August 10 2017
Atomic Blonde
The Big Sick
Wind River
Indian Film Festival

I've played catch up with a couple of films that released last week: The Big Sick (hate that title!!) and Atomic Blonde. Both are recommendable, but my fave for the week is Wind River. 

Wind River
Director: Taylor Sheridan
Length: 107 min

© Icon - superbly crafted, suspenseful and
disturbing story of modern America's wild frontier

Cory (Jeremy Renner) is a local game tracker who is coming to terms with the death of his own daughter. When he discovers the body of a girl out in the frozen winter wilderness of Wyoming, he is enlisted by Rookie FBI agent Jane (Elizabeth Olsen) to help in the case. The world they are drawn into is one of male violence and shocking disregard of Native American women. Sheridan scripted Sicario and Hell or High Water - both dealing with dysfunction in Mexico and small town USA. In this film he looks at the brutality of both men and nature in the wild frontier country, where the true inhabitants, the Native Americans, have lost their way. The film is stunningly shot, conveying the both the harshness and beauty of nature, and the acting by all is spot-on, with Renner and Olsen a strong teaming. This is top-notch film-making with a strong narrative, made even better by a hauntingly powerful soundtrack from the Nick Cave/Warren Ellis team.   
4 - highly recommended! 

Atomic Blonde
Director: David Leitch
Length: 115 min

© Universal - a smorgasbord of sexiness, violence and 

spy vs spy goings on!

On the eve of the collapse of the Berlin Wall, MI6 agent Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) is despatched to the city to assassinate a double agent and to retrieve a stolen list of operatives in the Soviet Union. The story is based upon a graphic novel, and if you like spy thriller/action flicks this could well be for you. I personally am always at a loss to follow these convoluted (and not always believable) plots, but the film still has some good stuff going for it. The stunningly sexy, incredibly talented Theron is a joy to watch - for once a female operative is as violent and bad-ass as any Jason Bourne type, and the set action pieces, in which she annihilates those who cross her, make for high-energy entertainment, despite copious amounts of spurting blood and bone-crunching. The fine cast assembled to play various other spies and shady characters includes Toby Jones, James McAvoy, and Eddie Marsan, and the Berlin settings are suitably gritty and authentic. And, of course, there's a beaut twist at the end!
3.5 - recommended! 

The Big Sick
Director: Michael Showalter
Length: 120 min

© Roadshow - a sweet, intelligent funny love

story, that's actually true!

Kumail Nanjiana is a Pakistani-born comedian. In this intelligent, funny true story he plays himself, a beloved son of parents who expect him to follow tradition and make an arranged marriage. (They also expect him to become a lawyer, not a stand-up comic.) When he starts dating an American girl, Emily (Zoe Kazan), trouble is afoot. He lies to his parents, avoids meeting Emily's family, and goes through internal agonising. However when Emily is diagnosed with a mysterious illness and put in an induced coma, Kumail is forced to decide what really matters to him in life. What starts out as light-weight, mildly amusing fare soon veers into somewhat different territory, tackling themes of cultural difference and inter-racial issues. The scripting feels fresh and real (well, it is!), and with great supporting performances from Holly Hunter and Ray Romano as Emily's parents, there's a lot to enjoy in this one. 
4 - highly recommended! 

Indian Film Festival
At various Hoyts cinemas around Melbourne
August 10-22
Yep, another film festival rolls off the presses, and this one is always a fabulous mix of Bollywood glamour and glitz, mixed with a serious dose of what they call "Beyond Bollywood" and documentaries. 
The only film I've managed to preview is Poorna, the remarkable true story of a 13-year-old village girl who summitted Mount Everest. Has to be seen to be believed. 
For information on locations, times, films and ticketing go to:
www.iffm.com.au