the film not the place in this case
another one that slipped by me on original release
so with the dvd in hand home-viewing is next best
laura linney and gabriel byrne are the stars
international stars in this otherwise australian film
i'm not sure why they had to import these actors
the plot does not need irish and american characters
so presumably a marketing ploy for international appeal
maybe films are now so globalised it doesn't matter
or possibly more realistically that's the way of the world
people of all nationalities all over the place
living their lives, reacting, interacting, etc
the film opens with the telling of a murder
a lone woman in a car on a lonely stretch of road
followed then confronted by the local loner come creep
we then are in jindabyne mixing it with the locals
stewart kane (byrne) runs the local garage
his partner claire (linney) is busy raising their son tom
it's a close-knit community where everyone knows everything
stewart and his 3 buddies are heading off fishing
a long drive and hike into kusciosko national park
they stumble across the body of the murdered woman
but delay reporting the find until after their weekend
which is where things really start coming undone
there's a bad reaction all round to their action
the implication being their fun has taken precedence
suggestions that the victim's gender has influenced them
more so that the victim was from the local aboriginal community
which adds a very interesting spiritual twist to the tale
as traditional aboriginal beliefs are introduced to the mix
stewart and claire's relationship sours quite dramatically
many other friendships and allegiances are also tested
religion, sexuality, familiies, race relations all explored
so quite a lot going on in this quite simple tale
the director also wants to show off the geography
many beautiful shots of gorges, rivers, lakes, etc
which basically makes up for a busy 90 minutes
though in the end i think it is quite successful
but i couldn't help also thinking it side-stepped a bit
especially in scenes of confrontation with the aboriginals
where the overseas stars represented the white man
australian actors kept effectively side of stage
couldn't help thinking how powerful that could have been
especially in this year of the apology
but this was made 2 years ago
still - worth a look
Showing posts with label films on dvd. Show all posts
Showing posts with label films on dvd. Show all posts
Monday, 8 September 2008
Monday, 1 September 2008
michael clayton
missed this one when it was on the big screen recently
it seemed interesting enough in the trailer
but you know - george clooney - too mainstream
lately america has been well in my field of vision
things are cranking up with the presidential race
so try as i may it's hard to ignore the u s completely
tonight the dvd of the film ended up in my possession
lights out, laptop fired up, big breath and.....action
which starts totally unannounced with no opening credits
m c has a money and gambling problem and is playing poker
is down in his luck and not fussy about playing partners
though paradoxically drives a late model mercedes benz
he's an attorney come problem-solver for a large legal firm
goes where he is needed at any point in time to move things along
the opening scenes see him driving out of town on such a mission
town being the unmistakable and here grimy city of new york
on the way back a bomb mysteriously explodes in his car
at a moment when he has gone off to take in some nature
we're then in flashback mode to 4 days earlier to explain all this
his firm has been working for years on a large class action case
a chemical company is being sued billions for negligence
michael's old friend and co-worker has gone into meltdown
so he is assigned to pick him up and get him through the case
but all it not as it seems which makes things very interesting
tilda swinton impressively plays the chief counsel of the chemical company
way out of her depth it is suggested as she makes some bad calls
including the use of hitmen to take out people causing her grief
the cynic in me had me thinking nah - not likely - it's just a film
but at the same time there's a lot of realism to this scenario
as there's enough diversion from the main plot to back it up
quite a few scenes depict the main characters in their private lives
cleverly used to further explain people's motives and actions
michael clayton himself has a young son who gets involved
in a quite subtle way that ultimately has major consequences
the 4 days of flashback pass and we are back where we started
the opening scenes roll again but now we know what's going on
particularly why michael's car explodes and more so why he is not in it
his decision to engage with nature (horses) now a very moving scene
and from that point on the film moves quite rapidly
all the pieces have fallen into place and he acts accordingly
leading to a powerful and believable conclusion
the final scene sees michael clayton in the back of a taxi
now in a zone where he can finally dwell on events
the camera fixed on his face as the credits are rolled
2 or 3 minutes as his face displays appropriate emotions
making the point that george clooney is a fine actor
as i am snapped back to reality after an absorbing film
even in this case tonight on the little screen
it seemed interesting enough in the trailer
but you know - george clooney - too mainstream
lately america has been well in my field of vision
things are cranking up with the presidential race
so try as i may it's hard to ignore the u s completely
tonight the dvd of the film ended up in my possession
lights out, laptop fired up, big breath and.....action
which starts totally unannounced with no opening credits
m c has a money and gambling problem and is playing poker
is down in his luck and not fussy about playing partners
though paradoxically drives a late model mercedes benz
he's an attorney come problem-solver for a large legal firm
