February 8th 2024
Force of Nature: The Dry 2
One Life
Society of the Snow (streaming on Netflix)
One new Australian film, one Boxing Day release that is still deservedly in cinemas, and one candidate for an Oscar - three films all worthy of our attention.
Force of Nature: The Dry 2
Dir: Robert Connelly
Length: 120 mins
 |
© Roadshow - good to see an all-Aussie film,
and always great to see Bana in action
|
Detective Aaron Falk (Eric Bana) and his sidekick Carmen (Jacqueline McKenzie) are on the case of a missing woman, lost in the bush. Alice (Anna Torv) is not much liked by her colleagues, and when a group of five women go off on a corporate hiking retreat in the wilderness and Alice disappears, anyone, it seems, may have had the motivation to do her in. As the weather closes in, can Falk and the local searchers find Alice? There's a lot happening in this plot, based on the best-selling novel by Jane Harper. Flashbacks of Falk's past indicate his own mother came to grief in the very same mountainous forest region. Falk is connected to Alice, using her as an informant to investigate some shady dealings in a company run by Daniel (Richard Roxburgh) and his wife Jill (Deborah Lee Furness), who happens to be in charge of the retreat. Another minor sub-plot concerns a serial killer from ages ago, whose cabin still stands in the forest. Big positives in the film are Bana's measured performance, Torv convincing us compellingly of her unlikeability, and the wonderful cinematography (shot in the Otways and Yarra Valley). The novel probably has too much in it to successfully translate the subtleties of the plot to a two-hour film, but nevertheless for me it provided diverting and engaging viewing. 3 - recommended
One Life
Dir: James Hawes
Length: 110 mins
 |
© Transmission - a true story that will
have you in tears, and again in awe
of Hopkins as an actor |
Sir Nicolas Winton (Johnny Flynn) was a young London stockbroker when Germany invaded Czechoslovakia in 1938. Horrified at learning of the plight of refugees, especially the children, he vowed to do something, and was instrumental in getting nearly 700 kids to safety and foster homes in Britain. But as an old man (Anthony Hopkins) he is constantly haunted by the fact that he couldn't save more. This incredibly moving film is the true story of Nicky, as he was known, both then and now. The timeline moves between the unassuming old man and the ultimate recognition of what he achieved, and the fraught times in which he and his helpers risked their own lives to rescue children from the Nazis. The period is beautifully recreated, and the tension mounts with each train journey that becomes progressively more dangerous. In the modern era, the relationship between Nicky and his loving, supportive wife (Lena Olin) is gently depicted, along with Nicky's constant angst over past regrets. Hopkins again gives one of his finest performances, and I'm surprised this film has only one award to its name: the audience Award at the Palm Springs Film Festival. True, it doesn't break any new cinematic ground, but it is so deeply moving, and such a relevant story to this day, that it deserves to be seen. Fortunately it is still on in many cinemas, despite having released on Boxing Day.4 - highly recommended
Society of the Snow
Dir: J.A Bayona
Length: 144 mins
 |
© Netflix - such an extraordinary true tale,
it's hard to believe! Amazingly made film. |
Nominated for Best International Feature Film at this year's Oscars, this is not a movie for the faint-hearted. It recreates the true story, in near documentary fashion, of what happened in 1972, when a plane carrying the Uruguayan rugby team and its supporters to Chile, crashed in the Andes mountains. The story is fairly well known, including the ghastly lengths to which the survivors had to go to endure 10 long weeks in the mountains. What makes this film a stand-out, is the visceral way the director captures the details, from the sickening crash, through to the bone-numbing freezing conditions, the progressive deaths of early survivors, the emotions of those struggling to endure, the innovativeness, resilience and perseverance they exhibited, and lastly, most spoken about, the cannibalism they had to resort to if they were to have a chance at staying alive. Shot in the Sierra Nevada, with backdrop shots of the real Andes, the film looks amazing, capturing the vastness and forbidding beauty of the terrain. Apparently the director put his cast through a gruelling shoot, to make the experience feel as real as possible. While functioning on one level as a survival thriller, there is also a deeper philosophical subtext, as we get into the characters' emotions, and the amazing way they manage to make what is left of their lives mean something, for themselves and each other. Although challenging, it is totally worth the watch.4 - highly recommended
No comments:
Post a Comment