› home

› current edition

› columnists

› distribution
  and outlets

› archived
  papers

› specifications

› contact details

› about us

June 06
Edition

Pages in PDF

Regular
Features

› The Fat Lady
  Sings
  with JoAnn Pacholli

› In Tents Thawt
  with Mick Pacholli

› Sid's Comments
  with Sidney
  Somerville-Smith

› The Lie Detector
  with Mitchell
   Faircloth

› Fab's Ravings

› Technology
  with Chris Jacobs

› Your Views

› The Artful Stock Picker
  with
  Peter Hegarty

› Marketing Advice
  with Andrew Hickinbotham

› Family Issues
  with
  Marilyn Brideson

› The Culture of Appearance
  with
  Suzanne Walker

› Gallery Gazing

› Planet Clare

› Lovatts
  Crossword

› Social Scene
  with Ken James

› Live Theatre
  with Blair Edgar

› Movie Scene
  with
  Marcus Sinclair

› Entertainment
  with Gary Turner

› Grazing in the
  Suburbs
  with Mick Pacholli

› Fab's Travel

› Talking Manure
  with Mick Pacholli

› Furry Friends
  with
  Dr Graeme Smith

› Racing
  with Ted Ryan

› Rant & Rave
  with
  Paddles Hackett

› Bowls
  with Mick Pacholli

› Motoring
  with Garry Fabian

› Short Cuts
  Writers
  Competition

X-Men & MI-111: Thrills & More Thrills

[by Marcus Sinclair]

The Three Burials Of Melquiades Estrada (M)

Tommy Lee Jones’ directorial debut The Three Burials Of Melquiades Estrada (M), a modern western, is quite disappointing. Working from a great script, rich in Freudian and religious concepts, he, through static compositions and camera set-ups, and lingering shots of the beautiful barren landscapes of Texas and Mexico, fails to breathe life into this tale of loyalty and friendship.

Lee, a simple ranch foreman, is determined to bury his friend, an illegal migrant who was murdered, in his home town. Characters are not particularly well developed and motives are not fully explored, especially those of the young boarder patrol officer and his wife, but he shows great compassion for the people of Mexico.

MI-111 (M)

M I-111 (M), the latest Tom Cruise thriller, is great fun, if you don’t take it too seriously. Its plot and situations are beyond belief, but the settings are superb, ranging from Germany, Vatican City to Shanghai.

The action, with incredible stunts, falls thick and fast as Cruise, who apparently did most of them himself, tries to rescue his wife and collect a secret capsule that has the power (?) to destroy the World from the hands of a ruthless gangster/ entrepreneur played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. (He gives all concerned a lesson in acting.) J J Abrams is not in the same class as previous M I directors, Brian De Palma and John Woo, but he does a workable job aided by his editor and cinematographer.

Where The Truth Lies (R)

Atom Egoyan’s Where The Truth Lies (R) is a whodunit that has it all: scams, crooked cops and politicians, Mister Big, celebrities and their adoring public, with foul language, drugs, nudity, heterosexual and homosexual couplings. But it is neither excessive nor gratuitous.

With masterful control the director unfolds his story, which jumps back and forth between the 50s and the 70s, about a body found in the suite of an entertainment duo (Kevin Bacon and Colin Firth) and the attempt of a young writer to discover the truth.

Throughout there is the symbolism of the topsy-turvy world of “Alice in Wonderland”: the girls (note, for example, the long hair and the frocks), and the situation in which they find themselves – a nightmare far removed from the normative world in which most of us live. Where Truth Lies is well crafted and highly entertaining.

Take The Lead (PG)

Take The Lead (PG) is a feel good movie. Based on a true story it tells about a successful ball-room dancing teacher (Antonio Banderis) who, on his way home one evening, witnesses a display of violent angst as a young lad smashes up a car parked kerb-side. Noticing that it belongs to the local school principal he offers his services to her school with the aim that this energy can be diverted into more socially acceptable channels.

The dancing displayed – both classical and street/modern, is superb, but director Liz Friedlander, who has a good cast and script, fails to make the most of it. Unlike, for example, Alan Parker’s 1980 “Fame”, which also deals with the under privileged learning to dance, she neither develops her characters sufficiently nor works through the situations in which they find themselves.

The viewer never becomes involved in their lives and problems: family, school, peer relationships, social conditions. These opportunities just slip away as she flits back and forth dealing loosely and hurriedly with one character after another. And the finale, though offering some great dancing, is a bit of a let-down.

Slither (MA)

Slither (MA), directed by James Gunn, is a spin-off of the old John Carpenter, George Romero movies dealing with zombies who love nothing better that to gorge on raw flesh, whether it be animal or human.

Set in the Deep South all the characters are “moronic” rednecks, even before the transformations take place. The acting is just so-so as is the script with its dialogue, characterisations and the plot, which has more holes in it than a sieve.

A meteorite, which crashes into scrub, releases slug-like organisms that seek a home in humans. The population of a nearby small rural community falls prey to them. Perhaps aficionados of this genre will take to it, but I have my doubts. It’s been done so often and so much better on previous occasions.

It’s a grand exit for the X-Men – the last in the series. The old team is back: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry, Ian McKellan and others, only this time there’s a new director, Brett Ratner, who fills the screen with mind-boggling special effects, explosions and machines.

The story continues with the Mutants, split into two groups, - one fighting for control of the world, the other just wanting to get on with life and be accepted by the Normals. The final show down takes place on Alcatraz. Fans of the previous two X-Men films and the comics will be thrilled with X-Men: The Last Stand (M). And be sure to see it on the BIG screen.
 

Advertisers

Testimonials

Email Contacts