goes where he is needed at any point in time to move things along
the opening scenes see him driving out of town on such a mission
town being the unmistakable and here grimy city of new york
on the way back a bomb mysteriously explodes in his car
at a moment when he has gone off to take in some nature
we're then in flashback mode to 4 days earlier to explain all this
his firm has been working for years on a large class action case
a chemical company is being sued billions for negligence
michael's old friend and co-worker has gone into meltdown
so he is assigned to pick him up and get him through the case
but all it not as it seems which makes things very interesting
tilda swinton impressively plays the chief counsel of the chemical company
way out of her depth it is suggested as she makes some bad calls
including the use of hitmen to take out people causing her grief
the cynic in me had me thinking nah - not likely - it's just a film
but at the same time there's a lot of realism to this scenario
as there's enough diversion from the main plot to back it up
quite a few scenes depict the main characters in their private lives
cleverly used to further explain people's motives and actions
michael clayton himself has a young son who gets involved
in a quite subtle way that ultimately has major consequences
the 4 days of flashback pass and we are back where we started
the opening scenes roll again but now we know what's going on
particularly why michael's car explodes and more so why he is not in it
his decision to engage with nature (horses) now a very moving scene
and from that point on the film moves quite rapidly
all the pieces have fallen into place and he acts accordingly
leading to a powerful and believable conclusion
the final scene sees michael clayton in the back of a taxi
now in a zone where he can finally dwell on events
the camera fixed on his face as the credits are rolled
2 or 3 minutes as his face displays appropriate emotions
making the point that george clooney is a fine actor
as i am snapped back to reality after an absorbing film
even in this case tonight on the little screen
Saturday, 8 September 2007
united 93
i didn't have the will power to go and see this film upon release last year
but in light of last week's viewing of the dvd of 11 09 01 september 11
and 21 of the leaders of the free world are tonight my neighbours
i felt the urge to mark the occasion with something of significance
joining the march today would have been a worthy exercise
but it was raining and i had work to do and i left it too late and...and...and...
besides what could possibly upstage the efforts of the chaser team on thursday
apparantly their efforts have made the event more newsworthy than the event itself
high profile lawyer chris murphy wants to defend them when they appear in court on october 4
he says our sense of humour is under attack and needs to be defended
i say we have a watershed moment upon us that will reverberate for years to come
everyone is talking about it and the papers are full of letters defending their actions
if i could bring myself to do it i think talkback radio on monday morning could be very interesting
tonight i decided i really had to follow up on the fine reviews this film had upon release last year
it is largely a re-creation of the events surrounding flight united 93 on september 11 2001
this is the one that crashed into a field into pennsylvania short of it's presumed target of the white house
the film starts out with a fine depiction of life in a busy airport
as we are taken through a lot of the behind the scenes activity of flight control
so in that sense the film seems to take on the feel of a documentary
the scenes are so well set up and recorded that it's easy to forget this is a re-construction
of particular interest is the number of people involved in flight control
many sitting in front of computer screens and resembling the craziness of a stock exchange
on this historical morning we are told there are 4200 flights in the air
we cut between managing this and the preparations for getting united 93 in the air
as passengers leave hotels, arrive at the airport, go through security checks and board the plane
while this is happening clues of the impending disaster start popping up
and the tension also starts to build with some powerful background music
at this point i noticed my own heart rate had been heightened
we see shots off in the distance from newark of one of the towers burning
then as part of flight control we witness the second plane hit it's target
and the reaction of the people we are with is chillingly presented
the bloke in charge has to hold it all together without the strangely absent assistance of the military
soon it becomes apparant that flight 93 has also been hijacked though cannot be contacted
the later part of the film is spent on the plane as the hijackers take over
chaos rules with film-making at it's best depicting the panic of all on board
as order is restored the passengers plot their own re-taking of the plane
which ends in disaster with the plane crashing into the field short of it's target
this film is as good as i had been led to believe
it seems to very deliberately avoid any finger-pointing or stereo-typing
so as such there are no baddies or goodies or heroes or villains
just a lot of people doing their jobs, living their lives, following their convictions
probably a good thing there are no big name actors involved to provide an unnecessary distraction
my heart rate remained high throughout the film and only reduced when it was all over
this film is a fine example of drama meets documentary
go chaser
but in light of last week's viewing of the dvd of 11 09 01 september 11
and 21 of the leaders of the free world are tonight my neighbours
i felt the urge to mark the occasion with something of significance
joining the march today would have been a worthy exercise
but it was raining and i had work to do and i left it too late and...and...and...
