Reviewed by Jacob Powell

Proof. The Evidence? The facts attesting to the truth? The “proof” referred to in John Madden’s latest offering is, according to the Oxford English Dictionary:

“An operation serving to test or check the correctness of an arithmetical calculation.”

Mathematics was never my strongpoint – maybe that’s to blame – but I found the Proof somewhat unconvincing.

TIM WONG previews the 2006 Film Society season, marking its 60th anniversary in New Zealand with an epiphanic account of his own Film Society initiation.

As cricket and rugby seasons messily converge, March offers clarity in film-going circles. The annual World Cinema Showcase resurfaces as Summer subsides and the colder months encroach, signposting the beginning of the local film festival season with a cachet of exceptional, contentious, long-awaited, classic and returning films. Some of our highlights include The Beat My Heart Skipped and Tsotsi (opening night); part II of Lars von Trier's USA trilogy Manderlay (not starring Nicole Kidman); the criminally overdue Millennium Actress; spag-western A Fistful of Dynamite and long-lost Winter Soldier; and reprives for NZIFF thumb-uppers The Child and Darwin's Nightmare (among others).

The World Cinema Showcase travels south from Christchurch (March 16-29) to Dunedin (March 22-April 7), then northwards via Wellington (April 6-19) and Auckland (April 20-May 10). Head over to the previously dormant Festival Reader for a full Showcase media release, lineup of films, and upcoming festival previews and reviews....[Read More]

Media Release | February 17th, 2006
The New Zealand Film Festival Trust is pleased to announce the eighth annual World Cinema Showcase, now well established as the little film festival that the organisers of the annual July International Film festivals organise – when they’re not organising the big one. “The intention is basically the same as that of the Festivals,” says long time Festival director, Bill Gosden, “to provide exposure for some of the exceptional films and filmmakers who aren’t assured a release in New Zealand’s small, but crowded market.”

For more information on the following titles + festival venues, times and dates, visit worldcinemashowcase.co.nz.

Reviewed by Tim Wong

INDUCTED headfirst into the Marine Corps by homophobic Drill Instructor Fitch (a Lee Ermey cast-off who clearly recognises Jake Gyllenhaal from elsewhere), Private Anthony Swofford describes in voiceover the ritual degradation of an entry-level marine: hands are known as “dick skinners”, the mouth becomes a “cum receptacle”, and so on. Taking his cue from the military’s notorious backdoor slang, Sam Mendes sets out to make Jarhead as explicitly sexual as possible: penis sizes come under constant scrutiny, masturbation is habitual, and gangbangs are the by-product of boredom and dehydration. Welcome to the suck; or, the world’s first pornographic war movie.

The Heart of Auckland organisation are bringing the provocative art exhibition Coexistence, which has been travelling the world for five years, to the Britomart Precinct from February 10. In conjunction with this event the Academy Cinemas are pleased to announce a short festival featuring four films over four weekends that emphasise and illuminate the principles of the Coexistence event.

Media Release | February 8th, 2006
The highly anticipated inaugural Moonlight Shorts outdoor final is coming to Coyle Park, Point Chevalier on Sat March 4th. Over this hot summer, more than 100 teams from around New Zealand created a short film.

Reviewed by Aditya Basrur

A FILM which tells the story of someone’s life in two hours or less is always an ambitious undertaking. When the film’s subject is a musician, there is sure to be a temptation to turn the film into a musical, showing music with short segments interspersed. Walk the Line succumbs to this temptation to some extent, but is still entirely worthwhile.

Congratulations to L. Yipp of Wellington, winner of Six Feet Under: The Complete Fourth Season, courtesy of Warner Bros. Home Video. Your prize will be mailed shortly. Thanks to the countless who entered.

Also congrats to C. Nesus and D. Brennock, each winners of double pass to Banana in a Nutshell at The Paramount.

Reviewed by Jacob Powell

WHAT'S MORE awkward than bringing your ethnically out of place partner home to meet the family? Getting there, having them stared at and then told to bugger off because they’re not wanted! This is exactly what happens in the first ten minutes of Toa Fraser’s memorable debut directorial outing – No. 2.

Critical barometer, or mere Hollywood procession? Either way, the 2006 Academy Award nominations are out, and we feel strangely obliged to publish them. Not that being nominated, let alone winning, has necessarily ever meant anything. When The Return of the King made history and swept the floor two years ago, onlookers were smothered not so much with shock or even awe, but a deadweight sense of formality. Tonight, the 6 o'clock news will zero on Kong and Narnia's pittance of nominations – but again, like that means anything. Keira Knightley garnering a Best Actress nomination for Pride and Prejudice says as much. Only thing to look forward to is the torrent of Oscar-nominated films that invade our movie theatres around this time of year – hence, the reason why we're also refraining from making any major predictions.