lucky them

i have a lot of respect for the acting skills of toni collette
she has owned every character since playing muriel way back
similarly thomas haden church - unforgettable as jack in sideways
together in this film that despite them is not winning over the critics
i like the concept though - jaded rock journalist chasing a big story
though one reviewer suggesting female writers badly represented
the first scene sees ellie (collette) being dumped by another muso
i like sleeping with you and all that but i need something more
she storms out and heads home - passing a busker on the way
drops her card but no cash - ah - we'll be seeing more of him
next day at her work - stax magazine - her boss has a job for her
write a story on what happened to famous singer matthew smith
coincidentally he was her boyfriend 10 years prior then disappeared
she clearly not over him and possibly why she struggles romantically
the busker re-appears - he pursues ellie for her looks or possibly her job
he's a good-looker, talented but cougar territory for ellie and she resists
you're a man and a musician - both toxic for me - nothing personal
at a nearby bar she knocks back whiskey neat and chats to her friend
she says either do the story or quit - i can't quit - my job is all i have
and in wanders another old boyfriend - nerdy charlie (haden church)
be-spectacled and be-moustached and with quite a unique personality
haden church totally hamming up the drollness of the likeable charlie
we're about 15 minutes in and i'm thinking - the critics got it wrong
some great acting and some very good character development here
with that we have a story that is both believable and quite enticing
turns out charlie is very wealthy so offers to help ellie with the hunt
in his latest indulgence he wants to be a documentary film maker
buys a large mobile home and the latest camera and starts filming
the project - ellie's quest to resolve the mystery of matthew smith
she weakens and gives in to lucas the busker and they hit it off
we know it's going to end badly though with the warning signs
i didn't know you had a son - a snide comment from her boss
ellie and charlie work well together on the road - as do the actors
i keep looking at ellie and see in her the truth of a spurned woman
she is so attractive and vivacious but is quite lost - let down by men
and as for charlie - his big heart but shallowness surely also a symbol
he falls for a younger woman, proposes and plans a quick wedding
unlikely maybe but it happens and this film is about human foibles
in another sub-plot ellie has used her contacts to help out lucas
a recording deal offered but a trip to l a - see you at the wedding
charlie shows ellie the unique present for his animal-loving bride
a galapagos marsupial - needs no partner - lucky them says ellie
lucas doesn't show and the animal dies - so not a happy wedding
she hits the bottle and beds a guest - next morning lucas walks in
kind of shallow but there is empathy for ellie - she does life hard
her and charlie then follow some clues and track down matthew
he seen repairing a fence - long hair, beanie, overalls, anonymous
and whoa - shock - johnny depp plays the part - perfect casting
ellie then seen in meltdown mode at seeing the love of her life
toni collette - an amazing scene - maybe a real life meltdown?
whatever - a stunning climax to this funny yet clever drama
it wraps up quite neatly - nothing too happily-ever-after
but as with the rest of it - well balanced and executed
wow - very much enjoyed this film - and the moral
don't listen to critics - trust your instinct...

