Gerd's Reviews
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While technically, visually and artistically impressive, this movie lacks any sense of reality. While the animation is always obvious, at times it goes over the top to the point of being completely silly. And the religious overtones make it quite unappealing. What's really missing is any sort of emotional involvement with the character.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Very much a different sort of story: a divorcing couple still best friends. Pity then that the story is better than its execution to a movie. The scenes all seem rather random and disconnected. And often it wasn't altogether clear what they were actually saying. Nice try is about the best that can be said.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
The baseball talk and terminology is lost on the typical Australian viewer. But it doesn't really matter. The gist of the story is obvious enough. There are universal themes: getting old, father-daughter conflict, stubbornness, arrogance, young lawyer's long hours and ambition, new love and many more. It all fits together beautifully. And with actors of the calibre of Client Eastwood, Amy Adams and Justin Timberlake, the story doesn't matter too much anyway, they do such a fine job.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
Not only did this become increasingly horrible to watch, which was presumably the director's intention, but it made no sense at all. Not helped by the scenes being quite random with no sense of continuity nor coherent story. In short, an awful film. Had it had something to say in terms of story or characters, the depravity and horror depicted could have been seen in context.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
As is often the case with ensemble pieces, lots of rapid switching between story lines, especially at first, casts a veil of confusion over everything. The relationships do become clearer as it goes on, but perhaps not enough time is given to the central plot of the story, the marriage of convenience. The lovely Russian bride is brilliantly played by a pretty young Aussie actor - her Russian accent is wonderful. Being billed as a farce or a comedy does this fine movie no favours; while it has mildly funny moments, it's more a serious look at a range of relationships as they occur in the modern world.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
It certainly helps to have seen Psycho to really make sense of this movie. To the extent that the film depicts actual events, it is interesting history. But there are obviously fictional elements, such as the weird appearances of the original murderer, which detract from the story. It is hard to judge what is fact and what is fiction, which overall makes it just a passable movie experience.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
It's very much an old-fashioned musical, but updated to use 1980s rock songs. Typical of the genre, it's a bit corny when people break into song and dance mid-conversation. Still the story, such as time allows between songs, covers off all the expected clichés, such as eccentric and boozy rock star, star-struck journalist, sleazy politician and young hopefuls in love. The bonus is that the music is enjoyable.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
An interesting Aussie effort, albeit with some flaws. At various points it's not obvious what just happened, often because it's too dark to see. Then while most of the movie seems very realistic - the neighbours from hell and that there's nothing to be done about it are all too believable - the various schemes that the beleaguered couple come up with don't make much sense. And the one they adopt, which dominates the last third of the movie, is more ridiculous than credible. Bit of a shame in an otherwise fine movie. Bojana Novakovic is the stand-out performance; the young lady next door anyone would want to have.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
It takes forever to get to any point to this movie. Most of the banter that goes on is banal, of no consequence and terribly boring. There's a very repressed love story in there somewhere.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Quite a bizarre but very good movie. Not-so-young new couple, apparently quite normal albeit rather simple, go on a road trip holiday in England. As the journey progresses they become rather less normal and decidedly scary. They come across the usual spectrum of people encountered on holiday, but the outcomes are often anything but normal. The various tourist spots in the north of England keep the film rooted in reality and a useful for planning a sightseeing trip in that part of the world.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Wandering from one set of random images to another in no particular sequence or logic makes this supposed documentary a waste of time. The images vary from the beautiful to disturbing observations of how the world works. One particular sequence is quite bizarre, gruesome and ridiculous and had no place or reason to be there.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
A very believable tale of a 15-year-old overwhelmed by sex fantasies and nasty classmates. Life isn't easy at 15, especially in an isolated community, and this movie captures the anguish beautifully. A comedy it's not, just an intelligent exploration of growing up.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
A pretty ordinary sort of movie, made enjoyable only by the presence of Billy Connolly, being very funny as always, basically just by playing himself. That was what director Dustin Hoffman wanted. As Billy tells in the Extras (highly annoying as title cards come up every few seconds with the same or similar questions), he was continually told not to act!
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Interesting on many levels, especially the relationships of those involved. As in similar movies it takes a while to work out who's who and how they fit the story. The enviable lifestyles are soon seen to have a downside. The narration works well as it's kept to a minimum and, being a movie, can play some tricks, especially when it comes to the controversial ending.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
A difficult father and son relationship is not unusual in real life and is marvellously portrayed in this movie in a very realistic setting of a French winery. As well there are several other relationships in the story that are richly explored. The ending is unexpected and is open to interpretation, which somewhat spoils the movie for those with a preference for a definitive and explained resolution.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
This was probably quite a good movie. Unfortunately the disk froze and then skipped about 20 minutes several times, making it impossible to follow the story and what had occurred. Yet it may not be good enough to bother getting another disk and watching the whole thing again.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
For a movie about sex, very little is seen of sex or the relevant body parts, apart from Helen Hunt's breasts. That aside, it's a remarkable and moving film, possibly spoilt by all the media comment and revelations about the movie when it was released. Thus there are few surprises, apart from the coyness.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
It's a deceptive movie. From the start and a long while it appears to be a very simple and unexciting story of a teenager finding friends at a new school and going through the things teenagers do: trying drugs, being silly, falling in love. But towards the end through flashbacks it becomes apparent there is more to the story. It's nicely filmed and Emma Watson is marvellous. Somehow she has managed to sound like an American kid, yet in the special feature where she speaks naturally it's so obvious she's English.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
The Greek-Aussie character at the centre of this story goes through the movie looking totally befuddled as to what's going on. Unfortunately so is the viewer: the whole things makes no sense.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
It's riveting stuff: classic courtroom drama and who-done-it. Everything points to the accused, which is of course the point of the movie. Being presumed innocent means that he might get away with it. He certainly looks and acts as if he's guilty. But perhaps it's not so simple after all.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
Not much story to this, just a lot of singing. More a musical than anything else. Sadly the audience is treated as idiots: a cappella is not supposed to be accompanied by instruments and throwing up has never been so totally unrealistic. Rebel Wilson as an Australian is a refreshing touch. albeit rather out of place. At least she doesn't have to act to be Australian.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
This is hardly a comedy, as at no point is it in the least funny in any sense. Instead it is a searing indictment of the shallowness of American pop culture, especially television. The interaction of gun culture with the rude, inconsiderate and obnoxious in society is a dangerous one, which as parodied in the movie can easily tip the alienated and fed up into using guns as their way out. It's a satirical message about gun control, which sadly Americans don't get if they just classify this movie as a comedy. Both Joel Murray and Tara Lynne Barr give fabulous performances.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
The actors seemed to have a whole lot more fun with their horrible characters than the audience putting up with this nonsense in the hope it gets better. It doesn't.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
Everyone knows about the shower scene. Fortunately it comes fairly early on and the rest of the movie is about finding out what happened. It's scary stuff, accompanied by suitable on-edge music. The ending is a bit too pat and rushed, and a let-down to this famous movie.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Far too convoluted to comprehend. The movie has a writer writing a movie with the same name. For a while it seems possible to figure out whether it's the actual movie or the movie being written that you're watching, but then the two seem to merge. Quite crazy and confusing, really.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
An utterly ridiculous film. As a movie there are sudden unexplained jumps in the narrative that are disconcerting. As a story it's infuriating that this supposed "master" spouts total nonsense, making it up as he goes as his son rightly observes, yet daft followers are taken in. Sad too that a mentally disturbed guy is "processed" to become no more than a lapdog to his master.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
There's a sort of innocent charm to this movie, even though the going-ons are not at all innocent. There's also a feeling that the robot fantasy may not be that far from becoming reality. Some of the story doesn't quite make sense, but it really doesn't matter, as it's enjoyable anyway.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Lie, cheat, defraud. In most movies you don't get away with it. Not unless you are rich. This movie is not quite so clear-cut. At every level, things aren't what they seem. The move is never boring and always surprising. It makes you think about the ethics of everyone involved.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Constant smoking, lots of booze, drugs and partying, irresponsible fast driving and sex as it comes, don't make for a very interesting or involving film. It gets better as some drama and personalities emerge, but it's too little too late.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
Technically excellent, great acting and the recreation of the 1930s looks superb. The problem with the movie is that the motivations for all the killings are flimsy, nonsensical or just stupid. Goes to spoil an otherwise interesting film.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
A heart-wrenching story, well-told and well-acted. Despite that, it's rather predictable and goes on for far too long. Many sequences get tedious, such as all the court scenes, the opera sing-along and the home movies. Their point is made well before they end. Also the gay relationship lacks any chemistry and is unconvincing.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
The artistry that went into the making of this movie is simply amazing. It's an enjoyable fantasy, at least until it gets too fantastic, in the sense it goes over the top and becomes silly, such as all the ridiculous creatures that are created and go wild. Otherwise, it's very easy to fall under the spell of this stop-motion puppet magic and almost forget it's not real.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Rather disappointing for such a hyped movie, as not a lot happens. While the characters are endearing to a degree they are also annoying for a variety of reasons, including severe stereotyping. There's a host of minor events through the movie that are left hanging; some are resolved in the last few scenes, while others are just left as loose ends.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Certainly a thrilling ending, but where it also becomes apparent that the movie has deviated from plausibility. The focus on setting the scene in the early part of the movie in terms of the actual events in Iran, in Washington and in Hollywood goes on for far too long and is both confusing and rather boring. The time would have been better spent getting to know the six who ultimately are at the centre of the events. While they appear during the confusion at the embassy no effort is made to tell their stories. Consequently once they are together, their differing reactions are inexplicable. The DVD Extra is well worth watching to see how well the younger versions of the real people were cast in the movie.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
An impressive movie, visually interesting and with good music coming in at unexpected but appropriate times. The story is well told, but it took a good hour into it to be clear on what was going on, mainly because many of the characters spoke so unclearly. The exception was the Australians in the cast, despite their situation-appropriate American accents. Guy Pearce would never be picked for an Australian, yet in the Extras feature his natural speech is pure Aussie. Pity that Australian director John Hillcoat didn't use more Australians in the cast.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
It's a low-key story, slowly developed, beautifully filmed and very believable. The focus is on the kids, who are a delight: a mixture of typical youthful mischievousness and unexpected maturity. It seems like an authentic class. At heart the movie tells a sad story, dealing gently with profound issues of societal pressures on teachers and on refugees. Detrimental to the movie are too many scenes that go nowhere and seem to be there just to fill in the running time.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
More a horror movie than anything else. Lots of stylistic elements and special effects, all repeated ad nauseum. The same graphic of drug taking that appears numerous times gets tiresome. The whole story is harrowing in the extreme, which may be interesting for some, but just silly, depressing and boring otherwise.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
It's more of a love story of a couple of unusual characters than a sci-fi movie. There are all sorts of obstacles and revelations along the way, and it's fun to watch as every development is unexpected, right to the final scene.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
It's not a huge leap of imagination to accept that a fiction writer can invent himself a devoted girlfriend. Much harder to accept that a young guy living in an ultramodern apartment overlooking LA, driving a BMW convertible and using an iPhone, would be typing on an old typewriter. That aside, it's a cute story with some careful-what-you-wish-for aspects.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
An Australian movie set and shot in Germany, in German, had promise to be out of the ordinary. And indeed it is, but not in a good way. It's far too "arty", with lots of lingering shots of nothing in particular relevant to the story and numerous abrupt changes of scene obscuring comprehension of the preceding scene. Altogether very strange with many unexplained and unresolved story angles.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
