Author: Natalie Teasdale

I want to share with other movie fans those amazing films that get under your skin and stay with you for days: the scary ones, the funny ones; the ones that get you thinking. With a background in creative writing, photography, psychology and neuroscience, I’ll be focusing on dialogue, what makes a great story, if the film has beautiful creative cinematography, the soundtrack and any movie that successfully scratches the surface of our existence. My aim is to always be searching for that ultimate movie, to share what I’ve found to be interesting (whether it be a great soundtrack, a great director or links to other information of interest) and to give an honest review without too much fluff. BAppSci in Psychology/Psychophysiology; Grad Dip Creative Arts and Post Grad Dip in Creative Writing. Founder of GoMovieReviews.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods

GoMovieReview Rating: ★★★1/2

Rated: M

Directed by: David F. Sandberg

Written by: Henry Gayden, Chris Morgan

Shazam Created by: Bill Parker, C. C. Beck

Produced by: Peter Safran

Starring: Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Lucy Liu, Helen Mirren, Rachel Zegler, Jack Dylan Grazer, Adam Brody, Ross Butler, Meagan Good, D. J. Cotrona, Grace Caroline Currey, Haithe Herman, Ian Chen, Jovan, Marta Milans, Cooper Andrews and Djimon Hounsou.

‘The most powerful thing about you, is you.’

Yes, there’s the expected underlying message that goes with any teen-starring superhero movie.

But there’s a balance in this sequel to Shazam!, released back in 2019 (see review here)

There’s the delightful humour of Zachary Levi returning as the superhero Shazam; his alter ego (or is it the other way around?), Billy Batson (Asher Angel) now turning 18, an older teen to his previous 14-year-old character, still revelling in his superhero’s man-body, his adoptive family, mum (Marta Milans) and dad (Cooper Andrews) blissfully oblivious to their adopted children’s superpowers:

Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer) superhero Freddy (Adam Brody)

Eugene (Ian Chen) superhero Eugene (Ross Butler)

Mary and superhero (Grace Caroline Currey)

Pedro (Jovan Armand) superhero Pedro (D. J. Cotrona)

Darla (Faithe Herman) superhero Darla (Meagan Good).

The superhero powers don’t always go to plan though, hence being nicknamed by The Tribune – that no-one reads, it’s fake news! – the, Philly Fiascos.

There’s some genuinely funny moments here, with Shazam seeing a paediatrician, lying on a couch like he’s seeing a psychiatrist to unpack his issues – the doctor recommended by a friend, a youngish friend around Billy’s age because the doctor has dolls in the corner of his office.

Shazam has understandable issues. He doesn’t think he deserves his powers because he’s been rejected A LOT: his parents, the foster homes. Then of course The Tribune with front page, ‘Rejected by City.’

The main difference between the sequel to the original is the team aren’t kids anymore, so those jokes about the disparity of a child in a man’s body doesn’t have as much punch. But seeing Shazam rapidly chewing a mint to seal the deal on his Wonder Woman crush… I found myself laughing out loud at Zachary Levi’s antics as Shazam once again.

Has to be noted that Billy the superhero was less mature than Billy Batson the teen turning 18. But the idea of the school kids turning into fit superheros still worked and was a lot of fun.

And there’s blue fire-breathing dragons and the Staff of the Gods, the opening of the film above Athens. Spartan’s appear: Hespera (Helen Mirren) and Kalypso (Lucy Liu). Gods who have lost their power because of Shazam breaking the Staff in the previous film.

I like a bit of fantasy in a superhero movie. And director David F. Sandberg has handled the balance of humour, fantasy and drama well.

The young Darla felt, well, a bit young, at times. To appeal to a younger audience, no doubt. I could hear the response in the audience to her doe-eyed antics.

Didn’t always hit for me.

But, ‘I’m an idiot,’ Shazam is just as funny as the first film, even as he fights his growing pains while forever wondering, what is my superhero name?

It drags a bit, getting to the growing up moment, but overall, I was Shazam! entertained by this sequel, Sandberg getting the timing of the jokes just right.

