'The Solid State' and 'The Smith Family' Team For A New Campaign to Raise Awareness About Disadvantaged Australian Kids

The Solid State are running a campaign for The Smith Family called #TalesOfThe1in10 to raise awareness about disadvantaged Australian kids. They are releasing a series of animated films throughout the year based on true stories of kids that have come through the doors of The Smith Family.

Tales of the 'One in Ten' is a new animated web series based on the real stories of Australian children from disadvantaged backgrounds who struggle daily with the effects of financial hardship. The series aims to raise awareness of disadvantage and its effects. The stories are drawn from the case studies provided by children's educational charity 'The Smith Family' who regularly come across challenging but inspiring stories of children overcoming adversity.

The series begins with Alice and the Giant Emptiness and will continue with further stories about other children and their experiences of disadvantage and how they overcome them.

From the creative statement by The Solid State:

"Alice and the Giant Emptiness focuses on issues facing children from disadvantaged families. These problems are far-reaching and affect all areas of their lives including their social and educational development and their self-esteem. The film attempts to capture how disadvantage affects a child emotionally by using some of the storytelling tools often found in fairy tales. These traditional stories have enormous power and impact and connect so many of us of different ages and nationalities. Symbols like mirrors, dark clouds and holes are simple and immediate in conveying certain ideas and emotions. Children who are the victims of name-calling often describe how the words cause them physical pain. The film attempts to capture this with the black ‘word’ cloud that attacks Alice like the ‘Dementors’ in Harry Potter. The force of the attack leaves her with a giant hole which is symbolic of the self-esteem she now lacks."

The Solid State is an award-winning creative agency from Sydney, Australia specialising in film and television campaigns. They work closely with filmmakers, distributors, sales agents and networks at all stages of film and television production – from pitching and presales, to sales at market as well as theatrical campaigns. Their work crosses a broad range of disciplines encompassing marketing strategy and positioning as well as the production of trailers, posters, websites and social media campaigns. Recent projects include Tim Winton’s The Turning, Redfern Now, Kill Me 3 Times and Warwick Thornton’s The Darkside.

The Smith Family is a national charity helping young Australians in need to get the most out of their education, so they can create better futures for themselves. The Smith Family believes every child deserves a chance and that circumstances should never limit potential. With research showing education can transform lives, the charity’s Learning for Life program enables disadvantaged young people to get the opportunities they need to fully participate in their education and create better futures for themselves.

You can view the film, buy the song featured in the film or make a donation to The Smith Family at the newly launched website - http://talesoftheoneinten.com/ and follow the campaign on Twitter.

New Releases (13/02/14)

In cinemas this week: Dallas Buyers Club, Blue is the Warmest Color, Are We Officially Dating?, Endless Love and Winter's Tale. 

Dallas Buyers Club - Ron Woodroof’s powerful true story provides the influence for Dallas Buyers Club, a biographical drama directed by Jean Marc Vallee (C.R.A.Z.Y, The Young Victoria and Café De Flore) and written by Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack. The story begins in 1985 as we are introduced to Woodroof (portrayed by Matthew McConaughey), an electrician, who spends his evenings as a rodeo cowboy and small time hustler. After receiving treatment for a work injury he learns that he has contracted HIV, and given just 30 days to live. Ostracized by his friends and colleagues, Woodroof initially refuses to accept the news, but then begins to suffer alone and dedicate his precious time to researching treatments. Dr Eve Saks (Jennifer Garner) informs Woodroof that they are currently trialing an antiviral called AZT, the only drug approved for testing on humans by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). After meeting a doctor, Vass (Griffin Dunne), in Mexico Woodroof starts up a business with the help of Rayon (Jared Leto), a HIV-positive transgender woman, in bringing Vass’ prescribed (but unapproved) treatments into the U.S.A for distribution in protest against the unproven AZT. McConaughey is absolutely brilliant here. I don’t have a bad word to say about his portrayal, only that the portrayal written for him is problematic. This film is only remotely memorable because of McConaughey’s commitment. The film itself, while telling a story worth telling, was surprisingly average, considering the potential of the story and Vallee’s lauded chops as a director. In addition to the very poor pacing, I felt like Dallas Buyers Club altogether lacked cinematic qualities (the drama flatlines, and any built is wrung of any effect) and succumbs to a pretty predictable outcome. ★★1/2