It's a shame the story is really quite silly, as otherwise it's a fine movie and gets better as it goes. One thing that really grates is that most of the supposed high school kids don't look at all like high school kids. James Dean was 24 at the time and neither looked nor acted like a 16 year old. The story could easily have been tweaked to involve older kids.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
A brilliant, unique and unusual movie, made to appear to be a documentary with lots of interviews of locals. Perhaps rather too much of those interviews as they interrupt the story. The all-pervading religiousness is off-putting as well, albeit that's probably reality in that part of the world. Having the central character as a great actor, comedian and singer really makes the movie: Jack Black is a revelation of many talents.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
An American Tragedy indeed, although the story is universal and timeless: male is conflicted between two women and is torn between their clashing demands. But films back then when today's baby-boomers were born were certainly different. Stirring music and pained facial expressions gave away what was going to happen. And the women always seemed to be slightly breathless. The DVD Extras have Elizabeth Taylor and Shelley Winters 30 years later talking about their roles and their manner of speaking isn't breathless. Shelly Winters is immediately recognisable, which can't be said for Elizabeth Taylor, but she was a very mature-looking 17 year old when the movie was made.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
There's about 5 minutes of story - a very strange one at that - and the rest of the 2 hours is artistic embellishment. This all gets very repetitive and wearisome, not helped by frequent appearance of one or more windows or screens overlaying the main screen and with different things going on in each. It's all a bit much. And then there's lots of nude bodies, mainly male letting it all hang out.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
Mental is indeed an apt description of this movie, which is actually a pity as it tries hard to make some serious observations about mental illness. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie is so far-fetched and silly, that none of the story is in any way credible or thought-provoking. The cast is generally terrific, the Tweed-Gold Coast setting is a pleasure, and the makings of a good movie are there, if only the script had been more realistic.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
A very strange movie, yet oddly enjoyable. It's more a serious of vignettes with the same characters and setting rather than a continuous story. The characters are quite eccentric and funny by being serious spouting ridiculous dialogue. It's such an infectious film, that by the end not even a song-and-dance routine, inspired by a similarly named 1930s Fred Astaire movie, seems out of place.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Going along with the whole premise of a crude-talking and degenerate-living teddy, there is a lot to like in this movie, particularly the fraught love story and the genuinely funny gags. Equally there is much to dislike: many times it's not funny at all, just cringe-worthy, bad-taste humour. Maybe it's just American humour.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
A rather 'loopy' story, made even harder to understand by much indistinct dialogue. Nothing much made sense from beginning to end.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
The story is set in Vienna and all the signage is logically in German. So why is everyone speaking French? Even the TV shows are in French. Doesn't make any sense at all. Indeed much of the movie doesn't make sense. Incredibly bitchy woman lives with her dragon mother and has weird sexual yearnings that are at odds with her character. Maybe that's the point, but it's still very strange.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
It's quirky, rather silly, somewhat nonsensical, but hilarious all the same. The love of the two kids at the heart of the story is touching, palpable, credible and sweet. All making a wonderful movie, that's something really different.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
Rather too random, surreal and basically silly to have much of a discernible story amid violence, squalor and booze. The message seems to be that lots of drinking brings out prehistoric beasts. Perhaps it does.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
If there were an Oscar for the strangest, most incomprehensible movie of the year, this one featuring a man called Oscar would win easily. Yet, there's an intellectual challenge while watching to try and work out what it means and whether there is any connection between the scenes. Maybe there is or maybe it's just pure surreal nonsense. Kylie Minogue speaking French but singing in English adds to the weirdness.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
An interestingly different movie, somewhat dated now when processing films is all but dead. The movie changes tone several times, from everyday life, to daydreams, to stalking thriller. At heart, the subject of the movie is a good man, but desperately lonely to the point of madness and with some disturbing tendencies. The way the story progresses is unexpected.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Intriguing movie, as for most of its length it's not obvious where it's going or what the point is. When the key scene in the movie eventually comes, it seems too unrealistic and out of character. For two people who have lived simple existences to launch into eloquent, perfectly scripted and word perfect soliloquies to each other is beyond credibility. A bit of a spoiler for an otherwise interesting film.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
A very strange relationship that doesn't make a lot of sense takes up most of the movie. It's supposed to be erotic, but weird would be more apt. Not a lot happens, making the whole thing rather boring.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Pity about the nine songs, not that they are bad (nor good) as songs, but because they take time away from actually finding out about the relationship between the two lovers. How did they meet and how did they come to agree to have sex? And then want happened as the relationship developed? With all the time devoted to songs and irrelevant scenes of Antarctica, we never find out. Nevertheless, the authentic sex is refreshing and a joy to watch. While countless movies show naked females, very few have ventured to showing male and female genitalia, both in close-up and in actual use. For that alone, it's a film worth seeing for anyone not offended by being human.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
The rather coy depictions of hysteria treatment wouldn't have been enough to sustain this movie. Fortunately there is a lot more to it, including the sickness, sexism and poverty of Victorian life and those with the fortitude to try and do something about them. And it's a nice love story as well, albeit totally predictable from early in the movie.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
The incredible - too incredible - story of two very brave kids on the run from a violent religious charlatan keeps this movie interesting. More fascinating is the depiction of a very different world of the 1930s where religion dominated everyday life (although perhaps in America it still does). With stirring music and in black and white, it's also a showcase of what movies of the era were like (although filmed two decades later).
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
A quite ridiculous premise for the whole movie, as well as its various subplots. The acting is overdone and totally unconvincing. Ironically, given the movie's indictment of television, it is more like a poor TV soapy than a serious movie. Interestingly, while the technology, hairstyles and clothes are all dated, the underlying issues for society are little changed, 36 years later.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
A wonderfully profound examination of the human conditions, with lots of symbolism. The movie is filled with a range of life's emotions: love, attraction, lust, emptiness, regret, joy, fun and sadness, often going from one to the other in an instant. It's all pulled together to feel very realistic.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Dorkiest, uncoolest, awkwardest kid in school had potential to be funny. But someone forgot to include any humour in this movie. It's just a succession of skits lacking any sort of comedy. Quirky is about the best going for it.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
In both the mediocre extras on the DVD, director David Lynch says that the film is based on an "idea". It takes a bit of perusal of web postings to work out what the idea was. Only then in retrospect does some sort of logic emerge to what appears on watching the movie to be random nonsense with many different strands leading nowhere.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Slow going to an inconclusive ending, and yet many scenes end abruptly, in a few cases with no obvious connection with the central story. While set in Russia, the events and the gulf between the lifestyles of the rich and the poor could just as easily play out in America or in Australia. Sadly, a mistaken sense of entitlement dominates and puts the viewer in the position of wondering what they might do in similar circumstances.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
The plot is a little out-of-the-ordinary, which keeps the movie interesting. Otherwise the film doesn't have a lot going for it, aside from the lovely performance by Sarah Snook. The dialogue is frequently drowned out by the music and there's altogether too much partying to pad out the length.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
A very intense and involved story of relationships, frailty and social ills. It takes a long while for the story to come through and make some sense, mainly - as others have written in their reviews - because the dialogue for much of the time is incomprehensible. Apparently in the US and other markets, the film was subtitled; why not for this version on the DVD? Subtitling a film supposedly in English might seem odd, but it is certainly necessary for Scottish English.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Silly and pointless movie, made bearable only by a fine performance from Cher. It's a shame she wasn't on the soundtrack and also that she hasn't been in many movies since this one.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
If ever there was a good argument against royalty and royal courts, this is it. The lot of them in this saga, with the notable exception of the British-born queen and the German doctor, are quite mad. How people go along with royalty, then as now, is a mystery. Still, the movie is historically interesting as well as an interestingly parallel with an Aussie now a Danish royal. The movie seemed very authentic being in Danish, so it comes as a surprise from the interviews in the Extras that the court at the time spoke French and German rather than Danish.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
A harrowing and haunting movie. Watching it raises all sorts of questions and unsatisfactory answers. Was she insane? Certainly to some extent, yet the displayed behaviour is believable of that type of person. Was society responsible? To an extent, but not specifically. Did love make her do it? Yes, superficially but other outcomes were possible. Did she hate men? Yes, but hardly a good reason. Did she become addicted to killing? Yes, but the portrayal also shows she hated it. Was it because anyone can buy a gun? Yes, but then she probably could have got one illegally. The result is a film that captivates from beginning to end.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
It takes a long while to get to the inevitable conclusion and it's never clear how that is going to ever happen with various likely situations dashed along the way. The lead lady (and writer-director, Jennifer Westfeldt) looks, sounds and acts a lot like "Phoebe" in "Friends", but alone among the cast she is hard to understand. This rather spoils the movie, at least for someone not well-attuned to New York accents.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Good Aussie effort at a thriller. Apart from ongoing suspense and constant twists in the plot, the best thing going for the movie is that it is Australian. Everything is familiar: the look of the outback - in this case the wonderful Flinders Ranges - the speech patterns and the cultural environment. Unfortunately, the film left a lot of loose ends that never came together, and much of it was quite implausible as well as inconsistent. That left a rather bad after-taste.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Only of historic interest. The DVD cover label gives the genre as sci-fi and foreign. Apart from a touch of sci-fi, the film mixes all sorts of genres, including religious, political, fantasy, ballet, horror and romance. And all very far-fetched and stylistic. The dialogue cards and linking title cards are all in English, so apart from its German look and one scene with the 7 vices labelled in German, it's not like a usual foreign film with subtitles.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
A very sad and infuriating story, made ever so poignant by the knowledge of being real events and brutality in very recent history. And while the film ends a few years ago, the real story goes on. Shame that the film jumps from a little girl in Burma to an Oxford housewife with an English husband and two sons. How did that happen? The film gives no explanations or background. There are plenty of scenes that could have been cut out to make room for some events of the missing decades.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
In between all the songs, there's not a lot of time for story. The movie makes it obvious why Judy Garland became such a star: at 21 she is gorgeous, natural and has a wonderful singing voice. The most striking aspect of the film is how dressed up people of that class of society were, just at home. Their costumes were amazingly elaborate, and according to the background feature on the DVD, quite realistic for 1903. Those were certainly different times, as indeed was 1944 when the movie was made, although with its strong colours it looks more recent.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
This has nothing going for it. And the sound is awful. Especially early on, the dialogue is very unclear, but it was probably meaningless anyway. Then the Cockney accent of Julie Christie as she come onto the scene is quite jarring. Nothing much of the movie's story makes sense nor is it particularly interesting. A waste of 2 hours.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
An odd mix-up lies at the core of what turns out to be an intractable ethical dilemma for both father and son. Until that revelation, the film is rather quirky and doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Afterwards it gets very tense. Some dark secrets are hinted at. The ending is a cop out and quite unsatisfactory.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Very funny, yet intelligent, satirical and very British. All sorts of parallels can be drawn in any age, even though the setting for this 1951 film was probably the 1930s.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
It probably all makes sense to aficionados of science fiction, but to anyone else it's totally ridiculous. Some inventive scenes is about all the film has going for it.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
Love conquers all. There is the possibility of that happening in this movie, but maybe life is not that simple. This is a story of two intelligent people, trapped in lives that are cruel and sad. The retrospective introspection interludes through the movie are a nice touch.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
A straightforward story; no switches in time, no gimmicks, no special effects. But sad, distressing and emotional. The cleverness of the movie is that both sides elicit sympathy; neither is in the right or wrong. The acting performances are outstanding, especially by a very youthful and surprisingly beautiful Meryl Streep. Included on the DVD is the oddly titled 'Finding the Truth' feature, that has the actors reflecting on the movie 22 years later. How they have all aged!
