August 24 2017
Studio Ghibli Retrospective - ACMI
The King's Choice
Maudie
American Made
Killing Ground
The Lost City of Z

It's a bumper issue this week, with all manner of films, from art-house to horror. Four of the five films are based upon true stories, while the Studio Ghibli retrospective is a major treat for lovers of quality Japanese animation.

Celebrate Studio Ghibli
ACMI Cinemas - 24 August to 25 September 2017

© Madman/ACMI - My Neighbour Totoro is one of 

Studio Ghibli's earliest and most delightful animations

Spirited Away, Ponyo, Howl's Moving Castle, My Neighbour Totoro . . . the list goes on. 23 of the exquisitely executed films that have come out of the renowned Japanese animation studio will be screening at ACMI for a special season. If you haven't seen these wonderful films, then consider this an unmissable opportunity to catch up! Age is no barrier - the films deal so sensitively and insightfully with life's issues, that they are a treat for all ages. 
For information on dates, times and the films visit:
acmi.net.au/ghibli
4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended

The King's Choice
Director: Erik Poppe
Length: 130 min

© Palace - a little known part of Norway's history
is revealed in a tale both personal and political 

Fresh from the recent Scandinavian Film Festival, this little known (well, to me) story is of three fateful days in Norway's history. In April 1940 Germany gave Norway an ultimatum: surrender or die! The aging King Haakon (Jesper Christensen) is a monarch elected and loved by the people, and he takes his sense of duty very seriously. The agonising decision he makes will have ramifications for all of his country.
This is a film that requires careful attention to the complex political machinations and historical background, yet the compelling performance by Christensen as the King lends the film a depth of emotion that surprised me. He portrays the man as a deeply caring human being - for both his family and his country. The relationship between Haakon, his son Olav and his grandchildren is beautifully portrayed, and the danger in which his family finds themselves makes the film increasingly gripping. Complemented by beautiful cinematography, an excellent soundtrack and a tense, complex plot, this somewhat long film is worth the effort.  
4 - highly recommended!

Maudie
Director: Aisling Walsh
Length: 115 min

© Transmission - Ethan Hawke and Sally Hawkins
form an unlikely couple living an extraordinary
life in snowy Nova Scotia

This is the true story of Maud Lewis, who was born in 1905 in Nova Scotia. She suffered childhood rheumatoid arthritis which progressively crippled her body, but somehow she managed to wield a paintbrush and become one of Canada's much-loved folk artists. The film takes up where Maud answers an ad to be a housekeeper to a grumpy, taciturn recluse, Everett (Ethan Hawke). The privations of their simple life together, the slow blossoming of an unlikely love, and Maud's progressive dedication to her art, despite her growing infirmity, is lovingly portrayed in this sublime film. Maudie has already won several awards, and I believe it has Oscar written all over it, especially for Hawkins' career-best performance. This deeply touching sweet film is almost note-perfect in every regard.
4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended

American Made
Director: Doug Liman
Length: 115 min

© Universal - one of Cruise's best performances in ages
in this  highly entertaining story of America's involvement 
in all manner of no-good!

Terrifically entertaining from go to whoa, American Made is the true story of TWA pilot Barry Seal (Tom Cruise), who was co-opted to work for the CIA in the 1980s, and from there went on to become one of America's wealthiest men. Although supposedly working for the "good guys" (the CIA!), Barry was soon intricately involved in running guns and drugs, transporting soldiers training to fight in Central America, and finally became a key player in both Pablo Escobar's Medillin cartel, and the Iran-Contra affair. I've never been a huge Tom Cruise fan, but he's at his best in this role as the energetic, cocky but somehow likeable Seal. Liman's approach to his subject matter is just right - laid-back and light, action-packed, tense at times, funny, and with a rousing soundtrack. This is the best of the mainstream Hollywood style, and as an expose of the hypocritical duplicitous side of US government, it's a winner!  
4 - highly recommended!

Killing Ground
Director: Damien Power
Length: 90 min

© Mushroom Films - fear and survival rule in this

disturbing Aussie horror film

To celebrate New Year in romantic isolation, Sam (Harriet Dyer) and Ian (Ian Smith) go camping in the woods. But things turn ugly when they discover their neighbour's tent abandoned, and find a lost toddler wandering alone. Reviewing this sort of film gives me great angst - for those who love the horror/thriller genre no doubt it will be a pleasing addition to the collection. As a genre film, Killing Ground does all the right things - builds the tension, delivers plenty of killing (as promised by the title), and gives viewers a cathartic ending. The cinematographer's keen eye employs the Aussie bush with terrifying effect (as in many films of this nature). Aaron Pederson, as a pathologically cold killer, and Aaron Glenane as his equally sadistic sidekick, both play their parts to a tee and there is a fleeting reference to past slaughter of Aborigines at the campsite,  as if implying evil has infected the place . . . but there is something so heartless and nasty about the film's content that I find myself wondering why movie-makers' bother to "celebrate" such murderousness. 
3 - only recommended as a well-made genre film for horror fans, but NOT recommended for others! 

The Lost City of Z
Director: James Gray
Length: 140 min

© Studio Canal - jungles and explorers make for
a good old fashioned story.

This cracking yarn is the true story of Percy Fawcett, (Charlie Hunnam) a British soldier turned explorer who is sent off by the Royal Geographical Society in 1905 to map the Amazonian jungle in Bolivia.  With his trusty aide-de-camp Henry Costin (Robert Pattinson), he discovers what he believes is evidence of a lost civilisation deep in the jungle. He is initially ridiculed by the stuffy RGS, but eventually makes further expeditions, convinced he can find the proof. This is an engaging story of a man's dedication to a quest, but it also examines his internal conflict between ambition and his love for wife Nina (impressively played by Sienna Miller) and his three children. Shot in the deepest jungles of Columbia, the film feels old-fashioned in its style, but also very authentic, with disease, snakes and cannibals looming large. Although the adventure never quite soars to the heights it could have, the story is impressive and the cinematography quite beautiful. 
3.5 - recommended!