Horror Legend Wes Craven Dies at 76

Sad news today as we've learnt that one of Horror's key figures, Wes Craven has passed away. Notable for his work in the slasher sub-genre, many of his films have garnered a cult following, such as his early feature The Hills Have Eyes in 1977. 

Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, Craven earned degrees in English, Psychology and a masters in Philosophy. He worked briefly as a teacher before putting his degrees to an entirely different use when he went on to write, direct and edit pornography. His first feature, The Last House on the Left (1972) was an exploitation-horror piece about two teenage girls who are tortured by a gang of murderous thugs, based loosely on the controversial Bergman film The Virgin Spring (1960)

In 1985, Craven wrote and directed A Nightmare on Elm Street, which brought into being one of Horror's most notorious villains; Freddy Krueger, a razor-fisted serial-killer that stalks and murders his victims in their dreams. In 1988 Wes directed The Serpent and the Rainbow, a voodoo horror story about reanimation, and followed this with sequels to a variety of his other popular films. In 1996, Wes found huge critical and commercial success with Scream, a satirical mystery slasher film with an all star cast including David Arquette, Courtney Cox, Skeet Ulrich, Rose McGowan and Drew Barrymore.

Wes Craven's influence on the horror genre was unparallelled, and many of his most iconic films and characters live on, both in pop-culture and in spin-offs of one type or another. There's no doubt he'll be sorely missed.

Trailers Week 60: 30/08/15

Rock The Kasbah
My question is: why are there so many Americans in war-torn Afghanistan?

Youth

Paolo Sorrentino makes stirring films, both emotionally and visually. By the look of Michael Caine's interactions with Rachel Weisz, this is probably going to follow that line.

Goosebumps

If you had known when you were younger that R.L. Stine was Jack Black, would you have been as scared? I can't wait to see how they do the Monster Blood.

Love The Coopers

If Diane Keaton was my mother, I don't think I'd be excited about Christmas either. Also starring John Goodman, Ed Helms, Olivia Wilde, Anthony Mackie and Marisa Tomei.

Kill Your Friends

I knew the music industry was cutthroat, but yeesh... Starring Nicolas Hoult and Ed Skrein.

The Iron Giant Re-release

Somewhere in the world, some of you are lucky enough to see this childhood classic on the big screen again. I wish I could. Starring Vin Diesel, Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr. and Christopher McDonald.

Irrational Man

Every time I go and see a Woody Allen movie, I go in with a preconceived notion based on past experience what that film is going to be, but he always throws me for a loop. The movies of his that really stick out to me are the ones where he makes a sharp right hand turn not long into the movie, for example time travel in Midnight In Paris. Because of this, that is why Irrational Man sticks out for me.

Abe Lucas (Joaquin Phoenix) is a philosophy professor who has lost all will to live. He is alcoholic and teaches his classes only halfheartedly. He develops a relationship with fellow teacher Rita (Parker Posey) and a friendship with student Jill (Emma Stone). Because of a reputation that precedes him everyone believes that he and Jill are having an affair, including Jill, despite his active efforts against one. One day while eating at a diner with Jill, they both eavesdrop into a conversation being had about a crooked judge and a child custody case. It is in that moment that Abe is lifted from his bad mindset when he decides to kill the judge.

With this movie, Allen is setting out to make his own adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock's thriller Rope, a movie where two university students attempt to pull off the perfect crime and in a way it works quite well. It definitely has resemblance to an Allen film, but at the same time it is fun and refreshing. Yes, the main character is self absorbed and neurotic, but he is also self aware about the situation he is in, often spouting forth philosophy tenants to match his feelings.

Allen also throws in some big moments that make you jump in delight or fear at what is going on. I like the films when he does this because it really throws me off guard. The last film of his I saw was Blue Jasmine and that was a rather tame self-reflective piece. When he shakes his own formula, it is really quite enjoyable for the audience.

Emma Stone is quite obviously becoming Allen's new muse and I think is doing a good job at inspiring him to tread new ground. Her character couldn't be further from that in Magic in the Moonlight, here she is just playing an archetypical college girl, Emma Stone if you will. Joaquin is fantastic and funny as Abe Lucas and it is amazing to see the transformation his character goes through. It is also amazing to see his dedication to gaining the weight for this role.

