Review: The Reef (Andrew Traucki, 2011)

The Reef is written, directed and produced by Andrew Traucki, who’s talent was first recognized in his well-received low-budget horror film, Black Water, which was set in the mangrove seas of Northern Australia and inspired by a true story of a crocodile attack. Here the stakes are upped and Traucki focuses on another aquatic predator, the Great White Shark, and again bases his tale on true events. The Reef had its world premiere as a market screening at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2010 before its wide Australian release earlier in the year. 

The film is about a group of friends who capsize while sailing through the Great Barrier Reef. Luke (Damien Walshe-Howling, Underbelly) invites his old friend Matt (Gyton Grantley, Underbelly), Matt’s girlfriend Suzie (Adrienne Pickering) and Matt’s sister Kate (Zoe Naylor), who used to be Luke’s girlfriend, to come along. Luke has taken on a job where he delivers boats to clients – by sailing them internationally to them. His skilled seamanship is alluded to when Kate discusses their cruise through the Mediterranean together.

Joining them is Warren (Keiran Darcy-Smith), a deckhand working with Luke. After some snorkeling and some bonding – Luke and Kate rekindle their complex relationship – tragedy strikes. The keel of the boat is destroyed when it hits the bottom of the reef, the boat capsizes, and they all clamber aboard. Despite Warren’s fears that the water is shark infested, Luke believes that the boat will eventually sink and that the tide is pushing them further out to sea, encouraging the others to swim with him to nearby Turtle Island (which he estimates is 12 miles away). They set out, but soon enough find themselves stalked and terrorized by a large Great White Shark.

Releases (06/10)

There are five new release in Australian cinemas this week, and surprisingly, three of them are opening at Palace Cinemas. Having said that, and this is contrary to common criticism, I don't think this is a strong week at all. I have no desire to see the Footloose remake, or the new Hugh Jackman film, Real Steel. I am yet to see Higher Ground, the only new film I will be checking out this week, which I believe is quite good, but I really find it hard to recommend both Norwegian Wood or The Hunter. But, here is a quick overview of each film, so you can make up your own mind:

Footloose - Writer/director Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow) delivers a new take on the beloved 1984 classic. Ren MacCormack (Kenny Wormald) is transplanted from Boston to the small southern town of Bomont where he experiences a heavy dose of culture shock. A few years prior, the community was rocked by a tragic accident that killed five teenagers after a night out and Bomont's local councilmen and Reverend Shaw Moore (Dennis Quaid) responded by implementing ordinances that prohibit loud music and dancing. Not one to bow to the status quo, Ren challenges the ban, revitalising the town and falling love with the minister's troubled daughter Ariel (Julianne Hough) in the process.

Real Steel - This looks like a mix of Rocky, Transformers and a Spielberg film. Real Steel is set in the near-future where the sport of boxing has gone high-tech. Hugh Jackman stars as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlier earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next. When Charlie hits rock bottom, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo) to build and train a championship contender, and of course, repair their relationship. I'm sorry, but this sounds really bad, and with a running time that clocks in at over two hours, I don't know if I could endure it.

Short Review: Face/Off (John Woo, 1997)

"You want to take his face...off? No more drugs for that man." 

Who doesn't love Face/Off? John Woo's infamous 1997 action thriller still holds up really well today. The abundance of frenetic action sequences are spectacular and the face swap between FBI Agent Sean Archer (John Travolta) and notorious sociopath and terrorist, Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage), has both psychological complexity (especially for Archer, who finds himself stuck in a high security prison with Troy's identity with his family threatened) and surprising sincerity. There are some brilliant one-liners, with Cage and Travolta delivering maniacal and demented performances that actually benefit the film they are present in. Cage (as Castor Troy) is especially hilarious. Care for a healthy dose of stylish action? Face/Off delivers. Is the implausible premise too ridiculous for you? Compliment the viewing with some beer. It helps. 

My Rating: ★★★★ (B+)

Classic Throwback: The Getaway (Sam Peckinpah, 1972)

From my experience with Steve McQueen, when didn’t he ooze coolness? Whether he is riding a motorcycle (The Great Escape), driving a car (Bullitt) or wielding a shotgun (in The Getaway), he is a complete badass.

The latter is a 1972 American crime thriller from controversial director Sam Peckinpah (The Wild Bunch and Straw Dogs prior to this). Based on a novel by Jim Thompson, with an adapted screenplay by Walter Hill, The Getaway became a financial success and is now considered to be a 70’s crime classic – enough to spawn an ill-received 1994 re-make starring Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger, anyway. 

From the opening sequences you know immediately that this is a Peckinpah film. There is a complete rejection of convention as we are introduced, in a haphazard, out-of-sorts, non-linear audio/visual montage, to the monotonous existence of life in a Texas prison – and the torments of one particular prisoner, Carter “Doc” McCoy (McQueen). Gutted at being denied parole from a 10-year sentence, McCoy sends his wife Carol (Ali MacGraw) to make a deal with Jack Benyon (Ben Johnson), a corrupt businessman who wields the power to secure his parole. He is successful, on the provision that Doc organizes the robbery of a bank with men personally selected by Benyon: Rudy (Al Lettieri from The Godfather) and Frank (Bo Hopkins).

