Monday, August 25, 2014

Review of the Week: The Inbetweeners 2

0 comments Posted by Katina at 8:00 PM

I was forced to see this when my cinema had not yet received the copy of my nominated film. It was 7pm on the Thursday and they hadn't received it. How ridiculous. So then I had to join all the British backpackers in town and sit through this car crash of a film.

The Inbetweeners 2 (MA 15+)

TO the odd few absolute cluelessness is an endearing quality to come from a person. Though as the number of people in close proximity with that quality increases, that feeling dissipates. And then there's the utter lack of despair felt when looking at the quartet that make up the Inbetweeners.

They're a truly sorry mob, with Will (Simon Bird), Simon (Joe Thomas), Jay (James Buckley) and Neil (Blake Harrison) still having absolutely no idea about how to deal with girls or the world. Life goes on, but for these guys it really is all that much more difficult.

Running away from problems is something done very well by a large proportion of humans, as a way to clear the mind and supposedly grow as a person before actually dealing with the issues still waiting there.

This lot does exactly that – Will, who hates his university life, Neil, who has no direction, and Simon, who wants to escape girlfriend-from-Hell Lucy (Tamla Kari), decide to spontaneously travel to visit Jay during his working holiday.

The Poms will still never miss a chance to have Australia on, in jest showing our sunburnt country as a haven for hippies and opportunity to land easy sheilas. It's hard to take anything seriously when breaking the fourth wall includes kicking koalas and knocking people out with boomerangs. But to the boys it's the lucky country where they hope those problems of theirs will wash away.


Unfortunately for each of them things seem to get worse – a hundred times more than anyone could ever imagine. Their journey to Byron Bay, for Will's benefit after bumping into school friend Katie (Emily Berrington), brings obstacles thought impossible for such a laidback town. Down on their luck in every department, things appear that they will never change.

The sheer stupidity shown by the group raises serious questions about how they have become such endearing characters to watch on both the small and big screens. Their complete lack of sensibility and understanding about general interaction is like a car crash, the misogyny too rampant to warrant giving it detail.

And that's how the film feels as a whole as things get from bad to worse. An uneasy, cringing feeling lingers as their trip unfolds, with jokes covering everything from paedophiles and spirituality to getting shitfaced. They wear thin across the 96 minutes which is maximised by a slow plot.

Directing/writing duo Damon Beesley and Iain Morris, the creative minds behind these characters, do at least work the film around a story. The plot is filled with mishaps, but the story is a development on their previous outing. The script gives equal time to each of the group, but there's too many crude jokes and too much of Will's obnoxious-but-I-don't-know-it nature, making you want to cry for help.

Only fans knowing the group's history and understanding their aspirations will appreciate this mess of a story. New audiences will see the film in a different light, unable to accept that quality of cluelessness they all possess - or for that matter the complete lack of respect for women.

Rating: 2/5
To be published in the Darwin Sun on Wednesday 27/8/2014.
MISSED LAST WEEK'S REVIEW? See what I thought of Begin Again.

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Monday, August 18, 2014

Review of the Week: Begin Again

0 comments Posted by Katina at 8:00 PM

I've been blessed with a few weekends of advance screenings, although I believe my luck ends with this film. I've learnt that any Darwin film critic who exists is not held in very high regard, and as such is not able to access the same things their capital city counterparts can. But that's a whole other story...

Begin Again (M)

THE MAGIC formula to writing a good song is non-existent. It is a myth perpetuated by the likes of Stock, Aitken and Waterman and the Beatles, making us believe the magic can be procured by anyone. But it's not so; anyone lucky enough to possess that talent has creative strengths unique in this world.

As great as songwriting can be, no one can escape the dominant influences of love and heartbreak. Those emotions in many ways can define a person, or at least their story - something Gretta (Keira Knightley) knows all too well. She gives up on New York City after singer boyfriend Dave (Adam Levine) strays as his star begins to rise.

Her saviour comes in the form of a hotshot-turned-hobo, record label owner Dan (Mark Ruffalo). He's lived the high life, creating success from nothing, and then seen everything go downhill both professionally and personally. He is distant from daughter Violet (Hailee Steinfeld) and still in love with his ex-wife Miriam (Catherine Keener).

