Brisbane International Film Festival: Launch

Brisbane film fans rejoice! After a longer than usual fourteen month wait between outings, it is again time to gather in masses, watch movies and be merry during the city’s annual celebration of all things film, the Brisbane International Film Festival 2010. Moving from its traditional July to August home to a summery November slot on the events calendar (November 4 – 14 to be exact) in its nineteenth year, the 2010 festival marks the first under incoming director Richard Moore (taking on the role after overseeing the 2010 Melbourne offering, and the three prior), as well as the first away from the now sadly defunct and greatly missed Regent cinemas. So what lies in store for Queensland cinephiles throughout ten glorious days of the best that international cinema has to offer? Fresh from the fantastic launch event (featuring a pitch perfect presentation by Moore), we bring you the highlights of the 2010 program, as well as a promise to keep the BIFF news and reviews coming throughout the duration of the festival.

As always, there is truly something for everyone in the extensive and eclectic BIFF 2010 program. From 3D cane toads on opening night (Cane Toads: The Conquest) to John Woo kung fu to close the program (Reign Of Assassins), possibly the world’s first ‘womantic’ feature (the Brisbane-based comedy Jucy) to the utterly indescribable (Tommy Wiseau cult phenomenon The Room), the new look festival – in a new timeslot and new venues (Palace Centro and Barracks cinemas, and Tribal Theatre) – has assembled an amazing line-up, with films for young (well, 18 and over for the most part, given the severing of links between BIFF and Cine Sparks) and old.

For fans of big-name cinema, look no further than the Australian premiere of Sophia Coppola’s Venice Golden Lion-winning Somewhere (a coup so recent that it is not even listed in the official printed program), or the George Clooney-starring, Anton Corbijn-directed The American. Add Naomi Watts and Sean Penn in Doug Liman’s Fair Game, Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams in Sundance Grand Jury entrant Blue Valentine, Gotham award nominee Winter’s Bone and the animated adventure Megamind for the kids, and the more commercial-leaning contingent of entries is well and truly covered, with Welcome To The Rileys (starring James Gandolfini, Melissa Leo and Twilight‘s Kristen Stewart) and Brit caper comedy Wild Target rounding out the mix.

Award winners also feature prominently in 2010, with the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or recipient Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives likely to attract significant interest. Juliette Binoche’s acclaimed turn in Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami’s Certified Copy continues the Cannes flavour, whilst 2009 Golden Lion winner Lebanon joins the above-mentioned Somewhere in representing the best of Venice. The recipient of the highest accolade at the recent Sydney Film Festival also makes the list, with Xavier Dolan’s Heartbeats joining his debut piece I Killed My Mother alongside other Sydney and Melbourne screeners (I Love You Phillip Morris, Howl, Brotherhood, Life During Wartime, Little Sparrows, Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, and The Illusionist) as content familiar from other festivals.

In the Australian corner, the “Local Heroes” crop includes Guy Pearce and Miranda Otto in first-time filmmaker Simone North’s thriller I Am You, Bill Bennett’s Uninhabited, Jaws (also screening in a dive-in cinema special event alongside Deep Blue Sea) meets Open Water in The Reef, and True Blood‘s Ryan Kwanten in Red Hill. North, Bennett and Kwanten have also been announced as guests of the festival, with the latter certain to draw a crowd. Red Hill also forms part of the “Shock Corridor” section, with Gregg Araki’s Kaboom (described as Twin Peaks, Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Donnie Darko combined), absurdist road movie Rubber and Mexican cannibal flick We Are What We Are also on the bill.

Finally, the documentary section has received a boost, with Bill Cunningham New York, Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work and the Adrian Grenier-helmed Teenage Paparazzo among the best known pieces. Topical HBO production and Sundance Special Jury prize winner Gasland ranks among the highlights the section (with director Josh Fox slated to be in attendance), whilst other offerings such as Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, When You’re Strange: A Film About The Doors (part of the “Beatbox” music program), William S. Burroughs: A Man Within, Machete Maidens Unleashed! and Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story also noteworthy alongside fellow Sundance winner Restrepo, Last Train Home, Google Baby, Freakonomics and more.

