changes gear and moves into darker, fresher territory.
Worth seeing?
Review: ★ ★ ★ ★
My verdict:
“A Film With Me In It is the perfect blend of black humour, absurdity and a name that covers both; Dylan Moran. I won’t deny that this film is exactly my cup of tea, but like most black comedies, it certainly won’t be for everyone. Yet it’s a wonder why this film has such a limited release; the popularity of Black Books is underestimated in Australia, and A Film With… has the potential to gain a solid following from the show’s large fan base and beyond.”
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Genre: Action | Biography | Crime | Drama | History
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 150 minutes
Director: Uli Edel
Cast: Martina Gedeck, Moritz Bleibtreu, Johanna Wokalek, Jan Josef Liefers, Vinzenz Kiefe.
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Synopsis:
Germany in the 1970′s: Murderous bomb attacks, the threat of terrorism and the fear of the enemy inside are rocking the very foundations of the yet fragile German democracy. The radicalised children of the Nazi generation lead by Andreas Baader (Moritz Bleibtreu), Ulrike Meinhof (Martina Gedeck) and Gudrun Ensslin (Johanna Wokalek) are fighting a violent war against what they perceive as the new face of facism: American imperialism supported by the German establishment, many of whom have a Nazi past. Their aim is to create a more human society but by employing inhuman means they not only spread terror and bloodshed, they also lose their own humanity. The man who understands them is also their hunter: the head of the German police force Horst Herold (Bruno Ganz). And while he suceeds in his relentless pursuit of the young terrorists, he knows he’s only dealing with the tip of the iceberg.
German with English subtitles
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