David M. Brown's Blog, page 37
August 19, 2013
Film Review: 50/50
Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen team up to beat the odds in a film that Rolling Stone calls achingly hilarious and heartfelt. Diagnosed with spinal cancer, 27 year old Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) navigates the road to recovery with the sometimes overbearing support of his crude best friend (Rogen), his smothering mother (Angelica Huston) and an inexperienced therapist (Anna Kendrick). Inspired by a true story of writer Will Reiser, 50/50 is an honest yet hysterically funny account of a young man’s journey toward healing.Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Anjelica Huston, Bryce Dalllas Howard
Directed by: Jonathan Levine
Runtime: 100 minutes
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB
Review: 50/50
Based on a true story Jonathan Levine’s comedy drama tells the story of Adam Lerner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a journalist, whose life is turned upside down when he is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer at the age of 27. Living with his artist girlfriend, Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard), and reliant on his best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen), Adam undergoes chemotherapy and begins a long and painful journey in the hope of recovering from his illness, each day becoming ever more aware of his fragile mortality.
Adam’s life is fine at the outset. He has a good friendship with Kyle and his relationship with Rachael is becoming serious but once he becomes ill this puts a strain on the two of them. Kyle stands by his friend but it becomes increasingly difficult for Rachael to do the same. While undergoing chemotherapy Adam becomes friends with fellow cancer patients Alan (Philip Baker Hall) and Mitch (Matt Frewer), and is also given hope in the form of a young therapist Katherine (Anna Kendrick), who Adam is sent to talk through his issues while he is being treated. Adam’s personal life crumbles all around him as the months go by and relationships with his girlfriend, best friend and mother (Anjelica Huston) are all severely tested. In the end you will be left wondering whether Adam will overcome his illness.
50/50 finds the perfect balance with the myriad of emotions it manages to convey. The character of Kyle brings us the light relief we need on occasion and is well played by Seth Rogen but it is Gordon-Levitt, who was cast very late in the day, who excels in his portrayal of Adam. 50/50 manages to be both funny and extremely moving at the same time. Great films have the ability to deliver poignancy not just in words but in actions. One of the most moving moments is when a now bald headed Adam carries an inebriated Kyle home and finds in his apartment evidence of just how seriously Kyle has been taking his friend’s illness and how much he wants to help him through it. Rachael is the girlfriend you will come to hate for how she treats Adam while Katherine is the wonderful therapist you will want Adam to be with. I won’t say how this one ends, only that some may need tissues on standby.
50/50 is a very well made account of one young man who faces a difficult illness and discovers who in his life he can rely on to try and help him through it. A great cast deliver a fine array of performances and the film in itself has so many notable scenes that will resonate with you long after the final credits have rolled. Highly recommended.
Verdict: 5/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: 50/50 | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
August 18, 2013
Film Review: Awake
Medical thriller starring Hayden Christensen and Jessica Alba. 22-year old Clay Beresford (Christensen) has a successful career with a capital investment firm and a beautiful fiancee named Sam (Alba). His life would be perfect but for the heart condition that requires him to have a transplant, and the fact that he has to hide his engagement from his mother, Lilith (Lena Olin), because Sam is her personal assistant. His friend, Dr. Jack Harper (Terrence Howard), is scheduled to perform the operation but Clay’s family thinks he should go to a better clinic with a more experienced surgeon. After a row with Lilith over his relationship with Sam, Clay asks Dr. Harper to arrange a quick wedding. After marrying in a church at midnight, Clay goes to the hospital for his operation. However, after being given the anaesthetic, Clay finds that he’s still awake and aware, but completely paralysed. While seemingly under, he discovers a plot to end his young life, but how is he to supposed stop it?
