Do Revenge

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Right now I’m thinking of a scene in Black Books; where Manny the optimist and seemingly sane one of the dysfunctional trio, is trying to convince the others that they should all go out because, “it’s friiiday night”, while Bernard the drunken cynic complains that that won't change next week or the week after and the whole cycle will continue until they all die. For many, Friday is a night to look forward to: it’s the end of the week, there are two whole days of freedom, socialising, and relaxing to look forward to before Monday rocks round again. Having a career background in retail for most of my life, I understood the concept of a weekend, but I never really had one. I’ve only recently changed career paths and entered the corporate world, and I now get the hype. However, while I definitely feel that Friday night is a night to be social and spend with friends and lovers, you definitely don’t have to go out to have a lovely time. This evening I had one of my best friends around for dinner and a trashy movie, and it was delightful.

The film we did is on Netflix and is called Do Revenge. It tells the story of a popular and perfect high school senior named Drea (Camilla Mendes) whose life is ruined when her boyfriend leaks an intimate video of her. With her friends against her and her college prospects in tatters, Drea is uncertain if she can even show her face for senior year. That is until she meets Eleanor (Maya Hawke), a shy and disheveled new student who has suffered high school trauma similar to hers. The two form an unlikely friendship, which quickly turns into a macabre partnership as they come up with a plan to get away with the perfect revenge: swap targets.

This movie is Strangers on a Train meets Clueless meets Mean Girls. It’s a bright and colourful high school comedy on the surface. What lies beneath is a twisted exploration into the psychological trauma of the high school experience, primarily the toxicity of financial privilege, masculinity, racism, and clique culture.

While the movie feels like every other high school flick you’ve ever seen, where it sparkles is in the incredible adult performances of the central cast. It’s a film that definitely aims to be character-driven and both Mendes and Hawke give really memorable performances as this unlikely duo that turn out to be increasingly unstable. The cleverness is really that you’re not sure who is even the real victim, as several plot twists -admittedly all crammed in within the last fifteen minutes- quickly shatter everything you thought you’d had worked out. It’s no Hitchcock by any means, but it does take a leaf out of his books and manipulates its audiences – in a rather ironic and even metafictive way- into trying to reach the ending before the characters do. But, in an interesting narrative choice, it ends on an uplifting and positive vibe to counteract all the empathetic mortification that makes up most of its cinematic experience. This is also achieved through the fact that it’s hard to actually label who the bad guys are -aside from one of the three men that make up the cast, who we all want to punch in the face from reel one.

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None of this is groundbreaking or new, but I definitely did appreciate what this movie was trying to do. And it wasn’t trying to take itself too seriously either, in fact the comedy reminded me of the TV series Hacks, which is similarly filled with characters who are ghastly people, but you still suffer their discomfort, shame, and mortification through these clever, empathetic tricks that the camera, director, and cast pull on you. If you want a fun movie for a Friday night in with pizza and a friend, Do Revenge.

Director: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, 2022

Cast: Camilla Mendes, Maya Hawke, Austin Abrams, Rish Shah, Taila Ryder, Alisha Boe, Ava Capri, J.D., Paris Berelc, Maia Reficco, Sophie Turner & Sarah Michelle Geller

Turning Red

 

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Coming-of-age stories have always been a pretty solid and relatively foolproof flavour of cinema: relatable, funny, heart-warming/breaking, and guaranteeing a healthy, mixed audience. Over the years coming-of-age cinema has seen all sorts of interpretations and depictions of the adolescent gear change, from Puberty Blues to Stand By Me. For tonight’s movie, partner and I curled up on the couch and enjoyed Pixar’s latest foray into the coming-of-age genre: Turning Red.

The film centres on Meilin, a seemingly normal 13-year-old just starting to develop her own tastes and sense of identity. At school she’s an over-achiever with a passion for boy bands and at home, she strives to be the perfect daughter. When a harmless doodle turns into a dramatic confrontation with her mum, it triggers a genetic ‘gift’ where Meilin turns into a red panda whenever she experiences strong emotions.

Turning Red is a clever little film in a number of ways. Firstly, the title works on a multitude of levels, as the trigger for the genetic trait is shame and embarrassment as well as a borderline outward reference to what marks a girl’s entrance into womanhood. The red panda is both a funny and dramatic metaphor for puberty, illustrating both the cute side and the significantly less cute side. 

On a deeper level, the film is an exploration into familial relationships and how much they influence identity. Similar to Encanto the central drama of the film stems from the relationship between Meilin and her overprotective mother, as well as nod to the familial structures and cultural attitudes of multi-generational immigrant families. 

