Faces Places: DVD Review

Faces Places: DVD Review

From its animated title openings and closings, it's clear that Faces Places is something a little bit different.

Following 88 year old French film-maker Agnes Varda and young photo-muralist JR, the documentary has a light touch to begin with that's as infectious as it is entertaining.

With the idea of heading around villages and meeting people (and in the latter half of the film, heading more into Agnes' past) in a truck that prints out murals of the photos of people they meet, Faces Places becomes a document of the ordinary people and the extraordinary stories they hold within.

It starts with a series of poetic beats almost in line with Dr Seuss as the duo discuss how they did not meet, before settling on its genial road trip MO. With Varda's dual colour hair (a Beatles mop top which is all white, tinted around the edges in brown) and the beanpole JR's refusal to take off his sunglasses and hat, it's clear this is a pair for the ages - and as their working relationship and burgeoning friendship blossoms, it falls into a very watchable rhythm.

Set against a backdrop of capturing moments for the ageing and blurred-vision Varda so that "they don't fall down the holes in my memory", there's a poignancy leant to the film which is stirring to the emotions. A sort of daytime Banksy and OAP vibe seeps through and it's contagious.

But it's given a great deal more heart when it allows the celebration of ordinary people to sing out. From the sole occupant where miners used to swarm in an abandoned village to a waitress whose fame increases after she's plastered on the side of a building, it's the smaller moments which excel in this. It's a reminder of everyone being special in some kind of way and committing that to the ages.

However, in the latter parts of the film, the focus switches onto Varda.

Perhaps with JR being deferential to his subject and realising that she needs to be celebrated, he takes pictures of her eyes close up and toes, and uses those as a subject. And as Varda's visits to her past propel the greater edges of the doco, it becomes a more intimate piece that perhaps jettisons some of the joy for a more personal melancholia and acknowledgement of mortality.

Ultimately, though, its final sequence, featuring Jean-Luc Godard feels contrived and while there's no doubting Varda's emotions at this point, the set up and its resolution feels a little contrived, a kind of punchline to a story that could be seen a mile off.

Yet, that's not to detract from the wonder that Faces Places solicits throughout.

In an irony that Varda's eyesight is failing her (a tragedy on many levels), it's the vision of what's begun that shines out here. Granted, there's plenty of joy throughout, and this is a friendship that bubbles with the respect and tensions that the best friendships have.

Faces Places is a tour de France that, for the most part, excels.  

Dead Or Alive 6 adds 2 intense fighters to its line-up!

Dead Or Alive 6 adds 2 intense fighters to its line-up!

DEAD OR ALIVE 6 ADDS TWO INTENSE FIGHTERS TO LINE-UP!

Team NINJA Bolsters Hard-Hitting Roster, Introducing Two New Playable Characters at Evo 2018

Sydney, 3rd August 2018 – KOEI TECMO Europe announced today the addition of two more fighters to the DEAD OR ALIVE 6 roster, including returning antagonist Rig, as well as Diego — a fascinating and forceful new character to the DOA Universe.  Both combatants will be showcased in the first consumer playable build of DEAD OR ALIVE 6 at the Evolution Championship Series (Evo) 2018 inside the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, on the 3rd-4th August 2018.

Known as “The Uncrowned Street Hero,” Diego makes his DOA debut boasting the raw and brutal skills of a street fighter, utilising everything from headbutts to tackles in taking down opponents. This gritty fighter grew up in the back alleys of New York, earning money to support his ailing mother by competing in many street matches. Long rumoured to be the strongest fighter in his neighbourhood, he is seen by many locals as a hero as he utilises his experience brawling in confined quarters to impact fights with a set of strong-style moves.  

Joining Diego is returning taekwondo master Rig, who boasts the “Kicks of Truth and Deceit.” Rig, who originally debuted in DEAD OR ALIVE 5, is a former oil platform worker whose kick-heavy style has evolved to incorporate more acrobatic maneuvers. To kick-off their confrontation in DOA6, the formidable brawler Rig challenges Diego in a New York alley, and the two decide the time for conversation is over; it’s time to fight!

