#24 - Lars and the Real Girl (2007) Review, Analysis & Depiction of Mental Illness

Lars and the Real Girl (2007), Craig Gillespie
2/5

This is an average comedy/ drama that trivialises mental illness. And what is most strange about the film is not that a man believes a sex doll is real, but the reactions of those around him. This film is largely inaccurate in the depiction of mental illness, frustratingly so. The performances are ok, with what they have to work with. What perhaps may have seemed a quaint and interesting premise is instead absurd and more of a fad based on the more widely known shows and increase in notion of sex dolls replacing real life relationships. Overall not really funny and too overly sentimental to be truly moving or interesting.

Analysis and Depiction of Mental Illness

***SPOILERS***

The treatment/ depiction of mental illness in this film is extremely frustrating. Not only does Lars (Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson, Drive, Blue Valentine) seem less like he is suffering from a mental illness than he is socially awkward and is coddled and suffocated by his brother Gus (Paul Schneider, Parks and Recreation, Water For Elephants) and his wife Karin (Emily Mortimer, Young Adam, Hugo) as well as the rest of the odd ball small town characters. Also what is perhaps most unrealistic is that Lars's relationship with the sex doll is not sexual and that the doll lives with Lar's brother and his wife. Also the doctor who is surreptitiously treating Lars under the guise of "treating" Bianca (the sex doll), which is grossly unethical. The doctor Dagmar (Patricia Clarkson, Six Feet Under, Vick Christina Barcelona) is not described as a psychiatrist and thus not qualified to either diagnose or treat mental illnesses, and should have referred Lars to a psychiatrist. Also delusional disorder is a quite rare disorder. The early scenes in the film set up quite clumsily obvious reasons for this abrupt and absurd delusion's occurrence  Frankly put, a woman after church asks Lars whether he has a girlfriend, or is he "one of the gays?" and in another scene a co-worker next to Lars is looking at "porn" a website for purchasing made-to-specification sex dolls. This seems extremely tenuous and a far fetched premise for Lars to go out and purchase a sex doll and instantaneously form an extreme delusional disorder regarding it. The fact that the doctor claims that this "disorder" is not "genetic" or related to brain chemistry is also a big warning sign in terms of scientific believability and accuracy. As any mental illness with have some genetic and chemical/ biological component and delusional disorder will be related to psychotic and schizophrenic disorders (as delusions occur in a wide range of other disorders including Schizophrenia, Schizoeffective disorder,  and Bipolar Disorder) as well as to do with social and environmental factors. To suggest otherwise is ridiculous. 

The doctor convinces Lars's brother and wife that they must go along with Lars's delusions which is definitely not the standard treatment practise as the psychiatric community's general opinion on delusions is to not acknowledge or foster the delusions as that just perpetuates them, and instead advises to gently rationalise and help contest the delusional beliefs. Also it is ridiculous that Lars's brother and wife convince most of their friends and towns people to also go along with his delusions. Which may seem sincere and nice, but may in actuality be more harmful than helpful to Lars. In fact perhaps the most accurate and appropriate response in the entire film is Lars's brother who reacts abruptly saying that his brother is "crazy", which may seem to be "demonising" mental illness and being prejudiced, but his opinions seem sound. Gus wants to get him medical treatment straight away and get advice, which is the appropriate response. He also defies the doctor's advice and attempts to tell Lars that "Bianca" is not real. However the way in which he did this while perhaps authentic, it was abrupt and ineffectual. Perhaps it is the town and other people that are crazy and not Lars. Lars believes something that is untrue, but the rest of the people go along knowing it is not true. Which is more crazy? They believe that by treating his "girlfriend" as if she is real that it will somehow get Lars to develop real relationship and social skills, but instead they are merely fostering his mental issues rather than confronting them. And of course the film resolves in a over-sentimental neat resolution package because of course that's exactly how it works in real life, right?

To read more about delusional disorder:

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/292991-overview

For another film about sex dolls see my review of Air Doll (2009)

#23 - Taipei Exchanges (2010) Review

Taipei Exchanges (2010), Hsiao Ya-Chuan
1/5

Strange story, kind of dull and boring. The cinematography is bad with slow sweeping shots that are unnecessary, also the piano music score is overly sentimental as is the acting. Not much of interest or substance to be found in this film, a disappointment.

#22 - Machete (2010) Review

Machete (2010), Ethan Maniquis & Robert Rodriguez
3/5

From the creators of Sin City (2005), and Planet Terror (2007) comes Machete (2010) a Mexican cartel film full of exploitation level gratuitous violence. The dialogue is terrible the story overwrought and cliche fulfilling all the genre predicability. The action sequences are amazingly over the top and ridiculous and a pure joy to watch. The cinematography is good embellishing the gore and violence well. The cast is a mixed bag with Danny Trejo (Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, Grindhouse) giving a great performance as Machete, while Lindsay Lohan (Mean Girls) is terrible and out of place, as is Jessica Alba (Sin City) who is the unbelievable border policewoman who always wears the practical high heels and can't hold a gun realistically. Michelle Rodriguez (Avatar) gives her standard wooden, bad performance and Steven Seagal (Hard to Kill, Under Siege) in this film is quite strange almost playing a homage of all his old action characters. Overall a good exploitation and enjoyably gratuitous.

