Thale: DVD Review

Thale: DVD Review

Rating: 13
Released by Vendetta Films

Thale is a Norwegian folklore horror film.

It recalls a mix of early X Files spookiness and Norwegian bleakness as proffered up by way of Rare Exports. 

A duo, Leo and Elvis, who clean crime scenes, end up at a seemingly deserted cabin in the woods (always with the cabins) cleaning up after an old man goes missing and half his body remains. 

When the duo discover a huldra, a sacred forest creature in the basement, it all goes a bit haywire. 

Mixing a few scares and some relative low budget horror, Thale is a short and relatively creepy sweet treat. It pulls together a good atmosphere, some nice lo-fi thrills and shocks and is a curious mix of spooky and weird nature.

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Mood Indigo: Movie Review

Mood Indigo: Movie Review

Cast: Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou, Omar Sy
Director: Michel Gondry

L'ecume des Jours is the latest from acclaimed video director Michel Gondry whose distinctive visual style has its lovers and its haters.

Starring Romain Duris as Colin, it's the story of his doomed romance with Audrey Tautou's Chloe. Colin is desperate to meet the love of his life as all his friends are loved up; he loves the food from his cook, whom he lives with (Intouchables' Omar Sy) and his friend Chick (Gad Elmaleh) has also found someone. As he intones: "I demand to fall in love too".

So, when Colin goes to a party and falls head over heels with Audrey Tautou's Chloe, their whirlwind romance kicks in. But problems develop on the honeymoon when Chloe falls sick after inhaling a waterlily seed which grows on her lung - and the romance begins to wither for Chick too.

Initially, Mood Indigo is hardly about plot and more about visuals as it brings the 1947 novel Froth on the Daydream to the screen.

In fact, to start off with, it's all too much of a quirkiness overload as all kinds of visuals jump around the place in a manner similar to Peter Gabriel's iconic music video Sledgehammer. Fruit moves all over the place in stop motion frames, and the screen creaks with visual overload as Gondry piles layer upon layer upon layer of quirk - a doorbell rings but instead of staying motionless, it sprouts legs and scuttles like a beetle around the doorframe; a piano when played spouts cocktails as well as notes, there's just no stopping to the endless assault on the eyeballs.

In fact, the initial overload is nearly all too much and quite off putting as the world around Colin begins to grow, but you become accustomed to it or mentally check out. Those who endure the film and its rather free-forming narrative will be rewarded in parts with a tragedy but also a film which frustrates as it attempts to fulfil.

The current release has lost 35 minutes from the film festival release, and while there's some discussion among critics as to whether that's any better, the latest cut of Michel Gondry's Mood Indigo feels a lot like two tonally different films harshly jammed together. Mood Indigo starts out bright, breezy and colourful but as the romance between Colin et Chloe starts to flounder, the colour of the film drains, and a reeking decay settles literally and metaphorically over it. The narrative and threads appear to end abruptly and characters suffer fates which materialise out of left-field and leave you feeling cheated as it heads towards its end.

While Mood Indigo, with its quirky visual symphony, is really a film of two halves. Neither are terrible and both have their merits. If anything, this version of Mood Indigo, with its cuts imposed for reasons unknown, represents a tantalising peek into a piece which is surreal, nonsensical and utterly original.

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The Family: Movie Review

The Family: Movie Review

Cast: Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dianna Agron, Tommy Lee Jones, John D'Leo
Director: Luc Besson

The mobster genre gets another shot with this dark dramedy, The Family.

A bearded greying Robert De Niro is Mob Boss, Giovanni Manzoni, a notorious mafioso who, along with his family has been forced into the witness protection programme after snitching on the powers that be within the family. But, despite being undercover, Giovanni, his wife Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer), daughter Belle (Glee's Dianna Agron) and son Warren (D'Leo), are constantly having to move from one home to the next.

This time, the family find themselves relocated to Normandy, along with grizzled handler Robert Stansfield (Tommy Lee Jones) in another attempt to settle in to a life undercover. However, Giovanni is having trouble staying within the confines of their house and decides to reinvent himself as a writer and that he will write his memoirs.

But Giovanni's unable to control his sadistic violent streak and finds his patience stretched by the French attitude to life; meanwhile, the rest of his family are trying to settle into the humdrum life - Belle's obsessed with her older Maths tutor, Maggie's bored with the snobby French attitudes and Warren's running a series of rackets within school because that's all he knows.

Thanks to one minor slip (and major coincidence) the Mob discovers where the Manzonis are hiding....

The Family is an odd mess of a film.

The mafia fish out of water plots are pitched as comedy initially, and seem to play heavily on the fact that De Niro's spent most of his life playing something to do with the mob. But there are scant laughs along the way that it makes it difficult to latch onto what exactly Besson is pitching for - sure, there are some smart, sly digs at the stereotypes of the French and the American ways of life and sensibilities that just hit the mark but they are largely sidelined after the opening 20 minutes.

