The circus has come to town in this tear-jerking adaptation of Sara Gruen’s bestseller.

Amidst a backdrop of the Great Depression, veterinary student Jacob Jankowski (Twilight’s Robert Pattinson) is preparing to sit his final exam and launch into the rest of his life when tragedy strikes; his parents are killed in a car accident, leaving him orphaned and destitute. But Jacob’s luck is set to change when he finds work with the famed Benzini Brothers’ circus – and meets his boss’ beautiful wife Marlena (Reese Witherspoon).

Reportedly made for US $38 million, this film looks just about as spectacular as the circus within it. It’s easy to see where the money went when every frame of every shot is so beautifully rendered; with a CV full of lavish music videos to his name, director Francis Lawrence seems right at home with establishing a world within a world. There’s an emphasis on colour and romance that permeates the whole production, right through to the makeup and wardrobe work on the extras. So what better leading couple than Pattinson and Witherspoon, who even at their worst moments, always seem to look immaculate.

Pattinson’s measured performance as sensitive soul Jacob is surprisingly affecting. Witherspoon’s unique mix of fragility with stubborn resolve is a perfect fit for the role of fellow orphan Marlena, who seems to oscillate between beguiling seduction and lost-girl innocence. Both are immensely capable and look wonderful together, but neither seems to have the smouldering intensity to elevate their affair to the calibre of, say, The Notebook or even Twilight. Fortunately though, there’s Inglourious Basterds’ superstar Christoph Waltz, whose chilling portrayal of Marlena’s husband August is terrifying and yet manages to retain glimmers of humanity when the film needs them most.

But it is clever writing that takes the cake here. Gruen’s novel has been perfectly realised for the screen by screenwriter Richard LaGravenese, who manages to tell the story without torturing his audience with clunky flashbacks and overt amounts of narration. He also knows how to tug at your heartstrings, and has most likely done it many times before: LaGranevese also wrote the screenplays for A Little Princess, The Bridges of Madison County and P.S. I Love You, just to name a few.

All things considered, it’s a sumptuous feast for the senses that isn’t afraid to remind us, as the tagline states, that ‘life is the most spectacular show on earth.’

Water for Elephants is in Australian cinemas now.

Fans of the first Wimpy Kid will not be disappointed by this cheeky sequel, slipping sibling rivalry under the microscope with hilarious results.

It’s back to middle school for our young hero Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon), who with the new school year, must negotiate a whole new set of trials and tribulations. To make matters worse, his wannabe-rockstar older brother Rodrick (Devon Bostick) is giving him more trouble than ever. The boys’ psychologist mother Susan (Rachel Harris) is positive that the two just need to ‘bond.’ Unfortunately for Greg, she thinks that forcing them to spend time together might just do the trick…

Unabashedly full of pop culture references and consumerist ideals, this film might seem the antithesis of the more highly-lauded kiddie fare. True, it’s no Pixar animation. But what it may lack in timeless elegance it certainly makes up for in laughs. Like its precursor, this film – also an adaptation of Jeff Kinney’s bestselling series – is both a somewhat of a hero’s journey, and, on a wider level, a portrait of generation.

As we learned in the first Wimpy Kid, Greg isn’t your typical child hero; he is often self-absorbed, shallow and occasionally even cruel. In this way, as with its precursor, much of Wimpy Kid 2 is a cringe-fest as we watch him blunder his way through obstacle after obstacle. Fortunately though, he seems to have gained some insight from his sixth grade exploits, and so as a somewhat nicer protagonist he’s capable of generating much more empathy from his audience.

Writer Gabe Sachs is no stranger to the coming-of-age genre – his work with NBC teen comedy/drama series Freaks and Geeks generated a cult following when it aired ten years ago – and it shows in the snappy dialogue and farcical twists of the plot. 12 year-old Gordon shines as Greg’s arrogant underdog, and Bostick’s performance of eyeliner-wearing drummer Rodrick is a little hammy but altogether appropriate for the tone – and certain to generate a female following! The supporting cast are all excellent and contribute to the tableau of quirk already on display.

All in all, it’s a piece of fun not to be taken too seriously, but also a film with heart. Laughs abound, for kids and adults alike.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules is in Australian cinemas now.

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Gareth Edwards’ is a part of a new generation of Hollywood directors. The 36 year old London boy is paving the way for a surge in low-budget sci-fi films inspired by the likes of George Lucas, Stephen Spielberg and, as I learnt today, Ray Harryhausen. Edwards’ feature debut, Monsters, received critical acclaim and was adored by audiences when it premiered at the South by South West festival n Austin, 2010. The film was released on DVD early in April and I was fortunate enough to sit down and talk to Edwards’ about the film and it’s tumultuous production.

