By John Campbell
EXHIBITION: MATISSE PALACE BYRON BAY CINEMA
21 /24 SEPTEMBER, 1PM
Henri Matisse is a giant of modern art and in Exhibition: Matisse audiences are invited to enjoy an intimate, behind-the-scenes tour of the blockbuster Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs exhibition, which opened to international acclaim at London’s Tate Museum in April. JOEL EDGERTON IN FELONY
FELONY
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
Written by Joel Edgerton, director Matthew Saville’s finely balanced film noir demands that its audience decide for themselves whose side they are on – or, more importantly, if they can be on either – without having been spoon-fed a ‘correct’ judgment. Detective Malcolm Toohey (Edgerton), saved by a bullet-proof vest when shot during a raid, gets on the grog with his fellows to celebrate the closing of a case.
Talk about spoilers – some actors might as well have the word tattooed on their foreheads. The minute that William Fichtner appeared as Erik Sacks, the sober-suited plutocrat, I knew that he would turn out to be the megalomaniacal bad guy. It is always the same in these tedious, earsplitting orgies of CGI. I was too old to be remotely interested in the Ninja Turtles when they first became a craze in the 1980s.
Driving home drunk, he is allowed to pass through an RBT unchallenged, but shortly afterwards his car clips a young cyclist who is delivering papers. The boy falls and lies unconscious on the road. There were no witnesses. Instead of it being just another run of the mill exposé of corrupt coppers covering their dirty deeds, the story digs deeper into the psyches and emotional responses of the three men involved – Toohey, Summer (Tom Wilkinson), a senior detective who has been around the traps long enough to know how to put a lid on the matter, as well as make a rational argument for doing so, and Melic (Jai Courtney), the up-and-comer who, like a dog with a bone, will not rest until the truth is brought to light. But at what price is truth unearthed? Are there not more serious felons to be pursued? Should a decent family man be punished for such an accident?
The concept seemed ridiculous – far more so than a talking mouse steering a steamboat down the Mississippi – but there was at least the saving grace of their being named after four masters of the Italian Renaissance. I’d happily consigned them to history (along with the 80s in general), but they’re back, bigger and noisier and with more street cred than ever. New York is under the pump yet again – this time it is the Foot Clan running amok (with Hollywood continuing its questionable practice of portraying evil as Oriental). April O’Neill (Megan Fox – an actress of almost unique shallowness) is a reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper who wants to be taken seriously. Her boss, Whoopi Goldberg (who might soon turn up as a contestant on America’s Greatest Loser), like the rest of us, thinks April has all the substance of a pancake. Inadvertently, she becomes a fifth member of the Turtles’ gang and together they wage a campaign to counter the terror of the Foots. The pace is frenetic, the effects are dazzling and the Turtles themselves are impressive creations, but the cacophony is tiresome and the story desperately unoriginal.
The script tends to drift and it bends over backwards to make its point in an overly contrived fight between Summer and Melic, while the out-of-left-field development of Melic’s feelings for the boy’s mother (Sarah Roberts) is gratuitous and, for the detective, wildly out of character. Performances from all are terrific – Wilkinson does a better-than-average Australian accent – but though gripping, the tone and ‘look’ of the movie lack light and shade. Apart from the perfect use of Roxy Music’s Avalon in the moments leading up to the accident, the score is too often intrusive and the ending is a bit of a stretch. Starting off great but finishing less so, it is still well worth a look.
There is a funny episode at the start where one of the Ninjas is preoccupied watching (presumably on Facebook) a cat playing Chopsticks with chopsticks, but it was all downhill after that. With our eyes glazing over and our popcorn consumed, my companion and I both decided that, if we hurried, it wasn’t too late to catch Eggheads, so we fled without looking back.
