Cinema Nova and Text Publishing will return the spotlight to great Australian literary classics and their cinematic adaptations, for the Text Classic Page to Picture series, commencing Wednesday 6 June for five events screening on the first Wednesday of every month.

Cinema Nova will screen movie adaptions of five popular Australian novels, followed by a discussion of the text and movie with a hand-chosen panel of film buffs, novelists, actors and academics that will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Text Classics Page to Picture series will commence on Wednesday 6 June, with a screening and discussion of the brilliant adaptation of Sumner Locke Elliott’s international bestseller, ‘Careful, He Might Hear You.’ Starring Robyn Nevin and Wendy Hughes, ‘Careful, He Might Hear You’ won 8 AFI Awards, including Best Film, in 1983.

The second event in the Text Classics Page to Picture series will be held on Wednesday 4 July, celebrating John O’Grady’s hit novel ‘They’re a Weird Mob’. ‘They’re a Weird Mob’ looks at the experience of an Italian immigrant and his comic and heart-warming observations of Australia and its people.

“This story has richness here in Carlton, given Italian immigrants are largely to thank for the suburb’s history and evolution that made Lygon Street the landmark it has become today,” said Cinema Nova Manager Kristian Connelly.

Wednesday 1 August’s event will focus on Kenneth Cook’s novel ‘Wake in Fright’: a terrifying journey into the heart of darkness of the Australian outback. The long-long 1977 film ‘Wake in Fright’ was re-released in 2009 after a chance discovery in the United States led to its digital restoration and re-release.

The adaptation of Miles Franklin’s ‘My Brilliant Career’ starring Judy Davis and Sam Neill, will screen on Wednesday 5 September. This was award-winning director Gillian Armstrong’s first feature film and has, along with the novel on which it’s based, established itself as one of Australia’s cultural treasures.

The Text Classics Page to Picture series will conclude with a screening and discussion of Shane Maloney’s ‘Stiff’ on Wednesday 3 October. Directed by John Clarke, ‘Stiff’ stars David Wenham as Murray Whelan – dogsbody for the Minister of Industry – who is called on to deal with a corpse found in the freezer of the Pacific Pastoral Meat Packing Works in Melbourne’s outer suburbs. From there he finds himself embroiled in the slapstick machinations of the Victorian Labour Party.

“Text is delighted to celebrate some of the wonderful highpoints of Australian filmmaking and writing with Cinema Nova,” said Michael Heyward, Publisher.

Text Classic Page to Picture series at Cinema Nova

Film screening followed by a panel discussion

·         Careful He Might Hear You Wednesday 6 June, 6:45pm

·         They’re a Weird Mob Wednesday 4 July, 6:45pm

·         Wake in Fright Wednesday 1 August, 6:45pm

·         My Brilliant Career Wednesday 5 September, 6:45pm

·         Stiff Wednesday 3 October, 6:45pm

Tickets are now on-sale: $23 Adult / $21 Concession: www.cinemanova.com.au

(Multipass available from the Cinema Nova box office: all five sessions for $21 each).

Text Publishing’s Australian Classics series (30 titles, each $12.95), are available at Readings Bookstores, find out more at www.textclassics.com.au

Dave Griffiths

Remember back in the good old 1980s and 1990s when action heroes never had to worry about be political correct or even batted an eyelid when they flew away a ton of innocent people while they were on a mission, well those days are back again in new action thriller Safe.

Mei (Catherine Chan – Aftershock) is a young girl that has a skill that most gangsters would kill for. So imagine how valuable she becomes when she also holds the key to a very important secret.

Soon Mei finds herself at the centre of a war between the Triads, led by Han Jiao (James Hong – Kung Fu Panda 2, Tattoo) and a Russian crime syndicate run by Emile Docheski (Sandor Tecsy – The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Remember Me) and his son Vassily (Joseph Sikora – The Best Man For The Job, TV’S Boardwalk Empire).

