colettesplace Reviews

Cheerleader Queens (2003)

a ladyboy comedy that makes the Eurovision Song Contest look subtle

[4/10 · 14 March 2006]

Cheerleader Queens is a Thai drag sex comedy with the subtlety of the Eurovision Song Contest and the profundity of Porkys.

Four ladyboys, Mod, Som, Kam-pan and Wa-wa, move to Bangkok to attend a Catholic high school – in full drag some of the time! Sport is compulsory, but the boys are kicked off the cheerleading squad by some homophobe bitches. After they save the rugby team from being dispanded by miraculously scoring some tries, they form their own cheerleading squad, and train for the State finals.

The film gets bogged down at this point, and could do with more training montages. Cheerleader Queens also suffers from an overuse of crying, cliché, fainting (whenever Mod sees his cute crush, the aptly-named Pang, for example), accidents (including temporary blindness) and limp-wristed 'running like a girl'.

In addition, any potentially serious moments are badly handled – when Som has a drug problem, for example, his friends find an entire bottle of ecstasy tablets in his pocket. And in the cheerleading finals, their arch-rivals outperform our heroes so significantly that the closeness of the competition seems ludicrous.

Don't fret, though, there is some fun to be had. It's great to see so many out, camp queens, who also get to be friends with the rugby team and vanquish potential muggers by satisfying them sexually. These cute boys are great pals and most of the film is high-energy and colourful, with liberal doses of feather boa and eyeshadow.

Intacto (2001)

disquieting, amoral and atmospheric

[8/10 · 14 March 2006]

Spanish film Inacto has an unusual premise: what if luck can be stolen? It then becomes a commodity to trade and be rich in.

Federico (played by Eusebio Poncela) is an earthquake survivor who has the power to rob others of their luck with a touch. He works at an island casino for Holocaust survivor Sam (Max Von Sydow). But when Federico quits, Sam removes his luck.

Years later, the vengeful Federico finds Tomas (Leonardo Sbaraglia), a thief and the sole survivor of a plane crash. He draws Tomas into a strange underworld where status is determined by luck, gambling is the norm and the stakes are high. Tomas is pursued by policewoman Sara (Monica Lopez) who has luck of her own.

This is a fascinating and well-structured film from first-time writer/director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo. The moral ambiguity of the luck-based subculture is disquieting, and gives rise to some powerful scenes, the highlight of which is a race of blindfolded people through a forest.

Goldfish Memory (2003)

an wry and enjoyable pansexual rom com

[6/10 · 14 March 2006]

Goldfish Memory is a multi-layered romantic comedy in the style of Bedrooms and Hallways from Irish writer/director Liz Gill.

When Clara sees her boyfriend Tom kissing Isolde, it sets off a chain of romance and heartbreak that goes full circle. Clara pursues and dumps TV journalist Angie who then falls for horticulturist Kate via a one-night stand with gay bike courier pal Red. Meanwhile philanderer Tom has a rocky road to love, while Isolde decides to explore her options.

Gay, lesbian, straight, bisexual, it seems that when it comes to love, some of these characters suffer from a three-second Goldfish Memory. While some seek commitment, others just can't help themselves.

Goldfish Memory is a well-paced, humorous and lighthearted film that switches between story lines smoothly. Although it's not original enough to become a classic, it's a great date flick, with solid ensemble performances.

Finding Neverland (2004)

a fairy story formed from a dubious truth

[8/10 · 14 March 2006]

Truth is sometimes more disturbing than fiction, which is perhaps why it's best to regard Mark Forster's new film Finding Neverland as a wondrous fairytale, rather than condemn it for distorting history.

Adapted from Allan Knee's stage play, "The Boy Who Was Peter Pan" by David Mcgee, Finding Neverland explores the birth of Peter Pan, one of the most well-loved children's' stories of all time, through emphatically rose-coloured glasses.

Perhaps this is for the best. Who would want to watch the biopic of a 1.5m tall almost certainly impotent man, a man that allegedly falsified a dying woman's will to gain guardianship of her boys – his greatest friends? No, the real JM Barrie sounds at the worst sinister and at the best...strange.

Give me Johnny Depp's Barrie any day, understatedly handsome, kind and with a touch of his role in The Pirates of The Caribbean left in him that only comes out in play. Add a reason for the source of his devotion to the Du Maurier boys – their lively and beautiful but ailing mother Sylvia (Kate Winslet). Explore an idyllic summer of games, picnics, and Cowboys and Indians between a simpatico group: Depp, Winslet, the four Du Maurier boys and a dog. It's thrilling to witness the birth of such a well-loved story.

As for the barriers to their union, Barrie's wife Mary (Radha Mitchell) is a shallow social climber whose elegant costume is the best thing about her. In the film, of course, not in history, as is the disapproval of Sylvia's mother (Julie Christie). And although the film opens with Barrie's latest play flopping at the box office, to the discomfort of American producer Charles Frohman (Dustin Hoffman), in reality, Barrie was at the height of his success.

