Mini Reviews
Going The Distance (out Sep 2) is a romantic comedy starring Justin Long and Drew Barrymore. It's pretty predictable and I didn't think much of the supporting characters. That said, it does a nice job differentiating itself from other rom-coms with its sexual content. Long and Barrymore work well off each other too. Grade: B.
Tomorrow When The War Began (out Sep 2) is based on the book which seems to have been read by every teenager at school. The film is a little rough around the edges (dialogue needed work) but it's still quite suspenseful. It's made in Australia but it's as if they've tried to make it look un-Australian. The characters have a variety accents and the marketing makes it look very "Hollywood". Grade: B+.
Piranha 3D (out Aug 26) is a textbook B-grade horror film. Blood? Tick. Gore? Tick. Nudity? Tick. Scary music? Tick. Laughable dialogue? Tick. It's complete and utter trash but at least its not pretending to be something else. Grade: B-.
4.3.2.1 (out now) is a waste. It's about 4 girls who get caught up in a convoluted diamond heist. Their stories are told separately and then come together in the end. The film's style (which isn't all that original) masks the stupid storyline. Grade: C.
Matching Jack (out now) is a "tissues required" Aussie drama about two young kids battling leukaemia. Many will be affected emotionally but I was frustrated by some elements of the story. My major qualm was with Jacinda Barrett's character. Her actions seemed so illogical at times. Didn't like her. Grade: B-.
Father Of My Children (out Aug 26) is a French drama about a middle-aged guy in deep debt and trying to save his film production company. He worries not just about his own future but also that of his family. This is "realness" to this story, these characters and the emotions they go through. Highly recommended. Grade: A-.
Four Lions (out now) is a British movie about a group of Muslims living in London who want to become suicide bombers. No, this is not a drama. It's a comedy! I understand the subject matter will be too delicate for some but I enjoyed the film's dark humour. These guys are complete morons but so too are the police who pursue them. It's like an episode of Keystone Kops. Grade: B+.
Boy (out Aug 26) topped the box-office in New Zealand for an incredible 4 weeks and is now getting an Oz release. It's about an 11 y/o who lives with his grandmother but has his world flipped upside down when his father reappears after a long absence. This has a nice mix of comedy (in the early stages) and drama (in the later stages). A real crowd pleaser. Grade: A-.
The Killer Inside Me (out Aug 26) is about a mild-mannered police officer from a small Texas town. Oh, and he's also a murdering psychopath. I saw this film in London back in June and the 3 things I remember are (1) it's unnecessarily violent, (2) the characters don't think logically, (3) it's got a dumb ending. It may have a strong cast but this isn't the commercial thriller that many will expect. Grade: C+.
Everlasting Moments (out now) is a Swedish film set in the 20th Century which centres on a married woman and her developing love for photography. It's slow to start but the second half is strong. The rocky relationship shared between husband and wife is nicely explored. It's an interesting period of history too. Grade: B+.
The Expendables (out now) should have been better. If you're uniting today's action stars with those from the 1980s in a huge blockbuster, a more interesting script was required. The action scenes aren't that great either - the CGI (particularly in the killing scenes) was too obvious. I do agree with the descrption used by many others - it's Sex & The City for guys. Grade: C+.
