The Campaign Movie Review

The Campaign Movie Review

Cast: Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis, Jason Sudeikis, John Lithgow, Dan Ackroyd, Dylan McDermott, Brian Cox
Director: Jay Roach

It's election time in America, and of course, once again, the satirists are keeping a keen eye on the Obama/Romney battle to see if there's any mileage and humour in their campaigns.

Enter into the fray, The Campaign movie, the latest contender in the political comedy landscape.

In North Carolina, Will Ferrell is unopposed candidate Cam Brady; he's been the incumbent for years and is going for a fifth term as congressman. But, when his lusty ways get the better of him and a misdialled smutty phone call ends up going to a Christian family, he starts slipping in the polls.

Sensing their influence over the district may be slipping with Brady faltering, two CEOs (Ackroyd and Lithgow) decide to put up rival candidate, Marty Huggins (a moustachioed Galifianakis) to shake up the race.

And that's when the politics get dirty - Huggins vows to run a clean campaign and Brady is determined to do whatever he can to stay in power...

So, the big question has to be - does (and should) the Campaign 2012 get your vote?

Not exactly.

This is not a satirical comedy, aimed at the smarter side of politics; it's a hit and miss, scrappy affair which proffers up a few laughs here and there but no smart intelligent insights into American politics. (Mind you with Ferrell and Galifianakis on board, what would you really expect?)

Sure, there are some funny one-liners dusted throughout (some of which are unprintable here)as the campaigning gets personal and the tit for tat silliness escalates. There are also some amusing sequences (including what not to do with a baby and world famous dog) but most of the humour falls a little flat given the pedigree of who's involved. The uneven film starts off amusing and with its tongue sharply in its cheek but quickly runs out of steam like a campaign lacking in finance and a groundswell of support.

Ferrell manages to channel Bill Clinton as his senator tries to blunder his way back onto the campaign trail and Galifianakis channels a little bit of the overly camp, over-exuberance of Cam from Modern Family and the facial hair of Freddie Mercury in his blunderingly naive first outing as a senator. The pair are watchable enough but are infinitely better than the material which has been handed to them. It's almost as if the gags aren't enough to sustain a film but work well enough as punchlines to a series of sketches.

Ultimately though, The Campaign is merely a collection of amusing moments in a broad scatter-shot comedy which packs no sharp satire. You will laugh (occasionally) but you'll find the next gag is a long time coming as the story plays out over its short 85 minute run time.

Sadly, this campaign and its candidates don't get my vote..

Rating:

Harry Potter collection details revealed

Harry Potter collection details revealed

Details have been revealed of the brand new Harry Potter Wizard's Collection.

Warner Home Video says:

Sydney, Australia, March 22, 2012 – The magical film franchise that enchanted Muggles around the world is now available in a spectacular limited-edition collectible box set. The most comprehensive Harry Potter movie collection yet, the Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection, featuring all eight films, exclusive never-before-seen content and must-have memorabilia, will be available on September 5 from Warner Home Video.

This new limited and numbered 31-disc collection contains all eight Harry Potter movies on Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital Copy and more than 37 hours of special features including all previously released materials and more than 10 hours of new to disc bonus content, and more than 4 hours of never-before-seen material. Witches and wizards that think they’ve seen everything will marvel at the all-new special features including the final two “Creating the World of Harry Potter” features titled “Story” and “Growing Up”. Many other, yet to be revealed, exciting features, are also included.

The Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection will also allow fans to conjure up every available version of all eight films. In addition to the theatrical release of every film, the collection also includes the extended versions of  Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; and the 3D versions of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Parts 1 and 2.

Beautifully packaged in a stunning gift box measuring 32.39 cm x 26.83 cm x 28.58 cm and weighing 8.6 kgs, the Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection is the largest collection ever released by Warner Bros. and contains eight artistic and authentic film memorabilia that are essential for anyone who has ever dreamt of being accepted to Hogwarts. The collectibles are exclusive to the set, and each item along with the rest of the contents of this epic collection will be revealed to anxious fans in an online campaign on www.harrypotter.com beginning today.

Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection will be available for $599.95 RRP.

Films Included in Collection – All on Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital Copy
·         Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Theatrical Version and Extended Cut
·         Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Theatrical Version and Extended Cut
·         Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
·         Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
·         Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
·         Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
·         Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 2D and 3D Versions
·         Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 2D and 3D Versions

Special features details

- Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection Bonus Disc
Nearly 4 hours of features including:
All New! ”The Harry Potters You Never Met” - Watch how thrilling stunts from the films were performed, and learn about the tricks behind the major stunts in the series.
Additional features to be revealed on www.harrypotter.com.

- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 Bonus Disc 
Over 2 hours of features including:
All New! “Creating the World of Harry Potter, Pt. 7: Story”
And many more to be revealed on www.harrypotter.com.

- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 Bonus Disc
Over 4 hours of features including:
All New! “Creating the World of Harry Potter, Pt. 8: Growing Up”
All New! Extended “A Conversation with JK Rowling and Daniel Radcliffe” - with 15 minutes of new footage
And many more to be revealed on www.harrypotter.com

Interview with Sarah Palin....sort of

New film, Iron Sky (out on Thursday) is a comic action, science fiction film, whose central premise is that the Nazis escaped to the Moon after the end of World War II and returned to conquer the earth in 2018. Kiwi actress Stephanie Paul is one of the stars of the film, playing a Sarah Palin-esque President.

Tell us how you heard about Iron Sky? I heard about the film when I was asked to audition for it and sent the script. However, before I auditioned I went online and read all about it and learned how it started from the ground up with its fans.

It’s quite a unique project to be involved in – what were your thoughts about the online community having such a hand in it? How much input did they have during the filming? I think they way they used multimedia to build a fan base and get initial funding was amazing! It created an awesome community, and ultimately I got to meet many of them at the Finnish premiere. As far as how much input they had, I do not know as I was not involved in the “crowdsourcing” aspects of the website and how they used wreckamovie to work with the fans to gather ideas and funding.

What was the filming of this like? It was awesome! I got to live in Frankfurt Germany for a month and work with an amazing cast and crew! I didn’t have much green screen stuff to do so I think I had it a little easier than some of the other actors.

What’s your favourite part of the film and why? When James Washington (Chris Kirby) and Renate Richer (Julia Dietze) are arrested for fighting in the streets of NYC and the cop is questioning them at the police station. I personally think it is hilarious, ridiculous and it always makes me laugh. And I love it when the huge Nazi space ship comes busting out of the moon, for that alone you have to see it on the big screen. The special effects are fantastic and really creative.

What’s been your reaction to the final product? I have really enjoyed seeing the film and I have seen it five times now. Each time I noticed more small jokes within the film and little nuances that I did not see before.

What do you make of the reaction to the film? It is like any film or creative thing. The beauty is in the eye of the beholder, some will like it and some will not like it. But it has a following and they seem to love it.

How much research did you do into the Sarah Palin aspects of the role? Not much as the director didn’t want me trying to “be” Sarah Palin. He wanted me to create a President that just happened to look like her. Which I think made my role so much fun to play.

I did study George Bush Jr, Barack Obama, and Sarah Palin. I think I channeled more George Bush Jr than the other two in the end. If you ever notice politicians in America, when campaigning, change their accents depending on where/who they are talking to. So I never actually kept my accent within any particular State on purpose.  I decided to take it all over the map just like the politicians of America do, I guess in the sense of the film “taking the piss” really. 

What was the most fun part of this film? Being made up to look like someone completely different. Bliss who did the make up and hair was amazing. I went to set one day in the middle of a run I was taking around Frankfurt for a bit of exercise, and one of the actresses asked me to bring her something from her hotel room as they were short of PAs. I had only been seen by crew members as “The President” in costume. When I arrived on a closed set in running gear without credentials several people came over with concerned looks and were ready to throw me out. It was fun not being recognized by people I had been working with all week.