But back to fantasy. The several segues into magical landscape recall those of Heavenly Creatures (1995) but are smoother, and without the darkness of that film. The costuming and set design recreate Edwardian London, with Mitchell and Winslet's dresses being particularly exquisite. Accents are appropriate, although Depp's Scottish burr is not entirely convincing. Despite this he deserved his Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor.

This Barrie selflessly shares his creative wisdom with the youngest boy, Peter (impressively portrayed by Freddie Highmore) – a current skeptic and future writer. This Barrie inspires Sylvia's crotchety mother to clap her hands and say, "I believe in fairies". This Barrie is the kind of man we want all great artists to be: generous with their time; emotionally intelligent; eccentric but normal. A man we can understand. But how many great artists truly are like that? I don't care: I want to believe.

Eating Out (I) (2004)

low budget queer comedy of errors

[4/10 · 14 March 2006]

Eating Out is a warped college sex comedy from up-and-coming indie US director, Q Allan Brocka.

Shot in ten days on MD, it's about Caleb, who falls for fag hag Gwen, infamous for turning all her previous boyfriends gay. The way for Caleb to steal her heart? To pretend that he's gay, according to his roomie, Kyle. But the plan backfires when Gwen decides to set Caleb up with her best friend, Marc.

The cast includes Scott Lunsford as Caleb, Emily Stiles as Gwen, Ryan Carnes as Marc and Jim Verraros as Kyle. Rebekah Kochan has a memorable cameo as Caleb's kinky bonk-buddy Tiffani.

Eating Out is light, pacey and funny, although it's obviously been made on a shoestring budget. In addition, the actors never transcend caricature to behave like real people. In one scene Caleb and Marc get it on, with Caleb only able to do so while Gwen whispers phone sex talk in his ear. It's clear that Marc's being used here, but he barely even notices.

If that doesn't faze you, you'll probably enjoy Eating Out, which screens as part of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, running from March 11-21.

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)

I wish someone would pay me money to make films with my friends!

[7/10 · 14 March 2006]

In Australia, we called it poison ball in primary school, and I loved it. Well, in the US it's called Dodgeball, it's growing in popularity and it's now the backdrop for another comedy "Brat Pack" feature.

Vince Vaughan (Swingers) is Peter La Fleur, owner of cash-strapped Average Joe's gym – a gym for "average Joes". But the body-beautiful owner of Globo Gym, White Goodman (Ben Stiller) is moving in for a takeover. Until Peter and his buddies form a rag-tag team to compete at the Las Vegas Dodgeball championships for a $50,000 prize.

For most of its 92 minutes, Dodgeball is a hilarious homage cum parody of underdog sporting films. It's the first feature from writer-director Rawson Marshall Thurber, who gave us Terry Tate, Office Linebacker.

There's some hilarious supporting characters – including Alan Tudyk (I Robot) as a pirate, and Missi Pyle as a scary Romanian Dodgeball champion. The comedy is rapid-fire and sometimes shocking – "if you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball", says coach Rip Torn to the team. And there are some great cameos, including David Hasselhoff as an irate German coach.

Unfortunately, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story does "drop the ball" towards the end and get just too corny for its own good. The scene where Vaughan is motivated by cycling star and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong was very schmaltzy, perhaps because its status as parody was unclear. Yet, if you're looking for a film where laughter will be torn from you, submit to Dodgeball. The first half of the film is worth it.

Control Room (2004)

a solid documentary about a very important news network

[7/10 · 14 March 2006]

Control Room is the latest film from the Egyptian-born Harvard-educated director of startup.com, Jehane Noujaim.

It follows the only independent news service in the Middle East, Al Jazeera, for six weeks, starting one week before the US invasion of Iraq in 2004.

The war's press coverage was delivered from US military Central Command in Qatar, right near Al Jazeera's HQ. One of the things Control Room demonstrates is just how manufactured the news stories of the war were.

We hear from several Al Jazeera employees (including women), some Western journalists and also from US Lieutenant Josh Rushing, the idealistic Central Command Press Officer.

There are several reasons why Control Room is compelling viewing. Firstly because Al Jazeera is an independent satellite service in a culture which does not have a history of freedom of the press.

Also, because both the US Government and many Middle Eastern governments condemn Al Jazeera for broadcasting propaganda, it reminds me of the conundrum often facing Australia's ABC. Yes, Al Jazeera gets it wrong sometimes, like any other broadcaster, but they are attempting and I'd suggest, often succeeding, at delivering relatively balanced journalism.

One of the things most criticized about Al Jazeera was for broadcasting messages from Osama Bin Laden. But I think just about any network that had that exclusive would do the same thing, as demonstrated by so many networks quoting the Bin Laden tapes. Unfortunately this is not covered in the film, but another Al Jazeera technique criticized in Control Room is their decision to broadcast footage of US military hostages, including the dead. As an NBC correspondent said, they just don't do that kind of thing in America. But it's very common for Western viewers to see and be shocked by horrific images on television. By broadcasting footage of these US soldiers, at least some of the Al Jazeera demographic would empathize with the suffering Westerners. Before that, much of their footage was of how Iraq's civilian population was suffering. In hindsight, now that it's been revealed that the US tortured prisoners, Al Jazeera's stance seems vindicated.

