Mini Reviews
Brave (out Jun 21) is another superb animated film from Pixar. So many animations today focus on easy laughs. This epic story is more than that. It has a heart and a soul. It's set in the 10th Century and follows a young Scottish princess who has a fight with her parents after they try to force her into a marriage. Grade: A-.
A Royal Affair (out Jun 21) is set in Denmark in the late 18th Century and follows a physician's efforts to influence the King and use science (as opposed to religion) to guide public policy. It's an interesting story and we see things from the perspective of many characters. An enjoyable period piece flick. Grade: B+.
Elena (out Jun 21) is a simple story but it has been wonderfully told by Russian director Andrei Zvyagintsev (The Return). A married woman finds herself struggling when her husband has a heart attack and her son is in desperate need of money. Grade: B+.
Rock Of Ages (out Jun 14) is based on the successful musical that was nominated for 5 Tony Awards. This film version sees a bunch of fake-looking people pretend to sing 80s rock songs with little narrative connecting them. I was not a fan. Grade: C.
Le Chef (out Jun 14) is a silly but still likeable French comedy about two controlling chefs who are forced to team up in an effort to save their careers. It's only 84 minutes too - the perfect length for such a film. Grade: B.
The Cabin In The Woods (out Jun 14) finally gets its Aussie release this week and given its a horror-thriller, the less you known the better. It certainly goes down some unexpected paths... that's about all I'm willing to reveal. Grade: B+.
Take This Waltz (out Jun 14) was a funny, sweet, emotional and real experience. We've seen many films about people cheating on their spouses and whether it's the right thing but I love this level headed perspective from director Sarah Polley. Yet another amazing performance from Michelle Williams. Grade: A.
Prometheus (out Jun 7) is a bold project from director Ridley Scott and its spiritual, reflective nature will catch many filmgoers off guard. Unfortunately, I was struggling with the characters from the very beginning. They’re a bunch of over-emotive half-wits and they detract from what could have been something special. Michael Fassbender the pick of the cast. Grade: B-.
Friends With Kids (out Jun 7) is a nice debut feature from Jennifer Westfeldt (who wrote and starred in Kissing Jessica Stein). It's a rom-com that does an admirable job in breathing new life into this familiar genre. The dialogue is intelligent, the cast is strong and the bluntness of certain characters will get plenty of laughs. Grade: B+.
Haywire (out May 31) is an action-thriller from director Steven Soderbergh (Traffic) and can best be described as The Bourne Identity except with a female in the leading role. Gina Carano is terrific. So too is the use of music. Things fit together a little too neatly at times but this is still a solid film. Grade: B+.
Get The Gringo (out May 31) sees Mel Gibson locked in a Mexican prison where he kills a bunch of bad guys and befriends a widowed mother and her young son. It's tolerable as a mindless action film but I don't think Mel Gibson is the best fit for this character. He’s looking tired at the age of 56. Grade: B-.
