February 21st 2025

Bird

It may not be a two-dog night, but it is a one-film week. And what a terrific film this is!  However, prepare for the onslaught of many more in the coming weeks. 

Bird

Dir: Andrea Arnold

Length: 119 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y0iJkT97Jc

© Mushroom Group/Reset Collective  - moving,
funny, chaotic, and magical. A winner! 

Bailey (Nikiya Adams) is a young teen living with her brother Hunter and her Dad, Bug (Barry Keoghan), in a squalid run-down squat. Bug, who had Bailey when he was 14, is like an overgrown kid, and her stoner mother lives with Bailey's three half-siblings and an abusive boyfriend. So, Bailey more or less raises herself and is a loner, watching birds fly overhead, talking to seagulls, and in need of a friend. One day she chances upon a strange elf-like, skirt-wearing man, Bird (Franz Rogowski), who befriends her and gradually becomes like a protector to her. This gorgeous film celebrates both the joyous and the depressing sides of life. The conditions in which Bailey and her family live are chaotically recreated with loud music and grimy sets depicting an environment that borders on shocking. Bailey's little siblings, who she cares for deeply,  live in fear of the mother's violent boyfriend, while Bailey is distraught that her Dad plans to marry. But, when Bird enters her life, things change. We never learn where this man came from, and there is such an other-worldliness, gentleness and kindness to him as he transforms Bailey's life. Rogowski is simply mesmerising as this strange character. After all the in-your-face realism, the film takes a drastic turn towards the end, to enter a place of magic realism, but if you just go along for the ride you will be richly rewarded by this gem of a film.

4 - highly recommended

February 13th 2025

Grand Tour

The Six Triple Eight (streaming on Netflix)

Europa Europa Film Festival

A quiet(ish) week for me, with the highlight being Italian film Anna from the Europa Europa Film Festival. 

Grand Tour

Dir:  Miguel Gomes

Length: 129 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o5P2PMuQOE

© Potential - a very different combo of
love story and travelogue 

Billed as a "travelogue drama", Grand Tour is at once quirky, intriguing, and eye-opening, blending an Edwardian "romance gone wrong" tale with real documentary footage of contemporary life in the countries featured in the narrative. In Burma in 1918 Edward (Goncalo Waddington) flees his fiancee Molly (Crista Alfaiate) on their wedding day. He heads off on a travel circuit comprising Burma, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan and China. Determined to be married, Molly pursues him, sending letters but always one step behind. This is the sort of movie you need to surrender yourself to, and not hunt for any conventional narrative. As Edward's and Molly's stories are shown, the film is shot in black and white; the modern-day footage of people going about their lives in the various countries is in colour. Edward's adventures border on the surreal at times, but Molly's are more grounded in reality, as she meets an American rancher and his maid living in Vietnam.  Eschewing his marriage proposal she persists in pursuing Edward. The contrast between the colonial view of the eastern world, and the realities of life there today make for much philosophical pondering, and the narrative remains (mostly) engaging. Grand Tour won Best Director at Cannes 2024.

3.5 - well recommended

Europa Europa Film Festival

Feb 12-March 12

Melbourne: Classic and Lido Cinemas; Sydney: Ritz

For more info visit: www.Europafilmfestival.com.au

Want to see the best of European arthouse film in one festival? 46 films from 26 countries are headed your way, many of them nominated and awarded at Europe's most prestigious festivals. I've had a small advance sneak preview, and both films are the sort of gems that you seldom find upon general release. 

 

Anna: With several  Best Film wins to its name and a win for lead actress Rosa Aste, this is a thoroughly engrossing film with a decided David vs Goliath theme. Anna has lived on her father's land in Sardinia all her life, tending her goats and making cheeses which she sells at local markets. Then along comes a huge hotel chain, claiming they have bought the land from the local authorities and they intend to build. The locals are delighted that the hotel build brings them employment, but Anna and her handful of supporters are aghast that her rights should be so overridden. So begins the legal battle. Director Marco Amenta wields a slow and steady hand over his story, which totally draws you in to barrack for "the little person". Aste is absolutely deserving of her awards, with Marco Zucca a strong support as her lawyer. Shot in the rugged land of southern Sardinia, the stark and beautiful landscapes are a reflection of Anna's strength and pride in her land. (For goat lovers, the irrestible goats are stars in their own right!)