The Boy Who Plays on the Buddhas of Bamiyan (2004)

What this film needs is more information, and less empathy from the filmmakers

[5/10 · 14 March 2006]

This documentary has been highly rated in Australia and overseas, winning several awards, including the Grand Jury Prize at the Washington DC Independent Film Festival.

The Boy Who Plays on the Buddhas of Bamiyan follows a year in the life of eight-year old Mir, who lives in the ruins of what was formerly Afghanistan's foremost tourist attraction. In 2001, the Taliban dynamited the 1600-year old Buddha statues, condemning them as idolatrous.

Although Mir's family and neighbours are so poor they literally eat grass, Mir's cheerfulness is a vivid demonstration of human tenacity. The community that surrounds him are also very candid in their interviews.

Filmmaker Phil Grabsky has avoided voice-over to concentrate on the human aspect of the story, letting the Bamiyan community speak for itself, with occasional BBC news reports playing over the scenery. The soundtrack, by Dimitri Tchamouroff and Dawood Sarkhosh is very emotive and, although beautiful, illustrates one of the flaws of this film.

The Boy Who Played on the Buddhas of Bamiyan is sentimental, sometimes overstated and also very slow. Although the plight of Mir, his family and neighbours is compelling, a more conventional approach to documentary-making, including voice-over and expert interviews, would give us more insight into the situation and speed up the pace.

Saved! (2004)

a satire that treats its subjects with respect

[7/10 · 14 March 2006]

Watching over-the-top US comedy Saved! is like stumbling into an alternate universe as perturbing, in its own way, as Richard Kelly's cult hit Donnie Darko.

At American Eagle Christian High School, where Christian is all there is, it's the zealots who top the teen totem pole. Among them is Mary (Jena Malone) who's headed for a fabulous senior year with her best friend and leader of the Christian Jewels, Hilary-Faye (Mandy Moore), a mulleted gun-toting Barbie drowning in blue eye shadow. But when Mary falls pregnant to her gay boyfriend Dean (Chad Faust) after surrendering her virginity to save him in the belief it will be miraculously restored, she's an outcast. While Chad's sent off to Mercy House, Mary befriends the 'freaks': Hilary-Faye's wheelchair-bound brother (Macaulay Culkin) and his troublemaker girlfriend Cassandra (Eva Amurri), the only Jewish girl in school. Meanwhile, Mary's Christian Interior Decorator of the Year mum (Mary-Louise Parker) begins a tentative romance with charismatic school principal Pastor Skip (Martin Donovan).

Director Brian Dannelly, who co-wrote the script with Michael Urban, wanted to satirise the intensity of teen Christian worship, where fainting at prayer meetings is not uncommon. Performances are good across the board, but Mandy Moore almost steals the film with her outrageous Hilary-Faye.

Saved! is an enjoyable teen comedy that has some important subtexts: it argues for tolerance of diversity, and the importance of looking beneath the superficial when choosing friends. It embraces families that differ from the traditional nuclear model and demonstrates why sex education is needed. But what's best about Saved! is that the characters don't abandon their faith, simply incorporate it into a more tolerant world view. Whether you're a Christian, atheist or something different, Saved! will gently amuse without overwhelming you with political correctness.

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

stylised and fashionably tongue-in-cheek, but a little soulless

[6/10 · 14 March 2006]

Napoleon Dynamite is a downbeat US indie film about an oblivious, low-EQ geek and his relentlessly strange family.

After some inventive credits featuring canteen food and a Chap stick, you're warped into Napoleon's unrealistic milieu, meeting his chat room-addicted Pampas-dependent brother (Aaron Ruell), his dune buggy-riding grandmother (Sandy Martin) and her pet llama, and Uncle Rico (Jon Gries) – a door-to-door salesman obsessed with time travel.

At school, there's immigrant Pedro (Efren Ramirez), whose broken English and new kid status make him Napoleon's default best friend. And when you meet 80s throwback pseudo fashionista Deb (Tina Majorino) and her pastel pink stirrup pants, you sense that Napoleon mightn't always be unlucky in love.

Writer/director Jared Hess (whose wife Jerusha co-scripted) have created a cult hit and shot the film's gangly lead, Jon Heder, to relative stardom. But despite the eccentricity and occasional hilarity of this film, there's no emotional core. Like Bad Santa, Napoleon Dynamite's peopled with characters you'd cross the street to avoid, but they're presented as zoo exhibits, rather than real people. And while it's daring not to play for laughs, this gamble doesn't entirely pay off – making Napoleon Dynamite slightly flat and slow moving. That it's original, however, you can't deny.

Watch out for Hilary Duff's little sister Haylie as teen queen Summer.

Home on the Range (2004)

forgettable but harmless animation kidflick

[5/10 · 14 March 2006]

Disney animation Home on the Range stars, probably for the first time ever, three cows! Now maybe it's just because I'm lactose intolerant, but I've always thought cows were kind of boring, but when they're voiced by Dame Judi Dench, Roseanne Barr and Jennifer Tilly, they'll hold your attention.

