My Cousin Rachel: Blu Ray Review

My Cousin Rachel: Blu Ray Review

Revelling in its Gothic trappings and ambiguities till the end, the latest adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier's 1951 novel benefits greatly from the presence of Weisz as its lead.

Sam 'Hunger Games' Claflin plays the puppy dog orphan Phillip who suspects his cousin Rachel (a beguiling Weisz) poisoned his adopted father abroad. Further fuelled by notes discovered from him, Phillip is determined to bring her down when she moves to England and his estate.

But when Rachel arrives, she appears to have everyone in her thrall, and Phillip ultimately falls for her too, leading him to rash decisions about his estate...

While Phillip's actions seem indecipherable at best given how quickly he turns heel on his strength of belief, most of My Cousin Rachel works well as an evocative mystery.

That's a despite a condensed history at the start that's bundled up in expository voiceover and the rather workmanlike way the film's opening sections are unspooled.

Thankfully Weisz's powerful yet restrained take on the Black Widow / femme fatale / power play is one that keeps you intrigued and intoxicated throughout. Using her wiles but also underplaying means there's a strong degree of ambiguity throughout and coupled with Michell's close up solo shots of the character's faces, the back-and-forth of the narrative and the puzzle grows ever more compelling as the film goes on.

Claflin plays the innocent boy-coming-of-age to a tee, though his naivete and character's flip-flop attitude are perhaps the film's down points given how rapidly he folds. He gives good wounded puppy too in certain points and it's hard not to side with him for large portions of the film; though perhaps this is My Cousin Rachel's strength.

Underneath the period detail, the sweeping countryside shots, a stoic Iain Glen as executor of the estate and beneath the maudlin melancholia of how the jealousy and suspicion tale plays out, there's a lot that actually sucks you in to its rich trappings. The mystery is well sustained and even the ending plays fast and loose with expectations of this take on female sexuality and coming-of-age.

A lo-key prestige picture it may be, but thanks in large to Weisz's controlled turn as Rachel, My Cousin Rachel is beguiling cinema at its absolute best. While you may find the main reason for Phillip's headlong change of attitude utterly bewildering, thanks to both Claflin and Weisz, this subtle psychological tale is as timeless as they come. 

Berlin Syndrome: DVD Review

Berlin Syndrome: DVD Review

The holiday romance turns very sour in Berlin Syndrome, the first NZIFF title to feel like a commercial release.

In the adaptation of Melanie Joosten's 2011 novel, Brisbane back-packer Clare (Teresa Palmer, I Am Number Four) is on her own in Germany when a chance meeting at a traffic lights with English teacher Andi (Max Riemelt, Sense 8) takes place.

Attracted to each other, the pair edge their way to a highly charged encounter. The following morning, when Andi goes to work, Clare finds herself locked in the isolated apartment. Assuming it's an error, she dismisses it, but when the key she's given the next morning doesn't work and she discovers her phone's SIM card is gone, terror starts to creep in....

Berlin Syndrome had the potential to be a cliché (and sadly heads that way a little at the end), but instead offers a thriller that's more unsettling and psychologically creepy as it unspools.

It helps that Palmer has the right mix of vulnerable and lost in the early stages as she mixes the scared and excited of a tourist in a new city when she exits the Berlin underground. Not your typical backpacker and not saddled with a 'I'm running away /finding myself' back-story, Clare's actions seem plausible as the story plays out.

Director Cate Shortland (Somersault, Lore) takes time to build an atmosphere that's filled with inherent dread as the captivity begins and as Andi becomes cold, distant and definitely creepy. Shortland front-loads the bases from the get go, giving Berlin Syndrome a sense of something sinister lurking; whether it's shots of the ancient architecture of Berlin or the foreshadowing in art book.

It helps that Max Riemelt plays Andi without the usual tropes of a maniac and seems all the more unhinged because of his own charm and detached affability. In scenes with his father and with hints of the Berlin Wall past trauma, there's lots left unsaid that help to build an atmosphere but which may frustrate those looking for a simple reason why he is what he is. (Though, arguably, he's responsible for some truly laugh out loud lines as he carries on like an apparently normal couple - pesto will never look the same again.)

But subtle is what Berlin Syndrome does best in its terrific opening half, as we follow Clare, discovering the clues as she does and leading to those heart-in-mouth moments. Palmer does much to imbue her character with a retreat-in-your-shell mentality to help with survival.

Ultimately, and sadly, Berlin Syndrome may lose some impact because of its resolution, but what plays out prior to that is quite gripping and filled with suspense.

Thanks to Shortland's eye for the smaller moments and Palmer's carefully selective and introverted turn, Berlin Syndrome ends up being more captivating and psychologically disturbing than you'd expect. 

