Tagged: Brad Pitt

24Nov

[FILM NEWS] We Go Behind The Scenes Of BABYLON

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It’s wilder than you can imagine. DAMIEN CHAZELLE and the cast of BABYLON; BRAD PITT, MARGOT ROBBIE, DIEGO CALVA, JEAN SMART, JOVAN ADEPO, LI JUN LI and TOBY MAGUIRE, take us behind the scenes of their timeless Hollywood epic.

Paramount Pictures Presents

A Marc Platt / Wild Chickens / Organism Pictures Production

A Damien Chazelle Film

“BABYLON”

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS

From Damien Chazelle, BABYLON is an original epic set in 1920s Los Angeles led by Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Diego Calva, with an ensemble cast including Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li and Jean Smart.

A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY

Damien Chazelle 

PRODUCED BY

Marc Platt, p.g.a., Matthew Plouffe, p.g.a., Olivia Hamilton, p.g.a.   

EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY

Michael Beugg, Tobey Maguire, Wyck Godfrey, Helen Estabrook, Adam Siegel  

STARRING

Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, P.J. Byrne, Lukas Haas, Olivia Hamilton, Tobey Maguire, Max Minghella,

Rory Scovel, Katherine Waterston, Flea, Jeff Garlin, Eric Roberts, Ethan Suplee, Samara Weaving, Olivia Wilde

 Facebook: /ParamountPicturesAU
Twitter: @ParamountAU
Instagram: @ParamountAU

TikTok: @ParamountAU

#BabylonMovie

BABYLON

JANUARY 19

EXCLUSIVE TO CINEMAS

14Sep

[FILM NEWS] BABYLON Trailer Released

Posted in Drama, Film, Film Genre, Film News, Home Page, News | Leave a comment

From Damien Chazelle, BABYLON is an original epic set in 1920s Los Angeles led by Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Diego Calva, with an ensemble cast including Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li and Jean Smart.

A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.

22Feb

[FEATURE] Are The Oscars Unfair To International Films?

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The red carpets have been rolled away and the gowns are back on their hangers. The Academy Awards are won and done for another year, and while film journalists right around the world have dissected and discussed every winner, every nomination there is something that has become crystal clear in the wash up, this year might be the year where the Oscars finally see a change occur that is long overdue.

On the surface it appears that change may have already occurred, but has it? Read most of the headlines the morning after this year’s Oscars and they all labelled the fact that South Korean film Parasite won Best Picture as the dawn of a new time in Hollywood, a time when films from right around the world now have more than a slight chance of walking away with the top Oscars on Academy Awards night.

But is that really the case? Let’s call it for what it is – the Oscars for a long time now have been a celebration of American films, not a celebration for international films like many would have believed. Yes there has been a Best Foreign Language section for awhile now but that always felt like a token award because if you really scratched under the surface you would find that filmmakers had to hurdle over each other to even earn a nomination. That award is now known as the Best International Feature Film Award which does make more sense given that even films from English speaking countries outside of America could also be nominated in the category, but that still doesn’t fix the biggest problem of all with the category.

Isn’t the fact that there is even a Best International Feature Film Award part of the problem? After all the Academy Awards are supposed to be a celebration of film – yet the mere fact that there is a Best International category means there is an instant separation from the American films also in the running for awards. That divide becomes even wider when you realise that in order for a film to be considered in the Best International Feature Film Award that film has to be submitted by the country where it originated. That’s right if a country like Thailand makes two great movies in one year – tough luck only one can be selected. America on the other hand can have as many films nominated as they wish.

When you consider the great films that have come out of countries like France and Germany over the years that ‘one film submission’ rule seems like a joke, but perhaps the biggest losers because of the rule this year were Thailand and Australia.

Thailand’s submission to the category this year was Sitisiri Mongolsiri’s Krasue: Inhuman Kiss while Australia’s submission was Buoyancy a film shot in Thailand with all the actors coming from Cambodia and Thailand. Neither film ended up making the short list of nominations for the actual Best International Award, but it is here where the murkiness of the Award are exposed.

To receive its submission Buoyancy defeated The Nightingale, there is nothing wrong with that but when you look at how both films were received by other Award ceremonies and by critics you see just how unfair it was that both films couldn’t be in the running for the major award.

Buoyancy explores the human rights issue of young Cambodians being forced to work as slaves in the Thai fishing industry which meant it was a powerful film that received a lot of praise. The film won awards at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Awards (AACTA) as well as earning awards in Mumbai, Berlin and Oslo. On the other hand The Nightingale looked at the harshness of living in colonial Tasmania including the brutal murders of the local Aboriginal people. Like Buoyancy it also received a lot of five star reviews and found itself winning a plethora of awards including six AACTAs and eight Australian Film Critics Association Awards. There is little argument that both were great films and should have equally had the right to be nominated for Best International Film yet somehow weren’t.

If you dig a little deeper the whole divide between how American cinema and International films at the Oscars became even wider. If Parasite was in the end considered such a great film by the Academy then how come none of its cast found themselves nominated for Best Actor or Best Actress? That point was also not lost on fans of the film Buoyancy who wondered why actors Sarm Heng and Thailand’s Thanawut Kasro didn’t receive nominations despite being praised world-wide for their intense roles in the film.

The host of popular film podcast The Popcorn Conspiracy Kyle McGrath recently talked about Kasro’s Oscar snub and said. “When you look at the performances in Buoyancy and you take the performance of Thanawut Kasro in the role of a Supporting Actor he was miles ahead of where Brad Pitt was in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. That is not to say that Brad Pitt didn’t deserve it but if I was going to pick between those two actors who gave the better performance it would have been Thanawut Kasro over Brad Pitt, but with the way it works at the moment perhaps it needs a little bit more work on how the voting system works.”

Will that voting system ever change? I guess the best answer to give to that question is – perhaps. Certainly Parasite doing so well may open up more opportunities for Asian cinema right around the world. Even in the past few months it has been interesting to see how many cinema lovers around the world have been eagerly anticipating the release of The Cave (another film that Thanawut Kasro appears in), but for international films to finally receive the recognition that they deserve it is time for the Oscars to place all films on a level playing field no matter what country they come from rather than it just be a celebration of American cinema like it is now.

10Feb

[FILM NEWS] 2020 Academy Award Winners Announced

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Tonight saw the 2020 Academy Award winners announced. Here are all the major winners:

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

WINNER: Brad Pitt (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood)

NOMINEES: Tom Hanks (A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood), Al Pacino (The Irishman), Joe Pesci (The Irishman), Anthony Hopkins (Two Popes)

 

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

 

WINNER: Toy Story 4

NOMINEES: How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, I Lost My Body, Klaus, Missing Link

 

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

WINNER: Hair Love

NOMINEES:  Dcera (Daughter), Kitbull, Memorable, Sister

 

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

WINNER: Bong Joon Ho & Han Jin Wor (Parasite)

NOMINEES: Rian Johnson (Knives Out), Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story), Sam Mendes (1917), Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood)

 

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

WINNER: Taika Waititti (Jo Jo Rabbit)

NOMINEES: Steve Zaillan (The Irishman), Todd Phillips & Scott Silver (Joker), Greta Gerwig (Little Women), Anthony McCarten (Two Popes)

 

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

WINNER: The Neighbour’s Widow

NOMINEES: Brotherhood, Nefta Football Club, Saria, A Sister

 

ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN

WINNER: Barbara Ling and Nancy Haigh (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood)

NOMINEES: Bob Shaw and Regina Greaves (The Irishman), Ra Vincent and Nora Sopkova (Jo Jo Rabbit), Dennis Gassner and Lee Sandales (1917), Lee Ha Jun and Cho Won Woo (Parasite)

 

ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN

WINNER: Jacqueline Durran (Little Women)

NOMINEES: Sandy Powell and Christopher Peterson (The Irishman), Mayes C. Rubeo (Jojo Rabbit), Mark Bridges (Joker), Arianne Phillips (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood)

 

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM

WINNER: American Factory

NOMINEES: The Cave, The Edge Of Democracy, For Sama, Honeyland

 

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

WINNER: Learning To Skateboard In A War Zone (If You’re A Girl)

NOMINEES: In The Absence, Life Overtakes Me, St. Louis Superan, Walk Run Cha-Cha

 

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

WINNER: Laura Dern (Marriage Story)

NOMINEES: Kathy Bates (Richard Jewell), Scarlett Johansson (Jojo Rabbit), Florence Pugh (Little Women), Margot Robbie (Bombshell)

 

 

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING

WINNER: Donald Sylvester (Ford vs Ferrari)