Mother Mara: Serbian star Mirjana Karanovic plays Mara, a mother grieving for her son who has died suddenly at age 20. She manages to vaguely keep up her competent businesswoman persona, but underneath she is falling apart. That is, until she starts an affair with a friend of her son, Milan (Vucic Perovic). This delicate, sad film features a star turn from its lead actress. It is a sympathetic look at the issues of loss, grief, ageing and rediscovering passion.  

Europa Europa is a highly recommended festival.

The Six Triple Eight

Dir:  Tyler Perry

Length: 127 mins

Streaming on Netflix

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Thq-SBtukg

© Netflix - the true story of a battallion of 
women who defeated the odds

The Women's Army Corps (WAC) was established in the USA during World War 2, giving women an opportunity to serve in non-combat roles. This is the true story of the only WAC unit comprising women of color. The story opens with Lena Derricott King (Ebony Obsidian) in love with a Jewish boy. When he is killed in battle, she opts to join the 6888 Battallion, led by Captain Charity Adams (Kerry Washington). The women train hard, but somehow are always overlooked for serious missions because of their colour. Finally the army sends them to Europe, where they are tasked with sorting 17 million pieces of mail, which have neither reached home sent from soldiers, nor arrived from home at the battle field. They are given a small window to achieve the job, and the men in power think the women are not up to it. General Halt (Dean Norris), is especially vocal in his misogynistic and racist remarks. This is definitely in the "feel-good" category of movie making - a little sanitised and sweet, but with a good heart and telling a truly inspiring tale. There is nothing like seeing the underdog rise up and kick butt!  The two lead women are excellent in their roles, the period is well recreated, and a song from the movie is nominated for an Oscar.

3.5 - well recommended

February 7th 2025

Queer

The Presence

Widow Cliquot

The Order (streaming on Prime) 

Terrific viewing again this week. My pic of the week is actually a streaming film starring a wonderful Jude Law and based upon the true story of nailing a right-wing group of fanatics in the USA. But again there is something for every taste, from historical, to queer identity, to supernatural. Get watching!

Queer

Dir:  Luca Guadagnino

Length: 137 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltinrfX03S4

© Madman - Daniel Craig loses his 007 image
to become like you've never seen him

William Lee (Daniel Craig) is an ex-pat American living in Mexico in the 1950s. Sporting his shabby white linen suit, he cruises bars, indulges in all manner of opiates, and hooks up with younger men, all the time seemingly craving a deeper intimacy. He meets Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey) who, despite their getting involved sexually, keeps his distance and hangs out with women. Lee invites Allerton on a trip to the Ecuadorian jungle in search of a drug that he believes will open telepathic corridors in the mind. Not so much "queer" as "weird", this is an oddly intriguing film, made compelling by a much nominated performance from Daniel Craig, who nails it as the dissolute, lonely man. (As far from 007 as you could imagine!) Based upon William Burroughs' semi-autobiographical book, the film certainly successfully evokes a languid, tropical, steamy and seamy feel, with terrific settings and a strong score. Along with Craig's amazing performance, there's an almost unrecognisable, excellent turn from Jason Schwartzmann. But things get really weird, making it feel almost like two separate films, when Lee and Allerton stumble across Dr Cotter (an almost unrecognisable Lesley Manville), researching psychotropic drugs in the middle of the jungle. I don't purport to get some of the strange goings on, but definitely recommend it for Craig's mesmerising performance. 

3.5 - well recommended

Presence

Dir:  Steven Soderbergh

Length: 84 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhg1VAVJ5vM

© Rialto - the house is scary, but so 
is the dysfunctional family!

