238. Two Of Us (Deux); movie review

 

TWO OF US (DEUX)

Cert 12

95 mins

BBFC advice: Contains infrequent strong language

Family relationships are incredibly complex and, as Two Of Us suggests, when set in opposition to love, they create an unpredictable and often uncomfortable recipe.

Filippo Meneghetti's thoughtful movie stars Barbara Sukowa and Martine Chevallier as two retired neighbours, Nina and Madeleine who have been secret partners for decades.

Indeed, Madeleine's family think they are just pals who happen to go between their two same-floor apartments.

However, an unforeseen event prompts her daughter (Léa Drucker) to have suspicions about them and begin to unravel history.

Sukowa reaches for the heartstrings as the long-term lover who is desperate to maintain her relationship but suddenly finds huge barriers.

One of her obstacles is in the shape of the excellently blunt Muriel Bénazéraf who is employed by Madeleine's family to look after her.

I shall write no more about the storyline of The Two Of Us for fear of spoiling it but I am giving nothing away if I state that it both probes at homophobia and the fact that families often have secrets - even between themselves.

It questions whether anyone can accept seeing accepted truths suddenly becoming lies.

Mrs W thought it was all overblown but I found Two Of US intoxicating and completely believable, thanks to brilliant performances and smart direction.

Indeed, it brought a tear to my eye.

Reasons to watch: Riveting storyline, beautifully played

Reasons to avoid: A bit of repetition

Laughs: A couple of chuckles

Jumps: One

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? A poll commissioned by Pride in London asked more than 1,000 LGBT+ people how they felt about discussing their private lives in public. Of those surveyed, 74% said they felt the need to hide their sexual orientation or gender identity.

The final word. Barbara Sukowa: "I’d seen films about young, beautiful lesbian women, which sometimes have a ‘turning on’ quality for men, and I was fascinated that this was a story about two older lesbians. I said yes very quickly.” Deadline

237. Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised); movie review

 

 

SUMMER OF SOUL (...OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)

Cert 12A

117 mins

BBFC advice: Contains images of real dead bodies, moderate violence, racism, drug references

Hold on... a black music festival which was almost as big as Woodstock took place during the same summer?

And it included great artists such as Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Gladys Knight, Sly and The Family Stone?

Why on earth have we not heard or read about it?

Ah, because, in common with so much positive African -American history, it was ignored by mainstream media.

Until now.

Ahmir Questlove Thompson's documentary Summer Of Soul (...Or When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) presents footage from the free Harlem Cultural Festival and combines them with engaging interviews with some of the artists and those who were among 300,000 people who were there over six Sundays.

The festival celebrated different types of black music and was held just one hundred miles south of Woodstock at Mount Morris Park and was the brainchild of New York nightclub singer Tony Lawrence with the vigorous support of New York mayor John Lindsay.

Thompson's movie offers a glimpse into the life of black Americans in the near-immediate aftermath of the assassinations of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King.

It also took place to the backdrop of the highly controversial and ill-fated Vietnam war.

There is some great music, a detailed explanation of its importance to the community and a historical perspective.

It is unbelievable the film has been untouched for so long but I suppose it is better late than never.

Anyway, it gives a very different view of Harlem than we have previously seen in films of the day and should, therefore, be welcomed.

Reasons to watch: Great moment in social and music history

Reasons to avoid: If you aren't interested in music

Laughs: One

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? A 50th Year Anniversary celebration of the Harlem Cultural Festival took place in Harlem and featured musical performances by Talib Kweli, Cory Henry, Alice Smith, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Keyon Harrold, Braxton Cook, Freddie Stone (who performed at the original event) and George "Spanky" McCurdy

The final word. Ahmir Questlove Thompson: "There’s 40 hours of footage; it was daunting to decide what to leave out. It’s on two-inch reels and each reel had to weigh about 12 pounds. I didn’t even want to touch them. " Vanity Fair

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236. The Birthday Cake; movie review

 

THE BIRTHDAY CAKE

Cert 15

93 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong language, violence, sex references, nudity, drug misuse

An Italian mob movie with Paul Sorvino, Ewan McGregor, Lorraine Bracco and Val Kilmer? I couldn't wait.

