September 23rd
Avatar - remastered and re-released with 4K HD sound and picture
You Won't Be Alone
Fall
Inventing David Geffen (Streaming on Netflix)
More from the St Ali Italian FF
It was brilliant to revisit Avatar back on the big screen, in advance of the sequel releasing at the end of the year. A couple of new mainstream releases are reviewed, along with more from the Italian Film Festival. I'm trying to include each week a film review for those still staying out of cinemas, and you know how I love a good music-based doco - this one on David Geffen is a winner!
Avatar
Dir: James Cameron
2009
Length: 162 mins
 |
© Searchlight - if you missed it back then,
don't miss it now! |
The year: 2154. The planet: Pandora, a lush beautiful world, with an atmosphere poisonous to humans. Its indigenous people are the 3m tall, blue-skinned Na'vi, a group living in harmony with nature. Rich mineral deposits abound and Earthlings want to get their hands on them. To be able to exist on the planet however, humans must link their minds into Na'vi-human hybrids called Avatars. Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is now in a wheelchair, his legs useless, but he is chosen to be an Avatar after his twin brother dies. Initially asked to spy on the Na'vi, Jake finds himself falling in love with a local woman, Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and becomes initiated into the tribe. Torn loyalties and the threat of warfare loom. If you missed this film thirteen years ago, I urge you to go along, or even give it a second viewing, as I have done. With a couple of hundred awards and nominations, this is one of the highest-grossing movies ever, and visually it is an extraordinary feat of motion-capture animation, and exquisite set design. In 3D, the viewer is drawn into a world of awe-inspiring beauty. The scenes where the Na'vi and Jake ride their horse-like and dragon-like steeds, soaring and diving through floating mountains are jaw-dropping. The plot, although resonant of other futuristic films, is totally engrossing, and there is so much relevance to modern-day issues of progress/greed versus Indigenous populations. Add an excellent ensemble cast, including Sigourney Weaver, and you have a film to make nearly three hours just fly by. 4 - highly recommended
You Won't Be Alone
Dir: Goran Stolevski
Length: 108 mins
Exclusive to Cinema Nova
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| © - a new twist on an ancient tale |
It's the 19th century in a remote Macedonian mountain village. The locals are superstitious, and evil spirits abound. When a baby is born, a horrifically scarred witch (Anamaria Marinca) arrives to steal the child. The mother strikes a deal, promising the witch she can have the child, Nevena (Sara Klimoska), when she is 16, but not before the witch steals the baby's tongue, rendering her voiceless. Despite all tricks by the mother to protect Nevena, Maria gets the girl and turns her into a witch. Then the fun and games really begin: Nevena is able to take on the physical forms of others (after she has killed them), assuming the appearance of another woman, a man, a young girl, and even animals. She is able to experience life through the eyes of others, regardless of gender, and understand what it means to be human. This is a disturbing and complex film, a morph of folktale and horror story, with a dollop of philosphical musing on the nature of human beings. Shot in a remote Serbian village, the film looks magnificent, its score is suitably broody, and having a high-profile star like Noomi Rapace gives it extra cache. The Aussie/Macedonian director chooses his mother tongue as the language of the film, bringing an authenticity to this blood-soaked but gripping story.3.5 - well recommended
Fall
Dir: Scott Mann
Length: 107 mins
 |
© Roadshow - it seemed like an adventure
but turned into a nightmare |
The film opens with Becky (Grace Caroline Curry), her husband Dan (Mason Gooding) and friend Hunter (Virginia Gardner) climbing a terrifyingly sheer cliff face, just for fun. When tragedy strikes and Dan falls to his death, Becky goes into reclusive self-destruction for the next year. But Hunter is determined to get her friend back into life and face her fears, cajoling her into going along on a climb involving a 2000 ft tall disused TV tower in the middle of the Mojave desert. Yes! The intrepid gals make it to the top, but then the rickety, rusted ladder they had used falls to pieces and they are stranded on a small platform, with no phone reception. What an exciting premise! All the heart-stopping excitement you could want is expertly crammed into the early part of the film, with vertigo-inducing overhead shots, close-ups of feet slipping on rungs, bolts shaking themselves loose, and plenty of near falls. The clever development of an inspired rescue plan by the girls has you again holding your breath. But the further the film progresses, it starts to descend into cliche, lazy scriptwriting (how many times can they ask each other "Are you ok?"), shallow character development, and a denouement that is too sudden and seems almost to have skipped a few scenes. Regardless, the type of visceral thrills on offer make it a terrific big-screen experience, unless of course you can't stand heights. 3 - recommended
Inventing David Geffen
2012
Dir: Susan Lacy
115 mins
Streaming on Netflix
 |
© Netflix - a man who epitomises the
idea of going for what you want |
Don't you love a rags-to-riches story? And don't I love a doco based around the music and film industry! This tale features a young dyslexic boy from a working class Brooklyn family. Ever able to wangle his way into anything, David Geffen gets a job in the mailroom of a show-biz agent, and from there works his way to the top, becoming one of the most powerful entertainment moguls in modern history. No need to fill you in on all the details of this man's career, kickstarted by his unwavering confidence that he could create anything he wanted of his life. Geffen is relaxed as he talks openly about his life, while the number of iconic stars with whom he has worked reads like a who's-who of modern American pop culture: Neil Young, Crosby Stills Nash, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Guns 'n' Roses ... the list just goes on. His only heterosexual relationship, with Cher, is an intriguing interlude, but it is his ultimate founding of Dreamworks SKG that is the pinnacle of his carreer so far. The doco includes, as to be expected, facinating old still pix, archival footage, music clips and more. It's a must for modern pop culture vultures.4 - highly recommended
More from. . .
St. Ali Italian Film Festival
Palace Cinemas
In Melbourne until 12 October
I brought you four recommendations last week, and here are a couple more excellent films for your consideration.
Ennio - The Maestro: Ennio Morricone has written the score for more than 500 films and TV shows, and is a composer of the highest calibre. From the early 60s, until his death in 2020, he has given the world such unforgettable soundtracks as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The Mission, Cinema Paradiso, Once Upon a Time in the West, and a gazillion more. This is a must-see film for musicians and music-lovers. Ennio talks in detail about how he crafted much of his music, while renowned directors, including Bertolucci, Eastwood and Pasolini, speak of their experiences working with the man. Musicians, the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Hans Zimmer, are among those who add their keen observations. The doco is an in-depth insight into the creative process and the life and legacy of a true legend.
The Inner Cage: This taut drama is set in a decomissioned prison, where a group of prisoners is awaiting transfer. The officers remaining to guard the prisoners are headed up by Gaetano, (Toni Servillo), a man who does everything by the book, while the prisoners look to mob boss Carmine (Silvio Orlando). As the days drag on, the rules start to relax, enabling officers and prisoners to get a glimpse of each other's humanity under their facades. This award-winning film (Best Actor, Best Screenplay), is psychologically intense and, while it moves slowly, it keeps a constant level of dramatic tension and engagement with the characters. Tony Servillo is always an actor to be relished watching on the big screen.
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