Of course, the above is a mere taste of what is on offer amongst the twenty-three Australian premieres, three world firsts, and more films than you can poke a stick at, with South Korean effort The Actresses, French comedy Copacabana, the five and a half hour Carlos the Jackal epic Carlos, the beautifully named Mother Teresa Of Cats and even Jim Henson’s first non-Muppet film The Dark Crystal all screening. With Gaspar Noe’s Enter The Void, Michael Rowe’s Camera d’Or winner Leap Year, UK indie apocalypse film Monsters, Aussie rom-com The Wedding Party and a four feature tribute to cinematographer Jack Cardiff (including Hitchcock goes Down Under in Under Capricorn), BIFF 2010 has, as Moore so eloquently put it, “snap, crackle, pop, kick, bite and relevance”. What more could one want from a film festival?

Tickets for the 19th St. George Bank Brisbane International Film Festival are on sale today, with the festival running from November 4 – 14, 2010.

DVD Bits can be found on Twitter @DVDBits. DVD Bits is at http://www.dvdbits.com.

Paranormal Activity 2

In 2009, after a groundswell of grass roots marketing two years in the making (having originally screened at a genre film festival back in 2007), Paranormal Activity made its way into cinemas and was met with much fanfare. With word quickly circling comparing the film to viral sensation The Blair Witch Project from ten years earlier, the “is it real” conversation started chattering away despite blatant signs to the contrary. As it quickly emerged that the feature was pure fiction (constructed by director Oren Peli and stars Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat as a low-budget, single-camera entry into the horror canon), it was just these elements that ensured that increased buzz equated to increased box office profits. An unexpected success within its genre, it was immediately apparent that sequels would be forthcoming, with the creatively titled Paranormal Activity 2 fulfilling that prophecy just one year later.

In what is likely to be the sophomore effort in a film franchise destined to continue to infinity and beyond, Paranormal Activity 2 replicates the first film as faithfully as possible, albeit with a much larger amount of funding. The basic elements are there – the warning message over the opening sequence (“Paramount Pictures would like to thank the families of the deceased and the Carlsbad police force”), a large house in the Californian suburbs, a likeable group certain to be frightened out of their wits (a family, complete with bouncing baby, precocious teen and pet pooch), the ever-present handy cam (and seven conveniently placed security cameras as well – a little too conveniently, perhaps), and the strange, unexplained happenings at the centre of it all – with a few specific changes thrown in for that slightly different slant. To say any more would be to say too much, suffice to say that audiences familiar with the first feature are well prepared for the contents of the second. What unravels is a standard spooky thriller offering, with nothing new added to the genre.

Paranormal Activity is a competent ghost film, borne out of Peli’s own fear of the supernatural and filled with things that go bump in the night as the perfect fodder for scares and shocks, spills and thrills, and a few jumps and screams thrown in for good measure. As often happens with horror film sequels, Paranormal Activity 2 sticks to the formula, yet despite much higher production values is unable to manufacture the authenticity of the original. Indeed, throughout the carefully cultivated, tension riddled scenes something feels just a little off, something more than the otherworldly presence possibly haunting the protagonists. It may be the professional actors trying a little too hard to imitate real home video footage, or the much less subtle activities that menace the scared family. Perhaps it is the drawn out nature of events, or the lack of originality in crafting a facsimile of the first film. Maybe the flaws in logic are too fatal, or the conclusion too easy to predict from the opening frame. Regardless, Paranormal Activity 2 wears thin fast, with the mild thrills cultivated too long in coming, and the few genuine jump-inducing moments too brief to be sustained.

Despite such criticisms, The Door In The Floor director Tod William’s take on the topic (credited as based on its predecessor, rather than remaking or following) is sure to be a hit with teen audiences if the screaming, cheering and sometimes jeering fellow patrons in my screening are any indication. A well-kept secret link to the first film adds interest, however the remainder is a paint-by-numbers spot-the-difference effort indistinguishable from, and less accomplished as, Peli’s effective initial offering.

