Mini Review - The Dog Stars
The Dog Stars (out Aug 27) is set in the year 2035 where most of humanity has been wiped out by a contagious virus. We follow Hig (Jacob Elordi) who, after living for years in the mountains of Colorado, battles loneliness and seeks adventure. The "action" scenes don't quite work but I was swept up by the film’s themes, music and cinematography. Grade: B.
Mini Review - Dreams
Dreams (out Aug 27) is a Norwegian film about a 17-year-old girl who has developed a same-sex crush on her French teacher at high school. This is an unorthodox coming-of-age tale which never tries to oversimplify its premise. It deftly captures the mental fragility of being a teenager and the limitations by which parents can help. Grade: A-.
Mini Review - The Party's Over!
The Party's Over! (out Aug 27) is a zany French comedy about an inept rich family who engage in a tit-for-tat power struggle with their longtime servants. Fun characters and a fun farce. Grade: B+.
Mini Review - I Want Your Sex
I Want Your Sex (out Aug 27) is about a young man (Cooper Hoffman) who enters a wild love affair with his artistic boss (Olivia Wilde). This wants to be an edgy, erotic comedy but when you break it down, it's rather ho-hum. The ending is dumb and the characters rely too much on their zany personalities in trying to win laughs. Grade: B-.
Mini Review - Palestine 36
Palestine 36 (out Aug 27) is a drama which delves into the conflict between Palestinians and their British colonial rulers in the 1930s. The dialogue is heavy-handed at times but it's still an emotionally effective history lesson. Grade: B+.
Mini Review - Spa Weekend
Spa Weekend (out Aug 20) is a silly comedy about four women and their chaotic misadventures while visiting a wellness retreat. It's just 90-minutes of trying to win laughs through the most absurd, over-the-top scenarios possible. Not for me. Grade: C+.
Mini Review - Mutiny
Mutiny (out Aug 20) is a Jason Statham-style action movie starring Jason Statham. This time around, he plays an experienced security guard who, after being framed for the murder of his boss, must kill a bunch of people on a boat to clear his name. Fine for what it is… but it isn’t reinventing the wheel. Grade: B-.
Mini Review - Insidious: Out of the Further
Insidious: Out of the Further (out Aug 20) just made me want to get out of the theatre. Not because it's scary... but because it's such a weak film. The characters are bland and boring (I’ll cite the boyfriend as an example) and so it’s hard to care too much when they’re running around in a fight for their lives. Grade: C.
Mini Review - Super Troopers 3
Super Troopers 3 (out Aug 6) is a disappointing instalment to the film series which began in 2001. If you like repetitive, low-brow toilet humour, maybe you’ll get some laughs from it. Grade: C.