Flick Picks: Take a trip to Nebraska this weekend

WHICH flicks should get your hard earned cash this weekend? A bittersweet comedy-drama or a true war story out of Afghanistan? Leigh Paatsch has the answer.

WHICH movies should get your hard earned cash this weekend? Leigh Paatsch has the answer.

KEEP YOUR EYES ON THIS PRIZE

American director Alexander Payne just has to be the most reliable shots-caller in the business right now. Every film he’s ever done (such as Sideways, About Schmidt and The Descendants) has landed squarely on the top shelf. So it’s exemplary business as usual for Nebraska, a beautiful, bittersweet comedy-drama about a fragile old-timer named Woody (an Oscar-nominated Bruce Dern), who mistakenly thinks he is about to become a lottery millionaire. In a bid to let him down gently, Woody’s youngest son (Will Forte) takes him on a road trip where the misunderstanding will hopefully clear itself up. Naturally, it doesn’t, and when the pair make a pit stop in Woody’s old home town, news of the non-existent windfall brings the worst out of family, friends and enemies alike. With an immaculately written screenplay at its disposal, Nebraska is free to put a well-chosen cast through their paces with just the right grace notes of humour and pathos. Stunning black-and-white cinematography showcases the open skies (and closed minds) of Middle America to absolute perfection. Highly recommended.

Winner ... Will Forte as David Grant, left, and Bruce Dern as Woody Grant in a scene from the film Nebraska.

THIS REALLY MEANS WAR

Looking for fresh intel on why the American military picked a fight with the Taliban? Keep moving. Looking for the hard lowdown on how the American military fought the Taliban? Stay right where you are. And brace yourself for Lone Survivo r. There are no politics, nor polite niceties here. Only logistics. The basic rules of background and characterisation are swiftly saluted, then dismissed. This is the true story of a tragic 2005 firefight in rural Afghanistan that pitted four Navy SEALs stranded on a hilltop against the fully-armed might of a ruthless war lord. Like no war movie ever before, director Peter Berg captures the sensory overload that must swirl around a soldier under the most extreme duress. Narrative cohesion is not the film’s strong suit, but battlefield authenticity most certainly is. Stars Mark Wahlberg, Emile Hirsch, Eric Bana.

Authentic ... Mark Wahlberg (right) in Lone Survivor.

PERFECTLY DEPLOYING A SOFT(WARE) TOUCH

Just like Gravity late last year, Her presents a new way forward for storytelling in modern film. Just about to finish its run in Australian cinemas too, so you’d better get your skates on if you’ve been meaning to check it out. Though the core premise is arresting enough in its own right — Joaquin Phoenix plays a lonely fellow who falls in love with his computer’s operating system — the manner in which it is so fully realised is what truly immerses and captivates the viewer here. Writer-director Spike Jonze (Where the Wild Things Are) subtly chips away at a stone cold paradox that just might chill us all, one of these days. Will the hopeful promise of a “connected” future — where technology will clean up the messiness of the real world on our behalf — leave us hopelessly disconnected from each other? A beautiful, bewitching and deceptively warm experience. Co-stars Amy Adams and the voice of Scarlett Johansson.

Lonely ... Joaquin Phoenix in a scene from film Her, directed by Spike Jonze.

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