brimon28 Reviews

Thelma & Louise (1991)

A spiritual journey?

[10/10 · 25 January 2013]

Two decades later, Thelma & Louise continues to absorb our attention. We can analyze it, admire the acting, praise the cutting, remember the story. But that doesn't tell us why it remains such a cult movie. And not just the feminists, who claimed ownership. Its appeal is universal, and I believe it is because it is laden with symbolism that engages those who, deep down, have a mystical experience. The main symbol is water. To many, water means baptism, purification, cleansing. T & L, throughout, shows water in many forms. Washing, of course, but there's irrigation, wet paving and rain. It appears at crucial times. Watch for the women as they wash hands and faces; note the changes in the drama.

Would the Bard have approved? I think Shakespeare would have loved this story. It has his kind of ending, his kind of humor, his kind of 'cast-reduction plan'. It is a very funny film. OK, some of the humor is too targeted to the stupidity of the men. Is that why some feminists like it? But there are some comedic lines and risible clichés. Those of a religious bent will recognize the dramatic elements of purification, retribution and revelation. When the women stop to admire the view over the canyon, do they experience that moment of glory to which many of a certain belief aspire? Their faces, their embrace, tell us that. If you want to analyze, note the moment when Thelma adopts the leadership role. Drama is about change; this has it in spades. This feminist came out of the hard-top smiling 20 years ago. In 2013, my third viewing, T & L is still a great movie.

The Running Man (1963)

A nice clean print!

[4/10 · 22 January 2013]

Who was first in this "suspense" genre? Was it Carol Reed or Alfred Hitchcock? In "Running Man" Carol Reed uses much the same formula as Hitch. Music? Yes, well. The bloke with a problem? Sure. The very pretty blonde? Of course. That was the James Bond movies, too. In the end, who cares? Get a good story - yes, it was a good story - and get a good cameraman, and you are home and hosed. So my bias is showing. An Australian cinematographer of renown, even an Aussie, John Meillon as the walk-on rich sheep farmer who loses his identity. A weak point that. Without a passport, how was he to travel? The accents. John Meillon's normal voice is educated Australian. What on earth persuaded him to adopt an exaggerated Ocker accent? I mean, rich Aussie sheep farmers, if anything, will often adopt a plummy "received" accent. And Laurence Harvey. Where were all the voice coaches? "Running Man" was a fair attempt at the suspense genre. But it did not ever have me on the edge of the seat. When I first saw it nearly 60 years ago, I was looking for the great camera work. I think one aerial sequence has been cut for the TV version. It was superb.

The Tall Man (2011)

How an 'accident' changed a community - and the law

[7/10 · 6 January 2012]

Palm Island is a very beautiful little island off the tropical Queensland coast of north-east Australia. It is isolated socially, if not geographically, from the rest of the world. A century ago, it was a church mission, the destination of people who gave 'trouble' in mainland missions. The population tended to be Australian aboriginal, or from Pacific islands. In another culture, Palm Island would be an idyllic resort, with fishing, boating and all the attractions that money can buy. But Palm Island has no industry of note. Unless you count 'welfare' as industry.

An odd background to this story is that Queensland in the '80s had the lowest rate of reported domestic violence in Australia, with the highest rate of Aboriginal incarceration. Later studies showed that Queensland police officers had themselves a bad record of domestic violence.

The death of an Aboriginal man minutes after being arrested for being drunk and disorderly was apparently so important that the arresting officer released without charge at the same time a violent man who confessed to bashing his wife. The police claimed the death was an accident. The post-mortem showed injuries typical of a calamitous motor accident. The police officer was acquitted of manslaughter after a coroner named him. Another inquest many years later revealed that various police officers had lied, connived, and ignored positive evidence of an eyewitness.

This documentary is in the finest tradition of Australian reportage. Considering the final outcome (the Queensland government paid substantial compensation to the victim's family) this is a well-balanced story, beautifully photographed. There are no actors, but the natural love of the camera by the Aboriginals makes it a moving and memorable film. Police refused to help with the film, but the editor has cut into the story sequences shot on police video. The contrast between the shots of violence and the cutaways to serene landscapes is heart-stopping.