#21 - Django Unchained (2013) Review

Django Unchained (2013), Quentin Tarantino
4/5

Tarantino's latest piece of genre film brilliance is the spaghetti western Django Unchained. Performances are great with the amazing Jamie Foxx (The Soloist, Jarhead) playing Django. The cinematography is stunningly shot on film, with many great slow motion sequences (although there are some bad slow-mo moments as well) and great visual style that is specific to Tarantino as an auteur. The script is powerful, moving and hilarious. Part great Western, part drama and exploitation with gratuitously beautiful violence, with so much hilarious blood spurts. The music is great overall complimenting the action sequences and imagery beautifully, with only a couple of exceptions that felt out of place. Performances were great notably Leonardo di Caprio (The Departed) as Calvin Candie, Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds) as Dr. Schultz and Kerry Washington (Ray) as Broomhilda. Exceptions were the obligatory cameo by Tarantino and his acting is made obviously bad by playing across the amazing Jamie Foxx and also the inclusion of Australian actor John Jarratt (Wolf Creek) who gives a terrible over the top performance with a grating Australian accent. Also, Tarantino "attempts" to do an Australian accent and fails dismally. Overall this is a great film, lots of amazing action, great casting, beautiful visuals, hilarious jokes and dialogue and lots of gratuitous violence and all the tongue-in-cheek stuff is bound together by amazing heart in this film.

#20 - Air Doll (Kuki ningyo) (2009) Review

Air Doll (Kuki ningyo) (Japan) (2009), Hirokazu Koreeda
3.5/5

From the director of Nobody Knows (2004) comes this strange and yet beautiful film. Hirokazu Koreeda is an incredibly visual storyteller, setting the film with sparse dialogue and instead focusing on recurrent images coupled with some voice over elements of repeated narration. This is one of the few instances where I think the voice over 'narration' works very well, it suits the subjectmatter perfectly. The story is strange, quirky, and at times funny, but the film is also quite long and somewhat bizarre. The film received mixed reviews, with a rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes of 43%. The premise of this film is fascinating, a blow up sex doll gains consciousness and the film explores her growth of a 'heart'. This film is fascinating and not straight forward, instead focusing of the journey of Nozomi the blow up doll played superbly by Doona Bae (Cloud Atlas, 2012 & The Host, 2006). Doona Bae's performance is a joy to watch as she is this doll-like childish creature experiencing the world for the first time, and yet at others conveys an amazing sense of melancholy and emptiness. The story also includes a number of vignettes and fragments of other characters perhaps Koreeda's attempt to display other stories and social elements, particularly focusing on Japanese women. This film is a beautifully shot poignant exploration into the cultural and social aspects of gender roles of women in modern day Japan. The use of fantasy semi-scifi elements give the film a somewhat dream like in quality like Alice in Wonderland and is reminiscent of French director Michel Gondry's work. In particular in The Science of Sleep (2006) and Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind (2004). Overall a strange yet compelling film, with great performances and gorgeous imagery and cinematography.

The Thing (1982) Review

The Thing (1982), John Carpenter
5/5

A timeless classic science fiction film. A true psychological thriller. Stands the test of time with superb cinematography, acting, and practical effects. Nothing beats the amazing opening sequence with John Carpenter's haunting score. MacReady played by the brilliant Kurt Russell plays a subtle and muted    unlikely hero. No premake can ever capture the essence of this film, the brilliant story. With visual effects that are still impressive, it just shows what can be done with art design, props and practical effects without the modern gimmicks of cgi and 3D. A smart film that lets the audience unravel the plot, making it brilliant for watching over and over. One of the best science fiction films of all time.

#19 - Re-Animator (1985) Review

Re-Animator (1985), Stuart Gordon
4/5

This brilliant horror comedy is a gore fest that is brilliantly bad. Based on the novel by H.P. Lovecraft it is a ridiculous reworking of the "Frankenstein" myth with hilarious results. This film has it all; cheesy dialogue, overt sexual innuendo, gratuitous violence and gore, and more gore. The 80s practical gore effects are great, lathered on with lots of cheesiness. This is B-grade horror at it's best. Not to be taken seriously this film is a delight to watch. The cinematography is hilariously awkward, as is a lot of the over-the-top amazing acting. This film probably deserves a 1 out of 5 for quality, but this film is so much fun and great entertainment, it's one of the best scifi exploitation films I've seen to date. Thoroughly enjoyable. Best viewed in cinemas with all the crackle and pop of the faded grindhouse film reel.

