Sept 1st- this week:  
Girl asleep
Sunset Song
The Kind Words
A Hologram for the King
Blood Father

There will be two blogs this week. Today's blog covers films out now. The next blog covers films I've already seen that will release in my absence. 
Today, poetry on screen (Sunset Song), a lightweight Israeli comedy about family secrets (The Kind Words), an indie comedy (Girl Asleep), Tom Hanks having an Arabian adventure (Hologram for the King), and an action flick with Mel Gibson (Blood Father).   

Sunset Song
Director:Terence Davies
Length: 139  min

© Madman - this is poetry on screen!

Davies is one of the great British directors who makes poetic films that take their time and reflect the hearts and souls of their characters. Sunset Song is set in the farmlands of Scotland around the time of World War 1. Chris Guthrie (Agyness Deyn) is a strong young woman living with a brutal father (Peter Mullan), a mother who cracks under the strain of too many children and a brother who leaves home. When she inherits the farm and falls for Ewen (Kevin Guthrie) it seems that life will finally fall into place, but the Great War breaks out to shatter their dreams. Visually this film is stunning, the musical soundtrack is haunting and heartbreaking, while the story itself takes its time and lets viewers experience an era of hardship, war and change, while enjoying a gentle story of love, friendship and endurance. It truly feels like poetry on screen!

4 - Wholeheartedly recommended!
For my full review:
http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=6084


The Kind Words
Director: Shemi Zahin
Length: 100 min

© JIFF Distribution - 3 siblings (plus 1) in search of the truth

With 12 nominations from the Israeli Film Academy (but notably no wins), this light-hearted,  amiable film delves into family relationships, a mother's death, and long-held secrets.  When Yona dies, her three adult children delve into the past, and discover the things they thought were true are not. It's a sweet film, but at times feels formulaic with a contrived look to many of the shots. The relationships are nicely portrayed, but the character of Dorona, the daughter going through marital hardship, gets a bit wearing with her constant sour-faced petulance. Scenes shot in Marseilles give the film a nice lift towards the end. This is movie going that is enjoyable while watching, but soon forgotten. 

2.5 - Maybe!
For my full review:
http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=6085

Girl Asleep
Director:Rosemary Myers
Length: 77  min

© Soft Tread/Umbrella - quirky doesn't begin to describe this
funny, sweet film. 

This short, sweet and totally quirky Aussie story of a fifteen-year-old grappling with life is one of the most unusual and cute films you'll see for a long time. Greta Driscoll is on the outer at school - a trio of "mean girls" (namely bitches) make her life hell, her parents are throwing her a birthday party she doesn't want, and her only friend Elliott is possibly gay. The story unfolds in the 1970s with ultra-daggy clothes, disco dance moves, and parents from hell. The hyper-realistic style of filming, with its color pallettes and carefully choreographed sequences, makes the film a treat to look at. The dialogue is brilliant, with copious laughs and digs at the characters, but things get a little obscure when Greta goes into a full-blown dream sequence which feels almost like "Where the Wild Things Are".  The film has just taken the top award at CinefestOz, and rightly so - it's fresh and delightful, and the performances are all round winners. 

4 - Wholeheartedly recommended!


A Hologram for the King
Director:Tom Tykwer
Length: 98 min
Exclusive to Cinema Nova

© Walt Disney Company/Cinema Nova - Hanks pleases yet again!

Tom Hanks plays Alan, a middle-aged businessman who is majorly malcontent with life both emotionally and financially. He hopes things will turn around when he is sent to Saudi Arabia to pitch an IT product to the King. There he runs into all manner of bureaucratic obstacles, but with the help of local taxi driver Yousef, and Zahra, a doctor at the local hospital, things go in a direction he never imagines. Despite certain doubts I have as to whether some things really could happen in this oppressive country, I found the film sweet and quirky, with self-deprecating humour, some imaginative dream sequences, and well-drawn realtionships between Alan and his two major supports. Hanks is, as always, a pleasure to watch, as are the fascinating settings and landscapes of a bizarrely wealthy kingdom. 

3.5 - Recommended!
For a full review from Chris Thompson:
http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=6080


Blood Father
Director: Jean Francois Richet 
Length: 88 min

© Icon Films - Macho Mel is at it again in this
surprisingly good action flick

He's back! Mel Gibson plays Link, an ex-con out on parole, trying to go straight, living in a trailer park from where he runs his own tattoo parlour. But things go awry when his long-lost daughter Lydia turns up, being chased by a posse of hit-men associated with her drug-dealing boyfriend. If you love shoot-em-ups, motor-bike chases, and fathers who'll do anything for their kids, (and if you were a Sicario fan), this is one for you. It is well done within the genre, and Gibson, perfect for the role, tempers his macho, action-man persona with a helping of paternal feelings and, dare I say, sensitivity. 