Sadly, The Birthday Cake didn't meet a fraction of my expectations.

In part, this is down to the fact that many of the stars have the briefest of cameos, notably Sorvino whose two words include an expletive.

McGregor appears early and very late in the movie and throws in a bit of narration while Bracco's contribution is equally brief.

Kilmer is only on screen for a bit longer but speaks through a voicebox which makes much of his dialogue incomprehensible.

Jimmy Giannopoulos's film focus's on Gio (Shiloh Fernandez), a low-key member of an Italian family in Brooklyn.

A decade previously his father was killed and now to mark the anniversary of his death he delivers a symbolic cake from his mother to the men in the family.

Along his walk, he is accosted around every corner by both cops and rivals demanding to know the whereabouts of his loose-cannon cousin (Emory Cohen).

The violence appears to unfold in real-time while there are also punctuations in which history is explained and even a brief spark of love interest.

The trouble is that there is no emotional pull. The audience doesn't get to know characters for long enough to care when they receive their comeuppance.

And the style of following Gio with a hand-held camera causing jolted delivery and a sense of chaos and diluting the action rather than increasing its impact.

In addition, fulfils every gangster cliche.

Ultimately, The Birthday Cake had the ingredients but is bland and unsatisfying. It needed more spice.

Reasons to watch: A rare mob movie

Reasons to avoid: Fails to grab as tightly as it should

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: Yes

Overall rating: 4/10

Did you know? In 2007, Paul Sorvino launched Paul Sorvino Foods to market a range of pasta sauces. Based on his mother's recipe, the product appeared in supermarkets in the northeastern United States in late 2009

The final word. Jimmy Giannopoulos: "I love all the early Scorcese stuff; I think it’s great. Sean Price Williams, the DP, told me about some Japanese Mafia movies, and I watched a lot of those. Yakuza Suicide was one I really liked. Dude, those movies were so punk rock. They were just whipping the camera around. As a kid, I always watched the mafia stuff. More importantly, I always liked New York set productions. The two together just seem to really work." Film Threat

235. The Witches Of The Orient; movie review

 

 

THE WITCHES OF THE ORIENT

Cert U

100 mins

BBFC advice: Contains very mild threat, brief war footage

Ever since I was old enough to immerse myself in the Olympics, I have been an addict to the two-week festival of international sport.

Hockey, sailing, shooting, rowing, canoeing and equestrian events only pass my radar every four years - admittedly because they tend to be fertile ground for British medals.

Volleyball is rarely on our TV screens because it is not particularly popular in the UK.

However, it certainly was in Japan in 1964 when Tokyo hosted the Olympics and the women's team were fancied to win gold.

Julien Faraut's Witches Of the Orient traces the enthralling story of that squad and reflects on how much dedication is required to be the best in the world.

This was an extraordinary side because it was made up of young women who all worked in the same textile factory.

Their tale goes back to 1954 at a factory in Osaka where the company Nichibo created a female volleyball team which went on to unparalleled success.

The key was bringing in a former Japanese army commander, Daimatsu Hirobumi, a tireless drill sergeant, who led them to all of the major domestic corporate titles by 1958.

Indeed, they were so good they became en bloc the Japanese national team.

Faut's documentary includes contributions from all but one of the survivors and they go into great detail about the uncompromising schedules.

They tell how they started work at 6.30am and went straight to volleyball after their duties at the factory, often not completing training until midnight.

They did this six days a week, 52 weeks a year.

I am an Olympics fan so I was fascinated by what went into preparation but I wasn't sure about the occasional combination with Japanese anime to emphasise the superhuman efforts of the players during The Witches Of the Orient.

Nevertheless, it is an engrossing documentary.

Reasons to watch: Demonstrates the dedication needed to win gold

Reasons to avoid: Strange use of animation and out-of-place artiness

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? After almost three decades of medal drought in the Olympics, Japan's women took home the Bronze medal by defeating South Korea in the 2012 Summer Olympics

The final word. Julien Faraut: "The idea for the film was born out of a meeting. About ten years ago Ralph Hippolyte, a former national volleyball coach, brought me a 16mm reel of a volleyball film produced in 1964 by the Japanese Olympic Committee. I discovered for the first time the daily reality of Kinuko Tanida, Katsumi Matsumura, Yoko Shinozaki, Yoshiko Matsumura and their teammates, all members of the Japanese national team and of whom I knew absolutely nothing at the time."