North Coast news daily: www.echonetdaily.net.au
This landmark show explores the final chapter in Matisse’s life; in his late sixties, when ill-health first prevented him from painting, he began to cut into painted paper with scissors, ‘carving into colour’, to make drafts for a number of commissions. In time, Matisse chose cut-outs over painting; he had invented a new medium. From snow flowers to dancers, circus scenes and a world-famous snail, the exhibition showcases a dazzling array of 120 works made between 1936 and 1954. Bold, exuberant and often large in scale, the cut-outs have an engaging simplicity coupled with incredibly creative sophistication. The film features interviews with experts including Tate director Nicholas Serota and friends and relatives of Matisse, and includes rare archive footage of him at work. Cinema audiences can also enjoy breathtaking new performances inspired by Matisse’s cut-outs: Royal Ballet principal dancer Zenaida Yanowsky performs a dance piece reflecting the colours, dynamism and freedom of the cut-outs, and jazz musician Courtney Pine performs a piece invoking the golden age of bebop and jazz greats, the improvisational rhythms of which Matisse compared to his own way of working when making the cutouts. Bold, lively, and often on a grand scale, the cut-outs are a joyous celebration of colour and shape brought to life on the big screen, making this a must-see film for art lovers worldwide. London critics were unanimous in their praise: Matisse screens at Palace Byron Bay Cinema at 1pm on Sunday 21 September and Wednesday 24 September. Tickets $15–20.
TUESDAY
16 SEPT to
WEDNESDAY
24 SEPT
MOVIE CLUB PRICES Adult $12.00 / Senior $8.50
Tix now on sale BYRON BAY 9 Oct - 15 Oct
2D PLANES: FIRE & RESCUE (G) (no free tix) Thu 18, Sat 20, Mon 22, Tue 23: 11:10, 1:00, 2:50 Fri 19: 9:30, 11:25, 1:15pm Sun 21, Wed 24: 9:00, 11:00, 2:10 THE BOXTROLLS (PG) (no free tix) Thu 18, Sat 20, Mon 22, Tue 23: 9:10, 11:15 Fri 19: 9:10, 12:00 Sun 21, Wed 24: 9:15, 11:20 WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS (M) (no free tix) Thu 18-Sat 20, Mon 22, Tue 23: 4:15, 8:30pm Sun 21, Wed 24: 5:10, 8:40pm THE MAZE RUNNER (M) (no free tix) Thu 18, Sat 20, Mon 22, Tue 23: 1:20, 3:40, 6:50pm Fri 19: 1:20, 3:40, 7:10pm Sun 21, Wed 24: 1:25, 3:45, 6:15
EXHIBITION - MATISSE (CTC) (no free tix) Sun 21, Wed 24: 1.00pm INTO THE STORM (M) (no free tix) Tue 16, Wed 17: 2:30, 4:50, 9:10pm Thu 18, Sat 20, Mon 22, Tue 23: 9:15am Fri 19: 3:05pm 20,000 DAYS (MA15+) Tue 16, Wed 17: 2:15, 8:45pm Enjoy our licensed bar
Lavazza Espresso Coffee
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (M) (no free tix) Tue 16, Wed 17: 10:10, 12:20, 4:30, 6:30pm Thu 18, Sat 20, Mon 22, Tue 23: 12:00, 4:40, 6:10pm Fri 19: 11:15, 5:00, 6:10pm Sun 21, Wed 24: 12:00, 4:05, 7:00pm MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT (PG) Tue 16, Wed 17: 10:20, 2:40, 6:50pm Thu 18-Sat 20, Mon 22, Tue 23: 2:10, 8:20pm Sun 21, Wed 24: 3:00, 8:35pm PREDESTINATION (MA15+) Tue 16, Wed 17: 12:30, 4:20, 9:00pm Thu 18, Sat 21-Wed 24: 9:10pm Fri 19: 9:30pm THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY (PG) Tue 16, Wed 17: 11:40, 6:40pm Thu 18-Sat 20, Mon 22, Tue 23: 9:30, 6:00pm Sun 21, Wed 24: 9:30, 6:05 THE INBETWEENERS 2 (MA15+) Tue 16-Wed 17: 9:35am All sessions are correct at the time of publication. Current session times at: www.palacecinemas.com.au
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108-110 Jonson Street, Byron Bay 6680 8555 | www.palacecinemas.com.au
The Byron Shire Echo September 16, 2014 31