Blue is the Warmest Color - Centers on 15-year-old Adèle (Adele Exarchopoulos) who is climbing to adulthood and dreams of experiencing her first love. A handsome male classmate falls for her hard, but an unsettling erotic reverie upsets the romance before it begins. Adèle imagines that the mysterious, blue-haired girl she encountered in the street slips into her bed and possesses her with an overwhelming pleasure. That blue-haired girl is a confident older art student named Emma (Lea Seydoux), who will soon enter Adèle's life for real, making way for an intense and complicated love story that spans a decade and is touchingly universal in its depiction. Provocative, thoroughly absorbing, shockingly intense and ultimately deeply affecting, this is a raw and punishing examination of a young woman's emotional journey through the uncertainties of sexuality exploration and the transition into adulthood. Covering every realm of the emotional spectrum - confusion, anxiety, intrigue, pleasure, anger, sadness - we follow (and observe) Adele as she navigates her feelings of angst, experiences the ecstasy of sexual connection and the joy and heartbreak that accompanies falling in (and out) of love for the first time. This is a film sure to linger with a viewer, whether you connect with the characters or approve of the indulgent filmmaking or not. ★★★★1/2

Are We Officially Dating? [or 'That Awkward Moment' in the US] - Zac Efron, Miles Teller and Michael B. Jordan star in this R-rated comedy about three best friends who find themselves where we've all been - at that confusing "moment" in every dating relationship when you have to decide "So...where is this going?" Review by Sam McCosh, An Online Universe. 

Endless Love - Alex Pettyfer (Magic Mike) and Gabriella Wilde (The Three Musketeers) star in Universal Pictures' Endless Love, the story of a privileged girl and a charismatic boy whose instant desire sparks a love affair made only more reckless by parents trying to keep them apart. Directed by Shana Feste (Country Strong), the romantic drama co-stars Robert Patrick, Bruce Greenwood, Rhys Wakefield, Dayo Okeniyi, Emma Rigby and Joely Richardson.

Winter's Tale - Set in a mythic New York City and spanning more than a century, "Winter's Tale" is a story of miracles, crossed destinies, and the age-old battle between good and evil. The film stars Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt, Eva Marie Saint and Russell Crowe. The film marks the directorial debut of Academy Award-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind), who also wrote the screenplay, based on the acclaimed novel by Mark Helprin. 

Weekly Recommendation - In the annual Valentine's Day week of releases there isn't much hope. I have seen just two of these - Dallas Buyers Club and Blue is the Warmest Color. The latter, the winner of the Cannes Palme d'Or is an incredible film, the former a problematic and altogether average one, save for the fine performances. I'm sure the other three will provide entertaining escapism for the romantics, but I urge you to seek out Blue if you're over 18. It is screening at Newtown.  

Phillip Seymour Hoffman Memorial

Guest article by Brandon Engel. 

As The Film Emporium acknowledged earlier this week, the magnanimously talented Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead on Sunday after having reportedly overdosed on heroin. The news has sent shockwaves throughout the world, with several high-profile celebrities publicly offering their condolences to Hoffman’s family, and social media feeds have all featured lengthy commentary from bewildered fans. It’s even been said that neither his ex-girlfriend (and the mother of his three children) Mimi O’Donnell, nor his own mother realized the true severity of Hoffman’s drug relapse. What’s even more tragic is that Hoffman had been stockpiling heroin -- with the police claiming to have found around 60 bags in his apartment. Hoffman is also said to have told at least one friend in the weeks preceding his death: “If I don’t stop, I know I’m going to die.”

The news of Hoffman’s death is all the more tragic because of all the recent news surrounding celebrities and their substance abuse issues. Consider, for instance, former Glee star Cory Monteith’s tragic heroin-related death last July.

One of the underlying tragedies is that stars have historically had issues with drugs and alcohol. There are countless stars who have perish as a consequence of their bad habits: Judy Garland, Jimi Hendrix, Oliver Reed, Mitch Hedberg, Amy Winehouse… The list goes on and on and on.

