Last Chance Harvey: DVD Review

Last Chance Harvey: DVD Review

Last Chance Harvey
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Richard Schiff
Rating PG
Warner Bros Home Video
Lonely divorcee has chance meeting with permanent singleton.
Against the odds, the pair form a friendship and it evolves to a relationship - but the pair are from other sides of the world - how can their budding romance survive such insurmountable obstacles?
Granted, it's not the most original idea ever, but Last Chance Harvey just about manages to pull it off - even if it does dip into heavy schmaltz towards the end.
Dustin Hoffman is Harvey Shine, a NY based jingle writer, who is on his last chance with his employers.
With a big deal about to break, Shine has to head to England to see his estranged daughter marry.
Emma Thompson is Kate Walker, a customer services rep for an airline. Forever on blind dates and apparently consigned to spinsterhood, she's beset by a meddling mum whose husband ran off to France with a younger woman. Shine and Walker meet as he disembarks the plane - and he refuses to answer her questions.
Later, after being leaving his daughter's wedding early (that's how close ole Harvey is to the family), he bumps into Kate again.
And in a moment of self loathing and realizing he's lost everything, he starts to talk to her - and the two of them realize last chances should be seized - before it's too late.
What is there to say about Last Chance Harvey?
If you're prone to sentimental films and well up with emotion as the human condition is examined, then this flick is for you.
But it's a couple of very good turns by Hoffman and Thompson which raise this out of the mire of treacly schmaltz.
Just.

Hoffman's good as the world weary Shine - despondent after being rejected by a personal and professional world, he conveys just the right amount of sass and sadness to make his character likeable.
And Thompson puts in an admirable performance as the spinster who's always on blind dates or being set up by her mother - her breakdown towards the end of the film is deeply plausible as she faces the very real possibility of being alone for the rest of her life.
The only cloying part of this film is a sub plot involving Kate's mother and her new Polish neighbour - which exploits every possible racial stereotype concerning foreigners and has an extremely predictable outcome.

Rating: 6/10

Entourage: Series 5: DVD Review

Entourage: Series 5: DVD Review

Entourage Season 5
Cast: Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Adrian Grenier, Jerry Ferrara, Jeremy Piven
Rating: M
Warner Bros Home Video
At the end of Season Four (currently airing on TV2 on Thursday nights - find out more here!), things looked a bit rough for the gang.
(Consider this your spoiler warning if you're about to catch up E, Vincent Chase et al on TV)
With all of them facing a lot of fall out from the Medellin saga (Chase's film about drugs baron Pablo Escobar), it looked as if it couldn't be anything but the bad times for the Entourage gang.
But, don't forget Hollywood loves a comeback.
And not only is Entourage Season 5 a comeback for Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) on screen, it's also a comeback for the series which, to be honest, was starting to hit a bit of a lull.
The problem with a show like this is somewhere down the line you reach the point where you feel there's nowhere for the writers to go as the gang hits a high, followed by a low, followed by an upturn - and every Hollywood excess has been mined for comedy gold.
However, there's no need to worry because this season is one of the best - with Chase having to claw his way back up the power lists, there's actually an emphasis on getting the guy to act - granted there are still the distracting subplots of Drama (Chase's brother, played by Kevin Dillon) who's forever determined to muck up his own career; and Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) who's still in search of some kind of career rather than just being part of the Vinny Chase Entourage.
It's divided into two parts - the first is about Vince's comeback as a movie star and the second half sees him on a film which could either seal his comeback - or his fate.
But it's once again Kevin Connolly and Jeremy Piven who steal the series - Connolly's E is trying to make his way in the showbiz world (this season he's looking after some new writers played by Giovanni Ribisi and Lukas Haas) - and his nice guy approach is a direct contrast to the continuing foul mouth hard ass agent Ari Gold - played as ever by the brilliant Piven.
Piven is clearly the star of the show - from his insane behaviour and feud with a fellow agent in Season 5, the writers clearly have a ball with Gold - but thanks to Piven and an inherently decent streak underneath the foul mouth, Gold is pulled from the brink of stereotype and manages to pretty much steal every scene he's in. Piven relishes the role and brings so much gusto and spark to it.
This season doesn't skimp on getting the Hollywood high and mighty involved in some form of cameo - but the best appearance has to be Eric Roberts who takes the boys out to the desert and gives them magic mushrooms to help Vince make a career decision.
Brilliant.
Extras: While the show itself is great and you get the entire 12 episodes of Series Five, unfortunately the extras are somewhat lacking - a couple of commentaries and a behind the scenes piece. Those are ok but for a show this good, you'd hope for a little more.

