Australian Penthouse

The Green Hornet

Director: Michel Gondry
Stars: Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz, Tom Wilkinson, Edward James Olmos

Sony Pictures

The Green Hornet is the champion of unconventional choices, from lead/writer Seth Rogen (Superbad) as the crime-fighting socialite Britt Reid and his sidekick Kato played by Taiwanese pop sensation Jay Chou to art house, now action, director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). On paper it should be a mess of epic proportions, but it almost gets the formula right… almost.

Constant disappointment to his media mogul father, man-child Britt Reid (Rogen) wiles away the hours moving from one booze-fuelled party to the next, with a string of floozies in tow and demolished hotel rooms left in his wake. Britt’s path in life seems set, until his father’s mysterious demise leaves him a changed man, the sole inheritor of the family fortune and head honcho of jewel in his father’s crown, hard hitting newspaper, The Daily Sentinel.

A horrific morning coffee is the catalyst that intertwines the fates of Britt and his father’s savant mechanic/barista Kato, leading the two to an epiphany. The only way to protect the innocent and the law is to break it. By becoming criminals and cozying up to the seedy underbelly, they can mete out their own brand of justice.

Utilising Kato’s prowess at dishing out pain and his tech know-how to create gadgetry, namely the magnificent modified Chrysler Imperial dubbed Black Beauty, the pair take back the streets. But when the dynamic duo irritate local kingpin Chudnofsky (hammed up to perfection by Christoph Waltz – Inglourious Basterds), they may very well have bit off more than they can chew.

The Green Hornet takes many of the cast and crew out of their comfort zones, and most handle the change of pace admirably. Michel Gondry has a unique technique for shooting action, with Kato’s special ability to slow his heart rate and target highlighted threats very slickly handled. It’s bullet-time we’ve all seen a thousand times or more since The Matrix, yet Gondry puts his own stamp on it, as does Jay Chou as Kato.

Considering the massive shoes Bruce Lee (Kato – The Green Hornet 1966) left for him to fill, Chou does a fantastic job.  He looks comfortable with hand-to-hand combat, is surprisingly charismatic, extremely watchable and steals the show, much like his counterpart in the original television series.

Unfortunately, the weakest link in The Green Hornet is Seth Rogen himself. By juggling dual roles of writing (with Superbad and Pineapple Express co-writer Evan Goldberg) and acting, one very important factor seems to have fallen by the wayside, likeability. Britt Reid is a self-centred child, using belittlement and insults as his weapons of choice to pull focus away from his own inadequacies and by taking away any hint of charm, you care very little for his plight.

Rogen’s Britt is very similar to Danny McBride’s Kenny Powers from Eastbound and Down, with one main difference, growth, specifically, Britt’s lack of it. With little development of the main character, he just comes off as a spoiled, obnoxious douchebag playing superhero with Daddy’s money. Sure the toys and gadgets are imaginative, and the 3D conversion is better than most (though that’s not really saying much), but Rogen just seems a little off, forced at times and not quite as relaxed as we’re used to seeing him in his comedic element.

Many have already prejudged this film, not willing to give it the benefit of the doubt, and while it’s clearly not The Dark Knight, it still has some very entertaining moments and well shot action pieces. It sits somewhere in between “not nearly as bad as I thought it would be”, and “not as good as I hoped it would be”.

The Green Hornet opens nationally January 20^th.

Review: Dave Kozicki

The Fighter

Director: David O. Russell
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, Jack McGee
Roadshow Films

IN some ways, Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale have experienced similar entries into Hollywood. With Bale’s impressive child actor performance in Empire of the Sun aside, both actors appeared on critical and audience radars with breakthrough performances ‘early’ (by Hollywood standards) in their adult careers: Boogie Nights for Wahlberg, and American Psycho for Bale.

I have had and lost faith in both actors at one point or another. With Wahlberg, for every inspiring Boogie Nights performance, there’s a Planet of the Apes to offset it; for an impressive return to form in The Departed, there’s a Max Payne. In terms of Bale, I had put him on a rather lofty pedestal until his mistreatment of John Connor in the über disappointing Terminator: Salvation that left a bitter taste in my mouth.

But that didn’t prevent The Fighter from being an attractive prospect.

