Monday, February 25, 2013

Beautiful Creatures ★★★★

LOVE IS MAGICAL
  
 
 
 

Have you noticed there is a lot of supernatural loving going on lately at the cinema? Every trailer before the screening of BEAUTIFUL CREATURES was for a Fantasy-Romance film with either zombies, vampires or aliens.  Of course, it’s the story of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ for the modern age.   And why not?  Star-crossed lovers, fighting to be together against all reason and parental approval, makes for a great story.   If it’s good enough for the mythical Gods of Greece, then it is good enough for the electronic-gadgetry-toting youth of today.
This year in book and film, it is going to be hard to avoid this genre, and Beautiful Creatures is a good example (please note Twilight producers) of how to make an entertaining, authentic film which can please fans of supernatural love as well as the non-converted.  The New York Times bestselling book of the same name is the first in the series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.
 
Ethan (Alden Ehrenreich), a high school senior wants nothing more than to escape the Southern town of Gatlin and bid adieu to his Father who has withdrawn from life since the sudden death of his Mother.   For months he has dreamed of a strange, dark-haired girl he has never met.   Arriving suddenly in his class is a new girl, Lena Duchannes (Alice Englert), looking a lot like his dream sweetheart.  She is immediately ostracized, as she is the niece of Macon Ravenwood (Jeremy Irons), the reclusive owner of Ravenwood Manor who most townsfolk believe is in cahoots with the devil.  Let’s face it, people who live in those big, creepy mansions usually are.
Mrs. Lincoln (Emma Thompson), mother of Ethan’s best friend is adamant that Lena must be banished from the town and spends a good deal of time pointing fingers and rallying the townsfolk against the young girl.
Despite strange happenings that surround Lena, and her spurning of his advances, Ethan ardently pursues her.    Lena reveals that she is a Caster, as is her Uncle, and each Caster has a special power.   On her sixteenth birthday Lena will discover which side she will practice her Casting based on her true inner self. Will she be chosen for the much more charming Light or the evil-doing Dark?  The entire clan, including Lena, fear she will be taken by the Dark which will prove to be very bad for the human race.  There’s also a curse hanging over Lena’s family and she and Ethan face many spells and dangers and even their love may prove fatal.
Beautiful Creatures is a stylish story, a cut above the Twilight Saga’s progressively more outlandish portrayals. There is a wit in the script and Thompson and Irons, who could have lapsed into overdramatics, rein it in enough to lend a sophistication that is usually lacking in these supernatural tales. 
Whilst I am not an urban-fantasy fan, I certainly can appreciate a story well-told.  And as the great man said himself, “a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.” This love story smells of success and with four more books ,no doubt the sequels will be gracing our screens in the years to come.   If they’re as good as this, we are definitely on the side of Light.
 
 

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Weekly Review Round-Up 16/2/2013


(My movie Pick of the week
West of Memphis ★★★★★
Opens in Australia: 14th February 2013
Other Countries: Release Information
Perth West Australians:  See at Luna Palace Cinemas

OUR THOUGHTS

This is a riveting and shocking film. It is like a John Grisham book times ten. You couldn’t invent the twists and turns in this case, nor the travesty of justice that occurred. For most documentaries I would say wait and see on DVD but this one deserves your full attention on the big screen. You are immediately sucked into the story and spat out at the other end, bewildered and angry, and shaking your head. As a parent, I think some of the images will haunt me for a long time to come.

STUDIO BLURB

From director Amy Berg, in collaboration with first time Producers Damien Echols and Lorri Davis along with filmmakers Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh comes West of Memphis, a powerful examination of a catastrophic failure of justice in Arkansas. The documentary tells the hitherto unknown story behind an extraordinary and desperate fight to bring the truth to light. Told and made by those who lived it, Berg's unprecedented access to the inner workings of the defense, allows the film to show the investigation, research and appeals process in a way that has never been seen before; revealing shocking and disturbing new information about a case that still haunts the American South.-- (C) Official Site

Safe Haven
Opens in Australia: 14th February 2013
Other Countries: Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

I haven’t seen a film as bad as this since, well, since the last Nicholas Sparks adaptation last year, The Lucky One. It’s so poorly scripted, directed and acted, it is hard to believe professional film-makers were involved.  Surely the books aren’t as bad as the films?  Was Lasse Hallström, the director (who has created such fine films as Chocolat, What's Eating Gilbert Grape and even the enjoyable Salmon Fishing in the Yemen) even on the set?  Seriously, rent out NOTTING HILL and re-watch.  Next time, above the posters please read, “From the author of The Notebook, another cliché”.  It received its one star rating because it really made me laugh watching Josh Duhamel fall off a roof and just walk away.
P.S.  Don’t believe the studio blurb below about it. It is neither affirming nor suspenseful.  However, I will now repeat the following affirmation, “I will never see a Nicholas Sparks adaptation again.”STUDIO BLURB
An affirming and suspenseful story about a young woman's struggle to love again, Safe Haven is based on the novel from Nicholas Sparks, the best-selling author behind the hit films The Notebook and Dear John. When a mysterious young woman arrives in a small North Carolina town, her reluctance to join the tight knit community raises questions about her past. Slowly, she begins putting down roots, and gains the courage to start a relationship with Alex, a widowed store owner with two young children. But dark secrets intrude on her new life with such terror that she is forced to rediscover the meaning of sacrifice and rely on the power of love in this deeply moving romantic thriller.

