The Five-Year Engagement
Anthony Macali
Tom proposes to his girlfriend, Violet, but unexpected events keep delaying their marriage.
"The Five-Year Engagement" is all about hanging in for the long haul, withstand those tumultuous times and you will be rewarded. The film has much in common with the couple at its centre. There are ups and downs along with a series of funny bits that don't add up to very much. Thankfully, the characters slowly grow on you (in particular the impressive and ever-charming female lead), emotion creeps in, and the messages about relationships defy Hollywood convention and actually contain some truth. Nobody's perfect.
Romantics Anonymous
Tom Jones
What happens when a man and a woman share a common passion? They fall in love.
This film is an endearing story of a chocolatier and her boss, both of them as hopeless as they are romantic. Set against the backdrop of a chocolate factory, in the city of love, this tasteful portrayal of boy meets girl will be the topic of conversation at all nursing home water-coolers. Even the sex scene is appropriately edited for its intended audience. The real charm of this film is found in the refreshing and smart slapstick comedy. A tasty delight.
Café de Flore
Anne Murphy
A love story between a man and woman, and a love story set four decades earlier between a mother and her son.
"Café de Flore" has two distinct threads that are separated in time and interwoven into one movie like a dream within a dream. The story is one of love and obsession and it is told with a sense of unease that builds along with anticipation about what might transpire. This movie is as engrossing as it is puzzling, with content so emotional you can't help but be drawn in and watch entranced. Book a table.
StreetDance 2
Wendy Slevison
After suffering humiliation by the crew Invincible, a street dancer looks to gather the best dancers from around the world for a rematch.
If the numbers in the title of this film cause a little uncertainty, listen to that feeling, and save your money. Actually, to call this a "film" is being quite generous - it's really just a succession of dance sequences. The dancing is very good, but that's it. The plodding, formulaic plot is like an afterthought, and the dancers are appalling actors anyway. Cheap, clumsy 3D effects do nothing to enhance what is essentially a rehash of all the other dance movies of recent times. Sit this one out.
The Well Digger's Daughter
Anne Murphy
A father, in pre-World War I France, is torn between his sense of honour and his deep love for his saintly daughter when she gets in trouble with the wealthy son of a shopkeeper.
A film that explores class differences, social attitudes and mores could be expected to incite ire, something "The Well Digger's Daughter" is too genteel to do. Perhaps it's due to the likeable and charming actors, the rustic French setting, old fashioned feel or simply the issues that raised eyebrows in earlier times that have less impact now. Whatever it is, all is well that ends well.
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Wendy Slevison
A fisheries expert is approached by a consultant to help realise a sheik's vision of bringing the sport of fly-fishing to the desert.
"Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" is a film that's as original as its title. Adapted from the novel of the same name, it is a refreshingly imaginative and appealing cross-cultural narrative featuring warmly authentic performances from an extremely likeable cast. Humorously juxtaposing the frenzy of politicians clamouring for public approval against the solitude and grace of fly-fishing, this movie takes you on an improbable but decidedly pleasurable journey that's well worth the fare.
The Art of Love
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.
- Genre » Romance Comedy
- Release » Limited 07 Mar 2012
- Festival » French Film Festival 2012
Declaration of War
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.
- Genre » Drama Romance
- Release » Limited 08 Mar 2012
- Festival » French Film Festival 2012
Like Crazy
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
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.
This Means War
Anthony Macali
Two operatives wage a battle against one another after they discover they are dating the same girl.
Two hardened men might front this stunt but don't be fooled. "This Means War" is a romantic comedy with a different take. Outlandish circumstances persuade two of the CIA's finest to exploit their resources to court a girl. This would never happen in the real world, but it's a funny scenario to watch unfold nonetheless. The jokes are snappy and everybody is beautiful and bright, with all the right characteristics to suit the plot. In the end it comes down to the trio at the centre of this triangle, and there's a lot to love about their conflict.
The Artist
Anne Murphy
Hollywood, 1927: Silent movie star George Valentin wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion.
Prepare to be transported to a past era in Hollywood by "The Artist". There are many adjectives to describe the nostalgic venture including: charming, original, witty, surprising, and stylish. In short a captivating movie, and all the more so for daring to be all but silent and presented in black and white. It is a pleasure to be entertained by a romance that eschews modern effects and remains authentic to the period portrayed. Paints a picture.
Weekend
Anne Murphy
Russell heads out to a gay club and picks up Glen just before closing time and what's expected to be just a one-night stand becomes something else, something special.
"Weekend" is a low key movie grounded in realism that presents a romance between two men who have only a weekend to spend together. The simple naturalistic style of this film is balanced by its emotional honesty. The performance from the two leads is genuine and understated, lending authenticity to this modest but deceptively intense exploration of falling in love. I've got Friday on my mind.
New Year's Eve
Tom Jones
The lives of several couples and singles in New York intertwine over the course of New Year's Eve.
Another occasion where 99.9% of the funding is spent on star power and the rest goes to the scriptwriter. Remember show and tell? Well New Years Eve is more tell, without the show. Characters relay so much information about themselves and the situation in every line, but you never actually see anything. It is over the top. The ball dropping at midnight is treated like a military operation complete with presidential style press conferences. When it comes to New Years, hold out for the real thing.
Restless
Anne Murphy
The story of a terminally ill teenage girl who falls for a boy who likes to attend funerals and their encounters with the ghost of a Japanese kamikaze pilot from WWII.
"Restless" is an original take on the often used story of love in the shadow of a looming death. This film falls into an unlabelled genre that is the antithesis of a rom-com, and it does that with a quirky grace. The main characters are burdened with troubling life experiences that underscore the earnestness in their encounters, but it's the gentle grimness as the inevitable approaches that is most disquieting. Emo and edgy.