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Reviews
Transformers (2007)
More than meets the eye...
'No sacrifice No victory' the underlying motto behind director Michael Bay's latest Hollywood special effects extravaganza, in which he reinvents the almost faded 80's cult- animated hit, Transformers, for the post 9/11 global climate, producing a film that is both visually spectacular and edge-of-your-seat entertaining right from the opening scene to the final credits. The narrative of this film is not new, and when the world as we know it is facing complete annihilation, America again comes to the fore as our fate balances in the hands of two warring extraterrestrial robot factions: the Autobots and the Decepticons. The Autobots, led by Optimus Prime (voiced by Australia's own Hugo Weaving), befriend Sam Witwicky (Shia LeBeouf), whose ancestral legacy ties him to the unfolding drama. And along the ride Michael Bay makes countless costly sacrifices for the sake of entertainment; Buildings are demolished, cars are destroyed, explosions are plentiful this is one "loud" movie I could literally feel the action in the back row.
Much of the film has a familiar feel to it. Bay imports images that have become the common currency in post 9/11 media - military air-bases in Qatar, panning exterior shots of the Pentagon - and at times it reads a little too much like the NBC's 'War on Terror'. But he does poke fun at the current trend towards acronyms (although there are no WMD's to be found in this film). Veteran actor's John Turturro and John Voigt add weight to a youthful cast, including Australia's Rachael Taylor, as a Pentagon assigned signals expert, delivering the most politically significant message in the entire film, influencing the Americans to look beyond their earthly neighbours and the usual suspects in their hunt for the enemy.
There is definitely 'more than meets the eye' to this film, and I was taken by surprise by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtz's hilariously laugh-out-loud screenplay. Overflowing with sexual euphemisms, jibes (Aboard Air Force One the US President asks a flight attendant to "wrangle me up some ding-dongs, darling"), and self-referential jokes ("This is easily a hundred times cooler than Armageddon"), the sharply comedic dialogue provides a nice counter balance to the relentless action that takes up the latter half of the film.
Adorned with state-of-the-art big boys toys (Prototype Camaros and F-22 Raptor Jets), the impressive CGI is seamlessly integrated into the regular stock. The final battle scene between Optimus Prime and the recently defrosted Megatron is technically ingenious for the way in which Sam Witwicky is melded into the CGI action. Technically, Transformers has set a new benchmark in the realm of computer-enhanced action, but this does little to distract from the typically formulaic manner in which the drama unfolds. Despite the primary colours and clichés with which Bay paints his latest epic, Transformers stands as a vibrant and exciting movie spectacular, with a poignant, albeit ambiguous political agenda, and a sound design that is worth the sacrifice of the admission price alone, and all the better to experience on the big screen.
Hors de prix (2006)
I'd like to... I'd love to...
The French have always boasted a healthy appetite for romantic comedies, and Priceless is perhaps one of the most nourishing to date.
Director, Pierre Salvadori (Apres Vous) is something of a veteran in the romance genre, and in this screenplay, co-authored with Benoit Graffin, he manages to create a work that is both endearing and ludicrously funny. The plot is mildly reminiscent of the Coen Brothers 2003 George Clooney vehicle, Intolerable Cruelty, and centers on the evolving romance between would-be career bride Irene (Tautou) and bartender Jean (Elmaleh), whom she mistakes for a wealthy bachelor. In Priceless Audrey Tautou is no longer the innocent she once played to great acclaim in Jeunet's smash-hit Amelie, and her smoldering sex-siren is contrasted against the goofy good looks and impeccable comic timing of Moroccan born Gad Elmaleh.
Set amidst the opulent architecture and stunning ocean views of the world renowned Biarritz holiday coast, Priceless is decorated with exquisite fashion, beautiful people, and a sense of nonchalance that one often associates with people who spend the best part of their time "writing cheques". Tautou and Elmaleh find a wonderful chemistry in this laugh-out-loud comedy, and Salvadori's suspenseful narrative is the perfect vehicle for these two talented actors to play off against one another.
Priceless is not all laughs however, and through the disappointments of both protagonists, Salvadori explores the etiquette of attraction and the complexity of love and materialism, creating a romantic comedy far richer than the majority of its distant Hollywood cousins. Early in the film, a 1 Euro coin is offered to the audience as a symbol of time and materialist obsession, and ironically, it is with this 1 Euro that the love-smitten pair eventually purchases freedom. Along the way Jean and Irene compete for laughs and for the affections of their benefactors; and the look on Irene's face when Jean receives a 30,000 Euro Jaeger le Couture wristwatch as a gift from his sugar-mommy Madeleine can only be described as: Priceless.
Das Leben der Anderen (2006)
Trust No One
Imagine your every move was monitored, and your every word recorded. Imagine your closest friends were really spies and that even your loved ones were not to be trusted.
This climate of fear and suspicion was a reality for many artists and political dissidents during the 40 year reign of the socialist German Democratic Republic which ended with the dramatic demolition of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The Lives of Others begins in an aptly chosen 1984 (the allusions to George Orwell's infamous novel are too great not to mention) and follows the lives of playwright Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch) and actress girlfriend Christa-Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck). Dreyman is closely monitored by 'Stasi' surveillance operative Wiesler (Ulrich Muhe) on the orders of the philandering Minister Hempf (Thomas Thieme) in an abuse of power carefully exacted to destroy the successful couple.
Debut director, von Donnersmarck's 'The Lives of Others' offers an emotional and moving tale of contrasts and oppositions: of observations and secrets, of society and individuality, and his stunning screenplay powers steadily towards its cathartic climax with the measured rhythm of an overnight freight train. This study on moral complexity, human nature and political idealism is a perfectly realised cinematic masterwork, adorned with precise performances and crafted with inspired direction. The best film of the year to date, truly deserving of the Oscar and all the international praise it has received.