Movie 43
What’s it about?
A mind-boggling list of Hollywood will-bes, currently-ares and has-beens star in a series of loosely connected shorts joined together by “The Pitch”, in which Dennis Quaid “plays” an unpredictable lunatic aggressively trying to sell his awful script to embattled studio exec Greg Kinnear (easily the most relatable character in the film).
What did we think?
Mitch says: A class of illiterate orphans with four broken pencils, three sheets of paper and a reference copy of Das Kapital could write a funnier movie than this, and there would probably be fewer dick jokes. If you ever feel like your life has no purpose, now you know it does: to go and punch Peter Farrelly right in his stupid face.
Disney’s exclusive Princess Festival
South East Queensland Birch Carroll & Coyle and Event Cinemas are gearing up to enthral and entertain little princesses and princes at the Disney Princess Animation Festival with only one week to go until showtime!
Kicking off with Aladdin next Saturday and Sunday, families can relive the enchanting stories of their favourite Disney Princesses this February & March at the exclusive Disney Princess Animation Festival. The beloved Disney Princess films will be gracing the big screen for a limited time only.
Moviegoers are encouraged to arrive early as all cinemas have their own free princess themed foyer activities planned for the little ones before each session, including mini princess makeovers, tiara decorating and appearances from special princess friends.
Exclusive screening sessions will start at 10 am or 10:30am each Saturday and Sunday from February 9 until March 17 . For only $8 per ticket you will experience a magical family day filled with activities, prizes, and the joy of Disney Princess special cinematic experience.
Aladdin (G) – 9 and 10 February
Mulan (G) – 16th and 17th February
Pocahontas (G) – 23rd and 24th February
Tangled (G) – 2nd and 3rd March
The Princess & the Frog (G) – 9th and 10th March
Cinderella (G) – 16th and 17th of March
The exclusive Disney Princess Animation Festival will screen from February 9 until March 17 for a strictly limited time only, to book now visit eventcinemas.com.au.
SHOWING AT THE FOLLOWING SEQ LOCATIONS:
Birch Carroll & Coyle Browns Plains
Birch Carroll & Coyle Australia Fair
Birch Carroll & Coyle Ipswich
Event Cinemas Robina
Event Cinemas Garden City
Toombul Cinemas Powered By Event
Birch Carroll & Coyle Capalaba
Birch Carroll & Coyle Coolangatta
Birch Carroll & Coyle Morayfield
Event Cinemas Carindale
Event Cinemas Indooroopilly
Birch Carroll & Coyle Pacific Fair
Event Cinemas Chermside
Strathpine Cinemas Powered By Event
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters
What’s it about?
After roasting the candy-housed witch in the fairy tale, Hansel and Gretel grow up and become, surprise surprise, witch hunters.
What did we think?
Liz says: We really need two rating systems. As a B-grade flick Hansel and Gretel is actually kind of enjoyable, even if it does suffer from a case of the “takes itself too seriously by the end” blues. But compare it to real movies and, well, let’s just say Hansel’s diabetes from eating too much candy as a kid comes up more than once. Curse you diabetes! It’s so schlocky bad that it ALMOST swings around to being good again. Almost. But Jeremy Renner gets his shirt off, so there is that.
Anna Karenina
What’s it about?
A beautiful aristocrat (Keira Knightly) in Imperial Russia learns the hard way that ‘’sin has a price’’ when she embarks on an affair with a wealthy young Count.
What did we think?
Lisa says: DISCLAIMER: This SuperQuickReview was written by a literary plebeian who has never read Tolstoy’s celebrated tome (me). As such, no comment has been made regarding the success of the story’s translation to film. I really don’t care.
Audience members will quickly become as infatuated with Anna Karenina as the tragic couple is with each other. The cast is superb and the film is visually exquisite. It has a unique, old-world theatre setting with highly stylized scene transitions. The only distraction was an unwelcome and uninteresting narrative about an unlucky-in-love landowner. Highly recommended for anyone who isn’t a Russian literary scholar with preconceived ideas of what the film should and shouldn’t be.
The Impossible
What’s it about?
The true story of a Spanish family (presented as British) who, with tens of thousands of strangers, find themselves in the mayhem of one of the worst natural catastrophes of our time – the 2004 tsunami.
What did we think?
