MAX-78 Reviews

Bad Education (2022)

A terrific debut, let down by a confused tone.

[8/10 · 6 May 2024]

Like a strange child of Au Revoir Taipei and Mon Mon Mon Monsters, this is a typical Giddens tale of friendship and situations getting totally out of control. Great performances, particularly from Kent Tsai and Leon Dai. It's a fast paced tale of one very eventful night... but it never really decides what tone or genre it's aiming for. Is this a highly disturbing thriller or a wacky comedy? Is a sexual assault really getting played for laughs here?

Overall, it tends to work quite well, it's just that there's a few too many instances of the film stepping out of its genre for no apparent reason, other than a cheap and questionable gag.

The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon (2023)

A beautiful mess

[10/10 · 19 October 2023]

A twisted comedy thriller, starring Ethan Ruan as gangster who discovers he is only the 3rd most wanted in Taiwan. Well, that's no legacy, so he quickly plans to eliminate his competitors for the crown. Structurally this film is all over the place, but who cares? I can't remember the last time I had so much fun watching a movie. Played 100% straight, the astonishing comedy comes from the premise itself. No matter how brutally intense the film becomes, it's all hanging off the most ridiculous plot - turning the relentlessly violent proceedings into pure hilarity.

Some terrific performances from Gingle Wang, Yi-wen Chen, Lee-zen Lee and the ever wonderful Peggy Tseng. But this is Ethan's film and he's as compelling as always.

Seven Days in Heaven (2010)

A film brimming with joy and sorrow.

[10/10 · 12 August 2019]

Funerals are handled in many different ways in cinema around the world, but rarely do they occupy the entire plot of the film.

Mei's father is dying of cancer in a rural village in Changhua County and whilst she and her brother Da-Chi race from Taipei to be with him in his final hour, they arrive at the hospital just moments too late. It's a somber opening to what is at times a joyous movie.

Examining the ridiculousness, hypocrisy and sorrow of a week long Taoist funeral, this first feature by Yulin Wang (Alifu) is a beautifully heartwarming tale of a family trying to honour their father, despite the insanity of a cultural spectacle which leaves them little time to grieve.

From scheduled crying, packing the coffin with cigarettes, the logistics of refrigerating the corpse in 40 degree heat and local political figures using the funeral as a photo opportunity to a tower of exploding beer cans, Seven Days In Heaven is jam packed with the absurdity of how humans deal with death.

Gerance Li-Wen Wang (the screenwriter of Jump A-Shin!) gives a magnificent performance as Mei, imbuing the character with a stoic grace which struggles at times to keep the sheer pain of filial separation from bubbling over. And whilst the movie is filled with hilarious comedic moments, the always wonderful Wu Pong Fong (Cape No. 7, Alifu) as the uncle who also happens to be a Taoist priest overseeing the procedures, brings a level of gravitas and respect for tradition to the entire affair.

Cinematography is emotionally motivated (When Mei receives the crushing news of her father's impending death, the camera falls from it's tripod onto the floor) and flashbacks are beautifully colour graded to suggest different time periods.

But it's the trio of final scenes - at a rural railway station, a night market and finally at Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok Airport which are truly emotionally devastating, in which we learn that grief is not an abstract thing to be dealt with in a week, but the ongoing ache of losing that connection with someone you loved dearly.

Alifu (2017)

A work of complexity and compassion

[10/10 · 12 August 2019]

Alifu is the third feature from 7 Days In Heaven director Yu-Lin Wang. A multi-thread queer drama about responsibility and commitment, it's funny in parts and heartbreaking throughout. An astonishingly efficient script is brought to life with powerful performances from Bamboo Chen (in his Golden Horse winning role), Wu Pong Fong and Jen Shuo Cheng and supported beautifully by Yi-Lan Chao (the spectacular star of Drifting Flowers) and Taipei's King Of Drag Queens, Matt Fleming. But the real revelation of Alifu is the non-actor stars of Utjung Tjakivalid as Alifu and Parangalan as the Chief. The authenticity of these two goes beyond acting and positions the film alongside the likes of Michael Winterbottom's In This World. It's a deeply moving piece with the courage to not provide easy answers for the complexity of gender, sexuality and tradition.

The White Planet (2006)

Can we say "pretentious"?

[1/10 · 10 August 2006]

All I can say is this: This film may be advertised as being about climate change. It isn't!

Most laughable moment was the shot of walruses sitting around doing nothing when the voice over said "The walruses philosophically await the return of the ice."

Ahh, no they don't. They sit around and belch!

This film was sponsored by WWF. Prime funding for that little organisation comes from climate changer #1 Shell.

Boring, pointless and too many repeated shots.

Official selection for the 2006 Melbourne International Film Festival.

Shows what a sad state the film fest is in.

Avoid at all costs.

Amores Perros (2000)

Dog of a film

[1/10 · 8 September 2002]

It's stunning, is it not, that if a film isn't in English the English speaking audience all of a sudden think it's art?

