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Movie reviews:
21
(US, 2008) Stars Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne, Kevin Spacey. “21 is a fast-paced tale that makes winning look not only easy, but a lot of fun. Egos are shaken, friendships tested and a couple of double crosses never let us forget to use everything within reach to maximise that winning hand,” says Louise. “The screenplay, adapted from the book by one of the students who took part in the original adventure, a little studied and sometimes not explicit enough about the system, is nonetheless well handled by Luketic as the team goes through its carefully planned raid on the casinos,” says Andrew.
 REVIEWS
JIM STURGESS - Keeping a couple of smuggled Cuban cigars going was difficult for both the real man and the actor who portrays him on screen, 21 star Jim Sturgess. But that helped to develop their bond as Robert Newton discovers. INTERVIEWS
  
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Movie review:
RATS AND CATS
(Aust, 2007) Stars Jason Gann, Adam Zwar, Anya Beyersdorf, Paul Denny. “Notable for his short film, Wilfred, which became a popular series for SBS TV, director Tony Rogers’ assured handling and the cast’s boots’n’all delivery make this unheralded black comedy a pleasant surprise. The dialogue is artfully natural and does much to fashion the characters, while the story flashes through the plot points with ease, understating its dark take on fame and its attendant downsides,” says Andrew.
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Movie reviews:
UN SECRET
(France, 2007) Stars Cecile De France, Patrick Bruel, Lidivine Sagnier, Julie Depardieu, Mathieu Amalric. “I was not prepared for the climactic emotional devastation, but as all the pieces fall into place, the film crystallises as perfectly as Tania’s flawless backward high dive piercing through the clear water with beauty and precision.” says Louise. “Spanning 30 years or more, the story is told in fitful jumps of time to maximise its emotional impact. It’s a valid device, since any linear telling would make it seem more banal than it is. The key to the film’s success, though, is its ability to maintain our interest for long enough to make the revelations of the secret pay off in cinematic terms,” says Andrew.
REVIEWS
  
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Movie reviews:
THEN SHE FOUND ME
(US, 2008) Stars Helen Hunt, Colin Firth, Bette Midler, Matthew Broderick. “Words get in the way of true emotions in this comedy drama that marks Helen Hunt’s directing debut. We like each of the characters, but the situations in which they find themselves are stage-managed. Based on a novel by Elinor Lipman, it’s an ensemble piece that addresses serious emotional issues, yet goes for the comedic, and plays out in somewhat stilted fashion. It’s a pity, because the film is filled with good intentions,” says Louise. “I don’t much care for the story, the way it unfolds on screen, nor most of the characters. There are some engaging moments, a few small laughs, and a general sense of endeavour about the complex nature of adopted children and such, but none of it really grabs us, shakes us or touches us deeply,” says Andrew.
REVIEWS
  
