Review: Anna Karenina (Joe Wright, 2012)

In cinemas February 14. 

Director Joe Wright (Atonement, Hanna) and acclaimed playwright Tom Stoppard (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead) have collaborated to bring Leo Tolstoy’s classic 1877 novel, Anna Karenina, an emotional tale of infidelity and Imperial Russian scandal, to the screen. Wright has once again reunited with his muse, Keira Knightley (Pride and Prejudice), and though this is an inventive and visually lush adaptation, it is as awe-inspiringly beautiful in the technical department as the story and the performances are dull, and considering the talented individuals involved, this equates to a disappointing and forgettable experience.

Anna Karenina (Knightley) is a rich socialite lives in St. Petersburg. She is married to Alexei Karenin (Jude Law), an older and much respected statesman. When she is requested by her brother, Prince Stepan Oblonsky (Matthew Macfayden), to journey to Moscow to help him rescue his marriage to his wife, Dolly (Kelly Macdonald), she catches the eye of Count Alexi Vronski (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), a handsome cavalry officer on leave. After some courting, Anna surrenders herself to his charms and sets in motion an affair that results in her becoming a disrespected outcast and her dutiful husband threatening a messy divorce.

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New Releases (07/02/13)

Lincoln - Steven Spielberg directs Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln, a revealing drama that focuses on the 16th President's tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come.

Hansel and Gretel: With Hunters - After getting a taste for blood as children, Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) have become the ultimate vigilantes, hell bent on retribution. Now, unbeknownst to them, Hansel and Gretel have become the hunted, and must face an evil far greater than witches...their past.

Elles - A provocative exploration of female sexuality, Elles stars the fearless Juliette Binoche as Anne, a well-off Parisian journalist investigating the lives of two student prostitutes (Joanna Kulig and Anaïs Demoustier) for a magazine article. What begins as a routine assignment, though, quickly turns personal, as Anne is drawn into the lives of these fiercely independent young women and forced to confront her own sexual fears and desires.

Movie 43 - From the twisted minds of producers Peter Farrelly (Hall Pass, Shallow Hal) and Charles Wessler (There's Something About Mary, Dumb and Dumber), comes Movie 43 - the outrageous new ensemble comedy starring some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Movie 43 is not for the easily-offended and contains jaw-dropping, sometimes shockingly disturbing, intertwined story lines you'll have to see to believe.

Weekly Recommendation: With the exception of Oscar favourite Lincoln, which is worth watching for Daniel Day-Lewis' extraordinary portrayal, this is a terrible week of releases. Hansel and Gretel has been panned, and there have been claims that Movie 43 is one of the worst films ever made. It might even make Elles, a provocative but shallow study of student prostitution, look like a masterwork. My suggestion, check out Zero Dark Thirty and Silver Linings Playbook. Or if you have already seen them, Lincoln is this week's only chance. 

Monthly Round-Up: January 2013 Viewing

Moving house is tiring and stressful. For the first three weeks of 2013, my life revolved around working at the cinema and moving, with a bit of time in there for watching some films and writing. You might have noticed that there has been less content on the site recently. I just have not had time. I have also been enjoying taking more time to put together my reviews, and I think this is benefiting my writing (at least I hope it is). I have kept pretty busy covering the awards season for Graffiti With Punctuation.

As one of my goals in the new year was to read 10-12 novels/books over the course of the year, I will announce that this month I read "It's Only A Movie" by Mark Kermode, a very entertaining read, and finished off the formerly unfinished "All The Pretty Horses" by Cormac McCarthy.

January has mostly been occupied by catching up with the new releases and the watching the rest of the Academy Award nominees. There are only a couple of new releases I did not see - The Guilt Trip and You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger - but I have had it covered. It has been a terrific start to the year in my opinion. Before watching Life of Pi on January 3, I had seen just four of the nine Best Picture nominees. After watching Lincoln on Tuesday night, I have now seen them all, and have an opinion on just about every category. Keep an eye out for my predictions over the next few weeks. I did catch up with a few interesting films for the first time (Bottle Rocket, 50/50) and revisited some old favourites (The Conformist, Jackie Brown and Black Swan).

