The Age of Adaline: Film Review

The Age of Adaline: Film Review

Cast: Blake Lively, Harrison Ford, Michiel Huisman, Ellen Burstyn, Amanda Crew
Director: Lee Toland Krieger

It feels like a Nicholas Sparks mash up with A Curious Case Of Benjamin Button elements thrown in, but yet portions of The Age of Adaline manage to transcend the syrupy conventions of romantic fantasy.

One time Gossip Girl star Blake Lively is Adaline, a woman who was born at the turn of the century and who has not aged a day; she's seen San Francisco come and go, its major landmarks ravaged by time and earthquakes but yet she's weathered them all.

Fearing that she's become isolated from all around her and with her chance for a normal life and love fading as every year springs eternal, a meeting with a philanthropist Ellis (Huisman) on the stroke of midnight at a New Year's Eve party sets Adaline on a course she could never have predicted.

The Age Of Adaline is a sumptuous feast for the eyes - but not really for the brain unless you like romantic tosh.

It's thanks in no part to Blake Lively who revels in the chance to tout some beautiful costumes and cut a swathe through period locations.

Revelling in its Nicholas Sparks' style trappings, this romantic fantasy has a portentous voiceover that spouts aphorism and pomposity with ease, leading the film down a holier-than-thou approach and lending the supernatural trappings a self-referential feeling as it struggles through its exposition heavy opening.

The elegaic piece packs a twist halfway through proceedings which will be polarising, as the film of coincidence heads to its final denouement and phrases like "You've lived, but never had a life" peppering the at times corny dialogue.

But it's exquisitely shot, with the ruminations on life beautifully sign-posted throughout.

The film's never better than when it lets Lively take the stage; her radiance shines through and enlivens proceedings, stopping them from becoming a wallowing piece of pulpy romantic trash. Game of Thrones star Huisman barely registers a pulse as the love interest, and even Harrison Ford who crops up midway through seems a little lost in parts as he navigates the conventions of the genre under the guidance of Celeste and Jesse Forever's director Krieger.

Ultimately, despite the romantic trappings and despite a strong pathos filled turn from Lively, The Age of Adaline is a movie of two halves; its divisive twist proves the tipping point into absurdity for me personally, and its final scenes creak with ridicule due to a lack of actual resolution rather than a glow that the sombre piece elicits early on.

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Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast & Furious: XBox One Review

Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast & Furious: XBox One Review

Platform: XBox One
Released by Playground Games

Fast and Furious 7 is tearing up the box office globally currently, and it was perhaps no surprise that the best racing game of 2014 would get in on the action.

But the biggest surprise of Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast & Furious is that this expansion was free.

A 15 GB load of the game and it's yours to own. Which these days is no bad thing.

Though, it has to be said, if you were a player of Forza Horizon 2 already (and if not, why not? It's one of the best racing games I've ever played) then you may feel a little let down by this expansion pack.

Taking its cue from Ludacris' Tej, and Forza Horizon 2's France map, you're thrown into a world of racing that sees you having to acquire cars by winning various jaunts (essentially, a revamp of the races of Forza Horizon 2) across country and so on.

And that really is it - add in a nitrous feature that makes the street racing a little more in line with the movie series and you've got something that's disposably fun to play for a few hours which ties in both universes pretty neatly.

Graphically, the game looks and plays well on the XBox One, with the same dynamics in the Fast and Furious expansion as there was in the Forza Horizon game. The addition of various cars, including Vin Diesel's Toretto trademark gives it a nice edge and a nod to the films it's trying to emulate.

I sense there could be the start of a series here and I'd be happy with that - if you're a Forza player already, there may be little here for you other than a re-introduction to the world. But if you're a non player and given it's free for a limited time, you really have no excuse not to give this set of cars a spin.

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Autumn Events Q&A with Bill Gosden

Autumn Events Q&A with Bill Gosden

The third annual Autumn Events kicks off this weekend in Auckland at the mighty Civic Theatre before heading around the country.
I caught up with Bill Gosden of the NZIFF to get some insider knowledge on this year's event.
Don't forget to book tickets and get info, head to the Autumn Events website.

