Leigh Paatsch's guide to movies
FANTASTIC films continue to flow into Aussie cinemas. Leigh Paatsch's guide reviews the lot.
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FANTASTIC films continue to flow into Aussie cinemas. Leigh Paatsch's guide reviews the lot.
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. Rating: 4.5/5
ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES (M) No time like now for later Ron, US, 118 min
"I'm going to do the thing that God put Rod Burgundy on this Earth to do: have salon quality hair and read the news." That's right, comedy fans, the sequel you have been wanting for almost a decade is finally here. Ron Burgundy is back in the big-screen buffoonery business. Has it been worth the wait? Yeah, pretty much so. Bearing in mind the original Anchorman mined a rich vein of surrealist humour to become a genuine modern classic, this solid follow-up does not let the side down. It is the 1980s, and a history-making 24-hour news channel is about to launch. Does Ron (a superb Will Ferrell) want in? No need to answer to that. Along the way, Ron goes blind. Ron raises a killer shark from birth. Ron pays for perms for everyone. Ron thinks that psychiatrists are psychics. You get the picture. And you will get the jokes, of which there are literally hundreds (which explains the marathon two-hour running time). Co-stars Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, Kristin Wiig. Rating: 3.5/5
AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (MA15+) No turning back from a one-way Streep, US, 120 min
Much more entertaining than it should be. Far less enlightening than it thinks itself to be. You are now entering August: Osage County, a dazzling, frazzling schmozzle of a movie where Meryl Streep reigns supreme. Streep plays an acid-tongued Southern matriarch hosting the family reunion from hell upon the sudden death of her husband. The mad majesty of Streep's performance exerts a powerful force field that often neuters the potent ensemble cast (including Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor and Benedict Cumberbatch) employed to keep her company. You want a show? Meryl's gonna give you one. You want a gritty drama that moves, amuses and impacts? Meryl will give you a taste when she feels like it, but never the full dish. At best, good for a quick jolt and a few dark laughs. Rating: 3/5
THE BOOK THIEF (PG) Reading a righting of wrongs, US-Germany, 131 min
Based on the 2005 best-seller 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 sign-writer (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. Rating: 3.5/5
FREE BIRDS (PG) What's cooking? Not them., US, 88 min
Average cartooning for non-discerning kiddlywinks. Two turkeys travel back in time in a bid to remove their feathered brethren off Thanksgiving menus forevermore. Takes a few funny swipes at sci-fi cliches and the voice cast (led by Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson) sound as if they're having a ball. However, when the movie goes on to animation auto-pilot, it can stay there for way too long. Rating: 2/5
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. Rating: 4/5
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. Rating: 4.5/5
THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (M) A lot of draggin' just to get to the dragon, US, 160 min
Meanwhile, back in Middle-earth, everyone is displaying worrying symptoms associated with the dreaded plight known as Middle-film Syndrome. Yes, part two of The Hobbit Trilogy, The Desolation of Smaug, is now upon us. There will be dwarves. There will be a dragon. A few Elves. Many Orcs. And a standing invitation to lie back and take a quick nap whenever you like. Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) and dwarf warrior Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) are still on a slow and scenic mission to reclaim the lost land of Erebor. The roadblock up ahead in this movie will be found at Lonely Mountain, where a vicious dragon named Smaug (voiced with a venom both sinister and sarcastic by Benedict Cumberbatch) resides. Business as snooz-ual until director Peter Jackson unveils the big finale this time next year. Rating: 2.5/5
THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (M) Still hungry. Still on fire., US, 146 min
The second screen outing for the all-conquering The Hunger Games phenomenon, marks a gradual, but notable improvement upon its predecessor. The tone is darker, the storytelling more complex, and all crucial elements of the much-loved novels by Suzanne Collins remain resolutely intact. Not since the Harry Potter series has a movie franchise strived for and achieved such a consistently high standard. As the story picks up, warrior heroine Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence has returned in triumph to District 12 after taking out the 74th Hunger Games. Now she is forced to become the smiling poster girl for an oppressive regime she despises. If that isn't enough, Katniss must also participate in the 75th Games, where every contestant is a former tournament winner. While the running time is demanding at almost two and a half hours, there's barely a moment wasted in Catching Fire. Once again, Lawrence leads from the front with an emphatically grounded performance. Her ability to subtly switch from determined to distraught and back again is the province of very few actors. Rating: 4/5
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. Rating: 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. Rating: 2/5
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. Rating: 4/5
THE RAILWAY MAN (M) Revenge or redemption at the end of the line?, UK, 116 min
Decades after the cessation of hostilities in World War 2, a British returned serviceman (Colin Firth) discovers the whereabouts of the Japanese soldier who brutally tortured him on a daily basis. With full approval of his friends and the support of a loving wife, this haunted survivor travels halfway around the world, with every intention of killing the man who almost killed him. If you were unaware The Railway Man was based on a true story, you could easily write the whole thing off as only-in-the-movies hokum. It most certainly is not. Eric Lomax chronicled his remarkable personal odyssey in a moving and confronting memoir, and this gripping film adaptation does not hold back on detailing the horrifying ordeal he endured. Co-stars Nicole Kidman. Rating: 3.5/5
SAVING MR BANKS (PG) There's something about Mary Poppins. But what is it?, US, 123 min
This isn't really the true story of how a beloved book was made into an even more beloved movie. No, Saving Mr Banks is more the true story of a troubled author who regretted letting Hollywood anywhere near her work, then was later healed by the experience. So what was the tome that caused all the turmoil? None other than Mary Poppins, a Harry Potter-style sensation when penned in the 1930s by Australian-born, British-based author P.L. Travers. The movie, of course, was a Walt Disney production in the mid-1960s starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. Like the book, it was deservedly embraced as an instant classic. However, behind the scenes, the creative birthing process was long, gruelling, and often painful for all concerned. Especially for Pamela Travers (played by Emma Thompson). The middle act of Saving Mr Banks - where Travers stands her ground while Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) and his brains trust tiptoe gingerly towards their vision for a Poppins movie - plays equally strongly as both comedy and drama. Rating: 4/5
THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (PG) Seize the daze, US, 114 min
A quiet, unassuming and refreshingly contemplative affair, what we have here is a major film in a minor key. Walter Mitty (played by Ben Stiller) is a man who dares to dream. A lot. Anywhere, any time. Some might call it zoning out. A random train of thought will be passing by, and before you know it, Walter Mitty has jumped aboard and is gone. Of course, our hero is destined to snap out of it, by which time he will have transformed from meek office worker to globetrotting adventurer. The reason for all the fresh stamps on Walter's passport? Ascertaining the whereabouts of a mysterious photographer (Sean Penn). Each radically different new location (has there ever been a production set in both Greenland and Afghanistan?) drags Walter further from his cosy comfort zone. Lovely stuff. Co-stars Kristen Wiig, Adam Scott. Rating: 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 knock-off than the superb BBC doco series which served as a supposed inspiration. Rating: 2/5
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