Diego and Rig join the six playable characters previously announced (Helena Douglas, Hayate, Ryu Hayabusa, Zack, Kasumi, and Jann Lee), as fans in attendance at Evo will be able to test out the latest build of the game while winning exclusive swag, including DOA6 shirts, tote bags, and lanyards.

To celebrate the reveal of this fascinating new character, KOEI TECMO Europe released a reveal trailer showcasing the iconic meeting between Diego and Rig, alongside a selection of new assets showing the Training Mode for the first time!

DEAD OR ALIVE 6 is currently in development for the PlayStation®4 Computer Entertainment System, the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and digitally on Windows PC via Steam®, and is slated for release in Early 2019.

For the latest information on DEAD OR ALIVE 6, please visit our official website at http://www.teamninja-studio.com/doa6, Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/DeadorAliveGame, and Follow us on Twitter @DOATEC_OFFICIAL.  

Dragon Quest XI - Character Trailer

Dragon Quest XI - Character Trailer

NEW TRAILER SPOTLIGHTS ECLECTIC CAST IN

DRAGON QUEST XI: ECHOES OF AN ELUSIVE AGE

SYDNEY, 6^th August 2018 – Square Enix Ltd., today unveiled an all-new trailer for the upcoming DRAGON QUEST® XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age™ showcasing the diverse cast of characters players will meet on their adventure.

Designed by famed manga artist Akira Toriyama, each character has a unique personality and deep background story.  Starting with the reliable partner-in-crime Erik, to the fearless young mage Veronica, along with the laid-back healer Serena, entertainer extraordinaire Sylvando, noble martial artist Jade, and mysterious old man Rab—together, they join the hero on a grand adventure through the world of Erdrea.

DRAGON QUEST XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age will be available for the PlayStation®4 system and STEAM on 4^th September 2018. For more information, visit: http://www.dq11.com/

Celia: NZIFF Review

Celia: NZIFF Review

"We ignore the yearning of our spirit."

These words, coupled with Harry Dean Stanton's "I'm scared", sum up the general feeling of many on their deathbeds, but often go ignored or long buried.

Such it is with director Amanda Millar's Celia, a documentary about the impassioned social advocate Celia Lashlie, known more colloquially as Ces to her friends.

And yet, despite some powerful touches within, Celia feels a little too drawn out to achieve the power it desperately wants - even though it is really a rallying cry for a change.

Some of the problem with Celia is that it assumes you know Celia Lashlie before you go in; and therefore fails as a doco in general about her for the uneducated masses - how would a foreign audience see this subject is one niggle worth pondering on viewing and after.

Even though it's well-shot and the director's got the best of the single 90 minute interview she was able to achieve before life cruelly intervened and Celia Lashlie died, the film feels a little eclipsed by its own archive material and by its subject itself.

Stripped of too much of Celia's back story (one suspects further interviews could have added a lot more), the film relies a lot on the facts it deals with over social injustices in New Zealand, the mothers' place to raise children and prevent future criminals and an intriguingly didactic news doco.

Complete with shocking stats on a darkened background while slow mo reenactments follow after, the style of the doco is primarily one which feels suited to a TV news expose, rather than a fuller portrait of what the woman involved was.

It also relies way too much on nature shots for segues, and feels a little strung out in parts as the pieces are tied together.

And yet, when it uses the right material from the one 90 minute interview Millar got combined with archive footage, it shines fiercely and brightly; a towering beacon lit under our collective asses thanks to Lashlie's no prisoners taken approach to the truths society is sometimes too cowardly to face.

But there's humility in Celia's courage in the face of death and, much like Stanton's simply delivered line "I'm scared" in Lucky, her regrets so late in the day hit a level of poignancy that are powerful and undeniable.

