Set in a post-apocalyptic world where people are divided into factions in order to keep the populace subdued, Divergent feels a lot like The Hunger Games to begin with. We’re introduced to Beatrice (Shailene Woodley), a teenager who lives with her family in the Abnegation section of society, but feels like she doesn’t belong. Soon she’ll find herself bucking the system and forging her own path, rather than that which was chosen for her. Whether or not author Veronica Roth intended the book to be reminiscent of Suzanne Collins’ 2008 novel isn’t really the point; it’s clear that Hollywood decided to turn this into a film because of the success of The Hunger Games. After the first half hour, however, Divergent does, ahem, diverge from the template, skipping from one sci-fi trope to another, and it’s easy to see what made the book so popular with teenage readers.

We’ve got the traditional boarding school story set-up, complete with a Sorting Hat scene right out of ‘Harry Potter’. The ruthless way in which kids are trained also reminded me of Ender’s Game. Then there’s the fact that future-Chicago basically enforces the type of cliques you see in a traditional American high school (in fact, it’s got this whole Mean Girls meets Gattaca thing going on). And finally, we have the kind of wish fulfilment fantasy where the quiet, unassuming teen gets to surprise her family and peers to become a kick arse fighter complete with hot love interest (Theo James).

As unimpressive as I’ve made it sound, the film is definitely entertaining. Shailene Woodley was the best thing about The Descendants, and makes for a really charismatic heroine here. She is ably supported by the likes of Jai Courtney, Ashley Judd, Kate Winslet and Theo James, not to mention Zoë Kravitz, who looks exactly like you’d expect the child of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet to look.

I’m certain that Divergent is the kind of film that, when you stand back and look at the narrative as a whole, doesn’t make much sense. At the very least, future-Chicago features empty trains with no train stations to stop at, but aside from that, there’s something about the faction selection process that doesn’t ring true. I don’t want to pick holes, however, because as a brainless action sci-fi movie, Divergent works. I’ve seen three of director Neil Burger’s films (The Illusionist, Limitless and now this) and Divergent is the first one that doesn’t fizzle out during the final act.

The post Divergent appeared first on hoopla.nu.

The debut feature from Katell Quillévéré, Love Like Poison is, on the face of it, a simple film. Beneath the surface, however, it’s an emotionally complex tale with subtle layers of symbolism. Augarde is brilliant in the lead role, and her portrayal of Anna as hesitant, confused and reckless wonderfully captured the essence of that awkward stage between childhood and adulthood. Lio plays Anna’s mother with aplomb yet we’re not provided with much to help us sympathise with her. Italian Stefano Cassetti is good as the local priest, yet his character tumbles into cliché. You have to work pretty hard to make the old ‘priest fighting the temptations of the flesh’ storyline work, and here it feels like an unnecessary sub-plot.

Love Like Poison isn’t really an erotic film, per se. Though a critic quoted on the cover references Bertolucci’s Stealing Beauty, this film focuses on a much younger protagonist, so there’s nothing here that’s more than vaguely racy. It’s more about first love and coming to terms with the first hints of sexuality, as opposed than anything more advanced.

The cinematography is never the focal point, and despite the fact that much of the film is set in a picturesque French village, the camerawork is rather workmanlike. The image quality of the DVD is average. You’re likely to notice substantial blurring of the titles on an HDTV, however the colours are nice and vibrant. This is a vanilla release too, with no special features to speak of.

The strength of Love Like Poison lies in the simple and honest nature of the storytelling. In the quest for realism, writers Quillévéré and Mariette Désert aren’t too focussed on easy answers, so don’t expect everything to be tied in a neat bundle by the film’s end.

Love Like Poison is available on DVD from Madman now.

The post Love Like Poison appeared first on hoopla.nu.

Based on the teen novel of the same name, the film sees us introduced to Number 4 – an alien, one of the last of his race, sent to Earth and being chased down by the *giggle* Mogadorians. 4 – now known as John – decides the best place to hide out is a school (probably ’cause he’s been reading ‘Twilight’) and pretty soon falls in love with the human Sarah, another student very much on the outer (again, this is probably what he hoped would happen after reading ‘Twilight’). The Mogadorians are still on his tail, but John is also discovering he has certain super powers, which must make him feel a bit better about his situation.

