I thought I’d skip town to see what the Commonwealth’s former territories have to say about movies that are opening this week:
1. CANADA
Canada.com
Movie: Neighbors
Review by By Jay Stone, Postmedia News,
Full Disclosure: I have no idea what Canada.com nor Postmedia are.
Spoilers: chock full of them. I read the first half-sentence of each paragraph and barely made off without heavy spoilage. Luckily the opinion is in the first paragraph.
Synopsis: Neighbors [is] an updated version of Aminal House. Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne star as young parents at odds with Zac Efron. (Efron is president of the über-rowdy fraternity next door].
The Takeaway: The humour comes and goes, but what you can’t deny is the energy with which everyone involved has abandoned all notions of taste.
Extras: It’s got Judd Apatow all over it: writers are from 40 Year Old Virgin (Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O’Brien), director from Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Nicholas Stoller).
2. NEW ZEALAND
Moustache Magazine (I kid you not.)
Movie: Fading Gigolo
“Words by Ryan Grice” (I’m assuming he’s the film critic.), May 7, 2014
Spoilers: Very few. (Go Kiwis!)
Synopsis: It asks that age-old question: What happens when an old Jewish man becomes a pimp?
The Takeaway: Two leading men (Tutorro and Woody) are “superb… with a chemistry and banter set to rival that of any comedic pair in cinema history.” Grice can’t say the same for the ladies, Sofia Vergara and Sharon Stone. The movie could be more in-depth and the humour could be more “drawn out,” but all in all, “it’s still an excellent outing.”
Extras: It seems unfortunate when films of this calibre don’t receive wide acknowledgement, but the dedicated will undoubtedly seek it out and their efforts will be rewarded. Nice Kiwi wording by Mr. Grice. (and the spelling is divine!)
3. AUSTRALIA
theguardian.com
Review by Mike McCahill, May 8, 2014
Spoilers: This nice short review has harmless spoilers. There’s a loose synopsis that is rather obvious, esp since it is true! It’s a documentary, but this review does not do the American thang–giving so much detail that there is nothing left to learn.
Synopsis: This is an underdog story. In 2001, American Samoa suffered International football’s worst defeat, losing 31-0 to Australia. (Football is soccer in the US). They were the worst of the worst and continue to experience bad fortune (the Tsunani). But the team moves on.
The Takeway: Great story, great footage, great film.
Extras: Seattle Sounders player Thomas Rongen is in the doc because he played on American Samoas’ football team in 2011. (Shout out to my fave children’s book author.)
WARNING: NO SPOILERS! Reviews of movie reviews 