MOVIES OCTOBER 2002 RELEASED AUSTRALIA 

 

 

3 OCTOBER

 

Bloody Sunday (MA): Selected. UIP. Drama. UK. 111 mins. D: Paul Greengrass (The Theory Of Flight). James Nesbitt, Tim Pigott-Smith, Nicholas Farrell, Gerard McSorley, Kathy Keira Clarke, Allan Gildea, Gerard Crossan, Mary Moulds, Carmel McCallion, Christopher Villiers, James Hewitt, Declan Duddy, Edel Frazer. Documentary style drama recreating the events of 30th January 1972 in Derry when a socialist meeting attended by Irish agitators ended in bloodshed.

Garage Days (MA): National. 160 screens. Fox. 105 mins. Australia. Comedy. Kick Gurry, Maya Stange, Pia Miranda, Andy Anderson, Marton Csokas, Yvette Duncan, Russell Dykstra, Chris Sadrinna, Brett Stiller, Craig Walker  D: Alex Proyas (Dark City). Garage Days is a coming-of-age comedy about a young Sydney band trying to get a foothold in the competitive world of rock n' roll. After the band's first gig is a colossal failure, the lead singer takes it upon himself to go out and pursue the most successful Rock Manager in the country. 

Rain (MA): Selected, Syd/ Melb.  Rialto. Drama.  New Zealand. 92 mins. Alicia Fulford-Wierzbicki, Sarah Peirse, Marton Csokas, Alistair Browning, Telma Hopkins, Aaron Murphy. D: Christine Jeffs (debut). It is summer. Thirteen year old Janey and her family settle into their isolated cottage for another perfect seaside holiday. Her days are full of swimming and fishing. At night her parents give parties where the adults drink, dance and flirt. Janey is increasingly aware of the cracks in her parents’ marriage. 

 

Reign Of Fire (M): National. 162 screens. Buena Vista. 102 mins. Action/ Sci-fi. Christian Bale, Matthew McConaughey, Gerard Butler, Izabella Scorupco, Alexander Siddig , Doug Cockle, Scott Moutter, Benny Nieves.  D: Rob Bowman (The X-Files Movie). In present-day London, twelve-year-old Quinn watches as his mother, a construction engineer, inadvertently wakes an enormous fire-breathing beast from its century-long slumber. Twenty years later, much of the world has been scarred by the beast and its offspring. As a fire chief, Quinn (Christian Bales) is responsable for warding off the beasts and keeping a community alive as they eke out a meager existence. 

So Close (MA): Selected. Columbia. Action.  Subtitled- Hong Kong. D: Corey Yuen (Lethal Lady). The brothers Chow Nunn and Chow Lui's giant computer company is facing a tense crisis - a powerful computer virus is rapidly wiping out their computer network. At the last minute a cyber-friend arrives to join the battle. The mysterious 'Angel.com' battles the virus and saves the company. Invited by Chow Lui for a visit in person, Angel.com arrives in the form of the beautiful Lynn (Shu Qi). But it turns out Lynn is a professional assassin with amazing high-tech and kung fu skills. She kills Chow Lui with cyanide hidden in a pair of sunglasses.

 

 

10 OCTOBER

Donnie Darko (M): Selected, Melb. Opens Syd 17 Oct.  Madman.  Comedy. 113 m. Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Drew Barrymore, Mary McDonnell, Katharine Ross, Patrick Swayze, Noah Wyle. D: Richard Kelly (debut).  A funny, moving and distinctly mind-bending journey through suburban America, one extraordinary but disenchanted teenager is about to take Time's Arrow for a ride. As Donnie begins to explore what it means to be alive and in love, he uncovers secrets of the universe that give him a tempting power to alter time and destiny. 

Eskiya (MA): Selected, Syd/ Melb. Cinegraph. Sener Sen, Sermin Sen, Ugur Yucel and Kamuran Usluer. This Turkish action movie chronicles the epic adventures of Baran the Bandit following his release from prison after 35 years. Heading for Istanbul to get revenge upon the man who snitched on him and stole his lover, Baran teams up with a tough young punk, leading to further trouble. 

 

The Road to Perdition (MA): National. 245 screens. Fox. 116 mins. Drama. Tom Hanks, Jude Law, Alfred Molina, Paul Newman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Stanley Tucci. D: Sam Mendes (American Beauty). Mike Sullivan (Tom Hanks) works as a hit man for crime boss John Rooney (Paul Newman) Sullivan views Rooney as a father figure. However after his son is witness to a killing he has done Mike Sullivan finds him self on the run trying to save the life of his son and at the same time looking for revenge on those who wronged him. Jude Law co stars as a hit man hired to kill Sullivan.

Sunshine State (M): Selected, Syd/ Melb. Columbia. Drama. 141 mins. Edie Falco, Angela Bassett, Jane Alexander, Ralph Waite, James McDaniel, Timothy Hutton, Mary Alice, Bill Cobbs, Mary Steenburgen, Alex Lewis, Gordon Clapp.  D: John Sayles (Men With Guns). Two woman return to their hometown roots in coastal northern Florida, and must deal with family, business, and encroaching real estate development.

Swimfan (M): National. 141 screens. Icon. Thriller. 85 mins. Jesse Bradford, Erika Christensen, Shiri Appleby, Dan Hayeda, Clayne Crawford, Jason Ritter, Kia Goodwin, Nick Sandow.  D: John Polson (Siam Sunset). Ben Cronin has it all: the admiration of his many friends, a terrific girlfriend, and he's on the fast-track to an athletic scholarship. Ben's rock-solid, promising future and romance with Amy are turned upside-down with the arrival of Madison Bell. Madison, the "new girl in town," quickly sets her sights on the impressionable Ben. 

Welcome To The Waks Family (G): Selected, Melbourne. Film Australia. Australia. 52 mins. Doco.  D: Barbara Chobocky. Zephaniah Waks, father of 17 children and husband to Haya, is of Lubavitch faith, one of the fastest growing forms of orthodox Judaism in the world. Formally Steven Waks, Zephaniah grew up in an affluent non-religious Jewish family on Sydney's North Shore. After spending the 70s indulging in parties, girls and rock 'n' roll, Zephaniah, became a Lubavitch convert. Haya, born in Israel to Yemeni parents, had a vastly different upbringing.

 

 

17 OCTOBER

Dinner Rush (MA): Selected, Syd/ Brisb. Gil Schrine Films. 98 mins. Drama. Danny Aiello, Edoardo Ballerini, Kirk Acevedo, Mike McGlone, Vivian Wu, John Corbett, Polly Draper, Summer Phoenix, Ajay Naidu, Jamie Harris, Sandra Bernhard, Mark Margolis.  D: Bob Giraldi (National Lampoon's Movie Madness). Is it just another evening at the hugely popular Italian restaurant of proprietor and bookmaker Louis Cropa (Aiello) in New York? Anything but as tonight's guests include; a local police detective and his wife specially invited by the owner; on the balcony rival bookmaker gangsters from Queens who want to become partners in the restaurant; in the corner renowned food critic 'the food nymph' is her usual demanding self; and at the bar, seemingly unnoticed, is Ken (Corbett, John).

Enough (MA): National. 160 screens. Columbia. 115 mins. Drama. Jennifer Lopez, Billy Campbell, Juliette Lewis, Dan Futterman, Noah Wyle.  D: Michael Apted (Enigma).  Working class waitress Slim (Lopez) finds her life transformed when she marries wealthy contractor Mitch (Campbell). She settles into an idyllic suburban life and seems to have everything she wants: loving husband, beautiful home, and Gracie, an adorable 5-year-old daughter. Her dream is shattered when she discovers her husband is anything but perfect. His abusive behavior forces her to go on the run, eluding an increasingly obsessive Mitch and his lethal henchmen.

The Nugget (M): National. 131 screens. Roadshow. Comedy. Australia. 97 mins. Eric Bana, Stephen Curry, Dave O'Neil, Belinda Emmett, Peter Moon (I), Vince Colosimo, Max Cullen, Karen Pang, Sallyanne Ryan, Alan Brough, Jeff Truman (I), Chris Haywood, Jean Kittson, Glenda Linscott, Jane Hall (II). D: Bill Bennet (Kiss or Kill). 'The Nugget' is a tale about a group of three roadworkers who stumble upon the world's biggest nugget, and become instant millionaires - or so they think. The roadworkers are mates from way back, and each weekend they go out to an old goldmining site hoping to strike it rich. Each weekend they come back with nothing but a hangover. But then everything changes when they discover the world's biggest nugget - worth many millions of dollars.

Time Out (PG): Selected, Syd/ Melb. Palace. Drama. 134 mins.  Palace. France. Aurelien Recoing, Karen Viard. D: Laurent Cantet (Human Resources). Recently fired from his job, but unable to confess the truth to his close-knit family, Vincent spends his days driving around the countryside, talking into his cell phone and staring into space. Vincent fabricates a new job for himself so his family and friends will not know that he is out of work. At one point, he even sneaks into an office building. As Vincent roams the building's sterile halls, peeking into meeting rooms where men are busy at work, we see a man who yearns not just for a new job, but also for a place in the world.

 

 

18 OCTOBER

Dil Vil Phar Vyar (M): Selected, Village Cinemas. South Asia Ltd. 161 mins. 

 

 

24 OCTOBER

Big Shots Funeral (M): Selected, Syd, Melb. Columbia. Comedy.  China. Subtitled- Mandarin. 100 mins. Donald Sutherland, Paul Mazursky, Ge You, Rosamund Kwan, Ying Da.  D: Xiaogang Feng (The Dream Factory). The comedy details an American director, played by Donald Sutherland, who goes to China film an epic about the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty. Some situation arise where a funeral is planned for the big shot director.  Searching for greater meaning, for both his life and his film, he begins a dialogue on Buddhism and reincarnation with YoYo (Ge You), a down-on-his-luck Chinese cameraman hired to film a documentary of Tyler shooting his latest film.  

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (G): National. 166 screens. Roadshow. Comedy. 95 mins. Nia Vardalos, John Corbett (I), Michael Constantine, Lainie Kazan, Andrea Martin (I), Joey Fatone, Christina Eleusiniotis, Kaylee Vieira, John Kalangis, Marita Zouravlioff. D: Joel Zwick (Second Sight).  Toula Portokalos is 30, Greek, and works in her family's restaurant, Dancing Zorba's, in Chicago. All her father Gus wants is for her to get married to a nice Greek boy. But Toula is looking for more in life. Her mother convinces Gus to let her take some computer classes at college (making him think it's his idea). With those classes under her belt, she then takes over her aunt's travel agency (again making her father think it's his idea).

 

Red Dragon (MA): National. 290 screens. UIP. Thriller. 124 mins. Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Emily Watson, Harvey Keitel, Mary Louise Parker, Philip Seymour Hoffman. D: Brett Ratner (The Family Man). FBI Agent Will Graham has been called out of early retirement to catch a serial killer, known by authorities as "The Tooth Fairy". He asks for the help of his arch-nemesis, Dr. Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter, so that he can be able to catch "The Tooth Fairy" and bring him to justice. The only problem is that "The Tooth Fairy" is getting inside information about Graham and his family from none other than Dr. Lecter.

The Real Thing (M): Selected: Melbourne. Hi-Jinks Enterprises. Australia. 92 mins. Comedy.  Kate Fischer, Ross Buchanan, Nicholas Stribakos, John Arnold (IV), Marg Downey, Andrew S. Gilbert, Dylan Lewis, Anthony Morgan, David Ravenswood, Sari Sheehan, Michael Veitch.  D: Stephen Amis (The Alive Tribe). Pacino, Connery, De Nero, Schwarzenegger - together on film - for the first time... Well, almost... Ralph Eaton's got a few personal problems. He's desperately overweight with an uncontrollable stutter. Ralph's the kind of guy the nerds stole lunch money from. But Ralph's got a special talent - an ability to impersonate any hollywood celebrity - the perfect disguise to hide his stutter...

Taking Sides (M): Selected, Sydney. Beyond. 105 mins. Harvey Keitel, Stellan Skarsgård, Moritz Bleibtrau, Birgit Minichmayer, Oleg Tabokov, Ulrich Tukur. Wilhelm Furtwängler (Stellan Skarsgård), arguably the most distinguished conductor of his generation, is interrogated by Major Steve Arnold (Harvey Keitel) of the American Denazification Committee. Although he is acquitted of all charges, his name remains tainted by his association with the Nazis. After Hitler took over power in 1933, many Jewish artists were forced to leave Germany.

 

 

31 OCTOBER

Black And White (M): Selected, Melb. New Vision. Australia. 101 mins. D: Craig Lahiff.  Robert Carlyle, Charles Dance, Kerry Fox, Colin Friels, Ben Mendelsohn, Roy Billing, Heather Mitchell. Based on a real-life trial in Adelaide that went as far as the Privy council, the film tells a compelling story of how two young lawyers embark on a battle that has far-reaching consequences, both for themselves and Australian society of the 1950s.

 

Blurred (M): National. 146 screens. Becker. Comedy. Australia. Jamie Croft, Jessica Gower, Gyton Grantley, Craig Horner, Dirk Hoult, Matthew Newton, Mark Priestley, Steven Rooke, Nathalie Roy, Kristian Schmid, Veronica Sywak. D: Evan Clarry (debut).  Every year more than 70,000 Australian school leavers head for the beaches of Australia's Gold Coast to celebrate their release from the secondary school system with a wild mixture of sun, surf and sex. This quintessential Australian tradition is known affectionately as 'Schoolies Week'. "Blurred" is not about being there - it follows the adventures of a bunch of kids trying to get there.   Shot on the Gold Coast February/ March 2002, and exploring the oz ritual Schoolies week.  

Food Of Love (MA): Selected. Northbeach Films. Spain. 112 mins. D: Ventura Pons (Actresses). Paul (Kevin Bishop) "lives" his sexual orientation. He just lets it go, with no feeling of blame. Nevertheless, it's the relationship between mother & son that makes the film worthy. The mother (outstanding Juliet Stevenson) gives the down-to-earth counterpart to his son's love story, although she spends most of the time living in the Disney-like life that she herself has created to respond to her failed marriage.

Missing Gun (M): Selected, Syd/ Melb. Columbia. Thriller.  Subtitled. Jiang Wen, Ning Jing, Wu Yujuan. D: Lu Chaun. Small-town policeman, Ma Shan (Jiang Wen) wakes one morning to find his gun missing. In China, where guns are extremely rare, this is serious business: an official who loses his gun can be sent to prison for up to three years. Ma Shan's first thought is that he must have lost the gun at a cousin's wedding he attended the previous evening and he immediately begins to track down people who were around him that night.

Murder By Numbers (MA): National. 129 screens. Roadshow. Thriller. Sandra Bullock, Ryan Gosling, Michael Pitt, Chris Penn, Agnes Bruckner, RD Call, Ben Chaplin, Tom Verica.  D: Barbet Schroeder (Before and After). Two gifted high school students execute a series of "perfect" murders then become engaged in an intellectual contest with an FBI profiler working her first field case.  Dark secrets from the teen's past are her only hope to solving the case.  

Pollock (MA): Selected, Melbourne. 34 screens. Columbia. Drama. 132 mins.  Ed Harris, Marcia Gay Harden, Amy Madigan, Jennifer Connelly, Jeffrey Tambor, Bud Cort, John Heard and Val Kilmer. D: Ed Harris (debut). This is a sensitively made film that gives honest insight into the mind of one of this century's most celebrated painters, even if it falls into some movie-bio traps. The film follows Jackson Pollock for (Harris) 15 years, from obscure cubist to revolutionary artist. 

The Rookie (G): Selected, Brisbane. 34 screens. March 27 2003- Syd, Melb, Adel, Perth. Buena Vista. 120 mins. Drama. Dennis Quaid, Rachael Griffiths, Jay Hernandez, Brian Cox, Beth Grant, Agus T Jones. D: John Lee Hancock (Hard Time Romance), aka Alan Smithee, aka Anonymous. When a shoulder injury ended his minor league pitching career twelve years ago, Jim Morris resorted to the next best thing: coaching. But Jim's team, knowing their coach is a great ball player, makes a deal with him: if they win the district championship, they want Jim to try out for a major-league organization. Going from worst to first, the team makes it to state, and Jim is forced to live up to his end of the deal.

Swimming Upstream (M): Selected, Syd/ Melb/ Perth.  February 27: opens wider. Hoyts. Drama. Australia. 

 

 

The Transporter (M): National. 131 screens. Fox. France. Action. Jason Statham, Matt Schulze, Shu Qi, Francis Berleand. D: Louis Leterrier (debut), Corey Yuen (Hero).  This film is about a man (Statham) whose job is to deliver packages without asking any questions. Complications arise when he breaks those rules. Former US Special Forces soldier turned expatriate mercenary is hired to kidnap the feisty daughter of a lethal Chinese cook who's smuggling his fellow countrymen into France.