Filmbiz blog

BOTOX CITY

by Yumi Stynes | March 02, 2010 17:50

Yumi Stynes just can't separate botox and the movies.

I recently tried to watch Zack and Miri Make a Porno when it screened on Foxtel but was so distracted by Elizabeth Banks' botoxed face that the movie fell into pieces for me. All I could see was that creepy forehead. Any time Seth Rogen started getting his charm on, I just pictured him staring into that immobilised skin and gulping, holding his breath so he could fake liking a girl vain and silly enough to do that to herself.

A similar distraction nearly brings the new New Zealand drama Separation City undone. Joel Edgerton does a valiant job in the lead as a love-struck married man carrying a torch for another woman. It's Rhona Mitra's other woman, Katrien, who distracts the hell out of me with what appear to be multiple procedures and none of them contributing to her acting skills! *sigh* 

Give me a few more years and let's see how my anti-botox resolve holds... but it's just horrible, HORRIBLE when actresses do that to themselves. Nicole Kidman is another case in point. She's gone from being one of the world's leading actors to one of the most derided, and a large part of that crash in esteem stems from the fact that she can no longer move her face.

 In Separation City a lot of adult concerns are discussed (lip-plumping not among them). There's love. Manhood. Parenting. Passion. Edgerton's Simon is in an unsatisfying marriage to Pam where sex is very low on the agenda. When his passions with Pam are repeatedly thwarted, it's almost natural that they start diverting elsewhere, especially when the woman attracting that attention, Katrien, seems so needy, beautiful (!) and bruised. Simon's stoicism is, to Katrien, a giant asset, and their quest for resolution - or consummation - takes them across continents. I liked the film and it's clear that director Paul Middleditch, who spent the earlier part of his life as a political cartoonist in NZ, has an interesting and thoughtful career ahead of him. Perhaps he'll enjoy greater discretion at future castings too.

The Last Song Reviewed... Twice!

by Tiana Stefanic and Sam Kilborn | February 15, 2010 12:02

Our two interns checked out the latest film starring teen sensation Miley Cyrus. Will their reviews indicate two vastly different responses or will it be unanimous: Cyrus should stick to her alter ego, Hannah Montana? Find out by reading on...

Tiana Stefanic's review

As the latest in a production line of films based on novels by the ubiquitous author Nicholas Sparks, The Last Song is sure to appeal to the same audiences who flocked to previous adaptations of his formulaic weepies including A Walk to Remember (1999), The Notebook (2004), Nights in Rodanthe (2008) and soon to be released Dear John (2010).

Tween sensation Miley Cyrus stars as Veronica ‘Ronnie' Miller, a rebellious teen who must reconcile with her estranged father over a summer reluctantly spent at his beach house on the picturesque Tybee Island in Georgia. Her emotional rollercoaster of a summer break features an intense teenage romance, baby turtles, the healing power of music and realisations about the importance of family.

After perfecting the disaffected surfer look with roles in Aussie soaps Home and Away and Neighbours, young actor Liam Hemsworth convincingly plays a supportive boyfriend here in his first major feature role. Just like brother Chris, who impressively made his Hollywood debut in the 2009 blockbuster Star Trek, Hemsworth has a magnetic screen presence and the potential to shine in more challenging roles in the future. He frequently appears shirtless, providing eye candy for the teenage audience wishing to distract themselves from the unrelenting cheesiness of Ronnie's journey to maturity.

By contrast, the big screen debut of Cyrus as a character other than Hannah Montana is sorely lacking in depth and conviction.

Despite its shortcomings, the coming-of-age story is nicely realised and the film features standout performances by the always reliable Greg Kinnear (as Ronnie's father) and talented newcomer Bobby Coleman (as her younger brother).  Aside from Cyrus' presence and some cringeworthy moments, this is a capably realised and entertaining film.