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The animation is signature Pixar with a bright colour palette and gorgeous lighting, however I can’t say that the art style is my favourite to come out of the studio. Quite a few of the characters were giving me Aardman vibes, which work for the claymation likes of Wallace and Gromit, but no so much for the studio that brought us Wall-E and Toy Story. 

This singular negative aside, Turning Red is a very cute and heart-warming coming-of-age tale that has a little something for everyone. There are plenty of funny moments and just as many tearjerker moments; overall a perfectly good film.

Director: Domee Shi, 2022

Cast: Rosalie Chiang, Ava Morse, Hyein Park, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Wai Ching Ho, Lori Tan Chinn, Tristan Allerick Chen, Orion Lee, Sandra Oh, & James Hong

Spider-Man: Far From Home

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I’m actually quite satisfied that the immediate Marvel release after Endgame has been a second Spider-Man movie because, right now, a return to good, wholesome superhero movie fun is what audiences need after all the emotional turbulence and time-travel. And, as ever, Marvel hasn’t disappointed.

Far From Home chronicles young Peter Parker’s (Tom Holland) (a.k.a. Spider-Man) return to a ‘normal life after the events of ‘the Blip’. Peter spends his time (spoiler of you’ve been under a rock) mourning for Tony Stark and preparing for a school trip to Europe where he plans to tell MJ how he feels about her. But disaster strikes when strange elemental monsters start attacking the city and Nick Fury himself calls in the help of Spider-Man. Alongside Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) –a man from another world- Peter helps to fight the monsters, but he soon discovers that he really needs to step up if he’s going to save the world.

This movie ticks all the boxes for a fun and exciting family film. Though not as much of a typical ‘teen’ movie as its predecessor, Far From Home is more like that awkward stage between high school and the rest of your life where you spend a number of years learning who you are without the institution of school. There’s a new layer of adult world that is inserted into the story and the character journey, which is exciting to watch and particularly nice because everyone can kind of relate to it.

The story follows a trajectory that we’ve all seen before, but if it’s not broke don’t fix it! Similar humour that worked so well in the first movie is reinstated in this one, perfectly getting the laughs and establishing that lovely and warm feeling that comes with just a good, fun movie.

And then we have the characters and their journeys. Peter’s emotional journey speaks for itself and Holland plays the role perfectly, the only difference between him and the rest of the world being that he’s got superpowers. Jake Gyllenahaal as Mysterio is brilliant, a timeless villain made the more fascinating because you can’t hate him. Like Keaton’s Vulture in the first movie, the villains here are cleanly established and also (as is the way of Spider-Man) sort of relatable to, in that you can totally see where everyone is coming from, with their feelings and reactions being totally human. 

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It’s actually super nice to see that Marvel hasn’t just gone the way of DC and said ‘well in a world gone mad, crazy is the new normal character trope’ (I’m looking at you Harley Quinn), but instead their world and its inhabitants accept that aliens, and time-travel, and superheroes are a thing and still strive to retain their humanity and normalcy. Can you imagine how easy it would be to have a Marvel universe that went nuts and ended up like a Mad Max dystopia? It could have happened! But Marvel keeps its characters grounded in their human faith and structure and that’s why I love these movies.

Spider-Man: Far From Home is a classic superhero movie that gives its audience everything it could want. There’s comedy, action, romance, betrayal, emotional growth, wonderful character development, and a whole bunch of treats that will make fans of Sam Raimi’s films giggle and squirm with delight. It’s fantastic!

Director: Jon Watts, 2019

Cast: Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Jake Gyllenhaal, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Tony Revolori, Angourie Rice, and Cobie Smulders

Dumplin'

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It should be known by now that there’s something about predictable comedies set in small towns. They are a certain strain of movies that I find fascinating and endearing: Priscilla, To Wong Foo, Whip It etc. Currently, added to my list of cute favourites is Dumplin’.

This Netflix original tells the story of plus-sized teenager Willowdean (Danielle Macdonald) who enters her town’s Miss Teen Bluebonnet beauty pageant in a body-shaming protest and as a bit of a ‘screw you’ to her mom, former winner and current head of the pageant (Jennifer Aniston). Along with her best friend and a couple of other loveable misfits along for the ride, Willowdean embarks upon a mission of self discovery that ends in more than she initially bargained for.

A modern teen comedy that’s also a perfect reflection of current social attitudes, Dumplin’ is more than just a coming-to-terms-with-your-identity film. Through simple setting and wonderful wit, this film blends together a whole bunch of warm and beautiful messages of acceptance and embracement. Tackling everything from body-shaming  -“every body is a swimsuit body”- to institutionalised patriarchy, the necessity to sometimes break tradition, and embracing your fellows to raise them up and make the world better, Dumplin’ is truly beautiful.

