Martha Marcy May Marlene - Movie Poster

Martha Marcy May Marlene

4.0 Anne Murphy

Haunted by painful memories and increasing paranoia, a damaged woman struggles to re-assimilate with her family after fleeing an abusive cult.

The fragile bonds of family come under scrutiny in this psychological thriller, and makes for tense viewing from the opening scenes right until the second it finishes. The film is dark and taut as memories are seamlessly threaded with the present. The film-maker is deft, using the past to explain today and develop a sense of impending threat in the audience. While watching it becomes harder to breathe as the story unfolds. Mal-adjusted mentality methodically manipulated.


The Hollywood Complex - Movie Poster

The Hollywood Complex

3.5 Anne Murphy

Spring heralds pilot season in Hollywood, and that means audition time as aspiring actors come to town with their Moms, desperately seeking that elusive call back from casting.

The scale of the 'wanna-be' industry is surprising, teeming with agents, drama-teachers and photographers, all fed by the sheer numbers of kids hoping to be discovered. While we can chuckle and scoff at the onscreen antics of the children and their parents, there is something very unsettling beneath the 'fun'. The opportunistic nature that all of the parties have in common suggests that many do not come away unscathed. Certainly no-one sings "Hooray for..."


Familiar Ground - Movie Poster

Familiar Ground

3.5 Anne Murphy

Benoit lives with his invalid father while his sister, Maryse, is desperate for her husband to sell the backhoe sitting abandoned in their suburban yard.

The camera zooms in on family relationships, focussing on small interactions and exchanges. If you've ever wondered what the neighbours are doing, this film is a glimpse of them indulging in the same mundane activities as your loved ones. "Familiar Ground" is understated and wry, full of mini-moments. It manages to be unexpectedly generous too, as this little, almost deadpan, movie delivers a redemptive feel-not-bad, if not feel good, close. Familiar terrain that surprises.


Cedar Rapids - Movie Poster

Cedar Rapids

4.0 Anne Murphy

Tim Lippe has no idea what he's in for when he's sent to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to represent his company at an annual insurance convention.

"Cedar Rapids" is a surprising and heart-stealing comedy, thanks mostly to the nuanced portrayal of the central character, as a naive and amiable man. This hearty movie is rude and rambunctious while managing to be emotionally earnest. In line with the indie tradition the result is disarming despite the morally dubious convention setting. Movie goers will take away a genial glow even as what happens in Cedar Rapids stays in Cedar Rapids…


Play - Movie Poster

Play

1.5 Anne Murphy

Over the course of a tense afternoon, a gang of five lure three younger boys into a complex street scam in order to rob them.

"Play" is based on real events that happened in Sweden. The movie is shot on location and uses untrained actors, imbibing a mockumentary tone, leaving a funny taste that it is neither fact nor fiction. The interactions between the cocky perpetrators and the intimidated targets make racial tensions uncomfortably palpable, but there's little else on offer. Interesting enough, but real-time drags like slow motion as the film goes on and on without getting anywhere. No fun.


Littlerock - Movie Poster

Littlerock

3.0 Anne Murphy

Siblings from Japan get stranded in a small town, Littlerock, while waiting for a replacement rental car.

Viewing American culture, through the eyes of a non-English speaker is interesting but almost insufficient to maintain feature length interest. Perhaps it is the desolate location where nothing much happens, or the listless locals, but boredom stealthily encroaches. At times it feels that not enough is happening on the screen. Even so this story of strangers in a remarkably strange land is unsettling enough to hold attention, leaving a lasting imprint. It's like looking through a magnifying glass and not a kaleidoscope.


Terri - Movie Poster

Terri

4.0 Anne Murphy

A teenage loner, who wears pyjamas to school, is befriended by the slightly oddball Vice Principal.

Perhaps the only thing more difficult than being a high-school teenager is being a teenage misfit at high school. "Terri" is an unexpectedly endearing movie, thanks to the understated but oversized performance of the protagonist and the big hearted, if crazed, turn by the Vice Principal. The honesty embedded into the portrayals of all of the characters contributes to making this disarming film an original gem. The director's eye allows for scenes as bruising as they are amusing without trading sensitivity for laughs. Go Terri.


Matchmaking Mayor - Movie Poster

Matchmaking Mayor

2.0 Anne Murphy

A generation of singles in their 30s live in a medium-sized Slovak village, and their mayor sets out to bring them together.