Rating 8/10

Zack and Miri Make A Porno: DVD Review

Zack and Miri Make A Porno: DVD Review

Zack and Miri Make A Porno

Starring: Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Jason Mewes, Traci Lords
Rating: M
Roadshow Entertainment
Cult director Kevin Smith makes a smutty return to the screen with Zack and Miri Make A Porno, a tender love story with some porn thrown in for good measure.
Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks are Zack and Miriam, a pair of roommates who've been friends for years but who are struggling to make ends meet and find themselves upto their necks in debt.
On the eve of their high school reunion, the pair find their water cut off - and after a conversation with some former classmates, they hit on the idea of making adult films to get some quick and easy cash.
Unsurprisingly though they start to realize they have feelings for each other and a spot of the green eyed monster begins to rear its ugly head during the filming of some of their spoof movies.
Smith's put together a good cast (although Rogen is playing yet another variant of those loser roles he excels so much at) but it just doesn't work as well as it could have done.

Granted, Craig Robinson (warehouse boss Darrell from the US version of The Office) is perhaps one of the best things in the whole film - he steals every scene he's in.

And there are some pretty funny laugh out loud moments scattered throughout - though honestly, that's because of a lot of fairly gross humour.

Smith carries on his Star Wars obsession - Zack and Miri's first attempt is Star Whores, complete with the characters Darth Vibrator, Hung solo et al - although rumour has it that version already exists.

The problem with ZAMMAP is that it veers so violently into stereotypical rom-com schmaltz at the end that you actually end up feeling cheated out of the film's original premise. It's a shame because the whole relationship between Zack and Miri is sweet and well played with a tenderness about it.

Elizabeth Banks starts off being a likeable character but ends up being annoying as she falls into moping for Zack mode - Rogen's Zack is, as mentioned earlier, a variant on all the roles he plays - although he does have some comic moments (sadly a lot of that is due mainly to crudity), they are few and far between.

There are funny one liners (which won't work by my quoting them out of context) and various pop culture moments - the team discuss what's actually going on on TV2's Lost while Zack and Miri have sex - but overall, Zack and Miri Make A Porno is lacking the money shot.
Extras include the now obligatory Deleted scenes.
Disappointing from someone as great as director Kevin Smith.
Rating: 5/10

Disgrace: Movie Review

Disgrace: Movie Review

Disgrace
Rating: 6/10
Cast: John Malkovich, Jessica Haines, Eriq Ebouaney
Director: Steve Jacobs
Based on the novel by author JM Coetzee, Disgrace tells the story of professor David Lurie (Malkovich) who leaves the Cape Town university where he lectures after an affair with a student.
While the enquiry into his conduct takes place, he heads to his daughter Lucy's (Haines) farm on the Eastern Cape.
She lives there alone - apart from her partnership with Petrus (Ebouaney) - and appears to be finding her way in the world.
Slowly David begins to find his place with his daughter and her way of life - after initial contempt - but after a shocking attack on the farm, the father and daughter are left to pick up the pieces - and find their lives will never be the same again.
Disgrace is not an easy watch - Malkovich doesn't make his character of Lurie likeable or sympathetic. When first we meet him, he is a creepy, desperate sounding man who wants a connection with someone, anyone - be it a prostitute or student, Lurie is a man who is contemptuous of life and others and who's flagrantly abusing his position of power.
So it's no wonder he's scornful of the rural idyllic lifestyle of the farm and the relationship between Lucy and Petrus as it feels like a direct contrast to the life he had at the university.
But around 45 minutes into the film, that is thrown completely on its head with the attack - which sees a father confront his worst fears and being unable to protect his daughter.
And it's also at this point that the audience may find it a little difficult (read: harrowing) to carry on viewing as Disgrace gets more intense the longer it goes on.
Malkovich is stoic as Lurie - I never really had the feeling he's a character for which I should root for and even towards the end of the film, his actions don't leave me feeling that he was redeemed - or that he even truly sought redemption in any shape or form..
Perhaps this is the power of the screenplay - and of Malkovich the actor - because it's a morally ambiguous and deeply complex film which denies its lead a fully redemptive arc, something which is normally frowned on upon the big screen.
Jessica Haines is immensely compelling as his daughter Lucy - faced with a spiralling situation which escalates ever further into heartbreaking territory, her virtual underplaying of the role guarantees her strength and the ongoing sympathy of the audience.
Disgrace is a tricky, tough challenging watch - it may alienate some and deeply upset others - but it poses a series of terrible situations and then gives its characters room to breathe in an horrific reality.

However, thanks to the performance of the central two actors, you'll leave the cinema with plenty to discuss.

G Force: Movie Review

G Force: Movie Review

Rating: 4/10
Cast: Zach Galifianakis, Kelli Garner, Will Arnett - and the voices of Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Jon Favreau, Penélope Cruz, Steve Buscemi, Tracy Morgan

Director: Hoyt H. Yeatman Jr.
The latest 3D escapade comes to us in the form of G Force, a Disney comedy about a bunch of secret test FBI guinea pigs (who are actually guinea pigs - that's the joke I think) who are trying to infiltrate the world of Leonard Saber (Bill Nighy)
Saber's the head of a household appliances chain and the team believes he's about to take over the world with his automated machinery.
However, just after busting into Saber's mansion, the G Force team of Darwin, Juarez and Blaster (aided by Speckles The Mole) is shut down and disbanded by the head of the FBI.
To make matters worse, the team's inadvertently trapped in a pet store - and up for sale.
Can they rise to the challenge ahead of them with the deadline for Saber's takeover looming and escape their predicament, break out from the pet shop and save the world?
G Force has an awesome cast in terms of vocal talent (Sam Rockwell and an unrecognisable Nicolas Cage) as well as the ever amusing Zach Galifianakis and Will Arnett - but it just failed to meet the mark as far as I was concerned.
The problem is the plot - it's not that it's nonsensical (it's a film, it's not based on credibility) but coupled with characters who just aren't interesting enough, it fails to keep the attention for long enough.
The humans in the piece (with perhaps the exception of Garner and Galifianakis who make an amiable couple) are on screen to merely act improbably and foolishly - at times, Nighy scowls and barks his lines like someone who's just phoned in their role.
Darwin the head of the unit (voiced by Rockwell) is saddled with a boofhead potential brother (voiced by Jon Favreau) at the pet store who is just simply there to provide pratfalls and laughter.
As it's executive producer is Jerry Bruckheimer, you won't be surprised to learn there's plenty of eye popping action - and once again, the 3D factor is well used. Although in some places (such as flying through the skies) it's used to lazy effect - which is unfortunate because elsewhere it adds a depth to the action which is visually impressive.
Unusually for a comedy, despite the screening I was in being packed with children, I don't recall hearing any of them laugh out loud at any point during the film.

G-Force will amuse the younger children in the audience but the adults may find it a little hard to take.