A typical American family of parents Rebecca (Lucy Liu) and Chris (Chris Sullivan) and their two older teen kids Chloe (Callina Liang) and Tyler (Eddy Maday) are buying a lovely large new home. We meet them just as the estate agent welcomes them in, but the camera's point of view makes it instantly clear that they are all being observed by someone (something?) else. Yep, there is a presence in the home, and everything that happens from that moment on will be observed from this third-party point of view. Before you jump to conclusions that this is just another horror film, let me assure you there is a whole lot more going on than this. In fact Soderbergh smartly never goes for cheap thrills and fright-inducing scares; the horror is of a deeper and more human nature. Daughter Chloe suffers from grief at the death of one of her schoolmates. Her mother shows little empathy, her brother seems to dislike her, the parents marriage is dodgy, and when Chloe meets new schoolmate Ryan (West Mulholland) it seems like a new flirtation may snap her out of her depression. But then the big twist and the real scariness sets in, with the ghostly presence possibly the most decent thing in a house where certain characters seem hell-bent on doing each other harm. The film works very well on this psychological level, eschewing too much music (silence speaks volumes), and employing the restlessly sweeping and swooping eye of "the presence", via the camera, to chilling tense effect.

3.5 - well recommended

Widow Cliquot

Dir:  Thomas Napper

Length: 90 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOFBDabjZt0

© - a handsome production tellling the story
of the woman behind our favourite fizz!

A mini history lesson for champagne lovers: In 1772 Phillipe Cliquot (Ben Miles) founded a champagne house, and when his son Francois (Tom Sturridge) was married off to Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin (Haley Bennett), he was made his father's partner. In 1805 Francois fell ill and died. Phillippe wanted to dissolve the company but the young widow Barbe-Nicole Cliquot insisted she would carry on her husband's legacy. In a time when women were denied most rights, the idea of her running a champagne house was almost unthinkable, but this, her story, is testament to the monumental success she made of it, creating an iconic champers still loved around the world today. She was ably assisted by an old friend of Francois, gun salesman Louis Bohne (Sam Riley). This is a handsome production, shot across some glorious regions of rural France. It's quite an eye opener into what goes into making a top vintage, even if at times all the mixing, distilling and tasting gets a little slow to watch. Bennett is terrific as the strong woman who won't bow to male pressure, and overall it's a very watchable and lovely film.

3.5 - well recommended

The Order

Dir:  Justin Kurzel

Length: 116 mins

Streaming on Prime

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPZaOB4ea-0

© Amazon Prime - Law in one of his
best roles to date

FBI agent Terry Husk (Jude Law) heads to a small Pacific north-west town in the USA to recover from injuries and a marriage breakdown. He gets involved in solving a series of bank robberies and heists and becomes convinced this is not the work of financially motivated criminals, rather people acquiring funds to bankroll something rather more sinister - a white supremacist terrorist group plotting to possibly overthrow the government.  The group, known as The Order, is led by Bob Matthews (a chillingly menacing Nicolas Hoult.) Based upon a true story, this intelligently scripted, high action film couldn't be more timely, with the current rise in right-wing attitudes and organisations around the world. This is one of the best performances I've ever seen from Jude Law; he's not your stereotypical FBI dude; his grizzled appearance and gruff manner belie the  nuanced layers to his character as he grapples with personal demons. Backing up Law's and Hoult's star turns is Ty Sheridan as Deputy Bowen. Every single smaller role oozes with the evil that is right-wing fanaticism.  Aussie director Kurzel, known for Snowtown, knows how to ramp up the tension, making the film a worthy Golden Lion nominee at Venice FF 2024. Gripping and important viewing.

4 - highly recommended

 January 31st 2025

Maria

Babygirl

This week's films both feature top-shelf acting royalty, but are so different thematically. Choose between the tragedy of an opera diva as portrayed by Angelina Jolie, and the sexual shenanigans of Nicole Kidman.  

Maria

Dir:  Pablo Larrain

Length: 124 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDSxq4i5KKs

© Kismet - Jolie captures the essence
of Maria Callas, operatic divs extraordinaire

