All by Howie Ng
You know you’ve got one.
Look, I get it: Guardians of the Galaxy was space-tacular, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was ape-tastic, and Transformers 4: Age of Extinction was more like Age of Ex-stinking-garbage. But now that you’ve satiated your blockbuster appetite, I know that you’re craving for that sweet, sweet high you get from smaller, wackier, and more brain-churning indie flicks.
The Revelation Perth International Film Festival is back, and with it comes the thought-provoking documentaries, the quirky indie flicks, and the mind-bending art-house films from all over the world. You know, those obscure films you heard about, the ones with trailers you happen to stumble upon but thought would never reach our shores? Well, from the 3rd to 13th of July, you can actually see it them in an actual theatre near you!
As the end credits for this film started to scroll up the screen, nobody moved. Everyone was glued to their seats in stunned silence. Short Term 12 is an emotional roller-coaster that strikes the perfect balance between its affecting screenplay, assured direction, and unflinchingly honest performances from its talented cast.
Armed with a clever script, a talented ensemble cast, and a subtle dose of feminist critique, "In a World…" is a charmingly whimsical satire that cements writer-director Lake Bell as a capable filmmaker with a distinctive voice that needs to be heard.
A triumphant follow-up to his 2011 Oscar-winning film – A Separation – , director Asghar Farhadi’s The Past is a masterfully-performed and emotionally gripping exploration into the intricate nature of our past, along with its inevitable hold on our present.
It’s the beginning of the New Year, and you know what that means for us Down Underners (yeah, you heard me. It’ll catch on, mark my words): It’s going to be hot. Like, sweltering, dead-bats-raining hot. Thankfully, it also means one other thing: Movies.
While I can imagine that it would make the perfect audio-visual companion to its best-selling source material, Night Train to Lisbon struggles to stand on its own.
Are you a fan of rooftops? Do you dig movies? Do you have friends?
Honey tells an imaginatively provocative and compelling story that cleverly subverts traditional plot conventions - at least, for the majority of its run time. In the hands of a lesser director, the film could run the risk of descending into tear-jerking melodrama due to its sensitive subject matter, but Golino’s meticulous, detached direction prevents the film from going there.
I’m a sucker for movies set in small towns. Bonus point if said small town is on the fringes of rural Southern US. Double points for southern twang. Triple points if Matthew McConaughey delivers said southern twang. Twenty points for the writer/director being Jeff Nichols. How many points does that add up to? I don’t know, you do the math. This is a film review for god’s sake, not some mid-term calculus paper.
Having trouble deciding on which films you should watch? Have no fear! Over the next few days, the writers here at IN will give you some suggestions of films we're most looking forward to in the 2013 Revelation Film Festival lineup.
Whether you’re a raging cinephile, a self-professed film buff, or just the casual movie-goer, Revelation Perth International Film Festival is an essential and fun cultural experience that should not be missed.
In case you didn't already know about the existence of the upcoming Superman movie from the slew of trailers and teaser clips and 13-minute featurettes on the internet, or suffer from a specific case of amnesia, the marketing team for Man of Steel has got you covered: Here's another teaser, in the form of 'found-footage' of the alien invasion that takes place in the movie.
Unflinchingly dark and unapologetically ambitious, The Place Beyond The Pines is a compelling and masterfully-directed ensemble film disguised as a ‘Ryan Gosling-being-badass’ vehicle.
