Running Time: 107 mins

Director: Daina Glen

Starring: Brendan Cowell, Peter Dinklage, Yvonne Strahovski, Peter Helliar, Megan Gale

Release Date: 6^th May 2010

It’s pretty rare that we see an Australian romantic comedy. These days, our cinemas are flooded with American rom coms, all following the same predictable format, with the same unrealistic characters, sold to us as an “escape” from our lives. Are our lives really that boring?

Thank the Aussie film gods for Peter Helliar (from TV show “Rove”), who has crafted a cute little local “bromance” with a few surprises.

Brendan Cowell plays Jim, a commitment phobe who just can’t say those three little words to his girlfriend Alice (Yvonne Strahovski). After patiently waiting for 3 years for her love to be returned, Alice has had enough, and dumps him. Jim turns to his best mate Blake (Peter Helliar), new mate Charlie (Peter Dinklage) and sister Marie (Bridie Carter) for support.

The cast are fantastic, Brendan Cowell (fresh from starring in “Beneath Hill 60”) is so likeable on screen, and Yvonne Strahovski (“Chuck”) is very sweet as the British Alice. Megan Gale does well too, in her first film role, playing the Italian supermodel Francesca Moretti. You might imagine this role is not too much of a stretch for the former model, but I think she had a tough job on her hands, considering the fact we all know her as “Megan Gale”. But the standout performance is from American actor Peter Dinklage (“Death at a Funeral”, “Elf”), who brings much gravitas to his role. He is very funny yet touching as well, in fact he is so good, he almost shows up the other actors!

Reviewed by Alicia Malone

The film does drag a little in the second act, but comes together really nicely for a sweet ending. The characters are all very relatable, and there are quite a few laughs to be had. It’s refreshing to see an Australian romantic comedy done this well. Bring on more!

3 ½ out of 5

For a complete guide to what’s worth watching at the cinema, tune into Movie Juice every Saturday night on Movie Extra.

Reviewed by Alicia Malone.

Running Time: 93 mins

Director: Steve Pink

Starring: John Cusack, Chevy Chase, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clarke Duke, Crispin Glover

Release Date: 22^nd April 2010

I love a film with a literal title; you know, one that delivers exactly what it promises. “Snakes On A Plane” gave us… well, snakes on a plane. And “Hot Tub Time Machine” is about… I think you can guess.

John Cusack stars as Adam, one of a bunch of mates who head off to their old holiday destination hoping to recreate the fun times of their youth. But when they arrive, Adam, Lou (Rob Corddry), Nick (Craig Robinson) and Adam’s nephew Jacob (Clarke Duke) discover their old stomping ground has declined into a sort of “Shining”-esque dump of a hotel. But the hot tub is still just as inviting, so the boys pile in for a bit of good old fashioned naked male bonding. After a crazy night the foursome wake up to discover they have time travelled back to their teenage selves in the 80′s.

“Hot Tub Time Machine” is definitely not a highbrow film, in fact the comedy is about as lowbrow as you can get. But the infectious energy, great cast and quotable lines make watching this movie a lot of fun.

John Cusack is back in fine form after his disappointing films “2012” and “1408”; it almost feels like we have time travelled back to his charming “High Fidelity” days. Rob Corddry has the lion’s share of gross-out jokes, which include spewing on a squirrel. Yes, you heard me. He spews on a squirrel. That gives you some indication of the level of humour we are talking about!

Crispin Glover has the best running gag of the film, playing a weird one-armed hotel bellboy, and a wide-eyed Chevy Chase has a cameo as the hot tub repair guy, who might be able to explain what is going on, or might just be crazy.

Reviewed by Alicia Malone

The logic of the actual time travel and what happens when they return to the real world doesn’t quite add up, but it doesn’t matter. There are great jokes for children of the 80’s (is there any funnier decade?) and quite a few genuine surprises in there too.

“Hot Tub Time Machine” is a totally gross-out, totally stupid guilty pleasure.

