You can tell that there's not a school holiday in sight, because this week it's all largely adult fare that is arriving on our cinema screens. For those of us of a discernible age and taste this weeks offerings are dramatic, comedic, horrific, scientific and futuristic leaving just romantic out in the cold. With all the other great cinematic content out there too currently there is something for just about everyone, so choose away and enjoy your movie.
First up then is one of the must-see movie events of the year that is retooled, reimagined and rebooted 30 years after the last offering in this ever cult popular franchise; then we move to the realms of scientific engineering and A.I. and a new take on a genre seen way back when in Fritz Lang's
'Metropolis'; and next up an American Horror offering that proffers something new, fresh, and deadly creeping steadily and stealthily ever closer. From here we head east to Tokyo and then west to Minnesota in search of fabled treasure that could be fact, or fiction or something in between; and finally a dramedy of Royal proportions that might just bend the historic truth a little!
Five new offerings, two of which I must confess hit our screens last week on a limited release and are showing in selected cinemas around your local area I'm sure. Nonetheless check out any one of these, or those others still doing the rounds, and drop us all an opinion of your experience in the Comments Box below this, or any other Post.
MAD MAX : FURY ROAD (Rated MA15+) - Max Rockatansky first hit our cinema screens way back in 1979 when a young George Miller Directed and Co-Wrote the script for a near future dystopian police thriller set in our own backyard, but which of course could have been just about anywhere.
'Mad Max' made at the time for just AU$400K it grossed US$100M globally and for a long period was the most commercially successfully film of all time on a dollar for dollar basis, and, it launched the career of a young Mel Gibson in the lead role. Inevitably a sequel followed and in 1981
'Mad Max : The Road Warrior' followed again with Mel Gibson and again critically and commercially successful with George Miller at the helm once more. 1985 saw the last outing for Gibson and Max in
'Mad Max : Beyond Thunderdome' with Tina Turner and this film was the weakest of the three despite Miller returning once again. That was 30 years ago and George Miller is back Directing, Producing and Co-Writing this fourth instalment which has spent the last 25 years in development hell, but has got there finally with a production budget of US$150M . . . and the long wait is over!
This time around Tom Hardy is 'Mad' Max Rockatansky and we are set in 2060 after civilisation as we once knew it has all but collapsed and Max's family were mown down by a motorcycle gang back when things first started to go belly-up! Max comes across Furiosa (Charlize Theron) attempting to cross an expanse of desert with a band of former female captors known as 'The Five Wives' all on the run from an evil Warlord King Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne ['Toecutter' from the original
'Mad Max']) and his bloodthirsty violently fuelled henchmen 'The War Boys' who collectively rule over the desert kingdom known as 'The Wasteland'. King Joe wants the wives back for breeding purposes, and having taken Max captive the only salvation for Max and Furiosa is to join forces and navigate themselves out of the treacherous desert, fight for their very lives and overcome much adversity, souped up vehicular carnage, and a deadly relentless foe so that they may continues their journeys and their lives as they had originally planned. Also starring John Howard, Megan Gale, Nicholas Hoult, and Zoe Kravitz this is already getting much positive press and is worthy of your cinema dollar for sure.
EX MACHINA (Rated MA15+) - Alex Garland is probably best known for his novel 'The Beach' which was made into a movie in 2000 starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Directed by Danny Boyle. Since then he has written screenplays for '
28 Days Later', 'Halo', 'Sunshine', 'Dredd' and
'Never Let Me Go', and now he has written the story and Screenplay and served as Director for the first time on 'Ex Machina'. The story surrounds Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) a 26 year old coder working at the worlds largest Internet search engine company who wins an internal lottery competition to spend a week at the remote hideaway home of the company's reclusive CEO Nathan (Oscar Isaac). Upon arrival Caleb is persuaded to take part in a strange experiment conversing with a beautiful artificially intelligent female robot, Amy (Alicia Vikander) built by Nathan. As the week passes Caleb becomes more attached to Ava as she demonstrates all the traits of a human being, but, there are other forces at work here and where will this lead as Nathan and Ava battle it out for the upper hand and Caleb is caught in the middle of this human/robot triangle. Made for a lean US$17M this has already made US$24M and garnered much positive acclaim for Garlands Directorial dexterity, his story and the nuanced performances he has created.
IT FOLLOWS (Rated MA15+) - Co-Written, Produced and Directed by David Robert Mitchell this is supernatural horror chiller made on a budget of just US$2M and so far grossing US$17M. The story is a simple one. A malign entity is passed from one person onto another through sexual intercourse and once the designated victim is cursed he or she will be followed slowly, steadily but surely until the evil spirit being eventually catches up and dispenses with its victim in ways that are shocking and deadly. The 'follower' though could be anybody, and you won't necessarily see them and 'it' won't necessarily be obvious until it's all too late. When Jay (Maika Monroe) has the curse passed onto her by her one time boyfriend Hugh (Jake Weary) she soon goes into panic mode and rallies around her close friends for protection, safety and comfort from the ever approaching relentless follower that they attempt to thwart knowing that it is always only a few steps behind!
