Zero Dark Thirty: Depiction as Endorsement (?), or: When Movies Get Partisan
Kathryn Bigelow has been widely criticised for the depiction of torture in her latest war film, Zero Dark Thirty — in interviews she has insisted that “depiction is not endorsement”, but many critics, if not audiences, aren’t so sure. Waleed Aly, a fine and intelligent journalist who until now I did not know had [...]
Continue readingREVIEW — Les Misérables
The Verdict
2 out of 5– With all the subtlety of a hammer, Les Misérables does little to bring us into its world of post-revolutionary France. The songs are overly sombre and self-serious, the lyrics simplistic and often plain nonsensical, and the actors chosen, for the most part, cannot sing. At 140 minutes in length, Les Misérables is flabby and self-indulgent. Continue reading
REVIEW — Into the Abyss
Guest review by Tim Hoar
The Verdict
4.5 out of 5:
Into the Abyss is an exceptionally good portrait of one crime, as well as the societal background to that crime and the broader concept of the death penalty as being something ‘good’. It is incredible that a documentary about the darkest corners of humanity, as well as the even darker lengths that are gone to to punish this, is such a beautiful film. Execution is murder. Continue reading
REVIEW — The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
The Verdict 3 out of 5 – An Unexpected Journey is a bit of a nostalgic trip back to the time when The Lord of the Rings was cool. As a film on its own merits, it’s a partial success, with sections of inspired and inventive fantasy interrupted by overly long exposition that could easily [...]
Continue readingREVIEW – The Chaser
Guest review by Tim Hoar, creator of Now Now, I’m Drinking a Beer and Watching a Movie.
The Verdict
4 out of 5 – An excellent, creepy and chilling serial killer flick that slowly evolves from thriller to detective story. Not for the faint of heart, The Chaser is extremely clever, managing to be both action packed and cerebral with two awesome performances taking you on the ride. A ride that ends in a conclusion that will absolutely shred your nerves. Continue reading
Wednesday Movie Review — MARGIN CALL
By Guest Contributor Tim Hoar
The Verdict
out of
The intelligent Margin Call belongs at the pointy end of 2012 releases. Despite the fact that this is barely more than a series of business meetings, the film is never anything less ultra engaging. This can be attributed to a wonderful script that carries the ebb and flow of these befuddling financial discussions really well. The performances from everyone are fine, especially from Zachary Quinto (and his eyebrows) and Simon Baker. This film is highly recommended to all, a wonderful examination of the disconnect of modern corporate finance, and its impact on the rest of us. Continue reading
Friday Movie Review: Looper
The Verdict
4.5 out of 5
Looper is an exciting and thrilling science fiction film with panache and an active interest in the development of its characters. The world that director Rian Johnson details here is creative and thoughtful, and he manages to keep control of his film’s winding time-travel plot. With its exciting build-up, action-packed mid-section and satisfying conclusion, Looper is one of the best films of the year.
The Background
Looper is the second film by young director Rian Johnson. His first feature was the widely acclaimed but underground high school drama Brick, also starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. That film was one of the best films of 2006, and was noteworthy for the way in which Johnson managed to insert the essence of film noir into a story about a middle school student playing detective in a modern-day high school. Continue reading
Monday Movie Review: The Watch
The Verdict
1 out of 5
Sloppily crafted, juvenilely written and way too penis-centric, The Watch is not saved by the comedic talents of its actors. This is one of the worst movies of the year, made even more disappointing by the modicum of good ideas present in the script.
Monday Movie Review: PULP FICTION
In lieu of a decent movie release (I’m seeing Moonrise Kingdom tonight, before the Monday Movie Review is due to be uploaded), this week’s Monday Movie Review is the classic Tarantino flick PULP FICTION.
The Verdict
5 out of 5 – One of the best, no doubt. This is Tarantino’s sprawling, profanity-laden magnum opus, a film that captures all that is endearing and divisive about his work. Continue reading
Love
The Verdict
2.5 stars out of 5
A highly ambitious film, Love wears its heart on its sleeve. Unfortunately a lot of its rhetoric regarding the social needs of humans comes across as rather twee, and it doesn’t find a narratively exciting or interesting way to tell its story of a man going insane from isolation. There are some wow-worthy visual moments, but the movie’s story just doesn’t hold together.
The Background
Love is an indie science-fiction film which has been heavily marketed as featuring a soundtrack by Angels & Airwaves, the alternative rock band fronted by former Blink-182 guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, who also produces the film. The film was popular at several bigg-ish film festivals in the States, including the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The film has been given a limited release in Australia, and opened on August 31st, 2012. Continue reading