[star rating=”4″]
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA. Directed by Kenneth Lonergan with Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler and Lucas Hedge.
It’s not hard to see why Casey Affleck picked up an Oscar for this one – plus the film won Best Original Screenplay. Manchester by the Sea is slow immersion into sadness, a study in grief and loneliness that is hard to shake off, once experienced. Affleck plays a janitor who is handed custody of his teenaged nephew when his brother suddenly dies. It’s a responsibility he feels incapable of handling, and as we trace his history, via a series of ever-poignant flashbacks, we get to understand why. Affleck as the isolated and solitary Lee is a study in tragedy, a man of little words whose performance is all the more striking for its reticence. And Lucas Hedges as the 16-year-old Patrick, a boy bewildered by his loss and battling teenage surges, is his perfect, awkward foil. It’s not an easy film to watch – but it is rewarding, in its sincerity and empathy. – Karen Rutter
[star rating=”4″]
DENIAL. Directed by Mick Jackson with Rachel Weisz, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Spall and Andrew Scott.
The subject of Holocaust denialism is not generally what one would list under home entertainment – but Denial is surprisingly accessible and yes, entertaining. Based on a true story about the court case brought against Holocaust academic Deborah Lipstadt by anti-Semite and Hitler support David Irving, it traces the path taken by Lipstadt and her British legal team in her defence.
Playing out like a good law drama, Denial exposes not only Irving’s anti-Semitism but his overall racist, misogynistic beliefs, and it makes for engrossing – if sometimes disgusting – viewing. Rachel Weisz is appealing as Lipstadt, while veteran British actors Timothy Spall and Tom Wilkinson are just fabby. – Karen Rutter
[star rating=”3.5″]
EQUITY. Directed by Meera Menon with Alysia Reiner, Anna Gunn, James Purefoy, Sarah Megan, Thomas Craig Bierko, Margaret Colin and Nate Corddry.
A Wall Street drama which illustrates how women’s participation in the corporate world is still coloured by gender stereotyping. Thematically there’s a strong female-centred focus, which is enhanced by the fact that most of the investors of the film were also women, who had an emotional investment making the production.
Everyone here has their sight set on the Big Bucks, and so the conceptual props are investment banking, tech start-ups, airtight encryption and reeling in the dosh etc. It’s a mercenary playing field, and the women face moral ambiguity and grey lines as they navigate obstacles to get to the top.
A New York Times Critics Pick, Equity isn’t an effervescent, or highly theatrical watch, but more of a compressed viewing experience. It premiered In Competition at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, and despite the lack of fire, its value leans more towards sociological observation. EXTRAS: Grey Lines: The Making of, Girl Gang: The Equity of Empowerment, LA Film Festival Q&A with Gunn, Menon, Reiner, Thomas and Roukin – Jane Mayne
[star rating=”3″]
RESIDENT EVIL: THE FINAL CHAPTER. Written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson with Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Ruby Rose, Iain Glen, Eoin Macken and Lee Joon-gi.
This will best be appreciated by longstanding Resident Evil groupies – safe to say a substantial crowd who’ve been salivating over every move Milla’s made ever since she incarnated as Alice in this lengthy franchise. The seminal theme here remains the tough female heroine, and Jovovich delivers as the ever-resourceful champion drawn from archetypes from the Capcom video game characters.
Many think this finale is the tasty cherry on top of all the Evils, but as a non-convert the stream of gore had a limited impact on me. The production apparently racked up 40 million USD, so a lot of PT went into this Final Chapter wrap. Get more insight from director Anderson and the female stars in two video extras. Anderson explains that for this last push the team return to the same places, which for him was kinda “chilling and poignant at the same time”. They also recreated some of the classic sets, making them identical from the same plans. EXTRAS: Explore the Hive, and The Bad Ass Trinity & The Women of Resident Evil. – Jane Mayne
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