Gretta and Dan's collaboration is the stuff dreams are made of. A little girl lost is discovered and has the chance of making it big. But the twist in this tale is Gretta's steadfast approach to the industry. She's not interested in a deal for herself, and initially rejects Dan's ideas for spreading her music to the masses. She's a songwriter, not a singer.


Knightley makes her musical debut to good accord, singing a number of songs with an air of delicacy. The songs, written by a specialist team, touch on love and heartbreak with genuine feeling and give the film a pleasant soundtrack. Levine gets his turn in the spotlight also, but it's Knightley who shines.
Adam Carney has revisited a past idea with this story, after directing and writing Irish love musical Once back in 2006. A Hollywood spin on it by way of zooming in on that heartbreak works as the catalyst for Gretta's decision to stick around. The songs reflect that, and are tied in well with the story to bring relevance.

The story pays homage to the so-called mess of a place that is New York City, as so many others do. Recording Gretta's songs take on added meaning when done in locations across the city, taking in the locals, the busker vibe in tribute to others trying to make it big, and the diversity it has to offer.

Knightley and Ruffalo are an unlikely pair, but work well together on screen as a pair trying to reignite the spark in life by starting over. Moving forward and leaving their past behind brings them more challenges than expected, but common ground helps them get there. Levine is a good guy to hate, Dave having the qualities of an unlikeable idiot both during and after his relationship with Gretta.


The film does not overextend itself in trying to evoke emotion, giving us enough with the simplicity of Gretta and Dan's stories. With likeable characters and great soundtrack, Carney gives us a story that suggests the process of revisiting the good things in life can be an invigorating experience if you let it.

Rating: 3.5/5
To be published in the Darwin Sun on Wednesday 20/8/2014.
MISSED LAST WEEK'S REVIEW? See what I thought of The Hundred-Foot Journey.

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Saturday, August 16, 2014

Saturday soundtrack

0 comments Posted by Katina at 9:23 PM

It was a stay-at-home day today, which was needed. I listened to a real mix of stuff as I did my housework and small DIY projects, most of which I hadn't heard for a while. Jay-Z/Kanye West collaboration Watch The Throne (which is still epic), Kimbra's Vows, a bit of Arctic Monkeys, Josh Pyke...

But there are a couple of individual songs that stuck with me today.



This was the biggest. I'd forgotten how GOOD this song still is. Connie Mitchell (whose voice has to be close to the world's most underrated) singing about confusion and alternate universes. From 16 days to 16 weeks the emotion remains one-sided. Gosh, how so many of us have been there.

The lyrics are just spot on.

I'm just like you/Don't know what to do/I'm caught here in the middle of a life/I can't leave but I want to

I just want to get your attention/But I know that you're looking away/16 weeks since you left my life I'm still looking for you

And the way she sings the closing part is haunting... I wonder, wonder, wonder what you're doing, where you are/I wonder, wonder, wonder what we could've been

Sneaky Sound System are so good. And Miss Connie rocks it on stage- seeing her up close when I lived in Dubbo I was amazed. They need to bring out new material pronto.



I haven't really caught onto the whole Iggy Azalea bandwagon yet, only having really heard Black Widow on constant repeat on the radio, and just before a pre-Fancy song called My World, which is awesome. Looking forward to discovering her other stuff - doing Australia proud, clearly, and she be havin' better beats than the horrible Nicki Minaj any day.

As for this song, loving the Kill Bill homage in the film clip. And the lyric I'm gonna love ya/Until you hate me is gold.

That and the chorus of G.R.L's Ugly Heart have been in my head for some time now: Okay you're pretty/Your face is a work of art/Your smile could light up New York City after dark...

 There's really catchy, girl power-friendly stuff on the radio right now isn't there? Love it.

On a final note, listening to Snow Patrol's Eyes Open album among all this other music today reminded me of how good Make This Go On Forever is. Not that the whole album isn't good, but this song is arguably the best.

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Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Vale Robin Williams and Lauren Bacall

0 comments Posted by Katina at 9:57 PM

While I had quite the good day today, I hadn't had as bad a day for a very long time as I did yesterday.

You know when you wake up in the morning and something just doesn't feel right? Either physically, or mentally... you just know that you shouldn't leave the house because it's going to be an absolute shitfight until you get back past the safety of that door.

Yesterday was one of those days.