Anna Karenina ★★★★

Opens in Australia: 14th February 2013
Other Countries:
Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS
Once you adjust to the strange framing of this story (it’s as if it’s a play and then morphs into a standard movie and then back again, often), this adaptation of Tolstoy’s tome Anna Karenina is very enjoyable. It’s sumptuous and dramatic on the big screen and I liked Keira Knightley’s portrayal.  Although I wish she would get her teeth fixed. You won't recognise Jude Law. (He's in a lot of films lately isn't he?)  If you love these grand historic films, this is definitely for you.

STUDIO BLURB
The third collaboration of Academy Award nominee Keira Knightley with acclaimed director Joe Wright, following the award-winning box office successes Pride & Prejudice and Atonement, is a bold, theatrical new vision of the epic story of love, adapted from Leo Tolstoy's timeless novel by Academy Award winner Tom Stoppard. The story powerfully explores the capacity for love that surges through the human heart. As Anna (Ms. Knightley) questions her happiness and marriage, change comes to all around her. -- (C) Focus



What have you seen this week? Did you find our comments helpful or do you disagree? Share your thoughts with us.

 

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Weekly Review Round Up 10/2/2013

THIS WEEK'S PREVIEWS


What should you spend your precious dollars on when visiting the cinema? What needs popcorn to enjoy?  And what needs waiting until DVD?
If you have seen any of these or want to see them and have a comment please feel free to share. We love hearing from our readers.

 (My movie Pick of the week)

Lincoln ★★★★½
Opens in Australia: 7th February 2013
Other Countries: Release Information

 OUR THOUGHTS

Steven Spielberg paints a wonderful portrait of Lincoln as a real man.  In a lesser Director’s hands this film would have dragged (some reviewers thought it did).  He manages to infuse, what could have been dry, political rhetoric with a humorous playfulness that balances the seriousness of the events.   I found this movie fascinating and moving and beautifully made. Even though I already had the greatest admiration for Lincoln through his wonderful speeches and thoughts, I now truly understand his greatness and why the American people still love him so much.  If Daniel Day-Lewis doesn’t win the Oscar, something is rotten in the state of Denmark. 

STUDIO BLURB

Steven Spielberg directs Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln, a revealing drama that focuses on the 16th President's tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come.

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters ★★

Opens in Australia: 7th February 2013
Other Countries: Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

You know what to expect, surely, from the trailers and the posters, so don’t blame me if you see it and are not happy. On the other hand, I did have a load of fun watching the witches get beaten up in so many different ways.  And I’ve never seen so many bodies, including our heroes, thrown through the air, through walls, through windows, down stairs, through trees, into carts, into barrels…well, you get the picture.   It has as many (plot) holes as a dozen packets of life-savers but if you love those slash-and-dash films like Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer, Resident Evil,  and Underworld here is another one especially for you.

STUDIO BLURB

After getting a taste for blood as children, Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) have become the ultimate vigilantes, hell bent on retribution. Now, unbeknownst to them, Hansel and Gretel have become the hunted, and must face an evil far greater than witches...their past. -- (C) Paramount 

Guilt Trip ★★★

Opens in Australia: 24th January 2013
Other Countries: Release Information

 OUR THOUGHTS

This is not an altogether fail as a film. It’s not hugely funny but towards the end, that was a tear that rolled down my cheek.  And, err, no, that wasn’t me squirming in my seat at the beginning as we were introduced to the over-bearing Mother Barbara Streistand played.  In any case, I love Barbara Streisand (yep I’ve seen every movie she’s made—many twice) and Seth Rogan is a great foil for her. 
Don’t go expecting anything hugely funny but do go looking for a lovely film that will remind you of the bonds between Mother’s and sons (and daughters) and how valuable they are if you take the time to look.

STUDIO BLURB

Andy Brewster is about to embark on the road trip of a lifetime, and who better to accompany him than his overbearing mother Joyce. After deciding to start his adventure with a quick visit at mom’s, Andy is guilted into bringing her along for the ride. Across 3,000 miles of ever-changing landscape, he is constantly aggravated by her antics, but over time he comes to realize that their lives have more in common than he originally thought. His mother’s advice might end up being exactly what he needs. 
 

What have you seen this week? Did you find our comments helpful or do you disagree? Share your thoughts with us.

 

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters Competition

Australian Residents

Win
 one of five

  Admit 2 Season Passes to
 
Hansel & Gretel
   Witch Hunters 3D
 
starring
 
Jeremy Renner Gemma Arterton
 
In Cinemas 7th February 2013
 

THE STORY
After getting a taste for blood as children, Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) have become the ultimate vigilantes, hell bent on retribution.
Now, unbeknownst to them, Hansel and Gretel have become the hunted, and must face an evil far greater than witches...their past.


