Eating Out: All You Can Eat - Movie Poster

Eating Out: All You Can Eat

3.0 Anne Murphy

Tiffani and her friend Casey try to lure the gorgeous Zack with a phony online profile using the image of Tiffani's buff ex, Ryan... which works fine until the real Ryan shows up.

"Eating Out 3" is the latest installment in a trilogy following the romps of a group of characters through some raunchy situations and hook-ups. The style is almost cartoonish, with beefcake leads who spend little time with their shirts on, and their daffy female friends. This movie looks like it was made on a shoestring budget without extravagant sets or staging. If you like trashy, with some decent one-liners, try dining here.


South Solitary - Movie Poster

South Solitary

3.0 Tom Jones

A veteran lighthouse serviceman and his niece deal with the mismanagement of an island's lighthouse.

"South Solitary" is another display of that overused premise; put an unlikely character in a foreign environment and watch as they struggle to adapt. The quick pace, dynamic characters and moments of black comedy in this film are entertaining, but it ultimately suffers from the monotony, which comes with the territory of lighthouse keeping. However, the audience gets that bit closer to answering the age old question. If you were stuck on an island, what would you take with you? Definitely not a relative with too much baggage (and not the kind packed in a suitcase).


Religulous - Movie Poster

Religulous

3.0 Anne Murphy

Bill Maher's take on the current state of world religion.

"Religulous" would be a documentary but for its unbalanced, mocking tone. Comedy is given priority over facts and there are many amusing but unnecessary cheap shots. At times the disdain of the interviewer for the people interviewed is disquieting. Not so much investigative as much as lampooning in tone, too often the aim seems to be to provoke and dismiss rather than attempting to open debate. Nonetheless the topic is bravely tackled and worth seeing for some of the 'only-in-America' tableaus. Warning: Disturbingly dogmatic.


Villon's Wife - Movie Poster

Villon's Wife

3.0 Anne Murphy

This enticing period melodrama depicts a long-suffering woman's relationship with her brilliant but self-destructive writer husband in post-war Tokyo.

The drama is heavy going as everyone is laden with sorrow, desire and regret against a post-war back-drop that is sombre and opportunistic. The angst of the artist is captured in the husband's role and balanced by the strong-willed determination of the wife. Much can be read between the scenes, as the drama of dark themes and hard times plays out. "Vilon's Wife" is engrossing with all of the fragile and intertwined relationships of a soap opera; wretched affairs but no divorce.


Son of Rambow - Movie Poster

Son of Rambow

3.0 Andrew O'Dea

Set in the early 80's, this is a comedy about friendship, faith and the weird business of growing up.

"Son of Rambow" is a quirky comedy that takes us on a nostalgia trip. It rekindles our sense of youthful exuberance as we're invited into the imaginations of a couple of schoolboys as they set about creating their own crude and amusing homemade 'Rambo' movie. Through their unlikely friendship we remember the ecstasy and difficulties of being a kid. Though the story lacks excitement in parts, and suffers prematurely from a relatively dull climax, lovers of heartfelt movies will find it very engaging.


Violet Tendencies - Movie Poster

Violet Tendencies

3.0 Anne Murphy

A woman tries to distance herself from her gay friends in an effort to land a straight boyfriend.

"Violet Tendencies" is vibrant rom-com. It cracks a rollicking pace and has a buoyant mood to a point of almost being over-loaded with comic social observations. If there are more quips than conversation, it doesn't mean that the flamboyant characters don't take themselves seriously. The various couples and singles are trying to grow up and there's an earnest 'what next?' question being asked. A funny, smutty and entertaining offering that asks little of its audience. Paint me purple.


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.


20 Cigarettes - Movie Poster

20 Cigarettes

3.0 Anne Murphy

An assistant film director working in Iraq finds himself caught up in a suicide attack.

This movie tells the autobiographical story of its director with a lighter touch than a documentary might have allowed. Iraq is shown as a place where soldiers and peace-keepers are wondering what they were doing there. Injury is graphically depicted, providing a palpable experience of the horror of war. A strong but very watchable political statement is made by bringing a personal story to the big screen. The cigarettes provide an interesting device to contrast everyday life with a day in a war zone. Smoking.


The Greatest Movie Ever Sold - Movie Poster

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

3.0 Anthony Macali

A documentary about branding, advertising and product placement that is financed and made possible by brands, advertising and product placement.

The self-proclaimed "Greatest Movie Ever Sold" is far from it, though it does provide an interesting exposé into the unfamiliar advertising industry. The director/ documenter's lack of charisma is redeemed by his resourceful and determined displays, especially when forced to sell his idea to the advertising companies themselves with the aid of some amusing place cards. In the end, it's hard to tell if the financiers or film-makers come out on top, although as an audience, we're not 100% sold.


Welcome to the Rileys - Movie Poster

Welcome to the Rileys

3.0 Anne Murphy

On a business trip to New Orleans, a damaged man seeks salvation by caring for a wayward young woman.

The premise of the prostitute and the man who wants to save her is given a twist and a spin in "Welcome to the Rileys". Lost people, each burdened by their own history, find themselves by embarking on various journeys. Strong performances push the implausible just over the border into credible. This movie is rewarding on an emotional level without tugging too hard on any strings as the tale is traversed. Put out the welcome mat for the Rileys.


The Descendants - Movie Poster

The Descendants

3.0 Tom Jones

A land baron tries to re-connect with his two daughters after his wife suffers a boating accident.

The depiction of suburban life in Hawaii adds some interest to this film, but the central dramas are not particularly compelling or original. The moments of potential intrigue don't last long enough, so the stakes for the hero character are never raised high enough to set your heart racing. The narrative voice-over is unwarranted, something the director obviously worked out a third of the way into making the film, as it's nowhere to be heard in last two thirds. Descending in more ways than one.


How I Ended This Summer - Movie Poster

How I Ended This Summer

3.0 Stefan Bugryn

Tensions rise between two russian men stationed in antartica when one keeps a life-changing secret from the other.

The strength of this movie is in its use of suspense. There is no shortage of 'edge of your seat' moments, and the cinematography is brilliant. Yet what could have been a modern-thriller-classic is ruined by odd periods of... well, nothing, as it seems to linger on many shots for no apparent reason at all. This puts a dent in the pacing of the film, and makes it much longer than it should be. Still highly original, and a good way to end any season.


Spork - Movie Poster

Spork

3.0 Anne Murphy

A junior high school musical, about a frizzy-haired, hermaphrodite, an outcast who fights back.

The main character is called Spork, after an implement that's part spoon and part fork. The name provides a hint about the style of movie this is, where life is played out in an exaggerated comic book style. "Spork" is fun, a singing and dancing movie populated with a likable collection of quirky friends surrounding the central misfit. The movie's theme is one of self-acceptance over fitting in with any group, all realised through a satisfying, if nasty, battle between the outcasts and the mainstream. Put a spork in it.


Get Low - Movie Poster

Get Low

3.0 Anne Murphy

Equal parts folk tale, fable and real-life legend about the mysterious, 1930s Tennessee hermit who famously threw his own rollicking funeral party.

"Get Low" is a good old fashioned hokey folky story with warm understated performances from a big name cast, and a mule. It's deftly crafted and charming to watch. There's a slow build around the themes of guilt and forgiveness before the eventual plot reveal. Although tears are coaxed out during the long awaited climax, this movie will be watched for the dawdling journey rather than the ending. Hard not to like but lacking real highs and lows.


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.