The Loved Ones

Meet Lola Stone. Outcast. Weird. Obsessive. Pink. MAD PSYCHO KILLING SLUT. And she's still in high school. - Yes folks this has been named Pretty in Pink meets Wolf Creek, or maybe more acceptable, Australia's answer to horror classic Carrie.
First time writer and director Sean Bryne brings this Australian horror comedy, The Loved Ones, to our screens - holding nothing back. The protagonist is young Brent (played by Twilight's Xavier Samuel) who is battling the depression of his recent father's death in a car accident, while Brent was behind the wheel. Meanwhile he has lost any connection with his mother who just sits at home all day with the blues, looking like a corpse.
Brent also has to worry about the upcoming end of year dance, celebrating his final year at a small Victorian country town high school. Enter Lola Stone. After Brent politely rejects Lola to be her escort to the dance, as already having planned to take his girlfriend, Lola seeks revenge.
And so the sick and gory tale begins, where Lola and her Father kidnap Brent and have their own, more bloody and glittery dance.
What works so well for this film is the fact that it spends time developing the characters, and more importantly it has a STORY! And unlike the Hollywood crap B-grade horror films, The Loved Ones soars above them with it's tongue-in-check humour and relentless ability to continually up the stakes.
The film's success was all up to the casting of Lola - if she was portrayed shit, the film would be shit. But thankfully actress Robin McLeavy portrayed Lola so fucking good that she may have created Australia's most scariest antagonist. The acting overall was incredibly well portrayed, what I especially liked was the fact that the film didn't rely on Hollywood corny dialogue, and a lot of the film was portrayed in the actions of the characters. Brent played brilliantly by Xavier Samuel has no lines for more than half the film, yet the audience is easily able to connect and sympathise with the character.
Yes this film is gory, very much like the Saw gore we have come accustomed to of late, the only difference is we care more for these characters. The mutilations of Brent feels very much like an attack on our own body as it is to his, which results in one amazingly fucked up experience.
What works well is the subplot of Brent's best friend and his journey to the actual school dance, which helps to break up the incredibly unforgiving gory parts. Thankfully the subplot redeems itself through the best friends date, who we later learn is dealing with her own grief caused by the crazy-killing Stone family.
The only real issue I had with the film was the fact that the eventual epiphany of "Brent must be at Lola's" was too contrived and wasn't properly setup. It could have been stronger if in the beginning of the film, Brent and his girlfriend actually notice Lola watching them, which results in the couple freaking out and Lola giving the excuse that Brent had left his book at school. The book could have been left in the car, and the girlfriend would have later found it, maybe with a love letter from Lola inside, triggering a more satisfying realisation.
I think the main reason this film works is the fact that it IS Australian and subsequently it is a film that has the ability to NOT take it self too seriously, which means that the audience is able to laugh in some moments contrasting with the 'squirming in the seat' action that occurs through the more intense parts.
Sure this not everyone's cup of tea, and to be honest, I am not one for horror films myself. But this film is amazingly wicked. My rating reflects its comparison to other horror films.
Go see it. And remember: DO NOT UPSET LOLA!

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale

Blue Valentine

Last night I saw the Australian premiere of Blue Valentine, a new film starring Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling. In the film they play married couple Cindy and Dean respectfully. The film crosses through time from the disintegration of their marriage to the beginning of their young relationship. It almost has a conflicting response from the audience seeing how unhappy their marriage is compared to how happy and cute they are together in the beginning of their romance. The audience doesn't really know what they want, whether they want the couple to resolve their differences or to accept that their marriage isn't healthy and divorce.
It could seem like a very cliche story but it is held together by the tremendous talent of the two leads. Both Williams and Gosling are amazing, and their chemistry in the flashbacks is undeniable. What I found most impressive was how Williams could make her character likeable through the flashbacks, when in the opening married scenes of the film she seems cold and heartless.
Their daughter Frankie played by Faith Wladyka only makes matters more intense as the couple determine how they should handle the situation. The little actress is another reason to see the film, her cute and naturalistic performance shines and doesn't fault against the two more experienced leads.
This film is all about the acting, and I bloody expect the two leads to be nominated at the Academy Awards. For a film that runs for two hours time passes by, as our eyes our glued to the screens seeing the very realistic performances of the leads unfold before us. I will warn anyone interested in seeing this film, that there is a somewhat confronting scene present, nothing gory, just very uncomfortable due to Williams realistic performance. Although this may not be everyone's cup of tea, the film is definitely worth seeing for the amazing performances.

The Social Network

And who would have thought a movie about Facebook would be so interesting? But naturally in the hands of director David Fincher, it’s nothing short of amazing. The Social Network centres around Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) and how he created this website which now has over 500 million users worldwide. The tagline; 'You don't get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies,' is pretty much what the film explores - the betrayal, greed and revenge that accompanies a billion dollar idea. The film crosses between present time 2007 when Mark is involved in two lawsuits and flashbacks to the beginning of Facebook explaining the testimonies presented in the lawsuits.
I think perhaps the most powerful scene is the very understated ending, which sees Mark - the inventor of Facebook, being just like any other Facebook user. The film ends for Mark with the same desires that he was presented with in the beginning scene - desires of acceptance and friendship. Ultimately Mark, with his "500 million friends" and "world's youngest billionaire" title, is as lonely as anyone else.
The script is amazing, expect Oscar nominations, and the dialogue is extremely witty. Audiences may be surprised at how funny the film is. The performances of the young cast is also very good, Jesse Eisenberg standing out as the man "trying too hard to be an arsehole." As difficult as it is to say, but Justin Timberlake is also quite good in his role, thankfully his character is one that we can hate. And finally the direction of David Fincher is amazing, but what else can we expect from the man who brought us Fight Club, Se7en and Benjamin Button. Instead of logging onto Facebook, go to the cinema and check out how it really all began.