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
A quite ridiculous movie. Separately, the two stories being told are interesting and have innovative and emotionally intense scenes. But trying to link them with bright lights and spiritual mumbo-jumbo is just absurd.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
A most unusual and different movie, in that it's also a documentary. However, the narration interludes for the documentary are so few and far between that they are jarring. Similarly jarring are the movie aspects of songs, parties and abstract patterns. Nevertheless the true story of the acting couple and their son is deeply moving. The son has cancer, yet in almost every scene the couple are smoking. What is it that Europeans don't get about smoking.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Lots of random, uninteresting and drawn-out scenes of kids of a certain milieu being the kids they are. While from the mid-90s, the only real difference from today is the conspicuous absence of mobile phones. There's minimal storyline, which is a shame, as there was actually the makings of a worthwhile story amongst the empty lives.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
Persevered to the end, hoping there'd be some point to this movie. There's not. It's two hours too long. A half-hour short film would've been enough to show the atmospherics - lots of shots of the weather and lonely countryside.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
A traveller's nightmare is the cheery fellow-traveller who tags along and won't go away. Here Martin Sheen's character wants to be alone and he makes that entirely clear by his expressions and demeanour, but his taggers-on can't take a hint. Of course, it's no surprise that the relationships change along the way. That's interesting, but the continual images of them walking and walking become as tiring for the viewer as the walking is for the walkers. Not a lot else happens, so walking is about all there is to see.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
An endearing story that makes one care about the romantic couple and their relationship. Some of the early scenes go on for too long and become tedious. But Emily Blunt is fabulous and really inhabits the character as in all her roles. On the other hand, Jason Segel seems to play the same character in every movie he's in; maybe he's just playing himself.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
As befits the genre, there is a great deal of silliness, but it's great fun. Also to the film's credit, the story-line is easy to follow and within the confines of animated fiction, sort of makes sense. The DVD extra on how the film was made is astounding, showing the time, effort and number of people and their various skills that go into making a feature like this; well worth watching.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
A movie that had a lot of potential: interesting scenario, good cast, exotic location. It starts well and picks up pace towards the end, but in between is mainly a drag. There are a few funny moments and some poignant scenes, but to a large extent it's a waste of everyone's time.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
The modern story is a lot more interesting than the boring re-telling of the old Wallis Simpson story, in which most of the scenes appeared not to have any point. In contrast, an early violent scene in the movie was never explained nor re-visited at all. The modern Wally story with Aussie Abbie Cornish in a fine performance is more engaging, particularly Wally's increasingly obsessive behaviour. The surreal aspects of the two women could have been rather silly, but these scenes were well handled.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Snippets of life as an Australian uni student, a Vietnamese daughter, a call girl and a girlfriend don't appear to be heading anywhere in particular. But then the strands are cleverly brought together, along with the realisation that life is usually more complex than we want it to be. It's a movie that excellently questions a lot of assumptions.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Mostly farce, but quirky and interesting enough to stay with it to see what happens. Fortunately most of the scenes are kept short and are not laboured. But as a film, it's not nearly as good as many other recent French romantic comedies.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Pointless and boring. Everyone in this sad family and their neighbourhood are people to run a mile from rather than spend any time with.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
It's a likable movie, with some beautifully filmed scenes and touching moments. On the other hand, there are some really odd scenes, supposedly in a professional office, that would just never happen - not even in France! And it is never clear what this office actually does, despite every wall being lined with ring binders. There are also some very abrupt jumps in time which are disconcerting. Overlooking the oddities involved, it's an engaging story of love, grief and love, albeit an unusual love story with complications.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Very mysterious for much of the film, which of course is the whole idea. A lot, but by no means all, comes together by the end. By then, it's been quite a journey and intense relationship drama that has sustained interest in the characters and their plight. That quite a few scenes along the way never seem to have been explained is disappointing.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
A passable human interest story with a cast of characters believable for the setting. The problem with the movie is having no idea what they are talking about. Had it not been for the film's description that it revolved around the 2008 financial crisis, even that would not have been apparent.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
What is actually going on here is not as much of a mystery as the film's description might suggest. The story is well handled as a depiction of an intense and believable relationship. It's an interesting film with various metaphors and surprises, but maintains intrigue and integrity, even if not every detail is explained.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
The cover description doesn't do justice to this charming, low-key and sympathetic observation of an involuntary early retiree, who yearns for love and meaning in life, but is trapped by everyday life. There is only one disappointment after another, and in the end his loves are all fantasy. The English title makes no sense at all. Why so many foreign films get meaninglessly re-titled is a mystery. The original title, translated to Johnny and women, gets to the heart of the story.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
It's a movie that tries to be everything, covering all sorts of genres. And it fails, in what is mainly a lot of nonsense. Much of the time is spent drinking or recovering from drinking. Everything but writing. When the writing kicks in, it's all too late.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
A rather curious and low-key movie. There are long scenes of not much at all, but also disconcertingly sudden changes of scene, often offset with inappropriate music. Most of the cast are depressingly ugly as is the location. The only thing going for the film is some genuine humanity in the face of the worldwide illegal immigrant issue.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Do we ever get over first love? Perhaps not. The movie starts out well with the joy and passion of young love. But then it gets really slow, dwelling on inconsequential details in the journey to adulthood. Eventually there is a new relationship and it becomes interesting again as the consequences of first love become apparent. All rather sad on reflection and true to life.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Good fun when it's focused on political ridiculousness in London, but loses momentum each time the story moves to Scotland or to the Yemen. The love story is predictable and inevitable, and doesn't do a lot for the movie other than fill in a lot of the running time.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Fabulous movie about a year in a boys' boarding school for a 13-year-old runt of a kid. While it might be South Africa in 1990, it could easily have been a school in England a century earlier. There are no mobile phones or computers to be seen. Oddly there is little evidence of South African accents, either. The story covers the tribulations of a kid who's bullied to an extent, but still joins in the antics of his adolescent room-mates, discovers classic books and hot girls, and learns about the joys and sorrows of life. John Cleese is wonderful in his role, and hasn't done nearly enough movies in his career, but he explains why in the Q&A session on the DVD.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
This is a big disappointment. More like a series of random images in search of a story. The story such as it is, is quite silly and how most of the characters fit in is never made clear. The ridiculous monotonic voice that Sean Penn effects is hard to understand, especially early in the movie. Turning up the sound only results in being blasted by bursts of loud music.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
A strange story. Goes to show that strange stories are not a new thing; this one was written 165 years ago. It's been well filmed and well-acted, but quite strange, nevertheless. The language used is mostly very formal and almost unfamiliar; sort of half-way between Shakespeare and modern English. Similarly, the formality of relationships seems quite odd from today's perspective. But Jane is portrayed as very intense, feisty and standing up for herself, or in modern terms feminist. Australian Mia Wasikowska does a fabulous job.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Unfortunately the Irish accents make it hard to understand all the dialogue. That the American character is easiest to understand says a lot about what Australian ears have become attuned to. Nevertheless, the story itself is easy enough to follow and is rather mediocre. The movie and its characters don't take themselves too seriously, and it's all a bit light-weight.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Whether or not the method is dangerous is not actually established in this movie, which is much more about the relationships of the three famous psychoanalysts. Not surprisingly, these relationships are both interesting and complex. The film also provides a nice reminder that people once used to hand-write long letters to each other. These particular letters are shown to be in German, so it's a bit of a shame that when read out loud they magically become English. Using the language of the real people involved and of the exquisite locations of the story would have made for a far more authentic film.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
It's never clear what this is all about; maybe some weird religious experience. At least at the start and end. In between is a very ordinary story of some kids growing up, doing very ordinary kid-things in a simpler time, the 1950s, when kids made their own fun. And nothing much happens, despite the music continually suggesting something was about to. The father is a tyrant and the mother hardly speaks. Throughout the film are mumbled voice-overs, impossible to understand.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
Evil warlord in Africa. Evil child in Denmark. The film tries to draw some sort of parallel between the two, but there is none. The whole exercise is rather pointless. Some drama and redemption in the drawn-out main Danish story are the best to be said for the movie.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Fast-moving, energetic, funny, philosophic, romantic, realistic and very Australian. What's not to like? The lovely Melbourne settings are a plus, together with a couple of exotic destinations, a fine cast and a somewhat unpredictable story. The quest for finding meaning in life is treated both with respect and some irreverence.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
Wife leaves husband, but with unintended consequences. Where this movie is going doesn't become clear for a long while until it becomes a legal matter. At that stage there are various perceptions of what actually happened. The most interesting aspects of the movie are the depictions of everyday life in Tehran and the workings of the Iranian justice system. The courts seem rather chaotic, with people waiting and hanging about, but this may not be that different to anywhere else.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
The kid certainly does a lot of riding his bike - and much else. But is he psychologically disturbed - which would be understandable - or just a rotten kid? Or perhaps a good kid at heart? The movie toys with these possibilities but doesn't provide any answers. Nor does it try to answer why the selfless woman does what she does to help. It's all part of the charm and realism of this story, set in a nondescript part of Belgian suburbia.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
And they lived happily ever after? Maybe, but it was a hard road getting there. Separation certainly isn't easy, especially in the heady days of new and young love. It's a clever movie, with lots of gaps in the story, yet always making it obvious what's happened. And it's so realistic that it could be a documentary of a love affair, with all its difficulties and challenges.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
An unusual movie on many levels. Firstly, it's in Norwegian and with lots of dialogue, that means a lot of reading. Second, it's a bit of a far-fetched plot, perhaps plausible in the future, but the story seems to be set in the present. And finally, the protagonist is the most unlikely action hero; he comes through it all almost despite himself. All in all, a long way removed from the typical American thriller.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Unlike French ones, German movies released in Australia are few and far between, so even a relatively average German movie, like this one, is interesting to see. Essentially a road movie with English songs (why?), in which we get to like these disparate characters, each with their own problems and peculiarities, whether they are patients or not. The ending is suitably vague, but perhaps not a happy one.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
What a treat to be able to enjoy a great play without needing to go to the theatre. Even more so when the play has such an excellent cast. How the interactions of the characters go from genteel politeness to all-out verbal carnage is truly fascinating. The attention to detail in the set as brought out by comments made in the Special Features is astounding.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Memorable, more so than a great movie. It's a disturbing story of an emotionally disturbed young woman unable to stop reliving her past and perhaps not wanting to. Much of what happened to her remains dark and mysterious, which becomes frustrating and is a letdown of the movie. As is the unusual ending.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
A remarkable movie with an amazing story to tell. We want to believe this girl, even if the police don't. She seems so likable, normal and credible. Yet we also know that she's been mentally ill and lies compulsively. Can we really believe anything she says? It's a challenge for the viewer. The movie is also refreshingly different from the norm, in that there are none of the usual "big" name actors and it's set in Portland, Oregon rather than in one of the usual "movie cities".
