Phantom Thread: Film Review

Phantom Thread: Film Review

Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps, Lesley Manville
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

In 1950s post-war London, Paul Thomas Anderson's latest aims to shine with sleek production values, a pitch-perfect soundtrack from Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood and Daniel Day-Lewis' swansong in acting.

And yet, the chilly Phantom Thread fails to emotionally engage the viewer with its tale of control, powerplays and a decidedly uncomfortable central relationship.

Day-Lewis is renowned dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock, a fashion icon, and confirmed bachelor who welcomes women into his life as muses, then discards them when they reach the end of their usefulness.

Escaping to the country after delivering a dress, Woodcock meets waitress Alma (Krieps), whose entrance into his life is marred by a clumsiness that juxtaposes his own precision. Taken with her, Woodcock finds new inspiration in her shape and is consumed with the creative joy a muse brings.

However, Alma is strong-willed and refuses to bend to his more curious edges, setting up a conflict that has ramifications for the Woodcock house and empire.

It's fair to say that Anderson's Phantom Thread has an icy chilliness that some will find engaging, and others will find dis-engaging.

Sumptuously shot, delicately woven, this psychological battle of wills plays out on a frosty background that seems oddly contemporary despite its period setting.

While Day-Lewis' Woodcock is a relatively spiteful enigma, whose insouciance and desire for perfection irritates, Alma's desire to be part of this world and to be the woman who changes the man for the better is a universal theme in all relationship dramas.

Orbiting the pair of them is the Oscar-nominated Lesley Manville, as Cyril, Woodcock's sister and administrative arm of the empire. With relatively little dialogue and the nuance of minor actions throughout, Manville brings a thaw to proceedings as Cyril goes on her own arc.

But it's Krieps who engages the most here - going from doe-eyed would be suitor to woman determined to get her own way (elements of MacBeth and Lady MacBeth's Florence Pugh spring to mind), her character is one that feels like a reaction of the MeToo movement, a woman whose desires won't be thwarted by a creative fragile apparent genius.

And yet, despite the strong performances, Phantom Thread itself remains somewhat of an enigma, a curio of a film that never quite hits any emotional resonance and feels like you, the audience, are watching a game of chess and consequent strategies from afar.

It's a distant piece, and with its meticulous edges, feels a little too crafted for general consumption. It may be sumptuous, but it's never bewitching at the level it should be. Everyone's functioning at the top of their game, and the pieces are there, but the emotional core of where Phantom Thread should be feels hollow and unconnected and uninviting to anything else.

PAC-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2 PLUS chomping its way to NINTENDO SWITCH on February 22, 2018

PAC-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2 PLUS chomping its way to NINTENDO SWITCH on February 22, 2018

PAC-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2 PLUS chomping its way to NINTENDO SWITCH on February 22, 2018

22 February 2018

The highly acclaimed PAC-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION series has finally come digitally on Nintendo Switch!

In PAC-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2 PLUS, Switch players and PAC-MAN fans alike can experience the reimagined retro series with intense mazes and fast action at home and on the go. This game includes PAC-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2, which features a number of gameplay modes including Score Attack mode, Adventure mode and big boss battles, giving players endless opportunity to build on and improve their skills. Beloved ghosts, Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde will be in hot pursuit as PAC-MAN furiously devours Pac Dots and players chase the high score for a coveted spot at the top of the leader boards.

The Nintendo Switch version of PAC-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2 PLUS also comes with an exclusive two player co-op mode called PAC-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2 PLUS 2P for twice the fun! Team up on a single Nintendo Switch with each player controlling their PAC-MAN character with a single Joy-Con™ across multiple mazes to rack up the highest score possible. Special co-op manoeuvres give this mode a unique spin on traditional PAC-MAN gameplay.

PAC-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2 PLUS will be available digitally on Nintendo Switch on February 22, 2018.

Valentine’s Day in GTA Online: The New Vapid Hustler, Valentine’s Discounts, Bonuses and More

Valentine’s Day in GTA Online: The New Vapid Hustler, Valentine’s Discounts, Bonuses and More

To celebrate Valentine’s Day in GTA Online, the new Vapid Hustler Vehicle, a bevy of Double GTA$ & RP Bonuses, and massive Discounts are now available.

In addition to the latest addition to Legendary Motorsport, The Vapid Hustler, select adversary modes will be delivering Double GTA$ & RP bonuses from today until February 19^th, including Till Death Do Us Part, Slasher, Resurrection, Deadline, and Lost Vs. Damned. Additionally, Double GTA$ Bodyguard & Associates Salaries will be available to Organization members.

Till Death Do Us Part: Up to four pairs of star-crossed lovers take part in the ultimate GTA Online quadruple date: each couple has one life between them, so remember to look out for your partner - if they die, so do you.