Manon of the Spring (1986)

How to do revenge!

[9/10 · 3 January 2012]

When this film was released in Australia, it preceded the release of 'Jean de Florette', the first episode in what really is a continuing tale. Therefore, viewers were mystified by the story, even if they were impressed by the performances. 'Jean de Florette' appeared some months later, too late for cineastes to see Manon again. Luckily, the two are now being presented as a package, giving filmgoers a chance to see the two in the correct order.

The result is very impressive indeed. The French continue to give us lessons in movie-making, and this duo was a change from the New Wave that showed us all how movies can be made. Emotions are to the fore, and Manon has revenge imprinted on it. 'Jean de Florette' gave us a hint, as the young Manon listens - and sees. She doesn't say much, but her face tells us that she is thinking through a resolution.

I'm reminded of Nicole Kidman, in 'Dogville'. The character, Grace, is put upon by the locals, just as is Manon. The American treatment of revenge is different, with a different kind of violence. Dogville's conclusion is shocking and heart-rending; Whether you regard Emmanuelle Beart's face as more expressive than Nicole Kidman's is probably a very personal thing. But Manon's cold fury is a cinematic masterpiece, and we are well-prepared for the finale. This movie is so good I've no desire to read the book!

Here I Am (III) (2011)

The special touch of Australian Aboriginal film making

[6/10 · 10 December 2011]

There's something "different' about the films coming out of Aboriginal groups in Australia. I asked an artist, Alan, in the Tiwi Islands: 'What is it with you guys that you make such great pictures?' Alan replied: 'You whitefellas have to go to college to learn to paint;' and putting his hand on his chest, 'It comes from in here.' Recently we have seen 'Rabbit Proof Fence', 'Toomelah', 'Samson and Delilah', and now 'Here I am'. This movie is not quite S & D, but it has the same cinematographer. Bec Cole and her husband have gone into the city, when so many Australian films have used the outback. This is not a pretty film, and I would have liked to give it a higher rating. It is well shot, and the performances from the tyro actors are truly remarkable. The same day I visited an exhibition by photographer Martin Mischkulnig, 'Smalltown', which is set in outback Australia. But his pictures are of 'white' Australia, landscapes and genre photos mostly without people. I cannot imagine an Aboriginal team making pictures without people.

An early post has described the film very well. I can but say, I'll try to see it again, and I hope many people give it the same value. I've never sat in a room with Aboriginal women in a shelter, but this film made me feel I was there.

Swimming Upstream (2003)

A less than satisfying sequel

[6/10 · 26 November 2011]

This writer tries to avoid comparing the film with the book, They are totally different media. I've never before referred to other posts on this site. This time I have to break both rules.

This film is effectively a sequel to the memoir 'Surviving Maggie', John Fingleton's tale of his dysfunctional family, and their violent, alcoholic mother. Yes, John's grandmother. The slant here is that of 'Once were Warriors', the great little movie from New Zealand, which was based on the experiences of a violent mother. In 'Warriors' the violent one becomes the father. The victim in John's memoir is Harold, played here by Geoffrey Rush, who has been turned into a violent alcoholic. Why authors do this, I do not know. What I do have to ask is: Is this a good movie, in itself? Now, the other posts. It is obvious that the American cut is different than the Australian version. Correction: The DVD is different. It would seem that at 'live' showings in the USA, there was a Q & A. Parts of this appear as part of the DVD version.

So, what about the movie? It's a good story, well acted. Judy Davis does the oppressed woman very well. So well, that it indicates some bravery on her part taking these roles. The invariably competent Geoffrey Rush is an excellent drunk. I suppose most of us have met his like. The camera work is fine, but the sound (all that splashing water!) is not good.

For the social psychologist, this is an interesting rendition of the effect of inherited characteristics through three generations. It is likely that more people have read 'Surviving Maggie' than have viewed 'Swimming Upstream'. I usually refrain from suggesting that people take in both the film and the book. In this case, You might enjoy both. There's a six-months wait for the book at my local library!

