Mini Reviews
Mini Review - Blancanieves
Blancanieves (out Oct 24) is a Spanish black-and-white silent early-20th-century adaptation of the fairy tale Snow White. Can't say I've seen too many films fitting that description lately. It's good too! A fun way of telling this familiar story. Grade: A-.
Mini Review - Prisoners
Prisoners (out Oct 17) is a long thriller (2.5 hours) that revolves around two girls who go missing in a quiet American suburb. Jake Gyllenhaal gives a great performance as a tired detective trying to solve the case... but the story goes down some strange, not-so-credible paths in its second half. A shame since so much intrigue is build up in the early stages. Grade: B.
Mini Review - Mystery Road
Mystery Road (out Oct 17) is an Australian drama-thriller about an inexperienced Indigenous detective trying to solve a murder in a small town with next-to-no resources. It tries a little too hard to build its mystery (everyone feels like they're hiding something) but the film is beautifully shot and I enjoyed the deliberate pace. Grade: B+.
Mini Review - About Time
About Time (out Oct 17) is the latest rom-com from Richard Curtis and revolves around a guy who meets the girl of his dreams and, oh yes, also has the ability to travel back in time. This film worked for me. Enjoyed the message. Liked the pairing of Domnhall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams. Loved seeing Bill Nighy steal so many scenes. Grade: A-.
Mini Review - The Family
The Family (out now) is the story of a mafia family who flees to Italy to start a new life... but they can't seem to avoid their killing ways. This had the potential to be an outlandish comedy but alas, it takes itself way too seriously - trying to find an emotional element when it isn't necessary. Grade: C.
Mini Review - Metallica Through The Never
Metallica Through The Never (out now) is for obviously for fans of the iconic band. I can best describe it as a 90 minute music video. The band plays their hits on a stage in front of a huge crowd... and this is overlaid with clips from a short fictional story. A cool idea. Grade: B+.
Mini Review - Diana
Diana (out Oct 10) is no good. In focusing on her 2-year relationship with heart surgeon Haznat Khan, the film feels like a cheesy soap opera. It just doesn't feel real. In fact, some scenes are laughable. I have no issue with a film about Princess Diana… but it needed to be a lot more engaging than this. Grade: C+.
Mini Review - 2 Guns
2 Guns (out Oct 10) is fun. Instead of a good guy v. bad guy story, they're thrown a bunch of bad guys together as they fight for the proceeds from a $43m bank robbery. The story is a little messy but thankfully, the star pairing of Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg compensates. All of the best scenes involve these two arguing and trying to get the better of each other. Grade: B.
Mini Review - Gravity
Gravity (out Oct 3) stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as two astronauts who become stranded in space. Forget the over-the-top stuff we normally see in action films. This film shows how to extract maximum tension from a minimalist story. A few moments feel too constructed but Alfonso Cuarón direction will leave you in awe (and also wondering how he did it). Grade: A.
Mini Review - Thanks For Sharing
Thanks For Sharing (out Oct 3) follows a group of people battling sex addiction. Instead of a confronting take on the subject matter (like Shame), the filmmakers have blended tones - this being a mix of comedy and drama. It makes it hard to connect emotionally with the characters... but the film has a few nice moments to make it worthwhile. Grade: B-.
Mini Review - Rush
Rush (out Oct 3) recounts the true story of two guys who battled neck-and-neck for the 1976 Formula One World Championships – Austrian Niki Lauda and Englishman James Hunt. There are a few eye-rolling pieces of dialogue but the film still provides an exciting sporting spectacle and some thought-provoking observations about the value of a great rivalry. Grade: B+.