All posts by Kristina

Drama, War

The Man Who Never Was

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Date watched: April 29, 2022
Date Reviewed: May 22, 2022

Review

Last month’s family movie night was my uncle’s pick with this film that I hadn’t heard of before….and it was terrific!

It was a well told drama based on an incredible true story during the second world war. Based on the book Ewen Montagu wrote of his leading role in the British intelligence deception operation code named “Operation Mincemeat”. As the admiral says in the film when being briefed of the details “It’s the most outrageous, disgusting, preposterous, not to say barbaric idea. But work out full details and be on hand at the War Cabinet Offices at 4:30 tomorrow afternoon.”

What I liked was the way the narrative is told by use of five main principal actors. As it is based on a delicate intelligence mission, you don’t need the distraction of a large cast. The story is more than enough to keep you engaged. It’s also one of those films that creates an element of suspense where it fools you into thinking there might be a different outcome – they wouldn’t have made a film if the operation failed right?

Of the main cast it is Clifton Webb and Gloria Grahame’s performances as Ewen Montagu and Lucy Sherwood that shine. Webb brings an authority to the role without coming across as arrogant, while Grahame’s performance is so emotionally powerful. Their names are billed first in the credits and deservingly so.

While there are some laughs along the way, including the idea to start with and all the possible things that could go wrong with its execution, the film pays respect to the story and the man who became Major William Martin. The way that the seriousness of the situation really hit home for me was in the scene when the body is being dressed. Each item is meticulously being placed across different pockets to build up the identity of this fictional officer. While this is happening there are bombs being dropped around the city. This just adds to the level of urgency and desperation to win an advantage in the war.

You also never see the face of the actor playing the dead man, in fact you don’t see too much of him on screen. I’m not sure if this was a conscious decision made or perhaps related to budget or makeup that might have not looked realistic on screen, given when the film was made. Whatever the reason I think this worked really well in favour of the film, as it feels to add an additional level of respect.

It was a story that I wasn’t familiar with and I’m glad to have seen this film. One of the reasons my uncle chose this film is because of the connection to author Ian Fleming, best known for writing the James Bond novels. Fleming was a naval intelligence officer and Operation Mincemeat was based off an idea he wrote in what was called the “Trout Memo”, which was a document comparing deception methods in wartime with fly fishing. There you go – your fact for the day!

Review:  Great

Crime, Mystery

Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

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Reading Time: 4 minutes

Date watched: May 20, 2022
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2022

Review

Note: This review contains SPOILERS. So if you wish to watch this film and don’t know who did it, read no further. Go watch the movie or read the book, then come back and continue!

Friday night family movie night and this month it was my mum’s pick with the 1970s version of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express. I must admit that I had a small influence in the choice following an episode of Hard Quiz where one of the contestant’s subject was Agatha Christie.

I haven’t read the novel however I have previously seen the Kenneth Branagh film version from 2017, so I knew what the outcome was going to be. That however did not stop any enjoyment in watching this film.

One of the draw factors here is the casting. There are so many big names which was one of the reasons it felt like a good pick for a family movie night. To name just a few that attracted me: Lauren Bacall, Anthony Perkins, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery, and Michael York. In reading some of the film trivia, it was a decision to cast each role with a familiar face to keep the audience guessing due to the number of suspects.

With such a high number of characters and somewhat unusual in a murder mystery that there is only one dead body, it’s a challenge in itself to introduce all the characters while keeping things moving. As no one is expendable we need to learn something about everyone and Murder on the Orient Express does this well. While the train is getting ready to depart we start to meet all the players one by one and instantly get an understanding of some of their characteristics. This is against the backdrop of food being delivered to the train and the hustle and bustle at the station which adds to the chaos building and feels like the story is movie along at good pace.