And then Robin Williams goes and dies.

I'm affected enough when I hear about celebrity deaths. This one didn't feel real though. Not only because SO many other things had already gone wrong with my life in general and at work that I couldn't quite believe it (I really did think it was a hoax, took a while to actually acknowledge what I was seeing on TV), but also because we now know that such a FUNNY man died by his own doing in the most not funny of ways.

Hearing about depression leading to suicides is something that deeply saddens me. For him to have felt the pressures of life so much among a supportive family and friendship network is heartbreaking. So too has been the outpouring of grief. You all saw The Academy's tweet I take it.

The words of my friends and celebrities have been some of the most heartfelt I've ever read. I'm not quite sure why I don't feel I've had to say a lot. I honestly just think it's the most horrible of losses. Drug addiction and overdosing is one thing... hanging is just something else altogether.

And a day later we've lost Lauren Bacall, who lived a long life but whose loss is still big considering the golden days of Hollywood drift further away from reality. Two big heavyweights just gone. Two people who truly had an effect on people with their talents. I made a note today that these things usually come in threes, and I would hate to think we'll hear of another death. I just hope they're resting in a good place now. Vale.

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Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Review of the Week: The Hundred-Foot Journey

0 comments Posted by Katina at 8:00 PM

The Hundred-Foot Journey (PG)

THE WAY to many people's hearts is through the stomach, with a well-prepared meal bringing meaning and satisfaction. It is a survival instinct at its most basic, providing comfort and even a sense of understanding. It's no wonder that Lasse Hallstrom has returned to a theme he became well known for 14 years ago with the release of Chocolat, which combined a story of small town charm and the sensuality of blossoming romance.
Those three elements are echoed in The Hundred-Foot Journey. Hallstrom returns to countryside France, where the grass is beautiful and the buildings are rustic. It's no wonder Papa (Om Puri), Hassan (Manish Dayal) and the rest of the Kadam family want to stick around when the brakes on their car fail and force a delay to their travels.
Lessons about taking a chance and stepping up to a challenge present themselves pretty early as we learn about the tragic circumstances that led to the family leaving their Indian homeland for the pastures of Europe. As they arrive at their new-found home, social and moral themes of acceptance into a society and acceptance for change make their presence known.
It's not new territory for Hallstrom by any means as he lets natural light and the surrounding landscape to do much of the talking. But there is a story in there somewhere, telling us of Hassan's dream for success as a professional chef and his interest in town local Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon).

There is a typical rivalry to make their transition to French life difficult, as they set a family restaurant up across from a Michelin Star-awarded restaurant run by Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren). Their rivalry brings a not-so-fun war about, although made comical for the audience's benefit. Marguerite and Madame Mallory make for two headstrong women – but their desire for change is minimal. In a role reversal to films of this sort, it is the men who are looking to bring something new to the community and present new gastronomical adventures.
Hallstrom's focus on food throughout the story is sumptuous as Hassan learns the tricks of the trade from his family, but later becomes bland as he steps away from the type of cooking he knows and loves. It changes as the story does, which traverses an extended period of Hassan's career. Things are left to get a bit tiresome ahead of the ending, the mood of the film becoming a dampener as you watch their lives unfold some more. It's not helped by an unnecessarily long running time.
While designed to pull at the heartstrings, the laughs are minimal. Although there is something to be said for the efforts of Puri, Mirren and the charismatic Dayal, there isn't enough to lift the story to anything more than a simple tale of accepting what life brings. As that's something audiences already know well about, the well-used themes of this story come with a less fresh perspective.
Rating: 2.5/5
To be published in the Darwin Sun on Wednesday 13/8/2014.

MISSED LAST WEEK'S REVIEW? See what I thought of Guardians of the Galaxy.

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Friday, August 08, 2014

Injury, sickness and flight troubles

0 comments Posted by Katina at 8:00 PM

Travel sickness can be a bit of a pain. Travel injuries are a whole other story. And then those combined with a scare of nearly not making a flight is a good plot for someone's worst nightmare.

Thankfully I've never had anything serious in the way of these during my previous travels, but both injury and sickness were definitive in the final hours of my trip to South America - pushing me towards actually wanting to return to Australia.

Yeah, on the last day I really did just want to be home.

