bowie – NZ Film Freak

Cemetery Junction

Directors: Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant
Writers: Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant
Released: April 2010
Starring: Emily Watson, Ricky Gervais, Ralph Fienes, Christian Cooke, Tom Hughes
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Based in the early seventies, this film follows the lives of three boys in their early twenties whose lives consist of “boozing”, partying and “getting birds”. However, after one of the boys, Freddie (Christian Cooke), meets an old friend, Julie (Felicity Jones) who is bursting to leave town and travel the world, he decides that he wants more in life too.

They both realise that they are both being held back by conservative parents and living in the regimented town of Cemetery Junction. The film follows these two characters as well as their friends and families, as they come to terms with climbing out of the armpit of a town, despite Julie being engaged and their ideas beyond the town are frowned upon.

This movie is fantastically well made! Bright colours from the swinging sixties that reminds me of The Boat That Rocked and Made In Dagenham. Fantastic songs from the sixties and seventies too, including Bowie, Slade and Elton John. I bet the soundtrack would be worth getting.

The characters are (according to my parents) quite accurate of the time. The older generation racist and with plans of keeping in the same job and staying in the same town, but with a growing proportion of the younger generation wanting more than being in a 9 to 5 job, marrying and having children, but wanting to explore and move away.

It is a refreshing plot line that is beyond an aesthetically perfect rom-com, but an inspiring story of escape in search of adventure. The feeling of being trapped experienced by some of the characters who are trying to break free are well communicated in the film. It’s a very human story of breaking the mould and being independent.

Cemetery Junction is convincing and very well made, apart from the frequently questionable language. It is extremely funny, exciting and makes you long for that era with the fashion and majestic clubs with live music booming. The characters are relatable and realistic who encourage the feeling of moving away from all that is familiar just for the sake of the journey.

A fun easy-to-watch, yet deep movie of lovable characters living in an increasingly exciting time.

Jodie’s rating: 8.5/10

The Prestige

Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan
Released: October 2006
Featuring: Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson and David Bowie
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David Bowie is in it… I don’t think anything more really needs to be said…

Act one: “The Pledge”

Are you watching closely?
The Prestige is an incredible movie with real mystery and thrilling themes, like nothing you have ever seen before. Its dark and haunting aesthetic with the ruthless, deceitful, cut-throat and competitive characters makes an extremely intense film.

It is the story of strong-willed magicians who guard their incredible tricks of illusions with their lives resulting in sacrifices way beyond their expectations as their hunger for dominance of rival magicians runs riot.

Of course, I can’t forget to mention the era that this movie is set in, the late 1800s. I wouldn’t mind living in those times… Only if I was very wealthy of course. Beautiful dresses, old school showmanship, horse and carts and the thrill of newly discovered electricity.

With the complexity of Nolan’s Inception, the grungy look of The Dark Knight, but with a hint of total tragedy, this is just another of Christopher’s incredible creations.

Act Two: “The Turn”

I’m sure it will be compared to The Illusionist… But that doesn’t come anywhere near to what The Prestige delivers, nor does it deliver as much mystery, heart-break or violence. The Prestige is truly a one of a kind movie that makes you feel scared, desperate, amazed and sit mesmerised at the end trying to figure out the wild twists and turns in the story.

The trailer for The Illusionist, a second class film in comparison, but a pretty decent film nonetheless.

This film makes you gasp, cry, feel a sense of desperation and total awe as Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale’s characters go to extreme lengths, bending moral judgment to the expense of their loved ones, as they attempt to steal each other’s secrets of their most breath-taking, and threatening, tricks.

With such unexpected twists and turns, it is impossible to guess the ending. Unfortunately, knowing the ending can spoil the magic of the film for future viewing, sort of like in the second or third viewing of The Others.

Act Three: “The Prestige”

There really is no thrill in knowing the secret behind the magic. “The secret impresses no one”.

So incredible.

Jodie’s rating: 9/10