Worth Watching October 2013
I watched some awesome things in October, outside of my work for A Fortnight of Terror. The month included two of my absolute favourite releases for the year so far. One everyone has been raving about and one barely anyone will have seen. Only one not worth watching this month but it is all kinds of not worth watching. Urgh. Be sure to share your thoughts on all of these in the comments section below.
Worth Watching:
- Mystery Road (2013), Ivan Sen – There is a bit of Western in this new Australian film in particular the landscape, iconography and main character. But this film is crime, perhaps even a little noir, right down to its bones. The cast are all good, with Hugo Weaving growing into his complex support role. But the lead Aaron Pederson shines through, his ‘man apart’ exuding self-determination and intensity. The film, shot in various outback locations looks amazing. Sen doubles up on DOP duties, so he can take the credit there. If all that is not enough, it closes with the most fantastically original gunfight I have seen in many a year.
- Paranorman (2012), Sam Fell & Chris Butler – Occupying similarish ground and target audience to Burton’s recent Frankenweenie, this film does it much better and with more charm. The claymation is lovingly designed, and the creativity is dripping from every shot. The characters are all very unique and endearing, and it is great to see them all feel so different. The script brings some rather adult sensibility (in a good way) as well as being really quite funny. A very cool film.
- Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer (2013), Mike Lerner & Maxim Pozdorovkin – Excellent doco about the plight of the Russian punk crew. Wisely grounds much of the approach in a legal exploration of the facts of the case, rather than focusing on ideology. Further shows that the imprisonment of the band is a flagrant human rights abuse. The film itself is really well put together and flies by. If anything it could be longer.
- Gravity (2013), Alfonso Cuaron – The hype is justified in this case. What a movie going experience! My jaw literally dropped at the visual splendour on more than one occasion. It is taut, never lagging despite the miniscule number of characters. Bullock is fantastic in carrying the film, Clooney equally so in support. I suspect the science is a touch questionable at times, but who gives a shit. Whilst the film is hyped to all get out, I think it is actually underrated as a human story.
- Parks and Recreation Season 2 (2009), Greg Daniels & Michael Schur – I don’t recall a show that combined genuinely consistent hilarity with such razor sharp social commentary. Branching out from examining the public service to general quipping at society’s expense, this is a great season. Poehler is a rare talent on both the writing and performing fronts.
- Blancanieves (2012), Pablo Berger – Compared to the much more hyped but not as good The Artist, this manages to feel like a legit silent film rather than jut using the form as a gimmick. I could have done without the focus on bullfighting, but narratively it is a great creative reinterpretation of the Snow White tale. Especially good is the fleshed out relationship between Snow and her father. Unfortunately the ending lacks a little punch, simply because it goes on just a touch too long.
Not Worth Watching:
- The Host (2013), Andrew Niccol – Despite feeling a little derivative of the Animorphs series of kids books, this still has an awesome premise. Shame it sucks so monumentally then. The script is both illogical and terrible while Ronan gives probably her least interesting performance. There is an internal dialogue between the alien and the human host that will make you want to gouge your eyes out and rip your ears off. Comically bad, laugh out loud so at times.
If you only have time to watch one Mystery Road
Avoid at all costs The Host
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Trailer for your Weekend: X-Men: Days of Future Past
I was quite a fan of X-Men First Class and appreciated the approach it took to rebooting a franchise whilst not really rebooting it at all. As such, I am pretty excited by this trailer for X-Men Days of Future Past which continues things on, whilst also crossing over with the original series of films. I think it is to be applauded that a big studio picture is going for this, because it could confuse some movie goers, the combo of the two series. This trailer does not give too much away (which is bloody nice) but it does make the film look pretty slick and awesome. I am really psyched for this film and this trailer has only added to that.