After being unable to meet with my friend in Santiago, all my sightseeing hadn't gone to plan on the second day there ahead of my flight. I was continuing to have issues with my bowels (which to be fair hadn't felt right since heading to Peru two weeks before), and I'd hurt my knee on day three of the Inca Trail, feeling a pain on the outside of my right kneecap as I completed the bulk of the downhill climb.

Not sure if the strap helped, but I wore it for the rest of the trek - thanks Hans!
I was grateful that the Inca Trail had been in the last week of the trip, knowing I would soon be able to see my physiotherapist at home. I could walk, but it was getting really painful and limping was a near necessity. As for the bowels, they worsened the later it got and toilet trips were becoming more frequent than breaths for air.

Then I almost didn't get on my flight because of damn Lan Airlines. Told at check-in I'm on standby - they apparently had 20 people over because of a change in the size of the plane taking us. Being told to wait there, and with the body not holding up, I sat on the floor before actually bursting into tears. I did not feel well. I had my Sydney day with friends planned that I was really excited about and a connecting flight. I did not want to stay an extra day!

Thankfully I was with two lovely sisters, Morgane and Armelle, from my Santiago hostel who I'd spent time with, and they were in the same boat. With an 11.20pm departure, 10pm comes and goes and there's no news like they said there would be. I'd been given a free food voucher so went to use it (where the people swarming around me were not terribly helpful). On returning I'm found and told they called my name. Then the woman at the counter says "You can't get on, you've missed it, it's past 10.20 and that's an hour before departure. You should've been here at 10 like you were meant to." It was 10.20 on the dot on my watch, but she tried proving otherwise on her iPhone. I then have back-up from Morgane and Armelle (who had received their tickets) arguing I was around at 10 - "but I went to use the voucher YOU provided me because I was told I wasn't getting on this plane".

And then she finally let me on. Miraculously with a seat letting me stretch out my leg.

***

I ended up losing any holiday weight and then some because I continued to have a lack of solid digestion during and after the plane ride. So there was good out of that I guess. Although that easily creeps back as I've found without regular exercise.



Yes, I can't exercise properly yet because of having to recover by doing these exercises with a foam roller. The knee pain is my showing of ITB Friction Syndrome, a common problem, so I have to ease my way back to fitness. And nearly three weeks since coming back, jogging for more than 10 minutes on a treadmill isn't going well. So I definitely can't manage weights or other classes, and it's killing me. I just want to sweat it out!

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Thursday, August 07, 2014

Messenger: what's the POINT?!

0 comments Posted by Katina at 8:00 PM

So Facebook has begun the big export, selling off their private messaging function into its own entity...

Seriously though, what IS the point of the new Messenger app?

I now have bobbing circles on my phone's home screen whenever I get a message. Then it doesn't go away even when you read the message. You're trying to search for a contact or read a message, and it just stays there.


Then in annoyance of that, it took way too much effort to figure out how get rid of it (but it's possible).

Why?! Yes, a total first world problem, but such an unnecessary one. The whole point of Facebook is convenience in its communication, so this just defeats that whole purpose. I question whether any of its added features couldn't just be done in the regular app.

I'm not the only one annoyed according to News.com.au. While it made me think of deleting the app, I need this to be able to communicate with so many people. So it's not really an option. But it's worrying just how much privacy I'm sacrificing for it.

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Tuesday, August 05, 2014

My return to Movie Mezzanine

0 comments Posted by Katina at 7:30 PM

When I wrote my review for Charlie's Country last week I ended up expanding on it as I thought I might, looking at it in a bit more depth in the form of an essay.

And with that I'm back on the Movie Mezzanine bandwagon!

It's been a while since I've been able to write for the site, but now being back from my holiday I'm really keen to get stuck into writing some great film articles on a regular basis.

For now, take a look at this if you'd like an idea of how Rolf de Heer's look at the life of an indigenous man relates to what's going on in Australia right now.

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Monday, August 04, 2014

Review of the Week: Guardians of the Galaxy

0 comments Posted by Katina at 8:00 PM

A change to when I see films means I'm moving Review of the Week to Monday nights. Reviews will be published on here before what I'm actually writing them for, but I'm not going to make you hold out until nearly a week after their release if it's not an advance screening.

This week, I would really like to know what people think of the film. I'm torn as to whether Guardians of the Galaxy was worth including in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise...