Starring: Terrence Howard, Fisher Stevens, Arliss Howard, Hayden Christensen, Sam Robards
Directed by: Joby Harold
Runtime: 84 minutes
Studio: The Weinstein Company
Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB Review: Awake
Joby Harold’s drama certainly has an interesting premise. Clay Beresford (Hayden Christensen) is a rich businessman and is in love with his mother’s personal assistant, Sam (Jessica Alba), and has been seeing her behind his mother’s back. Clay requires a heart transplant and has turned to Dr Jack Harper (Terrence Howard) for help. When Clay gets word a heart is ready for him, he marries Sam at a hastily organised ceremony before heading to the hospital. Once under anesthesia, Clay encounters a rare condition where he remains awake during the operation, his mind active though on the surface he appears to be asleep. Clay can hear the discussions around the operating table and soon learns all is not well.
In the waiting room Sam and Clay’s mother, Lillith (Lena Olin), patiently await news of his condition. Remaining awake, Clay is able to play back many events leading up to the operation and it soon becomes apparent that Dr Harper has no desire to save his life. The plan is for Clay to be killed but why? Out in the waiting room Sam and Lillith are reassured that all is well with Clay. The question is how can Clay prevent his death when he is under anaesthetic? Will Sam and Lillith realise what is going on or is Clay doomed?
The storyline for Awake sounded quite interesting but sadly the execution lets it down badly. Christensen has never astonished me with his acting ability in the past and he does nothing to set the record straight here as the leading man. The dilemma of how Clay can let someone know what is going on was a very good one but how the whole thing resolves itself is just far too straightforward. Though it was good watching the bad guys get their comeuppance here it did nothing to rescue what was a disappointing thriller overall. Olin was one of the few highlights in the film though even she felt underused.
On the surface, Awake has a good idea for a storyline but beyond that it fails. Christensen doesn’t lead the cast particularly well, the twists in the narrative are not bad but once unraveled there is no wow factor, while the film’s run time of less than 90 minutes leaves it lacking in substance. This is an idea that should be explored again but with a much better storyline next time round. The statistics that accompany the film are also said to be highly questionable which makes one shake their head even more.
Verdict: 1/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Awake | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
August 17, 2013
Guest Post: Ann Whitley-Gillen
We are delighted to welcome Ann Whitley-Gillen, author of Last Train to Omaha, who joins us to share a guest post about her writing journey.
Ann’s StoryFollowing a routine mammogram in November 2011, Ann received a call to return for a biopsy. When the results came back negative, she was relieved. Two weeks later, she suffered a major breast infection and was treated with intravenous antibiotics and morphine. During her follow-up exam, doctors found a lump they had missed the first time. After waiting anxiously over the Christmas holidays, Ann received the devastating diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in her left breast.
Shortly after surgery and during her recovery, Ann felt very isolated and alone even though she was surrounded by many supportive friends and family. Not sure where to turn, she heeded her niece’s advice and read Anitcancer by Dr. David Servan-Schreiber. Reading the book helped reduce her feelings of fear and anxiety. She also had a mentor to help get her through the hardest times.
Ann’s Therapy: Writing Last Train to OmahaWhile reading Anticancer, Ann discovered the poem “Limited” by Carl Sandburg. Its premise is that life is a train, and we are all heading to the same place. Death happens to everyone, one day or another, so we shouldn’t feel alone.
Not so long after she read this poem, Ann dreamed about a man who witnessed a tragic event: the death of his best friend in a train accident. After shutting himself off from the world, he survived through this difficult time by helping veterans through their dying process. After waking up, Ann told her husband about this dream who responded that she had to write about it.
Ann with her husband and four children at the book launch of “Last Train to Omaha”
Ann wrote her book about destiny. It was a way to release the pain and despair she felt after her diagnosis. She used her own story to develop her characters. For example, the main character, who lost his best friend in a tragic accident, represents Ann’s loss of her mother to pancreatic cancer. The protagonist’s volunteer work at a Veteran’s hospital was his therapy while writing this book was Ann’s therapy. It helped her cope with her mother’s passing and to find strength through her own illness.