4 out of 5

For a complete guide to what’s worth watching at the cinema, tune into Movie Juice this Saturday night 7:15pm on Movie Extra.

Reviewed by Alicia Malone.

Running Time: 104 mins

Director: Jim Sheridan

Cast: Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman

Release Date: 18^th March 2010

Tobey Maguire steps out of his Spiderman shadow to star in “Brothers” as Sam, a soldier getting ready for his tour of duty in Afghanistan. He’s leaving behind his wife, Grace (Natalie Portman), his two children, and his brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal). These two brothers could not be more different; Tommy, is the black sheep of the family, and has just been released from prison, whereas Sam is a career soldier, and the apple of his father’s eye.

While in Afghanistan Sam’s helicopter is shot down, and he’s captured and tortured by the Taliban. He is presumed dead to everyone at home, leaving Grace consumed with grief. Tommy steps in to help look after the children and help around the house, and becomes very close to Grace and the kids.

The impact this kind of emotional film has really comes down to the cast, and all the stars deliver with powerhouse performances. Tobey Maguire proves he is capable of so much more than we’ve seen, delivering a haunting performance with a dark edge, you just never know when he is about to crack. Natalie Portman gives just the right amount of emotion, never going over the top, but heartbreaking none the less.

Jake Gyllenhaal, besides being dreamy to look at, is vulnerable and charming – you quickly find yourself switching sides from ‘Team Sam’ to ‘Team Tommy’.

And I have to give a special mention to the two young actresses who play Grace and Sam’s daughters. Taylor Geare and Bailee Madison are so believable, managing to convey a couple of complex emotions at once, very rare to see in a Hollywood movie!

Reviewed by Alicia Malone

I can’t comment on whether this remake is as good as the original Danish film it’s based on, since I am yet to see “Brodre”; but this version of “Brothers” will take you on an emotional and thought provoking ride, which you’ll be talking about with your friends for hours afterwards.

4 out of 5

Reviewed by Alicia Malone

For a complete guide to what’s worth watching at the cinema, tune into Movie Juice this Saturday night on Movie Extra.

Running Time: 122 mins

Director: Jeremy Hartley Sims

Starring: Brendan Cowell, Gyton Grantley , Anthony Hayes, Steve Le Marquand, Chris Haywood, Bella Heathcote

Release Date: 16^th April, 2010

Released a week before ANZAC day, Beneath Hill 60 is a classic war film which celebrates the Aussie spirit of mateship, and the bravery of our soldiers during World War I.

Brendan Cowell heads up the cast of A-List actors, playing Oliver Woodward, a real life Australian miner who fought on the Western Front in 1916. He left behind his young love Marjorie (Bella Heathcote) to join a team of Australian tunnellers, whose mission was to dig underneath German lines in Belgium and set off a series of massive explosions, with the aim of killing thousands of German troops stationed above.

It’s a story not many know about, and one which gives us a glimpse into the true horrors of the Great War. Knee deep in mud and water, the Australian miners worked silently in those torturous conditions, knowing their lives could end at any moment, with German troops doing the same thing only meters away.

Joining Brendan Cowell in the ensemble cast of Aussie miners is Gyton Grantley as Norman “Pull-Through” Morris, the always excellent Anthony Hayes as Capt William McBride, Harrison Gilbertson who plays the young soldier Frank Tiffin, and Steve Le Marquand, who steals the show as the gruff Sergeant Bill Fraser.

Chris Haywood also shines as an annoyingly by-the-book English officer, and Aden Young has a brief cameo as a Canadian miner.

The pace of the film is a disrupted as the story jumps back and forth in time, between the slower romantic scenes, and the action packed war ones. I understand why it was important to give background to the character of Oliver Woodward and, show what he was leaving behind, but these scenes are much less interesting than the war story.

Beneath Hill 60 follows the same conventions as your standard war film, with only a couple of surprises. For example, as soon as a touching personal story about a character is revealed, you know they are going to die.

One refreshing difference is that we are given a look inside German trenches; where you see how their soldiers were going through the same emotions as ours, giving the enemy a face instead of simply being stereotyping them as “evil”.

Reviewed by Alicia Malone

Uncomfortably tense at times, and beautifully shot, director Jeremy Hartley Sims has pulled together a great cast for an interesting story; showcasing the extraordinary task this bunch of ordinary Aussies were able to achieve.

3 ½ out of 5

For a complete guide to what’s worth watching at the cinema, tune into Movie Juice this Saturday night 7:15pm on Movie Extra.

Reviewed by Alicia Malone.

Running Time: 153 mins

Director: Neils Arden Oplev

Cast: Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace, Peter Haber

Release Date: 26^th March 2010

I’m sure by now you have all heard of the hugely popular crime novel, “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo”. Spending weeks at the top of many best-seller lists, it’s the first book in the late Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy, published posthumously after his sudden death.

In Swedish, the title of the book literally translates to “Men Who Hate Women”, which I almost think would have been a better name for the film.

Journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) is in a bit of trouble, accused of libel against an industrialist, which could see him go to jail. So when a wealthy member of the powerful Vanger family calls him to help solve a cold case, he jumps at the chance to escape the media spotlight. The case revolves around Henrik Vanger’s niece, who went missing some forty years ago. Henrik believes foul play was involved, and since his family were the only people on their island at the time, he suspects one of them could be the murderer.

Mikael starts investigating the case himself, but soon realises he is being tracked when he receives a mysterious email containing some clues. That email came from computer hacker, researcher, and “girl with the dragon tattoo” Lisabeth Sanders (Noomi Rapace), who agrees to help Mikael solve the case.

Lisabeth has her own problems to escape; her sleazy probation officer (Peter Andersson) has control of her money, and will only give her some when she gives him “some”… if you know what I mean. And forcibly, I might add.

Together Lisabeth and Mikael set about uncovering the mystery behind Harriet’s disappearance, which turns out to be much more sinister than they could have imagined.

The theme of “men who hate women” runs throughout, with sexual violence against women, and graphic revenge on those men. (The scene where Lisabeth gets back at her guardian is tough to watch)

“The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” is a mix of genres – a gory murder mystery with a slick European thriller vibe. It’s such old school crime caper fun; I almost thought Colonel Mustard was going to appear in the ballroom with some candlesticks.

The standout in the film is Noomi Rapace. She adds heart and multiple layers to what could have been a comic book caricature. Her Lisabeth is rough, smart, sexy and kick ass tough. She’s an interesting heroine, with her tattoos, piercings and gothic look – a sort of new ‘Nikita’.

Now I haven’t read the book, so I can’t comment on how well it has been translated to the screen, and I would be very interested to hear what fans of the novel think of the movie. I was able to follow the plot easily, and it certainly didn’t feel like anything was missing. In fact at 2 hours and 34 minutes, it probably could have been tightened up a little bit!

The entire film is in Swedish with English subtitles, but don’t let that put you off seeing it, because the subtitles don’t detract from the story in any way.

Reviewed by Alicia Malone

3 ½ out of 5

Reviewed by Alicia Malone

For a complete guide to what’s worth watching at the cinema, tune into Movie Juice this Saturday night on Movie Extra.

Running Time: 114 mins

Director: Paul Greengrass

Cast: Matt Damon, Amy Ryan, Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson

Release Date: 11^th March 2010

Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass team up once again for “Green Zone”, which is starting to be known as “Bourne 4”. But apart from those two, and the genre of political thriller meets action blockbuster, this is a very different film. Unfortunately.

The title refers to the US occupied area in Iraq, where soldiers live and play in the crumbling palaces once belonging to Saddam Hussein. The story is set in 2003, with Damon playing Army Chief Miller, who leads a team searching for those infamous Weapons of Mass Destruction. After several raids fail to reveal any weapons of any kind, Miller begins to be sceptical of the intelligence reports given to them by a mysterious source called “Magellan”.

