Joelene Pynnonen reviews the movie version of Markus Zusak’s novel.

In 1938, as Germany faces the Second World War, a sick young boy dies on a long train ride. When Death takes the child, it is his sister, Liesel Meminger (Sophie Nelisse), who captures his attention. Liesel has lost far more than any young girl should; her brother has died and her mother, a communist, must leave her with a German couple to keep her from harm.

Hans (Geoffrey Rush) and Rosa (Emily Watson) Hubermann are about as different as can be in temperament. He is kind and empathetic, while she is short-tempered and sharp-tongued. In beliefs, however, they are closely matched. Neither agrees with Hitler’s views and both are willing to defy them as much as they are able, even to the extent of hiding Max, a Jewish man, in their basement. They and Rudy Steiner, the neighbour’s boy, come to be as much a family to Liesel as her own. The war is drawing closer, however, and the danger is never far away.

The Book Thief, while depicting a horrific era of cruelty, differs from many Holocaust stories. Rather than focusing on Nazis and Jews, it offers a slice of humanity. Using Liesel’s point of view gives the film scope to focus on what German families endured during the war, as well as giving insight into the barbarism of the Holocaust.

Based on the novel of the same name by Australian author Markus Zusak, The Book Thief is aimed at a young adult audience, so the horror is subdued rather than overt. A sense of fear, poverty, and hunger permeates the film, made more poignant by Hans and Rosa’s refusal to join the war effort to gain more food. Throughout, Liesel and her foster-parents struggle to balance safety with morality.

The actors’ performances here are amazing. All characters speak with a German accent, adding authenticity to the setting. Nico Liersch, the actor who plays Rudy, is German, but Sophie Nelisse is not, and the fact that she can manage such a difficult accent at her age does her credit. She has a presence on screen that makes her compellingly watchable. Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson also excel in their parts. Their characters bring a sense of gravity to the film; much of the fear is felt through them as they are old enough to understand consequences.

The Book Thief is a wonderful way to introduce children and young adults to the Holocaust. More than that, it’s a story that speaks to humanity: not choosing sides but acknowledging that everyone has the capacity for kindness, even in difficult times.

Joelene Pynnonen reviews Frozen

Princess Elsa of Arendelle was born with the magical ability to harness winter; creating ice and snow from the air. After a childhood accident that involved her younger sister, Anna, Elsa has hidden away that part of herself even though it means cutting herself off from her sister and her emotions. For years the sisters are secluded inside their castle, but with Elsa’s coronation approaching, the castle must open to the public once more.

When an argument leads to Elsa losing control of her emotions and her powers, the kingdom becomes trapped in a frigid winter. Now it’s up to Anna and Kristoff, a guide she meets along the way, to track the runaway Elsa and convince her to return summer to Arendelle.

I have been accused of trying to hold onto childhood at any cost, but stoutly maintain that animated films are getting better and better right now. If anyone was still in doubt, Frozen proves it. While it has all the markings of a children’s film, the storyline and script has plenty of entertainment for an adult audience. The fact that the screening I went to see started at eight-thirty pm and did not have one child in the reasonably sized audience means that studios are capitalising on making movies that resonate with various age groups.

 Beautifully animated and with a wonderful cast of characters voiced by talented voice actors, it’s difficult to find a reason not to watch Frozen. This is another Disney movie that works hard at breaking the conventions that stunted the original princesses. The traditional charm is there, but the female characters in Frozen have more agency than earlier princesses. Elsa and Anna have distinctive personalities that drive the storyline forward, and the film really unwinds around them. Kristoff is a lovely addition, as is the snowman, Olaf, but their roles are to guide and support Anna’s quest, not to take it on for her.

The one thing that let the film down was the musical score. ‘Let It Go’ sung by Elsa’s voice actor, Idina Menzel, is exceptional and fits the emotional complexity of the film. The other songs aren’t bad, but they don’t suit Frozen’s atmosphere in the same way.

For a gorgeous film that has some ultimately wonderful messages about love, family and loyalty, put Disney’s Frozen on your checklist. I had high expectations going in, and it surpassed most of them effortlessly.

Chris Kneipp reviews Silver Linings Playbook and has his opinion of Bradley Cooper changed.

One of the great joys when seeing a movie you know nothing about, is when that movie turns out to be something special. The Silver Linings Playbook was such a movie. I saw it with my wife when it was in the cinemas, knowing nothing about it other than it had Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in it.

The plot reads like a romantic drama, but this intelligent rom-com explores subjects like mental illness and dealing with grief, while maintaining a light touch. Writer and director David O. Russell straddles the line by creating likeable characters dealing with things the best way they can. It doesn’t hurt that the movie  is brilliantly performed by all its cast.

Patrick “Pat” Solitano, (Bradley Cooper) is released from a mental health facility where he was locked up for savagely beating his wife’s new lover. Unable to let go, he clings to the hope he will win back his wife, trying to put a silver lining on everything that happens. At a dinner with his best friend, he is introduced to Tiffany Maxwell, (Jennifer Lawrence) who has problems of her own. Widowed and unemployed after one too many “indiscretions” with co-workers, she and Pat develop an unlikely friendship. A lot of the humour comes from the fact that neither of them are able to filter the words that come out of their mouth.

The whole cast of Silver Linings Playbook bring their A game.

