Mini Reviews
Red Dog (out Aug 4) is an Australian film that centres on a kelpie who roamed the rocky landscape of the Pilbara region during the 1970s. The comedic parts early in the film are a little cheesy but it builds into heartfelt drama that will tug at the heartstrings of many in the audience. Grade: B+.
Of Gods And Men (out now) is a well acted but slightly tedious drama about a group of monks who find their monastery threatened by terrorists. Will they flee or will they stay? Grade: B+.
Big Mamma's Boy (out now) has left me sad, flat, depressed. The worst film of the year so far. Even worse is the fact that it's Australian. A cheesy, cliched comedy about a 35 y/o Italian real estate agent trying to break free of his mother's shackles and win the heart of co-worker. Grade: C-.
Captain America (out now) is very good. It focuses on story rather than action and finds a nice balance between comedy and drama. Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving and Tommy Lee Jones are all terrific. Only downside is that some of the special effects (e.g. thin Chris Evans) weren't that convincing. Grade: A-.
5 Days Of War (out now) revolves around the Georgian-Russian conflict in 2008 and illustrates the lengths that journalists will go to in search of a story. This is a worthy tale but sadly, it's told in such an amateurish manner. The accents are awful, the dialogue is cliched and the special effects look dreadful. Grade: C.
The Conspirator (out Jul 28) tells the true story of Mary Surratt, a woman on trial for her involvement in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. There are some questionable casting choices but I'm a sucker for a good courtroom drama. It's topped off by a powerful finale that made an impact on many at the preview I attended. Grade: A-.
Hanna (out Jul 28) is a cross between Run Lola Run and The Bourne Identity series. It revolves around a 15-year-old girl who is a trained assassin with a mission to complete. Saoirse Ronan is great and the action is stylish but the film needed a little more plot. Not too bad. Grade: B.
Bad Teacher (out now) stars Cameron Diaz as a disinterested teacher who is more interested in seducing a co-worker than educating the students in her class. This could have been funny but the approach is too tame. It needed to be edgier with a few more surprises. Grade: C+.
Larry Crowne (out Jul 21) is about a guy who gets fired from his job, goes to college, kicks starts his life and finds a new love. It’s a clean, innocent film that I could safely take my mother to see. It wasn’t for me however. It felt like I was being smothered with “feel good” moments. Everything about the story and its characters is too far detached from reality. Grade: C+.
Beautiful Lies (out Jul 21) is a quirky but ultimately disappointing French romance about a young hairdresser who can't see that the love of her life is right in front of her. Why did these characters have to be so unlikeable? I hated all of them! It's a shame because the always beautiful Audrey Tautou deserves better. Grade: C.
Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (out Jul 13) is good enough. It's not the best in the series but neither was the final book. The action sequences are terrific but the character interaction is underdone and the emotional impact wasn't as strong as I'd hoped. Despite it's bleak tone, this should satisfy most Harry Potter fans. Grade: B+.
