STACK #163 May 2018

CINEMA REVIEWS

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ISLE OF DOGS RELEASED: Apr 12 DIRECTOR: Wes Anderson CAST: Voiced by Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, Bill Murray RATING: PG

ALSO SCREENING IN MAY

Wes Anderson's latest has a lot of love to give.

Dogs are known for their unwavering loyalty, but as Wes Anderson’s second animated tale illustrates, their owners have been known to echo that devotion. Isle of Dogs is the tale of a boy named Atari, his dog Spots, and a whole lot of politics – ancient cat and dog politics. But it’s set in the near future. A dog flu virus has broken out in Japan’s Megasaki City, and even though a cure is close to being finalised, its cat-leaning mayor signs a decree that banishes all dogs to the city’s tip, Trash Island. The first victim? His orphaned nephew Atari’s trusty companion. The boy isn’t going to stand for this, however, so he eventually pilfers a plane and flies off for Trash Island, aiming

to rescue his beloved Spots. Atari ends up crash landing, but is saved by a quintet of dogs in Rex, King, Duke, Boss and Chief. The search for Spots commences, while politics continue to play out in Megasaki City. Heroes come in many forms… Stop-motion animated with character oozing from every frame, and brimming with the usual incredible star-laden Wes Anderson kind of cast providing voices, Isle of Dogs really possesses a unique charm. In much the same way that classic Peanuts cartoons had the kids speaking English while all adults spoke in trombone wah-wahs, here humans talk in un-subtitled Japanese, while the dogs speak English. It’s no cause for confusion to non-Japanese speakers though, as the important stuff is either explained via voiceover or is obvious from tone or expression. Text is represented in both languages, to striking effect. From deft animated touches such as the delightful, limb-flailing clouds of dust representing scuffles, right through to its charismatic, off-kilter story that ultimately champions the downtrodden – with many a pleasing stop in between – Isle of Dogs has a lot of love to give. Maybe that’s why the title is a homophone – “I love dogs”? Amy Flower is a dream come true for fans of modern horror films. There is rarely a moment of respite from the sustained tension, as characters conduct their daily routines at an agonisingly slow pace to avoid treading on creaky floorboards, knocking over a glass, or stepping on fallen leaves. John Krasinski masterfully directs these moments – any time a threat to the stillness of the family’s farmyard home is presented, it brings with it an immediate sense of dread at the inevitable horror to come. Perhaps the film’s biggest strength is that it doesn’t succumb to the cliché of making a horror movie first and telling a story second. The golden rule of storytelling is ‘show, don’t tell’ and the film’s premise lays the perfect foundation to capitalise on this rule. The set design of the farmyard and the family’s house reveals more about these people than any needless exposition; namely who they were before the world ended, and how they have so far survived. A Quiet Place will keep you on edge right until the final credits roll, and the finale is well worth the heart palpitations endured along the way. Gage Pendergast

The second spin-off film reveals the origins of our favourite smuggler and scoundrel, Han Solo (played by Alden Ehrenreich), who, through a series of daring escapades within a dangerous criminal underworld, meets young Chewie and Lando. And surely we'll see the Falcon make the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs. No waiting until December for the next Star Wars film – Solo opens on May 25. SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY

RELEASED: Apr 5 DIRECTOR: John Krasinski CAST: John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Noah Jupe, Millicent Simmonds RATING: M A QUIET PLACE

After being dumped by her hubby, Melissa McCarthy heads back to college – the same one where her daughter is enrolled – to embrace freedom and frat life. School's in on May 10. LIFE OF THE PARTY

Set in a world where humanity has been all but decimated by blind, gangly, ferocious creatures (reminiscent of Cloverfield ’s main antagonist, but on a far smaller scale), A Quiet Place centres on the Abbot family’s desperate attempts to live a lifestyle completely devoid of sound, so as to avoid alerting the extremely audio-sensitive beasts – a matter that is sure to become even more difficult with the imminent arrival of the pregnant mother’s (Emily Blunt) newest addition to the family. A Quiet Place ’s foundation as a genre film that highlights silence as its most vital element If they hear you, they hunt you.

A paralysed technophobe (Logan Marshall- Green) receives an experimental computer implant with a mind of its own in this sci-fi thriller from Leigh Whannell. Opens May 31. UPGRADE

A pharmaceutical exec (David Oyelowo) travelling to Mexico winds up at the mercy of his dodgy business colleagues back home, local drug lords, and a black-ops mercenary. Opens May 31 . GRINGO

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MAY 2018

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