234. Another Round (Druk); movie review

 

 

ANOTHER ROUND (DRUK)

Cert 12A

117 mins

BBFC advice: Contains infrequent strong language, moderate sex, substance abuse

It feels as if Mads Mikkelsen has been entertaining us all of our lives and yet he only made it big after the age of 40.

Perhaps that why he is still so hungry for the best roles in his 50s.

I can't think of another actor who has avoided being pigeonholed quite so successfully. Not bad for a Bond villain.

His character, Martin, in Another Round is a heck of a lot less sure of himself than Le Chiffre in Casino Royale.

It is an understatement that Martin has lost his way - he is uninspired in the classroom having felt his passion for teaching ebb away and he and his wife (Maria Bonnevie) barely talk.

He is even low key at the birthday meal of his close friend (Magnus Millang), prompting his best pals to cajole him into joining them in a drinking session.

Alcohol brings out lightness and sparks a discussion about a scientific theory that modest inebriation opens minds, diminishes our problems and increases creativity.

Actually, the Norwegian academic to whom the theory is attributed has said it is a misinterpretation of his findings.

Anyway, the four pals decide to try it out and agree to drink during the day when they are teaching but not imbibe after 8pm.

Initially, it works a treat and they find themselves rekindling the joys of life.

However, it soon becomes clear that alcohol is not the permanent answer to their problems and may well add to them.

Mikkelsen is terrific as the central figure while Millang, Thomas Bo Larsen and Lars Ranthe provide excellent partners in drink.

And while Thomas Vinterberg's film isn't funny in a conventional way it has uplifting properties while also delving into the mental fragilities of the four teachers.

I'm not certain that it deserved an Oscar but it is certainly worth watching.

Reasons to watch: Orginal concept and Mads Mikkelsen

Reasons to avoid: Mixed messages over alcohol

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? Our bodies can make up to about an ounce of pure alcohol each day. That’s equal to almost two alcoholic drinks.

The final word. Thomas Vinterberg: 'This film is probably the most honest film I’ve done, maybe since film school. It’s so un-calculated, and it’s such a mix of genres and emotions and private strategy and joyfulness of us working together, that it was somehow beyond our control. And we were disarmed when we did it, completely disarmed because of the death of my daughter, and the whole situation this film was made under." Interview

233. The Forever Purge; movie review

 

THE FOREVER PURGE

Cert 15

103 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong bloody violence, language, racism

Yet another franchise which started well but has had every bit of juice squeezed out of it.

Of The Purge's first incarnation in 2013, I wrote: "I spent almost the entire movie wincing and flinching."

It was based on a fascinating new concept and starred Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey, actors who could persuade an audience that the fear was real.

By its fifth incarnation, it had seeped away.

Indeed, the movie replaces the tension of a family which we could relate to with high bloody body count and thinly veiled points about racism and America's lurch further to the right.

Everardo Gout's film stars Ana de la Reguera and Tenoch Huerta as Mexican immigrants who are working with cowboy ranchers in the deep South.

There is a sniff of racism about the son (Josh Lucas) of the ranch owner (Will Patton) but that is nothing compared to what is about the emerge.

Anyway, they face the annual Purge night with the usual apprehension but survive it without much of a scare.

However, those who are inspired by blood-letting refuse to end the killing when12 hours expires and, as the film title suggests, embark upon The Forever Purge.

In other words, they look to track down anyone who isn't what they see as pureblood with an eye to eliminating them.

My memory isn't the best but I don't recall the original concept for The Purge to be racially motivated nor had I taken in that its participants were rednecks.

The franchise has now become much more political which wouldn't necessarily be a bad move if its latest film were not so badly executed.

To put it bluntly, it is lowest common denominator stuff with stereotypes in every scene and bland dialogue.

In other words, it has the hallmarks of a franchise which has been stretched beyond credibility.