Throw in some corrupt cops like Captain Wolf (Robert John Burke – TV’S NYC 22 & Army Wives) and the only person who can protect Mei is Luke Wright (Jason Statham – Killer Elite, Blitz) a man who has nothing to live for and has a score to settle with most of the men in the game.

Director/screenwriter Boaz Yakin (Death On Love, Uptown Girls) is obviously a fan of older action movies, and it really shows. Perhaps the most surprising thing is that Safe actually works. Yes there is a lot of mindless violence and a high body count but the characters of Mei and Luke are so well set up and written that you don’t want anything bad to happen even if that means Luke has to take out a restaurant full of people.

Yes the story at hand is far-fetched but few filmmakers have the ability to set up suspense the way Yakin does and at the end of the day it is the well shot action sequences and the fact that you’re on the edge of your seat for a majority of the film that makes it a winner.

Safe once again shows why Jason Statham is the action hero of the new generation but even he is overshadowed by Catherine Chan who is faultless in her first feature film. There are no look-at-me moments just Chan shining in every scene she is in no matter what she is called upon to do. She is certainly one actress to watch in the future.

There have been a lot of bad action movies made over the years, but Safe certainly isn’t one of them. Some great action sequences and a story that certainly keeps you entertained make for a great stylistic thriller.

Year: 2012

Director: Boaz Yakin

Stars: Jason Statham, Catherine Chan, Robert John Burke, James Hong, Sandor Tecsy, Joseph Sikora

Classification: MA15+

Runtime: 94 mins

Rating:

Dave Griffiths

Disney’s mission to do 3D conversions of their classics hit a bit of a snag with Lion King (the animation just didn’t convert to 3D well) but they bounce back with Beauty & The Beast 3D that ends up looking sensational on the big screen.

For those that haven’t seen the film already, it tells the story of Belle (voiced by Paige O’Hara – Enchanted, Disney Princess Party Volume Two), a young girl who lives in an ordinary village with her father, Maurice (Rex Everhart – TV’S Lincoln  & Square One TV).

Belle spends her days trying to brush off advances from the local himbo, Gaston (Richard White – TV’S Great Performances & House Of Mouse), cleaning up the messes that her father’s inventions have caused and dreaming of a life out of the ordinary.

Her wish for a new life comes true when her father is kidnapped by a Beast (Robby Benson – Brave New World, TV’S House Of Mouse). Belle swaps herself for her father and soon finds herself in an enchanted castle with new friends including Lumiere (Jerry Orbach – TV’S Law & Order & Law & Order: Trial By Jury) and Cogsworth (David Ogden Stiers – Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil, TV’S Leverage) who are doing everything they can to get Bella and Beast to fall in love to have a spell broken.

Even after twenty years both the story and the music of Beauty & The Beast hold up, and what makes it even better is that the shots that directors, Gary Trousdale (The Pig Who Cried Werewolf, Thriller Night) and Kirk Wise (Atlantis: The Lost Empire, The Hunchback Of Notre Dame) captured all those years look absolutely sensational in 3D. Disney certainly didn’t go for a cheap conversion and it shows.

Seeing Beauty & The Beast again also reminds you about the power of the script. The film gets across some pretty strong messages about judging people by their appearance rather than what is inside yet you never actually feel that it is preaching at you. Having that message come through loud and clear however makes this a wonderful watch for the whole family.

Beauty & The Beast really holds up after twenty years, and like Titanic earlier this year is one film that is actually enhanced by the 3D.

Year: 2012

Director: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise

Stars: Paige O’Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers, Rex Everhart

Classification: G

Runtime: 104 mins

Rating:

Dave Griffiths

So often we see modern horror films try too hard and fail or they simply forget about the story at hand and just become ‘torture-porn’. Luckily the filmmakers behind The Innkeepers use their brains and actually end up creating a horror film that even Alfred Hitchcock would be proud of.

The events of The Innkeepers take place over the last weekend of the historic Yankee Pedlar Inn being in operation. The lucky employees who get to be on duty are Claire (Sara Paxton – Enter Nowhere, Shark Night 3D) and Luke (Pat Healy – Compliance, When You Find Me), who have seen some creepy events occur in the hotel and are currently in the middle of putting together a website that reveals the paranormal side of the hotel.

