Mini Reviews
My Afternoons With Marguerite (out now) is a sweet, nicely paced French film about a guy in his 50s who hasn't achieved too much in life. He's unmarried and has never had much of an education. He becomes friends with an elderly woman in a park and the two start catching up on a regular basis - to read books and talk about life. Grade: B+.
Never Say Never (out now) was great. I didn't know much about Justin Bieber beforehand but this is an entertaining look at how a passionate teenager has risen to stardom and captured the hearts of so many. He's pretty damn talented too. It strikes a nice balance between what happens on stage and what happens off it. Call me a Belieber. Grade: A-.
Rio (out now) has everything you could ask for from an animated film - beautiful visuals, cute characters and a creative story. It's the tale of a pet macaw (humorously voiced by Jesse Eisenberg) who is taken to Rio De Janeiro so he can mate with the last female of his kind. He is ends up being kidnapped however by a team of bird smugglers. Grade: A-.
Hop (out now) is about the son of the easter bunny and how he'd rather be in a rock band that follow in his father's footsteps. The plot is absurd, evidenced by the inclusion of David Hasselhoff (who plays himself). Disappointing. Grade: C.
How I Ended This Summer (out now) was filmed at the easternmost tip of Russia and is about two different guys who man a meteorological station. A small lie will set in place a dramatic series of events. The cinematography is beautiful and whilst I like the idea, there's not enough material to stretch this into 2 hours. Still nice to see a Russian film getting an Australian release. Grade: B.
Sucker Punch (Apr 7) is what you'd get if you mixed Mulholland Drive, Showgirls and Tomb Raider and then turned it into a music video. It's an audacious film from director Zack Snyder but it doesn't work. It's quite boring actually. Grade: C.
Just Go With It (out now) is a romantic comedy that left me with mixed feelings. Jennifer Aniston is great. Nicole Kidman is great. The kids are great. Adam Sandler is awful. The brother is awful. The story is awful. Grade: B-.
The Mechanic (out now) stars Jason Statham. This therefore makes it an action film. Not a particularly interesting one at that. Grade: C+.
The Lincoln Lawyer (out Mar 31) is about a slick lawyer (McConaughey) who finds himself defending a wealthy guy (Phillippe) accused of rape and assault. The pieces fall into place a little too neatly but there are still some decent twists. It's the cast that stands out most - what a great line up! Grade: B+.
In A Better World (out Mar 31) recently picked up the Oscar for best foreign language film. I'm not sure why. It revolves around two families, each with problems. I was on the edge of my seat during the first hour but it fizzles with a "what am I supposed to take away from that?" ending. Grade: B.
Never Let Me Go (out Mar 31) left me disturbed, puzzled, conflicted. Maybe it was the bizarre "twist" that threw me but I just didn't feel the romance between these three characters nor did I understand their actions. I've a hunch that the book (written by Kazuo Ishiguro) would a hauntingly beautiful read. A shame it doesn't come through on screen. Grade: B-.
