At the Movies with Bebb...Part Eight...Trollhunter



Happy Wednesday, everyone. I'm trying to deal with the fact that I only have one and a half weeks of glorious summer holidays before the new term starts. The holidays always seem to go far too quickly. But on the other hand, I'm looking forwards to meeting my new class of Kinder students and I'm excited about what this year will bring. Anyway, onwards to today's review...

Trollhunter (2010)

The film opens by telling us that the following footage was sent to the film company by persons unknown and that it is believed the events are true. We then begin the story...When bears are found dead in Norway, three film students- Thomas, Johanna and the cameraman Kalle- decide to investigate. They find a mysterious hunter, Hans, and follow him to find an explanation for the killings. The reluctant Hans at first tells them to leave him alone, but after saving their lives from a mysterious creature in the dark forest he agrees that they can film him in action- provided they follow his orders. Soon the students learn that Hans is actually a troll hunter who works for a secret government agency. Furthermore, several dangerous trolls have escaped from their territory and Hans is assigned to eliminate them.

This 'found footage' Norwegian movie is one I've been wanting to watch for some time now as it's gotten great reviews. It was made in 2010 but has just been released here on DVD.  'Found footage' films have gained popularity in recent years since the success of the Blair Witch Project, and Trollhunter is definitely one of the better ones.

It looked and felt incredibly authentic. The handheld camera coupled with the very natural, believable performances and some very realistic looking trolls all combined to make one feel that you were actually watching a true documentary. The trolls were a combination of CGI and puppetry and they really did look like living, breathing mythical creatures caught on film, which made for fascinating viewing. The movie had some great moments of humour as well as moments of incredible suspense and other moments that were quite frightening! However, as with the best found footage type films, what we didn't see was far more frightening than what we did, and the filmmakers had used this to great effect. There wasn't much gore at all as it mostly occurs offscreen- and in our imaginations!

The storyline was very captivating and the characters likeable and easy to symphathise with and care about. My only real criticism is that it seemed slightly too long- I think if it had been cut by even just 15 minutes it would have made for a tighter plot. It's a great movie and I was disturbed to learn that an American remake is already underway, which baffles me.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Best 'found footage' movie I've seen in a long time. Intriguing, thrilling and scary enough without being terrifying! See it before the remake.

At the Movies with Bebb...Part Seven....'The Piano'

Happy Wednesday, everyone. I'm back from yet another trip away, this time to the beach with Jude and another friend from our uni days, Sophia. Sophia is from China, though she has been living in Australia for 4 years now, and had never swum in the ocean before.

I decided it was time to change that. She was pretty nervous about getting into the water, so I grabbed her hand, told her to trust me, and ran with her into the ocean.

Fifteen minutes later I was teaching her to bodysurf and we were catching waves together. It was a lot of fun. The three of us had a great time catching up and laughed a lot. Laughter really is the best...you know where I'm going with this. Anyway, I'm home now and after three trips away in 10 days (and to very varied locations...mountain, city, island and beach), and though I've had a lot of fun, I'm glad to have some time to relax at home before the holidays end.

Onwards and upwards with my Wednesday movie review...



The Piano (1993)

It is the mid-nineteenth century. Ada McGrath (Holly Hunter in an Oscar-winning role) is mute, and she tells us in her narration that she has not spoken since she was six years old. She has a young, illegitimate daughter, Flora (Anna Paquin, who at 11 won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for this role) and has been married off by her father to a man she has never met. With Flora, she is sent from her native Scotland to New Zealand to live with her settler husband Stuart (Sam Neill). Accompanying them is Ada's beloved piano.  Life in the rugged forests of New Zealand's South Island is not all she may have imagined and nor is her relationship with her new husband. She suffers torment and loss when Stewart sells her piano to a neighbour, George (Harvey Keitel). Ada learns from George that she may earn back her piano by giving him piano lessons, but only with certain other conditions attached. At first Ada despises George but slowly their relationship is transformed and this propels them into a dire situation.