Monday Links (03/10)

I decided to revisit a pair of Judd Apatow classics this week, reviewing Knocked Up and The 40 Year-Old Virgin. For the LAMB DOTM, I looked back at the films of Michael Mann, wrapped up the month of September and posted my reviews for Crazy Stupid Love and The Hunter (released on October 6th). I also announced that I would be focusing on Jean Luc Godard as my own DOTM throughout Oct/Nov. But my week was boring, check out what these other great writers have come up with this week...

October/November DOTM: Jean-Luc Godard

I have selected Jean-Luc Godard as my October/November Director of the Month. The reason why it is stretched over two months because I intend to watch and review quite a few of his films - nine in fact - and want to be able to take my time, and fit in new releases and other films I have the compulsion to watch. But, here is the schedule of Godard films - entirely from his 1959-67 French New Wave period - that I have on tap:

1959 – Breathless

1961 – A Woman is a Woman

1962 – To Live One’s Life

1963 – Contempt

1964 – Bande a part

1965 – Alphaville

1965 – Pierrot Le Fou (previously viewed)

1966 – Masculine Feminine (previously viewed)

1967 – Week End

Unfortunately, I may not be able to watch them in order of year release, but I'll do my best. Thanks for the recommendations, and continued support.

New Release Review: The Hunter (Daniel Nettheim, 2011)

The Hunter, released through Madman Films, opens in cinemas on the 6th October.

Producer Vincent Sheehan of Porchlight Films, who worked on last year’s fantastic Australian film, Animal Kingdom, has brought an adaptation of Julia Leigh’s acclaimed debut novel, The Hunter, to the screen. Alice Addison adapts the screenplay, with Sheehan also attracting the visionary direction of Daniel Nettheim and a quality ensemble cast including Academy Award nominee Willem Dafoe (Platoon), Frances O’Connor (Blessed) and Sam Neill (Jurassic Park), to the project.

The Hunter is a slow-burning psychological drama that tells the story of Martin David (Dafoe), a skilled mercenary sent from Europe by a mysterious biotech company to the Tasmanian wilderness to hunt down the last suspected Tasmanian Tiger and to collect samples (blood, hair, organs) to be used in a research program. Though it is suggested that he should have an accompaniment, he rejects the assistance, desiring to complete the job alone. We never really learn anything about Martin’s past (or even his real name) but we assume that this type of mission - possibly resulting in the extinction of a species – is unlike anything he has been involved with before.

Local guide, Jack Mindy (Neill) arranges Martin’s base camp – a disorganized household without a working generator and a single despondent, drug-riddled parent, Lucy (O’Connor). Martin first meets her children, the talkative, but foul-mouthed Sass (Morgana Davies), and the shy, unspoken Bike (Finn Woodlock). He learns that Lucy’s husband, a zoologist with radical environmental ideas, had been missing in the wilderness for months. He keeps the nature of his mission a secret from the family and the hostile local townsfolk who immediately threaten Martin, believing him to be an environmentalist with an agenda to put a halt on deforestation and logging, and as a result, limiting their job opportunities.

New Release Review: Crazy Stupid Love (Glenn Ficara and John Requa, 2011)

Crazy Stupid Love has taken some time to hit Australian shores, but I'm sure glad I saw it this weekend. This hugely entertaining film is centred on three generations of males as they try to come to terms with love. Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) is a fortysomething with a 25-year marriage to his high school sweetheart, Emily (Julianne Moore), a good job, a nice house and kids who adore him. In the film's opening sequence, a dinner date, while nearby couples are playing footsies under the table, a New Balance-wearing Cal and a distant Emily are having no such enjoyment - and Cal's world is crushed when Emily reveals she has slept with a work colleague, David Lindhagen (Kevin Bacon) and wants a divorce. Disgusted and choosing not to fight for her, Cal quickly finds his own place and winds up frequently sulking at a local bar telling everyone his problems.

He meets Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling) a well-dressed, smooth-talking, ladies man, who feels sorry for him and offers to take him under his wing as his protege. In no time at all, Cal has new duds and possesses some of Jacob's skills for picking up women, which he wholeheartedly embraces. Meanwhile, Cal's son Robbie (Jonah Bobo) is in love with his babysitter, Jessica (Analeigh Tipton), who is actually in love with Cal. Weird. Despite ending up with several women back at his apartment (including a feisty teacher, played by Marisa Tomei, who happens to be Robbie's 8th Grade teacher) Cal misses Emily and tries to win her back. But, in a moment of need, Jacob slips off the map. He has become infatuated with a young lawyer, Hanna (Emma Stone), the only woman to reject his advances.