What movies are showing at Australian cinemas now
WHAT to see at the movies? Here’s a handy guide to everything that’s showing on Australian screens right now.
Weekly Guide
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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.
*****
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.
****1/2
ARE WE OFFICIALLY DATING? (MA15+)
Goes alright for a one-night stand, US, 94 min
A curious rom-com that strangely pitches itself as a chick flick for fellas. Young, single, sex-obsessed fellas who wish they had a chick to go to the flicks with. Zac Efron stars as Jason, a ladykilling hipster who proudly ditches any woman who dares to ask for anything resembling a relationship. Life is one long blur of bimbos, bars and booty calls. Then Jason meets Ellie (Imogen Poots), a gorgeous writing type who just might have what it takes to break the friends-with-benefits barrier. Though the plot is utterly predictable, the dialogue walks a thin tightrope between self-damningly sexist and smartly smutty, often to surprisingly electric effect. If you’re in the target audience, you could do much worse. Co-stars Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan.
**1/2
BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOUR (R18+)
If the hue fits, wear it, France, 177 min
Finally, Australia gets to see one of the most controversial Palme d’Or winners in the history of the Cannes Film Festival. The authenticity, length and relevance of the film’s three explicit lesbian sex scenes have caused meltdowns around the globe. Nevertheless, viewed independently of the furore, this is simply a remarkable work of cinema. Clocking in at an imposing three hours, the film tracks both the coming-of-age and coming-out of Adele (Adele Exarchopoulos), a sensitive young woman who falls hard for a slightly older, far more wiser art student, Emma (Lea Seydoux). Overall, a vivid and sobering reminder that first love is never about falling for the right or wrong person. It is whether that first love will be the making or the breaking of you.
****
DALLAS BUYERS CLUB (MA15+)
Making money while the sun no longer shines, US, 117 min
The compelling true story of a man who turned a life sentence into a career opportunity. Matthew McConaughey plays Ron Woodroof, a homophobic rodeo rider who contracted the AIDS virus in 1985. Given mere months to live by doctors, Woodroof’s redneck instincts point him to Mexico, where he discovers a line of medication that improves his condition. Though the treatment is banned in the US, Woodroof starts smuggling the stuff across the border, after which he turns a tidy buck selling it to fellow sufferers. As he gradually drops his gay-hating stance and develops some compassion for those around him, Woodroof becomes an unlikely role model and activist in a time that sorely needed them. Exceptionally well-written and directed, this tough, yet tender-hearted film doesn’t take the easy road towards winning your full respect and fascination. It ultimately reaches you via McConaughey’s incredible performance as a one-of-a-kind rebel who remains difficult to like, but is impossible not to admire. Co-stars Jared Leto, Jennifer Garner.
****1/2
ENDLESS LOVE (M)
Boy meets girl. Dad goes nuts., US, 99 min
Not so much a remake as a kooky cover version of the tragically trashy 1981 romantic drama starring Brooke Shields, this is undoubtedly the best so-bad-it’s-good offering to happen along in yonks. Rich girl Jade (Gabriella Wilde) will soon be going to college. Poor boy David (Pettyfer) will soon be starting work in his father’s garage. Their eyes meet across a crowded graduation ceremony. A summer romance to trump all summer romances begins, right? Wrong. Enter Jade’s psychotically snobby old man, Hugh (Bruce Greenwood). He’s not about to wait out the holidays for this David thing to blow over. Courtesy of a scenery-shredding performance from Greenwood, Hugh pushes the bad-dad-ness up to insane levels throughout the movie. Though the acting always teeters on the brink of terrible — and you wouldn’t line a budgie cage with the screenplay — there is something tremendously entertaining about the experience that never quite wears off.
