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Film Review: Weekend In Taipei

24 October 2024 From The Front Row

Weekend in Taipei Rating

★★★★★

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From the visionary creator of The Fifth Element, Luc Besson comes the exhilarating action film Weekend in Taipei.

You don’t have to wait for long before the first action scene begins, 5 minutes in fact, where a brand new Ferrari takes you on a high-speed joyride through Taiwan’s capital, Taipei.

The film centers around a DEA agent, portrayed by Luke Evans, who is on a relentless mission to dismantle a formidable drug lord’s operation. Unbeknownst to him, this notorious criminal is married to his former love interest, adding an emotional layer to the narrative.

The plot takes viewers on a journey from the United States to Taiwan, where the reunion between the long-lost lovers sparks unresolved feelings and secrets. This rekindling of romance unveils a love triangle that complicates the agent’s mission, leading to a gripping confrontation between good and evil.

The combination of Luke Evans, known for his roles in Hollywood Blockbusters such as Clash of the Titans, a very likeable leading lady, played by Gwei Lun-mei, hailing from Taiwan, and ‘bad guy’, Sung Kang, who starred in the Fast & Furious franchise, makes for a strong cast.

Where the film lacks a strong story, it definitely overachieves in superbly choreographed fight scenes, with lots of humour thrown in. With the addition of a killer soundtrack, some gorgeous cinematography, and good duration, this film is perfect for an entertaining cinematic experience without the need for deep contemplation.

Weekend In Taipei will open in Australian cinemas in the coming weeks. Check your local cinemas for session details.

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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Commandante: Nice Cinematography

20 October 2024 Sophie Donkin

Commandante Rating

★★★★★

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The opening of Comandante felt like a perfume ad for one of the big Italian fashion houses—a Dolce & Gabbana or Prada. A young woman in a 1940s dress looks longingly through a window. Her voiceover, while not saying much of consequence, gives the scene an elegance that got me interested to keep watching. The camera filter gives off the effect of that old Hollywood trick of Vaseline on the lens for that soft focus.

Comandante – translates to The Commander. There is nothing commanding about this film whatsoever. Okay, so we’re watching a war film. I got it. There is an Italian man now in the picture, in a singlet looking a little worse for wear. He looks troubled, and we see this is the case after some dialogue between the two characters. But then nothing happens. I was left waiting for nearly two hours. Can something happen?? The women farewell their men as they depart on a submarine to join the war effort. Okay, but nothing happens.

Comandante gave me Dunkirk vibes; that is to say, a picture featuring a lot of pretty boys, well men, and a few well-trodden older men stuck together under the sea. It is a film that tries to give us the real deal by showing lots of untidy chest hair and soft bodies. I was very aware that I was watching actors playing pretend, albeit non-glamorised, like Dunkirk.

I kept watching, waiting for something interesting to happen—a plot line, an intriguing character, anything! And then I realised something wasn’t going to happen.

The main protagonist, Captain Salvatore Todaro (Pier Francesco Favino), is a rugged-looking man with a steely presence and an incongruous penchant for lyrical turns of phrase. And yet, he is oh so dull.

The only different thing that woke me up was a funny sequence where the Belgians teach the Italians how to make chips. With that being my only memorable takeaway from this film, I think it’s clear to say I was not enamoured.

Comandante was made in collaboration with the Italian navy, who Comandante is for, a whimsical love letter to life on the sea perhaps? I felt guilty zoning out, but I can’t pretend to be interested in a film that may have good intentions and most probably has an audience somewhere. It felt like a film for my dad to watch on a quiet Sunday afternoon and probably fall asleep to.

I was very surprised when I read that Comandante opened the Venice Film Festival in 2023 after Challengers, starring Zendaya dropped out. It’s not surprising, I suppose, as Comandante could be sold as a story about Italian pride and their role in the Second World War, therefore making it ideal for the Venice Film Festival.

But there is nothing groundbreaking or emotionally charged about this film. It seriously falls short.

To book tickets to this or other films, click https://italianfilmfestival.com.au/

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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The Milky Way Film Review

15 October 2024 Manuela Kacomanolis

The Milky Way Rating

★★★★★

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The Milky Way, the creation of multi-talented Israeli director, writer and editor Maya Kenig is a thought-provoking story with a hint of dystopia surrounding two young mothers and their newborn babies.

