March 23rd 2023

Of an Age

Breaking

Bird Box (streaming on Netflix)

Elvis and Moonage Daydream are now streaming on Netflix - reviewed in past

My lead review this week is the cinematic release of the new Aussie film Of An Age. Then for those wedded to their sofas there is a handful of "streamers" you can avail yourself of. 

Of an Age

Dir: Goran Stolevski

Length: 100 mins

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

© Roadshow - delicate and touching, this
is such a sad story of first love never forgotten 

Seventeen-year-old, Macedonian-born Nikola (Elias Anton) gets a frantic phone call from his dance partner Ebony (Hattie Hook) who has woken up on a beach after a wild party the night before. The two are supposed to be performing together at dance finals in two hours. The only solution is to find someone with a car and that one person is Adam (Thom Green), Ebony's older brother. As Nikola (Kol) and Adam make the long drive to Altona, something clicks between them; neither is your average bogany Aussie bloke. As Adam lets slip that his ex-partner was a man, something is awakened in Kol, but Adam is leaving the next day to go abroad to study. Set in suburban Melbourne, the film has an unexpected romantic sensibility, and a European arthouse feel. The impressive camera work, which concentrates intensely upon the faces of the two men, invites us inside their heads and emotions. The beautiful, almost dreamy, views of parts of Melbourne we might consider dull enhance the poignancy of the youthful love that Kol experiences for the first time. The film opens in 1999, a time when being gay was not so acceptable, yet Adam is so comfortable in his identity. When the pair meet ten years later, the deep sadness that Kol has felt all the intervening years washes over everything. The three leads, especially the men, generate a wonderful rapport. This is a tenser, and probably deeply personal, film from Stolevski, a director to keep an eye on. 

4 - highly recommended

Breaking

Dir: Abi Damaris Corbin

Length: 103 mins

Available to rent and own from 27th March

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Vi3EhaNOII&t=4s

© Universal - tense, and tragically
based upon a true story

Brian Brown Easley (John Boyega) is an ex-Marine war veteran, keeping himself afloat via a small monthly check from Veteran Affairs. But one fateful month, the cheque fails to arrive, so he walks into a bank and slips a note to a teller, claiming he has a bomb. Police, FBI, and other assorted trouble shooters and negotiators descend upon the scene, but Easley reveals he doesn't want to rob the bank, he just wants the money the VA owe him. He keeps two employees in the bank and lets the other customers go. This is based upon a true story, and, after reading a fascinating site that deals with Hollywood plots versus history (https://www.historyvshollywood.com), it looks to be keeping pretty true to the facts. This is  quite a tense and disturbing film, anchored by a solid performance from Boyega who reflects the distress and sense of injustice that many returned military people in the USA feel, as their government turns its back on them. The balance between thriller and social justice film is well maintained, and we definitely sense that not only is this man breaking, but society as a whole has way too many cracks.

3.5 - well recommended

Bird Box

Dir: Susanne Bier

Length: 124 mins

Streaming on Netflix - 2018 film

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2AsIXSh2xo

© Netflix - Bullock is front and centre in a 
film with plenty of post-apocalyptic  tension

Bier is a Danish film-maker who has won many impressive awards, (among them a 2011 Oscar for In a Better World). I was surprised to find she had helmed this tense film that crosses boundaries of sci-fi, horror and of course, her signature theme of interpersonal relationships. Malorie (Sandra Bullock) is about to become a reluctant single mother when the world heads into apocalyptic territory. A mysterious invisible force has made itself known. Of those who see it, most are driven to suicide, while a few end up still alive but psychotic and crazy. A rag tag bunch of survivors (non-crazies) band together, constantly forced to wear blindfolds if they step outside. But as their numbers diminish, it is finally Malorie and two small kids who must make a treacherous journey downriver to try to find safety. I didn't expect this film to stay on my mind as long as it did. Something about the timeliness of apocalyptic days? That, and the strong direction which keeps the tension up from the outset, as the action toggles between the canoe journey, and then goes back five years to show us the timeline of unfolding events. Bullock is surprisingly memorable as the dominant capable Malorie, while Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovitch, and Tom Hollander give strong support. The intelligent directorial choice to never actually show the malevolent force only adds to the fear and suspense. 

3.5 - well recommended

And another thing . . . 

Two winners streaming on Netflix

How can I resist beating the drum for these films again? The two I gave my top ratings to last year are now streaming on Netflix! So here's your chance if you haven't yet seen them. 

Baz Luhrmann's Elvis delighted me, and had me dancing in my seat. I was so disappointed it missed out at this year's Academy Awards. Read my review: http://hurstosfiveminutefilms.blogspot.com/2022/06/june-24th-elvis-lost-illusions-after.html

The magnificently creative and visually stunning biopic Moonage Daydream  was my top documentary for 2022. Read my review: http://hurstosfiveminutefilms.blogspot.com/2022/09/september-16th-moonage-dreaming.html