Pentagon’s Clark Poundstone (Greg Kinnear) and Wall Street Journal reporter Lawrie Dayne (Amy Ryan) are no help, neither wanting to give up the source, except for revealing it comes from a high ranking Iraqi official. Miller’s only ally to find the truth is CIA Agent Martin Brown (Brendan Gleeson) who is suspicious of the fact that any WMDs exist.

Paul Greengrass once again uses his trademark shaky handheld camera and quick shots to heighten tension, so if you are susceptible to motion sickness at all, make sure you sit as far away from the screen as possible!  You either love his signature style or you don’t, and while it is hard at times to see exactly what is happening, I am a big fan of his raw, fast-paced approach, which put you on the ground amongst the all the action.

And there is a lot of action, but “Green Zone” is not nearly as exciting as the Bourne trilogy. The characters lack depth – I would have loved to learn a bit more about Miller, his back-story, and why he seems so determined to find the truth.

Reviewed by Alicia Malone

The plot is interesting, more anti-American (or I should say, anti-Bush) than I expected, but would have held more weight a few years ago, when these issues were a hot topic. Now it feels like it’s too little too late.

3 out of 5

Reviewed by Alicia Malone

For a complete guide to what’s worth watching at the cinema, tune into Movie Juice this Saturday night on Movie Extra.

Rated: PG

Running Time: 108 mins

Director: Tim Burton

Cast: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Mia Wasikowska, Anne Hathaway

Release Date: 4^th March, 2010

Tim Burton’s “Alice In Wonderland” has been one of the most anticipated films of the year. And it does sound like a perfect match – the weird and wonderful Lewis Carroll story brought to life by the weird and wonderful director, who has taken us on many a strange trip in films such as “Edward Scissorhands”. But unfortunately, like the character of Alice, it’s missing its muchness.

The story is a mix between two of Carroll’s books “Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass”, given a good Disney water down by screenwriter Linda Woolverton. The film begins with Alice as a child, asking her father if her dreams of wonderland means she’s crazy. Thirteen years later her friends and family are asking the same, as 19-year-old Alice (Mia Wasikowska) questions marrying the icky Hamish (Leo Bill), just because he’s a Lord, her looks won’t last, and she wouldn’t want to end up like her crazy Aunt.

Alice is saved from answering his proposal by a white rabbit in a waistcoat, which she chases down a rabbit hole. A quick shrinking, growing and shrinking later, Alice is back in Wonderland, only she has forgotten she was ever there. The Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) still remembers, and along with his collection of odd friends, tries to convince Alice it’s her destiny to help them fight the evil Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) and restore the throne to the good White Queen (Anne Hathaway).

It should be a fun trip to another world, but this version of “Alice In Wonderland” lacks energy, so it was hard to get swept up in the story. The 3D feels very much like an afterthought, or I should say, an “after Avatar thought”, and doesn’t add anything to the film. That was the biggest disappointment for me, because if any fictional world lends itself to another dimension, it’s Wonderland.

On the plus side the design and effects are exceptional, in particular the quirky costumes and the bizarre looking Red Queen, and Mia Wasikowska proves she was an excellent choice for the lead. She’s beautiful to watch, bringing a quiet strength to her role. This is just the beginning for the young Aussie actress; we will be seeing a lot more from her in the future.

Johnny Depp is wonderful as always, slipping between accents and states of sanity; and Helena Bonham Carter is a lot of fun to watch as the Red Queen.

Reviewed by Alicia Malone

“Alice In Wonderland” has its fun moments, but its just a little more Disney cute and bland then I was hoping it would be.

3 out of 5

Reviewed by Alicia Malone

For a complete guide to what’s worth watching at the cinema, tune into Movie Juice this Saturday night on Movie Extra.

Rated: M

Running Time: 100 mins

Director: Tom Ford

Cast: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Nicholas Hoult, Matthew Goode

Release Date: 25^th February 2010

I have to admit, when I first heard fashion designer Tom Ford had written, produced and directed a film, I didn’t have high hopes. I mean, I love his clean aesthetic with clothes, and what he did for the Gucci brand was incredible, but directing a movie? And one that’s not about fashion?