Although both women live very different lives, Tala a single mum and struggling indie musician, and Nili, a wealthy married housewife, their desperation for wanting the best for their own child leads them to consciously choosing to have each other in their lives.

When Tala accepts a job at a breast milk production company called The Milky Way, she sees it as an easy way to make money. The women who work there are required to pump milk in their plush cubicles fitted with pumping equipment, a comfortable reclining armchair, and a screen showing images of their babies and much like dairy cows, uninterrupted views of the green paddock.

The job is portrayed like any other regular job where the employees have lunch breaks, must seek approval of management if they need to take time off, and are reprimanded for breaking the rules. It doesn’t take too long for the feisty and head strong Tala to start breaking the rules.

Curiosity gets the better out of Tala, played by real life musician, Hila Rauch, when she hitches a ride with a milkman on his way to do his rounds and discovers that one of the homes he is dropping off milk is the home of the woman who is receiving her breast milk, Nili, played by Hadas Yaron. Wanting to know more about this woman, Tala sneaks into the house and hides herself. She manages to escape but fate brings her back to Nili when she realises she has left her phone in Nili’s house.

Nili eventually finds out that she has been the recipient of Tala’s milk but her paranoia steers her to making a proposal too good for Tala to refuse, especially given Tala’s precarious situation at that time.

The women form a friendship and bond over motherhood but there’s always an imbalance of power that looms in the background of their friendship. That imbalance of power comes to light when Tala crosses a line with Nili and is forced reflect on whether she is giving more of herself away than just her milk.

The film touches on ethical and moral issues in an entertaining manner without it being so obvious. The exploitation of vulnerable lower income mothers, the judgment women face for not breast feeding are just a few.

More strongly targeted at women, this is a film any woman will find engrossing whether they’re a mother or not.

To book tickets to this or other films click https://www.jiff.com.au/

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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Diane Warren Relentless: Eccentric Honest and Real

14 October 2024 Calliope Skye

Diane Warren: Relentless Rating

★★★★★

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“Diane Warren: Relentless” is a documentary that portrays the making of one of the world’s most successful songwriters. A Golden Globe, Oscar and Grammy winner, this film is an honest and well portrayed depiction of how Diane struggled, grew, and achieved as an artist, publisher and relentless business owner. With her music catalogue worth over a billion dollars and having worked with more than 450 recording artists, it is clear that Diane has more than earned the spotlight in this feature.

Following Diane around the landmarks of her childhood and young adult life, we see a highly creative and possibly rebellious personality and how Diane struggles with the ebbs and flows of their music career. From her early years, writing songs in the bathroom of her family home, to negotiating contracts with Cher, Lady Gaga, Aerosmith, Beyonce and many, many more.

The film highlighted various accounts from friends and colleagues who colourfully expressed their connection with and love for Diane, while painting a clearer picture of who she is as a songwriting professional, cat lover and friend. It was a great tool for storytelling and a good way to have the viewer connect with the subject.

When it comes to the film quality and direction, the intent within the expression was clear. Photography and short clips from Diane’s life opened a window into the creative process, the effort that was made and the personalities that shone through them. Capturing treasured moments in the creative process and the interactions between Diane and the recording artists she worked with were highlights, along with Diane’s direct accounts of the many conversations she had with them about her songs.

The one critique I do have, are some of the camera angles and methods used. I would have liked to see more creative shots that help capture any emotion or serious moments. Due some of the themes requiring more care and sensitivity, having that reflected in the camera direction would have helped, rather than distracted. The changing of shots were sometimes a bit too slow or were not straight enough with took away from the possible desired effect. While I agree that having someone walking around with the camera can feel more family orientated and homemade films have a sentimental nature, I found myself thinking about the camera instability each time it occurred, rather than focusing on the content.

Overall, this film was a combination of good story telling, highlighted testimonies and offered Diane genuine love and support that is well deserved. The behind the scenes accounts pulled it all together to create a piece that helped to show music history in the making.

To book tickets to this or other films click https://www.jiff.com.au/

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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