The Reader: DVD Review

The Reader: DVD Review

The Reader
Cast: Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Kross
Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
From director Stephen Daldry, this is the film which finally saw Kate Winslet enter the pantheon of Oscar winners after five prior nominations.
She stars as Hanna Schmitz, who begins a torrid affair with a 15 year old boy Michael Berg (a stunning turn by David Kross). Years later, when the pair's paths cross again, he's enrolled in a law school and she's on trial for war crimes - not exactly the reunion either would have planned&
The Reader sees Daldry tread some tricky ground - it's difficult to feel anything too much for Schmitz's character because Winslet plays her as cold, unemotional and very matter of fact. Although he does make it an interesting look at how far some would go to protect a secret.
It starts off as a love affair type story and then switches to a court room drama which packs a bit of an emotional sucker punch around the 90 minute mark.
Ralph Fiennes is okay as the elder Michael Berg who ends up dealing with the emotional fall out of his relationship with Schmitz; but it's David Kross who carries most of the film with his performance - it's a compelling turn from a relative newcomer which anchors the film and provides an emotional heart to what is, by all accounts, a thespian's dream role.
The solid extras (the usual docos of behind the scenes and trailers) round off a reasonable package - and while The Reader may not be the easiest night's entertainment, it's certainly understandable to see why the Academy honoured this performance from Winslet.
Extras: Making The Reader; Kate Winslet on the art of ageing Hanna Schmitz; A New Voice- a look at the Reader's composer; Production Designer and a trailer flesh out the DVD

Rating: 7/10

Family Guy: Season Eight: DVD Review

Family Guy: Season Eight: DVD Review

Family Guy: Season Eight
Cast: Seth MacFarlane, Seth Green, aka Peter, Lois, Stewie, Brian, Quagmire, Cleveland
Rating: 13 for violence, offensive language and sexual references
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
Cancelled and resurrected, it's no wonder animated hit Family Guy continues to push it as far as it can.
In this latest batch of 13 episodes (taken from the show's actual sixth and seventh season broadcasts), the gang go to the limits of taste, humour, depravity - and perhaps least surprisingly, language.
It's hard to sum up what on earth the creators of Family Guy have in mind when they create these episodes; sometimes, even I'm surprised at what they manage to conjure up on the screen - in amongst these latest eps are such bizarre moments as Stewie the megalomaniac child and pooch Brian end up in Poland on the day Germany invade; Brian loses his girlfriend to Cleveland, Peter manages to lose his family to James Wood thanks to identity theft&.seriously, at times, there appears to be no rhyme or reason to this show.
And yet, if you're not easily offended (and this latest uncut DVD does have some very strong language in places) Family Guy is still a really guilty pleasure as you find yourself laughing at something and then checking no-one saw you giggle.
While the humour is risky and borderline offensive, the antics are at times deeply amusing - and creator Seth MacFarlane continues to push it right to the edge.
Riddled throughout with homages to other films and pop culture, Family Guy works best when it parodies famous moments - Brian channeling Snoopy at a Hallowe'en party is very very funny - and doesn't veer too far into the overtly obscene.
The latest set will appeal to fans of the show and maybe appall some new fans - but with commentaries on every episodes with cast and crew, deleted scenes and animatic episodes to take you behind the scenes as well as featurettes, there's plenty of extras to get your teeth into.
But it's aimed at a certain audience - Baby Stewie continues to amuse as ever - and goodness alone knows why Lois puts up with the sometimes downright stupid antics of her husband (but then why does Marge always support Homer?) - and all in all, Family Guy continues to plough its own comedy route.
Family Guy will never be totally mainstream - and perhaps that's a good thing.
Extras: Commentaries on every episodes with cast and crew, deleted scenes and animatic episodes to take you behind the scenes as well as four featurettes

