27. ParaNorman (2012)

I just love Claymation films. There is something about the fact that each tiny little thing is literally hand crafted bit by bit that really appeals to me. 
ParaNorman is made by the same people that made Coraline. I didn't really like Coraline that much but ParaNorman is fantastic. I felt Coraline lacking in humour and I thought it was a bit boring.
Do not be fooled by the PG rating I would not let the littlies watch this. Lots of adult undertones & lots of scary stuff eg Zombies, more zombies and a freaky cloud witch.

Not only is the animation awesome but 'other' stuff is worth noting . The retro style zombie posters on Norman's bedroom wall, the billboards in the town, artwork in the credits and OMG the song playing at the end with the credits! If I were in charge of the marketing I would reproduce the bedroom wall posters and even Norman's slippers. A set of zombie figurines would also be rad.

It is brilliantly funny. It's full of dark dark humour. The secondary characters are hilarious but even the characters that are only in the film for about 30 seconds are kooky & cool. (NOTE the school kid in the green tracksuit is great).

The storyline is nice but I thought that it was weird that Norman only 'sees' dead people at the start. Where did the ghosts go for the rest of the movie? I really thought they would help him.

4 STARS

25. The Sessions (2012)

What is it with me wanting to watch movies about people with disabilities lately?!
As I wrote in my last review, I love movies that are 'honest'.
Particularly films about 'touchy' subjects. Like ones that ask the question "How the heck do severely disable people have sex??"
The Sessions is very much in your face candid.
This is based on a true story about poet Mark O'Brien who is paralysed by polio from the neck down. He is played by John Hawkes who is absolutely incredible.
Helen Hunt (who I am not a fan of) is the sex surrogate he hires to lose his virginity to and to teach him about sex.
William H Macy (who I love) is the priest with whom Mark confesses his feelings & fears to.
These sessions are in themselves hilarious but always with an undercurrent of despair.
The movie is everything. Blunt, funny, sad, beautiful, poetic and lovely.
The sex scenes are very explicit but are a far from being crass and obscene.
By the end of the film, like the female leads, you can't help but fall in love with Mark.
I was a complete blubbering mess by the end. Not because of sadness but because it was just so wonderful.
4 STARS

24. The Intouchables (2011)

This is one of the most wonderful movies I have seen in a long time. It is based on a true story.
It is hilariously funny in parts, so so touching & moving, beautifully filmed (especially the paragliding scene) and left me feeling really happy and warm in my heart.
I know that sounds all a bit 'whatever' but it really is worth watching.
If you watch this movie and don't like it, there is something really wrong with you.
I just LOVED the honesty of this movie. I thought they skipped over the relationship between the father & his daughter a bit. I would have like it to have gone a bit more into that.
If you are feeling a bit down and need a movie to bring a smile to your face it would be hard for you to do much better than this film. Joyous.
(French: with Subtitles)

4 STARS.

23. Lawless (2012)

OK. Tom Hardy (swooon), Guy Pearce, Gary Oldman AND screen play by Nick Cave... Yep I was expectly alot. Yes I know it also stars Shia LaBeouf but he doesn' do much for me.
For most of this film Shia looks all pouty and like he is about to cry.
This is based on a true story about the Bondurant brothers who were moonshine runners in the 1930s.
I really really like this movie. Jeez Louise it is full-on violet so if you don't like blood I wouldn't watch this. The lovey dovey scenes gave me the irrits a bit and I didn't like the red-head sheila much I thought she wore way too much red lipstick for a 1930s depression era movie and I didn't think her hair was period accurate but I could be wrong.
Guys Pearce is awesome as the cruel & barbaric Special Deputy Charley Rakes. I wish there would been more of Gary Oldman but this was made up by the eye candy which is Tom Hardy as Forrest Bondurant. He rarely does anything more than grunt & beat the shit out of people but..... my my my.
Besides, me drooling over Mr Hardy & whincing at the brutal violence I really did like the film.
The soundtrack is great too with a stack of cool bluegrass like Ralph Stanley.
The story is really interesting.
4 STARS

22. Frankenweenie (2012)

Sigh. Tim Burton animation is always just SO good. I just love that in this day n age of CGI and computer animation that stop-motion still exists.
This movie is excellent. I loved that it is black and white and is such a great homage to old horror films. It's not REALLY a rollicking comedy but it does have some great laugh out loud parts.
As usual, it is the side characters that are the best.  The best, in my opinion is Weird Girl and her cat Mr Whiskas. I would just LOVE to have her as a doll. She's so awesomely creepy.

WEIRD GIRL & MR WHISKAS

I also loved Edgar E Gore the little creepy hunch-back kid.
Tim Burton has, once again, done a great job. I really liked how that even though the characters are stop-motion (the film took 3 years to make) they still look kind of hand drawn. Like sketches that have come to life.
If you loved "Nightmare Before Christmas" and "The Corpse Bride" you are sure to love this.
Tim Burton at his dark gothic comic best.
Note:  I probably wouldn't let little kids watch it as it IS a bit scary in parts.
4 STARS

15. Downfall (2004)

Downfall is a film about the final 10 days of the life of Adolf Hitler. The movie centres around the young lady  Traudl Junge who was his secretary. The beginning & end of the film show her 'in real life' talking about her feelings about being Hitler' personal secretary.
This is quite a long film at 2 1/2 hours but it is very intense all the way through.
I found it really really interesting.  I like to learn about events but from both sides of the fence.
Bruno Ganz who plays Hitler is fantastic as the delusional lunatic who refuses to surrender no matter who is sacrificed.
I know I've said it before but it truly astounds me that these events happened in the same era as my grandparents. Seeing the 'real'  Traudl Junge speak almost brought me to tears.
I just don't know HOW you could go on to live a normal life after living through this.  This also includes alot of the Generals that did serve time but then got out & lived until the early 2000s!
Amazing.
I REALLY enjoyed this film... A wee bit too long but very very good.
4 STARS

11.. The Raid: Redemption (2012)

In addition to black black comedies and cool animation flicks I LOVE a good martial arts film.
The Raid is one of the BEST martial arts films I've seen. I know, that's a big call.
This movie is also one of the best action films I've seen. No corny shit No witty one liners. Just in your face pumping full on hard core action.
The fight scenes in the movie are UNBELIEVABLE.  When I watch marital arts movies I normally sit there gawping at the screen in wonder at how the hell they choreograph them!
I laugh when I think that the costuming people might stop them mid scene and exclaim "Stop Stop there's not enough sweat & spittle!!"
This movie is Indonesian and the acting is awesome but the fighting is what makes this film great.
You DO need to suspend belief because 'normal' people would obviously be all swollen and well totally rooted after being punched in the face and kicked in the ribs 500000 times in one hour.

This is an example of some of the things yelled by hubby & I during alot of the brutal attack scenes...

"OWWWWW"
"OH OUCH"
"SHIIIITTTT"
"OH GOD"
"EWWWWW"
" THAT'S GUNNA HURT IN THE MORNING"
" FAAARRRRRRK"
" EEEEeeeee EWWWW"
"BLOODY HELLL!!"
"HOMER SIMPSON INJURY! "(if you love the Simpsons you will know what part this refers to)

The fight scenes are fast and super super super bloody & gruesome. I found myself thinking "Mmmm I wonder what other inventive ways to die with they come up with".
But the violence is kind of like Quentin Tarantino violence. Hyper violence. So over the top it stops being too horrific. And there are some toe curling parts.
I loved this film. Not much of a story line but awesome movie.

4 STARS

7. The Artist (2012)

I'm a dickhead.
I did not know that The Artist is a silent film. I knew it was ABOUT silent films but I didn't realise that this is literally a silent film.
That doesn't mean that I didn't like it though... quite the opposite. It's so lovely to watch a film that isn't just all about action scenes and big fancy schmancy effects. This is a very very simple film that is beautiful to watch. The musical score is fantastic.
I found it to be a 'paint by numbers' film with regards to Film Noir. It's like the director had a list of all the A-Z of noir & silent films and put every cinematic trait into this movie.
If you didn't know anything about this movie & walked into a room that it was playing you would absolutely think you were watching an original old film.
The lead actor Jean Dujardin is fantastic and reminded me of a mix between Gene Kelly & a young De Niro. All the scenes starring him are wonderful.
Do you know I wasn't fussed AT ALL with the leading lady Bérénice Bejo.?  She just didn't do it for me. Even with the black and white & costuming etc I found all her scenes looked modern. I can't explain it.
This movie was a wonderful homage to the films of yester-year but I just felt something was lacking.
I'm not sure what though.

4 STARS

5. Beneath Hill 60 (2010)

 

Did you know that in 1916 during The Great War the Australian Army recruited heaps of ordinary blokes that were miners & engineers, gave them only 2 weeks of training before sending them to the Belgium Front to dig mines under German lines to plant a crap load of explosives under the Germans to blow them away???

Neither did I !

My history classes at school went on & on about Gallipoli but I never heard about this.

I LOVE movies about Australia's history particulary about our diggers and this movie is another corker. Sure it gets a bit corny & soppy in the lovey dovey flashback scenes but the story of what these blokes went through and the scenes of war in the trenches is amazing & horrific.

According to Wikipedia it was filmed in and around Townsville.

I found myself muttering "Holy Shit" AND "Bloody Hell" alot and the claustrophobic scenes in the tunnells really do bring it home just how awful a job it was.

Just another example of how incredible our Australian Soliers are.

The acting is top rate.

 

GREAT AUSTRALIN WAR FILM THAT SHOULD BE SHOWN IN SCHOOLS ALONG WITH FILMS LIKE GALLIPOLI.

4 STARS

 

 

4. Chopper (2000)

I FINALLY got around to watching "Chopper" after years & years of my sister & brother raving about it.
It was great. At the time this film was made Eric Bana was more known as Poiter and comedy roles so it was amazing even now to watch his very first serious role. He is amazing as Chopper Reid and has the bloke down pat.  He is simply incredible and the super violent scenes are full on. You almost believe that you are actually watching Chopper himself. Even the physical transformation Eric Bana went through is amazing.
Even though I know that Mr Reid in 'real' life was prone to exaggeration about how mental he was (saying "Never Let the Truth Get in the Way of a Good Yarn") I still wouldn't like to meet the man. Why would you would WANT to be remembered as being a total psycho nutjob?
Anyone who is right into really good Australian cinema with awesome acting needs to see this flick and I reckon my American friends would love it.
The only thing I didn't like about it (why I deducted a star) was the fact that I don't really like any movie that promotes violent thug wankers and I'm sure Chopper probably loves that people are talking about him.
LOVED IT THOUGH JUST FOR ERIC BANA'S INCREDIBLE ACTING.

4 STARS