#18 - God Bless America (2011) Review

God Bless America (2011), Bobcat Goldthwait
4/5

This film is a brilliant dark comedy. The cinematography is great, especially the opening sequence using the sweeping aerial shots (reminiscent of the same technique used in Minority Report (2002)) between houses. The dialogue is snappy and hilarious, but can feel preachy at times. This film is utterly self indulgent, but humorously and delightfully so. This film gives voice to the disenfranchised and the disillusioned with modern western society's triviality and banality. Performances are great and Joel Murray as Frank and Tara Lynne Barr as Roxy bring to life characters that might otherwise have been puppets for political satire. The soundtrack is just amazing and compliments the slow motion and gory shots perfectly, adding a self-aware ironic touch to the violence. This film is the Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and Gun Crazy (1950) of the 2000s. There are explicit references to Bonnie and Clyde (1967) in particular. The film is a brilliant piece of cinematic homage and includes many references using clips from films and tv shows throughout. Despite the fact that the film may be overloaded with Goldthwait's agenda is a great piece of cinema, thoroughly enjoyable and depressingly funny.

***SPOILERS***

(including spoilers for Bonnie and Clyde)

I had some criticisms with the choice to make Frank (Joel Murray) dying with a inoperable brain tumour, but was glad that the plot twist was used that it turned out there was a mix up with the results and that he doesn't have a tumor. If Frank was dying it would have felt very Walter White from  Breaking Bad and given the character a somewhat more sympathetic note and excusability for his behaviour. Film and literature tend to denote that imminent death grants some behavioural licence to characters, while still granting the audience the permissibility of judging them. Instead the choice to make it that Frank is healthy and revealed late in the film adds the banality and absurdity, fitting perfectly with the subjectmatter itself. 

The film also is an interesting 'remake' or homage to Gun Crazy (1950) and Bonnie and Clyde (1967) (which is a remake of Gun Crazy). Frank even jokes to Roxy when she brings back the thrift shop hats that she looks very "Faye Dunaway". The scene in the cinema in particular is also somewhat reminiscent of Breathless (1983) (itself a remake of the French film by Jean-Luc Godard A bout de souffle (Breathless) (1960)) where Jesse (Richard Gere) and Monica (Valerie Kaprisky) sneak into the back of the theatre where Gun Crazy (1950) is playing, adding to the layers of intertextuality. 

Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and Gun Crazy (Deadly in the Female) (1950)

A Bour de Souffle (Breathless) (1960) Breathless (1983)

What is interesting about God Bless America (2011) as an adaptation of the vigilante couple is that it somewhat reworks both character and gender aspects. While is doesn't do much with racial elements, it does play with age as Frank is much older than the typical 'handsome' vigilante/ anti-hero and Roxy is supposed to a teenager and much younger. The dynamic between Frank and Roxy is great and plays similar to Bonnie and Clyde (1967) whereby the woman is depicted as sexually agressive and the man as impotent. However unlike Bonnie and Clyde where Clyde (Warren Beatty) finally consummates the relationship with Bonnie (Faye Dunaway) thus resolving his 'impotency' once Bonnie assumes a more traditional feminine role of submissiveness. At the end however Clyde is still intimidated by Bonnie's aggressiveness and their relationship fails as she struggles to assume a modern integration of femininity whereby she can be both strong and sexual. God Bless America rejects some aspects of that dynamic although there are strong allusions to the potentiality of a sexual relationship between Frank and Roxy. Thankfully the film resists the cliche instead commenting on notions that young girls are the epitome of modern male desire, although some shots later in the film negate this notion. Another aspect that is intriguing is the pseudo sexual relationship between Roxy and Frank, or as Roxy puts it "so we're platonic spree killers?". This calling out by Roxy is an explicit statement of the situation that is unspoken in Bonnie and Clyde whereby Bonnie propositions Clyde for sex and is rejected, thus they become "platonic spree killers" or at least partners in crime. Also Roxy asks Frank whether he thinks she is pretty to which Frank goes on a rant about idealisation of youth and young girls etc and adamantly refuses to answer. Unfortunately at the end when Roxy randomly and inexplicably shows up he says "you are a pretty girl" which may seem cute and sort of somewhat fulfills their relationship, but really just kind of alludes to the pandering of a young girls insecurity. It is still acceptable as it nicely depicts a sort of resolution of their "friendship" as Frank makes an allowance, much as he gradually opened up to her throughout the film. For instance he finally succumbs to sleeping in the bed next to her, and then later allows her to massage his hands. 

Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

God Bless America (2011)

While some may scoff at the violence of this film and claim that it advocates or encourages violence especially banal violence, I think the film does a good enough job of explaining that the message is the exact opposite and those that think this film purports violence have missed the point entirely and become the farcical people the film sets out to mock. The film adamantly continues to defy any sort of anarchistic notions of the banality of killing, instead re-iterating time and time again by Frank that "mean" people and only "people who deserve to die" should be killed. While this ties in with conventional morality and will placate audiences, it falls victim to the age old "subconscious" morals of cinema that began in the days of the studio system. Whereby violence and sex were made permissible in films so long as the characters with morally "reprehensible behaviour" (so deemed by right wing conservatives of the time) were "punished" in the film either by death or by the law. In fact the conservatives probably enjoyed the more extreme behaviours permitted under this unwritten code as it allowed stronger "morals" to be conveyed to the masses. (Thus, Goldthwait would probably be pleased that right wing conservatives hated God Bless America.) So unfortunately God Bless America is kind of conventional in that way, and Frank and Roxy are quite traditional moralistic vigilantes only killing those who deserve it and both are killed at the end (although this is merely implied, yet surely the inevitable outcome. It is however important to note that Goldthwait did not directly show them dying as this rejects the notion of their punishment instead, interestingly ending on what seems to be a POV shot of the theatre ceiling.)

Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

God Bless America (2011)

Some of the strongest aspects of the film are the twists and turns of the media and that despite what Frank and Roxy do or the reasons for their murders, the media twists it around to serve it's own purposes. The film beautifully exposes the state of absurd irrationality in mainstream media in America at the moment. The irony of this film is that while on the surface it may seem utterly garish and violent and silly it is in fact quite traditionally moralistic and conventional in many ways. People die (for the most part) only if they deserve it, the killers are killed themselves at the end, Frank forgives Roxy's lie to show his growth as a character. And also their gender conventions are rather static, as Frank paints the stereotypical middle aged white man and Roxy is the perky if somewhat smart mouthed "pretty" young girl. Although there is enough in the dialogue and subtext to threaten these surface details. Such as Frank calling Roxy "Juno" as a reference to the film Juno both as a dig at Roxy's character in the film while also being a comment on the fact that Roxy's character herself fits the same mould. 

#17 - Ringu (Ring) (Japan) (1998) Review

Ringu (Ring) (Japan) (1998), Gore Verbinski
1.5/5

This film is not scary. Some of the cinematography is good and the lighting is great with high contrast, making the visuals moody and interesting. The story is quite silly and nonsensical, and is very childish in nature based on notions of fearful rumours and telling ghost stories that come to life. Disappointingly it was not even creepy really at all. The music is way over the top and intrusive. The American virtual shot-for-shot remake is not much better either.

#16 - Momma's Man (2008) Review

Momma's Man (2008), Azazel Jacobs
3.5/5

This indie film is very subtle and slow. The slow pacing is due to the narrative focusing on stasis rather than action, focusing on Mikey's re-adolescence making this somewhat of a re-coming of age film in a way. The cinematography is really interesting, telling the emotional story through imagery and editing techniques, complimented with sparse dialogue. Overall it is a quiet, quirky film that is at times cold and at others poignant. The main character Mikey oscillates between being pathetic and sympathetic. Much like other indie films and European cinema this film plays on emotional ambiguity, failing to explicitly explore character motives and drives and instead uses the medium to imply rather than state, and thus is more authentic, if somewhat unsatisfying.

I've Loved you so long (2008) (France) Review

I've Loved you so Long (Il y a lontemps que je t'aime) (2008) (France), Phillipe Claudel
3.5/5

Beautifully shot and minimalistic, this drama plays on the underlying emotional tension beneath the surface of the relationship between these two sisters. Subtly playing on darker emotional tension and turmoil and at the same time exploring some sort of recovery or assimilation back into society. Which plays beautifully opposite the family dynamic of the sister and her children etc, furthering the sort of tension and friction creating a comparison between the two sisters and their lives. The acting is great, Kristin Scott Thomas (Sarah's Key, 2010) is superb as always, creating both a stark compelling cold and yet vulnerable character. This film does not create melodrama out of the trauma, instead it slowly peels back layers of truth. A great film.

#15 - Spoorloos (The Vanishing) (1988) Review

Spoorloos (The Vanishing) (1988) (Netherlands/ France), George Sluizer
4/5

This is a brilliant psychological thriller. Performances are great, and the cinematography is incredibly moody and interesting. The lighting is at times naturalistic and at others almost noir style. The drama and tension of the film are great and have quite interesting concepts. This film is creepy and eerily realistic. A brilliant horror/ thriller that plays on the unknown and the unseen.

#14 - Clerks (1994) Review

Clerks (1994), Kevin Smith
4/5

This dry black comedy is a great exercise in the new wave of indie American cinema. Taking place during the span of a clerk store shift, the characters are great, and performed authentically. The dialogue feels organic and authentic, almost improvised in nature. This film strikes the combination between banal trivialities and also meaningful observations. Shot in black and white on video, the grainy almost surveillance video style lends itself perfectly to the subject matter of the film. This film is up there with the sort of indie film movement in the 90s when video technology began to be cheaper and more widely available spawning the likes of Richard Linklater (Slacker, Before Sunrise, Waking Life, A Scanner Darkly) and Kevin Smith (Clerks, Zack and Miri Make a Porno) and later influenced the Mumblecore genre of indie film in the 2000s for instance Andrew Bujalski (Funny Ha Ha, Mutual Appreciation). This film is for anyone who likes indie films and anyone who has a dark sense of humour.