Reiruweizu: 49-sai de densha no untenshi ni natta otoko no monogatari (2010)

A Japanese lesson in how to make a movie!

[18 November 2011]

At a glance, there's nothing new about this story. Hajimi is a senior executive with a manufacturer making railway stuff. He's at odds with his wife, who has her own little struggling business. His daughter is rude to him. He's married to the job, and his daughter keeps reminding him of that. His company exports to America which is suffering an economic downturn. Sound familiar? Well, he is offered a promotion and a seat on the board. All he has to do is close down the plant he loves before the company goes bankrupt. Enamored of trains, he has little choice but to take the new job - or resign. What to do? Then his best friend, another worker also a train buff, dies.

This could have been another melodrama, or a potboiler. But a brilliant writer-director has painted a glorious picture of a divided family, eventually brought together by a sick Granny. We see vintage trains, lovingly depicted by a cinematographer of real talent. There are no tricks, no CGI. The action is rhythmic, with sequences of quiet, close-up contemplation, and railway operations so correct, so accurately drawn, you can almost smell the diesels.

Here in Australia we thought we had a monopoly on wide-screen landscapes. Here the camera dwells on gorgeous panoramas. And then we see a team of marvellous actors, telling us what is happening silently in close-up what is happening, just with their facial expressions.

There is no "wow" ending; it is almost predictable. Highly recommended for railway buffs. For lovers of drama, this movie is a great example of putting human emotions onto film. Every character changes. For those averse to subtitles, this film does them well. I detected one tiny and insignificant error. If you've enjoyed Japanese films in the past, well, this one is different.

Bill Cunningham New York (2010)

An exciting picture of one man's New York

[11 November 2011]

Once upon a time this reviewer was a photographer who rode a bicycle for work. I carried a camera always. Film, until digital became cheaper. Here we have a man in love with his city and his camera. Director Press (what an apt name!), who also photographs and cuts, sets out to draw a man. In doing so he puts a tiny figure into a broad panorama of what some would say is the cultural capital of the world. Could a Bill Cunningham exist anywhere else? OK, we spend a little time in Paris, but the flavor is New York. This reviewer knows New York, has been influenced by Paris with but fleeting visits. This film alludes to the work of Jean Luc Godard, a director of imagination. Amongst photographers, Paris and New York evoke images that stimulate and provoke.

In my reviews I've been critical of hand-held camera work. Otherwise fine films, I believe, have suffered because the cinematographers have forgotten that viewers expect to see steady images. This film uses hand-held wisely, intercutting it with fixed scenes. There is a rhythm of busy, noisy shots interspersed with quiet, even contemplative material. This is an absorbing, thoughtful motion picture, telling a story of a "stills" master.

As I walked out of the cinema, people chatted animatedly with strangers about what they had seen, a reaction I had not before seen. My own reaction was envy and admiration. Here was an octogenarian riding a bike, when I had had to give it up; a photographer productive and imaginative. Lovely and exciting.

Toomelah (2011)

A story of alienation, violence and hope

[30 October 2011]

Toomelah used to be a mission for aboriginal Australians. In the far north of the State of New South Wales, it was too far away to attract any attention from the state capital, Sydney, although it was right on the border of Queensland. Not until a community nurse resigned after exposing the abuse of children was any help offered, when the Australian government started an "intervention". Housing, sewerage and water supply were improved. To-day, the location of this film is still an aboriginal settlement. Its people are keen on education for their children, but substance abuse remains a problem.

Ivan Sen, who had been brought up here, walked the 15 Kilometres from the nearest town, Boggabilla. This is rich agricultural country, with cotton cropping. Sen's movie (yes, he does the script, the filming, the music) ignores the wealth of this sub-tropical demi-paradise. Poverty and neglect are apparent. Young Daniel carries the picture with very little to say. He is the observer, the cadet druggie. His father is alienated, devoted to methylated spirit. His mother tries half-heartedly to get him to go to school, but his disruptions force his expulsion. His Nan is his only consolation. He tries to relate to a visiting aunt, but she lives in the past. A violent episode, triggered by Daniel, brings resolution and redemption and hope.