First and foremost, how much was the production budget? $15’000 or $500’000

I don’t know! It was more than $15’000. What happened is we did a video for a massive electrontics store in the ‘states’ and they asked what kit we used. So we said it was this camera, this computer, this software, and then they calculated it up and said, “oh, that’s $15’000.” And they sort of said, “If I want to make a movie I could do so for $15’000?” And we were like, yeah, that’s what it . But then that got out there that it was how much we spent but it wasn’t true at all. I got paid a wage, the actors were paid a wage, and then there’s travel and hotel expenses on top of that… I don’t know, but my guess would be it’d be in the middle of $15’000 to $500’000.

A lot of the online blogs have marveled at how you would travel from location to location filming bits and pieces here and there. How was that experience?

We were literally in people’s lives for as long as they’re in the film. They were walking to work or whatever they were doing, and [our] translator would have this spiel in Spanish, and I can’t speak Spanish, but she’d say ‘extra terrestrial’s’, and they would be all yeah… Of course! It felt as though this sort of thing happened all the time and I was worried we’d bump into a film crew at any moment!

In post production, what software did you use?

Well, I mainly used Adobe software. All the shots [VFX] were done After Effects. I obviously used Photoshop because of that… And we used 3DS Max [for 3D modeling]… We edited in Adobe Premiere, and yeah. All of this is available down at your local electronics’ shop. The computers used to make Jurassic Park on are available down the shop for anyone to buy… So that’s what we did.

What advice do you have for upcoming filmmakers?

I have some really straight forward simple advice for anyone that wants to make a film that sounds so simple you’ll be like, “oh, shut up”. It is, just, go make a film. There’s only two reason why you don’t; One is that it’s because you think it’ll be rubbish and if you think it’ll be rubbish then go get the rubbish one out of the way. [The second is] If you think it’ll be great then, what are you waiting for?

It’s the simplest advice in the world, but when it comes down to it there’s only one difference to a wannabe filmmaker and filmmaker, and it’s that the later has picked up a camera and done it. So if you want to be a filmmaker, just pick up a camera and make something.

Monsters is out now on DVD & Bu-Ray. You can also rent or download it via iTunes.

Gareth Edwards’ is hard at work preparing the next Godzilla film. To put things in perspective, Edwards’ completed all 256 visual effects shots by himself in his bedroom at an average of two shots a day. He also told me later on that he was self-taught in everything to do with VFX.

You can follow me, Edward Drake, on twitter, @Woodsmen

From US director Mark Romanek comes a film that dares to explore an age-old truism: is it really better to have loved, and lost, than to have never loved at all?

In Never Let Me Go, Kathy, Tommy and Ruth are three unlikely friends, growing up together at Hailsham, what appears to be a run-of-the-mill, starchy English Boarding School in the 1970s. But this is 70s England with a difference. In this alternate reality, science has progressed to a greater degree, meaning that ailments once considered fatal can now be prevented – but at a very human cost. The three youngsters experience the ultimate coming-of-age when they begin to realise that their lives have been planned out for them, and that the love stories that may play out between them cannot possibly have a happy ending.

An adaptation of a novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, this film is thematically complex. It’s a romantic tragedy pitted against a backdrop of science fiction elements, which do not affect the tone but merely add a degree of emotional complexity to the story. In the leading role as adult Kathy, Carey Mulligan (An Education, Wall Street 2) shines; there’s something about her childlike vulnerability that deeply resonates with the themes of exploitation and loss. The Social Network’s Andrew Garfield puts in a solid turn as the sensitive but unpredictable Tommy, and in the role of Ruth, established screen queen Keira Knightley (Pirates of the Caribbean, Pride and Prejudice) manages to negotiate a deeply-flawed character with consummate poise. The cinematography and art direction are subtle but elegant, and there is a sense of fluidity and poetry discernible in the assembly of each scene. While it might seem a far cry from the music documentaries and video clips that litter Romanek’s CV, it is no less carefully choreographed and put together. In a superb casting feat, the three child actors (Isobel Meikle-Small, Charlie Rowe and Ella Purnell) all give credible performances and bear physical resemblance to their adult counterparts that is, particularly in the case of Meikle-Small and Mulligan, uncanny.

As the idea of lost love is such a relatable one, the sci-fi elements of the characters’ world don’t seem at all outlandish, and eventually become eclipsed by the human tragedy at play. In fact, while they do add to the dramatic stakes, one might wonder if they are even necessary at all. The film also suffers slightly in its final moments, as the tight ending does not really do justice to the emotional rollercoaster that precedes it. All in all, however, it’s a solid and stylish tear-jerker which will have you thinking about the future for humankind.

Never Let Me Go is in Australian cinemas now.