And then there's the extreme violence - the brutal beatings dished out by Giovanni to a plumber who doesn't show on time and who disrespects him, Belle's psychotic smackdown of one kid who steals her pencil case despite looking like Britney Spears, Maggie's destruction of a supermarket - it's all quite jarring within the confines of what's trying to be done and adds to the confusion of the overall tone of the film.

Robert De Niro though, shows some real life in his acting, which has not been seen for years - and the meta moment when his character is invited to the local film club and ends up watching Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas suggest the film which has been struggling for a direction is about to go somewhere original. But it doesn't - it settles in for playing out all the cliches and offering no twists in its slightly overlong plot. It all results in a Besson style gun fight at the end and adds to the overall unbalanced feeling of the film.

All in all, The Family aims for dysfunctionally dark and doesn't quite go far enough; likewise, with its subtle comedy and commentary, it's guilty of holding back rather than fully going for it. Which means all in all that the tonally inconsistent mafia film The Family just needs to fuhgeddaboudit.

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Identity Thief: Blu Ray Review

Identity Thief: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Ent

Following on from this year's first mis-matched road trip movie, The Guilt Trip comes the latest contender - Identity Thief.

Mild-mannered businessman Sandy Patterson (a likeable Jason Bateman) is an everyday American blue collar worker, who, one day finds his chance of getting a new job is being scuppered by someone who's stolen his identity and maxed out his credit cards. So, deciding, for once, to take matters into his own hands, Sandy heads from Denver to Miami to track down alterna-Sandy Patterson (Melissa McCarthy, complete with garish orange glow and horrendous clothes), who's been living the high life at his expense.

His plan? To get "Sandy" back to Denver so she can clear his name - sounds easy, but as Sandy soon discovers this plan is about to hit all manner of speed bumps.

Overlong and under funny, this latest from the director of Horrible Bosses manages to get the absolute best out of a pair of likeable leads despite giving them very little to work with. Once again, Bateman mines his very successful middle American schtick to great comic effect despite having very few lines to work with.

But once again, he proves identifiable for a lot of middle America as they get the chance to "stick it to the man". Melissa McCarthy, while initially garish and over the top, begins to grate but wisely and perhaps, unevenly, suffers from the affliction of a conscience in the final furlong of the movie. Farcical without ever being overly funny, this road trip without the subtlety may amuse some more than others, but in amongst the inevitable squabbling and moments of occasional grossness, there is some heart and emotion as McCarthy's "Sandy" gets a back story and suffers the unavoidable final act about-face.

All in all, Identity Thief is a good idea and a great premise which doesn't quite generate the funnies it needs and offers a straighter piece rather than a dramedy. It fails to deliver the laughs and despite a pair of likeable leads, it flounders with, ironically, no identity of its own to build on.


Extras: A Gag reel, alternate takes, making of, humour of Identity Thief, Easter Egg

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Quantum Leap - Seasons 1 to 5: DVD Review

Quantum Leap - Seasons 1 to 5: DVD Review

Rating: PG- M
Released by Madman Home Entertainment

Seminal TV series Quantum Leap in from the early 90s pen of Donald P Bellisario and garnered a cult following.

It's the story of scientist Dr Sam Beckett (a wonderful Scott Bakula), who theorises that one man should be able to time travel within his own lifetime. Putting that theory to the test, the good doctor sets up a machine and ends up lost in time, bouncing from life to life and as the credits say, "Striving to put right what once went wrong".


He's aided in his time travels by cigar smoking womaniser Al Calavicci (an equally wonderful Dean Stockwell) - and the problem Sam finds himself in is that he jumps from body to body, and looking at a different mirror image each time, and having a new set of problems to solve.

The show still holds up well - it's a great mix of brilliant chemistry between the two actors, an iconic Mike Post soundtrack, some good stories and a case of real heart in every moment of the way. Of course along the way, Sam bumps into some historical figures - including Buddy Holly, Michael Jackson - and he even jumps into the body of Lee Harvey Oswald (a contentious storyline) in the 4th season opener.

The show was pegged as a cult sci fi show of its time, and while occasionally it shows signs of dating here and there, it's still a tremendous collection which mixes social commentary with bloody good cult TV.

While the lack of extras on the discs of the series other than the first series is a real shame (there's still no sign of a good documentary wrapping up the show and looking at its appeal / sci-fi legacy), its effect is eternal. It's family entertainment at its best - and I can't recommend it highly enough.