This movie is well worth a look. The music is good. Sen is "handy" with the camera. I think perhaps that he could have used a tripod and a focus-puller. Sen edited the film himself. A few more seconds of cutting would improve it.

The Eye of the Storm (2011)

How to make an absorbing movie

[24 October 2011]

Patrick White earned a Nobel Prize for literature. Having read only one of his novels and found it 'heavy', I was keen to see what someone could do to The Eye of the Storm. Given the director was Fred Schepisi, I knew it would be 'different'. First find a screenwriter. Judy Morris is an accomplished actor. I expected to see an 'actor's' film, with great lines and self-evident visuals. Yes, Judy Morris can write, and rather more clearly than Patrick White. Look for her in one of the scenes! Next find a cast. "Storm' has brilliant people. To nominate just one, Helen Morse proves that she can sing and dance, skills that I'd not seen before. Rush and Rampling carry the action, with Alexandra, Schepisi's daughter, a clever foil. Judy Davis has a face that seems to accommodate any role.

No, I won't be reading this novel. What we see here is a great motion picture. We've become accustomed to Australian films depicting poverty, isolation, and mayhem. This has an air of opulence and connectedness.

Cast Away (2000)

A very absorbing movie

[9/10 · 19 March 2011]

Yes, it's too long. Yes, there are lots of goofs. And, if you watch closely enough, errors of time and place. But, this is one movie that is worth watching closely. Even if, as I found at the fourth sitting through a TV showing, you have to watch a raft of cleverly placed product-placement ads. OK, we know that FedEx comes out of it well. And Snickers bars. And Wilson the sports goods maker. But it does not improve a movie to show ads for men's deodorant. Nevertheless, it is a truly absorbing show. On TV the film runs for three hours. But it remains watchable. Looking back at the several versions of this film that I have seen, it is apparent that many viewers have not seen the original hardtop version. An example: In one TV version, the suicide attempt has been cut. In another, it is elaborated in a conversation between Chuck and his friend. Perhaps television broadcasters have their own agenda with regard to timing of programs. In one TV version there is much footage wasted with no significant visuals. Is this so that ads could be inserted by local operators? I believe that good movies (and this is a very good movie) deserve better.

Top Hat (1935)

Well made, corny, but fun!

[7/10 · 28 November 2010]

Why does this old cineaste bother with an old black-and-white movie that he would not have bothered to see when it was first released? Well, when an opportunity offers to see a 35mm print in a modern cinema you'd like to see what such a film meant to people towards the end of the Great Depression. It most certainly would have been a relief of the burdens of 1935. It's not quite Cosi Fan Tutti or Twelfth Night, but it does use the old trick of mistaken identities to add to the 'suspended disbelief' that so much drama depends on. And, of course, we tend to compare the techniques of the old 35mm film process with the apparent ease of modern digital technology. And the truth? You can look for the goofs, and you will find that in 1935, film makers had learned enough since the advent of sound to get it right. The giveaway is often the lip-synching. Well, here it cannot be faulted. Indeed, one can believe that Ginger Rogers is actually singing. Perhaps she was. OK, the orchestra was probably dubbed (the dance sounds had to be synched as well), but this is one close-to-perfect talkie. This particular showing did demonstrate that to-day's bio operators have had it too easy with their digital "films". There was one missed cue. Perhaps the op was too busy watching the movie! And how did Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers manage to not tread on each others' toes? Yes, Fred did lift his feet very high, and Ginger hardly at all. I wish I had learned that at dance classes!

