By Jamie Wynen

The most coherent thought that comes to mind about this film is ‘too wierd to live, too rare to die.’ Based on a comic book series, the apathetic garage rocker Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) falls helplessly in love with Ramona Flowers, but discovers that he has to defeat her seven evil exes to win her over.

It blends underground cool with nostalgic retro – making unobtrusive use of Zelda’s sound-bites in an almost Pavlovian effect during the opening scene and character-statistic intros. Comic book graphic style also permeates the film, with ringing telephones and guitar chords appearing in intense visual form.

It’s an unusually physical role for Cera, who becomes improbably dynamic as an ass-kicking action hero. Indeed, one of the most gratifying moments of the film is seeing Cera unexpectedly perform a spectacular Shouryuken straight out of Street Fighter. Yet the film pokes fun at itself and its characters with an incisive, offbeat wittiness.

From the grunge-rock intro credits to the classic boss-battles, this story cheerfully exploits every Gen-Y meme while smashing the associated clichés into showers of coins. Entertaining, surprising and utterly unique, Scott Pilgrim’s logline ‘an epic of epic epicness’ is well earned.

4 STARS

By Howard Shih

Splice is the latest freak-of-nature sci-fi horror from director and co-writer Vincenzo Natali (the brains behind the innovative Cube) and executive producer Guillermo del Toro (who brought us the fabulous Pan’s Labyrinth and Hellboy). The track record of such films has not always been great, but if anyone could pull it off, it’s these two guys.

The verdict? I think they came remarkably close.

Hip scientist couple Clive and Elsa (played by a pre-buffed, pre-Predators Adrien Brody and a matured Sarah Polley) have become rock stars in the scientific community for their revolutionary breakthroughs in splicing animal DNA to create mutant hybrids for the treatment of human diseases. Naturally, the next step is to splice animal with human DNA, but when their financiers refuse, Clive and Elsa take their experiments underground.

As usual, the less we know about the intricacies of the plot the better, but it’s not difficult to imagine the trajectory of this film. That said, Splice is still a genuinely creepy, unsettling and confronting (not to mention at times utterly bizarre) film fuelled by strong performances from the two leads, as well as newcomer Delphine Chaneac as ‘Dren’, their unnatural creation.

Of course, it’s far from perfect. There are a couple of over-the-top moments likely to generate more laughter than gasps. It was also difficult to sympathise with the unlikable and supposedly intelligent protagonists who keep acting recklessly. But these are relatively minor complaints because it’s not like Splice was pretending to be anything more than a straight up horror/psychological thriller. Thankfully, the moral aspect of genetic engineering is no more than a subtext in the movie or else it would have totally ruined it.

Splice is certainly no masterpiece, but for this type of film, we shouldn’t ask for too much more.

3.5 stars

Words: Dave Drayton

photo by Bob Seary

Back for its second run Alice Livingstone’s, A Couple of Poor, Polish-Speaking Romanians is chaotic, funny, and horrifically depressing.

The comedy in A Couple of Poor, Polish-Speaking Romanians is black, no milk, but with one sugar. The laughs are easily coaxed from a boisterous audience who appreciate the rapid-fire one liners and punch lines of Maslowska’s script.

Gemma-Lark Johnson has captured the desperation, hysteria, and loneliness that are so central to the script in her set design, a bleak road-side shoulder, littered with old tyres that stinks a little bit of Wolf Creek, and adds a sinister undertone to the performance.

The seating at the Newtown Theatre gives the feeling of a live-studio audience in a sit-com, and as the actors take turns off-loading joke after joke I feel as though I wouldn’t be surprised to see a luminous Applause sign light up above the heads of the audience.

Half an hour in, and unable to shake the feeling that I was part of a live studio audience, it became a question of longevity: where would the performance go from here?

Sadly there was little progression on the strong opening. The jokes were re-hashed, character’s accents began to falter, and then came and went without any significant justification, and by the time we reached the climax of the performance it’s emotionally draining substance felt out of place and unjustified given the comic journey we had so far witnessed.

Just as the jokes begin to feel over-used, so to do the extras. By the end of the performance Kim Knuckey, Neil Phipps, Sandy Velini, and Cheryl Ward have each played at least three roles. While the execution of these costume changes and their commitment to character was flawless (special mention to Kim Knuckey’s passive-aggressive “Driver” character), it seems unnecessary and distracting to have so many characters in a play that is essentially about the loneliness being experienced by the two central characters, Parcha and Dzina.

2.5 stars

Words: Mia Burns

photo by Brett Boardman

When two women are placed in opposition and forced to battle out their beliefs, anything can happen. Like a Fishbone takes the audience to the limits of their emotional and ethical boundaries, making the overall experience as a viewer a demanding one. Playwright Anthony Weigh has removed any male presence from the scene, leaving the stereotypically raw and moving emotion of the females to propel the play forward and through the absence of men, question the role of patriarchy in our assumptions of positions, roles and power.

The architect and the mother are brought together by the tragedy of a school massacre, and while the audience can empathise with both characters on some level, neither is particularly likeable; however the actors provide a convincing performance, and it is easy to enter the realm of the office along with its pain and suffering.