Irrational Man is such a refreshing new Woody Allen movie that would be perfect for any jaded fans of his like I was, it is filled with fun moments and funnier performances.

Kill Me Three Times

 "This place feels like an open-air fucking insane asylum!"

With a staggered release and recent semi-ceremonial dumping onto video-on-demand platforms and home release, Kriv Stenders follow-up to the runaway success of 2011's Red Dog, Kill Me Three Times, lands with a dull splat on the Aussie cinematic pavement. The rather oblique path to audiences that this film endured works decidedly against its internationally appealing cast, with the always welcome Simon Pegg (Cornetto Trilogy, Mission Impossible, Star Trek) heading the bill, followed by Brazilian supporting player Alice Braga (Predators, I Am Legend, City of God), Teresa Palmer (Warm Bodies, Point Break) and stars of the criminally underrated 300: Rise of an Empire Sullivan Stapleton and Callan Mulvey. Veteran Bryan Brown and the Luke "the Lesser" Hemsworth round out the cast with minor roles.

Kill Me Three Times opens with black-clad, muscle-car-driving, handle-bar moustachioed hitman Charlie Wolfe (Pegg) hunting an unknown blue collar worker on the sands of a WA mining site. After a clumsy attempt at a stylish kill, for both the character and the film, Wolfe receives a mysterious job offer. The job involves following Alice (Braga), wife of the vaguely criminal Jack (Mulvey), who is having an affair with mechanic Dylan (Hemsworth), who is mates with dentist Nathan (Stapleton) whose married to Jack's sister Lucy (Palmer). For various reasons everyone wants Alice dead and Bryan Brown shows up on occasion to deliver threatening dialogue in a police uniform. It's all inter-connected and numbingly simple.

With such an internationally appealing cast, a farcical noir premise, and a picturesque location, Kill Me Three Times flaws are almost instantly blatant. The debut screenplay from Irishman James McFarland leaves much to be desired with its banal plotting, empty world and on-the-nose dialogue and is certainly dragged further down by the flat, bored direction of Stenders, who has obviously put as much effort and style into the character and camera-direction of this bloody noir-ish farce as he did with Red Dog, a film with underwhelming direction though undeniable family-friendly charm. KMTT markets itself as a triumvirate of stories of remote, back-country murder and mayhem, but it's actually one story split into three parts; the set-up and execution of an action, the context, depth and character motivations behind that action, and the consequences. Finally, add a simple and over-used 70's Southern-style guitar riff in place of a score and you have the recipe for Wasted Opportunity.

The obvious inspiration behind KMTT is to create a 70's-styled, Coen-brothers film, but the execution is almost devoid of effort or visible interest. Pegg's charm and star-power is simply wasted, a golden opportunity to capitalise on his comedic skills into an enjoyably evil character but instead he spends much of his time hiding in bushes or sitting in his car staring at the other characters. Braga is either tossed into car boots, in hiding or unconscious, and so similarly wasted.  Palmer and Stapleton are the only ones involved who seem care about what they're doing but with the limited creative authority involved, there's not much to do. What little enjoyment this film elicits comes from the performances of Pegg and Brown and the beautiful setting that is almost as devoid of life, save for the cast, as the film itself is for original ideas or satisfactory execution. A derivative, wasted opportunity.

Southpaw

After the first photos emerged from Southpaw, all everybody could talk about was Gyllenhaal's physical transformation for the role. But since the metamorphosis of actors seems to be the current zeitgeist of Hollywood, I was more interested in what director Antoine Fuqua could do with his dark cinematic style and a sports drama. The answer is: everything that's been done before, with Eminem slapped over the top.

Billy Hope (Jake Gyllenhaal) is an undefeated light heavyweight boxer with a wife Maureen (Rachel McAdams) and daughter Leila (Oona Laurence). Billy lives the high life, with his large mansion and blinged-up posse, but after sustaining an eye-injury during a match, Maureen convinces him that it's time to retire. After another boxer, Miguel Escobar (Miguel Gomez) taunts him, leading to a very public brawl, Maureen is accidentally hurt and dies at the scene. Heartbroken and depressed, Billy also loses his daughter to social services. The only way he can get his daughter back is to get his life back on track, which he starts doing by getting a job at a gym owned by ex-boxer Titus "Tick" Wills (Forest Whitaker). After Tick starts to train Billy, he strives once more to seek the redemption he needs.