'The Piano' has been, and remains, one of my all time favourite movies. The acting performances are astonishingly good, particularly from Holly Hunter and Anna Paquin. Holly Hunter does not speak for the entire movie but still won the Best Actress Oscar and it is easy to see why- her performance is shaded with nuance and every flicker and play of expression and emotion on her face is carried out with consumate skill. Anna Paquin is incredible as her daughter, Flora, a fey and creative child who communicates with her mother using sign language and often speaks for her. Anna Paquin was only nine when she made this film and displays a talent beyond her years in a completely believable and heartfelt role. I am currently watching the TV series 'True Blood' and it is a novelty to see her all grown up! Sam Neill and Harvey Keitel also give great performances as the troubled men in Ada's life.

The direction, by Jane Campion (who also wrote the script) is also very strong, and earnt Jane an Oscar nomination for direction and an Oscar win for the script. The scenery is amazing, the depictions are very historically accurate and it is easy to feel transported to New Zealand in 1950. The soundtrack, comprised solely of piano music, much of it played by Holly Hunter herself, is at turns haunting, poignant and unforgettable.

This movie has some scenes that are quite confronting, and even more so because we come to care so much for the characters. However, there is not one thing I would change about it as it a truly amazing film. See it if you appreciate incredible acting or a character-driven drama.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars. Haunting, beautiful, ultimately unforgettable.



At the Movies with Bebb...Part Six...Jumanji

I know, I know. I've let the team down by not posting my Wednesday movie review on Wednesday. Blame my mother. She was staying with us last night and forced me to go out for dinner with her to an Indian restaurant, and then insisted that I lie on the couch and watch a movie with her. What a terrible woman.

I was going to review something else today but then realised that most of my reviews so far have been for confronting/sad/distressing movies, and it was probably time to mix it up a bit. I do love movies that push the boundaries and confront the viewer, but a bit of fluff is always good too. So today I am going to review...

Jumanji (1995)

In 1869, two boys bury a chest containing something dangerous and terrifying in the woods near Brantford, New Hampshire. When one of them asks what will happen if someone digs it up, the other replies "May God have mercy on his soul". The sound of tribal drums is heard as the boys ride away.

A century later, 12-year-old Alan Parrish, a bullied boy who feels unloved by his wealthy father, follows the sound of tribal drums and discovers a buried board game, Jumanji. He and his friend Sarah begin to play, though they are disturbed that the pieces move themselves once the dice are rolled. After Alan's roll, the game screen reads, "In the jungle you must wait, until the dice read five or eight..." Before Sarah's horrified eyes, Alan is sucked into the game and disappears. We then jump forwards another 26 years and meet Judy and Peter (Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce) who are now living in the house and discover the game. As all manner of jungle creatures begin manifesting around them, Peter rolls a 5 and releases Alan, now played by Robin Williams, who has indeed been trapped in the jungle for all that time. They team up with Sarah, now played by Bonnie Hunt and still traumatised by what she saw that night, to finish the game started 26 years ago in the hope that the creatures and other jungle happenings will all go away...

This is a great adventure movie, if you are prepared to suspend disbelief and overlook a few minor imperfections. I first saw it at the movies for my 10th birthday and remember loving it, and have seen it a few times since then. Mr Bebb hadn't seen it since 1995 so we sat down to watch it together and enjoyed the escapism. ("Is that a little Kirsten Dunst?" Mr Bebb was heard to exclaim at one point.) It's a well-made kid's movie that can be enjoyed by adults as well, and I definitely picked up on a few jokes that I didn't remember as I'm sure they went right over my head when I watched this as a child.

It's scary enough to be thrilling while still a family movie, and the effects still look pretty good considering it was made 17 years ago (with the possible exception of the monkeys, who could have been done a little better). The acting is fairly good- I do like Robin Williams and he is, as usual, a great actor to watch, though I had to question why his character was so grounded and normal after 26 years alone in the jungle. (That's what I mean about suspending disbelief.) I've always thought Kirsten Dunst was a good actress and it's fun to see her in one of her first movies. There are a few less-than-great performances from lesser characters and the occasional jarring moment in the script, but these are minor issues and don't unduly affect your enjoyment of the film.

