SFF Review: The Guard (John Michael McDonagh, 2011)

In The Guard, Brendan Gleeson plays Gerry Boyle, an unorthodox small town Irish Police Sergeant with a confrontational personality, a callous laziness towards his profession and a crass indifference to the laws he is supposed to uphold. Consequently he has not care whatsoever for his Cocaine-smuggling ring that brings an uptight FBI Agent (Don Cheadle) to his door requiring his assistance and stressing professionalism.

Writer/director John Michael McDonagh's hilarious black comedy is not only an amusing character study, but also a subversive twist on the buddy cop gene. A major hit at the Sundance Film Festival earlier in the year, Gleeson, who delivers what is likely to be one of the year's most memorable performances, effortlessly anchors the film.

Boyle nonchalantly patrols his small town and keeps most people at arms length. He passes the time by experimenting with the drugs he pulls off perpetrators, and has a fondness for prostitutes. He also has a dying mother (a fantastic Fionulla Flanagan), whom he shares some tender moments with. When a rare murder case pops up, Boyle is right there.

He and his new partner from Dublin, McBride, investigate a few useless leads. When McBride disappears and suspected to be dead, FBI Agent Wendell Everett turns up and raises the possibility that the two cases could be linked to a suspected drug trafficking ring. Boyle, despite some intentional early taunting, accepts Everett as his new partner and is unwillingly drawn into the case. With the rest of the bureau paid off by the gang, which includes Liam Cunningham and Mark Strong, it is left to the unlikely pair to take them down.

Releases 09/06

While half of Sydney's moviegoing population will be lining up to see films at the Sydney Film Festival, the other half will be flocking to see J.J Abrams' new flick, Super 8. While it looks to be one of the most original blockbusters of the season, and certainly the one I have been looking forward to the most, early reports are that it is a thoughtful, ambitious and entertaining film which feels like a nostalgic homage to the Spielberg classics of the 70's and 80's. The only other release this week is Oranges and Sunshine. 

SFF Review: The Troll Hunter (Andre Ovredal, 2010)

Well, the first film I saw at the 2011 Sydney Film Festival was Andre Ovredal's The Troll Hunter. In the tradition of The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield, which the film shares similarities with, Ovredal's intriguing horror/documentary is of the 'Found Footage' genre. We learn in the opening credits that the coverage we are about to watch has remained undoctored and chronological, but edited down from the hours of footage that was discovered. A team of investigators researched the authenticity of the coverage, declaring it authentic.

Three ambitious Norwegian film students from Volda College, Thomas, Johanna and Kalle, set out to Western Norway to investigate a series of mysterious bear killings, focusing their documentary on an elusive bear poacher that goes by the name of Hans (Otto Jespersen). They interview a series of locals, who claim the man they speak of is tied to no such profession. Intrigued, they follow Hans, and on numerous occasions try to interview him. Despite his dismissal of their documentary, they persist, following him into the deep forest one night. They soon discover that the Government is using these bear attacks as a means of deterring public attention from the secret existence of formidable, and dangerous trolls.

A member of the TSS (Troll Security Service), Hans is Norway's only professional troll hunter. The Norwegian Government has protected regions in remote unpopulated territory to contain trolls. Humanity is not aware of their existence; believing troll related incidents (trampled trees, beaten cars and dead livestock) to be due to natural causes. Troll hunters are assigned to track and take down the trolls that have escaped their territories and threaten their exposure to humanity. The general public must be kept oblivious, which is no easy feat considering their rampant behaviour. Growing wearisome of his profession, and perhaps even starting to feel compassion for the creatures he is assigned to kill, the hardened, no-nonsense Hans decides to let his new companions accompany him on his missions and film the footage they now desire.

SFF: OPENING NIGHT/SCHEDULE

Tonight marks the opening night of the 2011 Sydney Film Festival, with Joe Wright's Hanna premiering at the beautiful State Theatre (above) at 7.30pm. I will not be attending Opening Night, instead seeing The Troll Hunter at Event Cinemas, George Street.

