Mini Reviews
Harry Brown (out May 20) is about an English pensioner who decides to dish out some vigilante justice after his best friend is killed by a gang of drug-dealing teenagers. This is everything that Gran Torino wasn't. It has a likeable hero, a more probable ending and it paints a realistic, yet gloomy picture of the slums in London. Another great performance from Michael Caine. Grade: A-.
StreetDance 3D (out May 20) is about a street dancing crew forced to team up with some ballet dancers for a big competition. They come up with a completely original routine. Sadly, the screenwriters haven't come up with an original script. It uses every cliche in the book and the dialogue is dreadful. The final dance number was good but that's the only positive I can think of. Grade: C.
Love, Lust & Lies (out May 13) is a doco in the style of Michael Apted's "7 Up" series. In 1976, director Gillian Armstrong peered into the lives of three 14-year-old girls from South Australia. Now in their mid 40s, Armstrong catches up with them to find out what they've been up to and what they've learned. It goes into a bit too much detail but I like the experiment. Grade: B+.
Robin Hood (out May 13) isn't about a guy who robbed from the rich to give to the poor. It looks at an earlier chapter in Robin's life. We find out how he "came to be". The slow introduction is redeemed by a strong second hour. Sadly, the momentum is lost with a rushed, cliched conclusion. Max Von Sydow and Cate Blanchett my pick of the cast. Russell Crowe not so good in the title role. Grade: B.
The White Ribbon (out now) is set in pre-WWI Germany and revolves around a small town where a string of tragic events occur. Who is behind them? Michael Haneke (Hidden) is a gifted director and I love how he keeps the audience thinking long after they've left the cinema. I could talk about this film for hours. Beautiful cinematography too. Only negative was a slightly unsatisfying ending. Grade: A-.
Soul Kitchen (out now) is a German film about a young guy trying to operate a run-down restaurant and maintain its eccentric customers. It's a peculiar film in that the focus seems to be forever changing but there are some quirky characters which spruce things up. Grade: B.
Letters To Juliet (out May 13) is a rom-com about a budding journalist holidaying in Verona who finds a 50-year-old love letter hidden in a wall. In trying to track down the author, she inadvertently finds love herself. This is pretty standard stuff. A weak plot and a dreadful performance is turned in by Aussie Chris Egan. Not my kind of thing. Grade: C.
I, Don Giovanni (out now) is an Italian film based an 18th century lyricist named Lorenzo da Ponte who helped Mozart create one of his most famous operatic pieces. It's quite a tale but I slowly tired of all the opera rehearsals. They detracted from the main story. The sets are laughable too. Grade: B.
44 Inch Chest (out now) is a strange drama about a man (Ray Winstone) who finds out that his wife has been cheating on him. With the help of his foul-mouthed friends, he seeks revenge by kidnapping his wife's lover. I've no issues with the performances but I expected more from the story. Grade: B-.
I Love You Too (out May 6) is Australia's attempt at a romantic comedy. It's about a guy dumped by his girlfriend of 3 years because he's never said "I love you". Can he find a way to win her back? Peter Dinklage (The Station Agent) is great but the story is a jumbled mess. Some sub-plots go nowhere. The ending is anti-climactic. Not enough humour. Grade: C+.
Triangle (out now) is what you'd get if Groundhog Day was made as a thriller. It stars Melissa George as a mother who gets caught up in some weird time-twisting thingy (that's the best way I can describe it without giving it away) aboard a deserted cruise ship. A curious premise but I was left unsatisfied by the ending. Grade: B-.
