NZIFF Review - Pulp: A Film about Life, Death and Supermarkets

NZIFF Review - Pulp: A Film about Life, Death and Supermarkets

Florian Habicht's foray into the music doco genre is to be frank, a triumph.

Bookending with Common People at the Sheffield venue the band finished the tour in 2012 cleverly captures the essence and exuberance Pulp has brought to many through their energetic live shows and countless albums.

But it's the common touch and gentle humour that Habicht captures on the streets of Sheffield which serves him the best. Choosing a clever range of subjects from around the grim northern city best demonstrates both the English attitude as well as the devotion Cocker's clan inspires in all.

From the dance troupe to the harmony group, the kids who are given a chance to star in a movie to the old ladies who believe Cocker's dad is onetime warbler Joe, Florian displays once again an eye for the indomitable spirit and unflappable way the English have when given a chance to appear on screen.

But it's the warmth that propels this with Habicht's disarming technique once again rising to the fore. Cocker is not spared this approach either, whether it be filming him changing a tyre or showing his range of medical options that are at gigs in case something happens, each moment is constructed for maximum crowd pleasing effect.

However, scratch beneath that veneer and there's a hint of something more revealing; such as Cocker revealing that fame was like a bit allergy or keyboard player Candida Doyle fearing illness would cripple her chances of re-joining the band, there's something beneath the surface.

Habicht's eye for a shot never deserts him either; be it a beautiful slow mo shot of Cocker hurling toilet rolls from the stage with an impish grin or the mundanity of a news stand's billboard ( Fall woman broke every bone in her body) the canvas is richly decorated and wonderfully observed in this hash of concert footage and real life.

(One only hopes Habicht's captured all of the concert performance and intends to release it; it would make a perfect companion piece.)

All in all, Pulp: A Film about Life, Death and Supermarkets is a fusing of two masters; a genius fusion and meeting of like minds and possesses a joie de vivre that's undeniably essential.

NZIFF Review: The Skeleton Twins

NZIFF Review: The Skeleton Twins

It's off to the deep dark world of indie for this emotionally rich piece about a pair of estranged siblings, whose concurrent suicide attempts brings them back together.

In The Skeleton Twins, Kristen Wiig is Maggie, a dental hygienist , married to Luke Wilson's Lance, a loveable guy who clearly dotes on his wife and the idea of becoming a father. But unbeknownst to him, Maggie's wrestling with some big secrets behind the veneer of suburbia.

Into their lives comes Milo (Hader), unhappy and suicidal - his initial attempt forms one of the starkest images of the film as red blood seeps up through clear water in an opening shocker.

As the two gradually open up to each other after years apart, the bonds are re-strengthened and tested once again in this darkly tragic yet bittersweet piece.

Hader and Wiig have great comedic chemistry together and comedic timing (as shown in a lip synching sequence) but also have dramatic depth as the emotions start to rain down.

Director Luke Johnson drives the film well, juggling a sensitive line between dark and deliciously funny as the lies we often tell to each other are exposed. But there's an air of sadness that hangs heavy on The Skeleton Twins that's inescapable (aside from a depressingly cliched Hollywood and improbable ending that sours the experience) and provides fertile ground to explore the relationships.

Poignant, warm, effective and heartbreaking, indie The Skeleton Twins provides hidden depths to these comedic actors and delivers a uniquely skewed view on life that feels all too real and engaging. You could say there's some dramatic meat on these here bones...

NZIFF Review Under The Skin

NZIFF Review Under The Skin

Under The Skin collects the award for most wilfully bizarre exhibit so far this year at the film festival.

ScarJo, complete with black wig, fur coat and red lippy to the max, cruises the streets of Scotland in a white van trying to find unattached male specimens to lure them to her house, with the promise of sexual conquest.

But when they head there, the would be suitors get more than an eyeful...

Jonathan Glazer's Under The Skin is a visual symphony, complete with heaven and hell. Wrapping dissonant crescendo sounds, virtually no dialogue and proffering no answers to what's going on proves to be an intoxicating cinematic feast like never witnessed before.

With shades of Holy Motors, combined with Johansson's allure, the piece is a trippy disturbing spectacle that confuses and confounds as much as it seduces the eye.

Johansson's ethereal otherworldly approach is perfectly utilised in this (and yes, there's plenty of nude Scarlett Johansson to view) - even if it does go off the rails somewhat in its final third.

