My Week With Marilyn: Blu Ray Review

My Week With Marilyn: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Home Entertainment

So, the cult of Marilyn gets another outing - this time with Oscar noms for Michelle Williams and Kenneth Branagh.

Based on a book by Colin Clark, written about an affair Colin had with Marilyn while she was working on The Prince and The Showgirl, this biographical piece stars Redmayne as Clark in 1950s Britain.

Despite his naivete Clark longs to break into the world of films and showbiz and pulling a few strings (and due to an annoying persistence) he lands a job as a third assistant director on The Prince and The Showgirl which is being directed by Laurence Olivier (Branagh) and stars Marilyn Monroe (Williams).

Marilyn's used to the showbiz life and brings with her all the glamour of the era as she graces the set with her presence; but despite everyone being enamoured with her persona, she proves to be hopeless on set and sends Olivier into a directing tailspin as she fluffs lines, doesn't show when she should and sets the pic behind schedule.

However, Clark, despite romancing one of the set's staff Lucy (Watson), ends up in a whirlwind romance with Monroe when her new husband playwright Arthur Miller leaves her side to write back in America.

Despite Clark being warned she'll break his heart, he carries on - and the tension off the set becomes as bad as the tension on the set.


My Week with Marilyn is as light and frothy as one of those swanky coffees you buy in an upmarket bistro - it's all froth and little substance; in some ways, it's redolent of Me and Orson Welles in places at the start as we watch Clark in awe of a truly brilliant Branagh as Laurence Olivier. The sparkling script, witty repartie and biting sarcasm from Olivier is very, very funny and Branagh does a brilliant job of delivering it to maximum comic effect. It's easy to see why he was nominated for an Oscar for this snide performance.

Michelle Williams' turn as Marilyn also garnered her a statue nod. Don't get me wrong, she's good in the role as she skirts around Marilyn's addictions, and scattiness but there's never really a defining moment which makes you think she's nailed it. When she asks Colin if she should turn it on and "be that person" for a crowd, there's an inkling that she's nailed the posturing and moments. Sure, she manages to ooze some of Monroe's sex appeal and it's a good portrayal, but it's never a great portrayal.

Equally the story itself isn't particularly riveting and enduring- while there's a great performance from Dame Judi Dench as an actress who's sympathetic to Marilyn's fluffing of lines and problems on set, when the film flicks from the on set antics to the love "affair" between Marilyn and Colin, the film stumbles and loses some of the energy and joie de vive it previously had as it saunters lacksadaisically toward the end.

Ultimately My Week With Marilyn is a great film to grab the girls together for and for them to wallow in its slight casualness.


Extras: Untold story piece, audio commentary


Rating: 

Gone: Blu Ray Review

Gone: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Entertainment

Amanda Seyfried stars in this thriller as Jill, a woman who was once kidnapped and left in a hole in the middle of the woods in Portland.

She managed to escape her would be killer but the police didn't believe her story.

Living in fear that the kidnapper will come back to finish what he started, her worst nightmares come real when her sister's kidnapped - and once again, Jill tries to convince the police that something's amiss.

However, when they refuse to believe her latest story, and with the clock running out, Jill takes matters into her own hands.

Gone bills itself as a suspense thriller but to be honest, neither of those ingredients is found within a story that's riddled with plot holes and moments which don't make any sense.

Granted, the idea that Jill's made it all up is a nice twist but it's so clear she's not imagining it all that you end up shouting at the screen in frustration. Plus characters are so undercooked that they appear at the beginning and then just disappear halfway through (Wes Bentley's detective simply goes awol) making the whole film feel a little neither here nor there.

While the director makes good use of the Portland settings and landscapes, the rest of the film just doesn't hang together as it predictably plays out its final yarn.

Seyfried's convincing as Jill but she can't quite carry the film away from feeling a little like a Taken rip off and while there are a few creepy moments here and there, Gone is instantly forgettable the moment it ends.

Rating:

Sione's 2 : DVD Review

Sione's 2 : Unfinished Business:  DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by South Pacific Pictures

Cast: Oscar Kightley, Robbie Magasiva, Pua Magasiva, Shimpal Lelisi, Iaheto Ah Hi, David Fane


Five years after Sione's Wedding hit the cinemas and swept to box office glory, there's a sequel (potentially the first in New Zealand cinema history).


When it ended last time, the gang of Michael, Albert, Stanley and Sefa had all found women and contentment to take to Sione's Wedding and it looked as if they were all back on track.

Now, the boys are back and reunited in a quest from their minister to find errant friend Bolo (David Fane) who's needed back in their group after an unexpected turn of events.


But as the group tries to find one Samoan in Auckland, it soon becomes clear that they're not as sorted as they thought they were.


Does lightning strike in the same place twice? 


That's what the makers of Sione's 2 will be hoping when it comes to the box office but it has to be said on the basis of this film, they may be somewhat disappointed.


The Duckrockers' latest outing is an unfortunately flat, uneven and at times, unfunny affair. And before you claim it's a case of critic's tall poppy syndrome after the success of the first, it's really not like that it all.