Anthony says: The Impossible is a harrowing rollercoaster of raw emotion. Amazing effects reconstruct the disaster and the ensuing carnage but it’s actually a movie about the human cost.
It might be argued some of the shots were held too long which might be true for a fiction piece, but here they work. To shorten them would be to gloss over a terrible tragedy. Surprisingly the film doesn’t focus too much on individual tragedies beyond the family, instead allowing you to apply the horror yourself.
A movie for the big screen but, given the inclusion of children, not one for parents.
Lincoln
What’s it about?
As the Civil War continues to rage, America’s president struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield and as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on the decision to emancipate the slaves.
What did we think?
Anthony says: I cannot tell a lie: Lincoln the movie is more about the American politic system than it is about slavery. Which for me – a polititragic and history buff – was great. But to be frank, for the average person – particularly non-US citizens – this movie is going to feel unnecessarily long. Early on you’d be forgiven for thinking the writing process consisted of getting his most memorable quotes and finding ways to link them together. And the result of the political vote was drawn out longer than an American Idol verdict. Seriously.
But an amazing cast means both acting of the highest quality and the chance to play “who’s that behind that facial hair?”. Day Lewis is superb in the titular role and I found myself engrossed in the film though the friend I took with me said the movie should have been a quarter of the length. It does feel more like a movie made to win awards through patriotism and high production values rather than for the sake of telling the story but I enjoyed it.
If the idea of a 19th century version of The West Wing appeals to you then see it.
MY personal rating: 4
My general score: 3.5
What’s Popular
A Royal Night Out
What’s it about?
On VE night, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret actually managed to escape Buckingham Palace for a night of incognito celebration. A Royal Night Out tells how the evening might have unfolded.
What did we think?
Amy Currie says: Too soon. No, really. I’m embarrassingly fond of the Queen, and I hope she lives forever. On the offchance that she doesn’t, though, they should remake this film in about 30 years. Perhaps then they could actually commit to a silly, caricatured romp instead of a confused series of mishaps surrounding a saintly, duty-bound Princess entirely devoid of character flaw. It’s certainly a fun premise, but the painfully respectful depiction of Her Maj just doesn’t gel with the otherwise broad-strokes approach. It’s ridiculously incongruous – Princess Margaret (Bel Powley, an absolute standout) is mistaken for a prostitute and bundled into a wheelbarrow, but when Elizabeth chastely kisses a new friend goodbye the camera discretely pans away as if director Julian Jarrold was afraid of being hung for treason. Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon) does her best with what she’s given, but A Royal Night Out would have been miles better for a little affectionate teasing.
Pitch Perfect 2
What’s it about?
Our favourite plucky female a capella group is back! But are they looking to life after college or maintaining their now-established high standards? A suspension following a wardrobe malfunction may acca-lerate their fate…
What did we think?
Generally sequels develop the depth of characterisation but the follow-up to the delightful Pitch Perfect chooses to instead make the characters more two-dimensional. Oddly it works.What do we get? A dumbing down of Beca (the lovely Ana Kendrick) and Chloe (Brittany Snow). More Fat Amy and more Lilly (Hana Mae Lee’s kooky Korean). Political Incorrectness galore. More songs. A bigger (and better) riff-off. Over the top jokes that range from sly to outright sexist and racist. On paper it sounds a bad idea but in the cinema it was toe-tapping and almost non-stop LOLling. And I mean actually laughing out loud even as your mind is scolding you for laughing at the highly inappropriate one liners. With wonderful singing, genuine laughs and a savvy approach to directly appealing to its target demographic, PP2 will be met with acca-citement from the fanbase. As I left the preview screening dozens of teenage girls were already animatedely talking about plans to see it again when it is released later this week (May 7 in Australia).
Ex Machina
What’s it about?
Caleb is a bright young coder who wins a company wide lottery that has him spending a week at his celebrity boss’s mountain retreat. On arrival it is revealed that his role is to interview an Artificial Intelligence program in a beautiful body.
What we thought
Dan says: There is an almost immediate menace in this film that never stops. This slow burning thriller crept relentlessly forward, always keeping me delighted. The ‘car-chase brigade’ may find it plodding but for those with some patience they’ll be rewarded in spades.