As the weekend goes on Claire and Luke try to catch the ghost on tape while also looking after guests such as actress-turned-medium, Leanne Rease-Jones (Kelly McGillis – What Could Have Been, Stake Land).

The low-budget feel of The Innkeepers certainly enhances the film and director/screenwriter, Ti West (Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever, The House Of The Devil) needs to be congratulated for not taking the film down the popular ‘found-tape’ road that has made films such as Paranormal Activity popular.

West does a wonderful job with The Innkeepers, he doesn’t need flashy special effects to scare his audience and the slow build-up at the start seems to affect the audience by building up a strong anticipation that you certainly need a release from. West’s script and ‘natural look’ to the film also draws the audience closer to Claire and Luke meaning there is no way that you want anything bad to happen to them.

Paxton and Healy also put in some great performances and they are well aided by some great dialogue that surely would have made their job a bit easier. Paxton really shows that she is capable of more than she was given to work with in Shark Night 3D while Healy should some expect some job offers on the back of his performance.

The Innkeepers is a delightful horror film that reminds us just how good lower budget American films can be. If you are a lover of older style horror films then you need to get along to the cinema to check out The Innkeepers… you won’t be disappointed.

Year: 2012

Director: Ti West

Stars: Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Kelly McGillis

Classification: M

Runtime: 102 mins

Rating:

Dave Griffiths

If Battleship was navy-porn than Act Of Valor is certainly army-porn. This film wasn’t even conceived in Hollywood, it came to life in the Pentagon. The thing about watching Act Of Valor is that you need to forget that you are watching a film, instead view it is a scripted docco.

The film itself follows Lt. Commander Rorke, Special Warfare Operative Chief Dave, SPO First Class Ajay, Weimy, Sonny and Mikey as they respond to a call to originally rescue a CIA agent, Lisa Morales (Roselyn Sanchez – Venus & Vegas, TV’S Rizzoli & Isles) who they believe has been kidnapped by a drug cartel.

However, after embarking on a rescue mission they discover something more sinister is at hand, a terrorist plot being put together by the likes of Kerimov (Dimiter D. Marinov – TV’S NCIS & Law & Order: Los Angeles) and Christo (Alex Veadov – Jesus Comes To  Town, TV’S Svetlana).

The biggest thing about Act Of Valor is that the audience should be questioning why it was made in the first place, was it made so that the general public gets to see what the men and women of the armed forces go through every day to keep us safe or was it made as a PR video direct from the Pentagon?

Either way the concept that directors Mike McCoy (Hot Wheels: Fearless At The 500, Navy SWCC) and Scott Waugh (Navy SWCC) have come up with is unique. Having real Navy SEALS portray themselves in a film gives a realism to an action film in a way that your wouldn’t expect.

Of course that realism does come at a cost. While the action scenes look good the scenes that involve the ‘actors’ are severely lacking, after all these are soldiers in the lead roles and not actors. The unfortunate thing though is that the screenwriter, Kurt Johnstad (300) has written in scenes involving dramatic storylines that do actually involve some strong acting.

The other real let down with the film is that while the action scenes do look alarmingly real it is hard to keep track of who is who and when some scenes involve characters having their lives in danger, it is hard to feel for someone if you can’t work out who they actually are.

Act Of Valor is an interesting look at how the NAVY Seals operate and while it may not be one of the finest films of the year it is certainly an action film that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Year: 2012

Director: Mike McCoy, Scott Waugh

Stars: Dimiter D. Marinov, Roselyn Sanchez, Alex Veadov

Classification: MA15+

Runtime: 109 mins

Rating:

Dave Griffiths

When it comes to the world of films there is ‘good absurd’ and ‘bad absurd’. The sad thing about The Woman In The Fifth is that the film is going along nicely until director, Pawel Pawlikowski (My Summer Of Love, Last Resort) decides to take it into the absurd area and fails miserable.

