The Reef

Image credit: IMDb

After breaking up our routine of Friday night shark movies with a little bit of mystery and classic literature adaptations, last Friday night we went right back to toothy monsters of the big blue. Our chosen shark movie this week was The Reef.

A group of friends are travelling along the Great Barrier Reef and having a lovely time exploring little islands, snorkeling, and marveling at the beauty of the underwater world. But their relaxing and romantic trip takes a turn when their boat capsizes and they are faced with a choice: either stay put in the hope of being rescued or try to swim to the nearest land. Opting for the latter, the group salvages what provisions and floating devices they can and strike out into the open ocean. It’s smooth swimming for a little while until they discover that a great white shark is also in the area.

Based on a true story, The Reef is an eco-horror movie that aims to achieve its thrills by being as ‘real’ as possible. Like many shark movies, there is not much of a narrative to follow: group of friends make a decision, start getting picked off, and the fear of their impending doom starts to traumatise them and fray their relationships. 

I guess to give credit where it is due, it was nice to see real shark footage spliced into the film: shots of the shark listing slowly through the misty blue water, coming close to the camera and then turning away like it hasn’t noticed it, and then quickening its pace and opening its mouth to find out what’s the source of splashing. While it doesn’t achieve the same orchestrated jump scares that a stylised computer shark could, using the nature documentary shots of the shark raises the tension and anxiety of the situation, causing audiences to go a through a reasonable rollercoaster of emotions as they empathise with the characters: anxiety, hope, relief, terror, and shock.

Image credit: Rotten Tomatoes

And that’s pretty much all I’ve got on this one. The performances are all fine but nothing to write home about, and the ending is kind of abrupt, which I guess does work but there’s only so much closure that can be leeched out from a small written epilogue.

The Reef was a shark movie that was different enough from the others that we have been watching that it made me remember it, but I do not think that I would recommend it as a must-see.

Director: Andrew Taucki, 2010

Cast: Damian Walshe-Howling, Gyton Grantley, Adrienne Pickering, Zoe Naylor, Keiren Darcy-Smtih, & Mark Simpson

Nonnas

Image credit: Wikipedia

I like the sweet, wholesome, and nondescript heartwarming foodie comedy a la Julie & Julia, Ratatouille, or Delicious in Dungeon. I put as much love into food preparation and consumption as I do movie consumption (i.e. I love to cook and am fascinated by the power that food holds). So it’s a real punch in the gut when I spot a movie that promises to be all sweet and wholesome and about the healing power of food, that then does not deliver. This would be the (unbelievably) Emmy-nominated, Nonnas.

After his mother passes away, Joe Scaravella (Vince Vaughn) finds himself struggling to move on and cooking his mother and Nonna’s recipes as a means of coping. At the suggestion of his childhood friends, he takes the money left to him and decides to open a restaurant with real Italian grandmothers as the chefs. What could go wrong?

This film is based on a true story, this restaurant is a real place in Staten Island that has blossomed into a multicultural family kitchen with grandmothers from all backgrounds cooking family recipes. The real Joe Scaravella even makes a cameo in the film. It’s a sweet and inspiring story that I am now tempted to investigate to see just how much of it was kept and what parts were written in to flesh out the movie.

Ironically, despite the immediate pull of the wholesome food-related true story, Nonnas suffered from a serious lack of seasoning. The story itself is the flavour that carries the film, but the clumsy script, forced character development, and wholly uninteresting protagonist really bring the whole thing down. Like a cream of mushroom soup that’s more ‘water of mushroom’.

Vince Vaughn, what happened to you? In every Vaughn movie I’ve seen he is charismatic, endearing, and goes a mile a minute: with the exception of Zoolander in which he has no lines. Hell, even in the remake of Psycho he was more engaging. In Nonnas his performances in the most bland and wooden thing I have ever seen, eating a pinecone would be more entertaining and provide the same nutritional value. Maybe this is the first example of an AI lead?

The real stars of the show are the supporting cast of chefs: Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, Brenda Vaccaro, and Susan Sarandon. The chemistry between the Nonnas is heartwarming and instantly recognisable, the real crime of this film is not doing more with their characters. I feel like so much flavour could have been added if we got to hear stories about their recipes. Instead, we get one good scene in which they all bond and it’s so ham-fistedly written that you spend the rest of the film massaging your jaw from clenching too hard.

Image credit: Eater

As a main dish, Nonnas was lacking. Carried by a simple and novel plot, there was nothing added to enrich, compliment, or deepen the flavour of the film. A bland protagonist that does not inspire us to be on his side, a group of supporting characters who don’t get the showcase they deserve, and a script that feels like it was left on the stove to bubble away without being stirred once. Not a dish I would order again.