3 - Recommended!

August 25th- this week:  
David Brent: Life on the Road
Ben Hur
Free State of Jones

A rock n roll comedy, a sword and sandals remake, and a compassionate look at one man's fight for what's right. You can't say there isn't variety in this week's offerings. 

David Brent: Life on the Road
Director: Ricky Gervais
Length: 109 mins

© EOne-  Gervais channels his inner rock star

I was never a watcher of The Office, but I think Ricky Gervais is a major talent (even if he is an acquired taste!). This time his character David Brent is taking a break from his sales rep job to hit the road with a band, (a bunch of hired session musos), doing gigs and chasing stardom. This is funny cringe-worthy stuff, as Brent giggles and snorts his way through sick jokes, ego-driven voice-overs, and sings his own compositions which are almost good, but shoot themselves in the foot with their cheesy, often anachronistic, lyrics. Ageing aspiring rock stars are always fodder for derision, and the clever thing about this is we also feel some compassion for the poor guy, as his tour doesn't go the way he hopes. It's a hoot!

3 - Recommended!
For a full review from Bernard Hemingway:
http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=6076

Ben Hur
Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Length: 125 mins

© Paramount -  At least the stars are
good looking! 

Judah Ben Hur (Jack Huston), a Jewish prince, is falsely accused of treason by Messala Severus (Tony Kebbell), his adopted brother now an officer in the Roman army. After the destruction of Judah's family, and five years as a galley slave he is hell bent on revenge. What better way to do it than to humiliate Messala by beating him in a chariot race? There are some good things in this film: it's visually impressive and the sequences of the slaves rowing for their lives amid raging battles are viscerally disturbing. Probably that's where the good stuff ends - once the ubiquitous Morgan Freeman appears (sporting the worst hairdo imaginable!) and spouting platitudes, things deteriorate. Towards the film's finale, the director decides to go for broke and throw in all manner of silliness. The famed chariot race starts well and descends into near farce, the story of Jesus (who has been a minor character throughout) takes centre stage, and the film's resolution (of which there are several) is schmaltzy and unbelievable. 

2 - You've got better things to do with your time!
For a full review from Bernard Hemingway:
http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=6078


Free State of Jones
Director: Gary Ross
Length: 139 mins

© StudioCanal - down in the bayou during the Civil War

Matthew McConnaughey just gets better as time goes on. He's seriously impressive as Newt Knight, a deserter from the army during the American Civil War. Hiding out in the swamps with a rag tag bunch of runaway slaves and poor farmers, he leads an armed rebellion against the Confederate soldiers, who are looting, pillaging and destroying the southerners' lives. Knight is a staunch defender of equality and racial integration, and fights fiercely against any exploitation. This is a powerful look at a little known part of American history, with the added twist of the story of Newt's great-grandson, who, in the 1960s was put on trial for a racially mixed marriage. With glorious cinematography of the bayou area, and wonderful performances throughout (especially Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Newt's wife Rachel), this is a fine film, but comes with a warning - the early scenes on the battle field require a strong stomach! 

4 - Wholeheartedly recommended!
For a full review from Bernard Hemingway:
http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=6079

August 18th - this week:  
Indignation
Kubo and the Two Strings
Latino Film Festival
Motorkite Dreaming

Yep, another film festival hits the screens, along with a seriously intelligent dialogue driven drama, a delightful animation set in Japan, and a 3-night only screening of a very special Aussie adventure doco. 

Indignation
Director: James Schamus
Length: 110 mins

© Roadshow - Logan Lerrman is a strong screen presence

Did you ever read Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth? If you did, you'll know his fondness for themes of adolescence and sex, which feature in the novel upon which this film is based. Set in the repressive 1950s, it's the story of Marcus (Logan Lerman), who comes from a confining Jewish family, and heads off to a Christian University in Ohio, to escape his parents and being conscripted into the Korean War. At college he does battle with the Dean (Tracey Letts), and rails against all the traditions of the institution. He also falls headlong for gentile blond bombshell Olivia (Sarah Gadon). The film features top performances by the three leads, and also some intelligent dialogue, in which Marcus defends (with indignation) his right to follow his own path. The sexual moral code of the day comes under scrutiny, and all combine to make for a compelling and thought-provoking look at life choices and their ramifications.   

