June  24th

Buckley's Chance

Three Summers

Cranston Academy: Monster Zone

Films (and of course friends and the garden) remain my main salvation in this crazy world, that just seems to be lurching from one disaster to another. Three new ones today: two are good fodder for the school holiday audience, one for the littlies and one for the teens. There's humour (and a couple of tears); we all surely need a laugh! 

  

Buckley's Chance

Dir: Tim Brown

Length: 95 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WGivlcmmrs

© Transmission - Nighy meets Aussie outback -
a winning combo

Young teen Ridley (Milan Burch) is mourning the death of his father, an Aussie who fled years before to America, estranged from his father. A year later, Ridley and his mother Gloria (Victoria Hill) head from New York to the Aussie outback, to spend some time with said grandfather Spencer (Bill Nighy). Spencer's efforts to connect with his grandson are a challenge, and then the wilful lad manages to get himself lost in the outback, with only a camcorder and a dingo for company. While there is a modicum of predictability in this plot, the film is fiercely heart-warming and uplifting. It's great to see indigenous actor Kelton Pell as Jules, the farm hand, and Nighy, while he never quite nails the Aussie accent, is near perfect as the seemingly unemotional grandpa, who is, of course, harboring a lot of baggage from the past. The outback scenery is splendid. All in all this is an entertainment that should please family members of all ages.

3.5 - well recommended 

Three Summers

Dir: Sandra Kogut

Length: 94 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh9X3GJ4VY8

© Potential - Brazilian dramedy - 
with a great central performance

Mada (Regina Case) is employed by a wealthy Brazilian family to take care of their every need. She oversees the household staff, tends to the family's every whim, all the while keeping an eye out for any opportunity that should come her way. She inveigles her boss Edgar into helping her set up a food kiosk, but when Edgar is carted away for being involved in money laundering. Mada must live off her wits and reinvent her life. The film walks a fine line between comedy and drama, with the concept of compassion front and centre (compassion displayed by the poor, not the oblivious rich!) Mada's care for the aging grandpa in the family is pivotal to the plot outcome, and is delightfully portrayed. Brazilians who know more about corruption in that country will probably relate to the plot intricacies of this film more than I do, but what strikes me is the brilliant performance from Case, who plays a kind woman relentlessly cheerful and manically purposeful. 

3.5 - well recommended 

Cranston Academy: Monster Zone

Dir: Leopoldo Aguilar

Length: 85 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yNPGgSxMxI

© Rialto - good fun for the school hols

Awkward science nerd Danny (Jamie Bell) is accepted into the elite Cranston Academy, where he must struggle for recognition. He befriends Aussie kid Liz (Ruby Rose), but when they decide to repair the Academy's broken nuclear reactor, they inadvertently open the portal to a fifth dimension. The first monster they encounter is taco-eating, Mexican accented Mothman, half moth, half human, but the other inhabitants of the dimension are not nearly as friendly. Danny, Liz and Mothman must race against time to save the entire staff of the Academy. While derivative of Monsters Inc, and predictable in its plot points and outcome, this should nevertheless be a lot of fun for the small fry, with its colorful characters, just-scary-enough critters, daggy humour, and vibrant animation (from a Mexican studio). 

3 - recommended 

 June  17th

My Zoe

Valerie Taylor: Playing With Sharks

From the Vine

Occupation Rainfall

Here we go again with three new films on the big screen, and one available on BluRay and streaming. Thematically, these are all so diverse, there is surely something here for everyone.

 

My Zoe

Dir: July Delpy

Length: 100 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmVJEiI_3BI

© Kismet - personal drama meets quasi-scifi
in this intriguing story

Isabelle (Julie Delpy) is a divorced mother juggling the half-time custody of her child Zoe (Sophia Ally), her job in a genetics lab, and endless disputes with her embittered ex-husband James (Richard Armitage). When tragedy strikes, Isabelle takes a radical course of action, approaching fertility specialist Thomas Fischer (Daniel Bruhl) in the hope he will conduct a radical illegal experiment. Delpy has always written first-class dialogue (think back to the films Before Sunrise, Before sunset, Before Midnight). Here again she nails the dialogue depicting the fraught situation between her and her ex. The depth of love she has for her child is beautifully captured, as is her grief when things go wrong. Where I am bothered however, is that the film feels like two quite discrete movies - one is a taut domestic drama, while the other half veers off into quasi science-fiction territory, with possibly too little basis in science and too many moral questions to make it credible. Nevertheless, I found myself absorbed throughout, and Delpy always brings something worthwhile to her films.

3.5 - well recommended 

From the Vine

Dir: Sean Cisterna

Length: 97 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqpryhecpLo

© Rialto - sweet, heartwarming fare 

Marco (Joe Pantoliano) has had enough of his executive job in Toronto and decides to quit and return to his origins in the Italian town of Acerenza, in Basilicata, a region in southern Italy. Reclaiming the familial property, he employs locals to help to reinvigorate the old vineyard and make the local wine again. Initially his wife Marina (Wendy Crewson) and daughter Laura (Paula Brancati) stay behind, but when they finally join him life takes an unexpected turn for them all. This is predictable fare, but it is enjoyable viewing, with absolutely splendiferous scenery and cinematography. Underneath the beauty and sweetness, there are the deeper themes of the importance of tradition and regional employment. Pantoliano  (from The Sopranos) is terrific, as is Marco Leonardi as Luca, the local cop and Marco's childhood friend. In these grim times films like this are a welcome relief (despite distressing me at the prospect of maybe never going to Europe again!)

3 - recommended

 

Valerie Taylor: Playing with Sharks

Short cinematic run then going to Disney +

Dir: Sally Aitken

Length: 95 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEgpYEi36Lc

© Madman - a life lived
among the oceanic depths

The name Valerie Taylor is probably known to generations of Aussies, especially those with an interest in spear-fishing, scuba-diving, marine conservation, or sharks.In her early twenties, Valerie was a champion at scuba-diving and spear fishing, one of few women in the field. After meeting her husband Ron Taylor, she decided killing animals was a no-go, and both started championing the cause of endangered marine environments, particularly sharks, filming them and generally getting up close and personal with the feared fish. The pair were even called upon by Spielberg to film some of the most memorable sequences in Jaws. This is a fascinating doco, at times almost alarming in the many archival footage scenes of the Taylors and their underwater escapades. Still alive and diving, Valerie is an inspiring character to spend screen time with, and what you see may well change your attitude towards sharks.

3.5 - well recommended  

Occupation Rainfall

Dir: Luke Sparke

Length: 128 mins

BluRay, DVD and Digital streaming on Google Play and Apple TV, 

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os0gnI19So8

© Umbrella - boom, bang - is this the end of
Earth as we know it?

Two years after aliens have invaded Earth, wreaking devastation, Aussies mount a concerted effort to fight back and save the planet. As you know, this is not really my genre of movie, but if you like big loud special effects, endless gun battles, explosions, and more derivative alien characters than you can shake a stick at (rejects from Star Wars?), this could be just the thing you need for your blockbuster fix. I can't decide if the film is so bad it's good, or so good it's an Aussie coup for the industry, but regardless, one can't help but admire the ambition in producing a big film so not what we are used to from our Aussie film industry. Special effects are excellent, and while at times there is much predictability in the plot, the film somehow strikes an unsettling chord in these troubling times of humans battling seemingly insurmountable forces, refugees proliferating and a dystopian future. Some of the characters are actually quite memorable - think Garry the bug-eyed, warm-hearted, highly articulate alien, who has defected to the human side. Good also to see a kick-ass woman front and centre among the testosterone-driven blokes.

3 - recommended 

 June 10th

The Mole Agent

Cousins

Heroic Losers

Percy vs Goliath

Looks like Melbourne cinemas are reopening tomorrow, so many of the films I've reviewed over the past couple of weeks of lockdown will now be on the big screen for your enjoyment. And today here are several more new releases to brighten the gloomy winter days. A couple to laugh with, and all of them, in various ways tackling social issues from old age, corruption, corporate oppression and cultural identity. A good mixed bag!

