Martian Child
Anthony Macali
A science-fiction writer, recently widowed, considers whether to adopt a hyper-imaginative 6-year-old abandoned and socially rejected boy who says he's really from Mars.
"Martian Child" is a well-produced film with a simple message and a good heart. The titular Dennis is the most frustrating of all the characters - one scene you want to slap him, the next you want to hug him. The film deals with these problems, how parents struggle with troubled kids, and how kids have trouble facing the real world. Not the most exciting film of the year, but a genuinely human and heartfelt story.
Vantage Point
Anthony Macali
With a Rashomon narrative style, the attempted assassination of the president is told from several different perspectives.
"Vantage Point" might seem interesting at first, with its "different points of view" storytelling, large ensemble cast and an American president. In truth, it's a bit repetitive and formulaic, with revelations only coming after we endure the assassination again and again. In the end, the bad guys die, there's a car chase to please all the confused viewers, and the story gets nicely wrapped up. Entertaining enough, but still annoying.
The Other Boleyn Girl
Anthony Macali
Two sisters contend for the affection of King Henry VIII.
"The Other Boleyn Girl" is a serviceable period drama of a rather unpleasant story. It paints a time of great class divide, where there is no shame in marrying into wealth and using seduction as a perfectly acceptable way to do so. While the film could have drawn parallels with sex and politics in society today, it's forced to rush scenes to fit into the decades of history. It has more in common with a soap opera, as it parades bitter characters that we can't relate to or pity - their struggles leaving you unfavourably depressed.
Be Kind Rewind
Anthony Macali
A man whose brain becomes magnetized unintentionally destroys every tape in his friend's video store. In order to satisfy the store's most loyal renter, the two men set out to remake the lost films.
A wave of nostalgia hits you in "Be Kind Rewind" as our affable heroes go about remaking a list of video classics that include Ghostbusters, Robocop and Rush Hour. The intention is to inspire the filmmaker in all of us, but it often feels a little too self-indulgent on the director's part. The video sketches provide plenty of do-it-yourself innovation and a lot of fun; it's the rest of the film you want to fast-forward.
The Spiderwick Chronicles
Anthony Macali
Upon moving into the run-down Spiderwick Estate, twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, along with their sister Mallory, find themselves pulled into an alternate world full of faeries and other creatures.
"The Spiderwick Chronicles" is another children's fantasy with very little to separate it from the rest. After a slow introduction, we finally delve into the mystical world of faeries and goblins, a group of computer generated creatures who provide some excitement. Apart from a big exploding finalé of tomato sauce, the rest of the story is rather insipid and dull, despite the excellent performances of the young cast. Fun and fantastical, but all too familiar.
Smart People
Anthony Macali
Into the life of a widowed professor comes a new love and an unexpected visit from his brother.
"Smart People" is a comedy with a pretentious title, but enough wit to make it enjoyable. The film centres round a naive professor and how most of the people in his life loathe him. He falls in love with his nurse, a former student with an infatuation with the arrogant scholar that is questionable. It's the playful dynamics of his gifted family, and in particular, the sarcasm and rudeness of his daughter which are the most fun to watch. If only all those other issues didn't get in the way of spending time with this family. Interesting people, but not the smartest film.
21
Anthony Macali
21 is the fact-based story about six MIT students who were trained to become experts in card counting and subsequently took Vegas casinos for millions in winnings.
This decidedly Hollywood account of the MIT Blackjack team is fair entertainment that will please gamblers and confuse others. After a slow setup we race through the rules of 21 and jet off to Las Vegas to enjoy the highs of bringing down the house. The movie can't maintain this level of fun, with its weak plot rising to the surface in a manufactured ending that feels contrived. Once you see past the flashy bright lights, you realise "21" isn't a big winner.
Sex and the City
Anthony Macali
The girls are back in town.
If the idea of watching 4 back-to-back episodes of "Sex and the City" sounds alluring, then you will love this. The length might be epic, but the pace is aligned with the TV show, maintaining all the fun, fashion and sex. We love spending time with these characters as they face some of the tougher challenges in life like marriage and divorce, a step above the usual frivolous banter of the series. On the other hand, if you're not a fan of our mid-forty heroinés, you will despise the glimpses into their lives. Fans of the show will find this film fabulous.
Pineapple Express
Anthony Macali
A stoner and his dealer are forced to go on the run from the police after the pothead witnesses a cop commit a murder.
If you smoke weed, more often then not, you end up in crazy scenarios. They are often highly contrived, outrageous, and equally hilarious. When the bad guys over-estimate the good guys, suspecting they're intelligent hired professionals, it's always hysterical. Like a number of characters, some jokes are not great, though never resorting to vulgarity. "Pineapple Express" is a ridiculous comedy of ridiculous people, stuck in ridiculously funny situations.
Son of Rambow
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.
Step Brothers
Anthony Macali
Two spoiled guys become competitive stepbrothers after their single parents get hitched.
"Step Brothers" is a film of two adults behaving like kids. The jokes are cheap and immature, their amusement heightened by gratuitous swearing and childlike behaviour. You watch things happen on the screen, things that you know are supposed to be funny, but they simply don't make you laugh like they once used to. Brennan and Dale fatefully grow and mature, seamlessly and conveniently, and just in time for the inevitable happy ending. One to watch for those who are fond of juvenile performances.
Young @ Heart
Anthony Macali
A story of a group of senior citizens who perform contemporary and classic rock and pop songs.
Gimmicks are concepts to despise, and while such is the focus of this documentary, it is impossible to deny its warmth and charm. The elderly members of Young@Heart simply sing for passion and joy, as well as to keep brain cells working, all notions you must admire, irrelevant of your age. As frustrating as the early rehearsals might be, it's the final show we anticipate for the entirety, and it delivers on all accounts. Both a humorous and touching celebration, "Young@Heart " will renew your passions in life.
- Genre » Documentary Biography Music
- Release » Limited 16 Oct 2008
- Festival » MIFF 2008
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People
Anthony Macali
A British writer struggles to fit in at a high-profile magazine in New York.
This film could have been a shrewd attack on the culture of celebrity, but decides to play it safe instead, directly contradicting the very ethos of our main character, Sidney Young. As hard as Sidney tries to lose friends, mostly by getting into the most contrived and ridiculous of situations, he still seems to charm his work colleagues, while entertaining the audience with his seditious wit. "How to Lose Friends & Alienate People" is about an enjoyable character, one with a message inconsistent with the very fluff of his own story.
Choke
Anthony Macali
A sex-addicted con-man pays for his mother's hospital bills by playing on the sympathies of those who rescue him from choking to death.
Victor Mancini is your atypical hero. Beneath a vivid sex addiction that thrives with perverse nudity is a man affectionate to his mother and seeking redemption from his self-destructive way of life. He also strives to identify his father, which leads to a bizarre and confusing set of events. It's this outlandish story that, complete with moral dilemmas and plot twists, heighten "Choke's" appeal, despite requiring your attention till the end.
Death Race
Andrew O'Dea
Ex-con Jensen Ames is forced by the warden of a notorious prison to compete in our post-industrial world's most popular sport: a car race in which inmates must kill one another on the road to victory.
"Death Race" is a film pertaining to pure mindless entertainment. It takes us on a violent ride fuelled by all the fast cars, big guns, explosions and gore one would typically expect from the unashamed action genre. Fans of such cheap thrills will revel in the fun generated by the constant high-octane race sequences, while those seeking more dramatic substance will find the movie as a whole severely lacking.