Review: A Single Man

A Single Man
Dir. Tom Ford
Year: 2009
Aus Rating: M
Running Time: 101mins

The debut film from fashion designer Tom Ford is the cinematic equivalent of an actress with excessive plastic surgery. A Single Man may look perfect, but scratching the surface just a little and I found that the film’s style is the result of too much preening, polishing and enhancing. Ford’s film is an addict for prettiness and in the process resembles an excessively over-designed photo shoot rather than a film.

You can read the rest by clicking over to Trespass Mag and let me know what you think? Were the film's technical aspects a help or a hindrance?


I didn't get to mention it in the review - or, I did, but I had to cut it out due to word limits - but in the part about how overly designed the film is, I made a query regarding the production design. That house that Colin Firth's George lives in is gorgeous, yes, but was anybody else confused by the fact that this gay man in the 1960s lived with his boyfriend in a house made entirely out of glass? Architecturally it was stunning, but a man who so obviously tries to keep his sexuality a secret, I couldn't think of anything sillier than living in a house where anyone could see inside. That just struck me as... off. C (although Firth's performance could probably bump it up to a C+ if I'm feeling generous.)

Review: The Wolfman

The Wolfman
Dir. Joe Johnston
Year: 2010
Aus Rating: MA15+
Running Time: 125mins

Who would have thought that only six weeks into 2010 we would have a contender for worst film of the year? Actually, after only six weeks into the new decade! Alas, that is what we have in The Wolfman, directed by Joe Johnston - a severely misjudged and poorly executed monster movie.

Read the rest over at Trespass Mag for which this is my first piece. Hopefully more to come!


I did want to mention some other stuff though. Word limits can be a blessing or a hindrance and in this case it was the latter. So many awful, awful things to talk about. How about how the sets and the costumes, as pretty as they are, are entirely washed out by the horrible cinematography that makes everything look dank and dark as if they were shooting with only natural light and the only natural light they had was a cigarette lighter. I was so surprised when I saw all of these movie stills since they certainly did not look like in the film.

Or how about the bombastic sound design? It wouldn't have been that bad if The Wolfman wasn't one of those movies that utilises the "boo machine" literally every few minutes. By ten minutes in I had already smartened up to their game. Seriously you guys, the failings of this movie should be written into cinematic lore for all to gawk at for decades to come. F

Retro Review: Epsilon

Epsilon
Dir. Rolf de Heer
Year: 1997
Aus Rating: PG
Running Time: 92mins (US) / 102mins (Aus)

Rolf de Heer's Epsilon is a curious film. Released in 1997 - released under the name Alien Visitor is other territories with a poster of a shapely woman with sexy hips and a narrow waist - and starring Syd Brisbane (as "The Man") and Ullie Birve ("She"), it tells the story of a, you guessed it, alien visitor from the star Epsilon to Earth. Accidentally sent here, but since she's here she's going to spell out The Message of her people to The Man. Her Message? Well, think of all that stuff Al Gore spoke about in An Inconvenient Truth and you'll get the idea.

Yes, us Earthlings are killing the planet and raping it of its natural beauty. I can only imagine what certain audiences - those that were so shocked by Truth's tales of horror that they stopped leaving the tap running when brushing their teeth (how noble of them), more specifically - would have thought of it at the time. If anyone did actually go and see it at the time, I mean, which I can't seem to find any actual evidence of other than a nomination, much deserved, for Best Cinematography from the AFI.


This aspect of the film is all hopelessly hammer-headed and as subtle as a bullet to the head, but Rolf de Heer's strengths are not in subtlety (just watch Alexandra's Project or Bad Boy Bubby for further examples). Where the film does work is in the relationship between The Man and She that develops as these two experience each others worlds of distress (his personal, hers planetary). Whether it be romantic or pure respect, there are moments of pureness and, at times, a gentle playfulness that is sweet. The technical work from Rolf de Heer regulars (before and after) such as Tony Clark (cinematography, taking its cue from the work of Ron Fricke with gorgeous time lapse nature photography throughout), Graham Tardif (score) and Tanie Nehme (editing) make the film hypnotic to watch at times. It's just a shame the heavy-handed M-E-S-S-A-G-E was played in such a ridiculous way. C+


Quite hilariously on the recently-released DVD - from the Rolf de Heer Collection, a wonderful box set that also includes, amongst others, Bad Boy Bubby, The Quiet Room, and my personal favourite, Dingo - there are two versions of Epsilon. The original cut and the "Miramax Cut". The "Miramax Cut" is exactly why so many people hate Harvey Weinstein. Included in it is a grandmother telling her grandchildren around an outback campfire about the story of a woman that came to Earth to teach a now-famous environmentalist about the world's ills. Her narration punctuates the film whereas it is nowhere in sight in the original cut and was merely put there so American audiences had a clue as to what was going on (because it was so hard to follow otherwise). Neither version is better or worse, however, so it's all a bit of a moot point in the end.