Film Review - 'Fantastic Mr. Fox'

Based on Roald Dahl’s children’s novel, “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is a 2009 stop-motion film directed by Wes Anderson.

The film is highly visual and features a great level of detail. Compared to modern animation, stop-motion adds an artistic element. There is a nuanced quality, where things are not quite perfect, but that’s what separates it from other animated films.

Mature themes are incorporated into the story arc and this makes the film enjoyable for adults and kids alike.

The film was nominated for numerous awards, including two Oscars and a Golden Globe.

 

 

The Movie Club will be screening “Fantastic Mr Fox” on Wednesday 10 January 6pm sharp at Narellan Library. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided, BYO snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening for a short discussion about the film. See the discussion questions to get some ideas.

Film Review - 'Scrooged'

Based on Charles Dicken’s classic, ‘A Christmas Carol’, Scrooged is a 1988 interpretation starring Bill Murray as the scrooge Frank Cross. Frank is a big-shot TV executive who is about to learn the meaning of Christmas from three ghosts.

The film has been criticised for not having enough ‘Christmas spirit’, however, this may be done on purpose to contextualise the story for a contemporary audience.

 

‘Scrooged’ succeeds in pulling off a humorous and current adaptation of the classic Christmas story, however, it cannot be compared to the traditional ‘A Christmas Carol’.

The Movie Club will be screening ‘Scrooged’ on Wednesday 13 December, 6pm sharp at Narellan Library. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided, BYO snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening for a short discussion about the film. See the discussion questions to get some ideas.

Film Review - 'Midnight in Paris'

Midnight in Paris is a 2011 film from director Woody Allen. The film focuses on the main character of Gil, an American who navigates his way around Paris with his fiancée.

The film incorporates elements of fantasy and nostalgia as Gil mysteriously goes back in time to 1920s Paris each night at midnight.

 

The film presents a visible tension between American and French culture, or rather, the stereotypes that American culture holds of France.

 

 

Themes of nostalgia, memory, and history are ruminated upon against a romantic Parisian background and this allows for an exploration of characters and of the city itself.

With many of Allen’s films set in New York, ‘Midnight in Paris’ is a rich and vibrant departure.

The Movie Club will be screening ‘Midnight in Paris’ on Wednesday 8 November, 6pm sharp at Narellan Library. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided, BYO snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening for a short discussion about the film. See the discussion questions to get some ideas.

Film Review - 'Vertigo'

‘Vertigo’ is considered to be one of Alfred Hitchcock’s defining films along with ‘Psycho’ and ‘North by Northwest’. With an intelligent script and intense stylised editing it will keep you intrigued to the end.

The film begins with Scottie, a private investigator, who comes to the realisation he has vertigo. Now out of work, Scottie agrees to help his friend Gavin to investigate his wife’s odd behaviour. This leads to a series of tense and unforgettable events.

The film is compelling both as a stand-alone story which is mysterious and smart, but even more intriguing to know is that the film is one of Hitchcock’s most confessional. Scottie represents Hitchcock and the way he used, feared and controlled women.

 

An intense look at the dangers of obsession, desire and control, the film is striking in visual effects, particularly the final scene. The themes remain relevant to a contemporary audience, and will make you re-think the roles of men and women in society, particularly the way some can manipulate and ‘mould’ others.

The Movie Club will be screening ‘Vertigo’ on Wednesday 11 October, 6pm sharp at Narellan Library. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided, BYO snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening for a short discussion about the film. See the discussion questions to get some ideas.

Film Review - 'Hunt for the Wilderpeople'

‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’ is one of those special films which uses humour to make you feel more human, more compassionate perhaps, more connected to yourself and your surroundings. The film tells the story of foster kid Ricky – young, rebellious and habitually rejected. Ricky finds himself in the care of Hec and Bella, an older couple living in a rural area. When Ricky attempts to escape and Hec goes looking for him, what ensues is a nation-wide man-hunt. A fresh and natural dialogue keeps the film away from cliché territory and the New Zealand wilderness adds another layer of meaning to this very human story.

The film comes from New Zealand director, Taika Waititi, who also directed ‘Boy’. Waititi is known for creating a strong sense of voice in his films. ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’ has a voice, a nuanced voice that is refreshing and original.

 

The film was nominated for 25 awards across numerous international film festivals, including the Audience Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

The Movie Club will be screening ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’ on Wednesday 13 September, 6pm sharp at Narellan Library. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided, BYO snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening for a short discussion about the film. See the discussion questions to get some ideas.

Film Review - 'Touch of Evil'

Based on a novel titled, ‘Badge of Evil’, the film is an intense story of police corruption on the border of Mexico and America. Narcotics officer Mike Vargas is drawn into the case of a car bombing that occurs on the border. Working with US police officer Hank Quinlan, Vargas begins to suspect the officer of planting fake evidence. Vargas follows this trail of corruption to the displeasure of Hank. During this time, a Mexican crime syndicate are planning an attack on Vargas’ new wife who he thinks is safely hidden away in a hotel on the US side of the border.