I'll outline the schedule of films (after the jump) I will be seeing over the course of the SFF and the reviews to expect on the days (or potentially weeks) following. I have a stretch there where I am seeing three films on Monday afternoon/night, working all day Tuesday, and then seeing two more Tuesday evening. Wish me luck during that stretch, people. 

New Release Review: Bridesmaids (Paul Feig, 2011)

I really need to trust my original instincts on films more often. For quite a while I had no intentions of seeing Bridesmaids, but after a string of glowing reviews, and claims that it was one of the funniest films to hit screens in a decade, my interest was piqued. When an opportunity presented itself to see this film, I willingly attended. What resulted was one of my most painful and frustrating experiences at the cinema this year.

Perhaps it takes the experience of being a Maid of Honour, or the stresses of marriage to appreciate how out-of-control these women get, but to enjoy Bridesmaids, I suggest you eliminate all rational thinking. The film has an unendurable quality, and very often tests your viewing patience. I found the film, overall, to be little more than the predictable standard romantic comedy/drama, but riddled with a series of extended crude gags that just didn't know when to stop. At least they give you something to discuss following the film, because I walked out trying to hide my feelings of bitterness and disappointment.

Bridesmaids centres on Annie (the talented Kristen Wiig) and the series of disastrous circumstances that follow her assignment as Maid of Honour to her recently engaged best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph). Annie and Lillian have been best friends since their childhood days in Milwaukee, where they still reside only a few blocks apart. It is evident from the early moments of this film that Annie's life is not ready to support this challenge.

Screenshots: Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino, 2009)

I love Inglourious Basterds. It is my favourite Quentin Tarantino film since Pulp Fiction. Tarantino, a man who is so aware of the history of cinema, fuses this extensive knowledge into this ingenious screenplay, with countless references. Essentially, the whole film is a homage to The Dirty Dozen too. Robert Richardson's cinematography is absolutely beautiful. The way that the colours pop off the screen, especially the red in the Nazi emblems and Melanie Laurent's dress, is incredible. The use of top lighting is also very effective. There are so many memorable sequences, but I think the thrilling bar sequence and the climax at the Parisian theatre are the most exceptional. Also, it features wonderful performances from Christoph Waltz and Melanie Laurent. Rather than closely examine the film in preparation for a review, I prefer to just enjoy it. I have lost count of the amount of times I have seen it now. 

After the jump, some of the film's most memorable screenshots:

SFF Preview: FIRE ME UP/MAKE ME LAUGH

I have decided to preview the FIRE ME UP and MAKE ME LAUGH categories of the 2011 Sydney Film Festival. While this covers about a quarter of the number of films screening, it covers multiple genres and works to promote some of the best films (potentially) you will see at the Festival, and on future cinematic release.

New Release Review: Los Olos De Julia [Julia's Eyes] (Guillem Morales, 2010)

Julia's Eyes is a Spanish psychological horror thriller, and the closing night selection at the 2011 Spanish Film Festival. Though directed by Guillem Morales and starring Belen Rueda (The Orphanage), it is Guillermo Del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth) whose name is highlighted on all the promotional material. I don't know the extent of his involvement in the project, but the film is let down by an incoherent and predictable screenplay that struggles to remain engaging throughout the lengthy running time. Effectively utilising a number of traditional horror techniques and applying several ambitious misdirections, the evidently large production budget also ensured the film's stylish cinematography was exceptional.

Julia (Rueda) is suffering from an inherited medical condition that is slowly robbing her eyesight. Her twin sister Sara shares the same affliction and has recently undergone an unsuccessful operation to reverse her transition into blindness. When Julia learns of her sister's death by suicide, she refuses to believe the police report. Along with her husband Isaac (Luis Homar), Julia begins questioning Sara's neighbours and retracing her recent past in search of a mysterious male friend who may be involved in her death. The stress of the loss and the unpleasant events that start to happen around her causes Julia's eyesight to rapidly diminish. She is tormented by an 'Invisible Man', and suffers several chilling confrontations in her attempts to unravel the mystery.