Map of the Sounds of Tokyo - Movie Poster

Map of the Sounds of Tokyo

3.0 Anne Murphy

A dramatic thriller that centres on a fish-market employee who doubles as a contract killer.

"Map of the Sounds of Tokyo" delivers edgy views of Tokyo, with interesting landscapes you are unlikely to view as a tourist. The movie title bears no relation to the scenes and story - it could be lost in translation. At its core this is a love story, or story of physical yearnings over romantic love. Whatever the level, there is a strong and credible connection between two unlikely characters, each a little lost in their own world. A stylish movie with lots of Tokyo, but no map and no sounds.


Is Anybody There? - Movie Poster

Is Anybody There?

3.0 Anne Murphy

Set in 1980s seaside England, this is the story of Edward, an unusual ten year old boy growing up in an old people's home run by his parents.

The movie is charming in a traditionally British way and disappoints for not being more than a quaint period piece, albeit a recent period. A tinkly slow soundtrack accompanies a tinkly slow story. The themes of aging and death don't offer the audience more than creeping rigor mortis as the story fails to engross. See it only for the fine performance of the lead actor and be warned that nobody else is there.


Hollywood je t'aime - Movie Poster

Hollywood je t'aime

3.0 Anne Murphy

A gay Parisian shows up in Hollywood at Christmas time, ready for his close-up.

A not so classic take on the Hollywood experience where every actor is a waiter and vice-versa. While the central Frenchman starts out as a "Dorothy" type of tourist transported to a strange land, he soon links up with a colourful band of supporters. Los Angeles is shown as unglamorous and seedy, yet in this movie the city is loved only for the diversity of the big-hearted characters encountered while trekking its yellow brick road. Je t'aime adventures in Hollywood, where prudes will need to stay home.


Free Men - Movie Poster

Free Men

3.0 Anne Murphy

In Paris during WWII, an Algerian immigrant is inspired to join the resistance by his unexpected friendship with a Jewish man.

There is a low key feel to the characters and scenes in "Free Men", and the storyline provides a new twist to a war plot and friendships during a time of turmoil. It has the credibility of being "based on strong evidence" which is the tag-line appended to the credits. This previously untold story is interesting viewing for historians, Francophiles and freedom fighters alike. Liberte, egalite, fraternite and the brotherhood of man.


We Have a Pope - Movie Poster

We Have a Pope

3.0 Anne Murphy

A story centered on the relationship between the newly elected Pope and his therapist.

The basis of the plot is intriguing and shows the potential human fragility of a man confronted with being elected into a daunting role. The story is potentially fascinating but a little underdeveloped. We don't get to know the characters sufficiently to empathise with any of them. Add to that the episodic character of some scenes which start unexpectedly and stop too suddenly to link coherently to the central thread of the story and the movie never quite realises it's potential. Do we have a Pope?


Happy Few - Movie Poster

Happy Few

3.0 Anne Murphy

Two couples fall in love, lose sight of each other in the confusion and end up pulling through.

"Happy Few" covers many relationships between two couples, each person with every other, and then with their children. All of the inter-relationships are handled respectfully, and the characters are strong and credible. It's a shame the emotional development is secondary to the depictions of the physical encounters, and surprisingly, this translates to the movie revealing less intimacy than one might have expected. Still, there's much happiness to be found in this French romp. Many will be happily seduced.


I Love You Phillip Morris - Movie Poster

I Love You Phillip Morris

2.5 Anne Murphy

Steven Russell is happily married to Debbie, a member of the local police force, when a car accident provokes a dramatic reassessment of his life.

"I Love You Phillip Morris" contains some squirmingly uncomfortable stereotyping of various characters, and a flawed portrayal of gay men played for laughs by straight men. It's as unfunny as it is shallow, particularly disappointing is that the central romance is underdeveloped. The story, with its furious pace, covers a lot of events, mostly prison escapes, and unfortunately that's at the expense of real insight or depth. You might love Phillip Morris but probably not Steven Russell.


Zero Focus - Movie Poster

Zero Focus

2.5 Anne Murphy

Spurred by the disappearance of a newly-wed husband, three women in post-war Japan are drawn into a murder mystery.