And this must seem baffling to most people in the general public; why do people who seem to have the most enviable lifestyles allow themselves to completely self-destruct? After all, these are celebrities who have obtained wealth by doing the things which they love. They command and respect the attention of strangers all over the world. And if they received critical accolades as well as commercial success, many people wonder why would these celebrities would need the sort of escape which hard drugs and alcohol provide. And the answer is that there is no simple answer, only centuries of evidence which suggest that, historically, drugs and alcohol have provided a coping mechanism for creative personalities. We also have reason to believe that the very same neuroses and issues which propel certain personality types towards creative expression could be the very same issues which precipitate drug abuse.

Some have managed to overcome their addictions though. For instance, Dick Van Dyke struggled with alcoholism for years before committing to sobriety, and at 88, he continues to thrive professionally. Oprah Winfrey is another example of a contemporary public figure who struggled with addiction. The television show host and media mogul is said to have abused crack-cocaine during her troubled teenage years, but she has clearly managed to transcend her addiction.

One historical artistic figure whose life does seem to echo Hoffman’s in a somewhat eerie way was of course Truman Capote. Hoffman, of course, played the iconic writer in the biopic Capote, which was an enormous success for the actor, who meticulously studied the late writer’s mannerisms and idiosyncrasies. Hoffman would ultimately receive both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Capote, and the film stands as a startling testament to the actors brilliance. If you haven’t seen the film, by the way, you must watch it immediately (it’s currently available for streaming on www.directstartv.com and Netflix). Part of what makes the film reminiscent of the actor’s life is that Capote’s output, although highly respected in literary circles, was only a fraction of what it perhaps should have been.

Although Capote’s career was far from fruitless, he was a man of great promise who was incapable of fully realizing his artistic potential because of his neurosis. His penchant for substance abuse contributed to his own death at the age of 59.

Likewise, Hoffman was an actor who will be forever remembered by fans and industry professionals alike, and it’s heartbreaking to think about what he might have accomplished had he not succumbed to addiction. But beyond merely lamenting the loss of this terrific man, let us hope others may derive inspiration from this tragedy and conquer their own demons so that the list of supremely talented artists who were taken years before their time does not continue to grow at such a sickening rate.

Review: Dallas Buyers Club (Jean-Marc Vallee, 2013)

Ron Woodroof’s powerful true story provides the influence for Dallas Buyers Club, a biographical drama directed by Jean Marc Vallee (C.R.A.Z.Y, The Young Victoria and Café De Flore) and written by Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack. The story begins in 1985 as we are introduced to Woodroof (portrayed by Matthew McConaughey), an electrician, who spends his evenings as a rodeo cowboy and small time hustler. After receiving treatment for a work injury he learns that he has contracted HIV, and given just 30 days to live. 

Ostracized by his friends and colleagues, Woodroof initially refuses to accept the news, but then begins to suffer alone and dedicate his precious time to researching treatments. Dr Eve Saks (Jennifer Garner) informs Woodroof that they are currently trialing an antiviral called AZT, the only drug approved for testing on humans by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). After meeting a doctor, Vass (Griffin Dunne), in Mexico Woodroof starts up a business with the help of Rayon (Jared Leto), a HIV-positive transgender woman, in bringing Vass’ prescribed (but unapproved) treatments into the U.S.A for distribution in protest against the unproven AZT.

Continue reading at Graffiti With Punctuation. 

New Releases (06/02/14)

In cinemas this week: RoboCop, Last Vegas, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Labor Day, The Past and Mistaken For Strangers. 

