Page 62 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, November 26, 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
Mike Nichols November 6, 1931 - November 19, 2014
● Scarlett Johansson as Lucy, see review below. FILM: LUCY: Genre: Action/Sci-Fi. Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Min-sik Choi. Year: 2014. Rating: MA15+. Length: 90 Minutes. Format: DVD and BLU-RAY. Stars: *** Verdict: Scarlett Johansson is a woman who gets caught up in a dark deal when she is captured and ends up carrying a bag of a new and powerful synthetic drug inside her stomach, and when the bag leaks, she is given extraordinary powers that unlocks her mind's full potential of 100%. Lucy then turns into a merciless warrior intent on getting back at her captors with invaluable help from Professor Norman (Morgan Freeman), but her own clock is ticking. There's lots of fun to be had in this stylish full throttle sci-fi action-thriller romp from writer/director Luc Besson (Nikita, Leon: The Professional, Taken), but don't look for any logic. Reminiscent of the 2011 thriller "Limitless" starring Bradley Cooper, Lucy is a dazzling, brisk, ridiculous but ultimately enjoyable superwoman chick flick that, like me, will only require about 3-5 percent of your brain capacity to get a kick out of, and that's enough. Good fun! FILM: DEVIL'S KNOT: Genre: Biography/Crime/Drama. Cast: Colin Firth, Reese Witherspoon, Bruce Greenwood. Year: 2013. Rating: M . Length: 114 Minutes Format: DVD and BLU-RAY. Stars: **½ Verdict: Surprisingly feeble and stilted film based on the true story of the savage murders of three young children that sparks a controversial trial of three teenagers accused of killing the children. Weak script, poor direction (Atom Egoyan) and wooden performances from Oscar winners Colin Firth and Reese Witherspoon dispel all dramatic potency in an otherwise compelling story. This extraordinary story is told is shattering and gripping effect in the outstanding award winning 'Paradise Lost' documentary trilogy, which concluded with the powerful 'West of Memphis' documentary in 2005. FILM: SARAH'S KEY: Cast: Kristin Scott Thomas, Melusine Mayance, Aidan Quinn. Genre: Drama. Year: 2010. Rating: M. Running Time: 111 Minutes. Format: DVD and BLU-RAY. Stars: **** Verdict: Powerful drama beginning in Nazi occupied Paris, in July of 1942, when a ten-year old Sarah is taken with her parents by the French police arresting Jewish families, and in a desperate bid to protect her younger brother she locks him in their secret hiding place and promises to come back for him as soon as they are released. Seven decades later, Sarah's story intertwines with that of an American journalist investigating the roundup, and in her research she stumbles onto a trail of secrets that link her to Sarah and to questions about her own future. The central characters are compelling and unforgettable, most notably Kristin Scott Thomas as the American journalist. This is a captivating odyssey that will linger long after it's over. FILM: JUGGERNAUT: Cast: Richard Harris, Omar Sharif, Clifton James, Anthony Hopkins, David Hemmings. Genre: Action/Thriller. Year: 1974. Rating: PG. Running Time: 109 Minutes. Format: DVD and BLU-RAY. Stars: ***½ Verdict: An exciting suspense filled thriller of a blackmailer who is threatening to blow up a luxury transatlantic cruise ship in the rough seas with 1200 passengers on board and the anti-bomb squad sent to disarm the seven bombs on board, outstanding cast, filled with continuous high tension, a real nail-biter, no Hollywood sets here, it's a real ship in the rough seas of the North Atlantic, based on the extraordinary true story of the QE2 and how she was held to ransom with bomb threats in 1972 and the anti-bomb team that parachuted into the icy waters to board her and find them, lots of thrills and chills!
■ Legendary Hollywood director Mike Nichols, who helmed such iconic films as Who's Afraid Of Virginia Wolf? and The Graduate, sadly passed away on Wednesday, November 19, aged 83. Born on November 6, 1931 in Berlin, Germany (under the name Michael Igor Peschkowsky), but fleeing the Nazi-occupied country with his family in 1939, Mr Nichols would go on to become one of the new-wave film-makers in the US, breaking new ground with his highly confronting feature film debut, Who's Afraid Of Virginia Wolf? (1966). Starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, written by Ernest Lehman, and photographed by the great Haskell Wexler in an invigorating docu-drama fashion, this intense film is must-see viewing. Mr Nichols followed this with The Graduate (1967), one of the most famous pictures of all-time, putting a young Dustin Hoffman on the Hollywood map, and won Nichols the Oscar for Best Director. Like Sidney Lumet, Mr Nichols' early run of first-rate features continued. The surreal, ultra-slick Catch 22 (1970) is a wild ride, full of incredible sequences and populated by an outstanding cast, including Alan Arkin and Anthony Perkins. Carnal Knowledge (1971), starring Jack Nicholson and a scene-stealing Ann-Margret came next, a downbeat look at modern relationships, once more showing Mr Nichols' love for sharp writing. After that incredible start to his career, Mr Nichols began working in different genres, moving from comedy to drama to thriller. These included The Day Of The Dolphin (1973); the knockabout comedy The Fortune (1975), with Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty; the documentary Gilda Live (1980); the true-life drama Silkwood (1983), starring Meryl Streep and Kurt Russell; Heartburn (1986), again with Nicholson and Streep; Neil Simon's Biloxi Blues (1988), which features a terrific Christopher Walken perfor
Top 10 Lists THE AUSTRALIAN BOX OFFICE TOP TEN: 1. INTERSTELLAR. 2. LET'S BE COPS. 3. GONE GIRL. 4. FURY. 5. MY OLD LADY. 6. LOVE, ROSIE. 7. PRIDE. 8. JOHN WICK. 9. THE BEST OF ME. 10. CHAAR SAHIBZAADE. NEW RELEASES AND COMING SOON TO CINEMAS AROUND AUSTRALIA: NOVEMBER 20: MAPS TO THE STARS, ROCK THE CASBAH, THE DARK HORSE, THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 1. NOVEMBER 27: FAT PIZZA VS. HOUSOS, JIMMY'S HALL, MEN WOMEN AND CHILDREN, NIGHTCRAWLER, PARTICLE FEVER, SERENA, THE ONE I LOVE.
● Mike Nichols mance; the very entertaining Working Girl (1988), starring Melanie Griffith and Harrison Ford; Postcards From The Edge (1990), based on Carrie Fisher's autobiographical novel, and headed once more by Streep; Regarding Henry (1991) with Harrison Ford; Wolf (1994), again reteaming with Nicholson; the smash hit The Birdcage (1996) with the late Robin Williams; the Bill Clinton-inspired comedy Primary Colours (1998), starring John Travolta; the endearingly amusing What Planet Are You From? (2000); the TV movie Wit (2001); the big-budget TV mini-series Angels In America (2003); and the profane drama Closer (2004), which harks back to his earler work such as Carnal Knowledge. Mr Nichols' final film was the political comedy Charlie Wilson's War (2007), written by Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) and starring Tom Hanks and a brilliantly in-form Philip Seymour Hoffman. Mr Nichols has won an Oscar, a Tony, an Emmy, and a Grammy (one of only 12 people to do so), and his wonderful ability to bring characters to the screen in such a realistic and memorable way will be sorely missed.
Japanese Film Festival ■ Begins on Thursday November 27 (the opening film being Lady Meiko, the geisha-themed remake of the Audrey Hepburn classic My Fair Lady) and concludes on Sunday December 7 (with the baseball drama The Vancouver Asahi). The immense popularity of the festival sees over fifty films screening this year, with a vibrant mix of comedy, drama, thriller, and anime. Includes new films from world-renowned film-makers such as Yoji Yamada (The Little House), Koki Mitani (The Kiyosu Conference), Sion Sono (Tokyo Tribe), and Yoshihiro Nakamura (Snow White Murder Case). There are also some highly anticipated sequels, notably Thermae Romae 2 (the original was hilarious), and Rurouni Kenshin 2 and 3, successfully following on from the excellent first film. For more information, please call ACMI on 8663 2583 or check online at www.acmi.net.au, Hoyts Melbourne Central on 1300 357 357, or at www.japanesefilmfestival.net Ratings of the films I've seen : The Eternal Zero (****); The Kiyosu Conference (***½); The Little House (****); Judge! (***½); Short Peace (****); Kiki's Delivery Service (***); A Tale Of Samurai Cooking - A True Love Story (***); Thermae Romae (****); Rurouni Kenshin (****). - Aaron Rourke DVD's and Blu-Rays kindly supplied by Video Vision, 177-179 Carlisle Street, Balaclava. Most of Mike Nichols' films and TV work are available on DVD. For information or bookings on these titles please call 9531 2544.
THE DVD TOP RENTAL & SELLERS: 1. DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES [Action/Sci-Fi/Drama/Andy Serkis, Gary Oldman]. 2. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 [Animated/Adventure/ Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler]. 3. THE FAULT IN OUR STARS [Romance/Drama/Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort]. 4. X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST [Sci-Fi/Drama/Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Lawrence]. 5. EDGE OF TOMORROW [Sci-Fi/ Action/Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton]. 6. MALEFICENT [Fantasy/Adventure/Angelina Jolie, Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning]. 7. TINKER BELL AND THE PIRATE FAIRY [Animated/Adventure/ Pamela Adlon]. 8. MRS. BROWNS BOYS D'MOVIE [Comedy/Brendan O'Carroll, Jennifer Gibney]. 9. GODZILLA [Sci-Fi/Action/ Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston, Ken Watanabe]. 10. THE TRIP TO ITALY [Comedy/ Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon]. Also: THE BABADOOK, CHARLIE'S COUNTRY, 22 JUMP STREET, LOCKE, VENUS IN FUR, THE MULE, CALVARY, BLENDED, TWO FACES OF JANUARY, THE ROVER. NEW RELEASE HIGHLIGHTS ON DVD THIS WEEK: SNOWPIERCER [Sci-Fi/Action/ Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, John Hurt]. TRANSFORMERS: Age of Extinction [Sci-Fi/action/Mark wahlberg, Nicola Peltz]. STILL LIFE [Drama/Eddie Marsan, Joanne frogatt]. KITE [Action/Samuel L. Jackson, India Eisley]. SEX TAPE [Comedy/Cameron Diaz, Rob Lowe, Ellie Kemper]. DELIVER US FROM EVIL [Horror/ Thriller/Eric Bana, Olivia Munn]. THE FRENCH MINISTER [Comedy/ Niels Arestrup, Raphal Personnaz]. NEW & RE-RELEASE CLASSICS ON DVD HIGHLIGHTS: None Listed For This Week. NEW RELEASE TELEVISION, DOCUMENTARY AND MUSIC DVD HIGHLIGHTS: FLEMING: The Man Who Would Be Bond. Turn To Page 71