IN CINEMAS - October 11th 2018

​By Bo Nicholson - Managing Director

Each week The Pioneer Australia will give you a guide to the films hitting cinemas in Australia.  This week we’ll discuss the new Damien Chazelle film, an all-star cast sharing a deadly hotel and a new movie from the man that gave us House of Flying Daggers. 

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First Man
Directed by Damien Chazelle (Whiplash, La La Land)
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy
Duration: 141 Minutes
Rated M
Nation-wide release
Official Trailer

The Pioneer Says….
Can World Cinema’s Wunderkind continue his streak of brilliance, or will he fall at the third hurdle?  That’s the question we are asking ourselves as Damien Chazelle tackles Neil Armstrong’s story in First Man.

Following on from the critical acclaim thrown upon his debut Whiplash and his sophomore effort La La Land (Chazelle wrote and directed both) is no easy feat, but he’s not above approaching things differently once again.  For the first time, he takes on a biopic, while also directing another person’s screenplay for the first time.  We needn’t worry, Josh Singer is a fine writer, as he proved with Spotlight.

I guess the big question here is, how will Chazelle surprise us?  We know how this story ends.  Will the surprises be in the performances of Ryan Gosling or Claire Foy?  What directorial flourishes can we expect from Chazelle, especially as he is working with his regular team of Tom Cross (Editor), Linus Sandgren (Cinematographer) and Justin Hurwitz (Composer)?

​Verdict: With a Metascore of 84 and the pedigree of all involved, it’s hard to see this being a bad film.  This could be the film of the year, make sure you go and see it!

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Bad Times at the El Royale
Directed by Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods)
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson, Chris Hemsworth
Duration: 141 Minutes
Rated MA 15+
Nation-wide release
Official Trailer
 
The Pioneer Says….
Well, ain’t that a trailer!

Seven dangerous strangers, each with a deadly secret, stay at the El Royale.  Drew Goddard, known for the deceptive The Cabin in the Woods has assembled an excellent cast to bring this thriller (with a very Coen Brothers feel) to life.

At 141 minutes it may tire out some audiences, particularly as the story will need to serve the arcs of so many central characters.  Be prepared for the deployment of the Rashomon effect; named after the seminal Akira 

Kurosawa film, where the same scene is replayed a number of times, but from different viewpoints, to give the audience a different understanding of the same events.  If done well, it can be genius (see: Rashomon), but if done poorly it can feel repetitive and tiresome.

​With mostly positive reviews thus far, it seems that Bad Times at the El Royale has the pizazz to be a real crowd-pleaser, with the potential to be a cult favourite for years to come.

​Verdict: We’re excited to check out Bad Times at the El Royale; it looks slick and thrilling and well-worth the price of admission.   A potential cult movie for years to come.

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Shadow (Ying)
Directed by Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern)
Cast: Chao Deng, Li Sun
Duration: 116 Minutes
Rated MA 15+
Limited Release
Chinese with English Subtitles
Official Trailer
 
The Pioneer Says….
We hated The Great Wall, which was the monster/martial arts crossover film from Zhang Yimou starring Matt Damon.  It was a steaming pile of garbage from the man who made Raise the Red Lantern, House of Flying Daggers, Curse of the Golden Flower and Hero.  He’s possibly China’s greatest ever filmmaker, was he finally out of ideas?

Apparently not…

This wuxia adventure through the Three Kingdom’s Era is an absolute treat for the eyes, with beautiful, almost monochrome, cinematography which clearly takes inspiration from the yin and yang symbol.

More often than not, when Yimou directs wuxia it is a sight to behold, with stunning choreography and immense scale betraying the very nature of his films; taut personal dramas.  Must-see cinema!

​Verdict:  Zhang Yimou is a man at the top of his game directing what is likely to be the best Asian film of the year.  If you’re a fan of Yimou or of the genre, it’d be a crime to miss this.

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Bo Nicholson is a Managing Director at The Pioneer Australia.  His favourite movie is Pulp Fiction, even if Seven Samurai is the best film he’s ever seen.  He produces content for Pure Cinema.  Check them out on Facebook and YouTube.
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