NOMINEES: Alan Robert Murray (Joker), Oliver Tarney and Rachael Tate (1917), Wyllie Stateman (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood), Matthew Wood and David Acord (Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker)

 

 

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING

WINNER: Mark Taylor and Stuart Wilson (1917)

NOMINEES: Gary Rydstrom, Tom Johnson and Mark Ulano (Ad Astra), Paul Massey, David Giammarco and Steven A. Morrow (Ford vs Ferrari), Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic, Tod Maitland (Joker), Michael Minkler, Christian P. Minkler, Mark Ulano (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood)

 

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY

WINNER: Roger Deakins (1917)

NOMINEES: Rodriego Prieto (The Irishman), Lawrence Sher (Joker), Jarin Blaschke (The Lighthouse), Robert Richardson (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood)

 

ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING

WINNER: MichaeL McCusker and Andrew Buckland (Ford vs Ferrari)

NOMINEES: Thelma Schoonmaker (The Irishman), Tom Eagles (Jojo Rabbit), Jeff Groth (Joker), Yang Jinmo (Parasite)

 

ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS

WINNER: Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler and Dominic Tuohy (1917)

NOMINEES: Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Matt Aitken and Dan Sudick (Avengers: Endgame), Pablo Helmann, Leandro Estebecorena, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser and Stephanie Grabli (The Irishman), Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones and Elliott Newman (The Lion King), Roger Guyett, Neal Scanlan, Patrick Tubach, Dominic Tuohy (Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker)

 

ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP AND HAIR STYLE

 

WINNER: Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan and Vivican Baker (Bombshell)

NOMINEES: Nicki Ledermann and Kay Georgiou (Joker), Jeremy Woodhead (Judy), Paul Gooch, Arjen Tuiten and David White (Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil), Naomi Donne, Tristan Versluis and Rebecca Cole (1917)

 

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

WINNER: Parasite

NOMINEES: Corpus Christi, Honeyland, Les Miserables, Pain And Glory

 

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

WINNER: Hildur Guonadottir (Joker)

NOMINEES: Alexandre Desplat (Little Women), Randy Newman (Marriage Story), Thomas Newman (1917), John Williams (Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker)

 

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

WINNER: ‘(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again’ – Elton John and Bernie Taupin (Rocketman)

NOMINEES: ‘I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away’ – Randy Newman (Toy Story 4), ‘I’m Standing With You’ – Diane Warren (Breakthrough), ‘Into The Unknown’ – Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (Frozen II), ‘Standing Up’ – Joshuah Brian Campbell and Cynthia Erivo (Harriet)

 

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING

WINNER: Bong Joon Ho (Parasite)

NOMINEES: Martin Scorcese (The Irishman), Todd Phillips (Joker), Sam Mendes (1917), Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood)

 

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

WINNER: Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)

NOMINEES: Antonio Banderas (Pain & Glory), Leonardo DiCaprio (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood), Adam Driver (Marriage Story), Jonathan Pryce (Two Popes)

 

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

WINNER: Renee Zellweger (Judy)

NOMINEES: Cynthia Erivo (Harriet), Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story), Saorise Ronan (Little Women), Charlize Theron (Bombshell)

 

BEST PICTURE

WINNER: Parasite

NOMINEES: Ford v Ferrari, The Irishman, Jojo Rabbit, Joker, Little Women, Marriage Story, 1917, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

07Jan

[FILM NEWS] AACTA INTERNATIONAL AWARDS Announced

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The AACTA International Awards have been announced in LA and the winners are:

 

AACTA International Award for Best Film
PARASITE

AACTA International Award for Best Direction
Quentin Tarantino – ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD

AACTA International Award for Best Screenplay
Taika Waititi – JOJO RABBIT

AACTA International Award for Best Lead Actor
Adam Driver – MARRIAGE STORY

AACTA International Award for Best Lead Actress
Saoirse Ronan – LITTLE WOMEN

AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actor
Brad Pitt – ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD

AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actress
Margot Robbie – BOMBSHELL

01Jan

[FILM NEWS] DAVE G’S Best Films Of 2019

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Well we’ve seen the worst… now here the best. Dave G takes a look at what his favourite films were for 2019.

