The combined forces of Doujicon/Minifest set up shop at Monash University last weekend and I managed to convince a couple of willing souls to come with me and check it out. The event itself was interesting if a bit low-key for our tastes, but the selection of Australian Indie comics was pretty decent and I picked up a few things that are worth taking a close look at. The first one that we will discuss here is the first issue of Digested by BobbyN, a small B&W indie comic that was unique amoung the selection at Doujicon, partially because it did not feature ninjas, samurais or tentacles doing unmentionable things but mostly due to its distinctive art style. The book is completely done in B&W and the style is difficult to pin down to the point that I struggle to think of someone to compare it to (although that could be down to a lack of knowledge on my part more than anything else). (more…)
Kick-Ass (2010)
Based off a popular graphic novel, Kick-Ass sets out to be a very different type of superhero movie. The idea that a regular kid could decide one day to become a superhero is an interesting one and something unique in the world of comic book movies. He has no special powers, no discernible skills or special merit that differentiates him from any other teenager save for a desire to be a comic book hero. Mixed into this interesting world is the real superheros of Hit Girl and Big Daddy and a genuinely evil main villain.
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Jersey Boys @ The Princess Theatre, Melbourne 2010
The debut of the Melbourne version of Jersey Boys was met with considerable fanfare in June 2009. Its continued success and the almost full Wednesday matinee that I attended attests to the popularity of the show. The story revolves around the birth of the band and its various iterations before the final lineup comes together underneath the name of The Four Seasons. Following the history of the group, Jersey Boys attempts to use the familiar music to draw the audience into their story. As might be expected the music is easily the best bit of the show. The song selection was fantastic and a good range of music across the band’s career was featured. Unfortunately the story side of the musical is nowhere near as interesting. Most of the problems with the story come in the first act. (more…)
A Single Man (2010)
Let’s get this out of the way at the start here, this movie is all about Colin Firth. Much of the buzz around this film concerns Firth’s acting and deservedly so. He is a fantastic actor to begin with and here is an absolutely fascinating character that he can really sink his teeth into. The amount of emotion that he brings to this film is outstanding and his nomination for Best Actor is certainly justified. In essence this film is a exploration of grief at its most base level. The loss of his long term partner irreparably damages George Falconer to the point that he feels suicide is the only answer. Over the course of a single day we witness George trying to tie up the loose ends in his life so he can finally end it. The story is simple and does not try and overwhelm the viewer with a complex narrative. Rather, Tom Ford allows Firth and the supporting actors to really explore grief and the impact that it can have.
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Shutter Island (2010)
There was a reasonable amount of buzz going in to this movie with a trailer which did a great job of building anticipation. However, this has to be one of the biggest disparities between a trailer and the actual movie that there has ever been. The trailer was considered, tense and left the viewer with a great sense of unease. The actual movie was formulaic, poorly written and ultimately forgettable. Scorsese can usually be relied upon to deliver tight, focused movies. However, the direction here felt very inept. The use of flashbacks and dream sequences bordered on the comical and the overuse of CGI sapped the emotion out of the film. They were relied upon to convey the back story of the main character, that of the death of his wife and his experiences in World War Two. However, this reliance on flashbacks just served to slow down the movie for little purpose. It got to the point where we no longer care about the main character’s motivations and just want the present day story to resolve itself. (more…)
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Inner Dialogue features reviews, critiques, essays, commentaries and podcasts about art and culture. Topics range from literature, poetry, Shakespeare, art shows, music, theatre and cinema.RSS Feeds
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