Ann fought cancer by building a dream for herself. Her dream, Last Train to Omaha, was successfully launched on February 28th, 2013. She would like to continue writing and hopes to devote more time to her passion. More importantly, Ann recently learned she is cancer-free. She’s enjoying life more than ever.
Ann’s Words of Wisdom“Everyone has their own journey. I realized this as I was going through cancer recovery. Find what works for you and grab hold of it. For me, it was creating the characters and writing this novel. For others, it could be cooking or baking. Whatever it is, find it, it will give you comfort. At any given time, life can end. After battling cancer, I know this now. Whatever your path is, whatever your destiny is, you will get through as long as you embrace it.”
About Last Train to Omaha (2013)
After a horrific accident claims the life of his best friend at the age of eighteen, James Milligan is changed forever. For the next seventeen years, he lives as a shadow of his former self: shutting out those who love him most, navigating through life in a veil of solitude and drowning himself in anxiety and guilt. When a chance encounter introduces him to Martin Diggs, an enigmatic war veteran, and palliative care nurse Rebecca Doyle, his life takes a turn for the best. Rebecca reignites emotions he thought were gone forever, and Martin challenges him to accept his shattered past and move forward.
Last Train to Omaha is the story of a broken man gaining the strength to let go of crippling blame and doubt that plague him, so he can pick up the pieces of his life and put them back together.
Amazon USAmazon UKKoboB&NGoodreads About Ann Whitley-GillenAnn Whitely-Gillen resides in Ottawa, Canada, where she is a full-time communications advisor and freelance writer. Ann lives with her husband and four children, who she loves to spend time with along with their family dog. In her leisure time, Ann enjoys watching an indie film, reading a good book, or dancing when no one’s looking.
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Guest Post: Ann Whitley-Gillen | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Film Review: Catfish
Directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman are young New York media types who document their lives as a matter of course. So when photographer Yaniv, Ariel’s brother with whom they share office space, receives an email from Abby, an 8-year-old Michigan girl, seeking permission to paint one of his photographs, their recordings suddenly get a lot more interesting. As Abby’s paintings start to arrive thick and fast, Yaniv strikes up a Facebook and phone relationship not just with Abby but also her mom and her older sister Megan. Soon Yaniv and Megan are flirting like mad but a troubling discovery arouses his suspicions and he sets off to Michigan – with the filmmakers in tow.
Starring: Nev Schulman, Michigander Abby
Directed by: Ariel Schulman, Henry Joost
Runtime: 88 minutes
Studio: Universal
Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB Review: Catfish
Catfish is a documentary that follows photographer, Yani “Nev” Schulman, who lives with his brother Ariel in New York. One day Nev receives a painting from an eight year old girl named Abby who lives in Michigan. Abby has painted one of Nev’s photos that has appeared in a newspaper. Nev’s brother, Ariel, and his friend Henry begin filming this exchange. Over time Nev corresponds with Abby, her mum Angela, and a much older sister, Megan. Nev’s contact is through social media, mail and even on the telephone. What begins as an innocent interaction becomes more serious as Nev and Megan grow closer but as time goes by something doesn’t seem right.
Nev’s relationship with Megan begins positively and it’s clear they have lot in common. Megan enjoys music and begins sending recordings to Nev. One day he requests she cover a particular song and it is very quickly sent to him which arouses his suspicions. Nev investigates YouTube and finds Megan has been taking cover songs from other artists, sending them to Nev and pretending they’re her own. All of a sudden, Nev has doubts about Megan, Angela and Abby. As he investigates further he realises that there are many more deceptions waiting to be uncovered. In the end Nev, Ariel and Henry decide to drive to Michigan to investigate for themselves. They don’t inform Angela, Abby or Megan of what they’re doing, believing a surprise visit will the best way to discover the truth.
