Mini Reviews
I'm Still Here (out now) is a fake documentary about Joaquin Phoenix's attempt to give up acting and start a music career. It's taken too long to reach Brisbane cinemas sadly. It's like sitting through a 2 hour joke when you already known the punchline. I don't know what to take away from it. Grade: C.
Narnia: The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader (out Dec 2) is the third film in the Narnia franchise. It's slow to begin and there's nothing really special about it but the movie finishes with a strong action climax (which may be unsuitable for young kids). I was surprised by the heavy religious undertones but I believe these also come through in C.S. Lewis's novel. Grade: B.
Chloe (out Dec 2) is an intricate drama from director Atom Egoyan (The Sweet Hereafter). A wife suspects her husband is cheating and in the search for truth, she hires an escort to seduce him. I liked this film a lot. It's full of complex, insecure characters and features yet another great performance from Julianne Moore. Grade: A-.
Due Date (out now) stars Robert Downey Jr and Zack Galifianakis was better than I thought it'd be. I wish it was a little darker but this is still about your average road trip / buddy comedy. I also enjoyed the way in which the audience's sympathy switches from character to character. Grade: B+.
Lebanon (out Dec 2) won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. I liked it but not sure if it was worthy of that prestigious honour. It's set in 1982 and looks at 4 Israeli soldiers trying to make their way through Lebanon during a routine mission. Almost every shot is from within the tank - a novel idea. My major qualm was with the characters - I struggled to get to know them. Grade: B.
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (out Dec 2) would have to be the strangest Christmas film I've ever seen. A small community in Finland is visited by a team of excavators who are in search of something hidden inside a mountain. I was hooked by the bizarre storyline and enjoyed the dark sense of humour. Oh, and this isn't a film for kids. Grade: B+.
Agora (out now) is set in the early 5th century and centres on a female philosopher named Hypata (Rachel Weisz) who finds herself caught in a battle between the Jews and the Christians. I've no idea how much of this tale is true but held my attention for the most part. Some parts of the story are over-explained however. Grade: B.
The Last Exorcism (out now) is a waste of your money. After about 5 minutes, you know exactly where it's heading. The writers then try to say "haha, we gotcha" with a completely unexpected ending. The problem is that it makes no sense. Doesn't fit with what precedes it. Audiences will leave unsatisfied. Grade: C+.
Monsters (out Nov 25) is a love story disguised as a science fiction movie. An interesting experiment. The style and storyline is reminiscent of District 9. Two people try to travel from Mexico to the United States through an area "contaminated" by an alien species. A few plot developments felt contrived but the performances are good and I liked the film as a whole. Grade: B+.
Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (out now) was a let down. I wouldn't say I was bored but there wasn't enough action. That said, I felt the same way when I read the book. It was mostly "filler" until the final few chapters. I think the second part will offer much more. It's just a shame they made the decision to split it into 2 films (which looks like an obvious money grab). Grade: B-.
Fair Game (out Nov 25) is the true story of a top CIA-agent who became an outcast after her husband publically criticised the U.S. Government. The performances from Sean Penn and Naomi Watts are superb but the film didn't dig deep enough for me. We see their kids, their parents and their friends but how did these events affect them? Grade: B.