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
It must've all made sense to the script writers and they deserve credit for the convoluted plot. However, the ordinary viewer spends most of the time lost in a dark and confusing world. The most interesting part of the film is the ship coming in to Panama, presumably shot on location. It's a fascinating-looking place, albeit the movie's action is in the slums, much like those often seen in films set in Mexico.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
It almost comes as a surprise that this is a love story. It doesn't appear to be for much of the time, more like a study of a man in despair. The silent movie treatment is novel, and the parts so well acted that the occasional dialogue cards in the tradition of silent movies are superfluous. The best thing about the movie is that it is so different to the norm and pays homage to movie history.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
The Marilyn Monroe character in this movie laments that she is finding it difficult to play the role in the film being made because the character doesn't seem real. The same can be said about the movie: the characters don't seem credibly real. That aside, it's an interesting perspective on two famous film stars making an improbable but real film. And the movie is pleasant enough.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Interesting enough as a piece of history. But what's happening most of time is very hard to see, the movie is so dark - at least on the DVD. The framing of a life story being dictated as an autobiography makes sense, but confusingly jumping in and out of different decades is unhelpful in trying to follow the story. For Clint Eastwood as director, this is a surprisingly poor effort.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
A good effort in the thriller genre. Given the title, the movie doesn't take long to get the man on the ledge. And as the police negotiator quickly realises, there is more going on than just the man on the ledge. Unfortunately, the parallel stories are rather confusing, and while the film makes sporadic attempts to explain the connections, it mostly gets lost in the quick jumps between scenes. It had potential to be a better film than it turned out to be. Still, the Extra feature on the filming is fascinating and worth seeing.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
With wholly unsavoury characters and increasing violence, and mainly told in retrospective voice-over, this story doesn't seem particularly appealing. Yet it surprises in being remarkably realistic, believable and involving. Being based on real events puts it on a level above fiction. The coincidence of the central real character having just died in June 2012, made it an interesting time to see this movie.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
Man has sexual fantasies sitting on the train or walking around town. So what? Meanwhile his real-life relationships go nowhere and he fights with his sister for reasons that are never explained. In short, there's not much of a story. The cover blurb makes it sound all very profound and deep and meaningful. If only.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
Lots of action: car chases, gun fights, fist fights, knife fights and so on. It all gets a bit tedious and hard to work out who is out to get who and why. It gets a bit clearer towards the end, only to end up just as confusing as ever.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Most of the characters spend most of the time just looking at each other. The story itself could be told in 5 minutes. A very disappointing movie.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
It's wonderful, inventive and just a little crazy. It doesn't take long to work out that some of the scenes are recreations of the writer's fiction. But after a while it gets difficult to work out what's imagined and what's supposedly "real". Very clever, but enjoyable only for lovers of Woody Allen's neurotic persona.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Goes to show that an Aussie movie can compete with the likes of The Hangover and Bridesmaids, and indeed do it much better. It's over-the-top, ridiculous and mindless sort of stuff, but with a few good laughs.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
A movie that's far too long for the very minor and boring story that it is. By the time there's some interesting material on the history of movies it's way too late to save the film. Along the way there are far too many irrelevant and non-sensical scenes. The worst involve Sacha Baron Cohen, whose character is annoying, ridiculous and quite out of place. His appearance destroys the mood of the film every time. All the acting is rather mechanical and forced, which at least fits the story, albeit unintentionally.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
A most unusual and innovative story. The first par is all very contemporary and intriguing, especially the mysterious girl. Then the film seems to lose momentum and go off on a different story. But of course it comes together and all is explained. It's a wonderful movie that's challenging and thoughtful, even combined with sex and violence.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
The synopsis isn't especially enticing: a workplace dispute resolution conference. Those involved might be actors, but they all make their characters painfully real. The absolute standout in the pivotal role of the mediator is Matthew Newton. He makes the counsellor totally believable. The film is also unashamedly and wonderfully Australian, with the people involved reflecting the culture, idiom and diversity of Australian life. Every aspect of the film is clearly Australian.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
Clearly it's an accomplished piece of film-making based on an undoubtedly profound piece of literature, yet something isn't quite right. The characters are spectacularly un-engaging and they make the story fundamentally boring. Pity, as some of the cinematography is wonderful. The voice-over and ultimately the stage setting seems to put a barrier to audience emotional involvement with the story. Moreover, the woman on her death-bed seems far too lively, articulate and mischievous to be actually dying. It doesn't ring true.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
It took about an hour into the film before there were some longer scenes that provided some inkling of what the story was about. Unfortunately then the next hour was no better the first: lots of short sequences cut short with no indication of what came before or after. Some were obviously flashbacks, which only served to make it all the more confusing. Moreover, the movie was very grainy, like it was 50 years old. In contrast the interview with John le Carr? on the DVD was wonderfully crisp and clear, and this 80 year old was articulate, erudite and interesting. However, the interviewer could scarcely be heard; how incredibly unprofessional.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
Much like the storyline itself, this is old-fashioned entertainment. Too old-fashioned. Lots of song and dance may have been entertaining once upon a time, but that time is long gone. Even Jason Segel and Amy Adams, nice as they both are, can't make it work and seem embarrassed to perform such nonsense. Having humans as part of the story was a nice idea, but with their singing and dancing Jason and Amy probably do more to ruin the movie than help it.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Just when the movie gets interesting, it ends. But by then it's gone on for more than long enough. Many scenes don't add much to the story, which in any case is rather simplistic and unlikely. It's generally inoffensive, mildly humorous and pleasant enough, but not anything special.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
A beautiful, tender, romantic and sad story that's very believable. Very ordinary 20-year-old guy gets caught up with a couple of neurotic women, each with their own issues. As usual when love is involved, it becomes all very complex, irrational and heartbreaking. The funniest part, unintentionally so, is a Japanese lady singing 'Norwegian Wood'.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
A very brave movie of a difficult subject. At first it seems it's about an ordinary middle-America family, but that develops to a very troubled one. It's a rather sad story and goes on for a little too long and with too many special effects. The ending makes no sense at all, which somewhat spoils the experience.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
It's an unusual movie, which gets it an extra star. But there's not much of a story and it's very violent. The Driver and his love interest hardly say a word to each other and any romance they have is purely imaginary. Indeed a number of dream sequences in the film merely add confusion.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Epic, long, wonderful photography, stirring music and a sentimental story. Unfortunately it's more a fairy tale than anything remotely believable. And as in many films, having foreigners speaking English to each other with put-on accents is simply silly.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
An entirely unlikely scenario, but that's what makes it fun to watch. The movie is never dull or boring and oddly is even serious at times, especially at first before the heist really gets going.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
A seriously flawed and unsatisfying film. While the premise of an elderly lady looking back over her life has artistic merit and interest, far too much time is spent with the old woman and it gets tedious. The more interesting aspect of Margaret Thatcher's life and leadership is told only in snatches with too little detail and context. The political players around her appear to be in a pantomime rather than real life. And despite all the plaudits for Meryl Streep looking and sounding like Thatcher, after a while she looks and sounds like ... Meryl Streep.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Reasonably amusing rather than particularly funny. The movie's need to keep moving in on the separate lives of three sisters, as well as regular scenes with the ex-girlfriend, the mother and the parole officer, means that the segments are short and superficial, which creates an overall sense of wasted opportunity.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
It's a serious and sad story, although at first it seems anything but. It's also a lot of hard work for the viewer to make sense of what the "Inside" feature in the Extras calls a "fractured narrative". Basically it's a jigsaw puzzle of seemingly random and scattered scenes, some of which are quite surreal and relate to the burning man title. By the end most of it has come together, although some of the pieces seem to have been left behind. Overall one of the best Aussie films in a long while.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
A highly unlikely but almost plausible premise is the basis for the extended title sequence, or overture, and Part 2 of the movie. Part 1 is a rather unrelated and mainly unnecessary wedding party, with the marriage doomed from the start. The setting appears to be an English aristocratic mansion by the sea and there is talk of going to "the village", something the English would say. Yet while there are some British voices, others are American and indeterminate, which is rather unlikely, especially English and American sisters. And the vehicles are left-hand drive, which gives away that it's not in Britain. Indeed, the movie was filmed in Sweden. It gets to be a rather long movie. The Extras recycle the same interviews, which is annoying. The first question to the director, as displayed on screen, is about a character's trades. He sensibly talks about her traits. It is sad to see such lack of quality control. Still, it's a movie that makes an impression.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
As the Extras on the DVD exemplify, the movie is well grounded in what actually happened. Included are comments from Billy Beane, still the GM of the A's - and who looks nothing like Brad Pitt. It wasn't clear when watching the movie if the games footage was real or just re-created. Turns out much of it was actual archival material. And that was also the movie's main fault. For those who don't understand baseball, it is largely meaningless. While the movie overall was easy to follow and an interesting story, it would have been much improved trimmed down to 90 minutes, especially by removing much of the games coverage in the latter part of the movie.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
These days Australians are probably as familiar with the US primaries as Americans are. So the confusing aspects of this movie have more to do with the story than with the political process. In particular, the key turning point in the plot makes no sense at all. Otherwise, the movie is a fine reflection of many politicians and those who work for them - exhibiting a curious mix of zeal, passion, ambition, lying, cheating, corruption, sleaze, loss of integrity, lack of loyalty and a win-at-any-cost mentality.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
They need to do more than just talk about Kevin. Indeed he is hardly talked about at all, everything just happens. Unfortunately it doesn't happen chronologically in the movie, but in a puzzle of pieces at different times that makes it all highly confusing and hard to follow, or even make much sense of at the end. Both the audience and the mother are left with the dilemma of whether it really would have made any difference had there been more talk about Kevin, especially from professional help. It's a movie that is ambitious, profound and disturbing, but way too 'arty' for its own good.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Too much time and confusion is involved in establishing the story and jumping back and forth in time. Once the story actually gets going, the realisation comes - as in many a good movie - that things aren't quite what they seemed. It's worth staying with as the pieces fall into place.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Nice animation, nice music, but absolutely no idea what it was all about. The mumbled voices didn't help in the least.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
Somewhat disappointing, simply because it could've been a lot better. Time travel is not uncommon in movies, and here the way the character goes back to the past is well done and repeated every time with twists. But what is never shown is how he gets back from the past to the present; it just seems to happen and is very odd. The scenario also offers great potential for fun on account of knowing the future and bringing back artefacts from the future. The movie exploits that on a few occasions, but not nearly as much as it might have.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Very much a product of its times, early post-war, but with a message that is still relevant. Leaving aside talking galaxies and the intervention of angels, there is a solid human drama at the heart of the movie. And it's not a joyful Christmas story, as the film's reputation might suggest. The central character becomes increasingly nasty and belligerent, traits already on display as a teenager (which really doesn't work, played by middle-aged Jimmy Stewart).
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
They may have been in the mood, but that's as far as it goes. Nothing much happens for the entire movie. The interview with the director on the DVD helps to make some sense of it all. Apparently, there are a lots of nuances around Mandarin-speaking Shanghainese living in Cantonese-speaking Hong Kong. The incongruity of Nat King Cole songs in Spanish is also explained.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
On the surface it's about a perfectly normal family and their neighbours in the extended New York suburbia in the 1970s. It takes a while for the various undercurrents of strangeness to become apparent. Yet their behaviour remains credible and realistic for that time and place. It's a slow, unusual, but oddly involving movie.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
A frightening and realistic scenario. The first half hour or so of the movie is terrific with a frenetic pace and scenes all over the world. After that, the scriptwriters didn't seem to know what to do; a lot of stories are introduced and most are not fully developed and more often than not left with loose ends. It all gets a bit confusing. A focus on one or two individual stories would have been more engaging.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
A superbly acted drama of three generations: good vs evil; right vs wrong; depravity vs virtue. The clashes are both believable and sad. There are no winners.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
Quite an accomplishment capturing the complexity, joy and pain of life journeys in one day a year over 20 years from end of uni to parenthood. So much happens in life and in this movie. It manages to make you care about the two characters, their lives and their relationship. Just a pity that there must be such a shortage of British actresses that they had to bring in two Americans who sound nothing like any version of British.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
An excellent rock musical. Also a bit of a sad life story interwoven with the great and enjoyable, yet unknown songs. Pity that the story is so obviously fake. There are quirky animations accompanying some songs and other weird distractions with others. It's all quite entertaining and whether it fits the story or not hardly matters.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
It takes an awfully long time of nothing much happening before this movie gets to anything interesting. By then it's far too late to make up for all the boring and mundane stuff that has come before.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Part psychotic fantasies, part nightmares, part erotic thrills, part mystery, part many things. It's hard to know what to make of this movie. It does keep you guessing and puzzled as to where it's going, which all makes it quite interesting.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Nice music. But it's a bit sad when that's the best than can be said about a movie. It's a tedious talk-fest about nothing much at all between the French petty criminal and the pretty American girl - whose French sounds American and uncertain even to a non-French speaker.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
Rather disappointing and much too long. The story suffers from too much detail, irrelevancies and episodes that make little sense. The characters are caricatures and largely unconvincing. Strangely out of place is the central character who looks like she was transported from a 2010s world back into the 1960s. While that might make sense in some movies, it doesn't here. Everyone else looks totally different, befitting the era. Yes, the new graduate was supposed to look different, but 50 years ahead of her time?