Pearl

GoMovieReview Rating: ★★★1/2

Rated: MA15+

Directed by: Ti West

Written by: Ti West & Mia Goth

Produced by: Jacob Jaffke, p.g.a, Ti West, p.g.a, Kevin Turen, Harrison Kreiss

Executive Producers: Mia Goth, Peter Phok, Sam Levinson, Ashley Levinson, Scott Mescudi, Dennis Cummings, Karina Manashill

Starring: Mia Goth, David Corenswet, Tandi Wright, Matthew Sunderland, Emma Jenkins-Purro.

‘I do like a good audience.’

Pearl, the prequel to X (2022) is the origin story of the voyeur who stalks the crew of X, especially porn star, Maxine Minx.

See movie review of X here: X Review

There’s parallels between the two characters, emphasised by the characters, Maxine and Pearl both played by Mia Goth.

Took me a while to figure that here Mia was playing the old woman from X, now young on the same farm.

The opening is an idyllic scene, the barn doors opening to a farmyard with chooks and clothes flapping in the breeze while the sun shines on the green grass.

There’s an emphasis on the brightness of mid-century technicolor with an orchestral score by Tyler Bates; the brightness adding another dimension to the sinister as what is all goodness in the world is splattered with the blood of Pearl’s broken dreams.

There’s a room full of dolls and a girl looking the mirror, Pearl.

She stretches out her arms, like a dancer.

Her mother, Ruth (Tandi Wright) speaks to Pearl in German, chastising her and her silly fantasies.

‘I’m special,‘ Pearl says.

Set in 1918, Pearl’s husband is at war and she is trapped on the farm with her mother and dependent father (Matthew Sunderland).

She acts out.

It gets bloody.

This is a different style of horror to X. This is a character study, a slow reveal of Pearl’s dark soul.

Ti West returns as director, this time focussing not on the erotic Maxine, but the deranged Pearl, with Mia Goth again, the highlight.

Mia Goth says, “One of the core elements that I came to understand with Ti during preparation is that Maxine and Pearl are not the same women, but they are the same character. They are polar opposites in terms of their life experiences, and their choices and courage—or lack of it—have shaped them to be who they are. I always saw Pearl as the embodiment of Maxine Minx’s fears.”

West focusses up close to Pearl, as an imagined dancer and star, to her doe-eyed innocent want, to the crazed smile like the flip-side of the mask of comedy and tragedy.

When Pearl meets a cinema projectionist (David Corenswet), he seems to understand her: “…You only get one take at this life. If you don’t make the most of it while you’re young, you may never get the chance again.”

He seems to understand her. Until he doesn’t.

It’s like a mix of comedy and tragic, so it’s more than her wanting and the tragedy of her life, it’s a technicolor twist of her beauty hiding the darkness underneath.

And the horror delivers, the effects better here in Pearl than the fake monstrous elderly of X – the burnt skin and limbs being cut-off look oh so very real.

Along with the bright aspect of the farm, there’s some play in the presentation, the slow motion of nerves before performance, the stop-frame highlighting Pearl with pitchfolk in hand, a goose impaled about to be devoured by an alligator.

So there’s a circle back, a reflection, a revelation of the character before she becomes the elderly murderous monster: the farmhouse, the gator, Pearl.

We see the character Pearl wanting her dreams to be a dancer more than anything, just like Maxine wanting nothing more than to be famous.

You can understand my confusion about the two characters.

But the prequel is more psychological horror than slasher, so the audience is given a background understanding of the murderous Pearl with more realistic gory bits.

Not recommended to watch in the morning, just after breakfast.

AKA, the horror delivers.

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

GoMovieReviews Rating: ★★★★

Rated: R18+ (High impact sexualised imagery)

Directed by: Laura Poitras

Produced by: Laura Poitras, Nan Goldin, Howard Gertler, John Lyons, Yoni Golijov

Composer: Soundwalk Collective

Photography: Nan Goldin

Featuring: Nan Goldin

“Droll thing life is – – that mysterious arrangement of merciless logic for a futile purpose. The most you can hope from it is some knowledge of yourself – – that comes too late – – a crop of inextinguishable regrets.”