Rating 7/10

Family Guy Series Eight: DVD Review

Family Guy Series Eight: DVD Review

Family Guy: Season Eight
Cast: Seth MacFarlane, Seth Green, aka Peter, Lois, Stewie, Brian, Quagmire, Cleveland
Rating: 13 for violence, offensive language and sexual references
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
Cancelled and resurrected, it's no wonder animated hit Family Guy continues to push it as far as it can.
In this latest batch of 13 episodes (taken from the show's actual sixth and seventh season broadcasts), the gang go to the limits of taste, humour, depravity - and perhaps least surprisingly, language.
It's hard to sum up what on earth the creators of Family Guy have in mind when they create these episodes; sometimes, even I'm surprised at what they manage to conjure up on the screen - in amongst these latest eps are such bizarre moments as Stewie the megalomaniac child and pooch Brian end up in Poland on the day Germany invade; Brian loses his girlfriend to Cleveland, Peter manages to lose his family to James Wood thanks to identity theft&.seriously, at times, there appears to be no rhyme or reason to this show.
And yet, if you're not easily offended (and this latest uncut DVD does have some very strong language in places) Family Guy is still a really guilty pleasure as you find yourself laughing at something and then checking no-one saw you giggle.
While the humour is risky and borderline offensive, the antics are at times deeply amusing - and creator Seth MacFarlane continues to push it right to the edge.
Riddled throughout with homages to other films and pop culture, Family Guy works best when it parodies famous moments - Brian channeling Snoopy at a Hallowe'en party is very very funny - and doesn't veer too far into the overtly obscene.
The latest set will appeal to fans of the show and maybe appall some new fans - but with commentaries on every episodes with cast and crew, deleted scenes and animatic episodes to take you behind the scenes as well as featurettes, there's plenty of extras to get your teeth into.
But it's aimed at a certain audience - Baby Stewie continues to amuse as ever - and goodness alone knows why Lois puts up with the sometimes downright stupid antics of her husband (but then why does Marge always support Homer?) - and all in all, Family Guy continues to plough its own comedy route.
Family Guy will never be totally mainstream - and perhaps that's a good thing.
Extras: Commentaries on every episodes with cast and crew, deleted scenes and animatic episodes to take you behind the scenes as well as four featurettes

Rating 7/10

Ponyo: Movie Review

Ponyo: Movie Review

Rating: 8/10
Cast: Frankie Jonas, Tina Fey, Noah Cyrus, Liam Neeson, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
From the renowned animation stable of Studio Ghibli, comes Ponyo.
Or to give it its full title - Ponyo on a Cliff By The Sea.
A 5-year-old boy, Sosuke (voiced by Frankie Jonas) adopts a goldfish (the titular Ponyo played by Noah Cyrus)when she emerges from the sea one day having escaped from her father, the king of the ocean (voiced by Liam Neeson.)
However their friendship is torn apart as quickly as it's begun after the seas reclaim her.

But Ponyo works a way out to become human and return to her friend - yet, her desire could signal the end of the world.

Studio Ghibli animation is always a delight - and this latest offering from the stable of Hayao Miyazaki is no exception.

(This version is the American one which has been redone - with Miyazaki's permission by Walt Disney and released worldwide - the Japanese version is also out there if you look hard enough.)

It's a truly enchanting tale - based on the Little Mermaid clearly; but Ponyo is sweet and quite beautifully animated with traditional drawings as opposed to the computer animation so prevalent in today's cinematic world.

The backgrounds are pencilled and the characters are animated - in many ways Ponyo is simplistic and childish - in a good way - as it makes it accessible to all.

In fact the children in the audience were completely entranced by the vivid animation and beautiful orchestral score as they sat spellbound. It's a gorgeous world which has been created - one which shows man and nature at balance and in harmony.

Ponyo has a pure heart and joy about her - even when a tsunami threatens to engulf a town, the visual of Ponyo, in her human form, skipping over the waves brings a smile to your face.

A work of pure fantasy and one which shows there's plenty of life left in Studio Ghibli, Ponyo is a magical dizzying treat with gorgeously sumptuous visuals and sounds for all ages.

Food Inc: Movie Review

Food Inc: Movie Review

Rating: 6/10
Director: Robert Kenner
It's no surprise that at a time when sustainability and the grow your own ideals continue to permeate our society, we should get a doco about the truth about the foods Americans buy at their supermarkets.
In Food Inc, that's precisely what Robert Kenner does as he looks at what is consumed these days, how it's produced and what the personal cost is.
With input from Fast Food Nation's author Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan who wrote The Omnivore's Dilemma, the veil on the industry is lifted.
I imagine for most of us here in New Zealand the revelations contained within Food Inc won't shock a lot of people - it's no surprise that mega companies now control the majority of food production.
However, what is shown on screen doesn't lose any of its impact - amid graphics, we learn of the personal horrors being committed by the mega businesses as they try and stop the family farm from growing.
The cheap factory mentality manifests itself as you see how one farmer's being prosecuted for helping other farmers save seed - his actions and desire to prove his innocence have led to years of court cases, which he can't ever win - it's continuing proof that the odds are stacked against the Davids in this fight against Goliath.
One particular case, halfway through, is designed to emotionally stir you up - a young child who was diagnosed with haemorragic e-coli from meat and unfortunately died. While the doco makers could have used this as their trump card, it's a sensitive portrayal of the fight of the family to get the law changed and to make a difference as well as have some good come from tragedy.
Food Inc's broken down into three sections - first, it covers the industrial production of meat; secondly, it's about grains and vegetables and finally, about the pesticide industry.
All of the major companies talked about in this film obviously refuse to appear so it's fair to say while the doco isn't biased, it certainly doesn't have both sides of the argument represented.

That said, Food Inc presents a compelling case which you feel engrossed in throughout - it throws up several issues which, if you're not already aware of them, may shock you into wanting to do something to break the mega-corp influence. Hopefully this film may start to see some kind of change implemented - and is proof that if ever you thought people power can't start something, you're wrong.