Another enjoyment factor was the level of humour included, which I wasn’t expecting. Laugh out loud lines too. From Poirot’s friend who runs the Orient Express and the doctor calling out after every interview that “He did it!” to the snarky comments between passengers, it’s a really good use to put the audience at ease before the gut punch revelation at the end.

Albert Finney’s portrayal of the legendary Poirot, which at first I found somewhat odd but by the time the murder occurs and he is in detective gear, really started to gel for me. Finney’s Poirot is full eccentric and his performance is outstanding. The final scene where he brings all the players together to revel the culprit is specular. Accordingly to film trivia the final monologue scene is 8 pages long, with a screen time of 27 minutes and 57 seconds. Each second is fully captivating and runs for the perfect amount of time.

I had such a greater appreciation for the reveal this time around. When I watched the newer version I recall thinking “oh don’t tell me they all did it”. In both versions I felt a bit flat with the outcome but this time less so. The emotiveness in this film really did the story justice which I think come down to the performances of the cast. Firstly the balance between the five lives that were lost causing one man to be killed gives a little more to the “justification” of the murder. Poirot himself is very vocal on this point. Secondly the scene showing each of the players committing the murder builds such an emotional intensity which at times can feel uncomfortable to watch. Especially with how long the scene goes for – watching twelve people stab one person over and over rather than one frantic attack, it’s brutal.

The final scene of the murderers all clinking glasses of champagne rubs me up the wrong way. I’m a fan of films not ending without the traditional “happy ending” yet I’m not sure why I can’t find more satisfaction here. Is it that a bunch of rich people don’t pay the consequences of their actions? Is it because none of them were bad people and don’t feel like they should all go to prison either? Maybe we don’t need to cheer along with them but just understand their grief as Poirot must in order to be ok with not bringing them to justice. Ah, all the feelings!

Murder on the Orient Express is a classic that I would happily recommend to any fan of a murder mystery. I love that I have some conflict on the ending and I am still thinking about it the next day.

Rating:  Good

Documentary

Ithaka

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Trailer

Date watched: May 15, 2022
Date Reviewed: May 16, 2022

Review

Safe thing to say that probably everybody has an opinion about Julian Assange. Like a lot of people I have been following Julian’s story over the years. For me I keep up with the basics when something pops up in the news or on socials. I’m passionate about freedom of the press and this story that has been evolving much of my adult life. So when I saw the trailer, it hooked my interest immediately.

Ithaka is a documentary which focuses on the time period of Assange’s arrest in 2019 to the outcome of his extradition hearing. The viewpoint is from his father, John Shipton, who has become an advocate for his son’s freedom. This more so John’s story on how and why he is doing what is and shows the impact it has had on him. Written and directed by Ben Lawrence and produced by Julian’s bother Gabriel Shipton, it’s a really well made documentary.

The soundtrack is an original score provided by Brian Eno and beautifully delivers emotional keys at all the right moments. When the credits rolled and I saw Brian Eno’s name, it all made sense!

One of the things that I found striking was how much Julian and his father John seem to share common traits, which when I say out loud sounds kind of silly given that they are father and son after all. I guess when you don’t know either person in that situation personally, to have that observation feels like there is some weight against it. Particularly when Julian’s finance (Stella Moris) makes a similar remark in the documentary. Perhaps it gives one some insight into how Julian might be coping by the way that his father processes and manages things in his life.

While this documentary is important to provide a voice for Julian (who can no longer speak for himself) and why his freedom is imperative to freedom of the press, it does a great job to balance Julian as a human being and the impact that this case is having on his family. It’s easy to wrap up Julian into some kind of martyr but behind that is a man dealing with the weight of being relentless pursued by powerful governments, who is currently in solitary confinement for majority of his time in a maximum security prison facing a “worse than death” fate. Around him is a family with two sons growing up without a parent and an elderly parent trying to hold it together to get his son “out of the shit”.

Ithaka has given me a greater appreciation for Julian, his family, legal team, and all the supporters out there who battle this beast on a daily basis. There are so many people and organisations behind this cause, some who face consequences by providing their support. I continue to be outraged by the injustice and if one little thing I can do is to make you aware of this documentary, that’s what I will do.

This documentary will present you with a lot of facts and footage, some that will take your breath away, all of it important. While the struggles of the individuals are important to acknowledge, so is the cause.

“If he goes down, so will journalism” – John Shipton

Rating:  A Must See

Australian, Western

The Drover’s Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson

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Reading Time: 4 minutes

Date watched: May 1, 2022
Date Reviewed: May 12, 2022

Review

A couple of weeks ago I went to a Meet the Filmmaker night to see Leah Purcell’s highly anticipated film ‘The Drover’s Wife’. It’s been a long time in the making with the trailer initially dropping last year. The session was followed by a Q&A with Purcell herself and I find her to be such an impressive woman.

The Drover’s Wife is a re-telling of Henry Lawson’s short story of the same name, taking it from a romanticised view of 1890s Australia into a more truthful representation of the times. Purcell has quite a history with this story which she first evolved into a play and then a novel. During the Q&A session Purcell also spoke about her close personal connection to the text by bringing along her copy of the short story that her mother used to read to her when she was a child.

This film is the next chapter in the telling of this story which brings opportunities to explore some of the other characters in further depth. It’s also the first Australian film to be written, directed, and stared by an Indigenous woman.

What stands out for me is the beautiful use of country, filmed in and around the Snowy Mountains area of New South Wales, the viewer is easily settled into the 1890s where the vast distance of the land adds to the feeling of isolation. I had that feeling when I went to visit the Port Arthur historic site many years ago, both during the day and night. The sense of isolation in this film is a different one as it isn’t a story of a convict site but the film has this ability to draw on you in emotionally and that feeling I had come rushing back to me.

There is also a lot of use of time-lapse footage across the film which adds a visually striking element. The opening scene begins with this beautiful mist covering the land and to hear the back story post film really added to the magic. Purcell explained that they had time-lapse cameras set up and not only got this shot by pure luck, that this was the mist that the Indigenous people of the time would have used as a sign that winter was approaching and it was time to head north. To her it made it feel like she had permission to tell this story and even created a script change to add a reference to this fact.

Leah Purcell’s performance in the film is both emotionally evoking and strong, in her words it has also been a rather physical role to play. There are many layers to the character Molly Johnson which are built over the course of the story and the performance how she holds herself with all that she has to contend with will have you connected to the character in a way you don’t realise as the final scenes play out.

It was also a terrific supporting cast and I liked the introduction of the character Yadaka played by Rob Collins. The scenes between Purcell and Collins are wonderful to watch, they match up really well together. Each command presence without stealing the scene from each other.

The Drover’s Wife is a beautiful piece of story telling, great acting, and visually stunning. There are some confronting scenes and some emotional ones. The film does leave room for unanswered/unexplored areas and this has been done on purpose. It gives the viewer the opportunity to flesh out some of this world for themselves as well as a creative opportunity given a limited series is also in the works!

Whether this makes it into the classics of Australian cinema, time will tell but I think it would sit nicely as part of school curriculum, perhaps alongside the original short story. I didn’t have the opportunity to study the short story at school myself, there were a few at the Q&A who had. Purcell mentioned that some schools in NSW have started to introduce it again and I think this film would bring a nice balance in that regard.

For this reason I’m calling this a must see. I believe that consuming art by women and women of colour provides a perspective that has not often been reflected on screen and I for one think there should be more of it!

I’ll leave you with a final thought from the Q&A where Leah Purcell talked so passionately about this character and the legend she wants to bring to life: “Let’s knock Ned Kelly off his pedestal and put Molly Johnson there”.

Rating:  A Must See

Action, Comedy

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Date watched: May 7, 2022
Date Reviewed: May 10, 2022

Review

Saturday night I went to see the new Nicolas Cage film ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’ and it’s a real treat for the Nic Cage fans, of which I am one. This film pays homage to Cage’s career which is so vast across many different genres. If you had a number of Nicolas Cage fans in one room, they’d probably all have a different favourite film of his!

Going in I’m not too sure what I was expecting but it wasn’t this – it far exceeded my expectations.

It’s a fun film to watch and you’ll have plenty of laughs along the way. There are lots of references to an array of Cage’s films which fans and non-fans alike will enjoy. For myself a hallmark of a Nicolas Cage film is a “screaming scene”. One that immediately springs to mind is the bathroom scene from Mandy (YouTube that if you haven’t seen it). There are a good selection of these type of moments in this film which I was very happy with!

Something that I also found interesting was the personification of the Nick’s ego, represented as a younger version of himself called “Nicky” with use of VFX technology. This technology is all the rage a the moment, giving actors and fans alike a glimpse back to a past character and exploring their story. Here it’s used more as an additional character rather than a call back to one specific film role but it works. Having Nicolas Cage play off against a more manic version of himself not only provides a comedic element but also some motivation to drive plot forward.

I found the film to be of great entertainment value and well paced. There is no time to be bored, everything feels like it needs to be there. It’s also a good balance between comedy and action with a great story progression. You have your typical hollywood blockbuster action sequences with some car chase scenes, that easily bring in some references to Gone in 60 Seconds. It was funny, clever, and takes you down a path that you wouldn’t quite expect.

Cage is paired with Pedro Pascal, who plays the “wealthy man” paying Nick $1M to be at his birthday party, who also turns out to be a super-fan. The two play really well off each other and you easily buy into the friendship that the two forge. Without the chemistry between Cage and Pascal this would have been a lesser film that just would not have worked. The relationship between the two as both cast members and characters is pivotal and has paid off. There is plenty to like here.

It’s probably one that can wait until it’s available on a streaming service to watch rather than at the cinema, you’ll have an enjoyable night in. If you’re a Nicolas Cage fan, it’s a must see. If not but you like action flicks, you’re still going to love it.

Rating:  Good

Comedy

Heathers

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Date watched: April 24, 2022
Date Reviewed: April 25, 2022

Review

Dear diary,

Yesterday was a pretty rad day. I spent the afternoon with a friend drinking margaritas and watching a couple of films that I haven’t seen before. Second film was my pick and I was so excited to see Heathers on her bookshelf – something I’ve been wanting to see for the longest time.

Yet again I wonder why did I wait so long to bring this joy into my life? This is totally a teen flick I would have loved growing up with and would have been a nice accompaniment to the teen films I had on high rotation growing up; Clueless, Cruel Intensions, Bring it On, 10 Things I Hate About You, Not Another Teen Movie to name but a few!

Winona Ryder plays Veronica, a teen desperate to fit in at high school that she ditches her real friends to join the popular girls – who all happen to be named Heather (hence the title). Over time she comes to hate the very girls she so wanted to fit in with and wishes them out of her life, and in typical teenage angst, out of her life by death. Cue the new guy in town, JD (played by Christian Slater) who is a mysterious outsider that plays by his own rules and it’s not long before he makes Veronica’s wishes a reality.

Heathers still holds up to date where the problematic behaviour of the popular kids are what drives the plot – they aren’t nice people, so is it so bad that they die? (To paraphrase JD). Tackling issues of sexism, bullying, homophobia, and date rape which are (sadly) still relevant even today, albeit better improved in some areas, Heathers remains a relevant film today.

Getting through high school is tough for many and the people that you associate yourself with can often dictate the experience of how well you can make it through those years. Some opt to make friends with those they don’t really like for the sake of popularity. Whether that was the viewer’s experience or not, there are characters that they will be able to relate to, which I guess is the nature of teen flicks. This one feels like it does it well.

The main Heather (Chandler) really nails the classic high school “bitch”, the prom queen if you will. She is the one pulling strings, setting up nasty pranks and initiation rights into the popular group. Like all she has her own personal struggles yet these don’t seem to make her much of a redeeming character to me. Not that her fate is justified!

One of the other Heathers (Duke) is played by Shannen Doherty and this is the film which helped break her career in 90210. Her character does seem more redeemable towards the start of the film. Like Veronica she also is unhappy under the control of the main Heather and also wants out. She seems nice but when her opportunity roles around, she’s almost just as bad as the others. While I felt upset by this, it also wasn’t that surprising. By nature of the film, we’re on Veronica’s side.

In comparison to another teen film which I wanted for the first time only recently (in the last year or two) – Mean Girls – I enjoyed Heathers so much more. At the time I felt that I wasn’t the right target audience when watching it, which may be the case, however I connected with Heathers so much more. I really loved Winona Ryder, this was in a period when she was really in her prime, I found Heathers witty and dark and there are just so many memorable lines and laugh out loud moments. I can see watching Heathers many more times. It’s just so very.

I’d say to my friends, if they’ve never seen Heathers and don’t mind a teen flick, to find a copy and give it a watch on their next available weekend. I don’t think they will be disappointed.

As I wrap up this entry, I think it might be time to get my croquet mallet and red scrunchie! Perhaps a contender for next Halloween costume?

Rating:  Great

Comedy, Foreign Language

The Good Boss (El buen patrón)

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Date watched: April 25, 2022
Date Reviewed: April 25, 2022

Review

After a short, forced hiatus from the cinema – I’m back baby!

This afternoon I went to see “The Good Boss” which is a Spanish comedy starring Javier Bardem. It’s a comedy of errors but without the slapstick while still maintaining its comedic edge.

Bardem’s performance in the lead role is exceptional, and if you have followed his body of work, you wouldn’t expect any thing less from him. He brings the character to life in such in such a way that seeing him deal with the situations as they unfold, you aren’t sure how this “smooth operator” is going to react to the decisions he makes and the consequences that emerge. There was a moment in the film where I thought things were going to take a drastic turn due to the weight of pressure building and Bardem’s performance really pulls you in emotionally.

I’m not familiar with the other cast members however I felt that everyone played their parts well. There isn’t a weak link in this regard.

The film follows the story of Blanco (Bardem), the owner of the Blancos Básculas factory who manufacture scales. He has inherited the company from his father and is a proud and competitive man. The company has already won a number of awards and is contention for another award, this time a regional company award competing against two other businesses.

Following the opening scene, we see Blanco addressing his workers of an expected visit from a committee of delegates who will be inspecting each of the nominated businesses. While he addresses the workers about how he considers them to be his family and to tell the visiting delegates how much they enjoy working at the factory, we see a disgruntled employee who has recently been fired making a scene by bringing his children into the office.

Over the course of the week we see a series of incidents that Blanco must manage which is broken down day by day. We see him try to handle the disgruntled employee mentioned above, a new group of young women starting as interns with some sexual tension brewing, a long-time friend and employee having marriage troubles, all while his wife has something important to tell him but cannot remember.

By the time the delegation arrives, your focus is directed to a poster in the factory which states the company’s values “Work Hard. Balance. Loyalty”. As an audience member you can’t help but to have flashbacks to the decisions made by the employees and Blanco himself during the course of the film along these themes. I’m sure a lot of people will have their own personal work experiences that might trigger some memories – just hopefully not to the scale that unfolds here!

So is Blanco a “good boss” – it all depends on the perspective that you are looking from. Sometimes you need to tip the scales in your favour.

I feel that this film has slightly flown under the radar a little bit and it deserves more attention. Thought provoking, funny, and a great performance from Javier Bardem, I highly recommend going to see this film – it doesn’t need to be at the cinema but if you can, you should and show your support at the box office!

Rating:  Great