What’s the ethos behind the curation of this? How do you approach the films that are selected?
When it comes to selecting the classics, there’s three main considerations: (1) the film has got to be great or at least VERY interesting. (2) It’s got to be crying out for the Giant Screen. Some films really do work just as well on a small one. (3) The restoration has to rate – and that’s more the case than ever with stunning new copies of Pinocchio, The Conformist and Hard Day’s Night. The two Kubrick films come to us in the best studio transfers, but do not represent any major refurbishments.

It’s the third Autumn Events since 2013, what are you learning about audiences as you go on?
Last year our screenings felt really festive, like mid-year NZIFF screenings transplanted into the autumn. That’s just what we’d been hoping for. Putting a World Premiere into the mix will definitely add to the fun this year.

Kubrick’s the big winner this year, with 2 films – what was it about 2001: A Space Odyssey and Spartacus that made them choices for Autumn Events?
It’s been too long since either of them had a giant screen outing, especially Spartacus. It’s easily the most literate of the Hollywood Roman Empire epics, and the most surprisingly down with the underdogs. It has great Red Peril credentials! And the battle scenes show Kubrick’s mastery of grand scale film-making in its startling earliest appearance.

Many won’t have experienced some of 2001’s trippiest sequences on the big screen; an HD presentation of it surely will blow some minds?
Let’s hope. The tag lines the first time round weren’t shy about implying that the film was a drug experience. The Ultimate Trip, no less.

There’s Pinocchio as well; Disney’s undergone a revival with the Cinderella live action remake, are you hoping that families will embrace this in its 75th year – what makes it so timeless?
‘When You Wish Upon a Star’ had its first airing in this movie – and that’s not an anthem that’s ever waned in popularity. But in many ways Pinocchio is very much of its time – and gloriously so. There was never another Disney film that was so elaborately gorgeously crafted.  When I was a student working at the Century Theatre in Dunedin I had to watch this film four times a day for a fortnight (to ensure the kids never set fire to the theatre). Every screening was a pleasure, revealing new details I’d never spotted before.

The Beatles are currently in residence in Auckland’s Civic theatre with Let It Be – and then a Hard Day’s Night comes in for the Autumn Events; is this some kind of celestial alignment or just fortuitous programming? What’s the appeal of Hard Day’s Night?
They changed the world – and you can still feel it happening as you watch this film. They’ve set off a terrifying storm of adulation. They are still astounded and excited by it, but they are already masters of evasion. Their insolence is fresh and charming. And the songs aren’t bad either.

The best thing about the Autumn Events is a chance to appreciate something unscreened in its glory; in my case, it’s Bertolucci’s The Conformist – why should I ensure I head to this one?
It is an orgy of art deco style and rhapsodic camerawork. The tension between such visual extravagance and its uptight, murderous protagonist is electrifying.

You’re also premiering some Australasian firsts; first up, That Sugar Film – this year’s Supersize Me. I understand the film-makers were really keen for this to be screened as soon as possible and will be in attendance?
Correct. Sandra saw the film at the Amsterdam documentary festival late last year, and we immediately invited it for July. But the film was already on a roll in Australia and Damon was keen to get in front of New Zealand audiences sooner rather than later. He’ll be here to take questions at the Auckland and Wellington screenings.

And our obsessions with rugby are explored in The Ground We Won, a look at provincial rugby – surely that’s destined for greatness given the country’s love of the sport?
It’s a beautifully made film, absolutely fit for classic status. The amazing thing is that the guys in it seem to have forgotten there was a filmmaker present, and a citified female filmmaker at that. It’s frank and funny and I think an extremely truthful picture of their deeply homo-social and mutually fortifying environment. I suspect the audience who is going to get the most out of the film is made up of rugby outsiders. I was amused to see
the rugby widow quoted in Chris and Miriam’s publicity: “Thank you. You have shown me what my husband could never explain.”

Finally, I always ask, Sydney Film Festival’s made its first announcements for their annual film festival; ours is lurking excitedly around the corner. With plenty of tantalising fare out at the festival circuit, what’s our own NZIFF looking like? Any early confirmations or teases you can give us?

You know I don’t do that in April!