the galapagos affair

filling in the gaps of films missed at last years nziff
my interest spiked also thanks to david attenborough
his series recently seen on tv about these intriguing islands
add to the mix - the voices of cate blanchett and diana kruger
melodrama, exotic lifstyles, sexual intrigue, suspicious deaths
all promised in this true story of some inhabitants in the 1930s
first up - a geography lesson about the location of the galapagos
and some timeless scenery of floreana - an uninhabited island
then we meet the protaganists - dore strauch and freidrich ritter
seen in grainy black and white film with dore (blanchett) narrating
authentic newspaper headlines shown also of their plans and fate
part 1 - to the promised land - and a modern day talking head
he an expert and author on the human history of the island group
we see a close-up of a large and presumably very old giant tortoise
the expert's voice adding in a little bit of folklore about the creature
they have the ability to assess human intent - if bad they lay on a curse
fearsome stuff and quite believable as it's face and eyes linger on screen
footage of post war berlin with the narration of dore explaining the escape
her and freidrich leave their respective spouses to find a meaningful life
he a doctor and part-time philosopher - nietzsche is his main inspiration
they and their belongings delivered by boat to floreana in late 1929
we see actual footage of them setting up home in the inland bush
curiously there is no explanation of how this filming occurred
no matter - genuine footage making this film so very interesting
fleshed out with shots of flora and fauna then and now - the same
clever use of e.g. native birds in old black and white then in full colour
and the music so appropriate - haunting and contemporary classical
part 2 - intruders - freidrich and dore's story has reached germany
inspiring a couple - margret and heinz wittmer to make the change
they travel to floreana to provide a better life for their sick son
but receive an ambivalent reception from freidrich and dora
nonetheless they set up home in three pirate caves further inland
she is pregnant and alarmed that freidrich refuses to be her doctor
3 months later - more interlopers - a baronness and 2 men friends
they set up home next to the wittmers - things are getting crowded
she is quite eccentric and demanding with big plans to set up a hotel
almost immediately hostility and distrust sets in between the 3 groups
plenty of still photographs and moving pictures to describe the situation
further enhanced with inhabitants or descendents of nearby santa cruz
people from that island speaking of their experiences and memories
it's all very absorbing with many interesting characters now in the mix
part 3 - drought - nature now plays it's part - the islands are baked
testing the endurance of the three bickering households on floreana
sad scenes of much of the wildlife perished in the oppresive heat
the talking heads and the music then also cranking up the tension
something has to give - and so it does - a woman's piercing shreik
the barroness and a lover disappear - picked up by a visiting boat?
the other lover desperate to go home sails off but does not get far
he and his sailor companion seen mummified on a nearby island
a crashed boat and de-hydration meaning a long, painful death
the main man - freidrich - a vegetarian forced to eat chicken
dies a painful death from food poisoning - dora is implicated
a final closeup of the giant tortoise - has it's curse kicked in?
the film then quickly wraps up - the legend fully explained
two hours of fascinating story-telling delivering on the promise
a quite superb documentary - regardless of the exotic setting...

the age of adaline

the trailer was ok and the reviews also generally positive
warnings of rom-com-ish so best stay away you (older) men
star blake lively a teenage girl idol from hit tv series gossip girl
curiousity despite all that means it gets the cheap tuesday award
a voiceover introduces us to adeline bowman in san francisco 2014
aerial footage of her driving over the golden gate and into the city
then seen handing over cash for a fake passport to a young man
she admonishing him for his recklessness and very serious felony
ah - this lady is very smart, very street-wise and very confident
and with a need to change identity on a regular basis it seems
next seen at work in the city library and dealing with old films
an opportunity to screen them in private - the voiceover returns
archival footage of san francisco in 1901 when adaline was born
leading up to a car accident in 1935 when she stopped ageing
assisted by a lightning strike and a passing comet - freaky stuff
though the voice uses scientific jargon - as proven in 2035 - huh?
good - got it - back to the present day and adaline at a nye party
she does look stunning - statuesque, sanguine and yet quite solitary
intentionally so - she has a secret and shuns small talk and intimacy
the main man makes an appearance and does his best to get through
ellis jones (michiel huisman from game of thrones) is initially repelled
on new years day - adaline's birthday - she has lunch with her daughter
she now in her eighties - yep - improbable - but by now we're into it
for me i'm ok with the concept - call it science-fiction - it is well done
it feels so - rich - with amazing attention to detail and plenty to look at
ellis pursues adaline - he is rich, young and a good-looking philanthropist
their dating involves each taking the other to an unseen part of san francisco
he - an underground bulk of a ship - she - to an old  indoor drive-in theatre
real or not these add to a sense of adventure for them and us the audience
despite herself she lets him in (ahem) and agrees to a weekend out of town
off to his parents 40th wedding anniversary in rural oregon 2 hours away
and a huge shock for adaline - his dad - a lover of hers 40 years prior
he - william (harrison ford) likewise in shock - she has not aged at all
adaline attempting to pass it off as she the daughter of his past love
the film now goes up another notch - we're in totally new territory
william and adaline's history and ending explained in flashback
adaline disappearing on him as she makes the 10-yearly relocate
it's all quite engrossing - and the remote rural setting adds to it all
and the plot further complicated with william being an astronomer
has named a comet after adaline - della - it and her both close calls
almost cheesy - but - harrison ford for one over and above in his role
the ending - well - kind of predictable - but with that quite welcome
then the voice makes a comeback to provide a scientific explanation
spoils it really - could have been handled so much better methinks
this patronising voice more annoying than useful - but a reminder
blake lively is a (female) teen idol - they will be in the audience
the photo-shopped promo poster confirming they well in mind
ok - but at the expense of the full endorsement of other film-ees
i loved the curious case of benjamin button - this up there too
similar concept - human ageing warped - but this falls short
a lack of confidence i feel that the film is fully standalone
possibly explaining why reviewers saying it is forgettable
though - blake lively - not so - we'll be seeing more of her...