Director: Stephen Chbosky, 2025

Cast: Vince Vaughn, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, Brenda Vaccaro, Jimmy Smagula, Adam Ferrara, Kate Eastman, Karen Giordano, Joe Manganiello, Linda Cardellini & Susan Sarandon

Wicked Little Letters

Image credit: Rotten Tomatoes

There is a lot of nastiness in the world that might never really go away because as a species humans are stubborn, overtly wary of change, and creatures of habit. Things like overzealous religious mania, misogyny, radicalism, racism, and self-loathing. But we can take some comfort in the idea of #notallhumans and that we have the artistic mediums of literature, art, and film to depict these kinds of harmful and poisonous characteristics of our species and hopefully, pique the human desire for change, progression, and evolution.

This line of thought was inspired last night by a strange and impressive little film that I watched that was based on a true story: Wicked Little Letters.

The film follows Edith Swan (Olivia Coleman) a sweet and conservative woman who becomes the victim of hate mail. Blame is immediately placed upon her neighbour, foul-mouthed, Irish single mother Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley) who is arrested and put on trial. Rose is adamant that she is innocent and when police officer Gladys Moss notices discrepancies in the handwriting of Rose and the letter-writer, she embarks on a clandestine investigation to find out who the real author is.

This devilish black comedy tells an intriguing true story that I’m sure most people have not heard about. A confronting and strange little whodunnit, it’s set in England during the 1920s: a time that, for most people, was filled with fun, jazz, and freedom after the war and before the hell of the Great Depression. However, the Roaring ‘20s apparently did not extend to the town of Littlehampton where prejudice, ostracism, racism, and misogyny were ruling overlords. Despite the story taking a bit of a Mean Girls twist when Edith, being celebrated as a martyr, discovers from her friends that she’s not as well-liked as she thought, the real villain is the amount of injustice, inequality, and infuriating lack of basic respect that each woman in the cast suffers. Rose is shunned for being an Irish immigrant and single mother. Gladys is constantly being downtrodden by her misogynist superiors at the station. Edith’s whist group each receive looks of scorn and disapproval for not returning to being proper, upstanding ladies after the war. And Edith herself suffers constant abuse from her controlling father, played unnervingly well by Timothy Spall.

What makes the movie so intriguing and refreshing is that it’s a film about women overcoming adversity, but not in a romanticised, sisterly type of way. This is certainly no First Wives Club, Hidden Figures or A League of Their Own. What makes Wicked Little Letters so fascinating (and funny) is probably the fact that these woman don’t particularly like one another, but band together because the crap that is constantly being shoveled their way by the patriarchy is worse than their personal distaste for one another.

Image credit: sonyclassics.com

While the themes and depictions of sexism, racism, and familial tyranny are confronting and very uncomfortable for the modern audience, the film cleverly sprinkles in delightful moments of comedy that help to lift the mood. Admittedly they are small and sometime far between, but they carry such weight that the smile sparked by them stays planted on your face for a good couple of scenes.

The performances are all excellent. Coleman is sweet and selfless, yet there is always something going on underneath her shining eyes and smile. Buckley provides a glorious contrast being loud, crass, and delightfully brazen. And then there is the prim and perfectly mannered Gladys played by Anjana Vasan. There’s a professional veneer about her all the time, but inside you know she is constantly screaming, she’s just wonderful to watch.

A more dramatic and quirky black comedy, Wicked Little Letters is a very enjoyable film.

Director: Thea Sharrock, 2023

Cast: Olivia Coleman, Jessie Buckley, Anjana Vasan, Gemma Jones, Malachi Kirby, Alisha Weir, Paul Chahidi, Eileen Atkins, Lolly Adefope, Joanna Scanlan, Hugh Skinner & Timothy Spall

Nyad

Image credit: themoviedb.org

There is so much in this great, wide world. So much culture, history, facts, stories, jokes, relationships, people, places, and dreams. It’s impossible for one person to know it all, and it is impossible for one person to fathom, understand, and absorb it all. While we as a species have made some truly epic blunders, catastrophic mistakes, and unbelievable cockups over the course of our history, one thing we have done right is the telling, sharing, and recording of stories; true stories, fantasies, dreamed stories and everything in between. Literature and cinema are my two favourite things to come out of our species, aside from maybe food. And I just finished watching a movie that reminded me of this: Nyad.

Diana Nyad (Annette Bening) is a retired marathon swimmer whose life has lately been missing the drive, excitement, and adventure of yesteryear. Shortly after her 60^th birthday she decides to start training again so as to finally achieve her dream of swimming 110 miles from Cuba to Florida – a feat she attempted thirty years ago but was forced to abandon. With her best friend and coach Bonnie (Jodie Foster) by her side, Diana assembles a team as crazy and driven as she is, and she braves sharks, jellyfish, fierce currents, and physical and mental exhaustion to prove that you are never too old to achieve your dreams.

What an amazing story and it has been made into an amazing film. This feature debut from Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin not only chronicles the life achievements of an amazing woman who used her indomitable spirit to combat the limitations of age, but it’s a beautiful and inspiring look into the importance of relationships at every stage of life and a reminder that the Aged still have voices that can and will be heard.