  1. The Nightingale

Few films could match the power of The Nightingale this year. While described as a thriller Jennifer Kent’s film could easily been described as a Gothic horror. Brilliantly capturing the harshness of early Tasmanian settlement the film and allowing Sam Claflin to shine in the role of one the screen’s worst villains. The film shone as did its amazing star Aisling Franciosi.

  1. Ford vs Ferrari

In an era when films around fast cars usually involve epic stunts and a cast full of muscle Ford vs Ferrari did things a little differently. While the heart of the story revolved around the Shelby racing team having two of the greatest character actors of our era, Matt Damon and Christian Bale, acting opposite each other made it an audience’s delight and has rocketed it into Oscar contention.

  1. Joker

What is it about playing the Joker that seems to make an actor lift their performance? After great performances in the role by Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger here Joaquin Phoenix stepped into this origins story and suddenly DC Comics had an Oscar worthy film on its hands… cop that Marvel.

  1. Buoyancy

From first time feature director Rodd Rathjen Buoyancy explored the practice of human slavery in a brutal way. Shot almost entirely on the water in Thailand with a very under-experienced leading man this film should have been talked about more often during the awards season. Rathjen is a filmmaker to watch in the future.

  1. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

When Quentin Tarantino makes a film these days it is not just a release it is a cinematic event. Once again Once Upon A Time In Hollywood showed what a serious filmmaker Tarantino can be as he creatively tells a story around the notorious serial killer Charles Manson. Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt relished on a script that some thought was a little too talky.

  1. Midsommar

While I wasn’t a fan of Hereditary Midsommar is the film that has really shown me that Ari Aster is a filmmaker that really knows how to hit his mark. Thought-provoking, creative and gruesome, what else do you want from a modern day horror film?

  1. Sorry We Missed You

Nobody makes movies that critique modern day society the same way Ken Loach does. Once again Sorry We Missed You exposes what hundreds of thousands of families go through each day in a way that seems like a time capsule that can make you cry.

  1. A Bigger Jail

Brand new film from Australian director/screenwriter Matthew Victor Pastor telling the parallel story of a man living in a cuckhold relationship and a man who has recently been released from prison trying to fit into society. This is the film that should make Pastor a household name in Australian filmmaking circles.

  1. Blinded By The Light

An amazing film that mixed drama and comedy as it told the story of a young refugee coming to grips with living in Thatcher’s England. Uses the music of Bruce Springsteen as a back-drop this is one of the big surprises of 2019 and shows that Viveik Kalra is a young actor to watch.

  1. Galveston

Melanie Laurent continues to show that she is a filmmaker on the rise with the gritty crime drama Galveston. There is no way to pick where there movie is headed and it is only made better by a script that allows Ben Foster and Elle Fanning to put on two of the best acting performances of the year.

  1. Mid 90s

Jonah Hill makes his feature film directional debut with a film that Larry Clarke would have been happy with. Edgy and really captures the 90s… certainly show that Hill maybe someone to watch as a filmmaker in the future.

  1. The Public

Largely overlooked in Australia The Public saw one of the best acting/directing performances from recent years with Emilio Estevez delivering pure perfection. The films biting commentary on homelessness certainly made its audience sit up and take notice.

  1. Jo Jo Rabbit

You can’t do a comedy film about the Hitler Youth, right? Wrong. Director Taika Waititi returns to form with a film that will make you laugh and then make you cry. Sam Rockwell once again steals the show.

  1. Hotel Mumbai

Another Australian film that is perhaps unlucky not to be higher up on my list. Heart-breaking and acting packed the film captures one of India’s darkest days with an amazing acting performance from Dev Patel.

  1. A Good Woman Is Hard To Find

Great British crime thriller from director Abner Pastoll. Very reminiscent of the gangster fills of the 1980s. Has cult film written all over it and has a brilliant performance from Sarah Bolger who deserves to be a star.

  1. Marriage Story

Brilliant Netflix drama about a couple going through a divorce. Brilliant screenplay and brilliant performances by Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson. Could it be enough to get Driver an Oscar nomination?

  1. Instant Family

One of the very few comedies to be released this year that actually had heart. Instant Family knew when to be funny and knew when to be touching.

  1. Ben Is Back

Perhaps one of the most underrated films of 2019. Ben Is Back is everything that you don’t normally expect from a Julia Roberts film – gritty and totally engrossing.

  1. The Dead Don’t Die

This film may have divided audiences but at the end of the day you had to remember that it was a film from the legendary Jim Jamusch. With that in mind the film delivered everything it should – quirky humour and unexpected turns.