Home on the Range is set in the wild west when prize-winning dairy cow Maggie is given to Pearl, the owner of the "Patch of Heaven" farm after her owner's bankrupted by cattle rustlers. Then Pearl finds out she's got three days to pay off her bank loan or she'll lose her home and livestock. So three dairy cows go to trap cattle rustler Alameida Slim so that they can claim the reward and save the farm.

It's not Disney's best, but it's lovingly rendered and beautifully coloured. And Cuba Gooding Junior as wannabe hotshot horse Buck is hilarious. I rate it 3½ stars for kids and 2 stars for adults.

Garden State (2004)

a coming of age rom com with character as well as quirk

[8/10 · 14 March 2006]

The first feature from writer, director and actor Zach Braff is a quirky but sincere film that transcends its traditional romantic comedy structure.

Braff stars as Andrew Largeman, a 26-year-old washed up actor who's been zoned on lithium for 16 years, courtesy of an over-zealous shrink father (Sir Ian Holm). When Andrew returns home for his mother's funeral, he quits the pills and reunites with school pal Mark (Peter Sarsgaard), a gravedigger who collects Desert Storm trading cards, and meets Sam (Natalie Portman), a fearless, expressive inspiration of a girl.

It's Andrew's gradual thawing from his numbed existence into a full and participatory life that's so beautiful in this film. His interaction with Sam is natural and revelatory, and the humour is both spontaneous and believable.

Where Garden State is least successful is in Andrew re-negotiating his relationship with his father, but this sentiment doesn't overshadow the resonance of the rest of this film.

Garden State is a rare cinematic experience – a commercially successful independent film that's heart-warming, but not irritating, memorable but not a guilty pleasure, significant, but about insignificant people, and humorous without being (too) derivative.

Connie and Carla (2004)

contrived rom com with some good musical interludes

[5/10 · 14 March 2006]

Considering what glamorous creatures they are, it's been a while since we saw a Hollywood drag film. But in Connie and Carla, the latest film from My Big Fat Greek Wedding scriptwriter/actress Nia Vardalos, half the cast are queens. And there's a cameo from Debbie Reynolds.

Dorky duo Connie (Vardalos) and Carla (an underused Toni Collette) are dinner theatre performers who waitress between show tunes as they perform to bored patrons. But all that changes when they witness a mob killing, go on the run and hide out in LA as drag 'kings'. Ironically they find their audience, until Connie falls for Jeff (David Duchovny), the estranged brother of her drag pal Peaches (Steven Spinella, who recently won a Tony for Angels in America).

Directed by comic actor Michael Lembeck, Connie and Carla is a cornball, feel-good date flick. Vardalos and Collette ably flex their muscles as cabaret performers, supported by a cast of lovable drag queens. It was cute to see a mob thug transformed into a musical aficionado after searching for the girls at numerous hick venues.

If you loathe the Hollywood machine, don't see Connie and Carla. But if you're a sucker for show tunes or romantic comedies, you'll enjoy it.

Team America: World Police (2004)

a rootin' tootin' puppet blockbuster

[7/10 · 14 March 2006]

They're famous for South Park – the TV series and the film, and the cult film Orgazmo (1997). Not to mention frocking up as JLo and Gynneth Paltrow at the Oscars four years ago. Now Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the two professionals of political incorrectness, bring puppets to the big screen in an action adventure spoof literally inspired by Jerry Bruckheimer.

The plot: actor Gary Johnston is recruited from Broadway to join a unique special ops team. While fighting terrorists and saving the world from destruction, he and the Team America crew destroy several world monuments and come under fire from the liberal Film Actors Group, or FAG.

Everyone gets a serve in this musical comedy, but some insults are greater than others. Firstly, the carelessness and moral superiority with which this team conducts themselves reflects American foreign policy over the last 50 years.

Secondly, it's unlikely that Parker and Stone will be working with any A-listers any time soon after socking it to power players like Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon and Matt Damon. The obligatory love song features a chorus line lampooning a Ben Affleck flick: "Pearl Harbour sucked almost as much as I miss you". While FAG leader Alec Baldwin (voiced by Maurice LaMarche) is described as the greatest actor in the world – which got a huge chuckle from the audience.

However, despite the splatter gun approach to social commentary, there is genuine bite behind Team America: World Police. Although it has been criticised for attacking well-known actors, the film actually attacks celebrity culture, rather than politically active individuals. Indeed, why should the opinion of George Clooney or Helen Hunt be any more important than anyone else's? The argument that Parker and Stone attack celebrity culture rather than celebrities is supported by the way Johnston's acting ability is regarded in the film. It's a superpower. Although it's never described as a Jedi skill, there are several references to Star Wars and, in one scene, Johnston plays the Jedi mind trick (Phantom Menace-style) on the guards: "You did not see me. I was never here." The ridiculous regard for acting in Team America: World Police reinforces the inflated regard the public has for actors in general.