A biographical sports drama, the film flicks back and forth between the current narrative and the context of Nyad’s past. These contextual scenes use genuine footage and commentary from interviews and media broadcasts of Nyad’s achievements and, mixed in with some interpreted and reenacted scenes from Nyad’s childhood, does a magnificent job of show-don’t-tell, giving the audience all the dramatic context they need without having to spell it out and make a big scene out of it. It’s all very tasteful and it sets the rhythm of the film beautifully.

Image credit: popternative.com

Then we have the performances from Annette Bening and Jodie Foster; two incredible actresses who are the perfect cast choice for this film as they are both strong women achieving great things past a certain age, especially in an industry that makes it hard for women to do that. Bening leads the charge with command and charisma, but it’s Foster that really gives the film its beautiful and heartwarming edge. She’s so lovely and down-to-earth and yet so captivating in her depiction of unwavering and fierce loyalty and friendship; she is definitely the heart and soul of the film.

Filled with ambition, drama, loyalty, and love Nyad is a gorgeous film that tells an incredible story.

Director: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin (2023)

Cast: Annette Bening, Jodie Foster, Anna Marie Kempf, Johnny Solo, Eric T. Miller, Anna Harriette Pittman, Hanler Rodriguez, Carolyne McCormick & Rhys Ifans

The Iron Claw

Image credit: gatewayfilmcenter.org

It’s a really lovely experience to have an old fire of your character rekindled. Back when I was working at a Blockbuster (pause for marvel/lament at how long ago that was) I was all about movies. And as I grew up my love for cinema never really puttered out, but it certainly dimmed and for a while my absorption of new movies and writing my reviews waned. But my love for cinema and my ambition to go to the movies more has been rekindled with this new job, one of the perks of which is the occasional free ticket.

The delightful thing about a free ticket is that, even if it’s a film you don’t know much about or didn’t think you were that interested in seeing, it inspires you to go along because what have you got to lose? And then there is always the chance that you come out of the cinema in complete awe at the film you just watched. I had this experience over the weekend when I decided to make use of a free ticket and took myself to see The Iron Claw.

Based on a true story, the film follows the wrestling careers of the Von Erich family, a close-knit band of brothers who made history in the competitive world of wrestling in the 1980s. A love of each other and being in the ring together is what drives these four boys, but there is a dark side to their success. Pushed by their father who is driven by a fierce ambition, one by one the boys start to fall victim to the belief that their family is cursed and that their strong bond of brotherhood might not be enough to save them.

This is a fiercely provocative movie that tells a tragic story while simultaneously exploring the physical and mental strains and benefits of love, pack mentality, and the nuclear family. Against the super-charged toxic masculinity that is allowed to run rampant from scene to scene there is a beautiful depiction of male fragility and the need for camaraderie and brotherhood. Add the questionable relationships of the parents to their sons and this is a recipe for a compelling and heart-wrenching story.

The performances of the central cast are all incredible, each brother being endearing, flawed, and spiking our empathetic reflexes. Expertly devised shots give audiences enough time to anticipate what’s about to happen and thus be able to properly experience the shock and grief to come. Despite its sweaty, bulging, and gritty aesthetic, the various camera techniques as well as the general cinematography makes The Iron Claw quite possibly one the of most beautiful and strangely elegant films I’ve seen in a while. It has been a long time since I teared up in a cinema, but that drought has been broken thanks to this film.

Image credit: tvinsider.com

And then we can marvel at the fact that because this film is beautiful, compelling, and tastefully done, it inspires audiences to take a deep drive into a story that they may never had heard of. I am not a wrestling fan in the least, so I had no idea who these people were, but I am truly fascinated and compelled by their story.

If you are looking for a compelling, moving, and beautifully crafted film, I would recommend The Iron Claw.

Director: Sean Durkin, 2023

Cast: Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney, Hold McCallany, Scott Innes, Michael Harney, Stanley Simons, Ryan Nemeth, Cazzey Louis Cereghino, Lily James & Kevin Anton

Becoming Jane

Image credit: Posterazzi

 There is something so comforting and inspiring about a crisp, autumn morning. The warmth of summer has certainly left Sydney this Saturday morn, and when I woke up to the warm embraces of my partner, I was gripped with the desire for a scene: a picturesque, English country scene. And so I have just finished watching Becoming Jane. 

Based on the romantic portion of the life of one of my all-time favourite authors, the film follows young Jane Austen (Anne Hathaway), a penniless woman with an independent mind and a talent with the pen. Confined by social duties and norms concerning everything from family to fortune, Jane’s world gets turned upside down when she meets and falls for the handsome upcoming lawyer, Thomas LeFroy. A passionate romance ensues, but can love without fortune possibly be enough to ensure a prolonged life of happiness?