  1. The Kindergarten Teacher

One of the most intriguing films of 2019. What seemed to be a heartfelt film about a teacher trying to help a gifted student had twists and turns that nobody saw coming.

  1. John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum

Not only one of the action films of the year but one of the best action films ever made. Amazing stunts and brilliant fight sequences… surely there are no action film fans out there that didn’t love this?

  1. Defend, Protect, Conserve

One of the most important doccos made this year. Captures what really happens when Sea Shepherd goes up against the Japanese whaling fleet which made for a really interesting viewing.

  1. A Dog’s Journey

Probably one of the biggest surprises for me in 2019. This looked like it was going to be light and fluffy but instead ended up being a film with grit that explored tough topics such as family separation. If you haven’t seen it, go out and grab yourself a copy.

  1. The Guilty

The Guilty is easily one of the best foreign language films of the year. Claustrophobic and suspenseful this is another of this year’s must see films.

  1. Yesterday

Danny Boyle once again at his creative best. Funny in parts, thought provoking in others, plus who would have known that Ed Sheeran would steal the limelight the way he did?

15Aug

[FILM REVIEW]: Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)

Posted in Comedy, Drama, Film, Film Genre, Home Page | Leave a comment

Summary: A faded television actor and his stunt double strive to achieve fame and success in the film industry during the final years of Hollywood’s Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles.

Year: 2019

Australian Cinema Release Date: 15th August 2019

Thailand Cinema Release Date: 12th September 2019

Australian DVD Release Date: TBA

Country: United States, UK, China

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Screenwriter: Quentin Tarantino

Cast: Zoe Bell (Janet),Gillian Berrow (Gillian),  Kansas Bowling (Blue), Parker Love Bowling (Tadpole), Madison Beaty (Katie), Michael Bissett (Officer Mike), Robert Broski (Abraham Lincoln), Austin Butler (Tex), Julia Butters (Trudi), Josephine Valentina Clarke (Happy Cappy), Clifton Collins Jnr (Ernesto The Mexican Vaquero), Maurice Compte (Land Pirate Maurice), Bruce Dern (George Spahn), Adrian Dev (Raj), Leonardo DiCaprio (Rick Dalton), Omar Doom (Donna), Lena Dunham (Gypsy), Dakota Fanning (Squeaky Fromme), Gabriela Flores (Maralu The Fiddle Player), Spencer Garrett (Allen Kincade), Rebecca Gayheart (Billie Booth), Zander Grable (Hermann The Nazi Youth), Nicholas Hammond (Sam Wanamaker), Danielle Harris (Angel), Tom Hartig (Sweet William), Maya Hawke (Flower Child), James Landry Herbert (Clem), Damon Herriman (Charles Manson), Cassidy Hice (Sundance), Emile Hirsch (Jay Sebring), Courtney Hoffman (Rebekka), Dallas Jay Hunter (Delilah), Lorenzo Izzo (Francesca Capucci), Keith Jefferson (Land Pirate Keith), Lenny Langley Jnr (Dashihi Donnell), Damien Lewis (Steve McQueen), Mikey Madison (Sadie), Michael Madsen (Sheriff Hackett On Bounty Law), Hugh McCallum (Lancer Camera Operator Hugh), Scoot McNairy (Business Bob Gilbert), Mike Moh (Bruce Lee), Timothy Olyphant (James Stacy), Al Pacino (Marvin Schwarz), Victoria Pedretti (Lulu), Eddie Perez (Land Pirate Eddie), Luke Perry (Wayne Maunder), Daniella Pick (Daphna Ben-Cobo), Brad Pitt (Rick Booth), Margaret Qualley (Pussycat), John Rabe (Darrin Stephens/Red Apple Man), Rachel Redleaf (Mama Cass), James Remar (Ugly Owl Hoot on Bounty Law), Rebecca Rittenhouse (Michelle Phillips), Margot Robbie (Sharon Tate), Samantha Robinson (Abigail Folger), Costa Ronin (Voytek Frykowski), Kurt Russell (Randy), Gilbert Saldivar (Land Pirate Gil), Chris Scagos (Benjamin), Ruby Rose Skotchdopole (Butterfly), Harley Quinn Smith (Froggie), Monica Staggs (Connie), Craig Stark (Land Pirate Craig), David Steen (Straight Satan David), Rage Stewart (Humble Harv), Sydney Sweeney (Snake), Lew Temple (Land Pirate Lew), Heba Thorisdottir (Make-Up Artist Sonya), Victoria Truscott (Gina), Brenda Vaccaro (Mary Alice Schwarz), Dreama Walker (Connie Stevens), Mark Warrick (Curt), Rumer Willis (Joanna Pettet), Rafal Zawieucha (Roman Polanski)