To reveal why is to spoil it, but those involved really had no choice but to move the film on and it's hard to see what else could have been done as it races to its disturbing conclusion.

Glazer's eye for visuals is astounding - from the opening sequence where a spot moves towards the screen to a final sequence in the Scottish woods that VFX triumph at, there's plenty to help the eyes hallucinate.

But once you scratch Under The Skin (apologies), there's also a rare look at how alienated some feel, a lack of connection and an intimacy that will provoke further discussion.

However, the most nightmarish scene is a simply human one set on a beach that's as completely psychologically traumatising as it is well executed.

Using landscapes, sound and stark visuals to maximise the resonant themes, Glazer has crafted something creepy which is truly unique, completely remarkable and utterly soul quaking.

Blue Is The Warmest Colour: DVD Review

Blue Is The Warmest Colour: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Ent

It won the Palme D'Or at Cannes this year, garnered divisive word of mouth and then promptly disappeared amid talk the director wasn't happy with the cut and wanted to clean it up.

Now, with 3 hours and 7 minutes under its belt, Blue Is The Warmest Colour emerges for a fully-fledged small screen release after discussions of the gruelling set conditions its stars had to endure.

Exarchpoulos stars as Adele, a 15 year old art student, living with her parents in a grey and overcast French town. She's trying to find her place in the world and despite hooking up with a senior who's the boy everyone wants, she's not happy. A fleeting glimpse of a blue haired girl throws her into a daze and she can't stop thinking of her - so, Adele sets out to the gay clubs to find the girl, Emma (played by Lea Seydoux).

Eventually the pair meet and Adele's thrown into a world of self-discovery, sexual awakening and a chance to come of age. But the path to true love and happiness is never an easy one as time weaves back and forth in this tale.

Blue Is The Warmest Colour is an interesting, if over-long story with some interesting narrative choices but some decisions which leave you scratching your head.

The film's already gained notoriety for its 10 minute long sex scene between Adele Exarchpoulos and Lea Seydoux that leaves nothing to the imagination - and neither does the camera, as it almost drools over the naked writhing flesh of the pair, lingering in close ups and perhaps giving you more of a sense of voyeurism than any real tenderness. (Though Kechiche spends a lot of the film focusing on close ups of his actors - maybe a bit too much time - which gives it an alarming lack of intimacy)

Elsewhere, the story is fine - though an expeditious edit in places of the script and the final cut could have substantially helped. In terms of the coming of age of Adele, it's exactly the story you'd expect - girl finds love, girl finds jealousy, girl makes mistakes and tries to atone for them - there's nothing inspiringly original here on that front.

Some of the problems come with characters brought in and simply used once before being dismissed - Adele's friends who form an important start of the first 30 minutes are dispensed with when their need is done. Worst though, is the use of the parents. Initially they're brought into symbolise a cultural difference and naive innocence between Adele and Emma; with Adele being unaware of oysters and trying them at Emma's house (oh, the lack of subtlety and overt subtext) during one repaste. When the meal favour is returned at Adele's, she tries simpler food and her parents are unaware of her sexual leaning - a dramatic tension that's strongly hinted at and dropped without warning. Frustrations like this come and go during the three hour run.

What is impressive though is Adele Exarchpoulos as the doe-eyed naif; she makes the large part of her journey and awakening feel real and heartbreaking when it counts; likewise, to a lesser degree Seydoux convinces as the blue haired Emma, who's more sure of herself and knows what she wants.

Blue is the Warmest Colour has its highs and narrative lows; while it captures the heartbreaking realities of coming of age nicely in some parts, the director's choices and at times meandering narrative unfortunately make the three hour paean to love an at times hard slog, but nevertheless rewarding because of its strong central performances.

Rating:

Hercules: Movie Review

Hercules: Movie Review

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Ian McShane, John Hurt, Rufus Sewell, Joseph Fiennes
Director: Brett Ratner

Thrace yourselves because this Hercules has its tongue so far in its cheek throughout.

In a move that rips up the mythology of the man, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is Hercules, a sword for hire, who's taken on by Lord Cotys (John Hurt) to rid his kingdom of the horror that is Rhesus, a warlord apparently wreaking havoc on the world.

But when Hercules and his team investigate, they find there's more to Cotys' story than meets the eye....

Deciding to take on the myth of Hercules, using the graphic novel as the basis and giving him a team of mercenaries to help is a clever touch, but it gives way to an ongoing cheesy message of self-belief that's more irritating than galvanising in director Brett Ratner's take on the myth.

With a knowing wink to the audience - none more so than Ian McShane's soothsayer who keeps prophesying his own death and then getting it wrong- the film is tonally unsure of what direction it ultimately wants to head in. Choosing to remove the myth and the mystical may have been a bold narrative stroke but replacing it with nothing of merit is disastrous.

Dismissing the twelve labours tasks in favour of a political power struggle and corruption story is a storytelling back peddle given that nothing about the plot helps propel it compellingly from one battle shot to the next.

And talking of those, while the science behind it all is very sound, the action is incredibly workmanlike and uneventful, with no directorial flourishes on hand to help lift its game. 3D this time makes things a lot more murky than necessary and seems a little pointless in places.

Dwayne Johnson does his best but his troubled Hercules sits at odds with the rest of the happy go lucky mercenary team he has around him; plus a woman and adoring kid are simply brought in to  offer up some emotional pull for The Rock but fail to lift any stakes at all.

Elsewhere, his team fail to really hit the mark, offering a few quips here and there but generally are overshadowed by the glistening oiled up pecs on show, despite all their attempts to make this the H Team / Greek Expendables. Joseph Fiennes risks the wrath of the gods with one of the hammiest performances ever and Hurt puts Caligula to shame as the king of Thrace. 

All in all, Hercules is not preposterous enough to carry it off and not original enough to stand out from the swords and sandals pantheon.

Rating:

Fifty Shades of Grey trailer is here

Fifty Shades of Grey trailer is here

Fifty Shades of Grey is the hotly anticipated film adaptation of the bestselling book that has become a global phenomenon.  

Since its release, the “Fifty Shades” trilogy has been translated into 51 languages worldwide and sold more than 100 million copies in e-book and print—making it one of the biggest and fastest-selling book series ever.  

Stepping into the roles of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, who have become iconic to millions of readers, are Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson.  

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY, releases on Valentine’s Day, 2015.

Watch the Fifty Shades of Grey trailer here

Healing: Movie Review

Healing: Movie Review

Cast: Hugo Weaving, Don Hany, Xavier Samuel, Mark Leonard Winter
Director: Craig Monahan

It's off to Melbourne Australia for this drama about the power of redemption set in a men's low-security prison.

Hugo Weaving plays Senior Officer Matt Perry, a grizzled and haunted man who's working towards redeeming his prisoners. Into his life and his WonWron low-security jail comes Viktor (Hany), who's spent 18 years in prison and has detached from life.

But when Viktor's given the responsibility of rehabilitating and looking after a group of injured birds, including raptors, owls, falcons and eagles, he begins to find an outlet which awakens him, thanks to an eagle called Yasmine.

However, Viktor faces other challenges too - including caring for Paul, a fellow inmate who comes to the jail at the same time he does - and to keep him away from the prison bullies and the fragile room-mate Shane (Winter), who teeters dangerously on the edge.

Healing is inspired by true events and has the power to move given the story it has to tell.

Yet, it's fatally crippled by a heavy-handed approach that eschews subtlety for sledge-hammering home the point at every available opportunity. The parallels with the men and the birds they take up with are increasingly obvious - from the proud and head-strong Viktor who's paired off with a majestic and selfish eagle to the quiet Paul, who's given an owl that becomes his confidante, every moment is manipulated for maximum effect.

Throw in a one-note prison bad guy who sets out to ruin things for all and the whole feeling of Healing begins to mire itself in self-indulgent mawkish moments which ruin the obviously emotional storyline. Sullen face Viktor is reasonably played by Hany (even if he does look like a perma-tanned Keith Lemon) and Weaving brings a degree of venerability to the wounded Perry, but the sedentary pace and gradual reveals of the sensitively told story are serviced by so many shots of the landscapes, close ups of birds and slow-mo shots of them swooping that the inevitable ending takes too long to arrive and delivers with a real lack of emotional resonance.

A touch more subtlety, a fleshing out of some of the underwritten main characters and an easing off of the overtly heavy handed imagery could have seen Healing really hit an emotional high - instead it's akin to a predictable range of emotional bombs being triggered without any overall effect.

Rating: