Forks will bend, Doritos will levitate and pineapples will materialize out of thin air; no laws of the known universe are left unbroken in Afflicted Magic, the captivating Fringe show by American master magicians Richard Kwesell and Nicholas Tweedy.

In what is touted as their first show together in nearly a decade, Kwesell and Tweedy would rival Penn and Teller for the title of ‘unlikeliest duo in magic’. Kwesell, a 7-foot monolith of a man, could barely stand on stage without hitting his head, while Tweedy, significantly shorter and sporting a braided beard, looked as if he’d sailed all the way from Middle Earth to be there. If nothing else, what they clearly have in common is their immense illusionary ability, deploying some of the best misdirection and sleight of hand you’ll never see. Just try and catch these guys in the act…you’d sooner win the lottery.

One thing these two magicians couldn’t manipulate was time, as their show, fittingly located at Adelaide’s psychedelic Cavern Club, started over 30 minutes late. Once their act began, however, time flew by as the Kwesell and Tweedy charmed the audience with their laid-back, unshowy approach to stage magic. Audience participation is incorporated into almost every trick, so be wary should you choose to sit in the front row. That said, the two tend to laugh with their audience and not at them, which goes a long way in assuring the confidence of those being pulled up on stage. For better or worse, this isn’t the offensive magic show the Fringe blurb suggested. In truth, this is family friendly entertainment.

To nitpick, there were a few occasions where the build-up to a trick felt overly drawn out — the kind of prolonged pattering often employed by street magicians to draw in a bigger crowd — but the payoff was usually worth the wait. Furthermore, magic aficionados like myself will likely have seen a number of these illusions performed before, such as the oldest trick in the book, the cups and balls. But take it from me; you’ve never seen it performed as capably, and spectacularly, as Richard Kwesell does here. Gifted with extremely large hands, Kwesell could sneak an elephant underneath a cup without you raising an eyebrow.

In true American spirit, Kwesell and Tweedy have supersized their show for the Adelaide Fringe, essentially offering two magic acts for the price of one. As long as you’ve got nowhere to be in the morning, be sure to stick around after main show has concluded — which already clocks in at a generous 90 minutes – as the two move freely about the Cavern Club to perform some excellent examples of close-up magic. It’s here where Tweedy displayed his remarkable spoon bending ability, which saw sceptics in the audience double-take as they searched, hopelessly, for a logical answer to the question “how the hell did he do that?”

[review originally written for Buzzcuts]

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Presented by Nicholas Tweedy

The Cavern Club

March 12-14

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Read many more great Fringe reviews at the Buzzcuts website!

After his original choice Christoph Waltz (who is in high demand thanks to his Oscar-winning turn in Inglorious Basterds) dropped out to co-star with Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson in circus flick Water for Elephants mastermind director David Cronenberg (pictured above) has persuaded his old pal and frequent leading man Viggo Mortensen to play Sigmund Freud in his biopic The Talking Cure. Joining Mortensen on Freud’s couch are previously announced Michael Fassbender and Keira Knightley.

Adapted from Christopher Hampton’s play of the same name, The Talking Cure focuses on the relationships between celebrated psychoanalysts and rivals Freud and Carl Jung (Fassbender) and Sabina Spielrein (Knightley), a disturbed Russian girl brought in by her father to see Jung, who subsequently develops personal and intimate relationships with both men.

With filming tentatively scheduled to commence in May (after Knightley finishes her West End theatre run), I simply cannot wait for this film to be released. With its immensely talented and popular cast, brilliant director, dramatic subject matter and it’s “biopic factor”, it wouldn’t surprise me if The Talking Cure becomes a major contender in next year’s awards season. Expect it to be a dark, psychological, Hitchcock-esque mind bender.

Following the short series The Kids of Degrassi Street (1982), Degrassi Junior High (DJH) truly established the franchise centring on a bunch of young teens from Toronto that come together from all walks of life at their local school. But the difference between Degrassi and everything else is what hadn’t been explored before on television, perhaps anywhere in the world – the true issues facing teenagers. As testament, Australian public broadcaster ABC issued warnings of adult themes before screening each episode, and would continue to do so decades later on Degrassi: The Next Generation.

*This article contains spoilers – read with caution!*

Sex, drugs and family abuse are just some of the topics presented in the Canadian three-season show, and throughout each season, the ensemble cast get their time to individually shine and develop their characters. Season One is the first half of Years Seven and Eight, with a key focus on Steph (Nicole Stoffman), who decides to shed her ‘geeky’ image for a more ‘sophisticated’ look. Today it would be called something else as she tries to grow up much too quickly, but the emphasis on this pushes the idea of peer pressure that affects 99 per cent of teens during adolescence. While the reactions from her fellow students seem fairly tame and innocent, let’s not forget that the eighties were the raw beginning of open discussion about previously taboo social issues. Other notable episodes of Season One concern Rick (Craig Driscoll) abused by his father and Spike (Amanda Stepto) suspecting she’s pregnant after an eventful house party. It’s important to note here that these are 12-14 year olds, but DJH proved, and still does, that kids aren’t sheltered anymore.

Season Two continues as the second half of Years Seven and Eight, with Spike having had the baby and refusing father Shane (Billy Parrott) any involvement besides child support (the poor guy pays through money from an after-school job). Steph is still boy-crazy and tries to win the attention of Simon (Michael Carry). The same format continues as one character is the focus of any given episode, and the most interesting to develop are Lucy (Anais Granofsky), after appearances by substitute teacher Mr. Colby (Marcus Bruce), and Caitlin (Stacie Mistysyn) trying to hide her epilepsy for fear of being outcast. Caitlin is by far the most interesting character – although a Seven, she attracts the attention of many Eights and is presented as the most level-headed and the one with the best fashion sense. Yes, there were some good styles in the eighties.

Season Three marks a new year, but the Eights (now Nines) remain at DJH because the school’s added a Ninth grade. Their disdain is clear for some time as they visit the ‘proper’ local high school for certain classes. There, Lucy meets Paul (Michael Blake) and falls privy to nasty rumours. New characters emerge again as old ones fade (notably Steph, whose parents decide a private education was what she needed) and there are still fresh issues to be explored. The ‘three stooges’ of Joey, Wheels and Snake, while  prevalent throughout the whole series and providing much of the comic relief with their rock star ambitions, really claim the spotlight in a more dramatic round. Joey (Pat Mastroianni) finds a benefit of repeating Eighth grade, while Snake (Stefan Brogren) faces an unnerving truth from his idol and Wheels (Neil Hope) finds death hard to face.

Each season ends with an important twist, and even now they wouldn’t be deemed too predictable. Different directors were enlisted throughout the series, but Kit Hood predominantly ran her creation – and to powerful effect. It’s enormously dated with the clothes and hairstyles but it’s so cool in its retroness and its topics are so varied that it’s a very easy watch. Not as much when you realise the topics are so easily relatable though; it’s amazing just how much the storylines of these teens ring true (albeit slightly modified) with today’s counterparts. Degrassi: The Next Generation is living proof of that. It might be easy to laugh at the sometimes forced speech, but the cast is solid. Whether they irritate you or surprise you, there’s always someone with a problem. And while that may not seem realistic to some, there’s always something lurking in everyone’s shadow. Degrassi Junior High just had the balls to finally show it.

Given that her last attempt at acting halted her then husbands burgeoning directing career, I am slightly pleased that Madonna has decided not to grace the silver screen again for her next film outing, but has instead chosen to step behind the camera and try her hand at directing. The reigning Queen of Pop’s film will depict the scandalous affair between British monarch King Edward VIII and socialite Wallis Simpson that led to his decision to abdicate the throne in 1936 so he could marry the twice-divorced American. Simpson’s story is set to be told parallel with Wally Winthrop’s, a modern-day woman who is obsessed with the Duchess of Windsor and finds herself facing her own similar romantic dilemmas.

The two actresses that Madonna has chosen to play the two women are Vera Farmiga (recent Oscar nominee for Up in the Air) and recently announced Abbie Cornish (who I still can’t believe was snubbed at every awards show this season for Bright Star). Both Farmiga and Cornish, playing Simpson and Winthrop respectively, are exceptional actresses who have the ability to completely absorb themselves into their characters and are ultimately what I think will be the films saving grace. Although I just hope that Madonna doesn’t do to Farmiga and Cornish careers what she very nearly did to ex-husband Guy Ritchie. No other casting announcements have been made, although David Tennant was previously considered to play the king.

[Source: Daily Mail]

Please, please, please say it isn’t so. In what is quite possibly the most disturbing and unexpected piece of casting news of the week, Nicole Kidman, the Academy Award winner currently deemed by critics to be box office poison and one of my personal favourite actresses, has reportedly joined the cast of the upcoming rom-com Just Go For It.

That’s right, the actress responsible for powerhouse performances in films like The Hours, Dogville and The Others is joining Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston and current Sports Illustrated cover girl Brooklyn Decker, in a less-than-lacklustre story of a man (Sandler) so afraid of commitment that he tells his girlfriend (Decker) that he is married. When she threatens to leave him, he persuades a woman (Aniston) and her children to act as his family to prove his honesty. Kidman is poised to play Rae Ann Devlin, a character whose exact role in the film has yet to be announced.

Whilst many believe that Kidman could simply be appearing in a cameo appearance, ala her ex-husband Tom Cruise’s cameo in Tropic Thunder, I can’t help but think that this particular career move is still going to be massacred by the critics, especially since her previous forays into the comedy genre, such as The Stepford Wives and Bewitched, have been critical and commercial flops. And this is a shame really, because she once possessed a winning talent for dark humour and comedy, such as To Die For and Margot at the Wedding. So maybe if Nicole really wants to do comedies (which at the moment it seems she does) then I think she should look for a script that is darker, and not so much romantic-fluff. This casting announcement is equally unexpected because her recent line up of films Rabbit Hole (completed) and The Danish Girl (announced), hinted to her fans of a possible return to the dramatic, powerhouse performances that once made her the Queen of Hollywood and the toast of award ceremonies. I wait for this film with baited breath.

As a gamer myself, I have always dreamt of seeing big budget adaptations of my favourite video games. Unfortunately, The Legend of Zelda, Fallout or Shadow of the Colossus haven’t made it to the silver screen. Some fans, however, would dread the production of these titles – for good reason too. The general consensus is that film adaptations of video games are poor and unsatisfactory viewing experiences.

Therefore, most of my life I have avoided these films, partly because of the bad reputation, but also because almost every title released so far seemed like a really poor idea or (in the case of Max Payne and Silent Hill) received generally negative criticism. Although, I do have it on good authority that Super Mario Bros is an excellent piece of cinema: adapting the hit title from the Nintendo Entertainment System. But, I digress.

Now another popular, critically acclaimed, video game franchise is getting the movie treatment, with one small difference: it might actually be good. From Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney comes Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, a seemingly loose adaptation of the similarly titled video game. So far, promotion of the film has featured impressive trailers boasting a strong cast and high budget visuals – something that may help it break the stigma associated with video game films.

Having played the game, I was impressed to see Jake Gyllenhaal cast as the protagonist, a highly acrobatic, handsome and fearless prince who becomes the bearer of a mystical dagger, which can turn back time. He suited the character well, while bringing strong talent to a film that could easily have cast B grade actors. Actors Alfred Molina and Sir Ben Kingsley add even more welcome flavour to the proverbial talent pot.

The trailer primarily shows off Gyllenhaal as Prince Dastan who sports a characteristic British accent and some attitude. Romantic tension is established with an accompanying female beauty (Gemma Arterton), complete with amusing banter. Chemistry between Arterton and Gyllenhaal remains to be seen, but so far looks promising.

In playing the Sands of Time game, key elements of enjoyment came from the game play (primarily fighting, time travel and acrobatics) as well as the visuals. Thankfully the film seems to borrow heavily from these great elements. The trailer shows off familiar costume and weapon design, parkour acrobatics and swordplay involving the manipulation of time.

Other than focusing on a magic dagger which can manipulate time, the story borrows more from The Lord of the Rings, than the Prince of Persia games. The foreboding narration during the trailer immediately sounds familiar as it describes Dastan’s task to deliver this magic dagger (the one ring) to a “guardian temple” (Mount Doom) to hide it from those that will use it to “destroy the world” (Sauron). There is also a set of evil assassins, which act dubiously like Ring Wraiths. Either way, it shouldn’t matter, because the original game’s story was never that engaging anyway.

With Jerry Bruckheimer producing another action adventure for Disney, sites around the web have drawn a similarity between it and Pirates of the Caribbean (e.g. this from IGN). This is a fair comparison, considering the current trailers advertise it from the “producer of Pirates of the Caribbean” and the film seems just as light hearted. If this formula can be maintained, the film is destined for, at least, moderate success.

The potential for a great adventure movie is definitely there. Well choreographed set pieces and humour are the bread and butter of action adventure movies. The film makers have clearly tried to draw upon the game’s strengths and make the movie worthwhile for fans. Whether the plot has too many shortcomings to be ignored is another matter, but that will be discovered upon release. The biggest success of the production, so far, is that a video game has been transformed into a high budget film that is clearly seeking the top box office position – a welcome move for any video game movie.

Sources:
[Trailer Addict]
[Disney]
[IGN]

Latest Trailer:



Generally speaking, penises shouldn’t ever be laughed at. Unless, of course, that penis is the star of Tyrannosaurus Sex, a fiercely funny and wildly creative puppet rock opera about an insecure lil’ pecker named Bob. Certainly not one for the easily offended, this adults-only show is like the Avenue Q of the Adelaide Fringe.

Originally written, designed and performed by puppet maker Philip Millar for the Melbourne Fringe Festival a few years back, Tyrannosaurus Sex has made its way to Adelaide thanks to the talented puppeteers of the SA-based Pooka Puppet Co. They skilfully animate Bob, a normal-sized penis who has been saturated by idealistic media stereotypes and believes that he’s never going to get lucky unless he’s hung like a grandfather clock. Every night he sits flaccidly in front of the telly, beer in hand, flicking between adult infomercials – hosted by a sleazy arse-faced salesman named Bumshark – and classic monster movies where giant prehistoric penises wreck havoc through Bob’s self-esteem.

The laughs come hard and fast as the show builds up to a spectacular climax, where Bob, happily reunited with the rest of his body, erupts into the catchy chorus of ‘Every Penis Has a Brain’. Much like that last sentence, the lyrics are packed full of witty sexual innuendos, made all the more memorable by Derek Rowe’s original score. He dabbles in genres such as techno-funk, heavy metal, heartfelt ballads and soaring pop anthems to illuminate Bob’s plight, one that is more relatable than many men would care to admit.

The real brilliance of Tyrannosaurus Sex lies with Millar’s provocative puppets, all of whom are teeming with personality and are scrupulously detailed down to the smallest of veins. With many credits to his name — including stage productions of The Hobbit and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe — Millar’s talent is immense, utilising table-top puppets, hand puppets, shadow puppets, full body suit puppets and even animatronics to full comedic effect. It’s all seamlessly integrated into a rapturous 45 minute show which, like Bob, is just the right length.

[Review originally written for Buzzcuts]

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Presented by Puppet Palace Projects & Pooka Puppets in association with Puppet Vision

Feb 12 – Mar 13 (excl Feb 15,16,19,22 & 23; Mar 12,8 & 9)

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Read many more great Fringe reviews at the Buzzcuts website!

The Adelaide Fringe Festival runs from the 19th February – 14th March. Check out the program guide and buy tickets online at www.adelaidefringe.com.au

While George W. Bush was prematurely touting “Mission Accomplished” from the deck of the USS Lincoln back in May 2003, super soldier Roy Miller (Matt Damon) was going Rambo through the streets of Baghdad, determined to uncover the truth as to why US intelligence was so incredibly wrong about Iraq harbouring weapons of mass destruction.

Much of that last sentance, I hope you realise, is complete hogwash; no rogue soldier singlehandedly unearthed the WMD scandal, and even if he had, he most certainly wouldn’t have done it while running and gunning his way around war-torn Iraq as if it were a videogame. Yet this is exactly the kind of nonsense preached in director Paul Greengrass’ (The Bourne Identity, United 93)  misguided political thriller Green Zone, a title derived from the Coalition’s safe zone in Baghdad during the Iraq occupation.

In a flagrant effort to get box office takings into the green zone of a different kind, the film abridges and drastically rewrites the messy history of the Iraq invasion to better suit Hollywood heroism, turning a potentially intelligent and provocative political thriller into little more than a generic Bourne sequel.

Even as cushy popcorn action, Green Zone misfires. Only during the opening act — where Chief Warrant Officer Miller and his outfit make a move on a suspected WMD site only to discover cobwebs – was I genuinely thrilled. Nearly all of the action that follows comes across as derivative and detached, namely because we’re given no reason to care for anyone but Miller on the battlefield. Since he’s played by leading man Matt Damon, suspense is hard to come by as you can rest assured knowing he won’t be killed off any time soon. As for the rest of his squad of brave soldiers? Who cares; we barely get to know their names.

That’s where Brian Helgeland’s screenplay stumbles: it’s so intensely focused on just one character, everyone else is reduced to cardboard cut-outs. Greg Kinnear’s character Clark Poundstone — a Pentagon Special Intelligence operative who thinks the needs of Iraq are synonymous with the wants of the US – makes for such a two-dimensional baddie, he could very well be the next Bond villain. Then there’s Brendan Gleeson as sceptical CIA chief Martin Brown, most notable for sounding like an angry pirate. Lastly, Amy Ryan portrays Wall Street Journal correspondent Lawrie Dayne, an insipid character who more accurately should have been credited as ‘Plot Device’.

Matt Damon, who always manages to look good wielding a gun, uses his understated charisma and down-to-earth disposition to prevent Miller from coming across as the superhuman action hero he really is.  Along with some impressive art direction – particularly in the early scenes where we see the devastation left behind by the initial airstrike – Damon saves this film from completely bombing.

Cinematographer Barry Ackroyd’s (The Bourne Identity, The Hurt Locker) notoriously shaky camera work is certainly disorienting, but thankfully isn’t as nauseating as it has been in the past (maybe I’m just getting used to it). Far more frustrating was the excessive use of film grain, which made it damn near impossible to see what’s going on during the poorly staged night-time action finale. If it weren’t for a few crystal clear cutaway shots to Army Headquarters, I would have said that the print used for the preview screening was smeared in sand.

One of the many reasons why The Hurt Locker recently left the Oscars with the title of Best Picture is because it doesn’t get bogged down in the politics of the Iraq war. Why is that a good thing? Without an agenda, the film had time to get down and dirty with the characters – you know, those things audiences connect with – making the action all the more gripping as we genuinely cared for, and believed in, the soldiers depicted. Green Zone, making the same mistakes as all the other films set in Iraq, places the politics before the people.

Looking like a dishevelled British rocker badly hung-over from an all night bender, Mark Butler seems like the kind of guy who would sooner consider calculus to be a comic book superhero than a mathematical theorem. It turns out, however, that before he became a talented comedian and an Adelaide Fringe regular, he spent four years as a maths teacher in the UK. So why the drastic change in career? If his entertaining debut play Rogue Teacher has any truth to it, Butler’s morals are far better suited to the stage than they are the classroom.

Adapted from Butler’s novel ‘A Playground for Disobedient Dinosaurs’, this semi-serious play focuses on Red Thomas (Butler), a crooked maths teacher who takes advantage of his students, and more scandalously, their teenage girlfriends. The result is a diverting classroom drama that is both capably performed and thoughtfully written, in spite of a few issues with pacing and a desperate need for a more suitable venue.

Butler, partly putting aside his knack for comedy, avoids trivialising events by not overdoing the humour, instead subtly infusing hints of wit to make the serious issues at hand more palatable. The show has been written specifically for this Fringe, meaning it’s packed full of references to Adelaide locations, such as St Peters College where most of the events transpire. It’s a nice touch as it helps the audience better envisage the locations outside of the main classroom setting, especially since the only props on the small stage are a desk and blackboard.

He claims to have never acted before, yet Butler’s subtly nuanced performance as Red is standout, the flippancy of his character being both credibly depicted and strangely endearing. The small supporting cast – including Aaron Nash as a hot-headed student, Alicia Case as his promiscuous girlfriend and Alex Cheers as a naive and self-absorbed sports teacher – all perform well, despite the occasional slip-up in what was their second performance to date. Look out for Gary Heartly as the school’s high achieving principal and Robyn Brooks as a student’s overtly suggestive mother; both are scene stealers in their all-too-brief roles.

The show is playing at the Producers Bar inside the Electric Light Hotel, a grungy venue on Grenfell Street that is far better suited to moshable music gigs than sit-down stage shows. On top of the theatre entrance being obscurely located within the main bar, the seating is severely limited (some were forced to stand up) and the heat was almost unbearable as the sole air conditioner ceased to operate. Such unacceptably high temperatures took their toll on the cast, who clearly started to run out of energy by the hour mark, while the audience grew restless in their seats. It wasn’t long before programmes became personal fans.

Ultimately, those hoping for a joke-a-minute might want to consider enrolling elsewhere, as the balance of comedy and drama in Rogue Teacher is definitely in favour of the latter. But if you’re keen for a dramatic lesson in concepts such as chaos theory – which suggests even the smallest of actions can have a life changing effect – you’d be wise not to wag this one.

[Review originally written for Buzzcuts]

Presented by Mark Butler/Alex Cheers
Electric Light Hotel, 235 Grenfell St
February 20 – March 6 (excl. Feb 21-25 & 28; Mar 1-3)

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Read many more great Fringe reviews at the Buzzcuts website!

The Adelaide Fringe Festival runs from the 19th February – 14th March. Check out the program guide and buy tickets online at www.adelaidefringe.com.au

Something unexpected happened around the half hour mark of the ho-hum romantic drama Remember Me. No, the film didn’t start to improve. Don’t be silly.  Rather, I realised that leading man Robert Pattinson – or RPattz as his legions of adoring Twilight fans call him – was in the middle of doing something many critics said he wasn’t capable of. Yes, he was acting. And doing a pretty darn good job of it too.

However, aside from allowing Pattinson a chance to flex his acting chops, Remember Me isn’t good for much else. It sits awkwardly between the heavy drama and teen romance genres, and much like a misunderstood teenager, it isn’t sure where it belongs, ultimately alienating itself from both.

With an uncanny resemblance to James Dean, Pattinson portrays angst-ridden Tyler Hawkins, a 21-year-old Brooklyn boy with daddy issues. Still cut from by the loss of his older brother years before, Tyler channels his anger toward his father Charles (Pierce Brosnan), a successful businessman who places family a distant second. After a clash with a jaded police detective (Chris Cooper) lands him in jail for the night, Tyler’s best friend Aidan (Tate Ellington) suggests he enact his revenge by wooing the officer’s daughter Ally (Emilie de Ravin). However, the two find comfort in each other’s company and eventually fall in love, causing Tyler to bury the truth behind their supposed ‘chance’ encounter.

As implied by the film’s tag-line ‘Live Life in the Moment’, screenwriter Will Fetters has scribed a story about appreciating the little things. That’s fine, but did those little things all have to be this mundane?  While the dialogue flows naturally, most of the drama in Remember Me lacks any real weight of consequence, haphazardly strung together by director Allen Coulter (Hollywoodland) without much consideration for dramatic tension. If it wasn’t for Marcelo Zarvos’ poignant score, I wouldn’t have known at any given time what emotion I was supposed to be feeling.

With Remember Me predominantly appealing to starry-eyed teenage girls, it doesn’t help that the romance between Tyler and Ally is criminally underwritten. The two barely get a chance to share sob stories before they’re in each other’s pants. I guess when you’re the adored star of Twilight, girls don’t put up much of a fight. Nevertheless,  the credibility of their relationship suffers as a result, which seems more interested in giving Pattinson and De Ravin an excuse to show off some skin rather than develop in any kind of meaningful way.

De Ravin, let down by the two dimensional nature of her character, leaves little impression as Ally, which is a shame because the 28-year-old Lost star has talent. With a far meatier role, Pattinson crafts a likable character out of Tyler, handling each emotional shift far more convincingly than he ever did as Edward in Twilight. He goes head to head with acting veterans Chris Cooper and Pierce Brosnan and surprisingly comes out on top, proving he’s more than just a pretty face. In fact, the only time he is truly outshone is during his scenes with the tremendously talented 11-year-old actress Ruby Jerins, who plays Tyler’s younger sister Caroline. Their touching relationship is easily the highlight of an otherwise unremarkable film.

And that’s the cruel irony here; Remember Me is totally forgettable. It knows it, too. That’s why it features a shock ending that arrives like a sharp stab in the back, a desperate act to bleed emotion out of the audience in the most shameless of ways.  If it is to be remembered, it’ll be for all the wrong reasons.

You would be forgiven for expecting a lot of sharp comedy from Grant Heslov’s The Men Who Stare at Goats. The plot contains an interesting mix of elements that should act as seeds for engaging, thematic humour. Unfortunately, the film restricts itself to a few moments of hilarity, leaving the rest of the story to become ‘quirky’ and rather average. It is by no means bad, of course, but rather a case of what ‘could have been’ that becomes the disappointment in the end.

When reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) loses his wife to her lover, a man with one arm, he is forced to re-evaluate his life. Determined to make something of himself, Wilton travels to the Middle East to write on the current Iraq war in hopes of gaining some journalistic integrity. In an attempt to cross the Kuwait/Iraq border he meets Lyn Cassady (George Clooney) who convinces Wilton that he is part of a psychic arm of the US military. The desperate Wilton believes Cassady’s story, which includes a ludicrous description of soldiers as “Jedi’s” and their ability to kill goats by staring at them. It soon becomes apparent that the previous commander of this psychic division, Bill Django (Jeff Bridges), has disappeared and Lyn Cassady is on a mission to find him.

The film follows Bob and Lyn as they traverse war ridden Iraq in search of Django. This is mixed with sequences detailing the creation of the psychic division (known as the New Earth Army) and Django’s involvement. Overall, this works well to maintain variety, but the scenes with Clooney and McGregor are significantly more entertaining and leave you wanting less back story.

The Men Who Stare at Goats builds up well, but falls short during the final act. There are several moments in the film where the audience is left to question the validity of Lyn Cassady’s psychic power. These moments build up our expectations of discovering whether the New Earth Army is truly paranormal, or a complete sham – either outcome would be rewarding. Unfortunately this ends in disappointment, as the film doesn’t submit itself to either during the climax. This may be because the story is supposedly based on true events, but guessing which parts of the film are embellished (for comic/artistic license) and which are factual isn’t nearly as enjoyable as receiving a definitive answer. Leaving the audience uncertain can be disappointing for fiction; it sometimes works – but not here. A documentary on the true story would have been more acceptable and engaging, regarding this.

If you can overcome the disappointing climax (which also relishes in silliness instead of sharp humour) you can enjoy The Men Who Stare at Goats as a decent comedy. George Clooney exudes confidence as Cassady, who exasperates Ewan McGregor’s character frequently with his unquestionable reliance on psychic ability. Their dynamic is quite enjoyable to watch and the humour is varied and unpredictable. There is a sense of uncontrollable adventure following these two characters, who find themselves in some deliciously hairy situations. One scene in particular satirises the role of private contractors in war perfectly. If only more of this unpredictable, intelligent and topical comedy had pervaded the other half of the quirky storyline.

Unfortunately the scenes depicting Bill Django’s involvement in the New Earth Army aren’t nearly as good. Watching a group of US soldiers become hippies, taking drugs and dancing feels like a cheap shot at humour. Even Kevin Spacey’s presence as Larry Hooper, the antagonist, feels weak and single layered. Luckily it isn’t all about these characters.

There are some great moments in The Men Who Stare at Goats and those who are looking to be distracted with some light entertainment will find it worth the price of admission. However, the potential for comedy, in what reads as an incredible synopsis, falls short. Themes of superstition and cults mixed with war and politics are not comically explored as they could have been. It’s a letdown in this respect, but I admit that relies heavily on expectations. Don’t expect anything too multi-faceted and you should have a fairly enjoyable 90 minutes at the cinema.

Each time this year, the Fringe Festival hits little old Adelaide in an explosion of art and culture, engulfing the city of churches in a lively bohemian atmosphere. The festival sees live performers from all over the world come to flaunt their stuff, be it comedy, dance, music or theatre. I’ll be emerging from the dark depths of the cinema to catch some of the shows on offer, reviewing them for a great site called Buzzcuts.

Here is an excerpt from my review of Mada vs. Vegas, courtesy of Buzzcuts:

Magic meets melodrama in Mada vs. Vegas, but they don’t exactly hit it off.

You’ll already be familiar with the premise of the show if you’ve seen the 2006 film ‘The Prestige’: two rivalling magicians – who were long-time friends prior to a trick going horribly wrong – take to a smoky stage in a battle of wits, card tricks and pyrotechnics.

The idea is certainly novel – not often does stage magic get dealt a narrative – but the execution is lacking. The theatrics of their conflict are considerably underplayed, with the back story explaining why the two became rivals reduced to an offhand remark. Perhaps we could have seen the performance that started the feud?