besides what could possibly upstage the efforts of the chaser team on thursday
apparantly their efforts have made the event more newsworthy than the event itself
high profile lawyer chris murphy wants to defend them when they appear in court on october 4
he says our sense of humour is under attack and needs to be defended
i say we have a watershed moment upon us that will reverberate for years to come
everyone is talking about it and the papers are full of letters defending their actions
if i could bring myself to do it i think talkback radio on monday morning could be very interesting
tonight i decided i really had to follow up on the fine reviews this film had upon release last year
it is largely a re-creation of the events surrounding flight united 93 on september 11 2001
this is the one that crashed into a field into pennsylvania short of it's presumed target of the white house
the film starts out with a fine depiction of life in a busy airport
as we are taken through a lot of the behind the scenes activity of flight control
so in that sense the film seems to take on the feel of a documentary
the scenes are so well set up and recorded that it's easy to forget this is a re-construction
of particular interest is the number of people involved in flight control
many sitting in front of computer screens and resembling the craziness of a stock exchange
on this historical morning we are told there are 4200 flights in the air
we cut between managing this and the preparations for getting united 93 in the air
as passengers leave hotels, arrive at the airport, go through security checks and board the plane
while this is happening clues of the impending disaster start popping up
and the tension also starts to build with some powerful background music
at this point i noticed my own heart rate had been heightened
we see shots off in the distance from newark of one of the towers burning
then as part of flight control we witness the second plane hit it's target
and the reaction of the people we are with is chillingly presented
the bloke in charge has to hold it all together without the strangely absent assistance of the military
soon it becomes apparant that flight 93 has also been hijacked though cannot be contacted
the later part of the film is spent on the plane as the hijackers take over
chaos rules with film-making at it's best depicting the panic of all on board
as order is restored the passengers plot their own re-taking of the plane
which ends in disaster with the plane crashing into the field short of it's target
this film is as good as i had been led to believe
it seems to very deliberately avoid any finger-pointing or stereo-typing
so as such there are no baddies or goodies or heroes or villains
just a lot of people doing their jobs, living their lives, following their convictions
probably a good thing there are no big name actors involved to provide an unnecessary distraction
my heart rate remained high throughout the film and only reduced when it was all over
this film is a fine example of drama meets documentary
go chaser
Saturday, 1 September 2007
11' 09" 01 september 11
tonight i decided i needed to start trawling back through the rental archives
looking for films i had missed seeing on the big screen at the theatre
this is partly because i'm struggling to find films on general release
that match my criteria for films that i will make the effort to watch
i tend to want to avoid the action flick, the rom-com, the endless sequels
the period pieces, nostalgia pieces, animations, the feel-goods, senseless violence
and by and large anything churned out by the hollywood machine
which at any point in time leaves about 5 or 6 that i will try and get to
however sometimes when a film seems in order and anything that appeals is not timed well for me
and as much as i want to continue to support picture theatres
fallback to the hole in the wall seems a fine idea for the nights entertainment
get online, trawl through the available titles, find something, reserve it
walk up the street, put card in slot, retrieve dvd of choice
return via the takeaway food shop and the takeaway wine shop
lights off, projector on, settle in and enjoy the home theatre experience
tonights choice appealed not so much for the need to revisit the scene of the crime
and once again see planes flying into buildings and those buildings subsequently collapsing
but because this film has a very interesting concept
11 short films each exactly 11 minutes and 9 seconds long and encased in 1 frame
hence the title that otherwise seems a bit cryptic or confounding
the films are all low budget and with a loose connection to the day in question
filmed in 2002 and with each director from a different country and culture
there are the names of ken loach, sean penn and alejandro gonzalez inarrito (babel) amongst them
the film is very well set up with each short film introduced with the clever use of graphics
to display a map of the world and highlighting the home country of the next director
and so in keeping with the premise of this film 9 words to describe each of the 11 films
iran - the innocence of children in a crazy adult world
france - deaf mute rediscovers love in the shadow of disaster
egypt - ghost story in heavy handed middle east political analysis
bosnia herzegovina - moving story of ethnic cleansing survivors empathysing with america
burkina faso - tale of bin laden pursuit by west african lads
united kingdom - chilean survivor recalls murder of allende september 11 1973
mexico - minimal visuals of falling bodies over recordings of 9-11
israel - parallel story of the chaos following a suicide bomber
india - muslim woman searches for terrorist son suspect turned hero
united states of america - sean penn directs ernest borgnine's detached widower in manhattan
japan - disturbing portrayal of how war can affect mental health
i'm glad i found this one in the rental shop and not sure how i missed it on general release
there's not much joy, happiness or laughter to be had
but considering the subject matter that makes a lot of sense
it reminded me a lot of babel which is one of my favourite films of recent times
and in fact i think my favourite of the 11 on display is that of the director of babel
where we see the occassional flash of film of people falling from the twin towers
and a multi-layered soundtrack of the recognisable soundbites from the day
leading to a haunting piece of music and the on-screen statement in arabic
complete with english interpretation
does god's light guide us or blind us?
thought-provoking
looking for films i had missed seeing on the big screen at the theatre
this is partly because i'm struggling to find films on general release
that match my criteria for films that i will make the effort to watch
i tend to want to avoid the action flick, the rom-com, the endless sequels
the period pieces, nostalgia pieces, animations, the feel-goods, senseless violence
and by and large anything churned out by the hollywood machine
which at any point in time leaves about 5 or 6 that i will try and get to
however sometimes when a film seems in order and anything that appeals is not timed well for me
and as much as i want to continue to support picture theatres
fallback to the hole in the wall seems a fine idea for the nights entertainment
get online, trawl through the available titles, find something, reserve it
walk up the street, put card in slot, retrieve dvd of choice
return via the takeaway food shop and the takeaway wine shop
lights off, projector on, settle in and enjoy the home theatre experience
tonights choice appealed not so much for the need to revisit the scene of the crime
and once again see planes flying into buildings and those buildings subsequently collapsing
but because this film has a very interesting concept
11 short films each exactly 11 minutes and 9 seconds long and encased in 1 frame
hence the title that otherwise seems a bit cryptic or confounding
the films are all low budget and with a loose connection to the day in question
filmed in 2002 and with each director from a different country and culture
there are the names of ken loach, sean penn and alejandro gonzalez inarrito (babel) amongst them
the film is very well set up with each short film introduced with the clever use of graphics
to display a map of the world and highlighting the home country of the next director
and so in keeping with the premise of this film 9 words to describe each of the 11 films
iran - the innocence of children in a crazy adult world
france - deaf mute rediscovers love in the shadow of disaster
egypt - ghost story in heavy handed middle east political analysis
bosnia herzegovina - moving story of ethnic cleansing survivors empathysing with america
burkina faso - tale of bin laden pursuit by west african lads
united kingdom - chilean survivor recalls murder of allende september 11 1973
mexico - minimal visuals of falling bodies over recordings of 9-11
israel - parallel story of the chaos following a suicide bomber
india - muslim woman searches for terrorist son suspect turned hero
united states of america - sean penn directs ernest borgnine's detached widower in manhattan
japan - disturbing portrayal of how war can affect mental health
i'm glad i found this one in the rental shop and not sure how i missed it on general release
there's not much joy, happiness or laughter to be had
but considering the subject matter that makes a lot of sense
it reminded me a lot of babel which is one of my favourite films of recent times
and in fact i think my favourite of the 11 on display is that of the director of babel
where we see the occassional flash of film of people falling from the twin towers
and a multi-layered soundtrack of the recognisable soundbites from the day
leading to a haunting piece of music and the on-screen statement in arabic
complete with english interpretation
does god's light guide us or blind us?
thought-provoking
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)