"Zero Focus" is a mystery thriller set in post-war Japan. The plot is complicated and bodies pile up as the murders out-number the suspects. The movie is moody and melodramatic, evoking the classical work of directors from a past era. Despite the cultural setting there is familiarity to the style and unusual camera angles. The lengthy drama is eventually brought to a lengthy conclusion, but no thread is left unexplained as final scene follows final scene, leaving focus diminished.


The Art of Love - Movie Poster

The Art of Love

2.5 Anne Murphy

Multiple vignettes show the sexual desires and frustrations of Parisian couples.

The romantic lives of four couples are shown in amusing episodes that over-lap and intertwine. Interesting romantic dilemmas are raised around fidelity, friendship, dating and monogamy but the pace is so swift there's no opportunity to consider your own reaction before the situation has moved on. The intent here is not to provoke reactions as much as it is to amuse, and it although it is tinged with the melancholy of longing for more than you have, it is very amusing. Love paints a pretty picture.


The Tree - Movie Poster

The Tree

2.5 Anne Murphy

Fate strikes taking the father of a family of four and leaving his daughter convinced that her dad still lives in the giant fig tree growing near their house.

There is a tension between holding on and letting go, mourning and living that's central to the plot. The idea behind the story is imaginative and unfortunately the movie lacks depth on the screen as does the dialogue that fails to hold interest. Even the characters at their best are blandly stereotypical. Thankfully the Australian countryside is magnificent, as is the titular tree. It just doesn't take root.


A Pain in the Ass - Movie Poster

A Pain in the Ass

2.5 Anne Murphy

An unlikely friendship develops between a hitman and a suicidal guy who have both checked into the same hotel for different reasons.

The latest episode in the life of Francois Pignon, for some, this film may be a laugh-out-loud slapstick comedy. However, if farcical screwball is not your bag, then this movie could be seriously unfunny. The situations are 'black' and the delivery is heavy-handed. Rather than the satirical wit we expect of Monsieur Pignon, laughs are sought from situations such as suicide, divorce, and incompetent medical specialists. Funny? More like a pain in the ass.


Away We Go - Movie Poster

Away We Go

2.5 Anne Murphy

A couple who is expecting their first child travel around the U.S. in order to find a perfect place to start their family.

This film is a road movie at heart, and disappointingly fails to connect with the audience's heart. A lot of miles are traversed by the central couple but this is a study of people met on the journey rather than the places travelled to. The characters encountered are shallow and vulgar stereotypes, and their depiction is coloured with contempt rather than wit or insight. The resultant product is slight; funny without being funny ha-ha.


Anonymous - Movie Poster

Anonymous

2.5 Anne Murphy

A political thriller advancing the theory that it was in fact Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford who penned Shakespeare's plays.

The identity of one of our greatest writers is scrutinised in "Anonymous", a tawdry tale of fiction staged as lusty historical drama. The audience is kept busy trying to work out who's who as the time-frame jumps into the past and back again, causing confusion when we try to match the older and younger actors of the same character. Sordid conspiracies abound, and it's all a bit fanciful, convoluted and overly long. As they say in the classics, "It's not Shakespeare".


Beauty - Movie Poster

Beauty

2.5 Anne Murphy

A man's unhappy existence comes unravelled after a chance encounter with an old friend's son.

Post-apartheid South Africa looks dated, painted in sepia tones, in this film about repression and infatuation. The central character is tormented with closeted rage. He is so emotionally taut there is an almost explosive undercurrent threading the increasingly uncomfortable scenes. Although noisy with background sounds there are long sequences without dialogue which serves to add to the dangerous mood. Ultimately the narrative is insufficient to provide coherence, which lets down interest as the pace stumbles. Mirror mirror on the wall not much beauty here at all.


Coco avant Chanel - Movie Poster

Coco avant Chanel

2.5 Anne Murphy

The story of Coco Chanel's rise from obscure beginnings to the heights of the fashion world.

"Coco avant Chanel" is an elaborate, elegant production with stylish backdrops and sweeping scenes of the French countryside. The trouble is the movie doesn't have depth beyond the pleasing visual ambiance. In fact it is a little unforgivable that this bio-pic is uninteresting enough to bore in parts, given the allure and achievements of the central character. Lacking 'oh-la-la' this coco is served unfashionably lukewarm.