Leigh Paatsch's guide to movies
GET the most out of your movie experience with a little help from this handy movie guide.
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GET THE most out of your movie experience with a little help from this handy movie guide.
12 YEARS A SLAVE (MA15+) The worst mankind can do versus the best one man can be, US, 134 min
This remarkable film embodies a type of subject matter that Hollywood has conspicuously avoided exploring in too much detail for far too long. On many fronts, America is still coming to terms with its history as a nation that once tacitly endorsed the practice of human slavery. This is the true story of Solomon Northup (masterfully played by Chiwetel Ejiofor), a successful African American musician who was abducted as a free man in 1841 and then sold into slavery. It is no condemnation of this powerful work to label it a film that has to be fully endured to be truly appreciated. Director Steve McQueen does not back away for a moment from the vast array of harsh realities that must be depicted. A film as complex, compelling and confronting as 12 Years a Slave not only reignites a familiar sense of outrage about a shameful past. It also promotes a fresh understanding of that terrible time. Minds will be opened, perhaps even changed by what they see (and indeed feel) here. Co-stars Lupita Nyong'o, Michael Fassbender, Paul Giamatti. 5/5
47 RONIN (MA15+) Does not die an honourable death, US, 116 min
Two pressing questions immediately come to mind here. Where has Keanu Reeves been all these years? And why couldn't he have stayed there? To be fair, not even a true acting great could hope to kickstart a comeback with this lumbering bumbler of an action flick. Reeves dozily plays a disrespected mixed-caste samurai helping some dull Japanese fighting types do battle with shape-shifting witches, ogres and sundry unworldly threats. The whole debacle cost more than 200 million bucks to make, and has only a handful of diverting visual effects to show for it. Avoid, dude. 1/5
AMERICAN HUSTLE (MA15+) This complete con is always on the money, US, 135 min
American Hustle opens with the following statement: "Some of this actually happened." Yes, this fantastic movie is based on a rather fantastical true story from the 1970s. But that's not so important. What is important is that something is always happening. At a running time of over two hours, that takes some doing. Christian Bale and Amy Adams star as a cunning, conning couple busted by FBI agent Bradley Cooper and forced to make a deal. If the pair can lure a bunch of corrupt politicians to be bribed by feds posing as "fake sheikhs," they'll be let off the hook. One of the distinct pleasures of American Hustle is its tendency to dash off in any number of directions in its relentless pursuit of a great scene. In the second half of the movie in particular, many of these scenes are comprehensively owned by Jennifer Lawrence in a stunning supporting role. In fact, the whole cast (even Robert De Niro!) is in cracking form. One of the best films of 2013, and that's no scam. 4.5/5
THE BOOK THIEF (PG) Reading a righting of wrongs, US-Germany, 131 min
Based on the 2005 bestseller by Markus Zusak, this moving drama details the experiences of a young girl living in Germany during World War 2. Separated from her parents before the onset of WW2, Liesel (Sophie Nelisse) is sent to live with a kindly signwriter (Geoffrey Rush) and his stern wife (Emily Watson). As the oppressive stranglehold of Hitler's Nazi regime intensifies by the day, Liesel's new home becomes the shelter for a young Jewish fugitive (Ben Schnetzer). Impeccably acted and beautifully scripted, The Book Thief is an absorbing effort that captures everything that was so widely admired about the original novel. Co-stars Nico Liersch. 3.5/5
FROZEN (PG) It's the thaw that counts, US, 100 min
It is not hard to warm to what this excellent new Disney animated fantasy has in store for its all-ages audience. When the royally bred Elsa (Idina Menzel) loses command of her mystical power to generate ice and snow - plunging the whole of her kingdom into an endless winter - she goes into hiding in the mountains. Elsa's plucky younger sister Anna (Kristen Bell) is understandably concerned, and commences an urgent search. Frozen melts the iciest resistance is by virtue of quality writing, vibrant visuals (well worth the 3D premium surcharge) and a brace of catchy musical set-pieces. The pacing is sprightly, the story is deceptively involving, and the voice cast meet the challenge of balancing comedy, drama and song with consummate ease. 4/5
THE GREAT BEAUTY (MA15+) A Roman, he will go, Italy, 142 min
Best described as a love letter to modern-day Rome and its time-honoured track record of excess, this arrestingly opulent production is a hot fave to win the next Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. Strolling aimlessly through the passing parade of prettiness staged here is ageing Italian author Jep Gambardella (Toni Servillo). Though he hasn't written anything of note in almost forty years, Jep remains busy in that certain way only the idle rich can be. The spirit of Fellini's immortal masterpiece La Dolce Vita pulses away strongly in the best scenes. Though some viewers will be frustrated by the lack of any direct story to connect with, most will forgive the oversight in gratitude for the overdose of pure splendour on offer. 4/5