This film does not have the feel of a biopic, rather a biographic romantic comedy. The story itself is something straight out of one of Austen’s novels, and we can see characteristics recognisable in Austen’s famous characters in all the people involved. I suppose that the main purpose of the film is to illustrate a singular point that is brought up early on: that experience is needed to write great fiction, and the entire film is definitely a journey of identity.

The performances are all very good, though nothing particularly incredible. Indeed the strongest attraction for me was the beautiful cinematography: the breathtaking scenes of the English countryside. Rolling hills, pretty wildernesses, woods and rivers
abound with a crisp, cool air. 

Image credit: Hanway Films

While I adore Jane Austen, I am the type of fan who reads and revels in her novels, but does not extend myself to learn about the woman who wrote them. I should. Because if I did, then I would be better able to ascertain whether the narrative of this film was close or loose in relation to the truth. Regardless, as I mentioned before this film does not feel like a biopic and therefore I can’t label it as one. It’s a very pretty film nonetheless and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys this sort of period piece. 

Director: Julian Jarrold, 2007

Cast: Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy, Julie Walters, James Cromwell, Anna Maxwell Martin, Lucy Cohu, Laurence Fox, Ian Richardson, Leo Bill, Joe Anderson, Jessica Ashworth & Maggie Smith

Rocketman

Image credit: IMDb

After the success of Bo Rhap it seems that biopics about giants of music in the ‘70s and ‘80s have become a thing. Not at all a bad thing. The newest of these pics to take off has been Rocketman, the ‘musical fantasy’ about Elton John's ascent into rock ‘n’ roll orbit (and his sinking into a few black holes). 

Beginning (more or less) at the end, and told through a series of flashbacks, the film chronicles the troubled childhood of young Reginald Dwight, his discovery of a talent for music, and his journey to break into the industry. Staggering in to the spotlight all too quickly, Elton John’s (Taron Egerton) road to fame quickly becomes paved with emotional turmoil and narcotics addiction, and a tortured quest to find love becomes the only light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.

While the two are completely different films, if I had to draw a comparison between Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman, the latter is the winner. While (predictably) the central story of drug addiction and the quest to find love, identity, and self-respect is dramatised, some aspects being exaggerated and fictionalised for cinematic drama’s sake, I have to say that Rocketman is a better-made film than Bo Rhap (though the latter’s performances still take the cake).

More of a musical than a straight music biopic with the artist’s most iconic songs peppered throughout, the film is reminiscent of a number of Golden Hollywood musicals blended with the stadium-rocking scenes of Elton John’s legendary performances.

John’s most influential songs are used in the traditional way of the musical, during insightful or dramatic scenes and in the most normal of spaces. We’re talking Singin’ in the Rain-esque, with the occasional larger musical number thrown in a la Enchanted or Mamma Mia!. Funnily enough, these fantasy-musical scenes are blended beautifully with the rest of the film and its tone of straight-laced, dramatic biopic.

Image credit: Forbes

Taron Egerton delivers a charismatic and memorable performance as the bedazzled icon himself, resisting the urge to be flagrantly queen-like, and instead depicting a tortured character that is repressed, shy, angry, and unstable in their own identity. The emotional story is quite a complex one and Egerton depicts it very well indeed.

Rocketman is definitely a film worth seeing. Fans of biopics, musicals, Elton John, or who have a vague appreciation of cinema in general will come out of the theatre with a little something to make their day richer.

Director: Dexter Fletcher (2019)

Cast: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard, Gemma Arterton, Gemma Jones, Steven Mackintosh, Matthew Illesley, Charlie Rowe, Celinde Schoenmaker, Stephen Graham, and Rachel Muldoon

Green Book

Image credit: Wikipedia

Well, the countdown to the Oscars continues and so does the gradual checking off the list of films nominated for best picture! Friday night, it was Green Book.

Inspired by a true story, the film follows Tony Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen), an uncouth working-class Italian-American who becomes the driver and assistant of an African-American classical pianist (Mahershala Ali) on a tour of the Deep South. Despite their significantly different upbringings and personalities, the two develop an unlikely friendship as each helps the other find some home truths about themselves.

Like Hidden Figures, Green Book doesn’t make a point about ramming clichéd examples of racism and overdone, feel-good shows of overcoming adversity down the throat and that’s what I loved the most about this film. Nothing about this movie is clichéd everything is subtle, but extremely powerful. The script is wonderfully witty and throughout the entire show, there are these delightful, shifting power plays between the two leads, which really rounds out the experience and gives the movie its drama and humour.

Arm in arm with the script to make up the perfect couple is the cast chemistry between the two leads. Viggo Mortensen as Tony Vallelonga is uncouth and very rough around the edges, but with a real heart of gold and though his journey is subtle, it’s one of the most endearing in cinema at the moment because while his attitude doesn’t seem to change significantly, you can sense that there’s been a real shift and his silence speaks louder than any overblown monologue ever could.