The film tells the story of Tom Ricks (Ethan Hawke – Sinister, Exit Strategy) an American novelist with some suggested mental problems who travels to France to try and see his daughter, Chloe (Julie Papillon – newcomer), but his ex-wife, Nathalie (Delphine Chuillot – Mozart’s Sister, Pursuit) soon puts a stop to that.

After he is robbed Tom finds himself in Paris with nothing. He is then befriended by a gangster, Sezer (Samir Guesmi – My Worst Nightmare, The Counsel) who provides him with a strange job. When not locked in the room watching his screen he pursues relationships with the mature and erotic, Margit (Kristin Scott Thomas – Bel Ami, Salmon Fishing In The Yemen) as well as his young muse, Ania (Joanna Kulig – Elles, Maraton Tanca).

As mentioned previously The Woman In  The Fifth starts off as a very good film. As Nathalie cowers away from Tom you find yourself wondering what has happened in the past and why he can’t see his daughter. However Pawlikowski has such a desire to take this in a similar direction to Fight Club that he loses sight of the answers that the audience wants to see… and sadly the film collapses into the heap and rewards its audience with an ending that is confusing and disappointing to all extremes.

The film does serve as a good platform to remind everybody that Ethan Hawke really is one of the forgotten actors of Hollywood. Hawke commands the screen in every scene he is in. He is well supported by Joanna Kulig who proves she is a talented up and comer, however you can’t help but think that Kirsten Scott Thomas is wasted in her role…in fact it is a shame to such a talented actress given her best for so little in return.

If The Woman In The Fifith had finished fifteen minutes earlier it may have worked, but at the end of the day its weird ending just ruins it for everyone. A disappointing film that is only saved by Ethan Hawke.

Year: 2012

Director: Pawel Pawlikowski

Stars: Ethan Hawke, Kristin Scott Thomas, Joanna Kulig, Samir Guesmi, Delphine Chuillot, Julie Papillon

Classification: M

Runtime: 80 mins

Rating:

Dave Griffiths

Roadshow Films announced today it will release the critically-acclaimed  documentary BULLY in Australian cinemas on August 23, 2012.

Directed by Sundance and Emmy-Award winning filmmaker, Lee Hirsch, BULLY is a beautifully cinematic, character-driven documentary which offers an intimate, unflinching look at how bullying has touched five American kids and their families.

Roadshow Films managing director Joel Pearlman said it was important this extraordinarily powerful work was released in Australian cinemas to highlight the issue of bullying which was not restricted to the United States.

According to the National Centre Against Bullying, 27% of young Australian people report they are bullied every two weeks or more, with cyber-bullying happening to one in 10.

Filmed over the course of the 2009/2010 school year, BULLY opens a window onto the pained and often endangered lives of bullied kids to reveal a problem that transcends geographic, racial, ethnic and economic borders.

It documents the responses of teachers and administrators to aggressive behaviours that defy “kids will be kids” clichés, and it captures a growing movement among parents and youths to change how bullying is handled in schools, in communities and in society as a whole.

At its heart are those with huge stakes in this issue whose stories each represent a different facet of  America’s bullying crisis. Stories include two families who have lost children to suicide and a mother awaiting the fate of her 14-year-old daughter who has been incarcerated after bringing a gun on her school bus.

With an intimate glimpse into homes, classrooms, cafeterias and principals’ offices, the film offers insight into the often cruel world of the lives of bullied children.

In a prepared statement director, Lee Hirsch said “BULLY is a deeply personal film for me: I was bullied throughout middle school and much of my childhood. Inmany ways, those experiences and struggles helped shape my world view and the types of films I’ve
endeavoured to make. I firmly believe that there is a need for an honest, gutsy film which gives voice to the kids who deal with such
torments on a daily basis. Through this unflinching look, we will make a difference for other young people across communities and improve our collective response to this crisis. Moving away from the silence, shame and attitude of “kids will be kids,” I intend that this film not only reach those who have been the victims of bullying, but more importantly, those who still need an ‘empathy push’. Viewers will be left with a clear sense of how they can step into a bullying situation and make a positive impact.”