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Armed with sweet, fresh, and funny performances as well as a wonderful script, and a bunch of really sweet and vibrant characters –including, of course, a bunch of drag queens- this is one of those cute little movies you curl up with a bowl of ice cream and a warm smile.

Arguably the story can be a tad predictable and the film –in keeping with Aniston’s character one might say- does not stray from traditional generic tropes. But at the end of the day, it’s a really sweet film; the type of movie that makes you feel warm in your tummy, which then creeps up and manifests itself as a smile on your face.

Director: Anna Fletcher, 2018

Cast: Danielle Macdonald, Odeya Rush, Maddie Baillio, Bex Taylor-Klaus, Luke Benward, Harold Perrineau, Hilary Begley, Sam Pancake, Joshua Allan Eads, Kathy Najimy, and Jennifer Aniston

To All the Boys I've Loved Before

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It may not be such a flourishing time for the cinema and DVDs, but it definitely can’t be said that the movie industry is floundering. Thanks to streaming services like Netflix and Stan, that have made so much money they can actually make their own films and TV series, bums and couches is a marriage that is quickly taking over with more and more dinner conversations centring around Netflix’ latest achievements. Recently, I’ve heard a lot of people talking about To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and so my bum entered into the relationship with my couch to find out what the big deal was.

The film tells the story of sixteen year-old Lara Jean (Lana Condor), an introverted teenager who writes secret love letters to the boys she’s got crushes on and fantasises about them rather than actually express her feelings to them. But her shy and hide-away natures get set for remodelling when her little sister posts the letters. Suddenly her secrets are out and one boy, Peter (Noah Centineo), decides that it would be a great idea to enter into a fake relationship with Lara Jean to make his recent ex jealous. Predictably, things get complicated when the two start to develop real feelings for each other.

While it is a very sweet movie with an original, yet recognisable story, I could not really see anything inherently special about To All the Boys. What I will applaud, and what I think audiences are really liking right now is the film’s ‘genuineness’ (for want of a better word) in that there are no clichéd or unbelievable genre tropes cluttering the story and working as clumsy catalysts for narrative progress. The movie has quite an ethical edge to it and it’s easy to imagine oneself being in that exact situation and wondering how one would react. So that’s nice.

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The story is sweet with a good message about expression and using words, blended with nice themes about identity and allowing your personality to change naturally. Being mainly dialogue-driven, there aren’t that many visual gags to laugh out loud at, but this just adds to the simplicity and ‘realness’ of the whole thing. The performances are just as sweet and genuine as the rest of the movie, completing the ‘real rom-com’ aesthetic along with the not-so-subtle comments on popular culture and its penchant for the retro and vintage a la Easy A.

While I don’t think it’s a film that I would sit down and watch again, I am glad that I have seen it and I have to admit that it’s nice to see a romantic comedy that doesn’t overdo on the romanticism; there are no boomboxes being held above the guy’s head playing Peter Gabriel, no hunk waiting outside the church doors, practically no ‘80s references of any kind. It’s refreshing.

Director: Susan Johnson, 2018

Cast: Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Janel Parrish, Anna Cathcart, Trezzo Mahoro, Madeleine Arthur, Emilija Baranac, Israel Broussard, and John Corbett

Napoleon Dynamite

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Sometimes there are movies that you just had to watch in their hey-day, any later and they just don’t work. I just sat down and watched Napoleon Dynamite for the first time and I think that it’s a film that definitely falls under the reach of that umbrella.

It tells the story of a bland and oblivious geek (Jon Hader) trying to navigate his way through high school and life. His comfortable existence is shaken when his grandmother has an accident and his Uncle Rico (Jon Gries) comes to stay, roping his brother Kip (Aaron Ruell) into an independent door-to-door sales scheme. Along with the drama at home, Napoleon has to battle bullies, getting a date for the dance, and helping his best friend Pedro (Efren Ramirez) run for class president.

When it came out Napoleon Dynamite was being celebrated everywhere: it was a real staple of pop culture. From what I can remember it paved the way for a new kind of dry comedy for a younger audience as well as pioneered the popular geek-chic character that we continue to see today –though ever more entertaining. What the movie does in lieu of any real story, character development, or performances worthy of acclaim is celebrate teenage awkwardness and earnestness and it became a movie that gained success through the memes and catchphrases it spawned.

Set in a small American town there is a reflective element to this movie that is mildly interesting in that the story and characters and the ‘drama’ that occurs are so dry and bland that they blend in with the arid landscape. There’s also a slightly fun and ironic play with the idea of time and bygone eras: Napoleon and Kit are obviously modern boys yet they live in a world that has a strong 70s vibe. Uncle Rico’s character has the quirk of wanting to buy a time machine and travel back to his glory days of 1982, which he could have done by just going to the school dance where crimped hair and puffy sleeves reigned supreme. It’s a modern movie, but it’s also some weird melancholy time warp.