What’s been the best part of being involved with Iron Sky? Making new friends and being apart of an amazing production.

Will you be involved in the prequels or sequels at all? Not the prequel as it is set around the Nazis moving to the Moon, so that will be all about Udo Kier’s character Wolfgang Kortzfleisch I believe. I may be involved in the sequel but we will just have to wait and see!

Take This Waltz: Movie Review

Take This Waltz: Movie Review

Cast: Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Luke Kirby, Sarah Silverman
Director: Sarah Polley

The second film from Sarah Polley is an indie looking at the nature of young love.

Michelle Williams stars as Margot, a writer who lives with her husband of five years, Lou (Seth Rogen in a rare dramatic turn).

One day, when out on a writing job, she encounters Luke Kirby's Daniel, with whom she begins a playful flirtation which ends abruptly as it spirals dangerously close to coming to fruition.

However, Margot's shocked to discover that Daniel lives across from them - and yet, continues to find herself drawn to him....initially, in accidental meetings and then more deliberate meetings, the pair begin to fall for each other and the tensions begin to build.

There are parts of Take This Waltz which I really loved and other parts which made me want to shout at the screen in abject frustration.

Firstly, Sarah Polley's direction of this film is assuredly strong as she crafts together some very striking and sensual visuals throughout. One sequence at the end which is a continually rotating shot of two of the cast building a life together is breathtakingly original and cleverly executed. She's also got a deft touch of using the camera to linger on the characters and what's unfolding on the screen which helps you occasionally get some insight into the unfolding drama.

Secondly, Michelle Williams gives a great turn as Margot - even if I was extremely frustrated and unsure of her motivations and the reasons for her actions.

So much is unsaid in this film that, despite an impressive performance from Williams, it's incredibly hard to either empathise or engage with her and her apparent frustration with Lou, a nice guy who seems to care for his wife and is doing the best for them. But that's potentially what director Polley wanted to achieve and you'll get into this as much as you put in.

It's difficult to see why she would stray from a decent guy who's depicted as caring? I understand the filmmakers were trying to capture that glimmer of love, the hopes that it offers - but unless you can see why Margot's disenchanted with her life, it really does leave a sour taste in the mouth. (Perhaps you could argue that provoking such a strong reaction is part of the film-maker's MO...)

Rogen is impressive in a dramatic, down the middle turn, showing a bit more depth to the comedy acting he's done through the years; and Sarah Silverman is good as the sister struggling with sobriety.

All in all, Take This Waltz is a frustrating experience: sure, it's about real people and the real issues they face, but thanks to a lack of real depth of development, you don't quite care enough about what unfolds on the screen - no matter how well put together it is.

Rating:

New Zealand Film Festival - the final reviews

Here's a wrap up of the New Zealand Film Festival's closing weekend and therefore, the final reviews!

The Sapphires -
An unabashed utter crowd-pleaser, The Sapphires is one of heck of a roof-raising movie. It centres on four Aborigine women discovered by talent scout Dave Lovelace ( a dishevelled but scene stealing Chris O'Dowd) and who are moulded into the Aussie answer to the Supremes before scoring gigs entertaining the troops in Vietnam as the war rages there in 1969. Sure, there are the cliches aplenty - the sassy fiery one, the sexy one, the naive one and the talented one make up the band but thanks to a rousing soul soundtrack The Sapphires rises above as the band comes together in Aussie under the tutelage of Dave and his very funny put downs. Hints of tensions bubble under but unsurprisingly come to a head when the band hits Saigon and their naivety gives cause to many eye opening moments for the girls from the Aborigine mission. While that may be predictable and the Saigon scenes play out in a somewhat sanitised way, (this film's never really about the politics of what's going on and things only come to an explosive end - unsurprisingly -when Dave and the sassy Sapphire finally find a middle ground) The Sapphires is nothing short of a rollicking good time, with oneliners guaranteed to get the audience onside. But it's Chris O'Dowd who really impresses here, building on his charming performance in Bridesmaids, he shows he's one of the best comedy actors around delivering lines with charisma, comic deftness and to killer effect. Sure, the political is shoved to one side in favour of the superficial feel good, but when the feel good is so raucous and so rousing you can't help but get swept along in this tale of a family coming back together again and discovering their voices. They shimmy through the slightly dodgy bits of storytelling with such ease that it's pointless to quibble with the energy, warmth and overall positive vibe. The Sapphires is occasionally less than polished, but it's never anything less than a great time at the movies (even if it does devolve into cheesy in its final scenes)