The film is visual and use of dramatic suspense creates an intense aura throughout. However, it seems Vargas’ wife Susan, is sometimes forgotten in the film. She is pushed into a hotel and terrorised by local gang members, yet much of this and its effect on her character is ignored.

‘A Touch of Evil’ was re-released in 1998 to reflect the director’s (Orson Welles) original version of the film. The initial 1958 release had been substantially edited by film studio Universal. The 1998 edition was re-edited based on notes written by Welles.

The Movie Club will be screening ‘A Touch of Evil’ on Wednesday 9 August, 6pm sharp at Narellan Library. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided, BYO snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening for a short discussion about the film. See the discussion questions to get some ideas.

Film Review - 'Little Miss Sunshine'

Part comedy, part road film, part black comedy, part drama, ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ is a film that covers all the bases. It all starts with Olive Hoover, a young girl obsessed with beauty pageants. In the opening scene Olive is seen staring at the television, watching a pageant. We are then shown the rest of the Hoover family: her unsuccessful motivational speaker dad, her overwhelmed mum, junkie grandad, depressed Uncle, and her mute brother Dwayne. This opening scene around the dinner table clearly defines the family dynamic and sets the tone for the rest of the film.


The entire family embarks on a road trip to get Olive to a beauty pageant in time to compete. Along the way a series of events unfold, painfully for the characters but entertaining and funny for the audience.

What makes this film so great is the acting; all the actors know their characters and you see everything on their faces, the love and the pain.

‘Little Miss Sunshine’ won two Academy Awards for ‘Best Original Screenplay’ and ‘Best Supporting Actor’ for Alan Arkin.


The Movie Club will be screening 'Little Miss Sunshine' on Wednesday 12 July, 6pm sharp at Narellan Library. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided, BYO snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening for a short discussion about the film. See the discussion questions to get some ideas.

Movie Club - 'The Usual Suspects'

When a man by the name of Verbal is brought in for questioning, he tells an almost unbelievable story. Verbal recounts the story in flashback, of five criminals who meet in a police line-up who decide to band together to perform a vengeful heist, which leads them further into crime.

The Usual Suspects is an intricate film of intense, sometimes superfluous, editing that reveals a plot of mystery and revelations. It is part crime, part mystery part film-noir and relies on plot and post-editing to grip the viewer to the very end.

Full of violent twists, and the mysterious Keyser Soze, the film requires the viewer to watch closely, almost demanding it to be watched a second time over. However the acting is fluid, the plot crafted meticulously and the script witty.

The film won two Academy Awards, one of which was for ‘Best Original Screenplay’,  it also won two BAFTAs for ‘Best Original Screenplay’ and ‘Best Editing’. The film’s intense editing and intense plot will keep you on your toes.

The Movie Club will be screening 'The Usual Suspects' on Wednesday 10 May, 6pm sharp at Narellan Library. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided, BYO snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening for a short discussion about the film. See the discussion questions to get some ideas.

Movie Club - Happy-Go-Lucky

This month the Movie Club will be screening 'Happy-Go-Lucky'. Written and directed by Mike Leigh, ‘Happy-Go-Lucky’ is a character-driven film that follows the protagonist, Poppy, as she experiences some ups and downs in her life. Poppy is a 30-something school teacher living in London. She is optimistic, chirpy and happy all of the time, it is not a superficial act, it is just who Poppy is. Poppy lives with her friend and co-worker, Zoe, who acts as a kind of moral compass in a film that combines extreme optimism with extreme pessimism (in the form of Scott). Scott is a narcissistic driving instructor whom Poppy seeks out for driving lessons.

The film relies on a series of events that slowly reveal the characters of Poppy and Scott. There is no major dramatic plot or action sequence, rather we meander through the everyday life of Poppy: as she goes to work and deals with a problematic student, as she converses with a homeless man, as she takes salsa classes, as she visits her younger sister Helen, as she takes driving lessons with Scott. It is through these sequential shots of Poppy’s life that we build-up a knowledge base that reveals layers of Poppy’s character. Dramatic tension is maintained throughout by the relationship between Poppy and Scott.

 

The film is interesting not only for its character study of Poppy, but also its depiction of gender and stereotypes. Most of the characters in the film are female, except for Scott and Tim. Tim is only a minor character, and Scott is presented as aggressive, impulsive and an unlikeable male. The lead character here is Poppy, the film is Poppy’s film, and there is no male counter-part that she ever needs to rely upon. To add to this, Poppy defies the norms of female happiness; rather than gaining a sense of meaning from a man, children or family, Poppy sources fulfilment from things such as work, flamenco dance classes, trampolining, and friends.

Nominated for an Academy Award, the film is funny and light, yet full of wise lessons and deep emotion.

'Happy-Go-Lucky' will be showing on Wednesday 8 March, 6pm at Narellan Library. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided, BYO snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening for a short discussion about the film.

