December 15:  
Mahana
Rosalie Blum
La La Land

Don't miss getting across to Cinema Nova for the wonderful New Zealand drama Mahana. Several of the Boxing Day releases are getting early previews, so let's look at a couple of them: La La Land and Rosalie Blum. 

Mahana
Director: Lee Tamahori
Length: 103 min
Exclusive to Cinema Nova

© EOne - powerful performances and great story-telling

From the author of Whale Rider and the director of Once Were Warriors, comes this powerful  drama of two rival Maori sheep-shearing families in New Zealand during the 1960s. The patriarch of the Mahana family (blisteringly portrayed by Temuera Morrison) rules his family with an iron fist, and forbids them to have anything to do with the Poata family. Grandson Simeon (Akuhata Keefe) has the strength to stand up to his tyrannical grandfather, but not without great cost to the family. As the reasons for the feud finally emerge, the two families must reassess how they will allow the truth to dictate their future dealings. Nancy Brunning as Grandmother is also superb, and the film as a whole is testament New Zealand's film-making prowess. There is strong narrative, and a deep insight into the Maori community in this intense and beautiful film.   

4 - wholeheartedly recommended!
For a full review from Chris Thompson:
http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=6150

Rosalie Blum
Director: Julien Rappeneau
Length: 96 min

© Palace - Fresh , quirky and delightful French film-making

Thirty-something hairdresser Vincent lives a routine, loveless life, with his overbearing mother too close for comfort upstairs from him. One day in the grocer shop he sees a woman, Rosalie Blum,(Noemie Lvovsky) and the experience sets off a sense of dejavu, and a burning need to know everything about her. He begins to stalk her, but she has a few counter-moves of her own up her sleeve, co-opting her niece Alice and friends to do a bit of counter-stalking. A major winner from last year's French Film Festival, RB represents for me the best of French cinema. A gentle life-affirming comedy that amuses yet reflects "real people", it is charming and touching. The clever plot which recaps the same incidents from different viewpoints will also have you guessing for a while. 

4 - wholeheartedly recommended!
For a full review to come upon main release:
http://www.cinephilia.net.au

La La Land
Director: Damien Chazelle
Length: 128 min

© EOne

Mia (Emma Stone) and Seb (Ryan Gosling) are young Los Angeles aspirants - she to being an actress (of course!) and him to setting up his own jazz club. They meet, and (after an initial aversion) fall in love, but do they live happily ever after? Yes, it's a musical, harking back to the bygone era of dreamy glamour and romance. The pair sing and dance at the drop of a hat, and it's fun, and beautiful to look at, especially the magic-realism sequences like the one where they dance through the stars at the planetarium. While most critics seem beside themselves with praise for this film, I have minor reservations - don't get me wrong, I was charmed and entertained, but somewhere it is lacking chemistry between the characters, and they almost try too hard at the dancing and singing, with both voices lacking. Perhaps it's not possible to wind back the clock to recreate the magic of the truly great Hollywood musicals, but La La Land should entertain.   

3.5 - recommended!
For a full review to come upon main release:
http://www.cinephilia.net.au