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Weird movie, populated by weirdos. It would be excusable if it were funny, but humour is seriously lacking.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
It's hard to know where this movie is going. For at least the first half of the film it seems quite pointless and a waste of time. Eventually it becomes a real story with some interesting people, but a case of too little, too late. And apart from one hilarious scene, it's not really a comedy.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Some movies get better as they go along. Not this one. It's silly and unfunny from beginning to end. Even what's supposed to be serious is quite tedious. What this was such a successful comedy is a mystery.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
He's lost his wife, has no time for his adult sons and their families, and hates his new Asian neighbours. And moreover, he's a grumpy, gruff and obnoxious old man. What's to possibly like about this movie? Only that the old man slowly changes his long-ingrained attitudes, and being a Clint Eastwood film it delivers an emotional punch. However, parts of the movie are rather silly and unrealistic.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
The perfect crime? Perhaps. Certainly very clever. It begins as a "horrible boss" story, a very realistic and credible one, unlike a recent Hollywood movie. From there on, every development in the story is unexpected and puzzling. There are great performances from all involved, making this a movie to remember.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
It must have seemed incomprehensible in 1939 when this film was made, and even more so now, that Americans once went to war against themselves. Going by how that war is depicted in this movie, it must have been truly horrendous. The history is positive a feature of the film, which otherwise is over-the-top, melodramatic and ridiculous. It is all the more remarkable that a story centred on two contemptible and unsympathetic individuals has remained part of popular culture for almost 3/4 of a century. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" for either of them.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
An incredibly lame comedy. There are some funny scenes and funny lines, but for the most part it's just silly.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
An epic story and epic production. Unexpected changes in pace, location and events keep it moving. In the end, though, it's all too far-fetched and melodramatic. As well, the after-life theme is too laboured and distracting.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
The title is ironic. Many films have a good guy who wins and a bad guy who doesn't. In this movie it's not so simple. The actors really draw you in to the lives of their characters, and real life has a way of not being straightforward.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Had it been conventionally told, this story of teenage first love would have been nothing special. But the style is so unconventional, from frequent voice-over to inventive dreams to bizarre imaginings, that the movie keeps being interesting and quite entertaining.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
A worthwhile subject, particularly for Britain with its major Pakistani population, but the relationship of the couple at the centre of the story didn't ring true and there was no chemistry apparent between them. That they would fall in love seemed very unlikely and it wasn't convincing.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
More a study in sadness than a comedy. It's a movie that tries to be profound and quirky, but really fails to be engaging, partly because of its disjointed structure, but also because much of it doesn't make a lot of sense.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
It takes a while for the frenetic pace and random scenes to slow down and there's time to get to know the lead characters and their lives. Once that happens the movie gets much better and begins to make some sense, albeit with a meagre and predictable storyline. In the end, it's an enjoyable diversion with some interesting people.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
So ridiculous for most of the time that it almost comes off as a believable story with a serious message - if only the Beaver hadn't sounded like Michael Caine.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
A profoundly strange movie, albeit quite intriguing and bizarre. At some levels it is quite believable, if weird. The biggest problem with the film is that the majority of scenes are never properly put in context, or too short to understand what happened, or never followed up, leaving the viewer in a daze of non-comprehension. At least there is no language problem; it's all in very normal Australian.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
The music tries to suggest that watching people watching other people or sometimes walking or driving behind them is exciting. It's not. For most of this movie, it's boring and unintelligible, given the New York drawl of the characters.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Not deep and meaningful, just good fun and light-hearted, with some unexpected developments to keep it interesting.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Quite intriguing as the film only slowly reveals what it's about. The story though is better than the acting. Some of the characters are not well developed and their relationship to each other is also left fairly obscure. The hot WA summer landscape imposes itself on the mood. It's a courageous Australian effort to do something a bit different, and as noted in the 'Behind the Scenes' feature, to do so in record time and on a small budget.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
A film that plays games with the audience as well as the film's villains playing games with their victims. Neither is funny. It's a frightening scenario of a secured and idyllic refuge for the rich not being as safe as they would think. And very polite, intelligent young men are not always what they might seem.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
As in many French films, not a lot happens. And in this one very little is said either. Yet, it's an intense emotional journey. Part of the pleasure too is in being immersed in French country life and the French language. If it was in English, it'd be dead boring.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Comedy at its best, played absolutely straight - well, most of the time anyway - and totally hilarious at the same time. An almost ageless classic.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
Something didn't seem quite right with this movie; perhaps it was just that the relationships didn't gel or the events were too obviously staged. The beginning and ending worked well though, providing the bookends to the story.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Survival through good fortune rather than any plan, and despite - or maybe because of - some silly decisions and lapses in telling the same story. The mood of the film is rather compromised by some stupid and unnecessary dream sequences. And the last part of the story warranted some time and exposition rather than the abrupt ending.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
A more odd set of travelling companions would be hard to imagine. And that really is the problem with this movie: it just doesn't seem to be plausible. Nevertheless, the fine observations of different cultures and landscapes: Israeli and Romanian, are interesting for someone not familiar with either. Rural Romania where the latter part of the movie is set and was filmed looks like what western Europe probably looked like a century ago, and seems quite realistic. In contrast, and also probably realistic is that regardless of where our HR manager is, he can whip out his mobile and call home to Jerusalem. The world has changed, and it hasn't.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
A particularly strange couple: guy a straightforward hard-working fisherman, girl very mysterious, secretive and sexually provocative. The girl's story is only slowly revealed and there's not a lot to it. In between are lots of lingering
shots of faces with nothing happening. And some of the storylines appear to go nowhere or are not clearly resolved. For all that, it's quite a pretty film.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
As per the cover notes, Dustin Hoffman delivers an incredible performance, going in seconds from sweet and reasonable to ridiculously angry and quite insane. It's all very intense and emotional. This is a film of a play as distinct from a movie based on a play. As such it is very much like being in the theatre but at a small fraction of the cost.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
A movie with a glaring omission: a discernible story. The ending is as mysterious as the first 10 minutes or so when not a word is spoken. Most of the really pivotal scenes seem to occur in pitch darkness where it's impossible to see anything and the voices are too mumbled to make out what is being said. Perhaps the story was hidden away in the dark.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
Rather spoilt by being too disjointed and not at all helped by brief depictions of stories various characters were telling about their past - their words would have sufficed. Similarly, lovely nature shots seemed to be in the wrong movie and had nothing to do with the story. Yet the film did offer some interesting insights into the social mores of that time and type. Ultimately underlying the bonhomie and sexual revelations were people hurting for various reasons and to different degrees.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Longer than it needed to be. Rather too much pantomime and theatrical performance, and too much farce. But otherwise, a remarkable movie, made so long ago, revolving around the archetypical aloof yet desirable woman.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Nicely filmed period piece set in Sweden around WW1. There are some uplifting scenes, but mostly it's pretty depressing stuff around a hard life of daily toil, too many children and domestic violence.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
What happens when two rather opinionated, feisty and flawed individuals from different walks of life come together. They love each other it would seem, but will they or won't they? A nice study of an unusual relationship.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
A joy to watch. Despite the anitquated English that can be hard to comprehend at times, the film brings the story to life to the extent that it doesn't matter so much not understanding everything. And it certainly makes a lot more sense than when reading it at school a long time ago. The only thing that had stuck was "The quality of mercy ..."
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Aussie flick that should and could have been a lot better. It had everything going for it: good actors, nice location (Hervey Bay) and a credible story. But the central story was never properly developed. Presumably, going by the title, subdivision was central to the plot, yet the role of the subdivsion in the story was confusingly presented and not adequately explained. Disappointing. Interesting only for the locations for anyone familiar with Hervey Bay.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
A movie that stays interesting, intense, fast-paced, mentally challenging and basically nice. What's not to like? Only the somewhat illogical story, although being science fiction it probably doesn't need to make complete sense. In any case, the director assures us in the Extras that everything makes sense, even the ending. Although that has to be very dubious. The film borrows somewhat from other movies, but doesn't repeat those and is all the better for that.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
As a drama, once it eventually gets going, the movie has some merit; it's a sad story. But interspersed with totally inappropriate musical and dance sequences, it's a joke and makes the whole things tedious, unreal and far too long.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Apparently about a movie director confused about what to put into his film. And the movie is just like that: a hotchpotch of images, confusion and sheer nonsense, interspersed with apparently reminiscent fantasy and melodrama with an array of odd women.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
Supposedly a comedy, but apart from some silliness, the funny moments are few and far between. Episodes from the lives of each of the three friends presented in turn makes sense structurally, but fails the movie as only one of the three is particularly interesting. On the positive side, it's Australian, making it easy to understand and empathise with, and even better for a Brisbanite it's set in Brisbane, which is rather rare for movies.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
A reminder that Australia isn't the only place with illegal immigrant issues. Britain appears to have delegated its border protection to the French police and French laws, going by this movie. The story is rather meagre and trite, yet touchingly communicates the plight of asylum seekers and those who want to help them everywhere.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
A very weird movie populated by very weird characters, all with a weird fascination for car crashes along with strange sex. Entirely unappealing and quite ridiculous.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
An interesting retrospect on a man's life, a very flawed one at that. It's not really his version, as the events are not seen from his perspective. The guy seems to have been more successful than he deserved: city mansion, idyllic holiday house by a lake, wonderful woman as his wife. None of which he fully appreciated. For a movie mostly set in Montreal, it seemed very odd there was no French seen or heard. Odd too that as a Canadian production, none of the lead actors are Canadian.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Something different and a movie that defies description. It's all sorts of genres, with fantasy coming closest, yet it's a lot more than that. Good effort for an Aussie film.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
It's hard to find fault with this story or the movie. In the context of the long struggle between the IRA and British army, it's a very small story. Yet by focusing on the one human story, the movie delivers an involving examination of interwoven lives and passions. Only the title is dubious, with the song not really relating to the story.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
The stupidest, weirdest and most ridiculous movie - ever! It make less than zero sense, isn't funny and isn't entertaining in any possible way. The predicted rating of 3.0 stars is way off; 0.3 at best.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
A very odd movie about a very odd inter-personal conflict in the very place on earth where conflict should be avoided. The story develops slowly and painstakingly and doesn't make a lot of sense.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
Pleasant enough music, but the film has nothing of interest to say or tell with its numerous segments of each of the performers talking about nothing in particular. It ends up quite banal with a couple of them as typical tourists in New York.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Yes, it was a long walk, but with no story to speak of, there was nothing much to film ... apart from people walking. Yet, the movie never let us get to know or connect with these characters. We really don't get to care if they live or die. Most of the time they have unrealistic energy to run to water or food or whatever. They had to cross the Himalayas, yet that seemed to take a few seconds. We didn't get to share that ordeal, just a few beautiful views of mountains. Indeed that's only thing the movie had going for it: some lovely landscapes.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
At times confusing and hard to understand what is said, but without losing the gist of the story. Interesting and unexpected twist and turns make it an intriguing and enjoyable movie.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
A weird story, leading to a strange movie, full of plot holes. But it's not meant to be taken seriously. There are enough special effects and fast action to keep the entertainment flowing. Bradley Cooper is seriously good in the lead role, while the lovely Abbie Cornish, sadly without an Aussie accent, is woefully underutilised.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
The weakest of the three movies. Too much time is spent going over previous events and when it does move on, it's to overly complex and confusing meetings of conspirators and a drawn-out court case, Nonetheless it makes for a compelling conclusion to the trilogy. Had it been the first film it would have been a great disappointment.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Love's a bitch. An apt title for a dog-filled story, or actually three stories presented both in snippets and in three lengthy chapters. The characters are all very unappealing and it takes a while to work out how they are possibly connected. The movie is long and complex, delving into very different types of love. And happy endings can't be expected when love's a bitch.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