For an 80-minute play to tackle the themes of religion, life, death, past and future is somewhat over-ambitious and as a result the play occasionally loses its cohesion. Death sits bluntly at its centre and the omnipresence of the slaughtered daughter shadows every question, thought and word.

Without social boundaries, the two characters become lost in their emotions, questioning where the confines of humanity lie. Both are limited in their perspectives, and while the mother’s physical blindness is representative of this, the architect’s metaphysical blindness is apparent in her lack of comprehension and compassion.

Just like a fishbone the memorial of the massacre is stuck in the throats of these women’s lives, brooding on the present, over an idea in the future, to remember the past. This is a confronting, challenging play that asks plenty of questions, but in no way seeks to answer them.

3 stars

Until August 1

By Chantell Basiacik

When you enter Belvoir St’s downstairs theatre, you can immediately predict that you will witness something intimate, hard-hitting and confrontational. That’s exactly what Dirty Butterfly is. Highly minimalist, Dirty Butterfly explores the ways in which we try to escape our realities; sex, music and ultimately, voyeurism.

Jo (Zoe Houghton) is a victim of an abusive relationship and her neighbours Jason (Dorian Nkono) and Amelia (Sara Zwangobani) listen through the wall between their flats. On one particular morning, enough is enough. The words they share are like crossfire, yet the conversation between the three characters stays bare and very real the entire time.

One real attribute of this performance was the ability of the actors to raise the tension. Through this dynamic cast, Director Wayne Blair, has almost effortlessly woven a scaringly genuine depiction of neighbour interaction.

However, one thing which was unsettling and rather unnecessary to the development of the story was the second scene. It was overwhelmingly disturbing, which was probably its intent, yet however intentional it may have been, it left nothing to be imagined from the interactions explained earlier on. Unfortunately, this led to it failing to leave me ultimately emotionally drained.

I do commend Blair on his bleak view of the loneliness of people today, which so wisely comes through in his direction. This is a distressing play that is poetically written and ultimately about voyeurism, power and guilt. It demonstrates that Blair has a talent for the raw portrayal of lost souls in contemporary society. “We hate the things that keep us alive.”

3/5

Sara Zwangobani and Dorian Nkono - photo by Danielle Lyon

Photo: Bob Seary

New Theatre, Newtown
Until July 10

by Lucie Robson

Bold and mean poetry professor Vivian Bearing (Karen Bayly) finds herself in the unenviable position of being diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer, and suddenly feels the full weight of regret for her former indifference to human kindness. “You must be tough,” her doctors (Matt Butcher and Matt Charleston) tell her before she starts her rigorous course of experimental treatment, a challenge she takes on willingly. As the cancer and the drugs wage a war in her body, Vivian reflects on a luminous, but lonely career.

It sounds straightforward, but there is a lot going on in W;t: it takes almost the whole viewing time to understand the play’s title. Bayly’s character is a leading authority on the Holy Sonnets by 17th century English poet John Donne, and also, it seems, deeply in awe of the cherished human quality of wit. She attempts to face her illness with the same stern and methodical approach that she has used for her study of poetry, but mind does not win over body.

Margaret Edson won the Pulitzer Prize for this script, which is also known as Wit and which premiered in California in 1995. At the New Theatre it is directed by Jane Eakin. The seamless use of anecdotes and asides has a lot to do with the clever stage direction, for example using hospital curtains as partitions to make more space on the stage. Although it is lifted by Vivian’s dry humour, W;t does take the audience to some dark places and can be tough-going at times. There aren’t really any flaws in the performances or production here. But Vivian’s sharp and cranky tongue means that it takes a long time to empathise with her, and by then the play seems a bit too long. Nevertheless, it’s an affecting tale with a hint of a warning in it as well.

3 STARS

Newtown Theatre
Until July 10

by Lucie Robson

I left Push Up feeling just a little bit sad. Impressed at the production but sad for the characters. Within the walls of their office building, fighting to get to the top of their game, they really have nothing to go home to and smile about. Written by prolific contemporary German playwright Roland Schimmelpfennig (and translated by Maja Zade), the script explores the brutal competition between the employees of a faceless, expanding corporation. Directed by Nicole Selby, this is its Australian premiere.

The play is made up of sharp, funny dialogues, intercepted with asides, between would-be friends who can’t really connect with each other as coworkers because they are engaged in a corporate duel. The idea doesn’t sound very exciting but the play is actually very engaging because of its humanity. The two advertising gurus whose interaction can’t go back to normal after they had sex at the office party (Chad Richards and Anna James), the lonely single executive who is in love with an internet model (Frank) and the senior executive Angelica (Ruth Caro) who is jealous of a much younger woman, are all recognisable people.

Push Up is clever, enthusiastic and entertaining, with just a slight aftertaste of an elegant tragedy, and perfect in the cosy surrounds of Newtown Theatre.

4 STARS

by Lucie Robson

Wrong Prom is a hybrid of a costume disco and a dance lesson en masse, housed in CarriageWorks and inspired by the choreography of cult classic musicals and films. Jamie is the Executive Producer who came to CarriageWorks in 2009, after working in a range of different roles across the arts industry here and in the UK.