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Jon Hader’s portrayal of a kid who wants to be dramatic but just can’t really be bothered is worth a chuckle, but his deadpan delivery and constant daze can quickly become tiresome. Practically the entire cast of characters take their cues from Hader and tromp around in a heavy daze while delivering dialogue with no emotional depth. Sure it's deliberate, but that doesn't make it groundbreaking.

As far as comedies go, Napoleon Dynamite is definitely not the be-all or end-all film to watch and it definitely doesn’t get better with age.

Starring: Jon Hader, Jon Gries, Aaron Ruell, Efren Ramirez, Dietrich Bader, Sandy Martin, Trevor Snarr, Tina Majorino, and Haylie Duff

Lady Bird

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One reason why we love movies is because they offer an escape: a voyeuristic trip into somewhere else where we don’t have to deal with any problems or conflicts. Another reason is because they can illustrate complex ideas and concepts about life that we struggle with every day. Lady Bird is a film that falls into the latter.

The first major directorial gig for Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird is an autobiographical film that tells the story of Christine ‘Lady Bird’ McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) a teenaged girl growing up in Sacramento, getting through her final year of high school, and struggling to solidify her identity. As the prospect of college approaches Lady bird has big dreams of moving away and studying in New York, but her aspirations are limited by her family’s poor status and a turbulent relationship with her mother (Laurie Metcalf).

Lady Bird is a raw and subtle movie, but one that has a lot of power. While the story might seem tame on paper, watching it as it unfolds triggers all kinds of emotional responses because it chronicles an experience that we have all gone through and will continue to go through until we’re dust. When you’re on the cusp of adulthood identity is everything and of course you want to be the best, coolest, most successful person that you can be. But what if that version of you is unreachable? That’s the deeper conflict that this movie tackles; not just with the character of Lady Bird, but with everyone: her friends, her lovers, her family.

In terms of the writing, the main power of this movie does come from the screenplay. It’s a ferris wheel of emotion in that it doesn’t seem like a lot is happening, but all of a sudden you’ll feel nervous, or sad, or relieved and you won’t know how you got there. It’s raw, it’s genuine, and it’s beautiful.

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And the cast was absolutely perfect too. Saoirse Ronan was born to be the cool girl that didn’t think she was cool. As Lady Bird she spends her time in this movie trying to be a better version of herself in everyone else’s eyes as well as her own and it’s absolutely mesmerising to watch. She’s selfish, but at the same time she’s caring, and loving, and a large part of what makes the movie so powerful is her ability to play such a complex, but rich character.

Laurie Metcalf is the mother that we don’t necessarily want, but the one we really need. A breath of fresh air compared the edgier Oscar bait mums we’ve seen in Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) and Allison Janney (I, Tonya) Metcalf is deep and seeing her interactions with Lady Bird are both beautiful and dramatic.

Lady Bird is a truly gorgeous movie: definitely one to see before the Oscars come upon us.

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Larie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothee Chalamet, Beanie Feldstein, Lois Smith, Stephen Henderson, Odeya Rush, Jordan Rodrigues, and Marielle Scott

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Well there honestly is no contest; Marvel was the hare on roids with Civil War flying past BatmanV Superman, which was the brain-dead tortoise. The tortoise then died with Suicide Squad and allowed Marvel to causally saunter past the finish line a second time with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2. I guess when the tortoise was resurrected it came back with full mental capabilities and was even given some coffee that helped it regain a shred of dignity for DC with Wonder Woman. But Spiderman: Homecoming definitely didn’t let them hold onto that shred for very long. 

Beginning with a cute and character-telling recap of Spiderman’s assistance during the Avengers’ schism, the film shows us Peter Parker (Tom Holland) trying to get through high-school and impatiently waiting for Tony Stark to call him with another mission. Filling his time with small-scale friendly-neighbourhood-Spiderman heroics, Peter gets his chance to prove himself when he attempts to stop an ATM heist and discovers that the assailants are toting some incredibly high-tech, almost alien, weapons. Things go from friendly-neighbourhood to deadly serious pretty quickly and soon, Peter is faced with the real risks of being a superhero. 

It’s already glaringly clear that Marvel know what they’re doing when it comes to these movies. I know that people have been dubious about another Spiderman movie because, let’s face it, Sam Raimi’s took a slight downside turn and no one even bothers thinking about the reboots with Andrew Garfield. In terms of popular consumption, Spiderman almost rivals Batman for most televisual and cinematically revived superhero and when you sit down and watch Homecoming, you can totally understand why. 