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

A great play, a lesser film

[12 September 2010]

After sixty years we can look back on the work of Tennessee Williams and wonder how it is that a 20th century writer can inspire playgoers and cineastes in the way that Shakespeare inspires us all after 400 years. And not only the English-speaking world. Russia has adopted William and Williams as their own. Streetcar has been adapted, edited, altered and studied as few plays are. I was fortunate to see the play staged when it was very new, in an age when the streetcar dominated city streets. Back in those immediate post-war years, the sound effects people had to get the sound of the streetcar on its regular grinding, clattering way. In the 21st century we are lucky to be able to view this film in our home theatres. So what happened to the streetcar in this film? How many times did it trundle by, the catenaries sparking, the motors grinding? This might sound like a carping criticism, but Blanche, in her ravings, claps her hands to her ears and complains of the constant sound of the streetcar. And the sound people in this movie produce a staccato banging unlike any streetcar since steam was abandoned. And not a flash of light! This film changed forever the play's ending. Conscious of the American censorship system, Kazan changed the ending (with Williams's approval), so that a rapist could not be seen to have a happy exit. Sadly, many stage adapters use the same ending. Just as sadly, the rape scene has largely disappeared, meaning the original ending could have been retained. Nevertheless, this is a fine film, and for years I've waited for the sequel. In an interview, Williams said that Blanche would have set up a boutique, just as she dreamed she would.

Tomorrow, When the War Began (2010)

One fun movie!

[7/10 · 8 September 2010]

When my children gave me a gift ticket to see this movie, I thought "Not another kid flick!" Well, on entering the cinema, there were all these grown women waiting. Second thought "Not another chick flick!" So, perhaps the establishment phase of the film was a bit slow, but it soon got exciting. Great little actors, fantastic CGI and SFX, and a modern treatment on an old theme. And there's a message. I'll keep that until last. All the characters of a great old story are there. A born leader, a vapid blonde, a couple of wimps, a mostly unhelpful adult, a scared churchy girl who "has blood on her hands". Even a village idiot. That seemed to me to be a "plant". Surely, he was going to save them all when he got over his problem. Well, not this episode, anyway. There has to be another. In this film, what I experienced as boys' games and fantasies, turns out to be a girls' equivalent. The girls do the hard yards, the boys tag along. Was I having a second childhood? Well, if this is what a second childhood is, bring it on. This is a an exciting film, helped by a huge team of SFX and CGI specialists. OK, some of the effects are clichés, but they work. The message? When invading another country, expect to have to deal with groups of resisters, some of whom will disagree with each other, but out of it will come disaster for the invaders. A cell of people who know their local country will use every resource it can to arm and re-arm, using violence and persuasion, until the invaders withdraw.

Road Games (1981)

Franklin had me fooled!

[8/10 · 7 August 2010]

After a few minutes of this film I was all set to switch off and pick up a good book. Well, the phone rang and when I got back things got interesting. Not being forewarned of the Hitchcockian overtones, I sat back to watch another "Duel". Well, it wasn't and it is not. Franklin, I think, pulls off a few tricks that Hitchcock never thought of. Edge-of- the-seat stuff. Just when you guess what the next trick will be, Franklin pulls a rabbit out of the hat. He handles the Australian landscape well, not overdoing the Panavision thing. Having traveled this highway many times, this film was true to the scenes and the characters. Yes, one can cross the continent on this road, the Eyre Highway, take a week to do it, and one can meet the same characters time after time. Franklin actually went to the site of the old telegraph station at Eucla, on the border of Western Australia and South Australia. He got that right. What the writers didn't get right is Quid's "dingo". A dingo is lean and wary. It doesn't bark. This dog, by the set of its ears, might have had a trace of dingo blood. Sadly, it doesn't conform to Hollywood's standards of dog obedience, but it is part of a very watchable movie. And the credits roll slowly enough to read! The Brian May music is good, but the general sound effects were poor. I mean, a semi is noisier than this.