BULLY is rated M and will be released in Australian cinemas on August 23, 2012.

For 24/7 crisis support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit www.lifeline.org.au

Dave Griffiths

If you don’t like films that will make you think or are likely going to frustrate you then Café De Flore certainly isn’t the film for you. This is a film that will make you think so hard that it is likely that it will actually hurt your brain.

Café De Flore is actually told in two parts. In modern times we see famous DJ Antoine Godin (Kevin Parent – newcomer) and the trouble that has been caused to his family after he left his first wife, Carole (Helene Florent – Lance Et Compte, TV’S La Galere) for a woman he met at a whim and unexpectedly felt that he needed to be with, Rose (Evelyne Brochu – Frisson Des Collines, TV’S Mirador).

The second half of the story is set in 1969 and finds a young, single mother, Jacqueline (Vanessa Paradis – Dubai Flamingo, A Monster In Paris) who refuses to give up her disabled son, Laurent (Marin Gerrier – newcomer).

If you want to see how the two stories are linked you’ll have to watch the film because it would be a crime for me to give it away here.

Early on Café De Flore looks like it is going to be a serious film about music. But despite the fact it contains a beautiful soundtrack that is made of bands such as Sigur Ros, The Cure and Pink Floyd but director, Jean-Marc Vallee (The Young Victoria, C.R.A.Z.Y.) somehow manages to lose complete control of this film and it ends with an ending that you can tell will frustrate those who have stuck with the film.

It really is a shame because the 1969 storyline in Café De Flore is terrific. Not many films have ever sown the relationship between a disabled son and a mother so well and this storyline alone would have made an absolutely terrific film. The modern storyline and the whole link seems to drag the film down badly.

Marin Gerrier has to be one of the most talented youngsters to ever grace the big screen. He is obviously handicapped in real life and he manages to standout in every scene he is in. Along with Vanessa Paradis’ performance he is one of the things that will make this film so memorable for me.

At time Café De Flore is a sensational but it is dangerously let my an ending that makes its audience stretch their imagination a little too far. That may be okay in the realm of sci-fi but not in drama. In the end Café De Flore becomes a hit and miss affair.

Year: 2012

Director: Jean-Marc Vallee

Stars: Vanessa Paradis, Kevin Parent, Helene Florent, Evelyne Brochu, Marin Gerrier

Classification: MA15+

Runtime: 129 mins

Rating:  

Dave Griffiths

As part of its Long Play program, the Australian Centre of the Moving Image (ACMI) presents the Australian premiere of Woody Allen: A Documentary. Spanning the remarkable career of arguably America’s premier auteur, comedian and neurotic, it will screen from 1 – 18 June.

For 60 years, Woody Allen has been a prolific filmmaker giving us cause to laugh, cry, contemplate and at times cringe. His distinctive voice has developed over the years from a comedy writer for television to producing some of the most seminal films in cinematic history. Featuring interviews with Allen, his collaborators and admirers, such as Diane Keaton and Penelope Cruz, Martin Scorsese; this documentary explores his career and artistic practice comprehensively for both those new to Allen, and for those who have been with him since the early days.

Including his ‘funny works’ like Bananas and Take the Money and Run, the Oscar winning Annie Hall and Manhattan and even his most recent Midnight in Paris; writer, director and producer Robert Weide (best known for his long time pursuits directing/producing Curb Your Enthusiasm) takes us on a journey through Allen’s early days outside film as a stand-up comic and sometimes writer for The New Yorker, and explores the artistic journey of his writing practice and relationships with his actors. A plethora of interviews with colleagues and those close to Allen studs the documentary providing insight and background.

Taking a year and a half to make, Weide stated that “… Woody will have made three features just in the time it’s taken me to make this one documentary.”

This level of detail and unfettered access to one of the world’s movie greats gives us a unique and intimate view into a world that is often caged in self-deprecation and elusiveness. “… it’s those small moments that stay with you ..” noted the Hollywood Reporter; “…Allen sitting on the side of his bed, glancing at the random scraps of paper where he jots down movie ideas and then forgets them and moves on, or admitting that he really doesn’t have anything to say, in short uncomfortable social situations, to the actors who work in his films.”

ACMI Film Programmer Kristy Matheson said “as well as being rapturous love letters to the city of New York, Allen’s films wear their obsessions on their sleeves.” Through his ongoing love affair with jazz, his homage’s to film heroes Ingmar Bergman and Federico Fellini to his quest to find meaning in the absence of god, Allen is a true original.

Woody Allen: A Documentary screens as an extended run from 1 to 18 June in conjunction with ACMI’s Jazz On Film program (3 to 9 June) within this year’s Melbourne International Jazz Festival. Two other Woody classics will show at ACMI during Jazz On Film, Sweet and Lowdown and Bullets Over Broadway. For program information, session times and tickets please visit: acmi.net.au

Dave Griffiths

As far as movies go Avengers comes, sees and conquers! Nothing more needs to be said… well actually it does because this is a review! While The Avengers isn’t a cinematic masterpiece like Dark Knight it is certainly more than just your average action flick, due largely to the fact that screenwriter/director Joss Whedon (TV’S Glee & Dollhouse) gets everything (yes everything!!!) absolutely right. It is seriously hard to fault this film.

Using characters from the Marvel Comics vault The Avengers sees Loki (Tom Hiddleston – War Horse, The Deep Blue Sea) sets out on a plan that will see the whole of Earth bow down before him. And his plan gets off to a stellar beginning when he ‘forces’ Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner – Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, The Town) and Professor Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard – The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Melancholia) to work for him.

This forces Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson – Meeting Evil, The Samaritan) to call together Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson – We Bought A Zoo, Iron Man 2), Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jnr. – Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows, Due Date), Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans – What’s Your Number, Captain America: The First Avenger) and Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo – Margaret, Date Night) in a bid to stop him. And when Thor (Chris Hemsworth – The Cabin In The Woods, Thor) shows up The Avengers are finally all together.

The story may not sound like much but Whedon really has created an exceptional script. The film may be a little hard for those who have not seen the previous films in the series to comprehend, but Whendon keeps the story following well, drops some suspense when it’s needed and captures the characters so well that comic book fans will be beside themselves with joy. Given that Whedon has also written and directed some amazing fight scenes, Iron Man vs Thor vs Captain America comes straight to mind, this film is certain to be nirvana for anyone who frequents shops like Alternate Worlds or Minotaur.

Whedon’s script captures the characters so well you may even find yourself warming to The Hulk, a character that has been at times hard to connect with in previous films. And as was the way with Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Firefly Whedon has created some one liners of pure wit. Such is Whedon’s ability as a screenwriter he also incorporates some genuinely funny moments into The Avengers without ever having it seem out of place.

The one thing that does stand out in The Avengers is the acting of Robert Downey Jnr. He is head and shoulders above the rest of the cast… he seriously seems to morph into Tony Stark. Cudos must also be paid to Mark Ruffalo who puts in a fine effort and Chris Evans who has really stepped up his abilities since Captain America. Fans will also be happy to know that Gwyneth Paltrow (Contagion, Country Strong) stops by to portray Pepper Potts, but sadly Natalie Portman does not.

The Avengers is epic in every form of the word. Whedon is edgy with his directing style, there is some brilliant cinematography and the CGI (even of The Hulk) is out of this world. Add all that to a script that reminds us what a genius Joss Whedon is and you are left with a film that raises the comic book/action genre bar just that little bit higher. A must see on the big screen!

 Year: 2012

Director: Joss Whedon

Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Robert Downey Jnr., Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hiddleston, Mark Ruffalo, Gwyneth Paltrow, Stellan Skarsgard

Classification: M

Runtime: 142 mins

Rating:

Dave Griffiths