First reason why this movie is awesome: its attention to detail, polish, and homage to the genre of teen movie. Whilst Toby Maguire was only nerdy high school Peter Parker for half of the first film, both Parker and Spiderman as characters are young and blossoming. Peter is blundering through the minefield of puberty and the social dynamics that it changes and Spiderman, when you really think about it, is a fledgling superhero. His ‘friendly-neighbourhood’ shtick never gets bigger than his own backyard and this movie was all about showcasing that fact. The big-fish-in-a-small-pond story really works here because it has been so beautifully set up by Spiderman’s appearance in Civil War and it frees up the writers to really explore and depict the intricacies of character development as well as world-building. It’s a bigger blockbuster because of the characters and the action story it’s telling, but the confined structure of a teen movie, as well as some classic allusions to the most celebrated teen comedies in cinematic history, really allows you relate to the characters as well as react accordingly when the big surprises are revealed. The structure and writing of this movie was brilliant and it ties in perfectly to the next point of awesomeness: the villain. 

In a lot of the Marvel movies prior to Homecoming, the driving force of the villains has been revenge for some sort of physical or moral betrayal. That, or artificial intelligence deciding to go all ‘Noah’ and do a cleansing purge. But the Vulture, played superbly by Birdman and Batman himself, Michael Keaton, is probably one of the most genuine villains to grace screen since Public Enemies. Yes, there still is an element of revenge and anger at being screwed over in his actions, but Vulture’s central motivation is economical: he’s got a family to support. Just like John Dillinger and all those gangsters and robbers during Hoover’s ‘War on Crime’, Vulture turned to crime because there was no real alternative at the time of his decision and of course, once you’re in you’re sort of stuck. There’s no overinflated violent tendencies or psychological issues with this guy, he’s just doing what he can to support his loved ones and the fact that this is so reminiscent of infamous villains from our own history books makes it so good! 

On the subject of continuing themes of motivation, I admire how the writers are keeping the running theme of Tony Stark trying to appease everyone and just causing more problems. Poor old Tony goes back and forth in his own movies, then screws the pooch time and time again: breakthrough in AI in Age of Ultron *oops*, firm decision on the Sokovia Accords *my bad*, and then there his involvement in the driving plots of this movie *no spoilers, but damn*. It’s this wonderful example of research, attention to detail, and investment in the projects (something that the writers on Pirates 5 desperately needed) that fans respond to. 

It’s been said that Toby Maguire made a good Peter Parker, but Andrew Garfield was a good Spiderman, and the thing about this franchise is that the two are actually different characters. Tom Holland is pretty great as both. As Peter Parker he is socially awkward, but sweet and endearing and, as Spiderman he is driven, confident, and heroic. Loved him. 

If you’re invested in the Marvel multiverse or get a kick out of watching just how far behind the brain-dead tortoise that is Warner Bros.’ DC is, then you should definitely go and watch this movie now. For everyone else, you should go and watch it because it is just a really good movie! 

Starring: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Zendaya, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Jacob Batalon, and Gwyneth Paltrow 

Year: 2017 

Rating: M

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2

So I mentioned on my review of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants that I was tempted to do the sequel. Well, I did and… uh… it’s a film. I suppose the inevitable risk of making a sequel some years later, but still aiming to tell a similar story is that there’s only so many ways you can push the characters, although a strong part of this is the limitations on creative design and imagination on the part of the writers. Carmen, Tibby, Bridgette, and Lena face a longer time apart than ever before as they all head off to difference colleges and then pursue other paths over the summer. Carmen hopes that the Traveling Pants will keep them magically reunited, but as new dramas happen to each member of the sisterhood, it becomes apparent that their friendship and love for each other may have to take the place of the ‘magic’ pants. 

I feel like the writers had the base ingredients, but really didn’t know what they were trying to make with them. Structurally, this movie is more or less identical to the first, however the tone is changed as the girls don’t start off together, thus there’s a complete lack of connection. 

Then the entire movie falls into the boring and clichéd trap of clinging to catalyst elements and themes from the first and trying to expand on them, which just does not work. Carmen’s probably the best as she at least retains some of that angry hurt of turnover and neglect except this time it’s towards her newly-remarried and pregnant mother. Family is the driving force of Bridget’s ‘story’ as she discovers her father has circumvented letters from her grandmother for years and then travels to visit her and talk about her mum’s depression and suicide. Lena is put in a piss-weak love triangle between her first love, Kostas, and a new love when she discovers Kostas got married. And Tibby gets hit with a pregnancy scare… oh how dramatic. 

All of these themes and character paths I felt were just weak and practically pointless and they didn’t really do anything to help the collective story of the sisterhood. 

