Mini Reviews
Life As We Know It (out now) wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. I actually liked parts of it. Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel worked well off each other. Some nice banter. There are a few dumb moments (e.g. the child care worker) but I'm giving this a mild thumbs up. Shhh, tell no one. Grade: B.
The Social Network (out Oct 28) has been hyped as one of the best films of the year... and I can't help but agree. It's fantastic. I enjoyed learning how Facebook was created but much more interesting is the way in which Mark Zuckerberg is portrayed. Is he a sociopath or is he just misunderstood? Much to think about. Grade: A.
Paranormal Activity 2 (out now) has a few "jump out of your seat" moments but when you break it down, it's a simple rehash of the original. Not as scary as I'd hoped. I still like the style however. You can help but feel a slight shiver down your spine while watching the grainy images on screen with no soundtrack. Grade: B-.
Let Me In (out now) is a remake of the Swedish film Let The Right One In (released in Australia early in 2009). It didn't leave as big an impact (maybe because I've seen the original) but this is still a well-told story. It focuses on a young boy who befriends a girl who has just moved into his apartment complex. She holds a very big secret. Grade: B+.
The Town (out now) is a solid action-thriller. It's about four guys from Boston who have robbed a string of banks. The FBI are closing in however. Will they quit while ahead? Ben Affleck does a good job both on and off screen. I like his accent. I like the big car chase he's choreographed (as the film's director). A few plot elements are tough to swallow but this held my attention for two hours. Grade: A-.
The City Of Your Final Destination (out now) was a lacklustre drama about a college student who goes to Uruguay to seek permission from the estate of a late author to write a biography. A decent cast but this just meanders along with little purpose. Grade: C+.
Summer Coda (out Oct 21) is a nice Australian film from first time director Richard Gray (runner up in 2005's Project Greenlight Australia). It's a romantic drama set on an orange orchard in Mildura and stars Alex Dimitriades and Rachael Taylor. I wasn't a huge fan of the ending but I enjoyed the character development, score and especially the cinematography. Grade: B+.
Resident Evil: Afterlife (out Oct 14) is must see viewing... for anyone putting a list together of the year's worst movies. Grade: C-.
Eat Pray Love (out Oct 7) was exhausting. It's about a middle aged woman who travels to Italy, India and Bali to "rediscover" herself. Too much eating. Too much praying. Too much love. Also, there was too much of this sad, forlorn Julia Roberts. There's no energy in this film at all. Grade: C+.
The Tree (out now) is another Australian drama which will struggle at the box-office. It's about a young girl who develops an unusual attachment to a huge tree in her backyard following the death of her father. I was mildly interested in this story and the way it explores dealing with loss. We've seen this sort of stuff before though. Grade: B-.
Buried (Oct 7) is a refreshingly original film in what has been a boring cinematic year (filled with remakes, sequels). It's a 95 minute movie set entirely with a coffin. Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) has been kidnapped in Iraq and buried alive. He has a torch, a lighter, a knife and a phone. Can he find a way out? This was very suspenseful and will stick with you after you've left the cinema. Check it out! Grade: A-.