Let's hope it is over... forever.

 

Reasons to watch: If you are an unquestioning fan of The Purge

Reasons to avoid: Taking a reasonable idea way too far

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 4/10

Did you know?  The Purge franchise has grossed overall over $450 million at the box office against a combined production budget of $53 million.

The final word. James DeMonaco: "The idea that it's just out of control, you can't contain this violence, anymore. That's what got me psyched, and coupling that with this love story, and this idea of searching for the American dream all came together."

232. Tove; movie review

 

 

TOVE

Cert 12A

103 mins

BBFC advice: Contains moderate sex, nudity

Who knew that the creator of those lovable Moomins was a hedonist?

Well, the impression much of the world will have of a gentle older lady is blown apart by this intriguing biopic by Zaida Bergroth.

The movie concentrates on Tove Jansson's poverty-stricken life before the Moomins became a worldwide phenomenon.

It shows her as sexually liberated and constantly at odds with her father who considered himself a more serious artist.

The excellent Alma Pöysti plays Tove as a woman who is trying to find her way as a painter and creates the Moomins as doodles when she is daydreaming.

Her initial relationships are with men and she throws herself at a dashing politician (Shanti Roney) who tells her that he has an open marriage.

While he falls for her, she follows his 'seize the day' mantra at a series of parties, experiencing her first sexual encounter with another woman in the shape of the married but alluring Vivica (Krista Kosonen).

This is where the sparks really begin to fly with Jansson receiving some of her own medicine as she becomes obsessed and frustrated by the theatre director.

Meanwhile, she pursues her art and, in particular, the Moomins.

Tove is a beautifully handled picture with sublime acting, especially by Pöysti and Kosonen. It captures the spirit of the carefree 50s but also prods at the tumult of Jansson's life before her great successes in love and work.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it and it gave me a thirst for more Finnish cinema.

Reasons to watch: Intoxicating story behind the creator of The Moomins

Reasons to avoid: Probably overdoes the hedonism

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: Yes

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? The Moomin books have been translated into more than forty different languages, and the stories have been told in many different forms. As well as an opera and several plays, the Moomin tales have been dramatised in international television and film productions.

The final word. Alma Pöysti: "We can never please all the people who have Tove in their hearts and would never accept any kind of wrong interpretation, but we needed to find that allowance to be free. "

 

231. Space Jam - A New Legacy; movie review

 

 

SPACE JAM - A NEW LEGACY

Cert U

115 mins

BBFC advice: Contains very mild slapstick, language

It would be interesting to know how many people in the UK have heard of LeBron James.

He is, I now realise, the most successful basketball player since Michael Jordan and his career earnings have topped $1billion.

Indeed, he is so popular that this collaboration with Warner Brothers is ahead of Marvel's Black Widow at the US box office.

But so much of Space Jam - A New Legacy is about him that I would be surprised if it did as well here.

James plays a version of himself as a dad who pushes his children, especially his younger son (Cedric Joe) in his sport.

However, the teenager would rather develop computer games than go to basketball camp.

The sporting and digital worlds collide when Lebron is invited to Warner Brothers' studios to discuss a potential movie concept.

He hates the idea, much to the disappointment of his son and to the dismay of Al-G Rhythm (Don Cheadle), the Artificial Intelligence who is behind the proposal.

Yep, an algorithm which is a life form.

He drags Le Bron and his son into a digital world which is inhabited by the famous Warner Brothers cartoon characters, prompting a basketball match to decide whether the superstar should remain in animation hell for all time.

It is convoluted in the extreme and we know the outcome before the tip-off but it gives us a chance to reacquaint ourselves with the likes of Daffy Duck and the Road Runner.

To be fair to LeBron, he can act - indeed, he is probably better than Michael Jordan in the original Space Jam.

Malcolm D. Lee's movie is also wholesome family entertainment which is a rarity nowadays.

So, even though the plot barely makes sense and they might not have heard of its hero, the kids could well go for it.

 

Reasons to watch: Favourite cartoon characters and basketball superstar

Reasons to avoid: If you are not into basketball

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 5.5/10

Did you know? Le Bron James's family was poor and his father was an ex-convict. Fortunately, his basketball coach, Frankie Walker, took LeBron under his wing and let him stay with his family where he could get away from the projects and focus on school and basketball. 