CGI animate the puppets at some stages – and is then removed, emphasising their 'woodenness' (watch out for the ultra-lame billiards shot). Despite or even because of this, it's uncanny just how similar Team America is to its sincere blockbuster cousins. Or perhaps it's because of the film's impressively credentialed production design team, with Director of Photography Bill Pope coming direct from Spiderman 2, while special effects were courtesy of Joe Viscocil (an Academy Award® winner for Independence Day). Despite a modest budget, Team America was able to achieve some killer special effects, as scale models of monuments such as the Sphinx and Mount Rushmore only needed to be one-third of the size required for films with human actors.

Team America: World Police is very entertaining and rather intelligent, with less of an indulgence in 'potty-mouthed' humour than expected from Parker and Stone. Except for the long projectile vomit scene and the truly unforgettable puppet sex sequence (but hey, as long as it's between consenting marionettes…). And watch out for the truly spectacular panther attack.

Warning: you may find yourself singing the theme song: Team America, F#&% Yeah!, when you leave this movie. Try and do it under your breath, or you may offend almost as many people as Parker and Stone have over the years.

Christmas with the Kranks (2004)

a crock!

[1/10 · 14 March 2006]

Santa Clause and Married With Children's Tim Allen champions mediocrity once again in this tiresome film that glorifies the most commercial aspects of Christmas.

After their daughter Blair (Julie Gonzalo) has joined the Peace Corps in Latin America, Luther Krank (Tim Allen) and his wife Nora (Jamie Lee Curtis) decide to save for a holiday cruise by "skipping" Christmas. Unfortunately, this reasonable notion inspires the wrath of their neighbours, led by Christmas Nazi, Vic Frohmeyer (Dan Ackroyd). While Luther encounters the resentment of his fellow office workers, housewife Nora's so terrorised by local children she has to hide in the basement. The two even make the front page of the local newspaper for their apparently churlish behaviour.

Director Joe Roth struggles with a hackneyed script by Chris Columbus (adapted from the John Grisham novel, "Skipping Christmas") that suggests Christmas decorations, rather than cleanliness, are next to Godliness. As expected in this saccharine milieu, an emergency forces the Kranks and their tinsel-happy neighbours to band together and celebrate the "true" meaning of Christmas.

It's almost impossible to enjoy Christmas With The Kranks, although being a child or an American might assist. Although there are some humorous moments, particularly earlier on in the film, even Jamie Lee Curtis' normally welcome presence can't save this movie. To an Australian audience, the obsessive behaviour of the neighbours with regard to blow-up snowmen and stalking choristers seems positively unhinged. There were worse films than Christmas With The Kranks in 2004, but not many.

Anatomy of Hell (2004)

not pleasant, but interesting

[7/10 · 14 March 2006]

Although the confrontational images in this film only make it suitable for a select audience, I recommend it for armchair philosophers and those interested in gender politics.

Amira Casar plays a young woman who pays a gay man (played by real life hetero porn star Rocco Siffredi) to watch her for four days. Over that time, he confronts his own revulsion at the intimacies of the female body.

You will probably have heard of the various extreme images in this film (a garden rake being inserted into the woman's vagina, for example) but surprisingly, the film does not titillate. Every action is designed to develop the characters and reveal a deeper truth.

On one level, Anatomy of Hell blasts the misogynistic attitude towards women that can still exist. What is most interesting about this film is the man's journey towards accepting women, and his feminine side, revealed through the use of a female voice-over for his character.

By confronting taboos, for example the taboo against menstruation, Breillat's characters become closer to each other, all the more telling because the man is gay and has no basic need for women. Yet, this film is not simply a rant against men, because the male character is the only one that is fully realised. He develops throughout the film, whereas the woman remains static and is more of an archetype of female power rather than a human being.

I found Anatomy of Hell fascinating and far less shocking than I anticipated. In Australia, the film was banned until the decision was overturned. I agree with the latter decision, there is a a second of footage featuring a naked young girl in sexual play that should be removed from the film. Some taboos exist for a purpose and that is one of them.

Bad Education (2004)

Enough plot twists and turns (and camp) to satisfy even a Gemini

[8/10 · 25 February 2006]

Pedro Almodovar's latest film is a sexy, dark and constantly surprising reinvention of film noir, complete with moral disquiet, a "femme" fatale, and many layers of truth.

Even from the beginning of this glorious, complex film, Hitchcock's influence is evident. Retro titles featuring red, black and a white are accompanied by Alberto Iglesias' score, reminiscent of Psycho composer Bernard Herrman.

It's 1980, and jaded film-maker Enrique (Fele Martinez) receives a visit from an old school friend/crush, Ignacio (Gael Garcia Bernal), who now wishes to be known as Angel. Angel offers Enrique a story, The Visit, based on a traumatic event 16 years ago, when the two were students at a Catholic primary school. A beautiful boy soprano, Ignacio was abused by pedophile priest Father Manolo (Daniel Giminez Cacho), and now he's offering Enrique the story.

Then as The Visit moves from script to film, we meet Juan, and another layer of truth is added to this disturbing fairytale. Simply, Juan is one of the most ambitious, disturbing characters ever to appear in film. And his beauty is dangerous, whether dressed in male or female clothing.

Finally we hear the story from disgraced priest Father Manolo to eventually arrive at most of the truth. Enough to satisfy but not satiate our curiosity.

This is Almodovar's most complex film yet, but its emotional resonance makes it much more than a puzzle. Garcia Bernal's performance is hypnotic, and he's ably supported by a committed cast to deliver a film that will improve each time you see it.

Hitch (I) (2005)

Yet another fluffy rom-com with a disappointing ending

[6/10 · 25 February 2006]

For most of its running time, the new film from director Andy Tennant (Sweet Home Alabama) and first time writer Kevin Bisch is hilarious. Unfortunately Hollywood rom-com ennui strikes in the last 15 minutes to collapse the soufflé that is Hitch under the weight of its own sentimentality.

New Yorker Alex 'Hitch' Hitchens (Will Smith) is so smooth, he does it for a living. Helping hapless guys date the girls of their dreams, that is. His latest project, his "Sistine Chapel" is chubby accountant and dance maniac Albert (Kevin James), who's head-over-heels for socialite Allegra (former supermodel Amber Valletta). But when Hitch meets cynical gossip columnist Sara (Eva Mendes), his panache leaves him. The usual flirtations, misunderstandings, girly chats and last-minute epiphanies ensue, made bearable by quality comedy (in particular, the trip to Ellis Island).

Will Smith glides through his first rom-com role, although admittedly not much is asked of him. But what Hitch sees in the irritating snarky Sara is a mystery. Much more interesting are the supporting leads, whose mismatched couple manage to spark real chemistry. As far as fluffy date flicks go, Hitch doesn't miss a beat until the last 15 minutes, which only the most syrupy romantics will enjoy. For the rest of us, a little snooze might be in order.

Vera Drake (2004)

Earnest kitchen sink drama featuring good performances

[6/10 · 25 February 2006]

In London, 1950, Vera Drake (Imelda Staunton) is one of the respectable poor in a milieu still struggling under rationing and dealing with other after-effects of WWII. A woman who instinctively "brings teacups and rolls away headaches", Vera cleans houses by day, visits the elderly, cares for her family, and manages to fit the odd backyard abortion in between. Like Vera herself, her operations are brisk, well-meant, charitable, sanitary without being hygienic and seemingly inevitable, given the circumstances. If Vera were not performing this service, then someone else would, as is demonstrated when she "helps" a poor woman with seven children who cannot afford an eighth.

In a multi award-winning film that's dedicated to his doctor father and midwife father, writer-director Mike Leigh (Secrets and Lies, Topsy Turvy) delivers a perfect time capsule, distinguished by the performance of its ensemble cast. In particular, the BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated Staunton impresses as Vera, from her bustling beginnings to the emotional wreck she is after her arrest. Once discovered by the police, her bravura unravelling gives the rest of the cast not only the opportunity to develop their characters but to express different attitudes towards abortion.

Unlike in the recent film Closer, the attitudes the characters express evolve directly from their personalities. It seems hypocritical that her draper son Sid (Daniel Mays) describes what she does as "dirty", when he deals in black market stockings to help his mates seduce young women. Contrast that with the reaction of Reg (Eddie Marsan), the bachelor neighbour whom Vera's nudging into a relationship with her wallflower daughter Ethel (Alex Kelly). Vera's loyal husband George (Richard Graham) won a BAFTA and was also Oscar-nominated for his strong performance.

There's such poverty depicted here that it's difficult for modern Australians to comprehend, accustomed as we are to dishwashers, microwaves, always having at least something to eat. Even the most evil character – Vera's avaricious friend Lily, who profits from Vera's voluntary "good deeds" – only does so to spend the money on food. And Vera herself is depicted as a pure soul, somewhat similar to Dogville's Grace (played by Nicole Kidman), generous with her time, not expecting anything in return, never too tired to help. Because of this, the audience can judge her actions in isolation.

Despite requiring a little editing towards the end, Vera Drake is a masterful character study that is memorable, emotionally authentic and given the current political landscape in Britain and Australia, even timely.

The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)

Che - from 50s backpacker to revolutionary via a wondrous motorcycle trip

[7/10 · 25 February 2006]

Directed by Walter Salles (Central Station), The Motorcycle Diaries is a visually and emotionally striking film which follows the young Ernesto Che Guevara and his friend Alberto Granado in their travels around Latin America in 1952. Just six years later, and partially inspired by this road trip, Che would lead Cuba to revolution. Adapted from the book "Con el Che por America Latina" by Guevara and Granado (who remained lifelong friends), The Motorcycle Diaries begins in Argentina. Ernesto is an idealistic final-year medical student and Alberto is a hedonistic biochemist. Together they clamber on a dilapidated motorcycle and attempt to circumnavigate South America – the journey of a lifetime.

At first, the two are reprobates – charming food and motorcycle repairs out of the locals, and sleazing on the women. (It's here that Ernesto's first called Che – a name given to Argentineans by other Latin Americans.) But as their journey continues and their pace slows, Che and Alberto begin to see more of the injustices perpetrated against indigenous South Americans. One of the most powerful demonstrations of this is their boat journey in Peru. While our heroes socialise in relative luxury with other passengers of European origin on the ship, a rusty barge follows which carries the indigenous passengers – crowded on hammocks beneath an open canopy. Although the two's transition from rascals to socialists is well handled, the film becomes less subtle in its latter stages. The 126 minutes running time also becomes noticeable at this time, particularly at the leper colony.

