When the Cheshire emerges...

I went to Dubbo's midnight screening for this one, which I think is my first ever unless I did one for Harry Potter in Adelaide sometime first... and there were more than 200 people, a great turnout. I decided to make it a work thing too, and speak to some of those there and write a story about it being the last one and all. You can read that here.

And now, the review. I've seen a mix of good and bad, but I found myself in between. There were great elements to it but I've come to learn that doesn't make something good.

Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (M)

SOCIETY'S need for a love story is everlasting, and when a film franchise has, to date, grossed $2.5 billion the fact is ferociously confirmed. But that this love story between a human and a vampire (and then a werewolf) has come to dominate cinema on a global scale for the past four years is telling of the apparent want to also believe in the paranormal; something beyond our true understanding.

The reason why is an interesting and likely unanswerable question. But we do know that the final instalment of The Twilight Saga arrives after a tumultuous year for the leading couple. Kristen Stewart's affair with her Snow White and the Huntsman director tarnished her reputation in the eyes of some fans; and no doubt blemished the film's preluding hype.

But fans will still come in droves to see the aftermath of half-immortal Renesmee's birth. Bella (Stewart) has been turned by vampire husband Edward (Robert Pattinson), and finds motherhood suits her well. Renesmee (Mackenzie Foy) soon becomes the interest of ruling entity the Volturi, who believe she is an immortal child - once human and turned into a vampire. The Cullens aren't given much time before the Volturi make a visit to kill Renesmee, but use it to gather friends as witnesses to help in the case to spare her.

The hope of restoring peace amongst the ranks seems thwarted as Volturi leader Aro (Michael Sheen) goes about destroying those who are uncooperative. Combined with the disappearance of family members Alice (Ashley Greene) and Jasper (Jackson Rathbone), Bella and Edward are fearful.

While the saga has always been very much a family affair, this instalment heaps on a lot more seriousness. The small amount of physical romance that remains is, although annoyingly scripted, surprisingly tasteful, and it takes a back seat to the emotional turmoil they face. Bella finally grows up.

But the first half an hour in particular suggests a concession in defeat that the love triangle, in particular Taylor Lautner as Jacob, has truly become a parody of itself. Director Bill Condon has embraced the fact with humour, be it intentional or not, to alleviate some of the tension we all knew was coming.

Condon, known for diversity among his films including Dreamgirls and Kinsey, treats the adaptation as adult - but at the same time understands the need to balance darker and lighter moments for the young fan base. This is best shown in a final showdown which differs from the book, proving extremely effective for those in the know.

Frustratingly, something the franchise has never done right is special effects; the final film is no different. That loss of credibility has regularly been shared with the cast performances, which are a mixed bag. Here, Lautner plays Jacob with a bit of schtick but Stewart and Pattinson's chemistry drops dramatically, seemingly for the lack of romantic content.

For minimal plot, it holds steady over the course of two hours, and over the course of the films this gains points for the twist, as well as intense Amazonian vampires. But like previous instalments, the final chapter is one that will be impressive mostly to fans.

Rating: 2.5/5

*Published in the Daily Liberal (Dubbo), Western Advocate (Bathurst), Parkes Champion Post and Midstate Observer (Orange) from Saturday 17/11/2012

MISSED LAST WEEK'S REVIEWS? See what I thought of Seven Psychopaths and The English Patient.

OK, I've been totally slack. Soccer's still making me hit the hay early every night. And with Wimbledon and Tour de France to come it's going to get more hectic. But here you go.

Snow White and the Huntsman (M)

The fairest of them all is the one most desired in 2012, with Mirror Mirror and TV’s Once Upon a Time also highlighting the fascination we have with the Grimm Brothers fairytale. The two film adaptations were coincidentally in competition with one another, Mirror Mirror winning the battle for the earlier release - but it is this retelling that has had critics and curious moviegoers talking. And rightly so, for it has had to deliver on an enormous budget.

Snow White has in recent times been portrayed as a fierce warrior, but even here with a maintained innocence. There is not much to this princess-in-waiting with open thoughts but she is mindful in what she does and looks out for others’ interests. Kristen Stewart’s Snow White must run from evil queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) when her life is about to be ended for the sake of her stepmother’s desire for immortality and knowledge of being fairest.

This time around, Snow White has the choice to follow a different path to the end of the story. Her seemingly obvious Prince Charming is childhood friend William (Sam Claflin) but The Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) steps in as an unlikely challenger when he refutes Ravenna’s request to have Snow killed and instead becomes her protector as she flees. Who she chooses is not immediately set in stone, and while there are only fleeting moments focused on the triangle we know that someone’s heart will be broken.

The title proves to be a misnomer when it comes to what we are shown of these characters. While it does bring a focus on The Huntsman that hasn’t been explored before, the more interesting revelations come from Ravenna. We know plenty about how twisted a character the evil queen is, but to even put a name to her gives her a more solid standing. She is a person, and one that was forced into believing that beauty brings power. There are some serious childhood issues that go with that, and Theron is uncomfortably terrifying in portraying the woman so conscious and determined to remain youthful.

The story from Evan Daugherty, whose screenplay was tweaked by John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) and Hossein Amini (Drive), is clever. It incorporates elements of the fairytale deviously well and brings a threatening darkness to the story adults will enjoy. Disney-friendly this is not. From massive tragedy to (brief) moments of serenity, this Snow White sees the world for the first time as both an exotic and frightful place.

For a budget of $US170million you wouldn’t be wrong for thinking it has a Lord of the Rings-type urgency to it by the time the leading lady stirs her troops into the climactic battle. A hard task for first-time director Rupert Sanders, but the Scottish location is used beautifully with some great camerawork. The story flows well, although it follows a succession of quick encounters which becomes an annoyance.

Stewart fits the bill as a strong-yet-innocent Snow White, but an all-star cast of dwarves (and here there are eight of them) including Nick Frost, Ray Winstone and Toby Jones, don’t have a terribly strong impact. Only the all-seeing Muir, played by Bob Hoskins, adds to the story. The film’s biggest strength is revealing the inner evils beauty can lead us to believe, and as such is an effective retelling of the struggles that fairest dame faced as she became of age.

Rating: 3.5/5

*Published in the Daily Liberal (Dubbo), Western Advocate (Bathurst), Parkes Champion Post and Midstate Observer (Orange) from Saturday 23/6/2012


***

  One of the best comedies to come out of the Ealing (Studios) era, this remains one of cinema’s most entertaining heists. With Sir Alec Guinness on board long before his days in historical or sci-fi epics and Audrey Hepburn appearing in her first feature, this is a quality picture.

Holland (Guinness) spends 20 years of his life in London as a bank transfer agent for gold bullion. He dreams of taking it all for himself before new neighbour Pendlebury (Stanley Holloway) provides the key to actually pulling a heist off. They team up with professional crooks Lackery (Sid James) and Shorty (Alfie Bass) and have three days to succeed.

The film is extremely short at 77 minutes but it packs a lot in, and all for the better. In planning a heist film, Ealing Studios asked the Bank of England to form a plan of how a million pounds could be stolen from themselves. A special committee did and it became the plan used in the film.

Charles Critchton handles the fast pace well to reflect their frantic planning. Guinness and Holloway are a great duo, complimenting each other’s awkwardness as they’re forced to bond quickly. The twists and turns hold sixty years later and the film provides a great amusement fix.

*Published in the Mailbox Shopper (Dubbo) from Wednesday 20/6/2012

*I have two photos entered in the current Qatar Reflections competition. Please show your support for me by voting for either photo! Short backstory and links here.