LOVELESS (Nelyubov)

Zhenya and Boris are going through a vicious divorce marked by resentment, frustration and recriminations. Already embarking on new lives, each with a new partner, they are impatient to start again, to turn the page – even if it means threatening to abandon their 12-year-old son Alyosha. Until, after witnessing one of their fights, Alyosha disappears...
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This Russian movie had a great premise. The actors are good. It’s a well-made movie. There’s a very interesting soundtrack. The problem is that it’ so slow and didn’t have the emotional tension I was expecting.

THE PARTY

Various individuals think they’re coming together for a party in a private home, but a series of revelations results in a huge crisis that throws their belief systems – and their values – into total disarray.
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A tightly written chamber piece that unfolds with unexpected revelations with an old-fashioned feel about it. The cast obviously enjoyed making this but the whole thing comes across like a stage production and felt a bit artificial. Scathingly satirical commentary on the middle class traversing a wide range of topics but, overall, doesn’t rise above average.

CATCH-UP RATINGS

Every so often, I get a bit behind in reviewing movies I’ve seen. So, here are my star ratings for a few recent movies.

THE OTHER SIDE OF HOPE - A poker-playing restaurateur and former traveling salesman befriends a group of refugees newly arrived to Finland. ***½

PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING - Jake Pentecost, son of Stacker Pentecost, reunites with Mako Mori to lead a new generation of Jaeger pilots, including rival Lambert and 15-year-old hacker Amara, against a new Kaiju threat. **½

THE DEATH OF STALIN - Follows the Soviet dictator's last days and depicts the chaos of the regime after his death. ***½

EARLY MAN - Set at the dawn of time, when prehistoric creatures and woolly mammoths roamed the earth, Early Man tells the story of Dug, along with sidekick Hognob as they unite his tribe against a mighty enemy Lord Nooth and his Bronze Age City to save their home. ***½

PETER RABBIT - Feature adaptation of Beatrix Potter's classic tale of a rebellious rabbit trying to sneak into a farmer's vegetable garden. ***½

See you at the movies!

Movie descriptions are from IMDB or TMDB unless otherwise stated.

BLOCKERS

When three parents discover their daughters’ pact to lose their virginity at prom, they launch a covert one-night operation to stop the teens from sealing the deal.
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It’s fun. One of the better teen-oriented comedies around. And the message that women can make decisions about sex themselves without being over-parented, and can be empowered to do so, is a good one. Acting is strong and the script is funny. Be prepared for a few gross bodily fluid jokes, though. All in all, an enjoyable romp.

PAUL, APOSTLE OF CHRIST

Risking his life, Luke ventures to Rome to visit Paul -- the apostle who's bound in chains and held captive in Nero's darkest and bleakest prison cell. Haunted by the shadows of his past misdeeds, Paul wonders if he's been forgotten as he awaits his grisly execution. Before Paul's death, Luke resolves to write another book that details the birth of what will come to be known as the church.
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Better than a lot of other Christian movies, but it doesn’t have enough dramatic tension given the circumstances in which it is set. It’s very dialogue driven and plods along at a slow pace. A lot of the dialogue is direct quotation from the Pauline letters in the New Testament so sounds a bit artificial at times. The cinematography is quite beautiful and the acting is reasonably good in quality. As I said, it’s better than the terribly bad movies like the recent God’s Not Dead. One positive is that it is honest about the way in which religious belief is constantly tested by reality. It just needs an injection of truly dramatic suspense to make it more interesting. As others have noticed, it doesn’t live up to its source material!

READY PLAYER ONE

When the creator of a virtual reality world called the OASIS dies, he releases a video in which he challenges all OASIS users to find his Easter Egg, which will give the finder his fortune.

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A fast-paced action, adventure, sci-fi from Steven Spielberg. The action is stunning and the story has some interesting things to say about our modern obsession with online living as compensation for the reality of life which is not always pleasant. The self-conscious references to 80’s pop culture is a bit annoying at times and some of the dialogue gets pretty cheesy. But, overall, a captivating movie that is full of energy, although it could have been a bit shorter. Possibly the best Spielberg entertainment we’ve seen for a while. Worth seeing in 3D if you have the opportunity.

A QUIET PLACE

A family live an isolated existence in utter silence, for fear of an unknown threat that follows and attacks at any sound.

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Suspenseful. Emily Blunt is excellent as usual as is the rest of the cast. There’s no history or context that tells us how the world where the family lives came to be; we just find them living in complete silence trying to avoid being killed by some very nasty creatures that are blind and respond to sound. There is a small amount of music in the movie but a large proportion of it occurs, of course, in complete silence. Directed skillfully. I wasn’t scared but there is some well-orchestrated suspense and there are no cheap tricks. Most of the dread is conveyed through the physical action of the characters. And I loved the ending! If you like a good on-the-edge-of-the-seat thrill, check it out. Original and very cleverly made. In cinemas April 5.