The Mole Agent

Dir: Maite Alberdi

Length: 94 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTD-B3wZORg

© Madman - Sergio is a spy and a charmer
at the same time

An Oscar nominee for this year's Best Documentary feature, this film is a total delight. Yes, it's a doco, filmed inside a nursing home, but it also plays out like a spy movie. Here's the framework: the daughter of a nursing home resident, Sonia, wants someone to be put into the facility as a "mole", to spy on her mother and check she is not being mistreated. 83-year-old widower Sergio applies for the job and is hired by private detective Romulo. Sergio goes to live with the old folks for three months. The residents have no idea the elderly gentleman is a "spy", armed with spectacles and an 007-worthy camera pen, and reporting in via mobile phone each day to Romulo. However they do know that a film crew is making a doco about life in the home (all the while also filming Sergio's exploits). Sergio is real; as are all the residents, which is what makes this film 100% engaging, uplifting, at times funny, and also just a little heartbreaking. What Sergio discovers is nothing we expect. Because he is such a charming and considerate gentlemen, all the ladies fall for him, and he soon uncovers the sadness and loneliness in their lives. With aged care in the spotlight the movie couldn't be more timely, and it also shows it's never too late to make new friends and have a bit of fun in your life. You'll definitely have fun with this film! 

4 - highly recommended 

Cousins

Dir: Ainsley Gardiner & Briar Grace Smith

Length: 98 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_f1GjcI8-Q

© Vendetta - Maori culture in the spotlight

Three Maori cousins are inseparable as children, until one of them is given up to live in an institution. In adult life Makareta (Tioreore Melbourne)  becomes a lawyer, Missy (Rachel House)  remains as guardian of the family land, while Mata (Tanea Heke), the orphaned one, is subsequently taken in by a cold-hearted racist guardian, and  later lives her adult life in befuddled, mentally disturbed semi-homelessness. Meantime the other two make it their mission to try to reunite Mata with her family. New Zealand film-making has always impressed me, and this one cuts to the heart of Maori tradition and family values, with much of the film in Maori language. The other two actors playing child Mata (Te Raukura Gray) and young adult Mata (Ana Scotney) are seriously impressive, and although at times the timeline is somewhat  jumbled and tricky to follow, the film is deeply emotional and handles important themes of cultural identity, so relevant to many of today's First Nations peoples, struggling to overcome brutal pasts and rediscover their place in society.

3.5 - well recommended 

Heroic Losers

Dir: Sebastian Borensztein

Length: 116 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHwdmlnkTeA

© Palace - some hugely funny moments

Set in the time of the Argentinian financial crisis, this is the story of a small town group of neighbours who decide to pool their money to form a co-operative. But when a local lawyer Manzi, with the help of a corrupt  bank manager, steals the money, the stricken investors must decide what they should do to get their money back. Fermin (Ricardo Darin) has formed the co-op, and in working towards justice (and revenge) for all, he employs his son (played by Darin's real-life son) to pretend to be a gardener tending to the indoor plants at Manzi's law-office. The film has won plenty of awards in the Latino world, so obviously strikes a chord for that demographic. Despite there being some predictability in the plot, the film  has enough laugh-out-loud moments to make it a terrific distraction from the current woes of the world.   

3.5 - well recommended 

Percy vs Goliath

Dir: Clark Johnson

Length: 99 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjubNsObkEg

© Rialto - farmer takes on Monsanto.
Bring it on!

Percy Schmeiser (Christopher Walken) comes from a long line of grain farmers who save the seeds from the strongest plants for next year's sowing. Out of the blue he receives a letter from agro-corporation Monsanto saying they have found evidence of their genetically modified canola seeds among his crops and that he must pay thousands of dollars as penalty for not having a seed license. With the help of local lawyer Jackson Weaver (Zach Braff) and environmental activist Rebecca Salcau (Christina Ricci) Percy decides to take the company to court. Most of us love stories of the underdog battling the behemoth, and this true story fits the bill. Although heightened dramatic tension is never quite reached, it is a solid and important story, underpinned by a fabulous performance from Walken, as the quiet but dogged Percy. Lovely cinematography of Saskatchewan farmland makes the film good to look at too. 

3 - recommended 

June 3rd

Breaking Bread

Minamata

Lapsis

BOFA extended

As other states outside of Victoria are still happily going to the movies, I'll keep the reviews current. So, three good new movies are coming to cinemas this week. Those Victorians who like the look of what I'm reviewing will just have to make their lists for post-lockdown cinema visits. Meantime BOFA FREE online (which I spoke of last week) continues until June 13th. Yay, and thanks to the Taswegians for this generous offer.  