The final word. Don Cheadle: “In every way it’s different. It’s a family story, it’s a story about a kid finding his way to individuate himself and follow his own path and his own journey, and none of that is in the first one." Supanova

230. Phil Liggett: The Voice Of Cycling; movie review

 

 

PHIL LIGGETT - THE VOICE OF CYCLING

Cert TBA

114 mins

BBFC advice: TBA

Those of us of a certain age remember the great commentators such as Richie Benaud and John Arlott (cricket), Bill McLaren (rugby union), Eddie Waring (rugby league), Dan Maskell (tennis), Peter Alliss (golf) etc etc.

Phil Liggett belongs to this higher echelon who have a unique tone combined with wonderful authority about their sport.

He has been the voice of cycling since before most of us can remember.

Indeed, according to Nickolas Bird and Eleanor Sharpe's movie, he has been describing the Tour de France on television since the 1970s.

But their documentary reveals there is more to the man than his passion for bike racing.

Liggett lives in the Kruger National Park in South Africa for several months a year and he and his wife, Trish, are fervent environmentalists who are at the forefront of the campaign to save the rhino.

Therefore, much of this film is dedicated to that battle and his love of animals.

However, there is also a chronology of his life and career from the moment he fell in love with racing at New Brighton Cycling Club to becoming the voice of the sport.

He worked in Fleet Street, was director of the famous UK Milk Race and, by chance, entered the world of broadcasting.

There are also tragic moments when he lost his mentor and later his beloved co-commentator.

But there is only a light touch on the biggest controversy of Liggett's career - his support of Lance Armstrong, refusing to believe the rumours about taking performance-enhancing drugs, right up to the moment that the multi-Tour De France winner made a TV confession.

One has the impression that Liggett still struggles to accept the truth today.

But this isn't a film which courts debate - it is a tribute to the man and his dedication to cycling and the enviornment and, to that end, it does a thorough job.

Reasons to watch: Engaging biopic

Reasons to avoid: Doesn't delve too deep into the big controversy

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? Since the establishment of the competition in 1903, nine British riders have led the general classification in the Tour de France at the end of a stage during one of the 103 editions of the Tours de France.

The final word. Phil Liggett: “People say, ‘You must be crazy looking at the same race every year but it’s not the same race. I mean there are other things I’d like to do, but I have no thoughts of retirement.” By James Raia

229. The Surrogate; movie review

THE SURROGATE

Cert 15

93 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong language

It must take a very special person to agree to be a surrogate for friends.

They go through a nine-month bonding process with a baby and yet have the strength to hand the child over and potentially watch it grow from afar.

In Jeremy Hersh's The Surrogate, Jess (Jasmine Batchelor) appears to be entirely in charge of her emotions as she finds herself pregnant for her best pals Josh (Chris Perfetti) and Aaron (Sullivan Jones).

She is excited to be able to help them complete their family circle and be a godmother rather than a full-time parent.

But the excitement for the trio is soon quelled by the discovery that the baby is 99 per cent certain to have Down's Syndrome.

In Jess's eyes, nothing has changed in their contract and she even immerses herself in a group which specialises in schooling children with the condition.

But it becomes progressively clearer that her two pals are devastated and do not want to go ahead with the pregnancy.

Hersh's movie is teeming with big ethical questions and dilemmas - from the concept of surrogacy to the levels of commitment to the child from its yet-to-be parents.

Jess's calm is quickly eroded and during her undulating emotions, we found ourselves either empathising with her or being frustrated by her verbal swerves.

But then we realised that this was a likely reflection of real life - because she is a first-time surrogate and then has a double complication of knowing she would be giving birth to a disabled child.

In addition, she is angered by the reaction of both her best friends and her mother whose support dissolves.

Thus, the hanging conundrum is whether she goes ahead or doesn't.

 It is one of the most painful yet riveting questions we have seen any character face in the movies and Hersh and Batchelor handle it very well.