The visuals are impressive. Imagine the Portal video-game come to life but GladOS is much, much cuter. Each carefully considered pause contains a screen full of delicate engineering ticking away at the seams of this flirtatious droid.
You won’t be able to look away, which is good training for the oncoming robot apocalypse.
Unfriended
What’s it about?
A group of high school friends are Skyping when a guest enters the conversation: Laura Barns, a classmate who committed suicide a year ago.
What did we think?
Dominic Barlow says: The entire movie takes place in real time on one of the character’s computer desktop screens, and it makes smart cinematic use of familiar images from that environment. Less smart is the story, whose characters become hard to like at all as they are forced to answer for their transgressions. Their constant screaming and crying feels like seeing the “Leave Britney Alone” video play in several open windows, but the film they’re in is enough of a fun novelty to be worth checking out.
Editor's Choice
A Royal Night Out
What’s it about?
On VE night, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret actually managed to escape Buckingham Palace for a night of incognito celebration. A Royal Night Out tells how the evening might have unfolded.
What did we think?
Amy Currie says: Too soon. No, really. I’m embarrassingly fond of the Queen, and I hope she lives forever. On the offchance that she doesn’t, though, they should remake this film in about 30 years. Perhaps then they could actually commit to a silly, caricatured romp instead of a confused series of mishaps surrounding a saintly, duty-bound Princess entirely devoid of character flaw. It’s certainly a fun premise, but the painfully respectful depiction of Her Maj just doesn’t gel with the otherwise broad-strokes approach. It’s ridiculously incongruous – Princess Margaret (Bel Powley, an absolute standout) is mistaken for a prostitute and bundled into a wheelbarrow, but when Elizabeth chastely kisses a new friend goodbye the camera discretely pans away as if director Julian Jarrold was afraid of being hung for treason. Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon) does her best with what she’s given, but A Royal Night Out would have been miles better for a little affectionate teasing.
Pitch Perfect 2
What’s it about?
Our favourite plucky female a capella group is back! But are they looking to life after college or maintaining their now-established high standards? A suspension following a wardrobe malfunction may acca-lerate their fate…
What did we think?
Generally sequels develop the depth of characterisation but the follow-up to the delightful Pitch Perfect chooses to instead make the characters more two-dimensional. Oddly it works.What do we get? A dumbing down of Beca (the lovely Ana Kendrick) and Chloe (Brittany Snow). More Fat Amy and more Lilly (Hana Mae Lee’s kooky Korean). Political Incorrectness galore. More songs. A bigger (and better) riff-off. Over the top jokes that range from sly to outright sexist and racist. On paper it sounds a bad idea but in the cinema it was toe-tapping and almost non-stop LOLling. And I mean actually laughing out loud even as your mind is scolding you for laughing at the highly inappropriate one liners. With wonderful singing, genuine laughs and a savvy approach to directly appealing to its target demographic, PP2 will be met with acca-citement from the fanbase. As I left the preview screening dozens of teenage girls were already animatedely talking about plans to see it again when it is released later this week (May 7 in Australia).
Ex Machina
What’s it about?
Caleb is a bright young coder who wins a company wide lottery that has him spending a week at his celebrity boss’s mountain retreat. On arrival it is revealed that his role is to interview an Artificial Intelligence program in a beautiful body.
What we thought
Dan says: There is an almost immediate menace in this film that never stops. This slow burning thriller crept relentlessly forward, always keeping me delighted. The ‘car-chase brigade’ may find it plodding but for those with some patience they’ll be rewarded in spades.
The visuals are impressive. Imagine the Portal video-game come to life but GladOS is much, much cuter. Each carefully considered pause contains a screen full of delicate engineering ticking away at the seams of this flirtatious droid.
You won’t be able to look away, which is good training for the oncoming robot apocalypse.
Unfriended
What’s it about?
A group of high school friends are Skyping when a guest enters the conversation: Laura Barns, a classmate who committed suicide a year ago.
What did we think?
Dominic Barlow says: The entire movie takes place in real time on one of the character’s computer desktop screens, and it makes smart cinematic use of familiar images from that environment. Less smart is the story, whose characters become hard to like at all as they are forced to answer for their transgressions. Their constant screaming and crying feels like seeing the “Leave Britney Alone” video play in several open windows, but the film they’re in is enough of a fun novelty to be worth checking out.