Nev’s story is an interesting one, beginning with his innocent contact with Abby. He becomes friendly with all the family, especially Megan, but once he has uncovered one lie, a plethora all suddenly emerge. The film takes on a much darker tone at this stage and is decidedly eerie as Nev, Ariel and Henry drive through the streets of Michigan and find landmarks that they have seen images of previously. All that is left is for Nev to confront Angela, Abby and Megan for the truth and what he discovers is surprising. The documentary itself is a valuable lesson about the care we all need to take online. It is so easy to deceive others and pretend you’re someone else. Responses to Angela’s family have been harsh from some people but when we learn what has been going on and why it’s hard not to be sympathetic.
Catfish is a well-crafted and intriguing documentary that has valuable lessons about online safety. In a world where we can interact with anyone in the world at the click of a button, Catfish does a good job of revealing the sinister side of social media and how so many people can be left hurt and deceived by others. Nev’s discovery of the lies told by Angela and her family hit him hard but there are still many positives for him to take from the experience and valuable insights for the rest of us to take note of.
Verdict: 4/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Catfish | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Film Review: 21
Slick casino scam tale based on Ben Mezrich’s book ‘Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions’. Brilliant M.I.T. student Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) has got money worries, if he doesn’t come up with $300,000 he’s going to be kicked out. Luckily for Ben, help is at hand in the shape of maths professor Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey), who has formed a team of students capable of taking on the casinos of Las Vegas and beating them at blackjack, using a technique known as card counting. But as the team start to win, and win big, the glitzy lifestyle soon starts to ensnare Ben, and he begins to believe he’s untouchable. With the team attracting the attention of casino security chief Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne), it’s not long before the stakes are raised to dangerous levels.
Starring: Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, Aaron Yoo, Liza Lapira
Directed by: Robert Luketic
Runtime: 123 minutes
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB Review: 21
The dangerous world of gambling is the setting for Robert Luketic’s drama. Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) is a student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and earns the chance of a place at Harvard Medical School but cannot afford the $300,000 fee. His scores are great but there is competition for a Robinson Scholarship that would cover the fees for all of his schooling. Meeting with the director, Ben is told an individual with the best story will get the place. What does Ben have to offer in terms of life experience? Well, quite a lot as it turns out.
At MIT Ben wins the admiration of professor Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey) who invites him to join his blackjack team, a select group of students that head to Las Vegas at weekends and win big money. The group is made up of Choi (Aaron Yoo), Fisher (Jacob Pitts), Jill (Kate Bosworth), and Kianna (Liza Lapira). Ben initially refuses to join the team but Jill persuades him and given Ben’s attraction towards her he is soon heading for Las Vegas, but only long enough to earn the fees for Harvard. Micky divides his team up having one group hit the casino tables and play minimum bets, signalling for the best tables. It is at this point that the rest of the team step in and bet big money. The team use a system of card counting and Ben is soon astonished how easy it is to win big. However, his skill at the game incites the jealousy of Fisher and for every trip they make to Vegas the more the harmony of the group is threatened. The presence of the vigilant security chief Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne) also puts the group in the spotlight. Can Ben earn enough for Harvard? Can he stop gambling? Will he and Rosa end up together?
The tense world of gambling is conveyed well here with Ben having to play high stakes at the casino tables but his ultra quick mind and excellent memory see him become the rising star in the group. Inevitably, the wheels begin to come off the venture and Ben soon finds himself alone with the stakes stacked heavily against him. Sturgess is good in the lead and the rest of the blackjack team are a varied and interesting bunch, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Fishburne does well as the menacing Williams but it is Spacey once again who effortlessly steals the film as the head of the blackjack team that sends his students into the fray but does not gamble himself for interesting reasons.
21 is a solid gambling drama about playing the system and evading the watchful eyes of the casino security. There are some good twists and turns along the way as Ben soon realises he has bitten off more than he can chew. The conclusion may be somewhat predictable but it remains a satisfying denouement and rounds off the overall narrative very well.
Verdict: 4/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: 21 | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
August 16, 2013
Film Review: Night of the Living Dead
George A. Romero’s low-budget horror classic. One quiet morning, Barbara (Judith O’Dea) and Johnny’s (Russell Streiner) visit to their father’s grave is interrupted when Johnny is killed by a flesh-eating stranger. Barbara escapes to a nearby farmhouse, meets up with a few other desperate individuals, and prepares to do battle with the zombies who gather outside.
Starring: Duane Jones, Judith O’Dea, Karl Hardman, Marilyn Eastman, Keith Wayne
Directed by: George A. Romero
Runtime: 96 minutes
Studio: Gaiam – Entertainment
Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB Review: Night of the Living Dead
George A. Romero’s groundbreaking horror from the late Sixties begins with Barbra (Judith O’Dea) and Johnny (Russell Streiner) driving to Pennsylvania to visit their father’s grave. They haven’t been there long before Barbra is attacked by one of the locals. Johnny tries to help but ends up being killed in the process, leaving Barbra to flee to a farmhouse where she takes refuge. She is not alone for long though. Ben (Duane Jones) also comes to the farmhouse in search of sanctuary and the pair soon uncover in the cellar a couple – Harry (Karl Hardman) and Helen (Marilyn Eastman), as well as their daughter, Karen (Kyra Schon). There is also a teenage couple, Tom (Keith Wayne) and Judy (Judith Ridley). The group of seven are forced to barricade themselves inside the farmhouse to escape a horde of zombies that descend on their location and prevent them from escaping.
The local zombie horde are possibly the result of some radioactive contamination but the scientists are not certain of the origin. What isn’t in doubt is that the virus is spreading throughout the east coast of America at a frightening rate. The zombies are eating anyone that gets in their way and those that are bitten are also joining the army of the undead. This poses something of a problem for the group hiding in the farmhouse as Harry and Helen’s daughter, Karen, is ill in the cellar having been bitten by one of the zombies! Ben leads the defence of the farmhouse but as more zombies become visible outside it becomes clear that they can’t stay there forever. Someone will have to head outside, brave the zombie horde, and find the means for the group to make a getaway.
Considered by some to be the first zombie film, Night of the Living Dead deserves many plaudits for its influence alone. Some elements are surprisingly graphic for a film as old as this, with images of the zombies happily feasting on flesh still able to turn the odd stomach. Romero filmed this in black and white, presumably to minimise the impact of the images, and this doesn’t hinder the overall experience. Many of the zombies are clearly just people moving slowly with no groundbreaking make-up effects in sight but it is easy to overlook those aspects given the budget limitations and that Romero would have been very much finding his feet with this genre. A decent cast are well led by Duane Jones as the group’s resourceful leader and there are suitably fierce differences of opinion within the farmhouse that threaten to destroy any equilibrium before the zombies have even broken down the doors.
Night of the Living Dead may be showing its age but it remains an impressive effort from Romero and its significance for the zombie genre is without question. For a film this old, some elements remain unnerving and there is some gore in there that not even black and white can minimise greatly. Perhaps one of the film’s great strengths comes with that shocking conclusion as normality is seemingly restored on the east coast of the U.S. but only when the group at the farmhouse have paid a heavy price.
Verdict: 4/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Night of the Living Dead | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
August 15, 2013
Film Review: Lantana
In present-day Sydney, Sonja Zat (Kerry Armstrong) visits her therapist Valerie (Barbara Hershey) and expresses concerns that her detective husband Leon (Anthony LaPaglia) is having an affair. For her part, Valerie also has some worries about her own husband John (Geoffrey Rush), and begins to suspect that he is having a gay affair with a young patient of hers. Meanwhile, Jane (Rachael Blake), a young woman who actually has begun a recent affair with Leon, becomes suspicious of her neighbour Nik’s strange behaviour.
