Anna Karenina: DVD Review

Anna Karenina: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Entertainment

It's to 19th Century Russia we go for this adaptation of Tolstoy's novel of love and passion, which re-unites director Joe Wright and star Keira Knightley for a third time. Keira Knightley stars as Anna Karenina, who's married to Jude Law's respected Russian hero, Alexei Karenin. But she's unhappy with her marriage and accidentally starts to look elsewhere while on a trip. She garners the attention of Count Vronsky (Taylor-Johnson), who in turn is being pursued by Kitty (Alicia Vikander), who is being sought by Levin (Gleeson).

Despite her best attempts to avoid Vronsky, Anna begins a tempestuous affair which threatens her position as a socialite and the life of a married aristocrat.


When Karenin learns of the affair, he forbids her from seeing him - but she carries on regardless, risking the life of a social pariah and outcast...at what price, happiness? 

Anna Karenina is a film which has amazing production designs. Scenes change as if they were set in a theatre - with actors walking apparently backstage as the sets change around them. It's a dazzling directorial touch from Wright which screams originality and brings the gusto and energy of the life performance to the screen, while still maintaining its passage as a film. Lavish sets adorn the celluloid and enchant the eyes as actors pirouette around the screen - one scene sees an actor open the double doors to a stark white snowy landscape - and give the film a life it so richly needs and deserves.

Tom Stoppard has penned the screenplay - and while he's condensed down a 950 page novel to a 2 hour film, it still manages to drag a little in its second half as the enthralling visual work gives way to a drudgery of a story of depression and lost love. And I have to admit, it was a struggle to care for Anna's predicament and ultimate fate in amongst all the sumptuous pomp of 19th Century Russia (which barely resembles Russia given the incredible amount of English accents).

It's not anything to do with Knightley's performance as Anna Karenina which is perfectly adequate at capturing the mix of conflicting emotions - nor is it anything to do with the sub plots of other versions of love, provided by the likes of a brilliant Matthew MacFadyen as the philandering Oblonsky or the moping Gleeson as peasant Levin. Some scenes crackle among the dour doledrums which permeate the final half of the film - a sequence where Anna finally reveals how she feels about Alexei sizzles with seething animosity and passion, something which is curiously lacking from the balletic courtship of Vronsky.

While Anna Karenina is highly stylised, it's ultimately an unmoving piece, devoid of connection as the lavish visual flair demonstrated so early on by Wright falls by the wayside and the whole thing gives way to a maudlin film about a thwarted passion, lacking in real tragedy and emotional bite.

Rating:

Mt Zion: DVD Review

Mt Zion: DVD Review

Rating: M

Released by Sony Home Entertainment

It's to 1979 New Zealand we go for this new local film opening on Waitangi Day, marking the debut acting performance of Australian Idol winner Stan Walker.

Stan Walker is Turei, a potato picker on the spud grounds of Pukekohe; his father (a restrained and commanding Temuera Morrison) runs the roost. A talented musician, Turei, dreams of getting away from the lands and pursuing his lifelong hope of making it on the stage. That chance comes along with the opportunity for Turei and his band-mates (including Ghost Chips) to win a spot to open for Bob Marley who's due into Western Springs for a concert.

However, in pushing those around him to help, Turei's put on a direct collision course with his father.

Mt Zion has an engaging earnestness to its honesty and integrity as the sweet family story plays out.

Sure, it's a little rough around the edges and occasionally slightly slow in places, but it has a heart and intimate focus which is hard to deny or not be swept along with. From time to time, Walker lacks some of the acting chops needed of him to give a bit of depth to his character, but an understated Temuera Morrison more than makes up for it. But, that said, it's an assured debut from Walker and when he belts out a song or two, it's hard not to get caught up in the moment. There's a nostalgic vibe to this flick and director Kahi has managed to brilliantly recreate the intimacy of home and community life in amongst the squabbles over land issues and the inevitable conflicts between father and son as Turei starts to grow up. Kahi's also to be commended for taking the script, which could have lapsed into something predictable, and fashioning something which has a real sentimental and touching centre, without over-romanticising the era.

With a blistering OST and vibe, Mt Zion is a gentle little Kiwi film which impresses more than you'd expect thanks to tenderness and intimacy.

Rating:

Doctor Who: Inferno: Special Edition DVD Review

Doctor Who: Inferno: Special Edition DVD Review

Rating: PG
Released by BBC And Roadshow Home Entertainment

In the second of the Jon Pertwee releases for this month, it's a special edition take on an absolute classic.

As a top secret project burrows to the crust of the earth to harness a new power, the Doctor finds himself transported to a parallel universe where the project is further on and closer to achieving its aims. But, in this alterna-verse, everything's at risk, and before long, the Doctor's fighting for his life and the future of the real Earth.

A classic by every stretch of the imagination, Doctor Who: Inferno: Special Edition is a great release. It pulls together the original special features from the initial release, before piling on the goodness including a piece which sees Toby Hadoke bring together the original stunt cast of Havoc for one major reunion. This piece alone has humour, heart and pathos as well as a reminder of how much of a family the old Who was.

