October 4th 2023
The Creator
The Cost (opening October 5th)
It's a quiet week for reviews for me, though in the background I'm previewing madly in preparation for the Jewish International Film Festival, hitting Melbourne town in a couple of weeks. An intriguing new sci-fi has hit the big screen, plus a truly excellent and thought-provoking Aussie revenge thriller, that goes places you just don't expect it to.
The Creator
 |
| © 20th Century Studios- if you're scared of AI, this film may really put the wind up you! |
About 30 years into the future, articial intelligence is a part of daily life. Robotic humanoid beings are everywhere. But when a nuclear attack devastates Los Angeles, AI is blamed and the US army vows to wipe out AI, especially Nirmata, thought to be the chief architect behind AI development in New Asia, where humans and AI beings (simulants) live side by side in relative harmony. The US attack against New Asia is led by Colonel Howell (Alison Janney). Meantime undercover operative Josh Taylor (John David Washington) lives in New Asia, married to Maya (Gemma Chan), and, some years after Maya's death in the attack, he is tasked with finding a new secret weapon thought to be engineered by Nirmata. When Josh finds the "weapon", it is in fact a little six-year-old simulant girl he calls Alphie (Madeleine Yuna Voyles). Where will Josh's loyalties lie, and exactly where has this strange and beautiful simulat hailed from? Whew! This plot is really complex, and at times heavily derivative of other films such as Blade Runner. (Though there will never be another Blade Runner, in my view.) This film has some huge pluses: brilliant creation of worlds, glorious cinematography, thrilling action pieces, a surprisingly (and satisfyingly) negative portayal of US brutality against weaker nations, and most notably an unforgettable performance by Voyles as Alphie, with whom Josh cannot help but bond (for reasons that will develop as the plot is revealed). The negatives are that it is probably too derivative, Washington has an emotional remove, and there are too many explosive battle scenes the likes of which we've seen before. But the overall theme is compelling, highly relevant in our current climate of AI debate, and all in all, it's a pretty good story. Shame about the cop-out, feel-good ending.
3.5 - well recommended
The Cost
Dir: Matthew Holmes
Length: 108 mins
Limited cinema season from October 5, on home release from October 18th
 |
| © Madman - fine Australian film-making in a tense and morally challenging thriller |
David Baker (Jordan Fraser Trumble) and Aaron (Damon Hunter) are on a quest for vengeance. Stephanie, who was David's wife and Aaron's sister, was raped and murdered many years prior. The perpetrator Troy (Kevin Dee) has been released from jail after serving ten years, but the two men consider it unsufficient punishment for the loss of their beloved wife and sister. And so they abduct Troy and set out to deliver their own personal brand of vigilante justice. This is an uncompromisingly brutal film, but it cleverly avoids becoming torture porn thanks to the many challenging moral issues it raises. The audience is invited to ask whether an eye for an eye is a valid response to violence, and to examine how they would act in the same situation. The violence seething in many men, even your "average bloke", is evident, but the film never glorifies it, while also exploring the enmotional extremes of the best and worst of humans. This is obviously a low budget film, but it proves you don't need squillions to execute a fine and thought-provoking thriller. Cinematography is sharp, the small cast superb, soundtrack excellent, while the script avoids sensationalism and feels very real. Sometimes it's hard not to look away, but persevering with this one will richly reward those looking for something more deep and meaningful in their films.
4 - highly recommended
No comments:
Post a Comment