The film based on a novel by Lloyd Jones is set in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea during the civil war there during the early nineties. The story revolves around Matilda (Xzannjah Matsi) and the relationship she has with her mother Dolores (Xzannjah’s real life mother Healsville Joel), Mr. Watts (Hugh Laurie) the only white man in their small village and the novel Great Expectation by Charles Dickens.

Matilda’s somewhat idyllic life is brought to a crashing halt when rebel soldiers shatter the tranquil life of her village. She escapes into the world of Great Expectations to cope with the horrors and begins an imaginary relationship with a character from the book, Pip (Eka Darville).

The mix of professional and non-professional actors and being filmed on an actual island in Papua New Guinea give the work a very believable feel. This believability is what makes the film’s emotional content so heartbreaking. Its ultimate feat is not just the main character’s escape from the island but also the ability to make the audience members feel and care about a real world tragedy and triumph.

Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/ParamountPicturesAU

From his unhappy childhood to the discovery of his gift as a storyteller and writer, David’s journey is by turns hilarious and tragic, but always full of life, colour and humanity.

The Personal History Of David Copperfield will be released in Australian cinemas July 2!
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The story revolves around a parallel universe that is not unlike the hidden world in Ayn Rand’s opus Atlas Shrugged (minus the extreme narcissism). It’s a land where science is let loose to the benefit of mankind. This gives the filmmakers a platform for some very cool wishful technology and also features a lot of fantastic set design artwork.

With a list of participants that includes director Brad Bird (The Incredibles and The Iron Giant), George Clooney and Hugh Laurie, it’s a top tier experience. The screenplay doesn’t always make literal sense but it’s never less than entertaining. The tie in with the Disneyland areas of the same name however is spurious at best.

The only real concern with a recommendation for the full family to visit the cinema to catch Disney’s latest is that the intensity and violence of some of the action sequences might be a bit much for the very young. For everyone else, it’s a film that works quite successfully on a number of different levels.

Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/DisneyAUNZ

If you follow these simple instructions to the letter, then by halfway through the film you will be so drunk, the second half will produce some good time laughs. Because make no mistake, this is one hot mess of a movie. The sets are appealing as are the costumes and the signage and newspaper headlines shown throughout are very funny. The parts are all there.

Casting wise, it also looks good as both Will Ferrell as Sherlock Holmes and John C. Reilly as Doctor Watson have a decent track record together. They have both been in some funny films together. Casting Ralph Fiennes as the mysterious criminal mastermind Moriarty also looks promising.

Having said all that however, the film wildly misses the target and very few of the comic ideas hit home. The film is oddly efficient in how often the humour goes astray but as the basis for one of the world’s most intoxicating drinking games, it is spectacular.

Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/HolmesAndWatsonMovie

The story revolves around a parallel universe that is not unlike the hidden world in Ayn Rand’s opus Atlas Shrugged (minus the extreme narcissism). It’s a land where science is let loose to the benefit of mankind. This gives the filmmakers a platform for some very cool wishful technology and also features a lot of fantastic set design artwork.

With a list of participants that includes director Brad Bird (The Incredibles and The Iron Giant), George Clooney and Hugh Laurie, it’s a top tier experience. The screenplay doesn’t always make literal sense but it’s never less than entertaining. The tie in with the Disneyland areas of the same name however is spurious at best.

The only real concern with a recommendation for the full family to visit the cinema to catch Disney’s latest is that the intensity and violence of some of the action sequences might be a bit much for the very young. For everyone else, it’s a film that works quite successfully on a number of different levels.

Rob Hudson
www.tomorrowland-movie.com