At the time, I’d only seen J-Law in Hunger Games and wanted to see how she went playing a very different role. My reaction was, “Wow!”  Her portrayal of Tiffany is so natural. She doesn’t overplay the drama, making us feel for her deeply as we see her deal with life’s problems. But it’s her comedic timing that is the nice surprise. Without giving too much away, you’ll never forget the dance routine at the end, which had me in stitches.

Cooper’s performance changed my opinion of him for the better. I’d seen him play a few characters before, but he seemed a little one dimensional. As Pat he creates a sense of a man hanging by a thread, who finally finds peace when he looks at the people around him. He acts with subtlety and heart.

Chris Rock is Chris Rock, though a little toned down from his Rush Hour character, and his rapid fire ramblings work well for the character.

Robert De Niro gives his best performance in ages, playing Pat’s gambling, OCD father just trying to keep his head above water and connect with his son.

Special mention here for Jackie Weaver, whose portrayal of the long suffering mother was the glue in all the scenes with Pat’s family. Jackie fills the role with her best motherly ways and it’s great watching this iconic Australian actor’s interactions with De Niro and Cooper. I hope this opens the eyes of a lot more directors in the U.S. She deserved her Academy Award nomination, and it would have been nice to have another Aussie take a statue from Hollywood.

So if you haven’t seen it yet, go out, find a copy and watch it. It’ll make you laugh. It will make you feel. It’ll give your life a little silver lining.

I took time out last night to go and find out just what all the fuss is about when it comes to the movie Saving Mr Banks.

The trailers on TV are a pretty good indicator as to the main storyline; P.L.Travers, the author of Mary Poppins, going through the rigmarole of converting her characters into a big screen worthy entity. The beautiful thing is, this isn’t the only thing happening.

We spend a good portion of the film heading back into the very early 1900’s to when Helen Lyndon Goff (P L Travers) was a young girl and the family issues that helped fuel her creativity to write Mary Poppins.  

I found it a little surreal watching Emma Thompson playing Mrs Travers, since she was also Nanny McPhee, a movie so similar to Mary Poppins it was ridiculous.

 Tom Hanks playing Walt Disney was delightful, and I must admit I had a craving to watch A League of their Own, this morning when I woke up. I love it when he’s given a role where both the female characters and his character have a chance to butt heads and come out with everyone respected and honoured.

Ruth Wilson and Rachel Griffiths were superb choices for the Aussie women of the era.

I must admit I was a little annoyed at myself for not being armed with a packet of tissues, because they were much needed and I ended up leaving before the credits had finished rolling (red, blotchy, snotty face), despite the completely awe inspiring collection of photographs that were being shown of the people the film was about.

There were so many funny moments, and times when you’re just glad you didn’t have Mrs Travers’ sniper like temper aimed at you, that you really do not notice the time go by.

John Lee Hancock you have done a brilliant job with this cast, this crew, this script and ultimately this film.

A solid 5 out of 5 from me. Take your tissues!

Chris Kneipp reviews the show everyone has been raving about.

Coming to SBS free to air TV at last, is the Canadian series Orphan Black, starring Tatiana Maslany. The series has received rave reviews overseas and rightly so, with a great storyline and brilliant acting, especially from the show’s star, who plays multiple characters.

Now it’s hard to tell you about the show without giving too much away, but sit’s so good that a few spoilers shouldn’t hurt your enjoyment of the show (If you’re really worried, go now and stream it. In Australia the first two eps are on SBS’s online site now.)

From the opening scene the questions start coming. Maslany first appears as the main character Sarah, a streetwise nomad with a messy past, who’s barely managing to stay ahead of her violent, criminal past. When she witnesses the suicide of a woman who looks exactly like her, Sarah decides to steal the dead woman’s identity, at first just to clean out her accounts, but later to escape her violent ex, Vic. She soon discovers that stealing this woman Beth’s identity is fraught with its own problems and dangers. For a start, Beth was a police detective and keeping her real identity hidden from her fellow cops is a dance that’s a pleasure to watch.

She slowly discovers more women who look just like her and realises with horror that she is a clone, one of an unspecified number of copies, all unaware of each other’s existence until Sarah/Beth begins to bring them together.  It’s playing these different characters that really marks Tatiana Maslany as an exceptional actor. Whether it be the self absorbed and slightly psychotic soccer mum Alison, the vaguely hippy nerd Cosima or the religious-fanatic assassin Helena, each character is played like a totally different person.

As the show progresses more is revealed and the writers have done a fantastic job of balancing teasers with real answers to the unravelling mystery. The supporting cast fill their roles well, though it’s Sarah’s gay foster brother and best friend Felix who nearly steals the show in his scenes. I say nearly, because it’s impossible to ignore Maslany’s talent as she imbues each character with a life of its own.

This series is filmed in Toronto, Ontario by BBC America and they do a splendid job giving us something refreshingly new and different to watch. Visually, the series is beautifully shot, giving a grungy, backstreet feel to the city scenes and a plastic sterility to the ones set in suburbia.

If you’re in Australia, try to catch up with the first two eps on SBS Online.  They are airing double episodes every Tuesday night on SBS 2 at 8:30PM.

If you’re elsewhere in the world, find it and watch it. You won’t be disappointed.