Transformers: The Last Knight: Blu Ray Review

Transformers: The Last Knight: Blu Ray Review

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Laura Haddock, Anthony Hopkins, Josh Duhamel
Director: Michael Bay

Transformers: The Last Knight is relentless.

But in a way that makes your eyes bleed at its bloated spectre as it hovers over you in the cinema and sits on you like a succubus, sucking the very life from you until you yield.

Granted, it's a Transformers film and Bay's not exactly set the bar high before, but in this latest, which starts off in medieval times before heading to modern times where Mark Wahlberg's Cade Yaeger is the world's only hope, sense is not really present.

Loosely, the Decepticons are searching for Merlin's staff which was gifted to the wizard by a Transformer way back when. Believing that staff could help Cybertron regenerate, the race is on. But Transformers have been outlawed on Earth and are being hunted in some form of Skynet style crackdown.

However, Yaeger and his merry bunch of rescued robots (who all live in a scrap yard, called Auto - subtlety ahoy) set out to save the day. But when it appears Optimus Prime has turned against them, it looks like it may all be over...

To be fair to Michael Bay, Transformers: The Last Knight delivers its sense of scale with utter gusto as it tries to power through the endless bloat that is its 150 minute run time.

Opening with a medieval fight that is both Battle of the Bastards and King Arthur all rolled into a degree of epic flair, slow mo and with added Stanley Tucci as the wizard, Transformers: The Last Knight sets out its stall well initially, before caving to the usual problems that blight a Michael Bay action film.
Shifting to present day times where Wahlberg's inventor is pulled into a conspiracy involving Laura Haddock's polo-playing Oxford professor, who may be descended from a magical line of Witwickys, and Anthony Hopkins' bat-shit Basil exposition Sir Edmund Burton (who has a robot butler voiced by Downton Abbey's C3PO type butler Jim Carter).

It's here that sense really does check out of Transformers: The Last Knight and what transpires is akin to car porn, mixed with explosions, slow mo and a feeling that limitless audition tapes for army recruitment are being shot. Bay has an eye for wanton destruction and for maximising the carnage on the screen.

But what he still doesn't have is an eye for character, with once again women being nothing more than objectified (though it's nowhere near as bad as it's been in previous films) or for dialogue being delivered with anything other than shouting and bellicose intonations. Hopkins however, deserves special mention for a combination of both rambling his lines together with such gusto and scene-chewing that his live-wire insanity becomes contagious and gives the film the edge that's needed throughout.

The main problem with the formulaic Transformers: The Last Knight (complete with Optimus AWOL for most of the film) is that it also lacks the fun as endless scenes of action simply segue into another - and with the robots doing their usual one-liners this time, the film feels like it's lacking the fun and going through the motions as it splices Top Gear with robots, Terminator with Robocop, and Skynet with Stand By Me early on.

Granted, it's apparently Bay's last outing in the series, and there's a sense that he's gone all out with with the spectacle and sacrificed it for all else.

As Mark Wahlberg's Cade brilliantly announces early on "I don't do this for the money, I do it for the higher cause"; a mantra that perhaps Bay himself possibly believes as well as he allows the daftness to unfold without any hint of earlier deftness bleeding through.

But respectfully, given the low bar this latest has set in terms of story-telling, one would respectfully ask that it's perhaps time to rest the robots, and to reboot the franchise with more of an eye on character and narrative, rather than simply the spectacle of what children would come up with when faced with both a sugar-fuelled imagination and a line of Hasbro toys at home.

Blade Runner 2049: Film Review

Blade Runner 2049: Film Review

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Robin Wright, Jared Leto, Sylvia Hoeks
Director: Denis Villeneuve

"Drunk on the memory of perfection."

A line uttered late in the piece of Arrival and Incendies director Denis Villeneuve's 35 years-in-the-making Blade Runner sequel seems to typify everything the follow up to the Ridley Scott helmed sequel has to live up to.

It's an almost insurmountable task that Blade Runner 2049 has ahead of it, given the lasting legacy Scott's first film laid down in cinema lore.

But Canadian director Denis Villeneuve pretty much nails it here, imbuing his film with both the DNA traces of the first and degrees of its own identity. (Ironic for a film about replicants and arguments over who was the original and who was not, some may say.)

The story (such as it is) follows Ryan Gosling's cop K, a Blade Runner who is pulled into a conspiracy which could threaten the relationship between synths and humans after a discovery that his boss (an icy Robin Wright) orders him to shutdown.

It's hard to divulge much more of the plot due to Villeneuve's on screen plea before the film to withhold spoilers to preserve the experience for those coming into it.

