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Reviews
The Royal Hotel (2023)
Tense and threatening, not action packed
The similarities to Aussie cult classic Wake in Fright have rightly been mentioned by reviewers. For the drawn-out threat of sexual violence you might also add the original Straw Dogs, without the overt acts. Two Canadian backpackers are in search of escape somewhere as far away from home as they can get. Needing money, they find themselves barmaids in a one-pub outback mining town. The locals drink a lot, but that's not the worst of the toxicity. Garner is fantastic as ever and Jessica Henwick does well - though their back story could have been made more of. Hugo Weaving and Ursula Yovich are great was the sometimes warring sometimes caring partners in running the pub. Not an action thriller, but tense and threatening with lots of moral ambiguity.
Mafia Mamma (2023)
Waste of Toni Collette's talent
This crime comedy isn't a play on cultural stereotypes, it's a parade of them. Toni Collette does her best to carry a pedestrian cast and a lousy script. Monica Bellucci did ok, in a deadpan way, but it must have galled her to see Italians played as such buffoons.
It's not meant to be realistic, of course, but the whole thing is just a shamble of cliches spiced with violence that veers between sharp and slapstick.
Early on there is a scene in a women's self-defence class where Kristin (Collette) gets support from Jenny (Sophia Nomvete), who is big, black and brassy. The whole class ends up in a ridiculous fem-power chant. This just lays the groundwork for turning up the volume of dumb, unfunny, repetitive cultural cliches once they hit Italy.
Babylon (2022)
Three hours very well spent
I loved it to bits. Excessive, funny, moving, with plenty of thrills and spills. Tobey Maguire's cameo is disgusting and wonderful.
Brad Pitt basically plays the same part as in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but there's genuine warmth between Robbie and Calva.
Behind the scenes chaos and mega-debauched parties (one of them in a series of dungeons) all attacked with such verve and glee.
All interspersed with some genuinely quiet and touching moments.
The soundtrack and mixing is also superb. I laughed a lot, and covered my eyes a lot. The closing montage was the only thing that dragged for me.
Three hours very well spent.
Amsterdam (2022)
Pretty chaotic, and pretty
I liked just about everything in Amsterdam, except the mostly redundant and ridiculously long wrap-up narration.
It's beautifully shot, the costumes are gorgeous, and the ensemble cast compulsively watchable.
The plot is convoluted, and some of the quirkiness felt forced, but much more was inspired.
Russell (American Hustle, The Fighter) sure knows how to get a great performance from Christian Bale. While Margot Robbie was by turns broad and subtle. John Washington rounds out the friendship triangle in a characterisation that's least played for laughs. And Mike Myers really looked like he was enjoying himself under all that makeup.
The murder-reveal scene and build-up was genuinely suspenseful and reminded me, in a good way, of The Prestige.
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Just another exploitation flick
The performances are superb. There are lots of filmic tricks that really work well. But it's shallow and morally superior. And in the end, just a high class exploitation flick.
Is it that much better than Go Ask Alice or Reefer Madness?
It's much better shot, and the leads are top notch. But in the end it's morally simplistic. Drugs bad.
It was almost saved by the inter-generational drug abuse, but this was so cheesy. While Helen Burstyn's performance was heroic, her character was treated with contempt.
There was a moment when the inter-generational drug abuse opened the potential for something real and emotional. But then it was back to sweaty, bruised bodies.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
Unengaging eye candy
An ok set-up. Thepoint-of-view switch in the second act was fun, but it finishes in a completely corny reversal. The climax of the final act was just silly, and pretty much rendered all the sleuthing redundant.
Kate Hudson was pretty funny as ditsy former sex bomb Birdie. Jessica Henwick does a pretty decent Aubrey Plaza impersonation. Edward Norton seemed to be having fun.
There was some good chemistry between Daniel Craig and Janelle Monae, and the almost Big Chill feel of a reunion of friends with a long back story worked at times.
A better spectacle than knives out, but not as good a murder mystery.