‘Heart of Darkness’, by Joseph Conrad

Nan Goldin was born into, ‘the banality and grip of suburbia.’

After her sister, Barbara, was institutionalised by her parents, where Barbara eventually committed suicide, leaving behind in her notebook the quote from Joseph Conrad, written above, Nan began to understand what denial was.

Nan was also sent to an orphanage when her mother couldn’t cope.

It was the beginning of losing trust in herself and what that means.

All The Beauty And The Bloodshed is about Nan’s life, as an artist and world renowned photographer, and her activism as a founding member of P.A.I.N (Prescription Addiction Intervention Now); her mission to remove the Sackler family from the art world, for galleries to refuse their donations and to take their family name from the walls.

The Sackler family made their fortune from prescription drugs like Diazepine and later, OxyContin – a drug that provoked an opioid crisis and a drug Nan herself become addicted to after being prescribed OxyContin after surgery. Like so many others.

Nan’s fight against the Sackler Family and their company, Purdue Pharma, becomes the cumulation of her life’s work and a focus of the documentary.

The documentary was filmed over two years as director Laura Poitras (Citizen Four (2014)) visited Nan at home.

The film is made up of voice over from Nan herself and the images her life’s work in slideshows.

An exhibit that repeats throughout the documentary is, ‘The Ballad of Sexual Dependency.’

Nan says, ‘The wrong things are kept private in society, and that destroys people. All my work is about stigma, whether it’s suicide, mental illness, gender.’

The link back to her childhood and loss of her sister shown to be foundational in Nan’s work.

Her photographs are of her friends, her early work of drag queens in the early seventies, in Boston. And that’s what really grabbed me about this film, her amazing work: the artistry in the blur, the highlights, the eyes and coy smile. It’s like the very atmosphere is captured in a photograph.

Her vision is described in the film as her taking photos from, ‘our side.’

Because her people were the ones who only felt safe coming out at night.

But they didn’t feel like the marginalised, they thought everyone else was.

There’s parties and drugs and love. Nan does anything to buy film. And documents it all.

Set to the background of this provocative work is Nan describing her life, her fascinating and sometimes dark journey and she’s very candid, opening up about times in her life she’s never spoken about, like her time as a sex worker – ‘it’s very hard work’ – but feels now is the time.

It’s an emotive film.

There’s nothing flashy and there’s no layering over the focus of the film because Nan’s life is a powerful story. There’s just more of her in the music, many songs her suggestion while also bringing NYC group Soundwalk Collective to create the score.

I found her powerful because she’s able to say, ‘I’m nervous.’

Nan has a tremor at times, but her voice remains measured because what she has to say is important.

The film shows a difficult upbringing, that essentially stole her voice that was then given back to her in the form of a camera, to capture her life, to give her a reason to be there.

And then, her art giving voice to others, to save lives.

For me, I was captured by those slide shows, the people in the photos like characters in the movie of Nan’s life.

It’s a heavy story, but the telling is simple, measured and driven not by the production, but what felt like Nan herself.

Women Talking

Star Rating: ★★★★

Rated: M

Directed by: Sarah Polley

Screenplay by: Sarah Polley

Based on the Book by: Miriam Toews

Starring: Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Rooney Mara, Frances McDormand, Ben Whishaw, Judith Ivey, Michelle Mcleod, Sheila McCarthy, Kate Hallett, Kira Gulolen, August Winter, Abigail Winter.

When is forgiveness giving permission?

Being tranquilised and raped and beaten and told it’s just a women’s wild imagination. That it’s ghosts, that it’s Satan, that it’s…

Until they catch one.

One of the men from their village, who then tells of the others so they’re arrested. But now, they are being freed and the women told to forgive and forget.

Leaving the women faced with a decision: Do nothing, stay and fight or leave.

