Mini Reviews
Mini Review - Sorority Row
Mini Review - Imagine That
Imagine That (out Sep 17) is a family comedy about a stock market guru (Eddie Murphy) who is obsessed with his job and his neglecting his young daughter. That is until... he realises his daughter has a magic blanket which provides insightful stock tips. It's poorly written. Younger audiences will probably look past the film's overall stupidity but I couldn't do the same. Grade: C+.
Mini Review - 500 Days Of Summer
500 Days Of Summer (out Sep 17) is an excellent romantic comedy which flips the genre on its head. The boy (Joseph Gordon Levitt) is the emotional character who believes in love at first sight. The girl (Zooey Deschanel) is the care-free character with a fear of commitment. Told creatively through flashbacks, this is the best film I've seen in a few months. Love the soundtrack too. Grade: A.
Mini Review - Push
Push (out Sep 10) is like watching a sequel... without having seen the first film. I had trouble understanding the background to the story and the characters. A secret government agency was performing medical experiments on certain individuals. The test subjects now have mind-controlling powers and are trying to shut down the whole operation. The more you think about it, the more holes you'll find. Grade: C+.
Mini Review - Funny People
Funny People (out Sep 10) is the new film from Judd Apatow, director of Knocked Up and The Forty-Year-Old Virgin. It's about a famous comedic movie star (Adam Sandler) who finds out that he's dying and decides to return to stand up comedy. Apatow is trying something darker here but at 146 minutes, a lot of scenes felt unnecessary. Mildly funny with good performances. Grade: B.
Mini Review - The Girlfriend Experience
Mini Review - Up
Up (out now) is the new Disney Pixar animated film. It's the story of a elderly, widowed man who rediscovers his passion for life by going on an epic adventure with an 8-year-old boy scout. It's beautifully made, looks great in 3-D, and has some touching moments (such as the opening montage). Accessible to people of any age. Grade: A-.
Mini Review - Aliens In The Attic
Mini Review - Blessed
Blessed (out Sep 10) is a film which explores the different relationships that children have with their mothers. The first half focuses on the siblings and the second half focuses on the adults. I didn't know where it was going in the early stages but the ending is quite emotional and features a great performance from Aussie actress Frances O'Connor. A memorable film score also. Grade: B+.
Mini Review - Three Blind Mice
Three Blind Mice (out now) is written and directed by Matthew Newton and tells the story of three Australian naval officers who are having one big night before they're sent off to the Persian Gulf. The ending is a bit of let down but there are some great conversations and some nice cameos from a few notable Aussie stars. Grade: B+.
Mini Review - The Young Victoria
The Young Victoria (out now) is disappointing. I usually like period piece movies but this tale of Queen Victoria and the early part of her reign in the mid-19th Century is dead boring. The characters are stereotypes and I've seen this type of story too many times before. Nothing new. Give it a miss. Emily Blunt is no good either. Grade: C+.