January 16th
Biggest Little Farm
Bombshell
Meeting Gorbachev
Dolittle

Three-quarters of this week's films feature animals - one has the real farmyard variety, another has an array of digitised critters, and another has an animal of the human variety, hiding in the guise of a media magnate. Add in a doco on Gorbachev, and you have an eclectic selection of movie offerings. 

Biggest Little Farm
Director: John Chester
Length: 91 min

 ©  Madman – you've got to love Emma the pig, a star of 

this inspiring doco. 

John Chester was a documentary film maker in LA for 20 years. His wife, Molly, was a chef. In 2011 they were threatened with eviction from their city apartment, thanks to the incessant barking of their dog Todd. So, they left their jobs and headed to the countryside, 200 acres of it, in Ventura County California, and set up a farm. Initially the soil was utterly impoverished - little more than dust - but with creative, sustainable, bio-regenerative farming practices they set up one of the most impressive all round farms you can imagine, with a vast variety of animals, thousands of fruit trees, a myriad of crops and more. The doco was filmed over eight years, so is an up-to-the-moment record of the years of toil, heartache, challenges, and ultimately, huge success. Initially the Chesters found for every step forward, new challenges emerged. Getting aphids, ladybugs, coyotes, birds, chickens and countless other conflicting elements to ultimately reach a balance is critical to the Chesters' journey. This is a hugely enjoyable, informative and uplifting film that stresses the interconnectedness of all aspects of the ecosystem, and shows the importance of understanding nature. The animals are charming, especially Emma the pig. I have changed my garden mulching regimen as a result of being inspired by this fabulous doco. 
To read about the Chesters' farm, visit: www.apricotlanefarms.com/
4 - highly recommended!

Bombshell
Director: Jay Roach
Length: 108 min

 ©  StudioCanal –  the performances are a standout.

2016 was a watershed year for women, and for the Fox TV empire. Roger Ailes, (John Lithgow) had been the CEO of Fox News for ten years. At a network mired in conservatism and male dominance, women were given high-profile jobs only if they were glamorous and  "played the game". This impressive film tracks the 16 days that brought Ailes down, as anchor-woman Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) filed a suit against him for sexual harassment. Together with Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron), they enlist the support of more than 20 other women, including the fictional character of Kayla (Margot Robbie), who represents the many aspiring young women who capitulated to Ailes's repugnant methods of eliciting "loyalty" to the firm. Departing with a massive payout, Ailes became history, and a portent of the worldwide movement which now sees more and more woman calling male behaviour to account. Already Theron and Robbie are sporting a raft of award nominations for their performances, and it is the strength of all the acting that really stands out. Not to mention the extraordinary make-up and prosthetics work to transform the actors into their characters. Roach directs the film with a ferocious energy which never lags, with fast paced scenes that at times become a little confusing to follow, especially when the legalities come to the fore. But this is an important film, which really shows the anguish so many women have been through, and the fraught world of high-profile TV shows.
4 - highly recommended!

Meeting Gorbachev
Director: Werner Herzog
Length: 95 min
Exclusive to Cinema Nova

©  Rialto – intriguing doco on a controversial
figure of 20th century history

Mikhail Gorbachev is considered by some to be one of the greatest politicians of the 20th century. Many love him for being instrumental in helping to end the Cold War and making the Soviet Union more transparent, as well as starting talks with the US to decrease nuclear arms and allowing the reunification of Germany with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Many within his country loathe him for facilitating the break-up of the Soviet Union and its accompanying economic crisis. German director Werner Herzog is obviously very invested in the history of the area. At times he seems almost a little too intrusive upon the interview. But for lovers of political history, this fascinating doco should shed further light on the man, and the country he led for some years until he was ousted in 1991. In a frank interview, we learn of "Gorby's" personal life, his continuing commitment to his ideals, and with the excellent archival footage, we get a wonderful insight into history and the way it can unexpectedly deliver dramatic changes almost overnight.
3.5 - well recommended!   

Dolittle
Director: Stephen Gaghan
Length: 106 min

 ©  Universal  – love seeing RDJ
on screeen . . . but . . .

John Dolittle (Robert Downey Jnr) is a famed doctor and veterinarian living in Queen Victoria's England. He has an extraordinary gift of being able to talk to animals, and understand them, in all their different languages. But he is grieving the death of his beloved wife and has holed up in Dolittle mansion with only his beloved beasts for company. When a young lad Stubbins (Harry Collett) wanders in with an injured squirrel, along with a princess begging Dolittle to come to the aid of a perilously ill Queen, the adventure begins. The actors voicing the animals in this film are notable: Emma Thomson as Poly the Parrot, Rami Malek as Chi Chi the gorilla, Octavia Spencer as the duck, and even Ralph Fiennes as Brian the tiger (add Antonio Banderas, Jim Broadbent and Michael Sheen as humans, and you have an all-star cast. The digitised animals must have cost most of the film's budget, but even the impressive voice-cast and the wondrous array of animals can't save this patchy, uneven film, that should have stayed with its early promise of being a quirky English fun-filled romp. (I chuckled at the start, but my laughter progressively waned.) Instead it lurches into horribly Americanised and predictable dialogue, totally inappropriate to the original tale. Its uninspiring and cursory narrative arc features adventures that fail to thrill, and plot points that are hackneyed and trying too hard to be funny when they're not. Unlike many other fine kid's flicks, there is no sub-text aimed at adults. Little ones may be entertained by the endless (overly long?) animal shenanigans, but as a film it is a disappointing remake of one of my favourite stories.
2.5 - maybe (though I'm tending towards don't waste your time)!