Based on the book written by Miriam Toews, Women Talking is inspired by the story of the Manitoba Colony. Miriam is quoted describing her book as an, ‘imagined response to real events.’

See article here: The shocking true story behind new film Women Talking (harpersbazaar.com)

But rather than focus on the abuse the women have suffered at the hands of the men they have spent their entire lives looking after, this is a film about the discussion surrounding their decision of what is the best way forward.

They’ve never been taught to read or write, they’ve never been allowed to think because they were brought up to believe no one cared about what they thought.

But they know what crimes have been committed against them.

Now, they must weigh-up the pros and cons of each path.

There are many bitter-sweet moments in this film, the patience of old mother Agata (Judith Ivey), the righteous anger of Salome (Claire Foy), the wanting what’s best from Greta (Sheila McCarthy), the tolerance of Ona (Rooney Mara), Mariche’s (Jessie Buckley) need to forgive because of fear.

I liked the balance, the analyses, the discussion.

They believe if they fight or leave, they won’t be forgiven by God. If they leave, they leave their sons, their husbands.

It’s women talking, yes, but there’s the addition of August (Ben Whishaw) taking the minutes of the discussion. He loves Ona. His family was exiled. He went to college. He’s returned and now teaches the children. His mother spoke against the power dynamic of the community. He’s passive. Like the women have been taught the goodness of being passive.

But what is the misuse of forgiveness? When is forgiveness, permission?

This is a thoughtful film that wasn’t as expected, that wasn’t the traumatic film I thought I was walking into. I related to the characters in this film.

It was refreshing to hear a woman explain if she was married she would no longer be the woman he wanted to marry. She would be no longer be her. And I liked the wilfulness of these trapped women, the sometimes off-kilter humour where some wonder why some cope and keep moving forward while others, don’t.

There are moments of beauty, with a soundtrack opening the door to insights shared, but what a strange soundtrack to finish such a poignant film. Which highlighted the slightly off-tone at times, like the strangeness of the outsiders driving with music blasting through the community in an attempt to take the census of the population.

How strange to hide. To not want to be counted.

A thoughtful and bittersweet film that I hope will lead to a wider discussion. To lead to a better understanding of the soul searching required to take oneself out of an abusive situation caused by those who are supposed to care and love. To decide to continue being trapped by a society that has led to abuse. Or risk being unforgiven. And what it means, to forgive.

Knock At The Cabin

GoMovieReviews Rating: ★★★☆ (3.8/5)

Rated: M

Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan

Screenplay by: M. Night Shyamalan and Steve Desmond & Michael Sherman

Based on the book: The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay

Produced by: M. Night Shyamalan, Marc Bienstock, Ashwin Rajan

Starring: Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Kristen Cui, Abby Quinn and Rupert Grint.

‘It’s time.’

There’s always the mystery, the waiting for the twist with M. Night Shyamalan movies – here, it felt like Shyamalan holding his nerve while adding touches, echoes of his previous films: the creaking of trees as the wind shifts through them while the characters wait and watch to see what monster will slowly come into view.

Instead of monsters, four people emerge. But it’s Leonard (Dave Bautista) who first introduces himself to young Wen (Kristen Cui). She’s catching crickets.

‘I’m just going to learn about you a little,’ she says.

Leonard helps. He’s good at catching crickets.

They’re going to be friends.

Until his three colleagues show themselves: Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird), Adriane (Abby Quinn) and Redmond (Rupert Grint).

They’re holding weapons made from axes and sledge hammers.

Wen gets scared and runs back to the cabin, back to her two dads, Daddy Andrew (Ben Aldridge) and Daddy Eric (William Ragsdale). They’re a loving family. Andrew and Eric promise each other to always be together, no matter what.

So when Leonard and his colleagues tell them they have to make a terrible choice to stop the apocalypse, they will always choose their family.

Even if the intruders say they have the most important job in the world.

Are they ‘Jehovah witnesses?’ asks Ben.

Knock at the Cabin is a serious film, with brutal and bloody moments. The opening of sketches of crows and screaming faces. But the tension is offset with light moments like these doomsayer’s wielding weapons being possibly Jehovah witnesses.

