Author: James Partridge

Cinema Release Round-Up: 13 March

Posted by | Mar 13, 2014 |

Some brilliant NZIFF films return to our screens this week…so fill your boots if you missed out last year. . Opening today: . THE PAST……FILM OF THE WEEK France, Italy | 130 minutes | Drama Director: Asghar Farhadi (A Separation, Fireworks Wednesday, Beautiful City) Cast: Bérénice Bejo, Tahar Rahim, Ali Mosaffa, Pauline Burlet A dark secret is uncovered when Ahmad returns to Paris from Tehran to finalise his divorce with Marie after four years of separation. Kate absolutely loved this film at NZIFF, giving it 9.5/10. So how could it not be our FOTW? Distributor: Madman . HANNAH ARENDT Germany | 113 minutes | Biography, Drama Director: Margarethe von Trotta (Rosenstrasse, The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum, The German Sisters) Cast: Barbara Sukowa, Axel Milberg, Janet McTeer, Julia Jentsch, Ulrich Noethen Examining the life of German Jewish philosopher and political theorist Hannah Arendt, who reported for The New Yorker on the war crimes trial of the Nazi Adolf Eichmann – her views on the war proving rather unpopular. Another popular NZIFF flick returns on general release. Fab. Distributor: Unknown . PETER GABRIEL: BACK TO FRONT UK | 97 minutes | Live Performance, Music Director: Hamish Hamilton (Super Bowl XLVIII Halftime Show, The 82nd Annual Academy Awards, Madonna: Drowned World Tour 2001) Featuring: Peter Gabriel Filmed live at London’s O2, Gabriel reunites with his original 1986 touring band. I love...

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Cinema Release Round-Up: 6 March

Posted by | Mar 6, 2014 |

A stunning Sarah Polley documentary leads this week’s line-up, which includes a rock’n Kiwi drama, the sequel to 300, a doco for foodies, a Twilight wannabe, and a charming little indie set in Laos. . Opening today: . STORIES WE TELL……FILM OF THE WEEK Canada | 108 minutes | Documentary Director: Sarah Polley (Take This Waltz, Away From Her) Featuring: Sarah Polley, John Buchan, Mark Polley, Joanna Polley Director Sarah Polley turns the camera on her family as she explores her dead mother’s past, only to uncover some startling revelations. An absolute gem from last year’s NZIFF. Go see this! Distributor: Palace/Madman . 3 MILE LIMIT New Zealand | 105 minutes | Drama Director: Craig Newland (debut feature) Cast: Bruce Hopkins, David Aston, Matt Whelan, Murray Douglas, Belinda Crawley, Mia Koning, Tonic Pivac, Sean O’Connor, Kevin Harty The true story of “the boat that rocked” – thanks to a group of Kiwi DJs who rebelled against the government to broadcast rock ‘n’ roll to the masses from international waters. Fingers crossed this knocks the UK take on our story out of the water. Distributor: Arkles . 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE USA | 103 minutes | Action Director: Noam Murro (Smart People) Cast: Mark Killeen, Eva Green, Lena Headey, Rodrigo Santoro, Sullivan Stapleton, Jack O’Connell, Callan Mulvey, Hans Matheson The Persians are still a tad annoyed that 300 Greeks...

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Admit One Live: The 2014 Academy Awards

Posted by | Mar 3, 2014 |

It’s that time of year again! The 86th Academy Awards is about to get underway. If you weren’t able to take a half day off work to catch all the action on tele, then you can follow the results as they happen, and anything else that catches our eye, right here. The calibre of the Best Picture nominees shows you just what an outstanding year it’s been – 12 Years A Slave, Dallas Buyers Club, Gravity, American Hustle, Captain Phillips, Her, The Wolf of Wall Street, Philomena, and Nebraska. Good luck to all the nominees and to host Ellen DeGeneres. . LIVE BLOG: (refresh to update) . Final thoughts: No real surprises – which is not surprising given the lead-in form but a little surprising given the number of brilliant films nominated. Was stoked for Spike Jones (somewhat surprising’) win for Best Original Screenplay though. As for the show, it was entertaining enough but very politically correct and lacked a bit of spark. It’s tough thing to balance, but after last year’s more controversial choices I think they went a little too far the other way. I really like Ellen but her spots were a tad hit & miss…and there were way too many shameless plugs for the Samsung Galaxy. On the positive side, there were some great speeches this year – Leto, Cuaron, Blanchett and Nyong’o in particular....

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Cinema Release Round-Up: 27 February

Posted by | Feb 27, 2014 |

Spike Jones. Need I say more? But if a touching romantic comedy about a man who falls for his operating system doesn’t push your buttons, then there’s some ballet, opera, and action-a-plenty to keep you entertained. . Opening today: . HER……FILM OF THE WEEK USA | 126 minutes | Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi, Romance Director: Spike Jonze (Where the Wild Things Are, Adaptation, Being John Malkovich) Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, Chris Pratt, Sam Jaeger, Portia Doubleday A socially reserved man dealing his marriage break-up embarks on a life-changing experience after finding a deep, personal connection with his new operating system, powered by an artificial intelligence. Now, if only Apple could make Siri sound like Scarlett Johansson. Love everything about this. Can’t wait to see it. Distributor: Sony Pictures . LE WEEK-END UK | 93 minutes | Comedy, Romance Director: Roger Michell (Morning Glory, Hyde Park on Hudson, Notting Hill) Cast: Jim Broadbent, Lindsay Duncan, Jeff Goldblum, Olly Alexander, Brice Beaugier, Xavier De Guillebon An older couple attempt to revitalise their marriage by visiting Paris, the city they honeymooned in. Looks utterly charming. Distributor: Transmission / Madman . LONE SURVIVOR USA | 121 minutes | Action, Drama, True Events, War Director: Peter Berg (Battleship, Hancock, The Kingdom, Friday Night Lights) Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Ludwig, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster, Eric Bana, Jerry...

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