Arguably the greatest operatic diva ever, Maria Callas lived a life full of fame and of tragedy. Director Larrain chooses not to delve into her entire life, but to "reimagine" the last week of her life, before she died of a heart attack at age 53. We see her in declining health, after retreating to live in Paris, and dreaming of some sort of comeback, of which her voice is no longer capable. Her faithful house-servants Ferruccio (Pierfrancesco Favino) and Bruna (Alba Rohrwacher) cater to her every whim, while she reminisces upon her past, especially the grief caused her by Aristotle Onassis. Aussie Kodi Smit McPhee plays a character called Mandrax, who it seems is a figment of her imagination, a man who is chronicling her life with a name that is an embodiment of the drug she is addicted to. One cannot help but praise the wonderful performance by Angelina Jolie, perhaps an unusual choice to play the part. She has the elegance, aloofness, and moments of vulnerability, and apparently took opera lessons to be able to sing so that her voice could be "combined" with that of Callas. The opening close-up of her performing an aria is for me quite a mistake as it smacks (vocal-wise) of Jolie definitely not being Callas, but once the film gets underway she blends into the role, with its sumptuous settings, gorgeous costumes, and of course exquisite music.

3.5 - well recommended

Babygirl

Dir:  Halina Reijn

Length: 114 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XXoNB0lVGo

© A24 - office flirtations can 
turn very dangerous. 

Romy (Nicole Kidman) is the high-flying CEO of a logistics company, married with two daughters to Jacob (Antonio Banderas). When a new batch of interns joins the company she is drawn to overly-confident Samuel (Harris Dickinson) and a torrid affair ensues, one that could put her entire marriage and job at risk. Kidman was nominated for a Golden Globe for this performance. I feel she was nominated thanks to this being a very "brave" performance, as she lays herself open (no pun intended) to all manner of quasi-sexual humiliation and power games, all in pursuit of an orgasm which, she claims, she has never had with her husband. Yes, she sure gives her all to the role. My issue is not about the very in-your-face sexual content, but with Kidman herself as a woman. Her porcelain, skinny appearance is something I've never found erotic, and so this film for me lacks the pizzazz such a potentially sexually-charged story should have. Despite the discussion-inducing references to gender-based office power-politics, kinky sexual fantasies, and fidelity, the film overall feels too contrived to be authentic. Even more of a stumbling block for me is the question of why anyone would want to risk losing such a gorgeous husband as Jacob, for a sordid fling with a mere pup? Still, Kidman fans should be suitably turned on! 

2.5 - maybe

January 24th 2025

A Complete Unknown

The Brutalist

The Room Next Door

Carry-On (streaming on Netflix)

This truly is a week of stand-out films, with wins and nominations right, left and centre. Plus a good couch-potato action thriller from Netflix! I'm blown away by the Dylan biopic, overawed by The Brutalist, and totally moved by the lead performances in The Room Next Door. Happy watching! 

A Complete Unknown

Dir:  James Mangold

Length: 141 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdV-Cs5o8mc

© Searchlight Pictures - you believe that 
Chalamet IS Bob Dylan

Is this film unmissable for me because I grew up in that era, or because it's a brilliant film? Both! The story of Bob Dylan's rise from a folk hero of the mid-sixties to his controversial move to non-acoustic music is thrillingly depicted in this wonderful biopic. The film never seeks to put the man on a pedestal (his fans did enough of that!), but rather to show him warts and all: his astonishing talent with lyrics, his sociopolitical commentary on the era, and his many tumultuous love affairs with women. Also, the film never seeks to analyse the man; it just gives us a snapshot in time of that particular stage in his life, but it certainly helps us understand why today he is generally seen as a bit of a reclusive stand-offish character. Now to the most gob-smacking aspect, for me, of this movie. I totally assumed that the actors were lip-synching to the original singers' tracks, only to discover that the leads all did their own singing and guitar work. Starting with Timothee Chalamet as Dylan, I can only say he channels the singer's voice, and everything about his performance makes me think I was watching Dylan himself, not to mention the uncanny physical resemblance. Monica Barbaro almost replicates the ethereal voice of my childhood hero Joan Baez, while Ed Norton is compelling as mainstay of the folk revolution Pete Seeger. Dylan's romances were complex, as he juggled Baez and Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning), a sweet young thing not part of the music scene. Bob's intrisic carelessness towards his women is never glossed over - making him all the more real. The whole film builds towards the "shocking" moment at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, when, much to the horror of his fans, Bob picks up an electric guitar. That seminal moment in music history is gloriously portrayed in all its seething emotion, with the song Like a Rolling Stone simply showcasing even more pointedly the turning point in the life of a master songwriter. 