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Romeo and Juliet: A Love Song: Movie Review

Romeo and Juliet: A Love Song: Movie Review

Cast: Christopher Landon and Derya Parlak 
Director: Tim van Dammen


Rock operetta meets the trailer park in this latest ambitious, light and fun re-telling of the tale of Juliet and her Romeo.

Set in Verona caravan park, it's the story of Romeo and erm, Juliet and their star crossed love, a story told a million times before and which has been given a spit and polish for this Kiwi version. The music came first this time around as composers/producers Michael O’Neill and Peter van der Fluit set Shakespeare’s text to music, mixing in styles such as rap, ballad and rock.

Constantly surprising, director Tim van Dammen's clearly drawn heavily from his music video directing background and the whole piece comes together with such toe-tapping gusto that it's impossible to deny. With the talent miming to other voices, the occasional misfire with the voice matching/ miming drips through, but all in all, it's an extremely enjoyable affair. Christopher Landon and Derya Parlak play the titular lovers with such aplomb that you can't help but be swept along with the story. Plus, given the fact they don't look out of place by the beach (Summer Bay Shakespeare anyone?) doesn't hinder the proceedings at all. 

The music's fabulous and ramps up the style pretty high in this take on Shakespeare's 400 year old story as the glorious re-versioning plays out. Ambitious and exciting, this Romeo and Juliet is something uniquely different; constantly surprising and always inventive, the operetta has an energy which is hard to ignore. A caravan roof doubles for a balcony and a wood just outside of the camping ground provides some truly memorable scenery as the declarations of love are unveiled.

Shakespeare's text may have been remade repeatedly - but this Kiwi view of it shows off a clever twist on the stuffy text - it's a music video rock operetta with a high dose of energy and directing gusto.

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Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters: Movie Review

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters: Movie Review

Cast: Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddaro, Douglas Smith, Brandon T Jackson
Director: Thor Freudenthal

2010 saw the first Percy Jackson film unleashed onto the public. It was a great mix of Greek mythology, modern day humour and a major first to have a dyslexic hero on screen.

And now, the sequel's finally arrived in the cinematic form of Rick Riordan's second book, The Sea of Monsters.

This time around, Logan Lerman's Percy Jackson is feeling a little like he's a one quest wonder as the Half-blood offspring of Poseidon. When the camp that they inhabit comes under attack and the barrier separating them from the rest of the world is threatened, Percy's rival Clarisse (Leven Ramblin) is sent to recover the Golden Fleece and save the day.

But Percy, determined to live up to his name and face his prophesied destiny, grabs his friends Grover (Jackson) and Annabeth (Daddario), along with his newly discovered Cyclopean brother Tyson (Douglas Smith) and sets out to retrieve the fleece himself.

However, that quest means he has to cross the Sea of Monsters (aka The Bermuda Triangle) and face all manner of perils....

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters is a fairly reasonable family piece of cinematic entertainment.

It starts off quite well, setting up a nice mix of creatures and mythology before ever so slightly losing its way after Percy leaves the camp the gang all call home. Whereas the first film relied a little more on the Greek mythology theme, this latest appears to have all but dispensed of that side of things and gone for a more formulaic family blockbuster film which is light on scares, and more on action.

That's not a bad thing - but it's a mixed bag at times. While Lerman and Daddario have charm eminating from their characters, they're clearly getting a little too old to play them as they look less fresh faced than in the previous outing. But they give it their all - and Lerman certainly manages to gallantly convince of his own crisis of self-belief.

Some of the creature work is fantastically well realised (even though there aren't perhaps enough monsters in a movie with the subtitle Sea of Monsters) but some of the work done when the trio are riding on creatures or being tossed around is a little wonky to say the least. That said, a final bad guy / boss battle at the end is stunningly original as it dissolves around our heroes while fighting them. Along with an animated sequence which is essentially coloured stained glass and tells the myth of the Titans versus the Olympians, there is some truly wondrous VFX at play in this film - despite the odd misfire.

As for the human talent, the best of the bunch is a cameo from Nathan Fillion as Hermes (who works for the postal service - geddit?) who steals his scenes. Thanks largely in part to a wonderful gag about much missed TV series Firefly, the film could have benefited more from his presence throughout. Alas, not this time around. Stanley Tucci is mischievous and bitter as Dionysus and Anthony Head brings some venerable acting to a centaur, meaning the adults are matching the kids throughout.

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters is pacy enough blockbuster entertainment which has a charm but lacks a certain emotional pull throughout. There's never really any feeling of a threat to Percy and his crew - and according to the Percy Jackson readers who went with me, fans of the books will be disappointed that large chunks have been missed out left, right and centre.

As family entertainment goes, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters is perfectly serviceable and utterly forgettable the minute it's over. If a third film goes ahead (as is hinted at the open ending), there really does need to be a little more magic in this franchise to make it stand on its own two legs.

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