Surrogates: Movie Review

Surrogates: Movie Review

Rating: 5/10
Cast: Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, James Cromwell, Ving Rhames, Rosamund Pike
Director: Jonathan Mostow
It's the year 2017 and the world's taken virtual reality to its logical extreme.
Humans live at home, plugged into machines while their robotic alter egos - The Surrogates of the title - wander the streets living their lives and serving as better looking versions of their owners.
Crime's gone down, everyone's good looking and happy - and those who don't like it, live in segregated robot free worlds.
Utopia's here - until one day, FBI Agent Tom Greer (Bruce Willis) is called to investigate a crime along with his partner (Radha Mitchell) - the murder of the surrogate of the son whose father Dr Canter (James Cromwell) invented the machines.
Greer's investigation leads him into a world which sees the Surrogates and their owners destroyed - and it reaches the point where he has to abandon his surrogate and head out into the real world to track the killers down.
However, as is the norm with these kinds of cases, nothing's as it seems and before long, there's a deeper conspiracy coming into play.
Surrogates, is to be honest, a little muddled and messy - which is a shame because it had very real potential. The idea of living your life via a robot day and night (their slogan - Your Life.. Only Better) is a good one - but unfortunately the premise finds itself mired in its own weightiness. It's not as if the film is a complete failure (there are some great visuals towards the end) but it's just a little neither here nor there - and feels like the kind of thing you'd see Walter Bishop from TV2's Fringe involved in.
A subplot involving Greer and his wife who've lost touch with each other after their son died tries to give both Willis and Pike some emotional grounding but it just fails to meet the mark. And when the pieces fall together at the end, you'd be hard pressed to not see them coming together.
The not too distant future itself looks good - it won't be a shock to learn the Surrogate versions of Radha Mitchell and Bruce Willis are pristine and like shop dummies- and it won't surprise you to learn they don't look anything like their surrogates (a natural play on the fact there are people online who choose to live as either members of their opposite sex or hang out in Second Life).

Mostow does an adequate job of bringing together the 2005-2006 comic book series, and there are a couple of decent action sequences - it's just that sadly, Surrogates is a little like its robot versions of the characters; there's something missing behind the eyes, a spark of emotion and it taints the film throughout.

Tyson: Movie Review

Tyson: Movie Review

Rating: 6/10
Cast: Mike Tyson
Director: James Toback
After the whole Cameron/ Tua showdown it's fair to say boxing is back in the media spotlight.
So it's with interest that I approached Tyson, a supposed "intimate no-holds barred portrait" of the man himself.
Using archive footage of fights, post-match interviews and a series of direct one-on-one encounters with Mr Tyson himself, the doco takes a look back at the man's life and seeks to go behind the myth.
It begins with his life growing up in Brooklyn and how he was always in the middle of some kind of trouble, before segueing into how he moved into boxing - and the giddying highs and dizzying lows his success brought with him.
Normally a one man interview over 90 minutes could stretch the attention span of most viewers - and particularly with Mike Tyson, there could have been some challenges.
But what Toback's done (albeit with a strange style) is to simply turn on the camera and let Mike talk Mike - while Tyson's not the most eloquent of speakers (at times, he appears to struggle to find the words to express himself), it's the way the film's been constructed which gives the portrait a more rounded feel.
However, it may take you a little while to get into the style - Toback's occasionally gone for a kind of 24/ Brady Bunch visual where Tyson's split over three levels as he extols nuggets of wisdom about preparing for fights and the fall out from them. It's an odd way to approach it - and while it initially takes a lot to adjust, you barely notice it as the film goes on.
That said, when it comes to Tyson revealing his most intimate thoughts, it's perhaps telling that he doesn't do it directly to camera - those scenes see a voiceover employed as he's seen walking along a beach; it's here I felt a little cheated from seeing Tyson himself - and it's an odd way of doing it.
There's humility and humour on show - as well as vitriol when describing Robin Givens and Don King - like his fighting in the ring, it's an unstoppable tirade which pours forth when he talks of those who've wronged him.
The fights footage is gripping stuff - and there's one moment where Mike describes how he psyched himself up for fights which truly opens a window into any challenger's mindset.
It'll be no surprise to many how Mike Tyson ended up as Mike Tyson - but one impression I couldn't shake is how frightened he's been through his life and how that fear shaped his reactions and outbursts. Granted, it's no major revelation that one of the most vicious fighters in the world lived in fear of losing his title, but what was more personal was how that fear conquered him when he hit rock bottom.
It's fair to say Tyson is an interesting film - given the subject matter. I can't in all honesty say that I ended up warming to Iron Mike but I did have more of an insight into his character, his reasoning for the infamous ear biting incident when he took on Evander Holyfield and his attitudes post life in the ring.

As the man himself says at the end: "What Mike Tyson did, is history. What Mike Tyson does next, is a mystery."