FELONY

Three male detectives become embroiled in a tense struggle after a tragic accident that leaves a child in a coma. One is guilty of a crime, one will try to cover it up, and the other attempts to expose it. How far will these men go to both disguise and unravel the truth? -- IMDB

A brilliant new Australian crime drama. Joel Edgerton is excellent as Malcolm Toohey, as the cop who knocks a child off his bike and doesn't admit to it. Jai Courtney (Jim Melic) is also good as the colleague who is troubled by what's happening and is disturbed by the coverup. But Tom Wilkinson as the experienced and worn-out detective who pressures Malcolm to persevere with the cover up is incredible and steals most of the scenes he is in. The story is excellent with more of a focus on the internal struggles of the protagonists resulting from guilt and ethical dilemmas than on the crime itself. It's a refreshing take on the crime drama which is directed well and is tightly woven, keeping us on the emotional edge until the end. This is a morally complex story that is intellectually and emotionally rewarding. Make sure you see it!

****1/2

FREEDOM

Two men separated by 100 years are united in their search for freedom. In 1856 a slave, Samuel Woodward and his family, escape from the Monroe Plantation near Richmond, Virginia. A secret network of ordinary people known as the Underground Railroad guide the family on their journey north to Canada. They are relentlessly pursued by the notorious slave hunter Plimpton. Hunted like a dog and haunted by the unthinkable suffering he and his forbears have endured, Samuel is forced to decide between revenge or freedom. 100 years earlier in 1748, John Newton the Captain of a slave trader sails from Africa with a cargo of slaves, bound for America. On board is Samuel's great grandfather whose survival is tied to the fate of Captain Newton. The voyage changes Newton's life forever and he creates a legacy that will inspire Samuel and the lives of millions for generations to come.

Average. Has a very strong (and sometimes very heavy handed) religious flavour with the song, Amazing Grace, by John Newton, providing the organising theme. True freedom is presented as that which comes from trust in the Christian God. The story did not have the power I thought it should have. The acting was adequate and the musical element undermined the emotional potency - although viewers who like musicals may experience it differently to me. The whole movie seems restrained - pulling back form the harsh realities of the slave trade. I suspect that it may be that way to ensure a broad audience. It is consistent with the distributors, Heritage Films International, which has a faith focus, according to its website. Movies supported by faith-based organisations tend, in my opinion, to promote somewhat sterile versions of reality - and I think that FREEDOM suffers from this. The most frightening aspect of the movie is the declaration at the end, just before the titles, that there are more people in slavery today than ever before in human history. While reminding ourselves of the past history of slavery is essential, I'd like to see more contemporary movies addressing what is happening today. It's a travesty that slavery hasn't yet been eradicated.

***

 

 

GOD'S NOT DEAD

College philosophy professor Mr. Radisson's curriculum is challenged by his new student, Josh, who believes God exists.

Evangelical Christian cinema hits a new low with this propaganda movie designed to convince the viewer that atheism (and science) is irrational and provides an inadequate world view for modern society. Now, there is nothing wrong with literature that engages in the contemporary debate about the existence of [the Christian] God. My gripes with this movie have nothing to do with the differences in belief between the characters. There is some outstanding material on both sides of the debate worthy of consideration. But GOD'S NOT DEAD is most assuredly not one of them. It is superficial, predictable, contrived, emotionally manipulative, and misrepresentative of atheism and, in particular, science. Just about every character in the movie is converted (what did you expect?!). The arguments offered by the main character are simplistic and, frequently, caricatures of what science actually says or the best atheist thinkers actually believe. Most of them could be effectively critiqued by any thinking school-kid. The movie's explorations of physics and philosophy demonstrate almost no actual engagement with the ideas and are reductionistic and ill-informed. Any intelligent non-Christian would, in my opinion, be quite offended by the way in which it portrays them - and any intelligent Christian would probably despair of the ridiculous, narrow-minded Christianity that the makers so obviously believe is true. The film essentially demonises atheists, scientists, and Muslims. Just about every distorted stereotype is paraded in this travesty of a movie. Fundamentalist Christians will probably lap it up and will have reinforced the prejudices already held against science, philosophy, and other people who differ from them. Give it a wide berth!