Image credit: Santa Cruz Sentinel

Mahershala Ali as the highly educated, upstanding musician is absolutely wonderful, a perfect contrast to Viggo’s character and a rich and complex depiction of the deeper prejudices the film explores; this is not just about black and white racism. Maintaining an impressive dignity for the main portion of the film, probably the most moving scenes are when the truths about the tortures that this man suffers come out and we get glimpses of true loneliness. It’s heartbreaking, but so beautiful and it makes the scenes of friendship between the two leads so warm and touching.

Green Book is a truly beautiful film that seems simple on the surface, but is actually a very rich and complex web of themes and cultural attitudes that are still relevant and present to this day. Amidst its fellow nominees, it’s definitely a worthy contender for a few gold statuettes!

Director: Peter Farrelly, 2018

Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini, Sebastian Maniscalco, Dimiter D. Marinov, Mike Hatton, P. J. Byrne, Joe Cortese, Von Lewis, Don Stark, Paul Sloane, and Quinn Duffy

Colette

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If history teaches us anything, it’s that we are bound to make the same mistakes over and over again until we simply stop making them. If you think about all the prevalent themes of today: namely regarding gender roles, toxic relationships, and what defines masculine/feminine, you’ve got to stop and remember that all this shit has happened before… and before, and before that.

With this idea in mind, I went and saw Colette today…

The film is based on the early life of French writer Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette. From humble beginnings as a country girl in Burgandy, Gabrielle (Keira Knightley) marries a famous Parisian writer (Dominic West), and then becomes engulfed in a toxic marriage in which her husband serially sleeps with other women, and convinces her to use her talent to ghostwrite novels under his name. She creates a semi-autobiographical novel, Claudine, which takes Paris by storm with her husband getting all the credit. Forced to keep up the charade, Colette becomes increasingly frustrated, both sexually and economically, and soon begins to fight to make her talents known, challenging society’s gender norms along the way.

This film is a modest, but wonderfully sincere, biopic that beautifully informs and engages audiences with a figure that they may or may not have heard of before. I admit I had no idea who this movie was about before I saw it and now I have to say that I am quite intrigued to see if I can track down some of Colette’s work for my library.

While the story is very simple in that it chronicles the foundation and eventual breakdown of a marriage, where the film sparkles is with its fascinating depiction of a toxic and creative marriage in the early part of the 20^th century. Set against the backdrop of Paris, which already boasts a certain sensual openness and libration, the entire film is a delicious peek through the keyhole into an intimate world and what’s most interesting about the whole thing is that there is a certain level of balance and love between the two parties.

Image credit: Luna Palace Cinemas

Keira Knightley plays the title role with a graceful force, innocently breaking glass ceilings through her fashion and determination to be seen as more than a wife. Hers is a story of identity as well as the remoulding of gender roles and Keira is mesmerising to watch.

Dominic West as Willy is witty, aggressive, and pretentious, yet despite openly being a right bastard and a very toxic narcissist, he does have this strange, endearing quality that somehow keeps the two together for the duration of the film. As he and Colette blur the definitions of infidelity, breadwinner, husband, and wife, Willy throughout the entirety does have this sincere streak of love that he holds solely for his wife and West plays the role so well that it’s kind of hard to completely hate him –even though it’s evident that he’s the bad guy.

Whether this is a play on social conditioning or just my delving deeper into West’s performance is anyone’s guess, but at the end of the day the two leads were wonderfully captivating!

Being a biopic and a period piece, I must draw attention to the fantastic achievements of the costume department. The costumes and makeup achievements were absolutely beautiful with Keira’s wardrobe being this seamless –pardon the pun- transition from feminine to masculine. Every scene she was in, she looked absolutely gorgeous!

Like Orlando or The Danish Girl, Colette has a certain je ne se quoi that keeps its audience captivated because it’s a depiction of something very ‘normal’, –a marriage- something that most of the audience can relate to, but at the same time it’s depicting a marriage that is unlike any that we can imagine. It just goes to show that when it comes to relationships, you never know what goes on behind closed doors.

Director: Wash Westmoreland, 2018

Cast: Keira Knightley, Dominic West, Fiona Shaw, Robert Pugh, Sloan Thompson, Arabella Weir, Mate Haumann, Ray Panthaki, Al Weaver, Dickie Beau, Julian Wadham, and Eleanor Tomlinson

Bohemian Rhapsody

Image credit: Wikipedia

It’s been a few years in the making, but Queen fans have now been rewarded for their patience with the glorious, moving, and life-affirming spectacle that is Bohemian Rhapsody. Hitting cinemas last Thursday (Nov. 1^st) the film rocked the box office with $50 million in its opening weekend and continues to pull audiences of all ages. One friend of mine posted on Facebook a statement of pure pride and joy, as she overheard her 3 year-old singing along with the soundtrack, and I myself already have plans to fork out the money and see the film a second time!

While its true that you could make an entire movie about many phases of Queen’s journey to global domination; the making of A Night at the Opera alone could make for compelling drama, Bohemian Rhapsody is more of a summarised history of the band, starting with their humble beginning as Smile and chronicling everything from their creation of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, to their first American tour, and ending with their legendary performance at Live Aid in 1985. Running alongside the story of the band is the more dramatic story of Freddie Mercury (Rami Malek); a dramatised story of identity and the search for love, while being swept up in the world of fame and fortune.

It should come as absolutely no surprise that this movie, a classic biopic (though some of the chronology is a little out of whack and a 'tad' fictionalised), is completely driven by its characters and therefore, is all about the performances. And the performances were incredible! While the plot and film structure itself is a little jagged with all the best bits of Queen thrown together, rather like a greatest hits album, I think everyone is prepared to overlook that simply because the performances were all so captivating. I fell in love with Freddie all over again with Malek’s performance; everything, right down to the vocal tones, delivery, and mannerisms were spot-on and I do believe that a universal applause is to be paid to Malek because it really was like Freddie was back with us. I laughed, I cried, and throughout this entire film all I wanted to do was reach through the screen, take hold of this beautiful man and tell him how much he has meant to myself and millions of others. Rami, (if you ever read this) thank you, thank you, thank you.

Image credit: The Sun

While Freddie is arguably the star of the show, Malek’s performance is not the only one that deserves praise. The entire central cast were flawless and people who have seen footage and interviews of the members of Queen will believe that these guys are the real thing. Gwilym Lee as Brian May is as rational and gently spoken as the man himself, the spitting image too right down to the dimples when he smiles. Joe Mazzello as bass player John Deacon, had all the mannerisms down pat; silent and sometimes snarky, he even sounded like him! If there’s a weak member of the group, sadly it would have to be Ben Hardy who played Roger Taylor. Despite totally nailing the attitude (for Roger was totally the ‘bad boy’ of the group) and delivering some of the best lines to rival some of Freddie’s most memorable quotes, Hardy’s performance is the one that doesn’t quite get there –don’t get me wrong, he’s still amazing, but everyone else reached levels of uncanny likeness to their models, whereas Hardy’s was just close imitation. Still, it’s an incredible feat.

It has been a long time, too long a time, since I was truly moved and made to feel raw feelings of love, sadness, joy, and marvel and Bohemian Rhapsody broke that drought. Wide-eyed and teary, but smiling the entire way through, my movie experience was one of pure wonderment; I was held in complete awe of the power of performance, the music, and of course, Freddie’s voice. More than this, the film is an engaging exploration of belonging and finding one’s place in a big and (sometimes violently) boisterous world, something that gains more and more relevance every day. It’s actually impossible for me to put into words just how incredible and how wondrous I found this movie to be, the closest I can come to is asking you to imagine a balloon inside you swelling with emotions until it’s filled to bursting and fills every inch of your being. That was it.

I absolutely adored, proudly and completely ADORED Bohemian Rhapsody. Do yourself a favour and go see it!

Director: Bryan Singer, 2018

Cast: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joseph Mazzello, Aiden Gillen, Tom Hollander, Allen Leech, Aaron McCusker, and Mike Myers

The Disaster Artist

Image credit: Wikipedia

Nothing like having the flu as a means to catch up on your movie binging! In between sneezing and excruciating coughs that felt as though I was shifting around a mass of razor-plated gunk in my chest, I discovered that The Disaster Artist had made it onto Netflix Australia. I missed it at the cinemas and was intrigued by the story from the get-go so the other day I curled up in bed with my laptop and caught up on a missed opportunity…

Based on Greg Sestero’s non-fiction book of the same name, The Disaster Artist tells the story of the friendship between budding actor Greg Sestero (Dave Franco) and mysterious, arts-worshipper Tommy Wiseau (James Franco). The two meet in an acting class and before you know it, they are best friends moving to LA together to become big stars. While Greg gets an agent and continues to struggle for work, Tommy is told outright that he does not have what it takes to make it in this business and so the two decide to make their own movie. As a ‘screw-you’ to Hollywood, Tommy writes ‘The Room’ and, with a mysterious bottomless supply of money, hires a cast and crew to make one of the most celebrated ‘worst movies’ that the industry has ever seen.

At this point I am going to slide in a disclaimer: my experience of this movie was influenced and (one could argue) slightly tarnished by the state of mind I was in. At the time of watching The Disaster Artist, I am also midway through Clementine Ford’s latest book Boys Will Be Boys (a great read) and a strong chunk of the content of this film’s story disturbed me on a gender-political level. It’s not something that I’ll centre the review on, but it is something that I will bring up as it affected my filmic experience and does raise some disturbing questions about where society is at right now (especially in the movie industry).

