Classic - Heavenly Creatures

This might be a bit presumptuous of me, but I'm sure when people hear the words "New Zealand film industry", they instantly think of Peter Jackson. And that's okay. The boy has done well for himself, by starting off with cheap gorefests to moving on to the biggest task in the world: making an epic trilogy of adaptions known as Lord of the Rings. Which pretty much everyone has seen. So yeah, it's cool if y'all think of orcs and elves when I say "New Zealand film industry". But you must remember that Sir Peter Jackson has done some films that aren't filled with orcs and elves...the gorefests, the snorefest (The Lovely Bones) and Heavenly Creatures. This was the film that put him on the map for the first time. It was also the film that put Kate Winslet on the map. Yes, Lord of the Rings may have all of it's technical achievements and such, but Heavenly Creatures introduced us to the greatness of two of the biggest people working in film today. And it also gives us a shocking insight into one of the most horrific crimes in New Zealand's history.

The horrific crime in question is one that was in the hands of 15 year old best friends Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme, played by Melanie Lynskey and Kate Winslet respectively. What did these seemingly innocent young girls do? They murdered Pauline's mother. Why? Because that was the only way they felt they could stay together. Instead of focusing on the notorious court case that followed their horrendous crime, this movie focuses on their friendship and the period of time leading up to the big murder. These were girls who had an obsessive friendship, who couldn't bear to be apart and who lived a life in fantasy, also believing that their many stories would be made into huge Hollywood epics. All of this was tracked in Pauline's diary, which became a crucial piece of evidence in the case. Also, it provides most of the narration for the film: none of the diary entries which are spoken of in the film are edited down. Just so this is even more realistic.

I'm ashamed to say that before I watched this film, I had no idea about this murder. Even though I know it's a true story, I really couldn't believe it. Maybe that's because I love my mother so much. Anyway, the one thing I did believe was the way screen-writers Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh managed to build up this world of teen angst that was constantly battling with a fantasyland worlds away from reality, while remaining faithful to the material. It's clear that they didn't want Pauline and Juliet to be seen as psychopathic monsters, which I believe they weren't. They were, however, two teenagers who were a little bit misunderstood, but they were so compelled by their own little world that it was difficult for anyone to even begin to understand them. This film also deals with a raft of other 'teenage problems', such as (obviously) hating your parents, sex (now this seems to pop up in every damn teen movie) and that ever-present need to break away from everything. Considering what happens in the end, you expect this to be a cold-blooded movie that never seems to pull away from a huge state of depression. But that only truly comes through in the final act. The first acts are filled with mysterious whimsy and evil parents. It's an interesting mix, but it works.

For a New Zealand film, this is a bloody good one. As I've probably said before, I really dislike the acting that comes out of this country because of our damn accents, but the performances in this film are all brilliant. But you've really got to hand it to Lynskey and Winslet as this was their first feature film, and they did so well. Lynskey had no previous acting experience, so taking the role of Pauline was a huge ask. But she filled the character up with a lot of that adolescent angst (sometimes too much, but I guess the character was a bit of a moper) and genuine frustration with the world. Winslet seemed to get a lot of acclaim back in the day when this was first released. Her performance was good, even though I found her character diabolically annoying at the start. You can definitely see that she was onto something great with that feature debut...and just look at her now.

This is exactly the type of film that I want Peter Jackson to direct more. Sure, he's good with Lord of the Rings and everything, but he does have a good knack for directing 'coming of age' films, with a killer twist. This is a chilling film that New Zealand should be proud of...if they can be.

THE VERDICT: Heavenly Creatures provides a good insight into both a chilling murder and the minds of two slightly misunderstood teenagers, rather than repeating a piece of horrific New Zealand history. And yes, Peter Jackson directed it.

What I hoped for:

What I got:

Cinema--The Fighter

or: Life outside the ring.

One word to sum it up: Interesting.

Hollywood has this strange infatuation with sport. I mean, look at it this way: this years Oscar race couldn't have gone without a sport movie. Last year, a football drama of sorts, The Blind Side, got it's sticky beak in there, much to the dismay of many film buffs. This year, the sport movie at the Oscars comes in the form of The Fighter, which is obviously better than The Blind Side, but still has the same predictability that most movies of it's kind have. One of the things that The Fighter has over most sporty films? Great, great performances across the board. And it has a long hard look into relationships, too.

