Mini Review - Unsane
Unsane (out Apr 25) is the latest from director Steven Soderbergh and was shot entirely using three iPhone 7 Plus phones! It's a tense thriller about a young woman who is unwillingly incarcerated in a psychiatric ward and has to battle both capitalism (they're locking up sane people for profit) and a creepy stalker who has been following her for 2 years. Clare Foy is amazing in the lead role and the way she reacts is how I’d see myself if placed in the same position. Grade: A.
Mini Review - Gurrumul
Gurrumul (out Apr 26) is a documentary that takes us into the world of the blind indigenous artist, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. We follow the unusual path he took in finding fame and meet the people that offered valuable assistance along the way. An interesting individual. Grade: B+.
Mini Review - Loveless
Loveless (out Apr 26) is a heavy drama from director Andrey Zvyagintsev (Leviathan) and is the story of a 12-year-old boy who goes missing in Moscow and the effect it has on his already fractured family. This is a gritty, emotional film that doesn't sugar coat any details. Grade: A-.
Mini Review - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (out Apr 19) is based on the popular book and follows an author who visits the island of Guernsey in the aftermath of World War II and finds the inspiration for her next work. I struggled with the film's romantic elements but aside, this is a strong drama with some worthy performances. Grade: B+.
Mini Review - I Feel Pretty
I Feel Pretty (out Apr 19) is the tale of an insecure, self-conscious woman (Amy Schumer) who knocks her head and suddenly thinks she's the most beautiful person on earth. This could have been fun, original comedy but it ends up being too safe and predictable. It’s the kind of movie where the audience will be a few steps ahead of the narrative as opposed to the other way around. Grade: B-.
Mini Review - Super Troopers 2
Super Troopers 2 (out Apr 19) is the long-awaited sequel to the 2002 original. A group of dodgy state troopers play practical jokes on themselves and basically everyone they interact with. In the original Super Troopers, about 50% of jokes hit the mark. I’d argue that percentage is a little lower this time around. Grade: C+.
Mini Review - The Party
The Party (out Apr 12) is a short, strong drama about several couples who get together for a celebratory dinner party only to see the night unravel when secrets are revealed. A great showcase of performances with a few twists thrown in for good measure. Grade: B+.
Mini Review - Rampage
Rampage (out Apr 12) stars Dwayne Johnson and is about a gorilla, wolf and alligator who come into contact with a DNA-changing gas and transform into giant, angry creatures which threaten civilisation. This had the makings of a tense action thriller but turns out to be goofy, poorly-written movie where the villains are exceedingly dumb, the heroes lack personality, and comedy is largely absent. Grade: C.
