ANIMAL KINGDOM
(Aust, 2009) Stars Guy Pearce, Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Luke Ford, Jacki Weaver. "It’s a pleasure to see an Australian genre movie in which story and character are given equal importance and are so well defined and delivered. That it won a major award at Sundance shows its creative credentials: its popularity will show its audience appeal," says Andrew. "Smart writing and good execution makes this a tense, gripping and edgy thriller," says Louise.
CREATION
(UK, 2009) Stars Paul Bettany, Jennifer Connelly, Jeremy Northam, Toby Jones. “For the most part, it’s a sombre and gloomy story about a dark period in Charles and Emma Darwin’s lives in which their beloved daughter Annie dies, Charles falls ill and the profoundly Christian Emma is in spiritual conflict with her husband over his scientific approach to the origin of all species, including man,” says Andrew.
GET HIM TO THE GREEK
(US, 2010) Stars Russell Brand, Jonah Hill, Rose Byrne. “A chaotic and turbo-charged ride with laughs and groans and despite its crass downmarket humour, the film has an inventive script that keeps us guessing as we scream together down the corridors of excess,” says Louise.
GREENBERG
(US, 2010) Stars Ben Stiller, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Rhys Ifans. “ .. a beautifully concise and sensitive screenplay (co-written with Jennifer Jason Leigh) and insightful direction, inviting us to become involved in the lives of two complex, confused individuals.. (Baumbach has an eye for detail and anyone who is interested in what makes people tick will warm to this warmly funny, awkward and poignant film about life, love, expectations and acceptance,” says Louise.
GROWN UPS
(US, 2010) Stars Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Rob Schneider. “I don’t mind lowbrow as long as there is a bit of wit or fun in the proceedings; for my money, there’s neither here, but there is no accounting for tastes. The film’s main appeal is the obvious camaraderie when you put five real-life friends together on screen and fabricated nonsense that follows … the film’s a turkey, but there is obviously a market for it,” says Louise.
HEDGEHOG, THE
(France, 2009) Stars Josiane Balasko, Garance Le Guillermic, Togo Igawa. “ .. complex and layered, observant and warmly humane. But it is edged with melancholy and infused with drama,” says Andrew. “A serene and involving story about a little rich girl obsessed by death, The Hedgehog is a beautifully realised adaptation about perceptions, relationships and the mystery of life,” says Louise.
I AM LOVE
(Italy, 2009) Stars Tilda Swinton, Flavio Parenti, Edoardo Gabbriellini. “Tilda Swinton is the mainstay of this internal film about love, passion and family. Luca Guadagnino’s film is probably not for those in a hurry,” says Louise. “Ponderous from beginning to end, scalded by its often feverish soundtrack, this overlong melodrama fails to engage or excite,” says Andrew.
INCEPTION
(US/UK, 2010) Stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page. “A scintillating exploration of dreams, reality and the fine line that divides them, Inception toys with our minds on a massive scale, sending us on a dizzying trip which makes all our preconceptions spin relentlessly,” says Louise. “ .. the film’s promise is watered down in the execution by a sense of it being a novelty, a plaything for Nolan to bamboozle his audience with his clever mind tricks,” says Andrew.
KARATE KID, THE
(US/China, 2010) Stars Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan, Taraji P. Henson, Wanwen Han. “The film, made as a co-production with the Chinese Government film company, goes to great lengths to show us the China the beautiful. The travelogue – like aerial shots of [our little hero Dre] training [inexplicably] on the Great Wall of China - is lovely but it pads out the film, which is already swollen with unnecessary elements. It runs 140 minutes, and wears out its welcome,” says Andrew.
KNIGHT AND DAY
(US, 2010 Stars Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Maggie Grace, Peter Sarsgaard. “Player or pawn? That is the key question in this delicious action thriller that finds the perfect balance between comedy and taking itself seriously enough to be real,” says Louise. “By the time the story nears its climax, we completely jettison dreary reality and take flight with this plucky duo on their way to ‘someday’,” says Andrew.
MARMADUKE
(US, 2010) Voices of Owen Wilson, Emma Stone, George Lopez, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Steve Coogan, Stacey Ferguson, Kiefer Sutherland, and with Lee Pace, Judy Greer, Caroline Sunshine, William H. Macy. “Kids will squeal and laugh at the antics of Marmaduke … It’s mindless fun,” says Louise. “Marmaduke was never meant to star in his own movie; trying to strap a story to his back ends up a clunky and often lame affair,” says Andrew.
PREDATORS
(US, 2010) Stars Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Alice Braga. “Delivering on its promise, Predators is a moody, unrelenting and attention-grabbing sci-fi thriller, filled with action, splendid visual effects and packed with undulating tension,” says Louise. “Full of surprises and twists, the action and the relationships between the contrasting characters keeps us glued,” says Andrew.
RUNAWAYS
(US, 2010) Stars Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon, Stella Maeve. “ .. a music-fuelled coming of age story, loosely based on the 70s rock band formation. The film sizzles with attitude and rebellion as the dark sport of rock’n roll becomes the ticket,” says Louise. “There is too much done for sheer effect in the film, from camera angles to complete scenes, but not enough to explore the substance of these characters and their decisions,” says Andrew.
SEX AND THE CITY 2
(US, 2010) Stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth. "Instead of keeping his strong, sassy, fashion-addicted women grounded, writer director Michael Patrick King throws caution to the Abu Dhabi desert wind and delivers an over-the-top fanciful, theatrical adventure whose relationships and key themes are cluttered by excess. It’s not nearly as good as the original film... the story ends up with little sex or city, falling short of its promise," says Louise.
SHREK FOREVER AFTER
(US, 2010) Voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews. “Brilliant animation, 3D magic and a subversive script filled with quirky humour transports us to Swamp Heaven for this perfect Shrek final chapter. It’s a whirlwind of a film,” says Louise. “The writing is brisk and funny, the situation allows for plenty of adventure to keep our characters busy and Shrek himself takes a big lesson in learning to treasure what he’s really got,” says Andrew.
TOY STORY 3
(US, 2010) Voices of Tom Hanks, Michael Keaton, Joan Cusack, Tim Allen. “Everything works: from the excellent voice cast to the way the story naturally evolves and leaves us in a happy place. This is a film that will certainly endure the test of time,” says Louise. “Driven by a good plot and clearly defined characters, Toy Story 3 is injected with humour and powered by fun as the adventure of their lives brings these toys together in ways that will entertain and move you,” says Andrew.
THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE
(US, 2010) Stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Ashley Greene, Bryce Dallas Howard, Billy Burke. “ .. it is not the technology, stunning locations or editing techniques that we remember, it is the tantalising relationships and the romantic notion of following tradition, promising eternal love and protecting the soul that affects us where it matters most,” says Louise.
WAITING CITY, THE
(Aust, 2009) Stars Radha Mitchell, Joel Edgerton, Samrat Chakrabarti. “ .. an ambitious debut by Claire McCarthy, in which she tries to find a cohesion between the earthly realities of the subject matter, the complexities of Indian life which blends poverty and spirituality, and the demanding emotional journey that a young married couple undertake on a universal quest to become parents,” says Andrew.