One of the trailers, I remember, showed very few scenes but seemed to capitalize on the films main marketing hook: 'BASED ON A TRUE STORY'. And hey, when it's 'BASED ON A TRUE STORY', you don't argue. The Fighter is a sport film, yes, as it follows the early parts of famed boxer "Irish" Micky Ward (played here by Mark Wahlberg), but at its heart, it is really a movie which examines the relationships between people and the road to becoming the big one. Of course, at the centre of this film is Micky, who at the beginning is trying to box his way to glory, with his crackhead ex-boxer brother Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale) showing the ropes. During this time, there is a camera crew following Dicky around chronicling his life now it has been destroyed by drugs. Micky fights on, undoubtedly tired of being pushed by his mother Alice (Melissa Leo) and father George (Jack McGee). He becomes distracted by fiery barmaid Charlene (Amy Adams), and as their relationship progresses, Micky becomes increasingly disinterested in his world of fighting, but soon realizes that it is never too late for a comeback.

Thank God this movie wasn't like The Karate Kid. I thought I may have to wallow through a solid hour and a half of meaningless flat scenes that are supposed to show power and the will to rise again...but luckily, it didn't. Instead, The Fighter moves at a comfortable pace, blending scenes of inspiration, romance, (drug) addiction, disenchantment with the world and of course, boxing. It goes without saying that the script is frequently funny, thanks to the colourful characters it pulls in and out of the movie, but sometimes its a little too wrapped up in being a great character piece, and felt a little wayward for me at some points. However, the rest of the movie is exhilarating and indeed very interesting to watch. From Micky's relationship with Charlene (and Charlene's relationship with everyone else) to Dicky's drug addiction and want for a comeback, there are some delightful components which elevate this film from the average, disposable popcorn fluff it could have been.

While it wasn't exactly the 'triumph' for me that many people said it was, but there was more than enough for me to like. David O. Russell may have taken Christopher Nolan's spot in the Best Director category this year, and even though I hold a grudge towards him, there is a great deal of creativity in his work. I particularly liked how he opted to use cameras from 1990's-era HBO to capture both the fighting sequences and the interview scenes with Dicky and Micky. Russell's direction seems to breathe life into this movie. On a minor note, the soundtrack for this film is frickin awesome too. Rock music, especially 'How You Like Me Now' from the start of the movie, makes it particularly kick-ass.

But hey, we all know that most of The Fighter's greatness comes from the performances. The brilliant, brilliant, brilliant performances. Mark Wahlberg is so underrated. While he was the one who trained for years and basically got this film off the ground, he was unfortunately missed from all the awards shows in favour of his other castmates. Which is understandable, in a way, but it certainly doesn't make it right. Melissa Leo, the front runner to win the Best Supporting Actress award at the Oscars this weekend, was amazing. Well, to be frank, she was a little frightening, but watching the way she interacted with the other characters (and not to mention the way she handled all those daughters) was admirable to watch. Christian Bale, the front runner to win the Best Supporting Actor award at the Oscars, is simply the best ever. How the hell hasn't this guy been nominated before? Reduced down to his small weight and a haggard looking figure, Bale steals the show by being a cocky and arrogant character who you also can't help but feel for. If he doesn't win, I'll sense conspiracy. However, though they're all great, my favourite out of the lot was Amy Adams. It was so nice to see my favourite actress - for playing sweet and innocent roles - swearing her head off, getting into a fight, standing up for what she believes in and pulling off scrunchies of all things. She was terrific. If only she could win the Oscar.

THE VERDICT: Though not as amazing as I thought it would be, The Fighter has a lot of heart that won me over in the end. It also is a great piece of master acting.

What I hoped for:

What I got:

Mao's Last Dancer

I would be lying if I said that I don't like those sappy heart-warming films. Sure, they are all pretty much the same, but then again they're so touching, especially if they're true. Like Mao's Last Dancer.

Li (Chi Cao) moved from his homeland in China to America to pursue his dream of dancing in a famous ballet company. He had a happy life doing this, and became very famous for his beautiful dancing, but he recieves word that he has to go back to China has permission for him to stay longer in America has been denied. Li doesn't want to go back to China, and must fight for his right to continue dancing for the ballet company.

For once, this isn't a film with some great dancing and a bit of dialogue put in to hold it all together. Rather, it's a solid film with some amazing dance sequences to make it better than the average dance flick. That's its best asset: the ability to spit in the face of the people who think dance movies are all the same and say 'Hey, I have more heart and soul than Step Up will ever have.'

Despite some awkward bits and slight drops in the script, Mao's Last Dancer is a beautifully done film and entrances the viewer with its sensitivity. It's thoroughly enjoyable, and you will have your jaw dropped during the dance sequences. The fact that it is a true story makes it so much better.