Their greatest adversary here is time, not each other. An hour isn’t nearly long enough to adequately balance magic and drama, forcing a compromise to be reached. As a result, we get two magicians occasionally casting each other moody glances, trying to outdo one another by way of the more elaborate examples of pub magic.

There’s no questioning the talent of these Sydney illusionists, both being experts at sleight of hand and the performance of the illusion itself. But aside from a particularly daring opening trick (with a very real risk of injury), there’s nothing terribly elaborate here. Nothing you couldn’t see performed, say, by a skilled busker in the mall.

The high level of audience participation keeps everyone on their toes, but it works counteractive to the dramatic tension they’re trying to build. The show is at its best during the last act where the two don’t break the fourth wall, thereby allowing full immersion in their characters. Like something out of Mad Magazine’s comic ‘Spy vs. Spy’, both magicians resort to dirty tactics to get ahead, playing tricks on each other and not just the audience. It makes for an amusing dramatic spectacle and offers a brief glimpse of the show’s true potential.

So who is ultimately crowned top dog? Neither Mada nor Vegas in my book, but rather their accompanying magician Julia Madotti, who enthrals between each act with a magic-infused dance routine. As one of few female illusionists in Australia, she shows the boys how it’s done.

Read many more great Fringe reviews at the Buzzcuts website!

The Adelaide Fringe Festival runs from the 19th February – 14th March. Check out the program guide and buy tickets online at www.adelaidefringe.com.au

Alice in Wonderland is the result of Disney inviting director Tim Burton, a certified specialist in cinematic lunacy, and author Lewis Carroll, the pioneer of literary nonsense, to the same tea party. In other words, it’s the closest you’ll get to absolute madness without being locked in a room with padded walls. But being bonkers isn’t so bad. As Alice’s father remarks, “all the best people are.”

As the first big family movie of 2010, Disney/Burton’s reimagining of Carroll’s classic tale is a wondrous piece of escapism, despite some narrative shortcomings. It’s more of a sequel than a remake, with Alice (Mia Wasikowska), now 20 years old, falling back down the rabbit hole for the second time.

Or so the White Rabbit, still running late as ever, seems to think. He’s convinced that she is the same Alice who visited years before, but as she recalls, it was only a vivid dream.  He’s also having a hard time convincing his wacky companions, such as bulbous twins Tweedledum and Tweedledee (each voiced by Matt Lucas); a small but feisty Doormouse (Barbara Windsor); a cynical but wise caterpillar (Alan Rickman) and, of course, the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp),   whose tea parties have been spoilt by the wicked Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) and her destructive rule over the kingdom.

Cherry picking concepts and characters from Carroll’s books, Linda Woolverton’s screenplay has plenty of peculiar wit to chortle at, in spite of a narrative that seems a tad undercooked. It doesn’t start that way; the framing story is both clever and amusing – Alice’s visit to Wonderland takes place during her own engagement party for a predetermined marriage she’s not exactly chuffed about – but before long,  the plot  starts to smell a lot like one of Disney’s previous ventures, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It doesn’t help that fate is the key component to Wolverton’s story, adding to the predictability of events given they’re foretold to us early on, causing the CGI heavy climactic battle to underwhelm when it does inevitably arrive.

But notwithstanding the ho-hum narrative, the delightful characters and dazzling setting is more than enough to make this a joyous trip to the cinema. Burton is a true visionary, who doesn’t just vividly create surreal settings, but proceeds to dance his way through them with childlike vitality. Eye-popping 3D effects provide the rabbit hole with much more depth than before, the creature designs and animations – from the devious Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry) to the utterly lovable bass hound Bayard (Timothy Spall) —  being particularly excellent. Comparisons to Avatar are to be expected, and indeed valid, as James Cameron has set a lofty benchmark for digital imagery. While Underland isn’t quite as lush or photorealistic as the moon of Pandora, it’s still beautiful place to visit with all its endearing eccentricity. In a way, it’s a bit like watching Avatar while high on opium.

Sitting somewhere between Saoirse Ronan of The Lovely Bones and Cate Blanchett in age and looks, pale Australian beauty Mia Wasikowska is perfectly cast as Alice, full of wide eyed wonder and compelling determination. Burton’s leading man Johnny Depp is up to his usual tricks, blending some of his most memorable personas to become the Mad Hatter. He bears the quirky disposition of Willy Wonka, with the tender insecurities of Edward Scissorhands and the occasional, near uncontrollable, burst of Jack Sparrow zing. Maybe it’s just me, but you just want to give him a big hug every time he appears on screen, even though there’s a good chance he’ll try and nibble on your ear if you do.

Rounding out the impressive cast, Little Britain’s Matt Lucas provides solid comic relief as the Tweedle twins, while Burton’s partner Helena Bonham Carter – barely recognisable behind her digitally enlarged head and marvellous make up – makes being evil look more much fun than it should. Perhaps it’s because the righteous alternative is made out to be so dull, the result of Anne Hathaway being both miscast and misdirected as the overly mannered White Queen.

This is a Disney film, so it’s obviously not one of Burton’s darkest moments, but there are still a few gloomy scenes — such as floating, decapitated heads being used as stepping stones — that could frighten youngsters. Otherwise, they’ll be having a ball.  Adults, there’s plenty here for you too. Take, for instance, the Mad Hatters self-professed ability at the suspiciously suggestive “funderwhack” dance. There’s sure to be ladies everywhere queuing up to see Depp perform that in 3D.

With the 82nd Academy Awards ceremony just under two weeks away, the movie blogging community is going rabid with their predictions. Here at Cut Print Review, however, we’ve kept quiet on the subject, as down here in Australia many of the Oscar nominated films don’t see the light of day until the weeks leading up to the ceremony, and often,  long after it has passed. Now that I’ve had a chance to see most of the films nominated, I thought it was about time to chime in with my predictions.