Doctor Who: Inferno: Special Edition is an essential purchase; a Who that continues to give and a release that showcases the best of special features and script writing at its 70s best.

Extras: Commentary, making of, Hadoke vs Havoc, Doctor Forever, a look at the UNIT family - a great set.

Rating:

New Zealand International Film Festival - Cannes list revealed

New Zealand International Film Festival - Cannes list revealed

The Cannes List

Once again NZIFF audiences are amongst the first in the world to reap the harvest of May’s Festival de Cannes.

In 2013, we bring Auckland audiences a whopping 18 films from this year’s official Cannes selections.

In Competition

From the Competition, you’ll be able to see Heli, the controversial winner of this year’s Best Director award; Jia Zhangke’s A Touch of Sin, winner of the Best Screenplay prize for China’s most insistently contemporary filmmaker; Asghar Farhadi’s The Past, the eagerly awaited follow-up to his A Separation, and winner of the Best Actress award for Bérénice Bejo (The Artist). Stand by too for Kore-eda Hirokazu’s Jury Award winner, Like Father, Like Son, Paolo Sorrentino’s ravishing 21^st century response to La dolce vita, The Great Beauty; and Steven Soderberg’s brilliant foray into Liberace’s closet, Behind the Candelabra. No Palme d’Or for us or the rest of the world quite yet: word is that the version rewarded at Cannes requires further work. 

Un Certain Regard Section

From Un Certain Regard, the section that supplements the competition (and gives the cognoscenti  a chance to cry “That should have been in competition!”), we have The Missing Picture from Cambodia; the Kurdish western, My Sweet Pepperland; Omar, a riveting thriller from the West Bank; Norte, the year’s slow cinema masterpiece; Stranger by the Lake, our most hardcore offering of the year, but also a seductive and tense mystery (which should definitely have been in competition); and Sofia Coppola’s eagerly awaited foray into Paris Hilton’s closet, The Bling Ring.

Directors' Fortnight Section

The prestigious Director’s Fortnight gave the year’s most striking British film, The Selfish Giant from Clio Barnard, director of The Arbor; Jodorowsky’s surreal and long-gestating memoir The Dance of Reality and the Singaporean kid-vs-nanny tale Ilo Ilo, awarded the Caméra d’Or for best first film in all of Cannes.

Cannes Classic

From the sidebars, we have two refurbished greats, direct from their Cannes Classics premieres, Satyajit Ray’sCharulata (The Lonely Wife) looking better than new; and Weekend of a Champion the long lost documentary made with young Roman Polanski and his Formula one hero Jackie Stewart at Monte Carlo in 1971. 

Cannes has its Midnight Madness too, and that’s how we found out about Monsoon Shootout, a Mumbai police thriller with a what-if, triple Sliding Doors scenario.

On the Wire

Two more New Zealand films announced

He Toki Huna: New Zealand in Afghanistan

New Zealand 2013/80 mins/Censors rating tbc

Annie Goldson and Kay Ellmers’ doco, expanded from the film they made for Māori Television, takes a timely look at New Zealand’s military and media, notably journalist Jon Stephenson, in Afghanistan. 

Fantail

New Zealand 2013/83 mins/Censors rating tbc

Playing Tania, a feisty young petrol station attendant figuring out her place in the world with no real help from anyone else, Auckland writer-actress Sophie Henderson is mesmerising. Directed by Curtis Vowell.

Doctor Who: The Mind of Evil: DVD Review

Doctor Who: The Mind of Evil: DVD Review

Rating: PG
Released by BBC And Roadshow Home Entertainment

It's back 1971 for this latest outing with Jon Pertwee's Third Doctor and his companion Jo Grant - and a story which has languished in black and white for years.

Set in a prison, a mysterious machine can pacify even the most dangerous of criminals. When the Doctor and Jo end up there for a demonstration, it's soon clear the world's in danger with the reappearance of the Master. And as if that wasn't bad enough, an impending World peace conference is about to get underway. Are the two events connected?

Doctor Who: The Mind of Evil is remarkable in some ways and forgettable in others. First, the remarkable is the colourisation work done to the print; previously, it existed only in black and white and now is in colour. It's stunningly well put together and a real creditable job done by the team. But unremarkable are parts of the story; the peace conference strand simply disappears, there's way too much padding out at the prison as the Doctor and Jo are captured time and again - and for four successive cliffhangers to be exactly the same is unforgivable.

All in all, Doctor Who: The Mind of Evil remains a slice of watchable Who - but if you're expecting more from this set, which is also light on extras, you'll be disappointed.

Extras: Commentary, docos, subtitles, making of

Rating:

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters: DVD Review

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Entertainment

Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton are Hansel and Gretel, who, traumatised by being abandoned in the woods and being suckered by a witch in the Gingerbread house, are now bounty hunters and crossbow wielding killers, determined to rid the world of witches one by one.