In the wake of the Weinstein Scandal, I don’t know if you could argue that the film was doing this deliberately or not, but it openly refers to a very dangerous character/concept: the man with the camera. A significant portion of what drives the plot is Wiseau’s appreciation, nay admiration of good cinema and critically celebrated directors and, as a man with the camera, he models himself by the example of some pretty horrid role models: Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick being two names openly praised. In terms of their relationship with women and film, I don’t need to explain why these are ‘trigger’ words. The Disaster Artists is a biopic, telling a true story with true characters, but more than that, it also depicts a poisonous attitude that exists within the creative world: that art is a get-out-jail-free card. While this is most explicit in a scene that involves the filming of a sex scene and Wiseau’s denigration of his female co-star, it’s not gender-sensitive, and you end up spending a large portion of the film suffering from internal haemorrhaging caused by the strain to suspend your disbelief. Why do any of the staff continue showing up for work?!

Image credit: Ew.com

It’s actually really hard to fathom this movie because on the one hand it’s a comedy-drama; satirical, but using a serious genre to be so. On the other hand the story depicts such a strange occurrence within Hollywood and there’s this vibe about it that is almost celebratory. It’s very conflicting.

James Franco’s depiction of Wiseau is captivating, but at the same time repelling; he plays a creep pretty well and the film totally gets points for the genuine way in which practically everyone –aside from Greg- reacts to him. The guy’s an enigma and, honestly, I think everyone in the film is too creeped out to deal with him for longer than they have to. So many facial expressions I saw on screen reacting to Franco reflected my own, so I’ve got to give him snaps for blurring that line between reality and the screen.

In a movie with ‘real’ characters where only one is the eccentric,  Dave Franco delivers a more or less believable performance. A buffer zone between Wiseau and the rest of the world, I can image the role of Greg is a toughie, sadly I felt that there wasn’t any rewards for his suffering and frustration and even his ‘dramatic’ confrontation with Tommy was kind of ‘eh’.

No doubt my lack of familiarity with the content came to bite me in the arse a bit here, but I feel like there was a lot happening in The Disaster Artist that convoluted the point. At the end of it all, that was my problem; I couldn’t actually see the point of this movie. Fair play to its Oscar nods and everything, but the story, the genre, The Disaster Artists is an acquired taste for which, I just don't have the palette. 

Director: James Franco, 2017

Cast: James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogan, Ari Graynor, Alison Brie, Josh Hutcherson, Zac Efron, and Jackie Weaver

All That Jazz

Image credit: Rotten Tomatoes

Many audiences may not necessarily know the work of Bob Fosse, but everyone sure as shit knows his name. It’s a name that has haunted musicals for decades, sparking images of total showstoppers that trade in the family-friendly colour and fun of the Golden Age and replaces it with the dark and seedy ‘dance macabre’.

All That Jazz is the captivating and intimately autobiographical movie that Fosse made shortly after recovering from open-heart surgery. The film follows Fosse’s chain-smoking, pill popping, womanizing alter ego Joe Gideon, a man so driven by his work he ignores all else: his daughter, his girlfriend, and even the alarming pains in his chest. Flashing backwards and forwards between his troubled childhood as a burlesque club performer and flirtatious backstage conversations with his personal angel of death, Angelique, the film is a captivating and alarmingly intimate look into the darker corners of showbiz and those struggling in its grip.

Competition, ambition, and the price of being a creative genius suck the life and colourful tone right out the title –which instantly makes one think of the roaring ‘20s a la Chicago- and replaces it with a jagged and glamour-less depiction of men and women crumpling underneath the weight of their careers.

As can be expected there are a number of truly memorable sequences in Fosse’s signature jazzy style dripping with blends of erotica and hidden characters; the most breathtaking of which is Joe’s hospital hallucinations as he contemplates his life while coming out of surgery starring his ex-wife, his lover, and –in a very mature performance to the point of being disturbing- his daughter.

Alongside the gritty story and the spectacle of the musical numbers are a series of gripping performances that elevate the piece to a most incredible work of musical drama. 

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The film won four Academy Awards and –for any buffs interested in the history of movie musicals- it’s been critically placed alongside Cabaret as the two best musicals in three decades. Dark, disturbing, and eerily prophetic All That Jazz is an incredible film.

Starring: Ray Schneider, Jessica Lange, Ann Reinking, Leland Palmer, Cliff Gorman, Ben Vereen, Erzsebet Foldi, Michael Tolan, Max Wright, William LeMassena, Irena Kane, Deborah Geffner, Kathryn Doby, Anthony Holland, Robert Hitt, and John Lithgow

The Danish Girl

Image credit: Teaser Trailer

There are a number of reasons to admire biopics. 1) They tell dramatic and compelling stories –for the most part- that make for an engaging movie experience. 2) They provide a challenge for actors and are a great marker for talent. And 3) They are brilliant studies in character form. When I say form, I don’t simply mean physique, costume, or makeup, but rather the blend of those things as well as the smallest movements and gestures that go into creating a character. Tom Hooper’s The Danish Girl is a film that highlights all of these points, making it a biopic that everyone should see.