HOW TO ENTER


Simply retweet the following and ensure you are following @myshoppinglisto to be in the draw. Competition closes midnight West Australian time Wednesday 6th February 2013.  Winners announced on twitter 7th Febuary 2013.

TWEET THIS:

Australians: Win Admit 2 pass to #HanselandGretel Opens 7/2. Retweet & follow @myshoppinglisto 2 enter. Visit http://buff.ly/X5szsM 4 deets.

 
 Good Luck!
 
 

Weekly Review Round Up 2nd February 2013

THIS WEEK'S PREVIEWS

What should you spend your precious dollars on when visiting the cinema? What needs popcorn to enjoy?  And what needs waiting until DVD?
If you have seen any of these or want to see them and have a comment please feel free to share. We love hearing from our readers.

 (My movie Pick of the week)

Zero Dark Thirty ★★★★★

Opens in Australia: 31st January 2013
Other Countries: Release Information

Read my full review here: A Picture Tells an Amazing Story

 OUR THOUGHTS
One of the most gripping films you will see.  Yes, it has torture scenes.  Yes, they are hard to watch. Yes, it depicts reality. But, as Director Katherine Bigelow says, we must bear witness to this.  This is how they caught a man who orchestrated such devastation in the lives of so many and forever turned an ordinary September date into a delineation of normal before and a new, strange world afterwards.  Go see it on the big screen. It will lose far too much on the tiny box.  And you pirate watchers: you really miss out on a lot to save a few lousy bucks.  See this one at the cinema.  And please hand Jessica Chastain her Oscar. She is head and shoulders above the rest of the nominees (who are all still brilliant).

STUDIO BLURB
For a decade, an elite team of intelligence and military operatives, working in secret across the globe, devoted themselves to a single goal: to find and eliminate Osama bin Laden. Zero Dark Thirty reunites the Oscar winning team of director-producer Kathryn Bigelow and writer-producer Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker) for the story of history's greatest manhunt for the world's most dangerous man. -- (C) Official Site.

Silver Linings Playbook★★
Opens in Australia: 24th January 2013
Other Countries: Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS
The general consensus is that most audiences really liked this supposed comedy-romance.  I found it unfunny and not very romantic.  It could be all the accolades and nominations it has received that had my expectations set too high.  However, I found Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence had no chemistry whatsoever and acted more like brother and sister than two people falling in love.  Bradley Cooper is a real dish though, so my 2 stars is purely for him.  Jennifer Lawrence’s performance was wooden and I am starting to feel that perhaps she is a one-note actress.  Her performances seem to blend from one film to another even though she is playing vastly different characters. For me, this one had no silver lining, although you may have to go see for yourself for I am in the minority.

STUDIO BLURB
Life doesn't always go according to plan. Pat Solatano (Bradley Cooper) has lost everything -- his house, his job, and his wife. He now finds himself living back with his mother (Jacki Weaver) and father (Robert DeNiro) after spending eight months is a state institution on a plea bargain. Pat is determined to rebuild his life, remain positive and reunite with his wife, despite the challenging circumstances of their separation. All Pat's parents want is for him to get back on his feet-and to share their family's obsession with the Philadelphia Eagles football team. When Pat meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a mysterious girl with problems of her own, things get complicated. Tiffany offers to help Pat reconnect with his wife, but only if he'll do something very important for her in return. As their deal plays out, an unexpected bond begins to form between them, and silver linings appear in both of their lives. -- (C) Weinstein

The Impossible ★★★½

Opens in Australia: 31st January 2013
Other Countries: Release Information

Read the full review  A Wave of Emotion

 OUR THOUGHTS
Nobody could be unmoved by the horrors that occurred on the Boxing Day Tsunami. Can it really be eight years ago now?  This film takes us behind the headline so to speak and we experience one family’s story which is so incredible that the film’s makers repeated, “This is a true story” twice at the beginning. Although it is a fascinating film, my criticism is of the direction of the film.  The acting was overdone and some of the shots so clichéd.  Still I don’t think anyone will come away unsympathetic to the story told.  I just wish a better director had told it.

STUDIO BLURB
Maria (Naomi Watts), Henry (Ewan McGregor) and their three sons begin their winter vacation in Thailand, looking forward to a few days in tropical paradise. But on the morning of December 26th, as the family relaxes around the pool after their Christmas festivities the night before, a terrifying roar rises up from the center of the earth. As Maria freezes in fear, a huge wall of black water races across the hotel grounds toward her.
Based on a true story, The Impossible is the unforgettable account of a family caught, with tens of thousands of strangers, in the mayhem of one of the worst natural catastrophes of our time. But the true-life terror is tempered by the unexpected displays of compassion, courage and simple kindness that Maria and her family encounter during the darkest hours of their lives. Both epic and intimate, devastating and uplifting, The Impossible is a journey to the core of the human heart.  

What have you seen this week? Did you find our comments helpful or do you disagree? Share your thoughts with us.