About 2 hours of gang warfare in the slums of Rio really doesn't have much going for it in terms of an interesting story. Another 20 minutes of the film is minor redemption with a slum kid getting a break. The movie is strangely presented in episodes and tries to be too clever. The hour-long documentary on the DVD shows the depressing reality of the drugs/guns/corruption impasse. The honesty of the police chief is remarkable.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Being a private eye was never easy, especially in an era when snooping meant going up to windows and looking in. All the harder, when it's not at all obvious what is going on, who is telling the truth or not, and what their motives are. An intriguing and puzzling story where the truths are only slowly revealed.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Could have also been called "The Survivor": an incredible story of survival in the face of truly horrific inhumanity amidst the most awful period of 20th century history. The film looks and sounds very authentic: signage in German and Polish, German soldiers speaking German, Poles replying to them in hesitant and faulty German ... except, bizarrely, Poles speaking English to each other! The movie was made in Poland, so surely they could have found some Polish actors. But it's a minor quibble with an otherwise excellent movie.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
It opens with magnificent footage of Iceland scenery. Unfortunately it's all downhill from there. While the core story of the GFC is covered and is infuriating - corruption, cronyism, huge salaries and no accountability - the film should have stuck to that and not got side-tracked to things like interviews with people living in tents in America or losing their factory jobs in China. While mostly a cut above other recent documentaries, the film really had nothing new to say about the GFC. That the guys responsible are not "inside" but still at the heart of our financial system is the depressing reality.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Believable depiction of company men losing their jobs with the consequences for themselves, their families and their lifestyle. Where the film falls down is that it tries to do too much and is very "bitsy", following three guys and their reactions. This gives limited scope to really get to know the characters and their circumstances.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
How does she do it? Meryl Streep that is, sounding for all the world like an Italian woman speaking English. And being of Italian origin wasn't even particularly necessary for the story, an emotional journey through a brief, beautiful and memorable love affair. The film is almost flawless except for the unrealistic depiction of the adult son and the perhaps too long kissing scenes.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
Overly long, especially once it moves to the courtroom after a tedious hour of establishing the characters. Once in court the audience is in the same position as the jury: not knowing who or what to believe. The smug defendant and his sexy, flirty wife are both unlikeable and devious. But it's really all about how the law works - or doesn't. Despite some faults, it's a must-see classic.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
With due allowances for society and humour having changed somewhat from 40 years ago, this is still a very funny movie with plenty of surprises and keen observations of timeless frailties of the human condition.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
An action movie it isn't. In fact, very little happens. And a comedy it's not. Unless feeling sad and miserable about life having passed by at 40 is funny. But 40 is still young enough to make a connection with a 25 year old, as becomes apparent. So it is a love story in a strange sort of way. Overall, it's an intriguing and unusual character study.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
It's a shame that almost every description of this movie reveals what it's about, which sort of spoils the first third of the movie where this only slowly becomes apparent. The key character is an older and sadder Nicole Kidman, at first hardly recognisable. She does it really well. It's easy to feel for her and understand the emotions and how she deals with life going on.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
An enjoyable romp in the English countryside. Straightforward, soapy and fun, with a range of believable if somewhat exaggerated characters. It's remarkable how much mischief and mayhem a teenage misfit can create.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
More confusing than enjoyable. Many of the events and peripheral characters are never explained or developed and that leaves huge gaps in following the story. Not helped by sudden transitions. At first it seems she's having an affair - or may two or three - but that's misleading.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
At heart, a touching love story. Pity then that it is surrounded by a lot of nonsense and unlikeable and shallow characters, which keeps destroying the mood and makes for a mediocre movie at best.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
What a ridiculous film! Everything was totally unrealistic. Maybe it was just meant to be surreal and in that it was perhaps successful. Otherwise it is rubbish. Supposedly it was political, but that must be imagined.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
A straightforward story, with enough twists to keep it interesting. But it would be nothing without the feisty, determined and gritty girl at the centre of the story. The Special Features show the remarkable efforts that went into the costumes and location designs, done so well they go unnoticed in the movie.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Whatever the point of this movie might have been, it gets lost amidst the incomprehensible dialogue and the strange characters who may or may not be related. A waste of time and it certainly was wintery enough to be chilled to the bone. In contrast to the movie, the 'Making Of' feature on the DVD is excellent. It is creatively different to most such, quirkily introducing various members of the team. And it was cold, judging by how they were all rugged up. Interesting too, that it was no movie set, but real people's homes.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
A classic perhaps, undoubtedly an unforgettable theme and song in Moon River, and certainly a gorgeous lead in Audrey Hepburn. But she plays one of the most crazily stupid and most annoying characters ever created. Still it's a love story when the plot finally gets around to it.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Very real and very emotional. A good demonstration of how well a true story can be told in a movie, which made it worth watching. However, numerous scenes of the Chinese village and of ballet practice could have easily been cut down without affecting the story. There are lots of Australian touches (like mum rather than mom in the subtitles), reflecting the film's origins, but using Sydney streets to stand in for Houston was quite silly, obvious and fraudulent, especially when Houston was used for other location shots.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
A mostly unappealing story about very unappealing people. Yet as it goes on - as in their life - they turn things around for the better, rescuing the movie from total mediocrity. The two principal actors are remarkably like the real people, as they appear in one of the extras on the DVD.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
A strange concoction of fantasy, delusion and the real yet extraordinary world of professional ballet. Separating these elements is the mental challenge and the entertainment in this movie.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
The characters are realistically from everyday life and painful to spend any time with. Over 2 hours of inconsequential conversations and non-conversations is horrible. With the constant alcohol consumption it's no wonder they are so dysfunctional. But at least the movie is not filled with the young, smart and beautiful: quite the opposite.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
A novel but lightweight plot, scarcely believable and all rather unlikely. For a French film there is a remarkable amount of English used. from the songs to conversations. Nice scenery though.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
A remarkable movie: a thriller that for once is worthy of that designation. There is building suspense and menace, and it becomes a puzzle as to who will survive, which is by no means a foregone conclusion when there is evil at work and the characters are all flawed.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
An astonishingly slow movie. There are very many scenes where absolutely nothing actually happens. It all fills in time to compensate for there being very little story. The 'Making Of' is more interesting and even that is boring.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Decidedly weird with numerous sudden flips of mood and style, sometimes fantasy and sometimes a continuation of the story at a different location. Sometimes hard to tell the difference. Yet the movie is quite enjoyable even if the plot is far-fetched and may not make any sense. It's a film about characters more than anything else.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
All rather mysterious until the plot slowly comes together. Whether it actually made any sense in the end is debatable, but it hardly matters as it's all good fun along the way and a delight to watch.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
It's a good story - an important milestone in the still-ongoing fight for equal pay for women. Yet the movie is not nearly as engaging as it should've been, especially for the first half of the film. Some of the working-class London dialect dialogue is difficult to understand and much of the characterisation is superficial.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
As painful to watch as it must've been excruciating for "Bertie": stammering and freezing mid-speech as so well portrayed by Colin Firth. While the background is well-known to anyone with at least a passing interest in history - the abdication and the coming of war - the central story of the movie is a revelation for those of us born after the king's passing. Even if one doesn't care in the least about the Royal Family, at a human level the story is still fascinating and engrossing.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
If Michael Moore has a reputation as a worthwhile documentary maker on the basis of this film, it is undeserved. The film is a hodge-podge of unrelated material on a whole range of America's social issues and lacks any insight or incisive theme. In the end he appears to be saying America is a violent society because Americans are violent. He asks NRA spokesperson, Charlton Heston, why that is, and seems to delight in showing the ex-actor walking away. But it is an unanswerable question.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
To be left alone is not easy to achieve is perhaps the message of this movie. It's an odd film, with at times very short sequences that seem quite pointless. But maybe they just add to the overall laconic mood and feel. Unfortunately the story goes nowhere and the ending is particularly poor.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
There's an important and shocking story to be told about the drilling for natural gas. Unfortunately this film does a pathetic job of telling it. Any Australian current affairs show could do much better. The photography is terrible - shaky and out of focus - and the interviewing and commentary is amateurish. A wasted opportunity to properly expose an out-of-control and rapacious industry.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
A movie in two acts that are quite different but both infuriating. The first because it's so complex, confusing and all too real (and boring) politically with the lies behind the Iraq war. The second act becomes the personal story of a marriage and the strength to stand up to political bullies - suitably inspiring ... and infuriating given the actual events as cleverly portrayed with the real footage.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Unbelievably bizarre, yet quite compelling viewing with the unexpected never far away. A love story - or perhaps two - amid mayhem and complications.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Well-constructed and visually stunning ... yet the story seemed rather daft and didn't really connect with this viewer.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Good Aussie film; one of the better ones. It deals with a serious and heartbreaking situation, yet does so with a light touch and a good deal of humour, while not shying away from the understandable tense emotions.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Sad, but beautiful. Amazing how people can give up all they have for the love of someone they hardly know. But it does happen, and not just in French movies. But maybe anyone would give up all for someone as captivating and alluring as Kristin Scott Thomas!
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
The 1950s. Life was simpler then? Maybe in some ways, like far less traffic. But the repressive, oppressive and obsessive social norms of the times could make life more than challenging. The film is cinematically remarkable: it looks, feels and sounds like the 1950s. Yet issues with what society deems to be 'inappropriate relationships' are no different today.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Quite strange, yet strangely enjoyable. A very different sort of movie, as could be expected from a cartoonist director. While more or less chronological, there is no continuing story, just random dips into a life at different times, with no transitions or explanations. But there's enough to show it was an extraordinary life of a most unusual person.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
The first half hour is totally stupid. Then - improbably - this crazy couple seem to become more likeable. Nevertheless their situations and actions are over-the-top and ridiculous, but at least there's a touch of humour in it.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Strictly for U2 fans. For anyone else it's a dragged out 131 minutes as all the songs sound much the same and the elaborate stage setup wanes in interest. Thank goodness it doesn't go on for 251 minutes as stated on Quickflx's DVD cover.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
The plot made no sense or else it was quite obscure. The thriller aspect maintained some interest, but most times the music suggested something sinister was about to happen and nothing did - except occasionally with some dramatic and unexpected scenes. On the positive side, the hilltop Italian setting made the movie different and interesting in a touristic way.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Priests behaving badly and ruining lives is hardly a new theme. But this film is much more complex than that. It takes a while to figure out how it all fits together, but that's the point. It's all rather clever, maybe a bit too clever.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Fascinating stuff; a bit like watching history being made, very recent history at that. It doesn't matter too much whether or not it's entirely accurate. Just showing the way facebook may have eventuated makes it real enough. The downside of the movie is that many of the conversations are hard to follow and the constant switching between the litigation table and the actual events takes some getting used to.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
A profound and touching movie, yet spoilt by a little too much silliness. And, as an aside, the depiction of Canadian hospital conditions is frightening - is this where Australia is heading or is already just as bad?
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
About half way into the running time the movie seemed to be over. At that point it would've been a one-star movie: confusing and with unlikeable characters. Then the story continues and becomes challenging. Decisions have to be made and the audience is intentionally drawn into having to decide where they stand. The movie redeems itself with surprising resolutions to its story.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
A perfect lesson on why foreign soldiers should not be in Iraq. Do politicians ever see movies like this? The film well captures the randomness, confusion and capriciousness of war, but that in itself does not make for a good movie experience. The random events in search of a story become tiring, even boring.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
A good thriller that keeps you involved and guessing, but without overwhelming car chases and violence. In the end it sort of makes sense, although whether everything in the plot has been resolved or explained is not obvious. A jarring note is Pierce Brosnan as the ex British PM. Not only is he unconvincing in the role, but he sounds like an American (even though Irish born).
