My Wedding and Other Secrets Directed by Roseanne Liang
with a Chinese female grocer. But there is an underlying truth that in reality, both cultures Film Review by Melissa Low (A) can still fail to understand and accept one another, something which was interesting to showcase to a multicultural audience. The only flaw I find with this movie is the lack of screen-time some of the secondary characters got. James’s flatmates Neil (also known as big-haired Cash Convertors guy) and Tom were two really entertaining comedy characters that I wished had more to say throughout the film. Same with Emily’s sister, There was one word that ran through my mind Susan, who had an interesting back-story, but through most of this movie: Awkward. The not much said about her current situation characters are awkward and the situations are through the film. Also, Eric, Emily’s filmmaking awkward, but it is this awkwardness that gives ‘frenemy,’ gets a drastic haircut in the middle of the movie its strengths, making it a captivating the film where his hair goes from a long Kurt and charming Kiwi romantic comedy. Cobain hairstyle to a short hipster cut. When Directed and co-written by Kiwi Chinese he had reappeared in the middle of the story, I Roseanne Liang, this film is based on her own didn’t recognise what character he was, which complicated cross-cultural love story that was had me momentarily distracted. originally showcased in the 2005 documentary, Ultimately, My Wedding and Other Secrets Banana in a Nutshell. Set in Auckland, the provides a new take to the merging cultures character Emily (Michelle Ang) is an ambitious of the European and Chinese that hasn’t but geeky film student with large nerdy glasses previously been seen in a New Zealand feature and a dream to make a spectacular Kung film. Though the storyline of complicated Fu feature film. Liang’s real life husband is relationships is not something new to cinema, recreated as the white and nerdy, cereal-loving Roseanne Liang’s true life story brings a fresh, James (Go Girls’ Matt Whelan). Put these two funny tale in a familiar Kiwi setting. For a true characters together and it becomes an awkward love story, this is a story that shows love in its situation where both of them “don’t know how truest form. to kiss” but quickly fall into love. Both unfortunately were unprepared for Red Riding Hood the reality that Emily’s traditional Hong Kong Directed by Catherine Hardwicke immigrant parents (played by Kenneth Tsang and Cheng Pei Pei) would disapprove of Emily’s Film Review by Samantha McQueen (D) relationship with a man who wasn’t Chinese. Emily, with fears of becoming disowned, pulls James into a Romeo and Juliet romance, trying desperately hard to hide their relationship and still remain the obedient Chinese daughter. But as Emily’s plans to keep everyone happy end up pushing them away, she beings to realise that there is a deeper meaning to love she had not Don’t be fooled by the sinister trailer; Red seen before. Riding Hood is just another bad overdramatic This film is filled with so many different teenage love story relying too heavily on snowconflicts as it deals with the issues of love, capped mountains and Amanda Seyfried’s doe relationships, families and ambition. Ang and eyes to hold this “fairytale” together. Whelan portray their respective characters This “modern” take on the classic tale sees with great comedic personalities, entertaining us transported to the medieval village of the audience through their range of odd and Daggerhorn, a town known for its legend, awkward mannerisms. However, when the rather than name. Ms Hood is Valerie story does get serious, their frustrations on screen feel so painfully personal that audiences (Seyfried), who is thrust into the heroine role when her older sister is slain by a werewolf, can’t help but sympathise, relate and feel who has come out of a 20 year retirement to emotional at their situations. start slaying villagers again during the blood There are also many references to the cross-cultural differences between Pakeha and moon. After a small group of male villagers fail to kill the wolf, the big guns are called in, in the Chinese. At times it is very comedic, such as form of Father Solomon (Gary Oldman) who James’s disturbed encounter with a cooked wears silver nails and has previous experience chicken head, or his Mandarin conversations
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with the mythical beasts. Like previous fantasies, the killer wolf spends his days disguised as a villager and Valerie spends the next few days believing it could be anyone from the creepy, bug-eyed neighbour to one of her duelling loves, childhood sweetheart Peter (Shiloh Fernandez) or the rich suitor, Henry (Max Irons). Yes, Valerie is torn between the guy that’s all wrong for her and the guy her parents approve of. Sound familiar? Director Catherine Hardwicke made her first mistake by choosing a film adaption with similar themes to Twilight as her film follow up. Her second mistake is making Red Riding Hood look almost identical. Sweeping camera angles over snow-topped, pine tree mountains? Check. A blue-tinted colour hue? Check. Shaky, distracting, handheld camera techniques contrasted with panning scenery shots? Check. Foreboding voiceovers by the heroine? Check. An innocent animal captured? Check. Billy Burke playing the father of the heroine? Check. The only differences between this fantasy “horror” and the former is that the male leads are not nearly as appealing on the eye. It’s a shame really, because her directorial debut, Thirteen, showcases the grungy, independent style she keeps trying to replicate in the blockbusters. Amanda Seyfried (Dear John, Mamma Mia!) is the only thing keeping this film from being a straight-to-DVD release – and that’s not saying much. She’s certainly the prettiest girl in the village and has perfect “my, what big eyes you have” (a line painfully used in David Johnson’s script), but there’s nothing spectacular about her performance. It seems all the theatrics are left to Gary Oldman, who doesn’t just dip a toe into the melodrama, but dives straight in to try and pull this film out of the plodding fantasy soap that it’s become. It doesn’t work. Neither does the dreadlocked, carb-loving version of the grandmother Julie Christie tries to pull off. You can painfully see what has tried to be created with Red Riding Hood. But everyone, except for Hardwicke, seems to realise the ridiculousness of the whole get up and delivers their lines like they’re the reluctant sacrifice for Hardwicke’s career.
Britney Spears Femme Fatale
Album Review by Samantha McQueen (B-)
issue 05 2011