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Post by angra on Sept 8, 2012 15:36:26 GMT 10
jack - thanks, that's interesting and a great film.
Also check out the silent classic Nosferatu from 1922 with weird and extremely modernistic expressionist sets and camera angles.
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Post by angra on Sept 10, 2012 18:36:21 GMT 10
It's worth re-pasting this review (originally from IcebergINK), as I predict that this film will be a candidate for film of the year and may be in with a chance for Oscars. It's an indie NZ production with an acclaimed director and leading man, plus astonishing performances from Bougainvillean debut actors. It received it's first showing at the Toronto International Film Festival today and won a 5 minute standing ovation from the audience.
The film is 'MR PIP' directed by Andrew Adamson, derived from the book of the same name by Lloyd Jones.
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When one thinks of the films of Andrew Adamson, the first ones that come to mind are the Shrek movies and the first two Narnia films, but his newest feature, starring British thespian Hugh Laurie is a different bag altogether, and the step up is impressive.
Mr Pip is one of those films that will have you thinking about it long after. You will revel in the fact that you enjoyed it, that you were disturbed by it, but mostly that it was a very relevant story about a very real situation that happened, that through our own hubris, Western society was the cause of.
No matter how much we wish to look the other way, the cause of this strife was a copper mine in Bougainville near the isle of Papua New Guinea. That makes this an important film.
But what really made it sing was the fact that it was beautifully shot, but at the same time utterly visceral and difficult to stomach.
We are certainly not used to seeing such things and being aware of the fact that they take place on this planet, even though should be front and center to those of us in the west who take something as simple as "copper" as a given, when it's really not.
The story takes place during the real life strife in the 1990's between Papua New Guinea and Bougainville Island, with a British teacher who brings the words and lessons of Charles Dickens Great Expectations to the local Bougainville population (children and adults alike), but the PNG military has other ideas.
At times very hard to watch as it is very visceral and real, Mr Pip is a brilliantly realized piece of film-making. Andrew Adamson proves himself to be more than a family film type director.
During the Q&A Adamson revealed he grew up in Papua New Guinea, so the subject matter must strike extremely close to home and that resonated for me. Every ounce of blood and sweat was poured onto the celluloid.
Laurie is absolutely wonderful in his role as Mr. Watts (Pop-Eye), but it's Xzannjah Matsi, and her real life mother (as well as movie mother) Healesville Joel who utterly and completely steal the show.
Xzannjah especially could easily hold her own amongst the bigger stars of Hollywood. She was riveting to watch throughout and I challenge anyone to be able to take their eyes off her.
She should be very proud of her achievement here as she pulled off an Oscar-worthy debut performance and the rest of the audience and I agreed as we gave her a standing ovation.
I actually hope that Mr Pip is one of the bigger successes of TIFF this year as I was truly affected by it, and I'd easily vote it as one of the best films so far this year.
Hopefully this comes out wide in release as I feel it's a very important film and we need to take stock of the things we take for granted in Western society and how they affect the world. Get out and see this film!
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Post by angra on Sept 10, 2012 19:58:15 GMT 10
I admit I have not seen the film yet, but I have read the Lloyd Jones book, and if the first reviews are anything to go by, this is indeed a great film.
Remember the Bougainville conflict was caused by us Australians. We supported the interests of Conzinc-Rio-tinto at Panguna. We supplied arms to PNG , trained them and encouraged them to fight the landowners. We even supplied the helicopters from which they threw out hundreds of rebels to their deaths. And we turned a blind eye to the rapes, murders and atrocities.
It resulted in at least 12,000 deaths on our doorstep - a fact little-known to Australians.
Shame on us.
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Post by angra on Sept 13, 2012 20:14:23 GMT 10
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Post by angra on Sept 26, 2012 18:32:15 GMT 10
Mamma Mia grows on you (apart from Brosnan's singing).
Any Abba fans agree?
Fun.
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Post by Matthew Of Canberra on Sept 26, 2012 20:33:24 GMT 10
Hmm. I tried watching "hairspray" and, while I found the production very cute, the theme drove me up the wall.
On the other hand, "down with love" is one of the more entertaining films that I've seen.
I might actually have to see mamma mia before I make assumptions.
Meanwhile, this here is the cutest video on teh internetz:
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Post by angra on Sept 26, 2012 20:37:07 GMT 10
MoC - Mamma Mia is cheese of the highest order, which is sort of why I like it.
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Post by Matthew Of Canberra on Oct 1, 2012 11:53:39 GMT 10
Watched "The Avengers" last night. Very entertaining. I liked the hulk a lot.
Also, released this week, the first trailer for a crowd-sourced zombie film, filmed in canberra!
Looks good and messy :-)
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Post by angra on Oct 5, 2012 18:17:06 GMT 10
MiB3 is bloody good. Nonsense of course, but damn entertaining and well-made nonsense.
Plays havoc with the Grandfather paradox though. Josh Brolin is brilliant as the young K.
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Post by Matthew Of Canberra on Oct 6, 2012 9:31:26 GMT 10
"Tonight they lead with "Pensioners speeding on mobility scooters""
I know! At least they should be wearing helmets:
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Post by angra on Oct 7, 2012 13:07:24 GMT 10
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Post by angra on Oct 7, 2012 13:15:54 GMT 10
Have you ever read the lyrics to Jailhouse Rock? Check these lines -
"Number 47 said to number 3 "You're the cutest jailbird I ever did see I sure would be delighted with your company Come on and do the Jailhouse Rock with me"
"Sad Sack was sittin' on a block of stone Way over in the corner weepin' all alone The warden said, "Hey, buddy, don't you be no square If you can't find a partner use a wooden chair"
How did they get away with that in 1957?
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Post by angra on Oct 7, 2012 14:06:56 GMT 10
MoC - the mobility scooter vid is great.
Did I tell about the time my Dad (85) hired a mobility scooter for my step-Mum (87) and decided to go to the shopping mall, controlling her scooter from behind like a robot?
He couldn't quite work the controls and ended up at a restaurant with the relos and accidentally accelerated this thing so madly it actually mounted the table and smashed all the plates of food? To make matters worse, he couldn't stop it and the thing kept ramming Mum up against the table - bang-bang-bang - like a mad randy goat? Legs akimbo and napkins and food a'flying!
Priceless!
No one was hurt, but I think the scooter needed a service.
(It's in the family memory heirlooms)
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Post by Matthew Of Canberra on Oct 7, 2012 20:41:55 GMT 10
mwah! Who on earth would let somebody control their scooter? Madness!
"No one was hurt, but I think the scooter needed a service"
I expect that those things are pretty damn tough. Back in the early days of home-made recumbent bicycles (I had a friend in the early 90's who used to always have bits of carbon fibre and resin stuck in his hair from his weekend builder projects), the wheels of choice were off wheelchairs. Normal bike-wheels couldn't take the cornering forces when upright- they just weren't designed for that. Wheelchair wheels were a whole other thing - indestructible.
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jreidy
Junior Member
Posts: 60
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Post by jreidy on Oct 11, 2012 21:10:05 GMT 10
High Noon is very good.
A more recent movie is "Children of Men", it opens with a bang literally and keeps going.
On tv my favorite series is Edge of Darkness, from the early 80s with Bob Peck.
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