Sam Kilborn's Review

Author Nicholas Sparks has become a household name thanks to his soppy novels which have been adapted to box office success. Unfortunately his latest offering, The Last Song, directed by Julie Anne Robinson (Grey's Anatomy), will make you cry for an entirely different reason - Miley Cyrus has effectively sabotaged what could have been a rather intriguing film.
 
The story revolves around seventeen-year-old Veronica ‘Ronnie' Miller (Cyrus), who is forced, with her younger brother Jonah (Bobby Coleman), to live with her estranged father Steve (a solid Greg Kinnear) at his Southern beach house. Sounds like a drag, right? The film soon unfolds into a Notebook style summer romance between Cyrus and volleyball playing jock, Will (Liam Hemsworth), and needless to say romance suddenly turns to tragedy in one of the few truly moving scenes of the film.
 
The character of Ronnie was a part specifically written for Cyrus, which makes the teen-sensation's confusion between human turmoil and a constantly snarled upper lip extremely irritating. The audience are left to wonder how effective The Last Song could have been with a different leading lady.
 
Despite monumental flaws in the film, The Last Song will likely prove a box office smash due to the commercial value of Cyrus, and it somehow manages to flow through until its emotionally spurious resolution with only a few grimaces.

As Cyrus half heartedly confirms in the film, "The truth only means something when it's hard to admit!" Well, I think there is one truth we all must admit - Cyrus was more believable as Hannah Montana.

Hurt’s So Good

by Yumi Stynes | February 12, 2010 14:29

Bad child acting In Percy Jackson and possibly the first female to take out the Best Director Oscar?

I knew that young actor Logan Lerman would be more than just a one-off when he gave a luminous performance as Christian Bale's son in 3:10 to Yuma. In that film, directed by James Mangold, he was the trophy in the battle between Bale's flawed and cowardly good guy Dan Evans and Russell Crowe's genuinely badass but charismatic Ben Wade.

All grown up now (he just turned 18) he's the leading man in Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, a new fantasy film from a guy who knows a lot about making family-friendly entertainment, Chris Columbus (Harry Potter 1 & 2). 

Any teenage male hottie with a thick head of fashionably-cut dark hair and blue eyes is going to attract comparisons to Zac Efron but I'm afraid Percy Jackson reminded me far more of my colleague Lisa Hensley's review of the last Narnia movie. She said, "Three words: Bad. Child. Acting."  There's a fair bit of that with Lerman's wide-eyed disbelief getting harder to believe and his heroic sword-wielding made me wonder why Taylor Lautner's trainer wasn't available that day? No matter: His female offsider Alexandra Daddario, as Annabeth, will make you long for Megan Fox who at least is consistently awful.

I think the lesson in this is that directing children isn't easy and James Mangold won the contest. Other people rated this movie but it was all a bit Flash Gordon for my liking.

Six months ago The Hurt Locker was going to go straight to DVD in this country, much to the dismay of critics who'd been lucky enough to check in with advance screenings. Fortunately, a whole lotta industrial-strength hype has built up around the film courtesy of several Oscar nominations and now it's getting a cinema release and is being reviewed with gushing praise. It's thrilling to see quiet-achieving director Kathryn Bigelow finally attracting glory and she stands a good chance of being the first female to ever win the Best Director Oscar.

Kathryn Bigelow Top 5
5. James Cameron (1989 - 1991)
Okay, so he's not a film but the fact that she used to be married to the world's most successful director means she must have a tolerance for bull, and that would be primo training for dealing with Hollywood and its actors.
4. Near Dark (1987)
A vampire movie starring Adrian Pasdar, who was the Gael Garcia Benal we had before Gael Garcia Bernal came along.
3.  Strange Days (1995)
Okay, you thought Tom Sizemore was a deviant and Ralph Fiennes was a louche? Here's proof.
2. Blue Steel (1989)
Revolutionary in its time for its portrayal of tough women, starring Jamie Lee Curtis as a cop in peril from a stalker. Bitchin'.
1. Point Break (1991)
Keanu Reeves [as Johnny Utah]: "You're saying the FBI's gonna pay me to learn how to surf?"  Genius, and the first movie I ever paid to see twice at the cinema.

Animal Kingdom Review

by Joel Atkins | February 04, 2010 14:18

Filmink intern Joel Atkins has just come back from a screening of the Sundance Film Fest conquering Animal Kingdom, and had this to say...

In director David Michôd's feature debut, the talented Australian delivers a thrilling and stunning crime tale that promises to be one of Australia's finest films in some time. In this thought provoking and psychological drama, Michôd's cast bring to life the emotional story of a crime driven family.

The home-grown local talent shines through in moments of emotion provoking drama and moments of pure brutal violence. Each member of the diverse and intriguing family brings an amazing aspect to the film. Ben Mendelsohn stars as the psychotic, volatile and at stages comical, oldest brother Pope. His stand out performance as the peculiar criminal draws you in whilst making you afraid of what he is truly capable of. He is supported by Joel Edgerton as the bashful yobbo and Jacki Weaver as the seemingly innocent crime matriarch. The cleverly assembled cast bring to life a story of crime, loyalty and everything in between.

The film follows the journey of 17 year old Josh, who is sent to live with his grandma and four uncles following the death of his mother. Through the young boy's narration we are given an insight into the naive and fragile state of this kid. Surrounded by crime and drugs, Josh must stake his loyalties as he is embroiled into a family life of crime, in which he doesn't belong.

Animal Kingdom entices you with every twist and turn, and ultimately a sense of tragedy is evoked.  Each character has their moment to shine and draw you into their life and story.

Unlike many crime dramas, Animal Kingdom delves deeper into the heart and soul of families, loyalty and the innocence of being a teenager.  This truly stunning film keeps you on your toes thinking throughout, while still providing a mix of good old fashioned "cops and robbers" action.

Brand New Day, Get It?

by Yumi Stynes | January 13, 2010 09:47

Have you heard the one about boys having sexual dreams about Na'vi girls?

Bran Nue Dae is a new, big Australian film and I can't wait to see how it's received by local audiences. I suspect that the same people who embraced the fairly poorly-reviewed Charlie and Boots, are going to get on board and celebrate the brand new day.

It's a cute little film enjoying a lot of cut-through because of some inspired casting. Jessica Mauboy, in real-life a charming, sweet and hard-working country girl, is perfectly cast as the love interest from Broome, WA - a charming, sweet country girl who, like Jessica, is also a pretty talented singer. With up-and-coming singer/songwriter Dan Sultan cast as the bad-boy in the love triangle, the main actor, unknown Rocky McKenzie, has a tough job convincing us that Jessica Mauboy would choose McKenzie's Willie over Dan Sultan's far more attractive and adult Lester. I know who I'd prefer to having strumming on my guitar!

Besides the limited range of the main actor and the passiveness of his character, a few other things imbalance the film. An extended cameo by another singer/songwriter (the far better-known), Missy Higgins is distracting - she's too radiant and working too hard on being likeable for us to ever believe she's someone else, and Geoffrey Rush as Father Benedictus proves that sometimes the Christmas ham really does go off.

Overall though, the effect is positive, and audiences are pretty much guaranteed to leave the cinema smiling. It's old-fashioned filmmaking, and the result is a film you could take your mum, grandma, and children to see.

(Not like Avatar! - If you're around school-age children you may have heard of a syndrome going around called ‘Pandorum' where kids who mightn't have been allowed in to see Avatar alone but were escorted by their parents or friends, are being disturbed by nightly dreams of large greenie-blue alien beings. And older boys are reporting having sexual dreams about Na'vi girls. No joke!)

Over on the far more serious side of filmmaking is the new Clint Eastwood adventure Invictus. The film follows the classic sports movie formula - underdog team faces insurmountable odds but must use extensive montage sequences to train and overcome their issues of self-worth to triumph on and off the field. Only this time the hurdle they must overcome is South Africa's history of apartheid and racial oppression. And this time the guy giving the pep talks is Nelson Mandela! Genius. It's a genius idea, put together brilliantly by gentleman director Clint Eastwood, who proves once and for all that he's not shy of a little slow-mo in key action sequences.

I love Clint and won't hear a bad word about him but the real revelation here is Matt Damon, who looks like he was born to play the part of Springboks team captain, Francois Pienaar. Their physical similarities are remarkable and Matt finally loses that preppy white-boy naffness he's carried through all his roles, and looks, at last, like a man.

Manhood and fatherhood are very much at the forefront of the The Road, which is out January 28. The highly acclaimed novel on which the film is based was written by Cormac McCarthy, the same guy who wrote No Country For Old Men - and I recommend you try to read the book before seeing the film. Both texts offer no explanation as to how the world has reached such a diabolical state of breakdown but in the book one feels a certain acceptance of this post-apocalyptic world. Unprepared viewers of the film may find themselves waiting for an inevitable denouement where everything is explained and happiness arrives. Oops. Fans of the novel will be pleased to hear that the film is very faithful to the book and actor Viggo Mortensen is wonderfully heartbreaking as the father.

Boxing Day Bonanza and Brittany Murphy

by Yumi Stynes | December 23, 2009 11:39

Lots of movies coming out on Boxing Day, and poor Brittany Murphy...

There are two main talking points in the new Sherlock Holmes movie. One is Robert Downey Jr's amazing shirtless torso in a slow-motion fight scene. 44 year-old Downey manages to prove that some men really are like children: they improve with age. 

The other astonishing scene is a slow-motion explosion scene so audaciously good that the movie completely drops out after it. No matter. I'm curious about whether actor Andy Garcia (The Untouchables) has noticed that Mark Strong, playing the villain Lord Blackwood, has completely stolen his look. Weird! Never have two actors looked so similar. (Or not since Tobey Maguire and Topher Grace last hung out anyway.)

It's also great to see Jude Law reimagined as a flawed sidekick. Giving the British playboy actor a break from leading-man roles was a genius idea because he seems to have been set free to play and have fun while also competing furiously against the charismatic Robert Downey Jr for maximum acting chops. It's fun. With Sherlock Holmes, director Guy Ritchie may finally be able to kick the tag "The Artist Formerly Married to Madonna".

Another actor who was always better in support roles than leading ones is the sadly demised Brittany Murphy! She specialised in cute, little girl characters and first came to our attention as a chubby, bubbly ‘Tai' in Clueless. Her recent career got a bit B-grade but she has 3 films in post-production and you can still hear her voice work in the animated comedy series King of the Hill.

My Favourite Brittany Murphy Movies - Top 5:

Clueless

8 Mile

The Dead Girl

Freeway

Sin City

Did You Hear About the Morgans? is a new romantic comedy about an estranged married couple who have to go into witness protection after one of Sarah Jessica Parker's clients is pushed off a balcony. Yawn! Okay, so it's utterly predictable and mostly charmless but I must confess to finding (the usually insufferable) Hugh Grant, as the cheating husband, quite adept in this role at wringing a small chuckle from the stupidest lines. SJP, perhaps taking a break from looking like she's about to exclaim "Because I'm worth it!" actually looks kinda frumpy and her hair needs a conditioning treatment. Do you care about the Morgans? Not one bit. A good movie for a doona day at home.

You'll care more for Susie Salmon, the main character in The Lovely Bones. Played radiantly by Saoirse Ronan (the creepy little girl in Atonement), she's the 14 year-old star of the story. It's clear from the start of the film (and the book, by Alice Sebold), that Susie has been killed and she's narrating the story from Heaven. This knowledge doesn't exonerate you from sickening dread as the story edges closer to her inexorable murder.

Kiwi director Peter Jackson said that he wanted to make this a film teenagers could go and see - considering, I believe, his own daughters as potential viewers - and his touch is delicate and considerate and he makes great effort to respectfully depict the thoughts and fantasies of a teenage girl. 