The problem is that there just aren't enough laughs to carry the film as we follow the guys' quest to once again grow up; jokes reference living in the suburbs of Auckland's North Shore as opposed to sticking to the inner city. The one highlight is a showdown between the Duckrockers and Albert's workmates, who call themselves The Adjusters (they're in insurance) on K Road at night which is very, very funny.


Ultimately Sione's 2 is a disappointment and some of the twists and turns may leave some of the audience feeling they've been a little robbed. Granted the original fans may flock to see this - but there's a real feeling this film, despite all the best efforts of all involved, may not reach the successes of the first - and that's a real shame. 


Extras: Behind the scenes commentary with the stars, trailer and music videos.


Rating:

Rev: Series One: DVD Review

Rev: Series One: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by the BBC and Roadshow Home Entertainment

The much underrated Tom Hollander stars in this gentle BBC comedy as a vicar Adam promoted from a sleepy rural parish to the inner city of East London.

With no experience of serious issues, Adam is soon on a collision course with the people who daily frequent his church - a drunk, scheming MPs and lost souls.

Over 6 half hour episodes, Rev really does shine a light on how comedy can be done.

It's gentle, well acted, likeable intelligent fare with Hollander really giving his all to this weary conflicted vicar who gives his all to his parish - sometimes at the expense of his wife (Olivia Coleman). But he's never anything less than amiable and identifiable - even if you're not a religious person. It's not always laugh out loud funny but it is always easy on the eye, easy on the funny bone and a pleasant watch.

Believable, funny and extremely enjoyable Rev is a different kind of comedy; one with a slightly religious bent but one which never forgets at heart that it's a comedy at the end of the day - and a damn funny one at that. (I know, now I have to say seven hail Marys).

Extras: The making of, sketches, outtakes, commentaries, doco

Rating:

The Sarah Jane Adventures: Season 5: DVD Review

The Sarah Jane Adventures: Season 5: DVD Review

Rating: PG

Released by the BBC and Roadshow Home Entertainment

It's inevitable that this latest The Sarah Jane Adventures: DVD will be tinged with a degree of sadness, releasing as it has after the sad unexpected death of its main actor, Elisabeth Sladen.

Collecting together three two part stories, it's a wonderful tribute to a show and a star which was so loved; in the latest, the gang are involved in alien trouble after finding a foundling baby, divided by a curse and in the case of one of them, being erased from time completely.

It's a half series which was filmed before her death and works so well as children's drama, by dealing with darker adult themes in a never anything less than serious approach.

Sad then that these should be the last episodes - but also, brilliant they were made in the first place.

Extras: A tribute piece to Elisabeth Sladen, which is heartfelt and tearful - a great respectful send off.

Rating:

NZ Film Festival Reviews

NZ Film Festival Reviews 2012

The annual New Zealand International Film Festival gets underway in Auckland on July 19th and I've been lucky enough to get early access to six of the titles playing this year.

So, here's some potted reviews to maybe help you make some choices:

Undefeated - the winner of the best doco at the Oscars this year, this film could be simply described as a doco version of TV show Friday Night Lights in that it follows a college American football team who are the  underdogs and not likely to do big things. But one year, under the tutelage of Bill Courtney, a man who gives his all to the mainly black team (running them from place to place, offering sage advice on women - and aftershave to one - and helping them with school), everything came right for this team. It's about the team rather than the games and the film-makers wisely confine any of the on field action until crucial games at the end of the season by which point you're totally invested. Sure, you could argue that you can see what's coming as Bill looks after two of them in particular but what gets you out of the blind side is just how much you end up damn well caring towards the end.




The Ambassador - this guy's certainly got some balls. Mads Brugger, who'll be at the New Zealand International Film Festival this year, shows just how frighteningly easy it is to buy a diplomatic title and live the high life in countries where money talks and ethics walk. Over the course of the doco, you'll be astounded at how far he can get and how murky his world becomes as he enters the shadowy world of blood diamonds to show how far the corruption goes. But what becomes more and more apparent is how high up the chain of murky ethics goes up and how fragile it all is. It ends somewhat abruptly as the stakes become too high (which is a little frustrating) but as you watch this sharp-suited, cigar-smoking  guy get involved in chats that start with the phrase "This conversation we're about to have never happened", you'll be shocked how far he can go while blagging it. Hidden cameras catch some out but reality intrudes and invades as you realise just how high Mads set the bar for himself.



Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present - artsy farty docos sometimes try my patience to be honest. I get that these people are talented and have a vision for what they want to create. But sometimes, they're presented in a totally alienating way to those who're outside their community. So it was with a healthy scepticism that I approached this film about a Serbian performance artist who was building up to a 2010 performance at MoMA in New York. But what emerges is a surprisingly interesting and in part. utterly poignant piece about the effect an artist has on others. Her new piece, The Artist is Present, involved her sitting on a wooden chair for 8 hours a day with people spending time sat opposite her. People chose to queue for hours before to get their chance to sit opposite her - like some kind of rock god coming to town. Hardly any words are spoken and each encounter has a profoundly moving effect on both sides. Plus, when Marina's staring directly down the camera, you start to feel a part of it too - which is a peculiarly odd experience. A surprising film and one which will see you examine some of your own preconceptions about artists as a result.

