Tuesday, August 20, 2013

2013 Film Festival review: Part 2

Next installment of my Film Festival reviews! Reviews of films 7-13

7) ANTARCTICA: A YEAR ON ICE: Filmed by Kiwi Anthony Powell over a decade, this is, at once, both a stunning and heartfelt personal tribute to both the people he works alongside - and a brilliant reminder of the stupendous, awe-inspiring, yet undeniably brutal landscape of the southernmost continent on our precious planet. This entertaining doco is more than good. For me, it's not just one of the best Kiwi doco's, but one of the very best doco's I've ever seen. Period. It almost makes you want to go and live there. Even through the darkest harshest winter known to mankind! I did say almost. As a stop-gap though, you could do no worse than watch this very human masterpiece. If you can't see it on a cinema screen, then watch on the biggest TV you can. Did I mention it's very funny too? Our Kiwi humour shines through without a trace of self consciousness!

8) WE STEAL SECRETS-THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS: The timeliness & relevance of this engaging doco is revealed at the very end with a coda about the latest update on NSA agent Edward Snowden's current situation in Russia. Unsurprisingly, things have since moved on rapidly after the completion of this doco, of which, does a fantastic job at illustrating vividly, the extreme ease in which information is dispersed in the connected world of 2013. How WikiLeaks came from seemingly nowhere to being a major player could not have happened without someone like Julian Assange. Possibly, its too early to seen how he will be treated by history, but WE STEAL SECRETS does reveal Assange's complex background, and lays bare the undeniably very complicated psyche behind the public face. Clearly, paranoia was, in retrospect, inevitable? Given the highly sensitive nature of what he was attempting to do, Julian made that self-made hole he dug much bigger by alienating nearly every single person close to him. And, if you fancy a welcome diversion from an attentive groupie, don't forget that these extracurricular  dalliances usually have consequences! Sometimes, ya gotta keep it zipped up...

9) BIG STAR-NOTHING CAN HURT ME: Some bands are destined for a long career in Rock 'N Roll. For select others though, fate, circumstance, bad luck, misfortune, can be ever present. Perhaps denying or even totally preventing them the expected rewards they work so very hard to seek. Money, Success, Respect, Global recognition are, but a few of the oft-stated goals of many others. BIG STAR were one such band seeking their share. Maybe it was the way too obvious name - Irony not fully appreciated back then? Maybe it was the clash of personalities? Maybe the lack of record company support at the time? Maybe, it was just the way it was meant to be? Fittingly, history now rightfully accords them their belated due with this engrossing documentary that delves into the intense personalities and the bands initially unforeseen demise to the now respected & influential place BIG STAR rightly hold in the music business. Take it from me, the music stands up brilliantly today, which reinforces the widely held belief of the time when they first emerged (Mid 1970's) - that these guys were GREAT. They deserved major success at the time, but alas, it was not meant to be. This doco is fantastic, but I implore you  - do check out the MUSIC as well. You won't regret it...

10) MUD: I have a real attraction to any movie set in the American South, and this third effort from talented director Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter/Shotgun Stories - both fantastic! Check 'em out!) is an excellent reminder of how the stories from this vibrant region never fail to excite and entertain on most levels. Starring the charismatic Matthew McConaughey, who really shines as the roguish 'Mud', playing him as a misguided hero who has clear lines of morality and righteousness. His best role in eons. (Matt, hey buddy. No more generic 'Rom-Coms', OK?) When two young friends (Neckbone & Ellis - both superbly acted with abundant natural ease by their respective two young actors) find this escaped con holed up, somewhat mysteriously on an island at the head of a river, little do they realise by assisting him with his reason for being there in the first place (To reunite with his sweetheart - White trash goddess Juniper - a very welcome and convincing Reese Witherspoon), the grave danger they place themselves in with the arrival of a bunch of very determined bad men who are planning to prevent the reunion from ever happening. Funny, dramatic, tense, heartbreaking, and absolutely compelling, this is a movie that will be on my 'best of' list at the end of the year. Unmissable...

11) TERMS AND CONDITIONS MAY APPLY: Everyone can relate to this commonly struck obstacle: You know when those pesky T&C's come up on a website you're joining - and you furiously find the quickest way to say YES, so you can get on to the important stuff behind their front gate? Possibly, it might just pay to actually have a quick squizz at exactly what it is that you're agreeing to - before you say YES. The irony though is that the 'masses' will never watch this thought-provoking, entertaining, and revealing doco that lays bare the reasons why any legal contract is formatted in a very exact fashion. Make no mistake, the legal & business communities work together to ensure that most of us will never bother to read the fine print - and read between the intentionally micro-sized legalese that is expressly engineered that way. To persuade you that you do not need to read those boring bits of documentation. Trust us. We have your best interests at heart. Er, no. I'm not so sure now, after watching this penetrating look behind the curtains of control. Once viewed, this doco will leave a mark. You'll think twice before signing your 'life away' in future dealings of this nature...

No comments: