STACK#127 May 2016

REVIEWS

CINEMA

RATING KEY:

Wow!

Good

Not bad

Meh Woof!

EX MACHINA

KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER

A lucky employee of the biggest Internet company is invited to spend a week with the reclusive guru/owner at a remote undisclosed location, where the ultimate dream-come-true soon descends into a deadly nightmare of wits, philosophy and ethics… oh, and an extremely sexy robot called Ava, possessing the most advanced AI known to mankind. Science fiction, when done with creative abandon and stripped of the philosophical duality of humanity, can indeed affect audiences with a power few other genres can ever muster. AI being the new black, with ideals of nature versus nurture and whether humans need to be around at all, has been tackled well via Spielberg, Duncan Jones, and way back when to Kubrick’s HAL in 2001 ; whereas Alex Proyas' effort ( I, Robot ) was more akin to a Fast & Furious flick with no sense of humour. Writer Alex Garland ( 28 Days Later , Dredd ), making his directing debut here, dances between a Kubrickian clinical unease and a Richard Kelly head-f**k. An unpredictable thriller is welcomed, one that utilises the amazing acting talent on offer and tones down the CGI element in favour of raw sensuality, big questions we could debate for weeks, and a Hitchcock sting that tickles the dreamer in all of us. Bar the last two minutes, this may be the best sci-fi film you’ll see in quite a while. No, I didn’t tell you much – just bloody well see it! Chris Murray RELEASED: May 7 DIRECTOR: Alex Garland CAST: Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac RATING: MA15+

This is a true story, via a dream-like lens, of the troubled Japanese woman who ran away to Fargo, USA in search of the fictional suitcase of cash she believes is still buried deep in the snow within the Coen Bros’ cinematic masterpiece of the same name. Sure, the idea of this real-life tale of a batty Japanese woman convinced – via her VHS copy of Fargo – that Steve Buscemi really left a suitcase of greenbacks in the bitter-cold of North Dakota is most likely to be directed by the Farrelly Bros. and sponsored by Funny or Die. That this is instead a heartbreaking artistic masterpiece conjuring childhood wonder, terror and tackling the abyss of mental illness all at once, makes it a filmmaking triumph beyond comparison. From her menial, lifeless and loveless existence in Tokyo, we watch the tragic beauty and joy within young Kumiko emerge only in her obsession with ‘the treasure’ and her pet bunny, Bunzo. A shockingly accurate portrait of depression and isolation juxtaposed with offbeat encounters with humanity and painted with cinematography where every frame should be mounted on a wall, Kumiko will leave you giggling, awestruck, weeping, and afterwards debating the underlying narrative with peers well into the night. Suffice to say, you’ve never seen anything like it. Chris Murray RELEASED: Out Now DIRECTOR: David Zellner CAST: Rinko Kikuchi, Nobuyuki Katsube RATING: M

WHILE WE'RE YOUNG

COBAIN: MONTAGE OF HECK

Midlife crisis presents itself to a fortysomething, no kids, filmmaking couple in New York City. Yet the mood changes drastically upon befriending two vibrant hipsters, reigniting some much needed spark – then things get complicated. Noah Baumbach has a knack for presenting middle-aged fear somewhere between Woody Allen’s relentless self-deprecation and Wes Anderson’s melancholic charm. However here, with the forced ‘did you all see what I really mean?’ talents of Ben Stiller, perpetually offering his neglected puppy face to 21st century male stereotypes, the gag wears terribly thin. While he’s the anchor in this ‘just who are these hipsters and why are they enjoying my childhood memories better than me?’ fable on the changing of the creative guard in middle-class NYC, he’s also the annoying reason this film will polarise the desired fortysomething audience. Bogged down in its own self-awareness, one feels they’re watching a parody beneath the overtones of insecure aging. But we’re not, and this film's honest belief that it represents any type of reality is about as radical as processed cheese slices. Even with the few glimmers of giggle and wit (mostly via Watts' strong presence) – this is a disappointing and amazingly shallow experience, no doubt lapped-up by critics with parallel personalities. Chris Murray RELEASED: Out Now DIRECTOR: Noah Baumbach CAST: Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Adam Driver RATING: M

Kurt Cobain was the lead singer of Nirvana, a band that seemingly came out of nowhere to become the biggest rock act in the world, capturing the angst and rage of an entire generation. Then he took his life at 27… but just who was he, really? With much hoopla and anticipation of a new flick on a most misunderstood rock icon, from the director of the Rolling Stones' doco Crossfire Hurricane and the Oscar-nominated bio of Hollywood producer Robert Evans, The Kid Stays in the Picture , it’s almost impossible to distance yourself from an emotional connection to the never-seen home vids, candid pics, illustrations and audio offerings in this exhaustive portrait. Created with the blessing of ex-wife Courtney Love, it’s refreshing to see there’s certainly no homogenisation or punches pulled. Perhaps even the opposite, as we see the bare tragedy of an artist lost in popularity, escaping via isolation amidst a bubble of comfort with wife and child. Clever manipulation via smart use of stock footage, incredible cinematography, clever graphics and an aural onslaught of stimuli mirroring the mindset of our subject, it’s hair-on-the-arm raising to feel so intimate and voyeuristic. Presented without judgement and merely offering the materials available is the secret to this engrossing last word on a troubled man struggling to be emotionally satisfied. Chris Murray RELEASED: May 7 DIRECTOR: Brett Morgen CAST: Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl, Courtney Love RATING: M

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