*Leigh* Reviews

Paperback Hero (1999)

An Australian gem!

[4 April 1999]

The film "Paperback Hero" is the latest Australian film to make it's way overseas. Starring Claudia Karvan and Hugh Jackman, "Paperback Hero" will delight anyone who enjoys a good romantic comedy.

Karvan and Jackman are well known in Australia, Karvan as a film actress and Jackman as a musical theatre actor. Both are well cast in their roles as a brash, independent pilot (Karvan) and a novel writing truck driver (Jackman).

The storyline is simple but entertaining. Ruby Vale (Karvan) and Jack Willis (Jackman) live in a small outback Australian town. Jack writes romance novels while working as a truck driver. Embarrassed about his hobby, he uses Ruby's name when he sends his novel to a publisher. It becomes very complicated when the novel is accepted for publication and Jack must convince Ruby to help him.

The film is very Australian, but will not in any way alienate overseas viewers. The movie was mainly filmed in rural Queensland and makes the most of the outback landscape. The Australian accent is not exaggerated (a pet hate of mine).

Give this film a go if you are a fan of romantic comedies. The Australian film industry is producing quality work and "Paperback Hero" is an example of this.

Cruel Intentions (1999)

What a surprise!

[4 April 1999]

I went to see "Cruel Intentions" expecting an entertaining movie, but nothing beyond that. I was pleasantly surprised. This is a standout film in a sea of mediocre teen films.

The storyline of the film is nothing new. It is an acknowledged modernisation of the novel "Les Liaisons Dangereuses", which was also the subject of the 1988 film "Dangerous Liaisons". It is a storyline that works well today (and this is not often the case with modern versions of period pieces).

The three lead actors, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillipe and Reese Witherspoon, are all excellent in their roles. I was unsure of what Gellar would be like, but she was very convincing as the deplorable Kathryn - a departure from her role as Buffy the Vampire Slayer! Phillipe's performance was quite moving in places. He was well cast in the role.

Don't write "Cruel Intentions" off as another "teen flick". It is definitely worth seeing.

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)

Please let this be the end!

[4 April 1999]

You know it's not good when you want the "good guys" to die in a horror movie. About half an hour into "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" I knew that I had made a grave (he he) mistake. This production suffered from severe "sequelitis" - the devastating film industry disease that eats away at the plot and destroys all cast members acting ability.

The first movie "I Know What You Did Last Summer" was good. The storyline was scary, acting was reasonable. I jumped in my seat. I laughed so hard in the sequel that the person next to me had to nudge me several times as I was embarrassing her. Laughter in the "scariest" moments of a horror film is not a good sign.

I was never a fan of horror movies as they always focused on guts and gore and had no real story. Recent teen horror movies have surprised me and I applaud them for taking the time to develop a decent story (eg. "Scream", "Urban Legend", "I Know What You Did Last Summer"). "I Still Know" made me realise that the ridiculous is still out there. This movie is nothing but an attempt to cash in on the success of the first movie. This could be forgiven if they had put some effort into the movie, but they have not even tried to disguise this lame attempt to exploit the popularity of Jennifer Love Hewitt (and they made it clear what they valued in her) and the horror genre.

Let's hope that we don't have to know anything more about what happened that Summer. I don't think my funny bone could take it.