The action is nonstop once the film gets going and it's easy to get caught up in the plight of the main characters and feel a little tense, even if you know what is going to happen. If it's been years since you watched Jumanji, I recommend rediscovering it for an evening of fun, light entertainment. If you haven't seen it before, it's a great movie to watch with your family as kids today will love it as much as they did in 1995.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars



At the Movies with Bebb...Part Five...Lilya 4-ever

Welcome to another Wednesday movie review here at Bebb and the Bubs. I can't believe it's been 5 weeks since I started my little blog. I know quite a few people are reading it which is good and means I'm not just talking to myself.

Before I start the review, can I just say hooray for holidays! Today I finally feel like the holidays have arrived as I have a whole free day to just be at home. Not that I'm not enjoying catching up with people as well- especially my beautiful friend Dan who is home from the big smoke visiting her family. We caught up for lunch yesterday and laughed a lot about things that would make little to no sense to others, the way you do when the history of your friendship spans years. I wish I could see her more often but it makes the times we catch up extra special.

Anyway, onto today's review...

Lilya 4-ever (2002)

This film, made by a Swedish director but mainly shot in Russia, opens with a shot of Lilya, her face beaten to a pulp, running down a city street. We then jump back 3 months and begin the story of 15 year old Lilya (Oksana Akinshina) who is forced to fend for herself after her mother moves to America with her new lover and leaves Lilya behind in the nameless, poverty-stricken town they live in. Her aunt, appointed to care for her, instead moves Lilya into a tiny, squalid flat to live on her own, at the same time taking over the larger flat where Lilya lived with her mother. Lilya's best friend, 12 year old Volodya (Artyom Bogucharskiy) is often kicked out by his alcoholic father and seeks refuge with Lilya. With no money and no word from her mother, Lilya turns to prostitution. When she meets seemingly kind and gentle Andrei (Pavel Ponomaryov) and begins a relationship with him, things seem to be taking a turn for the better. But all is not as it seems and we are quickly thrust into the horrific practice of human trafficking and sexual slavery that occurs frequently in Europe.

I had first heard of this movie about 5 years ago. I read about it in a movie magazine and while offering very little in the way of plot details, the article praised it highly. I was intrigued and have been trying to track it down for years. I finally managed to rent it from Quickflix and sat down to watch it. All I knew was that it was an extremely well-made yet confronting and disturbing movie.

Well. What can I say, other than yes, it was very well-made with incredible acting, cinematography and directing, but it was one of the most disturbing, distressing and depressing movies I have ever seen. Throughout the entire movie, more and more terrible things happened to Lilya and when you thought it couldn't possibly get any worse, it did. Suicide, multiple rape scenes, violence, despair...awful things happened in quick succession and left us reeling.  It is not a movie I think I could ever watch again. I was even plagued by nightmares that night concerning the movie. It was made even worse when I looked it up and discovered that it was based entirely and very closely on a true story.

Oksana Akinshina was incredible as Lilya. She fully embodied the character and displayed both Lilya's tough survival skills and fragile vulnerability. I truly cared about what happened to her, which made it all the more upsetting. Likewise, Artyom Bogucharskiy was very powerful as her young friend Volodya. To see such stellar performances from two young actors (they actually were 15 and 12 when shooting the film) was rare and made the movie what it was- powerfully disturbing yet compelling. The director, Lukas Moodysson, created a truly outstanding film with a very dark subject matter and must be commended for bringing such a terrible story, based on events happening every day, into the public sphere. But as outstanding as the film was when you base your assessment on artistic merit alone, I find that I can't recommend this film to you simply because it was so difficult to watch and really did upset me. If you are brave, see it and make up your own mind, but go into it knowing that it won't be a pleasant viewing experience.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

This was a tough one for me to rate and in the end I'll say yes, it was a skillfully made movie, but I won't be watching it again.

Before I go, I just want to say how sorry I am for my best friend MM's loss. Her beautiful budgie Mellow passed away last night at the ripe old age of 12. MM gave Mellow such a happy life and cared for her so well, so it was no wonder she lasted as long as she did. I know MM is very sad and hurting as Mellow really was a member of the family. We lay ourselves open to pain when we let animals into our lives, knowing their lives are so much shorter than ours,  but the joy they give us make it worth it and I couldn't imagine a life without animal family members. It doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye though. Thinking of you MM, and rest peacefully little Mellow.