 

Film Review—Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino

Tarantino’s pop culture fueled, non-linear, black comedy crime drama. Divided into several loosely interconnected vignettes, the film revels in the colour of L.A.’s dark underbelly. We have Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent Vega (John Travolta), two hitmen who are running an errand to retrieve a brief case for their boss, Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames). Marsellus in the meantime is discussing the fall boxer Butch (Bruce Willis) will be taking in an upcoming fight, as well as negotiating with Vincent to take his wife (Uma Thurman) out to dinner to curb her loneliness. Add in a couple of small time robbers (Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer), Vincent's dealer (Eric Stoltz), Jules’ friend who helps them in a tight situation (Tarantino), Marsellus’ "cleaner" (Harvey Keitel) and Christopher Walken as a Vietnam veteran bearing heirlooms, you have a film that celebrates its pulpy origins.

What distinguishes Tarantino is both his eye for phenomenal set pieces as well as his ear for highly entraining dialogue in all his films. It may seem trivial, spurred by the everyday, the mundane, but therein lays its value, and never more than in Pulp Fiction. The entire film can be viewed as a mediation on meaning and value.  From the petty importance of a gold watch versus the mysterious contents of a briefcase, to a pastiche Bible passage, to the significance of what the French call a Quarter-pounder with Cheese to only be told that in America names don’t mean anything. The dialogue creates an ironic cycle where things that mean nothing are given vital importance by the interlocutors, only to be relegated as meaningless by the fluidity of language, yet which in turn creates meaning for the audience, who then ponder the meaning of any of it.

An engrossing and richly vital film, Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction proves its place as one of cinema’s finest achievements, with flawless writing, perfectly executed pacing, and its colorful yet relatable characters, all of which gives it sensational rewatch value.
Andreas

Book Review - Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

This is a re-release of the acclaimed debut novel first published in 1977. It has been re-published to coincide with the film starring Harrison Ford. It is interesting to discover why he wrote the book and what he was thinking as described in an introduction by the author first published in 1991. The story is of gifted children drafted to BattleSchool for training and assessment in a desperate search for a supreme battle commander . The commander is needed to lead the Earth's forces in an interstellar war against 'the buggers', the insectoid race that came out of the stars in the first interstellar war. This story is deservedly a classic. It focuses on Ender Wiggin, a hugely intelligent 6 year old who is sent to Battle School after his brother Peter, fails as he is too nasty and his sister, Valentine, fails because she is too nice. Because of their genetic potential, their parents were given permission to breed a Third, in a world where 2 children is the maximum allowed. The result is Ender, who combines his siblings' traits. His growing up is a combination of developing knowledge & skills and of understanding the duality of his own personality. When he is first sent into space, "There were 19 other boys in his launch. They filed out of the bus and into the elevator. They talked and joked and bragged and laughed. Ender kept his silence. He noticed how Graff and the other officers were watching them. Analyzing. Everything we do means something, Ender realized. Them laughing. Me not laughing. He toyed with the idea of trying to be like the other boys. But he couldn't think of any jokes, and none of theirs seemed funny. Wherever their laughter came from, Ender couldn't find such a place in himself. He was afraid, and fear made him serious."  The children at BattleSchool face tough challenges to make sure they can do the job but is the price they pay too high? As with the best scifi, the underlying political realities are deftly inserted into the action so that no-one is in any doubt that the black and white areas in life are well and truly greyed out! The space tech is handled well and you can simply read this as a coming-of-age story with fight training. I really enjoyed this book.

Wendy

Smiley movies set in Camden

The movies 'Smiley' and 'Smiley gets a gun' used some Camden and Cawdor locations when they were filmed in the late 1950s. A number of local residents were extras in the films. The movies are still enjoyable today and give an insight into the freedoms of growing up in the country at the time. In the first movie 'Smiley' the mischievous boy Smiley ends up in misadventure whilst trying to raise money to buy a bicycle. In the second movie he wants to have a rifle like the local policeman played by Chips Rafferty. Whilst many aspects of the films would not be considered politically correct today they reflect social history and the plots and characters still delight audiences of all ages. See if you can recognise some local locations and people. Copies of both movies are available for loan from the library as well as archived in the Local Studies collection. For a preview go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NoMJgJejyI

Audition by Ryu Murakami

This is proclaimed to be the novel behind the "acclaimed cult movie'' which I haven't seen. A Japanese documentary maker, Aoyama, hasn't dated since his wife died seven years before and he is urged by his son and friend to seek a new wife. He advertises for actresses for a film he doesn't intend to make so he can look over many women with the characteristics he seeks. When Yamasaki Asami enters the room, "Aoyama had a very distinct sensation that something extraordinary was happening all around him. It was like being the millionth visitor to an amusement park, suddenly bathed in spotlights and a rain of balloons and surrounded with microphones and flashing cameras." When she spoke "it was a voice that poured into your ears and oozed down the nerves to the nape of your neck - neither high-pitched nor deep nor dusky, but round and smooth and crystalline". Beguiled by her beauty and intrigued by her troubled past, he ignores the warning signs and rushes headlong into a steamy relationship. Aoyama is a decent man getting though life the best he can but Asami-san is playing by different rules and she wants to be the only person in his life.
This novel is beautifully translated from Japanese by Ralph McCarthy. It is a short novel, lyrically descriptive, explicitly sexual and shockingly violent. It is truly said that you should be careful what you wish for!
Wendy