Mini Reviews
Burke & Hare (out now) is set in 19th Century England and is about two guys who make a living by selling dead bodies to a local medical school. How they acquire their "stock" is not exactly legal. This film tries to sneak into black comedy territory but the humour isn't witty enough and the script not interesting enough. Grade: C+.
Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (out May 19) isn't fun at all. The characters extricate themselves far too easily from difficult situations and there’s no sense of excitement. You’re just going through the motions, watching a mishmash of subplots involving mermaids, Spaniards and stolen ships. The finale is predictable to the point of being laughable. Grade: C+.
Snowtown (out May 19) is one of the most disturbing films that I've seen in a long time. At a preview screening, roughly 25 people walked out. The strong performances (all from unknown actors), the lack of music and the gritty cinematography make this feel all too real. You'll be talking about it long after you've left the theatre. Grade: A-.
Your Highness (out May 12) is a film set in ancient times with modern-day profanity and futuristic technology. There's also an alien paedophile. The film gets it laughs from being as vulgar as possible. That's about all there is to it. I laughed a few times but it gets tiring quickly and the thin premise doesn't help. Grade: C+.
The Round Up (out now) is about the capture and murder of more than 10,000 French Jews during WWII. Despite the serious material, I found this flat and unemotive. Maybe it's because I saw a much better film on this same subject late last year (Sarah's Key). Grade: C+.
Mad Bastards (out now) is an Australian film about an Aboriginal guy who, looking for a fresh start, leaves his home in Perth and travels north to reconnect with his teenage son. The story could have flowed a little better but there's a "realness" about this situation and its characters. Grade: B+.
Water For Elephants (out May 12) is set in 1931 and revolves around a young vet student (Pattinson) who joins a struggling circus and falls in love with its star attraction (Witherspoon). This film is comforting, easy to watch. The character development is a touch underdone (needed to know more about these people) and the ending is rushed but it's still decent. Grade: B+.
Hoodwinked Too (out now) is awful. Not funny and the storyline is weak. What went wrong? The original film was so great. Grade: C.
Insidious (out May 12) centres on a young family who find their house haunted by paranormal beings. There are a few "jump out of your seat" moments but the film is a little too slow and obvious in places (particularly in the middle). Not sure if the comedic elements work either. That said, I loved the use of music and the cinematography. Grade: B.
Babies (out May 5) is a narration-free documentary which looks at the first year in the life of four babies who have been raised in different countries around the world. This film will leave some going "awwww" and it will leave others going "zzzzz". It all depends on how much you love watching babies and the cute stuff they get up to. Grade: B-.
Source Code (out May 5) is a tricky one. I found the concept intriguing and yet it's still so hard to go along with at times. To even try to explain the plot would take more characters than this mini-review would allow. At a nicely paced 93 minutes, it's worth a look. Grade: B.
