Films discussed this month were:
The Rooster: When the body of his oldest friend is found buried in a shallow grave, Dan, a small-town cop, seeks answers from a volatile Hermit who may have been the last person to see his friend alive. The cinematography and setting in the forest were stunning. The soundtrack was eery in parts, with times of silence or just the sound of the birds adding to this eeriness. This correctly fitted the story. Performances by the two main actors, Phoenix Raei (as Dan) and Hugo Weaving (as the Hermit) were excellent. The film was rated as 4/5.
Force of Nature: Five women participate in a hiking retreat but only four come out the other side. Federal agents Aaron Falk and Carmen Cooper head into the mountains hoping to find their informant still alive. This was covered in March, but one of the class members had since seen the film. She did not agree with the earlier assessment of Eric Bana’s performance as being wooden. She saw it more as displaying his meditative state. She agreed strongly with earlier positive comments around the cinematography and setting.
The Great Escaper: Bernard Jordan escapes from his care home to attend the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings in France. The key actors in the film were Michael Caine as Bernard and Glenda Jackson as his wife. Their performances were excellent, with little snippets of humour which helped take away the disturbing aspects of the story. One of the aspects of the film was the impact of war on the young men involved. Underpinning the story was the development of relationships of the various characters. We rated the film as 4/5.
Just a Farmer: A newly widowed mother is left with the care of an alcoholic father-in-law and a failing farm. She is forced to forge a new path for her family, all while struggling to pick up the pieces of her life. This is an important film, covering the issue of mental health in rural communities. Cinematography was excellent, set around the Macedon Ranges. The performances were good, bringing out the pressures on farming communities. A powerful film, this was rated as 4/5.
Wicked Little Letters: As only one member of the class had seen the film and others hoped to see it in the coming week, we held over the discussion until our next class in May.
Other films and television series mentioned were:
Vanishing Triangle (SBS OnDemand) which did not have a satisfying end, but otherwise was good.
Boiling Point (Possibly SBS On Demand) was also recommended as a good film.
Joy Shirley
The Rooster: When the body of his oldest friend is found buried in a shallow grave, Dan, a small-town cop, seeks answers from a volatile Hermit who may have been the last person to see his friend alive. The cinematography and setting in the forest were stunning. The soundtrack was eery in parts, with times of silence or just the sound of the birds adding to this eeriness. This correctly fitted the story. Performances by the two main actors, Phoenix Raei (as Dan) and Hugo Weaving (as the Hermit) were excellent. The film was rated as 4/5.
Force of Nature: Five women participate in a hiking retreat but only four come out the other side. Federal agents Aaron Falk and Carmen Cooper head into the mountains hoping to find their informant still alive. This was covered in March, but one of the class members had since seen the film. She did not agree with the earlier assessment of Eric Bana’s performance as being wooden. She saw it more as displaying his meditative state. She agreed strongly with earlier positive comments around the cinematography and setting.
The Great Escaper: Bernard Jordan escapes from his care home to attend the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings in France. The key actors in the film were Michael Caine as Bernard and Glenda Jackson as his wife. Their performances were excellent, with little snippets of humour which helped take away the disturbing aspects of the story. One of the aspects of the film was the impact of war on the young men involved. Underpinning the story was the development of relationships of the various characters. We rated the film as 4/5.
Just a Farmer: A newly widowed mother is left with the care of an alcoholic father-in-law and a failing farm. She is forced to forge a new path for her family, all while struggling to pick up the pieces of her life. This is an important film, covering the issue of mental health in rural communities. Cinematography was excellent, set around the Macedon Ranges. The performances were good, bringing out the pressures on farming communities. A powerful film, this was rated as 4/5.
Wicked Little Letters: As only one member of the class had seen the film and others hoped to see it in the coming week, we held over the discussion until our next class in May.
Other films and television series mentioned were:
Vanishing Triangle (SBS OnDemand) which did not have a satisfying end, but otherwise was good.
Boiling Point (Possibly SBS On Demand) was also recommended as a good film.
Joy Shirley