It takes a while to get over the multitude of contrivances that stick out in the first hour of this film. To add insult to injury, the music, editing, and scripting signals every single event before it happens, so that the viewer is never surprised (apparently even the presence of ‘Buffy’ alumni, Marti Noxon, didn’t elevate the quality of the writing). However, things get better. I’m not sure if it was the quality picking up or simply my brain surrendering, but eventually this soft sci-fi/action movie got to me.

The performances go a long way to making I Am Number Four watchable. Everyone performs admirably considering the less-than perfect screenplay, and even Timothy Oliphant succeeds (though only barely) in delivering some massive clunkers with commendable conviction. Alex Pettyfer is decent in the lead role (even if he looks too much like an underwear model), whilst Dianna Agron is excellent as love interest, Sarah. Aussie Theresa Palmer gets to kick some arse whilst retaining her accent, which is neat, whilst Kevin Durand has some fun (and inadvertently reminds us this is a movie made for 12 year old boys) as the *snigger* Mogadorian commander.

Aside from the horrific opening scene, the special effects are decent. You can see they’re cutting corners here and there (having events take place at night time certainly helps), but the hero moments are strong enough to convince. In fact, they bring out the big guns for the climax, and perhaps the fact that the film ends on such a high note was what pushed me over the line on this one.

I Am Number Four doesn’t take the superhero, action or sci-fi genre anywhere spectacular, but there’s enough to keep one entertained. Above all, some persuasive performances (and great looking performers) make the film worthwhile. As to whether it succeeds in kicking off the franchise the makers are clearly hoping for, that remains to be seen.

The post I Am Number Four appeared first on hoopla.nu.

The film concerns two young women, Ely and Lila, who have been best friends all their lives. Frequently mistaken for sisters, the two are inseparable, and delight in making fun of their suburban neighbour and doing their best to sneak into the most exclusive Parisian nightclubs. After spending years dreaming of entering the upper echelons of society, a chance meeting means they suddenly find the highlife they crave within reach. In case the title of the film didn’t tip you off, it soon becomes clear that entry into such a privileged world isn’t without its price.

Géraldine Nackache co-directs, co-writes and stars as Ely, and she and Leila Bekhti (Lila) are perfect as best friends. I must admit, I was a little mystified as to their age – they’re clearly not in high school yet act like they should be – however their glee is infectious. Rounding out their friendship group is Audrey Lamy as Carole, their oh-so-blunt friend who works as a personal trainer and has to put up with them at their worst. Her scenes of indignation are possibly the best in the film.

Ely and Lila’s flirtations with the cultural elite are central to the film, so much so that it’s disconcerting that this particular subplot isn’t concluded. In fact, the main flaw with All That Glitters (apart from a title that telegraphs the narrative curve like possibly no other title ever) is that there are a number of subplots that are simply forgotten about.

The soundtrack is a little strange, if only for the reason that it’s filled with songs by The Streets. This certainly suits the mood of the film but it’s a little strange to hear the most-definitely-not-French Mike Skinner’s tunes presiding over the events.

If the film hadn’t dropped the ball in this way, then it would have been a great piece of cinema, indeed. As it stands, the performances of the central characters and the marvellously fun writing means that All That Glitters is an entertaining hour and a half, though not much more. As I hinted at in the beginning, it’s also rare to see mainstream films that are written for and by women, and it’s a welcome entry into that rather slim cannon (which means, by default, that it’s a great alternative to anything Twilight-related.)

The post All That Glitters appeared first on hoopla.nu.

Brent Mitchell (Xavier Samuel) is one glum chap. It’s only been six months since the death of his father, and he’s clearly taken responsibility for the loss. He does have an adoring girlfriend in Holly (Victoria Thaine) however, but it’s love of a different kind that will ensure that his school formal is a night to remember. You see, Lola (Robin McLeavy) also loves Brent, and will do anything to ensure that her special night is just perfect. Even if it involves power tools.

It’s perhaps unfortunate that I have recently seen 5150 Elm’s Way (5150, Rue des Ormes), Mum & Dad, and, to a lesser extent, P2, because the fad for expanding upon the dinner table scene from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre seems to be well and truly upon us. If this hadn’t become so popular, then maybe I would have received the setup of the horror portion of the film more positively. As it stands, I’m finding this sub-genre a little tiresome.

That being said, there’s a lot that The Loved Ones does perfectly. First and foremost, this is a horror film that actually spends time with the characters and lets us get to know them. After decades of horror films, you’d think most filmmakers would get this, but countless throwaway horrors can attest to this not being the case. Writer/director Sean Byrne makes sure we feel Brent’s guilt and Holly’s love for him before any nasty happens. We also get to know Brent’s friend and high school drug dealer, Sac (Richard Wilson) and the object of his affection, depressed goth Mia (Jessica McNamee). The coming of age portion of the film is so perfect that the encroachment of the central horror plot is actually a bit disappointing. Alas, this well-written and performed drama doesn’t mix at all with the horror. In fact, it almost feels like two separate films at times.

The horrific setup itself is handled pretty well. Unfortunately, Byrne made the mistake of having Brent mute from the very beginning of his captivity. One of the most important features of a great horror film is a well-written central character/victim, and whilst Brent’s introductory scenes are brilliant (and the high point of the film) it’s disappointing that there is no room left for him to develop after the first 25 minutes.

With regards to the actual torture, The Loved Ones certainly boasts a wonderfully macabre list of horrid acts. One might have thought that body horror was a dying breed, what with the Saw franchise supposedly coming to a close, but this film has no intention of letting the trend fade. If you want to see some excruciatingly horrifying moments on the big screen, The Loved Ones certainly stands as the best of those films willing to go all the way.

Sean Byrne

The post The Loved Ones appeared first on hoopla.nu.

Whilst the two-pronged virgin/whore dynamic has been poked towards the female gender for a long time, in recent years the increasingly pervasive nature of modern communications – and the expectations surrounding their use – means practically nothing is private any more. Olive (Emma Stone) finds this out the hard way when, after being cajoled by her best friend, Rhiannon (Aly Michalka), she spins a yarn to her about losing her virginity to a guy from a nearby college. Suddenly the whole school knows, and suddenly, Olive has gone from nobody to “slut”. At first Olive finds her newfound infamy to be kind of fun, and before long she discovers that she can use her image to her own benefit, taking cash in exchange for lying about further sexual encounters.

Easy A is a great film, first of all because Stone is brilliant as portraying the verbose Olive, who at first seems a little too intelligent for her own good. Pretty soon she’s carrying the world on her shoulders, all through changing her image and harnessing the power of gossip. Stone really is a formidable talent, winning us over not only in the comedy stakes but also making us care for Olive in the film’s more emotional moments.

I cannot overstate how clever Bert V. Royal’s script is, either. The sharpness of wit coupled with the oh so contemporary understanding of the way the world works (and specifically among the younger generation) is practically unparalleled, particularly in the realm of teen comedies. Hell, if the trailer for the new Katherine “I’m going to destroy feminism one movie at a time” Heigl film is anything to go by, it’s unparalleled in the realm of romantic comedies full stop.

The supporting cast are fantastic, with particularly good turns from Stanley Tucci, Patricia Clarkson, Thomas Haden Church and Amanda “she’s retired/oh no she’s unretired” Bynes. The movie moves along at a snappy pace and barely seconds pass by between laughs. For me, the only disappointment with Easy A was its last minute tendency to slip into John Hughes nostalgia. Don’t get me wrong, Hughes made some great movies, but I’m getting a little sick of new movies telling us how much better things were in the 80s. As far as I’m concerned, Not Another Teen Movie made that point quite well nine years ago.

Easy A is a fantastic film, and sure to be the comedy of the year.

The post Easy A appeared first on hoopla.nu.

Stuart Beattie’s film is not without its faults, however is true to the source material and a great film overall. For those who don’t know, Tomorrow When the War Began concerns a group of eight teenagers who go on a camping trip into the bush for several days, only to return to find that Australia has been invaded.

First of all, the casting is fantastic. Every single character is brought to life in the exact same fashion I remembered from the books. Caitlin Stasey grounds the film as central character, Ellie. Whilst I was not in the slightest bit convinced that this girl regularly wields chainsaws on a farm with those slender arms, she does otherwise perfectly embody Ellie – a thoroughly practical young woman who is one of the first to be transformed by the war. Phoebe Tonkin is particularly hilarious as ‘townie’ Fi, who is initially the least capable of taking care of herself, much less going head to head against the invaders. Rachel Hurd-Wood, who perhaps has the most extensive film resume of the young actors, is wonderful as Ellie’s best friend, Corrie, as is Deniz Akdeniz as Homer. Chris Pang expertly manages perhaps the most difficult job as Lee, who is definitely the outsider of the group, whilst Ashleigh Cummings is brilliantly spot on as the über-religious Robyn.

The film looks great – it has a decent budget behind it and truly does justice to the more spectacular moments from the book. The action is well handled too, which manages to find the right balance between exhilarating and realistic. Beattie manages to ramp up the tension in several wonderfully executed scenes early on, and the whilst this is an action film and does work on that level, he hasn’t forgotten the more sobering moments of the book – the emotional repercussions of their violent acts certainly aren’t ignored. Also, the film’s comedic moments are truly hilarious.

Tomorrow When the War Began isn’t without a misstep or two, however, and these are rather glaring. There are three crucial scenes that simply feel a bit… awkward. Unfortunately, they are critical to the story, yet the direction feels confused. Beattie has indeed taken much of the dialogue straight from the books, so perhaps this is a simply a case where some more creative rewriting needed to occur in the transition from book to screen. It is such a pity that the film falters in these few moments – and they are indeed only moments – when the rest is so wonderful.

Thankfully, these missteps don’t overwhelm Tomorrow When the War Began, and certainly don’t stop it from being an action-packed flick with a disturbing undercurrent paralleling the characters’ collective loss of innocence. It mightn’t be perfect, but it’s a wonderfully refreshing film to see coming out of Australia, and it certainly does justice to John Marsden’s work.

The post Tomorrow, When the War Began appeared first on hoopla.nu.

A high school aged girl and her friend check out a cute lifeguard at the local swimming pool, and then steal someone else’s beers. A boy out shopping with his mother falls in lust with a pretty young girl shopping with her mother. A college student comes home to mope after having his heart broken. A girl new to the area befriends another with a less than perfect reputation. They all drink and behave badly. Then it’s the next day.

Ok, sure, there are moments in which some of the kids make choices that most of their audience will be comfortable with, but for much of this film we follow a group of children as they drink and snog their way through a long Summer night. That Maggie (Claire Sloma) is still alive given the amount of alcohol she ingests in such a short time is a miracle, and suggesting that she would be capable of riding a pushbike is close to absurd.

This is not to suggest that writer/director David Robert Mitchell hasn’t created a film that displays significant insight into suburban teenage malaise. Myth of the American Sleepover, The is a scary, depressing experience, as it has an air of authenticity that makes the decisions (good and bad) of these young people all the more important. The plight of the best friend who is falling behind their peer in emotional maturity and sexual adventurousness is examined in two cases, and both are easily recognisable.

The performances of the young cast are very natural, and Sloma is perhaps the standout: she is given the opening and closing sequences as well as at least her share of the interwoven narrative, but the film couldn’t work without her confident portrayal of a young woman on the verge of maturity. The unaffected performances are matched by the washed out appearance of the film, allowing it to achieve a pseudo-documentary feel that Mitchell must surely have been aiming for. Issues with sound levelling affected the film at several points, with some dialogue inaudible against the soundtrack. It is not inconceivable that this was the fault not of the filmmaker but rather the cinema, given the problems that have plagued my experience of MIFF so far this year.

That several of his characters eventually do make the ‘right’ decisions is heartening, although this may be disappointing for those expecting this film to lay bare the consequences of misguided teenage hubris, and it probably weakens the film overall. Nonetheless, Myth of the American Sleepover, The is a solid and more realistic take on the rites of passage of American teens than we are usually offered.

The post The Myth of the American Sleepover appeared first on hoopla.nu.

Rest assured that Eclipse continues the franchise’s horrendous record of setting feminism back several decades. Bella Swan has no ambition whatsoever, and is only interested in being with the man/men she loves. She’s fragile and passive, and frequently needs protection from Big Strong Men. Edward, ever the gentleman, once more believes that keeping her innocent and in the dark when it comes to Serious Men’s Business is the best thing for her (you’d almost expect Mike Brady to pop up and suggest she take a Valium or two), and can’t wait to own her in the legal sense. More importantly, Bella is so incapable of taking care of herself that she can’t even manage to DRESS APPROPRIATELY WHEN GOING CAMPING ON A SNOW-TOPPED MOUNTAIN.