Shadow Dancer -

A tautly acted piece starring cracking performances from Andrea Riseborough and Clive Owen, Shadow Dancer is set in the murky world of the IRA. Riseborough is IRA member Colette McVeigh, who finds herself picked up by MI5's Mac (a grim faced Owen) after a bombing incident on the London Underground in 1993. Forced to turn informant, Colette finds herself trapped between the machinations of MI5 and its shadowy cabal and murky agenda and the IRA who senses a betrayal within the ranks. As the net grows tighter, Colette finds herself running out of time and angles to play before the cat and mouse game of spy and spymaster grows fatal. A deadly tight suspense thriller, Shadow Dancer really benefits from terrific performances by Riseborough, whose relative silence throughout conveys more about her emotional state of mind than any pointless exposition ever would. Equally impressive is Owen (the Bond we never had) as an agent trapped and an unwitting pawn in the games being played above his head. With a sombre pace and intelligent plotting, Shadow Dancer is a slow burner of a compelling film which slowly creeps under your skin as it rolls out its low key tension. Events hit a powder keg moment in the cat and mouse game of back and forth, but director James Marsh (Man on Wire and Project Nim) never relies on anything other than the acting to convey the suspense and it's a welcome touch to push the highly intelligent narrative forward. There's a sickening sense of inevitability about this film but it's a smart, masterful piece of taut story telling and acting which commands patience and concentration as its gripping conclusion plays out.

Whores' Glory -

The third of director Michael Glawogger's films looking at the nature of work, Whores' Glory visits the oldest profession in the world - and sells a very depressing story of how the women have ended up there. But really, it's more about the clock punching of the workers - a visit to one shows the group of them following the mundanity of the daily (bump and) grind as they clock in, worry about whether there will be enough work for them all and whether they've eaten before they start work. Equally depressing is the sight of women all lined up in a fish tank wearing numbers and sat quietly on cushions waiting to be selected by potential clients who discuss with the MC whether they will do everything they want. There's an overbearing sense of gloom in this film as it casts a major pall over the reality of the work of the prostitutes in the various different countries and while Glawogger's never intended to set out to glamourise the work, what he ends up doing is creating a sense of a deeply depressing industry to work in as he follows each of the workers and their clients. Each moment seems to show the women as nothing more than to barter for - one client discusses cutting the rate so that he can eat that night - while the women worry about whether they'll have enough cash and have to consider getting a second job. Whores' Glory is a bleak film but one which firmly showcases what it set out to. Just don't expect it to be a titillating piece in any way shape or form.

How To Meet Girls From A Distance -

Scripted, edited and shot within a few months and made (on paper) for $100K, How To Meet Girls From a Distance is a minor NZ cinematic miracle. The peeping tom rom-com follows Richard Falkner's Toby, a stalker in Wellington whose luck with the ladies is less than impressive. So, while receiving coaching from dodgy date expert Carl (an utterly brilliant Joanthan Brugh), Toby ends up meeting Phoebe (Scarlet Hemingway) and falling for her. And of course, he does what any normal person would do - follows his heart, takes illicit pictures of her from a distance and stalks her to get to know her better. However, there's a stumbling block - Phoebe's with Owen Black's Brad - but for any decent stalker, that's not a problem. And soon, Toby is ingratiating himself into Phoebe's life and heart... How To Meet Girls From a Distance deserves to be admired for its turn around and chutzpah - but it also deserves to be admired for what's actually turned up on the screen. Funny, charming and kooky, this piece of celluloid is a commendably good effort from all those involved. Falkner makes Toby sweet rather than borderline psychotic and Jonathan Brugh's Carl deserves a place in the pantheon of Kiwi oddball characters. A funny script plies on the laughs while never losing sight of the overall plot. From cringe-worthy dancing to dodgy tracheotomies, How To Meet Girls From a Distance is highly amusing, utterly rewarding and a totally unmissable experience at the New Zealand Film Festival.

Compliance (Guest review Jacob Powell)

Being accustomed to 'difficult' cinema that ofttimes sends a portion of the audience scuttling for the exits I was surprised by how gruelling I found Craig Zobel's Compliance; forcing me to squirm in my seat and make a few deep exhalations once the credits rolled. Based on a true story of some recent extreme prank calling crimes involving fast food restaurant workers in the USA this disturbing psychological head trip is affectively constructed as a lock-in film with almost all the action occurring on location in the restaurant. This essentially puts the viewer in the same position as the characters - a very suffocating and claustrophobic environment - serving to ratchet up the tension to near breaking point. Framing, editing, and sound choices are smartly and artfully applied to lift a potentially sensationalist movie into a psychological horror which bears comparison to a Haneke work, if by a less formed director. Compliance was a fantastic, if discomforting, end to NZFF 2012.

Dreams of a Life (guest reviewer Leanne Meikle)

A bleak film about a young woman called Joyce Vincent whose skeletal body was found in her bedsit in London after 3 years, with no contact from friends or family.  As her heating and television continued on in the background and the bills mounted up by the front door.   The film interviews old friends of the deceased who painted a picture of a once happy and attractive young woman, who studied hard at school but left with no qualifications, had a family of sisters but no parents and a past that no one knew or could understand.  
Each character not believing this once vibrant and beautiful young woman was the actual person they had read in the newspaper, questioning “how could this have happened”? 
This film left me feeling hollow and numb, how a life could simply “slip away between the cracks” of society, how today's communities are so large a person could just fade away out of sight.  When close friends and families who don’t call, visit or file a missing persons record, while a young person dies alone in a bedsit at Christmas, the most family orientated holiday of the year.  What left me puzzled was that Joyce died among the Christmas presents that she had wrapped for her family and friends but then none of them came looking for at her flat which they could have easily did if they had cared.  
Unfortunately we hear in the news how this situation just happens but really how can it? 
Dreams of A Life provides few answers but offers plenty of questions and provides a discomforting night at the cinema. 

More NZ Film Festival Reviews - Review of West of Memphis
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New Zealand Film Festival - latest reviews from the final Auckland weekend

New Zealand Film Festival - latest reviews from the final Auckland weekend 

Holy Motors

This year's WTF? goes squarely to closing night film Holy Motors - a title which will be potentially the equivalent of the Tree Of Life in terms of you're either all in or you're all out. From director Leos Carax, it follows the mysterious Monsieur Oscar  (an extremely versatile, albeit craggy looking Denis Lavant) as he drives around Paris from one 'appointment' to another. Chauffeured in a white limousine by Celine (Edith Scob) he takes on various persona which he pulls together from a theatrical style wardrobe in the back of the car. He's by turns, an elderly woman begging on the streets, a motion capture artist, an imp running off with a model from a shoot and various others (to reveal more is a little unfair as it robs you of the insanity of the piece). Kylie and Eva Mendes show up in this surreal road odyssey which wends its way around Paris' streets. Utterly crazy, wild, wacky and really WTF? Holy Motors is the perfect way to close the New Zealand International Film Festival. It's a visual treat even if you don't really have a clue what's going on - the whys and the wherefores are all very much up to interpretation and that's great to provoke debate as the film ends but it certainly gives way to a puzzling experience as it unfolds on the big screen. Lavant is great in the role - as each appointment plays out, he gives a performance which is certainly boots and all. From the impish gibberish talker who disrupts Eva Mendes photoshoot to the sad faced parent scolding a child for lying to him, it's a compelling turn even if you're not quite clear on what's unfurling. Kylie Minogue is in downbeat mode as someone who appears to share a connection with Oscar. All in all, Holy Motors is a visual feast; a film which has links with Dali and Lynch and which refuses to be confined by convention and provides the clearest indication that creativity is its own reward.