GRUDGE MATCH (M) Thumpy old men should throw in the towel, US, 112 min
Mesmerisingly dreadful comedy in which two ageing stars cash in on well-known roles for an easy payday. Robert De Niro (Raging Bull) and Sylvester Stallone (Rocky) play bitter ex-boxers coaxed back into the ring to settle a long-standing feud once and for all. If this movie was indeed a championship bout, the crowd would be pelting fruit into the ring from the early rounds. The big fight at the end is a grotesque fizzer: two old fogeys punching the heck out of each other in a less than convincing (or amusing) fashion. It's time someone locked De Niro in a screening room and showed him all the amazing work he once did. It's also time to send Stallone back to the secret medical experiment from which he appears to have escaped. Co-stars Alan Arkin, Kim Basinger. 1.5/5
HER (M) Perfectly deploying a soft(ware) touch, US, 124 min
Just like Gravity, Her presents a new way forward for storytelling in modern film. 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. 4.5/5
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS (M) Ode to a rebel without applause, US, 124 min
The year is 1961. The place is New York City. The musical times are about to be a'changin'. A scruffy, unknown folk singer named Bob Dylan will soon make sure of that. However, scruffy, unknown folk singers are a dime a dozen in the dingy cafes and bars of Greenwich Village. In this new film from the great Coen brothers (No Country for Old Men, Fargo), we will be spending a week in the company of one such B-list balladeer. Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) just might have what it takes to make it. There's just one problem. If there is a line that separates temperamental artists from precious pains-in-the-butt, Llewyn just can't see it. As this is a Coen movie, the protagonist's many misplaced delusions of grandeur will be mined for much dark comedy. And as is often the case with the best Coen creations, the short, cryptic journey to be taken by this misanthropic minstrel is brilliantly coded. Co-stars Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake. 4/5
JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (M) Jack Ryan: Shadow of his former selves, US, 103 min
All that the new Jack Ryan shares in common with the crafty CIA operative in the many best-selling books by the late Tom Clancy is the name Jack Ryan. In Shadow Recruit, our man Jack (played by Chris "the younger Captain Kirk" Pine) is still in the employ of the CIA, and destined to smother a super-sinister global conspiracy with just seconds to spare. The rest of the movie, however, rejects the Clancy canon in favour of repositioning Ryan as a junior-league James Bond who somehow finds himself in a Mission: Impossible sequel. Takes place mostly in Moscow - where Kenneth Branagh (also director here) wrestles with a wonky Russki accent - before a fair finale on the streets of Manhattan. The end result is kind of watchable, kind of laughable, and completely disposable: a pulpy pulse-raiser that is always in a hurry to get nowhere in particular. Co-stars Keira Knightley, Kevin Costner. 2/5
LABOR DAY (M) No rest for the wanted, US, 111 min
On the eve of a holiday weekend, a jittery single mother (Kate Winslet) and her sensitive young son find themselves being held hostage in their own home by a convicted killer (Josh Brolin) on the run. So begins Labor Day, an unusually focused, yet noticeably fragile romantic drama from acclaimed director Jason Reitman (Up in the Air, Thank You for Smoking). The story, adapted from a novel by American author Joyce Maynard, is just as capable of intriguing as it is irritating. The premise immediately gets you in, and gets you wondering where it will be heading. However, certain stops along the way will certainly get on your nerves. You will know inside 10 minutes whether you will be buying what this mildly mercurial film is selling. While Labor Day can strain credibility to the point of becoming totally corny at times, the simple, relatable chemistry worked up by Winslet and Brolin immediately picks the film up after any bad stumbles. 3
LAST VEGAS (M) What happens in Vegas isn't really happening, US, 105 min
Last Vegas is like a favourite pair of old loafers. Just this side of totally worn out. A bit on the nose. But kind of comfy. As luck would have it, Last Vegas actually stars two pairs of old loafers who have certainly seen better days. Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline and Robert De Niro play a quartet of lifelong buddies who converge on the casino city for a creaky knees-up. Everyone gets a sad, reflective scene to show the softer side of getting on in years, and everyone also gets to judge a bikini contest. A faintly pleasant, instantly forgettable comedy for the most part, best described as The Hangover for grandpas. 2
MANDELA : A LONG WALK TO FREEDOM (M) A life too big for the big screen, US, 141 min