A lot of the greenscreen scenes (studio-shot content where the background is later superimposed using computers) are lunky and plastic, unfortunately, but there are really great, goosebump moments in The Lovely Bones.

All You Need Is Love by Yumi Stynes

by Yumi Stynes | December 14, 2009 09:29

Away We Go, Broken Embraces and Nowhere Boy. Love, love, love!

When the casting of John Krasinski was announced for role of Jim in the American The Office I was a little aghast. His English predecessor Tim, played by Martin Freeman was a short man, crumpled and a bit hopeless, wearing a permanent hangdog expression that made it clear his future contained neither inbuilt privilege nor luck. Perfect for Tim, one of life's underdogs, destined (hopefully) for love but never for greatness. Jim, on the other hand, was athletic with great teeth and though he worked hard to disguise it with the hairstyle equivalent of a cardigan, he was handsome.

Krasinski made Jim work because his character evolved away from Tim and his hopelessness became self-imposed. Krasinski looks poised to become this generation's John Corbett. 

Corbett is an actor who made his career playing gentle guys who worship women.

John Corbett's Top 3 SNAGs

Max - The United States of Tara.
The long-suffering husband of Toni Collette's mega-Crazytown Tara, he puts up with an army of psycho female personalities from just one wife!

Aidan Shaw - Sex and the City
The long-suffering lover of Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw, he offers her loyalty, sturdiness and trust: direct opposition to Big's manly cold indifference.

Chris Stevens - Northern Exposure
The thoughtful and kinda groovy radio announcer of small-town Cicely, Alaska, he portrayed sensitivity, loyalty and a love of women and set it off with a Jesus haircut.

Krasinski is one of the stars of the new Sam Mendes film Away We Go and he establishes his SNAG credentials in the opening sex scenes. It's pretty funny! His hotness is disguised with a woolly beard and he plays Burt, a mid-30s insurance salesman deeply in love with his girlfriend Verona (Maya Rudolph). On discovering that his parents really don't care about the impending birth of their grandchild, Burt and Verona set off on a road trip zig-zagging America, looking for prototype parents to emulate.

This comedy, like the couple, is shambling and likeable. It's been criticised for its lack of structure but I quite liked its form. My main hesitation in recommending this film is that it really is only for people who have or really want children. If that's you then this film is recommended.

I'm fascinated to hear that English art-world hero and director of Nowhere Boy, 42 year-old Sam Taylor Wood, hooked up with her 19 year-old star Aaron Johnson and months after the film's completion, they are still together. He's impossibly cute as a young John Lennon in the film, with none of Lennon's angular sharpness but enough of his charm to push through the idea that this kid will eventually become a Beatle. If you're a fan this film offers you a terrific version of the key events in Lennon's adolescence and maybe a few clues about what led him to Yoko Ono. The scenes where Paul McCartney and other close friends react to the tragedy in Lennon's life are particularly good and for me, offer a moving and true insight into the bonds between boys in bands.

Finally, this is a time of year when a lot more people head out to the cinema than usual, so I'd like to offer my pick of the bunch. If you haven't already been sucked in to the maelstrom of Avatar hype, and you're the sort of person who can hack subtitles, then you need to go and see Broken Embraces. The film is the latest collaboration between Spanish auteur director Pedro Almodovar and his favourite actress Penelope Cruz. She stars as a gifted wannabe actress and sometime call-girl who falls passionately in love with her director, Mateo (Lluís Homar). The tragedy that ensues from their inability to compromise their art forms the greater part of the story, but it's joyful in its sadness and celebrates love. Love! It's inspiring. Just what you need this time of year.

Happy Christmas with love from Yumi. X X X

Wild Thing I Think I Love You

by Yumi Stynes | December 01, 2009 13:30

Zombieland, Paranormal Activity and Where The Wild Things Are...