From the get-go, the audience is introduced to sibling protagonists: Dickie Eklund (Bale) loves to be the centre of attention, running off at the mouth to a HBO documentary crew about his half-brother Micky’s (Wahlberg) chances in the ring as a comeback fighter, with the more sedate Micky graciously silent throughout his brother’s manic ramblings.

A HBO documentary is being made about Dickie, who tells everyone who will listen that it’s about his return to the ring, even though he’s  long in the tooth and clearly in the thrall of a drug habit. But Dickie’s a local hero with bragging rights because he made Sugar Ray Leonard eat canvas during a long-past boxing match.  Dickie is Micky “Irish” Ward’s trainer, while their hard-as-nails mother, Alice (Leo), has the role of manager. The blended family is extremely close—with an entourage of half-sisters who act as a bitchy cheer squad—but none of them, except for Micky’s father (McGee), has Ward’s best interests in mind.

Dickie is a crack addict—who believes that he hides his addiction effectively from his family—which makes him unreliable as a trainer and continually disappointing to his younger brother. Alice is in denial about Dickie’s addiction, and is more openly loving of her failed first-born than of Micky; she also picks Micky’s boxing opponents based on what’s best for the family (read: money).

Micky is low on confidence, which is no surprise as he’s on a losing streak in the ring. After being coerced by his family into an ill-fated fight with a boxer 20 pounds over his weight, Micky knows it’s time for a change. Charlene (Adams), the ballsy waitress at Micky’s local, shows up on his doorstep, demanding an explanation for why he blew off their planned date. Charlene’s in-your-face attitude is not dissimilar to Micky’s mother, with the biggest difference being that she is actually looking out for him.

With the support of Charlene, Micky finds the confidence to stand up to his family and break out on his own, taking another shot at his boxing dreams that he has the talent for.

This layered and believable narrative is based on a true story, making it all the more engaging. Director David O. Russell has proven himself capable of drawing a memorable performance in the past from Mark Wahlberg (Three Kings springs to mind), and The Fighter proves that “Marky Mark” and David O. Russell create a dynamic chemistry together. Wahlberg portrays the flawed character, Micky, in a grounded way; finding a poignant middle ground between his intense love for his family and the guilt he feels at wanting to break away from their ultimately negative influence.

Christian Bale is the real winner of the piece, though, with his fantastic portrayal of Dickie Eklund. Bale has shown in the past that he has no qualms in taking great strides to step into character, and this is no exception. His physique has faded from Batman buff to Trevor Reznik (The Machinist) slight, creating a stunning and realistic appearance for the once-great welterweight boxer-turned-crack addict.

Bale absolutely owns every scene he’s in, bouncing between charismatic goofball, crack addict, loving son/brother and a man in dire need of redemption—performed in such an expert arc that you should expect to see his name shortlisted at this year’s Oscars.

The matriarch of the family, Alice, may not get as much screen time as Wahlberg or Bale’s characters, but Melissa Leo is up to the task of going toe-to-toe with Bale’s knockout performance. At times you’ll hate her, at others you’ll respect her, but throughout the story it’s clear that she’s the glue that, for better or worse, holds this blue-collar Boston-based family together.

Russell made immersive decisions when it comes to portraying the engaging story. The film jumps between documentary-style cinematography, pay-per-view-type shots of the bigger boxing matches and the occasional first-person perspective that all somehow seamlessly melds together into a cohesive narrative tool, instead of a distracting attempt at being technical for the sake of it.

The boxing matches are hard hitting and often brutal, adding some fantastic ferocity to what would otherwise still be an engaging family drama. If you’re a fan of underdog sports films and want to see a diverse range of actors all bringing their A-game to a satisfyingly layered drama, do yourself a favour and watch The Fighter; it’s really that good.

THE FIGHTER is in cinemas now

Review: Nathan Lawrence

Tron: Legacy

Director: Joseph Kosinski
Stars: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner, James Frain, Beau Garrett, Michael Sheen

Walt Disney Pictures

IN 1982 Walt Disney Pictures took a chance on an odd sounding project that revolved around stolen gaming rights, multi-million dollar corporations, self-aware computer programs, avatars that mimic their programmers and an oppressive Master Control Program (MCP). And while Tron didn’t pay-out big at the box office it became one of the most influential and iconic movies of the 1980s.