Keeping it short and sweet, I have watched 28 Films so far in 2013.

New To Me Films (In Order of Preference)

------Essential Viewing------

Sunrise: A Song Of Two Humans (F. W Murnau, 1927)

Zero Dark Thirty (Kathryn Bigelow, 2012) 

Silver Linings Playbook (David O. Russell, 2012)

Django Unchained (Quentin Tarantino, 2012)

 This is Not A Film (Jafar Panahi, 2012) - A provocative work; a defiance against repression and a fascinating study of an artist unwilling to abandon his craft.

Hell and Back Again (Danfung Dennis, 2011) - Vital and intimate insight into a marine's psyche, conveyed via extraordinary footage from frontline and home rehabilitation. Director/photographer Dennis immerses us in Harris' company, revealing his abilities as a natural leader and struggle to adapt to civilian life.

Life of Pi (Ang Lee, 2012)

Flight (Robert Zemeckis, 2012)

Bottle Rocket (Wes Anderson, 1996) - High energy and a lot of fun, with many hilarious moments. Wilson brothers are great in this surprisingly emotional buddy film. Wes Anderson's first feature film.

ParaNorman (Chris Butler, Sam Fell, 2012) - Smart, conceptually unique, suitably creepy and a lot of fun, ParaNorman makes intelligent horror throwbacks while telling a meaningful tale about social outcasts. Through the angst of the supportable Norman, we learn that the witches and zombies he encounters are less a threat than the living ghouls tormenting him daily. There are some pretty potent messages strung throughout. The voice cast is great too. The actors become the characters and transcended their recognisable voices, a feature not shared by a lot of animated films.

50/50 (Jonathan Levine, 2011) - I enjoyed 50/50. Inspiring tale of a young man faced with life-changing health scare. Scenes between JGL (good form) & Kendrick worked well, but wasn't too keen on Rogan's antics, though he was undeniably amusing at times. Also, Angelica Huston was terrific in a couple of scenes.

Lincoln (Steven Spielberg, 2012) - Daniel Day-Lewis is phenomenal as Abraham Lincoln, completely immersing himself to the point he is unrecognisable. The rest of the film can't complete, but it's worth a look solely for the great man. Tommy Lee Jones is also great, and after a pretty dry opening act, it remains compelling. Terrific screenplay.

------Essential Viewing------

Tickets For The 2013 Alliance French Film Festival On Sale

Haute Cuisine (Les saveurs du palais), an appetising comedy based on the extraordinary true story of Danièle Mazet-Delpeuch, private chef to President François Mitterrand, has been selected to launch the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival, commencing on the 5th March, 2013.

Screening courtesy of Transmission Films and starring César award-winning actress, Catherine Frot, Haute Cuisine tells the tale of Hortense Laborie who, upon her appointment as personal chef to the President at the Elysée Palace, is faced with the challenge of creating culinary art in a world of political intrigue. It has also been announced that Danièle Mazet-Delpeuch will be a guest-of-honour at the Festival’s opening night in Sydney.

Closing the festival will be Marcel Carné’s 1945 classic, Children of Paradise (Les enfants du paradis), a sweeping, period romance generally acknowledged as one of the greatest French films of all time, which has been meticulously restored from the original camera negative.

 

The 2013 Festival will screen a banquet of 43 features and documentaries with courses to satisfy the most discerning cinematic tastes. Artistic Director, Emmanuelle Denavit-Feller, has selected the most critically acclaimed and entertaining films to emerge from France’s thriving movie industry throughout the last 12 months, which will be showcased across eight distinct categories encompassing such themes as the universality of love, art and cinema, suspense, tales from our past, stories beyond fiction and inspiring women.

The 24th Festival’s extensive highlights, many of which have received 2013 César Award nominations, include Laurence Anyways, After May, Augustine, The Big Night, Camille Rewinds, Ernest & Celestine, Farewell My Queen, FEU by Christian Louboutin, Happiness Never Comes Alone, In the House, The Invisibles, Journal de France, Louise Wimmer, The Man Who Laughs, Our Children, Renoir, Sister, Thérèse Desqueyroux, and Marcel Carné’s 1945 masterpiece, Children of Paradise (Les Enfants du Paradis), which will screen on closing night via a gorgeously restored version.

Clip: West of Memphis

Here is a new clip from West of Memphis, limited release February 14, featuring Henry Rollins and Eddie Vedder.

Produced by Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, West Of Memphis is a powerful and provocative look into the untold story behind the infamous case of the "West Memphis 3" - three teenagers who were imprisoned for a heinous crime, despite overwhelming evidence of their innocence. Acclaimed filmmaker Amy Berg (Deliver Us from Evil) chronicles their trial, conviction, and the subsequent investigation that generated the movement to prove their innocence, which involved everyone from grassroots supporters to celebrated artists and musicians. The film features original music by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.

Silver Linings Playbook (David O. Russell, 2012)

Silver Linings Playbook, the latest film from writer/director David O. Russell (Three Kings, The Fighter), is a unique and extraordinary cinematic gift. Whether you are positive and optimistic about life’s challenges and the possibility of second chances, or cynical and contrary, this film tells a relatable and endearing human story. While some there are some heartbreaking dramatic developments, this remains a genuinely funny crowd-pleaser that is not only brilliantly crafted but challenges the conventions of the genre it adopts and respects its audience. Actively shot, reminiscent of the central protagonist’s erratic mental state, Silver Linings Playbook remains realistic and optimistic while unashamedly embracing the flaws (the ‘crazy’) present in each of us.

The gifted director, who has recently received his second straight Academy Award nomination, has created one of the densest, most intelligently conceived family dramas in recent years. It is a charming tale about a broken soul clinging to the hope of rekindling a past life. But to find the silver lining he is searching for, he has to let go and believe that his life still has some surprises in store. Along comes a romantic distraction that could not be more intriguing. Silver Linings Playbook has also received nominations for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay (from Matthew Quick’s novel of the same name), and for the first time since Reds (1981), nominations in each of the four acting categories. Bradley Cooper (astoundingly immersed), Jennifer Lawrence (limitlessly talented), Robert De Niro (rarely better) and Jackie Weaver (suitably motherly) range from very good to phenomenal – and succeed in bringing the most out of this unforgettable character study that tackles issues dealing with mental illness, the value of family and reluctant new relationships in a celebratory and emotionally involving package.

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Ranking the 2012 Best Picture Nominees

Screenshot taken from Letterboxd profile.

New Release Review: Compliance (Craig Zobel, 2012)

Written and directed by Craig Zobel, Compliance premiered twelve months ago at the Sundance Film Festival. When a prank caller claiming to be a police officer convinces Sandra (Ann Dowd), a location manager at a fast food chain, that one of her register staff, Becky (Dreama Walker), has stolen money from a customer that evening; she complies with the caller’s requests without question (no matter how unlike protocol and inappropriate). Sandra is initially manipulated into keeping Becky under supervision in the back of the store, confiscating her possessions and ordering a strip search, but as Sandra enlists different supervisors, including her partner Van (Bill Camp), the procedure takes increasingly sinister turns.

What transpires in this film is inspired by true cases – and as the shocking stat reveal at the conclusion claims, not just one – meaning that this film can’t be ignored. Zobel, by bringing these baffling events to the screen, creates a confronting and fascinating experience. He builds a claustrophobic location and mounts tension with some inventive direction. If you know this prior to watching the film then I think it is easier to accept the actions of the characters. If you don’t, then it is very difficult to believe that these events took place and it is even hard to sympathise with the victims. This was my problem.

When I was watching Compliance I had to resist the urge to stop it. I got a sense of what was coming and feared for Becky. This is an extremely unsettling expose about our perception of authoritative hierarchy and how one can lose sight of their morals when their role is required to exceed their jurisdiction. Against better judgment, how far do you accept the orders of a perceived higher authority? With such a distressing moral dilemma at the core, Compliance has haunted audiences and if you have ever worked in customer service, will leave you wondering how you would handle such a situation. I feel I must warn you that this film is far from entertaining and will likely leave you squirming in your seat, and create a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach.

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