27 / 112
027
EX MACHINA
A lucky employee of the biggest Internet company is invited to spend a week
with the reclusive guru/owner at a remote undisclosed location, where the
ultimate dream-come-true soon descends into a deadly nightmare of wits,
philosophy and ethics… oh, and an extremely sexy robot called Ava, possessing
the most advanced AI known to mankind. Science fiction, when done with
creative abandon and stripped of the philosophical duality of humanity, can
indeed affect audiences with a power few other genres can ever muster. AI
being the new black, with ideals of nature versus nurture and whether humans
need to be around at all, has been tackled well via Spielberg, Duncan Jones,
and way back when to Kubrick’s HAL in
2001
; whereas Alex Proyas' effort
(
I, Robot
) was more akin to a Fast & Furious flick with no sense of humour.
Writer Alex Garland (
28 Days Later
,
Dredd
), making his directing debut here,
dances between a Kubrickian clinical unease and a Richard Kelly head-f**k. An
unpredictable thriller is welcomed, one that utilises the amazing acting talent on
offer and tones down the CGI element in favour of raw sensuality, big questions
we could debate for weeks, and a Hitchcock sting that tickles the dreamer in all
of us. Bar the last two minutes, this may be the best sci-fi film you’ll see in quite
a while. No, I didn’t tell you much – just bloody well see it!
Chris Murray
KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER
This is a true story, via a dream-like lens, of the troubled Japanese woman
who ran away to Fargo, USA in search of the fictional suitcase of cash she
believes is still buried deep in the snow within the Coen Bros’ cinematic
masterpiece of the same name. Sure, the idea of this real-life tale of a
batty Japanese woman convinced – via her VHS copy of
Fargo
– that Steve
Buscemi really left a suitcase of greenbacks in the bitter-cold of North
Dakota is most likely to be directed by the Farrelly Bros. and sponsored
by Funny or Die. That this is instead a heartbreaking artistic masterpiece
conjuring childhood wonder, terror and tackling the abyss of mental illness
all at once, makes it a filmmaking triumph beyond comparison. From
her menial, lifeless and loveless existence in Tokyo, we watch the tragic
beauty and joy within young Kumiko emerge only in her obsession with
‘the treasure’ and her pet bunny, Bunzo. A shockingly accurate portrait of
depression and isolation juxtaposed with offbeat encounters with humanity
and painted with cinematography where every frame should be mounted on
a wall,
Kumiko
will leave you giggling, awestruck, weeping, and afterwards
debating the underlying narrative with peers well into the night. Suffice to
say, you’ve never seen anything like it.
Chris Murray
CINEMA
REVIEWS
RELEASED:
May 7
DIRECTOR:
Alex Garland
CAST:
Alicia Vikander, Domhnall
Gleeson, Oscar Isaac
RATING:
MA15+
RELEASED:
Out Now
DIRECTOR:
David Zellner
CAST:
Rinko Kikuchi, Nobuyuki
Katsube
RATING:
M
RATING KEY:
Wow!
Good
Not bad
Meh Woof!
COBAIN: MONTAGE OF HECK
Midlife crisis presents itself to a fortysomething, no kids, filmmaking couple
in New York City. Yet the mood changes drastically upon befriending two
vibrant hipsters, reigniting some much needed spark – then things get
complicated. Noah Baumbach has a knack for presenting middle-aged fear
somewhere between Woody Allen’s relentless self-deprecation and Wes
Anderson’s melancholic charm. However here, with the forced ‘did you
all see what I really mean?’ talents of Ben Stiller, perpetually offering his
neglected puppy face to 21st century male stereotypes, the gag wears
terribly thin. While he’s the anchor in this ‘just who are these hipsters and
why are they enjoying my childhood memories better than me?’ fable on the
changing of the creative guard in middle-class NYC, he’s also the annoying
reason this film will polarise the desired fortysomething audience. Bogged
down in its own self-awareness, one feels they’re watching a parody beneath
the overtones of insecure aging. But we’re not, and this film's honest belief
that it represents any type of reality is about as radical as processed cheese
slices. Even with the few glimmers of giggle and wit (mostly via Watts'
strong presence) – this is a disappointing and amazingly shallow experience,
no doubt lapped-up by critics with parallel personalities.
Chris Murray
RELEASED:
Out Now
DIRECTOR:
Noah Baumbach
CAST:
Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts,
Adam Driver
RATING:
M
Kurt Cobain was the lead singer of Nirvana, a band that seemingly came
out of nowhere to become the biggest rock act in the world, capturing the
angst and rage of an entire generation. Then he took his life at 27… but just
who was he, really? With much hoopla and anticipation of a new flick on a
most misunderstood rock icon, from the director of the Rolling Stones' doco
Crossfire Hurricane
and the Oscar-nominated bio of Hollywood producer
Robert Evans,
The Kid Stays in the Picture
, it’s almost impossible to distance
yourself from an emotional connection to the never-seen home vids, candid
pics, illustrations and audio offerings in this exhaustive portrait. Created with
the blessing of ex-wife Courtney Love, it’s refreshing to see there’s certainly
no homogenisation or punches pulled. Perhaps even the opposite, as we see
the bare tragedy of an artist lost in popularity, escaping via isolation amidst
a bubble of comfort with wife and child. Clever manipulation via smart use
of stock footage, incredible cinematography, clever graphics and an aural
onslaught of stimuli mirroring the mindset of our subject, it’s hair-on-the-arm
raising to feel so intimate and voyeuristic. Presented without judgement and
merely offering the materials available is the secret to this engrossing last word
on a troubled man struggling to be emotionally satisfied.
Chris Murray
RELEASED:
May 7
DIRECTOR:
Brett Morgen
CAST:
Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl,
Courtney Love
RATING:
M
WHILE WE'RE YOUNG