*1/2

THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY

The Kadam family clashes with Madame Mallory, proprietress of a celebrated French restaurant, after they open their own nearby eatery, until undeniable chemistry causes the Madame to take gifted young chef Hassan under her wing.

A beautiful movie - beautiful food, beautiful people, beautiful scenery. It's a "nice" movie - gentle, romantic, nothing offensive, just a quietly satisfying entree. But that's also its weakness. THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY is predictable and undemanding. But sometimes it's nice to relax into a film and be entertained. The cast do a good job of the straightforward script with Helen Mirren putting on a reasonably authentic French accent. The developing relationship between her character  (Madame Mellory) and that of Papa (Om Puri) is amusing and is a mirror of that between the other younger stars played by Manish Dayal and Charlotte Le Bon. For a lay-back couple of hours of light entertainment, check it out.

***1/2

The Wolf of Wall Street (movie)

Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stockbroker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government.

The Wolf of Wall Street is a stunning portrayal of a man who is so rich that he can live in any way he wishes - sex, drugs, boats, drugs, cars, drugs, houses - did I mention drugs? For three hours we are taken on the frenetic, mesmerising journey of a horrible but extremely persuasive man that sucked thousands of poor people dry of their money and spent it on himself. It is difficult to describe the absolute decadence of the lifestyle of this self-centred, hedonistic, true-life stockbroker who defrauded countless victims and lived to get away with it (he served only nearly two years in prison after providing the names of many of his associates to the FBI). Leonardo DiCaprio is riveting as Jordan Belfort. His presence on the screen is awesome from the opening scene (which I won't describe here). The story of Belfort (based on his own memoir) ploughs on like an unstoppable train and is completely over the top in its excess and debauchery. There are some very funny moments which catch you by surprise - surprise that you can be laughing at such outrageous and antisocial behaviour. The cinematography is brilliant and emulates the dizzying frenzy of people out of control.

But what does all this mean? Why tell this story? It's hard to know. There has been considerable controversy surrounding this movie. Some have argued that the movie is essentially promoting rather than criticising the lifestyle of Belfort - glorifying excess, greed, the objectification of women, drug use. Belfort never suffers any serious consequences for his crimes or his lifestyle. According to some, the movie seems to celebrate rather than condemn.

However, by the end of the movie we feel as though we have vicariously experienced the gluttony and excessive that it raises serious questions about the ethics of such a lifestyle. There's a powerful scene near the beginning of the movie where an employee of Belfort's brokering company humiliates herself by allowing her head to be shaved just to get $10,000. Money is everything and the vulnerable are abused and trampled on as if they are mere objects in the pursuit of riches.

Another telling moment is when Jordan Belfort's life is threatened during a storm while he's travelling on his yacht. He is desperate to find drugs to deaden the reality of what is happening and shouts, ’I am not gonna die sober!’ There seems to be a frantic panic underneath this exclamation as if, in that moment, the vacuity of his life becomes evident - at least that's my reading of the moment. It's as if a glimmer of reality broke through even if it was extinguished immediately.

Finally, throughout the movie, we never see any of the victims. It's as if they don't exist. And clearly, for Belfort, they don't. Humans are merely a means to an end. There are clearly some people who practice unethically, engage in criminal activity, all with impunity and without consequences. Belfort was obviously one of these.

But there's something fundamentally uncomfortable about all this. And that discomfort rescues this film from being a celebration of Belfort's life. Instead it's like those parents who taught the horror of smoking by forcing their kids to smoke a whole cigar until they were sick; or like chocolate factories who let their employees gorge themselves on chocolate until they can't eat anymore and they stop. Consuming this movie will make you feel bloated with excess and you'll recognise that ancient saying that the love of money is the root of all evil.

WARNING: This movie is R rated in Australia and the US. Believe the rating! There is explicit sex, drug use, and adult themes - and lots of them.

overall=**** ; acting=***** ; story=**** ; humour=**** ; soundtrack=*** ; cinematography=****