infinitely polar bear

i do like a good independent (art-house) american film
most other stuff coming out of the u s of a easily avoided
this one reviewed well with glowing praise for mark ruffalo
he playing cameron - chronic bi-polar sufferer living in boston
a home movie is playing with one of the 2 daughters narrating
summarising cameron meeting and marrying maggie (zoe saldana)
back in the present day 1970's and cameron has lost the plot
running amok outside a car his family are trying to leave in
his loving wife no longer able to hold the family together
he then hospitalised and on medication but with regular visits
sad scenes as his two young daughters are witness to his demise
afterwards telling enquiring friends - our dad is totally polar bear
i like it - quirky - yes but a sense of reality pervades each scene
as cam recovers he takes up digs in a nearby halfway house
so time can be spent with his daughters who love his company
his want to be a good father leads to some embarrassing situations
particularly dealing with neighbours, school friends and his rich family
but the love between all four of them means tolerance overrides all
maggie needs a well-paid job - a college education is required
acceptance at colombia in new york presents some problems
she proposes that cam is the live-in sitter during the week
at weekends she will return - so they can be a family again
and so it goes - with quite erratic results due to cam's condition
he chain-smokes, dresses bizarrely and throws the odd tantrum
his eccentricity confirmed with the family car a citreon wagon
sadly disposed of in a whim when cam swaps it for a wreck
the tidiness of the house goes from one extreme to the other
and the daughters similarly loathe and love their doting dad
some very controlled direction provides an entertaining ride
laugh-out-loud moments, cringing and moist eyes all happen
shaky-cam and some fine folky-americana music add to it
juno and eternal sunshine films come to mind effortlessly
the same sensibility - pure love overcomes all problems
and the acting is just so convincing - mark ruffalo nails it
zoe saldana - wow - a beautifully played mother and wife
e..g. deftly handling the (non) issue of inter-racial marriage
mum - how come i don't look black - i can't say i'm black
honey - of course you're black - look - your mother is black
towards the end i was fearful of a neat happy-ever-after wrap
but not so - maggie then secures a lucrative job in new york
and cam is left to continue to fend for the girls as best he can
the final scene - a tear-jerker - as the girls head off to school
refusing to look back at their dad - i hate the way he watches
but they do - and there's real love in all sets of eyes - sigh
cut - end - some more stunning singer-songwriter music
perfect - this film absolutely oozes with love and respect
none more so than from writer-director maya forbes
auto-biographical apparantly - so from the heart...

