October 27th  
Deepwater Horizon
Cafe Society
BBC First British Film Festival
Jewish International Film Festival

For me it's a film frenzy - catching up on films I've missed, checking out the never ending festival offerings and generally over-indulging in the big screen.  

Deepwater Horizon
Director:Peter Berg
Length: 107 min

© Roadshow - Absolutely rivetting disaster
film - and true!

If action is your thing, be sure to catch this excellent film, based upon the true life disaster of an oil rig that caught on fire and caused the worst oil spill in history. With a great cast including Mark Wahlberg, Kate Hudson, Kurt Russell and John Malkovitch, this is thrilling and disturbing film viewing. Big corporations love to cut costs, and this tragedy proved only too well the human and environmental price paid for this avoidable neglect. The build up to the main drama, including the personal lives of the characters is wonderfully drawn, and once the action sets in, it is a totally thrilling (and upsetting) ride! 

4 - Wholeheartedly recommended!
For a full review from Andrew Lee:
http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=6104


Cafe Society
Director: Woody Allen
Length: 96 min

© EOne - Youth, romance and regret in Woody's latest

Many people tell me they don't like Woody Allen. At heart, I'm a die-hard fan, even though his films are variable. This latest is a lightweight, fun, fab-looking film, set in Hollywood of the 1930s. Young, gauche Bobby Dorfmann (Jesse Eisenberg) heads off to the bright lights where his Uncle Phil (Steve Carrell) is a studio mogul. He lands a job and falls for Phil's secretary Vonnie (Kristen Stewart). But she has another man and Bobby returns to New York to go into his gangster brother's nightclub business.  But can Bobby ever forget his first great love? Stewart is a stand-out in this film - and so are the sumptuous cinematography and settings.  

3.5 - Recommended!
For a full review:
http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=6109


BBC First British Film Festival
Melbourne 26th October - 16th November (check website for other states)
At Palace Como, Balwyn, Brighton Bay 

I've had the privilege of previewing three of the films showing. Longer reviews will follow when the films get mainstream releases. If these are an indication of the quality of the festival, then bring it on!

I, Daniel Blake: a heartbreaking no nonsense story of a man struggling to deal with the British welfare system. (from director Ken Loach, whose films will be examined in a special doco). 
The Light Between Oceans: Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander star in this tear-jerker about a lighthouse keeper on a remote Australian coast and his wife who find a baby floating in a boat at sea.
A United Kingdom: The true story of the marriage between the king of Bechuanaland and a white British woman, at a time when apartheid in South Africa dominated politics. An inspiring film, beautifully acted by Rosamund Pike and David Oyelowo.

As well as another 15 or so  Australian premiere films, there is a retrospective featuring such British gems as Oliver!, The French Lieutenant's Woman, A Room with a View and many more worth revisiting on the big screen. 

4.5 - Wholeheartedly recommended!
To check out what's on where and when:
http://www.britishfilmfestival.com.au


Jewish International Film Festival
Melbourne 27th October - 23rd November (check website for other states)
At Classic and Lido 

For fans of JIFF, you no doubt have already discovered what films you want to see and have your tickets in your hot little hands. My absence this year has precluded me from previewing anything, but from the look of the guide, the festival should once again be a winner. Opening night film Denial, about Holocaust denier David Irving, promises to be captivating. The rest of the 68 new films showing are testament to the talents of dedicated curator Eddie Tamir and his excellent eye for entertaining and provocative films.   
To check out what's on where and when:
www.jiff.com.au

October 20th - this week:  
Sully
The Girl on the Train
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
Innuendo (as part of forthcoming Lorne Film Festival) 

If you've missed me, well I'm back!!!
After a wonderful break from film (well, I missed it a bit after the three-week mark!) and a great five weeks in glorious Greece, I'm back on the viewing circuit and bringing you my insights and recommendations. Many of them are catch-ups on films already released - some you may have already seen. Gradually I'll integrate the new releases with the older ones. Here goes!

Sully
Director:Clint Eastwood
Length: 96 min

© Warner Bros  - Hanks is wonderful! 

In 2009, pilot Chesley Sullenberger successfully landed a stricken plane on the Hudson River, New York. All 155 people on board escaped with their lives and few injuries. Hailed initially as a hero, Sully soon found himself the subject of an investigation by the air safety board, trying to imply he had made bad decision in landing on the river, as opposed to attempting to return to an airport. 
I admire Tom Hanks, and I really enjoyed this film. It doesn't try to glamorise the heroics - rather it shows the importance of a team working together, and how a skilled, calm and compassionate leader can turn potential disaster into something inspirational. With strong support from Aaron Eckhart as the co-pilot, and Laura Linney as Sully's wife, Sully is exciting, moving and well worth watching. 

4 - Wholeheartedly recommended!
For a full review:
http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=6090


The Girl on the Train
Director: Tate Taylor
Length: 112 min

©EOne - Blunt exceeds expectations in this interesting thriller

Having read the book, I had low expectations of the film. But here's a case where I think the film is better than the novel!! Emily Blunt plays Rachel, who, after the demise of her marriage to Tom, hits the bottle. Each day on the train she observes the lives of others, and envies what she perceives as true happiness. But when a woman she has become fixated upon is found murdered, Rachel's life heads off on a new track (no pun intended!) 
Happily I had forgotten whodunnit, so I was totally engaged with the various possible scenarios of which of these dysfunctional characters may have been the murderer. The film is well-acted, especially by Blunt, the time shifts keep you on your toes, and for a mainstream thriller this is taut and absorbing. 

3.5 - Recommended !
For a full review:
http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=6106


Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
Director: Edvard Zwick
Length: 118 min

The Lee Child novels about Reacher, an ex-military cop certainly have a legion of fans. No doubt the ongoing film franchise will also. This second film, starring Tom Cruise as the tough loner, is based upon the 12th novel in the series, and has all the requisite tropes we expect from such tales - government conspiracies, car chases, potential love affairs, secrets from Reacher's past, and a motley bunch of bad guys determined to kill our hero. There are also two females, one an army colleague, the other  a young girl Reacher sets out to protect, who provide some gutsy quick-thinking and smart-fighting role models. I guess this genre of film has never been my facvourite, but I certainly had some fun with it, and Cruise scrubs up well, bringing a modicum of depth (dare I even say emotion?) to his role. The action is relentless, if predictable, but can we really believe after every gut-wrenching fight Reacher will walk away with little more than a scratch to his cheek?!! 

2.5 - Maybe! (Probably definitely, for fans of the book) 

Innuendo
Director: Saara Lamberg
Length: 100 min

Showing at Lorne Film Festival - 11-13 November

Some films defy classification - Innuendo is one of these. Part psychological thriller, part personal drama, even part horror, it is the brainchild of challenging and original director Saara Lamberg. Shot in Australia and Finland, the story is of Tuuli and her twin sister, who grow up in an oppressively religious Finnish family. After emigrating to Australia Tuuli becomes a nude model.  But she is obviously psychologically disturbed and all the lives she touches become tainted. Lamberg won an international award for her script, but even more notable is that as well as writing and directing she stars in the lead role. I can't profess to fully comprehend all the twists and turns and psychological implications, but I will say this is an impressive feature debut that shows Lamberg's unique vision and talent for all aspects of the film process. 

For more on the Lorne Film Festival:

http://www.lornefilm.com