December 22:  
Rogue One
Paterson
Allied
United Kingdom
Red Dog
Sing
Rosalie Blum
La La Land

So, the year is almost at an end.  I caught up with Rogue One, and today Paterson releases. As always, the Boxing Day releases are eagerly anticipated, and this year there are LOTS of 'em! Last week I looked at Rosalie Blum and La La Land. This week I cover any others I've already seen. 
And stay tuned for a BLOG-EXTRA any day soon, with my lists of the best from 2016!

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Director: Gareth Edwards
Length: 134 min

© Disney - the Force is back!

I was born a bit too late to be a Star Wars tragic, but I have particularly enjoyed the two most recent films, both released this year. Rogue One is supposedly the first in a Star Wars anthology of stand-alone tales, but exactly where it sits in the Star Wars "mythology" is unclear to me.  To outline the plot would be a daunting task for me - suffice to say the rebels are again fighting the evil Empire, with Felicity Jones playing the heroine accompanied by a rag-tag assortment of compadres, including a blind Japanese warrior, a defector Imperial pilot and the male hero Cassian (Diego Luna). The film is somewhat more dark and serious than its predecessors; that actually adds to its creds, making it feel like a real war story. Overall it is a well-crafted sci-fi adventure, with stunning special effects, well-drawn characters and a jolly good cast. 

3.5 - recommended!

Paterson
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Length: 115 min
(Opening Dec 22) 

© Madman - Adam Driver turns in a soulful performance

Viewers will possibly love or hate this film. Paterson is a town, and also the name of its busdriver, played by Adam Driver. (Freaky eh?) We follow his life through each day of a routine week, in which he wakes with his beloved wife, drives the local bus, writes philosophical poetry, and walks his bulldog each night, stopping in at the pub. Very little happens. Rather, the film is an exploration of what it means to live a simple life, happy in one's relationship and striving to be creative in a small way. We are party to the minutiae of conversations that Paterson overhears, and to the small details of the lives of his wife Laura and of the townspeople, from cupcake baking to heart-aches. I love the unassuming nature of this story; just ordinary people striving to rise above mundanity, to feel connectedness and to draw inspiration from those they love. It's an antidote to all the convolutions and stresses of much of today's world.  

4 - wholeheartedly recommended!
For a full review from Bernard Hemingway:
http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=6152

Allied
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Length: 124 min
Boxing Day release

© Paramount - Pitt and Cotillard cook up an action and 
love storm!

World War II inspires another gripping film, this one about an intelligence officer Max Vatan (Brad Pitt), who teams up with French resistance fighter Marianne Beausejour (Marion Cotillard) to kill the German ambassador in Morocco. They pretend to be husband and wife, but soon fall in love for real and marry back in England. But when questions are raised about the true identity of Marianne, Max must face the most difficult time of his life. 
I'm betting this film will divide critics - those who see it as formulaic, and those, like moi, who love the re-creation of the period, with its look and its music, the intrigue of the story, and the sizzling chemistry between the two leads. Allied is strong, old fashioned film-making, with a solid narrative and fine performances all round. 

3.5 - recommended!

A United Kingdom
Director: Amma Asante
Length: 111 min
Boxing Day release

© Transmission - Oyelowo and Pike in a powerful true story of 
an African king marrying a British woman

Yet another film based upon a true story, this one begins in 1947. African prince, Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo), is soon to inherit the throne in Bechuanaland (now Botswana) and is studying law in England. There he meets and marries Ruth, a white Englishwoman (Rosamund Pike). But when he takes her back home, all manner of troubles set in. Apartheid is about to be legalised in South Africa, and the British empire has all sorts of fingers in political and economic pies. Seretse's family do not approve of his inter-racial marriage. Life becomes one giant challenge for the couple and often includes long periods of separation. This is essentially a warm and inspiring love story, set against an intriguing time of political change. The two leads conjure up a terrific chemistry, and the social issues raised are still important today.   

4 - wholeheartedly recommended!

Red Dog: True Blue
Director: Kriv Stenders
Length: 88 min
Boxing Day release

© Roadshow - Mick and Blue

Sequels can often disappoint, but not this one!  Theo is a lad desperate for a dog. His father (Jason Isaacs, known from Harry Potter among countless other films), tells his son a story about his own childhood, when, as an 11-year-old. he was shipped off to a farm in the Pilbara to live with his grandfather (Bryan Brown). There he met a one-of-a-kind dog, and the special relationship they shared makes up the narrative of the film - a sort of prequel to the legend of the Red Dog as seen in the first film. Levi Miller is charming and sweet as the lonely young Mick, who bonds like glue with his beloved dog while also learning some valuable life lessons about having a crush on your teacher! The story also has several strong Indigenous strands.  Brown is surprisingly nuanced as Gramps, the Pilbara scenery is a winner, the dog enchants, and the film leaves me with a warm glow. 

4 - wholeheartedly recommended!

Sing
Director: Christophe Lourdelet & Garth Jennings
Length: 108 min
Boxing Day release

© Universal - a total joy for all ages! 

Without being sickeningly cutesie, this charming film is mega-CUTE!! It's also funny and very intelligently scripted. Koala entrepreneur Buster Moon (voiced by Matthew McConnaghey), is trying to save his beloved but ailing theatre by staging a singing competition. All creatures great and small are invited to enter and the finalists include (among others) Rosita the pig, Johnny the gorilla, a punk-rock porcupine and (possibly) a very shy elephant. Before you adults dismiss animation, let me say the capturing of human stereotypes in these superbly anthropomorphised animals is perfectly executed, the plot is engaging and actually very touching, and the number of fabulous songs that get a run are a treat for music lovers. It's the sort of film to put a smile on the faces of all age groups. 

4 - wholeheartedly recommended!

For good measure, if you missed last week's blog, these two were reviewed and also release fully on Boxing Day:

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, half an hour in,  recaps the same incidents from different viewpoints will also have you guessing for a while. 

4 - wholeheartedly recommended!

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!