This is basically an hour of watching Billy Hope's life fall apart, then an hour of him picking up the pieces, in the most unoriginal of ways. I have no doubt that Gyllenhaal gave this role his all, but his character is constantly reduced to polarising extremes of emotions - either depression or extreme anger - but never anything in-between. The blame very much lies with the plot, which, cliche after cliche, tells the same story of redemption that we've seen in boxing films more times than anybody would like to admit. The first act of Southpaw establishes the obnoxious characters, entrenched in a shallow, tedious world. The early development is so shockingly bad that I honestly couldn't care less about Hope's wife dying. From the banal script-writing to the emotion-milking dialogue, the film opens a wreck.

It's not until the second act, when Whitaker's character comes into the mix that Southpaw manages to conjure up some dignity. Whitaker similarly pours everything into Tick, and at times the potential of the character shines through, but he's eventually reduced to the typical enigmatic black motivational trainer movie trope. If it wasn't him, it was Morgan Freeman in Million Dollar Baby before him and so on. As for the other characters, McAdams's portrayal of a sidelined boxer's wife is as dreary as it is two-dimensional, and 50 Cent's character is just an outright arsehole. The biggest insult is the suggestion that we could empathise with almost any of these characters.

Boxing films are well known for their cinematic exuberance, and at times Mauro Fiore manages to capture the raw emotions of the moment, but Southpaw visually lacks the ingenuity that others like it have been brave enough to attempt, and ultimately the film is degraded to the archetypal training montages - complete with Eminem soundtrack - that we could all see coming from a mile off.  In the end, Fiore can't manage to stretch the style of Southpaw beyond what we've seen before. 

Of all the great boxing films - Million Dollar Baby, Raging Bull etc. - the triumphant ones create an atmosphere and tell an original story. Whilst the two leads manage to conjure up surprisingly decent performances given the material, Southpaw is ultimately the antithesis of original, and risks fading into mediocrity.

Dope

I've never seen a movie that handles racism as subtly as Dope. Movies like American History X and 12 Years a Slave advertise up front that they are about racism and how bad it is, but never really highlight the real life effects that everyday prejudice and stereotypes have.

Malcolm Adekanbi (Shameik Moore) is by no means a popular kid. He and his friends Diggy (Kierson Clemons) and Jib (Tony Revolori) are into things that others from their neighbourhood aren't, like old school hip-hop and trying to get into college. One day after school, Malcolm gets caught up in a discussion between local drug dealer Dom (A$ap Rocky) and his girlfriend Nakia (Zoë Kravitz) and inadvertently gets invited to Dom's birthday party. After a rival gang attacks the party, Malcolm discovers big packages of MDMA in his backpack. Unknown to him at the time, Malcolm meets the true owner of the drugs who tells him the best thing to do would be sell the drugs and pass the profits onto him.

This movie really highlights the lack of opportunity that black kids have growing up in poorer neighbourhoods. Even if they get good grades and work really hard to try and make something of themselves, there is still external pressure and questioning of why someone like Malcolm would want to do this because the expectation is that he would become a drug dealer. Each of the main characters have moments where they become something that is the complete opposite of who they are. Malcolm has a moment where he brandishes a gun at some gang members, normally super confident Jib has a breakdown when they find that they are in possession of the drugs and rich kid Jaleel tries to be a gangster, getting into a gunfight with some gang members.

Shameik Moore makes a huge splash with his first lead role in a movie. Malcolm is an extremely likeable character and that's because Moore's performance gives the character so much depth. Tony Revolori is once again a joy to watch, as is Kiersey Clemons. Both A$ap Rocky and Tyga give great performances which is something that I was surprised at and Blake Anderson plays his stereotypical stoner with much joy again.

One thing that this movie really has going for it is it's amazing soundtrack. Filled with songs by the likes of Public Enemy, Nas and Naughty By Nature, all artists Malcolm considers to have been made in the golden age of hip hop. It also features some great songs from the band that Malcolm and his friends are in, written by Pharrell.

An amazing and truly insightful film that is enjoyable on the surface level, but once you look at the message that it's trying to tell you, it becomes even better.