Starring: Anthony LaPaglia, Geoffrey Rush, Barbara Hershey, Kerry Armstrong, Rachael Blake
Directed by: Ray Lawrence
Runtime: 121 minutes
Studio: Lions Gate
Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB Review: Lantana
Ray Lawrence’s thriller focuses on three couples and how their lives are connected by a disappearance. Leon (Anthony LaPaglia) is a police officer whose marriage to Sonja (Kerry Armstrong) is somewhat on the rocks. They love their two sons but Leon is having an affair with Jane (Rachel Blake) whose husband has moved out due to their own problems. Leon is struggling with emotional issues, particularly anger, but doesn’t realise his wife has sought help of her own from therapist, Valerie (Barbara Hershey), who has published a book about her young daughter’s murder. Valerie’s marriage to John (Geoffrey Rush) is also struggling, the two of them having never recovered from their daughter’s death. Valerie suspects her husband may be cheating and, though reluctantly, she has begun to link her husband to a patient, Patrick Phelan (Peter Phelps), who talks of an affair he is having with a married man. Quite a complex web we have weaved for ourselves.
When Jane becomes more insistent on seeing Leon, he breaks off their affair and looks to repair his own marriage. He is soon investigating the disappearance of a woman who turns out to be Valerie. We see Valerie crash her car in the middle of the night and although she calls John he doesn’t respond. The last we know of Valerie is a car slowing which she approaches for help. Is she still alive? If not, who was the last person to see her? As Leon investigates the case he is struck by numerous revelations, the first that Sonya was a patient of Valeries’ and secondly he ends up visiting Jane’s residence. Jane has reported the unusual activity of a neighbour, Nik (Vince Colosimo), who returned home late the night of Valerie’s disappearance, clearly agitated, before throwing an item into the bushes. Jane has retrieved the item and it turns out to be Valerie’s shoe. Has Leon found the killer? What follows is a difficult resolution of sorts for the three marriages at the heart of this story but will anyone come out unscathed?
Lantana is an intriguing thriller from start to finish. It is also a fascinating study of three marriages all faced with their own difficulties. Leon and Sonja’s marriage is crumbling through loss of affection and the inability simply to talk. Valerie and John’s is the saddest, near destroyed by their daughter’s death. Jane’s is seemingly already over and she enthusiastically pursues an affair with Leon and is reluctant to let go when he decides to try and make his marriage work. The way the characters are all connected on an intricate chain with Valerie’s disappearance at the centre is well done. Jane’s reporting of her neighbour as a suspect seems to give a clear answer to the mystery but nothing is that straightforward and the conclusion is a surprising one.
Lantana is a complex web that encompasses three fragmented marriages and through the disappearance of one woman a catalyst is released to give these struggling couples the resolutions that they all desperately need. As with Lawrence’s Jindabyne, the narrative rests on a knife edge at the very end, the suggestion of a positive outcome for some of the characters involved but by no means a certainty.
Verdict: 4/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Lantana | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Film Review: Jindabyne
Stewart Kane, an Irishman living in the Australian town of Jindabyne, is on a fishing trip in isolated hill country with three other men when they discover the body of a murdered girl in the river. Rather than return to the town immediately, they continue fishing and report their gruesome find days later. Stewart’s wife Claire is the last to find out. Deeply disturbed by her husband’s action, her faith in her relationship with Stewart is shaken to the core. She wants to understand and tries to make things right. In her determination to help the victim’s family Claire sets herself not only against her own family and friends but also those of the dead girl. Her marriage is taken to the brink and her peaceful life with Stewart and their young son hangs in the balance. The story of a murder and a marriage. A powerful and original film about the things that haunt us.