Marrying is not everyone's goal and there is some pressure to conform to please families and traditional life. The unmarried locals look quite uncomfortable playing along with the Mayor's plans. This is a documentary filled with glimpses of a lifestyle unfamiliar to city dwellers in our sophisticated on-line world. The audience was tickled throughout by the real life characters, but the filmmaker's style is a little gentle to sustain interest. A long build and no punch-line. Imperfect match.


How to Die in Oregon - Movie Poster

How to Die in Oregon

4.5 Anne Murphy

In 1994 Oregon became the first state to legalize physician-assisted suicide.

"How to Die in Oregon" is not an easy documentary to watch, and that is good reason to watch it. Death with dignity is a complex ethical concept to bring to the screen, and this film is an intimate exploration of life and planned death. The film maker is respectful and unobtrusive. The sensitivity is appreciated... he doesn't add his own narrative, the subjects do all the talking. No other voice is needed - their stories are incredibly moving. Choice allows us to die well.


Give Up Tomorrow - Movie Poster

Give Up Tomorrow

4.0 Anne Murphy

When a teenager from a political family in the Philippines is accused of a double murder, the country's entire judicial system is put to the test after years of alleged corruption.

This story is one of such a jaw-dropping miscarriage of justice that it instils outrage. "Give Up Tomorrow" documents 12 years of a murder case with sufficient information and detail to convince even the most hardened sceptic of a gross wrongdoing. The production quality is patchy, even grainy at times, but the story is compelling and impossible to watch without tears. Get through today and you can give up tomorrow.


Beautiful Lies - Movie Poster

Beautiful Lies

4.0 Anne Murphy

An anonymous love letter leads to a slew of misunderstandings.

Frivolous, frothy, and fabulous rather than slight. In short, everything hoped for from a good French rom-com is served up in "Beautiful Lies". It is delectable. The comic storyline is complicated enough to tease out laughter around situations of mistaken identities and misguided efforts of matchmaking. There's no mistaking funny for ridiculous however; this is an intelligent and warm movie that brims with affection. The delightful cast bring depth to the characters, who relate genuinely to each other and the audience can't help but care what happens in the end. Sincerely comique.


Special Treatment - Movie Poster

Special Treatment

2.0 Anne Murphy

A world-weary psychoanalyst and a classy prostitute both struggle with relationship issues.

The premise for "Special Treatment" is intriguing, but unfortunately the film fails to leverage the plot for comic or dramatic interest. While parallels are sketched between the professions of the two main characters, the outlines drawn are insufficient to sustain audience curiosity, which is not encouraged to deepen into involvement. The supporting cast suffer in undeveloped roles, as clients and friends, they fail to bring enough colour to the screen to be appreciated as eccentric, and subsequently end up looking pitiful. Better treatment required to make this movie special.


Mr Popper's Penguins - Movie Poster

Mr Popper's Penguins

3.5 Anne Murphy

The life of a businessman begins to change after he inherits six penguins, and his professional side starts to unravel.

"Mr Poppers Penguins" is perfectly pitched to pint-sized audiences with plenty of play on poop gags. This warm comedy, served with piles of ice, is reminiscent of family movies from another era. The bad guys are sly without being too menacing and the good guys are playful, amusing without hilarity. The penguins, apart from being predictably black and white, are lovable pranksters. It's all well paced and enjoyable, if a little light. Popper's penguin predicament is peculiar and pleasant.


The Tree of Life - Movie Poster

The Tree of Life

4.0 Anne Murphy

The story centres around a family with three boys in the 1950s.

The on-screen experience is profound while managing to be tiresomely pretentious at the same time. "Tree of Life" takes itself a little too seriously at times, boldly exploring beginnings, creation, and dinosaurs. It is also a gentle reflection on life and the relationships of children with their parents, navigated in a non-linear manner. A dream-like quality makes easy to imagine that you're watching something akin to the replay of life that we're told happens right before death... only this version doesn't 'flash' and takes its time. A tree with a captivating soul.


L'Amour fou - Movie Poster

L'Amour fou

3.0 Anne Murphy

Explores the relationship between fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent and his lover, Pierre Berge.

Filmed after the death of Yves Saint-Laurent "L'Amour fou" provides a candid look into the life, the breathtaking art collection amassed by the couple and its eventual auction to benefit an AIDs charity. The narrative provides as glimpses into a privileged lifestyle without exploring too deeply. Interesting are revelations of an ongoing struggle with depression and resulting addictions, perhaps one of those being the central objects d'art. Archival film footage stills and interviews are used to effect and reveal much about the troubled man of fashion. Melancholic.