The film chronicles a fictitious love story loosely based on Danish painters Einar Wegener (Eddie Redmayne) and his wife Gerda (Alicia Vikander). Theirs is a happy and open marriage kept exciting by Einar’s occasional outings to balls and social events dressed as his female alter ego –Lili Elbe. But their relationship and love for each other is put under considerable strain when Einar makes the decision to live as a woman.

The Danish Girl was big news when it hit the Oscar Bait table. Not only is it a gorgeous period drama and biopic, it’s a period drama with a transgender protagonist. It’s true the story itself is not factually ironclad, –not always good news for a biopic- but I actually felt that writing a romantic drama around these characters was totally the right idea. What we are treated to throughout the entire movie is this beautiful depiction of true, undying love and it’s not so much the performances that spark the waterworks, but the sheer strain and drama of the story’s events. More than once you stop and ask yourself “how would I react if this was my partner” and it’s that fact that this movie inspires such questioning and contemplating that makes it so wonderful.

The complex themes of sexual identity, gender identity, and relationship identity are depicted and explored in a mesmerising swirl of beautiful period costumes, breathtaking art design, and simple but rich dialogue, keeping you hooked from start to finish.

Image credit: Women's Voices For Change

Standing strongly alongside the moving screenplay and wonderful cinematography are the knockout performances of both Alicia Vikander and Eddie Redmayne. Vikander is genuine and down to earth; that honest spirit that we all know and can count on to have our backs. Her performance is breathtaking –I’m honestly struggling to find words to describe it! A film about a transgender woman doesn’t immediately bring Eddie Redmayne to mind does it? Regardless his performance was beautiful: rich, heartfelt, and genuine. I don’t think you ever notice the difference in certain gestures or postures until you see them done by the opposite sex and Redmayne employs everything at his disposal from the incline of his head to the pressure of his fingertips to bring out this gorgeous femininity.

Between its beautiful love story, genuine characters, heartbreaking dramas, and tearful climax, The Danish Girl is a movie that really delivers the feels and while the plot is padded to the point of fictional, it still makes for a gorgeous movie!

Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, Adrian Schiller, Amber Heard, Emerald Fennell, Henry Pettigrew, Richard Dixon, Ben Whishaw, Pip Torrens, and Matthias Schoenaerts

Winchester

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Horror movies inspired by real events are ones to be taken with a grain of salt. The level of terror they can inspire comes directly from what genre of horror they are. Films that tread thriller terrain with psycho killers, detectives, and abduction cases tend to have a leg-up on other genres as we come across similar stories –though not always so extreme- in headlines. Whereas not everyone can get on board with paranormal flicks based on real reports. While movies such as The Exorcist prove that they can still make for iconic cinema, not all ghost movies make the grade.

Winchester tells the story of grieving widow Sarah Winchester (Helen Mirren) –whose husband invented the repeating Winchester rifle- who lives in a gargantuan mansion that is always under construction and is also seriously haunted. Sarah is convinced that the souls of all those killed by her husband’s invention gather in her home and so she is continually building rooms for them to either be locked up in if they are malevolent or helped to move on if they are merely lost. Superiors at the office of the Winchester Company hire physician Dr. Eric Price (Jason Clarke) to issue a formal evaluation declaring Sarah insane and unfit to run the company, but soon after arriving at the mansion Eric begins to encounter its ghostly residents –including one particularly malevolent spirit with a powerful thirst for revenge.

Shot in Melbourne and directed by the Spierig brothers Winchester is an interesting story, but a relatively mediocre movie. It would make a very exciting gothic novel a la Horace Walpole or Anne Radcliffe as it covers all the generic tropes including an elaborate mansion with secret passages, a cursed/dysfunctional family, and of course the past forever intruding on the present. This was definitely the film’s aesthetic –which reminded me very strongly of The Woman in Black- although where it falls down in this respect is with the house itself. On the inside it’s a classic Victorian ghost story and the cinematography is pretty spot-on, but on the outside the house –and a number of its inner technologies- are more modern and clash with the vibe.

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In terms of a paranormal horror flick it’s eerie, but not anything overly special or frightening. The jump scares are all strongly premeditated causing you to spend the lead up poised with your hands over your ears – and nine times out of ten they happen exactly where you think they will.

The performances are all very solid, but nothing incredible. Helen Mirren as a grieving grand dame delivers a stylish performance and Jason Clarke does a relatively good job of playing the rational character in a house of horrors while simultaneously being haunted by ghosts of his own.

Stylistically Winchester is a fine film, but as a horror movie it’s only so-so. The jump scares do work and the possessed child –a popular genre cliché thanks to The Exorcist- is still a creepy thing to behold, but as the film treads these familiar boards it becomes too recognisible and loses that immersion you look for in a horror movie experience.

Starring: Helen Mirren, Jason Clarke, Sarah Snook, Finn Scicluna-O’Prey, Emme Wiseman, Tyler Coppin, Laura Brent, Bruce Spence, and Angus Sampson