5 - unmissable

The Brutalist

Dir:  Brady Corbett

Length: 215 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqIE5FYFj8E

© Universal - it's in the realm of epic!

Famed architect Laszlo Toth (Adrien Brody) has escaped the Holocaust and post-war Hungary and emigrated to America, but has been unable to bring his wife Erzsebet (Felicity Jones) and her niece Zsofia (Raffie Cassidy) with him. He works initially in a furniture store with his cousin Attila (Alessandro Nivola), but then gets the opportunity to redesign a library for millionaire industrialist Harrison Lee van Buren (an Oscar-nominated Guy Pearce). This opens the door for Toth to become involved in a monumental project envisioned by van Buren, but he also has to get his personal life in order as Erzsebet re-enters the picture. Already with countless nominations and wins, (including Best Actor for Brody at the Golden Globes) this is a movie on an epic scale. Its vastness thematically is almost overwhelming; we have the immigrant experience and the perhaps false hope of the American dream, the ongoing anti-semitism that dogs Toth, and the patronising superiority of the wealthy. Then there is the intimate and personal side of the tale; Toth's demons - a driven perfectionist personality, problems with addiction, and his relationship issues - all a clever counterpoint to the vastness of the overall tale. Brody gives a career-best performance, while Pearce is phenomenal as the ultimately reprehensible millionaire. Cinematography is sweeping, lots of fascinating angles, in keeping with the architectural ideas, and also capturing strongly the sense of period and place. Some may be deterred by the long runtime, but there is an official intermission, and the film is so engrossing it rewards the input of hours. It's a fiction, but so compelling you think it's truth!

4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended 

The Room Next Door

Dir:  Pedro Almodovar

Length: 107mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcp__Vek4gQ

© Sony - facing the end with friendship 

Winner of the Golden Lion at Venice FF 2024, this haunting and gentle film raises the thorny issue of assisted suicide. Martha (a more gaunt than ever Tilda Swinton) and Ingrid (Julianne Moore), work colleagues from many years ago, reconnect at a time when Martha is dying from terminal cancer. The sick woman confesses that she has bought a tablet over the dark web; one that will end her life at a time of her choice. She asks Ingrid to come with her for a few weeks up to her home in the mountains, and to simply be in the next room when she decides to end it all. If you've already decided this is too depressing a topic, think again. In his first English-language film, Almodovar conjures something very positive about the idea of grasping what we have, living in the now, and simply being in the world until we are not. Both lead performances are, as to be expected, powerful, yet sweetly gentle, as the two women rediscover each other and face an impending death head on. Swinton is remarkably transformed by the make-up department to also play her own daughter. The film is not without its small moments of humour, and to offset the subject matter there is plenty of signature Almodovar color in the settings, while the musical soundtrack is quite sublime. Two small male supporting performances are worth mentioning - John Turturro as Daniel, a lacklustre man both women once dated, and Alessandro Nivola as a policeman from the bible belt who is hell-bent on exposing "the truth", a plot-thread which is thankfully not expanded upon. The poeticness of the inevitability and universality of death is expressed finally in the closing lines, from James Joyce: The snow is falling, falling faintly through the universe, and faintly falling on all the living and the dead. A most worthy and sobering film experience. 

4 - highly recommended

Carry-on

Dir:  Jauime Collett-Serra

Length: 119 mins

Streaming on Netflix - new release

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS0XacjMmOc&t=6s

© Netflix - prepare yourself for
non-stop action 

And now for something completely different!!! Feeling like popcorn on the sofa, and a fast-paced thriller that really won't challenge the brain too much? Taron Edgerton (best-known for playing Elton John in Rocket Man), is Ethan Kopek, one of those people at the airport check-in, charged with watching the bags go through the x-ray machine and pulling out anything suspicious. When he's tricked into picking up a mysterious earpiece, a disembodied voice (Jason Bateman) tells him he'd better do what he's told, or his pregnant girlfriend Nora (Sophie Carson) will die. And of course doing what he's told involves letting something through which should never get on an aircraft! The film moves along at a cracking pace, with one especially exciting and well-choreographed scene set in the backstage department of the moving luggage carousel, as the two adversaries face off. There are plenty of plot twists (Russian mobsters play a role) and generally the action keeps one engaged, even if there are a few unbelievable moments (Well, aren't there always in this type of movie.) But for lovers of the genre, it's just the ticket.