#13 - Ju-On (The Grudge) (2002) Review

Ju-On (The Grudge) (2002), Takashi Shimizu
0.5/5

This J-Horror isn't in the least bit scary, unless you're scared of children painted white, close up shots of eyes, people staring out of windows or the sound of frogs. About the only thing going for this film is the cinematography, with it's low to the ground tracking shots, abrupt cuts to close ups and swivelling shots, that make the editing at least unsettling. However, that can't be said for the imagery or subject matter of the film itself. The "plot" is not very interesting and builds absolutely no tension, with it's repetitive nature.

#12 - Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) Review

Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994), Neil Jordan
0.5/5

Eat your heart out Twilight, this film is worse. The long arduous and boring plot is supplemented with dull dialogue and voice over narration. Trying to believe Brad Pitt as a vampire is only usurped by attempting to believe Tom Cruise as a vampire. The vampire make up is ridiculous, the musical score over wrought and melodramatic. Whether the screenplay is faulted from the source material by author Anne Rice or due to adaptation, this film is incredibly dull and far too long. One exception is Kirsten Dunst who gives a great performance and to hear her say lines such as "I'll get rid of the bodies" while dressed like a doll was a rare treat. The effects were pretty bad and watching Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise fly was one of the many wtf cheesy moments. Also, the scenes between Pitt and Cruise were more than slightly homoerotic. The vampire lore explored in the film also wasn't that interesting and hard to believe even within the fantasy world itself. Overall, far too long, dull nonsensical plot, bad performances, and terrible make-up design and effects. This vampire film takes a B grade genre to a whole other level of badness. It wasn't even cheesy enough to make it enjoyable for it's badness, it was just plain bad.

#11 - The Girl on the Train (La fille du Rer) (2009) Review

The Girl on the Train (La fille du Rer) (France) (2009), Andre Techine
3.5/ 5

Beautifully shot, this moralistic drama is visually and emotionally intriguing. The use of different camera movements, changing between hand held, long shots and close ups are used to create intense drama. Also, the repetition of imagery and even use of dual exposure creates a visual emotional language that communicates the drama in this film. It is based on an actual case, although adapted. The performances are good especially Emilie Dequenne as Jeanne, creating an intense emotional narrative, that like most French films leaves much open and ambiguous and thus all the more interesting. Overall this film is superbly shot and brings up some interesting religious, political, moral and social issues.

#10 - Hitchcock (2012) Review

Hitchcock (2012), Sacha Gervasi
3.5/5
A descent biopic depicting the relationship between Alfred Hitchcock and his wife Alma, focusing on their personal life set to the backdrop of making Psycho. Performances are good, the cinematography sadly average, with only the subtlest nods to Hitchcock's style. Overall, a good film, but would have liked more character depth and depiction of Hitchcock's film making process. There are some scenes where the camera does a slight push in to close up, a subtle homage to Hitchcock's classic camera moves. Apart from those few moments however, the cinematography is very contemporary. What was really great, was the foley (the sound design for ambient noise i.e. body movements, eating etc) which was particularly distinctive in creating the soundscape of the film. It aided the visuals to convey emotion and drama, rather than using unnecessary dialogue. For instance, this distinct sound design was used prominently to emphasise Alfred's food and eating habits, in conjunction with cross cutting to create emphasis and connections from one scene to the next. Thus creating parallels and allusions between difference contexts. This film has a great cast, that is sadly underutilized for instance Scarlett Johansson as Janet Lee is a minor character and not developed much at all. Instead these somewhat flat character's serve rather as pawns of power and possessiveness acting as mere expressions of the relationship between Alma (Helen Mirren) and Alfred (Anthony Hopkins), rather than as fully rounded characters themselves.

#9 - Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)

Zack and Miri make a Porno (2008), Kevin Smith
1/5

This film is as terrible as I imagined it would be. While mildly humorous at times, the story is ridiculous and terribly predictable. Only Hollywood could turn two friends making an amateur porn film into a sappy romantic comedy.

#8 - Outrage (2010) Review

Outrage (Autoreiji: Biyondo) (Japan) (2010), Takeshi Kitano
4/5

This brilliant Yakuza film, is beautifully shot, sociopathic, amoralistic and brutally violent. Only Takeshi Kitano can make a completely silent opening shot, so powerful, combined with the sparse dialogue, extreme and realistic violence, great performances, and beautiful set design. This film is everything you want from a Japanese Yakuza film, and is so far removed from the Hollywood moralistic narratives. This particular film of Kitano's does add a little twist and additions to the Yakuza genre, mingling some American gangster influences into it. Overall a great film, but don't watch if you're squeamish or are only comfortable with Hollywood's happy endings.

