IN THE CORNER OF THE WORLD NEW website RATE: 10/10
A QUEST TO HEAL - BEYOND THE PHYSICAL NEW website review by Bryanna Reynolds
REVIEW: A Quest To Heal Beyond The Physical By Bryanna Reynolds
In this documentary film ‘A Quest To Heal - Beyond The Physical’, the audience is taken on a journey of learning and discovery associated with alternative healing.
The documentary tells the story of three patients who travel to a little village in Brazil where a spiritual healer by the name Joao de Faria De Texeira performs his healings.
The documentary is narrated and filmed by film maker Michelle Mahrer. This provides a viewpoint for people to take a side throughout the documentary.
Michelle Mahrer follows the journey of spiritual healing, guiding and opening oneself to new pathways of healing.
What I found most amazing was the behind the scenes look of a spiritual centre where one is free to open themselves up to the hope and faith that there could be a cure either long term or short to provide temporary or long lasting help.
The topic of spiritual healing I personally feel has to be seen to be believed. And while I still don't know exactly where I stand on the effectiveness in comparison to modern western medicine this was a breathtaking documentary so beautifully told.
If you are are wondering if this film is for you I would recommend seeing it if you are curious. You don't need to be for or against the practice of spiritual healing but just open to hearing people's experiences.
The documentary opened up my mind and I am thankful for that. I think it is helpful to watch the documentary with an open mind and simply listen to the stories of the three participants experiencing the spiritual healing.
I look forward to seeing what film maker Michelle Mahrer will produce next. Make sure you see the documentary ‘A Quest To Heal Beyond The Physical’.
WOW! This is quite a deep psychological journey. A kindness itself is shown in one very good looking angel-like woman who is a school teacher. Her real snake-spider-like manipulative personality gets revealed as we continue to watch the film story developing in front of our eyes. It is very hard for the honest person to recognise a snake in some one else. We usually act according t our own character and our own believes. When we trust someone in authority or friendship we usually believe that the person will be acting as us: honestly and openly. We do not know better. The snake-spider-like personalities though act according to their own belief system. The are dishonest so they see and expect lies and dishonesty in others - they also act accordingly. The vicious circle never ends till the snake faces the truth and genuine unconditional love - there is no escape for the snake in this condition then. It either has to die or to change. Lies are hard to follow as the lair forgets what he lied about. Lies are there to be invented and the inventions gets forgotten. While the Truth is always there and there is nothing to invent - it is there just to be opened and discovered It is easy to do it if you know what you are after. It is easy to live in truth too. Snake and spider personalities are hard to live with - they live with constant pain - they always have to think about their new "inventions" They have lonely miserable lives, mainly they never never ever find partners for themselves as they start with lies not with Truth. What was started with the false intention can never gets completed with the truth in mind. It will always be a lie. How to change: meditate, open up yourself, re-discover your true love and unconditional giving being, forgive and make your life not heave and full of "inventions" but light and enjoyable full of love and compassion. Discovering the truth is for the hard working though. If you are a lazy soul you will not have a chance - your karmic circles will bring you back and back again till you understand how to live, for many many lives may be thousands but you will learn eventually. Only after that you will discover freedom and joy. Only when the karma is broken. You can do it any minute of your life because there is no past nor there is a future - do it now and you will see a new world. Manipulative character is the one based on lies lies and lies only. If you are on your way to enlightment on the way to your power of knowledge stay way from such people who manipulate your life in their own advantage - they can damage (not destroy but damage you) .You will just waste your time on them. They need to learn on their own. As I mentioned before with some people you can give the everything: the ski , the flag and even the torch to lighten their path they will still continue to lie, leach, suck your blood and manipulate you. You have to close the door for them to understand - they have to seek other doors and continue to learn! Adding to that more: to discover your truth you need to risk your life, to study continuosly, to work on thyself, not to be lazy, it is not an easy road as you have to step over your EGO, which is sometimes bigger than YOU. You need courage on your way too. Lies do not need and courage. I see many cowards lie to me non stop. they are cowards after all as they do not want to see the best inside of themselves, they are afraid of their own light. The Lair will tell you a lot about where he traveled, how much money he has, how much his shoes are, how many houses he had, how many people or women love him, he will keep talking about his "false" self , his lies will never stop. The truth does not need to talk nor it needs to prove its existence. It is silent when you discover it finally. Lies are dead toys to play with, they are heavy too as the liar has only so many cards to play with although the truth does not have boundaries. You can spend the entire life with the truth. There is one more thing to discover when you say: "she has left me she has abandoned me" You will never find yourself a spouse if you keep seeing that the fault is within the others. You are the only one who creates your own journey and until you change the right person will never appear in front of your eyes. You will always be on the search... always... you will search Yourself though...
Something that stands out for the great applause no matter what: soundtrack! Not to mention the splendid actors' performance, good well developed plot with no downfalls, very easy and entertaining to watch. The story line is unpredictable and twisted and you will never find out what happen till the very end. The complex story line is a collective adventure of all its members. We eagerly wait till the very end but you never know with the French romantic comedies how it will finish: happy ending or sentimental regret. I am adding there the charms of the whole actors' crew. There are not that many films that I saw recently with François Damiens who is simply amazing in this film. I also have not seen Cécile De France for long time and she is a terrific form and she matured so much during the last 10 years. She is adorable and fantastic in each and every line she says. If you are after a good and light entertainment - this is one relaxing and very sensual film to watch!
GERMAN CINEMA MELBOURNE 2017: FRITZ LANG 2016 NEW website RATE: 9/10
It is a deep and very intelligently filmed movie. The picture portrays a famous silent film maker Fritz Lang who is looking for inspiration for his first film. His new film is about a serial killer. Alongside Lang goes through his own life drama, while he remembers his past and his possible involvement into the crime too. It is questioning Lang's murder of his own wife who caught him up with a lover. Lang's own psychological drama interlaces with the criminal and the journey that the director makes to find out more and more about his major character. As the history tells Lang was never accused or charged for his deed. The film is blend in with Lang's original films. The movie is made black and white which adds t the drama as well as takes us to the 30-s , the time of Lang's genius. This film is a terrific masterpiece about Fritz that deserves to be mentioned next to the Fritz Lang's old films.
The film is not my cup of tea, it is not even the one I would watch at the movies but I gave it 10/10 for several reasons:
1. super sensational actors' perfromance 2. very well written script and immaculate director's work 3. excellent entertainment for this genre of movies
It is unexpected, it seems dangerous but funny at the same time. It seems real and amazingly well made up at the same time - it is a farce on the edge of the real events and the childish imagination of one of the major characters.
It is one home alone picture but not quiet : it is smartly done with twists and turns at the every corner of the movie path - we better watch out! If my kids were still small I would go and watch this film with them again just for the sake of good and healthy laughs.
LOUIS THEROUX: DARK STATES - HEROIN TOWN NEW website RATE: 8/10
Famous American journalist and filmmaker Louis Theroux is after the biggest disease of all ties and nations: drugs showing the effect and the horrific life of its victims, their "happy moments" that are actually very scary to watch and their downfalls.,the ordinary lives of these "extra ordinary" people. The movie reveals the numbers, the queue to the rehabs, the recoveries, the slavery, the weak moments and the strong people who were able to leave their habits behind and start fresh new lives.
The film also contains the exclusive footage , behind the scenes and interviews with the daring author. Not only that , Louis shows the roots of the addiction pointing fingers at the conventional medicine and its inability to cure and give proper advises.
I love Luois' stories for their ingenuity and certain warmth, his humor and his openness to the subject. He is a true follower of Michael Moore style but with less "poisonous" approach to the topic.
It is a terrific movie to watch on any Australian holiday: it is witty, it is about Australians, it is about musicians, it is about summer time of course. The film has a terrific crew, it is light ad very entertaining to watch in a company of good positive thinking friends with good attitude towards life. The movie is good enough for any generation: there is something young people would love, there is something that would interest the older generation. It has a terrific view on the entire Australian nation: native australians and english population and it has funny moments in both sides to laugh about. Nothing goes uncovered in this film: nationalism, class division, immigrants, love and sex, Australian culture and beautiful history and country traditions. If you ever been to Aus country and traveled in car listening to the local radios you will not stop laughing at Magda Szubanski's character! The film contains many mini-story lines that are built around one core story: love of two people that meet summer after summer at the same camp ground. We watch the relationship between two young people grow and develop and get stronger.
DADDY'S HOME 2 NEW website review by Susie Cashmere
DADDY’S HOME 2 DIRECTOR: Sean Anders WRITERS: Sean Anders, Brian Burns CAST: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Mel Gibson, John Lithgow GENRE: Comedy/Family RUNNING TIME: 1 Hr 40 Mins
Just as we saw a fantastic sequel to “Bad Moms” in “A Bad Mom’s Christmas, we can now watch an equally fabulous sequel to “"”Daddys Home” in “Daddys Home 2” I’m just going to lay it down before I go on. Will Ferrell makes me laugh, and in this hilarious movie, playing the nerdy dad Brad, he did not fail me.
Will Ferrell is a funny guy, just as Mark Wahlberg is a funny guy, playing the other dad in the movie, Dusty. Totally different characters, equally funny with unique antics and personalities.
So, this time, the “co parenting” dads, Brad and Dusty, find themselves and their families debating on where to spend Christmas this year. Then when both Brad and Dusty’s own dads arrive for Christmas, a unanimous decision (actually made by Dust’ dad) is made to all spend Christmas day together at a completely separate location.
Not a huge Mel Gibson fan, I struggle to fault him in the brilliant, ex Astronaut, hard talking, non tactile, “take no prisoners” character of Kurt, Dusty’s dad. He’s a handsome man, a lady’s man, who prefers the female attention to that of his own son. Mel Gibson nails this character to a tee!
On the other hand we have Don, Brad’s dad played by the fabulous John Lithgow. He is perfect as the loving, caring, “over sharing” knitted jumper wearing all round nice guy. Polar opposites. So the fun begins.
The strain on Brad and Dusty’s “co dad”arrangement starts to show as true feelings and emotions come to the fore. The criticism and constant judgement on the parenting skills of our loveable dads becomes too much.