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Great music! Everything else is mediocre. The film on DVD is way too dark and the various storylines almost non-existent until about the last half hour. And the music is a lot louder than the dialogue. Overall, a disappointment for such a famous movie. On the other hand, the making-of on the DVD is terrific, with all involved looking back 30 years. Amazing how the teenagers actors have changed and yet haven't.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
In part little more than a showcase for Cairo: beautiful, chaotic and unsettling. Mostly very slow, comprising short vignettes with neither introduction nor conclusion. Yet the central characters are interesting and seem very real. It is both easy and painful to identify with a western woman out of her comfort zone, feeling lonely and vulnerable thrown into an Arab environment. Much is conveyed by looks rather words. The woman carries the story and she and the views of Cairo and surrounds are the redeeming features of the movie.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Who would've thought some political interviews could be made into a compelling movie, especially when the interviewee is someone as boring, delusional and egotistical as Richard Nixon? Yet this movie succeeds brilliantly as a metaphorical 4-round prize fight that both fighters desperately want to win.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Perhaps there is a point to this film, but it's not obvious what it is. Maybe to illustrate the extreme dedication required to be a teacher. This teacher is calm, caring and an all-round professional. Nonetheless, the film comes across as a home movie where nothing actually happens.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
'It's complicated' is a line that comes up a few times in the movie. That about sums up the movie as well. It's not always obvious what has just happened, but you have to move on to keep up with the story. There are some unexpected developments.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
An ambitious movie. Some of it really good, especially when (eventually) it develops into a love story played by Brad Pitt at Cate Blanchett at their most recognisable. But it takes a long while to get there and this is where the movie is really poor and fails to hold any interest. It takes an effort to keep watching in the hope it will get better - and it does.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Brilliant movie, equally as good as the first in the trilogy. We already know the main characters and some of the strands of the first story are continued and elaborated, yet it is a completely different story at heart, and a compelling one.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
A movie that does everything right; involving, intriguing and capturing the essence of the book. Obviously the story from the book is condensed and changed, but all the essentials are there. The only thing to criticise is the Australian scene: sheep in what looks like a Central Australian gorge? Doesn't happen. But it was probably filmed in Spain, as there's no mention of an Australian filming location.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
Very confusing. Every time the story seemed to be getting clearer, something else would happen to trigger more confusion in trying to follow it all. The story could have been an interesting one, if only the characters had spoken more clearly and the director hadn't thrown in strange jumps in continuity. In the end this viewer felt quite lost.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Not unusually for French films, there are lots of exquisitely observed and beautifully filmed slices of real life, many of which add nothing at all to the story. The central story of a film production company in financial strive is more eventful and interesting. Like many organisations we may all know, it is a manic place, with a boss who juggles doing 10 things at once.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
It's a great idea, a comedy about incompetent terrorists. It could've been and should've been very clever and very funny. Unfortunately, the great idea failed miserably to turn into a watchable movie. It's a mess, all jerky, random and silly, rather than funny. The producers have managed to make a farce, but only a farce of a movie.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
It takes a while to really get to grips with what is happening in this movie. It then becomes increasingly apparent where good and evil lie, but it's not as obvious which will prevail. Australia has always done cops and crims well on TV - it's good to see that excellence transferred to a movie.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
A step above many other comedy-dramas, yet parts of the story are annoying and disappointing. Some of the characters outside the family would have good cause to be unhappy with the script. It makes a happy ending much less so for the viewer. Nevertheless the movie stands out for its exceptionally good acting.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
All a bit too much like watching the news - from not all that long ago. One of the players in the events - Hillary Clinton - is of course still in the thick of international politics. Sure, there are some private moments that the cameras couldn't've captured (not then anyway), but it all seems terribly familiar, especially when archival footage is used in between the actors' parts. That said, it is a well-done presentation of a piece of history.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
An amazing movie: the ultimate action thriller. Yes, there are lots of chases and lots of fights, but they are done better than anything else that's gone before. And with so much action, it's almost a surprise that there's even a story. It's convoluted, clever, full of twists and doesn't necessarily make a lot of sense. But it's all about the action, the accompanying soundtrack and the amazing Angelina Jolie.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
This certainly deserves to be an award-winning movie: award for silliest movie of the year. It's completely nonsensical and a load of rubbish.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
An amazing movie that helps to give some understanding to how the decades-long Cold War ended so quickly. No doubt this unknown story played only a small part, but the movie is fascinating in its recreation of world politics and the two key characters involved. It's also a very human story with idealism, pride, deception and difficult relationships all mixed up. The film is less than perfect though due to some confusing plot developments, that are either not made clear or are just illogical. A big plus for the movie is that everyone speaks in the language natural for each scene, be it French, Russian or English.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Too lightweight to be anything but a comedy, yet as comedy it fails miserably. It is mildly amusing in parts, but spoilt by too many scenes that go on far too long and add nothing to the story. There are a few nice twists in the story, but it's painful to have to endure the rest of the movie. And the Extras feature about the movie is even worse, also going on and on.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
An unusual - and Australian - story that is so different it keeps you interested, even though it's slow going and what does happen isn't always adequately explained. The characters are quite believable, given the time and the circumstances.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
A very clever story. Just as you are convinced you know who is good and who is evil, it's suddenly not so black and white. Even for those with no time for the Catholic Church, this is a very human and relevant story, and extremely well done by the actors and writer/director.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
The story is slight and confusing, but the lead performances by Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart are outstanding and the music is excellent. The sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll saga is a familiar one in movies, from famous real singers to fictional ones, but in this case it's about a real group that should have been famous, but didn't quite make it, at least not in Australia, except for the later career of Joan Jett. It's a pity that Joan Jett wasn't included in the interviews in the 'Making Of'.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
A story of historical events well-worth telling. Pity that 30 years later the same bigoted opinions are still being heard. The film comes across more as a documentary than a movie, which seemed to detract somewhat from the viewer's involvement. The Bonus material includes interviews with the real people, and uncannily they are immediately recognisable from the way they were played by the actors and 30 years younger.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
What a strange "sport" professional wrestling is, but its attraction and addiction for some is well-played here. Just as this story starts getting interesting though, the movie ends, which is a shame.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
A bit sad when the interviews on the DVD with cast and director are more interesting than the actual movie they are talking about. Among many other worthy ambitions the film was supposed to demonstrate the emptiness of the lives of the rich. It certainly succeeded in being empty.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
A little too quirky to be a really good movie, but quite engaging all the same. It has some fine moments, but overall a bit too slow and boring. As for showing up life's absurdities by filming them, this doesn't disappointingly doesn't work at all. It can't be that hard to do!
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Intense domestic drama. At times we want to love this couple, other times hate them. Which also sums up their relationship with each other. Their issues are faced by all of us as we go through life, but like everyone they think they are unique. Curiously, their kids are hardly ever about and there's no explanation of where they are.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
An outstanding movie. It forces the viewer to try and reconcile feelings of sympathy, attraction and repulsion. A very strong story, well played and well filmed. The Extras are excellent too, for insights such as the care given to authenticity over five decades, the effort that goes into fitting music to the film, and the amazing ageing process on Kate Winslet.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
Three disparate stories and we keep getting flicked between them. We have seen these sorts of movies before: eventually the three stories are going to connect. But how? The way each story pans out is the surprise element in this movie. None of the events are predictable. Naomi Watts - sounding a little bit Australian rather than the LA woman she is supposed to be here - is brilliant, her character best described as a bitch, yet quite realistic for a certain type of woman. The other key roles are equally well acted.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
It's obvious throughout what the film-makers were trying to do here: parody the ridiculousness of how political decisions can get to be made, from local to international levels. And they do this well. Where this satire completely misses, however, is that the characters are so over-the-top that it's no longer believable. It hasn't got the subtlety of a 'Yes, Minister', for example, where you could believe these were real people playing the political game.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Not to be taken too seriously, but seriously acted for laughs. Accepting it as a comedy rather than a realistic story, it's one of the better ones, and some of the unrealistic and ridiculous situations can be forgiven.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Don't believe the DVD cover that says 100 mins; it's actually 3 hours, which makes it an overdose of Celine. It's a just-bearable enough film, but 90 minutes would have been plenty. Concert performances are inter-cut with off-stage banter and everyday life with husband and child, at least as everyday as you can get when rich and famous and travelling around the world for a year. A jarring note is the concert pieces don't match the "travelogue", so the tour might be in Japan but the intervening performance has a European audience.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
The songs sound familiar, even though we've never heard them before. Similarly the story is familiar: singer brought down by booze seeks redemption. Maybe too late for this particular character, who's actually not too bad at all as a singer (Jeff Bridges in the role). The first half of the movie is more performance than story, while the rest is very much story. Overall, not a bad effort.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
It all ends with an overload of narration, where it's not obvious what's actually relevant to the story we have just seen. The story itself - of village life in the early part of the 20th century - has several interwoven strands and it's difficult to understand what's actually happening. But maybe that's the whole point: to try and make sense of it all. Whether it's worth the effort is debatable.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
We know the history, we know what the story's about, and yet this movie manages to shock and surprise. Mostly it's what we expect: we know what's happening when the characters don't. In the end, though, it's a powerful and distressing movie.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
An interesting and very human true story, although infuriatingly slow in a very typical French movie way. It could've been half as long without losing anything. Also, many of the scenes are very dark, either by intention or in the DVD transfer. To be admired is the casting of very ordinary-looking people. The Seraphine character would have been a gorgeous young actress had it been made in Hollywood.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Funnier than could reasonably be expected for something set in Vegas. And also more engaging than most such movies, as the viewer is drawn in to join the characters in trying to work out what actually happened.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Mediocre is about the best that can be said for this inconsequential movie. It is set in the 1950s, an era presented here equally boring as the movie. The breathless delivery of Renée Zellweger grates after a while, and surely her character couldn't be as daft as she's made out. The only really good performance is the young George Hamilton character.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Complex and challenging. A lot of time passes trying to work out the relevance of the scenes and how they might fit together. Eventually they do and it's an unusual and rather dismal story. A story that's probably only worth the effort of watching because of the complex way it's presented.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Once a murderer, always a murderer. The story shows how this dominates variously prejudice, understanding and emotion from society and family. Fantastic performances all around, although typical of French movies, not a lot actually happens, just everyday life keenly observed. Also noteworthy for a French film, is that it is not set in Paris, but in the charming city of Nancy in eastern France.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
An unexpectedly interesting movie in many ways, particularly the fitting mix of reality and fantasy. Whether it classifies as a "thriller" is debateable. More a good reflection of life, behaviour and attitudes in the 1950s. A time when the very idea of teenage girls forming a lesbian-like relationship was unthinkable and seen as an illness that "medicine would very soon solve" as a character in the movie proclaims. The film gives a sympathetic view of the state of mind that arose from how the teenagers were treated by adults, something that society at the time wouldn't have considered.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
A bit overly blokey and contrived at times, yet overall a surprisingly good movie. It gets more intense and real as it goes on, delving into the mixed-up emotions that are relationships. Very funny in parts too.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Very much over-acted, which makes the characters less than believable and many of the events implausible. Otherwise the movie is a bit of fun, in a very dark sort of way. Something about the movie's style makes it very dated, though.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Life is always worth living is what comes out of this movie. Apart from that, it has little to recommend it. Slow, brooding and surreal, and with no real outcome, other than life goes on and finds it own way to end.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
This is such a strange movie that it's hard to know what to make of it, but here goes: 10 minutes of story line and 3 hours of pretentious surreal nonsense.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
This serves as a reminder that Australia isn't the only country with a boat-people and illegal immigrants problem. As seen here, the French are much more aggressive in dealing with it. The movie is spoilt by far too much time devoted at the start in the "Eden" resort, which is mainly farce. The movie changes tone after that and is more interesting.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Mediocre at best. The story is something different, but it's not done in a way to elicit much involvement from the viewer. It's more of a long yawn.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Pure entertainment rather than anything serious. Light-hearted and funny. The fun also comes from not being able to guess exactly what will happen: surely there will be a happy ending, but when and how?
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
"Angry young man" comes to mind watching this story. The movie implies we should sympathise because of how he was treated. But terrorists always use that argument. The film presents the mixed images of aboriginal society - drunken slobs and a rich cultural heritage - as in many other movies, and which probably has not changed much in reality. Geographically the movie suggests Border Ranges rainforest right next to Girraween granite boulders - they are a long way apart!
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Bright and pleasant enough, but quite devoid of meaningful content or much of a story. The singing and dancing are fine, but the acting is amateurish at best. Missy Higgins in particular should stick to singing.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
It's too pretty a town for these lowlifes. One of them doesn't even appreciate it. On the other hand they show some honour, at least to each other if not to bystanders. A bit of good humour along the way to the inevitable violence.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
A very clever movie. As the DVD blurb says 'nothing is quite what it seems'. For much of the film various 'nightmare' scenes seem very silly. But towards the end it starts making sense (in a fashion).
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
A very disjointed movie, hard to understand much of the time, both in the spoken words and the random images. On the other hand, the "bonus features" are really good with interviews with the author of the original book, the director, producers and various cast members. The surprise of the movie is the character played by Mariah Carey. Who would've thought she good act and who would recognise her looking like a normal person without lots of hair and makeup?