Reasons to watch: Deep and riveting take on surrogacy

Reasons to avoid: Jumps around more than necessary

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? Countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Bulgaria prohibit all forms of surrogacy. In countries including the UK, Ireland, Denmark and Belgium, surrogacy is allowed where the surrogate mother is not paid, or only paid for reasonable expenses. Paying the mother a fee (known as commercial surrogacy) is prohibited.

The final word. Jeremy Hersh: "I wanted to make something that would hold up a mirror to that  audience of mostly white, well-to-do gay men and look at relationships between gay men and straight women and the sometimes weird power dynamics in those relationships. I started researching surrogacy and then I started going to this community centre in New York called Gigi’s Playhouse for People with Down's Syndrome and the script grew out of the research." The Moveable Fest

228. Mosley - It's Complicated; movie review

 

 

MOSLEY - IT'S COMPLICATED

Cert 15

92 mins

BBFC advice: Contains very strong language, strong sex references

It says much about the resonance of the national press that my immediate thought when I heard about Max Mosley's death was that he was the chap who was involved in an orgy.

It transpires there was a lot more to him than intriguing sexual encounters.

Mosley was a significant figure in motor racing for the best part of 50 years. He also campaigned for safer cars on the track and beyond and against the tabloid press.

But let's be clear - Michael Shevloff's film feels like a presentation of how Mosley would like to have been perceived.

One presumes that it is not how his many enemies would have seen him.

That doesn't mean that Mosley - It's Complicated is not a compelling chronology because it surely is. After all, Max was the son of British fascist Oswald Mosley and Diana Mitford who married at the home of Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels.

That was the unique background in which Max grew up and he was even arrested in the early 1960s for defending his father at a rally which turned violent.

During this documentary, he explains that his father showed him little love or kindness and that being his son had both negatives and positives.

Mosley is presented as pragmatic about his family's past as ultimately he could not affect it. However, when it comes to the present, he is portrayed as a man who was up for a fight.

This applies to his brief career as a motor racing driver, his success at becoming a lawyer and then, more seriously, when he gained power in sport, improving vehicle safety and in his clashes with the media.

There is unfettered access to Mosley and his friends who are clear in their praise for him and disdain for his enemies.

And for fans of Formula One, there is a heck of a lot of talk about the sport's history.

I must admit that, by the film's conclusion, I believed that Mosley had been a force for good.

Then I wondered why were so many people keen to see him undone? Was there more to him than this documentary shows? Maybe so, but it is still worth watching.

Reasons to watch: Fascinating character

Reasons to avoid: Is a tribute rather than a biopic

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7.5/10

Did you know? Labour’s former deputy leader, Tom Watson, received half a million pounds in donations from Max Mosley in less than a year, according to official records.

The final word. Ferrari team principal Marco Piccinini: “Max, he has an excellent engine. His brain, it has the most powerful acceleration… but some problem with the brakes.”

227. Violet Evergarden: The Movie; movie review

 

 

VIOLET EVERGARDEN - THE MOVIE

Cert 12A

140 mins

BBFC advice: Contains  infrequent moderate violence, bloody images, upsetting scenes

I just adore the style of Japanese animation and Violet Evergarden was the first played on our new 65-inch telly so I was in love with it all the more.

But there is more to this than mere presentation - it lures its audience with an unusual, compelling story of loyalty and romance.

And, yes, in answer to a question posed by my son who is also an anime fan, it does stand alone as a movie.

I can confirm this because I have never watched the television series.

Taichi Ishidate's film is the sequel to the series and tells the final chapter in the story of the title character - a former child soldier.

In peacetime, she became a memory doll - a ghostwriter who writes letters for clients, putting their feelings into words and even continuing long after they have died.

Apparently, the film ties up unanswered questions, particularly around the fate of Major Gilbert Bougainvillea (voiced by Daisuke Namikawa) who gave Violet her name.

I watched it with fresh eyes and was entranced by the young woman (Yui Ishikawa) whose dedication to her clients is quiet but steadfast.

Her story is told in retrospect by a young woman whose grandmother has died and had birthday letters, written by Violet, delivered throughout her life.

The movie then moves to Violet's own narrative, with a quick summary of the war and her subsequent life working as the aforementioned doll.

