Amy Adams is Dr. Louise Banks, a linguist expert that the government recruits to help communicate with one of the alien entities that have arrived at twelve points around the globe. She is the soul of the story. Joining her is Jeremy Renner as Ian Donnelly, a theoretical physicist with a very well developed sense of wonder about the world.

The story is told in a non-linear manner and subsequently every scene must be paid attention too. The film is also shot with a very subdued colour palate and it adds to both its creepiness and the requirement to remain aware. The cast is quite small; so all the players are given a lot to do.

For a genre that is so hit or miss on the big screen, Arrival only looses its footing on rare occasions. There are a few bits of dialogue that could have easily been left on the cutting room floor and the film somewhat squanders a perfect point to end by overstating a point already made succinct. These are minor squabbles as overall the film is story telling as a very high level.

Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/roadshow

The always-outstanding British actor Christian Bale lays to rest the man in black for the new man in fat. His visual transformation is just one element of his transcendent performance. He has to act his butt off just to transcend that hairdo of his. Jennifer Lawrence adds to her building resume of great performances as Bale’s on screen wife who is both hilarious and clueless.
Bradley Cooper’s manic drug fuelled performance is also outstanding. Now no discussion of great roles in this film would be complete without discussing the part the wardrobe plays in this film. The seventies hair and fashion defies gravity and the specter of soft-core porn with some wicked comb overs, hair curlers and well placed double sided adhesive tape.

Thankfully the saying ‘if you remember the seventies, you weren’t actually alive in the seventies’ is proven untrue as both the director and actors get the nuances just right. See this film for the humour and spectacle, remember it for the human pathos and misguided sense of right and wrong.

Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/roadshow

Jeremy Renner does the voice of Swifty, an Arctic Fox trying to be a big dog. Those dogs in question pull sleds with the Arctic town’s mail service and are heroes to the small animal population. Swifty’s small stature makes him the underdog, underfox? of the piece.

The dialogue is rather simplistic and the situations are not overly complicated. It’s presented as a quant and easily digestible story and there is an absent of the adult innuendo that marks most current animated movies. It direction is decidedly towards the young.

A bit slow at first, it hits its stride in the second half. This correlates with the film’s most interesting character, Otto Von Walrus, a half robot, half walrus creature voiced by John Cleese. He is also the big bad. There is little sophistication in the final message of believing in one’s self and looking after your surrounds but that only enhances its value as entertainment for the young.
Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/IconFilmDistribution.Au

With a strong cast of both comedians and actors, the film ramps up the crazy to such dizzy heights, it’s an absolute riot to watch. Under the umbrella of a kid’s game gone wild is an examination on what it means to be an adult holding on to both childhood friends and also that sense of youth that is so sad to see dissipate.

A lot of the comic set ups are far from unique but they are delivered with such a sense of fun and energy, it’s near impossible to not get drawn in. And just when you start to see the film as only a comedy, it delivers a message of the importance of friendship that is quite touching.

The real people the story is based on have keep their game of Tag active for 23 years and if they enjoyed even a fraction of the adolescent insanity that the film portrays, it was time well spent. Also make sure to stay for all of the end credits because the film goes out with some big laughs.

Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/tagthemovie

THE HOUSE is directed by Andrew Jay Cohen and stars Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, Jason Mantzoukas, Nick Kroll, Allison Tolman, Michaela Watkins, Ryan Simpkins, Jessie Ennis, Rob Huebel, Cedric Yarbrough and Jeremy Renner.

THE HOUSE releases in Australian cinemas on June 29, 2017.

Amy Adams is Dr. Louise Banks, a linguist expert that the government recruits to help communicate with one of the alien entities that have arrived at twelve points around the globe. She is the soul of the story. Joining her is Jeremy Renner as Ian Donnelly, a theoretical physicist with a very well developed sense of wonder about the world.

The story is told in a non-linear manner and subsequently every scene must be paid attention too. The film is also shot with a very subdued colour palate and it adds to both its creepiness and the requirement to remain aware. The cast is quite small; so all the players are given a lot to do.

For a genre that is so hit or miss on the big screen, Arrival only looses its footing on rare occasions. There are a few bits of dialogue that could have easily been left on the cutting room floor and the film somewhat squanders a perfect point to end by overstating a point already made succinct. These are minor squabbles as overall the film is story telling as a very high level.

Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/ArrivalMovie

Bradley Cooper’s manic drug fuelled performance is also outstanding. Now no discussion of great roles in this film would be complete without discussing the part the wardrobe plays in this film. The seventies hair and fashion defies gravity and the specter of soft-core porn with some wicked comb overs, hair curlers and well placed double sided adhesive tape.

Thankfully the saying ‘if you remember the seventies, you weren’t actually alive in the seventies’ is proven untrue as both the director and actors get the nuances just right. See this film for the humour and spectacle, remember it for the human pathos and misguided sense of right and wrong.

Rob Hudson
www.americanhustle-movie.com