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Page 20 - The Local Paper - Wednesday, November 1, 2017
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Local Paper Magazine
Movies, DVDs with Jim Sherlock, Aaron Rourke What’s Hot and What’s Not in Blu-Rays and DVDs FILM: BABY DRIVER: Genre: Action/Thriller. Cast: Ansel Elgort, Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm, Kevin Spacey, Lily James. Year: 1977. Rating: MA15+. Stars: **½ Summary: Baby is a talented, young getaway driver relies on the beat of his personal soundtrack to be the best in the game, and when he meets the girl of his dreams Baby sees a chance to ditch his criminal life and make a clean getaway, but after being coerced into working for a crime boss he must face the music when a doomed heist threatens his life, love and freedom. Entertaining enough but heavily flawed metal-to-the-pedal romp inspired by a many others in the action-heist-shoot-'em-up-car-chasethriller genre, most notably Walter Hills's tight fisted and unrelenting 1978 cult classic "The Driver" starring Ryan O'Neal. It's all there, well mostly, there's plenty of adrenaline pumping action and ear-piercing wall-to-wall music to ride along to, but where the film falls apart and into over-riding cliché is all or any character development, emotion and originality is thrown out the window, and you just don't give a damn. From Kevin Spacey as the clichéd crime-boss, Jamie Foxx and Jon Hamm as two clichéd villains who just don't get along, another clichéd villain who obviously has never-say-die tattooed on his body somewhere, one after the other, the cliché's run thick and fast, the only redemption belonging to Ansel Elgort as Baby and cinematography by Bill Pope. When all is said and done, this is a shallow and all too predictable effort that runs out of fuel by film's end, a film in which it's not the bank heists that the crime, but the heisting of material from other far superior films. In addition, it's not so much a movie as one long music video, and with the poor choice of music, not a good one at that. FILM: A QUIET PASSION: Genre: Biography/Drama. Cast: Cynthia Nixon, Jennifer Ehle, Keith Carradine, Duncan Duff. Year: 2016. Rating: M. Length: 125 Minutes. Stars: ***½ Verdict: The story of American poet Emily Dickinson from her early days as a young individualistically rebellious schoolgirl to her later years as a reclusive, unrecognized artist, modernist and literary icon. Poetic and complex character driven melancholy period drama and portrait, like its subject, is driven by the power and meaning of the written word, those words that have become synonymous with the writings and sensibilities of Emily Dickinson throughout time. Effectively compelling and sensitive, Cynthia Nixon gives a superbly controlled performance as the legendary conflicted and tormented poet, as do Jennifer Ehle as her sister, along with screen veteran Keith Carradine as the father. Uniquely in contrast to all else on screens today, and beautifully filmed, like a moving and richly textured portrait of the period. Respectfully, "A Quiet Passion" makes the Stanley Kubrick 1975 period drama "Barry Lyndon" look like the action-thriller "Die Hard," or a "snail race" look like the "Indianapolis 500," by comparison. Absorbing, witty, haunting and thought provoking, this is not a movie for everyone, as writer-director Terence Davies has created a 19th century literary page turner onto the screen in cinematic form as close as you can get. FILM: THE WALL: Genre: Thriller/War/Drama. Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, John Cena, Laith Nakli. Year: 2017. Rating: MA15+ Length: 88 Minutes. Stars: **½ Verdict: Two American Soldiers are trapped by a lethal and unseen supposedly legendary Iraqi sniper, with only a crumbling wall between them. Heat, sweat and dust dominate this well made Iraqi cat & mouse war-thriller, however, it falls short on genuine suspense that dominated the similarly themed "Phone Booth" (2002) with Colin Farrell, Forest Whitaker and directed more effectively by Joel Schumacher, as well as the chilling, nail-biting and unforgettable Vietnam sniper sequence in Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket" (1987). Original Matt Damon "The Bourne Identity," "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," and "Edge of Tomorrow" director Doug Liman this time manages to hold interest but struggles to make the stranded soldier lying beyond the wall exciting as a whole, though there are moments of tension throughout. Dirt covered, sand gritted, wounded and grunting star Aaron TaylorJohnson does well under the circumstances in this almost one-setpiece, but as the wall crumbles around him, so does the intended impact. - James Sherlock
Rourke’s Reviews: 1922, Geostorm ■ 1922 (MA). 101 minutes. Now showing on Netflix. The Stephen King adaptations continue with 1922, based on the 2010 novella by the indefatigable author (who was obviously inspired by Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart), and like the recent Gerald's Game (also produced by Netflix), is a cut above the King crowd. Set during the title year, the story centres on Nebraska farmer Wilfred James (Thomas Jane), who loves the life he and those before him have lead. His 80 acres became 180 when he married Arlette (Molly Parker), and the two have a teenage son, Henry (Dylan Schmid). Over time Arlette has made it obvious that she hates the farming life, and with their fortunes dwindling each year, wants the family to move to the city and open a dress shop. Horrified at the thought, Wilfred reacts strongly to the suggestion, and makes him realise how much he hates his wife. When Arlette threatens to sell her part of the farm and move anyway, Wilfred talks his son into helping him carry out the solution to their problems. 1922 dares to take its time, and Australian director Zak Hilditch (who also provides the screenplay) deserves credit for his measured, atmospheric approach to the material, allowing the characters' dark thoughts to gain weight and purpose. This in turn gives the cast room to move, and nobody disappoints. Jane (Boogie Nights, Thursday, 61*, Stander, The Mist) gives his best performance in quite some time, truly bringing the brooding Wilfred to life, and makes a detestable person utterly compelling. Schmid is convincing as Henry, while Neal Mcdonough (Minority Report) and Kaitlyn Bernard offer solid support. As terrific an actor as she is, Molly Parker (Kissed, Wonderland, The Centre Of The World, Deadwood) gets the least developed character. The theme of male dominance is well introduced, but I just wish there was more time allocated to the changing dynamic between Arlette and Wilfred, and the way she feels suffocated by the men around her. It would also have made Wilfred's decision more convincing. Overt horror does make its way late into proceedings, jarring a little with the psychological thriller that has preceded it. At least it doesn't have the kind of inherent problems that caused Mike Flanagan's Gerald's Game to falter in the second half. Impressively photographed by Ben Richardson (Beasts Of The Southern Wild, Wind River), 1922 is an effectively moody tale anchored by a memorable central performance, and will hopefully see Hilditch move up the Hollywood ladder. RATING - ***½ - Aaron Rourke
■ Geostorm (M). 109 minutes. Now showing in selected cinemas. Like a piece falling debris, the long-delayed Geostorm finally crash-lands, and like the arrival of Skylab all those years ago, its after-effects won't trouble too many people. With an opening that feels like a mash-up between Snowpiercer and Pacific Rim, we are told that in 2019 climate change will kill millions, caused by natural disasters right around the globe. To counteract this, Jake Lawson (Gerard Butler) and a large team design a system that, once installed into nearly 1200 satellites, will be able to 'cure' climate change, and return the world's weather patterns to some kind of normalcy. Jake, a maverick who doesn't do things by the book, falls foul of the US government, who fire him and put his younger brother Max (Jim Sturgess) in charge. Three years later, and Jake is working as a mechanic in Florida; divorced, but allowed to see his 13-year-old daughter Hannah (Talitha Bateman). Max turns up on his doorstep saying that one satellite has malfunctioned, and before you know it, Jake is on the international space station figuring out what is wrong, while his brother, with the help of lover/ secret service agent Sarah Wilson (Abbie Cornish) and low-level tech employee Dana (Zazie Beetz), also attempt to uncover the truth behind the tragic mishaps. Originally set