January 18
Swinging Safari
The Shape of Water 
Mary and the Witch's Flower

This week's offerings are as varied as they are entertaining. Lovers of political incorrectness can revel in a return to the swinging 70s, animation fans can feast upon a new Japanese tale, while a much touted watery romance will stay strong in your memory long after you leave the cinema. 

Swinging Safari
Director: Stephan Elliott
Length: 96 min

© Becker - fun in the sun. The outrageous seventies
make a return in this Aussie comedy

It is the mid-70s and 14 year old Atticus (Jeff Marsh) is growing up in Aussie suburbia. The now-adult man recalls in a voice-over one crazy year in which he made his first film with friends, hung out at the beach and befriended fellow outsider teen Melly. (No doubt plenty of Elliott's own memories here!) He also accidentally observes his parents and their neighbours doing a bit of wife-swapping, and to add to the excitement the locals are in consternation when a giant whale washes up on the beach. If you lived through the 70s, you'll recall the tasteless fashion, bad hair, ghastly parties, and the sexual revolution. This film celebrates and lampoons it all, at times lurching a bit into stereotypical territory and the odd unbelievable plot point. At times plot becomes subservient to chaotic and uproarious craziness, and above all the film is so politically incorrect. But that's its charm - it gives us the opportunity to have a guilty laugh at things that nowadays we daren't even refer to, let alone laugh at! Aussie acting icons feature: Guy Pearce, Jeremy Sims, Kylie Minogue, Radha Mitchell, Julian McMahon, Asher Keddie, Jack Thompson and more. If nostalgia and a good (guilty) laugh are your thing, this could well be the perfect summer film for you. 
3.5 - well recommended!

The Shape of Water
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Length: 102 min

© 20th Century Fox - Two beings without
the power of speech - love at first sight? 

Eliza (Sally Hawkins) is mute but can hear. She works as a cleaner in a top secret research lab in the USA, in 1962. When a strange amphibious man-creature, captured in the jungles of South America, is brought in, there is an instant connection between the woman and the creature, both of whom can't speak. But scientists, along with Russian agents, have varying (and none too pleasant) plans for the creature, so Eliza, with the help of friends, must work fast to save it. This is indeed the most unlikely fantasy/romance I've seen, and yet something about it works really well. As a story it is captivating and imaginative (what else do we expect from del Toro?), and once you decide to suspend your disbelief, it will overwhelm you with a powerful romanticism. There are also possible layers of allegory - Cold War machinations, issues of how we treat those unlike ourselves, and themes of trust and communication that go beyond language. The film's styling is spectacular, and the creature unforgettable. Hawkins, yet again, shows her acting prowess, ably supported by Richard Jenkins as her lonely artist friend (who also serves as narrator), Octavia Spenser as a supportive co-worker, Michael Shannon as a ruthless scientist who torments the creature, Michael Stuhlbarg a Russian scientist who is unexpectedly compassionate, while Doug Jones, as "amphibian man" captures a magical ambiguity that blends animal and human. Of course water features strongly, and its powerful use as a "leitmotif" is as creative, elusive and enveloping as this magical fairy-tale of love.
PS: it's already won Best Director and Best Musical Score at the Golden Globes. 
4 - highly recommended!

Mary and the Witch's Flower
Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi
Length: 102 min

© Madman - Japanese animation is like watching

watercolour paintings come to life

Anyone familiar with Japanese animation will know the magic of Studio Ghibli. When the iconic studio closed, director Yonebayashi, employed there for 20 years, struck out on his own. Basing his debut film on the English story The Little Broomstick, he brings us a feisty little girl Mary who discovers a magical flower in the forest. This gives rise to adventures which see her stumbling into a school of magic. But, as always, villains abound, and Mary must summon all her courage to rescue her friend Peter from their clutches. (It's great to see a strong female role model as lead character.)  There is much to remind viewers of Harry Potter, with flying broomsticks, crazy inventions, gentle gardeners, wise grandmas, magic mirrors and more. This is a delightful tale, exquisitely painted, and should please all ages. As well as a Japanese-voiced version, Aussie viewers can also see the English dubbed version featuring Kate Winslett as the voice of Mary.
3.5 - well recommended!