Category: Film Review

“Strangerland” looks to establish a specific mood of frustration, set during the melt of an unbearable Australian summer. Director Kim Farrant successfully squeezes the setting for everything it’s worth, delivering a feeling of lethargy and illness to a particularly piercing story of personal loss. It’s a shame there isn’t much more to “Strangerland” beyond an evocative helming job, as its tale of closeted deception and confession isn’t robust enough to carry the feature, which is frequently caught spinning its wheels instead of fully examining its conflicts. Farrant attempts to turn something primal into an actor showcase, and her permissiveness slows the movie to a crawl. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1982’s “Turkey Shoot” (aka “Escape 2000”) isn’t a widely known Australian production, but in cult circles, it’s received its share of accolades. The Brian Trenchard-Smith picture is a violent reworking of “The Most Dangerous Game,” with heavy exploitation influences to stretch its modest budget. “Elimination Game” (aka “Turkey Shoot”) is the inevitable remake, yet co-writer/director Jon Hewitt doesn’t offer complete replication, instead pulling most of his ideas from “The Running Man.” What should be a rollicking bullet train of big screen excess is instead an amateurish, borderline incoherent actioner starring Dominic Purcell, whose dead eyes and stiff physicality is perhaps the most telling aspect of this bumbling reheat. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Terminator Genisys” is the cinematic equivalent of untangling Christmas lights. Facing the need to restart the franchise after the last chapter, 2009’s “Terminator Salvation,” was deservedly met with low box office returns and audience derision, the new picture sets out to clear a different path for the moneymaking brand name. Returning Arnold Schwarzenegger to the series after a one film break, “Terminator Genisys” hopes to march forward by dealing with the past, returning to old big screen stomping grounds to give viewers a sense of familiarity before launching a fresh round of sequels with a slightly differently mission. It’s baffling work, but the “Terminator” sequels were never great about storytelling clarity. Instead, the production braids exhaustive amounts of exposition with slam-bang action sequences, trusting the sound and light show will soften brains looking to make sense of this cat’s cradle of timelines. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Released in the summer of 2012, “Magic Mike” became a phenomenon. A movie about male strippers caught up in emotional turmoil and stunted creative expression, the picture was instead largely accepted as a celebration of beefcake, with director Steven Soderbergh’s indie film mope and melodrama mostly ignored by the feature’s target demographic. “Magic Mike XXL” is the sequel, arriving with full awareness of what audiences didn’t care for the first time around. Hindsight is strong with this one, losing unwelcome actors and, well, a story, to fashion a playground for the fit stars of the show. Fans of stripping routines and shirtlessness will surely feel sated by “Magic Mike XXL.” Those in the mood for substance and measured dialogue should hunt for more interesting exploitation elsewhere. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Overnight” is executive produced by the Duplass Brothers, which is a concise way to describe the comedic atmosphere of the movie. Playing with a casual, hand-held, semi-improvised approach, the picture attacks a central question of marital bliss from odd angles. What could be a gauzy drag featuring busy performances is instead absolutely hilarious, winningly acted, and surprisingly wise about the needs of marital partners when locked in a long term relationship. Playing discomfort with grace, “The Overnight” is a sneaky but uproarious odyssey into neuroses and sexual gamesmanship, retaining a human perspective as it samples wily comedic situations. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Although the picture is credited to Maya Forbes, co-screenwriter of lackluster fare like “The Rocker” and “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days,” “Infinitely Polar Bear” proves to be a creative success for the debuting director. Drawing from her own experiences with a bipolar parent, Forbes finds a sense of authenticity to the work that does wonders to even out its sense of bruised whimsy. “Infinitely Polar Bear” is more of an understanding of mental health issues than a true dissection of unwieldy behavior, but Forbes keeps the feature together with a sense of humor, interest in darkness, and an understanding of adolescent emotion, packaging a light but sincere story of maturity. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While director Ken Loach is a respected filmmaker with decades of cinematic achievements, his efforts typically favor stories of the downtrodden facing extinction, maintaining a career that’s primarily focused on those without means gradually consumed by their lowly position. “Jimmy’s Hall” joins the cluster of pain without protest, though it remains a more heartfelt examination of adversity than Loach typically offers. An Irish tale of religious oppression and romantic longing, “Jimmy’s Hall” is an unexpectedly illuminated feature from Loach, who isolates a range of emotions and impulses that deepen characterization, making the battle of freedom presented here all the more meaningful. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The healing power of music receives a revival in “Jackie & Ryan.” A low-key romance with deep-seated anxiety issues, the feature comes from writer/director Ami Canaan Mann, who made a splash a few years ago with the lauded but little seen “Texas Killing Fields.” Inching away from murder and paranoia to play softly with the troubles of average folk, Mann fashions a tender, understanding picture that attempts to evade formula through unexpected acts of kindness. “Jackie & Ryan” isn’t profound work, but it carries real heart and private moments of panic, emerging as a character study with a folk music core, matching the bond of stage performance with emotional unions found in everyday life. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director Asghar Farhadi received global recognition for his 2011 feature, “A Separation.” Following it up with 2013’s “The Past,” Farhadi solidified a reputation for searing character dramas infused with shocking turns of fate. While the world waits for his next effort, American distributor The Cinema Guild has elected to find work from his past to share with hungry audiences. “About Elly” was first released in 2009, but its themes of deception and desperation remain relevant today, submitting a story of secrets and lies that builds with harrowing tension, detailing Farhadi’s expert eye with casting and his ability to snowball harmless intentions into life-destroying events. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Max” arrives with noble intentions, out to publicize the efforts of military working dogs, who sacrifice and suffer alongside their human handlers. There’s a riveting picture to be made about this subject, digging into canine psychology as it’s hit with the development of post-traumatic stress syndrome. Frustratingly, the screenplay for “Max” doesn’t go anywhere near such compassion, instead ordering up a glorified “Scooby-Doo” episode that takes violent turns and it shuffles away from its original intent. This is not a good film, with weak acting and worse direction, but what makes the feature a true spirit-crusher is how badly it botches an original perspective, trading valuable veteran insight for cliché. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Ted” emerged from out of nowhere to become one of the top grossing pictures of 2012. Little was expected of a talking bear comedy co-starring Mark Wahlberg, but co-writer/director Seth MacFarlane delivered a brew of smut and sweetness that was big on laughs. “Ted 2” isn’t a radical change of direction for the new franchise, but the production seems intent on preserving a plot for the sequel, trying to give the feature dramatic heft as it also stages gags involving marijuana, tipped cups of semen, and a ceramic penis bong. MacFarlane hasn’t grown up, but “Ted 2” delivers on its limited ambition, finding something for the bear and his bro to do while the helmer adds more of his fetishes and obsessions to the overstuffed follow-up. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Although “Testament of Youth” is based on Vera Brittain’s best-selling memoir about her time in World War I, it still feels utterly surprising. History and romance collide in this sensational drama, which manages to capture the wonders of attraction and the brutality of war without giving in to overt manipulation. Screenwriter Juliette Towhidi wisely shows restraint when necessary, but she also explores passions in an epic manner, confidently managing tragedy and fantasy as she depicts the maturation of a special young woman. Director James Kent also displays certainty, avoiding a PBS glaze of wartime events to cut straight to the needs of the heart and the expansion of the mind. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The title “Balls Out” is a turn-off, promising a crude and crummy sports comedy that’s in a dispiriting pun-happy mood. It takes some work to get past it (there’s a wretched Seann William Scott tennis comedy from 2009 with the same title), but it’s worth the effort, as this “Balls Out” is a smarter, sharper take on self-aware sports cinema, finding a healthy balance between razzing the genre and celebrating its pleasures. It’s also a periodically hilarious picture with an amiable sense of humor, eased along by an enthusiastic cast who’ve come to play, giving the feature a special spin of silliness. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Big Game” is a throwback to a time in the world film market when studios would happily put pictures featuring heroic kids into production. Examples remain today, but it’s not as pervasive a plot as it once was, with animated antics taking over for live-action offerings aimed at pre-teens. From the writer/director of the sneaky evil Santa Claus effort, “Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale,” “Big Game” is a refreshingly short but enormously entertaining actioner that toys with cliché, but primarily gets by on explosive antics, trying to generate a Joel Silver mood in the middle of Finland. It’s far from original, but helmer Jalmari Helander successfully simulates the spirit of high-octane adventure for the PG-13 crowd. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2015 appears to be the year for killer bear releases. A few months ago, “Backcountry” stomped into theaters, bringing with it a ferocious appetite for terror and tension, making something exceptional out of basic forest location, limited casting, and no budget. “Into the Grizzly Maze” is after a slightly grander cinematic experience, though director David Hackl isn’t about to leave his exploitation interests behind, with the helmer of “Saw V” masterminding a graphically violent take on bear hunting that’s big on bloodshed and characters in peril. It’s a shame “Into the Grizzly Maze” isn’t more invested in straight-up horror, as its take on a family drama is wholly uninspired, despite the appearance of a varied cast trying to make something out of nothing. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The pain exposed in “Aloft” comes dangerously close to parody. The independent film drills into paralyzing emotional ache that details a fractured relationship between a mother and her son, and the feature is set in the wilds of Canada, with freezing temperatures providing metaphorical chill. “Aloft” is not the most subtle effort, and it’s not the liveliest either, as writer/director Claudia Llosa makes sure to slow down and absorb as much misery as possible. Through the darkness, there are elements of the unknown that work well, giving the picture a reasonable mystery to solve, but it takes special moviegoing endurance to make it through the story, which seems determined to shut down as much outside interest as it can. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Imagine if Jared Hess directed “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure,” and that’s something of a description of “The Strongest Man.” Helmer Kenny Riches invests entirely in deadpan humor and a quasi-spiritual journey of personal maturation, combining the ways of mind, body, and soul with a story that concerns a stolen BMX bike. “The Strongest Man” is silly, but it never admits to it, finding Riches doing whatever he can to throttle the impish spirit of the piece, slowing the film down when it’s most comfortable with comedic speed. In fact, the feature is so comatose at times, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to bring a mirror with you to the theater, just to make sure the movie is still breathing at the midway point. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Co-writer/director Martin Owen is on a mission to shred the pop culture poison of reality television with “L.A. Slasher,” which takes on the qualities of a horror film, but never finds its footing. It’s a subject that could always use exploration, but Owen is primarily interested in staging a sound and light show with the movie, which elects style over substance when dealing with a satire of disposable stardom. “L.A. Slasher” is a good-looking effort but offers no threat, positioning itself as dangerous, chic, and wise when it’s mostly muddled and poorly edited. These days, reality T.V. is mostly about lampooning itself, leaving Owen a little late to the condemnation party, rendering the feature dull and passé. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Director Joe Dante has forged a career on a love for genre pictures. The helmer of “The Howling,” “Gremlins,” and “Matinee,” Dante has demonstrated a devotion to Hollywood and all its ghoulish highlights. “Burying the Ex” is more of an easy lay-up for the moviemaker, but it plays to his strengths of dark comedy and horror, successfully molesting romantic comedy formula to fit the askew needs of undead cinema. “Burying the Ex” is hilarious, icky, and smartly made, reinforcing Dante’s gifts as a storyteller and his endearing appreciation for shock value and uncomfortable laughs. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After a steady run of regular releases, Pixar Animation Studios took a brief vacation after the release of 2013’s “Monsters University.” Possibly in need of a breather after an intense foray into sequelization, the company comes roaring back with “Inside Out,” a superbly sophisticated yet endearingly madcap romp around the complex realm of emotions. Directed by Pete Docter and Ronaldo Del Carmen, “Inside Out” returns to the adventurous side of Pixar filmmaking, taking great risks with content and execution while softening the blow with a tremendous sense of humor expected from the studio. It’s challenging work, but refreshingly so, taking the audience on an original ride through the human experience, stopping periodically to tend to elastic animated business. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com