Mini Review - Tarot
Tarot (out May 2) is based on a 1992 novel and is the story of seven college student who find some old tarot cards and they become the trigger for a bunch of unfortunate events. Like the idea but found the dialogue and character authenticity to be sub-par. Grade: B-.
Mini Review - Boy Kills World
Boy Kills World (out May 2) almost runs out of gas but it's still an above-average, John Wick-style action flick about a deaf mute seeking revenge against those murdered his family (with a few twists thrown in). Bill Skarsgård is very good in the lead role as he conveys emotion through facial expressions as opposed to words. Grade: B+.
Mini Review - Fremont
Fremont (out May 2) won the John Cassavetes Award (best feature made for under $1 million) at the Independent Spirit Awards and is a heartfelt, darkly funny flick about an Afghan refugee in the United States who gets a job working in a Chinese fortune cookie factory. Loved the emotionless lead performance from Anaita Wali Zada. Great cameo from Jeremy Allen White too! Grade: A-.
Mini Review - The Taste of Things
The Taste of Things (out May 2) is an inventive French drama set in the late 19th Century. It follows a longtime couple with an insatiable love for food. Rather than communicate using words, the pair dazzle friends (and each other) by creating mouth-watering dishes in their kitchen. Beautifully captures the sounds of sizzling food and the facial expressions of those enjoying it. Grade: A-.
Mini Review - Golda
Golda (out May 2) looks at the Yom Kippur War of 1973 from the perspective of Israeli’s chain-smoking Prime Minister Golda Meir (Helen Mirren). With the focus on boardrooms as opposed to battlefronts, it comes across as a basic history lesson (with simplistic dialogue) as opposed to an enriching drama. Grade: C+.
Mini Review - The Fall Guy
The Fall Guy (out Apr 24) will tick boxes to promote Australian tourism (there’s even a scene on the steps of the Sydney Opera House) but if you’re looking for a fun, entertaining way to spend two hours… this ain’t it. An action-comedy where every joke is overdone, and the characters induce cringe as opposed to laughs. Needed a much better script. Grade: C.
Mini Review - The Teacher's Lounge
The Teacher's Lounge (out Apr 25) is a thought-provoking German drama about a school teacher embroiled in an escalating situation after a fellow staff member is caught stealing. With something to say about information (and who is entitled to it) and the relationships between parents and children, this resonates strongly. Grade: A-.
Mini Review - Mad About the Boy: The Noel Coward Story
Mad About the Boy: The Noel Coward Story (out Apr 25) isn't ground-breaking in terms of style (it's just archival footage and narration) but it's still an interesting, worthy documentary about the acclaimed English actor-playwright and his achievements throughout the 20th Century. Grade: B+.