In its defence, Eclipse does suggest that young women have libidos, which is a nice change from what we usually see in teen films, where the guys are forever craving sex and gals simply put up with it to please them. The men in the Twilight franchise seem more intent on fighting over ownership of their female territory rather than jumping into girls’ pants.

David Slade is at the helm this time around, and I cannot think of a director whose output has been more disappointing since such a perfect debut feature. Of course, Hard Candy is a hard act to follow, but did he have to make 30 Days of Night and then this? In any event, at least you can rest assured that Eclipse looks stunning – Slade has a fantastic cinematic eye. This is easily the best-looking of the franchise thus far, which has definitely become a lot glossier since the overwhelmingly under-budgeted first film. The special effects are quite decent, and this time around, they’ve come up with quite a nifty way of dispatching vampires (I imagine the studio was keen to let Slade work his magic without quite the gore of 30 Days of Night, thus ensuring that the film keep its M rating).

As we have come to expect, the soundtrack to Eclipse is great. Even the most outspoken of detractors can’t deny that the franchise continues to pump out solid albums. Howard Shore’s score is really good also, though at times it sounds a bit like the recurring theme we’ve been hearing in this year’s ‘Doctor Who’.

The performances are more of the same. Robert Pattinson continues to look constipated, though I’m told that this is what a vampire in love looks like. Taylor Lautner is constantly shirtless, though at least this means that the guys in Hollywood get a turn at being nothing more than eye candy, rather than the girls (impressively, Bella is constantly dressed down – I don’t think we ever see her in anything but jeans and a plaid shirt and/or hoodie).

Eclipse delivers exactly what we’ve come to expect, which I imagine is what the studio and the fans want. It doesn’t take any risks, nor does it stray far from the source material. This kind of safe filmmaking is never going to be brilliant, but makes for adequate entertainment.

The post The Twilight Saga: Eclipse appeared first on hoopla.nu.

Lola (Christa Theret) lives with her divorced mother, Anne (Sophie Marceau), and her two siblings. The bond Lola and Anne share is at times astonishing, though of course there are many things that Lola keeps to herself. She’s having boy troubles – her love of one year slept around during summer break. No sooner has she cast him off than she begins to fall for his best friend, Maël, against her better judgment. Her two best friends, Charlotte (Marion Chabassol) and Stéphanie (Lou Lesage) are having their own romance issues. Stéphanie feels like she isn’t as important to her boyfriend as he is to her, and Charlotte is spending her time playing kinky sex games with a mysterious boy over the internet.

It’s all very upbeat and funny but the first twenty minutes of LOL does its best to prevent the viewer from latching onto any of the characters. We’re assaulted by rapid-fire scenes, introduced to a dozen teenagers – who all look the same – and witness several montages in a row. I can only assume that the producer and editor are the enemies of the slow-burn feature. Considering that the film is aimed at teenagers, this is understandable, but it’s all a bit too speedy for my liking.

Nevertheless, I did eventually work out what was going on and LOL is an entertaining teen romantic comedy. I shall belatedly apologise for my generalisation about the French in the first paragraph but any offence is rendered moot once you see the hilariously stereotyped representation of the English in this film.

Everyone in this film is gorgeous – the adults, the kids, the objects of desire, the old flames. The mother/daughter duo of Marceau/Theret is particularly brilliant in their depiction of an insanely close familial bond. It may be that some blanche at the thought of such a strong connection whilst others wish they had a similar relationship with their parents but it can’t be denied that it is one of the film’s strengths, and something that sets it apart from others of its ilk.

There’s a subtext concerning women’s sexuality in the wake of the sexual revolution that weaves in and out of the narrative but writers Lisa Azuelos and Nans Delgado’s point is lost somewhere along the way. Lola’s mother is afraid of applying a double standard when it comes to her daughter, yet the issues regarding her child’s burgeoning sexuality aren’t really gender-specific. This is one of several elements that feel unfinished and there are a number of scenes that feel as if they should have been more important, yet the film merely passes them by.

LOL is a decent flick about mother/daughter relations, even if it doesn’t really have a clear moral at its heart. Fortunately however, the affable characters are enough to make the film an enjoyable diversion.

The post LOL (Laughing Out Loud) ® appeared first on hoopla.nu.