Ever since Woody Harrelson played Mickey Knox in Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers the madness glinting in that hillbilly smile became apparent to those previously dazzled by his country boy charm in Cheers. It lurked around the edges of his No Country For Old Men cameo, was employed to great effect in this year's special effects blockbuster 2012 where he played a nutty DJ specialising in conspiracy theories, and is on show in the perfect vehicle for a man with a knack for incipient insanity; the ZOMBIE MOVIE!

Zombieland is being called the best zombie comedy since Shaun of the Dead and, just like all Arnie movies must include the line, "I'll be back," all zombie movies must include new and more gross ways to kill zombies. Zombieland does not disappoint! See it with someone who can laugh at dismemberment.

Paranormal Activity has been getting loads of hype but let me ask you this: Would you want to watch The Blair Witch Project again? Ever? No? Then don't bother with Paranormal Activity. Unless you're a young filmmaker looking for instructional insights into how to make a low-budget multiplex movie, this is mostly an exercise in lost opportunity. They could've put so much more characterisation in there - just one laugh, perhaps? But the two actors Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat are charmless and I'd be surprised to see much more of them in future.

The big film out that you need to see is the long-awaited, much-anticipated Where The Wild Things Are. Directed by Spike Jonze and shot for the most part in Victoria, this film is an adaptation of the classic children's storybook by Maurice Sendak.

Is it a kid's film? 

I'm not sure. My infant daughter used to make me read the book over and over until I was hoarse. Taking her along as a now-7 year-old felt wild and special and we both cried! It may surprise viewers by taking them to sad and complex places they didn't expect from the book. It surprised us.

The story centres on Max, a young boy who's wrestling with feelings of isolation and abandonment. He's the younger brother and still very much a child while his sister has moved into teenagehood and his parents' marriage has collapsed. Everything that plays out in the place where the Wild Things are has its metaphorical roots in Max's real world. The two Wild Things that Max tries desperately to help, Carol and KW (voiced brilliantly by James Gandolfini and Lauren Ambrose), are just like his parents and no amount of desperate effort can solve their issues.

Depending on your commitment to the allegory, Where The Wild Things Are can actually be a pretty heartbreaking film. It's also terrific entertainment. Original music is by Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the legendary composer Carter Burwell (who does all the Coen Bros films).

I guess the film surprised me - I've been seeing all the Hollywood children's movies for the past seven years and they have in common an unwillingness to acknowledge the sadness and dirtiness of the world. They're kind of like the kindergarten teacher with the permanent fake smile and the baby voice, smiling, smiling through gritted teeth. This film, even though it's sort of meant for adults, allows itself a long and heaving sigh, a deep and serious frown, and gives children the chance to ask, "Is death scary?" and "Why does everything have to be so messy?" 

As we left the cinema I told my daughter, "That's the first grown-up film you've seen." She's probably going to remember it for the rest of her life.

What If?

by Rhiannon Sawyer | November 19, 2009 13:09

You can keep your Kodak and your Grauman’s Chinese theatre, when it comes to Australia the Oscars have absolutely nothing on the Kodak Inside Film Awards which were held at Sydney’s iconic Luna Park last night.

Against the backdrop of the sparkling harbour on a beautiful Spring evening, actors directors, models, producers, entertainers and all of Australia's spectacular filmmaking talent strolled down the red carpet chatting to the press and waiting for the celebrations to begin. The red carpet throng may not have been as busy as the Golden Globes, which Oscar winning Catherine Martin ensured goes on for over an hour and half but there were enough cameras flashing and mics poked in faces for the event to have that official feeling.

Robert Connolly (director of Bailbo) was looking forward to enjoying the evening and commented that win or lose, the talent that he was up against made him proud to be among the nominees for the awards. Accompanied by his star Damon Gameau, they wondered where the fantastically short shorts from the film had gone and whether or not they should have sported them this night.