15 years later, with the Blood Moon approaching in the town of Augsburg, the town mayor hires the duo to find out why so many children are being kidnapped. Despite the protestations of the local sheriff (Stormare), they set about this mission - only to find a witch more powerful and more evil than they've ever faced before....

And one which could hold a secret to their past. 

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters 3D is more Grimm than you could realise (and not in a good way). This latest release is, sadly somewhat of a muddled mess, which sets out to be too many things to too many people and ends up being nothing distinguished.

Which is a shame, because in amongst all the constant in your face 3D (wood, explosions, arrows all come flying towards your face), there is some promise of a decent story. Its opening titles recall illustrations from the middle ages and set the tone of a little tongue in cheek and promising blood and gore aplenty in its killings. Certainly heads explode completely when crushed, smashed and stomped in an array of red blood. Gemma Arterton is all punkish bravado as Gretel, with Jeremy Renner more of a sullen and sulky type as the brother Hansel. One neat twist on the fairy tale sees Hansel having to inject himself every few hours because of the sugar intake from his youth but it's mentioned so often that you're aware very early on that it will become a stumbling block for him. Janssen sneers and gurgles her way through as the baddest witch in town, and there are some hints of menace which sizzle on the screen early on before being squandered in a CGI trickery.

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters proffers up some moments of comedy, but then doesn't have enough one liners to carry it through; and has action and guns aplenty shoehorned in to make it feel a little jarring in places; tonally, while dark, it feels like too much of a mixed bag and I can't help but feel that if those in charge of it had decided what exactly they wanted out of the film, and zeroed in on it, it would have been more successful. Hints of what the film could have been come right at the end with a pre-credits sequence which expose more character, clever effects and sharp writing with great oneliners which lift the dour tone of all that's passed. Had the film incorporated those elements, it would have been a much better outcome.

Unfortunately, the final effect of Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters is like the comedown of a major sugar rush a few hours earlier - moments of joy, mixed with moments of discomfort in the pit of your stomach.

Extras: The Witching Hours

Rating:

West of Memphis: DVD Review

West of Memphis: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Sony Home Entertainment

West of Memphis is the tale of 3 men, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jesse MisKelly Jnr who were convicted for the murder of 3 eight-year-old boys in Arkansas back in 1994. This piece then follows the fight to get their convictions overturned, them out of jail (and in Damien Echols' case off of death row) and the struggle to expose a system so corrupt and damaged.

When you explain it like that, it's easy to see how a film like this could pander to emotional manipulation, over-stating the facts and playing to people's worst fears as well as painting a whiter-than-white portrait of the victims.

But West of Memphis does nothing like that at all - it's a concise, compelling and horrifying tale of a miscarriage of justice which is so disgusting, you wonder how anyone could cope or live with its after effects. Full credit needs to go to director Amy Berg, who's clearly devoted years to investigating this case thoroughly and crafting together a piece which is rational, calm, measured and extremely powerful to behold. A murder such as this one had locals screaming Satanism and Berg doesn't shy away from showing the victims, the crime scene and emotionally draining scenes of one mother collapsing after she finds out her child is dead.

Yet none of this is ever exploitative or sensationalised- throwing together an extremely wide group of interview subjects from all sides of the debate is a smart move by the film-makers and swerves this doco away from ever being about championing one cause. Granted, Echols gets the lion's share of the story because this is the case Sir Peter and Fran Walsh became involved with to try and get him off of death row.

But, by pulling together the pieces of the puzzle and presenting a clear picture of who they believe committed the murders (and backing it up with no less than 7 experts!) and leaving the three convicted men to the relative background of the film rather than having copious shots of them protesting their innocence, what emerges is an emotional (and yet extremely rational) response which you couldn't have prepared yourself for.

Evidence is damning - and the finger of blame is pointed at a massively corrupt justice system and state of Arkansas while simultaneously exonerating the three men jailed for such a heinous crime.

They say a good documentary has you interested in the story as it plays out. But a great documentary sends you scurrying to find out more about the story, while leaving you with an overwhelming feeling and reaction.

West of Memphis is a great documentary - it left me shocked, appalled, humbled, extremely outraged and at the same time inspired. There's an overarching sense of injustice throughout its 145 minute running time (which incidentally flew by) and I have nothing short of utter admiration for Damien Echols, who at one points espouse the phrase: "This case is nothing out of the ordinary. Stuff like this happens all the time."

I defy you not to have some kind of response to this film (as you can tell from the above review, Berg manages to create a piece which affected me as I watched it unfurl)- West of Memphis is a powerfully masterful piece of filmmaking and story telling which pulls no punches and is in equal measures heartbreaking and humbling. It's also saddening to think that three lives have been lost with no-one caught and countless others overshadowed by the actions of someone who continues to live without any consequences (even though the film gives solid evidence as to who is to blame, the frustration they're not in jail is overwhelming.)

West of Memphis is simply unmissable

Extras: Deleted scenes, Past re-creations

Rating: