August 18, 2024 • 53 mins
**Host:** Alex First
**Guest Critics:** Jaqui Hammerton, Greg King, Peter Krause
**Episode Summary:**
In this compelling episode, Alex First, Jaqui Hammerton, Greg King, and Peter Krause delve into the latest romantic drama, *It Ends With Us*. The discussion extends to the powerful themes of domestic violence and the film's execution, including Blake Lively's performance and the film's handling of serious subject matter. The critics also explore the intricacies of Russell Crowe's new film *Sleeping Dogs*, discussing its convoluted plot and Crowe's standout performance. Finally, the episode touches on the French comedy *Iris and the Men* and its take on modern relationships.
**Highlights:**
- **It Ends With Us:** A romantic drama that tackles the serious issue of domestic violence. The critics discuss the film's length, its handling of the subject matter, and the performances of Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. Jaqui Hammerton finds merit in the film's direction but raises concerns about its potential triggers for certain audiences.
- **Sleeping Dogs:** Russell Crowe stars as a former detective with Alzheimer's in this mystery crime thriller. The critics discuss the film's believability, Crowe's performance, and the various plot twists. Peter Krause finds the film's premise bordering on science fiction, while Jaqui Hammerton appreciates Crowe's committed performance despite the film's flaws.
- **Iris and the Men:** A French comedy about a woman rediscovering her sexuality through dating apps. The critics debate the film's conservative undertones and its handling of stranger danger. Greg King enjoys the film's playful elements, while Peter Krause feels it falls short in challenging preconceptions.
**Closing Note:**
This episode of First on Film and Entertainment offers a rich mix of film reviews and thoughtful discussions. From the serious themes in *It Ends With Us* to the mystery of *Sleeping Dogs* and the playful yet problematic *Iris and the Men*, the critics provide nuanced insights into these diverse films. Join us next week for more in-depth analysis and lively conversations.
https://www.bitesz.com/show/first-on-film-entertainment/
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Sponsor:
www.bitesz.com/nordvpn
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/first-on-film-entertainment--5645288/support.
**Guest Critics:** Jaqui Hammerton, Greg King, Peter Krause
**Episode Summary:**
In this compelling episode, Alex First, Jaqui Hammerton, Greg King, and Peter Krause delve into the latest romantic drama, *It Ends With Us*. The discussion extends to the powerful themes of domestic violence and the film's execution, including Blake Lively's performance and the film's handling of serious subject matter. The critics also explore the intricacies of Russell Crowe's new film *Sleeping Dogs*, discussing its convoluted plot and Crowe's standout performance. Finally, the episode touches on the French comedy *Iris and the Men* and its take on modern relationships.
**Highlights:**
- **It Ends With Us:** A romantic drama that tackles the serious issue of domestic violence. The critics discuss the film's length, its handling of the subject matter, and the performances of Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. Jaqui Hammerton finds merit in the film's direction but raises concerns about its potential triggers for certain audiences.
- **Sleeping Dogs:** Russell Crowe stars as a former detective with Alzheimer's in this mystery crime thriller. The critics discuss the film's believability, Crowe's performance, and the various plot twists. Peter Krause finds the film's premise bordering on science fiction, while Jaqui Hammerton appreciates Crowe's committed performance despite the film's flaws.
- **Iris and the Men:** A French comedy about a woman rediscovering her sexuality through dating apps. The critics debate the film's conservative undertones and its handling of stranger danger. Greg King enjoys the film's playful elements, while Peter Krause feels it falls short in challenging preconceptions.
**Closing Note:**
This episode of First on Film and Entertainment offers a rich mix of film reviews and thoughtful discussions. From the serious themes in *It Ends With Us* to the mystery of *Sleeping Dogs* and the playful yet problematic *Iris and the Men*, the critics provide nuanced insights into these diverse films. Join us next week for more in-depth analysis and lively conversations.
https://www.bitesz.com/show/first-on-film-entertainment/
www.bitesz.com
Sponsor:
www.bitesz.com/nordvpn
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/first-on-film-entertainment--5645288/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
First on Film and Entertainment, Alex first with you and
Jackie Hamerton, Greg King and Peter Kraus. Now the big
romantic movie of the week, which is hardly the notebook is.
It ends with us, and it's got a very very
serious subject and it spends a lot of time dealing
(00:21):
with the romance and less time dealing with the major issue.
I found it quite distressing, I've got to say, and
I'll go into a bit of detail in the next
few minutes, but perhaps we'll start with that. I was curious,
Jackie overall, how did you take to the film, because
I thought if the Europeans had done this, there would
(00:42):
have been a lot more subtlety.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Oh, whether Europeans or American, that's the point the film
as it is. I found it too long for a start,
two hours and ten minutes or thereabout. Totally came into
this film not knowing the subject matter. It's based on
(01:05):
a book that's been huge, it's been like a really
big selling novel and so but I came in innocently
without knowing what it was about. So the first kind
of well, shall we say, sixty to seventy percent.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Of it, I was going a little bit oh, this
is a bit wrong coming, and then when it.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Shifts gear, that's when when I shifted gear and got
into it.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
A lot more. Well. Likewise, having said that, it's kind
of interesting about well, is it subtle in any way,
shape or form? And given the history of the character
the center of it, Blake Lively, you kind of wonder
whether the alarm bells should have gone off earlier or not,
(01:50):
or whether, like in real life, people hang around for
longer than they should because they want to believe things
will work out differently on that.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Yes, but you need to say right from the start,
this is a film that is about domestic violence, and
then people know about the you know, the nuances here,
and when we talk about whether someone should know straight off,
let's help it that very.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Well, Well, okay, Lily Bloom's father has just died and
her mother, Jenny, wants her to eulogize him at his funeral,
and from what I gather, he was in his sixties anyway,
But she can't do that. Why not? You may well ask, Well,
that's that sort of brief intro sets in motion a
(02:40):
chain of events that will well, what's the best way
I can put it? See the sins of the father
visited upon the children, or in this case, the child.
So as a teenager, the character of Lily Bloom because
it's played in two time frames, one as a teenager
and one as a sort of mature adult out relatively
young adult but still a mature adult. So as a teenager,
(03:02):
Lily struck up a really loving relationship with a fellow
student called Atlas Corrigan, and he found himself struggling and
homeless after he himself had trouble at home. But for
all the mutual affection between the pair of them, that
coupling was doomed to fail when her father intervened, Right
Lily Bloom's father intervened, And now we move to the
(03:25):
present day and Lily remains gunshy in terms of relationships,
and while trying to process her reaction to her dad's passing,
she unexpectedly meets this hot headed guy called Ryle Kincaid
who's had a very bad day. They meet on the
rooftop of the building where he owns an apartment or
(03:45):
he has an apartment, I'm not sure where he owns
it or is paying it off. And he turns out
to be a neurosurgeon, who shows more than a passing
interest in Lily, and though that initial meeting is short lived,
circumstances see the meet up again months later, and by
then Lily has opened up this funky flora's shop. She's
(04:05):
always had an affinity with plants, and she's employed Ryle's
married sister as her only employee without realizing who she is.
In other words, didn't realize that her brother was the
guy that she met on a rooftop. And now that bloke,
who hasn't exactly been the settling kind, is a bit
(04:26):
of a player, pursues Lily relentlessly. He charms her, he
engages her, but of course all is not as rosy
as it first appears, and things get even more complicated
when Atlas Corrigan re enters the frame. So, as you
rightly said, Jackie. Based on a very successful twenty sixteen
book by Colleen Hoover, I was reading about her really
(04:49):
interesting because she's published quite a few books, and she's
self published books as well, and one of her self
published books has gone straight to the top of the
Amazon charts amazing, so she's sort of obviously got a
prolific aptitude for doing this sort of stuff. Anyway, it's
the writing of the screenplays by Christy Hall and look,
(05:13):
we sort of we pieced together the backstories. I've sort
of tried to summarize it all because it jumps back
and forth in those two time frames I spoke about.
So the way I'd put it is that the very
serious subject of domestic abuse has cloaked in thick layers
of syrup. And you know, we're talking about longing looks.
We're talking about the physical heat if you like, between
(05:34):
the bear soft focus, romantic music and the like, and look,
I reckon there'll be many we'll feel that the filmmakers,
led by the director Justin Baldoni, who did what five
feet Apart a few years back, and he's also the
male lead in this one, I think the filmmakers have
(05:55):
laid it on with a trowel. That's how I sort
of felt while I was watching part of it. But
mind you, that juxtaposition between hot and cold is quite stark.
It's jarring, and I see some merit in it actually,
because it's ultimately what drives the plot. And look, the
Leeds I think play their parts pretty effectively, notwithstanding, as
(06:16):
I say, hitting hitting the subject matter over the head
Blake Blake Lively. I think she switches gears quite convincingly.
She plays sexy and smart and traumatized. And then you've
got Baldoni bringing his own smolding sex appeal to the
character of Ryle. I actually really like Jenny Slat. They're
(06:38):
the sort of carry Bradshaw style guide there, right, Sex
and the City on the television and in the movies
as well. Of course, there's a sense of style there.
And she plays Ryle's sister Alyssa. So look, notwithstanding the
earlier remark I made about pulling focus, you know, in
terms of the soft focus, it's quite an attractive looking
film and the settings, the cinematography. It was set in
(07:00):
Boston most of the time by Barry Peterson, who did
My Big Fat Greek Wedding Free. It gives us a
pretty good sense of place. But my reservations really around
the soap opera feel that the picture has not to
overlook what I thought, like you was the inflated running time.
There's no way this needed to be one hundred and
thirty minutes. And you know, I kept done reflecting on well,
(07:23):
you know, could this have been done better? In my
answer was yes, were it not for the talent. I reckon,
this has got to be great telemovie. Phil. What about you, Jackie?
Speaker 3 (07:36):
I agree with some of what you said there.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
I think I think in the end, what we take
away from this film is that it shows how domestic
abuse can be.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
So easily explained away.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
You used the word, oh, you know, well, it's a
bit of a bit of a hot kid. We can
say that's his personality, it's a bit of a hot head,
or it was an accident, and there's always excuses, And
therefore I think it really explains it quite well to
people who maybe haven't been in this situation and don't
understand it. There was one excellent scene in which a
(08:13):
hot dish is taken out of the oven gets dropped
on the floor, and as I watched it, I was
a little bit annoyed because the camera work was very
shaky and jerky. It was all over the place. I
can really tell what had happened. Was you know when
his arm came up?
Speaker 3 (08:29):
I mean, did he Hi? Why is she so? Why
is she sitting up there so upset?
Speaker 1 (08:33):
What? Same thing? Jackie? I didn't know that. I didn't
know what there was action putting your hand into an
oven and then suddenly.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Kid exactly, And it was brilliantly deliberate because it was
only upon reflection later that she and we could see
how easily that can be explained. Oh, he didn't mean to,
but in fact it was a demonstration of again that
hot headedness where heru her.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
So you'll say, you're saying it was a fit of peak,
that that it wasn't just the reaction.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
To well, not peak, I mean it was anger, and
yes he lashed out, put it like that for whatever
whatever emotion you want.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
To put on it. The physical result.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Was that he lashed out at her. But she didn't
realize and we didn't, and therefore we didn't realize that
that was exactly what happened in that micro split second.
