Melbourne International Film Festival 2009
The most eerie moment occurs when one of the characters enters a trance only to relive a forgotten experience from the time she spent in a nunnery. Rather than distract us with a showy flashback, Brisseau instead keeps the camera on the actress, making for one hell of a scene.
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Review by Stuart Wilson
Basically, it's not safe to be on the ground when the beasties turn up. For the majority of the film the monsters stay hidden, which works wonderfully. When we do finally get a glimpse it's a little silly but still effective.
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Review by Stuart Wilson
What's so wonderful about the film is the exuberance on show. The characters may forever be traversing an emotional minefield but the film is filled with a light-hearted sense of humour. It perfectly captures the silliness of teen angst but treats it with respect at the same time.
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Review by Stuart Wilson
When the action kicks in, Dead Snow is a non-stop gore-spattered roller coaster that never gets dull. There are some grisly moments that attempt to rival Peter Jackson's first two films, though with a significantly larger budget. This easily has some of the best zombie 'deaths' ever captured on film.
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Review by Stuart Wilson
The irony of an Israeli armed service veteran turned filmmaker being called anti-semitic was not lost on him, and yet he decided to investigate the label through interviews with prominent American and Israeli figures in the fight against anti-semitism, and, most poignantly, a collection of Israeli schoolchildren on a tour of concentration camps in Poland.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
It doesn't seem to be purely farcical and if the film has an agenda then it's hidden deep within the borderline psychotic behaviour on display. It doesn't feel wrong for good reason, as with much of Todd Solondz's work, yet isn't comical enough to be classed as an absurd comedy.
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Review by Stuart Wilson
Whilst I can't imagine a quasi-documentary/fiction film like this has much to offer in a second viewing, it's a unique experience - a must for Hitchcock fans and anyone interested in the blurring of fact and fiction. At 80 minutes it's just about the right length (any more would have gotten tedious) and it's likely to provoke laughs, outrage and head scratching in equal doses.
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Review by Stuart Wilson
As Kalev's friend who also inspired the story, Christov was perfect for the part playing himself. He seems to be completely in character at all times, and this effect may not have been possible were a professional actor to be playing the role instead.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
The decision to keep things as simple as possible has paid off in spades. At only 64 minutes, the film is a short but sweet introduction to the work of Portugese auteur de Oliveira, and that it has a wonderfully droll sting in its tale is the icing on the cake.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
He's terrified and confused and all of his actions are understandable, yet it's near impossible to elicit sympathy for a person of which we know next to nothing. It's not a case of bad acting, but rather a script that doesn't provide the audience with the tools needed to be really caught up in the narrative.
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Review by Stuart Wilson
The Exploding Girl works a character piece that explores a brief period in the life of a young woman. That it seems determined to keep things as simple as possible - both in story, as well as technique - should be applauded, and the restraint shown in editing and production rewarded.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
Although it waivers in its midsection, Flame & Citron achieves its aim of alerting the world to the remarkable work of the Danish resistance during German occupation in the second World War. An entertaining and enjoyable film, it can be comfortably recommended.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
The performances are brilliant, with Jeremy Renner especially standing out as the cocksure bomb-tech Staff Sergeant William James. He manages the bravado of a man used to risking his life as his job with ease, while also completing the out-of-combat sequences with aplomb. This is really his movie, and he has taken charge and delivered.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
Why anyone would think filming a scene of vigorous dancing lit only by firelight with a camera seemingly held by another dancer is a good idea is unfathomable, and to let that scene last as long as it does borders on criminal abuse of the vestibular systems of the audience.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
Unprepared audiences may actually baulk at a movie - ostensibly made for children - that is visually so unrelentingly bleak. The tone matches the material, however, and provides for a refreshing change to the homogenised output of Hollywood.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
It is in the third act that the film loses much of its good will, becoming a far darker experience full of absent-minded brutality. One scene in particular - more hinted at via audio of events occurring off-screen - borders on offensive, and the fine balance that must be maintained for characters of this type is lost.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
I was never particularly convinced that Lena was powerless to change her situation, and after a little while the gore became boring. She has no backstory of consequence either, so it's hard to really feel any emotion for her.
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Review by Stuart Wilson
When discussing the placement of speakers for surround sound, for example, the sound levels for each speaker are raised and lowered to alert the audience to the individual presence of each. The Ichiokas appear to have had great fun playing with their footage to illustrate Murch's points, and the audience has fun with them.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
 Skirt Day (La journée de la jupe)
The script and direction mean that the characters are storming about yelling this and that with very little build up. Sonia cracks less than ten minutes into the film and whilst I wanted to knock some sense into her students myself, it was a little too soon to see her go over the edge.
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Review by Stuart Wilson
There are a bunch of aerial dogfights which are incredible - a wonderful blend of CGI and traditional anime - and deserve to be watched on the big screen. Alas, whenever the film gets a chance to really do something thrilling, it takes the arthouse route and skips to the next scene.
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Review by Stuart Wilson
Shot on digicam, this is not a film designed to look its best projected on a large screen, and yet somehow the film transcends its limitations in sound design and cinematography in the way that the best documentaries can. One forgives the slightly blurry footage when confronted by the wit and grace of the subject.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
There is a sense that the writers pursued their ideas to their furthest extent, with much of what seems absurd as a result. The light touch of magical realism allows the fantastic to become real on screen, ensuring the film can make the most of even its absurdities.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
It turns out that a bunch of people endlessly walking through the bush can be rather boring. There are some expertly handled murder scenes, and there's a nice sense of dread hanging over proceedings, but there isn't enough of a narrative to sustain a feature.
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Review by Stuart Wilson
The bizarre society of the tiny island Flatey is made vivid, and it is clear Kormákur is quite comfortable in the rural regions of his homeland after the success of both this film and Jar City in making the most barren parts of Iceland appealing.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
Rappoport does a fine job of her rather thankless role, given she is allowed barely an ounce of natural appeal and her character arc goes from obnoxious to insane. She rarely waivers, hitting each mark for her director, and given this is a character study and the focus must remain on her from beginning to end, she really does perform well.
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Review by Mark Lavercombe
Melbourne International Film Festival 2009 - Official Site
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