New Releases (25/04/12)

RDJ can look down on everyone. Is Joss Whedon's THE AVENGERS
the best superhero film ever? Pretty close.

Coinciding with Anzac Day tomorrow, there are three new films hitting Australian cinemas. With The Avengers hitting screens I know it is already a good week, but throw in the critically acclaimed Cafe De Flore and Wish You Were Here with limited releases and it has the potential to be a great week.

Summaries courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes

The Avengers - Ever since Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) appeared at the end of Iron Man (2008) and mentioned the Avengers Initiative, fans have been patiently anticipating the arrival of the adaptation of the Marvel comic book series, first published in 1963, which utilizes all of their favourite characters side by side - Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. What is interesting, and it is apparent, is that writer/director Joss Whedon (Buffy, Serenity) has not utilized the Avengers comic books as the sole point of origin here, but elements of what have come before in the preceding films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So, while it is not imperative to have seen each of the lead up films, they will aid your understanding of the relationships between the characters and how they all fit into the Initiative. The Avengers has been hyped as one of the biggest movie events of 2012, and I am very pleased to say that it is one of the best blockbusters - in terms of story, character, visual spectacle and entertainment value - to grace our screens in some time. Full review can be found via the title link.

Cafe De Flore - Two stories of love and responsibility separated by four decades have a common link in this drama from writer and director Jean-Marc Vallee. In 2011, Antoine (Kevin Parent) has a life most people would envy - he's a successful club DJ living in Montreal with an international following, he has a beautiful girlfriend Rose (Evelyne Brochu), and is raising two healthy daughters. However, Rose is not Antoine's first love, and he's still infatuated with his ex-wife Carole (Helene Florent), the mother of his children. In 1969, Jacqueline (Vanessa Paridis) is a single mother who is raising a seven-year-old son Laurent (Marin Gerrier). Laurent was born with Down's Syndrome, and is not expected to live past 25; Jacqueline is determined to whatever she can for her boy during the time he has, but as the stress of these demands take their toll, we learn that she and Carole share a special connection.

Wish You Were Here - Screen veteran Kieran Darcy-Smith (The Square, Animal Kingdom) makes his feature debut directorial debut with this ambitious non-linear drama focusing on a group of friends who lives are irreparably changed after one of them goes missing during a spontaneous vacation in Cambodia. Alice (Felicity Price) and Dave (Joel Edgerton) are about to become new parents when they agree to join Alice's little sister Steph (Teresa Palmer) and her new beau Jeremy (Anthony Starr) on a sun-soaked trip to Cambodia. Their tropical retreat quickly turns bad, however, when Jeremy vanished without a trace. Meanwhile, as the investigations into Jeremy's disappearance begins to reveal the nefarious motivations behind their trip, the remaining three struggle to carry on with their lives in Sydney amidst the threat that even more damning details will emerge.

Weekly Recommendation: The Avengers is a must-see. I will be watching it again. It is not just high-quality popcorn entertainment, but phenomenally satisfying cinema. I have heard nothing but positive reports about Cafe De Flore, and Wish You Were Here received five stars from Empire Magazine. The last two Australian films to receive that rating: Animal Kingdom and Snowtown. I am very much looking forward to it. I suggest giving it a chance too.