It’s a great movie, with Will Ferrell’s “in your face” humour hitting us hard just as the subtleness of Mark Wahlberg’s.
Let’s begin by getting the obvious out of the way. Justice league in neither as good as Wonder Woman, nor as bad as BatmanVSuperman. What it is, is half a rushed movie, chopped up to look like a full film. Imagine watching lord of the rings, but only the scenes with Frodo and Sam. It would still be a OK movie, but it would never come close to what it could have been. In the same way, Justice League was not a bad film, it did however leave me wondering just what was left on the cutting room floor to fit the WarnerBrothers 120 minute limit.
The story flows cleanly, albeit in somewhat strange directions at times. The characters all get decent time to tell their stories; no mean feat considering the number of leads, most with no real histories. The visual are mixed, switching from beautiful scenes of pure Snyder vison, to scenes of unfinished CGI and sloppy backdrops. The music was something of a letdown, with a few notable exceptions, most of the scores and songs used were uninspiring and became background noise.
The real star of the show is the characters. Just as well in a movie, existing solely to bring unknown characters to the foreground. Gal Gadot’s Wonder woman has more than proven herself to be a fan favourite character and the writers have allowed her to remain unchanged. Her strength and passion drawing the others in and acting a sentinel for the heroes. Ben Affleck’s Batman has traded in his previous fury and grit, as seen in BvS and instead become the wise determined father of the group. His dry wit and charisma shining through, to make him into the backbone the JL needs. Ray Fisher’s Cyborg fell somewhat under the radar, not because his character wasn’t important, but more because it was important for his character. The hidden powerhouse of the group, noticeably sensitive and wounded, seeking refuge amongst peers. Jason Momoa’s Aquaman was a standout, at times, funny, sensitive, aggressive and possessive. Momoas acting chops are undeniable at this point and his skills are on full display here. Ezra Miller’s Flash surprised me, not only with how comic faithful it was, but also with just how damn funny he was. Absolutely the comic relief, the flash injects the levity the movie needs, when it needs it and keep it from descending into the morose as many DCEU films have done before.
Justice league is a character movie about heroes coming together and becoming a team, in that respect, the movie is an undeniable triumph. The actions scenes are haphazard at best while the tone, music and the pacing were noticeably underpar. For all its flaws though, justice league remains an enjoyable watch, with engaging characters in an enticing story, brilliantly acted and with an unmistakable superhero flare. I don’t doubt that reviews for justice league will be brutal and unforgiving, pointing out the films problems and pretending its charm doesn’t exist. Don’t be fooled, this is a fantastic movie, hiding beneath the veneer of bureaucratic Hollywood politics. When the uncut version of this movie drops, it will likely get the respect it deserves. In the mean time, justice league remains, if not the movie the DCEU deserves, most certainly the one it needs right now.
Wonder is a heartwarming and emotional drama. It's about a 10 year's old boy, Auggie, whose face is shocking at first site but his soul is beautiful. Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson are very caring parents who help him to go over his hard time at school. A very social production delivered through the eyes of young people and their parents. It touches on stages of early life changes and the contrasts of appearance issues with conflicts of what is important during these changes. The manner in which these subjects are brought to a conclusion is quite polished. The story line is simple but entertaining with a small part of the Christmas feel thrown in. Given the subject matter dealt with in this production it is an easy film to view, and does have a feel good component to it. It teaches children kindness, love, friendship, patience. Good production, good actors.
THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS NEW website review by Nina Tunaley
A Christmas Carol…after Charles Dickens. Brilliant, delightful, magic film! It’s not only entertaining. You could see England of 1840s, life of different kinds of people, family life of Charles Dickens, his creative and imaginative hard work. Dan Stevens plays Dickens so emotionally showing bright character of the writer, his childhood, his father's failure, his career and, of course, Christmas holiday. All cast is excellent: Dan Stevens, Christopher Plummer, Jonathan Pryce, Justin Edwards, Morfydd Clark, Donald Sumpter, Miles Jupp, Simon Callow, Miriam Margolyes, Ian McNeice, Bill Paterson. The intertwining autobiography of the author and the story he created, makes this production particularily interesting. This film will bring the spirit of Christmas and must be seen by all families and children to feel the magic holiday.
“School life” is a documentary about John and Amanda Leyden’s lives as teachers at Headford School in Ireland. Located in picturesque country side 75 km north-west of Dublin, the Headford School, with its 18th century architecture style, is the only primary-age boarding school in the country. The school’s goals are to instil in its students a robust self-confidence while stimulating them to express their individuality along with teaching them the duties and obligations to a wider community. The cameras follow this, no doubt, the most eccentric and truly devoted to their students’ educators. Weather it is during the class or while the kids are outside climbing the trees and building up the fortresses, the schools’ values are presented with a clear and strong voice: A happy child first, then learning. Ms Leyden, a literature teacher, is also involved in directing a Shakespeare’s play. Mr Leyden, apart from teaching math and Latin, leads rock band practice. Through paying attention to the students’ feelings and emotions, needs and abilities, the teachers become second parents and seem to know each child's idiosyncrasies and find triggers for openness and joy. It really takes a true, big-hearted Teacher to say the following: “If I become irritable with kids or can’t communicate with them, I would be out straight away; I would be no good to them and would be wasting their time”. This documentary is highly relevant to anyone involved in education, teachers and parents.
CONOR MCGREGOR NOTORIOUS NEW website review by Susan Reynolds
Conor Mc Gregor Notorious Conor Mc Gregor's life was a financial struggle living on benefits at his mother's house. Young Boys from his town he explains learned football and to fight. The latter he discovered he excelled at and he became fight obsessed. From humble beginnings there's a meteoric rise which transitions well in the film. We perceive a somewhat laddish man but grounded in his personal relationships and with close family ties. The film is a self indulgent but so what...he's really worked for the success and shows he wants to enjoy the fruits of his labour. Some people have a vision of their success this is true of him.He display true grit in his planned pursuit. His girlfriend also has had unwavering belief in him.
Expect some confronting fight scenes with blood. I am not a keen fight fan but I left the film with admiration for him and his dogged determination to succeed. He is raucous and dramatic but this is a public persona. He also portrays someone grounded and appreciative of his relationships. He's cracking at a fast pace at this huge career and he's is not wasting a second of it. He's a showman right down to his growling, muscle flexing pre fight Oscar winning ...."I'm a fighter" role play. His body is a honed fighting machine and the scenes portray the extremes he goes to achieve this. His ambition is to be the best across various fighting weight categories. I do not doubt that psychology comes into play in this sport and he knows how to work the publicity machine and the aspects of attaining a psychological advantage to win.
MOVIE DETAILS BAD MOM’S CHRISTMAS CAST: Mila Kunas, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn DIRECTORS: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore STUDIO: STX Entertainment GENRE: Comedy RUNNING TIME: 104 mins RELEASE DAYE: November 1st 2017 RATING: R
It’s pretty safe to assume if you liked Bad Mom’s, you will enjoy the sequel – “A Bad Mom’s Christmas” My daughter and I were both fans of the first movie and although not common with sequels, we both enjoyed it even more.
Amy ( Mila Kunas), Kiki (Kristen Bell) and Carla (Kathryn Hahn) are once again our three very different mums with an unlikely friendship, who this year each want to have the perfect Christmas for their respective families. What could go wrong? you ask. Their own mums, of course! Each mother possessing unique characteristics providing much stress to our three favourite mums. Yep, all three, with extremely irritating personalities clashing full on with their daughters who want to please them so much.
Christine Baranski plays Amy’s mum, Ruth. Ruth is the classic anal, domineering, social climbing over the top mother who has to have the best and be the best. Her ever suffering husband, Hank (Peter Gallagher) is the perfect submissive and supportive presence always there, but in the background of the flamboyant Ruth.
Cheryl Hines is fabulous as Kiki’s mother, Sandy. Bordering on creepy, her obsession with Kiki is such that she even cuts her hair in the same style as her daughter. Her over the top need to be with her daughter, smothering her, leaves us wondering what on earth she could do next to show her devotion; and we get answers! Her pathetic ways leave us laughing, us wanting to slap her at the same time.
Susan Sarandon is absolutely fabulous as Carla’s mum, Isis. Yes Isis. She is the pot smoking care free mother who rarely shows up in her daughter’s life unless she wants something. Usually money, and this time is no different. Carla is surprised to see her land on her doorstep for Christmas and of course wary. Isis is the type of mum many of us would love to be, but have to say goodbye to once having a child registers as a responsibility.
Our three original mums are beside themselves trying to keep Christmas as normal as they possibly can, with these dysfunctional mothers on each one’s back, demanding Christmas be done the way they want it to be.
The struggle is hilarious and the casting of mother/daughter is absolutely “on pointe”.
Maybe be a big call on my behalf, but in my opinion, Christine Baranski steals the show. Not unlike the character she plays in “The Good Wife”, she is excellent as the super controlling and “over the top” gift giving grandmother.
The humour is similar to the original BadMoms, only a little more raunchy with reckless behaviour, drunken antics and nudity. Yes, of course there is the obligatory strippers involved.
It’s hard to fault any of the acting and every mother will identify with some of the struggles faced to have the perfect Christmas. There just isn’t one.
By the end of the hilarious countdown to the magical 25th of December, the girls have discovered more about their mothers and have started to form closer relationships withe each of them.
It’s a great laugh, it will resonate with many of us and it has just enough of a moral compass to steer the movie into the right direction.
I highly recommend “A Bad Mom’s Christmas” and I would rate it $8 out of $10 on the “Cashy” scale.
EUROPEAN OUTDOOR FILM TOUR NEW SYDNEY, 18 October website review by Ivan Lubkov
European Outdoor Film Tour
The story of brave hearts filled with dedication and resolve to explore the majestic places around the world no matter the difficulties of reaching them. The film European Outdoor Film Tour portrays the fascinating expeditions done by remarkable people around the world. The film is composed of a number of short videos filmed throughout the adventures of famous explorers. Once of the starting stories revolves around a famous woman rock-climber and base jumper Steph from Utah who has done extreme adventures for charity throughout her whole life. It uncovers the hardships and challengers that an explorer has to face. It shows that loss of life and physical damage is something real that could happen to anyone on an expedition. Steph had to rebuild her life multiple times due to losses of her loved ones during expeditions.