KUMIKO : THE TREASURE HUNTER (Rated PG) - Written and Starring David and Nathan Zeller, Produced by Nathan Zeller and Directed by David Zeller this film has been kicking around for 15 months since its release at The Sundance Film Festival in January 2014. Starting off in Tokyo, Kumiko (Rinko Kikuchi) is approaching 30, leaves a lonely existence, has a boss she despises, a job she hates, colleagues who intimidate her and a mother who is overbearing. The only pleasure she gets from life is watching a VHS copy of the Coen Brothers 1996 film
'Fargo' from which she convinces herself that the video is in reality a map to the treasure buried in the snow covered ground at the beginning of that film. And so Kumiko travels to Minnesota in search of a mythical treasure and along the way encounters various locals who unwittingly aid her journey and her quest, and, help her to discover things about herself, what is real, and what is imagined. An intriguing and thought provoking voyage of discovery.
A ROYAL NIGHT OUT (Rated M) - It is 1945 and peace has broken out across Europe as the British nation celebrate V.E Day (Victory over Europe). As festivities and celebrations ring out countrywide two young Princess girls urge their parents to allow them to venture out and join the happy throng undercover as common folk for a once in a lifetime experience of freedom and frivolity . . . to a degree. The two young Princess's in question happen to be Princess Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon) and Princess Margaret (Bel Powley) and they must seek permission from Father King George (Rupert Everett) and Queen Elizabeth (Emily Watson). After some reluctance Mum & Dad allow the young Royals to dress up in their glad rags and hit the big city under the watchful gaze of two chaperone's. But of course as the night wears on and our young Royal revellers get the party taste of excitement, exuberance and danger so things go awry as the flavour of a little alcohol, a little dancing and a little romance come their way - but not with too serious a consequence upon the young heir to the throne and her sister! Directed by Julian Jarrold - check out this history lesson . . . maybe!
Again, five films to get you out there to your local independent theatre or multiplex, and what better way that to while away a few hours gazing up at a giant screen in the dark with a bunch of like minded people. When you have seen your film of choice, contribute freely at Odeon Online - we'd love to hear from you!
Movies - see as many as you can!
-Steve, at Odeon Online-
I saw 'NEVER LET ME GO' this week not knowing exactly what to expect and was very pleasantly surprised by this English set Sci-Fi drama weepie! This is a thought provoking story written for the screen by Alex Garland based on the popular 2005 novel of the same name by Kazuo Ishiguro, and Directed by Mark Romanek. Made for US$15M it grossed just US$10M in global Box Office receipts and a further US$2M or so in DVD sales, as well as seven awards wins and a further 25 nominations from around the traps.
The film is set over three time lines - the first tells us that in the early 50's a medical breakthrough meant that the human life span could be extended beyond one hundred years. As the film opens the narrator is standing behind a glass partition looking at a man being operated on in hospital. The woman is 28 year old Kathy (Carey Mulligan) and she is looking at Tommy (Andrew Garfield). She thinks about her early childhood at the seemingly idyllic English Boarding School, Hailsham, in the 70's and her more recent adult life since leaving there. Hailsham however, was no ordinary school - the traditional subjects taught were secondary to artistic expression - drawing, painting and such like - the best of which were hung on display in The Gallery, overseen by a mystery woman known only as Madame (Nathalie Richard).
Now aged 18 the three friends are rehoused into cottages on a farm and allowed out on occasional day trips. They learn from others at the farm of a 'deferral' programme whereby donors who are in love, and that this can be proven, can gain a temporary reprieve from organ donorship. Tommy believes that the artwork hung back in The Gallery at Hailsham was so that the authorities could determine if the young students had a soul and could truly feel emotion. Tommy and Ruth's relationship becomes stronger and so Kathy needing to distance herself leaves, having secured a role as a 'carer' for those clones going through the process of organ donorship. For her this is a temporary reprieve from the fate that she knows awaits her too.
Fast forward, and it is now ten years hence and Kathy has not seen Tommy or Ruth in those intervening years. By chance one day Kathy still working as a carer meets Ruth who by now is frail having made two organ donations already. They find Tommy who is also weakened from his own donorship, and the three of them drive to the seaside to relive some former memories and get reacquainted. Ruth admits that she knew that Tommy & Kathy should always have been together and she seeks their forgiveness, and also announces that she believes she can make amends, and having located Madame they can seek a 'deferral' for Tommy and Kathy to be together. Soon after this Ruth dies on the operating table during a further organ removal.
