Classic Reviews


18 February, 2010

Up In The Air!

For a film with a title like "Up in the Air", this one turns out to be a real downer! Although you can't help but like the charming Mr George Clooney this film tries to make a point and fails miserably.

Ok, so the basic synopsis of the film is the central charcter Ryan (George Clooney) travels endlessly across the country making people redundant for a living. Ryan has no close family connections or friend's back home and has stuctured his life this way deliberately. A threat to Ryan's carefully constructed lifestyle comes in the form of a super smart, precosious new graduate, Natalie (Anna Kendrick). Natalie proceeds to turn Ryan's life upside down by entering his company and threatening to change the way business is conducted from face-to-face, to a new system conducted via the web. What will Ryan do if he doesn't have to travel the nation 362 days of the year! Does this men he will have to face the reality of his lonely life? Enter Alex(actress Vera Famiga), a like-minded individual, who too travels frequently. Ryan unexpectedly begins to have feelings for Alex and we see the desire for a less transient life emerge. This is highlighted in a scene when he meets his sister's fiancee (the psycho ex-girlfriend of Charlie Sheen's character in Two and a Half Men) for the first time and attends their wedding with Alex who by now has become possible girlfriend/partner material.

As the story begins to unravel we become concerned for the plight of Ryan and then just as abrubtly the story ends. Ryan is forced out into the air to continue his (now) unfullfilling life and career. We begin to feel a real sense of saddness for his situation. The tale ends with no sense of hope for Ryan and the revelation from his would be "partner/girlfirend" seems  unrealistic and unecessary.

This film only scores points because "The handsome" Mr George Clooney stars in it!

07 February, 2010

In the Loop



In the Loop is F******g hilarious to say the least and if your a little sensetive to the "F" word and any other expletive's than this film is not for you as the film is littered with expletive's which I must say only add to the film and don't detract which sometimes can be the case!

The film is about the British and American government meeting to discuss the impending or should we say "unforseeable" invasion of the Middle East. The film follow's the bumbling journey of the British secretary for International development and the Director of Communications for the British Prime Minister (played brilliantly by Peter Capaldi).  The Director of Communication's sure favours a wicked tongue and uses some of the most creative combinations of expletives I have ever heard!

James Gandolfini from the T.V series "The Sopranos" appears as the general for anti-war in the US government and surprisingly Anna Chlumsky (the child actress from the film's "My Girl" 1 & 2) plays an aide to the American Assistant Secretary of Diplomacy. There also some good performances by other unknown actors, Chris Addison (mainly known for his work as a writer) playing Toby the new intern working with the bumbling secretary for International Development and also a good performance from seasoned British actress, Gina Mckee (who has acted in film such as Antonement).

Overall a hilarious film full of non-stop witt and I'm sorry to say for some, non-stop expletives also!
This film is definantley worthy of it's Academy Award nomination unlike film's such as "Avatar" (sorry to all the James Cameron fan's out their!).

06 February, 2010

Precious




The movie Precious has irony in the film from the beginning. "Precious" the main character in the film leads  more than just a sad existence and the irony of her mother calling her such a name will only be evident upon watching the film as Precious's mother certainly doesn't  treat her accordingly.

To sum up the film in a few words this story is about Precious's life over a couple of months in the late 1980's. We follow Precious throughout her daily routine which is enough to to give us an understanding of the odds this girl is up against. Precious is illiterate and we are given a segue into this with the opening titles posted in "red" and written in a type of phonetic language clearly of someone who hasn't had the opportunity to learn to read and write. Precious is pregnant with her second child from her father and the first live's with her grandmother and is used by Precious's mother to access more welfare (another glimpse into the psyche of this miserable example of a mother!). Precious is basically resuced by a caring school counsillor who give's her the details of an alternative school where she can learn the basic's. Precious meets an inspiring and altruistic teacher that help's her begin to realise some potential.  We see Precious begin to blossom with new found language skills and friend's amidst the constant phsyical and verbal abuse inflicted by her mother which begins to increase as Precious's mother begins fear losing control of her daughter. There are also a few surprise performances by Mariah Carey who is virtually unrecognisable as Precious's welfare contact and Lenny Kravitz (more recognisable!) play's the kind hospital orderly in the ward where Precious give's birth to her second child.

The film has does have a sting in it's tail as we just begin to come to terms with Precious's unfortunate life and her gradual transformation she receives news of her father's death which bring's a death sentence for herself and her child.  To soften this blow we see Precious gain total independance from her mother when she moves out with her child. Precious displays a determination unlike her Mother's to give her children a better life then she's had and to break the chain of abuse. She treats her own children as "precious" unlike her own mother. Towards the end of the film we are given a brief insight into Precious's mother's equally unfortunate life and we are told of a woman who is confronted with an abusive partner and lacks the self-esteem to do anything about her and her child's circumstances.

Oprah Winfrey produced this gritty film and it leaves you with the hope that other girl's out there like Precious will meet a someone who cares enough to help change their lives.