As an interesting side note, it is worth noting that Paranormal Activity 2 is not the only sequel to Paranormal Activity currently making the rounds. A Japanese feature also entitled Paranormal Activity 2 – with the subtitle Tokyo Nights – is about to sweep Asia, and one can only hope that with Japan’s rich history in horror filmmaking to call on it adds more to the fold.

Paranormal Activity 2 is now screening.

DVD Bits can be found on Twitter @DVDBits. DVD Bits is at http://www.dvdbits.com.

The City Of Your Final Destination

Universally recognised in tandem for the better part of half a century, producer Ismail Merchant and director James Ivory have forged a long-running career untangling the complexities of the human condition, as perfectly positioned within the period realm. Joining with prolific screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and renowned composer Richard Robbins, the foursome have crafted complex dramas, often setting-specific, with undercurrents of romance and themes of tragedy hidden within and repeated throughout. From the debut 1963 effort The Householder to the height of Merchant Ivory filmmaking in the 1980s and 1990s (exemplified by A Room With A View, Howard’s End, and The Remains Of The Day), the company – originally founded to make internationally-focused English-language films in India – has carved a unique niche in the market, with the reputation of their productions often augmenting the attraction to their films. Although quieter during the twenty-first century with just seven pieces making their way to screens (The Golden Bowl being the best known, and Le Divorce the worst received), the so-called Merchant Ivory genre still remains, albeit without the Merchant element since his 2005 passing. The City Of Your Final Destination is the latest release from the iconic brand (and the first that Ivory has made since his partner’s death), in a beautiful and seductive, contemplative and symbolic character piece based on Peter Cameron’s novel of the same name.

From his adopted home in Kansas, stagnant university academic Omar Razaghi (Omar Metwally, Rendition) is working towards completing his doctorate, with a biography of late author Jules Gund the cornerstone of his work. When his request to delve into Gund’s personal affairs is declined by the executors of the writer’s estate, Omar is at a loss (his goal of securing further funding to become Professor Razaghi – a title he remarks will make him sound like a magician – depends on the book), yet his determined girlfriend Deirdre (Alexandra Maria Lara, Farewell) convinces him to continue to fight for authorisation. Travelling 5,000 miles to the Gund family home in Uruguay, Omar arrives unannounced at the sprawling property shared by widow Caroline (Laura Linney, The Other Man), mistress Arden (Charlotte Gainsbourg, The Tree), brother Adam (Anthony Hopkins, The Wolfman) and his lover (Hiroyuki Sanada, Sunshine), with each meeting the stranger with varying levels of caution. As he becomes more immersed in their unusual lifestyle in the idyllic locale, his focus shifts from Gund’s literary legacy to his personal life, amplified by diverse reactions to his continued pleas for access. Embroiled in the labyrinthine minutiae of personal relationships left in the shadow of the author’s departed presence, Omar cultivates a burgeoning bond with the motley crew of tortured souls, impacting his outlook on the private and professional fronts.

Subtle and seductive despite its slow-moving premise, The City Of Your Final Destination may not be the type of film to receive mass-scale appreciation, however Ivory’s layered approach rewards those willing to make the commitment to this cerebral gem. With little happening other than the voyeurism and psychoanalysis of human connections, the feature is predicated upon the audience buying into the intricate premise (and accepting the unlikely predicament), achieving modest success in terms of emotional resonance in a quietly enthralling offering. As tends to be the case with such films – and with most of the Merchant Ivory catalogue given the stellar rota of contributors (Helena Bonham Carter, Emma Thompson, Vanessa Redgrave, Hopkins and the like) – it is the work of the actors that provides the central unifying element, with relative unknown Metwally well cast as the enigmatic lead. The remainder of the performers – Linney, Gainsbourg, Hopkins and Sanada – each add their own sense of style, with the complete package resembling a precarious and painstakingly deliberate melting pot of cultures and experiences. Although the end product is quite familiar and predictable (and stilted in dialogue), the viewer is imbued with a classic art-house experience through the sensitive journey the story takes. To that end, The City Of Your Final Destination is both lush and leisurely in equally understated measures, in a rich, nuanced voyage through fractured hearts and minds.