3.5 - Recommended!
For my full review:
http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=6073

Kubo and the Two Strings
Director: Travis Knight
Length: 101 mins

© Universal

This animated action adventure is set in a mythical Japan, in the Samurai era. A young boy, Kubo, plays his instrument, a shamisen, and tells stories to a captivated audience. He accidentally summons up evil spirits, and must go on a quest to find a suit of armour to protect himself and save the world. His companions are a giant beetle and a snow monkey.  Before you dismiss animation, let me stress there are often meaningful messages in such films, not to mention visual beauty, and gob-smacking technical effects. The stop-motion animation is awesome, including a six-metre tall fearsome skeleton puppet! The use of origami figures coming to life is simply magical. Top-calibre actors voice the characters - Charlize Theron, Matthew McConnaghy, Art Parkinson, Ralph Fiennes and Rooney Mara. I'm not sure if it might be a bit difficult for little ones to comprehend, but it's a worthy look for animation fans and those who appreciate the aesthetic and culture of Japan. 

3 - Recommended! 

Cine Latino Film Festival
Melbourne - August 17-31
Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth

If you haven't overdosed on Rio Olympics, you can now sample the best of Latin film-making with offerings from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and Venezuela. 
Fans of Gael Garcia Bernal should enjoy Neruda, a story of Chile's Nobel-Prize winning poet on the run. 
For fans of the thriller/horror genre, I highly recommend the Peruvian film, The Womb. This is a chilling tale of Silvia, a 45-year old widow who employs a young maid Mercedes. When Mercedes falls pregnant to the handyman, life looks promising for the young couple, until Silvia's sinister agenda becomes apparent. 
The possible standout of the program is the closing night film Argentina, from top Spanish film-maker Carlos Saura. For fans of dance film, this should be unmissable.    

3.5 - Recommended!
For all the details of screenings, times and places:
http://www.cinelatinofilmfestival.com.au


Motorkite Dreaming
Special Melbourne event screenings:
Lido August 24th, 7pm; Cameo Belgrave Aug 26th, 7pm; Como August 27th 4pm

Fresh from the HotDocs Festival comes a special touring event featuring this extraordinary Aussie adventure film. Director Charlie Hill Smith follows friends Aidan and Daryl as they take to the skies flying 4000 kms from Australia's south to north, across 5 deserts, and over the traditional homelands of twenty indigenous nations. They follow songlines and connect with the world's oldest living culture. The film is highly entertaining and a heart-stopper, as the boys are flying what are virtually kites powered by lawnmower engines! The magnificent views of our great country are something most of us will never see - except in this film! 

4 - Wholeheartedly recommended!
For all the details of screenings, times and places:
http://motorkitedreaming.com/screenings/screening-dates/

For more about the film:
http://www.hotdocsoz.com/films/motorkite-dreaming

August 11th - this week:  
Louder Than Bombs
Down Under
Truman
Indian Film Festival

Yet another fabulous film festival comes to our screens - it's Bollywood and Beyond in the Indian Film Festival. Also three new releases, from a drama about a grieving family, to a wacky Aussie comedy, to a heartwarming tale of impending death, friendship  and a dog.  

Louder Than Bombs
Director: Joachim Trier
Length: 109 mins

© Sharmill - Huppert and Byrne: strong on-screen chemistry

Isabelle Huppert is always a wonderful screen presence. In this story she features mainly in flashback as a respected war photographer, Isabelle, who has died in a car crash, leaving her husband Gene (Gabriel Byrne) and two sons to grieve, and to organise a retrospective of her photos. Gene has trouble coping with his taciturn youngest son, (wonderful perf by Devin Druid) while a newspaper article about Isabelle threatens to unearth some skeletons in the closet. This is an interesting study of grief and of memory, that at times gets a bit fragmented and airy-fairy, but still has plenty to recommend it, not least the great acting. 

3.5 - Recommended!
For my full review:
http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=6069

Down Under
Director: Abe Forsythe
Length: 90 mins

© StudioCanal - The "Lebs" head out to battle the "Skips". 

Plenty of people may not agree with my delight in this film, but I really laughed at this clever, politically incorrect comedy set in the wake of the Cronulla riots a decade back. Two carloads of hotheads, one full of Lebanese and the other full of Ockers go out to brawl and take revenge. Laughs are generated from the fact that both sides say and do really stupid things (stupid knows no racial boundaries!), and there are enough unexpected surprises to keep it from formulaic territory.  Best of all, some serious food for thought lurks behind the laughter, and the sobering ending shows the ultimate upshot of dumb prejudice.  

3.5 - Recommended!
For my full review:
http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=6067

Truman
Director: Cesc Gay
Length: 108 mins

© Palace  Darin and Camara  - a beautiful friendship

A crowd-pleaser at this year's Spanish Film Festival, Truman is actually the name of a dog. Julian, a middle-aged actor, is dying of cancer and refusing further chemotherapy. His childhood friend Tomas comes to spend time, and the two friends bumble along together, chatting, reminiscing, laughing, re-connecting with Julian's son, and trying to find a new owner for Truman. This is a sweet and gentle film with much to say about male friendship (seldom so well-depicted on film), and about choosing how to die. The two actors Ricardo Darin and Javier Camara are among the best in the world of Spanish film.  

4 - Wholeheartedly recommended!
For my full review:
http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=6070


Indian Film Festival
August 11 - 20
Hoyts Melbourne Central and Highpoint



Many people think of Indian film as nothing more than the dance, colour and music associated with Bollywood. They rarely think of India's film industry being associated with serious drama. Every year IFFM gives viewers a chance to see movies from different regions of the sub-continent that speak to deeper issues in life (which is not to say that there isn't a healthy dose of Bollywood entertainment too!) I love Bollywood, but this year have previewed a number of films that fall into a less frivolous category. Several of them reflect this year's festival theme, the empowerment of women. 

Parched: The opening night film is an exquisitely filmed drama set in Rajasthan, where women living in the villages are victims of serious gender inequality. It tells of three friends, one a dancer, one a woman desperate to conceive a child, and one bringing up a boy who is running wild. All are brutalised either physically or mentally by men. The women start to see a glimmer of hope that they can change their lives and break free from these archaic traditions that subjugate them. A film like this is especially important given the horrendous sex crimes in India widely publicised over the last couple of years. 

©  - Sharon Hurst   Duck herder in southern India -
from my own trip to Kerala. 

Ottaal: Winner of the Crystal Bear at the Berlin Film Festival Ottaal is a gentle story of a boy, Kuttappayi, and his grandfather who live in India's southern area of Kerala where they herd ducks. They are poor, and Kuttappayi would love to go to school. The only friend he has is from a rich family where he is not welcome. The heart-breaking story follows what happens as Grandfather falls ill and can no longer care for the lad. If you've ever travelled down the Kerala backwaters amid the duck herds, don't miss this moving delicate film. 

Waiting: A Tara, a modern young women, waits in a hospital to hear the results of a brain scan on her injured husband. There she meets  the elderly Shiv who has been visiting his wife who has been in a coma for eight months. The two strike up a friendship that manages to bridge the age gap, and provide moments of amusement, amid the pain, as the two butt heads over language and world outlooks. This is a beautiful film about love, loss, friendship and the universal things that span all ages. 

Bridge: A lonely elderly widower is about to leap into the Ganges from a bridge, when he notices a young woman bent upon the same self-destruction. In a flash he dashes over and saves her and takes her home. Her psychologically traumatised condition makes her a challenge, but gradually, with the help of the old man and his caring servants, things take a turn for the better. Again this film is gentle, if at times a little melodramatic, with its major message being one of hope, friendship, compassion and better treatment for Indian women. 


4 - Wholeheartedly Recommended!
For details of all the films, awards ceremonies, guests and special events head to 
http://www.iffm.com.au/index.html

August 4th - this week:  
Embrace
The Clan

Most film aficionados are out MIFFing to their heart's content, and there are many fine blogs covering the festival. I'm holding the fort reporting on the general releases, and this week there are two very disparate films, both intriguing in their own way. 

Embrace
Director: Taryn Brumfitt
Length: 90 mins

© Transmission - the pix that caused the furore

If, like so many women, you feel constantly assailed by media pressure as to how you are supposed to look, then this is the film for you! If you are constantly hating your body and dieting to attain a certain size, then this is the film for you! The director posted pix of herself on Facebook, before and after babies. The furore prompted her to go out and interview all manner of women, from anorexic, to obese, to handicapped, to injured, as to how they feel about their bodies. This is a really important film about the critical need to accept (and value) what we are as women. It is also a salutory lesson on how destructive media (and men) can be in destroying self-esteem in women.   

3.5 - Recommended!
For my full review:
http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=6065


The Clan
Director: Pablo Trapero
Length: 110 mins
Exclusive to Cinema Nova

This true-crime story is set in Argentina in the 1980s. Arquimedes Puccio is a relic of the fallen dictatorship. He's a loving family man, with the hardened heart of a killer underneath. He makes money on the side by kidnapping wealthy folk and demanding ransoms. His son Alex is beginning to make a career as a renowned rugby player, but soon his involvement with his father's nefarious activities will throw everything into turmoil. This strangely compelling film about amorality at its worst is well acted, especially by the lead man, and even though it's all true it is quite hard to believe. There is often a sensibility about films set in Latin America that is perplexing for we mere Aussie folk who haven't lived through such harrowing times! It's an intriguing watch, nevertheless. 

3 - Recommended!!
For a full review from Bernard Hemingway:
http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=6056