Starring: Laura Linney, Gabriel Byrne, John Howard, Stelios Yiakmis, Simon Stone
Directed by: Ray Lawrence
Runtime: 123 minutes
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB Review: Jindabyne
Ray Lawrence’s Australian drama is not just about a murder but about the fragile relationship between white settlers and the Aboriginal people. Set in the town of Jindabyne, a local Aboriginal girl is murdered and her near naked body dumped in a river. She is discovered by a quartet of friends – Stewart (Gabriel Byrne), Carl (John Howard), Rocco (Stelios Yiakmis) and Billy (Simon Stone) – who are away on a weekend fishing trip. They find the body on a Friday but decide to continue their trip until Sunday, tying the girl’s body to the edge of the river, and then report what they have found afterwards. When the local media, the law and the people of Jindabyne learn what the four men have done, it causes great upheaval in the community and incites the fury of the girl’s family.
We witness the death of the girl at the outset by Gregory (Chris Haywood), a local electrician who has targeted her for no reason other than her ethnicity. When Stewart finds the girl’s body he and his friends are understandably shocked but what isn’t certain is why they delay in reporting the incident. Is it because the girl isn’t white? We never find out. Whatever the reason, the town of Jindabyne is appalled by the actions of the men but you get the feeling this is less about their disrespect for the dead girl but more about how it makes their community look. The four men see their homes and businesses targeted by young Aboriginal men who are understandably furious about what has happened to a friend, daughter and family member from their community. The people of Jindabyne don’t seem especially concerned about the girl’s family, aside from Stewart’s wife Claire (Laura Linney), who becomes the mediator between the two communities and is the only one that tries to pay her respects. The question is whether the girl’s killer is uncovered and how will the town of Jindabyne ever be the same again?
Jindabyne has a great cast delivering some suitably tense, gritty and delicate performances in equal measure. Byrne and Linney are the highlights but the entire cast contribute to this thought-provoking drama. In the end it becomes less about the investigation into the girl’s death and more about how her body is treated so disrespectfully. Any film with race relations is never an easy watch and Jindabyne is in the same vein. What works well is that there are no easy fixes in the end. Claire’s courage looks to try and heal the rift between the two communities but as the final reels loom there remains tension and it is an apt denouement.
Jindabyne is a well-acted drama that begins as a murder mystery but drifts towards a fascinating study of two communities driven further apart by the unthinkable actions of four men. This is one of those films where you can speculate how the men would have responded had they found a white girl in the river instead. Their actions in dealing with their discovery are appalling and what follows is a tense and moving drama as a community ripped apart tries to repair the damage.
Verdict: 4/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Jindabyne | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
August 14, 2013
Game Review: Chuck Rock
I remember watching repeats of The Flintstones when I was growing up, even then wondering how Fred could be locked out of his house when he could just climb through the open windows. Anyway, back in the early nineties the love of the prehistoric extended to the platformer Chuck Rock. Sadly, the copy I had of this game was faulty so I never got through this game in its entirety so it was great to go back twenty years later to witness it once more.
Chuck Rock is the overweight, beer loving hero of the title. He is married to Ophelia Rock who is kidnapped at the outset by Gary Gritter. Chuck is watching television at the time while his wife is hanging the laundry outside. When Chuck goes to check on her he finds her gone and sets out to rescue her, not before stopping off in some bushes, to prepare some makeshift attire for his more sensitive areas.
Chuck Rock is a side scrawling platformer with a cartoon feel to it along with elements of slapstick. The Prehistoric setting pitches you against many dinosaurs, insects and other threats. Chuck can leap and kick at his foes, strike them with his beer gut, or pick up rocks and, well, chuck them. Some dinosaurs can assist you, bridging lakes or carrying you to higher points but the majority will have to be fought or evaded.
Chuck must traverse a series of landscapes including underground canyons and even having to swim on occasion. At the end of each section you’ll face off against a boss which requires many hits to take down. All of this is going on while a fabulous rock track plays in the background which blends in nicely with the chaos on screen.
Chuck Rock is only a short experience but it is fun all the way through and remains detailed, colourful, funny and action-packed. A sequel followed in 1993 with Chuck’s infant son but it didn’t have the same charm as this brilliant original. “Unga Bunga!”
