White House Down film review

It's an action film with more guns and explosions than named characters, but it is also a smart film and the violence is balanced with humour, cameraderie, politics and a sweet father-daughter story.  

There are several strands that make up the story, and these are each revealed in a clever way; such that there is suspense and satisfying pay-offs, and the strands come together in a natural way.  I would not fault the story at all.  The strongest feature of this film, though, is that the relationships between characters are real and interesting.  Channing Tatum has some wonderful connections with his scene partners, but the one that makes the film is his bond with Jamie Foxx.  The two tussle for power, and find their common ground and watch each others' backs and it is a beautiful thing.  They are funny too.  It was just a shame they could not find an excuse to rap together while dodging bullets and killing bad guys.  Oh yeah, the death count is pretty high.  That is where I tend to struggle with such action-heavy films.  Why all the death?  Why shoot to kill?  Isn't wounding sometimes enough?  Why even use guns?  But the thing I liked about this film is that the gunfire actually felt justified.  And the issue of non-violent peace negotiation is at the heart of the story.

So, this film just works.  The overall tone is fantastic and cheesy, but accept that and there is a lot to enjoy.

See this film to witness a believable dynamic duo.  Who needs superpowers or fancy gadgets when one can simply Channing all over one's Tatum.

Speaking in Tongues theatre review

Speaking in Tongues is the sort of play that has earned Silo its reputation for presenting bold plays with rich material for its cast.  This production is slick and stylish, and securely acted.  It is what we have come to expect from Silo and I enjoyed it.

It is a play that provides much food for thought, particularly about relationships.  It acknowledges the complexity of marriage and our glimpses into several relationships point to relatable issues, while entertaining.

The cast of four are all adept at natural characterisation, and I was particularly impressed with Oliver Driver, who gives us three very different characters, and makes them all interesting and interestingly vulnerable.  The quality I felt was lacking from all performances was spontaneity.  The play is carefully staged, and much of it requires measured performances from the actors, but there was also room for some less guarded moments.  As it was, there were no surprises.  It would have been the icing on the cake to see some raw emotion.

But that's just my minor quibble.  The play is rather outstanding, and Silo present a polished production with excellent production values.  The Herald Theatre has never looked so much like a real theatre!

See this play and lose yourself in a yarn of intertwined relationships and the fallout that can come from taking risks.  

After Miss Julie theatre review

Something to do with a love triangle...I don't know.  The most forgettable play I have seen in a long time.  It just never got going, and then it stopped.

Production values were pretty standard, and Dena Kennedy's easy presence was a delight to behold, but beyond that there is very little to say.

Don't go near this play.

Stoker film review

Chan-wook Park's first English language feature film proves that his style translates just fine.  The language of his films is very much a visual one, and his ongoing collaboration with cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung is one of the most exciting in the film industry today.

The world he creates for Stoker is one of Gothic beauty, observed in ultra-amplified sound and intensified colour.  This is one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen, so the absorbing characters and their surprising story is an added bonus.  It's a morbid tale, though, so it won't be to everyone's liking.  It seems Park excels best in such twisted mysteries.

Mia Wokawski and Matthew Goode turn in outstanding performances while Nicole Kidman relies on her usual bag of tricks. 

See this film for a visual feast.  I found it refreshing to see a story told in such a bold, interesting way.

Resident Alien theatre review

What is Resident Alien?  Is it a play?  There is no story to speak of.  Is it a biography?  Of sorts.  A tribute?  Yes.  It is a one man show and a character study and a warm-hearted tribute to an entertainer whose chief talent was his captivating personality.  Quentin Crisp was undoubtedly eccentric, but he was also educated and quick-witted.  He was a fascinating man.  So much so that a show in his honour need not bother with a plot, or a clever premise, or dramatic reenactments of his early life.  Simply seeing the man embodied is enough to grip the audience for as long as it takes for him to impart the wisdom he wishes to share.

For he also demonstrated surprising wisdom; Crisp was nothing if not insightful.  His way with words and his manner of delivery mean that the most serious of matters can be made frivolous, and the most complex issues reduced to a snappy phrase. Yet within these glib soundbites and witticisms is great truth.  That was his genius: to succinctly express life's struggles and overcome them with style.

His is a legacy worth learning about, and seeing Resident Alien is an enjoyable way to start.

See Roy Ward bring Crisp to life while you can.  It's as close as you'll get to the real thing.

Motel theatre review

Four stories take place in one motel room.  The stories are unrelated, but the curmudgeonly motel owner appears in each, to varying degrees of importance.  As the format might suggest, the play is something of a mixed bag.

Each story has great dramatic potential, but the development of the characters is lacking, to the point that I found I was often not invested in their plight, or the outcome of each scenario.  The characters never felt like true characters, instead remaining thin representations of a stereotype.  Consequently, the hard-hitting moments never quite land the way they ought to.

There is some strong acting, but generally the emotions are downplayed which gives the play a wash of sameness to it.  However, the cast are not to blame here.  The script simply needs more work.

I just got a bit bored, really.

The scenes would have been helped by an increase in pace.  Things felt slow and time dragged.  The director missed several opportunities to inject a fresh energy.  Even the interludes between scenes were unnecessarily sluggish.  Disappointing.

See this play if you have patience, or a drug that messes with your perception of time.

We're the Millers film review

We're the Millers tries its best to shock with its off-beat morality and frequent vulgarity.  But it takes more than it used to to shock an audience and this does not quite cut it.  It's a funny film, but too often it resorts to base humour and smut.  It's one thing to incorporate adult themes in ones humour, but it is another to make these themes the punchline.  There was a disappointing lack of wit or surprise and this is what ultimately lets down an otherwise strong film.

The story is interesting enough, but it falls into every cliche it could until it ends up just too predictable.

The most enjoyable aspect of the film is the chemistry between Jason Sudeikis and Jennifer Aniston.  They work well together and I hope to see them together with a more developed script next time.

See this film for something colourful and light, or if you're a grubby teenaged boy.