When unsuspecting user, Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) seeks to circumvent the authority of the MCP to prove his former employer’s most successful video games were, in fact, stolen from him, he incurs the wrath of the MCP. Drawn into the digitised world known as The Grid, his only ally is the security program Tron, written by his co-worker Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner). Needless to say, by banding together they defeat MCP, save the day and Flynn returns to the real world with evidence in hand for fortune and glory and begins planning to return to the computer realm and usher in a new age of digital tranquility.

Fast forward to the present day. Kevin Flynn has been missing for 20 years and his once generous company now resembles a warped version of Microsoft, releasing new operating systems regularly, with the new features “a box housing the product”.  Flynn’s son, Sam (Garrett Hedlund) rejects his father’s legacy, pursuing instead an existence based on motorcycles and minor rebellions such as disrupting the product launches held by his father’s company.

When Alan Bradley receives a mysterious message from a disconnected phone number of Flynn’s,  he and Sam investigate the source of the signal, drawing Sam, like his father, into the digital realm. Mirror themes pervade this sequel, be it Sam re-enacting identical lines and situations Flynn did in the 1982 prequel, or the electro-beat score by French electro band,  Daft Punk , who admit to being heavily influenced by the original film.

The Grid has changed. In an attempt to bring the “perfect world” into existence, Flynn created sentient program Clu 2.0.  Clu 2.0 seeks to eradicate self-created programs known as ISOs (Isomorphic Algorithms) and other imperfect beings, and turns on its maker. Tron fights Clu 2.0 in order to let Flynn escape. Flynn is now outcast, helpless while his own creation “purges” The Grid of ISOs and remakes the world in its own design.

Other programs now live in fear of derezzing or are subjected to gladiatorial conflicts within The Grid via light cycle races. The digital world is on the brink—will new arrival, Sam, or mysterious program (and Flynn’s apprentice) Quorra (Olivia Wilde) spark a revolution?

Tron: Legacy is very different to Tron in look, content and tone. The computer programs provide allegories for genocide and even religious and messianic complexes. Debut director Joseph Kosinski presents a great eye, one well honed from his experience with television commercials (particularly within the gaming industry, garnering praise for his Halo 3 Starry Night and the award-winning Mad World for Gears of War).

The visuals artfully mesh the stylish special effects and neon-lit real life actors, and the digital version of Jeff Bridges, as Clu 2.0 is exceedingly well done. In this reviewer’s opinion, on par with the N’avi from Avatar. The 3D is subtle, with just one minor-yet-jarring scene. The complementary use of both models and CG is beautifully rendered and it is difficult to ascertain where one ends and the other begins. The action sequences are tight, well paced and impressive—as is the skin-tight Lycra. Tron: Legacy is an enjoyable holiday popcorn film, with a bit more depth than you might expect and some incredible effects-driven set pieces.

Tron: Legacy opens nationally on December 16.

Review: Dave Kozicki

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Director: Michael Apted
Stars: Ben Barnes, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley, Will Poulter, Gary Sweet, Simon Pegg, Tilda Swinton and Liam Neeson
20^th Century Fox

TAKING into account the abundance of below-average films foisted onto the all-ages audience, it’s a shame that this trilogy (at this point) based on C.S. Lewis’ brilliant children’s books, hasn’t generated more success at the box office. The first of the seven novels to be adapted (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) was financially successful, allowing a sequel, Prince Caspian, which although well received critically, didn’t perform as well at the box office.

More is the pity, as these films (and the novels they’re based on) not only star everyday kids as the heroic characters, but also treats them as young adults, sans condescending over-explanations. Distributor and production company of the first two films, Walt Disney Pictures, lost the faith after Prince Caspian’s modest box office yield, leaving the franchise up for grabs. Fortunately, 20^th Century Fox swooped in to keep the series alive via this third installment.

With Fox at the helm, changes abounded between sequels two and three. The core cast remains the same, but the most dramatic changes have occurred behind the scenes. Most notable is the change of writer and director from the first two films, Andrew Adamson, to Michael Apted. Best known for his work on Bond film The World is Not Enough, Apted’s recent efforts have focused on TV documentaries–with the exception of directing episodes of HBO’s outstanding series, Rome. Composer extraordinaire Harry Gregson-Williams (Spy Game) was also replaced with Apted’s The World is Not Enough collaborator, David Arnold.  Shoot locations also moved from Europe to  Queensland; however, the franchise has not been effected negatively from any of those changes, maintaining its darker tone, impressive effects and solid performances.

This third Narnia tale sees the younger members of the royal foursome, Lucy (Georgie Henley) and Edmund (Skandar Keyes), separated from their now adult siblings, Peter and Sarah, and living with their insufferably obnoxious cousin, Eustace (Will Poulter). When a mysterious painting depicting a magnificent vessel on the high seas comes to life—hiding a portal—the three youngsters are drawn back to the magical realm of Narnia once again.

Reunited with the King (formerly the Prince) Caspian (Ben Barnes), all is seemingly well in the kingdom, with a long period of peace prevailing; however, something lurks within the shadows… hence our heroes’ return. Thus begins the trio’s new challenge to uncover the new and hidden evil to ensure that peace and justice can prevail—you know, that old chestnut.

This journey has a distinctly different feel from the two previous outings—primarily due to the majority of the action taking place on water—but the focus this time lies more with the human struggles, both internal and external, rather than the wondrous Narnia creatures: Lucy comes to terms with her underlying jealousy of her sister, Edmund learns to step outside of  the shadow of others, and annoying pip-squeak, Eustace, awakens to the meaning of sacrifice for the greater good. All surprisingly adult concepts for a supposed “children’s” film.

However, the real treats are revealed in the supporting roles of Aussie veteran, Gary Sweet, as the delightfully Irish-brogued, Lord Drinian—who almost outshines Ben Barnes when the two share the screen—and the almost unrecognisable Simon Pegg as Reepicheep. In Prince Caspian, Eddie Izzard brought the part of the honour-bound swashbuckling mouse to life with nuance and panache, while Pegg continues the theme wonderfully, revamping Reepicheep as “Simon Pegg’s homage to Eddie Izzard” as a chivalrous rodent.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is said to be shot using new 3D technology. Alas, I spotted perhaps three scenes where 3D was apparent, and that was with intense scrutiny. This 3D gimmick seems a fad-grab aimed at whacking an extra five dollars onto each ticket with only a smidge of 3D thrown in. A bit of a scam, really. The only true examples of 3D this reviewer has experienced with awe include Avatar and IMAX’s Hubble 3D, with the mainstream cinema films trailing sadly behind. It’s  time that Hollywood producers make firm decision as to when to  jettison or embrace this concept—because it doesn’t work half-arsed.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is an entertaining all-ages adventure which fares significantly better than you might expect, with a colourful cast of characters, convincing special effects (bar the token 3D) that you (and your young ‘uns) may just learn a life lesson from on the way.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader opens December 2

Review: Dave Kozicki

The Last Exorcism

Director: Daniel Stamm

Stars: Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, Louis Herthum, Caleb Jones

Hopscotch Films

JUST as the mostly gimmicky nature of 3D begins to, thankfully, lose its appeal, it seems that we have now entered a time of low-budget ‘edgy’ horror films that claim to provide genuine scares without an overreliance on special effects. On paper that sounds fantastic, but as the Paranormal Activity-style movies of late are showing us, there are times when low budget equates to cinema-goers only getting what they paid for.

Despite the many exorcism-related films that Hollywood has spewed out, The Last Exorcism does, at least, have a semi-interesting premise. Reverend Cotton Marcus (Fabian) is a fourth-generation evangelical minister who has long since lost his faith. Having been groomed from a very young age to be a minister by his father, Marcus is well versed in the over-the-top nature of giving a compelling evangelical sermon.

Before throwing in his bible, though, Marcus decides to enlist the services of a documentary team to shine some righteous light on the theatrics surrounding the many exorcisms he has performed. Marcus chooses the first letter off the top of a pile of exorcism requests, and it’s off to rural Louisiana to make some quick cash off a seemingly run-of-the-mill and cliché exorcism on Nell Sweetzer (Bell). Her father, Louis Sweetzer (Herthum), is a fundamentalist Christian, while her creepy brother, Caleb Sweetzer (Jones), lost his faith after the death of their mother some years before.

From the outset, it’s difficult to like Marcus, despite the fact you’ll be laughing along at the way he takes the mickey out of his evangelical job. Yes, he has charm, but he also seems to be all too comfortable with taking advantage of his flock and, later, the Sweetzers for monetary gain. Even a late-entry obligatory scene that provides some non-selfish motivation for Marcus’s willingness to exploit for money does little to redeem his character.

But he is by far the most interesting character of the film, with the others restricted to playing their respective roles as it relates to the faithless reverend, more-so than carving their own on-screen identities. It is worth noting that newcomer Ashley Bell nails her role as the possessed girl, switching seamlessly from cute and innocent one minute to believably sinister the next.

At 90 minutes, The Last Exorcism is the right length for this documentary-style horror film. Although it manages to get to the possessed girl quite quickly, it does lose precious momentum in the middle of the film as it tries to explore the same ‘scientific explanation vs supernatural’ ground that The Exorcism of Emily Rose did a whole lot better.

If you haven’t done so already, avoid watching the trailer. It misrepresents the film and, as with most low-budget horror films, shows most of the best creepy parts, lessening their impact. Speaking of the horror elements, these are few and far between, with a much greater emphasis on character interaction that only really works if you engage with the odd love him/hate him push and pull with Reverend Marcus.

While it’s admirable that the filmmakers have opted to steer clear of the typical loud-noise-plus-quick-cut approach of far too many so-called horror films to reap cheap scares, it does leave the audience searching for the infinitely creepier but difficult to master type of horror: a constant feeling of uneasiness as the film preys on our inner fears.

Sure, there are some rare spine-chilling moments, but the fact that Marcus and the documentary crew are constantly reaffirming factual explanations over supernatural possibilities, results in a watering down of the overall horror. Couple this with a heavy-handed soundtrack during some key scary moments, and it starts to feel forced.

By the time you get to the end of the film it starts to fall apart; instead of leaving it up to the viewer to determine whether Nell was possessed or whether she was just a genuinely psychologically traumatised girl, the movie spells out one of those options for you. Paradoxically, this also introduces some weak and even illogical characterisation which, combined with a rushed conclusion, makes the culmination of the story underwhelming instead of the confronting ending the filmmakers were clearly aiming for.

Despite its many flaws, The Last Exorcism was an interesting film to watch. Occasionally clever, sometimes creepy and more often than not stimulating, I found that by the time the credits rolled around I’d laughed a whole lot but hadn’t had a single freak out. As a horror film, it really doesn’t work too well, but as a character study of the divisive Reverend Marcus, it makes for compelling viewing.

The Last Exorcism is in cinemas from November 25

Review: Nathan Lawrence

Red Hill

Director: Patrick Hughes
Stars: Ryan Kwanten, Steve Bisley, Tom E. Lewis, Claire van der Boom
SONY

Review: Dave Kozicki

There’s been a welcome resurgence of late in Australian cinema. Local filmmakers have been moving away from the clichéd staples the world has come to know our films by, be it sweeping epic, quirky comedy or dramatic indigenous based fare, and remembered that there are plenty of other genres to tap.

It has returned to the notion that film is produced by Australians, rather than we must produce typical “Australian” films.

First time filmmaker Patrick Hughes is cut from the same cloth as guerrilla directors Kevin Smith and Robert Rodriguez, coming up with a solid concept for his debut feature. After getting knocked back repeatedly and finding no support or funding from the government, he raised the capital himself to shoot this passion project. Even the second-hand film stock was begged and borrowed, sourced from short ends of Entourage Season 5 and the most recent Fast and Furious film! After showcasing Red Hill at the Berlin Film Festival, with no distributor attached, the project gained momentum and was picked up by Sony.

Red Hill is a tale of revenge with a twist. City-based police officer, Shane Cooper (Ryan Kwanten, True Blood) moves to the sleepy outback town of Red Hill to escape the stress and bustle with his pregnant wife Alice (Claire van der Boom, Rush) in tow. Shortly after arriving and checking in with his local superior Old Bill (Steve Bisley, Mad Max) he receives word of a prison break, and all hell breaks loose.