It's stunning, is it not, that the most boring of films will be heralded as 'deep' as long as the pace is slow?

It's stunning, is it not, that an audience will marvel at how shocking dog fighting is and yet applaud a film which uses dog fighting as a dramatic device.

Wake up people. They didn't fake those dog fights!

What a pathetic bunch of nasty characters. Octavio forces himself on his brother's girlfriend and subjects his pet to cruelty. El Chivo kills for money and has no concept of the value of human life. Valeria is a vacuous idiot who falls for a sleazebag who leaves his family in a classic example of the small head ruling the big head.

Now, I have no problem with unlikable characters, but at least make them interesting!

It may not have come from Hollywood, but it's still big budget trash.

Moulin Rouge! (2001)

Truth & Beauty... Not in this pile of dog droppings!

[1/10 · 6 September 2001]

How interesting that the words Truth and Beauty were used to promote this film. They would have to be the two biggest things missing from it.

This is an abortion of a film. Baz is finally begin exposed as someone who doesn't know a thing about film.

STOP! Just slow down for a minute! And turn that damned music down!

Kurt Cobain is rolling in his grave.

You know folks, this motion picture stuff, it's too good to be wasted on entertainment. If you want entertainment, go get two hookers and an eight-ball. Use this medium for work which says something about us.

How confidently I can say this....

WORST FILM EVER MADE.

Memento (2000)

Over-hyped and full of holes. If only I could forget it!

[1/10 · 5 May 2001]

At first, it's a whole bunch of fun, going along for the ride with this backwards edited film, but the novelty soon wears thin. What you're left with is yet another thriller with a lame resolution (if you can even call it a resolution - as it resolves nothing!). Come on folks, ask yourself - if it was edited into a regular timeline, would it still be interesting. Probably not, which says a lot about the story. If the story only works with radical cutting styles, then it's not much of a story, is it? By the end, I was wishing I had Guy's condition (which he strangely remembers to tell everyone about, strangely remembers he has!) - just so I could forget the last 115 minutes of MY life!

Wonderland (1999)

Winterbottom's wonderful Wonderland

[10/10 · 16 February 2001]

This may be the best film of 2000 (at least that's when it was released in Australia).

Whilst film-makers like P.T. Anderson have made admirable attempts at personal drama in the last few years, and Mike Leigh continues to tell us that no-one suffers like the poor (as if we didn't know that), Michael Winterbottom has re-defined the genres. This is English kitchen sink drama without the tired clichés of class wars, which have seemed a bit anachronistic since the fall of the Tories.

Shot in a stunning cinemascope (1:2.35) and available light, with the tiniest of crews, this is London as you've only seen it if you've seen it for yourself.

The cast shines. I defy anyone to make it through this film without falling in love with Gina McKee. That's not to say that Shirley Henderson and Molly Parker are anything less than charming. Ian Hart and Stuart Townsend are wonderful. Keep an eye out for the beautifully natural performance of David Fahm as Franklyn. Jack Shepherd, Kika Markham and John Simm round out the main cast with equally powerful performances.

A great script from first time screen-writer Lawrence Coriat. Michael Nyman turns out his most subtle and restrained music score yet. Michael Winterbottom is turning out to be the Stanley Kubrick of the 21st century. Who else has been able to jump from one genre to another with such ease and grace?

This is a compelling film, well worth having your own copy of.

Red Planet (2000)

Lemmings and sheep all follow the leader...

[9/10 · 18 December 2000]

... as do IMDB users by the look of things. How is it possible to read all the reviews of Phantom Menace or Mission To Mars and read things like, "oh it was fun! I don't mind if it had lots of plot holes, it was fun."? But once a few people start to say they hate a film, watch them all follow. Then of course, reviews start turning up here all saying that the Russian craft was from the 70's - not true. The film was set in 2050 and the Russian craft was from 2020.

This is a good film. A first time director made this film under adverse conditions. Good on him. One thing lacking from most Hollywood blockbusters is the idea of cause and effect. Usually things will happen just to further the plot, rather than because it is the natural effect of what has already happened. Not true with Red Planet. Set up and pay off worked great. Terence Stamp should be derided for not taking a stand over his character - any actor can suggest new dialogue. Otherwise, a great cast doing a great job and a fairly neat script which was predictable (So what film isn't these days?)but suprising in it's details.

The Dismissal (1983)

Fine television - tough subject

[6 August 2000]

One of the fitting things with this series is the narration, which introduces it: "This isn't going to be easy." It's not an easy ride for anyone who remembers it. Mention of these events can still start screaming matches in any Aussie pub. That's the second reason to see it.

The first reason to see it is the stunning portrayal of Gough Whitlam by the late Max Phipps - one of Australia's greatest actors.

Mission: Impossible II (2000)

Come home Brian DePalma, all is forgiven!