The Kids Are All Right (2010)

A nice, bland, uncerebral time passer

[4/10 · 29 July 2010]

It's not the worst film of the year, by any measure. But if you add it all up, you get a positive result. Fair writing, good direction, some really good acting, and sound camera work. But somehow, this film lacked the conflict that would have kept me on the edge of the seat. There was no drama, and the pre-publicity hinted at controversial issues. Some reviewers have remarked on the "simulated sex scenes". Well, it had simulated driving scenes, too. And simulated eating scenes. Is that not standard Hollywood stuff? Do you have to be French to actually have people eating real food, driving real cars, and making love? Mia Wasikowska did actually appear to be eating, but then she is such a performer for one so young. Wasikowska drives this film. She is lovely to watch. Watch out for her as she matures.

Lou (2010)

Sweet but not sugary

[8/10 · 19 June 2010]

This is one very 'different' film. The pre-publicity prepares one for a tough hour-and-a-bit. It starts slow, and one wonders whether the story can be told in the short time left. We have a family, short of a dad, living on the border of Queensland and New South Wales. It's sugarcane country, backed by Mount Warning, the conspicuous mountain named by James Cook in 1770. The family is poor economically, but strong in spirit. We are introduced to the three girls, eldest 12, early in a line-up. This line-up is repeated from time to time and at the finish of the film. The girls are obedient, which makes them, perhaps, less than normal. But mother preserves the family's functionality with discipline against great odds. The odds seem greatest when the family is stuck with the grandfather, suffering with Alzheimers. It is obvious that Lou, the eldest girl, is to be the leader in the drama, and Doyle, the declining elder, is her foil. Does this work? Well, there's an old stage rule: never appear with children or dogs. The children win hands down with the mother appearing to be helpless. Doyle finishes up happy, and Lou, resilient in her youth, recovers from her disappointment. The cinematography is lovely, with rock-steady camera work, but not relying too heavily on the magnificent landscape of the Tweed Valley. Yes, a filmmaker can tell a story in under an hour-and-a-half!

Rashomon (1950)

An intriguing mystery

[7/10 · 30 April 2010]

Having first seen this film 60 years ago in a 16mm print, I had the opportunity to see a restored 35mm print. The significance of this event is that I have mentioned more than once in reviews the influence of Rashomon's narrative technique, most recently in 'Avatar'. This new print shows the detailed close-ups, but it shows also the lighting flaws. Hanging reflectors in the trees to reflect sun into the shadows might have saved a few yen, but the movement of the light spots was sometimes disturbing. Artificial, to say the least. The sound in this well-equipped cinema emphasised just how unbalanced it was, both thematically and acoustically. Nevertheless, Rashomon has earned its place in the pantheon of iconic motion pictures. The complexity of the story remains a model for film-makers. Perhaps the acting is wooden; we expect more than lengthy shots of blank expressions. Only Eisenstein seems to have mastered that trick. The rain was well done, in contrast to,say, 'Singin' in the Rain'. The Japanese used dark colouring in the "rainwater"; Hollywood used milk!

Welcome (I) (2009)

Another lesson from the French in 'How to Make a Movie'

[9/10 · 14 March 2010]

This film grabs you from the start. The subtly-lit scenes near the Calais waterfront, where 'illegals' gather for a free feed and the exchange of information on how to get across the Channel to Britain are followed by quieter sequences where the story and the back-story are established. Thus the rhythm of the film develops. The theme is topical, and applicable in many places across the globe where displaced people, some the victims of torture or oppression gather to become victims, often enough, of unfeeling authorities or greedy people-smugglers. Death occurs in unventilated trucks, leaky boats or the undercarriages of trains. But there is hope. We see the work of the volunteers on the food stalls, and we experience the tensions between them. Maybe the story is not new, but this French crew tell the story with compassion that hits you where it hurts. We haven't seen these actors before, but they teach us how to act and eat at the same time. Food is always the specialty of the French film, and here it is done brilliantly. Sub-titles? Of course, but they are accurate and used with restraint, to let the dialogue in French, English and Kurdish give us the message. Don't miss it.