Slasher: The shotgun-wielding Slasher stalks up to seven Hunted, equipped only with flashlights. After three minutes, the Hunted get shotguns of their own to turn the tables on the Slasher.

Resurrection: Nothing says ‘team building exercise’ like bringing your buddy back into the game by shooting some chump on the other team in the back of the head. But remember that it goes both ways - until you’ve wiped them out completely, they can always come back.

Deadline: Suit up and outmaneuver the enemy while mounted upon a blazingly fast Nagasaki Shotaro. Emitting a devastating beam of light in your wake as you ride through the arena, competitors unfortunate enough to come into contact with your trail meet an immediate and fiery end.

Lost vs. Damned: It’s Angels against Devils in the ultimate battle of the soul. Each match flips between day and night for 60 seconds at a clip, with advantages including regenerated Armor and Health and improved weapon options depending on the time – day for the Angels and night for the Devils.

And share the love this Valentine’s Day with Double GTA$ Bodyguard & Associates Salaries for your Organization members.

DISCOUNTS ON VEHICLES, CLOTHING, WEAPONS, & PROPERTIES

If you missed your chance last year, take advantage of 25% off the Gusenberg Sweeper and add a vintage SMG to your armory. You'll also find sweet deals on love nests in the Vinewood Hills, discounts on classic rides and more through February 19th: 

Vehicle Discounts

• Albany Roosevelt (Sports Classic) – 25% off
• Albany Roosevelt Valor (Sports Classic) – 25% off
• HVY Barrage (Military) – 35% off (Buy It Now & Trade Price)
• Nagasaki Shotaro (Motorcycle) – 25% off (available for purchase after completing a round of Deadline)
• RCV (Emergency) – 35% off (Buy It Now & Trade Price)
• Ocelot Stromberg (Sports Classic/Weaponized) – 25% off (Buy It Now & Trade Price)
• Nagasaki Buzzard (Attack Helicopter) – 25% off

Dynasty8 Discounts

• All 10-car Properties (including High-End Apartments, Garages and Stilt Houses) – 25% off
• Executive Offices – 25% off

Clothing and Accessories Discounts

• All Valentine's clothing – 25% off
• Doomsday Heist Tattoos – 25% off
• Smuggler’s Run clothing – 25% off

While your significant other may have little to no regard for your wants and needs, your Executive Assistant is forever loyal. They're also feeling extra generous this Valentine's day with a 25% discount on Executive Assistant Services. And to help you catch the eye of that lucky someone, Benny is offering makeovers at a discount, with 25% off a custom Upgrade at Benny’s Original Motor Works.

GTA$ GIFT COMING SOON

Jump into GTA Online starting Friday, February 16^th to claim a GTA$ award in March. More details coming Friday.

PREMIUM RACE & TIME TRIAL

Premium Race: “Turbine” (Locked to Off-Road)

Turbine is an off-road slalom featuring bracing curves and jumps through the deadly airspace of an industrial wind farm.

Premium Races are your chance to test your skills and race for big cash. Ante up and compete in a Rockstar-created Stunt Race where the top three finishers earn GTA$ and all participants get Triple RP regardless of where they place. Launch Premium Races through the Quick Job App on your in-game phone or via the yellow corona at Legion Square.

Time Trial: “LSIA”

Make a mad dash across the city from Los Santos International Airport to the foothills of Mount Chiliad in LSIA. To take a shot at this Time Trial, set a waypoint to the marker on your in-game map and enter via the purple corona. Beat par time and you'll be duly rewarded with GTA$ & RP.

Lady Bird: Film Review

Lady Bird: Film Review

Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothee Chalamet
Director: Greta Gerwig

That Lady Bird is such a delight is a testament to Greta Gerwig's sudden apparent spurt of cinematic maturity.

Frances Ha, while mainly lauded, was a source of hipster irritation in extremis, a film that tried so hard, it practically burst out of the screen and demanded you love it.

But Lady Bird, a coming-of-age and relationship film, positively bursts with joviality, relatability and universal themes  that it makes its 90 minute run time feel just about right.

Ronan plays the precocious, yet familiar, flawed and relatable teen Christine, the self-penned Lady Bird, a teen growing up in the suburbs of Sacramento, California in 2002.

Burdened with life at a Catholic high school and with a desire to escape to New York for college, Lady Bird's tribulations are all-too familiar to anyone who was an adolescent (ie everyone).

Quarreling with her mother (played with empathy and frustration by Laurie Metcalf), neogtiating a way to get better grades and dipping her toes in the relationship pool, Lady Bird finds growing up isn't as easy as her sassy outlook would have her believe.

Much like the wise-cracking of Juno, and just about every coming-of-age film you've ever seen, Lady Bird manages to subvert some of the tropes of the genre with deftness by Gerwig and her leading lady, Ronan.