Also, why is it that the only themes that the writers could think to attach to these young, freshman-year college girls revolved around family, home, and babies?! A little bit annoying and conservative to my taste, so no thank you. 

I guess the shakiness of the story was felt by the cast too because, while performances were actually ok, I didn’t find myself attaching to any one of them… just sort of wishing they’d get off my screen. 

Although it ends of a nice note, I honestly felt that this movie did not need to be in existence. I felt disconnected and annoyed while watching the majority of it and to be honest, it actually tarnished my enjoyment of the first one a little bit. 

Starring: America Ferrera, Amber Tamlyn, Blake Lively, Alexis Bledel, Tom Wisdom, Rachel Ticotin, Leonardo Nam, Michael Rady, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Jesse Williams, Lucy Hale, and Blythe Danner 

Rating: M

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

I find it funny to think about these ‘coming-of-age’ movies. You know that group of films that you’re meant to watch at a certain age, fall in love with them, and then hold them as a bit of a torch until something better comes along. I have so many friends who say that The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is theirs. I never saw it when I was 13 or 14 so when I finally sat down and watched this as a 20+ year-old, I didn’t have the driving force of nostalgia working behind me. But maybe this is a good thing. Because while I can complain that there is a lot of cheesiness and slightly Disney-fied ‘teen drama’, this is actually not a bad movie. Honestly, I’ve now seen it twice and am tempted to get on Netflix and watch the sequel. 

Four best friends are about to be apart for the first time ever, with school having finished and a big summer coming up. Shy wallflower, Lena is going to visit her grandparents in Greece, loud and life-loving Bridget is heading to soccer camp in Mexico, outspoken and ‘rebellious’ Tibby is staying at home with a summer job, and Carmen is visiting her dad in South Carolina. During a visit to a second-hand shop the group find a pair of jeans that somehow manages to fit all of them perfectly, despite their different sizes. The girls dub them ‘The Traveling Pants’ and create a sisterhood, vowing to send the pants to each other over the summer to keep them unified. As each girl gets the pants, things happen that will change their lives, their attitudes, but strengthen their friendship. 

In all honesty, this is a sweet movie that tells a number of different stories, which immediately gives it depth and some complexity. What’s nicest about it is that each story has a drama in it that is actually quite adult and depicts how the girls deal with them, despite not really being adults themselves. 

In true coming-of-age style, adults are painted as villains or obstacles that the girls must overcome and whilst some of the plots feature some stupid level of finding oneself that seems pretty forced by the situations their narratives are shoved into, all in all the outcomes and the character growth does deliver the feels. 

With such a plate of plotlines to focus on, we’re presented with ethical opportunities to consider how we would act out in these situations and that’s always a good sign for a movie. If they inspire you to put yourself in the place of the characters, then it’s doing something right. 

The performances are all solid: relatable and recognizable, I’m sure that each of us knows people like this and that brings a nice level of realism to the movie and reduces a little bit of the voyeuristic element by bringing it closer to home. But at the same time there’s something of a romantic fairytale element at play with the growth of the characters and how certain stories are shot, keeping the movie on that cloud-thin plane just above reality. 

You can argue that the scenes transitions are clichéd and sometimes clumsy, that some of the stories are weaker than the others, and that some of the performances could have given us more, but at the end of the day The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is just a sweet, coming-of-age movie that inspires a number of feelings, namely an attachment to these characters and an ethical opportunity to put ourselves in their place. It’s really not a bad movie. 

Starring: Blake Lively, Amber Tamlyn, Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera, Jenna Boyd, Bradley Whitford, Nancy Travis, Rachel Ticotin, Maria Konstadarou, George Touliatos, Michael Rady, and Mike Vogel 

Rating: PG

It [M]

The terrors are so real when you’re a kid. No one knows this better than Bev, Eddie, Billy, Richie, Stan, Mike, and Ben, a group of kids united over a summer in a New England town by their mutual encounters with an evil force that takes the shape of a clown. It’s been thirty years since the kids faced off the evil of It, but now killings are happening again and grown-up Bev, Eddie, Billy, Richie, Stan, Mike, and Ben must remember their childhood nightmares if they are to confront the evil a second time and get rid the town of It for good. 

Based on the novel by Stephen King (who else?) It, despite being a film of considerable length (being actually a 2-part TV miniseries), is a great look into the innocence of childhood as well as the strength of fear and how kids and adults see things very differently. Whilst we never really get a concrete idea of what It actually is, which admittedly gives the story its central hook that keeps audiences in their seats, the film sits as an interesting piece in cinema mixing coming-of-age with horror and surprisingly doing a really good job. 

