September 29th
On the Count of Three
The Humans
See How They Run
Clean
Marjorie Prime (streaming on SBS On Demand)
I am Mother (streaming on Netflix)
The new releases are coming thick and fast. They are as diverse as chalk and cheese. Plus a couple of futuristic films to catch on streaming services. I would never have known about Marjorie Prime, except for a series I love called Stars of the Silver Screen, in which the hosts discuss what they believe is one of Tim Robbins' best (but little known) films.
On the Count of Three
Dir: Jerrod Carmichael
Length: 86 mins
 |
© Umbrella - a suicide pact goes
pear shaped. |
The startling opening scene features best friends Kevin (Christopher Abbott) and Val (Jerrod Carmichael) aiming a gun at each others' heads. They have made a pact to end their lives . . . on the count of three. The flashback to earlier that same day, finds Kevin in a psychiatric insititution, (after an earlier suicide attempt), but Val turns up to break him out. We discover that they didn't follow through on their pact, and have decided to enjoy one final day together, doing whatever they want, with no consequences. Things don't work out quite as they plan. This is an audacious attempt to marry a serious look at mental illness, depression and suicide among young men, with a level of black comedy. Mostly it works well, with dialogue that veers between moving and revealing, and some intensely bleak and disturbing moments. Tiffany Haddish is excellent in her small role as Val's girlfriend, but it is Abbott's performance that is a revelation, as he straddles the entire sepctrum of human emotion. Whatever the guys do that we may disapprove of, we can't help but like them and relate to their sad and sorry view of life.
4 - highly recommended
The Humans
Dir: Stephen Karam
Length: 108 mins
Exclusive to Cinema Nova
 |
© Madman - tense and realistic family
drama at its best |
Erik Blake (Richard Jenkins) and his family gather together for Thanksgiving at the Manhattan apartment of his daughter Brigid (Beanie Feldstein). Brigid's sister Aimee (Amy Schumer) is upset over a recent breakup and a pending job loss, Erik's wife Deirdre (Jayne Houdyshell) is permanently malcontent, Brigid's boyfriend Richard (Steven Yeun) battles on bravely, while old grandma (June Squibb) languishes in her wheelchair, quite out of it. The apartment is old, and soon strange noises erupt, lights go out, nerves go on edge, but what then emerges are all the tensions and baggage between family members. The film is based upon a play, so everything is set strictly within the confines of the two floors of the apartment. Though this could sound dull, the cinematography employs ultra-creative angles and aspects, keeping the interest up. Most impressive is the naturalistic script and acting, making you feel like a fly on the wall in the midst of an absolutely credible family drama. This is not an "easy" film, but once you immerse, it presents a welcome truthfulness not often seen in these intensely interpersonal dramas. The ensemble cast is top-notch, with Jenkins giving a career best. Despite all the angst, there remains a slight edge of humour, and the never-explained bizarre happenings in the apartment simply add to a feeling of doom and gloom. 4 - highly recommended
See How They Run
Dir: Tom George
Length: 98 mins
 |
© Searchlight Pictures - archetyal British
murder-mystery fun |
In 1953 the London theatre hit The Mousetrap is celebrating its 100-day run. Obnoxious Hollywood director Leo Kopernick (Adrien Brody) is sent to start procedings to turn it into a film. When he is found murdered, Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell) is called in, with rookie cop Constable Stalker (Saiorse Ronan) under his tutelage. How you react to this film will probably depend upon whether you are into this genre of British comedy-murder-mystery. This one is played for laughs, and chock-full of sly nods and winks (for those in the know), to all manner of theatrical goings-on. With old fashioned split screens, flashbacks, and elements of farce, it may either enchant you or annoy you. Sometimes the script feels too contrived for its own good, but the ensemble cast is strong. Ronan is especially funny as the dead-pan, eager young policewoman, and she and Rockwell play nicely off each other. The look of the era is beatifully captured, as is the theatrical feel of both the actual theatre, and the subsequent assembling of major players at the home of Agatha Christie (Shirley Henderson) for the denouement. I had plenty of mirthful chuckles throughout, which speaks well for its success as a crowd-pleasing light entertainment.3 - recommended
Clean
Dir: Lachlan McLeod
Length: 92 mins
 |
© Madman - terrific doco about an
extraordinary woman doing a nightmarish job |
Trauma cleaning involves a crew of people going into premises many people would avoid - places where a murder has happened, where someone has died and their body languished, or where someone has hoarded to the point of rendering a house uninhabitable. Sandra Pankhurst founded Specialised Trauma Cleaning Services in Frankston in the 1990s, and this beautiful doco traces her amazing story. From her birth as a male, through being adopted, abused, working as a prostitute, and then coming out as a woman, Sandra has shown nothing less than kindness and compassion to all those she and her team have helped. This is solid film-making, with the focus on Sandra recounting her life, (with a few re-enactments) and the film-makers going along on jobs with Sandra's dedicated crew, who describe what this work means to them, and what a wonderful woman Sandra is.4 - highly recommended
Marjorie Prime
Dir: Michael Almereyda
Length: 99 mins
Streaming on SBS On Demand
 |
© a soulful examination of love, loss and
a possible future
|
It's about 30 years in the future. Marjorie (Lois Smith) lives with her daughter Tess (Geena Davis) and scientist husband Jon (Tim Robbins). Marjorie has early signs of dementia and spends her days talking to a computerized version, known as a "prime", of her dead husband Walter (Jon Hamm). The robot/hologram of Walter is programmed with relevant information from the past, and he learns more through ongoing conversations. The film is based upon a play and (like The Humans) takes place in the confines of an apartment. But the story has great depth, as it is dealing with not only the meaning of being human, but with complex ideas around memory, as it relates to identity and to differing interpretations of a shared past. What are we if not our memories? The film focuses upon this disturbing question, and the progress of the plot, jumping several years, brings some unexpected surprises. The sensitive performances from all, especially Lois Smith, lend a gentle beauty and a melancholy to the whole thing. 4 - highly recommended
I Am Mother
Dir: Grant Sputore
Length: 113 mins
Streaming on Netflix
 |
© Netflix - a solid sci-fi with an
intersting premise |
The earth's population has been wiped out by an unspecified extinction event. Robots have been programmed to repopulate the earth with frozen embryos, and so a robot called Mother (voiced by Rose Byrne) finds itself raising a cute little girl, Daughter (Clara Rugaard). All is well for many years, the bond between child and parent strong, until a wounded stranger (Hilary Swank) turns up at the facilty, begging for help. To say more would be to spoil the plot. The true tension lies in the big questions that are raised when the Stranger starts telling Daughter things that clash with Mother's interpretation of the world. This is a baffling, yet thought-provoking movie, which questions the nature of parenting and of being human. Actor Luke Hawker inside the massive robot brings an eerie semi-humanity to Mother, while Rugaard gives an utterly convincing performance making you believe the hulking heap of metal is her mother. At times the plot points are so ambiguous I find myself not completely comprehending what the truth is, and that is perhaps what adds to the intrigue of this strong sci-fi, from an Aussie first-time director.3.5 - well recommended
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