Just as all the ruthless racists in South Africa could not hold down Nelson Mandela, a film based on his staggering life story has no chance of truly capturing the inspirational essence of the man. Which is not to say this understandably respectful and sombre biopic (adapted from Mandela's 1995 autobiography) doesn't give it a red hot go. A subtle, not-too-earnest performance by Idris Elba in the title role is the best reason to stick with the picture, even when hits those parts of the tale you probably know all too well. Not the best scripted nor edited movie of this type you will ever see, but never lets down its impressive and imposing subject. Directed by Justin Chadwick (The First Grader). 3
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE MARKED ONES (MA15+) A mild case of deja boo, US, 82 min
This new shaky-cam spin-off for the mega-successful found-footage horror franchise is simply content to spin its wheels, rather than make tracks in any radical new direction. While there is claustrophobia and creepy happenings a'plenty to be found in the fresh setting - a tiny tenement block for Mexican immigrants in Los Angeles - the scares, jolts and 'behind you!' moments are as stale as those in the disappointing Paranormal Activity 4. Stars Andrew Jacobs, Jorge Diaz. 2/5
THE PAST (M) Their history? They're history, France, 125 min
How does that old saying go? What's done is done. But as we are also reminded by this superb drama, what's done isn't always dealt with. Berenice Bejo (The Artist) plays Marie, a Parisian woman hosting a visit from her estranged husband so their divorce can become final. The claustrophobic setting of Marie's cluttered home assumes a major role in the turmoil to come. By the time a gripping final act begins, the film assumes the form of a punishing psychological thriller. Just as everyone involved is out to hurt each other, their choice of weapon is also the same : the withholding and revealing of information at the most impacting time imaginable. Strong stuff from Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, whose A Separation deservedly won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 2012. 4
PHILOMENA (M) A mother knows, even when she doesn't know, UK, 97 min
Like so many unwed Irish women unlucky enough to have given birth in the 20th century, Philomena Lee (Judi Dench) was forced by law to immediately put her child up for adoption. Now in her seventies, Philomena is tired of wondering what became of the little boy she never got to know. With the reluctant assistance of a British journalist (Steve Coogan), Philomena heads off on a heart-rending search for both closeness and closure. Based on a true story that later became a best-selling book, this film's sublime blend of all-too-human drama and comedy makes for a rewarding movie experience. The unfailingly credible chemistry that develops between Dench and Coogan holds the key. 4/5
WALKING WITH DINOSAURS (PG) If only they just walked the walk, and baulked the talk, US, 98 min
The good news? The visuals are nothing short of spectacular. When seen in 3D, it is perfectly clear the plentiful prehistoric prettiness will not pose a problem throughout. The bad news? The dinosaurs in this motion picture can talk. Worse still, they speak as if they have been roaming the vast car parks of modern American shopping malls, as opposed to the lush open plains of a faraway yesteryear. Though their mouths don't move much - if at all - these down-with-it dinos have never met a fart, poop or butt reference they didn't like. You and your kids better like 'em, or your family just might find themselves fossilised on the spot. Shares more in common with a wonky Ice Age knockoff than the superb BBC doco series which served as a supposed inspiration. 2/5
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (R18+) A fool and his money are soon partying, US, 180 min
A morality tale this most certainly is not. An immorality tale? That's much more like it. This is the true story of Jordan Belfort (played by Leonardo DiCaprio), the man who put the "broke" in stockbroker. By his mid-twenties, this pirate in a pinstriped suit had amassed a personal fortune of over $50 million. A decade later, all of that moolah and more had disappeared inside a blizzard of cocaine and hookers. The movie marks a welcome return by legendary director Martin Scorsese to the scorched-earth brand of filmmaking with which he made his name. This is as unrepentant as GoodFellas, as unrelenting as Raging Bull, and as unforgettable as any of his best works. As filtered through an astonishing, abrasively nuanced performance from DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street follows a demented urge to be in your face and on your nerves at all times. Just a word of warning: that R18+ rating and the mammoth running time mean this is not an experience for the faint-hearted. Co-stars Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie. 4.5/5
‘A bit iffy’: John Krasinski’s new movie IF falls short
An all-ages audience with an original story is rare in this day and age, but the star-studded cast can’t save this well-intentioned flick, writes Leigh Paatsch.
Is Sopranos prequel more than a super fan fantasy?
The Sopranos is one of the greatest series in the history of broadcast television, so is the prequel any good?