Trailers Week 59: 23/08/15

Ashby

Wait, what the hell happened to Mickey Rourke? He's all different looking. He plays a former CIA asset who teaches the local loser how to be a man. Also starring Nat Wolff, Emma Roberts and Sarah Silverman.

Hell and Back (NSFW)

An animated movie for grown ups (or people who haven't quite reached that stage yet) about two friends who travel to Hell to save their friend. Starring Nick Swardson, TJ Miller, Mila Kunis, Bob Odenkirk and Danny McBride.

The Anomaly

Sci-fi concepts seem to be getting more and more complex in an effort to stand out. This example seems to be the idea of someone's body (but not consciousness) being controlled by an outside agent against their will. Starring Noel Clarke, Ian Somerhalder and Brian Cox.

Victor Frankstein

A new imagining of the classic story but with more emphasis on Victor and Igor's relationship. It definitely looks like a turn for both Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy who both embrace their Victorian surroundings.

Scouts Guide To The Apocalypse (NSFW)

Some grown up scouts end up being the ones to survive the zombie apocalypse. Starring Tye Sheridan, Halston Sage, Patric Schwarzenegger, Blake Anderson and Cloris Leachman.

The Witch

Historical horror! Some settlers leave the safety of the town build a home on the frontier and soon begin to experience evidence of witchcraft. Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson and Kate Dickie.

The Final Girls

So it's like Pleasantville where the characters get sucked into a fictional world. This time its a slasher movie parody of Friday the 13th. Starring Nina Dobrev, Taissa Farmiga, Malin Akerman, Alexander Ludwig, Thomas Middleditch, Alia Shawkat and Adam Devine.

The Martian

An extended look at Mark Watney's survival on Mars.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is one of those popular 60s spy TV shows that is finally getting a film adaptation, although twenty years after it's most associated show, Mission: Impossible. And like that other series, UNCLE has taken a different turn from it's source material, but this time into the world of comedy. A job that lands in expert hands with director Guy Ritchie.

Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) is top spy with the CIA. He is given a routine task of retrieving Gabby Teller (Alicia Vikander) from East Berlin so that the CIA can ascertain information about her former Nazi father who has gone missing with the knowledge of new atomic technology. Hot on his heels however, is Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer), the KGB's top killing machine. The day after Solo completes his mission, both he and Kuryakin find out that their respective governments have teamed them up to go after a terrorist organisation headed up by Victoria Vinciguerra (Elizabeth Debicki), who plans to use Teller's technological knowledge to build her own nuclear weapon.

Ritchie definitely returns to his roots here. While the film is still an action movie, comedy reins supreme with plenty of laughs, not unlike those you would find in Snatch. But his action movie experience from Sherlock Holmes is definitely a bonus, as the film uses slick stunt driving and excellent fight scenes, that are still laced with comedic moments. My only quibble with these action sequences is that there are certain number of stylised CGI transitions used, especially in the driving scenes that took me out of it slightly.

Henry Cavill is at his most charming and suits this charismatic role perfectly. Napoleon Solo is part spy and part conman (same thing really) and that is a big bonus for his character. Armie Hammer looks like he's having fun playing a more serious character after his romp in The Lone Ranger. It is also refreshing to see Alicia Vikander in a lighter movie after watching her do so many dramatic roles. Hugh Grant has a really fun supporting role.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is a much lighter movie than what I had expected, but nevertheless a very good and enjoyable adventure with two fantastic leads. The cool 60s setting didn't hurt the film at all.

Trailers Week 58: 16/08/15

Trumbo

A quick film history lesson for you guys. In the post-war period, the USA was in the grip of terror surrounding the threat of communism. And the biggest threat it seemed came out of that pinko, leftist Hollywood. So to show they meant business, the US government sought to weed out the subversive elements of the film industry. One of their targets was witty screenwriter Dalton Trumbo. Already the subject of a documentary of the same name (with one of the funniest movie scenes ever), this biopic looks like it will focus on the comedy in Trumbo's life. Starring Bryan Cranston, Louis CK, Diane Lane, Stephen Root, John Goodman and Helen Mirren.

The Hateful Eight

Quentin's back with another western, this time about a group of bounty hunters who want to cash in and collect the alive part of a bounty. But one of them doesn't want this to go down. A reverse Reservoir Dogs if you will. Starring all of Tarantino's favourites; Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Walton Goggins, Bruce Dern and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

Ride Along 2
Kevin Hart and Ice Cube return for more of the big man/little man schtick.

Burnt
This looks like Whiplash with food. A prodigy chef aims to open the best restaurant in the world. Starring Bradley Cooper getting his Gordon Ramsey on, Sienna Miller, Daniel Brühl, Omar Sy, Alicia Vikander and Emma Thompson.

Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List
Two friends come up with a cunning way not to fight. Don't kiss boys? This looks like the flimsiest movie ever. One poke and it will all fall apart. Starring Victoria Justice and Pierson Fode. And no, I didn't just make up those two obviously fake sounding names.

Life
Retells the story of the friendship between actor James Dean and photographer Dennis Stock. Starring Dane DeHaan, Robert Pattinson, Joel Edgerton and Ben Kingsley.

Addicted to Fresno
Two sisters attempt to get out of the hell they've found themselves in. Starring Judy Greer, Natasha Lyonne, Fred Armisen, Aubrey Plaza, Molly Shannon, Ron Livingston and Malcolm Barrett.

Stonewall
Disaster director extraordinaire Roland Emmerich (Stargate, Independence Day) goes decidedly small with this fictionalised account of the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City. Starring Jeremy Irvine, Jonathan Rhys Myers, Joey King and Ron Perlman.

 

Trailers Week 57: 09/08/15

The Dressmaker

A high class dressmaker returns to her rural Australian hometown after living in London for many years, where the locals are less than welcoming. Starring Kate Winslet, Liam Hemsworth, Judy Davis, Sarah Snook and Hugo Weaving.

Zoolander 2

Just because he's so stupid.

Deadpool (NSFW)

No one is ever able to play this comic book character, basically because they've written into the comics that he is Ryan Reynolds, or at least looks like him. Also, the only superhero movie worth making. I am super looking forward to this self referential character and I know they will do him justice. Also starring Morena Baccarin and TJ Miller.

Visions

I don't know what to say about this rather bland looking horror film, mainly because I just don't get it. Starring Isla Fisher, Gillian Jacobs and Jim Parsons.

About Ray

An important movie about transgender awareness, a young girl decides to go through the transitioning process and deals with the confusion from the people around her. Starring Elle Fanning, Naomi Watts, Susan Sarandon and Tate Donovan.

The Last Witch Hunter

Vin Diesel plays an immortal who had hair at one stage. I'll let that image sink in.

By The Sea

Brad and Ange team up for their first movie together since Mr and Mrs Smith and this one looks decidedly more dramatic.

Fantastic Four

I think we can all be in agreement now that a Fantastic Four movie will never work. This is the fourth attempt (you think the symbolism of that number would be lucky) and it just didn't work on any level. Even director Josh Trank doesn't like it.

In 1997, new childhood friends Reed Richards (Owen Judge) and Ben Grimm (Evan Hannemann) work on Reed's teleporter. Seven years later, Reed (Miles Teller) and Ben (Jamie Bell) present their science project to their science teacher to a lukewarm reception. They do get the attention of Dr Franklin Storm (Reg E. Cathey) and his daughter Sue (Kate Mara), who are working on the same project: interdimensional travel. They bring Reed to work on their project with the help of Franklin's renegade son Johnny (Michael B. Jordan) and reclusive scientist Victor Von Doom (Toby Kebbell). Once they complete the project, Reed, Ben, Johnny and Victor recklessly use the machine to go to the other dimension, where an accident occurs leaving Victor for dead and the other three with their respective powers. Sue gets hers when trying to bring them back.

What I have just told you is more than half the movie. If you think that that is spoiler-y, let me tell you, there is nothing to ruin about this movie. The climax of this movie happened so suddenly and so soon, that I turned to my friend and said "I think it's finishing". That's because this movie has a big problem with time. Both the shortness of the film itself (it's only 99 minutes) and what it does with that run time. It is about an hour of build up to when the characters get their powers, barely any time to develop the characters, first appearance of the villain (surprise it's Doctor Doom) and then death of main villain. All up I think there are two major action sequences and they don't last very long.

Despite the lack of character and action, the design of the film is pretty nice to look at. All four have a great design in their post accident bodies, but particularly that of Ben Grimm. In the last movies, he was just Michael Chiklis in a rubber suit, so making the character CGI is a big improvement. Also Doctor Doom's design is pretty cool (he has been fused with his spacesuit). While we're on the subject of Doctor Doom, why do all the film iterations try to give him the same origin of powers as the others. He's a witch doctor from Latveria (although they do make an attempt to hint at that).

The actors in this movie don't really get time to develop much of a character at all. Miles Teller disappears for a large chunk of the film, Kate Mara acts rather moody and Michael B. Jordan tries hard (but I feel his best stuff probably ended up on the cutting room floor). Pre transformation Jamie Bell is quite good, but then his performance is lost in the CGI. Toby Kebbell is the same, as he usually gives quite nuanced performances. Reg E. Cathey however will never live up to his character of Martin Querns on Oz though.

Basically just a tease at what could have been a rich exploration into what might have been, Fantastic Four falls dramatically short of any semblance of a good superhero movie.

Jack's Thoughts - Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

My face after leaving this movie

While Ed praised the latest Mission: Impossible instalment, he admitted that he wasn't the resident fan of the series. That's where I come in.

I said in my review of the first Mission: Impossible film that the franchise began as Hollywood's response to James Bond. Five movies in and they have cemented that fact, whilst becoming their own thing entirely.

I'm not going to go into plot details because you can read those on our official review. This is just going to be me explaining how much I love this movie and the reasons why. The first being the plot. I know, I know, I wasn't going to go into it and I'm not. But this movie's plot works really well. The franchise is known for its twists and turns, some you see coming and some you don't. All in all though, it's one hell of a roller coaster ride that will keep the adrenaline running throughout the entire film.

Secondly, Tom Cruise. Say what you will about him having an insane private life, but that doesn't distract from the fact that he is a really really good actor. And that stems from the fact that he loves what he does and it shows in his performances, but none so more than the character of Ethan Hunt. Hunt is Cruise's own character that he has perfected over the last twenty years and no one else could play him, making him the complete opposite of James Bond. What I love about Hunt in relation to Bond is that while he is almost an unstoppable machine, he is also infallible. Right from day one, the character has found himself in more dire situations than any character and Cruise puts himself in those situations for the authenticity, such as hanging off a flying plane. Insane!

Now specifically this movie is great because it is entirely self-referential to the entire series. There are overt and covert references to every movie, from a rabbits foot to a super subtle reference to chewing gum that will only appeal to die hard fans of the series. The film also throws in the famous mission giving sequence, but with a huge twist, thus throwing the entire conceit on its head. We also have a huge number of jokes about how this mission can't quite be impossible.

But what about all the other great characters in this movie. Well, as Ed said, Benji (Simon Pegg) is the stand-in for the main audience, always amazed at Ethan's complete and utter insanity as well as caring for him (although I have always found Ethan Hunt the more relatable character). Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) is the other hallmark of the series bringing his dry, but funny charm to the movie (he also represents the long standing fan of the films). Brandt (Jeremy Renner) represents the audience members who try and think about these movies from a rational point, but failing to do so and in the end coming around to see things "the only way".

That brings me to the character of Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson). Instead of playing the usual "Bond girl" of the Mission: Impossible series, she is presented as a female equivalent of Ethan Hunt. She is often as ruthless as he, but her motives are also the same. What I love about this movie in particular is that there is no sexual element between Ethan and Ilsa as there has been in the past movies. He truly respects her and sees her as an equal, which I think is a huge step forward for a big Hollywood movie like this.

"Your mission should you choose to accept it...." is find a bigger fan of this film series than me. Because Rogue Nation just cemented my already strong love. I might even go so far as to say I love it more than Bond....

Last Cab to Darwin

There are certain Australian films that are totally immersed in our cultural relevance; The Castle, The Dish and Kenny among others. However it's rare to find a film from our homegrown industry which balances social issues, local folklore, comedy and raw emotion quite as well as Last Cab to Darwin, Jeremy Sims' and Reg Cribb's long-running project, starring Darryl Kerrigan himself, Michael Caton.

Rex (Michael Caton) is cab driver in Broken Hill, New South Wales, a local town where he's good friends with everybody. When he's not having a beer with his mates, he's at home with his dog - affectionately named Dog - or snuggling up on the porch with his neighbor and mistress, Polly (Ningali Lawford), although he's not very open about the fact that he's secretly dating an Aborigine. Despite all the people who know and love him, Rex feels alone, and to make matters worse his cancer has progressed to the stage that he only has approximately three months left to live. After hearing Dr. Nicole Farmer (Jacki Weaver) discussing the recently passed euthanasia laws in the Northern Territory, Rex decides that he'll do what he does best and drive all the way to Darwin, in the hope that he'll get a chance to die with dignity. 

About 12 years after he was telling lawyers to "go and get stuffed" and arguing over the price of jousting sticks, Michael Caton signed on to the lead role in Last Cab to Darwin, and after years of script re-writes and funding debacles, the film is getting an unusually widespread release around Australia. An international theatrical run is unlikely at this stage but I certainly hope something will come of it, because as we burgeon on potentially our best year in two decades as an industry, this film certainly sets the bar high for local productions. It's also sure to be a high-point in Michael Caton's career, because as much as I love Darryl Kerrigan, there's no doubt that this is Caton's best performance to date. The dry wit and down-to-earth attitude of a lonely, dying taxi driver is perfectly encapsulated in his portrayal, to the point that it's almost impossible not to love and sympathize with Rex.

Jacki Weaver is good as the soft-spoken, yet determined Dr. Nicole Farmer - although her role could have been more fleshed out - and Mark Coles Smith exudes charisma as the somewhat confused, but always entertaining Tilly. Some elements of the plot feel slightly too contrived, particularly when Rex and Tilly just happen to connect with a backpacker who's also a well-trained nurse, but overall this is a well-written, character driven film.

With a story that could have so easily rolled into road-trip cliche hell, Sims adroitly swerves around the obvious to tell a provocative story about Rex, and surprisingly does justice to almost all the supporting characters. There's an eloquence to the ease with which Last Cab to Darwin approaches a range of different issues - both personal and social - without blatantly commenting on the fragility of the human condition.  There's a definite mateship between Rex and his friends, even when they selfishly avoid his personal issues and choose to just natter over a beer, and on some level the film recognises the apartheid nature of the outback which we don't necessarily hear about in the coastal regions of Australia.

In a Q&A after the screening, Sims described Rex as Darryl Kerrigan's alter ego, an introvert that firmly believes that nobody would miss him if he were to be euthenised, allowing him to initially undertake the journey without too much personal struggle. "I'm a Cab driver Doc. So I'm gonna drive my cab until I can't drive it any more". In this respect, it's as much a film about learning to better understand just what we all mean to each other, as it is a spark toward the almost-dormant euthanasia debate.

Whilst central to the story, euthanasia and all the opinions around it are handled with a suitably light touch. The film convinces its audience that its a worthwhile debate but also manages to represent all the perspectives. We understand the position of Dr. Farmer, who comes off as slightly selfish in her push to support euthanasia. We see the effects of Rex's decision on those that love him, and most importantly, we're entirely sympathetic to Rex himself, no matter what decision he finally decides to make.

Last Cab to Darwin is a fantastic road film, taking a sensitive issue that will relate to a global audience and treating it with all the respect it deserves, perfectly situated in a unique setting with a character that will no doubt go down as a memorable element of Australian cinema. The message of the film isn't necessarily that everybody should have the right to die with dignity when they choose, but rather that everybody should have the right to live a gratifying life.

Trainwreck

Judd Apatow's last few movies have been getting a tiny bit more serious than his earlier films. Trainwreck (based on an autobiographical script by comedienne Amy Schumer) straddles a fine line between being a serious and silly comedy.

Amy (Schumer) is taught a valuable lesson by her father Gordon (Colin Quinn) when she is younger: the idea that monogamy is outdated and doesn't work. Flash forward twenty years and Amy still follows this rule, sleeping with as many guys as possible, despite dating gym-junkie Steve (John Cena). Amy works for men's magazine S'nuff and is assigned the job of writing an article about sports doctor Aaron Connors (Bill Hader), with whom she has her first serious relationship. Confused by her feelings, she looks to her younger sister Kim (Brie Larson) for guidance.

Schumer definitely brings her own brand of comedy to the table here. Her TV series Inside Amy Schumer questions the gender pigeonholing that takes place in society and in a way Trainwreck follows suit, although taking a more autobiographical tone and mixing that with Apatow's mass appeal filmmaking. The movie does make a decent attempt to ask why can't women go and sleep with as many guys as they want in the same way men do. However, this attempt only makes up the first third of the film. The remainder seeps into typical rom-com territory, with Amy eventually succumbing to the archetypical female in a romantic comedy. In fact the entire second half of the film is pretty by the book in that regard.

Overall however, the film is pretty funny. Schumer isn't as crass as Melissa McCarthy but finds the right balance of dirty jokes, as well as jokes about her ineptitude with sports (sports being a major part of this movie). The film also has one of the funniest funeral scenes I have seen outside of Death at a Funeral. The film also handles its more tender moments with grace.

The performances are a bit of a mixed bag. Schumer does an okay job at taking the lead role, but the best parts for me were Colin Quinn and basketball player LeBron James. Quinn brings his usual acerbic dry delivery to the role, making Amy's father Gordon a memorable character. James plays against how you think he would be in real life, super protective of his friend Aaron's feelings and a bit of a sensitive soul. British actress Tilda Swinton is extremely unrecognisable as Amy's boss Dianna, all fake tan and hair done up. It's actually quite a remarkable thing to see if you are a fan of her work. Hader isn't at all trying in this film, instead letting Schumer take the limelight. Brie Larson has also done better elsewhere.

There are some great smaller supporting roles and cameos. Mike Birbiglia plays Amy's brother in law who annoys her with his extremely submissive personality. Randall Park hilariously plays one of Amy's colleagues and Ezra Miller is also funny as the office intern. There are some great cameos by Matthew Broderick, as well as Daniel Radcliffe and Marisa Tomei who both appear in a film within a film called The Dogwalker.

Although it could have been better in terms of its structure, Amy Schumer's first foray into feature film writing is pretty funny and enjoyable to watch.

Trailers Week 56: 02/08/15

The 33

Casting actors that are native Spanish speakers in a film about the Chilean mining disaster of 2010 doesn't distract from the fact that the film is still in English. I'm pretty sure the miners involved speak Spanish, so why not just have it be in that language. Starring Antonio Banderas, Rodrigo Santoro, Jacob Vargas, Juan Pablo Raba and Mario Casas.

The Night Before

This Seth Rogen-Evan Goldberg comedy looks like it will follow along in the same tradition of their other films and I really like those, so I'm looking forward to this one. To top it off, it's a Christmas movie that really captures what the season is all about. Three best friends have their last annual Christmas Eve night before finally accepting that they have to grow up. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anthony Mackie, Seth Rogen, Jillian Bell and Lizzy Caplan.

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

Look, I'm gonna be honest, I don't quite understand the political ammo that the Benghazi attack represents in US media. And this movie looks like it is going to be super political. Starring buff John Krasinski.

Zipper

Patrick Wilson plays a mash up of Bill Clinton and Frank Underwood in this thriller about a politician who can't keep his pants on. Also starring Lena Headey, Dianna Agron, Richard Dreyfuss, Ray Winstone and Christopher McDonald.

Queen of Earth
Wow, it's been so long since I've seen a trailer with a voiceover. Starring Elisabeth Moss and Katherine Wasterston.

Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine
Documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney is not known for pulling punches in his movies. Expect no less from his look at Steve Jobs.

Spotlight
This film follows the investigative journalist team who blew the lid on sexual abuses in the Catholic Church in Boston. Starring Michael Keaton, Liev Schreiber, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Stanley Tucci, Billy Crudup and John Slattery.

6 Years
A drama about a young couple who have only been with each other start to question their relationship. Starring Taissa Farmiga and Ben Rosenfield.

Room
This scary looking movie is about a mother and her child who have been kidnapped and trapped in a single room. Starring Brie Larson, Joan Allen and William H. Macy.

Some Kind of Beautiful
Pierce Brosnan plays an older version of his character from Mrs Doubtfire who ends up sleeping with two sisters. Also starring Jessica Alba and Salma Hayek.