Guardians of the Galaxy (M)

MISFITS in this world get along by mixing with others of the same sentiment, those who for one reason or another fail to fit into the general norms of society. It's a foundation of the superhero genre, and a fact that Marvel Comics has jumped on to make its billions.

It's no surprise then that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been expanded past the Avengers' group and individual tales. For some the inclusion of the Guardians of the Galaxy comes as a surprise, but others will know the odd group fits well within the Marvel sphere of weird.

And weird this group is. Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), taken from Earth as a kid in 1988, is an outlaw raised by crooks. Gamora (Zoe Saldana) is turning her back on family for the greater good of the universe because they are an evil bunch, while Drax (Dave Bautista) is a surprisingly intelligent brute wanting revenge for his family's death.

Then there's comical duo Groot (Vin Diesel) and Rocket (Bradley Cooper). A tree with limited speech and a mutant racoon make for an unlikely pair but one that brings the laughs in this story of acceptance and friendship.

The Avengers these guys ain't. While they too are a bunch of misfits brought together under circumstance, the Guardians of the Galaxy are a more friendly bunch towards each other. Their camaraderie is more genuine by the story's end, where one's ego doesn't overtake the others and individual interests aren't the most important.


Director James Gunn wants to make us believe that idea of genuine friendship is something found in the good old days, throwing the audience back into a not-so-forgotten era with a peppy 70s soundtrack. Marvel gets retro with this lot, but it overcompensates in the family friendly stakes when paired with the usual wisecracks this franchise has come to be known for.

The story itself is a simple one to aid the introduction of the new group. After Quill gains possession of a valuable artifact he becomes a target, and the group are thrown together out of circumstance to try and keep it out of villainous hands.

There's a little bit of a Thor complex in there as Gamora becomes central to the plan - her family, including Ronan (Lee Pace) and sister Nebula (Karen Gillan) are the story's bad guys as they plot to destroy the people of planet Xandar. There's a touch of Iron Man too, with Quill's desire to be known as the edgy hero Starlord.

It's a hard ask for audiences to be accepting of this group as part of the Marvel universe, with next to no tie-ins with any of the characters previously focused on. To Gunn and Nicole Perman's credit, the script contains some of the laughs we should expect. But while Pratt and Saldana are great leads (Pratt particularly comfortable with comedy), John C Reilly as Xandarian officer Corpsman Dey and Benicio del Toro as The Collector don't get enough screen time.


While not meant to be viewed as a standalone film it easily comes across that way. It's because of that the standard drops just a little bit within the Marvel story. These guardians provide plenty of action to keep you entertained, and bring something different to the Marvel spectrum - but ultimately serve as what seems to be an unnecessary distraction for what lies ahead.

Rating: 3.5/5

To be published in the Darwin Sun on Wednesday 6/8/2014 and NT News on Thursday 7/8/2014.

MISSED LAST WEEK'S REVIEW? See what I thought of Charlie's Country.

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Friday, August 01, 2014

When songs disappoint

0 comments Posted by Katina at 8:00 PM



I was listening to a mix of songs on my computer one night, which included Delta Goodrem's first album. It made me think of how huge Innocent Eyes was when released - and how much it impacted on people. I know one of my friends listened to it every day after school for a long time, and it still doesn't surprise me. It's quite a beautiful pop album, very raw in a way. I turned 14 that year, and Goodrem was a teenager herself having written the songs - so it was extremely relatable to a lot of her fans.

A personal favourite still is Will You Fall For Me, a simple song about unrequited feelings. I thought to look up a live version on YouTube - and then found she had re-recorded it last year as part of a 10th anniversary release which I had no idea about.

And I didn't like it.
Apparently this came out in November 2013...
She had changed the arrangement a bit, and it sounded too mature for what it should be. Like, Celine Dion mature - which means not in a good way. I think the appeal of this particular song is that it has more of that innocence attached to it. But that does not mean you should rework it with a children's choir in the chorus.

It just reminded me of one other time when I was really disappointed by a different version of a song. Avril Lavigne performed I'm With You on Rove Live when she was really big, and I was scarred by that live version for a while. Although it's still a good song, she managed to rip a small piece of its soul with that performance.

Do you have a song you've had ruined by a different version? Or one that's been made better remixed or reworked by someone else?

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