Runtime: 161 mins

Classification: R (Australia) TBC (Thailand)

 

 

OUR ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD REVIEWS & RATINGS:

 

Dave Griffiths Review:

The release of a Quentin Tarantino movie is now considered a cinematic event. It’s funny when a new Marvel movie is about to be released you see red carpets galore yet outside of America Tarantino’s movie just creep into cinemas, even the media screenings are 10am affairs with no big fanfare. Yet somewhere deep down inside every movie lover there is a sense that something special is about to happen. Let’s be blunt for a moment – Tarantino never makes boring films and he certainly hasn’t made a bad movie yet.

Now maybe I am in the minority because I prefer Jackie Brown to Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained to Inglorgious Basterds but I have unashamed love for the work of Tarantino and every time I go to see one of his movies for the first time I find myself turning into that little kid that I used to be when I eagerly anticipated movies like E.T. and Gremlins coming on TV again. The great news is that with Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Tarantino reaches out to his true fans with a brilliant masterpiece, but be warned it may leave casual cinema goers a little perplexed.

Tarantino sets the film in 1969 – Hollywood’s golden age that is seeing big changes happening. His central characters are aging television cowboy Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio – Inception, The Departed) and his out-of-favour stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt – Mr & Mrs. Smith, Moneyball). Living next door to Dalton is star-on-the-rise Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie – Suicide Squad, The Wolf Of Wall Street).

Life for the two households couldn’t be more different. Dalton reflects on the days when he was a television star while he now treats bit parts in television pilots like they are the answer to his resurrection. Then there his is best buddy Cliff Booth who only gets work through Dalton and even then that is tainted due to the story going around that he killed his wife. Then you have Tate whose career is taking off, she is on the verge of something big. What the three don’t know is their lives are about to be changed in a way that they could never expect.

If the synopsis makes the film sound like a character piece, that is because that is exactly what you get with this film. If you are looking for another Tarantino shoot ‘em up then look elsewhere because for three-quarters of this film the screenplay allows the audience to almost be a fly on the wall of the friendship between Dalton and Booth. Tarantino has no qualms showing Dalton have a lengthy conversation with a young actress (played brilliantly by Julia Butters) on the set of his new pilot and nor should he. When you have the screenwriting abilities of Mr. Tarantino there is no problem creating a heavily dialogue driven movie that at times wouldn’t feel out of place being a stage-play.

Perhaps what makes this film so special though is Tarantino’s eye-to-detail and the pay offs that true cinema fans will get from his references. From actual radio ads of the time playing on car radios, a killer soundtrack and appearances from greats like Bruce Lee (Mike Moh – Empires, Inhuman) and Steve McQueen (Damian Lewis – Homeland, Band Of Brothers) this perhaps one of the greatest cinematic tributes to this era of time and is something that will be long remembered.

As usual Tarantino also brings out the best in his cast. While some people may be disappointed that Robbie doesn’t get more screen time her screen presence is enough to counter-act that. Make no mistake though this is the DiCaprio and Pitt show. The on-screen chemistry between the two makes Dalton and Booth one of the best buddy relationships that Hollywood has ever seen. The two men also completely embrace their roles. As usual DiCaprio completely dissolves into being the character he is playing and this time he takes Pitt with him. Fans of movies like Moneyball will know that Pitt is not just the pretty-boy actor he used to be but here we see Pitt find another acting range and he matches DiCaprio in every scene they share.

While Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is different to anything that Tarantino has ever done before this movie can be summed up in one word – a masterpiece. Not many directors can pull off a film that is largely dialogue driven and then explodes with a graphic thrilling finale like this film does – but then is there anything that Mr Tarantino can’t do. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is pure cinematic bliss for serious cinema lovers.