One of the following videos called Two Twin Galaxies shows the grand exploration of a completely unknown region in Greenland. The 3 adventurers in the video decided to take a 1000 km route across Greenland to arrive to a location that not a lot of people had idea of. The explorers had to race against the clock to arrive before the rivers froze before they could do kiting starting from the source through waters surrounded by glaciers.
The film contained 2 hours’ worth of adventures and thrills. The cinema was fully packed and received high appreciation by the public as it is a great entertainment for anyone interested in sports, camping, adventure and extreme challenges.
THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER NEW website RATE: 9.5/10
The movie is not for many to watch. If you saw The Lobster film by the same director, you will find this film to be even darker. It follows the fragment of the life of very famous and ambitious surgeon-cardiologist who has done a bad ad unforgivable mistake some time ago when the patient has passed away during operation in the theater. He starts some very unusual friendship with the passed away father's son, who intrudes in the doctor's life causing the irreversible vents of horror and distraction to his wife and his children. The friendship is hard to call this way anyway anymore as the boy takes away (in revenge of his own parent) the most dear commodity of the family: lives. But that seems not enough when the disaster continues on the level of moral and physical abuse the boy projects on the doctors family members. The psychological drama revolves and sucks into its inevitable "well of dirt and blood" the five major characters: the doctor , his wife, their two children and Martin, the son of the tragically passed away on the doctor's table patient When the film of such a caliber and distinction is shown to the public it is pointless to say how the actors were: they HAVE TO BE IMMACULATELY BRILLIANT! and they are! All of them. The manner of the acting is very similar to The Lobster - no matter what happens they remain indifferent in their facial expressions. I know that it is very hard to play - they only have to show their emotions through the eyes. Oh my god - this performance is amazing! The dialogues are fabulous - they are about nothing and this nothingness creates the most depressive mood which drives you crazy... Th soundtrack - I od not have to comment on that - supernatural music!
QUOTES: Surgeon: A surgeon never kills a patient. An anaesthesiologist can kill a patient, but a surgeon never can.[ NM: yes, right! - hear the tome this is pronounced and you will understand who kills whom!]
Surgeon's Wife: What a charming boy. Surgeon: Isn't he? Surgeon's Wife: Yes, very. How did his father die? Surgeon: Car crash. Driving home. Smashed it into a pole. Killed instantly. Surgeon's Wife: How long have you known him? Surgeon: Quite some time. He was a patient of mine. Years ago. Surgeon's Wife: Did you go to the funeral? Surgeon: I did go. Yes. Surgeon's Wife: Why didn't I go with you? Surgeon: I think I told you about it. But you were busy or something. [pause] Surgeon's Wife: You should tell him to come 'round again.
It is a horrible movie, it is a horror movie but it is brilliantly made horror! I will not recommend you to watch it unless you liked The Lobster and you are into crazy and I mean very crazy films. Unique? Yes like 2 times 2 equals five (written in letters) Twisted? Very much so. You will not be able to rate it as there is nothing to compare it with. it is uncategorisable film of a kind. Again: this film is not for everyone, nor it is an art house movie. It is just a film that you can not frame or classify as it has not boundaries that we know about. Very powerful work of contemplation on the subject that is rarely discussed: of guilt, forgiveness, judgement, revenge, cruelty and loss.
It was a great movie that I really enjoyed watching. It has the raw emotions humans experience. They are envy, frustrations that perhaps you lived your life wrongly, that others have done much better than you, that they are recognised, loved more and you are here having an ordinary life with your wife who is so simple an common, with your child who makes mistake after the mistake, you do not have a society status like your friends, you are not famous and you are on TV. "You are not" philosophy however will not lead you to anything else but only to "you are not". The idea is to discover who you are and what you already achieved in life. It is all about the perspective that changes the view on the world: when you change the prizm you look through and into the world only then you will understand the values of your life and what is really dear for you: why you are with this person not with anyone else, why you are what you are and not some one else. More to that: we always think that the grass is greener on the other side of the world, it is not. Even your successful friends have issues, there is no perfection, like there is no "I am not" .There is only one and unique you with yours and only yours experiences, with yours and only yours life full of adventures in the past, now and ahead of you. It is only you who makes Thyself happy and only you who put puts the value of your own existence. From this point of view the film is amazing - it sows the personal journey of the man who is discovering himself and defining his place in life. I loved the performance of Ben Stiller - he never tops surprising me as a talented actor.
It is detective story which is quite boring, very ordinary. I have to admit that apart from the handsome Michael Fassbender there is nothing else there to remember nor anything to discuss after the film. One word about his film: a big disaster , a big disappointer on so many levels. It should have been a great story I believe keeping in mind Norwegians are great of telling the detective stories this one was a total and dumb confusion of all times. I can see the teenagers will love it if they have never seen anything more interesting and more logical in their lives. Otherwise I would give this one a big miss But only would recommend to see it if you love badly and cheaply made movies. I now feel very sorry for Michael becuse I loved him so far..
This is an extraordinary film. You really need to have a cold heart to go though the emotions shown in this movie. They do not play it safe: there is so much violence and cruelty in this film you can hardly believe it could have happened before in the history of white-black man relationship. I was so emotional for the duration of the film: I did not fee sorry for the humans, I felt sorry for the system that allowed such personalities to exist on the planet, more to that - that allowed such people to serve the nation, t serve the government, to present the government, to control the crowd and protect us, the civilians. The brutality the black people are treated and murdered in the film is none to what you have seen before. I would simply say: this film not for the eyes of anyone if it was not the political subject. Show me one person who is not nationalist? We all are proud of our origins, we all are proud of who we are, we are told from birth that the nationality - is something that defines us as humans. This is the first lie you hear from your parents mouths. You will carry it on unless one day you say: not social, not geographical, not sexual, nor national aspect defines me and who I am. I am not what they try to call me: I am not a doctor, I am not black, I am not from Cuba or Guatemala , I am not a woman, I am that something that can not be defined, described and pronounced. I am the unsaid, the unknown, the unheard. I am the one with you. You kill me and you kill yourself as even death does not define me. Unless we all say it there will be no peace , there will be always separation and arguments who is who. Please also note (and I mentioned that many times before): it is very important for someone to separate as the rule says: : "divide and conquer" . I say: "unite, win, have the power" :)
This is the most unique movie I have seen so far. Not only to the technique used but also because of its extraordinary story of Vincent last months of life told in the most amazing way. It will be the experience you will never forget! The art of drawing and the amount of labor involved in making this picture was close to none in the love and efforts put into it. I was not surprised thinking that we should be on one page with the people ho adore Vince and his life story so much they played te Starry Starry Night song at the end. If you read the book about his life you would understand me. I was emotional through the whole animation: from the start to the very end of it. I can not say anything else to add to my story - I highly recommend to everyone to read Vince's life story before you go and see this film to fully understand who this person was and why human world hurt him so much.
RUSSIAN RESURRECTION FILM FESTIVAL 2017 THE BOLSHOY NEW website RATE: 9/10
The Bolshoy is one emotional journey of a prestige Moscow ballet school. I loved the movie and not because it was about fine art, about Moscow about Russia, about these familiar relationship between students, not because of that, but because it was a truly beautiful film. The film is about recognising the talent, about hard work about ambitions, about giving up (yes, giving up!) and finding your way back again, it is about first love and it is about trust. Trust as a base of love and true relationship between friend and just ordinary people. Was it a tremendous and challenging journey ? It certainly was. The camera - stunning the actors - are beyond any possible expectations, The music - sublime, the story line is well developed and engaging. It is filmed beautifully to every heart bit I experienced during the film. Alisa Freyndlikh who plays the aging ballet school director is in her best shape as an actress - her performance is flawless and very enjoyable not only to many of us who know her other works but to everyone. The ballet itself is so extraordinary to watch = I especially enjoyed the younger Julia performance in front of the exam pannel - her Petrushka is modern and very impressive. I believe this particular film represents the core of the Russian art and culture: it is classical and so down to earth and so realistic I can easily see myself in many situations shown: it simply corresponds to the grand title the film carries: BOLSHOY. The film is funny and sad enough - so like Russian complex character, Russian complex nature, Russian complex soul. Thank you for bringing this film here to the Aus shores!
There are teachers that come to our lives and they do not leave a trace. There are teachers in our lives that do not touch us. There are teachers in our lives that remain in or hearts forever. They are so light and so passionate about what they do you simply can not resist but wanting being with them, close to them, learn and embrace that passion and ability to care and love what they do. They live literature, music, bu lie I said they are so very special. You meet teachers like these once in the life time. It is so significant that they are together - the faith , that passion to life brought them in together. It is a boarding school in Ireland and this couple live their last year and says good bye to the students on their last day. It is their last year. Who ever idea was to film that life of two teachers was a genius. Inspirational yes. Influential? Most of all they are. It is a very cute film as it shows such interesting faces of children in their natural appearance, such beautiful emotions and such meditative moments. To be honest I did not expect the film to be that good and recommend to watch it. I observed the people who dedicate themselves to the school and to the students and who are trying their best to hep these students to express their best in life. I honestly thought my parents were the best school and Uni teachers and nothing like this remained in the modern days but obviously there are some gems left on this planet. I am glad there are.
PROFESSOR MARSTON AND THE WONDER WOMEN NEW website RATE: 9/10
Wow, this film obviously will open some prohibited doors for you and your mind so tender and so full of love it is! Love between three people. There is not a sense of vulgar emotions of any kind in it: it is so natural and so organic you do not have any other choice but to fall under this magnificent spell. I can see it will be one of the best films of 2017 easily. The film is not about a Wonder Woman as a comic character. It is more about the story of the character creator and His own wonder women and the originals of the Wonder Wom(e)(a)n .As you know the comics hold the images of the WW being torched in the sado-maso way. you will find her pictures chained, hand-cuffed or roped, strangled but definitely not in the way we would even think about. She was an amazon fighting with men , she was a female version of a superman who saved the world. She was of one a kind. She still is one of a kind. but what about the movie? How has she been created and was were the author's motives? More to that Dr Marston created a lie detector that is widely used now by many industries. His theories about human behavior as a scientist are simply fabulous. The love story is above all though most fascinating and most beautiful. Is the world of conservative thinking and denial from prime emotions that are projected on us by some rigid religious believes and systems going to break and fall down one day so we all feel what we have been missing? Not sure the world is ready for it. The world loves restrictions, the world loves limitations, the world likes depriving this and that - it gives them the way to control something that can give people more freedom of expressing themselves, making their world richer and more inspiring. Would I recommend the film - by all means please - go and discover for yourself, openly and with no judgement.