The City Of Your Final Destination is now screening in cinemas across Australia.

DVD Bits can be found on Twitter @DVDBits. DVD Bits is at http://www.dvdbits.com.

Made in Dagenham

In 1968, multinational car manufacturer Ford (yes, the makers of those Falcons we see lining Australian suburban streets) employed 25,000 workers at the 475 acre Dagenham assembly plant in the east of London. Of the large number of employees – most of whom travelled to the vast factory by bicycle – only 187 were women, working as machinists piecing together vinyl offcuts to cover the seats and interiors of Ford’s motor vehicles. Though they have may been small in number, and trapped in a patriarchal system in which females were treated as second class citizens, each and every one of the women workers of Dagenham would bring the company to account for their practices in 1968, in a landmark labour relations battle. Forever remembered as the David vs Goliath dispute that led the world into a new era of industrial equality, the plight of the 187 women changed history, leaving an enduring legacy still felt to this day. Made In Dagenham is their story.

When a new grading system resulted in the jobs of women machinists being classed as unskilled – and paid accordingly, the workers involved sought industrial action as their only avenue of recourse. Voting to proceed on May 28, 1968, the close-knit group of friends deferred to the leadership of their boss Albert (Bob Hoskins, Vanity Fair) and union crone Monty (Kenneth Cranham, Valkyrie), as well as the secondary support of shop steward Connie (Geraldine James, Sherlock Holmes), with outspoken housewife Rita O’Grady (Sally Hawkins, Cassandra’s Dream) unwittingly pulled into the fold. A hit with her straight talking ways almost immediately, Rita assumed control of the coordination of their increasingly unsuccessful plight. Championing their cause at the highest levels (including Secretary of State Barbara Castle, played by The Young Victoria‘s Miranda Richardson), she garnered attention from those who mattered, adding weight behind their fight for equal rights.

Of course, strikes were far from unusual in Britain at the time, with an estimated five million working days lost in the two years leading up to the Dagenham events. What made this battle special was the perceived audacity of women to question their place in the workforce, with laws at the time allowing employers to pay females less simply because they could. Indeed, many of the men surrounding the courageous crusaders withheld their backing, from Connie’s traumatised husband (Roger Lloyd-Pack, Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire) to Rita’s embarrassed partner Eddie (Daniel Mays, The Red Riding Trilogy). Even some of the more fickle amongst them – including wannabe model Sandra (Jaime Winstone, daughter of Ray and star of Donkey Punch) – wavered under the promise of instant gratification, with Rita’s tenacity in the face of blatant disregard the one factor able to unite the disparate crowd.

A class warfare drama that invokes the spirit of Norma Rae complete with a spirited performance from a Sally – Hawkins, not Field (including an award-worthy portrayal, with Field earning the first of her two best actress Oscars for her work, and Hawkins likely to follow with a nomination at least in a turn equal in effort to that in Happy-Go-Lucky), Made In Dagenham demonstrates the human side behind levelling the playing field between men and women, at a time when such a concept was considered preposterous. With upper class support obtained through Rosamund Pike’s (An Education) stay-at-home mother (and tertiary educated wife of a Ford head honco, grossly under-appreciated at home), and the evil American corporation personified by Richard Schiff’s (The Reluctant Infidel) imported corporate big wig, the feature sets up a basic underdog story akin to previous great British efforts Calendar Girls, The Full Monty and Brassed Off.