Verdict: 4/5
Game Review: Chuck Rock | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Film Review: Good Morning, Vietnam
When the U.S. Army engages irreverent, nonconformist radio deejay Adrian Cronauer, it unleashes a secret, if unpredictable, weapon: laughter. Academy Award(R) winner Robin Williams (Best Supporting Actor, GOOD WILL HUNTING, 1997) shakes up 1965 Saigon in the role that garnered him his very first Oscar(R) nomination. Imported by the military to host an early a.m. radio show, Cronauer (Williams) blasts the formerly serene, sanitized airwaves with a constant barrage of rapid-fire humor and the hottest hits from back home. The G.I.s love him, but the top brass is up in arms. Riddled with sidesplitting comic salvos, bittersweet bombshells, and hot ’60s rock ‘n’ roll, this landmark film chronicles one man’s raucous Saigon adventures amidst a world gone mad.
Starring: Robin Williams, Forest Whitaker, Tung Thanh Tran, Chintara Sukapatana, Bruno Kirby
Directed by: Barry Levinson
Runtime: 121 minutes
Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone
Amazon USAmazon UKIMDB Review: Good Morning, VietnamRobin William’s won praise for his performance in this Vietnam movie as Adrian Cronauer who is sent from his station in Crete in 1965 to take up a DJ position in Saigon. As soon as Cronauer takes to the air he manages to annoy two of his superiors Second Lieutenant Steven Hauk (Bruno Kirby) and Sergeant Major Phillip Dickerson (J.T. Walsh) but wins the respect of colleagues such as Private First Class Edward Montesquieu Garlick (Forest Whitaker) as well as the U.S. soldiers stationed in Vietnam who adore the show and the light relief it offers from the early days of a war that would cause so much controversy and damage to the U.S. Cronauer faces a lot of opposition though, not just with regards to the music he can play and his level of humour but in censorship. News bulletins have to be vetted before they are read on air and the majority of text is removed from them, disguising the difficulties and erupting violence in Vietnam. It isn’t long before Cronauer is rebelling.
Rather than focusing just on Cronauer in the radio booth, we see him head out into Saigon where he falls for a Vietnamese girl, Trinh (Chintara Sukapatana), and hijacks the English class where she is being taught. He educates the locals on American slang and mannerisms, winning their love and respect along the way. Cronauer also befriends Trinh’s brother, Tuan (Tung Thanh Tran), who is protective of his sister but time spent with Cronauer settles any differences they have. Cronauer is exposed to the reality of what is happening in Vietnam with American soldiers forbidding locals from entering some establishments while a bombing in the city causes Cronauer to get himself suspended from the radio when he reports it without censorship. Hauk’s attempts to replace Cronauer on the radio lead to a stream of complaints demanding that he be restored. Though Hauk and Dickerson have to relent they continue to find ways to remove the popular DJ.
Williams delivers a high energy and funny performance with many of his lines said to have been improvised. He is highly amusing on the radio but away from the airwaves Williams delivers a composed turn as Cronauer witnesses the dark side of Saigon and a later revelation leaves him utterly crushed. A good supporting cast complement Williams’ dominant performance and although there are a lot of laughs to be had here, the film does not stray from addressing how serious and damaging war is on both sides. Aptly, there are no winners by the end and there is a feeling that the U.S. forces depicted here, so full of hope and confidence, are already feeling the strain of being so far from home.
Good Morning, Vietnam is a moving and funny war drama with a commanding performance from Robin Williams in the lead. His radio broadcasts offer a lot of light relief at the outset but in the second half the film becomes far grittier and this isn’t better conveyed than in the character of Cronauer who arrives in Saigon with a smile and a spring in his step, but by the end he is left devastated and near silenced by what he has seen. The harsh realities of war are evident here and the ending is befitting not just the damage of Vietnam, but of all war.
Verdict: 4/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Good Morning, Vietnam | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