Can you remember what first inspired the idea of Wrong Prom?
We wanted to host something that brought the community together for a celebration of dance and a mass class seemed the logical starting point. We sat around and threw out some ideas and discovered the entire creative and marketing team all harbored a secret love affair of Kevin Bacon and 80’s dance films. The idea snowballed from there.

What’s the craziest or most memorable thing you’ve seen at the event?
The most memorable thing was definitely opening the doors for the very first Wrong Prom (Footloose, May 2009) and seeing a huge line up of people in leg warmers, shoulder pads and badly teased hair. This is when we realized we weren’t alone in our obsessions. The craziest thing was watching people trying to dance on roller skates for Xanadu.

Were there any similar events that inspired you?
One of the things that makes Wrong Prom work is that there is not really anything like it. Probably the thing that inspired me the most was Jon Heder’s ripping daggy dance scene in Napoleon Dynamite.

Do you spend considerable time working on your own costumes?
I spend considerable time working out what my costume COULD look like….it never really turns out that way though…..

What do you hope people take away from the event?
I just want people to let loose for a night, to not worry about what they look like, or who’s watching. To embrace the fact that all 700 people are there to have fun, dance, try something a little different and learn some funky dance moves.

What’s next for Wrong Prom after this run of events? Going on the road, perhaps?
We’d love to take it on the road. A third season is one of the things we are discussing at the moment in our 2011 planning.….maybe we could do a Christmas Special.

Anything else?
Every season of Wrong Prom has sold out. That’s not marketing spin, its true. Please buy your tickets early. It’s heaps of fun and is genuinely for everyone looking to have a laugh and learn something new. I can’t dance, I have no fashion sense, but I’m front row every time falling over laughing with a whole bunch of random people dancing in perfect unison. Try something new.

The next Wrong Prom is on June 23. The theme? Blues Brothers. Check out www.carriageworks.com.au

By James Manning

Sydney Film Festival

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work offers a fascinating and hilarious, if slightly shallow, insight into a legendary comedienne. The documentary follows a year in the life of one of the most controversial figures in the entertainment industry. Stand-up comic, actress, workaholic, plastic surgery pin-up and celebrity apprentice, Rivers has worked in the industry for over 40 years.

The film features a lot of archival footage from the past four decades, including jokes from Rivers’ various stand up shows. She recalls when her daughter turned down US$200,000 to do a topless spread in Playboy: “I’m so proud of you Melissa…you stupid c***! If they’d given you another $200,000 you should have shown your pussy!” Everyone in the audience was in hysterics at this point, and I was no exception.

However, the most interesting parts of the film are those that attempt to delve beyond Rivers’ public facade. She is a lot more vulnerable than you may first think. Shy and insecure when it comes to her craft, directors Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg show us behind the mask she wears (pardon the pun), that of a fearless, strong-headed woman.

Though I can’t help but feel like they are really only scratching the surface here. At first it feels like Rivers is opening up, but it quickly becomes evident that there is a lot more going on here than she lets us in on. This is probably caused in part by her insecurities, and also because to her, life is a performance. One question this film leaves you with is whether or not the ‘real’ Joan Rivers actually exists, or is it all just a play?

Despite my initial misgivings that we could go a lot deeper into Rivers’ inner-workings, the film was thoroughly enjoyable. Whether you’re a fan or not, you’ll be sure to get a good laugh out of this.

4 STARS

By Nicola Josey

Directed by Max Giwa and Dania Pasquini
Paramount Pictures

Let’s face it, the title says it all. StreetDance 3D is about dance and 3D and not a whole lot else. Sure, there is nothing Oscar-worthy in StreetDance 3D but boy, is it a lot of fun. Its time to jump on the board with the kids, lace up your Nike high-top sneakers and whack on those 3D glasses because this a fad film unlike those before it.

StreetDance 3D is the story of Carly (Nichola Burly), a young Londoner and captain of a talented dance crew who, in a desperate plea to find rehearsal space makes a deal with a prominent ballet school. In exchange for the use of their studio, she must incorporate some of the ballet dancers into her street crew.

This is a film about young performers at their best. All the actors are young and beautiful and lead slightly surreal lives where having no money still results in a trendy loft apartment in central London. The routines are exciting, full of energy and well shot for the screen. Surprisingly, it doesn’t wear you down too much either. The dancing continues to be interesting right until the end.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of originality in StreetDance 3D. The story and the acting performances are decidedly average and the film ends with no resolution, but it is hard to imagine that those are the reasons one would go to see this film. Even those drawbacks don’t detract too much from the main aim of the film, which is to show off the dancers and their mad skills. In fact, most of the crew dancers in StreetDance 3D are former Britain’s Got Talent contestants.

All in all, it’s a bit of fun and if you haven’t jumped on the 3D bandwagon yet, StreetDance 3D is the perfect chance to do so. It has been filmed to be especially impressive in 3D and even the sound effects add to it. So, turn your critical brain off and enjoy.