V/H/S

A horror anthology which promised to deliver the scares, V/H/S has certainly got the indie credentials. Its premise involves a group of utter losers breaking into a home to steal some videotapes from a house. As ever with the found film footage genre, they're taping their every action for us to enjoy. But while that's the wrap-around for the over-arching story, the hook comes in the videos that one of them watches while the others are searching the house. Comprising five tales, each from an expert in the genre, the quality is varying and the results sometimes scary and other times not so. In fact, to be honest, the first two found footage videos played didn't float my boat at all - and I wondered if the rest of the film would be frankly as uninspiring. How wrong, because the final three films are utterly brilliant and pack as many inventive scares and smart new ideas as any long form Hollywood horror movie can dream of. A trip to the woods, a Skype chat between two lovers which turns deadly and a ritual on Hallowe'en are the smartest pieces of genre film making I've seen in years. Grubby, lo-fi and packing nudity of male and female, V/H/S really does have something for everyone and while there are plenty of "WTF was that?" moments, there's certainly no real "Oops, I've soiled myself in fear" moments throughout. The filmmaking talent involved's smart enough to offer up enough chills to rejuvenate the format and using the Video footage means the audience is carefully scanning the screen trying to see what's coming. The beauty of this piece? You won't and what you do get will surprise and titillate even the most jaded of horror lovers with freshness and smarts.

A Monster in Paris

The award for the most generic looking animation this year at the festival, A Monster in Paris feels like it could have come straight out of the multiplexes - a feeling not much helped by the fact all of the voice over work is done by Americanised actors, a decision which to be honest, had me scratching my head and wishing really that it had been left in its native language. Set in 1910 Paris, the film follows a projectionist's friendship with rogueish delivery man Raoul after the pair inadvertently create a giant flea monster when a delivery goes a bit awry. Throw in a friendship between that giant flea and a French Parisienne singer Lucille and a potential showdown with a police commissioner hell-bent on capturing the Monster of Paris and securing his mayoral campaign and it's all on. Gorgeous French computer animation with vivid purples, blues and green hues add beautifully to this tale which is anything but generic and packs more charm than certain other major studio releases this year. Musical numbers add to the flavour of the film and retro throwbacks to horror films, the Phantom of the Opera and the cinema of yesteryear certainly give this piece a much enjoyable feel. Also, make sure you get there on time to view SNAP, the 6 minute short prior which is bright, beautiful and blimming funny - sometimes, the best things do come in small doses.

Bully
Anyone who's experienced any level of bullying or who's always claimed ignorance of the issue will find something in this doco from Lee Hirsch. Set in Middle America, it follows a clutch of kids whose lives are made hellish by the daily beatings, verbal smackdowns and general cruelty of kids in general and a system which seems determined to be nothing more than ineffectual. Beginning with home video footage of a young boy, playing happily and gradually as the years go by becoming more withdrawn, the tone is set early on - it's a hard watch but one which is nothing less than compelling throughout even if some of the wider issues and backgrounds are a little ignored. 12-year-old Alex is the poster boy for bullying; born prematurely and cruelly dubbed Fishface by some in school, he's a loner who's punched on the bus for no reason, strangled and ostracised but yet who goes back every day to endure it all again and suffers in silence. When one kid's asked about what goes on with the bullying, he simply states "It breaks my heart" and that's something any audience member sitting through this will identify with. Hirsch has pulled together a piece which is provocative as it deals with growing numbers of suicides caused by bullying but which tries to offer up some hope at the end. School systems and ineffective principals are damned by Lee's non-intrusive camera work, which captures the frustrations of the parents and the denial of those in power who could make a difference. Alex proves to be an engaging subject - despite enduring a daily hell of people telling him they "will end" him, his demeanour and attitude can be challenging and heartbreaking as he asks "Who else will be my friend" when his parents see the extent of what Lee's caught on camera and urge him to  speak up. Bully also deals with other kids whose lives are damned and the parents of a teen boy who felt he had no choice but to take his own life. By providing a document which has such disarming honesty, you can see what Lee Hirsch is trying to do - and is continuing to do after release - but you can't help but feel this is a film which needs to be seen more by the masses, freed from any distribution issues and given directly to schools to actually make a difference (no fault of the film-maker here, I hasten to add). Bully is an emotive yet matter of fact piece which is emotionally shattering and utterly horrifying as it follows its subjects. It offers some hope but shows we're still too far away from ever really doing anything to actively end this - which is a crime, no matter how you view it.