Indeed, like films that share its pedigree (with director Nigel Cole also helming the above-mentioned Calendar Girls), where Made In Dagenham succeeds is in terms of humour and humanity, with the former essential in the re-telling of historical events, and the latter amply accounted for in the monumental struggle of the characters’ real life counterparts. Yes, it all seems very familiar, however what elevates Cole’s interpretation of first time writer Bill Ivory’s script is genuine levity in the face of blatant exploitation, and a can-do attitude that shines through from start to finish. With no trace of the Ken Loach (the filmmaker behind such English social commentaries Looking For Eric and My Name Is Joe) approach, Made In Dagenham doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it does re-purpose it with rousing, heart-warming skill and style. Engaging and vibrant, enthralling and spirited, the resulting cheerful political escapade makes for crowd-pleasing viewing, with box office receipts sure to match.

Made In Dagenham opens around Australia from October 28, 2010.

DVD Bits can be found on Twitter @DVDBits. DVD Bits is at http://www.dvdbits.com.

Summer Coda

It has been commonly assumed within the local film industry (and exacerbated by extensive media coverage) that Australian audiences aren’t too fussed about Australian films. Too depressing, opines one school of thought. Too Australian, posits another. And purely on box office evidence, on cinema takings and patrons on seats, it would appear that both of the above statements are right. Indeed, as a film-producing nation, for too long we have been known for producing maudlin high-brow fare (think Beautiful Kate, Last Ride and Bright Star, as recent examples) and larrikin comedies (again, of late see Subdivision, Charlie & Boots and Prime Mover), with little in between. Of course, those well-versed on the subject are aware that this generalisation is far from an accurate reflection of the state of Australian features, however to the broader public sadly the perception is the reality.

Thankfully, in recent years the mindset of the masses has begun to catch up with the actuality within the industry, with Samson And Delilah, Mao’s Last Dancer, Bran Nue Dae and Animal Kingdom faring well with viewers and reviewers alike. Similarly, movies that may have traditionally garnered criticism for falling into the above-mentioned categories (Balibo, The Waiting City, The Tree) have found their niche with audiences, just as genre pieces (Daybreakers, Tomorrow When The War Began, The Loved Ones) have begun to cultivate new target markets. The latest Australian release – Richard Gray’s debut feature Summer Coda – continues in this vein, in a perfect example of the type of film that this nation is, has been and should be making. Plaintive and piquant, Australian and unique, and gentle and genuine, the sweet and subtle offering starring Rachael Taylor and Alex Dimitriades is a sure-fire local hit.

With a resonant orchestral score and pithy soundtrack signalling the start of something special, Summer Coda opens with Heidi (Taylor, Cedar Boys) playing the violin with passion. Next we glimpse her desperately rushing from her Reno, Nevada home to Australia, and then making her way from Melbourne to Mildura by any means possible, a satchel and a worn instrument case in tow. After a midnight visit to see a friend (Jacki Weaver, Three Blind Mice), Heidi takes to the highway, hitchhiking her way through the Australian outback for a rendezvous with the family she’s never known. When a passing farmer Michael (Dimitriades, Wog Boy 2: Kings Of Mykonos) offers a lift to her destination, the seeds of friendship are planted, blooming over shared experiences, growing in the aftermath of a teary reunion (involving Little Fish‘s Susie Porter and South Solitary‘s Reef Ireland), and becoming firmly established during a romanticised summer stint fruit picking in the shadow of a golden orange grove.

Despite the criticism oft received by local efforts, and irrespective of ticket sales and funding difficulties, Australian filmmakers continue to bring great local stories to the big screen. Summer Coda is no exception, showcasing our sunburned and scenic country with skill and style, in a romantic comedy road movie filled with love, lamentations and laughter. The cast is excellent (particularly Dimitriades, making the most of his rare turn in a leading role, and Taylor, proving her talents extend beyond the surface), the script well-paced (shifting in tone from slow and sparse to fast and fresh throughout the course of the film), cinematography picturesque and direction deliberately crafted, in an exceptional achievement from the crew of mostly first-timers. An ambitious offering from all involved, and one let down only by length, Summer Coda is a naturalistic and melancholic journey through the inferred over the explicit, a journey that pays off handsomely despite of – or perhaps augmented by – a distinct sense of character, internationally relevant, but specific to the Australian experience.