woman in gold

mostly lukewarm reviews read about this film of war-art-theft
though enough other factors meaning it's worth taking the time
helen mirren for one - vienna the backdrop city is also appealing
the reviewers are not impressed - it's paint-by-numbers film-making
too predictable - huh - it's a true story - and widely unheard i suspect
anyway - the film opens in 1907 with the painter gustav klimt at work
he has been commissioned to paint a portrait of adele bloch-bauer
gold flakes being applied to the painting - the film's title explained
cut to los angeles 1998 - the funeral of the sister of maria altmann
maria (mirren) then telling a friend of the discovery of some letters
looking for some legal advice - the friend's son to be contacted
randol schoenberg (ryan reynolds) is a struggling young lawyer
grandson of the famous composer so he has austrian ancestry
in a meeting with him maria explains her story and concerns
it is her aunt in the painting - her uncle had commissioned it
stolen by the nazis and now hanging in a gallery in vienna
maria believes it belongs to the family but needs advice
a long flashback then starting with a photo coming to life
maria and her sister enjoying a culturally rich life in vienna
scenes inside their palatial home where the painting hangs
back in the current day maria convinces randol to help her
so off to vienna they go - to appear at a reparations hearing
and with that the opportunity to drop in some vienna scenery
the hofburg palace, staatsoper and the holocaust memorial seen
maria and randol's bond growing with their austro-jew heritage
but their request to regain ownership of the klint painting declined
both return defeated to their lives as prior in l a - he now a father
months go by before randol stumbles on a book on klint artwork
he buys it - and convinces maria they now have grounds to sue
seems the gallery is not permitted to obtain commercial gain
they then work the case through the american justice system
altmaan vs the state of austria - they hiring expert art lawyers
a david vs goliath hearing but randol prevails and wins the case
maria's point is made but she wants the painting back - not money
so an offer is made and accepted to go to arbitration in vienna
another long flashback then kicks in showing maria's story
her jewish family torn apart with the arrival of nazis in ww2
she and her husband in a tense series of scenes escaping
pursued by the nazis but managing to fly out and to america
returning to the modern day again and the arbitration hearing
the panel of 3 agreeing the painting rightfully belongs to maria
me - tearful and goose-bumpy at the outcome - totally absorbed
predictable? - maybe - but what an amazing journey it provided
further enhanced with the photos and text running at film's end
the painting - sold to the lauder gallery in new york - $135m
the funds used to establish a jewish holocuast memorial
randol - now a very successful art reparations lawyer
maria - back to running her small clothing boutique
what a great feel-good film - damn the bad reviews
helen mirren - surely an oscar nomination at least
classy stuff - highly recommended from me....

dior and i

missed this one at last year's international film festival
a film about fashion probably not high criteria at the time
but now on mainstream release and more viewing options
reviews also very positive particularly on rotten tomatoes
the opening scenes provide a brief history of christian dior
a voiceover telling us in the first person of his life's work
born in 1905 and coming to prominence at the end of ww2
his 'siamese twin' born in 1946 as his name becomes famous
this alter-ego being responsible for sudden fame and fortune
his elegant and feminine clothing designs perfect for the time
curvy and soft lines the opposite to the harshness of uniforms
huate couture - literally high dress-making - now understood
the intentional grainy and colourless footage then contrasted
modern day paris - we are now voyeurs at christian dior hq
their new creative director - raf simons is being introduced
he apologises for his bad french as he states his gratitude
being given the opportunity and honour to be at the label
then in turn introduces his 'right hand man' pieter muller
all warm and fuzzy so far - feeling well inside the circle
raf into the fray immediately with an 8 week countdown
that to the big presentation of the autumn-winter collection
the fully hand-made unique garments to be designed and made
an element of tension now in the mix as the workers are profiled
in particular - the 2 ladies in charge of the atelier - the workshop
both long-time and very dedicated employees - endearing too
other key workers introduced also - each taking on a garment
raf seen throwing a hissy-fit when garments are late for a preview
seems one of the ladies got called to new york to fix a garment
pragmatism kicking in - the client spends $300k a season
that the only time money is mentioned - dior are above that
though mind-boggling amounts thrown at the big show itself
a large vacant house is secured and each room filled with flowers
floor to ceiling walls of them - 50 people work 48 hours to construct
in another scene a model named esther is seen being auditioned
is this your first dior show - well yes - and my first ever show
she catches raf's eye so is selected - and a bit more tension
on the day he is first seen on the roof ready for a nervous vomit
but his director of communications calms him and on with the show
i sense we the audience are as nervous as most of the dior house
the invited guests arrive as do fans and the snapping papparazzi
sharon stone and jennifer lawrence spotted in the small audience
and the show begins - we are with raf at the base of the stairs
as he sends off each model up and into the various rooms
pretty spectacular actually - some stunning fashions seen
and impressive camera work - close-ups and slo-mo
of course it's all a great success and the tears flow
even more so when raf is seen with his mum and dad
just luverly - brought a smile to my dial - the end
credits rolling and another reminder of the music
noted throughout - very cool ambient electronica
very much added to the classiness of this fine film...