Coarse language
Australia 2008
Director: Christopher Weekes
Featuring: Noni Hazlehurst, Steve Rodgers, Leeanna Walsman, Christopher Weekes,
Matthew Newton, Gary Sweet, Rhys Muldoon, Basia A’Hern, Penne Hackforth-Jones,
Sam Haft, Andrea Moore, Jeremy Brennan
Language: English
Running time: 85 mins
A multi-narrative drama of longing and loss, starting with the death of a young man and flashing forward three years to assess the toll it took on all those around him. “…brutally honest and emotionally affecting…”Three years ago, teenaged Liam Lombard died. His family has never recovered. His father, Jordan (Steve Rodgers), has overeaten to the point that he is now morbidly obese, and everything – work, home life – is suffering because of it. Jordan’s lack of interest in his wife, Penelope (Noni Hazlehurst), leads her to hit the bars in search of a little affection. Second son Ben (Christopher Weekes) is living in his brother’s shadow, and trying to catch his essence by romancing Liam’s ex-girlfriend, Indigo (Leanna Walsman). Indigo, alternatively, is involved in a destructive relationship with a married man (Gary Sweet) who is trying to give her the shake. Meanwhile, Ben is being pursued by his amorous best friend (Matthew Newton). It’s a tangled web, and everyone is stuck…Imaginatively and inventively shot on a low budget by cinematographer Sam Collins, and with a fresh, probing script courtesy of Weekes, Bitter & Twisted heads fearlessly into deep, dark territory while never losing grip of its mordant sense of humour.
Source: Erin Free FILMINK (Australia)
Compiled by: Mark Horner
Salma (Hiam Abbass), a Palestinian widow, has to stand up against her new neighbour, the Israeli Defense Minister (Doron Tavory), when he moves into his new house opposite her lemon grove, on the green line border between Israel and the West Bank. The Israeli security forces declare that Salma’s trees pose a risk to the Minister’s safety (a potential hiding place) and issue orders to uproot them. Together with Ziad Daud (Ali Suliman), her young Palestinian lawyer, Salma goes all the way to the Israeli Supreme Court to try and save her trees.Her struggle raises the interest of Mira Navon (Rona Lipaz-Michael), the Defense minister’s wife, who is somewhat trapped in her new home and in a lonely life. Despite their differences and the borders between them the two women develop an invisible bond, while ties grow stronger between Salma and Ziad. Salma’s legal and personal journey lead her deep into the complex, dark and sometimes funny chaos of the ongoing struggle in the Middle East.The story leaves us with a deep sadness about the ongoing conflict between Israel and her neighbours, and how that has poisoned their respective humanity.Source: Andrew Urban www.urbancinefile.com.au
There is plenty to enjoy in this well crafted western with Ed Harris playing Vigil Cole. Cole and his younger partner Everett Hitch, (Viggo Mortensen) are guns for hire and are employed by the citizens of Appaloosa, who are suffering at the hands of the powerful local rancher, Randall Bragg (Jeremy Irons). Through his use of violence, Bragg has been reigning over Appaloosa. Bragg is behind the murders of the town sheriff and his two deputies. Our two heroes naturally need to bring the local rancher to justice but this proves difficult, particularly when they start upsetting some of men who hired them. Then there is the sudden, if somewhat enigmatic arrival of Allison French (Renee Zellweger), an attractive, well-bred widow, who serves to complicate matters.While Appaloosa can be slow-moving in some parts, it is a beautifully shot by Dean Semler which provides enough of a reason to see this film. The film compares well to other recent Westerns, including The Proposition and 3:10 to Yuma, and does not break new ground, nevertheless this will not disappoint fans of the genre.Source: Rotten TomatoesComplied By: William H. Doudle
British plantation owner and colonialist extraordinaire Henry Moores (Linus Roache) fancies himself the cowboy of Kerala, cavorting around the jungle with his Indian mistress, Sajani (Nandita Das) as he makes plans to expand his operations by branching out into spices: “Today, tea; tomorrow . . . cinnamon!” Coyly placed portents (a crushed robin’s nest, a prominently displayed pistol) assure us that something is destined to go awry, and indeed, Henry’s life begins to unravel almost immediately: Labor unrest thwarts his plan to build a transport road, even as his sharp-eyed wife (the wonderfully headstrong Jennifer Ehle) joins him in India and Sajani’s brutal husband starts to suspect that she’s been unfaithful.
The film is set in Sydney’s west among the Lebanese-Australian communities where Basha grew up. His friend, the actor David Field, directed and the result is a toughtalking film about the neighbourhood’s teenage gangs.