And given how much of a career he's made of the journey and of enigmas (see Arrival, Enemy as prime examples) it's perhaps best to respect that.

Needless to say whereas the first Blade Runner centred on a quest for identity and a nagging discussion of self and self-awareness as it was pulled from Philip K Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the latest can't quite live up to the mysteries that preceded it.

But it comes damn near close, thanks to a self-referential riff on the first, the latest a story of sacrifice and of memory, and a film of tone and visuals up there with the best of the Villeneuve and Roger Deakins partnership.

Visually, the grime of the city sings out in terms of scope - and it's a darker, grittier cityscape than one last glimpsed in Weta's work on Ghost In The Shell, a dystopian depressingly tech-scattered world filled with sexualised holograms and copious Sony product placement. But its aesthetics are perfectly in keeping with the film's desire to be oh-so-pretty and depressing simultaneously.

As the puzzles within twist and reconfigure, the languid pace of the script by Logan's Michael Green and returning writer Hampton Fancher gives the film the enigmatic sheen it so desires to bathe in as it heads inexorably towards its destination. Themes of sacrifice, memory, creation and once again, identity reconvene into a relatively rich noir-esque story.

Gosling is more than a match for Ford's original is-he-or-isn't-he Deckard; relatively emotionless but showing cracks here and there, Gosling's K is a protagonist worthy of the successor. And Ford's grizzled Deckard gives the actor a welcome depth not glimpsed for years.
Cuban actress and Knock, Knock star Ana de Armas as Joi, the AI which lives with K, has a tenderness that's simultaneously endearing and yet saddening; and Sylvia Hoeks' Famke Janssen-esque Luv is a strong villainess that's as robotic as she is callous.

It's not all perfect though.

Hans Zimmer's overly bombastic score lacks the subtlety of Vangelis' earlier score and has a tendency to shake the seats rather than emotionally rattle the core.
And Jared Leto's character, Niander Wallace, is frustrating in his arc and resolution thereof. There are some logical niggles that pepper the film as well, which are too spoilery to discuss.
It's almost as if outside of the core mystery that's being set up and the K and Deckard interaction, a little less thought has gone into the motives and actions at the expense of the world building.

There are inevitably nods to the first film - another version of the infamous origami unicorn exists and at least one shot of Gosling in the rain toward the end seems determined to re-frame the infamous Rutger Hauer rain-soaked shot - but it's fair to say that Villeneuve's managed to go his own way with Blade Runner 2049, which in itself is no mean feat.

Ultimately and against the odds, Blade Runner 2049 is less repli-can't, more repli-can.
Its reverence to its source material and the enduring legacy is both its strength and its occasional undoing. But it's once again a sign that perhaps director Denis Villenueve is a master of mystery, who takes the slightest story and, in this case, turns it into an artform of suspense and enigma that's as compelling and fascinating as it is emotionally distant.

Mountain: Film Review

Mountain: Film Review

Director: Jennifer Peedom

A sense of the political pervades Mountain, director Jennifer Peedom's love letter to the peaks that shape so many lives

A swipe against deforestation to feed our need for exhilaration, a rallying cry for the Sherpa placed under pressure, a comment against Everest's queuing congestion that goes against the spirit of exploration and the narcissism of the thrill seekers on the mountains, half in love with themselves and half in love with oblivion.

However, it's the very slightest of touches in this film which feels more at home on a Nat Geo outing despite its truly beautiful cinematography, culled from some 2,000 hours of footage.

Peedom demonstrated her chops with the wondrous Sherpa a few festivals back, giving time to the plight of the Sherpa who put their lives at risk for little reward from the thrill seekers determined to conquer Everest no matter what.

And while this collaboration with the Australian Chamber Orchestra deserves to be seen on the big screen, it's very close to Nature Porn set to a classical music background. Faceless peaks and nameless mountains populate the screen as narrator Willem Dafoe intones what it is that draws people to the mountains, and the challenges they present in a life where we've become closeted from nature.

In the same way that Toa Fraser's The Free Man attempted to dive deeper into the psychology of the mountains at this year's festival, Mountain is similarly at pains to paint a vista of placeless peaks that draw us in, with their allure. Using words from Robert MacFarlane to help create the picture, Peedom's film really does lack a narrative edge to make it an essential experience.

That said, if the thread is underdeveloped throughout, aside from the aforementioned swipes, the cinematography is astounding, and the sense of the spectacular is palpable.

Whether it's a series of slow mo shots of skiers cascading though ice like swarming ants on the way to their nest or stunning day/ night dissolves, the big screen simply laps up the very best of Mountain's visuals, with its vertiginous shots creating a sense of scale and of terrifying emotions to those not seeking the thrill. Equally, the ACO's work is perhaps the great companion to this piece and deserves to be appreciated as loudly as possible as it juxtaposes itself nicely to some of the images on screen.

