The Dry

Copyright © 2020 by Roadshow Films

Story
Federal Agent Aaron Falk (Eric Bana) from Melbourne returns to his hometown after an absence of 20 years. He is summoned for a funeral of his old friend Luke Hadler (Martin Dingle-Wall) who allegedly murdered his family before taking his own life. The investigation leads him to uncover the truth of another mysterious death which occurred when he was a teenager.

Review
The town of Kiewarra is in need of rain and there has not been any for almost a year. The shots of the outback are subdued and the brown tinge mirrors the drought and heat being experienced. The weariness of the locals adds an element of suspicion towards Aaron’s past and his involvement in the current case. Director Robert Connolly wastes little time in engaging his audiences with the present while interspersed with flashbacks of Aaron’s teenage years.

Written by Connolly and Harry Cripps which is based on Jane Harper’s book, it begins at a slow drip where we are kept at an arm’s-length on the community and its secrets. Nobody seems to be a suspect but as Aaron digs deeper, everyone (including himself) becomes a possible threat. It is a deliberately paced guessing game and the mystery unravels more swiftly as it reaches the final act. The bouncing back and forth may disconnect some viewers from the performances but Connolly’s direction is seamless and easy to follow.

It is in the drowning of a school friend prior that we learn who the characters are and their complicating relationships. Aaron’s indifference can be attributed to the grief and guilt he has been bottling up since the tragedy which is played with aplomb by an understated Bana whose brooding and iron-jawed tenacity carries through the drier portions of the procedural. On a hiatus for four years, it is a role that reminds us what Bana is capable of when given the opportunity and will keep you intrigued right up until the end.

Rating
Entirety: A-
Acting: A
Plot: A

​Rated R for violence and language throughout

Those Who Wish Me Dead

Copyright © 2021 by Warner Bros. Pictures

Story
Guilt-ridden smokejumper Hannah Faber (Angelina Jolie) who failed to rescue the lives of three boys from a fire is now assigned with watchtower duties in the Montana wilderness. While on patrol, she stumbles into Connor Casserly (Finn Little) who is on the run from two unrelenting killers (Aidan Gillen and Nicholas Hoult). Connor has evidence that implicates the hitmen’s employer (Tyler Perry) and Hannah promises to keep him safe.

Review
‘Those Who Wish Me Dead’ is a neatly packaged albeit derivative thriller that demands little from Jolie. She turns in a respectable performance and evokes enough emotional distress from her past trauma and is relatable once her character decides to protect the son of a murdered forensic accountant. But what the movie surprises most is the treatment in its supporting players. We know the main relationship is between Hannah and Connor yet importance is still placed in the arcs of the assassins who are after them and an expectant couple.

Little is restrained as someone who has just witnessed a loved one being slayed in front of him and the human villains are less two-dimensional primarily due to Gillen and Hoult’s conviction. Jon Bernthal is a wonderful addition to the casting but he is easily upstaged by Medina Senghore, his on-screen pregnant wife. Senghore has a lot of great material to work with (including a scene in a cabin where she craftily escapes the bad guys) and it allows her to be a thoroughly more endearing heroine than Jolie’s.

The reality that a Black outdoorswoman survived an execution with a cool sequence is in itself a breath of fresh air. Pitting the humans against a raging forest fire but not sensationalising its villainy also puts it on a different course from the more bombastic proceedings of ‘Dante’s Peak’ or ‘The Day After Tomorrow’. The wildfire serves only as a stunning visual backdrop which does not detract from the story’s hottest element – saving one young and shaken boy from merciless men without sacrificing any of its heart.

Rating
Entirety: B+
Acting: A
Plot: B

​Rated R for strong violence and language throughout

The Mitchells vs. the Machines

Copyright © 2021 by Netflix

Story
Gearing up for college, Katie Mitchell (Abbi Jacobson) is eager to leave Kentwood, Michigan and meet with other undergrads who share her interest in film. On the eve of departure, a quarrel erupts over one of her shorts with her father Rick (Danny McBride) expressing concern about her future as a film maker and the relationship is further strained when he accidentally breaks her laptop. As one last bonding session, Rick cancels Katie’s flight and the entire family goes on a cross-country road trip to her college instead.

Review
Writers of the hilarious Disney Channel animated series ‘Gravity Falls’, directors Mike Rianda and Jeff Rowe have uploaded a hysterical parody that runs parallel as a moving family tribute to all the ‘weirdos’ in the world. It is a frequent reminder that being odd is cool and good as epitomised by producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s brilliant directorial debut ‘Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs’. You are enriched by the attention-grabbing characters, laugh-out-loud gags and familial messages which endure long after the end credits have rolled.

In a post Covid landscape, we are more dependent than ever on the Internet and Wi-Fi. Take that away, anarchy rears its ugly head and humanity is on the brink of extinction. All it needs for a disgruntled A.I. (Olivia Colman) to wipe out civilisations is by luring the people with ‘Free Wi-Fi’ signs. They willingly boxed themselves in these cubicles even after realising it is a one-way ticket to space. It seems bonkers and excessive but it hits closer to home than we care to admit. Technology is integral to us and it is unabashedly satirised without being preachy or ham-fisted.

However, the comedy is also not explicitly encouraging you to ditch your smart devices either. Rianda and Rowe are simply proposing the demerits and rewards these tools can have on a family. The Mitchells are able to reconnect as a unit in times of crisis yet can isolate and drive them insane too as another human could. Colman’s scorned digital interface is a standout and ‘her’ actions should serve as cautionary for us moving forward but never underestimate a number three Robertson head non-slip screwdriver, ‘The Rick Mitchell Special’ and Monchi. We may have just dodged another Robopocalypse of our own making.

Rating
Entirety: A
Acting (Voice): A
Plot: A

​Rated PG for action and some language

French Exit

Copyright © 2021 by Sony Pictures Classics

Story
After the death of her husband, a destitute Frances Price (Michelle Pfeiffer) sells off the last vestiges in his sizeable estate and relocates to a modest apartment in Paris owned by her best friend Joan (Susan Coyne) with her adult son Malcolm (Lucas Hedges) and family cat. When it attacks Frances and runs away, she reveals to Malcolm the cat’s real identity.

Review
Prolific and commanding, spanning four decades in the industry, Pfeiffer has worked with some of the best on and off-screen talents in America. Her presence permeates every frame she is in, rivaling only the Golden Age stars of yore. It is why her Catwoman is still fondly regarded as the definitive live-action depiction in any ‘Batman’ universe. Stars of her caliber are dwindling and it is a good thing her career is on a ‘Pfeiffer-sance’ since 2017, strategically alternating between television and movies.

While Pfeiffer’s last few ventures have been supporting turns for Disney, ‘French Exit’ is a triumphant return for her as a leading lady. Adapted from his 2018 novel, Patrick deWitt’s witty writing and florid dialogue allow her a sardonic approach while maintaining an air of poise and charm. In the hands of a less compelling performer, Frances’s icy and snooty demeanour would be unworthy of our sympathy. Instead, Pfeiffer turns the character into an unexpectedly beguiling woman.

As most of the conversation is lifted directly from deWitt’s book and Pfeiffer effortlessly delivers the lines with an exquisite mix of humanity and humour, nonetheless, the film’s critical reception is generally divisive. The cynics have dismissed the comedy as pretentious with a lack of plot. Yet, the other dependable character actors imbue the writer’s words with a quirky elegance ensuring emotions are heartfelt and sincere. It is unlike anything we have seen and among the finest portrayals of the year.

Rating
Entirety: A-
Acting: A+
Plot: A-

​Rated R for language and sexual references