From touches like holding off make up and letting Ronan's acne stand out on the screen to the wonderful cut-scenes that capture simultaneously the beauty and boredom of small town life, Gerwig's Lady Bird grounds itself in such innate realness that it's everyone's slice of life, in some form or other.  It crackles with a contagious freshness too, from sparky dialogue to subtle small reactionary moments.

And that's where the strength lies - Gerwig's characters are all true to themselves; there are no (spoiler alert) Hollywood style big moments here - everything that happens feels like it should happen and never feels like the audience or, crucially, the characters are cheated.

While the film judders a little towards the end, stuttering towards a resolution, it's the small moments and the small senses of victory, mistake, bittersweet regrets writ large and relationship between a mother and daughter which make Lady Bird such a success.

Likely to be embraced by a generation searching for some kind of heroine embodiment of their awkwardness, Lady Bird also wins because its titular character gets by (or not) on her own strengths, and on nobody else's validations.

Not only one for the hipsters, Greta Gerwig's Oscar-nominated Lady Bird is an honest film for the generations; a small yet familiar appealing coming-of-age tale which is all of us - and which makes us proud to admit it.

Kingdom Hearts III D23 Monsters Inc

Kingdom Hearts III D23 Monsters Inc

OPEN THE DOOR TO MONSTERS, INC. IN

KINGDOM HEARTS III

New Video Also Unveils Flashy Combat and Never-Before-Seen

Footage from Toy Story and Tangled

SYDNEY, 13^th February 2018 – This past weekend at D23 Expo Japan, a special event for Disney fans created by D23: The Official Disney Fan Club held at Tokyo Disney Resorts®, Square Enix Ltd., and Disney thrilled fans with the announcement of a new Disney•Pixar film based world, Monsters, Inc. in KINGDOM HEARTS III. Two new trailers, unveiled during the Expo, take viewers deep into the frights and delights of the animated classic as Sora, Donald and Goofy transform into monsters to blend into the Monstropolis cityscape.

During their epic adventures, Sora and his companions join forces with Mike Wazowski and James P. “Sulley” Sullivan, with a special appearance by Boo. Fright team all-stars Mike and Sulley lend their scaring talents and special combination attacks against their enemies.

SQUARE ENIX also revealed new cut scenes and gameplay from the Toy Story inspired world, Disney princess Rapunzel (Tangled) as a party member, visually-striking Keyblade transformations, a link system featuring Ariel (The Little Mermaid), and the return of Dream Eater Meow Wow as well as KINGDOM HEARTS villains Marluxia and Vanitas 

Fans were also treated to a second trailer teasing a mysterious exchange between Riku and King Mickey, and the announcement of a new theme song by international sensation and series veteran singer Hikaru Utada, titled “DON’T THINK TWICE” 

The Sense of an Ending: DVD Review

The Sense of an Ending: DVD Review

Based on Julian Barnes' Man Booker prize winning novel, the film version of The Sense of an Ending benefits greatly from the paucity of its lead actor.

Broadbent doles kindly and curmudgeonly in his role as Tony Webster, a retired man who runs a camera repair shop. Webster is a man consumed by the past in more ways than one. He refuses to get a smartphone despite his daughter (Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey) being about to give birth, he tends to damaged cameras, and his desktop runs an old system.

Further to this one foot in the past ethos, Webster one day receives a letter which sends him down memory lane. Caught up in reflections from yesteryear, Webster begins to re-examine his life and his decisions.

Intercut with scenes from Webster's school days and burgeoning romance and relationship with an enigmatic girl Veronica and his friendship with school newcomer Adrian, the film has a tendency to simply cut to the past as the assignations of the present start to come squarely into focus. But it comes to rely on its bifurcated structure to provide the drive of the film as it continues.

And while Broadbent is the main reason to view this film, thanks in large part to a subtle underplayed turn that always hints at something more, this adaptation is probably more for an older generation after some reflexive viewing.

Parts of the book feel like they could have been trimmed for the screenplay, and a lot of Dockery's scenes and her character genuinely feel redundant to what's actually transpiring.

Equally, a fleeting appearance from Rampling squanders one of the best assets, and while that's not her fault, and is the demand of the narrative, her scenes with Broadbent's Webster pack an emotional power that's hard to deny.

But it's the hard yards to get to the emotional pay-off, with much of the film's mystery desperately masking itself as an enigma. Webster's rhapsodic ruminations are certainly universal in some ways (love, lust, desire) but the ultimate reveal feels more muted than devastating; a sign perhaps that translating this to a larger canvas means the intimacy of the book's context is a little torn asunder.

There are plenty of wry whimsical words which will resonate with the older end of the audience as it ambles toward its conclusion, and Broadbent's somewhat particular demeanour as Webster means he's never anything less than watchable, but perhaps The Sense of an Ending is more a case of a story that is slightly - and unfortunately - lost in translation. 

Mountain: DVD Review

Mountain: DVD Review

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.