A charmingly realistic film, with some great dancing but all in all an enjoyable premise.

8/10

Invictus

A film about rugby and political issues in South Africa? *sarcastic tone* Oh count me in. I honestly couldn't think of two subjects that bore me more. But somehow, even though Invictus (2009) is about rugby and political issues in South Africa, I still liked it. I never thought I would see the day.
In his first term as president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman, who I used to think WAS Mandela) thinks of a way to ease the apartheid: set his rugby team out on a mission to win the Rugby World Cup. At first, this seems like an impossible task, but with the determination from player Francois (Matt Damon), the team might just get there.
So yeah, this film was like a Social Studies lesson, and the first half an hour was slow and boring. But it picked up, and for once I was interested in rugby. And to the dismay of many, I actually felt kind of happy about how this story ended. The film is carried by the inspired performances from Freeman and Damon, who really embody their characters in every possible way. Clint Eastwood, again, gets his hands dirty with another fantastic film...he seems to be manafacturing them by the minute these days. Unfortunately, the film is dragged down by the some of the lacklustre and boring scenes throughout, and it will probably be most likely remembered as a rugby film instead of a biopic.
7/10

Girl, Interrupted

I'm a sucker for movies about menatl people. I don't know what it is, but something just draws me to them. Girl, Interrupted (1999) does justice to the genre, thanks to some brilliant performances from it's interesting ensemble cast.
Susanna Kaysen (Winona Ryder) is a young woman who thinks she is crazy, and puts herself into a mental institution to recover from her so-called illness. At first she is skeptical about living there, but she meets some other women who have interesting stories to tell. This includes Lisa (Angelina Jolie), a woman who has been to the hospital many times before, and when she leaves she is likely to come back again for a while. The two form an unlikely friendship, but Susanna soon realises that she wants to escape from the hospital, but to do that she must find herself.
Girl, Interrupted is based on the memoirs of Susanna Kaysen; I believe her personal voice is spread out through this movie, which adds a sense of realism to something which is a little hard to imagine at the best of times. This whole movie is made by the performances, especially from an Oscar winning Angelina Jolie. Though I have never really been a fan of her work, I couldn't help but be blown away by her amazing portrayal of a woman who seems sure of herself but really isn't. Even Brittany Murphy provides a solid support, which reminds us of what a talent we have lost.
Gripping, unforgettable stuff.
9/10

The Alphabet Killer

Not the usual movie I would watch: a straight to DVD thriller which I had never even heard of until it got chucked on the new release wall as a money waster. I had pretty low expectations for this movie, and it just managed to reach them.
Megan Paige (Eliza Dushku) is investigating a case of double initial killings in Rochester, New York. However, while she is doing this she becomes attached to the case, and starts to see things that others believe are a little far fetched to be true. She deals with hallucinations, and ends up going crazy and is sent to a hospital. All the while, the case is closed but she wants to do more to help.
Definitely not one of the greatest movies I have ever seen. It follows the lead of most thrillers, but is like a a re-work of a film like The Silence of the Lambs made on unfinished paper...very so-so. Eliza Dushku was pretty good, but her character was really annoying and I got sick of her half way through the movie. Just like this movie. Half way through, I got sick of it. It was like the first half of the movie had been copy and pasted to the second of the movie. Very disappointing.
However, The Alphabet Killer was quite interesting and intriguing. I liked the intensity of this movie, and it was an alright watch compared to the other straight to DVD thrillers there are.
Alright, but not amazing.
6/10

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) is just the second foreign film I've watched, and it's become apparent to me that foreign films may be better than American films. Because they mean so much more. And this film will mean a lot to whoever watches it.
This is the true story of Jean-Dominique Bauby (Mathieu Amalric), who used to be the editor of French Elle, until he suffered from a stroke which left him paralyzed all over. The only thing he could still use was his imagination, memory and his left eye. Learning to speak through his eye, he decides to get a book of his published, with the help of someone taking his dictation.
Jean-Do is quite self-pitying at the start, but once he puts his mind to his work, he is like he was before the stroke. But his memory and imagination are vivid, and refreshing from what is quite a difficult and depressing story. Sometimes I couldn't sit through this movie, it felt to painful because the camera was set in the position as if it was Jean-Do's eye. This gave a feeling of the audience being Jean-Do, and feeling the pain and hurt that he did. However, I really liked the way this film was made. It was so original and haunting, and it sorta made you look at how lucky you are to be living a life where you can do what ever you want.
I would recommend this film to everyone who has a discerning interest in French cinema, or someone who doesn't know how lucky they are to be alive and well.
8/10