Not laugh at loud funny, but light.

The impending doom and the bloody is also a contrast to flashbacks to family: the love, the honesty; when Andrew and Eric first met Wen.

It’s genuinely sweet and adds weight to the choice they refuse to make.

The pacing of the story shows restraint making this one of Shyamalan’s better quality films.

It’s a deceptively simple structure, most of the film set within the cabin, that builds just the right amount of tension while playing with expectation.

The delivery was there to support the idea of the story: not too funny, nor too violent, or too caught up in the drama of the family, just light touches to suspend the reality of the extreme premise of ordinary people faced with the idea of the world ending.

M3GAN

GoMovieReviews Rating: ★★★

Rated: M

Directed by: Gerard Johnstone

Story by: Akela Cooper & James Wan

Screenplay by: Akela Cooper

Produced by: Jason Blum, James Wan

Executive Producers: Allison Williams, Mark Katchur, Ryan Turek, Micael Clear, Judson Scott, Adam Hendricks, Greg Gilreath

Starring: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Ronny Chieng, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Jen Van Epps, Lori Dungey and Stephane Gameau-Monten.

‘She doesn’t look confused. She looks demented.’

I’m still trying to figure-out how I feel about this film, M3GAN.

There was certainly a lot of laughing: laughing at the cheese of this very realistic, 4-foot doll, Model 3 Generative Android, otherwise known as, M3GAN.

The doll character is made up of: human actor, VFX, animatronics and puppetry.

It was hard to take her seriously.

The premise of the film follows young Cady (Violet McGraw) when her parents are killed in a car accident, her guardian now her aunt Gemma (Allison Williams) who happens to work for a toy company, Funki as a roboticist.

The introduction of the film features her creation of virtual pets with what looks like false teeth.

She also has a prototype of a doll with a learning algo, so her responses come across as spontaneous, so the doll, M3GAN is more like a friend and protector than a toy.

And a perfect addition and substitute for all the parenting responsibilities that Aunt Gemma just doesn’t have time or the inclination for.

Left with the life-like doll who listens and protects, Cady becomes attached because M3GAN will protect her. No matter what.

It’s hard not to make comparisons with the reboot of, Child’s Play (2019), where the life-like Buddi doll doesn’t get possessed or start off being evil, but becomes a serial killer by mimicking what people do; by doing what he thinks his best buddy Andy wants him to do.

But here, the horror was downplayed leaning more into the creepy; but for me, the creepy came off as weird. But weird, and funny.

Hence my confusion.

Wan, producer and co-story creator says of screenplay writer, ‘‘Akela’s so smart, savvy and good at structure; she knew exactly the movie that I wanted to make. She is not afraid to push things that others might deem ridiculous or over-the-top. She understands that you must lean into concepts that might be a bit more farfetched to stand out from the crop of recent horror films.’

That push allowed some genuinely funny moments with the satire dripping from the broody look of, Cole (Brian Jordan Alvarez), assistant designer of virtual pets with false teeth (hilarious!); to that wonderful dark humour: ‘She’s not just surviving, she’s thriving,’ said by Funki CEO (Ronny Chieng) of Cady, now attached to the demented killer doll that is M3GAN.

It’s not all satire, with some foundational thought about attachment theory and the bonding arch of aunt and niece.

But what I really liked about Child’s Play was the techy aspect – there was no real attempt here except the read of facial expression to calculate emotional levels like fear, anxiety, trust, etc.

Director Johnstone notes, ‘We also had some wonderfully smart people weigh in on the script, such as Alex Kauffmann from Google. Through that process we were able to understand how these machines worked and pepper scenes with insights and verbiage that gave them legitimacy and unique perspective.’

I guess…

Overall, M3GAN was a fun watch that improved in the second half of the film.

There was a full circle to the story, of sorts, that was a little silly and definitely weird, with splashes of dark humour that outshone the scary.

I’m still chuckling about the cop explaining the discovery of a ripped-off ear and then apologising because he really shouldn’t laugh.

Nat’s Top 10 Movies for 2022

Another strange one for me this year. I haven’t been able to live in my home for the past three months, having to for-go screener reviews. My troubles are small, I know. And I hope that each and everyone is looking after themselves and keeping safe. The escapism of being emersed in the world of cinema has and will always be a sanctuary with some true gems this year, lifting and provoking thoughts about all the important stuff. There is more to life than the ongoing leak into my ceiling!

So, my Top 10 for 2022 it’s all about the layers of living this life – the depths of what’s hidden underneath, the most satisfying viewing when a story surprises, when the film comes full circle to, understand the question and the corresponding answer from the characters. This year, it was about understanding the why of the characters. That’s what kept me coming back, to fascinate, starting with:

10. Men ★★★★

Controversial, divisive, ambitious and thought-provoking in a beautiful setting that spoke of poetry; a backdrop to the journey of understanding, ‘men.’

9. Official Competition ★★★★

An unexpected journey that’s witty and enlightening. A satire with a criminal heart.

8. The Black Phone ★★★★

The pacing of this adaptation of Joe Hill’s short fiction piece led the way to a mysterious piecing of a dark puzzle that had me cheering for this supernatural thriller.

Special mention here of, Smile that I watched but didn’t review – was my best current release for Halloween viewing.

7. The Innocents ★★★★

A unique and poetic film about children who gain supernatural powers.

6. Three Thousand Years of Longing ★★★★

Beautiful on screen and thought-provoking – a classic tale that made the romance between a Djinn and human, relatable.

5. The Fabelmans ★★★★☆ 4.2

I kinda fell in love with The Fabelmans because there was something genuine in the feeling, the characters rounded-out without slapping the face with it.

4. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore ★★★★1/2

There’s a perfect play of darkness and light as the story starts digging deeper: it’s funny, sometimes confronting, it’s explosive, dramatic and heart-warming.

I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next.

3. Fire Of Love ★★★★1/2

A fascinating documentary that’s both exciting and poetic, romantic and philosophical.

An experience that I enjoyed from the start to its poignant ending.

2. Everything Everywhere All At Once ★★★★1/2

Added to the Kung Fu fighting and humour there’s also a good foundation to the family drama so I had a good giggle, got a little teary, and was pleasantly surprised by edgy concepts held together with the use of chapters to give the movie structure.

If you’re reading this review, you’re more than likely going to go watch it and I highly recommend it: go watch it.

1. The Forgiven ★★★★1/2

Based on the novel written by Lawrence Osborne, the complicated idea of this abrasive Englishman willing to leave with the nomadic father of the boy he has just killed is the beginning of the unpacking of his complicated nature.

I’m a huge fan of John Michael McDonagh’s previous films, greatly enjoyed and included in my, ‘If you haven’t watched, you’re in for a treat,’ list: ‘The Guard (2011) and Calvary (2014) and like these previous films, The Forgiven is a quality film that will stay with you.

The Fabelmans

GoMovieReviews Rating: ★★★★☆

Rated: M

Directed by: Steven Spielberg

Written by: Steven Spielberg & Tony Kushner

Produced by: Kristie Macosko Krieger p.g.a, Steven Spielberg p.g.a, Tony Kushner p.g.a

Executive Produced by: Carla Raij, Josh McLaglen

Starring: Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Gabriel LaBell and Judd Hirsch.

‘Movies are dreams.’

I think we can all safely assume, The Fabelmans is based on Steven Spielberg’s life.

Co-writer and director, I thought it was risky trying to get the right perspective to make a film about your own life. Yet, I couldn’t help but be charmed by this movie.

Put together over 16 years of interviews and ‘intense conversations and writing sessions that Spielberg only half-jokingly likens to “therapy,” Spielberg with playwright and screenwriter, Tony Kushner, ‘turned the defining experiences of his childhood into the fiction of The Fabelmans.’