Farming Simulator is nearly here

Farming Simulator is nearly here

 Farming Simulator 15 releases in a month on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360! For the first time on consoles, players will be able to live the full "Farming experience", the same one that has already seduced over one million players on PC with its latest version: all its content, its activities, its vehicles and, on PS4 and Xbox One, the online cooperative multiplayer mode, a first for Farming Simulator on consoles! 

On May 19, players on consoles will finally discover the new generation of Farming Simulator. While waiting for this upcoming release, discover the first video of Farming Simulator 15 on consoles, revealing part of the huge content the game has to offer: 

With a brand new graphics and physics engine, Farming Simulator 15 offers an immense open world filled with details and visual effects! In solo, but also for the first time online on consoles with the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One, manage and develop your own farm: harvesting, animal husbandry (cows, chicken and sheep), sales of fresh products, investment in new and more powerful vehicles or tools… Discover also the new activity in Farming Simulator 15:woodcutting, and its selection of entirely dedicated vehicles and tools! 

Across hundreds of acres of land offered by the new Nordic environment, and a renovated North American environment, use and drive over 140 authentic vehicles and farming tools, including new vehicles exclusive to consoles, from over 40 most famous manufacturers: New Holland, Ponsse, Case IH, Deutz-Fahr, MAN, Liebherr... 

With Farming Simulator 15, Farming Simulator is also for the first time playable in multiplayer on consoles, with the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One! Invite other players in your game: increase your productivity by sharing tasks or cooperating on bigger tasks, and develop your farm faster thanks to your help! 

Grab your controllers, because Farming Simulator 15 is scheduled for release on PlayStation®4, Xbox One®, PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360® on May 19! 

In Order of Disappearance: DVD Review

In Order of Disappearance: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Madman Home Ent

Scandi-noir gets a darkly comic boost with In Order of Disappearance, a revenge saga where Stellan Skarsgard's Citizen of the Year Nils has to turn to the dark side after his son's killed by gangland crims.

With his wife believing the son had turned to drugs and lost his way, Nils is about to shoot himself when he finds one of his son's friends who had inadvertently set him up. Given the details of what's gone down and who's involved, Nils channels his inner Dirty Harry / Liam Neeson and sets out to exact revenge on those who've done him wrong.

For a film set in the white snowy expanses of Norway, this film's heart is as blackly comic as they come.

It opens with Nils running his snow plow through vast amounts of the white stuff and then takes a turn for the darker climes as the gangland element kicks in. With Nils intoning that he's "best at minding my own business" as he's given an award, you know that's never going to be the case as he cuts a sway through the criminal element, slowly and meticulously tracking them down and causing ructions in a fragile peace between the warring drug factions.

It's Skarsgard's film through and through, though his quietly determined edge sits at odds with the gangsters, who are there for comic relief and whose ineptitude shines through. Skarsgard keeps a level of dignity throughout - and scenes with his wife after their son's death drip with poignancy and emotion. It's a level of humanity which elevates this, despite some uglier misogynistic moments towards the end from the lead bad guy.

In stark contrast to the white driven snow, the film's heart is as dark as it comes, with a series of ongoing gags about how Nils is disposing of the bodies, death notices peppering the screen each time someone's offed and the gangland boss railing at how his son won't now be able to have his 5 a day because one of the henchmen's not packed his fruit.

But it's Snow Country for Old Men as Nils edges closer to his targets - the sparsity of his interactions and despatches lack the conventional Hollywood parting quip (and all are the more terrific for it) as the final showdown arrives.

All in all, In Order of Disappearance, aside from 2 moments of unnecessary repugnant ugliness, is one of the finer Scandi flicks to emerge from the Festival in a few years. 

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The Young and Prodigious T S Spivet: Blu Ray Review

The Young and Prodigious T S Spivet: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Madman Home Ent

Mixing visual whimsy with the road trip genre, acclaimed director Jeunet concocts something nostalgic and yet timeless in The Young and Prodigious TS Spivet.

Newcomer Kyle Catlett is Spivet, the very definition of precociousness. Living on a ranch with his family in Montana, this prodigy finds his life changed when he's called by the Smithsonian Museum who ask to induct him because of an invention that he created.

