August 19th
Good Luck to You Leo Grande
Girl at the Window
Bosch and Rockit
Never Stop Dreaming: The Life and Legacy of Shimon Peres (streaming on Netflix)
My numero uno pick this week is the latest fabulous feature staring Emma Thompson. The other three range from watchable to medium strong. So, now that MIFF is in full flight online, check out my last three weeks' reviews and get yourself some festival action from the comfort of home.
Good Luck to You Leo Grande
Dir: Sophie Hyde
Length: 97 mins
 |
© Searchlight/Roadshow - simply
delightul! |
Nancy (Emma Thompson) is a fifty-something, conservative, widowed ex-teacher of religious studies. Having never had more than a mundane sex life, nor ever an orgasm, she hires young, handsome sex worker Leo Grande (Daryl McCormack) for what she intends to be a one-off afternoon of activities to tick off her list. Set almost entirely in a hotel room, and featuring almost exclusively only the two leads, this is a delightful film. It's beautifully scripted, doesn't exploit the sex side, and manages to blend compassion, sexiness, and awkwardness with a few more serious issues on the side. Thompson makes a bold choice of roles here, and as always her comic sensibility shines. It's splendid to see the tables turned on the young girl/older man scenario, and emphasis put upon people loving their bodies no matter their age. Leo's philosophies of life and pleasure are definitely worth taking note of, and the chemistry generated between the two characters is a treat to watch.4 - highly recommended
Girl at the Window
Dir: Mark Hartley
Length: 84 mins
 |
© Kismet - a few chills,
but underwhelming |
After the death of her father, Amy (Ella Newton) and her mother Barbara (Radha Mitchell) are struggling to cope. Meantime Amy and her friend Lian are reflecting on the local serial abductor who has recently re-emerged with the disappearance of a girl. Barbara becomes romantically involved with her new neighbor Chris (Vince Colosimo) and Amy is convinced Chris is the culprit. Of course no-one believes her, not her mother nor detective Nordhoff (Andrew S Gilbert), so Amy's mental state heads into a downward spiral. So much of this film is clunky and unbelievable. Not that there aren't a few deliciously tense and scary moments, but it comes across more as an aspiring slasher/horror/psychological thriller that somehow veered off into vaguely ludicrous territory. I can't totally figure if it's the scripting letting it down; with such a short runtime, there is not enough plot development. And while Colosimo, Newton and Mitchell are fine in their roles, James Mackay playing Mr Coleman, the teacher, really brings the credibility down. Director Hartley made a great doco about Ozploitation films (Not Quite Hollywood) - perhaps he should have taken some lessons from himself. 2.5 - maybe
Bosch and Rockit
Dir: Tyler Atkins
Length: 106 mins
 |
© Madman - pleasant father/son, coming
of age tale |
Bosch (Luke Hemsworth) is bringing up his young son alone, and making a living from his involvement with a dope-growing gang. Young Rockit (Rasmus King), who loves to surf, is over the moon when his Dad says they are going on a holiday. He doesn't know his Dad is actually running from a bunch of crims who are trying to now embroil him in cocaine dealings. The film's major strength is its beautiful setting, which is Byron Bay. Hemsworth injects some strong emotion into Bosch, who has deep instinctual love for his son (more based on feeling, than any sensible parenting style). Young new actors feature: King brings an interesting slant to the isolated young boy, who must learn the harsh truth about his Dad. Savannah la Rain is a strong screen presence as Ash-Ash, Rockit's love interest, though their seeming age and height disparity doesn't quite ring true to me. Ultimately the film is another coming of age story, with a nice first love/father-son/surfing bent, that, while sweet enough, doesn't break any new ground. 3 - recommended (though I veer more to maybe)
Never Stop Dreaming:
The Life and Legacy of Shimon Peres
Dir: Richard Trank
Length: 129 mins
Streaming on Netflix
 |
| © Netflix - a mighty man in history |
Shimon Peres (1923-2016) was an extremely significant figure in world politics. Serving several stints as prime minister and president of Israel, he received a Nobel Prize for Peace in 1994. And although much of the content of this doco can no doubt be easily found online, it is an extremely well-constructed and concise doco, encapsulating the history of a man, and of a country at the heart of one of the world's trouble spots. You don't need to be a history aficionado to enjoy this excellent film. With terrific archival footage and insightful interviews with Peres, there is much to be inspired by, and much to be learned about the background and course of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. 3.5 - well recommended
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