Charismatic young actor Gael García Bernal (Y tu mama tambien) is well-cast as Che, and the humorous rapport between him and Alberto (Rodrigo De la Serna) gives the perfect foreground to Eric Gautier's stunning cinematography. I particularly liked the grainy photography and the heightened use of colour, though the footage did get a bit choppy at times.

While you can appreciate The Motorcycle Diaries simply as a travel film, it's more than that. It illuminates the apartheid existing in Latin America at the time through Che and Ernesto's encounters with market sellers, impromptu tour guides and disenfranchised families. Screenwriter Jose Rivera is also careful to differentiate between the various ethnicities which comprise Latin American indigenous culture – which is highlighted by the final montage of black and white images of all that fuelled Che's revolutionary fever.

3½ stars.

A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)

Looks great, but there's not much more than that

[6/10 · 25 February 2006]

There's been a lot of hype surrounding Lemony Snicket's – A Series of Unfortunate Events, but the film doesn't quite live up to it. While it looks marvellous, and features noted actors like Meryl Streep (as overanxious Aunt Josephine) and Jude Law (the narrator), its plot is episodic and curiously insubstantial.

The Baudelaire children – comprised of 14-year old inventor Violet (Melbourne's Emily Browning), reader Klaus (Liam Aiken) and biting toddler Sunny (Kara and Shelby Hoffman) – are three attractive and resourceful orphans surrounded by well-meaning but foolish adults. Pursued for their fortune by the unscrupulous Count Olaf (Jim Carrey), they move from guardian to guardian, experiencing "a series of unfortunate events".

Directed by Brad Silberling, and also featuring Billy Connolly as the children's snake-handling uncle, the film's impressive at first glance and will certainly engage children. Aided by a prosthetic nose that gives him an appropriately sinister profile, Jim Carrey gives a unique performance that is simultaneously irritating and brilliant. His failed impresario is surrounded by a pancaked troupe of dissolute actors (including Jennifer Coolidge) that contribute to his menace. As for Carrey's dinosaur impression: it's uncanny. Emily Browning is particularly effective as Violet.

The film's adapted from three of the popular Lemony Snicket novels by Daniel Handler – giving it an episodic structure which, in this case, is unsuccessful. Set in a hyper-real hybrid of the Victorian era and the 1950s, there's something of the fairytale in Lemony Snicket's. In many fairy tales, there are three variations on a theme (The Three Little Pigs, or Goldilocks and the Three Bears, for example), and Lemony Snicket's follows this but, unfortunately, replays the theme without variations. Or, more accurately, no character variations, but fantastical changes in production design and minor tweaks that are insufficient to advance the plot, given the lack of character development. It's this fundamental flaw that gives Lemony Snicket's its insubstantiality. Despite the truly gorgeous production design (courtesy of Sleepy Hollow designer and Tim Burton collaborator Rick Heinrichs), it's like that poor player: "full of sound and fury", but signifying nothing.

Ensure you stay for the credits, which feature charming hand-drawn animation in the style of The Triplets of Belleville. 3 stars.

A Very Long Engagement (2004)

lush romantic war film with plenty of gore

[8/10 · 25 February 2006]

A Very Long Engagement is a sumptuous foreign-language blockbuster that combines the ingenuity and passion of acclaimed French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amelie, The City of Lost Children, Delicatessen) with Hollywood epic extravagance. Unfortunately Warner Brothers' 35 per cent co-financing rendered the film ineligible for Oscar nomination as Best Foreign Film and disqualified it from competing in French film festivals.

Adapted from Sebastien Japrisot's novel by Jeunet and Amelie scriptwriter Guillaume Laurent, A Very Long Engagement is the film Jeunet wanted to make for ten years. He reunited the Amelie production crew with its enchanting gamin star, Audrey Tautou, and the output combines Amelie's lyricism and magical realism with the horrors of World War I.

Nineteen-year-old eccentric Mathilde (Tautou) is a classic Jeunet character: after suffering childhood polio, she walks with a limp; has a beloved, farting dog called Pois Chiche (Chickpea); and plays the tuba "because it sounds like a distress signal". Unlike her character in Amelie, however, Tautou's Mathilde is a determined young woman who refuses to believe her best fiancé Manech (Gaspard Ulliel) is dead, despite compelling evidence to the contrary. Beginning in the 1920s, A Very Long Engagement follows Mathilde's search for the truth of what happened to Manech in the war – as she uncovers a dishonourable cover-up in the muddy trenches of the Somme.

Shifting between the perpetually raining and gloomy trenches and the charming colour-tweaked French countryside, the film follows a partially non-linear structure, where events are re-told and layered as Mathilde builds on her discovery. She encounters some intriguing characters, with standout performances from Marion Cotillard (Love Me If You Dare) as vengeful prostitute Tina Lombardi, and the late Ticky Holgardo as private detective Germain Pire. Appearing unbilled, Jodie Foster impresses as the French-speaking Elodie – her story becomes one of the most interesting subplots.