Melbourne International Film Festival (8) (MIFF) (6) Charlotte Gainsbourg (4) MIFF (4) Cinema Nova (3) "The Tree" (2) 63rd Cannes Film Festival (2) Academy Award (2) Adventureland (2) Air Doll (2) Animal Kingdom (2) Antichrist (2) Eccentricities of a Blond Hair Girl (2) Emily Mortimer (2) Ewan McGregor (2) George Clooney (2) Jackie Weaver (2) Javier Bardem (2) Leonardo Dicaprio (2) Love in a Puff (2) MIFF Premiere Fund (2) MUFF (2) Melbourne Queer film festival (2) Michael Caine (2) Michelle Williams (2) Robert Rodriguez (2) Shutter Island (2) The Housemaid (2) The Melbourne Underground Film Festival (2) Twilight (2) Zombieland (2) "Bibliotheque Pascal" (1) "Nobody Knows" (1) "Please Give" (1) 'Silent House' (1) 'Venice Film Festival 2009' (1) 12 Monkeys (1) 1940's (1) 21 Grams (1) ACMI (1) Aaron Johnson (1) About her Brother (1) Academy Award Winner (1) Accidents Happen (1) Amanda Peet (1) Andrew Lancaster (1) Andy Warhol (1) Anna Chlumsky (1) Anna Kendrick (1) Antonement (1) Antonio Banderas (1) At the Movies (1) Avatar (1) BIUTIFUL (1) Bang Bang Wedding (1) Beautiful Kate (1) Bella (1) Ben Kingsley (1) Ben Mendehlson (1) Ben Mendelsohn (1) Benjamin Esposito (1) Bibliotheque Pascal (1) Big Daddy (1) Bill Hicks (1) Billy Conway (1) Boy (1) Broken Embraces (1) Bronson (1) Cannes Film Festival (1) Carlos Carerra (1) Cate Blanchett (1) Catherine Keener (1) Cheech Marin (1) Chloe Moretz (1) Chris Addison (1) Christian Bale (1) Christopher Nolan (1) Cinema Como (1) Claudia Karvan (1) Clint Eastwood's (1) Cohen Brothers (1) Danny Field (1) Danny Trejo (1) Dark Knight (1) Derryn Hinch (1) Docklands (1) Dogtooth (1) Donnie Darko (1) Douglas Post (1) Eagle vs Shark (1) Edward (1) Edward Scissorhand's (1) Ellen Page (1) Environmental Film Festival (1) Facebook (1) Fair Game (1) Federation Square (1) Florencia Colucci (1) Flying Circus (1) French film festival (1) Gael Garcia Bernal (1) Geena Davis (1) Germaine Greer (1) Gina Mckee (1) Gran Torino (1) Greek Film Festival (1) Gremlin's (1) Greta Scacchi (1) Guido (1) Gustavo Hernández (1) Hahaha (1) Harry Brown (1) Helena Bonham Carter (1) Hirokazu Koreeda (1) Hit-Girl (1) Iggy Pop (1) In the Loop (1) Inception (1) Indian film festival (1) Irene Menendez Hastings (1) Jacob (1) James Cameron (1) James Gandolfini (1) Japanese Film Festival - Melbourne (1) Japanese film (1) Javier Bardem's (1) Jedi (1) Jeff Bridges (1) Jesse Eisenberg (1) Jessica Alba (1) Jessie Eisenberg (1) Joan of Arc (1) Joe Dante (1) Joel Edgerton (1) John Lennon (1) Joseph Gordon-Levitt (1) Justin Timberlake (1) Katharine Schüttler (1) Katie Jarvis (1) Ken Loach (1) Kenny (1) Kestie Morassi (1) Kevin Spacey (1) Kiko Cerone (1) Kino (1) LA Zombie (1) La Mirada film festival (1) Lenny Kravitz (1) Lillian Roxon (1) Little Miss Sunshine. (1) Machete (1) Manga (1) Margaret and David (1) Mariah Carey (1) Marion Cotillard (1) Mark Ruffalo (1) Martin Scorceses (1) Max's Kansas City (1) Michael Fassbender (1) Molinari (1) Mona (1) Monty Python (1) Mother of Rock: The Life and Times of Lillian Roxon (1) Muriel's Wedding (1) My Girl (1) Naomi Watts (1) Napster (1) Nicolas Cage (1) No Country For Old Men (1) Olivia Willliams (1) Oprah Winfrey (1) Palace Balwyn (1) Palace Cinemas (1) Patricia Clarkson (1) Pedro Almodovar (1) Pedro Almodovor (1) Penelope Cruz (1) PenelopeCruz (1) Peter Capaldi (1) Pierce Brosnan (1) Pinocchio (1) Precious (1) Rebecca Hall (1) Red Hill (1) Ricardo Morales (1) Richard Kelly (1) Richard Wolstencroft (1) Roman Polanski (1) Russell Crowe (1) Russian Film Festival (1) Russian Resurrection (1) Ryan Kwanten (1) Sean Parker (1) Sean Penn (1) Sebastian Gregory (1) Sin City (1) Smurf (1) Sonia (1) Sophie Lowe (1) Stephen Segal (1) Steve Bisley (1) Sword of Desperation (1) Taika Waititi (1) Te Aho Eketone-Whitu (1) Terry Gilliam (1) The Assassination of Richard Nixon (1) The Crimes of Father Amaro (1) The Double Hour (1) The Factory (1) The Ghost Writer (1) The Lavazza Italian Film Festival 2010 (1) The Matrix (1) The Mexican Film Festival 2010 (1) The Proposition (1) The Science of Sleep (1) The Social Network (1) The Sopranos (1) The Strange Case of Angelica (1) The Tree (1) The Unloved (1) Tim Burton (1) Tom Hardy (1) Tommy Hill (1) Trash Humpers (1) True Blood (1) Twilight: New Moon (1) Two and a Half Men (1) Underbelly (1) Up in the Air (1) Vera Famiga (1) Vicky Cristina Barcelona (1) Walsh Street (1) Wolf Creek (1) Women on the verge of a nervous break-down (1) Woody Allen (1) Woody Harrelson (1) Zombie's (1) ay Lohan (1) film noir (1) purple cyber bob (1) the Westgarth (1)