The terrors are so real when you’re a kid. No one knows this better than Bev, Eddie, Billy, Richie, Stan, Mike, and Ben, a group of kids united over a summer in a New England town by their mutual encounters with an evil force that takes the shape of a clown. It’s been thirty years since the kids faced off the evil of It, but now killings are happening again and grown-up Bev, Eddie, Billy, Richie, Stan, Mike, and Ben must remember their childhood nightmares if they are to confront the evil a second time and get rid the town of It for good. 

Let’s first talk about the story. As I mentioned It ultimately tells two tales: one about a town being plagued by a supernatural force of evil and the other a coming-of-age story. Over half of the movie is told through a series of flashbacks, each one serving the purpose of getting to know our heroes as well as setting up the history of the horror: each kid’s encounter with Pennywise the clown. The film begins a little clichéd and predictable enough until we get to the character of Mike the librarian ringing around to all these seemingly random people. As each flashback takes place, the connection between all these characters comes into the light and the intrigue deep seats itself in the audience, holding everyone in their seats until the climactic and final showdown. 

Whilst sometimes the technique and editing can be a little clichéd, the low camera angles for example, ultimately I really liked how the film transitioned from present to past to present to past through a clever little bit of screenwriting. An object or a characteristic gesture from the central characters triggers each transition into a flashback and I think this had a really nice, solidifying effect on everything. It was simple and could easily be overlooked, but in that it held a lot of power that I really liked. 

The final point I want to talk about is Tim Curry as Pennywise the clown, because it’s Tim Curry and he needs his own salute. I think what makes Pennywise so freaky is the fact that he doesn’t really look like such a threatening character. Yeah he’s a clown, but he’s not a deformed clown like the Joker, indeed he’s quite typical: all smiles with red lips, a red nose, and a white face. Curry even puts on this higher-pitched gravelly voice that doesn’t necessarily sound endearing, but it’s not really scary either. The experience of watching Pennywise is a bit of a mixed bag because on the one hand, he’s not all that sinister when you look at him but on the other hand, his appearances in the most random situations make him a bit like the conversational elephant in the room: there’s something really off and discomforting about having this guy around and Tim Curry did a great job. 

Starring Harry Anderson, Dennis Christopher, Richard Masur, Annette O’Toole, Tim Reid, Jonathan Brandis, Brandon Crane, John Ritter, Richard Thomas, Adam Faraizl, Emily Perkins, Marlon Taylor, Ben Heller, Olivia Hussey, Michael Cole, Jarred Blancard, and Seth Green, It is not overly an amazing movie, but it’s a film that I really enjoyed. The special effects are a bit dated, indeed there aren’t that many; it’s all makeup and creature effects, but the two stories that make up the plot really work to keep eyes on screens and interest piqued. It’s a bit Stand By Me meets The Library Policeman and I would definitely watch it again. 

Puberty Blues [M]

On the shores of Cronulla beach if you’re not a surfer chick, you’re a nobody. Desperate to get in with the popular crowd, Debbie and Sue forsake the pleasantries with their ‘mole’ and ‘prude’ friends and brown-nose hard and big-time up to the surfer chicks of their class. When most attempts fail, the two are suddenly sworn in when they help two of the coolest boys in class cheat on an exam. Suddenly, Debbie and Sue are smack bang in the world of puberty blues; a world filled with drinks, drugs, and loveless sex where it’s not lady-like for girls to eat in front of boys, piss, or surf. For a while it’s all dim sims and coca cola, but soon Debbie begins to see the emptiness of it all and desires more. 

Australia in the early 80s: such strange and yet oh so familiar times. This iconic Aussie classic was screening at the Golden Age Cinema and Bar last night, a tiny little 40-seat cinema down up to look how it did back in its heyday of the 1940s when it was the Paramount Studios building in Sydney. I’m in the process of writing a nostalgia piece for a final assignment and looking at how the past influences the present (sometimes more than we realise), and my boyfriend made the comment that it’s sort of scary to look at a film that’s thirty years old, depicting Australian culture, and realising that people still look very similar to those characters today. Puberty Blues, which was made into a TV series recently (either last year or the year before) is a nothing sort of film, but it still characterises an era and a culture and sits in Australian cinematic history as a cult classic; possibly the Aussie answer to Heathers or Rebel Without a Cause (just not as classy). 

On the shores of Cronulla beach if you’re not a surfer chick, you’re a nobody. Desperate to get in with the popular crowd, Debbie and Sue forsake the pleasantries with their ‘mole’ and ‘prude’ friends and brown-nose hard and big-time up to the surfer chicks of their class. When most attempts fail, the two are suddenly sworn in when they help two of the coolest boys in class cheat on an exam. Suddenly, Debbie and Sue are smack bang in the world of puberty blues; a world filled with drinks, drugs, and loveless sex where it’s not lady-like for girls to eat in front of boys, piss, or surf. For a while it’s all dim sims and coca cola, but soon Debbie begins to see the emptiness of it all and desires more. 