Even through it all, Celia's humanity and the simplicity of her universal struggle is deeply affecting - Millar manages to capture that via moments of honesty rarely committed to screen and by non-intrusive interviewing.

Celia could be a useful as a change piece for government agencies and those looking to educate, as was Celia's vision for the film - an extension of her crusading work inside and outside the system.

Yet one can't help but side with the film commission and TV execs who advised doing it differently, even though I'm not privy to those discussions or director Amanda Millar's desire not to do so. (She divulged these early on in the pre-presentation of the film.)

One suspects, given the fullness of the auditorium and the fact extra screenings have been put on, Celia will find a life that it needs to - though potentially, its best life lies not on the big screen, but rather within the smaller screen within institutions.

Lashlie herself says near the end "If you're standing at my funeral, then my work is done" - and given the attendance at the festival, one quite easily can attest - and agree - to such thoughts.

But on reflection, Celia could have used an expeditious edit in parts, a trimming of some of the obvious stylings which become a narrative crutch.

It should also be said that a little more context to her own past and life would have fulfilled many of the questions foreigners may have.

Celia will have a life as a teaching document, but as a wider piece of cinema, a documentary to inform, it is unfortunately wanting - even though in parts, it easily and powerfully confers Celia Lashlie's ideals and attitudes for change.

Wildlife: NZIFF Review

Wildlife: NZIFF Review

Paul Dano, best known for acting, turns his attention behind the lens in Wildlife - and does so to relatively spectacular singular effect.

Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal star as Jeanette and Jerry, a married couple who have moved to 1950s Montana to find work. Along with them is their son Joe (Ed Oxenbould, rapidly growing up on screen from his debut in Paper Planes).

After Jerry's fired from a job on a golfing course, he takes a job away from home tackling the mountain wildfire that's threatening the region - much to the dismay of his wife.

As time continues with Jerry away, Jeanette begins to fall apart before rebuilding herself into a potential affair with Bill Camp's town rich guy. All of which happens under the nose of Joe...

With tricks such as close ups tackling reactions of people while conversations affecting them happen off screen and wide scenic shots, Dano's relatively adept at keeping the focus on the right places in Wildlife.

It's interesting that this rather rigorous approach lends the film a feeling of formality which is hard to shake, but also one which somewhat amps up the rather frosty and oppressive nature of proceedings and also exacerbates the horror with which Joe observes the breakdown and after effects.

It's relied on a little too often in some ways, but it is effective, anchored as it is by some sensitive performances from Mulligan and Oxenbould.

In a weird way, Oxenbould's coming of age story is one which is that of a boy thrust into the man of the house role. But equally, his role becomes that of surrogate disapproving spouse as his mother transitions from housewife to free spirited-about-to-make-a-mistake woman.

He grasps the mantle well and adds a level of maturity that belies his years.

Equally, Mulligan's turn as a wife who longs for more ("If you've got a better plan for me, then tell me - it'll be better than this" she frustratedly vents at one point) has a slow-burning power which takes time to manifest. As she heads towards an inevitable mistake, there's a feeling that Mulligan's giving her all in this small-town tale of self-destruction and social climbing.

Ultimately, Wildlife is at times a can't-tear-your-eyes away from the about-to-explode style viewing experience. It's a little stilted in places, though giving the thing a whole sheen of this ilk also helps to feed into the oppressive desire to break out.

Dano's delivered an impressive debut in Wildlife, an emotionless look behind the veneer of an implosion.

Juliet, Naked: NZIFF Review

Juliet, Naked: NZIFF Review

Crowd pleasing in extremis, the adaptation of Nick Hornby's Juliet, Naked is a charming film that leans on its screwball edges more than it should.

Chris O'Dowd, in a sly mix of both humour and pathos, stars as Duncan, a man obsessed with disappeared rocker Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke, looking like a Reality Bites reunion 20 years on). His long-suffering partner Annie (Rose Byrne) is nearing the end of her patience at his obsession which has seen their lives affected and put on hold.