Unlike last year, where Slumdog Millionaire was a far and away the favourite across the board, there’s a tad more ambiguity surrounding some of the chief categories, particularly for Best Picture. Some argue that this is a result of the Academy’s decision to increase the best picture field from five to ten nominees. I disagree. If you ask me, all that’s done is give five pictures – District 9, The Blind Side, Up, An Education and Precious – a false sense of hope. The remaining five, however, are all in with a chance. But as much as I’d like to see Up in the Air or Inglourious Basterds take the Oscar, the last few weeks have seen two favourites emerge: Avatar and The Hurt Locker.

My prediction is that The Hurt Locker will edge out Avatar for two reasons. Firstly, because I really don’t think Avatar, although highly entertaining, is best picture material. Secondly, because it’s incredibly rare for the Best Picture winner to be different to the Best Director winner. Since Kathryn Bigelow is practically a shoo-in for the director statuette – Jim Cameron has had his day as King and it’s about time a woman director won — one would therefore assume her film would also pick up Best Picture. Wouldn’t it be great if during her acceptance speech Kathryn said “I’m the Queen of the world!” just to really rub it in.

As for the Best Actor category, I’m not convinced there is a clear cut winner like many suggest. Jeff Bridges of Crazy Heart is often cited as the favourite, but I feel that because he appears in a movie that isn’t nearly as good as his performance, he tends to come out looking better by comparison. George Clooney on the other hand appears in a fantastic movie and still manages to shine, which to me makes his performance all the more commendable. I wouldn’t rule out Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) or Colin Firth (A Single Man) either, Renner entirely possible for the upset. But I’m going with Clooney.

Best Actress? I honestly haven’t the foggiest. One thing I can say for certain is that I do not want Meryl Streep to win. Not only did I find her performance in Julie & Julia irritating, the actress has Oscars practically for earrings. Same goes for you, Helen Mirren. I say give it to one of the newbies, preferably Carey Mulligan over Gabourey Sidibe. Say what you like, but I’m still not convinced Sidbe’s performance is all that good in Precious. Chances are though Sandra Bullock will win gold for The Blind Side, purely because the Academy felt sorry that she was involved in the disaster that was All About Steve (which our reviewer Katina went against the grain to give a lukewarm review).

Far more predictable are the supporting actor/actress categories; I wouldn’t be surprised if Mo’Nique (Precious) and Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds) had already cleared a space out in their trophy cabinets. While I’m secretly rooting for Anna Kendrick of Up in the Air and Stanley Tucci of The Lovely Bones, it’d be a huge upset if Mo’Nique or Waltz lost.

In the best Animated Feature category, I’d almost be willing to bet my left testicle that Up will win. Since the Pixar film was also nominated for Best Picture, surely that would mean it is guaranteed to win Best Animated, right? It just seems so logical. (By the way, I’m still devastated Adam Elliot’s clay-animated masterpiece Mary and Max didn’t make the nominees, as with the insanely entertaining Cloudy with A Chance of Meatballs).

As for all the other categories, I suspect most of the technical awards will head the way of Avatar (and rightfully so) and art/design awards will be fought between The Young Victoria, Sherlock Holmes and Nine.

Below is a full list of nominees for the 82nd Academy Awards:
My predicted winners are listed in blue, however the nominees I’d like to win (however improbable) are listed in green.

Best Picture:

“Avatar”

“The Blind Side”

“District 9″

“An Education”

“The Hurt Locker”

“Inglourious Basterds”

“Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire”

“A Serious Man”

“Up”

“Up in the Air”

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:

Morgan Freeman – “Invictus”

Jeff Bridges – “Crazy Heart”

George Clooney – “Up in the Air”

Colin Firth – “A Single Man”

Jeremy Renner – “The Hurt Locker”

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:

Meryl Streep – “Julie & Julia”

Sandra Bullock – “The Blind Side”

Helen Mirren – “The Last Station”

Gabourey Sidibe – “Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire”

Carey Mulligan – “An Education”

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:

Christoph Waltz - “Inglourious Basterds”

Christopher Plummer – “The Last Station”

Matt Damon – “Invictus”

Stanley Tucci – “The Lovely Bones”

Woody Harrelson – “The Messengers”

Performance by Actress in a Supporting Role:

Penelope Cruz – “Nine”

Vera Farmiga – “Up in the Air”

Maggie Gyllenhaal – “Crazy Heart”

Anna Kendrick – “Up in the Air”

Mo’Nique – “Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire”

Achievement in Directing:

James Cameron – “Avatar”

Kathryn Bigelow – “The Hurt Locker”

Quentin Tarantino – “Inglourious Basterds”

Jason Reitman – “Up in the Air”

Lee Daniels – “Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire”

Adapted Screenplay:

“District 9″ by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell

“An Education” by Nick Hornby

“Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire” by Geoffrey Fletcher

“Up in the Air” by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

“In the Loop” by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Ian Martin and Tony Roche

Original Screenplay:

“The Hurt Locker” by Mark Boal

“Inglourious Basterds” by Quentin Tarantino

“A Serious Man” by Joel and Ethan Coen

“Up” by Pete Docter and Bob Petersen

“The Messenger” by Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year:

“Up” – Pete Docter and Bob Peterson

“The Princess and the Frog” – Ron Clements and John Musker

“Coraline” – Henry Selick

“The Fantastic Mr Fox” – Wes Anderson

“The Secret of Kells” – Tomm Moore

Best Documentary Feature:

“Burma VJ” – Anders Ostergaard and Lise Lense-Moller

“The Cove” – Nominees to be determined

“Food, Inc.” – Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein

“The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” – Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith

“Which Way Home” – Rebecca Cammisa

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year:

“Ajami” – Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani, Israel

“A Prophet” – Jacques Audiard, France

“The Secret of Her Eyes” – Juan Jose Campanella, Argentina

“The White Ribbon” – Michael Haneke, Germany

“The Milk of Sorrow” – Claudia Llosa, Peru

Achievement in Art Direction:

“Avatar” – Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair

“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” – Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith

“Nine” – Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim

“Sherlock Holmes” – Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer

“The Young Victoria” – Art Direction: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray

Achievement in Cinematography:

“Avatar” – Mauro Fiore

“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” – Bruno Delbonnel

“The Hurt Locker” – Barry Ackroyd

“Inglourious Basterds” – Robert Richardson

“The White Ribbon” – Christian Berger

Achievement in Costume Design:

“Bright Star” – Janet Patterson

“Coco Before Chanel” – Catherine Leterrier

“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” – Monique Prudhomme

“Nine” – Colleen Atwood

“The Young Victoria” – Sandy Powell

Achievement in Film Editing:

“Avatar” – Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron

“District 9″ – Julian Clarke

“The Hurt Locker” – Bob Murawski and Chris Innis

“Inglourious Basterds” – Sally Menke

“Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire” – Joe Klotz

Achievement in Makeup:

“Il Divo” – Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano

“Star Trek” – Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow

“The Young Victoria” - Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score):

“Avatar” – James Horner

“Fantastic Mr. Fox” – Alexandre Desplat

“The Hurt Locker” – Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders

“Sherlock Holmes” – Hans Zimmer

“Up” – Michael Giacchino

Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song):

“Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” – Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

“Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” – Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

“Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36″ – Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas

“Take It All” from “Nine” – Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston

“The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” – Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T-Bone Burnett

Achievement in Sound Editing:

“Avatar” – Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle

“The Hurt Locker” – Paul N.J. Ottosson

“Inglourious Basterds” – Wylie Stateman

“Star Trek” – Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin

“Up” – Michael Silvers and Tom Myers

Achievement in Sound Mixing:

“Avatar” – Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson

“The Hurt Locker” – Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett

“Inglourious Basterds” – Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano

“Star Trek” – Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin

“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” – Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson

Achievement in Visual Effects:

“Avatar” – Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones

“District 9″ – Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken

“Star Trek” – Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

Best Documentary Short Subject:

“China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province” – Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill

“The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner” – Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher

“The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant” – Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert

“Music by Prudence” – Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett

“Rabbit a la Berlin” – Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

Best Animated Short Film:

“French Roast” – Fabrice O. Joubert

“Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” – Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell

“The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” – Javier Recio Gracia

“Logorama” – Nicolas Schmerkin

“A Matter of Loaf and Death” – Nick Park

Best Live Action Short Film:

“The Door” – Juanita Wilson and James Flynn

“Instead of Abracadabra” – Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellstrom

“Kavi” – Gregg Helvey

“Miracle Fish” – Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey

“The New Tenants” – Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Who are your picks for the Oscars? Leave a comment below.

I may be going out on a limb here, but if the Coen brothes recent gem A Serious Man was a lot more, well, serious and the religious themes were replaced with homosexual ones, then the result might look something like A Single Man. Look closely and the two films share more than just a similar name; both are set in 1960s America and concern a College Professor trying to find clarity in their lives after they’ve each been given a royal shake-up. And both are driven by the masterful performances of their respective leads, which in the case of A Single Man is British idol Colin Firth, who has leapt out from Hugh Grant’s rom-com shadow to deliver his most earnest and refined performance to date. For good reason, Firth is in the running to be the third actor in five years to win the best actor Oscar for portraying a gay man, the previous winners being Sean Penn in 2008 for his role in Milk and Philip Seymour Hoffman in 2005 for his role in Capote.

But there’s a lot more to like about A Single Man than Firth’s performance. As the feature debut of fashion designer Tom Ford — who scraped the top off his millions to fund the film himself — there is a sophisticated style to the composition of this film that makes it quite simply beautiful to behold. First off, Ford has delicately retouched Christopher Isherwood’s acclaimed novel of the same name to lend it more cinematic tension, framing the protagonist George (Firth) as suicidal rather than just broken-hearted.

George’s depression is a result of the sudden death of his partner of 16 years, Jim (Matthew Goode) in a car accident. Unable to overcome his grief, George commits himself to one last miserable day on Earth before he plans to end his own life later that night. But as the day progresses, fleeting moments of clarity and colour manage to seep their way into George’s life through various encounters; an enamoured young student Kenny (Skins star Nicholas Hoult) looking to explore his sexuality, a Spanish hustler looking for a one-off fling and George’s best friend and ex-lover Charley (Julianne Moore) looking to snuggle up to something that’s not a bottle of gin. George, all the while, cannot stray his mind from his beloved Jim, recounting the fondest, and most distressing, memories of their relationship through vivid flashbacks.

Immaculately dressed in tailored suit designed by Arianne Phillips and made in Ford’s menswear factory, Firth looks every bit the part as George, making it understandable why everyone he meets wants a piece of him. Yet it’s the thoughtfulness of his character, and the delicacies of Firth’s layered performance, that makes him so charming to the audience, even with his constant state of misery. In support, Moore and Hoult both showcase their talent in their individual scenes, the former adding a touch of humour by playing a drunk eccentric while the latter charming the screen with his boyish good looks. The focus, however, never strays away from Firth.

Through the lens of cinematographer Eduard Grau, Ford milks significance out of every moment in George’s day, frequently using slow motion tracking shots and lingering extreme close-ups of the smallest of details. The sound is just as immersive, slowing down with the visuals so that each tick, clamour and whoosh rings throughout the cinema.  It’s a deeply aural and visual experience — reminiscent of Sam Mendes’ brilliant feature debut American Beauty –  that benefits immensely from being seen on the big screen.

Yet the fastidious, highly stylised nature of A Single Man can also be its greatest flaw. The film is so methodically structured that (almost) every plot development can be seen coming well before it does, which coupled with the limitless number of slow motion shots, can make the film feel sluggishly paced. There is also an odd cinematic trick used whenever George senses a moment of joy, where the drab hues swiftly blossom with saturated colour before reverting back again. It’s an interesting technique, but due to its blatancy, it’s also a distracting one.

For the most part, however, A Single Man is a subtle, sophisticated and heart-rendering portrait of the love lost between two men, while in wider context – this is certainly not a uniquely gay story – it’s a film that explores our fears of growing old and being not just alone, but without happiness.

Thanks to Ford’s acute sense of style, such sobering themes have never looked so good.