The Film Pie

Argylle (out Feb 1) is an action comedy about a timid spy novelist (Bryce Dallas Howard) who finds herself caught up in real life espionage. It’s an ambitious idea… which struggles with ex*****on. For a movie with such a spoofy, over-the-top plot, you’d think more laughs would be on offer. Takes it self too seriously in places. Grade: C.

May December (out Feb 1) is a sensational film about a Hollywood starlet (Natalie Portman) who befriends a convicted pa******le schoolteacher (Julianne Moore) to work out how best to play her in a new movie. On one hand, it’s a thought-provoking drama about an unthinkable family unit. On the other, it’s an uncomfortable thriller about the way such stories are exploited for financial gain. Thought provoking! Grade: A.

Riceboy Sleeps (out Feb 1) is a wonderful film set in the 1990s about a single mother and her young son trying to assimilate after migrating from South Korea to Canada. The film asks audiences to reflect on multiculturalism within our societies, while also telling a moving family tale. Grade: A-.

Anatomy of a Fall (out Jan 25) is an unforgettable French drama that won the Palme d'Or at Cannes last year. A woman is on trial for her husband's murder and it's as if we, as the audiences, are members of the jury trying to decide if she committed the crime. Your views will swing back and forth throughout. A riveting character study that shows how a facial expression or turn of phrase can be used to judge someone, rightly or wrongly. Grade: A+.

The Colour Purple (out Jan 25) is a musical based on the 1982 book and 1985 movie. There are too many poorly developed subplots but the film still carries a strong emotional heartbeat because of Fantasia Barrino’s lead performance. Through her demeanor and facial expressions, we feel the suffering when she is abused, and feel the joy when given the chance to make a decision independent of the domineering men around her. Grade: B.

The Iron Claw (out Jan 18) is based on the true-life story of the Von Erich family - a father and five sons who emanated from Texas and found international stardom as professional wrestlers. The story is worthy, but I wasn't a fan of writer-director Sean Durkin's approach. The dad is one dimensional and the more interesting characters (like the mum) are pushed too far into the background. Grade: B-.

All of Us Strangers (out Jan 18) is a curious drama about a middle-aged writer who, after losing his parents in a car crash when just a teenager, fantasises about meeting them today and bringing them up to speed on his life. It’s an interesting approach from director Andrew Haigh (what’s real, what’s not?) and it gets you thinking. Grade: B+.

Priscilla (out Jan 18) isn’t telling us much. Elvis was a controlling, domineering husband who took plenty of pills and didn’t want his wife on tour. Priscilla was a bored, lonely housewife who read about her husband’s exploits in the tabloids but never really stood up to him. Stars Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi are fine but the material lacks punch. Grace: C+.

The Jungle Bunch 2: World Tour (out Jan 18) is an animated feature about a group of cheeky animals who must team up to save their forest from obliteration. Simple story but liked the banter (plenty of insults/niggling) between the characters. Grade: B.

The Beekeeper (out Jan 11) is a trashy but entertaining action film about a ruthless good guy taking down a bunch of money-stealing bad guys. The plot and performances are above-average for the genre but the fight sequences aren't anything new. Grade: B.

As I've done since 2011, I polled a bunch of Brisbane film critics and put together a collective top 10 list for the year. No surprise to see Oppenheimer come out on top! Here's the full list...

The Film Pie - Brisbane Film Critics Select 'Oppenheimer' As Best Of 2023 The Film Pie

Mean Girls (out Jan 11) is a 2024 movie based off the 2017 musical based off the 2004 movie based off the 2002 book. Australian Angourie Rice gets the lead role and there are roughly a dozen songs during the two-hour runtime. Watchable but not as good as the earlier movie. Direction is uninspiring. Grade: B-.

The Holdovers (out Jan 11) is an exquisitely told tale. Marking the first period piece film of director Alexander Payne, it's a 1970s college tale about three "broken" people forced to spend the Christmas holidays together. Humour is generated from the stinging barbs, well-written one-liners, and expressive faces. These moments are countered by well-timed dramatic shifts. Grade: A.

The Canterville Ghost (out Jan 11) is an animated feature loosely based on the Oscar Wilde short story. A family move into a new home and deal with a pesky ghost. Not ground breaking but liked the dashes of adult humour and darker themes. Grade: B-.

Night Swim (out Jan 4) is Cocoon meets The Natural meets Poltergeist. It's the story of a family, with a pro baseball player as the patriarch, who discover the backyard swimming pool of their new home is haunted. Enjoyed the set up (opening hour is solid) but the finale doesn't have enough scares or punch. Grade: B-.