***
GRAVITY (M)
No doubt you will get their drift, US, 91 min
A welcome re-release to tie-in with some expected Oscars action. This instant classic is for anyone who still believes in the magic of movies. A stunning work of science fiction and a truly heartfelt work of human drama, Gravity casts a powerful spell that cannot be broken. It could well be the best thing you lay eyes on this year. When a barrage of flying debris destroys the US space shuttle Explorer, two astronauts (played by George Clooney and Sandra Bullock) are left helplessly adrift in open space. All communications with Earth are down. Oxygen supplies are running out. It would be unfair to delve any further into the gripping adventure tale so expertly laid out by Gravity. The film’s most crucial asset is how it trades off what we know of conditions in space against what we do not know. The two lead performances are magnificent, as are the mesmerising 3D visuals. Every frame of Gravity is a supremely sublime combination of the you-are-there and the how-did-they-do-that?, completely immersing the audience in both the wonder of space, and the wonder of cinema.
*****
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.
****
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.
****1/2
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.
**
LE WEEK-END (M)
Taking a break near breaking point, UK, 92 min
Do you recall the sublime Venus, starring the late Peter O’Toole? That was the previous screen collaboration of writer Hanif Kureishi and director Roger Michell. Unfortunately, it does prove to be a very tough act to follow. This is not to knock the performances of leads Jim Broadbent and Lindsay Duncan, who play a married couple from Birmingham looking to revive a fading attraction with a quick Parisian getaway. What holds the film back is its tentative tone. It never quite lightens up enough to connect on a comic level, and the drama derived from the late-life crises of the protagonists is never heavy enough to matter. An appreciably lively (and all-too brief) interruption from Jeff Goldblum is not only the one true highlight, but also a reminder of a vibrant opportunity missed by screenwriter and filmmaker alike.
**1/2
LONE SURVIVOR (MA15+)
This means war, US, 120 min
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. 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 warlord. 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.
***1/2
NEBRASKA (M)
Keep your eyes on this prize, US, 115 min
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.
**** 1/2
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.
****
ROBOCOP (MA15+)
Machine mangles the letters of the lore, US, 118 min
Like that so-so Total Recall remake from 2012, the new Robocop offers a polite recycling of what came before. Nothing more, nothing less. Unfortunately, the trashier urges that made the original such a unique pile of junk have been resisted here. Stripped of the snarky humour and mercurial mood swings, this Robocop is disarmingly dour for a cyborg crimefighter. Joel Kinnaman (from TV’s The Killing) does OK as Alex Murphy, the wounded Detroit police officer who gets a metallic makeover from some cynical corporate overlords. Abbie Cornish does not do OK as the weepy, without-a-clue Mrs Murphy. Shame the special-effects don’t pack more of a wow factor, as the action scenes get tediously same-ish after a while.
**
WINTER’S TALE (M)
In for the chill, then out like a light, US, 118 min
To mount a meek defence of this gloriously garbled failure, it must be stated it is not afraid to take a risk. In fact, Winter’s Tale rolls the narrative dice far more often than many would like. Especially those viewers who are chasing the simple fairytale romance promised by pre-release marketing. In the early 1900s, a rogue thief (Colin Farrell) falls in love with a young woman (Downton Abbey’s Jessica Brown Findlay) suffering from a terminal case of consumption. So far, so sad’n’swoony. So what’s the problem? Well, our hero owns a magic flying horse (!) and is being chased all over old-timey NYC by a demon with a devil of an Irish accent (Russell Crowe). The sub-plotting gets even sillier once the setting is later switched to the present day.
**
WOLF CREEK 2 (MA15+)
Blood, guts and Nullarboredom, Australia, 104 min
The belated return of deranged outback serial killer Mick Taylor (John Jarratt) is a frazzling feelbad fizzer. Those responsible for this mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging exercise in torture porn appear to be trying to jump-start a genre that conked out many years ago. As for Jarratt, watching him reel off his repertoire of guttural grunts and wince-worthy wisecracks is like being trapped on a crowded train next to a drunk, disturbed circus clown. Unfortunately, there is no chance here of him passing out, or getting off at the next stop. A nasty throwback that should be thrown back.
1/2
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.
****1/2
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