Vulgaria (Guest reviewer Jacob Powell)

A light comedic piece from Pang Ho-cheung, director of devilishly good previous NZFF titles like Dream Home, Vulgaria, in true exploitation cinema mode, over-promises in both its title and programme synopsis. Instead of the comedically grimy, and twisted John Watersesque film the title Vulgaria invokes, we are delivered a cheeky satirical strip down of the sometimes ideal compromising process of getting film projects funded. Chapman To puts in a good turn as Hong Kong film producer and ethical chameleon To Wai-cheung who guests in an interview for a film studies class and spins a tale of moral abandon in getting a film project financed by gang boss Brother Tyrannosaurus (Ronald Cheng) made. Pang's film certainly delivers its share of laughs but mostly just feels a bit silly and slight. It is (now) perhaps unsurprising to have read that the film was made in only 12 days.

Just The Wind (Guest reviewer Jacob Powell)

A grim tale out of the Hungarian Roma (Gypsy) community, Benedek Fliegauf's Just The Wind is an artfully constructed and naturalistically shot film visually reminiscent of Claire Denis' White Material (2009) though with a less crisp quality. The films begins with a written notice stating that although this is a work of fiction the story has grown from an actual series of attacks on Roma families in Hungary in 2008/2009. The narrative is pretty free flowing following an 'a day in the life' template applied to a particular Roma family as they go about their work, schooling, and skiving in the wake of the brutal real life events already described. A thread of tension and inevitability is slowly pulled tight over the course of the film until, with masterful use of music, mise-en-scene, and natural performances we are left awaiting the lone possible outcome. Well paced and suitably restrained Just The Wind showcases the deft touch of an able storyteller communicating volumes sans melodrama.

Reality (Guest reviewer Jacob Powell)

In stark contrast to 2008's Gomorrah, Matteo Garrone's Reality is a barrage of contradictions and opposing meanings. The director cleverly, if not subtly, plays with the titular theme, weaving intensely mixed auditory, visual, and narrative messages into his own darkly comic fabric of Reality. This is apparent from the opening scene where a helicopter shot traces the route of a garishly decorated horse-drawn carriage along mundane streets to a wedding venue. Garrone shoots fantastical imagery with harsh documentary-like colour/lighting making it look all the more crass and unappealing. The narrative becomes increasingly disconnected from reality as would-be Big Brother contestant Luciano slowly succumbs to fame-festishised madness. Alexandre Desplat gives his very best (and perfectly suited) Danny Elfman impression with the score, creating a dramatic ending juxtaposition when audio switches to ambient sound only in the most fabricated environment of all. Great, perhaps divisive, stuff.

More NZ Film Festival Reviews -Reviews of Sightseers, On The Road and Bear
More NZ Film Festival Reviews - Reviews of Crazy Horse, Farewell My Queen, The Angels' Share, Bernie
More NZ Film Festival Reviews - Reviews of Your Sister's Sister, The Hunt
More NZ Film Festival Reviews - Reviews of the Wall, Room 237, Wuthering Heights
More NZ Film Festival Reviews - Reviews of First Position and Marley
More NZ Film Festival Reviews - Last Dogs of Winter special
More NZ Film Festival Reviews - Reviews of Beasts of Southern Wild, Wish You Were Here, This Must Be The Place, Cabin in the Woods, Killer Joe, Moonrise Kingdom
More NZ Film Festival Reviews - Reviews of The Shining, Amour, From up on Poppy Hill, Animation for Tots, Sound of My Voice, Into the Abyss

Wellington Film wins NZ's Best Awards

Wellington Film wins NZ's Best Awards

Wellington filmmaker Sam Kelly has won the inaugural NZIFF New Zealand’s Best Short Film Competition. 