Ultimately, Mountain is a nice visual essay, but despite the snow-capped vistas and stunning peaks, as well as some archive footage, it's deeply disposable fare - it's the visual equivalent at times of elevator music. Pretty to look at, but easily forgotten. 

School holiday movies are here!

School holiday movies are here!

Rain, winds and the ever present cry of "What are we going to do?" are likely to permeate the air of the coming school holidays.

Thankfully, as ever, the movie have the answer with a clutch of new films out to try and grab your kids' attention while you may be head to elsewhere in the mall to get some relief...

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie

Bit of a stand-out winner of the animated fare, this one.
Based on Dav Pilkey's series of books, the Dreamworks animation follows the squishier edges pioneered by the Peanuts Movie and gives the film a generally appealing-to-the-eyes feel.
Starring a non-screeching Kevin Hart and Silicon Valley's bumbling Thomas Middleditch as George and Harold, it's the story of how two BFFs manage to turn their grumpy principal (a buoyant Ed Helms) into superhero Captain Underpants.
Posited on the idea that all superheroes wear their underoos on the outside, it's a fast paced mix of fun and frenetic as the duo try to work out how to convert their teacher back and save the day from a Professor determined to rid the world of laughter.
With a crowd-pleasing mix of fart gags and a non-bum-troubling run time of 85 minutes, this is easily a winner.

The Emoji Movie

Roundly bashed as one of the worst films of the year according to the cinema rating Rotten Tomatoes, the truth about The Emoji Movie is far more insidious - namely, that it's just incredibly average animated fare.
Following an Emoji Meh named Gene (Silicon Valley's TJ Miller - we're spotting an animated trend here) who causes chaos when he panics on day one on the job.
You see Gene is an emoji inside a kid's phone - and his blunder means the phone's owner is now planning to delete them permanently.
Inevitably, Gene heads off on a race against time to save the day - along with Anna Faris' hacker and James Corden's redundant Hi-5 emoji.
Lacking the punch and meta edges, but feeling like a push to sell apps, The Emoji Movie is a solid enough piece of animated fare, but it just lacks any edge to stand out in the market-place.
Ironically, your reaction - and your kids - when you come out is going to be a resounding "Meh."

The LEGO Ninjago Movie

The weakest of the recent blocky outings, the Lego Ninjago Movie may have Jackie Chan as the Ninja master, but its tale of a son trying to reconnect with his dad, who just happens to be the bad guy, feels a little average at best.
As the two try to reconnect, they begin a quest that feels all too familiar.
Whereas the prior Lego movies have offered strong stories with doses of zaniness, it has to be said The LEGO Ninjago Movie doesn't differ too much from the formula, treads a lot of familiar ground and consequently does offer up a film of diminishing returns in terms of story ideas, but not pace.
Sure, the frantic pace and slightly insaner edges you'd expect during these outings is present, but given it's hung round more of a weaker frame, it feels like a struggle at times.
That's not to say its target youngster audience won't enjoy the story and the animation, but the attempts to shoehorn in the message veer dangerously close to brow-beating and crowbarring it in as the film heads towards its conclusion.
Although it has Silicon Valley's Kumail Nanjiani and Gabe Woods in as well - surely there's a conspiracy here?

Kedi
The furry favourite from the film festival that centres on the feline population of Turkey may seem like an odd choice to release in the school hols, but given this limited release doco is catnip to anyone but Gareth Morgan, it's fair to say the families of animal lovers will be flocking to it.
Maybe just ensure the route home after the film doesn't take in any pet stores, or you may be feeling you need to give the purr-fect gift to the kids to keep them quiet.

Flatliners
A remake of the 1990s horror movie about medical geniuses sending themselves to the brink of death to feel things, but who start to suffer spooky visions after flirting with the grim reaper.
The original starred Kiefer Sutherland and Julia Roberts at the height of their Brat Pack days - the 2017 remake "for the (slightly more adult) kidz" stars Ellen Page and Grantchester and Happy Valley's James Norton in those roles.
Just because it's not been previewed to media before release doesn't mean this one's dead on arrival - does it?

New Paddington 2 trailer and cast reveal

New Paddington 2 trailer and cast reveal

Hitting cinemas December 21st the bear is back in a brand new adventure!

Featuring an all-star returning cast of Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi, Madeleine Harris and Samuel Joslin with Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington and Imelda Staunton as Aunt Lucy and joined by new cast members Hugh Grant and Brendan Gleeson.