Contact (II) (2009)

A remarkable compilation

[9/10 · 4 March 2010]

Not a lot is known of the difficulties encountered by Australian and British scientists in 1964 while attempting to clear the impact point of the ill-fated Blue Streak missile of people. Even the educated whites who were exploring for oil refused to move out until they were forced to. Contacting the black people was almost given up, as the natives used their knowledge of the land to avoid the searchers. They thought the whites would eat them; the vehicles they used were 'monsters'. Eventually, contact was made, but only after the natives had run out of food and allowed the whites to feed them and escort them to a safer place. This film relies heavily on Peter Morton's 'Fire across the Desert', and the compilation of old amateur footage and some official material. The fascinating commentary by Yuwali who had been a baby when the missiles were fired is truly compelling. One can ignore the imaginative inaccuracies in the concocted story (I wonder if the Aborigines were 'having a lend' of the film-makers), and the sometimes clumsy technical work, but the old and the new are blended well enough. The film does not cover the deaths, or the leprosy, or explain why the aboriginal men had left the women and children to fend for themselves. But this is a film to watch and enjoy and to learn from.

Avatar (2009)

A concatenation of cardboard cut-out clichés

[4/10 · 9 February 2010]

With over 2000 posts already, what else can one say about this extraordinary movie? Sure, it's derivative. Yes, it is episodic. It is certainly very spectacular. But that is the nature of 3D: it's nothing if not spectacular. Even stereo slide shows are pretty, but prettiness is never enough. The sound, the music? More Wagner than Morricone, but how many original tunes are there anyway? The Morricone sound is there, and even the visuals from 'The Mission' are there. Look at that climb up the waterfall. What point was it, except, say, 'Why don't we have a waterfall?' Then there's the too-lengthy horse-breaking sequence. Every second Western has to have one. You want acting? Thankfully, none of the cast is required to act, even though there is a hint or two that one or two of them have some histrionic ability. Drama? The essence of drama is conflict, with a change in the characters as part of the resolution. The character, Grace, does change, but altogether too early in the show to be really part of the drama. I did stay until the end of the credits; were there really 3000 on the payroll? I suspect that the walkouts were more a matter of bladder control than boredom. Or was it the headache from the 3D glasses? This retired cinematographer has great admiration for the technical staff. They are very clever indeed. But it is possible to be clever and unintelligent, and in this movie they go close to that.

Lucky Miles (2007)

Worth a second look

[7/10 · 25 January 2010]

Every so often we get to see a little film on TV not too long after its hardtop screening. And this one was worth the second look. It's another way of looking at the Australian outback, not for its awesome beauty but for the challenges it sets for people not used to such a landscape. Here we have such a challenge, the protagonists being asylum seekers who are victims of amoral people-smugglers. This is currently a political hot potato in Australia, as it has been for many years. But this film has a quirky edge to it, and the seriousness of the images is relieved hugely by the humour. It really is fun, and the way the Australians in uniform handle the reality is the fun that has come to be known as gallows humour. Imagine you're a cop or a soldier faced with a nasty situation. You grin, and relieve the tension by making light of things. Resourcefulness and mateship are supposed to be part of the Australian psyche, and this great little film has it in spades. Think "Bush Mechanics". Think "Flight of the Phoenix". And listen out for the voice on the radio. That's the beautiful Deborah Mailman, whom the casting agent would surely have loved to at least do a walk-on. See it on wide screen.

Japanese Story (2003)

Better the second time around

[8/10 · 25 January 2010]