When Duncan receives a hitherto-unknown copy of one of Crowe's beloved albums, Annie posts a less-than effusive review online - and is stunned to be contacted by Crowe himself. As their friendship grows from afar, things begin to change....

Juliet, Naked is your typical spin on the usual Nick Hornby fare - a manchild forced to confront his ways and with music involved, it's the same story, just told differently.

And whilst it has an ending that suddenly appears as if an author's reached his page limit, what Juliet, Naked manages to do is carve a path to mainstream rom-com that's both commendable and comfortable at the same time.

Issues of regret, longed for family, teen obsessions and desires to rectify past mistakes all swirl together in one crowd-friendly mix that never once loses sight of a simple desire to entertain above all else.

Frivolous and flighty, and actually laugh-out-loud funny in places, Juliet, Naked's central trio add much to proceedings, with each capturing an element of the same lost coin; from Duncan's desire to hold true to what mattered when he was young, to Crowe's realisation of life lost, never to be regained to Annie's stuck in this life trajectory, there's much to hit an audience of a certain age.

Certainly, Hawke's never been better - an antithesis to the festival's earlier First Reformed, his Tucker Crowe is an extension of the slacker from Reality Bites, a musician now facing mortality and looking for one more chance even though he doesn't know it.

And while Juliet, Naked's desire to simply amuse and spin a nice romantic comedic yarn usually would be roundly mocked, (and deserves to be thanks to a trite unformed ending), what actually emerges is a rare commitment to mainstream fare, that's both pleasantly watchable and also richly resonant in the sum of its charming parts.

Lucky: NZIFF Review

Lucky: NZIFF Review

There's no denying the poignancy thrust deep upon Lucky, by first time director John Caroll Lynch, and with Harry Dean Stanton as the lead.

With Stanton leaving us last year, the tale of Lucky, and his impending mortality is more than touching - it's lent a kind of moving tribute that seems woefully unprepared for its effect on audiences.

Stanton plays Lucky, a former Naval officer, who lives a day-to-day existence in an Arizona town, negotiating the banalities of life with the grace that comes from the end of your life. Ambling from one moment to the next - be it a series of yoga moves in the morning, a visit to the local diner for coffee and the crossword or the bar to see friends, Lucky does little except survive - and he's content with his lot.

But one day, after collapsing for no real reason, other than the town doctor telling him he's old, Lucky's routine is shattered by the impending sense of mortality.

Lucky is the kind of film where nothing happens, but everything matters.

From the central character's rugged face, worn down by a life that's been mixed and blessed to a truly wondrous speech inside a bar that's as bittersweet as it is joyous, there's a certain mournful tone that overtakes this film and shakes your core. A resonant rumination wrapped up in an enigmatic intriguing tone.

But it's also one of immense joy as well - an appreciation of Harry Dean Stanton's work, his character so imbued with both sadness and fear of what's next - you simply couldn't have picked anything better for his final film.

However, Carroll Lynch's camera settles into the lyrical poetic moments here, but also captures what are at times, little more than moving photographs, vistas of the deserted mountains, a tortoise ambling by - and he wraps it all up in a script that's as wry as it is whimsically witty. Settle into the rhythms early on, and Lucky is deeply rewarding.

There's a lyricism at play here, a feeling of the motions of life lived and of death faced. And it's wondrous to behold. Poignant and powerful, a celebration of the human connection it may well be, but it's also about the unsaid bonds that bind us all.

At its heart though is Stanton. His delivery of just two words - "I'm scared" - carry more in the cinema and in life than could be believed; it's both heartbreaking and universal, a tacit admission of what comes next and what dogs us through our life. But at the same time, Stanton's insertion into this world of quirk and humanity proves to be deeply moving - and with a final shot that's as perfect as ever a send-off could be, Lucky proves to be a lyrical salute to both Stanton and life itself.