At the Movies with Bebb...Part Four

Well, it's Wednesday and you know what that means- Movie Review day here at Bebb and the Bubs. And also...tomorrow is my last day of work before summer holidays! Very exciting yet I'm also feeling a little sad at leaving this school tomorrow and starting over at a new school yet again. There are some kids I've gotten to know really well, and friends I've made among the staff (particularly Lisa) who I'll miss. Ah well- onto new adventures! I know I'll keep in touch with Lisa and make new friends at my new school.

So today I am reviewing another Australian movie...

Sleeping Beauty (2011)

Lucy (Emily Browning) is a university student. She works three thankless jobs- as a test subject in a medical research lab, as a waitress, and in an office- to support herself. Lucy appears cut off from the world around her, completely disconnected from her housemates and engaging in meaningless liaisons with men she meets in bars. Her only real connection is the one she shares with her friend Birdmann (Ewan Leslie), an alcoholic who does not leave his flat. Their relationship is both intimate and strangely formal, and it is only with Birdmann that we see any vulnerability from beautiful, distant Lucy. Answering an ad in the student paper to work as a lingerie waitress, Lucy soon finds herself working for Clara (Rachael Blake) who runs a mysterious establishment in which young women are willingly put into a drugged sleep so that older men can spend the night with them- to look and touch only. As time passes, Lucy begins to grow increasingly curious as to what happens to her in the lost hours while she sleeps...

I wanted to love this movie. I really thought I would. The previews showed an ethereal, atmospheric arthouse movie, and I was excited to see author Julia Leigh's directorial debut. (She wrote, among other things, The Hunter, upon which the recent movie was based.) I had also noted that Julia Leigh had been mentored by Jane Campion, who directed one of my all time favourite movies, The Piano. 

But. Yes, but. I found the movie to be vastly disappointing. Though Emily Browning's acting was impressive, we had no chance to get to know Lucy on any real level as she was so detached and distant. I feel this was a deliberate effort to show her as being disconnected from the world around her and reckless in the risks she took, but instead it made us feel like we were only watching her from the outside with no view into her motives, feelings or thoughts, which was very unsatisfying. The times when we did see emotion and vulnerability from Lucy- during her scenes with Birdmann and in the final scene- were powerful moments when I did feel connected to her, and I was left wanting to feel the same way during the rest of the movie.  

This was quite an uncomfortable film to watch. Seeing Lucy, naked, unconscious and completely vulnerable, being handled by older men who seemed to have no regard for her wellbeing or safety made for difficult viewing. Dialogue that seemed intended to shock had the effect of distancing me further from the film. The script was well-written, but I question the desire to show humankind in its basest, vilest, most lust-driven form, and the decision to leave the audience so cut off from every single character. Another issue is that in such a controversial film, there were many scenes that I actually found quite dull. I debated whether to stop watching on several occasions, not because I was disturbed but because I was, quite simply, bored.

Visually, the film was beautifully shot and lit. Emily Browning looked breathtakingly stunning but her tiny, waifish frame made the scenes with the older men all the more uncomfortable. The film left me with many, many more questions than it answered and while this is all well and good and I do enjoy discussing the meaning behind movies with others, this movie went too far in leaving us with too much we did not know, understand or hope to understand. Overall the acting was good, and I had respect for Emily Browning's brave performance in particular, but this is not a movie I could say I enjoyed. I was left feeling churned up inside, uncomfortable, sad and confused. Certain scenes were with me that night as I tried to sleep, and were not scenes that I particularly wanted to revisit. Disappointing viewing and not a film I would recommend unless you really just need to satisfy your curiosity.  

My rating: If my rating was based only on the acting, I would give it 4 out of 5 stars. However, overall I give it 2 out of 5 stars. It has potential, but does not deliver.  