Spielberg says, ‘Everything that a filmmaker puts him or herself into, even if it’s somebody else’s script, your life is going to come spilling out onto celluloid, whether you like it or not. It just happens. But with The Fabelmans, it wasn’t about the metaphor; it was about the memory.’

Opening in 1952, we see young Sam (Gabriel LaBelle) taken to his first moving picture.

He’s terrified.

His mother, Mitzi Fabelman (Michelle Williams) is enthusiastic.

His father, Burt Fabelman (Paul Dano) decides explaining the mechanics behind the film will make the watching less scary.

The Greatest Movie Ever Made is kinda scary for a kid, with train crashes and smashed cars flying through the air.

The Fabelman’s is a little hammy, with a forced brightness at the introduction.

Yet Sammy’s obsession with film starts right here. In understanding and recreating that train wreck. To regain control.

What starts with a 50s disposable charm, becomes something more.

It’s a coming-of-age film but also shines a light on the parents: the difficulties of marriage, of being an individual, of being free. Of knowing yourself.

It’s cheesy, funny, edgy and brilliant in the way the characters are revealed; the timing and sometimes raw emotion eased into existence so this family of: genius father, artistic mother, always-along-for-the-ride best friend Bennie (Seth Rogen), the three sisters and film making obsessed son, begins like a carbon copy to become an ocean. All to the music of Mitzi playing piano, flamboyant 50s jive, or the orchestral soundtrack of a film made by the young Sam, his eye always there, his understanding of effects learned like a revelation, his ability to draw emotion from his young actors made like an understanding of his own.

The whole drama of the film crept up on me, with small pops of humour like luggage falling from the back of a trailer or Uncle Boris (Judd Hirsch) home to grieve his dead sister (Sam’s grandmother), telling Sam, ‘She was your grandmother, so tear your clothes and sleep on the floor.’

I write notes during a movie to help keep track, to remember for my review later. And sometimes, when it’s a good movie, it sounds like this:

Moving pictures

Sleeping with an oscilloscope

Jesus is sexy

Shopping trollies spinning by

Everything happens for a reason

Something real not imaginary

Arizona

Metaphoric filming of a family falling apart

Thinking like an engineer

Movies are dreams you never forget

The audience clapping at the ending.

I kinda fell in love with The Fabelmens because there was something genuine in the feeling, the characters rounded-out without slapping the face with it.

And the audience clapping at a preview screening? That’s a rare treat.

Blueback

Rated: PG

Directed by: Robert Connolly

Written by: Robert Connolly

Based on the Book Blueback by: Tim Winton

Additional Writing: Tim Winton

Composer: Nigel Westlake

Produced by: Liz Kerney, James Grandison and Robert Connolly

Executive Producers: Andrew Myer, Robert Patterson, Eric Bana, Joel Pearlman, Joanna Baevski, Ricci Swart, Lorraine Tarabay, Nicolas Langley, Hayley Ballie, James Baillie, Michele Turnure-Salleo, Arthur Humphrey

Starring: Mia Wasikowsk, Radha Mitchell, Ilsa Fogg, Liz Alexander, Ariel Donoghue, Clarence Ryan, Pedrea Jackson, Eric Thomson, Eddie Baroo and Eric Bana.

‘I’ll keep him safe forever.’

Abby grew up in the water. She lived on the coast with her mother who fought every day to save Longboat Bay (filmed on the coast of Western Australia, Bremer Bay) from overfishing, dredging, destruction.

We’re introduced to the underwater world with a classical soundtrack (Nigel Westlake), the world of light through the blue water reflecting off a school of fish swimming, a stingray, a turtle. It’s majestic.

But with the discovery of bleached coral and Dora (young mother, Dora played by Radha Mitchell) chaining herself to bulldozers in protest, I thought I was heading into the doom and gloom of a bleak conservationist movie. So that underwater world took on a sinister aspect.

It’s a slow start.

Based the Tim Winton book, Blueback, there’s the classic Aussie way of life that threads the story of Blueback together: the school drop-off, the lovable Aussie larrikin Mad Macca (Eric Bana).