The late Sidney Lumet wrote in his seminal “Making Movies”, that music will nearly always make a bad film better, but has the power to make a good film great. It can lift poor performances, hide bad-direction and ultimately come to define the film. Now, were not dealing with audio cues and scores, rather, I want to look at how recent entries into the ‘music’ genre have been able to incorporate sensational songs into the narrative of the film to great effect.

Note: I’ve avoided musicals and such and attempted to put aside a few of the cliché choices (Once, August Rush etc).

Now, let’s get stuck into it. First up….

Number Five – Scott Pilgrim Vs The World
The tailor made music for Scott Pilgrim features the likes of Beck & Metric who created the music for the in film bands Sex-Bob-Omb, Crash and the Boys and The Clash at Demonhead. The Rolling Stones are also there with Under My Thumb.
Have a look at the standout song Black Sheep by Metric performing as The Clash at Demonhead!

Number Four – GET HIM TO THE GREEK
Didn’t see this one coming did you? Last year’s Get Him To The Greek was surprisingly great. Just have a look at Russell Brand rockin’ it on stage informing the world of his STD’s – in The Clap

Number Three – High Fidelity
The legendary film about John Cusack recounting his past lovers whilst running a record store is laden with musical gold such as Elton John, Belle & Sebastian, Bruce Springsteen, The velvet underground, Queen, and a hell of a lot more.
Of course, the musical highlight is, without a doubt, Jack Black’s rendition of Martin Gaye’s – Let’s Get it On.

Number Two – Almost Famous
I Almost didn’t put this one in the list, but when I revisited the soundtrack I knew instantly it had to be here near the top. The film seamlessly combines any and all music influences from the 70’s to the 80’s.
The amazing bands featured include – Simon & Garfunkel, The Who, LED ZEPPLIN, David Bowie, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Stillwater, Cat Stevens and so so so so much more.
One of the most touching scenes is the great, Tiny Dancer moment on the tour bus:

Number AWESOME / ONE THE BOAT THAT ROCKED
Goddamn, I was about to finish this list of and hit publish when I remember what one of my favorite films of all time was actually all about…. Great music!
Watch the trailer just to get a taste of what musical delights are on offer –

Honorable Mention – Napoleon Dynamite

Director Jared Hess epic allegory of the pocket-protector generation may have been belittled to a plethora of “Vote For Pedro” tee shirts and given birth to the hipster generation, but we can all agree that it is a fine example of how a sinlge song can become intrinsically bound with a film. When Napoleon took to the stage, that high-school assembally had no idea he was going to unleash Jamiroquai’s Canned Heat on them. Relive the moment by watching the video below:

The crux of the movie is addiction; the process, the withdrawal and the consequences. Or at least that’s what I assumed throughout most of the film. It was visually exciting, fun and developed many layers to the plot during the 105 minutes of running time. But that’s its main downfall; the movie ends abruptly, leaving a score of questions unanswered or explanations quickly hashed together.

At one point in the film Eddie (Cooper) is close to death as his body becomes so heavily reliant on the drug NZT that it begins to shut down and he is expected to die soon. This isn’t an assumption as we see Eddie attempt to contact other users only to find out they’re all either dying or already dead. This is obviously a major driving factor of the plot but unfortunately is completely ignored near the end of the film – perhaps out of convenience.

A woman’s murder and Eddie’s personal drug lab are hastily explained in scenes lasting a few minutes at best.

As with most movies, there is a love interest. It was however sad to see a portrayal of love characterised by going after a man during his spells of good fortune and repeatedly leaving him when he’s struggling. The movie seems to imply this is perfectly acceptable.

Bradley Cooper was right in his interview with IMDb when he described the movie as “fun” and as much as I enjoyed watching the film, the ending was a major disappointment that left me complaining about the loose ends. Eddie was an interesting character and the film explored both the ups and downs of drug addiction but based on the ending, the moral of the story seems to be along the lines of ‘If you do drugs and eventually get off them, you’ll be okay if not much better off than where you started!’

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‘Once upon a time,’ we find the picturesque town of Daggerhorn, surrounded by forest and shrouded by fear of a notorious, serial-killing werewolf, whose identity remains a mystery. For beautiful, free-spirited Valerie (Mamma Mia’s Amanda Seyfried) however, this is less of a problem than her impending betrothal to Henry Lazar (Max Irons) rather than to her dreamy childhood sweetheart, Peter (Shiloh Fernandez). When Peter suggests that she run away with him, Valerie agrees wholeheartedly; but when the Wolf takes another victim – her own sister Lucie – Valerie’s plans fall by the wayside. Enraged, the townspeople vow to find the Wolf and end his reign of terror, once and for all.