Aliens In The Attic: Movie Review

Aliens In The Attic: Movie Review

Rating: (See below)
Cast: Carter Jenkins, Ashley Tisdale, Robert Hoffman, Kevin Nealon, Doris Roberts
Director: John Schultz
Ah, the school holidays must be nearly upon us.
What with Up, animated rodent comedy G Force, fable The Secret of Moonacre all on the screens now or in the next week or so, it's clear there's a major fight on for the family dollar during the two week hols.
Aliens In the Attic is the latest contender for the cash.
The film revolves around the Pearson family who head to their vacation home to try and get everyone back on the straight and narrow.
Teen Tom Pearson (Jenkins) is flunking school, sis Bethany Pearson (Tisdale) is besotted with her seemingly perfect boyf Ricky (Hoffman) and there's plenty of sibling rivalry - both between the young kids and the Pearson dad (Nealon) and his brother (Andy Richter).
So when the kids find a group of unfriendly aliens lurking in the attic and plotting the downfall of planet Earth, they're pitched headlong into a battle to save the world - and avoid getting in trouble the parents.
What can you say about Aliens In The Attic?
The aliens themselves are reminiscent of the malevolent Gremlins and crossed with frogs; their one weapon against the planet involves the taking over of older humans (youngsters are immune to their electronic ways) via a dart which renders them in the thrall of the aliens - via a remote control.
And as far as the kids are concerned, this is where most of the laughs come from. At the expense of Bethany's boyf Ricky who is just being set up for a series of falls - and from Nana, who when overtaken turns into some kind of Matrix style ninja grandma.
However, it's a family film so in the true spirit of how it was intended, I took a batch of kids along to gauge their reaction.
Both nine year old Patrick and ten year old Jackson were to be found laughing throughout the film - Patrick's favourite bit was when Ricky busts a series of dance moves as he's controlled by Bethany's use of the alien controller; Jackson's best bit of the film involved the fight between ninja kicking Nana and robotic Ricky when they have their Bruce Lee/Matrix like smackdown.
15-year-old Connor found it a little clichéd for his tastes - so I think on reflection, the film is pitched at the younger audience; it's inoffensive comedy which has a fair idea of which bits the audience will like the most (hint- it's the remote controlling of the adults) and exploits them for all they're worth.
There's a smattering of smarter moments throughout - one involving a youngster having to use one of the old style telephones elicits much mirth; and there are some messages about enjoying family time and bonding.

But as I say, it's not upto me to judge the latest cinematic outing aimed at the family - here's a summary of the kid judges' marks : Patrick - 7/10; Jackson - 6/10 and Connor 5/10.

Moon: Movie Review

Moon: Movie Review

Rating: 8/10
Cast: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey and erm, Sam Rockwell
Director: Duncan Jones

These are good times for sci fi.
After the stunning District 9 and with James Cameron's Avatar  on the horizon, Moon is the latest brilliant addition to the intelligent sci-fi genre.
Sam Rockwell stars as Sam Bell, an employee contracted for three years by a mining company to work on the surface of the moon to help extract helium-3 which is to be used on earth as a power source.
As the end of his stretch nears, Bell suffers an accident on the lunar surface and wakes up back inside the base, convinced he is not alone...
There's much to love about Moon - from the retro stylings of the moonbase (its sheer whites recall 2001: A Space Odyssey - as does Kevin Spacey's voicing of the robot GERTY, whose monotone talk and displays emoticons on its screen are reminiscent of HAL) -to the wonderful performance of Sam Rockwell as a disaffected Bell.
But in terms of themes, Moon is more than just scifi.
It has universal themes such as isolation, what it is to be human and how we need other people to survive - the initial opening is all about the character study and how one survives alone and millions of miles away from others before it changes into something even smarter and more existential.
Rockwell continues to grow his portfolio as one of the best actors around - his multiple character emotions are brought excellently to the fore by director Jones. It's his performance which literally pivots the film - and which is so compelling, you can't take your eyes off the screen for one moment.
It's difficult to discuss too much about Moon without giving away its major plot points - and if I did that, I'd be depriving you of the pleasure I felt as the story unspooled in front of me on the big screen.
For a film which was made for $12 million NZ, this is leagues ahead of anything; in terms of look and feel, it really does capture the essence of life on another planet - and how dull it could be at times; it also uses the less is more approach as we follow Bell and gives you meaty ideas to mull over hours after you've left the cinema.
To simply define Moon as sci fi is to do it a disservice - to consider it more as a study of the human condition and of the big questions in life is more appropriate.

If you like intelligent films and ones which leave slivers of themselves inside your brain for days after you've seen them, Moon is the perfect film for you - it's intelligent, caring and human - and it's not often you get to say that about sci-fi these days.