At the Movies with Bebb...Part Three...Once Were Warriors

Wednesday is Movie Review day at Bebb and the Bubs (as well as being one week to go until summer holidays!) I've been getting some great feedback from friends who have read my first two reviews and am enjoying writing them. I was planning to review another Australian movie today but realised that would be three Aussie movies in a row (I do love good Australian movies) so I decided to review a New Zealand movie instead. Next week I may even branch out further and move out of the region!

Once Were Warriors

Jake Heke, of Maori descent (Temuera Morrison) seems, at first glance, to be a loving husband and father. He and his wife Beth (Rena Owen) live with their five children in what seems to be near-poverty, though our first sight of him has him surprising the children with fresh seafood and passionately embracing his wife. Very soon, however, we see that beneath the charm is an extremely violent man who does not hold back from using his fists on those around him, whether it be a man annoying him at the local pub where he spends much of his time, or his wife for being 'lippy'. Beth deals with her husband's violence by drinking and denying the abuse to herself and those around her, though the bruises are plain to see. Beth and Jake's oldest son, Nig, detests his father for his violence and drinking ways and seeks a new family unit in the form of a Maori gang he hopes to be initiated into. Their teenage son Boogie has been caught stealing cars and is removed from the family. Thirteen year old Grace cares for the younger children and escapes from the turmoil around her by writing stories. When a horrific event occurs, the already crumbling family begins to disintegrate further and tragedy and loss seem inevitable...

This movie is hard to watch, yet compelling viewing. I feel I should warn you that it merits its MA rating- some scenes are quite graphic and very violent and I found them very confronting.  Temuera Morrison delivers a solid, nuanced performance as the violent, brutal, tormented Jake. Rena Owen gives a slightly mixed performance as Beth- at times she delivers a very believable character and at times her performace seems slightly 'clunky' and wooden and comes across as slightly forced. There are a few other lesser characters that suffer the same problem, but overall the acting is fairly solid. Rena Owen's final speech, in which the significance of the title is explained, is one of the standout moments of her acting. Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell is heartbreaking as beautiful, sensitive Beth, and her performace will stay with you.

I do not know a great deal about Maori culture but my New Zealander husband assures me that the film paints an accurate picture of the ways of life for Maori gangs and those living below the poverty line in New Zealand. At times the movie seems that it will not recover from the dark events that we are shown, and it can be very, very dark indeed. Yet there are also moments of humour and a glimmer of hope among the blackness. See it if you are interested in New Zealand movies, or a gritty, confronting, hard hitting yet compelling film. Stay away if you can't handle scenes of graphic violence, particularly domestic violence. A haunting film that will stay with you and is worth watching despite the grim subject matter.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

At the Movies with Bebb...Part Two...Murder in the Outback

Well, it's Wednesday and you know what that means...aside from it now being two weeks until the end of the school term...yay summer holidays...It's movie review day here at Bebb and the Bubs. I wanted to review one of my favourite movies but I decided that I shouldn't only review movies that I think are wonderful. So here we go with...

 Murder in the Outback

The Joanne Lees Story

I'm sure everyone remembers the Joanne Lees and Peter Falconio case. In 2001, the two British backpackers were travelling through the Northern Territory in a Kombi van when they were accosted by a man in a ute, who presumably shot and killed Peter Falconio and attempted to abduct Joanne Lees. She escaped from the back of his ute and hid in bushland, still tied up, for several hours before flagging down a road train. Though blood was found by the road, Peter Falconio's body was never found and Joanne consequently endured a trial by media and the Australian public, many of whom thought she was involved in Peter's death as she did not behave like a 'true victim'. In 2005, Bradley Murdoch was charged with the crimes and is serving a 28 year sentence.