Bert Stern, Original Madman - The last person to photograph Marilyn Monroe and pretty much everyone who was ever anyone, this doco takes a look at how Stern managed to revolutionise American advertising and how his trail blazed the way for those who followed. Using the traditional talking heads/ still photos format, this piece is a whirlwind of the globe trotting man, who had a rogue-ish way with women and as one describes him "terribly exciting with blue eyes," got many to fall for him. You begin to connect with the guy as his imprint over generations of advertising and celebrities starts to become more apparent. Interestingly, he was behind Lindsay Lohan's recent Marilyn inspired photoshoot - and you start to see what his appeal was. An intriguing portrait of a man unknown by many but who was severely blessed by talent and inspired many for generations to come.

Policeman - One of only two dramas I've managed to catch pre-festival, this 2011 Israeli drama is about a policeman in an elite counter terrorism unit and is as tightly wound as a spring about to snap. I'm loathe to reveal too much about this one except to say two storylines converge in a particularly violent physical and emotional outcome - it's a shock to the senses in parts which have been lulled into a false sense of security.



Monsieur Lahzar - This Canadian/French drama won an Oscar nod and features some of the strongest ever performances by child actors I've ever seen. It centres on a Bashir Lazhar, an Algerian immigrant and teacher, who comes to an elementary school after one of the teachers hangs herself in the classroom. Lazhar has his own demons as well with family killed in attacks back home. But gradually, Lazhar heals as do the children in his care. Enormously affecting, Monsieur Lazhar deals with grief, hope and offers a picture of healing which many will latch onto. The two child leads who play the kids who find the teacher hanged simply blow the adults off the screen and their simple, honest acting will resonate with many.


Keep checking back on this blog as there'll be reviews throughout the festival - and would love to hear what you've seen, rated or hated - or are looking forward to. Leave a comment below and see you at the festival!

Ted: Movie Review

Ted: Movie Review

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Seth MacFarlane, Mila Kunis, Joel McHale, Giovanni Ribisi
Director: Seth MacFarlane

Let's face it - we've all done it.

Wished that that childhood doll or toy would be with us forever and never leave our side.

In this cinematic debut from Family Guy/ American Dad creator, Seth MacFarlane, that actually comes true.

Mark Wahlberg stars as John Bennett, who as a lonely little boy wished his Teddy (given to him by his parents at Christmas) would be his best friend forever and come to life.

Due to a Christmas miracle (and a falling star, of course) John's wish is granted and Ted springs to life, a fully sentient, walking talking teddy bear. Initially famous, Ted (MacFarlane) is the star of the world but years pass and it all changes.

John's now a thirty-five year old man, living in Boston who still rooms with his now pot smoking, hard drinking, sexed up teddy bear.  Except, John's not fully a) realised his potential or b) lost the plot. Stuck in a dead end job, he's been dating the beautiful Lori (Kunis) for four years.

But Lori's looking for the next level of commitment - and one evening, after the pair return home from an anniversary dinner, they discover Ted's gone too far and Lori decides he needs to move out.

So, Ted and John's friendship which has endured over centuries is facing the biggest test of all - will John finally grow up and ditch the Teddy forever, despite having promised to be BFFs?


Watch an exclusive behind the scenes TED featurette. (NSFW)

This vulgar, R-rated comedy about a hedonistic bear and his unable to grow up owner from the creator of the consistently offensive Family Guy has been a massive hit in the States already - and it's easy to see why.

It's a boundary-pushing, potty-mouthed treat which you know you shouldn't laugh at because of its shock factor, but you just can't help yourself.

It's got MacFarlane's paw marks all over it; without a doubt, his trademark offensive, pop culture referencing , shock tactic humour is there right from the beginning. And by goodness, it's certainly unexpectedly and consistently funny throughout its running time despite the story of romance vs bromance which we've all seen before on the big screen.

The key to the success of this is a wickedly funny script and some great performances from Wahlberg, as the Bostonian man-child who can't resist the call of his furry friend and Kunis, who makes her long suffering girlfriend feel real rather than a one note bitchy character who simply wants her boyfriend's best friend out of the equation. Put in some hilarious cameos, some self referencing moments and you've got the recipe for one of the most unexpected hits of the year.

That's the thing with Ted - in amongst the shock factor, cartoony feel and Family Guy style random digressions, there's actually a great deal of heart in this story, which is swathed in whimsy and 80s nostalgia (You'll leave the cinema humming the Flash Gordon soundtrack).

MacFarlane's pulled together a story which works for the most part (a digressionary piece about Ted being kidnapped by a creepy stalker doesn't quite hit the mark) and a cast which gel well thanks to their realism.

Throw in a great performance from himself as the caustic, sarcastic and acerbic bear as well as some cool CGI as Ted the bear, and this film is one which will leave you in fits of laughter, frequent moments of appalled and with a warm and fuzzy - but slightly guilty - glow as you leave.


Rating: