Movie reviews: SHARKWATER
(Canada, 2006) Documentary about shark poaching featuring Rob Stewart, Paul Watson and others. “Having established the shark’s true identity as a hero, Stewart takes us on board the Sea Shepherd with the bullish Paul Watson, who is really serious about his mission to scare off illegal fishermen wherever he finds them. And he finds them around Galapagos, and around Costa Rica, two of the world’s richest gathering grounds (or should that be seas?) for sharks. The film turns into a thriller as the baddies refuse to budge, until the Sea Shepherd gives a growl …” says Andrew.
REVIEWS
ROB STEWART - Documenting the plight of sharks at the hands of organised criminals hunting them for their fins has turned photographer Rob Stewart into a filmmaker – and revolutionary, he tells Andrew L. Urban.
INTERVIEW
Movie reviews: 21
(US, 2008) Stars Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne, Kevin Spacey. “21 is a fast-paced tale that makes winning look not only easy, but a lot of fun. Egos are shaken, friendships tested and a couple of double crosses never let us forget to use everything within reach to maximise that winning hand,” says Louise. “The screenplay, adapted from the book by one of the students who took part in the original adventure, a little studied and sometimes not explicit enough about the system, is nonetheless well handled by Luketic as the team goes through its carefully planned raid on the casinos,” says Andrew.
REVIEWS
JIM STURGESS - Keeping a couple of smuggled Cuban cigars going was difficult for both the real man and the actor who portrays him on screen, 21 star Jim Sturgess. But that helped to develop their bond as Robert Newton discovers. INTERVIEWS
Cannes 2008 – Preview: STILL STAR SPANGLED
The Festival de Cannes’ love affair with Clint Eastwood (and the stars of his films who come to add glamour to the festival) continues this year with the 1920 thriller, Changeling, which will be the fifth of his films to screen in Competition; it stars Angelina Jolie. And Cate Blanchett is red carpeting for Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones sequel.
FEATURE
Win one of 15 DVDs of Ang Lee's Lust, Caution, starring Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Wei Tang, Joan Chen, courtesy Universal. Lust Caution is available on DVD from May 14.
LUST, CAUTION
Win one of 30 double inseason passes to The Orphanage, starring Belen Rueda, Fernando Cayo, courtesy Roadshow. In cinemas May 29.
THE ORPHANAGE
Movie review: RATS AND CATS
(Aust, 2007) Stars Jason Gann, Adam Zwar, Anya Beyersdorf, Paul Denny. “Notable for his short film, Wilfred, which became a popular series for SBS TV, director Tony Rogers’ assured handling and the cast’s boots’n’all delivery make this unheralded black comedy a pleasant surprise. The dialogue is artfully natural and does much to fashion the characters, while the story flashes through the plot points with ease, understating its dark take on fame and its attendant downsides,” says Andrew.
REVIEW
Movie reviews: UN SECRET
(France, 2007) Stars Cecile De France, Patrick Bruel, Lidivine Sagnier, Julie Depardieu, Mathieu Amalric. “I was not prepared for the climactic emotional devastation, but as all the pieces fall into place, the film crystallises as perfectly as Tania’s flawless backward high dive piercing through the clear water with beauty and precision.” says Louise. “Spanning 30 years or more, the story is told in fitful jumps of time to maximise its emotional impact. It’s a valid device, since any linear telling would make it seem more banal than it is. The key to the film’s success, though, is its ability to maintain our interest for long enough to make the revelations of the secret pay off in cinematic terms,” says Andrew.
REVIEWS
Movie reviews: THEN SHE FOUND ME
(US, 2008) Stars Helen Hunt, Colin Firth, Bette Midler, Matthew Broderick. “Words get in the way of true emotions in this comedy drama that marks Helen Hunt’s directing debut. We like each of the characters, but the situations in which they find themselves are stage-managed. Based on a novel by Elinor Lipman, it’s an ensemble piece that addresses serious emotional issues, yet goes for the comedic, and plays out in somewhat stilted fashion. It’s a pity, because the film is filled with good intentions,” says Louise. “I don’t much care for the story, the way it unfolds on screen, nor most of the characters. There are some engaging moments, a few small laughs, and a general sense of endeavour about the complex nature of adopted children and such, but none of it really grabs us, shakes us or touches us deeply,” says Andrew.
REVIEWS
Movie review: SHUTTER
(US, 2008) Stars Joshua Jackson, Rachael Taylor, Megumi Okina. “Made in the mould of Japanese horror films (exec producer handled The Grudge and The Ring) by Japanese director Masayuki Ochiai – but written by wide-eye Luke Dawson – Shutter sticks slavishly to its genre roots. Including the spiritual ghost with long black hair and a grudge…. This tends to make it all rather predictable, and often irritatingly derivative,” says Andrew.
REVIEWS
Dungog Film Festival: PREMIERES & PARTIES
With over 80 films – ranging from world premieres of features to the newest shorts and docos – the Dungog Film Festival (May 29 – June 1) has grown in just one year to be possibly the world’s largest single showcase event for Australian production, says Fest director Allanah Zitserman. And a chance for some cool partying ...with help from the likes of soul singer Lisa Hunt. Andrew L. Urban reports.
FEATURE
FIRST LOOK: THE SQUARE
A man’s life begins to unravel when his mistress brings him a bag of cash … that’s the tagline for Nash Edgerton’s debut feature, The Square. It has been selected for the Sydney Film Festival next month, and Fest director Clare Stewart spells out her reasons in this First Look at The Square, which opens July 31 nationally.
NEWSTRAILER
New Academy: ASIA PACIFC SCREEN ACADEMY FORMED
The Asia Pacific Screen Awards is to have its own Academy with Jack Thompson AM as its Patron, to encourage “dialogue, collaboration and business opportunities for the region’s filmmakers, said APSA Chairman Des Power.
NEWS
Latest: NEWS: David Caesar’s new feature, Prime Mover, is the first to benefit from a cashflow funding facility established by James M. Vernon’s Media Funds Management; it starts shooting this week. Australian cinematographers and fellow filmmakers are pressing their tuxes in preparation for the ACS50 Future of the Image Conference and gala dinner May 28 - 31; Mandy Walker, ACS, (pic) will receive the KODAK Vision Award for cinematography when Women In Film celebrate the Crystal+Lucy Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on June 17; The Bold, The Brave And The Best, a showcase of critically acclaimed Australian animated shorts is presented in a 2-disc DVD set (rrp $29.95), curated by Academy Award nominated animator, Anthony Lucas; Aussie showcase at Cannes: The Cinema Des Antipodes program continues at Cannes this year with a program of features and shorts from Australia (7 & 10) and New Zealand (1 & 1); Urban Cinefile fights off Trojan database attack emanating from China;
BOX OFFICE: Weekend, May 8 - 11: Iron Man slipped 45% in its second weekend, helping the top 20 dip 18% to $8.9 million. The Counterfeiters scored the highest screen average on 17 screens, with $9,502. Also opened: Captivity (MA, Roadshow) $14,335 on 41.
BOX OFFICE:
Foreign Oscar winner The Counterfeiters opened with strong screen averages for the week: $12,877 on 17, ahead of Iron Man at the top of the heap with a second week gross of $4.3 million (down 47%) and averages of $11,763 on 365. The top 20 dipped 19% to $11.77 million. Longest running film in the top 20 is Aussie drama The Black Balloon, now at $2.12 million. Also opened: Captivity (MA, Roadshow) $35,992 on 41.
Brag book entry: PRAISE FOR LOUISE
“I am tremendously impressed with your [Louise] film review of The Edge of Heaven . . . I searched through so many reviews after seeing the film without seeing even one with the depth, perception, the intelligence of yours. You offered insights which I had not yet come upon,” writes Ted Birnberg from Israel. We can’t resist sharing his lovely letter with you.
NEWS
What is releasing when? UPCOMING RELEASES
Coming later in May, Martin Scorsese’s Shine a Light. ‘My feet, hands and body didn’t stop moving during the entire film – Shine a Light is a riveting, unforgettable and uplifting experience that comes close to speeding along the runway before take-off,’ says Louise.
Persepolis (animation), Leatherheads (George Clooney), Sex and the City (Sarah Jessica Parker)
At a glance: TOP 20
Short and sweet (or not) opinions on the most popular current releases. An easy reference for choosing which movie to see tonight … or tomorrow … or right now! (Occasionally we also slip in a few of the editors’ favourites if they don’t make the top 20...) TOP 20
DVD OF THE WEEK LUST, CAUTION
(US/China/Hong Kong, 2007) Stars Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Wei Tang, Joan Chen. “Like the many facets of a diamond, the human heart can find its lustre in dark places. Ang Lee’s tortuous film about love and betrayal takes passion through highs and lows as it leads us through its tense and riveting journey. The passion of patriotism swirls into a web of deceit where sex and love are sucked into a vortex from which there is no respite,” says Louise.
DVD REVIEW
THE LAST LEGION – stars Colin Firth, Ben Kingsley, Aishwarya Rai. “As the Roman Empire crumbles … undemanding escapist entertainment with wonderful production design and a cast,” says Andrew.
AMERICAN GANGSTER (pic) – stars Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe. “a crime epic set in 1970s America, made the more riveting for being based on facts,” says Andrew.
I SERVED THE KING OF ENGLAND – stars Ivan Barnev, Oldrich Kaiser, Julia Jentsch. “An ambitious, multi-layered adaptation from a novel rich in characters, settings and spread over many years, before and after the war,” says Andrew.
HUNTING AND GATHERING (pic) – stars Audrey Tautou, Guillaume Canet, Laurent Stocker. “a charming and uplifting film with engaging performances and a music score ripe for humming, even though it is not director Claude Berri’s most complete work,” says Louise.
IRINA PALM – stars Marianne Faithfull, Miki Manojlovic. “the trick isn’t so much in what Maggies agrees to do for her grandson’s medical needs, it’s in how well she is portrayed, and how she adapts to the situation,” says Andrew.
THE LAST SEDUCTION (pic) – stars Linda Florentino, Peter Berg, Bill Pullman. “Not since Kathleen Turner set her sights on William Hurt in Body Heat, has seduction and manipulation been showcased better than in this raunchy page turner,” says Louise.
OUTSOURCED - stars Asif Basra, Ayesha Dharker, Josh Hamilton. “A charming film about preconceptions, culture clash and love, Outsourced gives us a fresh perspective on overseas call centres,” says Louise.
BLINDSIGHT - Documentary. six blind teenagers from Tibet set out to climb the 23,000-foot Lhakpa Ri on the north side of Mount Everest … it is a frank, clear sighted and immersing film about the challenge,” says Andrew.
EXIT - stars Mads Mikkelsen, Alexander Skarsgård. “Technically top notch, Exit shows off Swedish genre filmmaking, and the intriguing ending adds a layer of suspense that extends the film’s impact,” says Andrew.
Winners: MOTHER'S DAY MOVIES
To win one of 15 Mother’s Day DVD prize packs, comprising 9 movie favourites including You've Got Mail: Deluxe Edition, A Star Is Born, Adam's Rib, The Shoes of the Fisherman, Woman of the Year, Captains Courageous, Anna Karenina, Ninotchka and Wait Until Dark, courtesy Warner Home Video, we asked ‘Which of the 9 movies is most appropriate for your mum and why?’
Sally Chandler (NSW) says ‘The Shoes of the Fisherman’ since she’s put up with not only the shoes but the shirts, trousers and socks of my fisherman father for 50 years… no wonder she has chronic nasal problems!
WINNERS
Winners: SMOTHER
To win one of 25 double inseason passes to Smother, starring Dax Shepard, Diane Keaton and Liv Tyler, courtesy Hoyts, we asked Who among family and friends would you least like as a houseguest for a while and why? Elizabeth von Demieux: My mother – she fills the cupboards and fridge with every delicious food item known to man. All fattening of course! I spend weeks after she leaves doing penance at the gym!
WINNERS
Winners: MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY
To win one of 30 double inseason passes to see Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, starring Frances McDormand and Amy Adams, courtesy Roadshow, we asked To which friend or family member would you like to be social secretary and why? Nicky Muddle: I already am the social secretary to my children. It’s a full time job keeping up with birthday parties, play dates, after school activities, camps and sports. Give me their life any day.
WINNERS
Every Australian film we have ever reviewed (film / video release), or have reported from the set, or featured in any way, is listed here, going back to films made even before the launch of Urban Cinefile, such as The Piano, Romper Stomper, Muriel’s Wedding, The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert and dozens more. Over 300 films. [Pic. Neil Armfield's Candy, starring Heath Ledger, Abbie Cornish, Geoffrey Rush. Released May 25, 2006] AUSTRALIAN FILMS
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