 

 

Average Subculture Rating:

 

 

IMDB Rating:  Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019) on IMDb

 

Other Subculture Entertainment Once Upton A Time In Hollywood Reviews: N/A

Trailer:

 

16Jan

The Big Short Review (2015)

Posted in Biography, Drama, Film, Film Genre, Home Page | Leave a comment

The Big Short

Summary: When America’s banks collapsed a few years ago the world was told a lie. The world was told that nobody, not even the top financial experts, saw it coming. That was only partially true, yes the top financial experts didn’t see it coming, but some men did.

The Big Short tells the story of those men, men the world didn’t listen to. Michael Burry (Christian Bale) ran a small, but successful, financial firm and he saw the crash happening but due to the fact that he didn’t dress the way they did and liked to drum to Metallica in his office nobody really listened. The one person who did listen was Wall Street trader Jared Vennett (Ryan Gosling) who then went against the bank who he worked for and decided that this was a way to make money… betting against the bank. A misplaced phone call by him then tipped off Hedge Fund Manager Mark Baum (Steve Carrell) who then convinced Vennett to join him on his crusade against Wall Street.

The chain then kept going as eager young investors Charlie Geller (John Magaro) and Jamie Shipley (Finn Wittrock) found a copy of Baum’s flyer and also decide that can make money off what is happening. Not experienced in making the trades they need to do to do so they rope in retired banker Ben Rickert (Brad Pitt) to help them out.

Year: 2015

Australian Cinema Release Date: 14th January 2016

Australian DVD Release Date: TBA

Country: USA

Director: Adam McKay

Screenwriter: Charles Randolph, Adam McKay, Michael Lewis (book)

Cast: Christian Bale (Michael Burry), Tony Bentley (Bruce Miller), Anthony Bourdain (himself), Lyle Brocato (Casey), Steve Carrell (Mark Baum), Vanessa Cloke (Lucy), Rudy Eisenzopf (Lewis Ranieri), Peter Epstein (Paul Baum), Aidan Flowers (Young Michael Burry), Karen Gillan (Evie), Selena Gomez (herself), Ryan Gosling (Jared Vennett), Jeffry Griffin (Chris), Nick Hwang (Josh Medak), Jay Jablonski (Matt), Rajeev Jacob (Deeb), Tyler Kunkle (Doug), Colin Lawless (Nicolas Burry), Melissa Leo (Georgia Hale), Tracy Letts (Lawrence Fields), Hamish Linklater (Porter Collins), John Magaro (Charlie Geller), Byron Mann (Mr. Chau), Adepero Oduye (Kathy Tao), Wayne Pere (Martin Blaine), Brad Pitt (Ben Rickert), Margot Robbie (herself), Rafe Spall (Danny Moses), Ilan Srulovicz (Noah), Jeremy Strong (Vinnie Diesel), Richard Thaler (himself), Marisa Tomei (Cynthia Baum), Finn Wittrock (Jamie Shipley), Stanley Wong (Ted Jiang)

Runtime: 130 mins

Classification: M

 

OUR THE BIG SHORT REVIEWS & RATINGS:

 

David Griffiths:

When director Adam McKay set about making The Big Short he must have wondered whether or not he could pull off this project. McKay had established himself as a comedy director, a great comedy director to be precise… the man who brought us movies such as Anchorman and Step Brothers etc, but still it was ambitious to decide to make a comedy-drama about the collapse of America’s biggest banks. After all the minuet details of how and why the banks collapsed is so technical and boring it would not only go right over the head of the average cinema goer, but also have a strong chance of making them lapse into some kind of a coma if you bothered to explain it properly. Yes The Big Short was an uphill battle all the way but somehow McKay has made this into one of the films of the year.

So how does McKay make this film work so well? The answer is simple. He does what so many filmmakers are scared of doing these days… and that is be creative. To put it into ‘banker speak’ he thought outside the box. Instead of having a series of long explanations of what exactly is happening with all the financial stuff McKay will allow the film’s story to pause for a moment while Margot Robbie (sitting in a bubble bath as herself) explains what is happening or he will cross to a celebrity chef comparing the market to bad fish. It sounds as strange as all hell… but it works and gets the point across in a way that the audience can understand without putting them asleep.