for release over a year and-a-half ago, Geostorm went through extensive rewrites and reshoots (apparently overseen by Brit Danny Cannon, a film-maker who showed promise more than two decades ago with The Young Americans (1993) and Judge Dredd (1995), the latter of which also suffered from reshoots and star egos), and boy, does it show. Nothing makes sense, many characters appear and disappear with irritating regularity (if you blink, you'll miss talented character actor Mare Winningham), and incidents hurtle along without rhyme or reason. Even with all this narrative and production chaos, the villain responsible for all the mass destruction is painfully obvious. Cowriter/director Dean Devlin, who should be able to churn out this kind of fluff in his sleep, having worked alongside Roland Emmerich on hits such as Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow, spectacularly drops the ball with his directorial debut. Like XXX : The Return Of Xander Cage, Geostorm is shamelessly aimed at specific markets, with its scenario involving the world's two biggest box-office giants, the US and China. Numerous other films come to mind; Armageddon, Spies Like Us, Gravity, Outland, Space Cowboys, Aliens, Our Man Flint, The Avengers, even Moon 44. Why does Geostorm manage to get one star? Well, it's still better than the bloated, moronic garbage that Michael Bay inflicts upon us. In fact, watch a Bay film beforehand, and Geostorm may suddenly seem like a long lost classic. RATING - * - Aaron Rourke
Top 10 Lists
OCTOBER 29 to NOVEMBER 4. THE AUSTRALIAN BOX OFFICE TOP TEN: 1. GEOSTORM. 2. BLADE RUNNER 2049. 3. THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US. 4. THE SNOWMAN. 5. HAPPY DEATH DAY. 6. HOME AGAIN. 7. KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE. 8. IT. 9. CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS: THE FIRST EPIC MOVIE. 10. THE SON OF BIGFOOT. NEW RELEASES AND COMING SOON TO CINEMAS AROUND AUSTRALIA: OCTOBER 26: AMERICAN PASTORAL, BRIGSBY BEAR, INGRID GOES WEST, SUBURBICON, THE MIDWIFE, THE UNTAMED, THOR: RAGNAROK. NOVEMBER 2: BAD GENIUS, BAD MOMS 2, JIGSAW, LOVING VINCENT, MY LITTLE PONY: THE MOVIE, THE IRREGULAR AT MAGIC HIGH SCHOOL MOVIE: THE GIRL WHO SUMMONS THE STARS, THREE SUMMERS. THE DVD AND BLU-RAY TOP RENTALS & SALES: 1. THE BEGUILED [Drama/Thriller/Nicole Kidman, Colin Farrell, Elle Fanning]. 2. SPIDER-MAN - HOMECOMING [Action/ Fantasy/Drama/Tom Holland, Robert Downey Jr]. 3. TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT [Sci-Fi/Action/Mark Wahlberg, Anthony Hopkins]. 4. MY COUSIN RACHEL [Drama/Mystery/ Romance/Rachel Weisz, Iain Glen, Sam Claflin]. 5. DETOUR [Drama/Thriller/Tye Sheridan, Emory Cohen, Bel Powley]. 6. IT COMES AT NIGHT [Horror/Mystery/Joel Edgerton, Christopher Abbott]. 7. CHURCHILL [Biography/Drama/Brian Cox, Miranda Richardson]. 8. HOUNDS OF LOVE [Crime/Drama/ Stephen Curry, Emma Booth, Ashleigh Cummings]. 9. WONDER WOMAN [Action/Fantasy/Adventure/Gal Gadot, Chris Pine]. Also: UNA, DESPICABLE ME 3, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Volume 2, THE MUMMY, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES, ALIEN COVENANT, VICEROY'S HOUSE, ALL EYEZ ON ME, JOHN WICK 2. NEW RELEASE HIGHLIGHTS ON DVD THIS WEEK: BABY DRIVER [Action/Crime/Comedy/ Drama/Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx]. THE BIG SICK [Romance/Comedy/Drama/ Zoe Kazan, Ray Romano, Holly Hunter]. NEW RELEASE HIGHLIGHTS ON BLU-RAY THIS WEEK: BABY DRIVER [Action/Crime/Comedy/ Drama/Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx]. THE BIG SICK [Romance/Comedy/Drama/ Zoe Kazan, Ray Romano, Holly Hunter]. TERMINATOR 2: Judgment Day 3D Blu-Ray + Blu-Ray [Arnold Schwarzenegger]. TERMINATOR 2: Judgment Day UHD BluRay [Arnold Schwarzenegger]. HOLIDAY INN: 75th Anniversary [Bing Crosby]. THE GODFATHER: 40th Anniversary Box Set - with THE GODFATHER, THE GODFATHER: Part II, THE GODFATHER: Part III and Special Features [Crime/Drama/Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall]. NEW RELEASE TELEVISION, DOCUMENTARY AND MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS: PARTY OF FIVE: Complete Collection. MY FAVORITE MARTIAN: Complete Collection. AIR CRASH INVESTIGATION: Seasons 1 15. MIAMI VICE: Complete Collection. THE BIONIC WOMAN: Complete Collection. AFL PREMIERS: 2017 Victory Pack. FORTITUDE: Season 2.