[1/10 · 9 June 2000]

Why is everyone afraid to tell the truth about this film? It sucks! Even the action sequences are pedestrian and silly. This may be a bigger embarrassment to Australia than the republic referendum. Why did John Polson feel he had to put on an Australian accent - doesn't he already have one? Richard Roxburgh was almost as bad (South African or New Zealander? - never could quite work out what that accent was meant to be.) Tom Cruise has been delivering the goods for a few years now - but this was not the same character as the first film. I had flashbacks to Cocktail watching this poor excuse for a performance. And what was Anthony Hopkins doing? Did Henry Czerny read the script and decide he didn't want to play Kitridge in this pile of rubbish? Good idea if so. John Woo has not made a good film since he left Hong Kong - Remember the good old days of The Killer and Hard Boiled? At long last, Robert Towne is being exposed as the most over-rated writer in cinema history. Chinatown was great, but there's been a lot of Days Of Thunder under the bridge since then.

My favorite moment was when Ving Rhames stepped out of the helicopter and into the script.

Where's Brian DePalma when you need him?

Savior (1998)

What was Oliver Stone thinking?

[1/10 · 16 December 1999]

How strange that this Pro-Serb melodrama and the over the top Saving Private Ryan, are held up as the two great 1990's films about war. Where was everyone when Welcome To Sarajevo and The Thin Red Line were on?

The basic theme of this film seems to be that both sides in a war do evil things. I'm sure that's true, but don't make me sit through a film about 'evil Jews' during WW2. I ain't buying it. Why didn't this film give us a glimpse of a Serb run death camp, where thousands of Bosnian civilians were tortured and killed? We saw it on the TV news. Are we now asked to ignore it because Serb civilians have also suffered?

As a flip-side to this rubbish, check out Michael Winterbottom's brilliant film 'Welcome To Sarajevo.'

In a Savage Land (1999)

An epic beyond any other

[9/10 · 15 October 1999]

Bill Bennet's really come of age as a film maker with this masterful epic. Top notch performances from Sewell and Donovan are shadowed by the stunning Strange.

Maya Strange may be unknown to viewers outside Australia, but through small roles in such films as 'Head On' and "McLeod's Daughters" we down in Oz have watched and waited to see her in a role which does justice to her talent. At only 24, she not only carries her own alongside Donovan and Sewell - but also carries the film itself, appearing in almost every scene.

The script by Bennet and his wife Jennifer is layered and complex. The photography, by first time DOP Danny Ruhlmann, is exquisite.

In the Line of Duty: Ambush in Waco (1993 TV Movie)

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

[19 September 1999]

There is no denying that Tim Daly's performance is stunning. But, it would seem that he was the only person working on this cartoonish debacle who did any research.

Now, what we have here is a question of motive. Why did they make this film without any access to the facts? (After all, the film was in post production before the siege was over) Were they making art? No. Were they documenting the truth? No. They didn't know what the truth was at that time. Were they trying the save the ATF from budget cutting and possible disbandment? I'll put my vote on yes.

This is a dangerous piece of propaganda, which holds murderers up as heroes, and displays people who are defending themselves as psychos.

Oh, and where was the scene where the FBI agents opened fire on the women and children who were hiding in the kitchen area to protect themselves from the CS gas? In fact, where was the CS gas?

Dark Passage (1947)

Check out this masterpiece!

[17 August 1999]

It's sad that only film buffs, film students and film critics have heard of this film - as it's one of the classiest thrillers ever made. Clever camera work (not only the POV stuff), great locations, a very cool cast who can get away with delivering the worst dialogue, and an ending that doesn't take the easy way out. Delmer Daves is still the unsung hero of American cinema.

Plunkett & Macleane (1999)

What year is this?

[30 July 1999]

It's a sad trend which happens over and over; One film is successful (in this case, Trainspotting) and a producer decides 'Why don't we do the same kind of thing in another setting?' Plunkett & MaCleane is the answer to that question. This is why not. It's hip nineties dialogue (and costuming) in a period setting. Why did anyone think this WOULD work? Oh... I give up. I can't say anything good about this film. It doesn't even work as a joke. Anachronisms work when the film-makers are aware of them (see Alex Cox's 'Walker'), but this just feels like they didn't do their research. Nothing more to say. This is a shocker of a film.

Head On (1998)

Nice book, shame about the film!

[21 April 1999]

I'm not sure why everyone goes crazy over this film. Like "Only the Brave", this is just another collection of "controversial" topics - lined up next to each other to make a film. You can almost hear the conversations at script meetings: "Oh, hang on! We haven't said anything about child abuse, yet!"

Unfortunately, the film fails to say anything about anything. Tsiolkas' novel was a bold and fresh work, but this adaptation proves that some books simply can not be filmed. The problems lie in the fact that it's a very internalised novel. And it's a little easier to have a protagonist in a novel who is not a very nice person. Dimitriades is a standout, but he is not given the motivation to work with. The sex club scenes are cliched and silly (My what great looking guys! They look like they've just stepped out of the modeling agency).

Alex Papps and Maya Stange were wasted and it's a shame to see two amazing talents like them playing second banana to Julian Garner. So promising... but it just didn't deliver.