3.5- well recommended

January 16th 2025

We Live in Time

Emilia Perez

Wolf Man

You can laugh, cry, or be scared with this week's films - a wonderfully diverse selection. Emilia Perez has just gone ballistic at the Golden Globes, and is my pick of the week. 

We Live in Time

Dir:  John Crowley

Length: 108 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n-SteWwDbk

© StudioCanal - 

Tobias (Andrew Garfield) is on the brink of a divorce, while Almut (Florence Pugh) is fancy-free and an up-and-coming chef. When Almut runs into Tobias with her car, a passionate romance ensues. But fate has a way of bringing challenges and sometimes tragedy to young lives, and the pair must figure how to deal with it, treasuring each moment they share. Some viewers will hate this sort of tear-jerking romance; I loved it, mainly because it's fresh, with a non-linear timeline structure, and features two heart-breaking performances from its leads. Following the plot is like leafing through a photo album where the chronological order has been jumbled up, and though I often dislike this type of time-jumping, it works wonderfully here, each segment expanding upon our overview of the entire story of the couple; a snapshot in time. Garfield and Pugh conjure up a sizzling yet tender chemistry, and Grace Delaney is natural and adorable as little daughter Ella. The dialogue feels natural and is never predictable, and the nature of the two lovers - Tobias's puppy-eyed devotion and Almut's feisty pragmatism - make for a lovely contrast. Fortunately, the film never descends into mawkishness, but you'd still better get the tissues out!

4 - highly recommended

Emilia Perez

Dir:  Jacques Audiard

Length: 132 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJsDl-mBUxs

© Kismet - Golden Globe Winner 
blitzes in this incredible role

The words audacious, wild, imaginative and original barely do justice to this magnificent musical story of a Mexican drug lord, who harbors the secret desire to transform his life and become a woman. Cartel boss Manitas (Karla Sofia Gascon) hires disillusioned lawyer Rita (Zoe Saldana) to help him put his plan into action. First gender reassignation surgery, then a faked death, followed by planned relocation of his wife Jessi (Selena Gomez) and their two children to Switzerland. Enough said of plot lines. The film's nearly 250 awards and nominations speak for themselves. Trans actress Gascon shines in the lead role, (many awards in international film festivals already) while Saldana's Rita is tough, tender, and gutsy all at once. (She just got the Golden Globe for best supporting actress). The songs and the dance sequences could have felt contrived, yet they erupt seamlessly and vibrantly at each stage of the plot. This is film-making on the cutting edge. While the blend of musical numbers, gang violence, self-reflection, and redemption may be a challenging mix, they work to perfection, creating an energising, compassionate and simply transformative film experience. I loved it!

4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended

Wolf Man

Dir:  Leigh Whannell 

Length: 103 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAw4PH2IQgo

© Universal - uh-oh - something scary
out in them-there woods!

Young Blake and his dad (Sam Jaeger) go hunting in the Oregon woods, encountering a shadowy, humanlike figure in the distance. Now, between writing jobs, stay-at-home-dad Blake (Christopher Abbott) learns of his father's official death years after the man has gone missing. Together with workaholic, no-nonsense wife Charlotte (Julia Garner) and Daddy's girl Ginger (Matilda Firth), Blake decides to head up to the remote home in the Oregon forest and clear out his dad's belongings. The family bonding holiday quickly goes pear-shaped when, nearly hitting a huge "animal", the rental truck crashes, and the family must flee from the creature to safety in the old house. They barricade themselves in from a mysterious large prowler, but Blake has unfortunately been scratched by the creature and starts to slowly transform into something his family cannot recognise. I make no comparisons with past werewolf films, but this one has a slight problem in that it tries to walk between worlds, flirting with themes that never fully develop: a child's unconditional love for a parent, regardless of what they become; parents' determination to protect the child at any cost; a distant mother having to step up to the plate; and unknown symptoms of illness dividing families. (Director Whannell speaks of the COVID isolation times as having influenced his approach to the film, along with his own fears about how to protect your family.) All this is played out against the tradition of well-worn horror flicks with some excellent  and very gruesome special effects in the body-horror transformation department. Some weird choices, such as Charlotte's hair staying immaculate regardless of what she goes through, really disturbed me. Though unnerved, I was not excessively scared, and the big twist near the end came as something of an anti-climax, but overall I was well entertained.

3 - recommended

January 9th 2025

Paddington

Conclave 

The Children's Train (streaming on Netflix) 

Happy New Year, readers. Another year, another umpteen films to revel in. Sometimes I think I score too highly, so I've started off more circumspectly, but I have to say I'm tempted to give the lot of them this week a 4! Every film is absolutely worth the watch. 

Paddington in Peru

Dir:  Dougal Wilson

Length: 106 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27cuF-y11oo

© Studiocanal  - a bear will go to the ends of the
earth for those he loves!

The marmalade-loving bear is back, in a new adventure, chock-full of high profile British stars, and CGI-generated bears. Voiced by Ben Wishaw, Paddington learns that his beloved aunt Lucy (voiced by Imelda Staunton) has gone missing from the home for retired bears in Peru, so heads over to try to find her. The Brown family go with him, and they all head upriver in a boat skippered by smooth-talking Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas), but not before meeting the seemingly amiable nun in charge of the bears' retirement home, Reverend Mother (Olivia Coleman).  I'm still in awe of the way CGI images are integrated with human actors, making the whole thing totally credible. And with much of the landscape footage shot in Columbia and at Macchu Picchu in Peru it looks absolutely magnificent. There's endless fun and action, some of it laugh-out-loud and some of it possibly a little scary for very tiny kids. The writers have had a good time referencing other films such as Sound of Music, Indiana Jones, 2001 and more, probably nodding to the adults in the audience. The values espoused (family, home, loyalty, gratitude and politeness) are all so solid, that there's something for small-fry to learn as well!  The notable cast includes Julie Walters, Emily Mortimer, and Hugh Bonneville, and don't leave before the end of the credits for a surprise guest. Though not able to replicate the originality and freshness of the previous Paddingtons, it is really a total delight and Entertainment with a capital E. ( . . . and cute, and furry and feel-good).

3.5 - well recommended

Conclave

Dir:  Miguel Gomes

Length: 129 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX9jasdi3ic

© Roadshow - Fiennes delivers another
compelling performance

Another film vying for the most awards and nominations is this quasi-thriller based around the election of a new Pope. After the death of the incumbent Pope, Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is appointed head of a conclave that must tussle until some sort of consensus vote on the next Holy Father is reached. Much politicking and revelations of past misdemeanours and scandals emerge, and while there is a moderate level of intrigue, the major revelation is the insider's peek at what goes on behind closed doors in the Vatican. Grand settings and gilt-edged costumes are meticulously recreated, while the score creates a gravitas suited to the occasion. Conservative cardinals like Tedesco, (Sergio Castellito), and Tremblay (John Lithgow) are at odds with the more progressive Lawrence and Bellini (Stanley Tucci), and under the religous robes they are mostly power hungry men, just like in mainstream political arenas. Though I'm not swept away with excitement by this type of story, I am, as usual, wholeheartedly impressed by the wonderful Ralph Fiennes, always a joy to watch on the big screen.

3.5 - well recommended

The Children's Train

Dir:  Cristina Comencini

Length: 106 mins

Streaming on Netflix - new release

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76Aljh0U8Hk

© Netflix

Naples in 1946 was a city with little hope for children growing up impoverished after the war. They were even at risk of starvation, so the newly empowered Communist party, in conjunction with a women's organisation, arranged for tens of thousands of kids to be transported to the north of the country where wealthier families would host them. Based upon these historical facts, the film tells the story of a fictionalised family, where a single mother reluctantly sends her son Amerigo (Christian Cervone) north. The film opens with a successful adult Amerigo (Stefano Accorsi) performing a violin concerto, so we know there has been a good outcome for him. The film then flashes back to his childhood experiences, in which he finds himself conflicted between his northern host "mother" Derna (Barbara Ronchi), and his life back in Naples. This is a very touching film, with terrific period recreations, strong performances, and a powerful story.

3.5 - well recommended