I rented this movie as I had recently re-read Joanne Lees' book, No Turning Back, and was interested to see it portrayed on screen. I have never had any doubts regarding her story and was hoping the movie would follow the same path as the book. However, I was quite disappointed. The lead actor, Joanne Froggatt, is a good actress and I enjoyed watching her as Anna the head housemaid on the television series Downton Abbey. Froggatt did the best she could with the material given to her, but it annoyed me that so many mistakes and ommissions were present in this movie. They had the basic facts there but I feel they could have done a much better job. The media at the time portrayed Joanne Lees as not behaving like a 'true victim' as she did not cry in public and appeared too strong. (How is a 'true victim' supposed to behave anyway? Where is that written?) However, upon reading her book one learns that of course she wept and despaired, but is by nature a private person and wanted to hold it together when on public view. Adding to that, she had been through a worse event than many of us can imagine and was in shock. One of my main issues with the film is that they portrayed her as being strong, cold and distant both in public and in private. They also portrayed her as being quite alone and isolated during the investigations and trial. I'm not sure what the reasons for this were, but the book details the friends and family members she had by her side at all times, beginning a few days after the crime occurred.

One scene I feel they did well on was the scene involving the actual crime itself. It is difficult to comprehend the sheer terror Joanne Lees would have felt and Joanne Froggatt really nailed this. When she stopped the road train and was screaming for the driver to help her, I was moved to tears as I could imagine how desperate and hysterical she would have felt in that moment. I also liked the depiction of her relationship with Peter- we only saw Peter (Laurence Breuls) in a few scenes but there was chemistry between them and they did a good job of portraying a loving young couple on an adventure together.  

This film was made-for-television and though there were some good cast members I'm not surprised it flew somewhat under the radar. I'm also somewhat astonished that they went ahead with the film without consulting Joanne Lees at all. Reportedly she did not want to be involved and did not want it to go ahead, and I find it strange that a writer, director etc can hope to accurately capture how a person thinks and feels without speaking to them or even sticking to known facts. I'd suggest that if you want to learn more about this case, you read Joanne's well-written, no-holds-barred book and leave the movie alone.

My rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars (mainly for the acting).

At the Movies with Bebb...Part One

Welcome to At the Movies with Bebb, which will be a regular Wednesday blog (unless I get lazy/go camping/am lying on a beach somewhere...). I don't pretend to be Margaret and David, (though I like to think I have better dress sense) but I still love writing movie reviews. Movies are one of my passions. In At the Movies with Bebb I'll discuss all sorts of movies...any new releases I've seen at the cinema, as well as movies that I've rented and old favourites from my collection. To get us started....

'Angel Baby' (1995)

  I love a good Australian movie. This one has been around for a while but is well worth checking out. 'Angel Baby' scooped 7 Australian Film Awards in 1995, for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Film, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing and Best Cinematography. Not bad!

Harry (John Lynch, who you may remember as Gwyneth Paltrow's cheating boyfriend in Sliding Doors) and Kate (Jacqueline Mackenzie) are two schizophrenics who meet at their therapy centre. They quickly fall into a passionate love affair and move in together, to the consternation of Harry's brother Morris (Colin Friels, who almost but not quite nails an English accent) and Morris's wife Louise (Deborra-Lee Furness, in her pre-Hugh Jackman days). Kate believes she is guided by her guardian angel, Astral, who Kate is convinced sends her messages- through the answers on 'Wheel of Fortune', which she diligently watches every day. Everything seems to be going well for the exuberant couple, with Harry securing a full-time job and Kate enjoying her housewife role, until Kate falls pregnant and they decide to stop taking their medication...

Watching this film, it is easy to understand why it won all the 'big' AFI awards. The leads are believable and throw themselves into their roles completely. I love the use of light, darkness and colour- it truly is a visually stunning film. The support cast, mainly Colin Friels and Deborra-Lee Furness, do an accurate job of depicting family members who have dealt with a loved one's mental illness for years, though as I mentioned Colin Friels doesn't quite have a handle on the British accent which can be slightly distracting at times. The script is well-crafted and it's very easy to lose yourself in the plot. The director, Michael Rymer, has created a beautiful yet heartbreaking love story that sheds light on a mental illness that is suffered by many yet is rarely discussed so openly in the movie world. It is a very sad movie and the ending is quite ambiguous. I watched it twice after renting it a few weeks ago and had a different conclusion to the ending both times.

I highly recommend this movie if you like a character-driven, thought provoking movie and appreciate a good Aussie film.

My rating- 4.5 out of 5 stars.