The film is the work of famous Coeh Brothers with the brilliant cast but for the duration of the whole picture I felt something was wrong or missing. It was somehow the director's fault I believe as the film did not have a desired flow and seemed dissect or may be fragmented if I express it right. For days I could not understand what was wrong with that film. I loved the talents used in the movie (Matt Damon was delivering his best!) but was not overexcited about the boy. The grotesque and the satiric aspect of the unsuccessful crime though was so beautifully done I could not decide should I get scared at some episodes or laugh out loud. I always prefer the latter so I lead the laughs at the cinema and the others in the audience followed me. In some scenes Matt was so incredibly comical all covered in blood talking about honesty and serous stuff with his son it was almost hysterical. The cinematography is sensational , the time frame showed with the immaculate artistism where the above mentioned grotesque (when the 50-s suburbs set up sim;y yells at you - I loved it!) in that particular aspect of the movie only highlights the stupid behavior of its characters - BRILLIANT! My final verdict, Coen Bros films should be directed by Coen Bros and no one else please!
A QUEST TO HEAL - BEYOND THE PHYSICAL NEW website review by Carolyn Newall
A Quest To Heal – Beyond The Physical, Director: Michelle Mahrer.
Australian documentary filmmaker Michelle Mahrer is no stranger to the explorations of spiritual dimensions. In her latest work A Quest To Heal – Beyond The Physical, she explores the work of João Teixeira de Faria, otherwise known as John of God, in Abadiânia, Brazil.
The project came about as Mahrer followed the journey of two close friends, Lya and Fred as they sought alternative methods of healing for terminal conditions. John of God is a controversial healer who for the past 30 years has been offering hope to thousands of people all over the world. Just as they have flocked to the Grotto of Massabielle in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, France, they have flocked to this tiny remote village in Brazil.
It is a paradox of modern western civilization that the underlying division of mind, body and soul on which it is based had its genesis in the Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle centuries before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. For well over 2000 years the sign of advanced civilization has been acceptance of a principle that women of every age could have told you was nonsense. The women would have been supported in that by advanced Eastern civilizations as well as those viewed as primitive. According to Plato’s Greek friends, all men, one of the many deficiencies of the female brain was that it insisted on seeing things holistically. It became accepted that a holistic view of humanity and life indicated a primitive, less advanced civilization. Unfortunately this resulted in the marginalization of healing methods that were not purely scientific.
The last couple of decades have seen changes in attitudes and more openness to the idea that modern medicine doesn’t have all the answers. Spiritual or faith healers are still viewed with skepticism by most and held in contempt by many, but more and more western trained medical professionals are admitting that there are things happening in the world that they don’t understand.
Interestingly, the healing power at work in Brazil, attributed to God by the healer, is energy. You can find a great deal of information about ‘energy medicine’ on the internet and both Reiki and Qigong are well know examples. It is not however a modern idea and is tied closely to the process of creation and the damage caused when powerful good energies are blocked.
There is no doubt that there have been charlatans parading as faith healers, but you certainly won’t find them in this documentary. Mahrer may be more open than most to alternative and holistic methods but she presents a very balanced view. Sometimes apparent miracles happen and sometimes they don’t. Even when they do happen, they are not immediate. John of God is not a magic pill with sudden and dramatic results.
The healing at the Casa in Brazil takes time and effort. Lya spends several months there on her first visit. Much of the time spent in prayer, meditation, gratitude and, most of all, simplicity. Neither is it a solitary process as you are amongst the hundreds of people who are taking part everyday. Mahrer comments at one point that maybe that is the secret. Time disconnected from the demands of our 21C lives, spent in community, in prayer and meditation. She raises the possibility that this could happen in other places.
If one of the limitations of modern medicine is that it treats symptoms rather than underlying disease then maybe what we see happening in Brazil, or in France makes sense. Perhaps the real dis-eases are loneliness, isolation, lack of purpose, discontent and stress and the cancers, heart disease, depression and other ailments are results or symptoms. Modern medicine alone can’t cure those.
Carolyn Newall 21/10/17
THE LEGO NINJAGO NEW website review : Luke Tipping
Based off the popular Ninjago franchise Lego created in 2011, The Lego Ninjago Movie is the third instalment of the Lego Movie franchise, preceded by The Lego Movie and The Lego Batman Movie. The film features acting and voice acting by action film great: Jackie Chan, it also features the voices of Dave Franco and Justin Theroux. The movie follows Lloyd, the Green Ninja, and his high school friends/ ninja team defend Ninjago from Lloyd’s father, Garmadon. The film seems to begin with a pre-established storyline with minimal intro for each character. It's unclear as to whether this is to make it easy to digest for kids, a lead in for a prequel or a general oversight is quite unknown. The heroes seem to cause just as much calamity as Garmadon from destroying a whole city block to unleashing an unstoppable terror on Ninjago and saving the day is just fixing what they've caused.
The film is full of action and jokes, sadly it's missing those sly jokes for the adults that'll give the accompanying parent a giggle. A great film for the kids, not just for the entertainment but to inspire their future lego building ideas.
WHAT IF IT WORKS NEW website RATE: 9/10 review by Carolyn Newall
What If It Works. Written and directed by Romi Tower.
Australian filmmakers have a long tradition of handling mental illness sensitively. The first I can recall was the film Tim in 1979 which was based on a Colleen McCullough novel and starred the very young Mel Gibson, then there was Malcolm in 1986 starring Colin Friels. However, for breadth and depth What If It Works, due to hit cinemas on October 12th, is the best by a country mile. There are sound reasons for this which I will get into later.
It is important to note that this is absolutely a love story. The comedy, of which there is a great deal, comes from the protagonists themselves. That is to say, you are never invited to laugh at them, only with them.
The lead actors, Anna Samson (Grace) and Luke Ford (Adrian), deliver incredibly understated, piercingly realistic representations of the characters they play. This is a lot of work for Samson as Grace is only one of her personalities. Grace suffers from dissociative identity disorder (DID) and we are told has 10 people who live inside her. We don’t meet them all, but the main two we do meet demand that Samson stretch both her talent and her timing. The segways from one character to another are ultimately believable. ‘G’ is the character causing artist Grace the most grief. G is sexually confrontational and artistically productive while Grace is having trouble painting. What is worse, she is actually aware of everything that G says and does. This is not the usual understanding of DID. Much of the tension in the film comes at those moments when Grace is apologising to Adrian for G’s bad behaviour. Will he be able to get past his own limitations and manage these situations?
Much of the value of the film is in exactly this. The audience get to see just how hard it is for people with these conditions to navigate everyday situations and relationships that most of us take for granted. And it is not hard because they are in any way less smart than the rest of us. On the contrary, Adrian may be massively OCD, but it certainly has not affected either his intellect or his sense of humour. We discover he is a postdoctoral student with a keen understanding of his condition and how it impacts on those around him. Rather than being depressed by this he presents a contagious positivity which denies the possibility of stigma. Only in the very first minutes of the film are we faced with a societal difficulty in managing his disorder as we see him attempt a compulsory residential therapy program. He doesn’t last and there is no indication in the writing that this is a bad thing.
Holding Adrian and Grace together and providing a nexus for the story is their psychiatrist Dr. Karren Di Scala (Kaarin Fairfax). Apart from their first meeting in her room we are not encouraged to believe that Dr Di Scala is cognisant of the growing relationship between her patients. None of the drama is related to that story arc, it is just there as something normal and routine.
That this is the work of a first time director, Romi Trower, is surprising but not unprecedented. Think Nadia Tass and previously mentioned Malcolm. We have been told that Trower has knowledge of both these conditions through family, but that would not be enough in itself to maintain the critical balance of comedy and pathos that is achieved in What If It Works. The script is understated, funny, clever and rarely cliched and the directing is the same. Trower deserves every one of the many awards and accolades the film has already collected and I really hope it gets the box-office returns it deserves. As a Melbourne native there was the temptation to try and identify the many laneways and other recognizable locations. It was nice to see the familiar trams and landmarks and I guess that is how New Yorkers and San Franciscans feel when they see their city on the big screen. It is kinda cool.
My favourite quote came from Adrian on finding out about Grace’s DID: ‘If a guy didn’t have any friends it would make a great package deal.’ This is a small film with a huge heart and I encourage you to go and see it. You will feel much better about life.
9/10 from me.
Carolyn Newall
THE ORNITHOLOGIST THE FILM T PAY ATTENTION TO website RATE: 7/10
What was it? - was the first question I asked myself walking out of this movie. What was it people? Was it that good or was it that bad? I am still questioning myself... The man travels the wilderness of the Portuguese forest not far from the camino de santiago route observing and photographing birds, when suddenly his life is taken on a sexual adventurous journey inside that same forest. The film has a strong religious influence and is full of Christian symbolism. It will be something that you have never seen before on screen: roping, urinating on person for sexual pleasure, bestiary, blood eating for sexual pleasure, homosexualism, naked man on the sandy river beach making love, total madness with observing the corpse from the perspective I do not want to mention here about, mystery and spirituality, absolutely lunatic behavior of the characters and much more. If you like these sort of films just out of curiosity - please watch it, I do not understand many parts of the film as does the person who created it (I hope). If he does understand it I am not watching the movies anymore . What I loved - swimming in the river naked, nature photography, landscapes that were so breathtaking they still stay in my mind - these I loved, sexuality - I loved, but not the insane and religious parts of the movie.