I think the real appeal of this movie is the iconic status of it as an Australian cult classic. When you really think about it, the Aussies don’t have a lot of teen movies in their cinematic repertoire, so it’s no surprise that this one stands out. Whilst there’s not much going on the ways of plot, familiar actor faces, or indeed performances in general, Puberty Blues still holds a certain power of captivation and fills in quite a few generational gaps. Older audience members from the time watch and reminisce; people like my mum who was actually up for the lead role! Then there are the younger audience members who watch it for a glimpse into the past, relishing in the use of outdated (and in need of resurrection) words and phrases such as ‘grouse’, ‘go ‘round with me’, and ‘rootable’. You see? A variety of generational appeal. 

I think also too that it’s so down to earth in terms of depictions of puberty. At some stage or other we’re all like that during that most annoying of gear changes and growth spurts, so it’s fun to see depictions of that on the big screen! 

Starring Nell Schofield, Jad Capeljah, Geoff Rhoe, Tony Hughes, Sandy Paul, Leander Brett, Jay Hackett, Ned Lander, Joanna Olsen, Michael Shearman, Dean Dunstone, Tina Robinson Hansen, Nerida Clark, Kirrily Norton, Alan Cassell, Rowena Wallace, and Charles ‘Bud’ Tingwell, Puberty Blues is a classic despite the fact that it doesn’t really offer much in the ways of story, characters, performances, or other textbook phenomena that make up a movie. Filled with drugs, booze, sex, drama, gender inequality, and comedy, it’s a film that sits in prominence in Australia’s cinematic repertoire for its cultural depiction and nostalgia factor. Not to mention the soundtrack is done by Tim Finn and that’s just cool! 

Heathers [M]

In high school, life’s a bitch. At Westburg High, it’s a megabitch and it goes by the name of Heather. If you’re not a ‘Heather’, you’re a nobody and Heather Chandler, Heather Duke, and Heather McNamara are the coolest of the cool. In the powerful ‘Heather’ clique is Veronica, who has now become resentful of her best friends’ cruel peer politics. Enter mysterious and sexy new boy Jason Dean who offers Veronica the perfect method of escape. But soon their relationship starts to accumulate a body count and though various people who made Veronica’s life hell have been removed from the picture, is high school really a better place? 

A devilishly delightful dark comedy, Heathers has everything you want in a cult movie: high school cliques, murder, conflicts of interest, psychos, and 80s fashions. Who could ask for anything more right? Not to mention it’s Christian Slater and I have to admit that the man is sexy. And as a psychotic teenager, oof meow (yes I said ‘meow’). 

In high school, life’s a bitch. At Westburg High, it’s a megabitch and it goes by the name of Heather. If you’re not a ‘Heather’, you’re a nobody and Heather Chandler, Heather Duke, and Heather McNamara are the coolest of the cool. In the powerful ‘Heather’ clique is Veronica, who has now become resentful of her best friends’ cruel peer politics. Enter mysterious and sexy new boy Jason Dean who offers Veronica the perfect method of escape. But soon their relationship starts to accumulate a body count and though various people who made Veronica’s life hell have been removed from the picture, is high school really a better place? 

What’s particularly great about this movie is that you can never see where it’s going. And I do mean never. What begins as a harmless teen clique comedy takes a slightly darker turn after the first murder, and from there the ball is in who knows what court. Anything can happen… and it does! 

The film’s power and intrigue lies within its writing and direction. The entire thing is just under 2 hours of sincereness and adherence to a certain genre, but of course the events of the film’s plot take back seat to the nonchalance with which they are met. The audience, and indeed half the time the film’s protagonist, are completely in the dark about what’s going on, specifically regarding the character of Jason. Christian Slater’s devilishly handsome face and his being able to radiate the utmost coolness, keeps bums in seats and eyes on screen and even at the end we’re still wondering what’s going on in his head. It’s hard to put into words the displacement and uncertainty that one experiences when they watch this film, but I still think that’s it’s a film that needs to be shared and if I can pique your interest in seeing it, then I’ll have done something good. 

Starring Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk, Kim Walker, Penelope Milford, Glenn Shadix, Lance Fenton, Patrick Labyorteaux, Jeremy Applegate, Jon Shear, and Renee Estevez, Heathers is a strange and off-centre little comedy that has all the markings of a cult classic. Filled with teenage angst, drama, romance, comedy, murder, psychos, and memorable 80s fashions, it’s a film that I really enjoyed and I will admit that it isn’t for everyone. It’s a quirky little piece that keeps you on your toes and therein lays its power. I really enjoyed it.