That being said it isn’t creative ‘gimmicks’ like that which make The Big Short work so well. No McKay is aided by a screenplay that is simply one of the best screenplays to surface out of Hollywood for a long, long time. While it expertly reveals a lot of the greed and shame of Wall Street it is also about strong characters and consists of some of the wittiest one-liners you are ever likely to hear. To the credit of the screenplay you actually come to know and love these characters. You feel sorry for Mark Baum and the personal tragedy that he has suffered in his life while you find yourself barracking for the likes of Michael Burry who are putting everything on the line and copping abuse for doing so. Even though so of the characters are quite unlikable, such as Jared Vennett, the screenwriters have been smart enough to get them to deliver the quips that make people laugh in a bid to make them at least a little likable. Yes the unthinkable happens in this film, you actually like bankers.

Of course that brilliant script also allows the actors involved to deliver some of the finest acting performances of the year. Steve Carrell showed us his serious side in Foxcatcher and here he once again revels in what is a demanding but emotional performance. If he takes an Oscar home for this performance he truly deserves it. Likewise Christian Bale who loses all of his Bruce Wayne good looks as he morphs into the hard rocking recluse Michael Burry so well that you forget who you are watching. The other true chameleon here is Brad Pitt who is completely unrecognisable as the bearded off-the-grid former banker Ben Rickert. These three lead an ensemble that makes this film truly memorable.

Sure a film about the banking world might not exactly make you feel like you want to rush out and purchase tickets at the box office, but like Wall Street and The Wolf Of Wall Street before it The Big Short is a ground-breaking film that shows a completely different side to the filmmaking skills of Adam McKay. Creative, original and hard-hitting The Big Short is a film that I’m sure I’ll be revisiting when I put together my Top 10 Movies of 2016 list.

 

Stars(5)

 

Adam Ross:

You can listen to Adam’s The Big Short review on The Good The Bad The Ugly Film Show Ep #161

 

Stars(4)

 

Average Subculture Rating (out of 5):  Stars(4.5)

 

IMDB Rating: The Big Short (2015) on IMDb

 

Other Subculture Entertainment The Big Short reviews: You can listen to our full Big Short Review  review on a The Good The Bad The Ugly Film Show Ep #161. You can also read our The Big Short review on The Book The Film The T-Shirt.

Trailer:

13Feb

Most Popular Movies & TV Shows 6/2/2015-13/2/2015

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Jupiter Ascending

We take a look at the most popular movies and television shows online over the past week.

 

  1. Jupiter Ascending (2015) – Channing Tatum, Mila Kinis, Eddie Redmayne, Sean Bean
  2. Fifty Shades Of Grey (2015) – Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Jennifer Ehle, Eloise Mumford
  3. American Sniper (2014) – Bradley Cooper, Sienne Miller, Kyle Gallner, Cole Konis
  4. Birdman (2014) – Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough
  5. Games Of Thrones (2011) – Lena Headey, Peter Dinklage, Emilia Clarke, Kit Harrington
  6. Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) – Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Caine
  7. Arrow (2012) – Stephen Amell, Katie Cassidy, David Ramsey, Susanna Thompson
  8. The Walking Dead (2010) – Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, Sarah Wayne Callies, Steven Yuen
  9. The Imitation Game (2014) – Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Allen Leech
  10. The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie (2015) – Tom Kenny, Antonio Banderas, Bill Fagerbakke, Clancy Brown
  11. John Wick (2014) – Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Willem Dafoe
  12. Gone Girl (2014) – Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry
  13. Whiplash (2014) – Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Melissa Benoist, Paul Reiser
  14. The Interview (2014) – James Franco, Seth Rogen, Randall Park, Lizzy Caplan
  15. Nightcrawler (2014) – Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton, Riz Ahmed
  16. Big Hero 6 (2014) – Ryan Potter, Scot Adsit, Jamie Chung, T.J. Miller
  17. Fury (2014) – Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Pena
  18. Project Almanac (2014) – Amy Landecker, Sofia Black-D’Elia, Virginia Gardner, Jonny Weston
  19. Wild Card (2015) – Jason Statham, Michael Angarano, Dominik Garcia-Lorido, Milo Ventimiglia
  20. Fantastic Four (2015) – Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell
  21. The Theory Of Everything (2014) – Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Tom Prior, Sophie Perry
  22. The Flash (2014) – Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, Rick Cosnett
  23. Interstellar (2014) – Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Mackenzie Foy
  24. Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015) – Robert Downey Jnr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth
  25. Jurassic World (2014) – Chris Pratt, Judy Freer, Ty Simpkins, Bryce Dallas Howard