#7 - Suddenly (Underbara älskade) (2006) Review

Suddenly (Underbara älskade) (Sweden) (2006), Johan Brisinger
3.5/5

A relatively quiet film, that is still quite emotionally intense, and yet retrained at the same time. The cinematography is simple and the dialogue, beautifully sparse. Instead the good performances and landscape speak for themselves. Despite being a somewhat simplistic narrative about grief, it is still an enjoyable film.

Memento (2000) Review

Memento (2000), Christopher Nolan
4.5/5

A brilliant piece of film making, this beautifully shot and performed film is laid out in a non-linear narrative structure. The non-linear structure compliments the themes and subject matter. The audience's experience of fractured elements of the plot which are told out of order, parallel the sense of fragmentation and lack of psychological continuity that Lenny (Guy Pierce) experiences with his Anterograde amnesia. This film is also one of the most medically consistent depictions of amnesia and memory loss, and is largely accurate to the real life condition of anterograde amnesia (short term memory loss). The cinematography also works well, shifting between the time lines from black and white in one time line to the colour time line, which eventually intersect. However, once you get your head around the actual order of scene events, the plot isn't that complex, it is the experience and visual style of the storytelling that make this film interesting. The cinematography is in sync with the story, intertwining themes of the fallibility of memory, complimented by an excellent musical score. It is one of the best uses of the non-linear narrative editing style. A great film, that still holds up and is Christopher Nolan's best film to date.

A Single Man (2009) Review

A Single Man (2009), Tom Ford
4/5

This film is a piece of stylised brilliance. The cinematography, score and performances all come together evocatively. The cinematography focalises George Falconer (Colin Firth) across the span of a single day (with the exception of some flash backs). The colour grading is also superb, switching between desaturated and slightly over exposed shots. The film is beautifully stylised, and flawlessly set during the 1960s. Each frame, including POV shots, slow sweeping slow motion shots are combined with the resounding musical score to make this film emotionally and visually powerful. The only criticism is the use of voice over narration at the beginning and end. Otherwise this is a powerful, emotive film that is visually stunning.

#6 - Side by Side (2012) Review

Side By Side (2012), Christopher Kenneally
4/5

A fascinating documentary about the paradigm shift from celluloid film into digital. Includes a wide range of great interviews from high ranking directors, producers and cinematographers. Keanu Reeve's acting as the interviewer and narrator is great and relatively neutral. The film presents opposing views about not only the nature of the technologies themselves, but also the viewing experience of cinema, and the benefits and losses due to the changes from film to digital. This documentary comes at the pivotal point in cinematic history, as the advancement of digital technology exceeds film quality and changes the way films are shot and produced, creating different visual styles and modes of story telling. The documentary details the differences between the technologies in an accessible and easy to understand manner. Side by Side captures the current shift in the way people experience cinema.

#5 - Remember Me (2010) Review

Remember Me (2010), Allen Coulter
3/5

Remarkably intense and more than just another romantic comedy. However the true stars of this film are Robert Pattinson playing aside Ruby Jerins as brother and sister. The film is melancholic and intense, although there are some cheesy romantic moments. Overall the film is overloaded with too much drama. The performances are good, and Pattinson does the brooding handsome thing well. The final twist however is just one large leap too far and tarnishes an otherwise surprisingly good drama.

#4 - Not Quite Hollywood (2008) Review

Not Quite Hollywood (2008), Mark Hartley

4/5

This is a brilliant documentary about the renaissance of Australian Exploitation cinema during the 70s and 80s. The film features countless clips from obscure and cult films and is particularly hilarious. Interviews mainly featured are of Australian directors, actors and producers of Ozploitation films, but Quentin Tarantino also features as he is a fan (or fanatic) of exploitation cinema and his passion speaks to his love of Australian exploitation cinema in particular. This documentary captures a sense of the joy, absurdity and gratuity that is the genre flick. Although the film tends to drag a little at the end, becoming more a focus on clip after clip from more films, and less about a cinematic subculture. However there are really interesting clips and interviews about the aspects of not only the film genres themselves, but the affect and counter affect of Ozploitation and Australian culture or the "Australian Identity" during the 70s and 80s. Above all this film is hilarious and a treat for fans of exploitation cinema. 