The coast, the water, the beach, the marine life is such a large part of being Australian there’s a reason we want to keep it, to protect it.

To give the marine life focus, Abby (teenage Abby played by, Ilsa Fogg) discovers a huge Blue Groper she names, Blueback.

He’s old and wise but he comes out of his underwater cave to play because he feels safe with her. And Abby will do anything to protect Blueback.

See below for more information about the beautiful and fascinating Blue Groper.

Fish in focus – Western Blue Groper | Western Australian Museum

The film evolves with flashbacks to Abby’s childhood (Ariel Donoghue as young Abby), growing up to a teenager with her mum. Born to be in the water, Abby becomes a professor (Mia Wasikowska as adult Abby) of marine biology, to continue to protect the wildlife she loves. Like Blueback.

‘Your home is dying, and I don’t know how to help.’

But there’s more to the tale than the message of how important it is to save our oceans, the story’s also about growing up, about home and what it means to be born with the ocean in your blood.

I couldn’t help but become attached to the life on the screen.

I admit to getting teary. In a good way.

Yes, it took a while to get into the story but there’s a difference here because instead of a bleak climate change message, I left the cinema feeling good. Feeling, hopeful. And we all need a bit of hope these days.

Puss In Boots: The Last Wish

Rated: PG

Directed by: Joel Crawford

Story by: Tommy Swerdlow and Tom Wheeler

Screenplay by: Paul Fisher and Tommy Swerdlow

Produced by: Mark Swift, p.g.a

Starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek Pinault, Olivia Colman, Harvey Guillén, Samson Kayo, Anthony Mendez, Wagner Moura, John Mulaney, Florence Pugh, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Ray Winstone.

‘Puss In Boots is never afraid.’

He’s a fearless hero loved by all, most especially himself.

Puss (Antonio Banderas) has nine lives. But how many times has Puss in Boots died?

Thinking back there’s the card cheating death, the I can fly death… To name a few. He thinks, four?

No, it’s eight.

And now with a bounty on his head, nothing new, there’s a red-eyed wolf (Wagner Moura) tracking him that actually stands a chance at defeating the, until now charmed, Puss.

For the first time, this fearless ginger cat that can sing, dance and wield a sword like the best of them, feels his fur rise.

The red-eyed bounty hunter can smell his hear.

Puss in Boots, for once in his many lives, is afraid.

The Last Wish is another colourful explosion from DreamWorks; a side story to the Shrek Universe, the film is also introduced as a fairy tale.

And like the Shrek films, it’s a fairy tale with a difference: Goldilocks now Goldi and her three bears, Little Jack Horner now Big Jack Horner. Although, he still tastes pies by using his big thumb.

And then there’s the wishing star that falls from space to the earth.

To find the star is to find one last wish (hence the title) to be granted by the one who finds the star.

Everyone wants that wish.

Except for Perrito (Harvey Guillén). He’s a deranged chuahua who’s ridiculously happy with his lot in life when he really shouldn’t be.

Then there’s the old flame of Puss, Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek Pinault). She has her reasons.

And of course, Puss, who for the first time appreciating that his life may end, wants to wish to start his nine lives all over again.

That’s the foundation and running thread through the story – to be happy with what you have, to enjoy the one life given.

It’s all a bit sweet, Perrito, AKA the wanna-be-therapy-dog, hilarious.

But the humour didn’t always hit the mark for me.

There’s some adult moments with Puss not wanting to be a lap cat, his descent into the domesticated life of a pet illustrated to the soundtrack of, ‘The Doors’, This is The End.

And that red-eyed bounty hunter is genuinely creepy. In a good way.

The trio of SoftPaws, Puss and Perrito has a good dynamic to get through the challenges on their quest for that last wish; so the story although simple at times worked and sometimes not.

The twist of the traditional fairy tale characters didn’t always tickle: Goldi (Florance Pugh) and her three bear crime family just didn’t get there; although sweet, it was all a bit annoying.

My nephew and I agree on 3 1/2 stars: a good movie overall with explosive animation and not always funny bits.

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