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Latest:
NEWS:
David Caesar’s new feature, Prime Mover, is the first to benefit from a cashflow funding facility established by James M. Vernon’s Media Funds Management; it starts shooting this week. Australian cinematographers and fellow filmmakers are pressing their tuxes in preparation for the ACS50 Future of the Image Conference and gala dinner May 28 - 31; Mandy Walker, ACS, (pic) will receive the KODAK Vision Award for cinematography when Women In Film celebrate the Crystal+Lucy Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on June 17; The Bold, The Brave And The Best, a showcase of critically acclaimed Australian animated shorts is presented in a 2-disc DVD set (rrp $29.95), curated by Academy Award nominated animator, Anthony Lucas; Aussie showcase at Cannes: The Cinema Des Antipodes program continues at Cannes this year with a program of features and shorts from Australia (7 & 10) and New Zealand (1 & 1); Urban Cinefile fights off Trojan database attack emanating from China;
BOX OFFICE:
Weekend, May 1 - 4: Aussie road movie, Cactus, hit a brick wall with just $45,721 on 40 screens, just ahead of Moliere with $40,893 on 15. Silk hardly made a ripple, with $5,081 on 41 screens - $124 per screen. At the top end of the charts, though, Iron Man’s Australian release joined the global trend with a hefty $6.2 million for the weekend; in the US it took over $100 million. It helped the top 20 takings lift 17% to $10.88 million.
BOX OFFICE:
Weekend, May 8 – 11: Iron Man slipped 45% in its second weekend, helping the top 20 dip 18% to $8.9 million. The Counterfeiters scored the highest screen average on 17 screens, with $9,502. Also opened: Captivity (MA, Roadshow) $14,335 on 41.
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PERIOD DVDS:
THE LAST LEGION – stars Colin Firth, Ben Kingsley, Aishwarya Rai. “As the Roman Empire crumbles … undemanding escapist entertainment with wonderful production design and a cast,” says Andrew.
AMERICAN GANGSTER (pic) – stars Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe. “a crime epic set in 1970s America, made the more riveting for being based on facts,” says Andrew.
I SERVED THE KING OF ENGLAND – stars Ivan Barnev, Oldrich Kaiser, Julia Jentsch. “An ambitious, multi-layered adaptation from a novel rich in characters, settings and spread over many years, before and after the war,” says Andrew.
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OTHER DVDS:
HUNTING AND GATHERING (pic) – stars Audrey Tautou, Guillaume Canet, Laurent Stocker. “a charming and uplifting film with engaging performances and a music score ripe for humming, even though it is not director Claude Berri’s most complete work,” says Louise.
IRINA PALM – stars Marianne Faithfull, Miki Manojlovic. “the trick isn’t so much in what Maggies agrees to do for her grandson’s medical needs, it’s in how well she is portrayed, and how she adapts to the situation,” says Andrew.
THE LAST SEDUCTION (pic) – stars Linda Florentino, Peter Berg, Bill Pullman. “Not since Kathleen Turner set her sights on William Hurt in Body Heat, has seduction and manipulation been showcased better than in this raunchy page turner,” says Louise.
OUTSOURCED - stars Asif Basra, Ayesha Dharker, Josh Hamilton. “A charming film about preconceptions, culture clash and love, Outsourced gives us a fresh perspective on overseas call centres,” says Louise.
BLINDSIGHT - Documentary. six blind teenagers from Tibet set out to climb the 23,000-foot Lhakpa Ri on the north side of Mount Everest … it is a frank, clear sighted and immersing film about the challenge,” says Andrew.
EXIT - stars Mads Mikkelsen, Alexander Skarsgård. “Technically top notch, Exit shows off Swedish genre filmmaking, and the intriguing ending adds a layer of suspense that extends the film’s impact,” says Andrew.
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Winners:
MOTHER'S DAY MOVIES
To win one of 15 Mother’s Day DVD prize packs, comprising 9 movie favourites including You've Got Mail: Deluxe Edition, A Star Is Born, Adam's Rib, The Shoes of the Fisherman, Woman of the Year, Captains Courageous, Anna Karenina, Ninotchka and Wait Until Dark, courtesy Warner Home Video, we asked ‘Which of the 9 movies is most appropriate for your mum and why?’
Sally Chandler (NSW) says ‘The Shoes of the Fisherman’ since she’s put up with not only the shoes but the shirts, trousers and socks of my fisherman father for 50 years… no wonder she has chronic nasal problems!
WINNERS
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AUSTRALIAN FILMS
Every Australian film we have ever reviewed (film / video release), or have reported from the set, or featured in any way, is listed here, going back to films made even before the launch of Urban Cinefile, such as The Piano, Romper Stomper, Muriel’s Wedding, The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert and dozens more. Over 300 films. [Pic. Stavros Kazantzidis' Horseplay, starring Marcus Graham, Craig Beamer, Tushka Bergen, Abbie Cornish, Jason Donovan. Produced by Allanah Zitserman. Released May 22, 2003] AUSTRALIAN FILMS
  
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