 

Breaking Bread

Dir: Beth Elise Hawk

Length: 85 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbxk3UhF34M

© Hi Gloss - mouth-watering film
that shows enmity can be overcome

Dr Nof Atamna-Ismaeel was the first Muslim Arab to win Israel's Master Chef competition. She decided to try to make a difference and create peace through food. She founded A-Sham - an Arab  food festival held in Haifa - in which 35 Jewish chefs are paired up with Arab chefs, and the two collaborate to create spectacular dishes from the Levant (the area of the middle east comprised of Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Iraq and Jordan.) This doco is a foodies' delight - the mouthwatering creations up on the big screen will have you salivating and begging for the recipes. However, what is more important is the power of good a film of this nature can do for reconciliation. Many of the chefs speak up about the new friendships they have forged with their supposed "enemies", and in fact many of them assert that 90% of Israelis and Arabs want peace and it's the small percentage of fanatics (as always) who create the chaos. Regardless of the fraught political backdrop to the story, this is an uplifting and highly entertaining film. (Don't go there hungry!)

4 - highly recommended 

 

Minamata

Dir: Andrew Levitas

Length: 115 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzQv5nVH85o

© Rialto - Johnny Depp is back as
a photographer who made a difference

Photographer Eugene Smith (Johnny Depp) was one of the most respected photojournalists of World War 2. This film takes up his story in 1971, by which time he has become almost reclusive. Then he is commissioned by Life magazine editor Robert Hayes (Bill Nighy) to document a strange disease that is ravaging the residents of the Japanese fishing village of Minamata. This is the true story of how the Chisso Corporation poured mercury-laden water into the seas, and how the locals fought a prolonged battle for recompense, aided  by Smith's heart-breaking photography.  Renowned actress Minami plays Aileen, a Japanese woman who campaigned alongside Smith and ultimately became his wife. It's great to see Depp giving one of his best performances in a long while. Stylistically poised somewhere between the personal redemptive journey of a troubled man, and a quasi-documentary approach to an important environmental issue, this is worthwhile, and still highly relevant, viewing.

3.5 - well recommended 

Lapsis

Dir: Noah Hutton

Length: 108 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf3ZUi9zzOQ

© Maslow Entertainment - sci-fi weirdness
scarily aligned with the current world

Ray (Dean Imperial) is a delivery man who wants to make some quick money because his brother is suffering a chronic-fatigue-type disease that needs expensive (rip-off?) treatment.So he takes a job as a cabler - a person who hikes miles laying cables through the forest for a "quantum" computer system which facilitates super fast stockmarket trading. This film defies categorisation - it is at once a sci fi, set in some weird parallel present; it is also a commentary upon the state of the world with corporate greed exploiting those who work in the gig economy, and it is also a very weird semi-thriller, which baffles and intrigues. I don't profess to understand it, but it sure kept me on the edge of my seat, as Ray competes against creepy little robots who also lay cable, and are there as competition for the human workers. It seems big brother is always watching, automation is all consuming, and the workers are conspiring to bring down the system, but who exactly is who remains totally obscured. If you're a tech geek you will really enjoy this imaginative and somewhat salutary film.

3.5 - well recommended

BOFA: Breath of Fresh Air 

Tasmania's free online film festival continues

https://breath-of-fresh-air.com.au/author/breathoffreshair/

https://breath-of-fresh-air.com.au/films/online-program/

Running until June 13th BOFA gives lockdownees the opportunity to enjoy 18 excellent films from the comfort of their loungeroom. All you have to do is subscribe to the BOFA online newsletter and then you'll receive your code enabling you to log on and start watching. With a mix of excellent docos and features from around the world, this is an opportunity not to be missed. 

From BOFA themselves: ……AND NOW IN SUPPORT OF THOSE LOCKED DOWN IN MELBOURNE AND VICTORIA WE’VE EXTENDED OUR FREE ONLINE FILM FESTIVAL UNTIL MIDNIGHT SUNDAY 13TH JUNE!

I watched the wonderful Spanish film The Olive Tree (https://breath-of-fresh-air.com.au/films/the-olive-tree/)  which is the story of a grand-daughter who so loves her granddad she'll go to any lengths to try to rescue his favourite olive tree which has been sold off to a German company by his sons. This is the sort of humble and delicate film-making I love, and the lead actress garnered a Goya award for her performance. I highly recommend it.