To be honest I was confused by this film to the maximum you can confuse the person who watched more than 5000 films and reviewed half of them. It is so unusual to anything you saw before you will re-consider what cinematography is by the core definition of it. It is an art house film and not many people will love it I trust. The film is about being kind, loving and giving and continue working on something even if you do not have an approval from anyone around, just continue doing something that you love and enjoy doing the most in life. Th film is a comedy though and should be taken lightly and heavily at the same time. It just should be taken. The main character James loves the children series about Brigsby Bear. It is his life, it is his imaginary life that replaced the reality forever. James has a dream. You will laugh, no matter how awkward the events will take place in the movie. You will laugh and watch it and have fun.
No matter how I always enjoy the performance of Reese Witherspoon this film did not do it for me at all. It is bad, it is boring and it s bad. I can only see one reason why the girls (young teenagers ) would attend the film: there is a one hot spunk , Pico Alexander who plays a potential lover for the main female character and she is indecisive whether to take him or not. I bet all the girls will be screaming i the theater: "what are you? why don't you do it already with him? where is your brain. the guy is handsome and he wants you...take him!" The film is way too sweet, fluffy, naive and to be honest only now, when I started writing a review I am trying to remember what was it about: the movie IS forgettable. My recommendation: please give it a miss this time but if you are on holiday with the teenage daughters and they beg you to see the film, better take them to the good one: the kids should develop the good, fine and elegant taste in movies since they are young.
This movie can be loved for one and only only reason: there are gorgeous Catherine Frot and Catherine Deneuve and you will have troubles to identify who acts better. But there are much more other reasons to love this film: it shows unconditional love and forgiveness, it has best soundtrack, it is light and dramatic at the same time, people make love, people die people dance and sing in it, it is so exquisite not only performance-wise , it is exquisite because it is made with care and attention to detail, it is French movie in its best. Not top class but good class I should add. I was always surprised how the French acting school achieves great presence with minimal effort : minimal mimics, minimal body language. It is still powerful enough to enjoy. The chemistry between actors is incredible. they are amazing when play together as well as they are astonishing when they act separately. It is the movie to be on your "wish to watch list"
GOOD TIME THE FILM TO PAY ATTENTION TO website RATE: 8.5/10 This film is so intense it will keep you breathless at some parts and you will keep saying: "man, why do you keep doing such wrong things all the time? is not it the time to change now?"
the movie is so neon it feels like being inside the neon tube itself. It never stops, like the process of criminal thinking never stops as he does not know any other way, only the iron bars will stop it. He is like a mouse - always trapped in his own criminal thought forms, his own maniacal behavior, in his own inability to balance himself. You can almost feel his next step and it will be even more daring and unpredictable than you thought. He is a a never stopping crime machine.
The film is so electrical and at the same tie it feels so real and so full of adrenaline and drugged blood inside the main character's veins. We can hardly understand why he does certain things but we are also fascinated by his criminal creativity if that can be called that way. He is inventive to the point of ultimate crime orgasm. We follow him and he disgusts us and he attracts us at the same time. Ugliness attracts the same way the beauty attracts.
The plot is simple: two brothers rob the bank, run away from the police, and one of them ends up in the hospital. It gets worse and worse after that.
It is also hysterical t observe how people take care of others and at the same time they are not able to take care of themselves. It is always easy I guess to advice the others rather that work and do something himself. His behaviour is insane and unsavory.
It will be a very interesting experience for everyone to watch.
I absolutely loved this film. It is a biography film about famous Tom Of Finland the artist who created a homoerotic pictures. The art was not well treated in Finland but was received with a lot of excitement overseas, in USA. The art inspired textile prints and even was printed on postal stamps. The artist real name was Touko Laaksonen. He had to change his name tgn his art works under because he was chased by the secret police services in Finland.
It is a very empowering life journey as well as very sensitive and touching. I can see some people will be rejecting even a subject of the film - cheap almost porno graphical art but the quality of the artist's work tells you all about the talent, creativity and imagination of the author. I can also see the film to be loved and supported by the gay community and they would be absolutely right - the film will be well received as it is very well made. It shows not only the artistic side of Tom's personality but him as part of gay community and his own feelings and ups and downs.
It is a wonderful movie about the gay artist who stood by his own identity and his unique art and he never betrayed himself.
The performance provided by Jessica Rothe displays the character of a typical teenager thrown into a thrilling murder story. The cunning combination of a fraternity party lifestyle on top of a horrific murderous scene exceeds your expectations and is sure to pull the rug out from under you no matter how secured you think it may be. 4/5
This drama-comedy is as funny as it is dramatic and even tragic. Ingrid is unbalanced in her internet obsession which is so recognisable in our nowadays life. People simply can not sit around the table for dinner without one of them not touching the mobile phone to check the messages or answer something so less important than the people around. But this is not the point. Ingrid is lonely , she finds herself a "girlfriend" via social sites and takes the fake "likes" and fake digital "comments" for reality. Everything leads her to a pretty bad ending and we are not surprised when it takes place. Ingrid understands that she can not be accepted as a real friend but does everything to make it come true. Liking someone's posts does not mean anything. The real friends are the ones who care, meet physically and love you unconditionally and not because you are cool or not cool. I am sure you will laugh a lot too as some of the episodes are simply hilarious. It will also make you think how you personally use the social media. Are you obsessed ? Do you watch every single move of your friends? Or do you walk with them watching the tide of the ocean and the stars above (without touching your phone camera for the whole day)? You will find this movie to be pretty easy to watch but disturbing at the same time. This might be either way the common story that can happen with everyone , even with you and a very unique story. The major actress is show stealer and she delivers to her best abilities and we hate her as we are supposed to hate - simply brilliant!
THE ONLY LIVING BOY IN NEW YORK BEST MOVIE OF THE MONTH website RATE: 9/10
It is all about the young man discovering love ,sexuality and women. It is all about understanding how the relationship work. It is also the roller-coaster of all sort of emotions love, jealousy, devotion and lust. It is the time when a boy becomes a real man and is a major part of him discovering himself and the workaround him. Thomas is the main character of the story. He is starting his writer's carrier and he is damn good in it. His family is dysfunctional: his mother is on the edge of breaking down and his dad is having an extra curriculum activities with his gorgeous mistress. It is a highly satisfying and amazing work on so many level - the actors' performance is immaculate to the extend of being a reality show: the emotions are raw and wild, the characters are believable and so truly well developed. The soundtrack is to die for and so well it is blended int the pace of the pictures like an additional dimension to the whole film making it so more sensual ans so surrealistic at the same time. It is not your ordinary casual film indeed. It has gt so much to think about even after its final titles are coming up the screen. It is romantic, deep and so full of very interesting dialogues that make the film so rich and so multi-leveled. A real masterpiece!
Heal the Living is a French drama by Katell Quillévéré depicting the extremely emotional situation of the organ transplantation. The plot is made up of a cleverly balanced juxtaposition of heart-wrenching and serene episodes, keeping the viewers tense, but not too desperate.
A 17-year-old boy Simon suffers severe head haemorrhages in a car crash and becomes brain-dead. Although his body presents as living, supported with all the possible machinery, his life is actually finished. The only reason he is staying on life support is the possibility to become an organ donor, which is a tough call for his parents to decide on. The devastated family is brought back together, and the estranged Simon’s father supports his wife under the pressure of giving in the hands of progressive medicine.
The other storyline shows a middle-aged woman Claire, not too old, but barely moving and breathing heavily. She has a degenerative heart disease and her health worsens rapidly. Her doctor tries to convince her to accept the heart transplant, but for Claire this risky procedure is more horrifying than the death itself. Her two college-age sons are also extremely worried for their beloved mother.
The film features the beautiful performances of Tahar Rahim (transplant consultant), Anne Dorval (Claire) and Emmanuelle Seigner (Simon’s mother Marianne). Their raw emotions are captured with masterful attention of the camera. All that is unsaid is written on their faces. The incredibly touching piano music, by composer Alexandre Desplat, significantly strengthens the effect of the plot, and presses the right keys at all the right moments.
In order to relieve the stress of the hospital drama, the story moves from the tragic events of the present to the flashes from the past. The charming youth of the romance between Simon and his girlfriend Juliette is heart-melting. However, the more horrifying is the loss of the loved one. The crying Juliette of the present and the smiling Simon of the past are bidding adieu forever.
Quillévéré has lovingly added few little details about her characters, such as the transplant specialist’s affection to goldfinches’ singing and surgeon’s wish to be as ‘cool’ as his young students. Altogether the personal stories, however small and seemingly meaningless they are shown in the movie, create the atmosphere of reality and remind the viewers of the gravity of life.
AMERICAN ASSASSIN website review by Benjamin Newall
American Assassin Review By Benjamin Newall
Forget James Bond, George Smiley, Jason Bourne and Xander Cage, the names that come to mind when we think of cinematic representations of the macho, male spy. But in the latest offering by Lionsgate and CBS, American Assassin, we have a very different kind of character. Mitch Rapp, (Maze Runner’s Dylan O’Brien) is younger, hungrier and, to my mind, slightly more believable. Of course the plot is familiar, they all are. There are parts that are a little cliché, again that is normal. There are only so many stories and we just keep making variations of them because they are entertaining. People like to watch them. What I liked about this was the initially underwhelming, normality of the central character. Rapp is not a drug enhanced, or military trained super soldier. He is just a normal guy who, in response to a terrible thing, trains himself to be stronger. He gets into MMA, learns to use weapons and takes advantage of the activities that are available to anyone, not just the military. Likewise the action scenes were more believable to me than some that we see. There are no huge stunts or action sequences that you know are simply not possible in reality. The action is raw and realistic and the characters come across as strong and resourceful but not super-human. In reality however, taking revenge on an organised terrorist group requires more resources than your average man in the street. So it is no surprise when we learn that Rapp has been under the watchful eye of the CIA. Enter, experienced, old-school team leader Stan Hurley. (Michael Keaton) This is by no means Keaton’s greatest performance and in a way it seems like a relatively easy payday, but the interchanges between the thoughtful elder and the hot tempered youth make for a more interesting film than it otherwise could have been. The two work very well together. This movie may not be high art but it is entertaining. It introduces a new name and character type to the spy genre and does it in a way that is not dependant on super powers or techno enhancements. It was gritty and fun and I enjoyed it. 7.5 out of 10
review by Veronika Chekmareva
American Assassin is an exciting, full of action film, that does not only make your heart race the entire movie, but plays on your emotions and forces you to tear up. It is a classic spin on a vengeful assassin film with a few unexpected twists, and the most amazing special effects, really demonstrating the complexity of today's technology. Moreover, the main actor, the young Dylan O'Brien, makes his debut in a film, after years of acting in a TV Series 'Teen Wolf'. 7/10
THE BELKO EXPERIMENT website RATE: 5/10 When the heads explode and people die in the pond of blood you star thinking: do I really need to see this and what is the purpose? We all now Kill Bill - was not it enough? The plot is rather plain and rather predictable. There are bad guys and there are good guys. It is rather OK to watch but I did not see much sense in it. If you look at the acting side it is poor to put it in the light way. It is boring sometimes to put it in the harsh way. It did not teach e anything or it was much entertainment. People have to kill each other to survive - there is nothing new about the plot. It s how they play around it and I did not see much fun in it.
