Page 48 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, May 7, 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
Top 10 Lists
● A scene from the entertaining From Up On Poppy Hill. some of the greatest celluloid works ever made. Fans are still waiting to see this film released on Blu-Ray, where its ■ (PG). 107 minutes. Available now use of colour and location will look on DVD. stunning. A wonderful ode to the intoxicatRATING - ***½ ing power of nature and the kind of creative love it can inspire, Age Of Consent is a warm and absorbing experience that washes over you, made ■ (MA). 129 minutes.Available now by one of the true masters of cinema. on DVD. Based on the autobiographical Effective, mostly realistic look at novel by famed artist Norman Lind- the French CPU (Child Protection say, the story centres on successful Unit), and how its officers deal with painter Bradley Morahan (James so many soul-destroying cases. Mason), who has become jaded by Following the unit is photographer the now business-orientated art world Melissa (played by co-writer/director around him, and has lost his love for Maiwenn) who, as her assignment painting. continues, becomes more involved To try and rekindle that love for with the group than she should. 'light, colour, and life', Morahan reWell-acted by all, there are scenes turns to his home town in Queensland, that feel distressingly real, and the and isolates himself in a run-down way the officers try and cope with the shack on an island located along the grim subject matter each day is exGreat Barrier Reef. pertly handled, never veering into It is here he meets the young, free- over-the-top melodrama. spirited Cora (Helen Mirren in her A conventional romantic subplot feature film debut), who lights a cre- involving Melissa unfortunately never ative spark within the artist, but doesn't rings true and feels unnecessary, inrealise the feelings of hope and self- stead of us more appropriately seeing worth he instills in her. this dark world through her camera Legendary director Michael Powell lens. (The Edge Of The World / The Thief A more natural, hand-held camera Of Bagdad / The Life And Of Colonel style is thankfully employed, instead Blimp / A Matter Of Life And Death / of the intrusive, heavy-handed shakyBlack Narcissus / The Red Shoes / cam that plagues so many movies of Peeping Tom) isn't interested as much this type today. A very worthy comin making a bio-pic about an artist as panion piece to Children Of The Dark he is in allowing us to understand the (2008) and Silenced (2011). artistic process itself, and this is what RATING - **** makes this such a fascinating film. Powell beautifully uses the colours and sounds of nature, as well as the vibrant, uncorrupted persona of Cora to show how an artist can be illuminated and enlightened by the world ■ (PG). 91 minutes. Available now around him, and how he can then put on DVD and Blu-Ray. that world on canvas. With Hayao Miyazaki retiring from He also shows what a small win- big-screen animation, it is interesting dow of opportunity true artistic inspi- to see what his son Goro has to offer, ration can be. as he has very big shoes to fill. Mason (Odd Man Out / North By His most recent creation is a Northwest / Lolita / Cross Of Iron / charming film filled with lovely charThe Verdict) gives one of his most re- acters, genuine emotion, and of course laxed performances, and brings the gorgeous animation. perfect spirit to the role of Morahan. A high school student whose life is Mirren (The Queen / Excalibur / kept busy by helping her grandmother, The Cook, The Thief, The Wife, And who has turned their family home into Her Lover) is terrific as Cora, and en- a sharehouse, starts to get a taste of capsulates her naive but genuine love the world outside when she meets a for life in a convincingly natural man- male student who runs the school paner. per. Jack MacGowran is just too abraSet during 1964 when industry and sive as Morahan's unwanted friend culture was changing significantly, we Nat Kelly, and Michael Boddy is see how many of the students were cartoonish as the dim-witted local cop. developing a more open-minded view The Great Barrier Reef is breath- of the world around them. takingly shot, and it is amazing to see Characters are nicely written, and how much Australia has changed in the meticulous, hand-drawn anima43 years. tion and sound design are again a joy Lovingly restored to its original to behold, making this stand above the version (paintings that were supposed typically loud, computer-animated to appear during the opening credits films that flood cinemas now. are back, as is Peter Sculthorpe's exRATING - **** cellent music score), Age Of Consent - Aaron Rourke is an under-rated (and perhaps mis- DVDs and Blu-Rays kindly supplied understood) film made by someone by Video Vision, 177-179 Carlisle who can be definitely described as a Street, Balaclava. For information cinematic artist, whose own love for or bookings on these titles please light, colour, and life has given us call 9531 2544.
Age Of Consent
● Oscar winner Colin Firth gives a compelling and respectful performance based on the true story of a tortured victim who goes back to confront his past in the WWII drama The Railway Man. FILM: THE RAILWAY MAN: Genre: War/Biographical/Drama. Cast: Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman, Stellen Skarsgard. Year: 2013. Rating: M. Running Time: 116 Minutes. Format: DVD and BLU-RAY. Stars: *** Verdict: The true story of one of the many thousands of Allied prisoners and victim that endured the horrors of World War II's infamous ThaiBurma railway, who decades later returns to the site to confront a surviving Japanese Officer responsible for his torture. Based on the autobiography by Eric Lomax, Colin Firth gives a superbly intense and restrained performance as Eric Lomax, who suffered in silence for decades as a result of his experiences in WWII. Nicole Kidman gives an equally standout performance as the understanding and compassionate wife who compels and supports her husband into confronting his past. Sadly, the film lacks some emotional impact, giving the feeling of a TV movie, but the story and performances make it respectful and compelling journey just the same. FILM: HOMEFRONT: Genre: Action/Crime/Thriller. Cast: Jason Statham, James Franco, Winona Ryder. Year: 2013. Rating: MA15+. Running Time: 100 Minutes. Format: DVD and BLU-RAY. Stars: **½ Verdict: Another Jason Statham action romp not too far removed from numerous others he has done, but not a bad little romp at that. Written and co-produced by his Expendables partner Sylvester Stallone, this time has Jason as a former law enforcement DEA agent who moves with his daughter to a quiet town where he soon tangles with a local drug-lord. There's plenty of the text book thrills, bad guys, action, punch ups and pyrotechnics, but this is more solid and evenly paced than previous efforts. Fans of Jason Statham and the action genre won't be disappointed. FILM: 12 ANGRY MEN: Genre: Drama/Mystery. Cast: Henry Fonda, Jack Warden, Lee J. Cobb, Martin Balsam, Jack Klugman. Year: 1957. Rating: PG. Running Time: 96 Minutes. Format: DVD and BLU-RAY. Stars: ***** Verdict: Great cast all shine as a dissenting juror in a murder trial slowly manages to convince the others that the case is not as obviously clear as it seemed in court, Sidney Lumet's first feature film is still to this day one of the great courtroom dramas ever brought to the screen, and would also garner him his first of many Oscar nominations, a superbly written, directed, totally compelling and thought-provoking character study of a group of ordinary people thrown into an extraordinary situation. FILM: JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG: Genre: Drama/Crime/War. Cast: Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Maximilian Schell, Judy Garland, Montgomery Clift, William Shatner. Year: 1961. Rating: PG. Running Time: 186 Minutes. Format: DVD and BLU-RAY. Stars: ***** Verdict: Spencer Tracy heads an all-star-cast in Stanley Kramer's epic, gripping and harrowing drama set in 1948 of the American court in occupied Germany and the cases against Nazi judges for war crimes. This is a compelling and edge-of-your-seat experience in which it is almost impossible to single out any one standout performance. Troubled
Polisse
From Up On Poppy Hill
THE AUSTRALIAN BOX OFFICE TOP TEN: 1. THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2: RISE OF ELECTRO. 2. THE OTHER WOMAN. 3. THE LEGO MOVIE. 4. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER. 5. THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL. 6. DIVERGENT. 7. MR. PEABODY AND SHERMAN. 8. MUPPETS MOST WANTED. 9. NOAH. 10. 2 STATES. NEW RELEASES AND COMING SOON TO CINEMAS AROUND AUSTRALIA: APRIL 24: THE CROSSING, TRANSCENDENCE. MAY 1: 12-12-12, 52 TUESDAYS, BEYOND THE EDGE, FADING GIGOLO, HEAVEN IS FOR REAL, SNEEZING BABY PANDA, YOUNG & BEAUTIFUL. THE DVD TOP RENTAL & SELLERS: 1. AMERICAN HUSTLE [Drama/ Comedy/Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams]. 2. THE HOBBIT: The Desolation of Smaug [Fantasy/Adventure/ Martin Freeman]. 3. THE RAILWAY MAN [Drama/ Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman]. 4. THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE [Action/Jennifer Lawrence, Donald Sutherland]. 5. HOMEFRONT [Action/Jason Statham, Clancy Brown, James Franco]. 6. ANCHORMAN 2: The Legend Continues [Comedy/Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd]. 7. DOM HEMINGWAY [Comedy/ Jude Law, Richard E. Grant]. 8. THOR: THE DARK WORLD [Action/Fantasy/Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman]. 9. GRAVITY [Drama/Sandra Bullock, George Clooney]. 10. CAPTAIN PHILLIPS [Drama/ Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi]. Also: BLUE JASMINE, JACKASS PRESENTS: BAD GRANDPA, PLANES, ENOUGH SAID, CARRIE, ONE CHANCE, TURBO, CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2, ENDER'S GAME, 20 FEET FROM STARDOM. NEW RELEASE HIGHLIGHTS ON DVD THIS WEEK: PHILOMENA [Drama/Judi Dench, Steve Coogan]. FROZEN [Animated/Adventure/ Comedy/Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad]. NEW & RE-RELEASE CLASSICS ON DVD HIGHLIGHTS: JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG [1961/Drama/Maximilian Schell, Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster]. INHERIT THE WIND [1960/Drama/ Spencer Tracy, Fredric March, Gene Kelly]. THE FURY [1978/Horror/Amy Irving, Kirk Douglas, John Cassavetes]. THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES [1971/Horror/Vincent Price, Hugh Griffith]. DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN [1972/ Horror/Vincent Price, Peter Cushing]. 12 ANGRY MEN [1957/Henry Fonda, Martin Balsam, Lee J. Cobb, Jack Warden]. Turn To Page 55