Where the Crawdads Sing (2022)
Pretty, but bland
A not very mysterious death and a very standard love triangle filled out with mild courtroom drama. Shot with a sort of sanitized beauty. Despite being the cleanest swamp-dweller of all time, Edgar-Jones had some strong moments.
Gifted (2017)
A quality weepy
This one has to hold the record for "verge of tears" for me. It pulls its punches on abusive parenting, but the cast and story is solid. It's not so bad to watch an uplifting movie from time to time. I'm not a cat lover, but if I were, the score would be 8.
A Teacher (2013)
In some ways better than the series
What it does better is capture the joylessness of abuse. I liked that Diana's homelife was a share house rather than a marriage gone stale (as in the series). Also less glamourised.
The Batman (2022)
Batman returns...
A city that looks and feels like a city. Violence that feels violent. And characters with something going on behind their masks.
Most of all it makes you realise how truly dreadful the previous few outings were.
West Side Story (2021)
Bland male lead let's it down
An enjoyable and respectful reboot. The weakest part of the original is even weaker here. Tony needs to have a element of danger about him. Elgort is meh.
A Teacher (2020)
Multiple journeys - respect and honesty
Having been in a similar circumstance, the journey of Eric is so well done. His friends don't understand (because they don't know) but, within their capabilities, really do try to help. Those of us with this in our past ask ourselves the question - did this kill us or make us stronger? The answer varies from day to day. I really like the ending, in that the perp comes out damaged, vaguely regretful, but overall ok. Unexpected honesty from a USA production.
Palmer (2021)
Predictable, but engaging
Gifted meets Sherrybaby. More movies should explore the good and the bad surrounding child protection systems. Of course, JT does well in a role that is perfect for him, but Ryder Allen is fantastic as Sam. His character reminded me of a child featured in the beautiful documentary I Am Eleven.
Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey (2018)
Unbelievable light
Not nearly as good as the Unbelievable series, which itself was too sanitised. The protagonist has no flaws - despite being abused all her life. All her reactions are stable and proportionate. She never acts out. In lieu of that, the film makers chuck in a couple of bad dreams. The true story it's based on is a human triumph and deserved something less lazy.
The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021)
Confused and frustrating
An extra star for the subject matter and one more for the music. Andra Day in the lead was good, but no one else had much to do of any depth. Neither her relationship with the song Strange Fruit, nor with her band, nor with her bad or better lovers were properly explored, just gestured at.
Nomadland (2020)
Pretty, slow, cliche
Beautifully shot and well acted but really not so much character drive as platitude drive
A Fall from Grace (2020)
Over explanatory and dull
Horrendous dialogue and ridiculously overused "interview" narration where characters are forever telling you what's happening - when it's right there in front of your eyes and quite obvious enough - more than obvious enough - already.
Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood (2019)
Buddy film with a great soundtrack
No so much a film of intertwining stories as marketing claim, but basically a buddy film in context.
Great cast and a soundtrack with some great little-known versions of pop classics.
Kept most of its violence to one, long sequence of complete mayhem towards the end.
Terrific chemistry between Pitt and DiCaprio, with Margot Robbie touching and sweet as Sharon Tate. Also a treat to see Tate's performance in a Matt Helm flick at the local.
But there's dubious politics to these salt-of-the-earth, fun-loving, yet murderous, middle-America guys triumphing over ratbag hippies and upstart immigrants
Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan (2019)
Pretty standard stuff
Solid cast and script. Well choreographed close-quarters gun battles. But nothing special. The complete absence of anything resembling a Vietnamese POV (north or south) is a pretty serious flaw. And closing with Only 19 - really? Music from the era would have been much more in keeping with the film, even Little Pattie's surfer boy could have been poignant handled well
Trautmann (2018)
Ok, but not much more
Too cliched to be anything more than an ok biopic. There's a scene with juxtaposed tombstones which goes beyond cliche into outright bad
Aquaman (2018)
Underwater, everyone can hear you yawn
Lots of long, loud, boring speeches. Long, long slabs of exposition. Lots of lame mission statements - go to the hidden blah blah and find the sacred such and such (what, no singing bush??) Momoa is charismatic but Wilson in not. And poor Kidman in that costume... The worst DC movie so far