It is very sad for e to write this as I usually love the movies selected and distributed by Rialto. This was the saddest so far.
BLUE website review by Amelia Wills
It’s hard to fathom the age of the Ocean. The constant flow of the waves, the currents which bring life to all parts of the globe. We have creatures which dwell in the deep, some older than us, other species around before and during the dinosaurs.
The documentary ‘Blue’ focuses not only on the death and destruction humans have had on our oceans and inhabitants but also the incredible life within the sea, the beauty and sheer power it holds.
Mass extinctions, birds full of plastic, coral bleaching and community devastation are all some the issues facing our world today. ‘Blue’ following the lives and perspectives of seven Ocean Guardians facing these difficult problems head on and their deep connection to the ocean. The intense love and passion the guardians have for the sea is contagious and despite the alarming and horrific facts and footage throughout the film I still leave feeling that I too can change the world.
‘Blue’ shows the constant, unrelenting effort of people working to save our oceans and also gives hope, that we too can preserve the amazing life within it.
Bluefilm.org
PERSIAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2017 CLOSING NIGHT - BRIDGE OF SLEEP website review by Ivan Lubkov
Bridge of Sleep – Persian International Film Festival closing night gala
The Persian International Film Festival 2017 concluded with the announcement of the Golden Gazelle Award winners. The ceremony continued with the screening of Bridge of Sleep, a modern adaptation of Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment novel. The picture stays true to the key concepts and psychological dilemmas of the book and at the same time seamlessly portrays them in modern setting. The film presents the life of a young man, Shahab who had a promising future, a family and a beautiful fiancé. Throughout the picture the life of the man goes through the changes that steer him towards unpredictable actions, regret and punishment. Even though the thoughts that he has and the situations he witnesses are very similar to Raskolnikov, main character in Crime and Punishmenet, the triggers are absolutely different and more understandable for the modern viewer. The theme of overall poverty is replaced by the themes of betrayal and drug abuse. Unknowingly, the main character goes though extreme changes, after being betrayed by a good friend, Shahab turns away from all the good people around him and starts regular usage of drugs. At some point in the picture the character starts committing crimes to fulfil his addiction. Similar to the character in Crime and Punishment Shahab eventually gives in and chooses to seek redemption through incarceration. The evening concluded with a banquet ceremony with variety of beverages and foods. The event gave opportunity to speak and take autographs from some of the winners of the Best Feature, Best Documentary and Best Short nominations of The Golden Gazelle award.
It is a terrific movie: you would need a handkerchief to cry into. It is about true love , it is about care and it is about talent and inspiration. It is about the people whose "ugly" appearance as the first impression puts you off and whose mind and kindness will make you get attached to them forever. It is the film about unconditional love and it is about the inner beauty. We often forget that we live not with the "looks" but with the souls. We talk with the souls and we relate and reflect in each other. The film also shows how the family can act as enemies towards you despite the strange people taking more care about you than your close ones. It is a terrific film. Both actors are so strong I would have issues choosing who was the best. They were both so suitable for their characters and they delivered the best out of them. It is the film to soften your heart but not to make you feel good. the ending is not that pleasant but this is life I guess. It is not about the ending it is more about the journey between the birth and the passing t the other world. I would also say best words about the photography and the landscapes as well as the soudtrack.
review by Rachel Sandey
" Maudie" is a 2016 biographical romantic drama film directed by Aisling Walsh and Starring Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke. It's a true life story of a remarkable woman, well known Canadian folks artist Maud Lewis. She was suffering of crippling rheumatoid arthritis, which deformed her body and maid her look mentally backward. In reality she was anything , but stupid. She was betrayed by her family and treated badly. Seeking independence she is applying for a live in housekeeping position to local fishman, very crude, illiterate man , the owner of a very small hut. It was a very turbulent start of the relationship. The house was so small, that there wasn't even room for a second bed and they had to share the one. She insisted, that they must marry to avoid the gossips in town. Eventually he agreed. Sally Hawkins played this role so brilliantly, managing to open for us an inner beauty of this artist, her ability to see the beauty around her and create many unique works of art. The film is a success. It leaves a very warm feeling in hearts and minds of viewers.
My rating 7/10
ALLIANCE FRANCAISE CLASSICAL FILM FESTIVAL 2017: THAT MAN FROM RIO website RATE: 10/10
He is an athlete , he is a boxer, he performs all his tricks himself - no cascaders. He is the man and a half - he was on every woman's tongue back in Russia - we were all crazy about him and his films.
The film is dynamic, it is a spy movie farce, it is not normal, it sounds more like a parody on a good spy movie rater than a serious spy movie. Belmondo laughs at himself: today he is swinging the lianas in South American forests, piloting a plane, driving one car after another, climbing the tallest buildings and jumping off the rocks and cliffs - his journey seems endless but it is not aimless. He is watched by many loving eyes: on the screen. And he is irresistible. He is handsome and he is French. He is classical after all. It is the best adventure film I have seen in years taking in consideration the year it was made and the amount of work put into making such a film. Although his actress partner is not very strong on the screen she gives all the points to Jean-Pau t shine and to own every scene of the movie. It is more likely to be adored by the selective crowd of cinematography lovers and very old people - my parents would love this film. As to e - I can only say one thing: such films only get better and better with age like a good French wine. It is fun fun fun - go and watch it!
I was expecting much more from this film to be honest. It is a bit far away from the comedy as it is stated it was a comedy/drama. It is drama in its full development with a pinch of a comedy but a very slight one. The first class country's citizens appear like a totally rich and living in their own world spoiled brats. This hardly implies to our times and countries as the situations pictured in the film are outrageous and I would say almost impossible but the events and the people actually remind me of the people that I know. Both sides of the antagonistic relationship shown in the film are rather grotesque. They are not comical but dramatic and ye, they are grotesque. Salma delivers an immaculate work of the mature and experienced actress but I found the plot to be a bit naive and not that powerful as I would expect for such subject. I would add that for such topic the movie should have been much stronger. This material is so rich the film would be delightful but Beatriz At Dinner was how can I put it... (?) perhaps too childish for the topic. Ok, a bit of details now. Beatriz is staying at the dinner party of her rich client (by pure accident) while her car breaks down She's spiritually advanced; she knows everything when it concerns the healing , she is fro Mexico her hoe village was destroyed by the developers. she has no family apart f the goat. She stays for dinner at the house of the builder who somehow appeared to be involved in her village demolition. It all fires up with Beatriz's hot temper when she hears the conversations during the dinner of the high society people. It is about hunting rare animals, it is about relationship with the third world countries, it is about building and construction and making money. It is about the lifestyle. They are two worlds : one based on profit and money making, soul-less and destroying the plant , the other one is about creating and life. They collide. They crush at each other. They are close of killing each other... It is disturbing to watch to be honest. . but it is more disturbing to see that so much more could have been done and said in this film... but it was not. I am only giving this film a bit higher rate because I love Salma.
THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES website review by Susie Cashmere THETIME OF THEIRLIVES (2017) Director: Roger Goldby Cast : Joan Collins, Pauline Collins, Franco Nero Genre : Comedy/Drama Running Time: 104 mins
Dame Joan Collins is fabulous as Helen Shelly, once a former Hollywood star, but currently a resident in a nursing home with quite severe hip problems.
She longs to re live her glory days, and when she hears that the director of one of her past hit shows dies in France, she is determined to attend thefuneral.
On one of her outings with the residents of the nursing home, she encounters Pricilla (Pauline Collins) who is a bullied housewife trapped in domestic tragedy.
Pricilla recognises Helen from one of her favourite films and agrees to escape her life and accompany her to France for the funeral. I was reminded of Shirley valentine by Pricilla’s character.
On their adventures, they meet up with the elderly but striking and charismatic artist named Alberto (Franco Nero)
Of course we are lead to believe that he will fall madly in love with Helen, but he does in fact fall for the meek and mild Pricilla.
Whilst Helen wants to reconnect with the film industry movers and shakers to re live her past, it is in fact the growth of Pricilla’s character that makes this film quite enjoyable to watch.
It’s funny in parts and poignant in others and there is just enough story line to keep the viewer interested for the entirety.
Not brilliant, but worth a watch for some light entertainment.
Overall, I would give TheTime of TheirLives a 6.5/10. Reviewed by Susie Cashmere.
The Alliance Franciase French Film festival held the special sneak peek screening for media of the mesmerizing film called The Dancer, La Danseuse, starring French singer Soko and graceful Lily-Rose Depp . The film story is about Marie-Louise Fuller - dite Loïe Fuller, an American born innovative dancer who moved to Paris to perform for a more culturally advanced audience. The film is transparent itself as well and the dancers and the dances in it. It is made so beautifully you will leave the theater inspired to do something creative yourself. It is biographical, yes, but to say this is to say nothing about the movie: it is more about the growth of a person spiritually as well as mentally then just telling the story of the life mile stones. It is the search of the soul if one can put it that way: as an artist and as a woman. It is more poetic that the poetry in its core. It is ore empowering than the strongest coffee. It is more enchanting than the most sophisticated spell. It is more passionate about what you do in life than The Passion itself. The actors are so genuine and so believable you will think that you were simply taken into their world by a special force of the invisible time machine, The dancers in the film dance better than any butterfly in the world... and it all comes together like a finest concerto: the details, the decorations and the main line. I think the film was an excellent choice for such audience screening as well as a superb choice for the Festival. It is IMHO a must see for all our readers involved into artistic and creative work. It is for everyone else also to see how much effort the simple dance takes as well as any art creation. Lily-Rose Depp
In this remake of a 1990’s horror mini series, this feature length film IT takes the audience on a journey of of fear and ultimate horror when a group of young teens come face to face with the thoughts of their biggest fears.
