arts&entertainment
Gay comedy all about family cinema
Dougal Macdonald
“The Kids Are All Right” (MA) GYNAECOLOGIST Nic (Annette Bening) and landscape gardener Jules (Julianne Moore) are lesbian mothers of 18-year-old Jodi (Mia Wasikowska) and 15-year-old Laser (Josh Hutcherson). Jodi tracks down the kids’ biological father Paul (Mark Ruffalo), a hunky unmarried successful restaurateur in his late 30s. Paul doesn’t wish to dominate, but his presence pushes the family circle a little out of shape. Nic tolerates him. Jules, learning that his garden needs a makeover, persuades him to engage her. Jules loves Nic to bits but Paul is hard to resist. Paul and Jules see each other most days. Here are seeds of a conflict with wider implications. Director Lisa Cholodenko’s warm, perceptive comedy-drama is mostly about family. Its sexuality may well polarise audiences. Given their objective for the plot, Cholodenko and co-writer Stuart Blumberg have validly portrayed lesbianism without excessively emphasising sexuality, although I wonder whether using gay male porn movies to energise lesbian lovemaking was for laughs or some more complex purpose. The film sent me out with good feelings. The performances are all great. I accept its occasional structural shortcomings without
“Tomorrow, When The War Began” (M) THE source for writer/director Stuart Beattie’s Australian actioner is John Marsden’s novel in the genre known as “young adult fiction”. My mate’s 10-yearold daughter reckons it’s a great read. While there’s not enough space to list the film’s shortcomings, they don’t derail its impetus. Books make readers imagine physical environments which in films have a constantly visible silent presence. Teenagers from a small coastal town camping in a riverside glade hear aircraft. In town, soldiers of Asian appearance wearing “Star Wars” helmets hold their families captive in the showground. From that point, the film abandons bucolic pleasures (no sex) to become a Hollyobjection. Films are often imperfect but this one is like those kids – all right. At Dendy
“Going The Distance” (MA) CALIFORNIAN journalism student Erin doing work experience in New York is playing a pub arcade game when Garrett, fresh from a broken relationship, wanders across to reserve the machine. Next morning she wakes up in the apartment he shares with two pals. The film’s gently perceptive conflict structure presents the distance of its title with two branches. Erin and Garrett travel between cities on opposite coasts to
wood-style actioner. The narrative examines a small collection of moral, social and emotional issues about which teenagers should be aware. The rest is progress toward a wish-fulfilment condition requiring them to make the transition from innocence to guerrillas determined to defeat the invaders. The film offers spectacular sequences such as Garbage Truck Road Rage 101 and Blowing Bridges for Fun and Pleasure. The best acting comes from a teenage boy discovered alone on his family’s farm with plenty of weed but no car keys. It’s a funny, poignant sequence. But from grown-ups more savvy about life’s realities, the film demands suspension, willing or not, of disbelief. At all cinemas overcome the physical distance threatening their relationship conducted perforce by telephone. You wonder when the plot will develop some bite unless you realise that it’s been biting from the outset. It’s a sweet film energised by Drew Barrymore’s performance as Erin, flashes and skeins of comic genius combining with inner toughness as she confronts a decision whether to take a precious job offer from the “San Francisco Chronicle” or move to New York and a waitress job to be with Garrett (Justin Long, wise enough to be Mr Nice and let Barrymore lead). The frank vocabulary and behaviour permeating this late Gen X rom-com provides an amusing, charming, credible good fun film experience. At all cinemas
Cabaret madness with lots of music “THE Pleasure Society” is an eccentric cabaret coming up at Tuggeranong Arts Centre. Devised by popular singer-performers Simone Penkethman and Chanel Cole, it should be full-on madness with lots of music. According to Tuggeranong director Domenic Mico, the pair are “a law unto themselves”. According to Cole and Penkethman, Mico is “the Godfather” of the arts in Canberra, and an inspiration for the project. Bookings to 6293 1443. GREAT news that Canberra artist Martin Paull was a 2010 Blake Prize finalist for his work “Death of a Swearword” (Stations of the Cross), seen fleetingly at Belconnen Arts Centre in February this year. Readers will recall that Paull’s work used bushfires
26 CityNews September 9-15
Hall at 7.30pm, September 18. Seats at the door. ON September 10, 11 and 12 young Helen Musa artists from QL2 and dance graduates will be performing site-specific dance as part as a motif for suffering. of the project “In the Public Domain”. Catch THE National Gallery of Australia them from 10.30am to 1pm near Urban has announced a gift of $7 million from Food Store + Cafe (corner of Marcus Clarke Melbourne philanthropists Pauline and John Street and Edinburgh Avenue). From 7pm Gandel. This comes at a time when the NGA on September 10 and 11 they’ll be seen is about to open a new function hall which around the foyer of the Diamant Hotel. will be known as, yes, the Gandel Hall. SOPRANO Rachael Duncan and pianist THE venerable (and tuneful) Llewellyn Penelope Cashman, both originally from Choir of Canberra is turning 30 and will Canberra, will perform songs celebrating hold a celebratory concert “Thirty Years love and spring by Schumann and Schubert and Three Batons” with all three of its at the Wesley Music Centre, Forrest, at 3pm music directors playing a part, at Llewellyn on September 11. Tickets at the door.
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