Summer Coda opens in selected cinemas nationwide on October 21, 2010, with advance screenings between October 15 – 17.

DVD Bits can be found on Twitter @DVDBits. DVD Bits is at http://www.dvdbits.com.

The Town

Born in Berkeley, California but raised in the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts, actor, writer and director Ben Affleck may be best known for his work in Hollywood, however the highlights of his career have bloomed from humble beginnings on the streets of his youth. Yes, fame courtesy of a number of Kevin Smith collaborations (Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back, and Jersey Girl) and the usual rom-com and action-based fare (Forces Of Nature, the much maligned Gigli, and He’s Just Not That Into You in one corner, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor and Daredevil in the other) has led him down the path to big screen stardom, however despite the glitz and glamour of mainstream filmmaking, Affleck’s fascination with his home town has remained. From Academy Award winner Good Will Hunting (with Affleck taking home the statue for best original screenplay alongside his friend and fellow thespian, Matt Damon) to his directorial debut Gone Baby Gone (starring younger brother Casey Affleck, last seen in The Killer Inside Me), Boston has retained a special place within his body of work. Affleck’s latest effort – and second behind the camera – The Town continues his preference for the haunts of his childhood, in a competent cops and robbers character caper set in the city’s crime capital.

As the opening informs, one blue-collar Boston neighbourhood has produced more bank robbers and car thieves than any other area in the world. The locale in question is Charlestown, home to a large contingent of the city’s Irish community, where the family vocation is often crime, passed down from father to son. Doug MacRay (Affleck, last seen in Extract, working hard both in front and behind the lens) is one such recipient of an inter-generational occupation, with the failed pro-hockey player turning to his father’s profession when his luck in the big leagues ran out. Alongside arrogant best friend James “Jem” Coughlin (Jeremy Renner, deserving best actor Oscar nominee earlier this year for The Hurt Locker) and a crew of cronies, MacRay specialises in big stakes heists executed with exacting precision, orchestrated by criminal kingpin Fergie the Florist (Pete Postlethwaite, Clash Of The Titans ). When a routine Cambridge bank job goes awry leaving manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall, Dorian Gray) as a witness, the FBI (lead by Mad Men‘s Jon Hamm and Deadwood‘s Titus Welliver) start circling MacRay’s gang. Protecting his interests, MacRay manoeuvres his way into a romantic entanglement with Claire (much to the dismay of Krista, his ex-girlfriend and Jem’s sister, played by Gossip Girl‘s Blake Lively), playing both sides against the middle in a predicament dictated as much by his heart as his head.

With an outstanding ensemble cast (challenging Inception for the best assortment of actors assembled on screen this year) each sporting a thick Boston drawl, The Town delves straight into expected territory in an examination of lives and loves on the wrong side of the thin blue line. A stylish, slick and fast-paced action / drama hybrid infused with emotional depth amidst narrative familiarity (with the storyline recognisable not only to readers of the source material – Chuck Hogan’s “Prince of Thieves” – but to viewers of many analogous features from years gone by, Heat being the most comparable), it lacks the polish of Affleck’s directorial predecessor, compensating with fully-rounded characters fleshed out beyond the bounds of normal crime fare. Indeed, as mentioned in the film’s marketing campaign, parallels with Scorsese’s acclaimed The Departed are not off target (or even Clint Eastwood’s similarly lauded Mystic River, for that matter), with The Town acquitting itself well – courtesy of powerhouse performances from all involved, artfully accomplished set pieces, capable direction and a cracking script – against considerable competition. Another irresistible home grown effort from Affleck as a director, as well his long-awaited return to form as the feature’s immoral lead, The Town is a tense, intelligent and mature thriller that subverts the norm whilst ticking all the boxes in terms of the heist, crime, and cops and robbers sub-genres.

The Town opens in Australian cinemas on October 14, 2010.

DVD Bits can be found on Twitter @DVDBits. DVD Bits is at http://www.dvdbits.com.