And I thought that was good direction.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
I agree with you. Yeah, it was too long.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
I think it was too I thought it was going
to be a love triangle kind of thing. But I
also think that this, as you said, you know that
the soap opera a kind of feel of it lulled
us from the start into a false sense of security
where we were just going along on this romantic ride,
(09:54):
and the flashbacks that she starts to have the very
very brief flashbacks, not whole scenes, just little flashes we
start to see as she connects the dots with the
behavior that she begins to see in him, and I
thought that was well done too, So to me, it's
(10:15):
really a film of two parts where where our carbs
kind of overall this mushy stuff. But what really worries
me about the film is that the men who need
to see this will not be in the audience, and
the people who are in the audience are the ones
who can see not only her point of view, but
how these situations come about, and so they won't be
(10:38):
in the audience. Well, the women who are in the
audience and in this situation may it's a warning. I
give find this extremely triggering.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Very very much, so I totally agree. I also and
I don't want to spoil the ending for people who
go along and see it, but I kind of wondered
about an element of almost convenience about the the ending.
I'm not sure, And again we're going to have to
talk around this, Jackie. I hope you know. No.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
I like the ending is fine.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Okay, Okay, I just thought it was too movie like
an ending.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
It's a movie.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
It's a movie. Yeah, yeah, I understand it.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Like ending, it's fine, it's good, don't worry about well.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Also, just to bring this up, and I'm not going
to put credence in it or otherwise, but there was
an article in the online in the Daily Mail, and
you know a lot of people are going to say, well,
it's it's not you know, it's not the Times of London.
But there was an article about the fact that they
haven't the two stars haven't sort of appeared together and
(11:46):
interviews and sort of that there's suggestions of a feud
between them. I mean, I don't know whether it's sort
of been written with the idea of sort of getting
clicks or whatever, but it's part of it is interesting
to me that they Lively and Justin Baldoni haven't appeared together,
according to this article to sort of promote it. And
(12:09):
is there anything behind this? Was it? Was it? What's up?
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Alex? Alex?
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Your your mic is crackling something awful?
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Oh really, I'm so sorry. I'm not I apologize. I'm
not sure whether there's anything behind this or not. You
hear about things like this. It just does seem a
bit odd that they haven't appeared together if that's indeed
the case, but yeah, so be it. So okay, let's
let's get to a school. I don't think, gentlemen, you've
seen this movie as yet, have you great? Have you
(12:42):
bet her?
Speaker 4 (12:43):
No? No?
Speaker 1 (12:44):
So okay, I'll be interested Jackie in terms of your
school for this, because I think we do need to
see more movies like this, and I'd like to see
films that are handled with a little bit more subtlety.
That's all. What are you scoring about? A ten? It
ends with us M rated one hundred and thirty minutes.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
Seven out of ten for me, and I will just
add in the in the movie reviewing sort of theme here.
I did love the it's a small cast, and I
thought each of the cast was very good. I thought
the acting was just fine, very fine, and I thought
the characters were well, you know, well displayed. So you know,
(13:30):
it's it's it's quite a solid film to watch.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
I quite liked.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
I quite enjoyed the look of it and particularly the characters.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
And as you said, Jenny slat As.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Suggests the basement, she wrote, she brought a real vibrancy
and bounce into the film, so she's thoroughly enjoyable yets.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Even how she's introduced is such an unusual way, you know,
like you know, it's almost like happenstance, per chance, et cetera.
But she just got this. This jois de vive about her.
I think that's good. Yeah, I'm sort of in similar territory.
Six and a half to seven out of ten as you.
I kind of wanted to like it even more as
a movie. I'm not talking about it obviously the subject matter.
(14:12):
You are on JA eighty eight FM. If you want
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(14:32):
a day, intelligent and thought provoking and programming and some
pretty good music as well. I want to move on
to another. A Russell Crowe movie. We seem to have
seen a lot of them of late, and we're not
talking about him playing a religious figure in this one.
I'm not sure you know. We saw him in two
(14:54):
religious movies in the last year or so. This one's
called Sleeping Dogs and it's rated MA runs for one
hundred and eleven minutes. He've got Russell playing Roy Freeman,
who was unceremoniously booted from the police force after a
drunk driving incident. And he's since been diagnosed with Alzheimer's
(15:15):
and has undergone revolutionary cranial treatment. So he's getting medical
treatment now he's had operation as well, so his memory shot.
And I found this a pretty strong beginning. Every wall
and device in his home is labeled, and that includes
(15:36):
instructions on how to cook food in his freezer. Jackie,
as you know, I'm in his microwave.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
You're cooking in his microwave, not the freezer.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
No, that includes instructions on how to cook food that
has been in his freezer, is what I'm right, Thank
you very much. Perhaps I'd like to think that I'm
not of the same diagnosis it as Russell grows character
Roy Freeman. But you know how much of a master
chef I am. I burned toast. Perhaps that's what I
(16:09):
need instructions on how to take things out of the
freezer and put it into the microwave, because Whenever I
try to do that, Jackie, I fail miserably.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
Are you surprised to hear that alex Alzheimer's is pretty
serious subject here?
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Yeah, I'm sorry, I'm not. Yeah, but hang on, hang on.
As serious a subject as it is, he seems to
be able to overcome it reasonably. You know, it's part
of the movie. So I think I can. I'm not
call it black humor if you like, but yes, I
need to pay more attention to my cooking and cleaning duties,
(16:43):
which are all but non existent. I'm afraid it's not
a good thing, is it. If every own again, I'll
clean up though, So there you go. That that gives
me some merit. Hey, Greg, you and Peter live alone?
How good are you at cleaning up your house? Space?
Speaker 4 (17:00):
Bad?
Speaker 5 (17:02):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Okay? And and Greg?
Speaker 5 (17:04):
Okay, but I'd be a mess?
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Fine? A bit of mess is fine? Okay. What would
you do, Jackie? If you suddenly came along and saw
a bachelor pad with mess all over it? Would you
would you be compelled to clean it because you you
couldn't live with it? What? What I'm just curious is
to your predilection.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
I'm not going to live.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
With the Bachelor and Alex No, I would turn on
my heels and walk away.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
Yes, I I was hoping that was going to be
a response, you know, Gully. Oh, yes, I wonder how
many people are how whether this is a male or
female thing, because I know there are males who are
clean freaks as well. But is it more of a tendency?
You know, I'm trying to get to the analytical side
of this, Jackie.
Speaker 6 (17:49):
Do you think it's a personality thing. It's not, it's not,
it's not do you reckon? But do you honestly think
it's his personality? You don't think it's more a predilection
of women to be cleaner?
Speaker 1 (18:01):
No?
Speaker 2 (18:02):
No, no, they clean if the ones who don't like
to clean, they clean because I have to.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Yeah, well, that's the point that I'm making, Like every
now and again, we've got a his in hers bathroom. Right,
I'm revealing trade sequence yet, but we've got to his
in hers bathroom. And basically when my wife walks into
my bathroom says, oh, you've got to clean that, and
I'm thinking, leave me alone, it's my space, right, But
(18:28):
inevitably I then feel guilty and clean. Now, that's probably
not the right approach, is it, Jacqueline Gee, I.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Don't know, Alex. I'm not going to give you domestic
all right.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
Well, maybe this maybe the title of this movie sleeping dogs,
as in sleeping dogs, let sleeping Dogs lie. Maybe that's
what I'm saying here. Okay, let's talk about the film.
So right out of the blue, this guy who has
Alzheimer's receives a call from a representative of a nonprofit
(19:01):
legal action group, and she's reaching out on behalf of
a prisoner called Isaac Samuel, and he's scheduled to be
executed for a vicious murder a decade ago. It was
the murder of a pioneering psychology researcher, and that's a
role played by Martin Sockers. Anyway, Samuel was incarcerated on
(19:25):
the evidence of then homicide detective Freeman. As I say,
he was Russell Crowe character and his partner at the
time Jimmy Remus. So basically evidence from them saw the
Isaac Samuel character, now a prisoner convicted, and in the
next month he's actually scheduled to be executed. So, as
(19:49):
is often the case, he insists he didn't do it,
and he actually implause Roy Freeman to do some digging
before it's too late for obviously the acts, the very
proverbial acts, has fallen. So when Russell Crowe's character Roy
Freeman does that, he in covers a Pandora's box of
lies and manipulation. And the finger of blame points in many,
(20:12):
many different directions, and that includes the ambitious research assistant
to the researcher that was murdered. Her name is her
character's name is Laura Baines, and her want to be
novelist boyfriend Richard Finn. There's also a shadowy figure called
Wayne Devereaux who's a war veteran suffering from post traumatic
(20:36):
stress disorder whom the pioneering psychology researcher helped find maintenance work.
And another this is in terms of all these potential suspects,
and another who hardly seems like a clean skin in
all of this is Freeman's ex partner as well. So
(20:56):
you've got fingers of blame in all sorts of directions,
and maybe he didn't do it, or maybe he did so.
Sleeping Dog's being written by Adam Cooper, who did Assassin's Creed,
and he makes his directorial deboot here alongside Bill Collard,
who was the co writer, and jumping between the past
and the present as this movie does. It taken from
a novel called The Book of Mirrors that came out
(21:19):
in twenty six seventeen, rather by a Romanian author called
Eo shiobis Chi. I'll try that again, Eochi. Anyway, as
a storyteller, Adam Cooper is drawn to characters in crisis,
someone who goes on a journey from sort of a
lost and fragmented state too being restored. And that's where
(21:41):
you enter the character of Roy Freeman. It's quite an
I thought it was quite an involving mystery crime thriller.
The ground is constantly shifting, flashes of memory returning. Freeman,
who's fighting his own battle, is quite persistent and methodical,
and I thought Crowe was quite convincing. Is the ma
on whose shoulders Samuel is set to die. He's quite dow,
(22:04):
he's troubled, but he's also residient and around him. Adam
Cooper's assembled quite a diverse collection of characters, none of
whom could lie straight in bed. And I think the
movie's all the better for it that you've got all
these red herrings potentially, but people who have flaws. And
you've got one sort of actor, Karen Gillen playing a
(22:26):
prima donna that's the assistant research director. You've got Martin
Sockers equally entitled as the actual guy who got murdered,
and Tom Flanagan rough and ready as the fellow cop
to the Russell Crowe character. And you've also got the
boyfriend of the research assistant, Harry Greenfoot. Greenwood plays him.
(22:50):
He morphs that character from self assured to aggrieved. And
you've also got the guy who's the odd job man.
Tom m Wright plays him. He presents Wayne Devro as
a bit of a mental stew. So many threads, many suspects.
It's quite a convoluted movie, but I still found it
quite compelling. Real star of the show is Russell Crowe.
(23:13):
Fair significantly better I thought than his recent religious offerings.
Were talking about the exorcism that came out not so
long ago, in The Pope's Exorcist that was out last year.
What did you think, Peter of Sleeping Dogs?
Speaker 4 (23:28):
The film of interest because it's a who done it?
It develops a storyline about a past murder and who
was responsible, and at the same time, it looks at
Russell Crowe's ex police officer character who has Oldzheimer's and
has been given experimental treatment, none of which is believable
(23:51):
in this film, because at times he asks involved questions
of particular suspects when you've ever remember.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
The drug me as well. While I was watching this,
I'm thinking, hang on, he's laid down a bed supposedly,
or that filmmakers have laid down a bed. But then
he seems to be incredibly incisive. And the explanation for that, Peter, though,
is that he's undergoing this revolutionary cranial treatment that seems
to be working. And I'm not convinced that I was
(24:25):
sold on that. Are you saying the same thing.
Speaker 4 (24:27):
I'm saying the same thing. In fact, that almost borders
on science fiction if he's been given this sort of
borderline experimental treatment, etc. Which doesn't make a great deal
of sense. So we have these two stories dovetailing Crow's
character he's Oldzheimer's and the who done it, And then
we have introduced the whole idea of plagiarism and of
(24:54):
academic cheating with the mirror effect. So look, there are
some nice elements in the film as well as some
that are a bit unbelievable. But then it goes into
this sort of twisting last third of the film, which
for me didn't make a great deal of sense either.
(25:17):
So there were a lot of elements that I thought, No,
I don't think so this is not an Agatha Christie,
M Knight, Siah Malin film. And also I didn't believe
some of the aspects of the storyline and the old
timers and Russell Crowe's character. Although pro does a pretty
(25:39):
good job at playing it straight. I was reminded of
the film Memento Yeah, which goes back into memory into
past and revisits and reconstructs, and I thought that was
a far superior film. Was this one has this hook
which I don't think is particularly effective with the old
(26:03):
timer's treatment. So look, it's a film of interest, But
I thought there were too many elements that didn't work
together particularly well, and I must admit I didn't believe
the way it ended.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Did you feel that Russell Crowe's performance was stronger than
the other two movies that I referenced.
Speaker 4 (26:24):
Oh, definitely, definitely. He's found a role or character that
is much more dramatic and much more involving whereas the
Pope's Exorcist and all of that, Shenanigan's going on with
Exorcism just isn't effective at all. He just overacts at
(26:45):
times and it just doesn't work.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Jackie, did you find much to enjoy about the movie
Sleeping Dogs?
Speaker 2 (26:56):
What I enjoyed was seeing Russell Crowe come back to
an excellent performance of a character and beef up for
it looks he looks really beefy and older, and you know,
it's not.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
A glamorous role at all, and he does it very well.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
And I'm going to agree with pretty much everything Peter
said there about the film. I found it, and like you,
I found it. The plot was a bit convoluted. I
really didn't follow every bit of it. I struggled with
that inconsistency in his mental capacity whether or not, and
(27:32):
sci Fi did occur to me at one stage two, Peter,
I just found the inconsistency there didn't work at all
for me, and it took me out of the story
as I was trying to work that out. And it
also kind of contrasted with a kind of a there
was kind of a tedium and a dullness and a
repetition to the film. It kind of laid it on
(27:53):
a bit thick with the you know, constantly staring into
the mirror, which actually was quite good. Looking into Russell
Crowe looking into the mirror was really quite compelling, but
it was laid on a bit thick. The alcohol, the
dicksaw puzzle, the even the script to me was actually
quite quite flat, you know, I found it a little
(28:16):
bit boring.
Speaker 3 (28:17):
And on top of that, the music was really oh,
you know, really just yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
It's when you're thinking about the music and not the
story and you're thinking.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
You shouldn't be I mean.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
The music, Jackie, I actually disagree with that. I was
quite involved in the storyline. I was really trying to
concentrate to follow all the threads because there were so
many of them. So having said that, it is interesting
that all of us say the same thing with regards
to Russell Crowe. There's no question if he chooses the
right part. He's acting Chops as good as anybody, and
(28:52):
it's I was really delighted, like you were, to see
him get back to what he does Dan well, right,
he really inserts himself and becomes the character that he's playing,
So you know, that's not too I agree that The
Sleeping Dogs isn't isn't it anywhere near a perfect movie,
but his performance in it elevates the film to what
(29:16):
somebody else may not have been able to achieve. So, okay,
let's get start with you. Peter. You'll presumably give it
a low score. I'll probably give it the high score.
What are you going to give this movie? One hundred
and eleven minutes of it? Sleeping Dogs A rated?
Speaker 4 (29:30):
Okay, it's a bit like the Curate's Egg. It's good
in parts, but it has some problematic elements. So I
actually gave it six out of ten.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
Okay, Jackie, Oh disso exactly, Peter.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
I gave it six out of ten.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
And I'll go, hi ball, I'm giving it a seven
because I still thought there was quite a bit of
merit in it, and that's the reason for my score.
Let us go.
Speaker 3 (29:52):
It is a odd thing, Alex, to say that you
want to give.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
I gave all of my score for this very committed
performance by Russell Crowe, and I'm just so excited to
see him come back and really deliver something that really
feels truer to his skills and talents and We've always
loved having you know, the the Aussie up there, but
(30:18):
then it wasn't the right vehicle as a as a film.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
To watch and enjoy I thought. Anyway, final comment.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
No, no, good good to hear.
Speaker 3 (30:26):
And also it was shot in Melbourne the film.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
Yes, yes, yes, which is terrific. You know it's but
I mean we we we've known we we punch above
our way, don't we in many areas, including the Olympic Games.
We should insert that it's been a remarkable games for
Australia in every way, shape or form, regardless of the
fact that obviously we've meddled in news sports as well,
(30:49):
where you know we're noted for performing in But it's
funny we started on a very serious topic. But boy,
our women are quite I'm not taking any away from
the men that won the medals, et cetera, but gee,
talk about top heavy lopsided. I was so ecstatic at
(31:10):
how well everybody did, but in particular the women. And wow,
you know, per capita we've done done well. Even not
per capita, we've done extremely well and I'm just frustrated.
I'm gonna have to wait another four years. As the
rest of Australia does for the next Olympic Games. And
I'm already looking for to nineteen thirty two, nineteen thirty two,
(31:30):
twenty thirty two that went in the game to gon
to be. That was a good year. It was a
good year. Well, you're already an old man, then, weren't you,
Peter exact?
Speaker 4 (31:42):
That was there when it was launched?
Speaker 1 (31:43):
Yes, well you were there in old time Greece. Weren't
you when the first games were there? You know you're
all and yes.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
Well remember the music hall?
Speaker 3 (31:54):
Really well, yeah you must.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
You must give us an account of what it was
like to be in the crowd, you know when the
first marathon runner came past, you know, all those years ago.
You know you'd have vivid memories or have they faded
by now?
Speaker 4 (32:10):
Peter, No vivid memories because this was the day before electricity,
when all the video cameras weren't operating properly.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
Good to know, Peter. Yes, we must have an entire
show just devoted to Peter's recollections. Talking about recollections, there's
a movie which opens this coming Thursday called Iris and
the Men, which I wanted to preempt. It's an emirated movie.
Thankfully ninety eight minutes, so that's kind of kind of nice.
(32:40):
After sixteen years of marriage and twenty two years together,
a conservative dentist and mother, Iris Bayhu's husband Stefan, appears
to have lost interest in her, so that's a shame.
And the pair's got a couple of daughters, Anna, aged fifteen,
and Lily, who's a ten year old. And although the
(33:03):
pleasantries between Iris and Stefan remain, the passion's gone and
they actually haven't had sex for four years. And while
waiting for a parent teacher meeting, a fellow mother gives
Iris a solution which basically this other mother swears by it.
(33:23):
In fact, she claims that it actually saved her life.
And just what might that answer be? Well, get onto
a dating app or apps for purely physical hookups, So
what could be wrong with that? Yes, Iris does it
and gets instant results, and before she knows it, it's
(33:46):
figuratively raining men of all ages, shapes and sizes. So
what do you need to do is to get on
all dating app and everybody will come orun it. That's
what it's basically suggesting this movie Iris and the Men. Okay, Well,
she then experiences a series of one night, one date stands,
not one night stands, one date stands, and she regains
(34:08):
that spring in her step, connecting with her desire and
her sexuality. And at first Stephan hardly notices because he's
so busy working he's landed a big contract. And then
though Iris's unusual behavior becomes impossible to ignore, h Iris's
(34:29):
dental assistant called Neuria, is also decidedly put out by
Iris's aberrant conduct. While attending to patience, Iris is forever
distracted by the pinging phone messages that she receives, and
she begins taking increasingly increasing amounts of time off at
very short notice during the day. Now, truth be told,
(34:52):
she just longs to be wanted by her husband. But
I pose this question, the matters too far gone? Is
there a way back? So this is a comedy, Iris
and the Man, a comedy with distinctively French proclivities. It's
written and directed by Caroline Vignoll. There's a sadness, there's
a yearning, and there's that word again, JOI de vive
(35:14):
about it. The origins of the film were in what
Vignall heard from a friend of hers, fifty one year
old friend who had embraced life after her husband suddenly
left her and another friend had encouraged her to sign
up to a dating site, which boosted her damaged ego
and lifted her cloak of invisibility, which is something that
(35:36):
we hear about. It's not unusual that people are for
a certain age feel that they are invisible, and particularly women.
So I thought Louis Calamy was quite delightful as the
centerpiece of the film. She channels a great deal through
her distinctive facial expressions and her body movement, and she
transitions her character well from downcast. The book she reads
(35:59):
at night in bedspeak volumes. I might say she sort
of transitions this character from downcast to cheeky and cherry.
Very much her movie and the world gravitates around her character.
The film does manage to avoid much focus on the
stranger danger inherent in the situation in which Irish, in
which Iras chooses to put herself that troubled me. Actually,
(36:22):
it concentrates on the adventure and the excitement. I understand
that was its purpose, but yeah, it's sort of it
did trouble me anyway, naive, Yeah, it was inherently so,
But I suppose I put it down to the fairy
tale that it was as to the issue of consent,
and that also troubled me enormously. It's left to her
(36:45):
almost sixteen year old daughter, Iris is almost sixteen year
old daughter to bring that to the four at a
dinner table, and Iris enrages the daughter with her surprising
response that there's quite an in strength. I felt about
Vincent Elbaz's representation of Iris's husband and devoted you know,
(37:06):
the devoted father Stefan Susanne Bique gives voice to confusion
and unease, making her presence felt in the process. So look,
it's got warmth, it's got charm. I reckon many you're
going to find it appealing. And I enjoyed Iris and
the men for what it is and what it was.
(37:27):
What about you, Greek king, Oh look, this.
Speaker 5 (37:30):
Is charming enough film, as you said, it doesn't I say,
it's welcome, which only what you said ninety eight minutes
or so. But I thought there is a playfulness about
the film, like especially in the second half there, especially
when they're breaking that Simon Dancy return of his reigning
men on the steps. You know, that worked a true
I thought, And as the movie went on. Laura Calri's
(37:51):
character look and acted younger as the film progress.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
I thought you gave is fifty year old.
Speaker 5 (37:56):
She was much more youthful and joyful and a journey
by the end of the film. I thought that worked
as well. Some of the humor worked really well, visual humor.
As you said, the books She's really in bed, they
speak volumes about the relationship between her and them. I
also love the way they use the sex messages you
know every time, and that played off and that played
off beautiful at the end of the film.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
I agree. It's interesting how your whole life, her whole
life was transformed, and the whole point of it was
to get the attention to the US. But Peter, you
haven't seen this one where you have?
Speaker 4 (38:33):
I saw that the French Film Festival.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
Yes, ah, yes, well and your thoughts.
Speaker 4 (38:39):
I was a bit worried about this film because French
wrong cooms have a history of edging the boundaries, of
hitting the boundaries and challenging the typical roles that married
couples have, and yet this one turns out to be
ultra conservative as it turns out, even though on the
(39:02):
surface it isn't. I thought Laura Calamy is such a
good actress. She was in Full Time, which was an
excellent film, but she was also in other rom coms
like Tickets to Greece, which I didn't think was much chop.
So the concept behind this film about challenging a marriage
(39:27):
and finding a way to I suppose to excite a
woman into revitalizing her relationship or not, as the case
might be, seemed to be an interesting concept. However, it
doesn't work for me at all because, as you've already mentioned, Alex,
(39:49):
the danger stranger danger sort of aspect doesn't come into
this film at all, which I thought was really strange.
And then the way the film ends up, without giving
any spoilers, it's just reverting to a very conservative sort
of outlook on life, and and I just didn't like that.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
I thought the thing was really troubling me as well. Yeah,
that's you know, like you'd hate to think that because
you're going to embrace life. But you know, again, I
kind of they tried to make it into a fairy tale.
It may have. You know, it's interesting because society has
(40:34):
changed appreciably over the last twenty years, Peter, and they
may have been able to get away with it in
a more naive world right where you know they shouldn't
have been able to. But I'm not sure, you know,
coming out as it is now, I just don't think
they can get away with it as readily. I still
enjoyed it, but I thought it just felt it just
(40:57):
felt wrong. Did you get that sad?
Speaker 4 (41:00):
Yes, absolutely definitely felt wrong. I thought it's trying to
challenge preconceptions and yet it gives in to them. And
in this day and age, you would like films that
are a bit more challenging, even if they're wrong. Com So, yes,
I was disappointed by the film. And I thought the daughter,
(41:23):
the relationship mother and daughter, when they talk about condoms
at the dinner table and there's lots of dinner table conversations,
I thought, this doesn't work for me. There's something wrong
with the writing of this that doesn't quite work. So yeah,
I was very disappointed by this film.
Speaker 1 (41:44):
I wasn't very disappointed, but on that level, I was great,
none of this trouble do you not?
Speaker 4 (41:50):
Really?
Speaker 1 (41:52):
Okay? I know that's.
Speaker 5 (41:54):
I just read along with the film. I thought it
was a bit of fun.
Speaker 1 (41:58):
Yeah, you can try to shoe yep, understand, And again
I think I'll be very interested. Jackie's unfortunately to leave us,
but I'll be interested in her views on this. Maybe
the incoming weeks we'll get that because you know she
has strong opinions about films like this, and you know
her views will be just as valid. So yeah, I mean, okay,
(42:19):
so you're going to loadball this, but I'm not in
spite of it. I'm going to sort of look at
it as a fairy til with with sort of warning signs.
So what are you giving this film? Iris and the Men,
which opens on the fifteenth of August rated m.
Speaker 4 (42:36):
I thought if it had continued its musical sort of
proclivities with its raining men and a few other fantasy elements,
it might have worked a lot better. So I have
to only give this film five out of ten.
Speaker 1 (42:50):
Wow, okay, ninety eight minutes in duration, Greg, you're going
to be much higher. What are you going to give
Iris and the Men? I'm going to do it six? Oh,
okay only see.
Speaker 5 (43:00):
I thought the start was a bit slow and a
bit clunky, but as I said, it picked up as
it went on.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
Okay, well it's funny. Well I'm going to give it
the high mark because I, as I say, went along
with it but was troubled by elements. I'm giving it
a seven. It depends on your perception when you see this.
One is how I would put it, And that's okay.
I mean, you know, there's nothing wrong with that other
than societal norms. Having sort of said, well, you know,
(43:28):
we've got to be a lot more conscious of the
way that people behave and are seen to behave. Okay.
Now on j eighty eight FM, I want to talk.
I went to Palais Theater cheap. Palais Theater is beautiful.
Any Greg, have you been there for constantly things or not?
Speaker 5 (43:45):
You have been there quite a few times. I've seen
a number of artists play there, including Bruce Springsteen and
Brian Adams, meat Loavergon.
Speaker 1 (43:53):
Did Bruce Springsteen play the Palais.
Speaker 5 (43:55):
Acoustic and when came out did an acousive concert?
Speaker 1 (43:58):
Wow, I've got a say. Generally speaking, the sound travels
really well. I mean it's quite It's what two thousand
seed venue, isn't it huge? Yeah? But the sound I
saw John Farnham there and thought was phenomenal, Absolutely phenomenal.
He's in terms of artists that I've seen John Farnham
(44:19):
hands down as the best I've ever seen. I've seen
him in concert quite a number of times, and hopefully
sort of he's continuing to do well. But gee whiz,
that that that the concept of pallet stands out for me,
I didn't.
Speaker 5 (44:35):
I enjoyed your conscious that the rod Laver Arena, man
Cheski as well, But for me, I'm the best artist
I've seen a live.
Speaker 1 (44:43):
Was bon Jovi really so better than that? Better than
the Boss?
Speaker 3 (44:48):
Oh well?
Speaker 5 (44:50):
I like Bruce being saying yes, and I like bon Jovi.
Bon had a lot of energy and hidden after hit.
Bruce being saying I also like as well. There to
the best two best artists I've seen live, Okay.
Speaker 1 (45:02):
The other one. Then I'll throw in seeing a Dell live,
Oh my golly, goosebumps. Phenomenal voice like John Farnham. It's
interesting the distinctiveness of the voice makes her who she
is and hit after hit and so on. And I
saw it not in Melbourne. I saw it in Sydney
and it was a very special experience. So yeah, it's
(45:25):
interesting how something stands out like that. I mention and
reference it because there's a there's only there were only
two shows that in last one is this evening Sunday
evening called Larron Dean, which translates to the swallow, And
unlike the rock and pop concerts we've talked about, this
(45:47):
is an opera and I really enjoyed it, really enjoyed
Victorian opera and it's asks a rather important question. Can
one truly escape one past? And can true love win out? Now?
What's your view? Boys? If you do you think people change?
(46:12):
I'll accept they don't change readily, But how seriously can
you change someone's disposition during the course of their life? Peter,
do you think you can change somebody a long way?
Just sort of iron out some of the rough edges?
What do you think is possible in the vast majority
(46:33):
of instances, if not all.
Speaker 4 (46:34):
It's very difficult to change someone's thinking, attitude, and behavior.
They usually they have to have a life threatening experience
before they re evaluate their life.
Speaker 1 (46:46):
Yep, I think that's a very prosaic way of putting it. Greg,
do you agree? How do you how much can somebody change?
Speaker 5 (46:55):
I don't know, not something that can happen overnight of
a long process, and probably need something to happen to
bring about it change so well, I'm sure people do
change along the way, but yeah, it's not something I'll
put a lot of forward into.
Speaker 1 (47:11):
Alex Well, I'll look, these are the questions, and this
is what I liked about this. These are the questions
posed in Giacomo Puccini's Larron Dean and it's a three
act lyric opera set in Paris and on the French Riviera.
I think it's highly appropriate seeing this is on during
the Olympic Games. But there we go. It concerns the
(47:32):
maybe that was deliberate programming. I haven't asked Victorian opera
about that, but if it was, congratulations. It concerns the
fate of a mistress. So this woman called Magna Magda
not Magna Magda, and her provider, a wealthy man called Rambaldo,
are hosting a cocktail party. And at this party there's
(47:56):
a poet called Prunier who declares that romance is back
in fashion. We're talking about the nineteen hundreds at some stage,
depending upon who you believe, nineteen twenties, nineteen thirty is
that sort of era. Anyway, Prunier predicts that, like as swallow,
hence the title Ron Dene, the swallow, Magda will fly
south to pursue supreme happiness. Prudy, as girl girlfriend, happens
(48:21):
to be Magda's maid a woman called Lazette, and Lazette
interrupts proceedings at this sort of get together to announce
the arrival of a young man named Riguero, who's the
son of Rambaldo's childhood friend and he's new to Paris,
so he asks where he might best enjoy an evening
out in the city of Love. Lazette suggests a famous
(48:45):
Latin quarter restaurant and dance hall called Bulliers, and Raguero
takes up the recommendation. Prudier also heads there with Lazette,
and Magda turns up in disguise, and this is the kicker.
When a group of students shows interest in Magna at
this restaurant, bullyairs she seeks refuge at a table where
(49:10):
Riguero is sitting, but does not recognize her because she's
in disguise and after all, is only just met her,
and the pair quickly and effortlessly falls passionately in love.
It ain't love grand it is, indeed, and so that's
sort of where the whole thing really kicks up a gear.
(49:31):
They envisage a future together. They subsequently enjoy each other's
company on the French Riviera. Very nice, but Magdum worries
that she has deceived Ruguero because she Ruguero doesn't know
who she is and about her past, and she's concerned
that she'll embarrass him and his family. So the question
(49:52):
is will she be able to shake off her colorful
past or is she kidding herself by living alive. It's
a really beautiful romantic opera, gorgeous score, it's rich, it's lyrical,
it juxtaposes dreams and reality with a really deft touch,
and ultimately it's of course idealistic, but it's also quite crushy.
(50:17):
So Victorian opera has given us much to appreciate and
savor in really splendid production directed by Stuart Munda, conducted
by Tobias Ringborg, and the soprano in this one is
Keandra howth She is just magnificent, intoxicating as Magda. The
(50:37):
purity in her voice, the elevation in her vocalization are
superb throughout a really really just brillant. The timber and
tone in one white choice delivery enhances his performance as
Raguero really really strong as well great coupling, very well
done together, and there's a jauntiness about Douglas Kelly's role
(50:59):
as pre the air and Nina Corbe or Corby brings attitude,
which is what you want to Lazette the Maid. Any
day that I hear Teddy Dahou Rhoades is a great day.
Oh my golly, what a performer. I remember seeing him
in an MTC production. What a voice. He's a commanding
(51:20):
presence as Rambaldo. The second costume designer, Richard Roberts, provides
a real visual treat with his elegant costuming, striking scenery.
There's a different feel to each act and he does
that very well with very little. Gavin Swift's lighting design.
There's tonal shifts there as the opera plays out, So again,
(51:41):
just what you need. Orchestra, Victorian, mighty fine voice helping
to make larn Dean a magical night of operatic excellence.
And it's two hours twenty minutes. Two intervals in that
I think they're both around about the twenty minute mark.
It's sung in Italian with English sur titles, and the
set titles are easily much much more easy to follow
(52:04):
than a lot of opera where it doesn't kind of
make a lot of English language sense to me when
I'm reading it. This is not the case. It's at
the Palais Theater only until this evening, only two performance.
Is all the shame because I reckon it could have
done a longer season. But you have to sell a
lot of tickets do to make it worthwhile. At the
(52:25):
Palais Theater Greek it's two thousand seats, it's a lot
to sell out, and a lot of shows there are
only one night. I sort of sometimes look at the
programs there and think, oh, what a shame. It'd be
nice to be able to see something and review it.
But we're reasonably well served with theaters in Melbourne, greeg
But I reckon we could still do with a few more.
(52:46):
And I don't know whether you noticed that there was
a sort of a news release that was put out
a few weeks ago. While the State Theater is being redeveloped,
which will take three years, or the best part thereof
they've opened a smaller than you where there's going to
be a lot of shows in coming months in the
interim and I can't even remember. It's something like one
(53:07):
hundred and something one hundred and thirty eighty Seed Venue.
I stand to be corrected there, but I'm delighted there's
another opportunity for Melbourne, Melbournie in is to see theater
of all its forms. Thank you very much, Greg for
your input today, Peter Krause likewise, and Jackie who has
left us. As I mentioned, we are going to do
it all again very soon. First on film and entertainment.
(53:30):
Listen out for our next show, and yeah, contribute by
all means become members of J eighty eight FM. See
you soon,
First on Film and Entertainment, Alex first with you and
Jackie Hamerton, Greg King and Peter Kraus. Now the big
romantic movie of the week, which is hardly the notebook is.
It ends with us, and it's got a very very
serious subject and it spends a lot of time dealing
(00:21):
with the romance and less time dealing with the major issue.
I found it quite distressing, I've got to say, and
I'll go into a bit of detail in the next
few minutes, but perhaps we'll start with that. I was curious,
Jackie overall, how did you take to the film, because
I thought if the Europeans had done this, there would
(00:42):
have been a lot more subtlety.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Oh, whether Europeans or American, that's the point the film
as it is. I found it too long for a start,
two hours and ten minutes or thereabout. Totally came into
this film not knowing the subject matter. It's based on
(01:05):
a book that's been huge, it's been like a really
big selling novel and so but I came in innocently
without knowing what it was about. So the first kind
of well, shall we say, sixty to seventy percent.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Of it, I was going a little bit oh, this
is a bit wrong coming, and then when it.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Shifts gear, that's when when I shifted gear and got
into it.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
A lot more. Well. Likewise, having said that, it's kind
of interesting about well, is it subtle in any way,
shape or form? And given the history of the character
the center of it, Blake Lively, you kind of wonder
whether the alarm bells should have gone off earlier or not,
(01:50):
or whether, like in real life, people hang around for
longer than they should because they want to believe things
will work out differently on that.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Yes, but you need to say right from the start,
this is a film that is about domestic violence, and
then people know about the you know, the nuances here,
and when we talk about whether someone should know straight off,
let's help it that very.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Well, Well, okay, Lily Bloom's father has just died and
her mother, Jenny, wants her to eulogize him at his funeral,
and from what I gather, he was in his sixties anyway,
But she can't do that. Why not? You may well ask, Well,
that's that sort of brief intro sets in motion a
(02:40):
chain of events that will well, what's the best way
I can put it? See the sins of the father
visited upon the children, or in this case, the child.
So as a teenager, the character of Lily Bloom because
it's played in two time frames, one as a teenager
and one as a sort of mature adult out relatively
young adult but still a mature adult. So as a teenager,
(03:02):
Lily struck up a really loving relationship with a fellow
student called Atlas Corrigan, and he found himself struggling and
homeless after he himself had trouble at home. But for
all the mutual affection between the pair of them, that
coupling was doomed to fail when her father intervened, Right
Lily Bloom's father intervened, And now we move to the
(03:25):
present day and Lily remains gunshy in terms of relationships,
and while trying to process her reaction to her dad's passing,
she unexpectedly meets this hot headed guy called Ryle Kincaid
who's had a very bad day. They meet on the
rooftop of the building where he owns an apartment or
(03:45):
he has an apartment, I'm not sure where he owns
it or is paying it off. And he turns out
to be a neurosurgeon, who shows more than a passing
interest in Lily, and though that initial meeting is short lived,
circumstances see the meet up again months later, and by
then Lily has opened up this funky flora's shop. She's
(04:05):
always had an affinity with plants, and she's employed Ryle's
married sister as her only employee without realizing who she is.
In other words, didn't realize that her brother was the
guy that she met on a rooftop. And now that bloke,
who hasn't exactly been the settling kind, is a bit
(04:26):
of a player, pursues Lily relentlessly. He charms her, he
engages her, but of course all is not as rosy
as it first appears, and things get even more complicated
when Atlas Corrigan re enters the frame. So, as you
rightly said, Jackie. Based on a very successful twenty sixteen
book by Colleen Hoover, I was reading about her really
(04:49):
interesting because she's published quite a few books, and she's
self published books as well, and one of her self
published books has gone straight to the top of the
Amazon charts amazing, so she's sort of obviously got a
prolific aptitude for doing this sort of stuff. Anyway, it's
the writing of the screenplays by Christy Hall and look,
(05:13):
we sort of we pieced together the backstories. I've sort
of tried to summarize it all because it jumps back
and forth in those two time frames I spoke about.
So the way I'd put it is that the very
serious subject of domestic abuse has cloaked in thick layers
of syrup. And you know, we're talking about longing looks.
We're talking about the physical heat if you like, between
(05:34):
the bear soft focus, romantic music and the like, and look,
I reckon there'll be many we'll feel that the filmmakers,
led by the director Justin Baldoni, who did what five
feet Apart a few years back, and he's also the
male lead in this one, I think the filmmakers have
(05:55):
laid it on with a trowel. That's how I sort
of felt while I was watching part of it. But
mind you, that juxtaposition between hot and cold is quite stark.
It's jarring, and I see some merit in it actually,
because it's ultimately what drives the plot. And look, the
Leeds I think play their parts pretty effectively, notwithstanding, as
(06:16):
I say, hitting hitting the subject matter over the head
Blake Blake Lively. I think she switches gears quite convincingly.
She plays sexy and smart and traumatized. And then you've
got Baldoni bringing his own smolding sex appeal to the
character of Ryle. I actually really like Jenny Slat. They're
(06:38):
the sort of carry Bradshaw style guide there, right, Sex
and the City on the television and in the movies
as well. Of course, there's a sense of style there.
And she plays Ryle's sister Alyssa. So look, notwithstanding the
earlier remark I made about pulling focus, you know, in
terms of the soft focus, it's quite an attractive looking
film and the settings, the cinematography. It was set in
(07:00):
Boston most of the time by Barry Peterson, who did
My Big Fat Greek Wedding Free. It gives us a
pretty good sense of place. But my reservations really around
the soap opera feel that the picture has not to
overlook what I thought, like you was the inflated running time.
There's no way this needed to be one hundred and
thirty minutes. And you know, I kept done reflecting on well,
(07:23):
you know, could this have been done better? In my
answer was yes, were it not for the talent. I reckon,
this has got to be great telemovie. Phil. What about you, Jackie?
Speaker 3 (07:36):
I agree with some of what you said there.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
I think I think in the end, what we take
away from this film is that it shows how domestic
abuse can be.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
So easily explained away.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
You used the word, oh, you know, well, it's a
bit of a bit of a hot kid. We can
say that's his personality, it's a bit of a hot head,
or it was an accident, and there's always excuses, And
therefore I think it really explains it quite well to
people who maybe haven't been in this situation and don't
understand it. There was one excellent scene in which a
(08:13):
hot dish is taken out of the oven gets dropped
on the floor, and as I watched it, I was
a little bit annoyed because the camera work was very
shaky and jerky. It was all over the place. I
can really tell what had happened. Was you know when
his arm came up?
Speaker 3 (08:29):
I mean, did he Hi? Why is she so? Why
is she sitting up there so upset?
Speaker 1 (08:33):
What? Same thing? Jackie? I didn't know that. I didn't
know what there was action putting your hand into an
oven and then suddenly.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Kid exactly, And it was brilliantly deliberate because it was
only upon reflection later that she and we could see
how easily that can be explained. Oh, he didn't mean to,
but in fact it was a demonstration of again that
hot headedness where heru her.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
So you'll say, you're saying it was a fit of peak,
that that it wasn't just the reaction.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
To well, not peak, I mean it was anger, and
yes he lashed out, put it like that for whatever
whatever emotion you want.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
To put on it. The physical result.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Was that he lashed out at her. But she didn't
realize and we didn't, and therefore we didn't realize that
that was exactly what happened in that micro split second.
And I thought that was good direction.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
I agree with you. Yeah, it was too long.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
I think it was too I thought it was going
to be a love triangle kind of thing. But I
also think that this, as you said, you know that
the soap opera a kind of feel of it lulled
us from the start into a false sense of security
where we were just going along on this romantic ride,
(09:54):
and the flashbacks that she starts to have the very
very brief flashbacks, not whole scenes, just little flashes we
start to see as she connects the dots with the
behavior that she begins to see in him, and I
thought that was well done too, So to me, it's
(10:15):
really a film of two parts where where our carbs
kind of overall this mushy stuff. But what really worries
me about the film is that the men who need
to see this will not be in the audience, and
the people who are in the audience are the ones
who can see not only her point of view, but
how these situations come about, and so they won't be
(10:38):
in the audience. Well, the women who are in the
audience and in this situation may it's a warning. I
give find this extremely triggering.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Very very much, so I totally agree. I also and
I don't want to spoil the ending for people who
go along and see it, but I kind of wondered
about an element of almost convenience about the the ending.
I'm not sure, And again we're going to have to
talk around this, Jackie. I hope you know. No.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
I like the ending is fine.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Okay, Okay, I just thought it was too movie like
an ending.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
It's a movie.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
It's a movie. Yeah, yeah, I understand it.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Like ending, it's fine, it's good, don't worry about well.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Also, just to bring this up, and I'm not going
to put credence in it or otherwise, but there was
an article in the online in the Daily Mail, and
you know a lot of people are going to say, well,
it's it's not you know, it's not the Times of London.
But there was an article about the fact that they
haven't the two stars haven't sort of appeared together and
(11:46):
interviews and sort of that there's suggestions of a feud
between them. I mean, I don't know whether it's sort
of been written with the idea of sort of getting
clicks or whatever, but it's part of it is interesting
to me that they Lively and Justin Baldoni haven't appeared together,
according to this article to sort of promote it. And
(12:09):
is there anything behind this? Was it? Was it? What's up?
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Alex? Alex?
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Your your mic is crackling something awful?
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Oh really, I'm so sorry. I'm not I apologize. I'm
not sure whether there's anything behind this or not. You
hear about things like this. It just does seem a
bit odd that they haven't appeared together if that's indeed
the case, but yeah, so be it. So okay, let's
let's get to a school. I don't think, gentlemen, you've
seen this movie as yet, have you great? Have you
(12:42):
bet her?
Speaker 4 (12:43):
No? No?
Speaker 1 (12:44):
So okay, I'll be interested Jackie in terms of your
school for this, because I think we do need to
see more movies like this, and I'd like to see
films that are handled with a little bit more subtlety.
That's all. What are you scoring about? A ten? It
ends with us M rated one hundred and thirty minutes.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
Seven out of ten for me, and I will just
add in the in the movie reviewing sort of theme here.
I did love the it's a small cast, and I
thought each of the cast was very good. I thought
the acting was just fine, very fine, and I thought
the characters were well, you know, well displayed. So you know,
(13:30):
it's it's it's quite a solid film to watch.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
I quite liked.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
I quite enjoyed the look of it and particularly the characters.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
And as you said, Jenny slat As.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Suggests the basement, she wrote, she brought a real vibrancy
and bounce into the film, so she's thoroughly enjoyable yets.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Even how she's introduced is such an unusual way, you know,
like you know, it's almost like happenstance, per chance, et cetera.
But she just got this. This jois de vive about her.
I think that's good. Yeah, I'm sort of in similar territory.
Six and a half to seven out of ten as you.
I kind of wanted to like it even more as
a movie. I'm not talking about it obviously the subject matter.
(14:12):
You are on JA eighty eight FM. If you want
to subscribe, we are happy to take your money. I
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Just go on to jdash air dot com dot au
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(14:32):
a day, intelligent and thought provoking and programming and some
pretty good music as well. I want to move on
to another. A Russell Crowe movie. We seem to have
seen a lot of them of late, and we're not
talking about him playing a religious figure in this one.
I'm not sure you know. We saw him in two
(14:54):
religious movies in the last year or so. This one's
called Sleeping Dogs and it's rated MA runs for one
hundred and eleven minutes. He've got Russell playing Roy Freeman,
who was unceremoniously booted from the police force after a
drunk driving incident. And he's since been diagnosed with Alzheimer's
(15:15):
and has undergone revolutionary cranial treatment. So he's getting medical
treatment now he's had operation as well, so his memory shot.
And I found this a pretty strong beginning. Every wall
and device in his home is labeled, and that includes
(15:36):
instructions on how to cook food in his freezer. Jackie,
as you know, I'm in his microwave.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
You're cooking in his microwave, not the freezer.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
No, that includes instructions on how to cook food that
has been in his freezer, is what I'm right, Thank
you very much. Perhaps I'd like to think that I'm
not of the same diagnosis it as Russell grows character
Roy Freeman. But you know how much of a master
chef I am. I burned toast. Perhaps that's what I
(16:09):
need instructions on how to take things out of the
freezer and put it into the microwave, because Whenever I
try to do that, Jackie, I fail miserably.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
Are you surprised to hear that alex Alzheimer's is pretty
serious subject here?
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Yeah, I'm sorry, I'm not. Yeah, but hang on, hang on.
As serious a subject as it is, he seems to
be able to overcome it reasonably. You know, it's part
of the movie. So I think I can. I'm not
call it black humor if you like, but yes, I
need to pay more attention to my cooking and cleaning duties,
(16:43):
which are all but non existent. I'm afraid it's not
a good thing, is it. If every own again, I'll
clean up though, So there you go. That that gives
me some merit. Hey, Greg, you and Peter live alone?
How good are you at cleaning up your house? Space?
Speaker 4 (17:00):
Bad?
Speaker 5 (17:02):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Okay? And and Greg?
Speaker 5 (17:04):
Okay, but I'd be a mess?
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Fine? A bit of mess is fine? Okay. What would
you do, Jackie? If you suddenly came along and saw
a bachelor pad with mess all over it? Would you
would you be compelled to clean it because you you
couldn't live with it? What? What I'm just curious is
to your predilection.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
I'm not going to live.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
With the Bachelor and Alex No, I would turn on
my heels and walk away.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
Yes, I I was hoping that was going to be
a response, you know, Gully. Oh, yes, I wonder how
many people are how whether this is a male or
female thing, because I know there are males who are
clean freaks as well. But is it more of a tendency?
You know, I'm trying to get to the analytical side
of this, Jackie.
Speaker 6 (17:49):
Do you think it's a personality thing. It's not, it's not,
it's not do you reckon? But do you honestly think
it's his personality? You don't think it's more a predilection
of women to be cleaner?
Speaker 1 (18:01):
No?
Speaker 2 (18:02):
No, no, they clean if the ones who don't like
to clean, they clean because I have to.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Yeah, well, that's the point that I'm making, Like every
now and again, we've got a his in hers bathroom. Right,
I'm revealing trade sequence yet, but we've got to his
in hers bathroom. And basically when my wife walks into
my bathroom says, oh, you've got to clean that, and
I'm thinking, leave me alone, it's my space, right, But
(18:28):
inevitably I then feel guilty and clean. Now, that's probably
not the right approach, is it, Jacqueline Gee, I.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Don't know, Alex. I'm not going to give you domestic
all right.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
Well, maybe this maybe the title of this movie sleeping dogs,
as in sleeping dogs, let sleeping Dogs lie. Maybe that's
what I'm saying here. Okay, let's talk about the film.
So right out of the blue, this guy who has
Alzheimer's receives a call from a representative of a nonprofit
(19:01):
legal action group, and she's reaching out on behalf of
a prisoner called Isaac Samuel, and he's scheduled to be
executed for a vicious murder a decade ago. It was
the murder of a pioneering psychology researcher, and that's a
role played by Martin Sockers. Anyway, Samuel was incarcerated on
(19:25):
the evidence of then homicide detective Freeman. As I say,
he was Russell Crowe character and his partner at the
time Jimmy Remus. So basically evidence from them saw the
Isaac Samuel character, now a prisoner convicted, and in the
next month he's actually scheduled to be executed. So, as
(19:49):
is often the case, he insists he didn't do it,
and he actually implause Roy Freeman to do some digging
before it's too late for obviously the acts, the very
proverbial acts, has fallen. So when Russell Crowe's character Roy
Freeman does that, he in covers a Pandora's box of
lies and manipulation. And the finger of blame points in many,
(20:12):
many different directions, and that includes the ambitious research assistant
to the researcher that was murdered. Her name is her
character's name is Laura Baines, and her want to be
novelist boyfriend Richard Finn. There's also a shadowy figure called
Wayne Devereaux who's a war veteran suffering from post traumatic
(20:36):
stress disorder whom the pioneering psychology researcher helped find maintenance work.
And another this is in terms of all these potential suspects,
and another who hardly seems like a clean skin in
all of this is Freeman's ex partner as well. So
(20:56):
you've got fingers of blame in all sorts of directions,
and maybe he didn't do it, or maybe he did so.
Sleeping Dog's being written by Adam Cooper, who did Assassin's Creed,
and he makes his directorial deboot here alongside Bill Collard,
who was the co writer, and jumping between the past
and the present as this movie does. It taken from
a novel called The Book of Mirrors that came out
(21:19):
in twenty six seventeen, rather by a Romanian author called
Eo shiobis Chi. I'll try that again, Eochi. Anyway, as
a storyteller, Adam Cooper is drawn to characters in crisis,
someone who goes on a journey from sort of a
lost and fragmented state too being restored. And that's where
(21:41):
you enter the character of Roy Freeman. It's quite an
I thought it was quite an involving mystery crime thriller.
The ground is constantly shifting, flashes of memory returning. Freeman,
who's fighting his own battle, is quite persistent and methodical,
and I thought Crowe was quite convincing. Is the ma
on whose shoulders Samuel is set to die. He's quite dow,
(22:04):
he's troubled, but he's also residient and around him. Adam
Cooper's assembled quite a diverse collection of characters, none of
whom could lie straight in bed. And I think the
movie's all the better for it that you've got all
these red herrings potentially, but people who have flaws. And
you've got one sort of actor, Karen Gillen playing a
(22:26):
prima donna that's the assistant research director. You've got Martin
Sockers equally entitled as the actual guy who got murdered,
and Tom Flanagan rough and ready as the fellow cop
to the Russell Crowe character. And you've also got the
boyfriend of the research assistant, Harry Greenfoot. Greenwood plays him.
(22:50):
He morphs that character from self assured to aggrieved. And
you've also got the guy who's the odd job man.
Tom m Wright plays him. He presents Wayne Devro as
a bit of a mental stew. So many threads, many suspects.
It's quite a convoluted movie, but I still found it
quite compelling. Real star of the show is Russell Crowe.
(23:13):
Fair significantly better I thought than his recent religious offerings.
Were talking about the exorcism that came out not so
long ago, in The Pope's Exorcist that was out last year.
What did you think, Peter of Sleeping Dogs?
Speaker 4 (23:28):
The film of interest because it's a who done it?
It develops a storyline about a past murder and who
was responsible, and at the same time, it looks at
Russell Crowe's ex police officer character who has Oldzheimer's and
has been given experimental treatment, none of which is believable
(23:51):
in this film, because at times he asks involved questions
of particular suspects when you've ever remember.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
The drug me as well. While I was watching this,
I'm thinking, hang on, he's laid down a bed supposedly,
or that filmmakers have laid down a bed. But then
he seems to be incredibly incisive. And the explanation for that, Peter, though,
is that he's undergoing this revolutionary cranial treatment that seems
to be working. And I'm not convinced that I was
(24:25):
sold on that. Are you saying the same thing.
Speaker 4 (24:27):
I'm saying the same thing. In fact, that almost borders
on science fiction if he's been given this sort of
borderline experimental treatment, etc. Which doesn't make a great deal
of sense. So we have these two stories dovetailing Crow's
character he's Oldzheimer's and the who done it, And then
we have introduced the whole idea of plagiarism and of
(24:54):
academic cheating with the mirror effect. So look, there are
some nice elements in the film as well as some
that are a bit unbelievable. But then it goes into
this sort of twisting last third of the film, which
for me didn't make a great deal of sense either.
(25:17):
So there were a lot of elements that I thought, No,
I don't think so this is not an Agatha Christie,
M Knight, Siah Malin film. And also I didn't believe
some of the aspects of the storyline and the old
timers and Russell Crowe's character. Although pro does a pretty
(25:39):
good job at playing it straight. I was reminded of
the film Memento Yeah, which goes back into memory into
past and revisits and reconstructs, and I thought that was
a far superior film. Was this one has this hook
which I don't think is particularly effective with the old
(26:03):
timer's treatment. So look, it's a film of interest, But
I thought there were too many elements that didn't work
together particularly well, and I must admit I didn't believe
the way it ended.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Did you feel that Russell Crowe's performance was stronger than
the other two movies that I referenced.
Speaker 4 (26:24):
Oh, definitely, definitely. He's found a role or character that
is much more dramatic and much more involving whereas the
Pope's Exorcist and all of that, Shenanigan's going on with
Exorcism just isn't effective at all. He just overacts at
(26:45):
times and it just doesn't work.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Jackie, did you find much to enjoy about the movie
Sleeping Dogs?
Speaker 2 (26:56):
What I enjoyed was seeing Russell Crowe come back to
an excellent performance of a character and beef up for
it looks he looks really beefy and older, and you know,
it's not.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
A glamorous role at all, and he does it very well.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
And I'm going to agree with pretty much everything Peter
said there about the film. I found it, and like you,
I found it. The plot was a bit convoluted. I
really didn't follow every bit of it. I struggled with
that inconsistency in his mental capacity whether or not, and
(27:32):
sci Fi did occur to me at one stage two, Peter,
I just found the inconsistency there didn't work at all
for me, and it took me out of the story
as I was trying to work that out. And it
also kind of contrasted with a kind of a there
was kind of a tedium and a dullness and a
repetition to the film. It kind of laid it on
(27:53):
a bit thick with the you know, constantly staring into
the mirror, which actually was quite good. Looking into Russell
Crowe looking into the mirror was really quite compelling, but
it was laid on a bit thick. The alcohol, the
dicksaw puzzle, the even the script to me was actually
quite quite flat, you know, I found it a little
(28:16):
bit boring.
Speaker 3 (28:17):
And on top of that, the music was really oh,
you know, really just yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
It's when you're thinking about the music and not the
story and you're thinking.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
You shouldn't be I mean.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
The music, Jackie, I actually disagree with that. I was
quite involved in the storyline. I was really trying to
concentrate to follow all the threads because there were so
many of them. So having said that, it is interesting
that all of us say the same thing with regards
to Russell Crowe. There's no question if he chooses the
right part. He's acting Chops as good as anybody, and
(28:52):
it's I was really delighted, like you were, to see
him get back to what he does Dan well, right,
he really inserts himself and becomes the character that he's playing,
So you know, that's not too I agree that The
Sleeping Dogs isn't isn't it anywhere near a perfect movie,
but his performance in it elevates the film to what
(29:16):
somebody else may not have been able to achieve. So, okay,
let's get start with you. Peter. You'll presumably give it
a low score. I'll probably give it the high score.
What are you going to give this movie? One hundred
and eleven minutes of it? Sleeping Dogs A rated?
Speaker 4 (29:30):
Okay, it's a bit like the Curate's Egg. It's good
in parts, but it has some problematic elements. So I
actually gave it six out of ten.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
Okay, Jackie, Oh disso exactly, Peter.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
I gave it six out of ten.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
And I'll go, hi ball, I'm giving it a seven
because I still thought there was quite a bit of
merit in it, and that's the reason for my score.
Let us go.
Speaker 3 (29:52):
It is a odd thing, Alex, to say that you
want to give.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
I gave all of my score for this very committed
performance by Russell Crowe, and I'm just so excited to
see him come back and really deliver something that really
feels truer to his skills and talents and We've always
loved having you know, the the Aussie up there, but
(30:18):
then it wasn't the right vehicle as a as a film.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
To watch and enjoy I thought. Anyway, final comment.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
No, no, good good to hear.
Speaker 3 (30:26):
And also it was shot in Melbourne the film.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
Yes, yes, yes, which is terrific. You know it's but
I mean we we we've known we we punch above
our way, don't we in many areas, including the Olympic Games.
We should insert that it's been a remarkable games for
Australia in every way, shape or form, regardless of the
fact that obviously we've meddled in news sports as well,
(30:49):
where you know we're noted for performing in But it's
funny we started on a very serious topic. But boy,
our women are quite I'm not taking any away from
the men that won the medals, et cetera, but gee,
talk about top heavy lopsided. I was so ecstatic at
(31:10):
how well everybody did, but in particular the women. And wow,
you know, per capita we've done done well. Even not
per capita, we've done extremely well and I'm just frustrated.
I'm gonna have to wait another four years. As the
rest of Australia does for the next Olympic Games. And
I'm already looking for to nineteen thirty two, nineteen thirty two,
(31:30):
twenty thirty two that went in the game to gon
to be. That was a good year. It was a
good year. Well, you're already an old man, then, weren't you,
Peter exact?
Speaker 4 (31:42):
That was there when it was launched?
Speaker 1 (31:43):
Yes, well you were there in old time Greece. Weren't
you when the first games were there? You know you're
all and yes.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
Well remember the music hall?
Speaker 3 (31:54):
Really well, yeah you must.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
You must give us an account of what it was
like to be in the crowd, you know when the
first marathon runner came past, you know, all those years ago.
You know you'd have vivid memories or have they faded
by now?
Speaker 4 (32:10):
Peter, No vivid memories because this was the day before electricity,
when all the video cameras weren't operating properly.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
Good to know, Peter. Yes, we must have an entire
show just devoted to Peter's recollections. Talking about recollections, there's
a movie which opens this coming Thursday called Iris and
the Men, which I wanted to preempt. It's an emirated movie.
Thankfully ninety eight minutes, so that's kind of kind of nice.
(32:40):
After sixteen years of marriage and twenty two years together,
a conservative dentist and mother, Iris Bayhu's husband Stefan, appears
to have lost interest in her, so that's a shame.
And the pair's got a couple of daughters, Anna, aged fifteen,
and Lily, who's a ten year old. And although the
(33:03):
pleasantries between Iris and Stefan remain, the passion's gone and
they actually haven't had sex for four years. And while
waiting for a parent teacher meeting, a fellow mother gives
Iris a solution which basically this other mother swears by it.
(33:23):
In fact, she claims that it actually saved her life.
And just what might that answer be? Well, get onto
a dating app or apps for purely physical hookups, So
what could be wrong with that? Yes, Iris does it
and gets instant results, and before she knows it, it's
(33:46):
figuratively raining men of all ages, shapes and sizes. So
what do you need to do is to get on
all dating app and everybody will come orun it. That's
what it's basically suggesting this movie Iris and the Men. Okay, Well,
she then experiences a series of one night, one date stands,
not one night stands, one date stands, and she regains
(34:08):
that spring in her step, connecting with her desire and
her sexuality. And at first Stephan hardly notices because he's
so busy working he's landed a big contract. And then
though Iris's unusual behavior becomes impossible to ignore, h Iris's
(34:29):
dental assistant called Neuria, is also decidedly put out by
Iris's aberrant conduct. While attending to patience, Iris is forever
distracted by the pinging phone messages that she receives, and
she begins taking increasingly increasing amounts of time off at
very short notice during the day. Now, truth be told,
(34:52):
she just longs to be wanted by her husband. But
I pose this question, the matters too far gone? Is
there a way back? So this is a comedy, Iris
and the Man, a comedy with distinctively French proclivities. It's
written and directed by Caroline Vignoll. There's a sadness, there's
a yearning, and there's that word again, JOI de vive
(35:14):
about it. The origins of the film were in what
Vignall heard from a friend of hers, fifty one year
old friend who had embraced life after her husband suddenly
left her and another friend had encouraged her to sign
up to a dating site, which boosted her damaged ego
and lifted her cloak of invisibility, which is something that
(35:36):
we hear about. It's not unusual that people are for
a certain age feel that they are invisible, and particularly women.
So I thought Louis Calamy was quite delightful as the
centerpiece of the film. She channels a great deal through
her distinctive facial expressions and her body movement, and she
transitions her character well from downcast. The book she reads
(35:59):
at night in bedspeak volumes. I might say she sort
of transitions this character from downcast to cheeky and cherry.
Very much her movie and the world gravitates around her character.
The film does manage to avoid much focus on the
stranger danger inherent in the situation in which Irish, in
which Iras chooses to put herself that troubled me. Actually,
(36:22):
it concentrates on the adventure and the excitement. I understand
that was its purpose, but yeah, it's sort of it
did trouble me anyway, naive, Yeah, it was inherently so,
But I suppose I put it down to the fairy
tale that it was as to the issue of consent,
and that also troubled me enormously. It's left to her
(36:45):
almost sixteen year old daughter, Iris is almost sixteen year
old daughter to bring that to the four at a
dinner table, and Iris enrages the daughter with her surprising
response that there's quite an in strength. I felt about
Vincent Elbaz's representation of Iris's husband and devoted you know,
(37:06):
the devoted father Stefan Susanne Bique gives voice to confusion
and unease, making her presence felt in the process. So look,
it's got warmth, it's got charm. I reckon many you're
going to find it appealing. And I enjoyed Iris and
the men for what it is and what it was.
(37:27):
What about you, Greek king, Oh look, this.
Speaker 5 (37:30):
Is charming enough film, as you said, it doesn't I say,
it's welcome, which only what you said ninety eight minutes
or so. But I thought there is a playfulness about
the film, like especially in the second half there, especially
when they're breaking that Simon Dancy return of his reigning
men on the steps. You know, that worked a true
I thought, And as the movie went on. Laura Calri's
(37:51):
character look and acted younger as the film progress.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
I thought you gave is fifty year old.
Speaker 5 (37:56):
She was much more youthful and joyful and a journey
by the end of the film. I thought that worked
as well. Some of the humor worked really well, visual humor.
As you said, the books She's really in bed, they
speak volumes about the relationship between her and them. I
also love the way they use the sex messages you
know every time, and that played off and that played
off beautiful at the end of the film.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
I agree. It's interesting how your whole life, her whole
life was transformed, and the whole point of it was
to get the attention to the US. But Peter, you
haven't seen this one where you have?
Speaker 4 (38:33):
I saw that the French Film Festival.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
Yes, ah, yes, well and your thoughts.
Speaker 4 (38:39):
I was a bit worried about this film because French
wrong cooms have a history of edging the boundaries, of
hitting the boundaries and challenging the typical roles that married
couples have, and yet this one turns out to be
ultra conservative as it turns out, even though on the
(39:02):
surface it isn't. I thought Laura Calamy is such a
good actress. She was in Full Time, which was an
excellent film, but she was also in other rom coms
like Tickets to Greece, which I didn't think was much chop.
So the concept behind this film about challenging a marriage
(39:27):
and finding a way to I suppose to excite a
woman into revitalizing her relationship or not, as the case
might be, seemed to be an interesting concept. However, it
doesn't work for me at all because, as you've already mentioned, Alex,
(39:49):
the danger stranger danger sort of aspect doesn't come into
this film at all, which I thought was really strange.
And then the way the film ends up, without giving
any spoilers, it's just reverting to a very conservative sort
of outlook on life, and and I just didn't like that.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
I thought the thing was really troubling me as well. Yeah,
that's you know, like you'd hate to think that because
you're going to embrace life. But you know, again, I
kind of they tried to make it into a fairy tale.
It may have. You know, it's interesting because society has
(40:34):
changed appreciably over the last twenty years, Peter, and they
may have been able to get away with it in
a more naive world right where you know they shouldn't
have been able to. But I'm not sure, you know,
coming out as it is now, I just don't think
they can get away with it as readily. I still
enjoyed it, but I thought it just felt it just
(40:57):
felt wrong. Did you get that sad?
Speaker 4 (41:00):
Yes, absolutely definitely felt wrong. I thought it's trying to
challenge preconceptions and yet it gives in to them. And
in this day and age, you would like films that
are a bit more challenging, even if they're wrong. Com So, yes,
I was disappointed by the film. And I thought the daughter,
(41:23):
the relationship mother and daughter, when they talk about condoms
at the dinner table and there's lots of dinner table conversations,
I thought, this doesn't work for me. There's something wrong
with the writing of this that doesn't quite work. So yeah,
I was very disappointed by this film.
Speaker 1 (41:44):
I wasn't very disappointed, but on that level, I was great,
none of this trouble do you not?
Speaker 4 (41:50):
Really?
Speaker 1 (41:52):
Okay? I know that's.
Speaker 5 (41:54):
I just read along with the film. I thought it
was a bit of fun.
Speaker 1 (41:58):
Yeah, you can try to shoe yep, understand, And again
I think I'll be very interested. Jackie's unfortunately to leave us,
but I'll be interested in her views on this. Maybe
the incoming weeks we'll get that because you know she
has strong opinions about films like this, and you know
her views will be just as valid. So yeah, I mean, okay,
(42:19):
so you're going to loadball this, but I'm not in
spite of it. I'm going to sort of look at
it as a fairy til with with sort of warning signs.
So what are you giving this film? Iris and the Men,
which opens on the fifteenth of August rated m.
Speaker 4 (42:36):
I thought if it had continued its musical sort of
proclivities with its raining men and a few other fantasy elements,
it might have worked a lot better. So I have
to only give this film five out of ten.
Speaker 1 (42:50):
Wow, okay, ninety eight minutes in duration, Greg, you're going
to be much higher. What are you going to give
Iris and the Men? I'm going to do it six? Oh,
okay only see.
Speaker 5 (43:00):
I thought the start was a bit slow and a
bit clunky, but as I said, it picked up as
it went on.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
Okay, well it's funny. Well I'm going to give it
the high mark because I, as I say, went along
with it but was troubled by elements. I'm giving it
a seven. It depends on your perception when you see this.
One is how I would put it, And that's okay.
I mean, you know, there's nothing wrong with that other
than societal norms. Having sort of said, well, you know,
(43:28):
we've got to be a lot more conscious of the
way that people behave and are seen to behave. Okay.
Now on j eighty eight FM, I want to talk.
I went to Palais Theater cheap. Palais Theater is beautiful.
Any Greg, have you been there for constantly things or not?
Speaker 5 (43:45):
You have been there quite a few times. I've seen
a number of artists play there, including Bruce Springsteen and
Brian Adams, meat Loavergon.
Speaker 1 (43:53):
Did Bruce Springsteen play the Palais.
Speaker 5 (43:55):
Acoustic and when came out did an acousive concert?
Speaker 1 (43:58):
Wow, I've got a say. Generally speaking, the sound travels
really well. I mean it's quite It's what two thousand
seed venue, isn't it huge? Yeah? But the sound I
saw John Farnham there and thought was phenomenal, Absolutely phenomenal.
He's in terms of artists that I've seen John Farnham
(44:19):
hands down as the best I've ever seen. I've seen
him in concert quite a number of times, and hopefully
sort of he's continuing to do well. But gee whiz,
that that that the concept of pallet stands out for me,
I didn't.
Speaker 5 (44:35):
I enjoyed your conscious that the rod Laver Arena, man
Cheski as well, But for me, I'm the best artist
I've seen a live.
Speaker 1 (44:43):
Was bon Jovi really so better than that? Better than
the Boss?
Speaker 3 (44:48):
Oh well?
Speaker 5 (44:50):
I like Bruce being saying yes, and I like bon Jovi.
Bon had a lot of energy and hidden after hit.
Bruce being saying I also like as well. There to
the best two best artists I've seen live, Okay.
Speaker 1 (45:02):
The other one. Then I'll throw in seeing a Dell live,
Oh my golly, goosebumps. Phenomenal voice like John Farnham. It's
interesting the distinctiveness of the voice makes her who she
is and hit after hit and so on. And I
saw it not in Melbourne. I saw it in Sydney
and it was a very special experience. So yeah, it's
(45:25):
interesting how something stands out like that. I mention and
reference it because there's a there's only there were only
two shows that in last one is this evening Sunday
evening called Larron Dean, which translates to the swallow, And
unlike the rock and pop concerts we've talked about, this
(45:47):
is an opera and I really enjoyed it, really enjoyed
Victorian opera and it's asks a rather important question. Can
one truly escape one past? And can true love win out? Now?
What's your view? Boys? If you do you think people change?
(46:12):
I'll accept they don't change readily, But how seriously can
you change someone's disposition during the course of their life? Peter,
do you think you can change somebody a long way?
Just sort of iron out some of the rough edges?
What do you think is possible in the vast majority
(46:33):
of instances, if not all.
Speaker 4 (46:34):
It's very difficult to change someone's thinking, attitude, and behavior.
They usually they have to have a life threatening experience
before they re evaluate their life.
Speaker 1 (46:46):
Yep, I think that's a very prosaic way of putting it. Greg,
do you agree? How do you how much can somebody change?
Speaker 5 (46:55):
I don't know, not something that can happen overnight of
a long process, and probably need something to happen to
bring about it change so well, I'm sure people do
change along the way, but yeah, it's not something I'll
put a lot of forward into.
Speaker 1 (47:11):
Alex Well, I'll look, these are the questions, and this
is what I liked about this. These are the questions
posed in Giacomo Puccini's Larron Dean and it's a three
act lyric opera set in Paris and on the French Riviera.
I think it's highly appropriate seeing this is on during
the Olympic Games. But there we go. It concerns the
(47:32):
maybe that was deliberate programming. I haven't asked Victorian opera
about that, but if it was, congratulations. It concerns the
fate of a mistress. So this woman called Magna Magda
not Magna Magda, and her provider, a wealthy man called Rambaldo,
are hosting a cocktail party. And at this party there's
(47:56):
a poet called Prunier who declares that romance is back
in fashion. We're talking about the nineteen hundreds at some stage,
depending upon who you believe, nineteen twenties, nineteen thirty is
that sort of era. Anyway, Prunier predicts that, like as swallow,
hence the title Ron Dene, the swallow, Magda will fly
south to pursue supreme happiness. Prudy, as girl girlfriend, happens
(48:21):
to be Magda's maid a woman called Lazette, and Lazette
interrupts proceedings at this sort of get together to announce
the arrival of a young man named Riguero, who's the
son of Rambaldo's childhood friend and he's new to Paris,
so he asks where he might best enjoy an evening
out in the city of Love. Lazette suggests a famous
(48:45):
Latin quarter restaurant and dance hall called Bulliers, and Raguero
takes up the recommendation. Prudier also heads there with Lazette,
and Magda turns up in disguise, and this is the kicker.
When a group of students shows interest in Magna at
this restaurant, bullyairs she seeks refuge at a table where
(49:10):
Riguero is sitting, but does not recognize her because she's
in disguise and after all, is only just met her,
and the pair quickly and effortlessly falls passionately in love.
It ain't love grand it is, indeed, and so that's
sort of where the whole thing really kicks up a gear.
(49:31):
They envisage a future together. They subsequently enjoy each other's
company on the French Riviera. Very nice, but Magdum worries
that she has deceived Ruguero because she Ruguero doesn't know
who she is and about her past, and she's concerned
that she'll embarrass him and his family. So the question
(49:52):
is will she be able to shake off her colorful
past or is she kidding herself by living alive. It's
a really beautiful romantic opera, gorgeous score, it's rich, it's lyrical,
it juxtaposes dreams and reality with a really deft touch,
and ultimately it's of course idealistic, but it's also quite crushy.
(50:17):
So Victorian opera has given us much to appreciate and
savor in really splendid production directed by Stuart Munda, conducted
by Tobias Ringborg, and the soprano in this one is
Keandra howth She is just magnificent, intoxicating as Magda. The
(50:37):
purity in her voice, the elevation in her vocalization are
superb throughout a really really just brillant. The timber and
tone in one white choice delivery enhances his performance as
Raguero really really strong as well great coupling, very well
done together, and there's a jauntiness about Douglas Kelly's role
(50:59):
as pre the air and Nina Corbe or Corby brings attitude,
which is what you want to Lazette the Maid. Any
day that I hear Teddy Dahou Rhoades is a great day.
Oh my golly, what a performer. I remember seeing him
in an MTC production. What a voice. He's a commanding
(51:20):
presence as Rambaldo. The second costume designer, Richard Roberts, provides
a real visual treat with his elegant costuming, striking scenery.
There's a different feel to each act and he does
that very well with very little. Gavin Swift's lighting design.
There's tonal shifts there as the opera plays out, So again,
(51:41):
just what you need. Orchestra, Victorian, mighty fine voice helping
to make larn Dean a magical night of operatic excellence.
And it's two hours twenty minutes. Two intervals in that
I think they're both around about the twenty minute mark.
It's sung in Italian with English sur titles, and the
set titles are easily much much more easy to follow
(52:04):
than a lot of opera where it doesn't kind of
make a lot of English language sense to me when
I'm reading it. This is not the case. It's at
the Palais Theater only until this evening, only two performance.
Is all the shame because I reckon it could have
done a longer season. But you have to sell a
lot of tickets do to make it worthwhile. At the
(52:25):
Palais Theater Greek it's two thousand seats, it's a lot
to sell out, and a lot of shows there are
only one night. I sort of sometimes look at the
programs there and think, oh, what a shame. It'd be
nice to be able to see something and review it.
But we're reasonably well served with theaters in Melbourne, greeg
But I reckon we could still do with a few more.
(52:46):
And I don't know whether you noticed that there was
a sort of a news release that was put out
a few weeks ago. While the State Theater is being redeveloped,
which will take three years, or the best part thereof
they've opened a smaller than you where there's going to
be a lot of shows in coming months in the
interim and I can't even remember. It's something like one
(53:07):
hundred and something one hundred and thirty eighty Seed Venue.
I stand to be corrected there, but I'm delighted there's
another opportunity for Melbourne, Melbournie in is to see theater
of all its forms. Thank you very much, Greg for
your input today, Peter Krause likewise, and Jackie who has
left us. As I mentioned, we are going to do
it all again very soon. First on film and entertainment.
(53:30):
Listen out for our next show, and yeah, contribute by
all means become members of J eighty eight FM. See
you soon,
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