Mini Reviews
Mini Review - The Curious Case of Dolphin Bay
The Curious Case of Dolphin Bay (out Sep 22) won't win awards for its acting but it's a watchable Australian-made family flick about teenagers going in search of a long-lost treasure. For kids more than adults. Grade: B-.
Mini Review - Moonage Daydream
Moonage Daydream (out Sep 15) is a non-traditional documentary about captures the essence of the late David Bowie. I like this line from director Brett Morgen - “If you can put it in a book, I don’t want it in my films.” Void of narration and talking heads, Morgen provides audiences with a wild, uplifting “experience” through the mediums of sight and sound. Grade: A-.
Mini Review - DC League of Super-Pets
DC League of Super-Pets (out Sep 15) is a cute animated feature about a group of animals who are called upon to support the more traditional human superheroes. The jokes are hit and miss but it's a good one for younger audiences. Grade: B.
Mini Review - Bodies Bodies Bodies
Bodies Bodies Bodies (out Sep 15) is a thriller about a group of young friends who get together for a drug/alcohol fuelled catch up. When one of them is killed, the finger pointing begins. I liked the finale but the lead up isn't as convincing. Grade: B-.
Mini Review - Franklin
Franklin (out Sep 8) is an Australian documentary with two key elements - one is a depiction of events in the early 1980s regarding attempts to block the government from building a dam on the Gordon River in Australia (an interesting history lesson), and the other is a current day story of a son honouring his late father (not quite as interesting). Grade: B.
Mini Review - The Quiet Girl
The Quiet Girl (out Sep 8) is a simple, nice Irish drama about a young girl who is "palmed off" by her neglectful parents onto a pair of distant relatives for several months. There, she comes out of her shell and realises the value of true parental figures. Nice performances. Grade: B.
Mini Review - Flux Gourmet
Flux Gourmet (out Sep 8) will entice those looking for something odd and peculiar... but not quite enough to sustain my interest here. It's the tale of eccentric performance artists trying to create artistic, musical sounds from food. Grade: B-.
Mini Review - After Ever Happy
After Ever Happy (out Sep 8) is the 4th movie in the franchise and is completely void of surprises and new ideas. There’s no meaningful arc to the two lead protagonists, the supporting cast offer next-to-nothing, and the storyline is likely to fade from memory within hours of leaving the cinema. Even the most passionate of After devotees must realise they’re being played with by this point. It’s tired, lazy filmmaking. Grade: C-.
Mini Review - Three Thousand Years of Longing
Three Thousand Years of Longing (out Sep 1) is the tale of a renowned academic who, while on a business trip to Istanbul, discovers a genie in a bottle who will grant her three wishes. Taping into the same themes around storytelling we saw in Ang Lee's Life of Pi (a film I preferred), this new effort from Australian director George Miller is filled with colourful flair but is limited by its repetitive message. Grade: B.
Mini Review - True Things
True Things (out Sep 1) is an intense, gritty British film about a lonely, single woman who falls in love with an ex-con. The lead performance from Ruth Wilson is terrific and it provides an interesting exploration of the bad romantic decisions we sometimes make. Grade: B+.
Mini Review - Both Sides of the Blade
Both Sides of the Blade (out Sep 1) is an underwhelming French drama about a middle aged woman (Juliette Binoche) torn between two men she loves. Too slow and sluggish for me. Grade: C+.