A convicted felon doing a stint for murder, Jimmy Conway (Tom E. Lewis, The Proposition) has one agenda after liberating himself from incarceration—Revenge against those who imprisoned him. And he descends upon Red Hill with that solitary goal in mind, and heaven help anyone who gets in his way.

Completely out of his element, Shane must acquaint himself with the lay of the land and work with his new fellow officers to hunt down Jimmy and bring him to justice. But not is all as it seems and Shane finds himself confronted with some tough decisions as he works his way to the heart of the matter, and Jimmy himself.

Red Hill is well acted, with Kwanten only slightly out of his depth at times, the supporting cast reins it in and drives the film home. Steve Bisley brings a likable gruffness to Old Bill, but the real standout is the menacing performance by Tom E. Lewis as Jimmy Conway. With only a single line of dialogue in the entire film, his terrifying and layered presence is extremely watchable, and makes it hard to not root for the bad guy.

Considering the shoot lasted a mere 24 days, this is an extremely good looking film, drawing obvious inspiration from Australian classics like The Man From Snowy River meshed with a traditional western, as the guitar twanging score reinforces constantly. The action is well balanced, tense and gritty, with Hughes’ own brand of flair. Considering the shoestring budget, I’d be intrigued to see what he could accomplish without such constraints.

Engaging and often hilarious, in a distinctly Australian way, Red Hill is an entertaining film with a decidedly spaghetti western feel. There’s even a dash of local urban legend thrown in with Sydney’s mythical panther providing some comic relief. If you’re tired of the quirky and preachy local fare, you’re sure to find Red Hill delightfully refreshing.

Red Hill opens November 25

Wild Target

DIRECTOR: Jonathan Lynn
STARS: Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt, Rupert Grint
ICON

Review: Valeska Valdes

A remake of the French film Cible Émouvante, Wild Target is beautifully and cleverly written. This quirky comedy is about an uptight, middle-aged, solo assassin—Victor Maynard (Nighy), London’s most respected and most expensive. He lives to please his mother and to carry on the family business.

Rose (Blunt) is a vivacious, joyous, free-spirited thief who just performed the ultimate con:  She borrows a real Rembrandt and makes a copy of it, switching between the two mid-transaction with an art-loving gangster. He finds out it’s a fake and employs Victor to kill Rose.

While stalking his prey, Victor can’t seem to pull the trigger. Something about Rose fascinates him. Victor finds himself protecting her in a quiet car park when another hit man is about to shoot her. It is here they meet Tony (Grint) a friendly guy who is down for the ride.

The three go into hiding. After a difficult night in a posh hotel, Victor takes them to his country home where it’s safe—if they obey his prison-like rules. Rose is drawn to Victor’s steadiness, and his plastic-covering-the-furniture ways. However, Rose soon finds out that she was Victor’s target all along.

The scenes of Victor’s country home are gorgeous and contrast well with the killer’s hard exterior and persona. The shoot-outs and car chases are hilarious and really well executed. Lucinda Coxon’s screenplay is witty, funny and smart, engaging the audience every step of the way.

With an obvious ending, the climax is a thinker. Not knowing what is about to happen definitely keeps you on your toes. This film has everything from romance to comedy, drama to action. A fabulously funny, entertaining film, if you enjoyed Lynn’s The Whole Nine Yards you will instantly fall in love with this odd threesome.

Wild Target opens in cinemas nationally on November 11.

BURIED

Director: Rodrigo Cortés
Stars: Ryan Reynolds
ICON

You may notice from the sole name of the actor listed that Buried is a one-man show. Not a simple task to pull off, and one most often reserved for the stage, however, Spanish director Rodrigo Cortés combines clever camera work with Hitchcock sensibilities to create a gripping exploration of what terrorism is as experienced by one man.

Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) is an American civilian contractor working in Iraq, his job is to deliver office supplies. At least that was what he was doing this morning. When he wakes up in absolute darkness, sealed inside a wood coffin somewhere under the desert, he comes to understand that he is the sole survivor of a roadside I.E.D. ambush. Buried with a mobile phone, lighter, torch and chem-lights, Conroy has 90 minutes to try to secure five million dollars from the US embassy in exchange for his freedom.

Cinematographer Eduard Grau impresses with his ingenious use of torch, Zippo and chem-lights as the film’s only light sources, and Cortés does the unthinkable by creating a one-man-show fuelled by fear, anger, depression and desperation into a nail-biting apogee that would do Alfred Hitchcock proud.

Scriptwriter Chris Sparling delivers great work in building and venting tension like an editorial bellows in a way that releases half the anxiety it injects, allowing the audience release but not relief, and Ryan Reynolds proves that he’s more than an actor with great comic timing by convincingly and impressively playing the part of a man facing almost-certain death.

Buried is cinema stripped back to its essentials: a strong and interesting story paired with believable acting. What a ride.

Buried opens in cinemas nationally on October 7.

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole

Director: Zack Snyder
Stars: Jim Sturgess, Ryan Kwanten, Hugo Weaving, Helen Mirren, David Wenham, Sam Neill, Joel Edgerton, Geoffrey Rush, Anthony Lapaglia
Warner Bros.

FROM visionary director Zack Snyder, the man who gave us the entertaining Dawn of the Dead remake, 300, and the  underappreciated Watchmen, comes a children’s movie that is confusingly disjointed as its title is long.

The computer-animated film seemingly gets caught trying to juggle too many big things at once, making it difficult to relate to and even harder to enjoy.

The story starts with owl brothers Soren and Kludd playing happy family. Soren is a dreamer, obsessed with the legend of the guardian owls that protect their kind from apparently evil owls.  His brother, Kludd, is more grounded and eager to hunt.  They are kidnapped and dropped into a world of brainwashed orphan owls of all shapes and sizes. Before Kludd can hoot “30 pieces of silver” he throws in his lot with the evil owls, turning against his kin with Anakin Skywalker-like logic.

What follows is Soren’s escape and collection of an interesting, albeit unentertaining, group of other birds who together seek out the not-so-mythical Owls of Ga’hoole in the hopes of freeing the oppressed orphans from their sinister overlords.  As a children’s film, the plot is far from complex, but the blistering pace of seemingly trivialised major events and confusing name slinging makes it difficult to want to root for any particular character’s plight.

The genre-standard humour is more miss than hit, offering cheap shots that are designed to make kids laugh at their obviousness more-so than entertain adults with their layered subtlety; Shrek or Toy Story this film is not.

Although the visuals are often interesting and the cinematography is, at times, breathtaking, the so-called 3D is essentially moot and only really noticeable when the occasional object flies at or close to the screen.  Hollywood’s obsession with 3D in this post-Avatar world hammers home the point that this sort of technology is really only effective as an immersion-increasing tool when applied to live-action films (and only those that are shot in stereoscopic 3D, not converted afterwards).

With every minor action scene you can bet that you’ll see Snyder’s now cliché slow-motion shots, and by the end of the film there’s more slow-mo than you could throw a Spartan at.

Despite the presence of many talented and familiar voices, even the upper-echelon actors seem to struggle to breathe life into their characters.  What could have been an exciting multi-book adaptation for audiences of all ages turns into a genre-confused mess that pales in comparison to even the lesser Pixar films.  At times a fluffy comedy, at others a dark parable, The Owls of Ga’Hoole attempts to walk a difficult line but ultimately underwhelms, despite the collective talent across the board.

Review: Nathan Lawrence

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole is in cinemas now

Director: Jay Roach
Stars: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Jemaine Clement, Stephanie Szostak, Lucy Punch, Bruce Greenwood, Ron Livingston

PARAMOUNT

Review: Dave Kozicki

It’s been a while between drinks for director Jay Roach, who makes a triumphant return to comedy with Dinner for Schmucks. Best known for the Austin Powers and Meet the Parents franchises, his more recent work has been a bit of a departure, most notably the brilliant (and Golden Globe-winning) made-for-TV movie Recount, driven by Kevin Spacey, Laura Dern and Denis Leary, that details the aftermath of the 2000 US Presidential election. Continue reading “Reviews – Film: Dinner for Schmucks” »