Considering the breadth of Hardwick’s success with Twilight, it is inevitable that the comparisons between the two should come thick and fast. Superficially, they are immensely similar: pitched to the same teenaged girl audience, the films both hint at unconsummated longing against a backdrop of supernatural violence. Both have a beautiful ‘loner’ as the protagonist who fills in the blanks for the audience with narration. Cameras soar and meander high above the action, providing us more with a panorama of a small community than the story of a girl. And crucially, both rely on the brooding sexual tension between the leads to drive the story forward.

This is where the similarities end. While Twilight pulled this off convincingly enough for the latest instalment to gross nearly $700 million worldwide, Red Riding Hood falls short. It’s enjoyably pulpy at times, but also sometimes ponderous and incoherent. Seyfried is typically wide-eyed and entrancing, but this type of role is a walk in the park, well, forest, for her. Fernandez attempts to smoulder but struggles to bring to Peter the much-needed charisma apparently forgotten by the writers. Considering his pedigree (he’s the son of Jeremy Irons and Sinead Cusack), it’s little surprise that Max Irons steals the show, but his likeability does the overall story no favours. Far from being the supernatural horror flick the trailer would have us believe, this film is most convincing when it’s a simple tale about a love triangle.

This is not to say that there isn’t fun to be had in the periphery: veterans Julie Christie and Gary Oldman provide somewhat farcical entertainment as Grandmother and Solomon respectively, and ensemble scenes with the Greek-chorus-style townsfolk seem to carry an intriguing level of energy. All in all however, it’s a telling sign when you realise that the town’s fear of the Wolf is ultimately more frightening than the creature itself.

Red Riding Hood is in Australian cinemas now.

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Each year, more than 15 thousand movie lovers, film-makers an entertainment professionals embark on the event, in search of the hot new talent and upcomers in the industry.

The festival boasts an impressive record of producing 37 Academy Award nominated films, including 12 Oscar winners.

This time around, we’re being told the talent pool is bigger and better than ever before, and stretching even further across the globe.

No Australian has ever taken out a major award at the event, but this year we have a few hopefuls, including Melbourne director/actor David Coussins.

On the back of the Tropfest success that came with his film One Night Stand (finalist), Coussins joins the likes of Jessica Beil, Eva Mendes and Hillary Swank in having his work screened during the event.

Since moving to America at the start of the year, the 26 year old has gone from strength to strength in the industry.

We’ll be seeing him soon on our small screens as a star of the upcoming ABC comedy Woodley, but word is, we may also see him in some upcoming US productions.

Coussins has met with three top agents since arriving, and is likely to sign with one of them before the end of the year.

However, the 26 year old is playing down the news, and says his main focus is to continue to work on improving where he can.

“My main motivation in moving over here was just to get a feel of how things work in Hollywood, and learn as much as i can,” Coussins said.

“If i end up getting signed and things work out, then great, but the real goal for me is to take everything in and slowly work my way into he industry.”

You’ll be able to check out his film, One Night Stand, at the LA International Short Film Festival, from July 16 – 26.

Four young holidaymakers are forced to confront fear of the unknown in The Reef, the latest home-grown horror offering that suggests that perhaps it would be better to not get back into the water.

Luke (Underbelly’s Damian Walshe-Howling) is joined by his former flame Kate (Zoe Naylor), her brother Matt (Gyton Grantley, also of Underbelly fame) and his girlfriend Sophie (Adrienne Pickering) for a sailing holiday on the Great Barrier Reef. Along with sailor Warren (Kieran Darcy-Smith), who becomes something of a fifth wheel, the group set off in search of some romantic, sun-tinged R&R – but disaster strikes early, when their ship is overturned in the middle of the ocean. The group find themselves with an impossible choice: stay with the ruins of the boat and risk never being found, or make the 12-mile swim to the nearest island. To make matters worse, there’s a deadly Great White Shark in the ocean – and he’s hungry.

Based on true incidents, it’s a terrifying concept, making for a bone-chilling film. Having covered similar ground in his killer crocodile film Black Water, Director Andrew Trauki is obviously very much at home with the idea of Man-vs-Wild, and with the help of Daniel Ardilley’s competent cinematography constantly reminds us that these are but five tiny bodies in a vast ocean. Even more terrifyingly – despite the open spaces – there’s a discernible sense of claustrophobia. The characters are stuck in their predicament and are, quite literally, out of their depth whichever way they turn. The entire film carries a sense of gritty realism, only enhanced further by the use of real shark footage instead of an animatronic fake. The performances are good and for the most part, very convincing.

Admittedly, there are some strained dialogue moments early on, and the relationships between the travellers are never really explored. Perhaps owing to an effort not to stray from the facts, the characters seem quite two-dimensional, but the film is so suspenseful at times that this is easily forgotten. All in all, it’s a solid Aussie horror flick guaranteed to get your heart racing. Just be warned: you may not want to go to the beach again in a hurry! Lucky summer’s over.

The Reef is in cinemas now.

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