I raved about this one here and it was truly exceptional. As close to a religious experience as I’ve ever had. Well, inside four walls anyway, without chemical assistance, but let’s not dwell on that point too much. 29-years-young Aretha Franklin is the star of this Sydney Pollack-directed documentary covering her two-day/night performance stint at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles in January of 1972. A performance that doubled as the recording session(s) for the best-selling gospel album of all-time. Not a biopic, but a grainy flaws-n-all film that captures a mere snapshot of a moment in time. But what a moment it is. Not only the best music-related film I viewed all year, one of the best I’ve seen over the past decade.
This was a pleasant surprise. I went to it without much knowledge of what I was about to see. A young solo Mum with a troubled past (Jessie Buckley as Rose-Lynn Harlan), dreams of becoming a country music star in Nashville. The only problem is she’s in Glasgow, fresh out of prison, and struggling to put her life back on track. Julie Walters plays Marion, a firm but generally supportive mother to Rose-Lynn, and the film is as much about family dynamics and responsibilities as it is about trying to make it in show business. But no spoilers here, suffice to say Buckley is outstanding in this Tom Harper-directed festival hit.
I had built this one up in my mind as a “must see” long before it was released. And that’s never a good thing to do. Tarantino, DiCaprio, Pitt, plus any number of sneaky cameos … what could possibly go wrong? Quite a bit, as it turns out. First things first, the positives: the setting is late 60s Hollywood (clue in the title, huh) and Tarantino’s attention to period/location detail is sublime. Each of the leading men are outstanding. DiCaprio as a fading star, Pitt as his stunt guy and close buddy. Pacino’s cameo is also great. Now, the negatives: it was too long, meandering, and for all of the style, I felt it generally lacked real substance. I think if you’re going to pull actual events from history (Manson family killings) and incorporate them into your work of fiction, you may as well try to portray those events as accurately as possible. Quentin Tarantino didn’t do that. It was a bastardised account of what actually happened. I also felt the occasional narration was odd and seemingly a bit random. But I did enjoy it immensely for the style and the soundtrack, naturally, as it wouldn’t otherwise be on this list.
Taika Waititi is a special talent. Not only as a director but as an actor. Both extraordinary talents are showcased in Jojo Rabbit, Waititi’s quirky screen adaption of the previously little known Christine Leunens novel, Caging Skies (2008). It’s the story of Jojo, wonderfully played by Roman Griffin Davis, a young boy growing up in World War 2-era Nazi Germany. Jojo, notionally a Hitler Youth recruit, has an imaginary friend – a mostly amusing version of Adolf Hitler (played by Waititi) – and a mother (Scarlett Johansson) who is secretly hiding a young Jewish girl in the family’s attic. That’s the basic premise, and the launch pad for any number of dark and satirical sub-plots to be enjoyed on a reality-suspending superficial level. Just don’t scratch too far below that surface … while I did enjoy it for its comedy and escapism, I can also understand criticism the film received due to a perceived lack of empathy for the genuine horror of events like the holocaust.
Horse racing seems to be attracting a lot of negative feedback lately, but I’m just going to come out here and say it – I’m a big fan of the sport of kings. If you know me well, you’ll know I love nothing more than heading out to small country racecourses – the smaller and more isolated the better – on balmy summer days to take in a little bit of horse on horse action (ooooer!). Yes, yes, I hear the “woke” arguments around problems within the thoroughbred industry, and I could present you with a few counter arguments, but this is neither the time nor place. I went to Ride Like A Girl because I love horses, I love underdog stories, and I love a bit of regional history. Ride Like A Girl is the story of Michelle Payne (played by Teresa Palmer), who became the first woman jockey to ride a Melbourne Cup winner – aboard 100-1 New Zealand-bred outsider Prince of Penzance – in 2015. As such it is a true story about female empowerment, about overcoming prejudice, about role-modelling, and about breaking down long-entrenched barriers. Sam Neill excels as Paddy Payne, Michelle’s Dad. Directed by Rachel Griffiths, it was my “feelgood” movie of the year, and I may or may not have had a seriously annoying lump in my throat at its conclusion.
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