The Boys in the Boat (out Jan 4) is a 1930s tale of a college rowing team who go from zero to hero. The handling of the material is as formulaic as it gets, but this film still works because of the energy and emotion generated by the three big rowing races. Such a great story! Joel Edgerton and Luke Slattery the pick of the cast. Grade: B+.

Ferrari (out Jan 4) is set in 1957 and looks at how Ferrari, struggling at the time, targeted victory in the prestigious Mille Miglia 24-hour race to help boost sales. Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver) isn't the most exciting character and so it falls upon his semi-deranged wife (Penélope Cruz) to generate interest through her power games. Grade: B-.

Next Goal Wins (out Jan 1) is a fictionalised film based off a 2014 documentary about the quest of the American Samoa football team to win their first FIFA World Cup qualifying game. Director Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit) is normally on point when balancing comedy and drama but he’s missed the mark here by skewing too much towards goof. Star Michael Fassbender overplays every emotional beat as the team's coach. Grade: C+.

Dream Scenario (out Jan 1) starts promisingly but quickly loses momentum. It's the story of a boring, ordinary guy (Nicolas Cage) who randomly appears in the dreams of thousands across the country. This could have been a wonderfully messed-up dark comedy but, as shown in the limp, illogical finale, it's ultimately a journey to nowhere. Grade: C+.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (out Dec 26) culminates a lackluster year of superhero movies. The film has little to offer in terms of story, dialogue, and originality. It's remarkable how inferior the visuals are in comparison to last year's Avatar flick. Grade: C.

Coup de chance (out Dec 26) is the 50th film to be directed by 88-year-old Woody Allen and is a romantic drama above love, honesty, fidelity, and fate. Some nice moments but the punchline is rushed and corny (plus, we've seen it from Allen before). Grade: B.

Anyone But You (out Dec 26) is a romantic comedy set in Sydney starring Sydney... Sweeney and Glen Powell. They're enemies who pretend to be a couple to appease the exorbitantly wealthy families attending an Aussie wedding. The banter/chemistry between the two leads is great. A shame the supporting cast are given zero to work with (the dialogue is as cringe as it gets). Grade: B-.

Migration (out Dec 26) is an animated feature about a family of Mallard ducks who, for the first time, harness the courage to migrate to Jamacia for the winter. The themes are neatly articulated, the story is entertaining, and the characters are cute. There are also some great jokes! Grade: B+.

Two Tickets to Greece (out Dec 26) is a limp comedy about two childhood friends who re-connect decades later and go on a holiday together. They're as different as chalk and cheese (the film has Odd Couple vibes) and while it sounds like a recipe for laughs, the misadventures are poorly conceived. Grade: C.

One Life (out Dec 26) takes a while to get going (the two timeframes don't help) but once it hits its stride in the final act, it's a stirring, powerful, emotional tale. It is based on the life of British-born Nicholas Winton who help rescue train-loads of Jewish people from Czechoslovakia during the early days of World War II. Grade: B+.

Wish (out Dec 26) is an up-and-down animated feature. It's the tale of a young woman tasked with overthrowing a kingdom's tyrannical leader. The "capturing wishes" subplot is contrived but didn't mind the heroes versus villains narrative. Grade: B-.

Poor Things (out Dec 26) is a quirky dark comedy from director Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite) and is difficult to explain. Featuring a great lead performance from Emma Stone, it's a film you'll remember whether you like it or not. The jokes become repetitive (the lead character's love of s*x) but I like its boldness and themes. Grade: B+.

Wonka (out Dec 14) is designed to be a prequel to the 1971 flick starring Gene Wilder. It's fun! The story is easy to follow, the musical numbers fit nicely, and the production values are strong. In the title role, Timothée Chalamet’s dancing/singing skills are charming but it’s the blend of quirkiness and sincerity he brings to the character which makes Wonka easy to root for. Grade: B+.

Godzilla Minus One (out Dec 1) is a terrific Japanese action flick set in the aftermath of World War II where residents of Tokyo must find a way to defeat the destructive creature. The acting is stiff at times but this is still a tense, engaging movie which feels more credible than Godzilla flicks which have come out of Hollywood in recent years. Grade: A-.

Dicks: The Musical (out Dec 7) is the rudest, crudest musical I've ever seen. Directed by Larry Charles (Borat), every scene is trying to shock the audience with a lack of political correctness. The best laughs are in the closing credit outtakes. That's not usually a good sign but, as a whole, the film still deserves a look for its eye-raising stupidity. Grade: B.