Margin Call - Movie Poster

Margin Call

2.5 Andrew O'Dea

Follows key people at a bank, over a 24-hour period, during the early stages of the financial crisis.

Greed and opportunism are rife in this ensemble drama that paints a very loose snap-shot of the foundations of capitalist society, bottled into one investment firm on the eve of a financial crisis. The story is dialogue-driven, and although it deftly ponders the volatile issue of money versus morality, it fails to really delve past the numbers, lacking the visceral punch or emotional drive to grab our attention. Some will find this film serviceable enough as financial thriller, but for those wanting a little more emotional involvement, "Margin Call" is not a wise investment.


Harvest - Movie Poster

Harvest

3.5 Anne Murphy

Follows the relationship between two apprentices working on an agricultural complex south of Berlin.

A real farm setting and improvised dialogue provides "Harvest" with an almost documentary, naturalistic tone. The story is about two young men finding themselves and each other. Central to the film is a carefully observed and tentative romance in a potentially homophobic setting. The emotional tension and subsequent attraction between the two unfolds slowly. This movie enthrals its poetic depiction of emotional confusion and its surprisingly chaste approach to the developing relationship. Watch it and reap.


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.


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.


Declaration of War - Movie Poster

Declaration of War

3.5 Anne Murphy

When their young son is diagnosed with a brain tumor, young parents Roméo and Juliette unite in the fight for his survival.

Despite its heart wrenching content "A Declaration of War" is lively and energetic. The movie is based on the experience of the director and her co-writer; part autobiography, part love story and part challenging medical drama. A story of desperately holding to hope is imbibed with familial love and delivered without pathos, and the result is a very moving account of navigating adversity while giddy with grief for what might happen. War, this is what it's good for.


50/50 - Movie Poster

50/50

3.5 Andrew O'Dea

Inspired by a true story about a 27-year-old guy who learns of his cancer diagnosis.

This is an unusual and thought provoking comedy that draws humour from the tragedy at its core. The subject is handled deftly, and there is something refreshing about the fact that the laughter, or the tears, don’t feel forced. The fact that we can still laugh with this genuine approach makes the film appealing, coupled by the two likeable leads who play so well off each other. Although parts of the story may border on predictable, there is something affectingly real and touching about the emotional ramble that takes place. 70/30 you'll like 50/50.


Jo's Boy - Movie Poster

Jo's Boy

3.0 Anne Murphy

A well-known retired rugby player who is the son and grandson of well-known rugby players hopes that his son will also play rugby for the big league.

"Jo's Boy" is set a small French village and the film has the rustic feel of a past era when life was simpler. The story moves along with the pace of a good football game, and there are plenty of minor storylines of mateship and a blossoming romance. Light entertaining fare, culminating in an inevitable tense match, its predictability is countered by a humorous directorial touch. Cheers for sports boys.


Coriolanus - Movie Poster

Coriolanus

2.5 Andrew O'Dea

A banished hero of Rome allies with a sworn enemy to take his revenge on the city.

Plaudits are due to this film for the sheer ambitiousness and difficulty of task in adapting and portraying such a complicated Shakespearean work. There's no doubting the coherency and effective structure as it doesn't tamper in the slightest with Coriolanus' immortalised lines. Unfortunately, it's just that in contrast to the contemporary setting, this particular movie simply doesn't work. There's something entirely foreign about an elite army unit storming a barracks quoting Shakespeare while under fire from semi-automatic rifles and rocket launchers. Not to be...


The Snows of Kilimanjaro - Movie Poster

The Snows of Kilimanjaro

3.5 Anne Murphy

After celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary, a couple are shattered by two young men, armed and masked, who beat them, tie them up, snatch their wedding rings and flee with their credit cards.

Inspired by Victor Hugo's poem "How Good are the Poor", this warm-hearted movie tackles some of today's social and moral issues within the setting of a small community. Our judgments of others can be black and white but, as this moving story highlights, the reality of another is never so simple. The themes are complex but the motivation of each character is uncomplicated. Let it snow.


17 Girls - Movie Poster

17 Girls

3.0 Anne Murphy

Seventeen teenage schoolmates decide to become pregnant at the same time.

The impracticality and rebellious tendencies of adolescents is the central theme to "17 Girls". Many social themes are explored in this surprising gem, including self determination for one's own decisions, peer group pressure and individual empowerment. This is a pensive movie with many scenes depicting one of the characters in solitude, contrasting the lure of being part of a giggling gang of girls. While there is a lot for the audience to think about, there is one too many thoughtful close-ups of furrowed brows. Girls, girls, girls.


18 Years Old and Rising - Movie Poster

18 Years Old and Rising

3.0 Anne Murphy

Primo, a boy with a humble background, is studying for University entrance while trying to impress girls who hang out with a crowd of rich young things.

Set in Paris in the early 80's as a Presidential election looms, "18 Years Old and Rising" has an interesting political text for a film of the coming of age genre. Like the main character, this movie takes risks to impress, and it shows a hero's quest for love that is memorable, bold, and fun. It is a pleasure to watch a storyline that delights by not being predictable. Forever young.


The Day I Saw Your Heart - Movie Poster

The Day I Saw Your Heart

3.0 Anne Murphy

Justine is an x-ray technician with a youthful-minded father who plays golf with her ex-boyfriends.

"The Day I Saw Your Heart" is an amusing and off-beat film about family ties. The plot follows the complex relationships of fathers, daughters, sisters, wives and babies. The story is original and told in an anecdotal style, a bit like skimming through someone's diary. This French movie provides interesting viewing, if slight, as it bubbles along with a light touch. It lacks any depth or real insight into the characters themselves, but their eccentricities more than compensate for their shallowness. Watch to see some big hearts.


Carnage - Movie Poster

Carnage

3.0 Anne Murphy

Two sets of parents convene a cordial meeting after their sons are involved in a fight, as their time together progresses, increasingly childish behaviour throws the afternoon into chaos.

Set in one room, "Carnage" is an intimate but dark comedy of manners and, as it turns out, manners that serve only as a thin veneer of refinement when a war of words erupts. A fly-on-the-wall experience is provided and audiences will come away glad not to be like the jousting individuals and couples on the screen, but wanting only to gossip about them. The strong cast avoid both sophistication and annihilation.


Like Crazy - Movie Poster

Like Crazy

2.5 Anthony Macali

A British student falls for an American, only to be separated from him after overstaying her visa.

"Like Crazy" is a hazy memory of a distant relationship. A couple separated by an ocean, and thanks to their foolishness, a visa. They walk, they laugh, they fall in love, and it quickly turns saccharine. If you don't sympathise with the plight of the two, the story becomes quite tedious. Captured are some beautifully observed and genuine moments, but they are lost in the introduction of new characters of affection. The experience is like watching two people kissing in a park. You tend to stare, before quickly wishing they would find a room, and not a film.


A Little Bit of Heaven - Movie Poster

A Little Bit of Heaven

1.0 Tom Jones

A guarded woman finds out she's dying of cancer, but when she meets her match, the threat of falling in love is scarier than death.

This film is the most superficial and farcical depiction of a woman battling cancer ever to grace our screens. It goes so far the wrong way (think puns about colon cancer) that anyone who has experienced or been affected by the disease is likely to be offended by the way the subject is treated. The acting is of a quality you'd expect from a high school drama class and the script is terrible; heaven is a white cloud. Hard to like, even a little bit.