But then I saw the trailer, heard about Colin Firth’s performance, and couldn’t wait to see it.

Set in 1962 and based on Christopher Isherwood’s novel of the same name, Colin Firth plays George, a single man after his boyfriend Jim (Matthew Goode) was killed in a car accident eight months prior. The film follows George throughout one day in his life, a day he hopes to make his last.

We see George in his morning ritual, transforming himself from a broken man to the perfectly put together English college professor he presents to the world. We see George in his class, where he lectures his bored students about the pressures of not conforming. The only student to take an interest is Kenny (Nicholas Hoult), though what he is actually interested in might not be the content of the class.

We see George getting his affairs together, laying everything out in perfect order, readying himself for his death; and then popping over to his friend Charley’s (Julianne Moore) house for gin and cigarettes. And we see George’s memories of Jim, the times they had together – meeting at a local bar, lying in the sun at the beach and just relaxing at home reading. In between we occasionally see George take note of the little things in life, which make the present world more beautiful.

Colin Firth is excellent in this role, and completely deserves all the award wins and nominations he has received. His performance is perfectly restrained, barely showing any emotion through George’s flawless façade, but giving the audience the sense that everything is bubbling just below the surface. And Tom Ford muse Julianne Moore is also fantastic as sad divorcee Charley, whose only comfort is a bottle of gin.

I have never seen a more stylish movie. Every single detail – from the props, the makeup, the hair, and of course the wardrobe, is just so beautiful to look at. Even the extras look like they could be walking down a catwalk! The film has been criticized for being over-styled, but I appreciated the work which went into every single frame. I also enjoyed Ford’s use of colour, and lack of colour in the film – the movie is largely grey and dull, but bursts to life when George notices something beautiful.

The music score is also fantastic, and there’s a real sense of a ticking clock throughout, as George’s impending doom comes closer and closer.

Reviewed by Alicia Malone

“A Single Man” is an impeccably put together film, a rare mix of style and substance.

4 out of 5

Reviewed by Alicia Malone

For a complete guide to what’s worth watching at the cinema, tune into Movie Juice this Saturday night on Movie Extra.

Rated: MA

Running Time: 102 mins

Directed by: Joe Johnson

Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving

Release Date: 11th February, 2010

Vampires have been dominating popular culture lately with films like “Twilight”, “Daybreakers” and TV shows such as “True Blood”. But now they might finally be dead and buried, with another sexy movie monster bearing it’s teeth and ready to take over.

Set in 1891, “The Wolfman” stars Benicio Del Toro as Lawrence Talbot, who returns home to his estranged father Sir John (Anthony Hopkins) after receiving a letter from his brother’s fiancée Gwen (Emily Blunt), notifying him of his brother’s disappearance. He discovers a strange and savage beast is terrifying his hometown of Blackmoor, with Scotland Yard Inspector Aberline (Hugo Weaving) brought in to solve the case. But the beast might be a little closer to home than Lawrence realizes.

Director Joe Johnson is a special effects whiz, working alongside George Lucas for many years on the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” franchises, and you can really see his expertise at work here. The human to werewolf transformation is the best we’ve seen yet, and every frame is beautifully shot with a dark, gothic feel.

There are some genuinely scary jumpy moments, and boy is it gory! Blood, guts and limbs fly across the screen – its not so much a bodice-ripping period piece, as it is a guts-ripping one!

Left in less capable actors hands, the script might have come across as a little bit silly. But Benicio Del Toro does a great job making us feel sympathy for the man struggling with his inner demon; Emily Blunt is sweet and vulnerable; and Sir Anthony Hopkins is, as usual, simply amazing, making his dialogue appear as if he’s thinking it up on the spot.

Reviewed by Alicia Malone

4 out of 5.

For a complete guide to what’s worth watching at the cinema, tune into Movie Juice this Saturday night 7:15pm on Movie Extra.

Reviewed by Alicia Malone