The Shining (1980) Analysis

The Shining (1980), Stanley Kubrick

4/5

***SPOILERS***

Kubrick's brilliant adaptation of the Stephen King novel is disturbing, haunting and creepy. It is everything that is good about horror films. The film has a lot of early slow set up and character development, setting the stage beautifully with slow tracking shots down many corridors in the large hotel. The mechanics of this film are brilliant, with all the information conveyed through smart and restrained dialogue and the visual imagery. Everything is laid out in the early scenes, the psychic powers of Danny, the tv in the background saying that a woman was missing hiking, the haunting shots of corridors, and the tension between Jack and Wendy. All throughout, the musical score (featuring the theremin), just tightens the tension through relatively mundane scenes early on in the film. The set design of the film is also great. The cinematography just amazing, the signature long tracking shots down corridors are iconic. The performances are superb and Jack Nicholson gives one of his best performances, although he has been doomed to be type cast for the rest of his career. It is one of the best horror films of all time. This film is all about tension, claustrophobia and speaks to domestic horror rather than mythical monsters, which makes it all the more horrifying. It is the repetition of imagery that make it so effective as well as the eerie performances. For instance it is disturbing when the innocent and strange Danny asks his father Jack "you'd never hurt Mommy would you?" and when Jack describes to Wendy his dream "I dreamed that I killed you and Danny. But I didn't just kill ya. I chopped you in little pieces." All of the pieces are there laid out beautifully, the joy of watching horror and especially well choreographed horror films is all in the anticipation. It's a matter of when and how the horror unfolds. Playing on the unseen and the unexpected, which unfortunately the majority of contemporary horror seems to have forgotten, or bungles. The Shining is an exploration into the twisted corridors of madness, a psychological horror, it plays off the audience's expectations of what is real and what is hallucination. Images such as the hotel filling with blood are intercut with the conversation with Wendy and Jack are particularly disturbing set to the high pitched soundtrack overlaid with the resounding of a heart beat.

Another interesting aspect of this film is the lack of guns, instead the violence is close and intimate. And thus all the more frightening and full of impact. The writing is so great and intricate that the early dialogue scenes lay out all the old rumours and stories about the history of the hotel, although at the time it seems somewhat trivial and that Jack isn't taking these things in that much. However, I argue that these little aspects are assimilated into his insanity and unfold in his hallucinations and Danny rather than being psychic is merely fantasising as a means of comprehending the fear and abuse of his father. For me at least, the less supernatural and thus more psychological aspects are more interesting, although the film is laden with deliberate and clever ambiguity. The use of child like stories and phrases are also particularly unsettling such as the iconic "All work and no play, make Jack a dull boy" and Jack reciting "Little pigs, little pigs, let me come in..." and "come out, come out, where-ever you are...". The bathroom scene where Jack breaks through the door with an axe is somewhat reminiscent of Hitchcock's Psycho (1960).

Psycho (1960), Hitchcock

Psycho (1960)

Overall this film is not only a great horror film, it is a great piece of visual cinema. Especially how the interior scenes cinematography mimics, the structure of the maze outside the hotel. The colours are used effectively, with many rooms painted bright blood red creating this strange landscape of colour in the film. Also, what is great about this film, is that the violence and gore is sparse and occurs very late in the film, so that the anticipation and fear has really developed and peaked, rather than being squandered earlier on. Thus, the impact and realism of the violence is all the more effective. This film is brilliant and should be on everyone's best horror film list. Re-watching The Shining you just notice more detail every time, it is a joy and horror to watch. 

#3 - The Lost Boys (1987) Review

The Lost Boys (1987), Joel Schumacher
3/5

This 80s take on Vampires is full of cheese and grunge. The film spends a lot of time on development early on, for a rather simplistic story. The effects are dated and hilarious. Performances are good, and the cinematography is quite good. Great soundtrack, a lot of fun and interesting development on the vampire mythology. The has big name stars including Dianne Wiest, Edward Hurrmann, Kiefer Sutherland and 80s child star Corey Feldman (The Goonies, Gremlins). This film is everything that is bad and also good about the 80s, the cheesiness, the over the top jokes and gratuity.

#2 - Bad Boy Bubby (1993) Review

Bad Boy Bubby (1993), Rolf de Heer
2/5

Disturbing, insane, fucked up. Great cinematography & sound design enthrall you in this bizarre "story". Seeing the outside world through Bubby's eyes. Very strange.

#1 - Weird Science (1985) Review

Weird Science (1985), John Hughes
2.5/5

Utterly 80s, ridiculous & hilarious. Great eye popping performances, big hair, big clothes & big cheesiness. A strange Mary Poppins-esque take on the Frankenstein myth. Before Internet porn, two nerdy boys created the "perfect woman" on their computer, with full hilarious 80s graphics. This perfect woman is part mother, part girlfriend, part friend, part monster, part sex object. And we mustn't forget some racist, homophobic & sexist lines thrown in of course. Some classic moments & of course the crazy 80s Bill Paxton & Robert Downey Jr. Strangely despite all this, this film is somewhat like a fairy tale, full of the sentimental naivete of 80s teen movies.

Best films of 2012

Author's note: I have included in this list, films that were released in cinemas in Australia in 2012 (which may differ from the US release dates) and have chosen my top films that I saw during 2012. This is not a critic's top pick of films for 2012, nor is it a list of the most popular films of 2012, this is purely my personal favourite films of the year. 

Shame (Australian Release date - February 9th, 2012), Steve McQueen

4.5/5

This is my top pick of films released in 2012. It is just beautifully crafted, and visually stunning. The performances are excellent particularly Michael Fassbender (Brandon) and Carey Mulligan (Sissy). The opening sequence is one of the best openings of a film I have ever seen. The musical score by Harry Escott (composer of Hard Candy) is just stunning, and coupled with the hauntingly stylised imagery, composed of mostly blue tones, the film is intense and evocative. Fassbender gives an amazing performance and the writing by Steve McQueen and Abi Morgan is understated and the emotions conveyed through subtext and are elegantly portrayed by the intense chemistry between Fassbender and Mulligan. On the surface this film deals with one man's journey of sexual addiction, but it is the details and depth that are alluded to, that make this film outstanding. Some may argue the sex scenes are gratuitous, but each scene is constructed in such a way that it depicts the emotions and experience of Brandon and the explicit sexual imagery is contrasted by the stark landscape of the visuals and the intensity of the relationships. The ending is also great, as the the music and great editing of the quick intercutting of shots increases as the tension builds. This is in contrast with the languid slow moving long shots that dominate the film,  and this contrast helps to amp the tension to breaking point at the climax of the film while pulls back at the end leaving the audience full of beautiful ambiguity, that is sadly lacking in most American and Hollywood films. This definitely makes my favourite films list of all time and overall it is haunting, intense and a visual feast. 

Martha Marcy May Marlene (Australian Release date - February 2nd, 2012), Sean Durkin
4.5/5

This film is just mind blowing. Intense, uncomfortable, with gorgeous cinematography and performances that are disturbingly authentic. The musical score beautifully underpins and subtly weaves throughout, lifting the tension. The cinematography is subtle and beautiful, quiet with no obvious camera moves or shots, rather you feel like you're focalised through Martha's (Elizabeth Olsen) experience. The lack of dialgogue in sections is filled with emotion and meaning with the subtle imagery. The stark and sparse dialgoue is amplified by the harsh intense scenes. The film leaves much of the behaviours and actions in the film to be interpretted by the audience, and you forget about the camera and instead focus on Martha. Elizabeth Olsen's portrayal of Martha is just amazing, intense, fragile and innocent all at once. Martha's vulnerability, the sense of hope, fear, and allusions to abuse are complimented by the choice of back and forth inter-cutting which assimilates the audience's experience with Martha's making the story fragmented mimicking Martha's fragmented memory as she pieces together not only her memories, but herself. This film is intensely powerful and speaks more than just about one girl and her experiences, but subtly through her eyes, takes a look at the attitudes of modern American society and Western culture. The film is not judgemental and much is left unsaid and many scenes are shot so the audience is unsure whether they are dreams, false memories or reality. This film may make viewers uncomfortable. The viewing is intensely powerful and will leave you changed. Like Shame (2012) Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene is ambiguious to the end, a feast for the intelligent audience. Performances are great, in particular Elizabeth Olsen as Martha, but also John Hawkes as the Manson-like Patrick, depicicting so beautifully the charm, and insanity that is disturbingly convincing.

The Cabin in the Woods (Australian Release date - June 14th, 2012), Drew Goddard 
(Writers: Joss Whedon & Drew Goddard)
4.5/5

This film is a brilliant piece of entertainment, a feast of homage and parody for fans of the Horror genre. It is a hilarious take on the genre, full of gratuity and gore. The acting is great, with great over-the-top melodramatic dialogue excellently written by Joss Whedon (of Buffy, Firefly, & Alien Resurrection) and Drew Goddard. The film is expertly crafted with heavy sound design and ironic musical score, it also fits extremely well within all the Horror genre stereotypes. This film was not even scheduled to be released in cinemas in Australia, and was finally released only in limited theatres due to popular demand. This film is a great one to watch in theatres, and with friends. It is especially enjoyable for fans of Horror with far too many references and homages to Horror films to name. This film is a feast of gratuity, gore and cheesiness. And just so much fun, it is a consciously stupid and wonderful piece of post-modern Horror that is above all excellent entertainment.

The Man with the Iron Fists (Australian Release date - December 6th, 2012), RZA

4/5

This gorgeously gratuitous film, is elegantly constructed by RZA in his debut feature length film. The influence of Tarantino is clear. The fight scenes, amazing, the high brow actors and excellent performances are beautifully contrasted by the silliness and cheesiness. The story is somewhat nonsensical  but the narrative is by no means the feature of this film. Instead this film is homage, visual feast, stunning music and great fight sequences. All complimented by a lot of gratuitous violence and sexual innuendo. Read my full review and analysis of The Man with the Iron Fists (2012).