The Past - The latest film from Academy Award-winning director Asghar Farhadi (A Separation). This is a simple story, the collision of two families through the meeting of Marie (Berenice Bejo, The Artist) and Samir (Tahar Rahim, A Prophet). The former is unhappy with her estranged marriage to Ahmad (Ali Mosaffa), who is visiting from Tehran to sign the divorce papers and ensure it ends on good terms. The latter runs a dry cleaning business of which Marie was a regular customer. Samir and his son Faoud (Elyes Aguis) are already living with Marie and her two daughters, Lucie (Pauline Burlet) and Lea (Jeanne Jestin). When Ahmad arrives Marie suggests he stay at the house and he reluctantly obliges. Stuck in a hotbed of stifling awkwardness Ahmad finds himself unwillingly immersed in their tumultuous lives; a passive observer and a rational listener whose guidance and advice is more welcomed than expected. Complex relationships fuel this deeply affecting drama which tackles mental illness, infidelity and youthful naivety wrapped up in a web of misinterpretation and painful truths. With extraordinary and compelling complexity Farhadi dissects the whirlwind of emotional baggage surrounding divorce and proposed re-marriage, and how every member of the family is affected individually. How Farhadi subtly reveals secrets and how they snowball is a writing feat comparable to A Separation, which is about the highest praise I can give. An engrossing drama that shouldn’t be missed. ★★★★1/2

In RoboCop, the year is 2028 and multinational conglomerate OmniCorp is at the center of robot technology. Overseas, their drones have been used by the military for years - and it's meant billions for OmniCorp's bottom line. Now OmniCorp wants to bring their controversial technology to the home front, and they see a golden opportunity to do it. When Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) - a loving husband, father and good cop doing his best to stem the tide of crime and corruption in Detroit - is critically injured in the line of duty, OmniCorp sees their chance to build a part-man, part-robot police officer. OmniCorp envisions a RoboCop in every city and even more billions for their shareholders, but they never counted on one thing: there is still a man inside the machine pursuing justice.

Last Vegas - The ensemble comedy follows four old friends who decide to throw a Las Vegas bachelor party for the only one of them who has remained single. Stars Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman, Robert De Niro and Kevin Kline. 

Labor Day - Centers on 13-year-old Henry Wheeler, who struggles to be the man of his house and care for his reclusive mother Adele while confronting all the pangs of adolescence. On a back-to-school shopping trip, Henry and his mother encounter Frank Chambers, a man both intimidating and clearly in need of help, who convinces them to take him into their home and later is revealed to be an escaped convict. The events of this long Labor Day weekend will shape them for the rest of their lives.

Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom - Based on South African President Nelson Mandela's autobiography of the same name, which chronicles his early life, coming of age, education and 27 years in prison before becoming President and working to rebuild the country's once segregated society. Idris Elba stars as Nelson Mandela with Justin Chadwick (The Other Boleyn Girl) directing.

Mistaken For Strangers - In 2010, the rock band The National released their fifth album, High Violet. After ten years as critical darlings, the band was finally enjoying wider recognition. As they were about to embark on the biggest tour of their career, lead singer Matt Berninger invited his younger brother, Tom, to be a part of their tour crew. A budding filmmaker and horror movie enthusiast, Tom brought along his camera to film the experience. Mistaken For Strangers is an entertaining documentary. The concert footage is electric, it is frequently funny and of course the music is great. What can’t be overlooked is that a portion of the 80 minute run time is the editing process bleeding into the film. You admire Tom’s courage to be honest about his inadequacy as a filmmaker, but the film is nonetheless, disappointing. ★★1/2

Weekly Recommendation: The Past was one of last year's most satisfying films. Another masterpiece from Farhadi. I am so glad that Australian audiences have the chance to see the film. The only other release I have seen is Mistaken For Strangers, which suffers when there is an absence of live concert footage. I'm not particularly interested in anything else this week - Labor Day looks awful, and I haven't seen the original RoboCop - but I will see Mandela for Idris Elba.  

RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

I woke up this morning to the devastating news that Philip Seymour Hoffman had been found dead in his NYC apartment.

Thinking back on his career - it was brief, he was just 46 years of age - he has created some of the most memorable screen characters in the last two decades. He was always on his game, whether it was an emotionally charged dramatic role, or a comedic one. He disappeared into characters, and transformed mundane ones into something special. He had extraordinary range. Just think, we will see him on screen only a couple more times - God's Pocket and A Most Wanted Man may grace screens in 2014 - but there will be no future collaborations with Paul Thomas Anderson (four times - Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Punch Drunk Love and The Master) or the Coen Brothers. I grew up watching his films, and he was one of only a select few actors whose involvement alone instantly made the film a 'must see'.  

