Headvoid Movie Reviews

[headvoid]

I may review more...

Animal Kingdom

Cliff Notes: Dark study of Melbourne crime scene from a 17 year old mumblers point of view. Mike from Neighbours, excellent as always.

Any film that starts a 17 year old boy sitting next to his dead heroin wracked mother watching a gameshow is not going to be a barrel of laughs. Animal Kingdom is a dark film with some excellent acting. It also pulls off a fantastic trick of being slow paced but with tension building through the entire film.

A 17 year old boy finds himself in amongst a criminal family after the sudden death of his mother. Jacki Weaver as “smurf” is the powerful matriarch that takes him in. She has won all the plaudits and deserves them. This central character is both sensitive and truly psychotic at the same time.

The true psychopath is “Pope” played by Ben Mendhelson, an horrific individual who appears to be a high functioning nutter. There is one small reference to “taking pills” in the entire film which nods to his being unbalanced, but mainly he is played straight.

Then we have Guy Pearce playing a cop that could so easily have slipped into the “cop with a heart” trap, but is played by Pearce with a poisoned edge. I really rate Guy Pearce generally, and his film choices have almost always been good.

I won’t spoil the plot, but it is one of the best new films I have seen this year.

 

[headvoid]

Drive

Cliff Notes: Very little driving, scary low level hoodlums, high style and another mumbling central character.

Let me start by saying I love Drive and I wasn’t expecting to. There is one opening car chase scene and very little more. Instead we have a film noir based on a stumbling relationship between the unnamed driver (Ryan Gosling) and his neighbour Irene (Carey Mulligan.)

The central performance I am still trying to make my mind up with. Gosling would give Heath Ledger a run for his money in the mumbling stakes. I did have some empathy with the character, but struggled to believe that he ever existed. Why did someone with such a high moral framework end up the way he was? Why did he never meet anyone worthwhile before Mulligan moved next door?

Christina Hendricks is interesting in a very minor gangster moll role. Albert Brooks gives a quite fascinating performance as a very driven gangster and Ron Perlman steals every scene he is in. I forgot how incredible Perlman is without make up. He still looks REALLY FREAKY!

Another great film, and will be watching Ryan Gosling’s career with interest.

!

 

[CaptainWacky]

Review something I've seen next!

 

[Fuddlemiff]

I really liked Drive too. I put it off for a while because the advertising made me think it was Collateral (that Tom Cruise movie) but without Tom Cruise. Of course, it's nothing like that at all. I found the whole thing very absorbing. It helped that for every scene with the Driver and Irene standing in a hallway making faces at eachother (which I liked), there was a scene with Al Brooks and Ron Perlman or Hal from Malcolm in the Middle having an interesting, slightly tension filled actual conversation (which I also liked).

 

[Tisiphone]

The elevator scene is what makes "Drive" stand out from the rest of the films this year. Totally snubbed by the Oscars. Ryan Gosling AND Albert Brooks should have been nominated.

 

[CaptainWacky]

This thread to return?

 

[headvoid]

Memento

Cliff Notes: Almost impenetrable Guy Pearce thriller about a man who has lost the ability to make new memories. Mostly excellent Nolan movie. Obviously his art house movie to counteract the Batman stuff.

Guy Pearce either chooses his scripts VERY well, is a fantastic actor or is plain lucky. It could be all three. I have yet to see something he is in that is dreadful.

This movie is complicated with one strand (Colour) going backwards and another (B&W) going forwards with a cross over point near the end. Leonard (Pearce) wanders around trying to retain his knowledge by carrying a polaroid and scribbling notes so he knows who to trust and who to avoid.

One scene in particular is excellently played where all pens are put out of reach and he is desperately trying to make himself make a memory after an incident. He fails and it is a fantastically well put together scene. It helps that Carrie Anne-Moss (Trinity in Matrix) is in that scene as well. I find her physically attractive.

There is a lot good about this film, but prepare to be thoroughly confused. Deserves a second watching.

!

 

[CaptainWacky]

What did happen to Carrie-Anne Moss? She was good in this.

I remember spending far too much time reading theories about this movie online after I first saw it. Like the "actually Teddy was a good guy!" theory. I can't really remember how that worked.

 

[Fuddlemiff]

I understood Memento, but it helped a lot that an autistic friend of mine who's fanatical about the film was on hand to answer all my questions. It was very good, anyway. One of those movies that's an enjoyable journey no matter whether it puzzles you.

Unlike Prometheus, for what it's worth.

Guy Pearce was in Prometheus. And that was dreadful!

 

[CaptainWacky]

I don't think that's an actual quote!

Autistic friends make everything better.