A bustle awaited the big name stars such as Megan Gale and Sam Worthington but it was the imposing figure of Warwick Thornton whose smiling face betrayed no nerves and his shy star Rowan McNamara that the punters were banking on. Samson and Delilah may be Australia's Oscar hope for 2010 but it was sure to take home a few IF awards last night. Unsurprisingly, and deservedly, the film swept the floor. Samson and Delilah won Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor and Actress, Best Music and Best Script. Nick Giannopoulos (Wog Boy) ensured everyone kept their heads when he announced Best Actress, forgetting to first list the nominees and jumping straight to the winner. As the awards were being recorded for television, the announcement had to be remade but the crowd managed to remain just as excited to hear Marissa Gibson declared the winner (again).

Inside the media room there was chaos as the first of the winners began to emerge, clutching their huge bunch of flowers and their blue and white statuette. Adam Elliot sparked a giggle when announcing the winner of Best Animation (Eddie White and Ari Gibson for The Cat Piano) but giggled himself when he emerged as winner for Best Production Design for Mary and Max, presented by the glamorous Megan Gale who Elliot gushed over when accepting his award.

Australia's biggest film in the last year, Australia, wasn't to go home empty handed when it took out The Cutting Edge IF Award for Box Office Achievement and Baz once again got to take the stage when he accepted the Kodak Living Legend IF Award. His speech was full of thanks to his wife and those that had helped him in his career but mostly he echoed the sentiments of nearly everyone present on the night: that this year's stock of Australian films were a magnificent legacy for 2009 and the talent that has emerged will ensure a thriving industry in the years ahead.

While some of the attendees were on the promotional trail (Jeremy Sims was out in force talking up his war feature Beneath Hill 60 due out in the first half of next year with what seemed like half the cast also in attendance), others were content to just sit back and relax such as the radiant Deborah Mailman (Bran Nue Dae), who didn't just have a pregnant glow about her but also a shining smile due to her Best Short Film win for her directorial debut Ralph. In the hustle and bustle backstage she was also not too busy to procure some chocolate for the hungry press. We hail you Deborah.

As the last few awards were revealed and the media began to subside, the crowds flooded the Crystal Ballroom where the after party was kicking off and the alcohol was flowing. Despite the many sore heads today, Sydney can be proud of the sparkling event held last night and Australia's film industry can hold their heads high as we head into a new decade, awaiting the possibilities.

Box Office Theory 1.01

by Yumi Stynes | November 18, 2009 11:54

The devil is in the details.

It's been said that Nicole Kidman's manicure in Cold Mountain was what did her out of an Academy Award. Her character Ada Monroe was meant to be a hard-working frontier woman, washing her own clothes, hoeing her own vegetables - oh, and it's also the middle of the Civil War. So why has she got perfectly polished, clean and groomed fingernails? Similarly, Hilary Swank's hairdo in Amelia could be accused of keeping audiences away in masses from the biopic. Something's gotta be responsible; the film's been out a week and they're staying away.

Another film to be avoided is Franklyn - a messy and disjointed comic book story starring (and here's an indication of how it misses the mark) Ryan Phillippe. A critic from The Guardian in the UK described the film as "up itself" which is succinct if not entirely accurate! If you can make sense of it please email me.

I was lucky enough to see half an hour of Avatar before I interviewed Aussie star actor Sam Worthington on the red carpet of the IF Awards. Avatar has been the subject of more internet chatter than Blair Witch and Jennifer's Body combined and a lot of that chatter so far, has been negative. They're all haters, I say. James Cameron may be a weirdy beardie egomaniac but you can't argue that he hasn't made popular and excellent films.

THE JAMES CAMERON TOP 5:

Aliens

Terminator 2

Terminator

Solaris (as Producer)

Titanic

I took my two dwarves to see Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs - the title of which they profoundly did not understand and still do not understand having seen the film but fortunately titles matter little for small ass-kicking girls under 10 years-old. They loved it and this film is going to be massive for the Australian summer. I don't think it really matters whether the characters are engaging or the message contains truth: kids just wanna see it for that moment when a giant pancake flattens the school. During the screening a rainstorm blew up and as we left the cinema I kept expecting a giant meatball to go rolling down the main street. Enjoyable if not overly memorable.