There is a gentle rivalry and a couple of those with a glad-eye towards her but she remains unaffected, concentrating on her writing and wondering what happened to the major who had declared his love for her.

I was rather taken with her connection to a boy with terminal illness and, eventually, her surprising discoveries about her beau.

But more than anything I loved the beauty of this movie. The Japanese still do animation like nobody else. It looks truly amazing.

Reasons to watch: Engaging story and superb animation

Reasons to avoid: Will be too wispy for some

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? The Violet Evergarden series of books came into existence because of a contest. It won the grand prize and it didn’t take long after that for things to start moving at a very rapid pace with a TV series and film.

The final word. Taichi Ishidate: "When talks of a sequel came up, I actually said that there was nothing else I wanted to do. But when I read the plot that the scriptwriter Reiko Yoshida wrote, it was so believable that I was spurred to action. I came to think that it was fine for Gilbert to live." Anime News Network

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226. French Exit; movie review

 

 

FRENCH EXIT

Cert 15

110 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong language, sex references

Recently, it has been extraordinary how many excellent performances have emerged from movies which have been tepid overall.

Michelle Pfeiffer was understandably nominated for a Golden Globe for her controlled feistiness in Azazel Jacobs' French Exit.

But the movie, which has shades of Woody Allen, failed to strike a chord.

Pfeiffer plays a Manhattan socialite who is forced to move to a friend's apartment in Paris when her substantial wealth runs out.

She takes along her workshy and socially awkward son (Lucas Hedges) and she sets about getting rid of the small amount of cash she has left.

Touching their lives are the lad's dismayed girlfriend (Imogen Poots), a real-life witch (Danielle Macdonald) and a lonely and eccentric Paris neighbour (Valerie Mahaffey).

French Exit has the feeling of a theatre piece - with an impressive cast given a dialogue which is a little too smart to be funny.

Indeed, the problem with Jacobs' film is that it doesn't elicit laughs.

And, after a while, the characters and their combination of arrogance and neediness begins to grate.

Then there is a drift into surrealism which just left me shaking my head.

In other words, despite Pfeiffer's best efforts, I was happy when I was departing the French Exit.

Reasons to watch: Michelle Pfeiffer giving her all

Reasons to avoid: Not very interesting story

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 4/10

Did you know? Michelle Pfeiffer's first film role as the female lead was in Grease 2. Critics were receptive to Pfeiffer’s newcomer performance but unfortunately, the film flopped.

The final word. Michelle Pfeiffer: "It was such a good adaptation. And of course, it’s always a challenge, because you can’t put everything in a book into the script. And that’s always the complaint and, “Oh, I liked the book so much better.” But I have to say, this was really successful." The Play List

225. High Ground; movie review

 

HIGH GROUND

Cert 15

105 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong bloody violence, threat, racism, sexual threat, language

The ugly face of racism has been seen in England over the past few days in connection with our football team's narrow loss in the Euro final.

Sadly, as Stephen Johnson's High Ground suggests, not only was it worse years ago but we exported it!

It lights upon a time when the colonialists took over Australia and imposed their 'laws' upon the indigenous population.

In other words, they murdered them.

High Ground begins with a massacre as a family are bathing at a pool and have the misfortune to take in two men who are on the run.

Their pursuers have a plan to negotiate but become trigger-happy and all hell lets loose with deaths on both sides.

Simon Baker plays a former soldier who shows compassion by taking a boy survivor back to his station.

The movie then moves on 12 years when it becomes clear that, the lad's uncle (Sean Mununggurr) also escaped death at the pool is going on a spree of revenge.

Meanwhile, the boy (Jacob Junior Nayinggul) has been brought up by a vicar's sister (Caren Pistorius) and nurtured in the ways of white settlers.

High Ground doesn't hold back in highlighting the cruelty of the colonialists and how cheaply they viewed the lives of the native population.

It also presses the point that not only were the invaders brutal but were also too stupid to soak up the knowledge of native people who knew how to survive in the Outback.

Jack Thompson and Callan Mulvey play those who are intransigent in applying the law while Witiyana Marika leads the people who only recognise nature's rules.