Starring a group of mischievous young teenagers in this hit horror film Warner Brothers have added an addition to the their repertoire of engaging films that make you think outside the box.
If you were wondering if the trailer implies how scary the film is, then yes it is as scary as what it looks. I don’t think I would want any clowns sitting near me or in my line of sight for a very long time.
Every moment you see a clown you find yourself on the edge of your seat waiting and wondering what is going to happen next. It is definitely a shock you to the core type of movie. Especially through the use of focusing on child actors.
Set in a beautiful little town it is a group of young misfits who discover and entangle the weird mysteries that have been happening in their town. It is after the death and disappearance of their loved ones and friends that they start doing their own investigating and find out more than what they can handle.
The child actors were absolutely brilliant, as the story follows through their viewpoint this adds to the level of fear. You are viewing the film through their eyes and feel everything they experience.
And if you are wondering how it ends well let's just say it is left open to chapter 2. Yes the original Stephen King book which the film is based on has been split into a 2 part film. This is a positive though because it means you get to relive all the horror again.
I would recommend this film to anyone who has seen the franchise Conjuring and Annabelle franchise series if you have then you will absolutely love this film. There isn't anything negative I can say about it and that doesn't happen often. If you are a lover of suspense and thrills this is for you. Although there are child actors this is in no way suitable for any kids unless they love clowns, then do not let them see this one.
I can't wait to see what happens next in this series of films.
THE LOVERS website RATE: 8/10 There is nothing like falling in love again with your long life relationship husband or wife / partner. It happens despite the cooling down years, un-passionate tgethrness and silence in the house. It happens. One spark can turn such relationship upside down and bring them to square one when you longed for each other. Debra Winger and Tracy Letts are long married couple, there is nothing left between them except their grown up son. Almost theater stage film where four plus major actors are involved demands the immaculate performance from everyone. They deliver beautifully. We like them , we care for them. He has a lover on the side and she has one too. Everyone is waiting for the couple to fall apart. There is no trigger. It can last for years like this till the last drop is making the glass overflown and the water spills on the floor. Is there anything else that can keep them together? I loved the film. There was only one part missing: I really did not care how it would end but he twist towards the end of the film made it even more interesting.
It is a superb true and extraordinary story about the unusual relationship between Queen Victoria and Abdul Karin a young man of muslim religion and Indian origin. Abdul arrives to England to present Queen Victoria with the unique coin a present of the Indian government. Victoria notices the young man and starts a conversation with him which leads to the relationship of beauty and compassion beyond friendship, passion and love. Despite the intrigues of the palace clerks, relatives and officials who feel unhappy about such favorite choices of Her Majesty the Queen is not ready to give up on her relationship with Abdul. The drama unfolds with certain events taking place one after another. The plot is well structured and the film is done with a quality and high level of camera work and directorship close to none. The actors are all beyond any possible imagination and Judy's performance stands above it all. The film has light humor, amazingly lush interiors and the nature landscapes for the dreamers to dream about. It is not boring to watch and I can see many will enjoy it t the most.
review by Carolyne Newall
Victoria and Abdul.
It is hard for us in the 21st Century to understand that a monarch of Queen Victoria’s power and influence actually never got to visit India, a country long accepted as the jewel in the British crown. The expansion of the British Empire that took place during her rein was prodigious yet it appears that the Queen herself got to visit very little of the empire.
This was one of a few surprises that came for me while watching the new film Victoria and Abdul which looks at the relationship that the aging Queen shared with her Indian ‘Munshi’ Abdul Karim.
I am a product of Empire in some ways; born in India in the 1950’s to British parents and schooled in the British system I am familiar with the history, the spread of influence and, sadly, the dark side of colonialism. This is all to say that I did not expect to be surprised by anything in the film. The behaviour of various members of the English Court to the interloper is only too easy to accept, as is the viciousness of Edward towards the Karims following the death of the Queen.
What struck me for the first time, another surprise, was the length of time this extraordinary woman spent with no one to keep her company. Maybe it is because I am getting older that I can begin to understand. Here she was in her late 60s, she had birthed 9 children and had already spent decades alone following the death of her beloved Albert. She was a strong and intelligent woman who was perpetually surrounded by sycophants jockeying for position and influence. All I can think now is that I am surprised there were not more men like Mr Brown and Abdul Karim in the life of the Queen.
If this film had been about Queen Victoria only and Abdul Karim had only a supporting part maybe it would have been okay. But it isn’t, and it wasn’t. Karim is in a title role and though played elegantly by Ali Fazal, the film presents this character, who must have had some depth to win the Queens admiration, as curiously shallow and lacking in shades.
There are too many unanswered questions. The caste system was still strongly in evidence in the India of the time and we are not really shown how Karim manages to migrate successfully from his prior position into the role of servant. It is too simple and too slick. It is only in the wonderful moments where his friend Mohammed Buksh (Adeel Akhtar) speaks that we get a glimpse of some issues that could have made for a really interesting film. Unfortunately these are never explored.
The director, Stephen Frears and writer, Lee Hall, have used Abdul Karim as a device in the production of another pro-monarchy vehicle for Judy Dench. This is probably the commercially wise thing to do, though it hints a little at a lack of creative courage.
Dench is wonderful as always, that was never in doubt, and there are solid, if repetitive performances by an esteemed cast which included Michael Gambon, Olivia Williams, Eddie Izzard and Tim Pigott-Smith. This should be enough to save the film though there are parts which just don’t make sense to a modern audience. This is no Mrs Brown and perhaps that is central to my disappointment. Rather than show respect for Abdul and outrage at his mistreatment, the film delivers us a flat character with whom it is hard to empathise. I would be really interested to know what Shrabani Basu thought of the film. She is the journalist who wrote the book on which the film is loosely based and who managed to find Karim’s journals, which had escaped destruction and were safely hidden by his family in Pakistan.
Some lovely moments but, on the whole, disappointing.
The film with the soundtrack to die for.The best rapper I have heard ever! If you are rap lover the film is totally yours yours yours! But even if you are not you will adore the movie. Danielle MacDonald is an amazing actress but the whole cast is also superb! They are all very suitable for their characters which makes the film more like a reality show rater than the feature film. You will face dysfunctional family, drugs use, rudeness, violence, abusive language, poverty and struggling to survive, talent, disappointment and the raise of a new sensational music star. Patti is lovable not , she is not sweet but somehow we fall for her character and want her to succeed. Her poetry is absolutely great. I was also surprised to find out that the actress is not a rapper, but her performance then deserves all double stars! The film will be most suitable for the younger generation IMHO and for the young girls who work hard towards their life goal. For those girls there is a message: if HE does not love you there is always someone else who does and he is much better as he understands you and will be supportive and caring for you on you every step in life. Go not for the one you love but for the one who loves YOU - always!
I was thrilled! I have not seen anything more spectacular than this film in the last year! The music soundtrack and the breathtaking views and activities made me seat in the theater like a mouse only screaming in fear r excitement! - this is how good it was! It is a sublime match of music by Australian Chamber Orchestra and the mountain views with the text only the best poet can dream of - I was glued to the screen like a bee to the spring honey. I could not hear a sound from any other media viewers too but I doubt they are into extreme sport and up the mountain climbing and down the mountain skiing. It is all snow, glaciers, stones, cliffs, lakes, landscapes of the scale only god as a grand designer can contemplate. Would I say it was unique? Yes, I would love t meet the writer of the script as every sentence, very word in the plot was thought through and went in one breath in these hours of watching this beauty! Was there sport Very much so. Spirituality? Yes, you are right! Variety? You bet! Adrenalin? On every page of the screen! Exploration and obsession with the whole subject ? Give me a beak - YES! I am was about to go mad - this is how good it was! I want ti go skiing again and again through the no track territories crossing the most dangerous places ! I loved it t o the most! Wilderness? Yes, it was there! Attraction> To the very tears! I missed my forests and mountains too! It is a beauty on the edge of the knife from all around the world with the music accompanied the film to the best of best classical can offer! The magic beyond our understanding that was there when we all were only in some one's dream? Yes, baby! I was touched t the core of my inner being-ness! The power of poetry in the text lines was also beyond any wildest imagination... Relationship? Yes, the most divine ever - of the humans and nature! For e it was an ecstatic experience as all my family was into the extreme sports at some stage -but I am sure even if you are not - you will love different parts of the film! ENJOY! I envy those of you who have not seen it yet!
NT LIVE: ANGELS IN AMERICA PART 1 AND PART 2 website 1 website 2 RATE: 9/10 review by Dina Gavrilova
9/10
Being a synonym of quality National Theatre Live brings to Melbourne a unique opportunity to watch Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize winner drama Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes. Directed by Tony Award winning director Marianne Elliott, it has brilliant cast including Andrew Garfield, Denise Gough, Nathan Lane, James McArdle and Russell Tovey.
Nearly 8-hours performance includes two parts Millennium Approaches and Perestroika and contains several storylines. The first one is about Prior Walter a gay man who just learned he has AIDS and his lover Louis Ironson trying to cope with this news. Another drama unfolds between a closeted gay Joe Pitt and his wife Harper looking for a relief in a valium addiction. At the same time, Joe has peculiar relationship with his mentor Roy Cohn, a lawyer who recommended Ethel Rosenberg’s execution. All this is whimsically intertwined and generously flavored by angels’ and ghosts’ appearances in New York in the mid-1980s.
Captivating actors’ performance complemented by scenography with interpenetrating spaces creates an absolutely surreal atmosphere where fantasy and reality are indistinguishable and only human nature matters. Appealing to everyone regardless religion or sexuality the play speaks about such common issues as fear, betrayal, mortality. Behind the screen of these non-trivial stories even more complicated nuances are hidden: what choices do we make in our lives? where is the line between selfishness and protection of one’s best interests? what it takes to accept ourselves?