A Very Long Engagement is lengthy and ambitious – it is sometimes difficult to follow so many characters and perspectives. But the abiding love Mathilde has for Manech; her faith that he's alive; glues the film together to result in the most striking foreign language film of 2004. ****/***** stars.

Party Monster (2003)

So bad, it's good - a guilty pleasure, if not quite as hedonistic as the lives of the club kids themselves

[6/10 · 2 January 2005]

Party Monster is based on the true story of 80s club kid and promoter, Michael Alig, infamous for his bizarre New York parties and, later, for the brutal murder of a drug dealer.

It's adapted from Alig's friend James St James' book Disco Bloodbath by filmmakers Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, whose earlier documentary about Alig actually inspired St James to write the book. After a nine-year absence, Macauley Culkin returns to film as cherubic bisexual Alig, who persuades James St James (a camp Seth Green) to teach him the art of infamy.

Famous for doing nothing long before reality TV, Alig becomes a manufacturer of celebrity and a promoter, serving up some wild parties, including a Halloween bloodbath, truck rave and kinky hospital party. The costumes, by Richie Rich and Michael Wilkinson, are spectacular and capture the excesses of the era. These kids affix fake spiders and cobwebs to their faces, wrap themselves in blood-soaked bandages,wear full body costumes and never look less than fabulous.

Considering the low budget and appalling production values, the high profile supporting cast is a surprise. Dylan McDermot plays Galien, club owner and Alig's mentor, with Mia Kirshner as his wife, Chloe Sevigny as Alig's girlfriend, plus Natasha Lyonne, Marilyn Manson and John Stamos. Wilson Cruz is enigmatic as wannabe and drug dealer Angel, and Wilmer Valderra is suitably objectified as Alig's beloved beefcake, DJ Keoki.

Party Monster suffers from uneven performances and poor direction but despite this, it's fascinating. It captures the disposability of party drug culture convincingly and will most likely become a cult classic. ***/***** stars.

Die, Mommie, Die! (2003)

Psycho Beach Party was much better, but this film would be brilliant as part of a drinking game (i.e., it has its moments)

[5/10 · 2 January 2005]

Die Mommie Die is the latest comedy from writer actor Charles Busch, best known for his sublime spoof, 2000's Psycho Beach Party.

Adapted from the stage play of the same name and directed by first-timer Mark Rucker, Die Mommie Die stars Busch as Angela Arden, a faded diva songstress who kills her hated husband to be with her much younger lover.

Everything's coming up melodrama in this flick, which parodies the so-called 'women's pictures' of the 1940s, 50s and 60s. It reminded me of 1945's Waterloo Bridge, starring Vivien Leigh. The music is pure soap, lines are lingered on and our diva's only ever shot through gauze. There's a great supporting cast: Phillip Baker Hall is her miserly movie producer husband, Sol; Station Agent's Patricia Clarkeson is the bible-bashing maid, Bootsie; Natasha Lyonne is daughter Edith (she loves her daddy just a little bit too much!) and Stark Sands is son Lance, a pot-smoker who's been expelled from school for having gay orgies. Jason Priestley steals the show as gigolo tennis pro Tony Parker.

Die Mommie Die is worth watching, although it's not a patch on Psycho Beach Party. Charles Busch is a one-note actor who cannot carry the lead role in a film. The jokes are thinner on the ground and ultimately it's just not camp enough. 2½ /5 stars.

My Architect (2003)

A very personal documentary which succeeds in evoking the splendour of Louis Kahn's buildings

[8/10 · 2 January 2005]

Nominated for best documentary feature at 2004's Academy Awards, My Architect follows filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn in his quest to find out about his father, the legendary architect Louis I Kahn. Lou Kahn died in 1974, when Nate was 11 years old, leaving behind an incredible but limited body of work, unpaid debts and three separate families all living within a few kilometres of each other.

My Architect follows Kahn's life through chronologically examining his buildings, and interspersing their beauty with the story of a charismatic, but selfish and emotionally immature genius. As the son which Lou never publicly acknowledged during his lifetime, Nate has delicately placed himself in the story without overpowering the main focus.

When examining the magnificent Salk Institute in California, Nate evokes his father's mythic use of space and light in his buildings, making it a peaceful and fascinating experience for viewers. The shot of Nate rollerblading in Salk's smoky white central meeting place emphasises the building's harmony with nature. It's breathtaking. My Architect also covers the difficulty Louis Kahn had with getting his designs accepted. Several fantastical buildings exist only on paper, dismissed by more practical architects and property developers. It wasn't until Louis Kahn went to the East that his visions were enthusiastically embraced. In India, where he built the Indian

Institute of Management, a former co-worker describes him as a guru. In Bhangladesh, where he built the magnificent National Assembly Building, citizens consider him a father of democracy.

Watching My Architect is a wonderful way to begin or continue learning about architecture and the importance of space. But it's the irony of Lou Kahn's egotism combined with the transcendence of his work that will inspire you. 4 stars.