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CIFF 2013 Preview: My Top 10
The Canberra International Film Festival kicked off on Wednesday. Usually leading up to a film fest I have seen nothing, but this is a little different. Thanks to my work on the Blue Mountains Film Festival and some other opportunities, I have seen a bunch of stuff, and there is a whole lot of things I have not caught yet that I am really looking forward to. So rather than a rambling preview, here is my countdown of the top 10 things (in vague order) to check out at this year’s festival. Click the hyperlinks to head to the official site to grab your tickets.
#10: The Spirit of ’45 – Ken Loach is one of the few truly legendary directors still working today, and his recent effort The Angel’s Share prove he still has it. Whilst The Spirit of ’45 is a rather more muted affair than that rambunctious film, it is still well worth your time. Brimming with stock footage and interesting talking heads from those involved, the film which focuses on the politics of post WWII Britain shines a light on a bit of history that has not really been told.
#9: Jazz I haven’t seen that I suspect is going to rock: Around the Block, Our Nixon, Blackfish, Short Term 12, A Hijacking, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Kill Your Darlings. Incendiary docos, indie darlings, much anticipated Indigenous drama and a Danish Captain Phillips are just some of the highlights that I am hoping to catch for the first time over the coming weeks.
#8: In Bob We Trust – Father Bob Maguire is a bit of an Aussie icon or at the very least a Melbourne one. The free thinking and free talking Catholic priest was controversially sacked a couple of years ago. This doco follows the tumultuous fight he had on his hands and reminds you once again why it seems utterly crazy that the Church would wish to distance themselves from such a genuine, good humoured and charitable advocate.
#7: In Bloom – This Georgian drama gives an insight into that society and especially its attitude toward women and the embracing of male bravado especially the way in which it is magnified by guns. Anchored by a couple of really good performances from youngsters Lika Babluani and Mariam Bokeria, In Bloom might not always be the easiest of viewing experiences, but it is a pretty satisfying.
#6: Body of Work – This is CIFF artistic director Lex Lindsay’s first year at the helm and it has to be said he has pulled off a bit of a coup in wrangling this. Harvey Weinstein will be in town for a number of events and screenings, sharing his incredible experience and filmography. The festivities will be capped by the Aussie premiere screening of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.
#5: Blue Ruin – This is a lean, taut revenge style thriller coming out of the States. It looks phenomenal, does not skimp on the blood, slyly commentates on American gun culture and benefits from a performance from Macon Blair that is perfectly balanced in its intensity and vulnerability. This is screening as part of…
#4: Freaky Fridays at my beloved Arc Cinema… featuring Patrick!!! That’s right, the film I have spent the last couple of weeks whining about not being able to see because of rubbish distribution is playing at this year’s festival. It is a little strange for a post-release film to play in a festival such as this, but given it is not playing anywhere else, why not. The Freaky Fridays at Arc also include screenings of Magic Magic and John Dies at the End.
#3: Cutie and the Boxer – Ushio Shinohara is a famous Japanese contemporary artist who is a bit of a New York fixture. He is the boxer of the film’s title as he is well known for his ‘boxing paintings’, Cutie is his wife Noriko, an artist in her own right. Refreshingly, this is a doco that is not afraid of showing people as they really are. As much as it is a 40 year love story (and it definitely is) it is also a film about the subjugation of Cutie by the boxer and how she gave up her own dreams to allow him to fulfil his own.
#2: Child’s Pose – This critically lauded film won the Golden Bear at this year’s Berlinale. You can see why too, this is a nuanced and very psychological film. … plays one hell of a mother in a really unsettling role. In fact unsettling is the best word to describe the film as a whole and it is probably unlike anything else you will see at this year’s fest.
#1: Broken Circle Breakdown – I will make this really simple for you. Broken Circle Breakdown is the best film I have seen this year. Actually, the best film I have seen this year or last year. I programmed it in the Blue Mountains Film Festival this year and it took out the Silver Yowie award for best feature. Combining the soul of bluegrass with all of life’s most powerful emotions in a mind bogglingly good and multilayered film, this is the unmissable experience of this year’s Festival.
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