The Madman Entertainment Jury Prize, a cash prize of $5000 for the Best New Zealand Short Film at the 2012 New Zealand International Film Festival, is awarded to Lambs, written and directed by Sam Kelly, produced by Tom Hern.

 Announcing the prize at Auckland’s Civic Theatre tonight, juror and Madman Entertainment representative Michael Eldred read from the jury’s citation:

“Lambs had the biggest heartbeat, a rawness, honesty and a wonderful humanity.”

The Audience Award, 25% of the net box office takings from the screenings in the four main centres, is also awarded to Lambs. The votes were collated from four screenings held in Auckland and Wellington as part of the 2012 NZIFF. The cash value of this prize derived from ticket sales is likely to be around $5000.

The Friends of the Civic Short Film Award for distinctive creative achievement, a cash prize of $3000, was awarded to Home, directed by Dunedin filmmaker Thomas Gleeson, produced by Thomas Gleeson and Pip Walls. 

“Home is an original, surprising, even humorous, experimental documentary. The house was an engaging character in peril, and you really wanted to know how the journey would end." 

The following comments were provided by the judges for the NZ’s Best short film competition:

“All of the films were of very high quality & fully engaged the audience. I’m really looking forward to seeing more work from these talented filmmakers.” – Michael Eldred, Madman Entertainment

"I found this year’s entries incredibly difficult to make singular choices from. The confidence, skill and artistry in all 6 stories gives proof to an enormously exciting future for the next generation of feature film makers. Most importantly they felt uniquely Kiwi and beautifully original as a consequence." – Robyn Malcolm

Filmmaker Sima Urale was the third juror. Festival programmers Bill Gosden and Michael McDonnell viewed 109 short film submissions to prepare the competition shortlist. Guest selector and international filmmaker Roger Donaldson selected the six finalists from a shortlist of twelve. The finalists were:

43,000 Feet

NZ 2012. Director: Campbell Hooper Producers: Heather Lee, Amber Easby Screenplay: Matthew Harris. 9 mins

With several minutes before he hits the ground, a falling man reflects on his past and his immediate future.

“Great photography. Very original framing and concept.” – Roger Donaldson

Ellen Is Leaving

NZ 2012. Director: Michelle Savill Producers: Michelle Savill, Desray Armstrong Screenplay: Martha Hardy-Ward. 15 mins

Ellen is cool. She is recycling stuff before she heads overseas.

“I love how original it feels. The details of the travel pack put a real smile on my face. ” – Roger Donaldson

Home

NZ 2012. Director: Thomas Gleeson Producers: Thomas Gleeson, Pip Walls. 11 mins

We watch a house take a road trip.

“A beautifully photographed minimalist documentary.” – Roger Donaldson

Lambs

NZ 2012. Director/Screenplay: Sam Kelly Producer: Tom Hern. 15 mins

“Really captures a tough uncompromising world in a very compelling way. I loved the central character’s heroism. It reminded me of Once Were Warriors in the best possible way.” – Roger Donaldson

Milk & Honey

NZ 2012. Director/Screenplay: Marina Alofagia McCartney Producers: Angela Hicks, Marina Alofagia McCartney. 14 mins

This brief drama recalls the notorious dawn raids on Pasifika families.

“I lived in Ponsonby in the 70s and remember the events portrayed in this film. Very poignant.” – Roger Donaldson

Night Shift

NZ 2012. Director/Screenplay: Zia Mandviwalla Producers: Chelsea Winstanley, Matt Noonan. 14 mins

An airport cleaner has reason to keep to herself.

“I love this story – it feels so real and packs a real wallop.” – Roger Donaldson