Mini Reviews
Burning Man (out Nov 17) is about a young chef who sees his life spiralling out of control following the death of his wife. The film's most obvious trait is an extremely fragmented narrative. This will frustrate some filmgoers but the remainder should see this as a powerful piece of cinema. Star Matthew Goode delivers a terrific performance. Grade: B+.
Shark Night (out now) is, as expected, a trashy thriller. A group of college students find themselves stranded on an island an under attack from a group of nasty sharks. The special effects are poor and the story is likely to generate more laughs than thrills. Grade: C.
Santa's Apprentice (out Nov 10) is an odd Christmas film about a work-a-holic Santa who is having trouble handing over the reigns to the new recruit. The "old style" animation is nice but I worry about the story having much appeal for kids. The upcoming Arthur Christmas (out in 2 weeks) looks flashier and more entertaining. Grade: B-.
I Don't Know How She Does It (out now) is a write off. A film with seemingly no purpose that centres on a woman (Sarah Jessica Parker) who is trying to juggle her business life with her family life. It takes roughly 45 minutes before anything interesting to happen and the film then limps home with a rushed, pointless finale. Grade: C-.
Moneyball (out Nov 10) once again proves the value of Brad Pitt as an actor. He's not just a pretty face and he continues to pick good roles. He plays the GM of a baseball team and tries to turn their fortunes around through unconventional means. Directed by Bennett Miller (Capote), this film reeled me in very quickly with its interesting story and a surprising number of laughs. Grade: A-.
Jucy (out Nov 3) is the tale of two twenty-something women living in Brisbane who are at a crossroads in their life. I saw this at BIFF a year ago and it's nice to see it getting a cinematic release. It has a great sense of humour (some jokes left me laughing out loud) and explores a number of issues which Gen Y folk will be able to relate. Grade: A-.
Anonymous (out Nov 3) puts forward a theory that Shakespeare was never a playwright. Rather, it was another man who penned the famous works in an attempt to undermine the Queen. I didn't like this. The story jumps back and forth in time and I struggled to keep up with each character and their motives. Grade: B-.
Our Idiot Brother (out Nov 3) features an odd assortment of characters that aren't all that funny. It's about a guy (Paul Rudd) who lives his life as somewhat of a "bum", much to the disappointment of his extended family. There are a few nice moments late in the film but it takes a long time to get going. I can understand why it's only getting a limited cinematic release. Grade: B-.
Autoluminescent (out now) is a documentary that traces the life of Australian rock artist Rowland Howard. He's an interesting subject matter but there seemed to be a few too many "talking heads" and not enough footage to make this truly compelling. Grade: B.
In Time (out Oct 27) is a standard action-thriller with some gaping plot holes. It's set in a bizarre parallel universe where time is money (and I'm not speaking metaphorically). The concept looked interesting on paper but I must report that the finished product is "a waste of your time". If you think that reference is lame, wait until you hear some of the others in the film. Grade: C.
Warrior (out Oct 27) is the story of two brothers who haven't spoken in years who enter a lucrative mixed martial arts competition with a "winner takes all" prize of $5 million. It's hard to believe at times but still likeable. Strong performances from Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton and Nick Nolte. Was hoping for a little more resolution with the father-son relationships at film's end. Grade: B.
