Looper dives into this environment with a very slick look and some very well known actors (one slightly altered by prostheses). It skirts the line between science fiction and thriller status with a quiet confidence and draws you into more of an examination of the characters lives than a study of the raw science. It has to be said that the technology behind the time travel is hardly mentioned.

It also comments on the emptiness that the day’s technology has created in the lives of the central protagonists. The rock star life style the main character (Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Joe, the time travelling assassin) is contrasted nicely with the way the average citizen lives in this on-screen created future world. It’s believable that the future techno treats will mostly be the fodder of the rich.

The film’s pace via its editing and non-linear story line demands a bit from the audience and this is a good thing. The world of cinema hardly needs another brain dead science fiction romp. By film’s ends, in line with quality genre standards, you have been entertained but also left with a number of questions about the kind of future world that awaits us.

Rob Hudson
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There are a number of technical things that make up this wonderful landscape, not the least of which is Anderson’s ability to elicit a style of performance from his actors that rounds the rough edges off. There is still human emotion, even sorry, it’s just filtered through a prism that reflects more than just human angst.

In his latest film, Wes has assembled a few of his usual suspects like Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman but has added a number of new entrants. Bruce Willis and Edward Norton take to this new understated world with aplomb and deliver performances that are so opposite their usual mega heroic presence, it’s a revelation. Frances McDormand is also fantastic and her bravery in allowing her age to show through gives hope.

The story behind Moonrise Kingdom is one of Anderson’s more slight tales but this just places more emphasis on the interpersonal dynamics and that is an area he has always excelled at. When the final credits roll you leave the theatre with not a care in the world and looking forward to utilizing your home DVD collection to its advantage by screening any one of his other works.

Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/UniversalPicturesAU

Armed only with a few clues and the powerful engine of his obsessive mind, Lionel unravels closely-guarded secrets that hold the fate of the whole city in the balance.

In a mystery that carries him from gin-soaked jazz clubs in Harlem to the hard-edged slums of Brooklyn and, finally, into the gilded halls of New York’s power brokers, Lionel contends with thugs, corruption and the most dangerous man in the city to honor his friend and save the woman who might be his own salvation.

Motherless Brooklyn stars Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Willem Dafoe, Alec Baldwin, Cherry Jones, Ethan Suplee and Leslie Mann, and will be released in Australian cinemas February 27!
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Although this new work is far from perfect, it succeeds quite well in tying up a lot of the loose ends from the earlier films while creating a few new strands to savour. This time out the storyline features Sarah Paulson as the doctor who trying to make sense out of the main protagonist’s powers. This approach unfolds slowly and features a sting in the tail end.

Shyamalan proves adept as setting a scene with just the right amount of creepy overtones and slowly evolving backstory to give the film its forward momentum. It does help that the characters he has already created lend themselves to a myriad of different paths. This is especially true of James McAvoy’s character who has multiple personalities (the complete list is given in the final credits).

As a self contained experience, Glass succeeds admirably but the film is more enjoyable with a working knowledge of the first two parts of the trilogy. With the current easy accessibility of almost all film content, there is no reason not to catch Unbreakable and Split first.

Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/GlassAUNZ

A bank manager (Grillo) haunted by a violent robbery that took the life of a co-worker, teams up with his ex-cop neighbour (Willis), to bring down the assailant.

While the two men work together to figure out the thief’s next move, the highly-trained criminal is one step ahead and barrelling down a path of bloodshed that leads to an explosive counterattack and brings all three men to breaking point.

Reprisal will be releasing November 21!

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Competition will be drawn 19 November 2018, winners will be notified by mail.

Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, Brian Cox, Mary-Louise Parker and Bruce Willis reprise their roles from the previous film and this time they’re joined by Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Asian action star, Byung-hun Lee. As the central and most-grounded character, Willis is almost boring; instead the flash and colour is supplied by the peripheral characters and, as before, Mary-Louise Parker remains the heart and soul of the film

The plot? It has something to do with a weapon of mass destruction but really who cares about the plot! We just want to see Ms Mirren with a sniper rifle and a sly smile, a crazy-eyed Malkovich wielding explosives and unique hats and Parker’s crooked smile. On this score, Galaxy Quest director, Dean Parisot, delivers just about what is expected.

If you’ve seen and enjoyed the original Red then strap in as you’ll have fun with this one as well. It does follow the same tried and true formula as before and while there’s few surprises, it is still is a big bag of rollicking fun.

Stuart Jamieson
www.hopscotchfilms.com.au