Welcome to the Film Pie! Brisbane based film critic Matt Toomey has reviewed thousands of movies since 1996. See what's out now, or browse the review archive.

Mini Reviews

Leviathan (out Mar 26) is a Russian drama that earned a foreign language Oscar nomination. Director Andrey Zvyagintsev challenges the audience by not showing several key events. As a result, you need to focus not on what happens... but rather how characters react. The plot is forever shifting and this is a riveting, unsettling piece of cinema. Grade: A-.

Love Is Strange (out Mar 19) is a sweet, simple drama that revolves around two guys who have been in a relationship for 39 years. When the main breadwinner loses his job, their lives suddenly become problematic. This is a character-driven film and while feels drawn out through the middle stages, it finishes on a heartfelt note. Grade: B.

Insurgent (out Mar 19) comes with a moderately intriguing storyline but the character development is a few notches below what has been achieved by the similar Hunger Games franchise. It'll be interesting to see if this film can finish on a high with the last two films. Grade: B-.

Big Eyes (out Mar 19) chronicles the true story of a American woman who made beautiful paintings... only for her husband to take all the credit. Amy Adams is the standout with her shy, reserved performance. Christoph Waltz is too over the top. An interesting story but not quite enough material to last 100 minutes. Grade: B.

Home (out Mar 19) is a Dreamworks Animation feature about a "friendly" alien race who take over Earth, and a young human girl in search of her lost mother. The introduction is rushed, the premise is thin, and the message is convoluted. Surprisingly disappointing. Grade: C+.

The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Them (out Mar 12) is the story of a married couple who have grown distant after a tragic event. It deftly illustrates the mindset of someone battling depression (where thoughts don't always make sense). Grade: A-.

Run All Night (out Mar 12) follows in the same vein as other Liam Neeson action flicks and features gun fights, punch-ups, car chases, explosions, and burning buildings. Nothing subtle or ground breaking about the premise and I don't know why they give away the ending at the start. As for positives, there are a few great chase sequences. Neeson not bad either. Grade: B-.

Manny Lewis (out Mar 12) wants to be a darker comedy but it's very light in terms of character development. It stars Carl Barron as a depressed comedian who, unable to commit to a relationship, turns to a phone sex operator for companionship. The film's gimmick is dumb (you'll know what I mean if you see it) and the stuff involving the father needed more work. Grade: C.

Chappie (out Mar 12) is a muddled sci-fi action thing centred around a robot who can think and feel. The actions of these characters made no sense to me. Interesting idea, poor execution. Grade: C.

Top Five (out Mar 12) stars Chris Rock as a super-famous comedian trying to promote his latest movie and his upcoming wedding to a reality TV star. It's covering a lot of material (film journalism, price of fame, life of a comedian, alcoholism, romance) and stretches itself a little too thin. Some decent laughs though. Grade: B.

Inherent Vice (out Mar 12) is set in California, 1970 and follows a paranoid private investigator looking into a supposed crime. If you’ve got a warped, off-beat sense of humour, you should like this. It’s not on the same level as The Big Lebowski (the pinnacle of stoner comedies) but it’s a worthy effort from director Paul Thomas Anderson. Grade: B+.