Page 46 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, November 12, 2014
www.MelbourneObserver.com.au
Movies, DVDs With Jim Sherlock and Aaron Rourke
What’s Hot and What’s Not in Blu-Rays and DVDs
● Apes leader Caesar in the groundbreaking Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, see review below. FILM: DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES: Genre: Action/Sci-Fi/Drama. Cast: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Kodi Smit-McPhee. Year: 2014. Rating: M. Length: 130 Minutes. Format: DVD, BLU-RAY and BLU-RAY 3D. Stars: ****½ Verdict: A nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors from a devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived. This follow up to 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a sensational cinematic experience, to say the least. Not since Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, or any other, has a sequel so overwhelmingly surpassed its predecessor on every technical and emotional level, and then some. The evolution of cinema in relation to art, storytelling, emotion and entertainment has reached all new and unsurpassable heights. The visuals are jaw-dropping, the brilliantly sustained tension unbearable and the action truly exciting. Not one frame or one word is wasted due to an intelligent screenplay and direction, and the performance by Andy Serkis as Caesar is simply breathtaking, it has to be seen to be believed. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a phenomenal spectacle, a staggering achievement that results in a thrilling, chilling and haunting experience compared only to the groundbreaking 1969 original! The original Planet of the Apes movies are available individually on DVD and Blu-ray and feature spectacular special features and also in a Planet of the Apes box set through 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. FILM: MRS. BROWN'S BOYS D'MOVIE: Genre: Comedy. Cast: Brendan O'Carroll, Jennifer Gibney, Eilish O'Carroll. Year: 2014. Rating: TBC. Running Time: 94 Minutes. Format: DVD and BLU-RAY. Stars: *½ Verdict: TV's popular Granny Agnus Brown has hit the big screen, and make no mistake about it, this is a monumental mistake. When the Moore Street market-trader Agnes Brown finds her livelihood under threat from a ruthless developer, she and her family embark on a campaign to save her stall. Brimming with gutter humour, this cinematic pot-boiler is simply d'pressing, d'flating, d'grading and just plain unfunny, insulting and embarrassing. Unlike the more successful big screen adaptations of popular British TV series of the 1970's films like On The Buses, Mutiny On The Buses, Holiday On The Buses, Steptoe & Son, Steptoe & Son Ride Again, Bless This House, Father Dear Father, Are You Being Served, and numerous others. This big screen outing of the popular award winning BBC sitcom Mrs. Brown's Boys D'Movie is sincere, sincerely awful, and will not only leave the most loyal fans of the series disappointed, and that's putting it mildly, but many viewers wishing they had used the time to have their long delayed root canal work done instead. FILM: THE CLINT EASTWOOD EIGHT MOVIE COLLECTION (Box Set): Genre: Thriller/Western/Drama/Sci-Fi/War. Cast: George Kennedy, Lee J. Cobb, William Holden, Robert Duvall, Jessica Walter, Don Stroud, and Many More! Year: Assorted Years. Rating: M. Running Time: Assorted Running Times. Format: BLU-RAY. Stars: **** Verdict: Excellent selection of Clint Eastwood films, some of which are released on Blu-ray This Blu-ray box set features the Clint Eastwood Universal Pictures classics and includes his first directorial debut feature with the thriller PLAY MISTY FOR ME (1971), followed by the action-thriller THE EIGER SANCTION (1975), the westerns JOE KIDD (1972), TWO MULES FOR SISTER SARA and HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER (1973), the action thriller COOGAN'S BLUFF (1968) ), the acclaimed drama THE BEGUILED (1971) which re-teamed him with Dirty Harry director Don Siegel, and the romantic drama BREEZY (1973). Each title is available individually on DVD. A highly recommended collection! A JB Hi-Fi exclusive.
Ernest and Clementine ■ (G). 80 minutes. Now available on DVD and Blu-Ray. Based on the beloved books by Gabrielle Vincent, this deceptively simple and gorgeously animated film proves to be utterly charming, and should win over viewers both young and old. The story centres on Ernest, a big brown bear who makes a marginal existance as a street musician, and lives in a ramshackle hut on the outskirts of town; and Celestine, a young orphan mouse who is ridiculed and shunned by others because she can't understand why bears and mice, whose worlds are kept separate and closed-off, cannot live in harmony together. When the mouse community finds out that Celestine has helped and befriended Ernest, she is labeled a criminal, so she escapes to the bear's simple abode, where the two learn true friendship and respect for one another. What could have become a heavyhanded message movie is instead treated with genuine care and intelligence by directors Benjamin Renner, Vincent Patar and Stephane Aubier, and screenwriter Daniel Pennac, who allow the two title characters' personalities to shine through in a distinct and lovable manner. The themes inherent in the story then naturally surface and develop, making for a much more satisfying narrative. Lambert Wilson's deep voice is perfect for Ernest, and Pauline Brunner perfectly captures Celestine's innocence and quest for kindness (unfortunately the local release only contains the english-dubbed version). The animation is superb, wonderfully recreating the pastel colours and visuals of a classic children's book, helping tap into the child within us all, and is an absolute joy on the eyes. Nominated for Best Animated Film at this year's Academy Awards, Ernest & Celestine, like its fellow Oscar nominee The Wind Rises, is beautiful, memorable viewing, and is superior to the film that won, Frozen. First-rate family entertainment. Note : The english-dubbed version provides the voices of Forest Whitaker, Mackenzie Foy, Lauren Bacall, Paul Giamatti and William H Macy. RATING - ****.
Venus In Fur ■ (MA). 96 minutes. Now available on DVD. The new film from Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski (Repulsion, Rosemary's Baby, Chinatown, The Pianist) may have quietly made its way to DVD and Blu-Ray, but it is most certainly one of the best films of the year. Polanski, whose last film was the engaging comedy Carnage (2011), again adapts a successful stage play, and the results here are even more impressive. A stylish, graceful steadicam shot leads the audience through a French street on a stormy night and into a rundown theatre, where auditions have been taking place.
On stage is Thomas (Mathieu Amalric), writer and first-time director who is on his mobile phone complaining about the actresses that he's had to interview. The play is an adaptation of an old, S & M-themed novel entitled Venus In Fur. Arriving very late is Vanda (Emmanuelle Seigner), surprising and then irritating Thomas as he just wants to go home to his rich fiance. Wet from the rain but still confident and forthright, Vanda says she is perfect for the role, although Thomas' reaction is the complete opposite. Reluctantly agreeing to let Vanda read for the role, this will become a revealing, transformative night for Thomas. Polanski's screenplay, in collaboration with David Ives (based on his play) is a deliciously wordy affair, with torrents of sharp, intelligent dialogue filling our ears and stimulating the senses. It's a fascinating look at gender manipulation and transformation (this would make a great companion piece with Polanski's under-rated Bitter Moon), and how the male has created the perfect fantasy image of the female through social culture, including literary and artistic channels, and how he reacts when that image is challenged. As Vanda increasingly dominates the surrounding environment (stage props are brilliantly and hilariously utilised) and putting herself on equal terms with her 'boss', Thomas reacts in a variety of ways, displaying male pig-ignorance and sexist oppression, while also demonstrating moments of emotional and artistic intimacy. Under the assured, classical guidance of Polanski, both Seigner (Bitter Moon / Essential Killing) and Amalric (The Diving Bell And The Butterfly / Grand Budapest Hotel) deliver exceptional performances, bringing their characters to vivid, uninhibited life, while allowing all the ideas, themes, and symbols that swirl within them to develop perfectly. Despite its one-set, two-character set-up, Polanski never makes Venus In Fur feel like a filmed play (unlike distractingly clumsy films-based-onplays/musicals such as August : Osage County and Chicago). Through glorious cinematography that seems to effortlessly glide, gorgeously handled lighting and set design, split-second editing, and a joyous music score, this master filmmaker shows he has not lost his touch, making Venus In Fur a serious filmgoer's delight and one that can be deservedly added to a body of work that stands as one of the best in cinema history. RATING - ****½. - Aaron Rourke DVDs and Blu-Rays kindly supplied by Video Vision, 177-179 Carlisle Street, Balaclava. For information or bookings on these titles please call 9531 2544.
Top 10 Lists THE AUSTRALIAN BOX OFFICE TOP TEN: 1. FURY. 2. GONE GIRL. 3. JOHN WICK. 4. THE BEST OF ME. 5. THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU. 6. PRIDE. 7. TAMMY. 8. WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES. 9. ANNABELLE. 10. DRACULA UNTOLD. NEW RELEASES AND COMING SOON TO CINEMAS AROUND AUSTRALIA: NOVEMBER 6: FINDING VIVIAN MAIER, INTERSTELLAR, LOVE ROSIE, MY MISTRESS, RISE, TWO DAYS ONE NIGHT. NOVEMBER 13: LET'S BE COPS, MY OLD LADY, THE DROP, WINTER SLEEP, DAVID BOWIE IS. THE DVD TOP RENTAL & SELLERS: 1. THE FAULT IN OUR STARS [Romance/Drama/Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort]. 2. X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST [Sci-Fi/Drama/Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Lawrence]. 3. CALVARY [Drama/Brendan Gleeson, Kelly Reilly, Chris O'Dowd]. 4. EDGE OF TOMORROW [Sci-Fi/ Action/Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton]. 5. CALVARY [Drama/Brendan Gleeson, Kelly Reilly, Chris O'Dowd]. 6. MALEFICENT [Fantasy/Adventure/Angelina Jolie, Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning]. 7. THE MULE [Crime/Drama/Hugo Weaving, Angus Sampson, Noni Hazlehurst]. 8. GODZILLA [Aaron TaylorJohnson, Bryan Cranston, Ken Watanabe]. 9. VENUS IN FUR [Drama/ Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner]. 10. BLENDED [Romance/Comedy/ drew Barrymore, Adam Sandler]. Also: TWO FACES OF JANUARY, UNDER THE SKIN, THE ROVER, GRACE OF MONACO, THE TRIP TO ITALY, BAD NEIGHBORS, CAPTAIN AMERICA: The Winter Soldier, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, MONUMENT'S MEN, THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2: Rise of Electro. NEW RELEASE HIGHLIGHTS ON DVD THIS WEEK: LOCKE [Drama/Tom Hardy]. THE EXPENDABLES 3 [Action/ Sylvester Stallone, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford]. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 [Animated/Adventure/Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler]. TINKER BELL AND THE PIRATE FAIRY [Animated/Adventure/ Pamela Adlon]. THE GERMAN DOCTOR [Drama/ Alex Brendemuhl, Natalia Oreiro]. NEW & RE-RELEASE CLASSICS ON DVD HIGHLIGHTS: THE CLIFF RICHARD MO VIE COLLECTION: Summer Holiday, The Young Ones, Wonderful Life. NEW RELEASE TELEVISION, DOCUMENTARY AND MUSIC DVD HIGHLIGHTS: THE SIXTIES. ADVENTURE TIME: The Complete 4th Season. Turn To Page 55