Melbourne International Film Festival 2008
The story is told non-sequentially, with excerpts from retrospective interviews with Ben's parents, teachers and schoolmates hinting at the disaster still to come. This technique is more and more commonplace, but it certainly works in Ben X to engender a sense of dread as the bullying continues and Ben's isolation grows.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
Dialogue-heavy movies can often stretch the patience of their audiences, and one suspects this to be the case for Boogie. Although the building tension in several scenes (particularly those between Boogie and Smaranda) makes for a rather intense experience, the attention inevitably wanders during several others.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
After learning of the demise of their friend, and the urban legend behind it, they vow to do nothing bad for the next three days. But even so, they start to die anyway. It's really quite strange. Hollywood's already got it pegged for a remake, and I can imagine that they'll have a field day with the premise.
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Review by Stuart Wilson
 Empties (Vratné lahve)
The film suffers from much the same problem with its midsection as its star and hero - there is just a hint of flab here that detracts from its appeal. The opening and closing sequences are much stronger, however, and it would be a hard soul indeed who didn't leave this film with a smile on their face.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
While Encounters at the End of the World features some truly wonderful footage of Antarctic wildlife, the film contains so many other flaws it fails to succeed on most levels. Much like the problems I noted with his last documentary, the biggest problem with this film is the director/narrator himself.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
There are a couple of sequences that astonish - one of the 'angels' attacking Tokyo is a masterpiece of visual and sound design, but overall this is the sort of animation one would expect on television, not the big screen.
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Review by Stuart Wilson
The pacing is a strength, allowing the impact of the rather horrendous events to sink in before encouraging the audience to follow the hero as he recovers from them. Adding to the running time is the use of flashback that is interwoven with the present and goes some way to explaining Josh's behaviour.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
It's only with such auteur-driven animation pieces that we can truly see all the possibilities of animation - Idiots and Angels is jerky and somewhat primitive in comparison to the cartoons with which we're familiar, but it's so much more powerful.
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Review by Stuart Wilson
The cinematography - thanks largely to the use of black & white - also contributes to the portrayal of Los Angeles' seedier elements, (but) essentially the film is of two people meeting and then having a prolonged conversation while wandering around.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
 Inside (À l'intérieur)
I'm not kidding, it was that dark. Most of the story plays out within a house at night, with the only lighting provided by 'real' sources - lamps, generally. But even the brighter moments inside that house had me squinting, trying to figure out what was going on.
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Review by Stuart Wilson
Following the immediate pre-trial period, the trial itself and its verdict, filmmaker Daniel Leconte has produced an entertaining and inspiring documentary about the principle of free speech and the role of the free press. Additionally, Leconte and his subjects dare to address the question of whether religion should be material for satire.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
The problem with attempting to make a top notch D-grade movie is that at the end of the process you end up with a D-grade movie. Hence, the pacing is awful, and there are more than a few drawn out, unnecessarily long scenes, and a couple of absolute duds.
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Review by Stuart Wilson
The stunning countryside of Iceland is used to good effect, with wind-swept coastlines and barren marshlands adding further to the considerable evidence that some of the best thrillers are set in the extreme landscapes of our far north.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
Having not seen any of Doillon's previous work, I can't say whether fans will enjoy his newest offering. This film is unlikely to please casual cinemagoers, that's for sure, and will test the patience of even the most tolerant of cinema buffs.
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Review by Stuart Wilson
Witnessing her mother's sexuality and having no way to understand it, Nati will explore her own nakedness and depictions of the naked form, and against the backdrop of a casually brutal society the consequences for both children may be disastrous.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
The raunchy scenes are tainted with the unpleasant knowledge of the negative consequences, and Jonas seems to have neither the will nor the inclination to break free of the group. To make matters worse, they truly seem unaware of the damage they're causing.
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Review by Stuart Wilson
De Palma's career is notable for several movies that contain viscerally powerful setups or performances. Unlike any film he has made before, Redacted is a curious mixture of fact and imagination, and although it packs a visual and emotional punch it never quite reaches its potential.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
Obviously, it's easy to make sense of the chaos retrospectively, but both the defence and prosecution seem incredibly calm and rational people, not to mention Samantha herself, who seems to be have been more negatively affected by the investigating policemen and media's handling of the case than the act itself.
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Review by Stuart Wilson
It is refreshing to see a side of this conflict often not presented, as most of our media's coverage of Palestine is devoted to terrorists and suicide bombers. The most powerful message that comes through, however, is of abject pessimism about the chance of conciliation.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
Seven Days Sunday is a necessarily bleak retelling of an horrific real-life occurrence, that like many films of its nature raises several possible explanations without ever being able to settle on one. Although it is not without flaws, it can still be confidently recommended.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
The tale is narrated by a trio of traditional Indian shadow puppets, who bicker casually about the specifics of events, and add their own modern-day interpretations. Interspersed with the retelling is the rather autobiographical tale of Nina and her partner, the latter of which travels to India to leave her behind.
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Review by Stuart Wilson
The film features cameo performances from almost any 'name' star one can think of - except Bill Hunter - and some of these are worth the price of admission alone. An extended poker sequence featuring Alex Dimitriades, Marcus Graham and Clayton Watson crackles with menace and mirth.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
I hoped that the second segment would return to the beginning, but from a different perspective. No such luck. The tangled storyline continues throughout, and this wouldn't be so much of a problem if it didn't get in the way of character development.
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Review by Stuart Wilson
The biggest problem facing audiences is the completely unengaging nature of the three leads. When the film is meant as a portrayal of youth as depicted by three main characters, if those characters aren't either interesting or likable the film is bound to suffer.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
Although Morgan Spurlock's documentaries will never be seen as targeting the highly intellectual, perhaps there is a place for populist non-fiction works that address political and social issues. In this regard, Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden? may be even more successful than his previous hit Super Size Me.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
Melbourne International Film Festival 2008 - Official Site
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