Meanwhile, there is spectacular cinematography - the camera regularly panning to the wildlife and beautiful backdrop and the birds sing throughout making a fascinating contrast to the humans' violence.

It all adds up to a surprisingly tense and enthralling film.

Reasons to watch: Tense, outback thriller

Reasons to avoid: Meanders a bit

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: Yes

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? According to The Guardian Australia, there were at least 270 frontier massacres over 140 years, as part of a state-sanctioned and organised attempt to eradicate Aboriginal people.

The final word. Stephen Johnson: "I’ve never seen the world in black and white. I’ve always been very, very engaged and live my life very much with indigenous people. So it’s a very natural and easy process for me to sit down and get dirty  and for us to grapple together with the idea of telling a story like this." Cinema Australia

224. Occupation Rainfall; movie review

 

 

OCCUPATION RAINFALL

Cert 15

128 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong language, fantasy violence

I get it that the worldwide cinema-going public is probably fed up with Americans and Brits saving the planet on the big screen.

But if others are going to compete with Marvel, DC or Disney, they will have to concentrate more on the detail than the makers of Occupation Rainfall.

Luke Sparke's film is set after an alien invasion of earth in which millions if not billions of humans have been killed.

The survivors have banded together in a desperate resistance alongside aliens who have switched allegiance.

However, the interlopers are intransigent and the resistance uncovers a plot that could see the war come to a decisive end, finishing off mankind.

Occupation Rainfall's visual effects (except for the aliens themselves) will please those who like a bit of visual stimulation but they cannot compensate for a bewildering storyline, continuity errors and strangely mundane dialogue.

Even the comedy double act between  Ken Jeong and Jason Isaacs, as a movie-obsessed alien, is bizarre and out of place.

Even the film's big reveal left us utterly bemused.

Occupation Rainfall may have had laudable ambition in going head-to-head with the blockbuster movies but its execution is so poor, it fails by a distance.

Reasons to watch: If you like a humans-vs-aliens battle

Reasons to avoid: Bad acting and difficult-to-fathom plot

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 2/10

Did you know? A confidential report details sightings on 15 July 1960 of an unidentified flying object near Wewak, a nuclear weapons testing range some 24 kilometres from Maralinga Village, South Australia. 

The final word. Luke Sparke: "“I think it’s important for the next generation of people to know that Australians do have a voice. We make great dramas, we make great comedies, but I think it’s also good to have an action sci-fi film like this."

223. In The Earth; movie review

 

IN THE EARTH

Cert 15

108 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong threat, gory images, violence, language

There is an element of a woodland 2001 A Space Odyssey going on in Ben Wheatley's In The Earth.

I was particularly reminded of the Kubrick movie during a final sequence but the more I think about it, the more connections there are.

However, the sad truth is that, while I thought they had their moments, I didn't enjoy either.

In The Earth stars Joel Fry as Martin, a scientist who wants to track down a former colleague (Hayley Squires), a senior researcher who has gone missing deep in a British forest during a pandemic.

For his own safety, he is accompanied by a park ranger (Ellora Torchia) who is supposed to know her way.

It soon becomes clear, however, that the woods are not a safe place and they are robbed of many essentials.

However, that turns out to be a mere minor distraction compared to what they endure after they meet a crazed psychopath (Reece Shearsmith).

This confrontation is part of a terrifying journey with the forest apparently coming to life as they go.

No matter what they go through, Martin tries to keep on an even keel but, alas, this is not a place for cool heads.

Inevitably, the madness just ratchets up and up and the forest becomes eerier and eerier.

Unfortunately, the attempt to deliberately tone down the reaction to horror didn't work for me - it just made the presentation appear mundane.

And the plot was rather too convoluted for my taste.

But I confess, I am neither a big horror or sci-fi fan and so it was always unlikely that a combination of the two would light my candle.

Reasons to watch: Strange, contemporary woodland horror

Reasons to avoid: Not always easy to follow

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 5/10

Did you know? Ben Wheatley's directing career began in comedy, working with British stars such as Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer.

The final word. Ben Wheatley: "The woods don't care about you and your iPhone and your problems, and if you twist your ankle out in the woods, you might die. It's as simple as that." Fangoria