So, if you are up to a ride on a rollercoaster of feelings and emotions such as love and despair, abandonment and uncertainty with a beam of hope on the way and life-asserting final then very welcome to watch the play. You will enjoy it!
I usually love the films with Indigenous People but this one in particular did not win my heart for some reason. Albert Namatjira, an artist with with his captivating landscapes was the first Aboriginal person in history to be granted citizenship, Not only he was a gifted artist , he was an Aboriginal rights fighter. The rights to his art were not though attached to his native community that was deprived from benefiting from their talented member. The film story is about The Namatjira Project that has a noble aim to restore these rights and return them to his original family and tribe. It is a film about the legacy, the battle for the truth and fair rights of the native Australian people.
ARAB FILM FESTIVAL : OPENING NIGHT : MAHBAS SOLITAIRE website RATE: 6.10 review by Dina Gavrilova
Mahbas, 2016
6/10
National film festivals are supposed to broaden our horizons and bring together different cultures. However, this goal is hard to reach sometimes. Especially, when it comes to humor which is very specific for every nation. ‘Mahbas’, the movie opened Arab Film Festival, is a typical story about the meeting between two families on the occasion of children’s engagement. And, naturally, they don’t like each other… Notorious plot since time immemorial. However, humor enlivens it a bit. And the extend of enlivenment depends on how deeply one is able to appreciate the culture because mostly jokes are concentrated around Lebanon - Syria struggles. On the other hand, this movie is a pleasant way to spend an evening and a good start for getting know different culture. You won’t regret watching it. A gentle and warm aftertaste will be provided!
There planes transporting drugs, CIA agents, pilots, loads of cocaine, piles of money, relationship, North and South American landscapes, Tom Cruise, friendship and lies, dead bodies, helicopters, danger, love, fatality, mistakes, greed, revenge, murders, drug-dealers (I thunk I mentioned that but doing it again to make sure you know what you will be watching!), family values, true events and fiction, guns ,money laundering, shooting, FBI, American president, agents and crooks, suitcases with money, garages full of money, rooms full of money (did I mention that before?) , adventure, cash, cash and (if I did not mention it before) loads of cash, the director, Doug Liman who basically weaves his magic on th escreenn to get us entertained to the most and you will be! Apart from a bit slow pace for such caliber of the film (which can be excused as can be related to the times featured) I found the movie very well made and watchable. It was good but not excellent enough for me to get the adrenaline rush in my blood.
At the beginning of the 20th century Swiss Psychiatrist Carl Jung began to explore the notion of archetypes in literature. In 2004, Christopher Booker, a student of Jung’s ideas, published his book The Seven Basic Plots – Why We Tell Stories. As the title suggests, the argument is that there are only 7 archetypal narratives and every book, movie, TV show etc are derivations of these narratives
George Lucas and Aaron Spelling have made no secret of their belief in this phenomenon and have used it extensively in the films they have made. The seven narratives are:
Overcoming the Monster Rags to Riches The Quest Voyage and Return Comedy Tragedy Rebirth
According to this there are no original plots just the same stories being told in different ways.
The point I am making here is that the criticism leveled at this film for its lack of originality is somewhat disingenuous. It displays a lack of understanding of the nature and foundation of creativity and then, to make it worse, ignores a number of significant ways this film deals with the basic story differently.
Firstly, are there clichés? Yes of course there are, clichés become clichés because they occur repeatedly in real life and this story is definitely about real life. Real life in a real way. It is not till later in the film that we discover that Frank Adler, (Chris Evans) a humble boat mechanic on the Florida coast, was every bit as brilliant as the women in his family and had been a Professor of Philosophy until his sister’s death gave him the responsibility of raising his niece Mary.(Mckenna Grace)
Believing that his brilliant sister wanted a more normal life for her daughter than the one she had had, he packs them up and leaves the big city to move to a small coastal town in Florida. And there they are left alone until Frank, to the dismay of his landlady and neighbour Roberta, (Octavia Spencer) decides Mary needs to go to school to make friends. Roberta’s fears are proven to be well founded as a posse of powerful and determined women, including Frank’s mother who had shown no interest in the child in all her seven years, descend and attempt to wrest control from Frank.
They want to give the child the opportunity to become great, Frank wants her to be a good person.
Is the ending predictable, I guess in some ways it is though there is definitely the suggestion that if Frank can’t pull a rabbit from a hat (or a cat from a cage) then money and connections are going to win. This is not unusual as life often is predictable, Society has behavioural and philosophical norms that govern us and regularly lead to predictable outcomes.
It was the lack of unnecessary drama that I most enjoyed about this film. Yes there was a custody hearing and yes Evelyn (Lindsay Duncan) is manipulative, mothers of sons often are. However they stayed civil to each other during the process and even the most awful revelation was done with out heat and with compassion.
A relatively happy ending may appear predictable, yet I would argue that it is the opposite. If good people with good intentions always won we would have a very different world.
The performances were delightful. The verbal banter between Frank and Mary is reminiscent of the types of conversations had by many sole parents and their children. Mutually respectful yet with no doubt who the adult is and who is in charge. Chris Evans displayed a range and control that is not evident in Captain America and I hope he does more of this type of film. Octavia Spencer doesn’t get a lot to say but does it beautifully. The other performers are fine but it is McKenna Grace who is a stand out. Her portrayal of the child/genius who is torn between her excitement about mathematics and her childlike need of her Uncle was shaded and believable.
The film was directed by Marc Webb who first came to notice with his indie film 500 Days of Summer. Between then and Gifted he was given the two latest Spiderman movies. It is to be hoped that he will only do the franchises in order to fund his more subtle independent ventures.
41/2 Stars from me.
Rating:PG-13 (for thematic elements, language and some suggestive material) Genre:Drama Directed By:Marc Webb Written By:Tom Flynn In Theaters:Aug 31, 2017 Limited On Disc/Streaming:Jul 25, 2017 Box Office:$24,799,765 Runtime:101 minutes Studio:Fox Searchlight Pictures
It is an action comedy. Yes, there are actions, but they we have been there and we have seen it all. Yes, there is a comedy but I hardly smiled. It is entertaining but not t o the point where fall in love wit the characters or with the whole movie for god sake! It worked and did not for me. I also thought that if this move was screened in 80-s it would be fantastic but for these times the audience looks for something much better action and comedy-wise. The car chases and the boat chases are ... mmmm... not there , they are simply boring, the romance is flat to the most if not t say there is no romance at all. Reynolds and Jackson work together very well but this is all where it ends... NO excitement of a new film - just one more to forget I guess. I put a higher rate to this as I still believe the much younger generation (teenagers perhaps) might like it.
ARAB FILM FESTIVAL 2017: ALI, THE GOAT AND IBRAHIM website review by Susie Cashmere
“Ali,the Goat, and Ibrahim” 1Hour 32 mins
Directed by : Sherif El Bendary Produced by : Mohamed Hefzy Genre : Drama/Comedy Cast : Nahed El Sebai, Ahmed Magdy, Salwa Mohamed Ali
I found this film at first quite strange and then as I got into it, I loved it.
A story about two men who meet at a clinic, both with psychological problems, who are sent on a journey of self discovery. Along the way they meet up with a prostitute and the saga begins.
I tried to not over think the metaphors and take it for the warm hearted film that it really was. It was about a man, who really was in love with a goat, another who heard endless voices screaming in his head and another who despised her life. It explores the concept of overcoming personal demons through love and maintaining an equitable society.
It’s a curious film that sometimes can irritate the viewer but has a fabulous story to it. The soundtrack was fantastic as were all the absurdities that went along with “Ali, the Goat, and Ibrahim”. I would recommend this to any viewer who loves the absurdity of life but the simple ways to conquer it. Over all, I would give this film a 7/10.
If you would love to see the good book adaptation spoiled to the most this would be the movie to see. I was thinking through the entire picture: how could they fall down with such a rewarding topic, with such a brilliant cast , with such a beautiful environment given to them t perform. It is hard to judge now but I am more than sure it was a bad director's work, rush, unset staging and not demanding performance from the actors. fail, fail, fail on many points. It is sad! The whole movie did not have a flaw to it leaving the audience in front of the animal with the broken leg that hardy made it t the very end. If I had more courage I would leave the theater but I normally do it very rarely. If we ever run a voting for the worst movie of the year this one would be on the top list for me. The actors performed ridiculously poor; even the teenagers were doing a better job. Richard Gere IMHO did not show up hi full potential ad it was extremely boring to watch hi reading his lines. It was way too long, upsetting with the whole staging . Steve Coogan IMHO should never try it again. His "trips" are much better done than this work 100 times. For the entire movie I could not connect with the actors, nor I could understand the plot. The job done on the film was very poor and it does not deserve any rating although I gave it 6 (very low for me but high for the readers) just to thank Richard to appear there.
To be honest I was not expecting much from this film and how wrong I was... I loved it I loved it and I loved it! The story is based on true events but the way it was told is absolutely amazing! Funny with a twist, with lovable characters and interesting ending. We can follow how one lie can lead to more and more lies and can finally lead to an unwanted faith changing. Truth is always better , easier to say and it will lead you to your destiny as well. It is easier to say than to do though. Ali is in love with someone else but he is forced to marry another girl just because of one innocent mistake that was a result of his big ego. Now life takes him in the direction he does not want to be in. Would he be able to get out of the situation and prove to himself that he is the person who creates his own destiny? He might... but you have to see it with your own eyes, follow him step by step to the ending of the film and laugh and cry together with him...
This incredible story was inspired and based upon by the true story of the 'Hampstead Hermit', Harry Hallowes living wild Hampstead Heath in London the capital of England when they take on the developers who want to destroy his home..It is a very well done drama with a solid structure, romance , separation and romance again. There is a bit of drama, a bit of frustration a bit of misunderstanding, a bit of love and caring - just a bit of everything which makes a good and believable comedy but for some reason that was not enough for me to give it a higher rate. I had a strong feeling the film was missing something which would make it a bit more flavorish so to speak. I did not see no strong performance of the secondary roles in the film however the major characters were magnificent. But I would give it a higher rate if I fell in love with them all - including the majors. It did not take place, so it was 8 out of 1 for me. I can see the audience who would adore this movie and will appreciate the story development and the performance more than me but it just was not enough IMHO.