Having seen this film at first release in a cinema, and enjoyed it, I was somewhat disturbed by some negative posts on this page. When the opportunity arose to see it on TV, then, I viewed it again. It's a bit more mysterious than I was aware of at first viewing. This could be because the two versions are different cuts. Perhaps the sound was better on my home cinema than I recall from the hardtop. Certainly, the story was well set in the opening scenes, when it is obvious that Sandy, the female IT specialist, is coming off an unsatisfactory relationship. As one of her colleagues remarks: "I don't know how anybody could do it with him". We then are aware that Sandy is "on the rebound" from that relationship. The unpleasantness of that experience is not helped by her being told to escort a visitor, Hiro, on a sightseeing trip for which neither is well prepared. This is where things get complicated. Sandy is a female in the blokey environment of outback mining, where the usual job for a woman is driving a large earthmover. Hiro treats her, not as a professional, but as his driver. On the phone he describes her to his wife as "She has a big bum and she talks loudly". When it becomes obvious that Hiro is clueless about outback motoring in his demand to be taken to inaccessible places, he secretively peruses Sandy's guidebook. At the same time, Sandy hides her Japanese phrase book inside a magazine. Their communication level in zilch. Sandy does most of the right things when they get into trouble, not knowing that Hiro has read at least one trick to get them going. Or does she deliberately leave that trick out of her lexicon? In any event, the episode does improve their communication level. To some, that is a mystery. In the finale, we see one of the basic rules of drama. Conflict is followed by changes in the characters. Sandy is less uptight, and we become aware that Hiro was in love with his wife all along. That is the mystery in "the letter". Why did Hiro's wife give Sandy the letter? We don't know, but remember that we have here a woman director and a woman writer. In any case, the wife and Sandy reconcile, as I suppose, two intelligent women would do in the circumstances. Viewers might care to check the lengths of the original film and the video version. This is a very watchable movie.

Bran Nue Dae (2009)

A delightful romp

[8/10 · 23 January 2010]

This might just have been another road movie. It could have been another Broadway-style musical. It could have been another Priscilla or La Ronde. Or, perhaps, an expression of black freedom. Who cares, really, because what we get is a load of foot-tapping laughs. Plot? What do you expect in a musical out of Hollywood? Story? Yes, there's a story stitching the episodes together. Rachel Perkins does a fine job, with tight direction, and a clever choice of leads. How many films rely on all of the cast for top performances? We get Ernie Dingo, as sharp as ever in his characterization. We get Deborah Mailman, one of the most fetching faces on film. And we get Magda Szubanski, a comic who seems to be able to step into any role. Here we have her handling a Lee Enfield .303 rifle with ease. I expected to see another Annie Get Your Gun, but Magda is no crack shot. Luckily, she misses. I thought Magda might turn out to be the token white in a black movie, but she and the black Deborah Mailman are equally libidinous in an hilarious way. Is this black equality or an expression of female power? Perkins doesn't go overboard with the Australian landscape, even though her cinematographer must have been tempted. When you see it, make sure you get the full-width screen. The empty distances are just that. I love the way we get groups of dancers springing out of nowhere, choirs appearing as if by magic, and the entirely predictable ending. OK, Hollywood thought of it first. With all its flaws, this is a fun hour-and-a-half.

Bright Star (2009)

Prettiest film of the year?

[8/10 · 6 December 2009]

Another brave piece from Jane Campion. It seems to be a chick-flick, but the introductory shots with the analogues of penetration and emasculation point to another study of a strong woman who turns flirtation into power, and as we know now, profit. Campion sticks to the biographies we know: a flighty youngster who keeps her man on a string until he dies. We know that in real life Fanny Brawne did marry (a much younger man than she, indeed), and had three children. Keats's love letters were preserved until they could be converted into money. They finished up worth more than his poetry.

Poetry? I think not. Keats used an idiom already dead. Those facile rhymes, the apostrophes which might have meant something in Shakespeare's day. Those of us brought up on Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, Gerard Manley Hopkins and Les Murray now wince at Keats's nonsense.

But is the movie any good? So many people left the cinema early that I wondered if it was boredom or weak bladders. It is far too long, with some scenes unnecessarily prolonged. The movie is good after all. My wife didn't think so; it was just another 'girlie' film. But this feminist could see a dramatic rendition of the exercise of feminine power. Fanny was always in control, even in the self-harm episode.

The acting was as good as it gets for this kind of film. Charming compositions made the lengthy visuals bearable. Campion has a sure hand in her direction, and her writing sticks to the biogs. There are one or two clumsy cuts; I wonder if the cat had anything to do with it. Ask your female companions how many dresses Fanny has. And what gorgeous hats! No, not just a chick-flick. This is Campion at her best.