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Given that it's a musical, there's not a lot of time for a story, but for what it is, it's not too bad. The movie is essentially about being lightly entertaining rather than profound, and as such does a good job. Fergie is the pick of the singers, while Marion Cotillard looks exquisite, but Judi Dench with her unique English voice is woefully out of place.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
An innocuous sort of movie: neither especially good nor excruciatingly bad, not overly interesting nor horribly boring. However, it's slow going with long silences and not much happening. Any hopes of learning much about Keats are dashed as there is little explanation of his life and circumstances, more a case of whetting interest to do some research.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
For a non rugby fan, all the rugby playing in this movie is dead boring. Even a mix of politics and some inspirational speeches cannot save it. Perhaps the rugby was even more boring than normal with lots of slow motion and exaggerated noise of body clashes. As the team captain, Matt Damon had very little to say. Why couldn't they have got a real South African rugby player to play the part? Surely there must be some capable of a little acting. And how about a Maori to lead the haka? All the speech-making came from Morgan Freeman's Mandela, and it all got a bit too much. Politics and rugby, a recipe for boring.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
A movie not easily forgotten. The story is unusual, yet it's about a situation millions of us would face. The particular character here - brilliantly portrayed by Sarah Polley - has her own particular way of dealing with it. Watching her, you can't help but think, 'What would I do? What would people I know do?' The extras on the DVD are disappointing: very poor production and much of the interview material is repeated in the overly-long 'Making of' feature.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
The concept was a good one, leaving aside the ridiculousness of a magnetised person, but the execution was terrible and pathetic. Pity, for as the far-too-long extras on the DVD show, the townspeople of Passaic, NJ, put a whole lot of effort into the film as extras.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
A lot of fluff and filling around the main point: that for teenagers it's difficult to deal with relationships that ebb and flow (although getting older doesn't actually help in that regard). Much of the movie is quite tedious and unfunny, especially numerous classroom scenes. The funny moments in the film are not enough to make up.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
A bit complex and a bit melodramatic, but interesting enough to keep watching and stay intrigued. Some of the early scenes switching back and forth in time are confusing, but then the pace settles down and the story starts coming together.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
The extras on the DVD has deleted scenes the director cut from the movie because "they seemed to be from a different movie". He was right, but he should've cut a lot more. Many parts of the movie don't seem to fit: an uninhibited party on a boat, a wedding. Essentially it's a sad story of genuine people being sacked due to the economic downturn. The hired "firers" should have got some of their own medicine.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Played for laughs and entertainment rather than serious drama, this movie almost works, as it's very funny. But the fun is somewhat spoilt by the difficulty in keeping up with what's going on and the myriad of characters involved. But perhaps the confusion is just part of the gangster genre. You wonder how the Yanks get on with the Cockney rhyming slang, which at least is vaguely understandable to Aussies.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
A story of two rather odd, neurotic and yet ordinary sisters in conflict over a child-cum-teenager is hardly the stuff of great movies. Except that the child, which one gave up and was raised by the other, was John Lennon. The film gives some hints about how he got to be who he became, but not nearly enough. Overall, interesting, but not a great movie.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
A pointless movie. The couple the movie is about are thoroughly nice and ordinary people, the sort you would be grateful to have as friends. Yet the people they visit are so obnoxious and dysfunctional that you wonder why they bothered. And the last place they go doesn't get any sort of explanation as to the circumstances making it possible, so it is quite unbelievable and very odd.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Complicated it's not. More like unreal, contrived and tedious. It was hard to accept these as real people in real situations. But it does have some funny moments, and consequently is quite a memorable movie. Had it been an hour long instead of two, it may have been more enjoyable.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Some people have complex lives, but you'd never know it unless they tell you their story. This movie is "Pippa Lee" telling her story: one that's complex, fascinating and unexpected. Makes for a good movie.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
This movie has a lot going for it: beautiful South Australian settings - coastal and vineyards; natural Australian characters and interactions; trials and tribulations of a single father - who discovers it's not easy; great acting - so they seem like a real family; and a very believable story - from sadness to a brighter future. But some things spoil it: dead people coming to life in movies is always silly; and boring everyday things are still boring when on film. On balance, though, a fine Aussie film, with a bit of help from the Poms.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Was it all a dream or sexual fantasy come to life? Maybe the title is telling us something. Either way it's a fascinating movie that is continually challenging and disturbing, albeit rather weird at the centrepiece of the story. From a committed non-fan of both Tom and Nicole, there's grudging admission that they were excellent here, with closing hints of their real-life relationship.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
Science fiction is expected to be strange, but this movie is beyond strange ... more mystifying. Why for example, if it's supposed to be in LA does it seem like Hong Kong? And if the aliens have no emotions, why are they so emotional? Total nonsense.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
One of the more disappointing and useless movies of recent times. It has sadly little of interest to tell or show - it doesn't even include any of the Woodstock concert. The story is meagre, and the movie is filled with more or less random scenes. It could have been a whole lot better, especially from such an acclaimed director.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Thoroughly entertaining and never dull. It's a different and interesting way to present the days of a relationship, chopped up into pieces in random order (well, not quite). It doesn't sound like it would work, but it does nicely.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
What starts out as seemingly lightweight fare ends up as quite a profound and moving study of growing up. Along the way we sense things aren't right and not as they seem, but the movie keeps us guessing a little each time. Thinking back to our own last year of school, we probably knew at least one girl in the class whose life was changed by a relationship with an older male, and it may not have turned out as in the movie.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
Very slow, yet so believable, for this story to get anywhere near a normal courtship. Events conspire to finally get a real relationship going, and that's a relief to the viewer. A good Australian movie, taking us back in time to Melbourne in the 1980s. Interesting to see things like groceries being packed into paper bags at "Coles New World". The "Making of" feature is overly long, but is fascinating from the perspective of 25 years later, with Phillip Adams, John Clarke, director Paul Cox (annoyingly puffing a cigar the whole time) and a very different looking and sounding Wendy Hughes reflecting on their experiences with the movie.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
"Weird" is the best and only description. It's a constant mental struggle to try and make sense of what's going on. Even with suspending belief about time travel, it's hard to fathom what "rules" the story follows. At one stage the character says he can't change what happens, yet he does! Weird. Worth seeing is the special feature about the movie. Rachel McAdams in reality speaks exactly as she does in the movie, while Eric Bana is pure Aussie (good on him), yet has no accent in the movie. That's weird too.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Not especially funny although it tries very hard. More about the stupidity of war and those involved in it. Watching this, what comes to mind is that 45 years later the Americans still haven't understood the futility of it all.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
The second half of the movie is more boring than exciting, being too far-fetched, unrealistic and at times hard to follow. The first half is a better story and infuriating on account of the small-town politics (or indeed politics anywhere) being played out. The long 'Making Of' feature on the DVD is worthwhile, looking back on the film 25 years later. Some of those involved - like Steven Spielberg - aged better than others.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Very ordinary and largely pointless. If Ellen Page weren't so good and so cute, there'd be nothing worth watching. The first hour could easily be skipped without losing any of the story.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
The Extras on the DVD are more interesting than the movie. They actually help to put the movie in context and get an appreciation of what it was supposed to be about: normal family life with a teenager in the rebellious phase and a younger sister having some understandable issues given her experiences. The city of Genoa itself comes across as a menacing presence rather than picture postcard. Overall, it's a very mundane story, banal and not very interesting.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Not just hard to get this guy to die, but incomprehensible: he should've been dead many times over. A good action movie, albeit with an improbable story line and the action in lift shafts, corridors and other strange passages is often quite confusing.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
The plot doesn't bear too much thinking about, but time travel is always a nice fantasy and this movie does it so much better than some more recent ones. It's good fun from beginning to end, and totally enjoyable.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
There is a story in there among the 3 hours of mainly nothing of consequence. But it could have been told in a quarter of the time. How the Sicilian aristocracy lost their influence and way of life as Italy was unified. There are some fine scenes and good acting, but this gets lost in overall tedium.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Very funny in a Woody Allen sort of way. It helps to see life, love and relationships as random, bizarre and inexplicable. Or, as the film says, go with whatever works. A perfect title.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Not for everyone, but all the same a beautiful and touching movie, very slow and laboured in parts, yet telling a very human story. The different culture and rituals dealing with a part of life we usually have and want little to do with - the departure part - make it fascinating viewing.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
A very strange movie. Its point seemed to be that real estate agents are unprincipled, devious, unscrupulous, ruthless and incorrigible liars. But didn't we already know that? The script and story are not worthy of the star actors involved.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
A thoroughly enjoyable movie which is very cleverly done, moving seamlessly between two different eras. And how different the post-war era was to today. The change in our lives, society and behaviour as presented here is quite remarkable, and something we usually don't think about. One could wish for a movie-like intersection between past and present, but these are stories of real people and we have to be satisfied with reality.
(Not to be missed!) - review by Gerd
Maybe it was funny on paper. Maybe the premise seemed hilarious. But it really didn't work. What should have been comedic was so overdone, it was awful. Pity, as Halle Berry's presence had a lot of potential.
(Don't bother!) - review by Gerd
Inconsequential and little more than a pleasant road trip through familiar Australian scenery. Yet there's a very human story in there as well, making for a credible and enjoyable movie.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Curiously and unexpectedly this is more a comedy than a drama - and it was intended that way by the filmmakers (see the 'Art of Seduction' on the DVD). Regardless of our age or gender, we have all known the nasty female, often with a touch of madness. This movie features the extreme of the type: an evil witch. So extreme that it's funny.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
It takes a long while for this to begin making any sense, but once the pieces start fitting together, it's a good yarn, befitting a story inspired by a classic of English literature, Thomas Hardy's 'Mayor of Casterbridge'.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
A very "nothing" story of very normal teenage sisterly love - and hate. Plus discovering their sexuality. It's all very mundane and boring until an expected ending.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
All very exciting stuff, making for an entertaining movie. The protagonist of the piece has no idea what's going on, but he's still ten steps ahead of the audience, or at least this viewer, who had absolutely no idea of what was happening or why.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
It takes a while to figure out what this movie is actually about. It's not about the difficult relationship a 40 year old struggles to keep on even keel with a feisty, self-absorbed, wilful beauty half his age, although that is fun to watch. It's actually about what happened in the past, told through increasingly longer and more meaningful flashbacks. Absorbing stuff in a good Aussie movie. Harsh Australian landscape seems like a character in the story.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
A different sort of story that makes the movie interesting. Rather flawed people living flawed lives, but life's a bit like that. Nice scenery makes up for a series of sad and depressing events. But overall, not as good as expected given the film's reputation.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
Whoever wrote "What would you do if you got a second shot at life?" as the intro to this movie didn't actually see the movie, as that's not what it's about. It's more interesting than that, yet still lightweight fantasy fare. Good entertainment and good fun. It's one thing to be 17 again, but to be in a 17 year old's body and making friends with your kids is decidedly weird and maybe not such a good idea.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
Theatrical means something like exaggerated and over-the-top. So when the choice of "theatrical" version was offered on the DVD, an option we hadn't come across before, we deliberately didn't choose it, wanting the "normal" version. Big mistake, as the non-theatrical sub-titled version does not have David Gulpilil's excellent narration, which we had to go back to, to at least get the flavour of it. On reflection, "theatrical" here was used to mean "as shown in cinemas". The movie provides an interesting insight into Aboriginal culture, with some fun and laughs along the way.
(Maybe) - review by Gerd
The drug underworld is never a pretty place in movies, nor one would guess in the real world, even in Sydney. A sad and depressing story to watch, but at least it is Australian and Cate Blanchett is brilliant as a former 'little fish' in the heroin trade. But it is all rather predictable.
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd
Suspend rationality for a while and believe love conquers all. A charming movie with a quirky and romantic story and eccentric characters. The lesson from the movie is that we value our memories.
(Excellent) - review by Gerd
It ends much like it starts: in bloody and violent battles that make little sense and stretch credibility. In between there's a complex story much to do with society and politics of early New York. Being ignorant of the relevant history makes it hard to know how much of this is based on fact and how much is pure fantasy. Love the top hats, though!
(Worth watching) - review by Gerd