Without telling his parents, Spivet packs a bag and sets out on a journey for the accolade - but also to claim some kind of personal redemption for events past.

The Young and Prodigious TS Spivet has a beautiful eye for nostalgic detail and moments of a childhood in America's mid-west, mixed in with perfect flights of fantasy and imbued with a sweetly tragic undercurrent.

Catlett is given a hard job for the final third of the film but manages the right mix of innocence and tragedy when called upon to deliver the Smithsonian speech. He also captures a vein of ribald childish cheekiness when needed such as with an encounter with a policeman where he corrects the cop for misuse of language, without realising his attitude could cause more trouble.

But The Young and Prodigious TS Spivet is more concerned with the visuals with Jeunet bringing his famed eye for beautiful vistas and also quirky visual tics. With maps, pop-up books and illustrations floating around the screen (and likely to look the full monty in 3D), there's plenty of visual treats to tickle the eyeballs. Jeunet regular Dominique Pinon adds to his repertoire of eccentric characters, completing the director's requirements.

All in all, The Young and Prodigious TS Spivet is a child-like road trip of visual whimsy in many ways; but when it comes down to it, it all stands on the shoulders of the Macauley Culkin-esque young Catlett who more than adequately rises to the occasion to give this the emotional pull and the gravitas that it needs.

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Nightcrawler: Blu Ray Review

Nightcrawler: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Madman Home Ent

It's to the underbelly of Los Angeles we go in this terrific thriller set against a backdrop of nights and shady activity.

Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Lou Bloom, a man desperate for work and hungry for a pay off. When we first meet him, he's stealing copper wire (and in an ensuing struggle with a security guard, his watch) and trying to sell it on, while simultaneously trying to ingratiate himself into a position for a job.

After being rejected, he sees a camera crew taking footage of a dramatic rescue on a highway. Learning how much they get for this and that TV's saturated news networks will pay for anything that works under the old journalism mantra of "If it bleeds, it leads", Lou decides to join the freelance camera crew game.

Hiring a homeless person Rick (played by Four Lions star Riz Ahmed), and decking out his car with police scanning equipment, Lou finds an ally and buyer in the form of news director Nina (Russo) whose station is in ratings slump....

Nightcrawler is a compulsively thrilling film, one which trawls through the moral sludge and delights with ethical and moral issues just being part of the attraction.

The main attraction though - aside from the terrific cinematography and slick sheen of the mainly night-time production - is Gyllenhaal as the misfit Bloom, a sociopathic driven parasite of an anti-hero whose outlook is as complex as it is compelling. With a slimmed down frame and piercing eyes, his delusion is as contagious as it is frightening - in his skewed take of the world (with hints of Asperger's implied) everything makes a perfect logical sense with the kind of self-delusional belief that we've seen in the likes of Travis Bickle and William Foster in Falling Down. He's a twisted businessman perfect for a 21st Century where narcissism and selfies are the norm, and selfishness is sadly the raison d'etre. But more than just that, Gyllenhaal commands the screen from beginning to ebullient end, with nary a breath drawn in between as he pursues and bastardises his own American dream.

His interactions with Four Lions star Riz Ahmed are also electrifying too; from initial interview scenes to negotiations later on, there's a frisson of uncertainty about where it's all going that adds an edge to an already superior and tense thriller.

Equally, the up-for-the-highest-bidder values of late night US news-stations chasing ratings are under the microscope too; with Russo's news chief becoming compromised and entangled both in Bloom's web and the desire to be number one in a way that seems all too sentient of how TV ratings are warping people's sense of propriety. (Though, there are moments within that stretch credibility of a newsroom's operation).

Meshing satire and life through LA's dark gauze is a potent brew, Nightcrawler is a can't-take-your-eyes-off-it thriller that maybe could have lived larger if there had been some tighter editing ( it could be argued that the current denouement feels like a tacked-on epilogue that saps the prior scenes' potency and shock factor) but is already a superior slice of cinema, thanks to Gyllenhaal. He may be behind the camera throughout as the footage-chasing and obseqious Bloom, but throughout, he's very definitely front and centre of the screen - and in your mind long after Nightcrawler has ended.

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