I don't know what else to say. Philip you were one of my favourite actors, and one of the greats. You were widely loved and admired, and you will be terribly missed. RIP.

To follow are images from some of my personal favourite performances:

Scotty J - Boogie Nights (1997)

Brandt - The Big Lebowski (1998)

Allen - Happiness (1998)

Phil Parma - Magnolia (1998)

Lester Bangs - Almost Famous (2000)

Dean Trumbell - Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

Truman Capote - Capote (2005)

Jon Savage - The Savages (2007)

Andy - Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)

Gust Avrakotos - Charlie Wilson's War (2007)

Caden Cotard - Synecdoche, New York (2008)

Father Brendan Flynn - Doubt (2008)

Paul Zara - The Ides of March (2011)

AND

Lancaster Dodd - The Master (2012)

Monthly Round-up: January 2014 Viewing

To kick start 2014 I watched 32 films in the month of January. A higher percentage of re-watches, but even with some terrific content, the weekly cinema releases have been slimmer than usual. The cinema has been very busy so I am surprised I have been able to see so many films. Not many reviews, but I have been keeping busy covering the Awards Season for Graffiti With Punctuation. 

Television Viewing: Sherlock (S1-3), Mad Men (S6E1-9) and True Detective (S1E1-3). I am addicted to True Detective, one of the great detective shows...perhaps ever conceived. Lets see how the series progresses, but E3 ended with an absolute ripper of a reveal.

New-To-Me Films (In Order of Preference)

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

The Wolf of Wall Street (Martin Scorsese, 2013)

Rio Bravo (Howard Hawks, 1959) - Flawless. Exciting final shootout culminates a brilliant character piece. Sizzling exchanges between Wayne and Dickinson, while Martin's determination to keep the peace and go cold turkey for alcoholism is compelling by itself.

The Great Beauty (Paolo Sorrentino, 2013)

Inside Llewyn Davis (Joel and Ethan Coen, 2013) TWICE

Life Itself (Steve James, 2014) - Very moving. A beautiful reflection on Ebert's distinguished life/career. A man of character with an inspiring sense of passion. Not the most original documentary in terms of structure, but scenes of Ebert in his final years are very affecting.

Flirting With Disaster (David O. Russell, 1996) - Hilariously odd road-trip comedy has a hyperactive energy and some outrageous characters. Poor Richard Jenkins. One of Ben Stiller's best roles.

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

New Releases (30/01/14)

In cinemas this week: 12 Years A Slave and Grudge Match. 

12 Years a Slave - Nominated for nine Academy Awards, and long been the Best Picture favourite, Steve McQueen's (Hunger, Shame) latest film is powerful, harrowing and vital cinema. An unflinchingly unpleasant endurance test for an audience, made up of beautifully dressed and photographed, and clinically directed episodes of Solomon Northup's (Chiwetel Ejiofor) extraordinary true story of hardship and survival. Extraordinary for all the very worst reasons. This is a devastating and emotionally draining portrayal of how a free man - kidnapped, imprisoned and then subjected to (and forced to participate in) the worst atrocities of slavery, then a mechanized and deeply ingrained part of the culture of the South - maintained a glimmer of hope and transformed himself (having had his identity stripped) into whoever he needed to be to survive. Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong'o (in addition to Ejiofor) have been nominated for their outstanding performances, but 'most' (Paul Dano a glaring exception) of the cast deliver. I wasn't left as emotionally crippled as I expected - but I am still figuring out whether being 'moved' is, in fact, the desired emotion. Horrified is perhaps more accurate. Nevertheless, it is a very important film that I am mustering the courage to watch again. ★★★★

Grudge Match - Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone star as old boxing rivals who come out of retirement for one final match. On their first encounter in decades, their long-festering feud erupts into an unintentionally hilarious melee that instantly goes viral. The sudden social media frenzy transforms their local grudge match into a must-see HBO event. Now, if they can just survive the training, they may actually live to fight again. I had no interest in watching this anyway, but when I watched a TV spot last night and saw Stallone punching meat, any chance of me seeing it evaporated.  

Weekly Recommendation: 12 Years A Slave isn't close to my favourite of the nine Best Picture nominees, so I favour other films currently in cinemas, but it is a film that MUST be seen.